Common Sense for Uncommon Times - Fair and Balanced |
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Random, occasionally rambling thoughts with links to interesting, scandalous, or partisan news of the day. Fair and Balanced 
We owe the liberty and freedom we take for granted to the enlisted men and women in the armed forces. They sacrifice family, ease, and even life laboring in service to all of us. The least we can do for them is honor their devotion with dignified pay scales, decent education for themselves and their children, and reasonable compensation for service away from their families and death on the battlefield. Flag waving politicians who praise the troops on one hand and cut their pay and benefits with the other should be deeply ashamed of themselves.
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Monday, September 30, 2002
Can Global Warming Trigger a 'Little ice Age' Hell, you may as well worry about something besides Iraq for awhile. This oceanographer makes a good case for the current global warming messing up the deeper ocean currents, stopping the gulf stream warm water flow to Northern Europe, and starting a mini ice age. Fun for all, and just think how happy our loyal friends the Brits will be when we turn off their heat. posted by Dave on 11:19 PM | 0 comments link
Bush's real goal in Iraq People all over the world are scratching their heads wondering why George W has got such a bee in his bonnet. Some folks think it's electioneering. Others swear it's revenge for Saddam trying to kill W's dad. This article raises the stakes on those reasonably minor gambits and flat out charges W with empire building. It's plausible, not so much for W, but for his handlers. Cheney still won't reveal the details of the energy planning sessions. I wouldn't be surprised if they read like a who's who of "let's get Iraq" neo-cons. posted by Dave on 12:29 PM | 0 comments link
www.mnftiu.cc | get your voltr on | page nineIn honor of W's "he tried to kill my dad.", I'm linking to one of the unlikeliest cartoons you will ever find. Not for kids or people offended by profanity. The fourth strip down is the one I particularly think is relevant in light of Bush's September 28 comments in Houston. posted by Dave on 11:11 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Sunday, September 29, 2002
Like Father, Like Son: The Economic Indicators Head South The article George W didn't want to read has just been written, and written well, by Ronald Brownstein. The Democrats could do a hell of a lot worse than reprinting this, day after day, in every newspaper and on every television station in America. posted by Dave on 11:57 PM | 0 comments link
Bush's stock market success...not Read to the bottom line of the piece where a trusted Bush adviser reveals his true feelings. posted by Dave on 12:38 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Saturday, September 28, 2002
One Buck Forty or Die Off the beaten path for me, but a Dvorak article on monopoly pricing in the music industry is more interesting than another post about the venality of the Bush team. posted by Dave on 11:30 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Thursday, September 26, 2002
Mr. Bush, Stop the Insanity Molly Ivins joins Mark Twain in a vociferous denunciation of the Bush war strategy. posted by Dave on 11:47 PM | 0 comments link
Victory of the Loud Little Handful Mark Twain on the hollering for war. posted by Dave on 11:44 PM | 0 comments link
It Takes a Solar Village (washingtonpost.com) for Clueless and the rest, it's really a very simple proposition. The sun, the roofs, and the conservation. That's it. posted by Dave on 11:34 PM | 0 comments link -------------------- Wednesday, September 25, 2002
It's Not About Oil? Even Cato doesn't buy the administration's argument that oil doesn't figure into the discussion about Iraq. posted by Dave on 6:33 PM | 0 comments link
Nunn-Lugar Suffers Cuts Despite Big Boost to Pentagon Budget This is an old time commentary, but highlights the stupidity of our programs to defend against weapons of mass destruction. The most effective program we have is being cut... posted by Dave on 6:26 PM | 0 comments link -------------------- Monday, September 23, 2002
Judge Concludes Energy Company Drove Up Prices This article lays the wood upside the head of those who think Gray Davis was whining about the big, bad energy companies. According to the judge, El Paso illegally exercised market power in the provision of natural gas. The early estimates are for $4 billion, but with damages it could go higher. It'll be appealed of course, but the circle of energy bad guys continues to widen. Bring back sensible regulation of the energy markets, please. posted by Dave on 9:50 PM | 0 comments link
GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! By RALPH PETERS You can't read this too often. For many of us in California this has been an obvious no-brainer situation, but lots of people still don't get it. I'll toss my religious right friends who want to control their wives into the "don't get it" pile along with their Islamic fellow travelers. Get with it, boys, the babes are here to stay. posted by Dave on 9:53 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Sunday, September 22, 2002
California Energy Crisis Whitewash I don't know why Lynn Kiesling felt it necessary to excuse the five generators accused of manipulating California's energy market, but her arguments sound feeble and incomplete at best. For anyone who lived through those days it was apparent the market was being whipsawed by a group of banditos who had been given the keys to the bank. Nobody denies the fundamental stupididty of California's regulatory efforts. If you invite Ken Lay to help plan your system, Enron's going to have a built-in edge. However, the mere existence of an opportunity for chicanery doesn't mandate bad behavior. The outirght lying and cheating that went on all fly in the face of the business ethics we should expect from major corporations. The abdication of FERC from any effort to restrain the obvious exercise of market power pricing is a scandal in its own right, but one that Billy Tauzin has been too busy to undertake. As anyone can tell you, Martha Stewart's insider trading is far more important to our national well being than market manipulation by major energy producers. In the final analysis that may emerge in a few years it will be clear that both California and the major energy producers were at fault. However, California's fault was an excess of trust. The producers fault was an excess of greed. The two are not equivalent. posted by Dave on 1:32 AM | 0 comments link
Globalization, Alive and Well A year of travel in Southeast Asia and Central America taught me the same lesson that Friedman talks about in this editorial. The argument among the people who matter, the hungry and poor, isn't about whether globalization is bad or good. It's about how quickly it can be brought to bear to alleviate poverty and misery without disrupting the elements of social order that countries need to survivie intact. The next time a European or American protester tells you that globalization is bad, ask them about their most recent visits to Bangladesh, Vietnam, or India. It's the height of arrogance for anyone in the west to assume that poverty, degradation, high childhood death rates, or any other symptom of economic malaise are anything but a preventable problem. The gentle Buddhists of Thailand haven't chosen to be poor. They are just late to the development table. They can still be gentle and sweet, but give them a chance at indoor plumbing, phones, universal education, and decent health care for all first. posted by Dave on 12:33 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Thursday, September 19, 2002
Universal Declaration of Human Rights You want a reason to invade Iraq or force change in Egypt and Saudi Arabia? Just take a look at this document and the array of articles being violated across the Islamic world. Think of the US as the enforcement arm the UN is unwilling to wield. posted by Dave on 11:35 AM | 0 comments link
Ralph Peters in an interesting essay on the causes of failure for societies. Written four years ago, the information will be relevant for decades. posted by Dave on 10:09 AM | 0 comments link
CBS News | California Energy Crisis A Sham | September 17, 2002 21:54:44 What have I been telling you for 18 months. posted by Dave on 12:07 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- Monday, September 16, 2002
Cronies in Arms Enron again, Thomas White again, and Dick Cheney, the fountain from which all secrecy grows, again. posted by Dave on 11:51 PM | 0 comments link
Boston Globe Online The strange battle of progressives to know what to think about Afghanistan and Iraq. posted by Dave on 2:09 PM | 0 comments link -------------------- Wednesday, September 11, 2002
The Terms of the Debate: What Iraq Has Promised the U.N. on Disarmament Here's what all the hubbub is about. posted by Dave on 11:48 PM | 0 comments link
LILEKS (James) The Bleat posted by Dave on 11:24 PM | 0 comments link
LILEKS (James) The Bleat A Lileks reminder of why September 11 isn't a forgettable date. posted by Dave on 11:21 PM | 0 comments link
Harvard's Larry Summers Speech: Observance of September 11th, 9/11/02 posted by Dave on 11:17 PM | 0 comments link -------------------- Monday, September 09, 2002
Star Telegram | 09/08/2002 | Reflecting on rights lost in the past year posted by Dave on 1:59 PM | 0 comments link
In war, some facts less factual | csmonitor.com Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! posted by Dave on 10:38 AM | 0 comments link -------------------- |