Scrivener.net

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Noted around and about ...

Posting will remain sporadic here through August (among other reasons, my office is in boxes while I'm still trying to make a living from it) but in the meantime...
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I was going to ask, 'what's the point of a new Payola Scandal in this day and age?', but Daniel Gross over at Slate asked first. Of course, the point is that Elliot Spitzer is trying to pull a Dewey/Guiliani by building political name recognition here in New York as a high-profile prosecutor, no matter how dumbass the prosecutions he brings. Well, at least he's moved on from prosecuting over-greedy bathroom attendants like this fellow.


Counsel has a tough day on oral argument before the Court of Appeals (audio file).


More opinions on Krugman's French Family Values come in from Nobel economist Gary Becker and Judge Richard Posner.


Nobel economist Robert Fogel observes how projections of economic performance have been "uniformly too pessimistic" ever since World War II. More support for David Brooks' observation that "only pessimists are regarded as intellectually serious".


Bjørn Lomborg debates the Sierra Club's Carl Pope. Who wins? You decide. [Hat tip: Tim Worstall]


Bad news for life on Mars.


The Washington Post documents the Medicare fiasco, while the New York Times documents the Medicaid fiasco. Why, oh why, does Krugman want to inflict this on us all? Maybe before writing his next column claiming government health care is so successful he should take the trouble to read the papers.


Follow the bouncing ball biker!


The Democrats finally announce their Social Security reform proposal! And it is: Save more in your 401(k) so when Social Security goes bust you'll still have something.


Michael Moore is a cheap tipper ... and a millionaire, union-busting exploiter of labor ...
one senior staffer regularly responded to Moore's abuse by presenting the boss with a big box of doughnuts. He assured co-workers he was not trying to placate Moore. Rather, he figured Mike's intemperate scarfing would hasten the fat man's death.
... and a "bloated narcissist" ... but you knew all that.


The CIA is recruiting.


Why urban public schools fail, part (who can count?): Check the top 15 items on the agenda of the National Education Association's annual convention and see where "education" fits in.


Nifty video of a plane getting hit by lightning and flying off on its way.


Smart Indian Ocean tsunami victim: a Serbian ... in Serbia.


Alleged motor vehicle violation of the week: Two women pushing a broken down car after having a few drinks face charges for "driving under the influence" after they pushed their car into a parked one. An interesting enough case -- but I doubt the judicial outcome will match our favorite DUI appeals court decision.