Idiots

SLTrib: Utah House OKs roadblocks for federal health reform

The Utah House approved a bill Thursday that would require the Legislature and governor to sign off before state agencies follow mandates under any federally enacted health care reforms.

BYU Economist on children losing health insurance

This is old, but I hadn't seen it before. Interesting.
From BYU Newsroom:

A new study concludes that ongoing efforts to cut the costs of a program that provides low-income children with health insurance would send more kids to the emergency room and increase the total cost of care by $2,121 per child each year.

I wonder how this applies to the general population.

The Vice Guide to North Korea

An independent news organization gets a couple of guys into North Korea as tourists who illegally film a documentary with a point-and-shoot camera. Very interesting and revealing.


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Update: The embed code doesn't seem to be working, but I've added links so you can at least watch the videos on the VBS.tv site.

America's great. Except for the South

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby (R) blocking ALL Obama nominations:
Over defense pork projects . . . Tell me again why it's the Democrats who are irresponsibly bringing us to ruin? It's definitely time to change the Senate rules.

Shelby is holding Obama's nominees hostage until a pair of lucrative programs that would send billions in taxpayer dollars to his home state get back on track. The two programs Shelby wants to move forward or else:

- A $40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers . . .

- An improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI . . .

John Marshall:

In this case, we're not dealing with a stand on partisanship or ideology or simple political shiv play which I guess can each be respected in their own place. This is more like just a stick up. Gimme my money and I'll give you your Senate back! Worse than a squeegee man and not much better than a bank robber, Shelby is shutting down the president's ability to appoint anyone to anything until he gets his way.

Worth watching

W. Davis: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World



There are a lot of good questions brought up here, as well as a generally interesting subject. Worth watching if you have time, or at least throwing on the iPod and listening to during "transit" time (driving, walking home, whatever).

Whoa

Every once in awhile I read something that absolutely floors me. I don't know why this particular article thrills me so much, but I seriously feel like a gazillion light bulbs just got turned on in my head. Probably nothing new here for some of you, but I'm excited.

New Scientist: Viruses: The unsung heroes of evolution

[T]he era of genomics has unexpectedly revealed a much richer picture of viruses as a creative evolutionary force of unparalleled reach and power. "Everywhere you look, viruses seem to be playing a crucial role in evolution," says Luis Villarreal, director of the Center for Virus Research at the University of California, Irvine. "I would argue that they are the most creative genetic entities that we know of."

Oh, Canada

Paul Krugman: Good and Boring

In times of crisis, good news is no news. Iceland’s meltdown made headlines; the remarkable stability of Canada’s banks, not so much. . .

Yes, I know, Canada is supposed to be dull. The New Republic famously pronounced “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” (from a Times Op-Ed column in the ’80s) the world’s most boring headline . . . [But] when it comes to banking, boring is good.

Financial Times on the Budget, short-term deficits

FT.com - Budget distractions

Sadly, reckless politicians have persuaded voters that runaway deficits threaten their livelihoods more than a renewed slowdown. This makes the administration sound a bit like a small European country eager to reassure Brussels: it wants to cut the deficit to 4 per cent of GDP within three years.

Such a large swing is fine if growth proves robust, but dangerous if it does not, which is far from unlikely. Unemployment is likely to stay above 9 per cent into 2011. . .

Nice

Full segment here

A link to the quote/video referred to.

Sen. Tom Udall on changing the Senate rules

Plus he's a Mormon, so that's kinda cool.

Hat Tip: Paul Krugman

This is worth watching

Update: GOP Dismayed by Obama's Strong Performance

Peace through education

Just real quick. I just listened to this talk given last semester at BYU by Greg Mortenson. I was in bed even, and I got up to post it so I wouldn't forget. Anyway, it's very worth listening to. Just do it, don't ask questions. Now! Chop-chop!

Does "terrorism" remove all civil rights?

rawstory.org: ACLU: The Constitution is not 'optional'

This made me laugh

Al Qaeda in all its glory

If this is all Al Qaeda can do, why the heck are we spending $1,000,000 a year in Afghanistan? Have we lost all sense of proportion? Let's get real.

Update a long time after the original post (I'm busy, ok?): I meant $1,000,000 per soldier.

China wrecked the Copenhagen deal

Mark Lynas, guardian.co.uk: How do I know China wrecked the Copenhagen deal? I was in the room

China's strategy was simple: block the open negotiations for two weeks, and then ensure that the closed-door deal made it look as if the west had failed the world's poor once again. And sure enough, the aid agencies, civil society movements and environmental groups all took the bait.

Commoditized mobile internet?

I hope so. Hooray for dumb pipes!

Charlie's Diary: Gadget Patrol: 21st Century Phone

Maybe there is an issue here

NY Times: Glenn Beck’s Gold Deal Raising Questions at Fox

[I]t would be “problematic without question” if Mr. Beck did have a position as a paid spokesman for a product.

Obama's Nobel Remarks

Text

Commentary from David Brooks

Intriguing idea

So I was just saying to a friend the other day that the idea of someone heavily invested in gold could be a little unnerving because they gain an interest in societal instability. I kinda doubt Stewart's causal story - I suspect that Beck is paranoid, so he buys gold, not that he's paranoid because he's invested in gold and wants to increase demand for it. But, as they say, "isn't it interesting?"