Bull Moose

The better way to look at this Iraq situation is the Philippine Occupation after the Spanish-American War. Actually a hundred years ago we were occupiers being fought by a guerilla force (led by Aguilnado if my history is correct). While the initial part of the war was relatively easy, the occupation took the better part of a decade. US forces didn't leave the Philippines till the late 20th Century due to budget cuts and the collapse of the Soviets. We'll probably do the same in Iraq. 80 years from now, the Iraqis will protest the US leaving due to the effect on their economy . . .

Bush Aims To Forge A GOP Legacy (washingtonpost.com)

I would consider their policies unpatriotic, but let's get over that and to the task at hand. The Rovian world view has got to be the most divisive in generations. What is the opposition suppossed to do?

VOA News - Report: US Occupation Authority in Iraq Lost Track of Nearly $9B

Wonder if the "conservative" media will pick this up?

The New York Times > Magazine > The New Boss

"The big conversation going on in Democratic Washington at the moment, at dinner parties and luncheons and think-tank symposia, revolves around how to save the party. The participants generally fall into two camps of unequal size. On one side, there is the majority of Democrats, who believe that the party's failure has primarily been one of communication and tactics. By this thinking, the Democratic agenda itself (no to tax cuts and school vouchers and Social Security privatization; yes to national health care and affirmative action) remains as relevant as ever to modern workers. The real problem, goes this line of thinking, is that the party has allowed ruthless Republicans to control the debate and has failed to sufficiently mobilize its voters. A much smaller group of prominent Democrats argues that the party's problems run deeper -- that it suffers, in fact, from a lack of imagination, and that its core ideas are more an echo of government as it was than government as it ought to be."

I'm not sure that the second group is that much smaller. They did get the last two Democratic Presidents elected. The big ideas have been done in many ways. Where to next? The GOP only offer reforms of Democratic programs of the past. The last big idea from Washington may have been the Civil Rights legislation. If you put the 100 smartest people in a room, what would they say the next big idea should be? Globalization? Environmental damage? Healthcare crisis? Where's the moral issue in this whole thing?

Diamondback Online - HOW DUKE GOT PUNK'D

Awesome . . . .

Dick Cheney, Dressing Down (washingtonpost.com)

funny, but not funny.

Unpardonable Interruptions - How television killed the newspaper sports column. By Stephen Rodrick

Good read, but in some ways, why do people want to know these people's opinions? Why can we not get enough of Wilbon and Smith? Maybe it because we are taught not to think for ourselves. Basically any conversation about sports devolves into an argument about who's better and why. This is a good way to write an english paper, but is not for the general good.

Jon Friedman's Media Web: How CBS News can turn a defeat into a victory - Media - Opinion

The suggestions to have milestones noted and media crap is already done on the networks already. When was the last time ABC News aired the person of the week? Doesn't Dateline already have those "what year was it?" questions? More "news you can use?"

More importantly the whole idea of moving topic to topic is that PBS already does that with the NewsHour. Albeit, if one of the networks did that, the discussions would be reduced and the skin would be up.

The New York Times > Business > World Business > Chinese Airlines Order 60 Jets From Boeing

I'm betting that the Chinese will leave the yuan tied to the dollar this year . . . .

"Fire the Consultants" by Amy Sullivan

Fantastic look at the inside baseball of the Beltway. The consultant thing was always fascinating to me because of the fees these guys pickup. For a small statewide race, these folks making tens of thousands a month. Insane, considering it was the candidate that came up with the winning idea.

Digging Into Seymour Hersh

Have this guy seen Fox News? Where's the outrage there? The press hsould move to the British model where the press publically advocates in the editorials and the articles, one position or the other. This need for media to be "non-biased" is a joke and was never the intention of anyone till J-schools started popping up.

Computer could unjam Chicago traffic

Lowering times (or the cost of driving) is a good short-term solution to problems, but at the same time, it also encourages more people to drive. With shorter times spent in the car and in traffic, people might drive instead of walk or ride the bus. These things are not bad, but we should look at the larger overall "costs" of these types of projects.

Key Player In Postwar Strategy in Iraq to Quit (washingtonpost.com)

Where's his medal?

The New York Times > Business > World Business > Chile's Retirees Find Shortfall in Private Plan

The oversimplification of such an complicated issue is the strategy of the Administration. Laying out the costs and benefits would be the type of leadership we need, not an advocate for Wall Street.

Terrapins Get Crazy in Cameron (washingtonpost.com)

Nutz. The ACC is going to be tough this year for anyone. I just hope that Maryland can make the Big Dance right now.

washingtonpost.com: Prints Of a Guy

Great feature article that doesn't press why the press uses the term so often.

washingtonpost.com: Pentagon Prepares to Rethink Focus on Conventional Warfare

The most important thing is that their is a lack of troops that can be easily trained to fight effectively against the new type of enemy. Maybe, and this is crazy talk, we should rethink the military entirely. Eliminate the structures that we have now seperating the the four arms and move toward a more coordinated attack structure. This would involve developing a stronger, larger unconventional force and reducing conventional forces, especially legacy systems (Virginia-class subs, F-22, etc.)

washingtonpost.com: Pentagon Prepares to Rethink Focus on Conventional Warfare

The most important thing is that their is a lack of troops that can be easily trained to fight effectively against the new type of enemy. Maybe, and this is crazy talk, we should rethink the military entirely. Eliminate the structures that we have now seperating the the four arms and move toward a more coordinated attack structure. This would involve developing a stronger, larger unconventional force and reducing conventional forces, especially legacy systems (Virginia-class subs, F-22, etc.)

Chicago Tribune | The dessert despot

What a great article for the Good Eating section of the Chicago Tribune . . . Wait, this is Tuesday and this is the Tempo section ... Are they that desperate for features that they steal from the Good Eating section? I understand that the Trib will never be the Times or even the WaPo, but for frickin' cryin' out loud, they could at least keep a good feature for the Food section instead of another best cookie of the year feature or another terrible Bill Daly article.

The New York Times > Business > Your Money > Economic View: Deficits May Be Wearing Thin at the Fed

Does it make sense to try and read tea leaves of the Administration like they are manna from above? More importantly, the problem is why is the US having these problems and what are we doing about them? Sure the Chinese have fought to keep their currency tied to the dollar, but why? More importantly what can we do about it? IMHO, there is nothing that the US can do in the next decade to stabilize the banking system in China so what's the next option? What about keeping our own financial house in order?

The Fed is extremely influential in all this. It is a strength and weakness that Greenspan is so politically astute. He has been able to be influential, and at the same time been obscure in his comments. With the Bushies back, he has ruined much of his reputation by staying so obscure and not stressing to the Administration the mopunting problem. The US has a serious problem economically and the one that is suppossed to be keeping an eye on things is watching the wrong gauge.

The world according to Gallo

Not sure that it's bad that Gallo is making wines more drinkable. If people want more, they can get more (go to any wine shop and see more words, more pictures, more countries). The biggest problem in wine stores is all the choices. Paralysis of choice if anything.

The New York Times > Business > Economic Scene: Less Government Better for Business? Not if History Provides a Guide

It's a good point that government should help encourage its citizens through roads and education. Their is the idea (I think it was Kerry) for the gov't to invest in an individual account $1000 to be used for retirement or college. It's pretty nifty if you ask me.

Katie Couric, CBS Anchor? It's Like Night And 'Today' (washingtonpost.com)

Some much needed perspective on the CBS Debacle. I'm not sure why Shales is defending Rather, but it is a well arguend point.

Republicans just won; is it 2008 already?

More interestingly, what about those businesses and their politics? Can/Should the Dems go after them as a bloc? If the GOP becomes more and more socially conservative, will corporate America be able to stay in the same party? Could a shift occur where the "Rockefeller Republican" changes party affiliation? Something egregious must occur by the conservatives that so repels the RRs that they would leave. It's not going to happen anytime in the near future, but it would be a nice pipe dream . . . Then again, it may have already happened, look at Illinois, NJ, and California.

Looking for New Ways to Make Viewers Pay

I like the $1/show. If you're paying though, how do you try new shows? There are still some kinks to work out in any model for TV viewing.

The New York Times > Sports > Other Sports > Sports Media and Business: Seeking Forgiveness for 'Unforgivable Blackness'

Will the Times put in a "correction" too? I saw a big hunk of the show last night and was impressed. Far better than the usual long-winded, but too brief look at things. I'm not sure that Burns' obsession about race helps any sort of reconcilliation, but they do make interesting movies.

The reason I argue that is if there is really no difference between the races, then why keep pointing them out? Is it history? Or something more of the gut?

No Ad Left Behind (washingtonpost.com)

From Will no less. I don't agree with all conservative principals, but at least they should be goals for the GOP.

The New York Times > Dining & Wine > Eating Well: It'd Be Easier if SpongeBob Were Hawking Broccoli

the irony is stolen from an old Mad Magazine of my youth, but isn't silly that the Federal government provides farm subsidies to "prop" up farmers, but at the same time they also have to fight obeseity with food pyramids? Just a thought.

The New York Times > Health > Personal Health: Facing Biotech Foods Without the Fear Factor

Must read for anyone who cares about what they eat.

The New York Times > Business > Your Money > George Jetson, Meet the Sequel

More on GM's head fake. The article also didn't emphasize how to make hydrogen. There is no net savings in fossil fuel consumption.

The New York Times > Business > Your Call (and Rants on Hold) Will Be Monitored

Curious to see what technology has delivered to us.

Bush's Budget Moves Have Made the Future a Voiceless Victim

It's the point of those pointyheaded Republicans trying to drive the county into massive debt. In some intellectual way they think that the government won't grow under that kind of debt and be restricted. I'm glad to see that its working out so well ...

The New York Times > Business > Media & Advertising > Your Daily Paper, Courtesy of a Sponsor

Isn't this a reflection of what the media is going through in general? More options for news and opinion (like this site right?) and fewer reasons to read a bad newspaper. If there is a compelling reason to read the paper, people will buy it. News is no longer a monopoly of newspapers, but everywhere. Feature articles and columnists drive what people read more than anything else right now. Unfortunately, the smaller newspapers are turning to wire services and cutting staff that write features and columns. Why would I pay for AP articles that I can get for free? Is there a good reason to buy it? What would make me buy it?

washingtonpost.com: Automakers Put Hydrogen Power On the Fast Track

I'd call GM retarded, but that woulod be an insult to retarded people.

Why Hydrogen won't work?

"No one has yet figured out how to generate large amounts of hydrogen without causing as much pollution as internal-combustion engines now create, or how to pay for a nationwide distribution network. And the vehicles are prohibitively expensive; if GM's Sequel were for sale, it would cost as much as a warehouse full of Corvettes."

The worst thing that the Big Three ever did was fight CAFE standards. Now they are in a hole. At least Ford is trying to get into the hybrid thing.

I heard that the Europeans use a lot of diesel and get similar performance to gasoline. While a little suspect, this too would be a better option than hydrogen power. GM has done this in the past trying to outsmart everyone and divert attention. The only problem now is that, they don't have 50 percent market share anymore.

Partnership for a Hybrid System Breakthrough (washingtonpost.com)

http://economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2792571

A Zero-Emissions Proposal

Better yet I propose that someone (the Feds or government of California) propose a contest that will generate a car that will have zero emissions and get 50 miles to the gallon. The other consideration is that it has to be able to be produced for under $15,000 per unit (total of 100 cars). The prize should be along the lines of $50-200 million. This might be the best use of government $$$ since Continental Army.

The New York Times > Business > Fitting in the Odd Piece

GM should think about moving the Sturn back to its roots. If and when they come out with a hybrid or hydrogen vehicle it should come out from its Saturn plate. That's where it can compete with the Scions and the Hondas of the world. GM has marketed the brand as quirky and innovative, but is turning the brand into a shell for people that want to buy American camrys and civics. By going to the alternative fuels, it would drive business to the dealers. The other trend in cars with the micro should also be channelled through Saturn.

The biggest problem that Saturn has right now is that no one at GM believes in the brand and is letting it slowly die off. If they don't do anything, they should kill it sooner rather than later or make it the "innovation" brand. This is a similar problem that VW has. The idea of the diesel is great, but it won't fly here (see Phaeton).

Chicago Tribune | Print Edition - Tuesday News

Great article about the divide in race/money among rape statistics. This is a sad fact about our culture and societal acceptence of crime. The worst thing is that statistically you have only half a chance of getting caught. Why do we as a society think that's ok? Most other industrialized cultures fight crime better than we do. Is it a matter of civil rights? What about the right's of the dead?

The New York Times > Business > Drubbing of the Dollar: Dangerous or Therapeutic?

Not sure if the Chinese will ever switch from the dollar peg in the near future. The biggest problem is competition from Japan, Korea, etc. If they remove their peg, it woul dmake them less competative against other export driven nations that live in her neighborhood.

The other big reason is the banking problems in China. Since they have notoriously weak banking system, floating their currency after being pegged so long could be terrible for the global economy. Let's assume that their banking system is very weak and the banks a basically being proped up by the government.

Well, let's say that you have these bad debts out there that will never be repaid. That means that the banks have to recover somehow or go out of business. Those are not good options, savers don't like being defrauded and the borrowers don't like paying back debt they can't pay. The third way is to let tie the currency to a peg (like the dollar) and then to have lots of inflation. That way the debt is minimized as inflation runs up. This hurts those on fixed incomes, but they should be taken care of by their children anyways. So maybe that's why the Chinese choose to keep theior currency pegged to the dollar and let inflation rise.

Switching to a basket of currencies might be a good idea. Mainly because the US looks like a worse and worse investment every day. This way the Chinese could hedge against the decline of the dollar and keep a good peg. This is probably what will happen, but I would bet not for awhile yet.

Lessons for Democrats (washingtonpost.com)

WWBD? This is only part of the puzzle. Security is critical. In that same phrase attacking the "elites," a message must surround itself with security. Security from terrorists, from enemies, from hollywood crap, etc. This is what we need a centralized message that feeds on these issues.

Yahoo! News - Auburn Clings to Split Nat'l Title Hopes

VA Tech is scary. Everyone is underestimating them and they should pull a suprise.

The New York Times > Arts > Television > The All Too Ready for Prime Time Players

Too bad that SNL is no longer must see. That's probably a reflection of my age and not the show. They do make a good point about being "cool" and how SNL isn't anymore. They should get Chappelle to host or something even edgier. Not crass or vulgar, but cooler.