Though I see many of President Bush's policies negatively, he has had one great success. It is a success that cause rejoicing in heaven and on Earth. President Bush has committed a huge amount of American support to fighting AIDS, malaria, and other disease in Africa. His advocacy has literally saved the lives of millions of people. He has gone against callous conservatives within his own party to do so, and it is an achievement less remarked upon but more significant, in my opinion, than the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the hope that millions of children now have that they didn't before.
In large part, much of the Bush presidency was a missed opportunity. In Africa he made the most of his ideals, and history will credit him. I salute him.
To read more about the decency of George W. Bush, go here.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Beware Gustav
The U.S. economy is poised in a very perilous position. There is still very little credit available, high gas prices and inflation are still around, and many, many institutions, especially banks, are barely hanging on. Additionally, there is not much the government can do to prevent more problems or to help the economy.
Meanwhile, a small tropical disturbance named 94L has snuck up on hapless Hispaniola and become a category 1 hurricane named Gustav. As this atmospheric maelstrom nears the caribbean, there is virtually nothing to stop it from becoming a category 4 or 5 . If that happens, and it continues towards U.S. landfall, Gustav could have devastating effects on the U.S. economy. In addition to the devastation that $6 gas could wrought, the building boom that normally would accompany a major disaster will be hindered by high construction costs and lack of credit. Instead, an area hit by the hurricane could simply stay depressed and remove productivity from the economy. Normally in a disaster this is marginalized because the huge U.S. economic engine can absorb blows from a disaster. Imagine, however, that the banking and insurance system is hit by the loss of several thousand homes and businesses. The margin of error between recession and disaster is so small right now that Gustav, and anything that follows it, could push us over a cliff that would be very difficult to climb back up.
Meanwhile, a small tropical disturbance named 94L has snuck up on hapless Hispaniola and become a category 1 hurricane named Gustav. As this atmospheric maelstrom nears the caribbean, there is virtually nothing to stop it from becoming a category 4 or 5 . If that happens, and it continues towards U.S. landfall, Gustav could have devastating effects on the U.S. economy. In addition to the devastation that $6 gas could wrought, the building boom that normally would accompany a major disaster will be hindered by high construction costs and lack of credit. Instead, an area hit by the hurricane could simply stay depressed and remove productivity from the economy. Normally in a disaster this is marginalized because the huge U.S. economic engine can absorb blows from a disaster. Imagine, however, that the banking and insurance system is hit by the loss of several thousand homes and businesses. The margin of error between recession and disaster is so small right now that Gustav, and anything that follows it, could push us over a cliff that would be very difficult to climb back up.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Election Prediction
just wanna say this before we know anything.
Clinton will not get knocked out of the race tonight. Contrary to popular thought, she will win Texas and Ohio and shock everyone to stay in the race. Furthermore, she will win Pennsylvania in April, and will finish the race somewhere behind Barack Obama. Neither will have the delegate lead, and the race will go to the convention. In a somewhat controversial finish, the superdelegates will give the nomination to Obama.
The reasons for this comeback in Texas and Ohio are as follows:
1. Hillary's message resonates with people more than the mainstream media understands. Barack Obama wows everyone, but many will still vote for Hillary. Furthermore, the media's ganging up on Hillary will produce a backlash.
2. Obama and his campaign seem to get a little overconfident at times, and this happened in New Hampshire as well. The past few days, in particular, have seen some of this rhetoric, and this will bring a couple of points back to Hillary, especially in Ohio.
3. The media's slavish devotion to Barack Obama will produce a subtle backlash.
4. Ohio's dirty little secret is that it still has a nasty undercurrent of racist and ethnic division, especially among the white suburban population near the major population centers
5. Hispanics will turn out surprising numbers for Hillary in Texas, surprising the pollsters in the same way California did earlier in the primary.
I am posting all of this before I hear any information tonight. May it happen as it happens.
James
Clinton will not get knocked out of the race tonight. Contrary to popular thought, she will win Texas and Ohio and shock everyone to stay in the race. Furthermore, she will win Pennsylvania in April, and will finish the race somewhere behind Barack Obama. Neither will have the delegate lead, and the race will go to the convention. In a somewhat controversial finish, the superdelegates will give the nomination to Obama.
The reasons for this comeback in Texas and Ohio are as follows:
1. Hillary's message resonates with people more than the mainstream media understands. Barack Obama wows everyone, but many will still vote for Hillary. Furthermore, the media's ganging up on Hillary will produce a backlash.
2. Obama and his campaign seem to get a little overconfident at times, and this happened in New Hampshire as well. The past few days, in particular, have seen some of this rhetoric, and this will bring a couple of points back to Hillary, especially in Ohio.
3. The media's slavish devotion to Barack Obama will produce a subtle backlash.
4. Ohio's dirty little secret is that it still has a nasty undercurrent of racist and ethnic division, especially among the white suburban population near the major population centers
5. Hispanics will turn out surprising numbers for Hillary in Texas, surprising the pollsters in the same way California did earlier in the primary.
I am posting all of this before I hear any information tonight. May it happen as it happens.
James
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Auto blog
I really like this blog: autobloggreen. It's full of interesting news and articles about subjects related to green technology in the auto world. If you care about green tech, or you're an engineer, definitely check it out.
James
James
Monday, November 12, 2007
Republican Opinion
This is a great article by Sam Brownback. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but if the evangelical right had this attitude en mass, then there would be a lot less vitriol toward them in the country right now.
James
James
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Quotes from soldiers
From this article: Soldier's perspective
Sergeant in his 2nd tour in Iraq
Staff Sergeant on violence in Baghdad:
Sgt. on the war:
Sergeant in his 2nd tour in Iraq
I honestly thought we were making a difference in Tikrit. Then we come back to a hellhole," Marino said. "That was a playground compared to Baghdad.
Staff Sergeant on violence in Baghdad:
The American people don't fully realize what's going on, said Staff Sgt. Richard McClary, 27, a section leader from Buffalo.
"They just know back there what the higher-ups here tell them. But the higher-ups don't go anywhere, and actually they only go to the safe places, places with a little bit of gunfire," he said. "They don't ever [expletive] see what we see on the ground."
Sgt. on the war:
Next month, the U.S. soldiers will complete their tour in Iraq. Their experience in Sadiyah has left many of them deeply discouraged, by both the unabated hatred between rival sectarian fighters and the questionable will of the Iraqi government to work toward peaceful solutions.
Asked if the American endeavor here was worth their sacrifice -- 20 soldiers from the battalion have been killed in Baghdad -- Alarcon said no: "I don't think this place is worth another soldier's life."
Monday, September 10, 2007
Gay Christian
gaychristian.net
This website was started by a friend of mine from high school. I challenge everybody, especially christians, to read and think about it. I especially like how he allows a place for both sides: GLBT who believe they are called to be celibate by the bible, and those who believe they are allowed monogamous relationships. I think that civil dialogue and honest discussion combined with sincere belief in the bible are what are desperately needed in the church. You may disagree with Justin's position, but if you know him and you read the website, you cannot deny that he and his website place their faith in Jesus Christ first.
-James
This website was started by a friend of mine from high school. I challenge everybody, especially christians, to read and think about it. I especially like how he allows a place for both sides: GLBT who believe they are called to be celibate by the bible, and those who believe they are allowed monogamous relationships. I think that civil dialogue and honest discussion combined with sincere belief in the bible are what are desperately needed in the church. You may disagree with Justin's position, but if you know him and you read the website, you cannot deny that he and his website place their faith in Jesus Christ first.
-James
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Good news on the Green front
Good news on the technology front. Another hopeful wanna-be, maybe, but just imagine if it was true. An end to gas stations, revolution in energy, Exxon out of business. That would be a shift.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/07/electric.car.batteries.ap/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/07/electric.car.batteries.ap/index.html
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Economic Downturn
If any of you follow the stock market, you know of the recent weeks' trouble over the looming global credit crunch and the collapse of the housing market in the U.S.. However, stocks are back up this week, and investors are beginning to call the crunch a simple bump in the economic road. Easy Parcheesi right?
Wrong. The current credit crisis is much larger than most people believe, and things arent getting better, they are about to get a whole lot worse.
Economic Woes
In history large years-long credit booms like the one we've seen in previous years have often been followed by significant market corrections (see: recession). While it is too soon to tell if the current boom will lead to a U.S. or heaven-forbid, worldwide economic recession, there will be significant financial bumps ahead. Lender's continue to have major financial problems, and jobs are starting to be cut in the industry. The credit crunch is particularly significant in the United States because so much of our economy is driven by consumption and construction, both of which could be harshly affected by the shrinking housing market. U.S. citizens still spend a significantly larger amount that they earn, and the collapse of free equity will have major impacts on consumption.
The big question is how much consumption will be affected, and how long the credit crunch will last. If not just homeowners but companies and corporations continue to have difficulty accessing capital to grow, this combined with a lack of consumption could lead to a major economic contraction.
Auto Sales
Job Woes
Additionally, dismal construction performance in the summer months prior to this will lead to major problems this winter, typically slower months for the industry.
Right now, honestly, I think we're in for a lot more "bumps" in the economic road, and unfortunately, the lower and lower-middle class will be the hardest hit.
Wrong. The current credit crisis is much larger than most people believe, and things arent getting better, they are about to get a whole lot worse.
Economic Woes
In history large years-long credit booms like the one we've seen in previous years have often been followed by significant market corrections (see: recession). While it is too soon to tell if the current boom will lead to a U.S. or heaven-forbid, worldwide economic recession, there will be significant financial bumps ahead. Lender's continue to have major financial problems, and jobs are starting to be cut in the industry. The credit crunch is particularly significant in the United States because so much of our economy is driven by consumption and construction, both of which could be harshly affected by the shrinking housing market. U.S. citizens still spend a significantly larger amount that they earn, and the collapse of free equity will have major impacts on consumption.
The big question is how much consumption will be affected, and how long the credit crunch will last. If not just homeowners but companies and corporations continue to have difficulty accessing capital to grow, this combined with a lack of consumption could lead to a major economic contraction.
Auto Sales
Job Woes
Additionally, dismal construction performance in the summer months prior to this will lead to major problems this winter, typically slower months for the industry.
Right now, honestly, I think we're in for a lot more "bumps" in the economic road, and unfortunately, the lower and lower-middle class will be the hardest hit.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Learning Relativity
I have borrowed my friend Jonathan's textbook on general relativity. Jonathan just finished his master's in Physics, and I am anxious to understand this most critical of physical theories. I got started in this because I've been reading "The Trouble with Physics" by Lee Smolin, which describes some of the conflicts between particle and cosmological physics, and their current unresolved state.
Now I know this definitely makes me a nerd, but I am already loving it. It's really so elegantly simple when you understand two basic facts: the principle of relativity, which basically says that there is no way to determine absolute velocity through observation, and the fact that observed speed of light never changes, no matter what speed you're traveling. This is the hardest part of relatively, I think, since it's definitely counterintuitive. I mean, we all know that if we ride a train, cars look like their moving only a little faster than us: like ten to 15 miles an hour. But if we're stopped, we observe them moving at the same speed as the speedometer, i.e. 50 miles/hour. But with light, it does work that way. If we travel in the same direction as a light wave, we still observe it moving at 186,000 miles/second, even if we're going 100,000 miles/second. That's flipping weird, but its been experimentally confirmed more completely than almost any other prediction in science.
Once you know those two things, you don't even need calculus, just a graph, some algebra, and maybe a Einstein or two of brainpower (at least to discover the connection between the two principles). Once you know the connection exists, any math or physics major could probably special relativity given some time and creativity (maybe I'm being generous here, but still, it's so elemental).
Maybe there's a physics major or two out there who appreciate this. If there's not, go ahead and laugh. But now that I have officially established myself as a nerd of the first class, I'm off to the text book. Yippee!
Now I know this definitely makes me a nerd, but I am already loving it. It's really so elegantly simple when you understand two basic facts: the principle of relativity, which basically says that there is no way to determine absolute velocity through observation, and the fact that observed speed of light never changes, no matter what speed you're traveling. This is the hardest part of relatively, I think, since it's definitely counterintuitive. I mean, we all know that if we ride a train, cars look like their moving only a little faster than us: like ten to 15 miles an hour. But if we're stopped, we observe them moving at the same speed as the speedometer, i.e. 50 miles/hour. But with light, it does work that way. If we travel in the same direction as a light wave, we still observe it moving at 186,000 miles/second, even if we're going 100,000 miles/second. That's flipping weird, but its been experimentally confirmed more completely than almost any other prediction in science.
Once you know those two things, you don't even need calculus, just a graph, some algebra, and maybe a Einstein or two of brainpower (at least to discover the connection between the two principles). Once you know the connection exists, any math or physics major could probably special relativity given some time and creativity (maybe I'm being generous here, but still, it's so elemental).
Maybe there's a physics major or two out there who appreciate this. If there's not, go ahead and laugh. But now that I have officially established myself as a nerd of the first class, I'm off to the text book. Yippee!
Food, Food, and more Food
I went to the coolest grocery store today. It was Whole Foods, but not just any whole foods, a gigante SUPER whole foods. It was freakin' awesome. I don't know about you, but I love good food. I actually do most of the cooking at my house, and I am a sucker for fine wine, cheese, freshly made pasta, and fruits and veggies of all shapes and colors. This Whole Foods had a gourmet cheese aisle that makes other gourmet cheese aisles look like an especially low class Kwik-E-Mart. It had the entire cheese block available to buy; the block that actually sits and ferments at the cheese warehouse. Not only that, they had every kind you could think of including a 100-pound Parmesan Reggiano block from Italy ( I don't even wanna know how much that cost). They even had fresh mint, a bunch for about 1.99!
Anyway, I dont think I ever want to go anywhere else to buy food again. I made my wife a nice vegetable pasta of sundried tomato and basil sauce with squash, zucchini, mushrooms and green peppers with some olive oil and freshly pressed garlic. Yum!
Anyway, I dont think I ever want to go anywhere else to buy food again. I made my wife a nice vegetable pasta of sundried tomato and basil sauce with squash, zucchini, mushrooms and green peppers with some olive oil and freshly pressed garlic. Yum!
Soldier's Report
Soldiers Report on Iraq.
The War as We Saw It
This is one of the best articles I have read in a while: coherent, well-thought out, and very well informed. This really captures the war for me:
"Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence...In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal."
And this as well:
"This suggestion [partial withdrawal] is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities."
The War as We Saw It
This is one of the best articles I have read in a while: coherent, well-thought out, and very well informed. This really captures the war for me:
"Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence...In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal."
And this as well:
"This suggestion [partial withdrawal] is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities."
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
wow
This is from 1994. What happened? Did Cheney think the quagmire was going to be scourgified away by a wave of Bush's wand?
Cheney in 1994
Cheney in 1994
Sunday, June 3, 2007
If we had known.
If we had known this is what would happen to Baghdad, would you have still authorized the war, Mr. President ?
Inferno
Yet he did know. This was not only suspected, but predicted, by the CIA, by many thinking persons who grasped the complexities of invading a country unprovoked, a country only held together by the strength of a dictator for 50 years. Woe the arrogance of men and their guns! Woe upon those who use power to enforce their will! Woe to all humankind for violence begetting violence, for those believers who forget the words of our master. "All who live by the sword die by the sword."
Inferno
Yet he did know. This was not only suspected, but predicted, by the CIA, by many thinking persons who grasped the complexities of invading a country unprovoked, a country only held together by the strength of a dictator for 50 years. Woe the arrogance of men and their guns! Woe upon those who use power to enforce their will! Woe to all humankind for violence begetting violence, for those believers who forget the words of our master. "All who live by the sword die by the sword."
Monday, May 14, 2007
To the Zoo
So I went to Zoo today with my wife, and had a fun afternoon. I always have mixed feelings at Zoos; I know that some animals don't like to be caged. I also know that many others may only be too happy to be caged and fed and coddled, and I enjoy looking at all of them. However, you do get some great photo ops there, without the thousands of dollars you would normally spend to get photos half as good halfway across the world. Here's a couple of mine. Oh and by the way, that's a hippo, not an alligator.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Evangelical Bias
Apparently a recent survey was done among professors at Universities, and it is detailed in this. I find this unsurprising for two reasons: 1) many christian beliefs are held in low esteem in academia and 2) many evangelical christians have an untenable anti-intellectual bias.
Oh well. Maybe this will finally shed some light on the issue.
-James
Oh well. Maybe this will finally shed some light on the issue.
-James
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Spiderman 3
Went to see Spiderman 3 on Saturday night, and I have to say, I definitely thought it was well worth the wait. Many of the critics didnt give it sky-high reviews, but I thought it was almost as good as the second one. In some ways, it was better. It had a more gritty, real-life feel to it (if possible for a superhero movie), and i thought the actors' performances in it were just awesome, definitely the best of the three movies. It succeeded in feeling completely different from both the movies before it, while at the same time carrying much of the history.
I do think that the critics were right, that it was too long. The were times in the middle of the movie where it felt a little plodding, a couple more scenes that could have been cut. I heard that Sam Raimi was really scrambling to get it cut on time, and so i think he coulda used another week or two to get it just perfect. As it is, I'd give it 3.5 stars.
Don't know if they'll make another one, but these movies definitely rank as the best superhero movies of all time, and one of the best trilogies, up there with Star Wars (the old ones) and LOTR.
Oh, and by the way, if you haven't experienced a blockbuster movie in an IMAX, you havent experienced it at all. period.
-James
I do think that the critics were right, that it was too long. The were times in the middle of the movie where it felt a little plodding, a couple more scenes that could have been cut. I heard that Sam Raimi was really scrambling to get it cut on time, and so i think he coulda used another week or two to get it just perfect. As it is, I'd give it 3.5 stars.
Don't know if they'll make another one, but these movies definitely rank as the best superhero movies of all time, and one of the best trilogies, up there with Star Wars (the old ones) and LOTR.
Oh, and by the way, if you haven't experienced a blockbuster movie in an IMAX, you havent experienced it at all. period.
-James
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Why Tea is Better
(Warning: The following is totally off the cuff, no offense is intended)
Everybody in the world, it seems, drinks coffee. Even my wife. I used to drink it, but now sparingly. I used to think coffee was great, that it was cool, that it somehow tasted good.
Then, a few years ago, i had a formal introduction to hot tea. And now, here's my definitive list of why tea beats coffee in every category.
1. Variety: tea can come in an infinite number of flavors, each as unique as the next. There are herbal teas, green teas, red teas, black teas, white teas, fruit teas, etc. No matter who you are, there's a flavor for you
2. Flavor: Simply put, tea tastes good. And it leaves no nasty aftertaste. No bad breath.
3. Teeth stain: Some teas can stain your teeth. But not like coffee. So nasty
4. Caffeine: Most tea has 1/4 to 1/3 the caffeine of coffee. I am sorry, but if you rely on coffee to get you through your day, you're not getting enough sleep and playing hell with your body. You need to take time to relax and rethink life. It's true, tea drinkers are happier people; they've got their priorities straight. And if you need to write that occasional all night paper, drink a soda. Your breath will be better at 4 am (marginally) , and soda tastes better anyway.
5. Health: Many teas, especially, green, white, and red, have powerful anti-oxidants and many other vitamins & minerals that can prevent cancer and promote a long, healthy life. Coffee, well, it's not really that bad for you, but not that great either. Some types of brews have been linked to prostate cancer. Besides, that goes back to number 4.
In short, coffee sucks
tea rocks.
My recommendations
Madagascar Red Vanilla: This Celestial Seasoning brand is made from an african seed and is the best tea of all, in my opinion.
White with honeysuckle or pear: many different brands make white tea, but pick one with one of these light sweetening flavors. It's great in the morning.
Mango Black: a great tropical classic, for those summer days and evenings.
- James
Everybody in the world, it seems, drinks coffee. Even my wife. I used to drink it, but now sparingly. I used to think coffee was great, that it was cool, that it somehow tasted good.
Then, a few years ago, i had a formal introduction to hot tea. And now, here's my definitive list of why tea beats coffee in every category.
1. Variety: tea can come in an infinite number of flavors, each as unique as the next. There are herbal teas, green teas, red teas, black teas, white teas, fruit teas, etc. No matter who you are, there's a flavor for you
2. Flavor: Simply put, tea tastes good. And it leaves no nasty aftertaste. No bad breath.
3. Teeth stain: Some teas can stain your teeth. But not like coffee. So nasty
4. Caffeine: Most tea has 1/4 to 1/3 the caffeine of coffee. I am sorry, but if you rely on coffee to get you through your day, you're not getting enough sleep and playing hell with your body. You need to take time to relax and rethink life. It's true, tea drinkers are happier people; they've got their priorities straight. And if you need to write that occasional all night paper, drink a soda. Your breath will be better at 4 am (marginally) , and soda tastes better anyway.
5. Health: Many teas, especially, green, white, and red, have powerful anti-oxidants and many other vitamins & minerals that can prevent cancer and promote a long, healthy life. Coffee, well, it's not really that bad for you, but not that great either. Some types of brews have been linked to prostate cancer. Besides, that goes back to number 4.
In short, coffee sucks
tea rocks.
My recommendations
Madagascar Red Vanilla: This Celestial Seasoning brand is made from an african seed and is the best tea of all, in my opinion.
White with honeysuckle or pear: many different brands make white tea, but pick one with one of these light sweetening flavors. It's great in the morning.
Mango Black: a great tropical classic, for those summer days and evenings.
- James
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