Herman Cain wants to INCREASE Regulatory Capture

Herman Cain Wants To Improve Regulation By Turning Regulatory Authority Over To The Regulated | ThinkProgress:

"Toward the end of the Q&A session, Cain suggests speeding domestic oil and gas production by creating a “regulatory reduction commission” that will ease regulatory control. In particular, Cain would seek the advice of energy executives whose firms’ efforts have been hindered by environmental regulation. “If you’ve been abused by the EPA like Shell Oil, I’m going to ask the CEO of Shell Oil would he like to be on this commission, and give me some recommendations. The people closest to the problem are the ones who can solve the problem.” It does not seem to occur to Cain that regulatory policy might not be improved in the public’s interest by amplifying the influence of those it is meant to regulate."

Herman Cain is not a stupid man so this can only be interpreted as wanting the foxes to have a say in choosing who guards the hen house. What could possibly go wrong?

Bibi blinks on 1967 borders?

WOMEN'S LENS - Un coup d'oeil féminin: Report: Israel PM agrees to 1967 borders: "TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to peace talks based on 1967 borders on the condition that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state and solve the Palestinian refugee issue outside of Israel's borders."

Dog and Cats and natural language Processing

Programmers Expect Dog Like Consistency in Software, but NLP is more like Cats « LingPipe Blog: "From the perspective of a traditionally trained programmer, one of the hardest things to appreciate when working with Natural Language Processing(NLP) systems is the approximate, unpredictable quality provided by NLP modules. I liken it to getting dog people to learn to work with cats."

No More "just one more question" for Columbo

Peter Falk: 'Columbo' Actor Peter Falk Dead at 83 - ktla.com: "LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Legendary 'Columbo' star Peter Falk has died at the age of 83."

Dan Savage on Tim Minchin

Skewer Mouth by Dan Savage - Seattle Music - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper:

"DS: You are a better musician—forgive me, Tom, I'm still a fan. But for my money, you're Tom Lehrer crossed with freaking Stephen Sondheim.

TM: I'll take that—can you put that in your article?"

On Libya - Again

Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community:

"The administration has stated that it would like authorization even though it doesn't feel it is required. Congress could oblige them and limit the precedent the president has created. Or they could simply censure him, since this is clearly not an impeachable offense in this particular case. Voting to cut off funds for a mission that Congress actually supports is stupid, undermines the mission, and, despite Boehner's excuses, sends the wrong message to both NATO and Gaddafi."

U.S. Jews Not Able To Fly On Delta Flights To Saudi Arabia

U.S. Jews Not Able To Fly On Delta Flights To Saudi Arabia:

"JERUSALEM (RNS) Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta Air Line's new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines that is set to begin in 2012."

Not actually true if you read the rest of the story but hey, it makes for a good headline.

stupid comment of the day at national review

Sarah Palin and the ‘Forbidden Boyfriend’ - Interview - National Review Online:

"Palin may not be the most qualified person for the Presidency, but to say that she is unqualified is close to saying that the average American is unqualified. And if the average American is inherently unqualified to be President (not just 'less than' qualified, which can be corrected), then we no longer live in a democracy."

Just as the average american cannot reasonably aspire to be a neurosurgeon or an Olympic athlete it is profoundly stupid to suppose that the average american can reasonably aspire to be president. I don't even know what to make of this idea that somehow being president is an easy job that anyone can learn to do if they just apply themselves.

Ron Johnson Might not have committed a felony

Sen. Ron Johnson's agreeable agreement with Sen. Ron Johnson - First Draft:

"After the election, in which he defeated Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, Johnson said he dialed down his active involvement with Pacur and received the deferred compensation package for serving as its CEO over the previous 13 years.

Unlike most deferred package deals, however, it appears that the company had not set aside a specified amount annually that would be paid out when he left the firm. Instead, Johnson said the $10 million payment was 'an agreed-upon amount' that was determined at the end of his tenure with the company.

Agreed upon with whom?

'That would be me,' he said."

But I bet if i tried this scam I would be in jail.

Fox News Might Be left leaning

Dumbass Quote of the Day : Dispatches from the Culture Wars:

"'Fox News is clearly more conservative than ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and National Public Radio. Some will conclude that 'therefore, this means that Fox News has a conservative bias,'' he writes in an advance copy provided to Washington Whispers. 'Instead, maybe it is centrist, and possibly even left-leaning, while all the others are far left. It's like concluding that six-three is short just because it is short compared to professional basketball players.'"

While this could be true from a logical construction standpoint, in the world where political concepts like left and right have some sort of objective meaning it is just transparent bullshit.

Minot North Dakota Flood Info

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Bismarck: Souris River at Minot 4NW
I have nothing useful to say except to provide a link

Powerful Woo

About the Film | The Living Matrix:

"We talk with a group of dedicated scientists, psychologists, bioenergetic researchers and holistic practitioners who are finding healing potential in new places. And energetic information-based medicine looks particularly powerful."

It was inevitable as the quantum woo started to fade a bit that there would be another form of pseudo-scientific woo to take its place. This appears to be it.

Idiocy.

More on the law of unexpected consequences - georgia edition

2,000 cab drivers fight Ga. immigration law | Atlanta Business Chronicle:

"As a federal lawsuit challenging Georgia’s tough new immigration law makes its way through the courts, a new legal challenge has emerged courtesy of more than 2,000 taxi cab drivers. Drivers and cab companies from throughout metro Atlanta and other Georgia cities have hired a law firm to represent them due to their concerns over a provision of the law that stipulates drivers could be arrested for transporting passengers without documentation, Atlanta Business Chronicle broadcast partner WXIA-TV reports."

The lovely lady that I share my life with was been accosted (the only word for it) for the crime of driving while Hispanic. Anyone that thinks this will not be used to harass should have a chat with a friend of color. Being white and (nearly) accent-less has its privileges.

Scott Adams On Scott Adams

Scott Adams takes on Salon - Scott Adams - Salon.com:

"You asked what I'm hoping to communicate with posts such as Pegs and Holes. My only goal is to be interesting. Ideas are society's fuel. I drill a lot of wells; most of them are dry. Sometimes they produce. Sometimes the well catches on fire."

And sometimes you end up looking like a whiny, privileged asshole.

Dilbert On Matrix Management and beyond

Whitey Bolger Captured

FBI arrests fugitive mob boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger in Southern Calif., ending 16-year search - The Washington Post: "The FBI finally caught the 81-year-old Bulger Wednesday at a residence in Santa Monica along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig just days after the government launched a new publicity campaign to locate the fugitive mobster, said Steven Martinez, FBI’s assistant director in charge in Los Angeles. The arrest was based on a tip from the campaign, he said."

Jackass star legally drunk at time of crash

Jackass star legally drunk at time of crash | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/22/2011:

"Jackass star Ryan Dunn's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he fatally crashed on a Chester County highway Monday morning, West Goshen Township police said.

Toxicology results released Wednesday showed the 34-year-old West Chester resident had a blood alcohol level of 0.196, well over the state's limit of .08.

Police said that level of intoxication combined with the fact Dunn and his passenger 30-year-old Zachary Hartwell were driving at speeds of more than 130 miles per hour likely caused them to veer off the Route 322 bypass near the Pottstown Pike exit before 3 a.m. Monday"

If your mail is late ...

USPS halts pension contributions - Reid J. Epstein - POLITICO.com:

"The USPS announced Wednesday that it has informed the federal Office of Personnel Management Wednesday that it will stop contributing its share — $115 million every other week – to the Federal Employees Retirement System. The service estimated it will save about $800 million for the current fiscal year."

Glen Campbell Reveals Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Announces Farewell Album

Glen Campbell Reveals Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Announces Farewell Album with Robert Pollard, Paul Westerberg, Billy Corgan • News • exclaim.ca:

"Last year it was announced that Glen Campbell was planning a farewell album featuring a number of guest stars, including Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard, the Replacements' Paul Westerberg and Jakob Dylan. One year later, Campbell has announced a release date for the disc, as well as an upcoming goodbye tour. Regrettably, the news comes bittersweet, as he's also revealed he's suffering from Alzheimer's."

Law Of Unintended consequences - GA edition

Ga. immigrant crackdown backfires - Reid J. Epstein - POLITICO.com:

"Georgia, which passed an Arizona-style immigration bill in April that is due to take effect next month, has seen thousands of undocumented immigrants flee the state. A state survey released last week found 11,080 vacant positions on state farms that needed to be filled to avoid losing crops."

Don't Mess With Mother Nature

QOTD - On Greece

Eschaton: Big Shitpile:

"The people who run the world agree that ordinary people need to suffer so that the banksters don't lose on their bets."

Comment of the day - Balloon Juice Edition

Balloon Juice » Not Fade Away:

"Culture of Truth - June 22, 2011 | 11:51 am · Link

Unobserved, does the Palin Wave function not collapse?"

trump was never serious about running

Report: NBC Giving Donald Trump A Big Raise | TPMMuckraker:

"The deal will apparently net Burnett and Trump a total of around $160 million, and Trump will personally take in $65 million a year."

Define American: Jose's Story

Just another illegal alien or a great example for what the DREAM Act should do?

You can guess my opinion

On Love

Someone Who Thinks You Are Less Than? That Person Does Not Love You. - First Draft:

"I don't know where we got this idea that love is a feeling. I really don't, and it's such utter HORSESHIT. I don't know where we got this idea that your feelings excuse your actions, either. Love is your actions. Love is what you do. Love is how you treat people. Love is, in fact, measurable, testable, despite what the songs would have us think, because you live your love for someone, for a group of someones, for any and all someones, every day."

Speaking of asymmetrical warfare

NATO’s Newest Bombing Tool: Twitter | Danger Room | Wired.com: "In the early days of the Libya war, U.S. commanders were adamant that they didn’t communicate with the Libyan rebels about what targets to bomb. As it turns out, they don’t need to. They’ve got Twitter."

NS Should Pay For Medical marijuana garden

N.S. considers options after medical marijuana ruling - Front - TheChronicleHerald.ca:

"Nova Scotia's Community Services Department is reviewing a decision that would require it to provide financial help to a woman who grows marijuana for her own medical purposes."

Of course they should help pay for her to grow it ... It is a legitimate treatment and there is the added psychological value of being able to provide for herself with a little help rather than have to rely on just getting a baggie full of weed from her social worker (or the equivalent).

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Hitchens on Mamet

Book Review - The Secret Knowledge - By David Mamet - NYTimes.com: "If I were as prone to sloganizing as Mamet, I’d keep clear of bumper-sticker comparisons altogether."

On The Move

This is one of those "on a personal note" kind of posts that i don't do very often.

I am leaving lovely and warm Atlanta for lovely and not-quite-so-warm Columbus, Indiana. Since I have to get a shiny new work permit every time I change jobs this meant that I got to spend the weekend in the warm bosom of Delta Airlines as I wandered to Canada and back.  It also meant that I got to spend some quality time with the nice folks at the Department of Homeland Security as they tried to decide if I should be allowed to work in the USA for another 3 years.

Neither experience was particular smooth and perhaps the less said about them the better.

And on it goes...