03.31.2008 | 9:37 pm | Nanny Nation
This just in from the wonderful world of socialized medicine.
The U.K. mandates that anyone who visits an emergency room must be treated within four hours. Sometimes the demand for “free” heath care is so great a hospital can’t meet that deadline. Fortunately, they’ve come up with a novel solution.
They leave the patients in the ambulance.
Outside.
For an hour. Or two. Or five.
Last year they did this with over 43,000 patients.
And of course, while the sick and injured were being kept in the ambulances, waiting and waiting and waiting, those ambulances were unavailable to anyone else who had called in an emergency.
Isn’t government heath care a great idea?
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03.27.2008 | 9:57 pm | Pop Culture
A couple of years ago I started the Podcast Peer Awards. I was tired of top ten lists that always featured the same shows. I was unhappy that the only other podcast award was structured so that the only winners would be those with huge audiances. I wanted a contest where other podcasters would select the best, a contest the public could trust to recommend the best shows anywhere.
No one else was doing it, so I did. Since then over 500 podcasters have signed up as judges.
Winners can be especially proud of their trophies, because winning a Podcast Peer Award is tough. A show can’t win by having a bunch of friends and listeners swamp some voting site. The first step, getting nominated, is easy, but then a show has to get enough votes to qualify for the finals. Since judges can vote for or against a show, only about a third of the nominees score high enough to qualify. Qualifying is no guarantee, though - only the top five qualifiers become finalists. Then the real difficulty begins. Finalists are competing with the very best shows in their category. At this stage the most common comment among judges is how difficult it is to select the best show.
The judges are five hundred of the best, most prolific podcasters in the world. They are not easily impressed. They only vote for the most entertaining, most informative, and best produced shows.
So a hearty “Congratulations!” to all the winners. There are tens of thousands of awards in the arts. Very few are as hard to win as a Podcast Peer Award. The winners should be extremely proud of their accomplishment.
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03.26.2008 | 10:37 pm | Yeah - That'll Work, Nanny Nation, Big Brother
A high school project in New Jersey asked teens to design public policy. They designed one that requires Big Brother to punish kids for making incorrect decisions, proving that government schools are doing a fine job of raising the next generation of sheep.
The new bill would fine kids caught possessing tobacco or smoking in public places.
The article quotes Marie Kakogiannis, a junior at Rutherford High School. “I think it’s a great way for kids not to smoke, but kids are going to find a way to do it. But whatever the government could do to prevent it, they should.”
Only a high school junior, and she’s already a Nicotine Nazi. Isn’t that cute?
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03.26.2008 | 8:08 am | Junk Science, Religion
Although I disagree with a lot of his positions and ideas, I’ve always liked Ben Stein. His nasal “Bueller, Bueller, Bueller” is now part of our language. He continued the persona as a science teacher in “The Wonder Years,” where he’d drone on about horrible events with no trace of emotion. And “Win Ben Stein’s Money” was great fun.
A few months ago I stumbled on this, and shook my head. Ben’s movie “Expelled” is a documentary that claims teachers, professors, and “scientists” who subscribe to “Intelligent Design” proponents are not with the respect they deserve.
Now that the film is getting close to release a lot of unsavory details are becoming public. Ben misrepresented the theme and intent of the movie to get several prominent biologists to participate.
(Note: I haven’t seen the film yet, so this is all third hand.) The movie documents discrimination against people who pretend to be scientists yet subscribe to creationism/ID. They aren’t promoted, published, or treated wonderfully by the colleagues.
That’s hardly surprising. It is, in fact, a good thing.
Imagine a physics professor claimed that there was no such thing as friction, and so perpetual motion machines were not only possible, but could solve all our energy problems. How about a history teacher that included the evil galactic ruler Xenu in his curriculum? How often would they get promoted? How much respect would they get from their peers?
Approximately none, and that’s exactly how much they deserve. The same goes for anyone insisting on creationism/ID.
Ben is trying to make this a free speech issue and is insistent that real scientists are closed minded because they won’t entertain his superstitions. This is beyond pathetic - it’s just sad. It has nothing to do with free speech. Creationists are free to spew their ignorant spew all they want but no one is obligated to provide them with a platform. It has nothing to do with suppressing ideas; their ideas have been checked and discussed and explored ad nauseum, and none of them have been found to have even a trace of validity. (Unlike real science ideas, they haven’t been tested, because they are not testable.) The only point this movie really makes that that scientists accept reality and reject ridiculous fantasies.
You blew it big time, Ben. You’ve spent a lifetime building a reputation as the smartest guy in the room, and now you’ve blown it all on something really, really stupid.
You’ll find lots of links about this story here. Best article title on the list: Ridiculous Demented Right-Wing Wackaloon Theocratic Douchemonkeys Fuck Up Big Time
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03.21.2008 | 2:35 pm | Yeah - That'll Work, Politics
The Democrats solution to most problems, both real and imaginary, is usually a new tax. Rep . John Dingell, known to his friends as Barry, thinks the solution to skyrocketing gas prices is to add a tax of fifty cents a gallon. This, he thinks, will lower consumption. Seriously, that’s the way his mind works.
It will lower consumption, but not of gasoline. Very few of us drive more than we have to, and are unable to reduce our mileage without severe lifestyle changes. Gas is a necessity, and when necessities get more expensive we cut back on the luxuries. For instance, the last surge in gas prices seriously hurt mid and high end restaurants. Not because people didn’t want to drive to them, but because a huge increase in gas prices left them with less discretionary money. If you’re spending an extra fifty bucks a month to get back and forth to work, that’s fifty bucks you don’t have for something else.
Dingle Barry needs to read some Adam Smith, or if that’s too advanced for him, open a lemonade stand in front of his house. Anything that will give him a little taste of Economics 101. (He could also read this helpful article on a related subject: Economics for Democrats.)
Raising gas taxes and forking over more of our hard earned money to the government – yeah, that’ll work.
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03.20.2008 | 12:35 am | Nanny Nation
People who despise the nanny state will sometimes say, “pretty soon the government is going tell us how to wipe our ass.”
Florida has come one step closer to making that a reality, with a proposed law mandating that restaurants always have enough toilet paper on hand. But they aren’t defining “enough.” Would this mean that greasy spoons, chili parlors and Taco Bells must legally have more T. P. available than, say, a steak house?
If this passes the next step is inevitable. In a few years Floridians will will see a new notice under the “Employee’s Must Wash Hands” sign:
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03.18.2008 | 1:08 pm | Religion
I’m very well acquainted with the seven deadly sins,
I keep a busy schedule, trying to fit them in.
- Warren Zevon
Because Catholics don’t feel guilty enough, the Vatican has issued a list of seven new mortal sins: taking drugs, genetic modification, carrying out experiments on humans, polluting the environment, causing social injustice, causing poverty and becoming obscenely wealthy. There was no mention of diddling children for personal pleasure.
This proclamation was made from the 100+ acre Vatican City, which is full of opulent buildings decorated with gold and jewels and priceless paintings, and populated by people wearing clothes and jewelry that are worth three times as much as most of their followers make in a year.
What will it take for people to wake up and realize that all this religious foolishness is the largest scam in history?
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03.13.2008 | 7:00 pm | Politics
If a man is not a liberal when he is twenty, he has no heart.
If he is still a liberal when he is 40, he has no brain.
- Variously Ascribed
All of us (at least all of us who read blogs like this one) continually seek to better our understanding of humanity. Anthropologists and psychologists and scientists and philosophers observe and write and test, then explain and interpret their findings. While they make valuable contributions to the field, the best place to really come to an understanding of human nature or humanity as a whole is the arts, especially the performing arts. The science has its place in providing important pieces of the puzzle, but they leave us with an incomplete picture. The true nature of what we are can best be experienced in great music, novels, movies and plays.
One of America’s best playwrights, David Mamet, as written a moving and thoughtful article about his move away from the left. I won’t quote from it here - you should just read the whole thing. Then browse through the comments for perfect examples of what he was talking about.
And when you’re finished, check out this article, originally printed in the San Francisco Chronicle, by a once lefty writer who had a similar epiphany.
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03.12.2008 | 10:44 pm | Politics
Media bias is seldom this obvious. Most of the mainstream media (MSM) doesn’t mention that Spitzer is a democrat. NBC, ABC and CBS ran headline stories without once mentioning his party affiliation. The New York Times originally mentioned it in the third paragraph of their article, but then quietly moved it to paragraph 15. USA Today never mentioned it at all. Neither did the Today show. The first BBC article on the subject mentioned it in the sixth paragraph of their first article, but then edited it out completely. Only Fox prominently displayed the fact that he was a democrat. (Big surprise there.)
Quick, what party does Larry Craig belong to? You know because the MSM made sure you knew. But you could spend the day watching and reading Spitzer stories on the MSM still not be sure of his political party.
This is the same media that almost universally praised his thuggery. This Wall Street Journal article discusses their complicity it in detail.
And just in case you doubt he’s a thug, check out this collection of articles.
Today it was leaked that he’s resigning Monday. He’ll be replaced by the state’s current Lieutenant Governor, someone no one has ever heard of. I hesitate to say the new guy couldn’t be any worse, because that prediction can backfire, but it’s a good bet he’s not as despicable a human being as Spitzer, simply because very few people are.
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03.11.2008 | 12:23 am | Politics
I’m am experiencing schadenfraude. Oh sure, we’ve all experienced it from time to time - when the bitchy runway model stumbles in front of an audience, when a moralistic preacher is caught having gay sex, when the smug neighbor totals his shiny new car - but this time it’s the deepest, most satisfying bout of it I’ve ever experienced.
As a native New Yorker I’ve been subjected to Eliot Spitzer’s self-aggrandizing career for the past decade. He made a name for himself as the NY Attorney General by blackmailing large companies over (often imagined) missteps. He’d march in, declare that he, the mighty AG, was going to charge them with various crimes and misdemeanors, claiming to be defending their customers who had been harmed by their actions. The companies would pay him off with a fine, he would get another headline, and all the money went into the maw of the state. To my knowledge no customer ever received a dime. It was a nice, safe protection racket.
He did, on occasion, go after criminals, and his career included busting up two prostitution rings.
Enough stupid New Yorkers were impressed with his”victories” to elect him governor.
His performance as governor has been abysmal, (one of his proposals was for drivers licenses for illegal aliens) but we shrugged it off. Pathetic governors are a hallmark of this state.
But now, now (ah it feels sooooo good) he’s toast. Burt toast. Dark burnt charcoal toast that’s so completely destroyed you can’t even feed it to the dog. It’s all over except for his resignation, which I expect will happen in the next day or three. Mr. Morals, Mr. Big Strong AG, Mr. Truth and Justice, has been caught paying for the services of a very high priced hooker. And what makes it even sweeter is he had her travel over state lines to meet him, which makes it a federal offense.
This is a man who had his eye on the White House. His entire career has been based not on doing a good job, but on getting grand headlines. And now he’s got the grandest headlines of them all:
Spitzer apologizes after report of link to prostitution ring
Spitzer Prostitution Scandal: NY Gov Admits Links To Sex Ring
Money Laundering, Cross-Border Prostitution at Heart of Spitzer Allegations
The Spitzer Scandal: Lust Plus Pride
Shock and Smirks on Wall Street as Longtime Foe Spitzer Squirms
Judgment (or Eliot Spitzer’s Lack Thereof)
Sweet: New York Gov. Spitzer snagged in hooker tryst probe. Should he resign? (At first I thought the headline writer was also reveling in schadenfraude, but it turns out the writers name is Lynn Sweet.)
Hypocrisy, thy name is Spitzer
HO NO! (Gotta love the New York Post)
Even though he violated the Mann Act, which makes it a felony to transport hookers across state lines, it’s unlikely he’ll receive any real legal punishment. The powerful always protect each other, and he can no doubt buy his freedom. And while that is slightly disappointing, it can’t diminish the sheer joy I’m reveling in watching his carefully calculated career crash and burn.
Like the rest of us, I’ve experienced my share of schadenfraude before, and I was usually a little embarrassed about it. But this time, ah, this time, it feels so good. It’s almost a physical sensation, a warm satisfaction that comes from seeing a weasel get what he deserves, and knowing this is just the start. If that makes me a bad person, then I’m really enjoying being a bad person.
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03.10.2008 | 12:54 pm | Police State, Ridiculous
In yet another example of police state extremes/stupidity, a man who swore at a police dog has been charged with animal cruelty.
“Police say Rogers yelled an obscene statement in the window as he walked past a patrol vehicle that contained a patrol dog “causing (the dog’s) behavior to become overloaded, tormenting the dog,” the affidavit states.”
It sounds like the dog needs some serious training. Not to mention the cops.
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03.8.2008 | 6:56 pm | Amusing, Big Brother
Playmoble has introduced a new toy that will help kids experience the Big Brother state we’re living in - The Playmoble Security Check Point.
Lots of smart as commentary springs to mind, but I’ve been beaten to the punch by the reviewers at Amazon.
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03.8.2008 | 10:58 am | Yeah - That'll Work
I’ve avoided adding too many categories to this blog, because the longer the list gets the less useful it becomes. Occasionally this has resulted in having to shoehorn a story into a category it barely fits, but that’s better than having a hundred categories with just one or two items in them.
But I keep seeing articles where the only appropriate response is “Yeah, That’ll Work,” so I’m adding that as a category. I may go back and apply it retroactively to a few previous articles, but I’m pleased to award the first one to the serial boneheads who make up the Chicago City Council.
Most city councils are full of mouth breathing do-gooders who give absolutely no thought to the burdens and unintended consequences of their idiotic rules. But the CCC deservers special attention – they are truly moron’s among morons. Here’s a partial list of their accomplishments:
They are proposing a bill that would block airlines from landing at O’Hare or Midway if they don’t have a passenger’s bill of rights in place. Chicago is a major hub city, so these droolers intend to blackmail nationwide and worldwide corporations to be politically correct enough to use their airports.
Using PeTA inspired excuses, they banned foie gras. (Note to heathens: that’s goose liver pâté (Further note: It’s very good. Really.)) Before the ban it was only carried by a few restaurants and few people ate it. The ban caused demand to skyrocket, so restaurants came up with many clever methods of ban evasion. My favorite: the crackers are $20, the pâté is free.
They’ve demonstrated their hatred of poor people by forcing “Big Box” stores to pay a minimum wage of $13/hour. ($10/hour pay, $3/hr benefits) This absolutely guarantees fewer big stores will be built and existing ones will hire far fewer employees or close completely. Since these stores also have substantially lower prices, the CCC is also forcing the poor to pay more for their stuff.
They’ve urged congress to consider slavery reparations – because there’s just not quite enough interracial hatred in the US today.
Of course they’re not all work. They took time out for bribes. The FBI convicted six of them for corruption. They were not merely charged; they were convicted. The other 42 presumably got away with it.
While The New York City Department of Health put the first trans-fat ban in place, the CCC was the first to propose it.
(New York City has its own department of health, which is completely separate from the New York State DOH. This is because the New York State DOH doesn’t implement idiotic rules fast enough to satisfy the uber-nannies in The City. (Note: When people from New York (The City or the state) refer to NYC as “The City,” you can actually hear the capital letters in their voice.)
(Note to self: try to cut down on the use of parentheses.)
They’ve raised the Real Estate Transfer Taxes by a whopping 40%, costing property owners thousands or tens of thousands of dollars when they sell their property.
So…let’s move on to the most recent example of their anencephaly:
Like most big cities, Chicago has a problem with illegal drugs and the crime caused by their illegality. So their plan is…wait for it…to outlaw small plastic bags.
Yeah, that’ll work.
Their brilliant solution is to make it illegal to possess or sell any plastic bag that’s less that two inches in any dimension. They assure us that we don’t have to worry about small bags used for jewelry or suit buttons or other legitimate things because the authorities would never get stupid about this. Nuh uh, never ever.
Good thing drug dealers have never heard of Seal-A-Meal, or would never think of using bags that were 2.1 inches, or would ever wrap their stuff in something other than a bag like, say, glossy magazine paper. Good thing drug users will refuse to buy something that’s in a slightly bigger bag.
So congratulations Chicago City Counsel for your first “Yeah That’ll Work” award. I’m sure it will not be your last.
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03.6.2008 | 2:17 pm | Pop Culture
A Starbucks employee has volunteered to give one of her customers a kidney.
Now that’s customer service!
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03.6.2008 | 2:11 pm | Junk Science
Growing up in the 70s is one of the things that keeps me skeptical about global warming.. Back then we were constantly warned that global cooling was The Big Scary Thing that would Kill Us All. (And yes, that was the consensus at the time.)
So it comes as no surprise to learn that before the 70s cooling scare we had a global warming scare that ran from 1954 to the 70s.
Which was preceded by a global cooling scare that captured the imaginations of the fearful from 1895 to 1932.
You can read the details here.
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