Via Skull Swap. To all my Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender friends, I'll do what I can to help us move to that final stage. We're not human until we're ALL human.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
I Think We're Into the Fighting Stage Now
So about Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Can we end it already?
Via Skull Swap. To all my Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender friends, I'll do what I can to help us move to that final stage. We're not human until we're ALL human.
Via Skull Swap. To all my Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender friends, I'll do what I can to help us move to that final stage. We're not human until we're ALL human.
Realistic Opponents
I recently took a face book poll regarding whether I "would vote for Obama again." My response was "yes," with the added comment "Against any realistic opponent? Yah, you betcha." SHB left a comment on that post saying "Lockwood, can you name a realistic opponent? : )" I think that's a very fair question; I thought more carefully than might be apparent about how to word my original comment.
The meaning I intended to convey was that I would most likely vote for Obama over anyone that could realistically expect a chance to oppose him in a primary or national election. It's realistic (though horrifying) to suppose that he might face Huckabee, Palin or Romney (and possibly Jeb) in the national race in 2012. Obviously, I would vote for Obama.
As a counter example, it unrealistic to suppose that Kucinich would mount a plausible primary run in 2011. I had intended, as late as mid-April last year, to vote for him in the primaries (and I did in 2004; it was clear that Kerry had won). Oregon's primary is late- mid-May- and by that point Kucinich had dropped out. I don't recall whether he was still on the ballot, but by that time, Hillary had started her shenanigans, e.g., "I won the popular vote." I had been torn between her and Obama early in the season, but her behavior toward the end appalled me. By the time our primary rolled around, I strongly preferred Obama over Clinton. Under other circumstances, I might have voted for Kucinich (if he had been on the ballot, or even as a write-in, despite the fact he had dropped out) simply as a statement. First, he is the one person out there who doesn't look like a corporate tool to me, and second, while I wouldn't actually want him as president for a number of reasons, many of his ideas deserve more attention and respect than they get. For example, I would love to see him as Secretary of The Department of Peace, a cabinet-level position that he has proposed. How does one get to that level? By doing well in the primaries.
So while under certain circumstances, I might vote for Kucinich over Obama, I don't see any realistic scenario in which those circumstances might come to pass. I seriously doubt there will be any democratic primary in 2012.
And I can't imagine supporting anyone Obama might face in the national election in three years... in fact, let's make that an advanced directive: If I do support his opponent at that time, pull the plug. It's because I'm brain-dead.
The meaning I intended to convey was that I would most likely vote for Obama over anyone that could realistically expect a chance to oppose him in a primary or national election. It's realistic (though horrifying) to suppose that he might face Huckabee, Palin or Romney (and possibly Jeb) in the national race in 2012. Obviously, I would vote for Obama.
As a counter example, it unrealistic to suppose that Kucinich would mount a plausible primary run in 2011. I had intended, as late as mid-April last year, to vote for him in the primaries (and I did in 2004; it was clear that Kerry had won). Oregon's primary is late- mid-May- and by that point Kucinich had dropped out. I don't recall whether he was still on the ballot, but by that time, Hillary had started her shenanigans, e.g., "I won the popular vote." I had been torn between her and Obama early in the season, but her behavior toward the end appalled me. By the time our primary rolled around, I strongly preferred Obama over Clinton. Under other circumstances, I might have voted for Kucinich (if he had been on the ballot, or even as a write-in, despite the fact he had dropped out) simply as a statement. First, he is the one person out there who doesn't look like a corporate tool to me, and second, while I wouldn't actually want him as president for a number of reasons, many of his ideas deserve more attention and respect than they get. For example, I would love to see him as Secretary of The Department of Peace, a cabinet-level position that he has proposed. How does one get to that level? By doing well in the primaries.
So while under certain circumstances, I might vote for Kucinich over Obama, I don't see any realistic scenario in which those circumstances might come to pass. I seriously doubt there will be any democratic primary in 2012.
And I can't imagine supporting anyone Obama might face in the national election in three years... in fact, let's make that an advanced directive: If I do support his opponent at that time, pull the plug. It's because I'm brain-dead.
Want Some More?
This was an alternate caption suggested by Tengrain in the comments- there are a couple of other suggested alternates I'll get up eventually, but I didn't think to save the original, un-captioned photos. I'll have to go back and find them, which means... urp! ...sigh...
And the following was inspired by this story.
And the following was inspired by this story.
Americans are "Scared to Death"
Golly, how could that have ever happened?
See, if you're all scared to death, then health issues are irrelevant. The GOP solution for the health crisis is simplicity in and of itself: fuck off and die.
Lamar Alexander is high on my Putz o' the day list right now.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — A top Republican senator warned Tuesday that if Democrats try to overhaul health care without Republican support, "it will wreck our health care system and wreck the Democratic Party."(...)
After a month of town halls back home, Alexander said it's clear to him and other Republicans that Americans are "scared to death" about the sweeping policy changes coming from Washington this year and the massive debt they are creating.9/11!!!! Socialism!!!! Death Panels!!!!! Deficits!!!!!! Gunna take yer guns!!!!!!
See, if you're all scared to death, then health issues are irrelevant. The GOP solution for the health crisis is simplicity in and of itself: fuck off and die.
Lamar Alexander is high on my Putz o' the day list right now.
GMail is Down
Does anybody know what's going on with that? Reader and Blogger seem to be working fine.
Update (6:30 PM): It's been working fine for me for the last few hours, but apparently it was a pretty major disruption... though no cause has been released.
Update (6:30 PM): It's been working fine for me for the last few hours, but apparently it was a pretty major disruption... though no cause has been released.
Rare Earth
elements are not particularly rare, they're just not particularly concentrated. In other words, they're present in all sorts of rock environments, but at low concentrations. They're also more difficult than most other elements to separate and purify.
They're also quite important to electronics and "green" technologies.
There's an interesting article in the NYT regarding China's near-monopoly on the extraction and production of these elements.
The reason this is of importance is that China has slowly been moving to restrict exports of these materials, and instead concentrating industrial production of finished products within its borders. This means that instead of manufacturing, for example, neodymium magnets and electric motors here in the states, using Nd oxides imported from China, the final products would have to be imported.
They're also quite important to electronics and "green" technologies.
There's an interesting article in the NYT regarding China's near-monopoly on the extraction and production of these elements.Some of the minerals crucial to green technologies are extracted in China using methods that inflict serious damage on the local environment. China dominates global rare earth production partly because of its willingness until now to tolerate highly polluting, low-cost mining.Since China has allowed the costs associated with environmental destruction to be externalized, its costs of production have been lower, and it has come to overwhelmingly dominate REE production, with an estimated 95% of the total.
The reason this is of importance is that China has slowly been moving to restrict exports of these materials, and instead concentrating industrial production of finished products within its borders. This means that instead of manufacturing, for example, neodymium magnets and electric motors here in the states, using Nd oxides imported from China, the final products would have to be imported.
Even tighter limits on production and exports, part of a plan from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, would ensure China has the supply for its own technological and economic needs, and force more manufacturers to make their wares here in order to have access to the minerals.I don't know much about the geology of rare earth ores, but young geologists might want to think about the growing importance of having secure domestic sources of these strategically and economically important materials.
Expectations of tightening Chinese restrictions have produced a surge in the last two weeks in the share prices of the few non-Chinese producers that are publicly traded. In addition to the two Australian mines, Avalon Rare Metals of Toronto is trying to open a mine in northwest Australia, and Molycorp Minerals is trying to reopen a mine in Mountain Pass, Calif.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)