Comment Re:Everyone loves a winner. (Score 3, Insightful) 881
More central bank bailouts and foreign aid, at least in theory. In practice, I don't think Romney will do anything differently in that regard.
Comment Maybe... (Score 5, Funny) 306
Maybe if we apologize to them more, they'll like us.
Let the Campaign Edit Wars Begin 571
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Megan Garber writes that in high school, Paul Ryan's classmates voted him as his class's 'biggest brown noser,' a juicy tidbit that is a source of delight for his political opponents but considered an irrelevant piece of youthful trivia to his supporters. 'But it's also a tension that will play out, repeatedly, in the most comprehensive narrative we have about Paul Ryan as a person and a politician and a policy-maker: his Wikipedia page,' writes Garber. Late Friday night, just as news of the Ryan choice leaked in the political press — the first substantial edit to that page removed the 'brown noser' mention which had been on the page since June 16. The Wikipedia deletion has given rise to a whole discussion of whether the mention is a partisan attack, whether 'brown noser' is a pejorative, and whether an old high school opinion survey is notable or relevant. As of this writing, 'brown noser' stands as does a maybe-mitigating piece of Ryan-as-high-schooler trivia: that he was also voted prom king. But that equilibrium could change, again, in an instant. 'Today is the glory day for the Paul Ryan Wikipedia page,' writes Garber. 'Yesterday, it saw just 10 [edits]. Today, however — early on a Saturday morning, East Coast time — it's already received hundreds of revisions. And the official news of the Ryan selection, of course, is just over an hour old.' Now Ryan's page is ready to host debates about biographical details and their epistemological relevance. 'Like so many before it, will be a place of debate and dissent and derision. But it will also be a place where people can come together to discuss information and policy and the intersection between the two — a town square for the digital age.'"
Comment How much longer? (Score 2) 696
How much longer are we going to put up with the two false alternatives that continue to kick the can down the road and buy votes with money that will be paid back by future generations?
How long until we finally consider a real alternative?
How long until we finally consider a real alternative?
Comment Re:Official MinTruth Statement (Score 4, Insightful) 696
There's a third alternative: Gary Johnson.
Comment Re:Willing to bet.. (Score 1) 1706
While the initiator is to blame for the situation each individual holds their own responsibility for how they respond.
Certainly not. If someone starst a fire in a theater, and a panic leads to a stampede, the only person responsible for anything that results is the arsonist - period.
Think of it this way, if a gunman entered a crowded room and shot some people, would it be acceptable to take him out with a grenade?
If he has body armor and is heavily armed, certainly. The context determines what the valid response should be.
Comment Re:Willing to bet.. (Score 1) 1706
Just some people? And no armed security guards?
Who's being naive about the effect that gun laws have on the culture?
Who's being naive about the effect that gun laws have on the culture?
Comment Re:Willing to bet.. (Score 1) 1706
You are completely disregarding the effect that a society free of gun laws and fear of guns has on the decision-making of these sorts of people. Would he have bothered getting off his couch if he knew that many of the people in the theater were likely armed?
So no, you aren't arming yourself for an unlikely event, but helping make the event unlikely by arming yourself - in addition to promoting the easement of gun laws, and spreading gun education to reduce irrational fear of guns.
So no, you aren't arming yourself for an unlikely event, but helping make the event unlikely by arming yourself - in addition to promoting the easement of gun laws, and spreading gun education to reduce irrational fear of guns.
Comment Re:Willing to bet.. (Score 1) 1706
I'd hate to see what would happen if a bunch of amateurs started firing in a crowded and smoky movie theater.
Whatever does happen, know that there is only one person to blame.
Comment Re:Willing to bet.. (Score 2) 1706
In short, would I want to spend every waking moment surrounded by people who are armed to the teeth for the highly unlikely offchance that I happen to be in a situation like this one at some point, and then hope that amateurs take him down without hitting even more innocent people in the smoke, darkness, and chaos?
You are discounting the effect that a society free of gun laws and fear of guns has on the decision-making of these sorts of people. Would he have bothered getting off his couch if he knew that many of the people in the theater were likely armed?
So no, you aren't arming yourself for an unlikely event, but helping make the event unlikely by arming yourself - in addition to promoting the easement of gun laws, and spreading gun education to reduce irrational fear of guns.
Submission + - Oregon State University Fires Climate Change Skeptic (foxnews.com) 2
brian0918 writes: "With finals approaching, Oregon State University chemistry professor Nicholas Drapela was fired without warning. Three weeks later, he has still been given no reason for the university’s decision to 'not renew his contract'. Drapela, an outspoken critic of man-made climate change, worked at the university for 10 years and was well-liked by students. Oregon physicist Gordon J. Fulks, another critic of anthropogenic climate change, has circulated a letter in defense of Drapela."
Comment Some issues (Score 1) 205
Besides correlation != causation, did they actually determine that those individuals with reduced Alzheimer's risk were actually consuming more caffeine? Higher blood caffeine levels does not necessarily indicate higher caffeine intake, any more than a person with high blood alcohol levels - who happens have to have slow alcohol metabolism - can be said to be drinking more alcohol than others.
Comment Finally! The first successful space flight... (Score 1, Troll) 150
...not funded through theft! This is a turning point.
Comment Want to do something? (Score 5, Insightful) 1141
Want to curb consumption of high fructose corn syrup? You can start by removing all government subsidy of the corn industry.
Comment Re:HIGHER DEMAND = HIGHER PRICES (Score 1) 268
I wonder if government splitting up the companies that make the duopoly would improve things for the consumers.
So instead of having to pay the cost of two sets of CEOs, VPs, management, sales force, R&D, etc, we all now have to pay the cost of 4... 6... 8?
Why would a company want to continue doing business in your nation if you're willing have it ripped apart according to the whims politicians?
Seems to me that government intervention in economics is only worse than the free market when there actually IS true competition.
If there is no competition, but everyone considers the product to be great, what is the negative? In reality, everyone has their own opinions of what makes a certain product "great", so competition will exist. If Apple sells out to Microsoft, do you think the Apple fanboys are going to stick around? They will see that their beloved company has betrayed them, and demand will surge for something better.
