Are you going to find two power stations that can generate a total of 2,800 megawatts of carbon free power?
Ummm.... No where?
Good thing we've got nukes.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Outsourcing Anti-trust to Europe?
Is the Supreme Court trying to outsource anti-trust suits to Europe?
I haven't read into this opinion, but it looks like it.
With Microsoft taking a beating across the pond, any company that wants to share markets (which really, they're going to have to or at least really really want to) is going to have to worry about the EU.
Do we really want to put our capitalist system in the hands on those socialistic Euro-trash-ites!?
I haven't read into this opinion, but it looks like it.
With Microsoft taking a beating across the pond, any company that wants to share markets (which really, they're going to have to or at least really really want to) is going to have to worry about the EU.
Do we really want to put our capitalist system in the hands on those socialistic Euro-trash-ites!?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Finally!
A good reason to take anti-depressants. (Well, if you're not depressed).
Anti-love potion!
With brain enhancement pills, and now anti-love pills, how long until we can take a suite of pills and become whoever we want to be?
Anti-love potion!
With brain enhancement pills, and now anti-love pills, how long until we can take a suite of pills and become whoever we want to be?
Friday, February 20, 2009
Huzzah! Diplomacy works!
Iran finally has enough LEU to make a nuke!
North Korea still has their HEU plant! And is currently fueling up a Taepodong-2 missile that can supposedly reach Alaska!
I'll let you decide on who Diplomacy worked for...
North Korea still has their HEU plant! And is currently fueling up a Taepodong-2 missile that can supposedly reach Alaska!
I'll let you decide on who Diplomacy worked for...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Imagine my surprise...
When I came across this in my news feed. "West Bank land siezed as Israel looks to build". I read that headline, and it's pathetic and stupid, and all I could do was shake my head. Real smart idiots. I was not going to post anything on it.
Then I came across this, "Israel: FM Give land for peace". I'd laugh if it was not so sad and pathetic. Generally, when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is STOP DIGGING! Not lie about stopping digging while you shovel away...
So I had to post something on it.
I refer you you to Stephen Walk for a discussion of what would happen if the 'two state' solution were to fail.
There's really nothing else to say.
Then I came across this, "Israel: FM Give land for peace". I'd laugh if it was not so sad and pathetic. Generally, when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is STOP DIGGING! Not lie about stopping digging while you shovel away...
So I had to post something on it.
I refer you you to Stephen Walk for a discussion of what would happen if the 'two state' solution were to fail.
There's really nothing else to say.
This is just shameful...
What kind of national government sells it's people down the river like this.
'Peace deal'? 'Cease fire'? What a load. The next suicide bomber the explode in Islamabad, or the next boat load of terrorists that offload in Mumbai or the next suicide bomber in Kabul will really prove it effective! Short sighted imbeciles.
And on top of that, this? The Taliban is actually going around and harassing families of expatriates? Ridiculous. Insanity.
Where's the larger coverage of this! Why don't we see more headlines 'Taliban take 97 year old father hostage' to go along with the infamous 'Gay rape horror' headline from a few weeks ago?
UPDATE:
Attackerman has better commentary then I do. Much better.
Okay, it's not Islamabad, but it is a terrorist attack.
'Peace deal'? 'Cease fire'? What a load. The next suicide bomber the explode in Islamabad, or the next boat load of terrorists that offload in Mumbai or the next suicide bomber in Kabul will really prove it effective! Short sighted imbeciles.
And on top of that, this? The Taliban is actually going around and harassing families of expatriates? Ridiculous. Insanity.
Where's the larger coverage of this! Why don't we see more headlines 'Taliban take 97 year old father hostage' to go along with the infamous 'Gay rape horror' headline from a few weeks ago?
UPDATE:
Attackerman has better commentary then I do. Much better.
Okay, it's not Islamabad, but it is a terrorist attack.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Professional Development: Power
I keep racking up these professional development moments! Sorry, another person detour.
Last week I was getting ready for Pre-Trials, reviewing specifically the cases that the ECU usually works. I'm more versed in them, and that's what I'm being sent down to take care of first before moving on the the more 'fun' cases.
So I was reviewing one of the cases, and looking at the criminal history. It was length, and it didn't look like the defendant had served anytime in jail yet. And I said to myself "I'm going to cap her jail time as part of the plea, an make her spend some time in jail." And I stopped. And I asked myself "what gives me the right to be trying to send this woman to jail?" Who was I to be doing this? Some doofus 2L with a giant beard and all of personal foibles I have is deciding to. Who was I to be weilding this kind of power? I didn't have an answer. The only thing I could reallt come up with was: trust, and the virture that I have put in 'two years' worth of law school.
Granted, as an intern I do not have the actual authority without someone signing off on it. And the judge has the final discretion anyway. But still, there's enough trust there that when I come in with a proposed plea, there's a presumption that it's valid. And of course the defendant can tell me to shove it, request an attorney and take it to trial.
Just that realization that I had authority and the power to make that decision was very strange. Power. I cannot let it go to my head, stay on the level and be neutral.
Which leads me to another point. Prejudice. One of the other cases I was working on, a moving violation. I was looking at the driving record. Once again it was long, but mostly speeding tickets and license suspensions for stupid things. Then I got to an OWI. And all sympathy I had for this defendant drained away. In the moment I did not see an issue with it. What a defendant has done in the past is relevant to a plea, but where's the line? Is it okay that an OWI drains away any chance of me giving the defendant a break?
Discretionary power. It's a scary thing to playing around with. Until you get used to it. Especially when the only guidance you initally have is internal. Well, not right now, I have the other prosecutors to bounce ideas off of and help me out. But still, that initial formulation is a bit odd.
Lastly, after I finished reviewing the "Who am I to be deciding this?" case, I moved on to another one. Which let me tell you, had one of the funniest police reports I have ever read. I had recovered my confidence a little, and ha come to the decision that I would be capping jail time again. And I think it was the nature of the police report, but as I was doing that I thought to myself "HAHA! I'm sending this defendant to jail!" It was another whoa moment.
Arrogance. I think in that moment I let me head get bigger then it should have gotten. I suppose I was a little more used to the power and authority I was attempting to exercise, and was aware of the scope of it.
I've seen the path that arrogance can take you in this line of work (look at me talking like I'm some 20 yr veteran). But seriously, I have seen it. Arrogance leads to belligerance, and that leads to not getting the result you want.
So far I have a very good track record of getting people to agree to the deals that I am offering. Granted, I haven't been in the position very often to try and force something extra uncomfortable on someone, but there have been a few situations where I've assumed that the person is not going to be happy, but they bite the bullet and take it. I've noticed it generally too, when not at court, dealing with participants in phone conversations. I rarely have to deal with irate people, even when I'm giving them pretty bad news. No one is overly difficult either.
I think a lot of it has to do with tone. I always attempt to be understanding and nice, at first. And it pays off. Heck, but I can be mean too! I've had several people refuse to deal with me anymore because I'm mean! Woohoo! And I am getting better responses from the angry messages I leave on people's phones. But still, off the bat, there's no reason to be arrogant or mean just because you have that power.
I think this dovetails a lot with what I was talking about in my last Professional Development post too.
In the end, this is the kind of position that I want, and have wanted. One with power. And one with responsibility. I want to be out there, on the front lines, deeply involved in dispensing justice. I think I'm built for it. I just need to experience all the aspects of it first off. Like throwing someone in the water to start swimming. It's weird until you develop the muscle memory. As long as I keep learning, and internalizing the lessons that I'm being taught, I will be all right. As long as I keep finding ways to and setting goals to imporve myself, I will be all right.
Better me then some other 2L doofus right?
(These little updates will continue until I have no more! Or at least none that I want to talk about. I'm entering an interesting peroid in my life right now, the crucible where Professional Me is being created. I need to figure out a way to try and explain what I am experience to the masses. They're more for me than for you. Well, unless you're an employer, then these little anectodtes and self-reflection will come up once or twice. So if you don't like it, you can Bite My Shiny Metal Face.)
Last week I was getting ready for Pre-Trials, reviewing specifically the cases that the ECU usually works. I'm more versed in them, and that's what I'm being sent down to take care of first before moving on the the more 'fun' cases.
So I was reviewing one of the cases, and looking at the criminal history. It was length, and it didn't look like the defendant had served anytime in jail yet. And I said to myself "I'm going to cap her jail time as part of the plea, an make her spend some time in jail." And I stopped. And I asked myself "what gives me the right to be trying to send this woman to jail?" Who was I to be doing this? Some doofus 2L with a giant beard and all of personal foibles I have is deciding to. Who was I to be weilding this kind of power? I didn't have an answer. The only thing I could reallt come up with was: trust, and the virture that I have put in 'two years' worth of law school.
Granted, as an intern I do not have the actual authority without someone signing off on it. And the judge has the final discretion anyway. But still, there's enough trust there that when I come in with a proposed plea, there's a presumption that it's valid. And of course the defendant can tell me to shove it, request an attorney and take it to trial.
Just that realization that I had authority and the power to make that decision was very strange. Power. I cannot let it go to my head, stay on the level and be neutral.
Which leads me to another point. Prejudice. One of the other cases I was working on, a moving violation. I was looking at the driving record. Once again it was long, but mostly speeding tickets and license suspensions for stupid things. Then I got to an OWI. And all sympathy I had for this defendant drained away. In the moment I did not see an issue with it. What a defendant has done in the past is relevant to a plea, but where's the line? Is it okay that an OWI drains away any chance of me giving the defendant a break?
Discretionary power. It's a scary thing to playing around with. Until you get used to it. Especially when the only guidance you initally have is internal. Well, not right now, I have the other prosecutors to bounce ideas off of and help me out. But still, that initial formulation is a bit odd.
Lastly, after I finished reviewing the "Who am I to be deciding this?" case, I moved on to another one. Which let me tell you, had one of the funniest police reports I have ever read. I had recovered my confidence a little, and ha come to the decision that I would be capping jail time again. And I think it was the nature of the police report, but as I was doing that I thought to myself "HAHA! I'm sending this defendant to jail!" It was another whoa moment.
Arrogance. I think in that moment I let me head get bigger then it should have gotten. I suppose I was a little more used to the power and authority I was attempting to exercise, and was aware of the scope of it.
I've seen the path that arrogance can take you in this line of work (look at me talking like I'm some 20 yr veteran). But seriously, I have seen it. Arrogance leads to belligerance, and that leads to not getting the result you want.
So far I have a very good track record of getting people to agree to the deals that I am offering. Granted, I haven't been in the position very often to try and force something extra uncomfortable on someone, but there have been a few situations where I've assumed that the person is not going to be happy, but they bite the bullet and take it. I've noticed it generally too, when not at court, dealing with participants in phone conversations. I rarely have to deal with irate people, even when I'm giving them pretty bad news. No one is overly difficult either.
I think a lot of it has to do with tone. I always attempt to be understanding and nice, at first. And it pays off. Heck, but I can be mean too! I've had several people refuse to deal with me anymore because I'm mean! Woohoo! And I am getting better responses from the angry messages I leave on people's phones. But still, off the bat, there's no reason to be arrogant or mean just because you have that power.
I think this dovetails a lot with what I was talking about in my last Professional Development post too.
In the end, this is the kind of position that I want, and have wanted. One with power. And one with responsibility. I want to be out there, on the front lines, deeply involved in dispensing justice. I think I'm built for it. I just need to experience all the aspects of it first off. Like throwing someone in the water to start swimming. It's weird until you develop the muscle memory. As long as I keep learning, and internalizing the lessons that I'm being taught, I will be all right. As long as I keep finding ways to and setting goals to imporve myself, I will be all right.
Better me then some other 2L doofus right?
(These little updates will continue until I have no more! Or at least none that I want to talk about. I'm entering an interesting peroid in my life right now, the crucible where Professional Me is being created. I need to figure out a way to try and explain what I am experience to the masses. They're more for me than for you. Well, unless you're an employer, then these little anectodtes and self-reflection will come up once or twice. So if you don't like it, you can Bite My Shiny Metal Face.)
There goes the neighborhood
Is there anything a carbon nanotube can not do?
Now they can function as the platinum catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells?
AND last longer and work better? AND all they need is Nitrogen (that gas that makes up 80% of the atmosphere)?
Where's the funding for this in the stimulus bill? Or are the Democrats waiting for a 'Fuck Iran and Venezuela Bill'? (All the funding that carbon nanotube catalyst and lithium ion batteries could ask for?)
Still, assembling the nanotubes (I like typing and saying nanotube) is still an issue. But with recent advances in producing them on an industrial scale (or using DNA) can efficient industrial catalyst production be far behind?
UPDATE:
Wait, you mean nanotubes can even make lithium ion batters better?
Now they can function as the platinum catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells?
AND last longer and work better? AND all they need is Nitrogen (that gas that makes up 80% of the atmosphere)?
Where's the funding for this in the stimulus bill? Or are the Democrats waiting for a 'Fuck Iran and Venezuela Bill'? (All the funding that carbon nanotube catalyst and lithium ion batteries could ask for?)
Still, assembling the nanotubes (I like typing and saying nanotube) is still an issue. But with recent advances in producing them on an industrial scale (or using DNA) can efficient industrial catalyst production be far behind?
UPDATE:
Wait, you mean nanotubes can even make lithium ion batters better?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Disaster? Is that worse than a catastrophe?
That may be where the confusion in this statement is.
Personally, I prefer to call it 'Economic Apocalypse'. That tends to clear things up. But that may just come from living in Michigan and seeing it up close and personal.
Also, that's part of the reason I'm very disappointed that aid to the States is being cut back. I can live with delaying education spending to a later bill. And even energy spending. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If Michigan's unemployment goes belly up... SO many people are going to be devastated. The lines are already up, and the process is already slow. Pumping more money into an already existing system to keep people on their feet until the real spending can come in and give them a job... What is wrong with that? I must not get it.
Also, has anyone told Senator Shelby that the Republican got ANNIHILATED in the election?
On a more humorous note, I agree with SNL Pelosi in this sketch.
The Republican have earned the right to vote NO on whatever they want. And nothing more.
Personally, I prefer to call it 'Economic Apocalypse'. That tends to clear things up. But that may just come from living in Michigan and seeing it up close and personal.
Also, that's part of the reason I'm very disappointed that aid to the States is being cut back. I can live with delaying education spending to a later bill. And even energy spending. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If Michigan's unemployment goes belly up... SO many people are going to be devastated. The lines are already up, and the process is already slow. Pumping more money into an already existing system to keep people on their feet until the real spending can come in and give them a job... What is wrong with that? I must not get it.
Also, has anyone told Senator Shelby that the Republican got ANNIHILATED in the election?
On a more humorous note, I agree with SNL Pelosi in this sketch.
The Republican have earned the right to vote NO on whatever they want. And nothing more.
China's economic and environmental recovery plan
70 GWe's worth of nuclear power.
That's roughly 70 new nuclear plants by 2020.
At the US rate of 500 jobs per 1GWe, that's roughly 35,000 jobs. And that's just directly created job by the power plants. Not to mention the construction jobs and the service jobs that spring up around nuclear plants.
The installed capacity, per Idaho Samizdat, is expected to make nuclear power 5% of China's expected power grid. Not a big enough jump to make a huge impact on the environment, but that's still 70 GWe of coal power that is not being installed.
Sure the numbers are a little shrimpy
Here's a thought experiment: say the US applies the economic stimulus package to nuclear power. China's spending 85 billion. So let's say the US stimulus comes in at 850 billion for ease of measure.
-700 Gwe added
-140 new plants
-350000 directly created jobs plant jobs (plus training center jobs)
-420000 construction jobs created until the plants are completed (3000 per plant for 4-8 years)
-525000 indirectly created jobs*
-Not to mention the creation of an expanded enrichment industry and I'd imagine the start up of a large fuel reprocessing industry
Obviously there are more effecive ways to create jobs, or paying people to dig holes and then paying them to fill them in. But, it's just something to think about.
*See this link for a much better discussion as well as the source for my base statistics
That's roughly 70 new nuclear plants by 2020.
At the US rate of 500 jobs per 1GWe, that's roughly 35,000 jobs. And that's just directly created job by the power plants. Not to mention the construction jobs and the service jobs that spring up around nuclear plants.
The installed capacity, per Idaho Samizdat, is expected to make nuclear power 5% of China's expected power grid. Not a big enough jump to make a huge impact on the environment, but that's still 70 GWe of coal power that is not being installed.
Sure the numbers are a little shrimpy
Here's a thought experiment: say the US applies the economic stimulus package to nuclear power. China's spending 85 billion. So let's say the US stimulus comes in at 850 billion for ease of measure.
-700 Gwe added
-140 new plants
-350000 directly created jobs plant jobs (plus training center jobs)
-420000 construction jobs created until the plants are completed (3000 per plant for 4-8 years)
-525000 indirectly created jobs*
-Not to mention the creation of an expanded enrichment industry and I'd imagine the start up of a large fuel reprocessing industry
Obviously there are more effecive ways to create jobs, or paying people to dig holes and then paying them to fill them in. But, it's just something to think about.
*See this link for a much better discussion as well as the source for my base statistics
Saturday, February 7, 2009
What's your angle?
I'm a little confused as to just what Russia has been getting at lately with Afghanisgtan.
First, we see the closing of the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan.
Second, the Taliban have been playing havoc on the supply lines, the Khyber pass, coming from Pakistan. Including blowing up a vital bridge, destroying hundreds of trucks and essentially reoccupying the area once Pakistan pull troops out of the region to prepare for a shooting war with India.
Now Russia offers this? Shipping 'non-lethal' aid Afghanistan? Thanks... Kind of like blowing a tire on the highway and some stranger pulls over to help and says: "Well, you can't have a tire or use my jack, but you can have these lug nuts." Yeah, sure, the offer of assistance is appreciated on some level... But limiting it to non-lethal?
I fail to see what benefit Russia will get by having a more unstable Afghanistan in the region. Especially now that the fates of Afghanistan and Pakistan seem to be linked together. (Well, were they really ever separate?)
I guess we'll just have to ship all of our lethal equipment through Uzbekistan. (Wow, I actually spelled that right! And was going to devote a sentence or two to the complexities of the spellings of the -Stans.) Hooray for realpolitik!
So what does Russia want?
-Revenge for the US's actions in 1979-1989? (Definitely strikes me as something that Putin would be up for.)
-To make the US look bad by forcing us back into bed with Uzbekistan? (Just when we've jettisoned our biggest source of luggage?)
- To put so much strain on NATO that it breaks up? (This actually strikes me as a plausible. One failed state, that has been failed for a LONG time, and whose only major terrorist export has been to the US, seems to be a small price to pay to dismantle NATO. Especially when Russia has 'zero tolerance for terrorists and hostages'. I post that link in jest, but I think it is somewhat of an accurate reflection of Russia's stance. 'We will kill anyone we have to to kill you if you mess with us.')
In somewhat better news: looks like our wino friends from Italy will be upping troop commitment.
And in more predictable news: the rest of Europe is... being Europe.
First, we see the closing of the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan.
Second, the Taliban have been playing havoc on the supply lines, the Khyber pass, coming from Pakistan. Including blowing up a vital bridge, destroying hundreds of trucks and essentially reoccupying the area once Pakistan pull troops out of the region to prepare for a shooting war with India.
Now Russia offers this? Shipping 'non-lethal' aid Afghanistan? Thanks... Kind of like blowing a tire on the highway and some stranger pulls over to help and says: "Well, you can't have a tire or use my jack, but you can have these lug nuts." Yeah, sure, the offer of assistance is appreciated on some level... But limiting it to non-lethal?
I fail to see what benefit Russia will get by having a more unstable Afghanistan in the region. Especially now that the fates of Afghanistan and Pakistan seem to be linked together. (Well, were they really ever separate?)
I guess we'll just have to ship all of our lethal equipment through Uzbekistan. (Wow, I actually spelled that right! And was going to devote a sentence or two to the complexities of the spellings of the -Stans.) Hooray for realpolitik!
So what does Russia want?
-Revenge for the US's actions in 1979-1989? (Definitely strikes me as something that Putin would be up for.)
-To make the US look bad by forcing us back into bed with Uzbekistan? (Just when we've jettisoned our biggest source of luggage?)
- To put so much strain on NATO that it breaks up? (This actually strikes me as a plausible. One failed state, that has been failed for a LONG time, and whose only major terrorist export has been to the US, seems to be a small price to pay to dismantle NATO. Especially when Russia has 'zero tolerance for terrorists and hostages'. I post that link in jest, but I think it is somewhat of an accurate reflection of Russia's stance. 'We will kill anyone we have to to kill you if you mess with us.')
In somewhat better news: looks like our wino friends from Italy will be upping troop commitment.
And in more predictable news: the rest of Europe is... being Europe.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Iraq Provincial Elections
If you're interested, I turn you to better sources than I.
Marc Lynch.
Abu Muqawama.
I will suggest this. Did Iran know that they were going to take a walloping in Iraq? So they've had to take a more active approach to being belligerent to US interests (launching EMP weapon satellites, demanding apologies, demanding to be treated like a grown-up, getting ready to fire up the Bushehr reactor, and going on 20 minute tirades at supposedly constructive security conferences).
And I second the Aardvark's last update. Let's take it and RUN!
Marc Lynch.
Abu Muqawama.
I will suggest this. Did Iran know that they were going to take a walloping in Iraq? So they've had to take a more active approach to being belligerent to US interests (launching EMP weapon satellites, demanding apologies, demanding to be treated like a grown-up, getting ready to fire up the Bushehr reactor, and going on 20 minute tirades at supposedly constructive security conferences).
And I second the Aardvark's last update. Let's take it and RUN!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Real holographic simulated Evil Lincoln is BACK!!!
I guess we know who WONT be joining NATO now.
The Warsaw pact is back.
Iran is putting satellites into orbit. That may be an EMP weapon?
2009 is going to be AWESOME!
The Warsaw pact is back.
Iran is putting satellites into orbit. That may be an EMP weapon?
2009 is going to be AWESOME!
Conspiracy theory?
Does this have anything to do with this?
Massive Russian cyber-attack leads to crippling of the 'Internationals Sit, Anglos Fight' (as long as Anglos includes the Dutch) Afghan force?
But maybe it's been brewing for a while.
Massive Russian cyber-attack leads to crippling of the 'Internationals Sit, Anglos Fight' (as long as Anglos includes the Dutch) Afghan force?
But maybe it's been brewing for a while.
FINALLY! Someone is asking the tough questions.
Oh man, do I hope the answer is yes!
And I agree with this too.
I must be getting soft in my old age.
And I agree with this too.
I must be getting soft in my old age.
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