Farrer Commons

My Mini City

2007-12-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Check out my mini city where you can create your own town. The town grows the more people that visit.

My city is Tytown.

Please stop by.

FreeRice.com

2007-10-19T11:11:00.000-06:00

Go to freerice.com and test your word knowledge. For every definition that you get correct, ten grains of rice will be donated via an international relief agency to feed a hungry person.

No registration is required.

Update: I've given 2020 grains of rice.

Human Stem Cells Vs. Rat Stem Cells

2007-08-29T17:43:00.001-06:00

With all this talk over whether it is right to federally fund new lines of human stem cells for study research, consider this.

Scientists have recently corrected the broken hearts of rats by the use of implanted human stem cells.

I don't know why they can't use rat stem cells for this. It would seem from the pressure that is placed on congress to fund more research that the human variety is rare and costly.

So, why are they injecting human cells into rats?

Don't get me wrong, I think this is important research, but I think that there should be a premium placed on human life.

Science Blog: Human Stem Cells

Google Astronomy: I Said It First

2007-08-22T13:11:00.000-06:00

I effectively predicted two years ago that google would integrate their maps with an astronomy interface.

Here is my half-baked idea fully fleshed out.

Mitt Only Top Tier Candidate For Marriage

2007-08-18T10:58:00.000-06:00

It's official:H/T Hugh Hewitt. Romney is the only top tier candidate to support the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Romney vs. Huntsman: On Immigration

2007-08-16T23:16:00.001-06:00

Lamar Smith has an article on Mitt Romney with the claim, "Governor Romney will enforce our immigration laws." Let me cover the points of Romney's career as Governor of a blue state addressed in this piece and contrast these with the actions of the Governor of Utah, a very red state.

Romney: "In 2006, he signed an agreement with the federal government to deputize Massachusetts State Troopers so they could help enforce immigration laws. "
Huntsman: Some in the legislature tried to enact legislation to this effect, but without the endorsement of the Governor.
Romney: "He authorized Massachusetts National Guardsmen to deploy to the Southern Border."
Huntsman: Nothing like that here according to Jim Matheson.
Romney: " In 2004, Governor Romney vetoed a plan that would have provided illegal immigrants the same in-state tuition at public colleges and universities as Massachusetts citizens."
Huntsman: Illegal immigrants get in-state tuition in Utah, despite efforts by some in the legislature.
Romney: "In 2003, he announced his opposition to efforts to give drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants, again upholding the rule of law."
Huntsman: Signed legislation for 'driving privilege' cards in 2005.
Romney: "He also insisted upon teaching our kids in English."
Huntsman: Wants to hire Mexican teachers to teach English to immigrants in Utah. (there is a subtle difference in execution here)

CNN estimated in May, 2006 that Utah has 100,000 illegal immigrants. The 2000 Census puts Utah right below Massachusetts for illegal immigrants.

It is not my intention here to bash Governor Huntsman. Only to offer a point of comparison, and to say that the state a person hails from has very little to do with their own ideology.

Whether we agree with Romney or not, we can say that his record shows that he acted conservatively on immigration.

2007-07-25T10:48:00.000-06:00

Endorsing Mitt Romney

2007-07-02T13:33:00.000-06:00

I'm doing what is considered virtually automatic in this state and endorsing Mitt Romney for President.

But, I've done my homework. Really, I have. This isn't just another knee-jerk reaction by a Utah, Red-State, Republican.

I do want to say that one of the biggest objections to Romney is turning out to be his switch from Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life. What he's said on the matter ought to settle that debate. This speech, given to the National Right to Life Convention Forum. Follow the link for the entire speech.

"In the midst of that battle, another arose. It involved cloning and embryo farming for purposes of research. I studied the subject in great depth. I have high hopes for stem cell research. But for me, a bright moral line is crossed when we create new life for the sole purpose of experimentation and destruction.

"That's why I fought to keep cloning and embryo farming illegal.

"It was during this battle that I began to focus a good deal more of my thinking on abortion.

"When I first ran for office, while I was always personally opposed to abortion, I considered whether this should be a private decision or whether it should be a societal and government decision. I concluded that I would support the law as it was in place – effectively, the pro-choice position.

"And I was wrong.

"What became clear during the cloning debate is how the harsh logic of an absolute right to abortion had cheapened the value of human life to the point that rational people saw a human embryo as nothing more than mere research material to be used, and then destroyed.

"The slippery slope was taking us to racks and racks of living human embryos, Brave New World-like, awaiting termination.

"What some see as just a clump of cells is actually a human life. Human life has identity. Human life has the capacity to love and be loved. Human life has a profound dignity, undiminished by age or infirmity.

"My experience as Governor taught me firsthand that the threat to our culture is real and those in a position to do so must take action to defend it.

"Times of decision are moments of great clarity. Before I was Governor, the life issue was just that, an issue. But when responsibility for life or ending life was placed in my hands, I made the right decision. I chose life.

"Just like some others in the pro-life movement, a moment of decision became a defining moment.

"And so, every time I faced a decision as Governor that related to life, I came down on the side of life.

"I fought to ban cloning.

"I fought to ban embryo farming.

"I fought to define life as beginning at conception rather than at the time of implantation.

"I fought for abstinence education in our schools.

"And I vetoed a so-called emergency contraception bill that gave young girls abortive drugs without prescription or parental consent.

"That is my record as Governor of Massachusetts.

"Recently, I was attacked by one of my opponents because when I ran for Governor I promised to maintain the status quo with regards to laws relating to abortion in Massachusetts. Of course, I kept that promise. But in Massachusetts, that meant vetoing pro-choice legislation – as I consistently did as Governor. That's why last month I was honored with an award from Massachusetts Citizens for Life in recognition of the actions I took as Governor to protect life."

Who's Out Of Touch?

2007-06-20T11:51:00.000-06:00

"This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families, just one more example of how out of touch with reality he and his party have become," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., told the Take Back America conference of liberal activists Wednesday."

So let me get this clear.

Ideology-->Science--?Politics-->Family

Apparently, our families 'need' federally funded scientific research.

Hat tip: Wired News

Opinion Vs Fact

2007-06-12T13:38:00.000-06:00

In turn, this leads to a fifth point which is the confusion of news and commentary. Comment is a perfectly respectable part of journalism. But it is supposed to be separate. Opinion and fact should be clearly divisible. The truth is a large part of the media today not merely elides the two but does so now as a matter of course. In other words, this is not exceptional. It is routine.
--Tony Blair's parting shot on the media

Colony Collapse Disorder Vs. Global Warming

2007-05-22T10:21:00.001-06:00

This is old news now, dated May 19th, but I had to post it because the lesson should last a thousand years. First, some background.

Global warming enthusiasts tell us that we have a problem like no other. The best estimates of these experts warn that our descendants in 1,000 years will have an intractable problem that we should solve today.

The Oceans will be several feet higher. Idaho, Utah, and Arizona-Iowa, Michigan, and Illinois will have great surfing, and Washington D.C. will have to be moved inland. New Yorkers will exclusively live in the top floors of the new Atlantis.

There has been another danger, even more present, and drastic. Beehives colonies have been dying off in the U.S. in large numbers. They suffer from a condition called Colony Colapse Disorder (CCD). Scientists, not to be left unawares, have been relatively quietly addressing this problem with little press attention. They've studied the effects of mobile phone signals, parasites, and bacteria.

Bees are responsible for a large amount of pollination that takes place on Earth.

"A congressional study said honeybees add about $15 billion a year in value to the U.S. food supply. Among the crops to be affected are apples, nuts, avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, cucumbers, peaches, kiwi, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and other melons.
The shortage will potentially affect the beef industry too because the growth of alfalfa is dependent on pollination from the bees."

Einstein reckoned that mankind would have 4 years to live without bees.

Einstein was a smart man.

I'll tell you what I told my wife months ago. Scientists will fix it, and it appears that they now have a way to treat Hive colonies to immunize them against the effects of parasites using relatively simple methods employed by ancient African tribes 60,000 years ago.

My point is that if scientists can solve a clear and present danger like CCD, don't you think they can address a foggy and distant danger such as Global Warming?

ScienceDaily:Using Spearmint And Lemongrass To Protect Bees From Mites That Threaten Hives

WSJ:The Case For A Strong Executive

2007-05-03T11:27:00.000-06:00

Harvey C. Mansfield has a great article at Opinion Journal from the Wall Street Journal on the tug-of-war between the "rule of law", and the case for a strong executive.

This one takes some time to absorb, so give yourself some space to read it.

On Blank Checks

2007-05-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

"The president wants a blank check. The Congress will not give it to him."
--House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi

No, Madam Speaker, the President would like you to remove the following small print from your check.

In order to operate the Congressional funding service and to reduce the risk of fraud, Congress Inc, ("Congress" or "we") must ask you to provide us information about yourself and your bank account. This Policy describes the information we collect and how we use that information.

If you apply for a Congress branded credit card or credit line, you authorize Congress and the issuer of the Congress branded credit card or credit line ("Democrats" or "your eternal foe") to exchange the information you provide in the application form. If you are approved for a Congress branded credit card or credit line, your account may be frozen upon the existence of one or more of the following conditions.

You continue to operate in your assignment as "Commander and Chief" of the United States, without, first, declaring fealty to a panel comprised of the 222 members who dislike you.
You refuse to disclose the reasoning by which we funded your operations in the first case.
You continue to use words such as "veto" and "find common ground" in reference to Congress, Inc, 222 members who dislike you.

Make Just One Pencil

2007-04-11T00:50:00.000-06:00

Reach Upward has a great post on the economics involved in "Shopping Local". His post features a replay of a concept proposed 50 years ago by an economist by the name of Leonard Read, and made famous by Milton Friedman.

The concept is that something as simple as a lead pencil could not be made by any one man. In fact, its production involves the work of countless people. The idea was intriguing enough to me that I've started a new blog dedicated to gathering all information on the production of pencils.

Check it out.

Make One Pencil

Marriage, Poverty, Education, And Homosexuality

2007-03-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Democracy for Utah has a post entitled, "Is poverty a greater threat to marriage than gay people?" The author, Carrie, then goes on to cite a statistic that shows that poverty is low among married people to support her claim.

It would seem to me that her question may have easily have been phrased this way, "Is marriage a greater threat to poverty than gay people?". Or, why not, "Is poverty a greater threat to gay people than to marriage?" There is as much evidence to support these claims as that made by DfU because, frankly, homosexuality is not addressed in this study.

In any case, why not conclude from studies that show marriage, and wealth, as co-factors that marriage has a positive impact on ones financial well-being? What harm can it do to pursue two worth goals instead of pitting each against the other. In any case, correlation is not causality. Poverty could, in fact, cause nothing that is measurable by this study, and marriage could have no effect whatsoever on the pocketbook.

And what about the issue of poverty? This study does appear to discuss the level of education of the participants, drawing a direct correlation between the levels of education of women, income, and marriage status of the group.

"College-educated women, whose numbers have risen sharply since 1980, often live with a partner and postpone marriage. But in most cases, they eventually marry and have children, and divorce at about half the rate of women who do not finish high school."

Do any of these characteristics cause the others? Perhaps there is a correlation between those who obtain a college degree and those who escape poverty, but cause is not as easy to peg as correlation.

Share Your OPML

2007-02-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

OPML is a file that can be imported/exported, uploaded/downloaded that contains all of your RSS feed information. I've talked about RSS feeds before. RSS feeds are an invaluable tool for the 'internet addict'. I've thought about sharing my list of RSS feeds for a while, but haven't been sure about how to do this.

Until now.

At Share Your OPML.org you can upload your list of RSS feeds, and then view those feeds that are similar to your own.

I highly recommend it.

MLK Day:Clearing The Calendar

2007-02-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

The legislative leadership would like to move the start of the legislative session so that it doesn't begin on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Now this raises, for me, a thought about the idealogical divide separating conservative thinkers, from liberal ones.

Conservatives are, generally, most concerned that government address issues that strike at all people. Liberals take an added interest in the well being of minorities. For them, the government is the individual. They draw no distinguishing line between the activities of the government, and individual acts. To a liberal, the impact of government actions are felt, most keenly, by the minorities. Broad, overarching, concerns, are considered less important to solve than small issues. To a liberal, present dangers have decidedly less emphasis than far distant dangers. For reference compare 'global warming', which will have its greatest impact-all evidences being equal--years hence; to our economic dependence upon oil--a concern right now. Our economic vitality was a concern, cited by the U.S. administration, leading to our rejection of the Kyoto accord.

Now back to the start of the legislative session which is written into Utah's constitution. KSL reports that there are one million residents of Utah that are black. This is not to say that there are one million critics of the start day of the Utah legislature. It does not follow from being a member of the black race, that one will take offense at MLK sharing the day with the legislature. In fact, we can't, say that King himself would be offended at the collision of the two days. I would think that the very existence of such a constitutional activity would have cheered King. We, also, might just find more significance in Kings life if we mark the passage of another session of the legislature alongside Kings memorial.

Then again, we might want King to have his own day, which is why I support a vote of the people.

Let the majority decide.

The Constitutionality Of Vouchers

2007-01-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

A post by Natalie regarding the constitutionality of school vouchers. Please see my reply.

John McCain hates bloggers!

2006-12-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I know. That title is pretty weaselly. I'm sure that McCain doesn't hate bloggers, but he wants them to be under the same restrictions as large organizations who devote huge resources to preventing copyright violations. He wants bloggers to police comments. Violations could cost the offending blogger $300,000!

I don't have $300,000.

Think Progress

Super Lettuce Turns Sour Sweet

2006-12-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

It has been almost ten years since I tried "miracle fruit" and I'll never forget it. The little red berry, the only fruit on the bush, was split three ways. It tasted like, well, nothing. I didn't think it was much of a miracle.

After consuming a large bowl of lemons, followed up with another bowl of oranges, we were convinced of the miraculous nature of that fruit. Those were the sweetest lemons I have ever had.

I've since tried to explain the situation to others, and even to find information on the fruit on the internet to no avail.

Until now.

It seems that Japanese scientists have engineered lettuce to contain the protein that binds to your taste buds and make sour things sweet.

The protein is called miraculin, and the fruit it occurs in naturally is called Richadella dulcifica, or "miracle fruit".

Super Lettuce Turns Sour Sweet

McGyver this!

2006-12-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I misspelled McGyver as 'McGuiver' and now Farrer Commons comes up as number three when searching for the mispelled name on Google.

Anyway, I have another nice little life-hack for you.

When you've dropped something into the toilet, and don't relish the thought of toilet water all over your hands, then try this.

Take a plastic grocery bag and place your hand inside. With your hand covered, reach into the toilet and get the missing item. Then, still holding the item, turn the bag inside-out and you can toss it into the trash.

If you dropped some valuable jewelry, you may wish to reconsider throwing it away.

Get an R.S.S. reader

2006-12-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

It looks like half of the readers of my blogs (i.e. Davis County Watch, and Farrer Commons) are using Internet Explorer version 6 which means that they are probably not taking advantage of R.S.S. There are plugins available to allow I.E. 6 users to see feeds.

There are a few that have made the jump to I.E. 7 which has a built in R.S.S. feed reader. Although, I haven't heard great reviews of version 7 itself.

About 30% are using some version of Firefox which has a number of R.S.S. feed readers. I use Sage.

I'm sure that Safari users have Feed readers. However, I've never used Safari.

If you don't use R.S.S. and are an internet information junkie, then you should get yourself a feed reader for R.S.S.

R.S.S. stands for Really Simple Syndication and is the best way, at present, for keeping track of all of the websites that you frequent. If you don't want to have to trouble yourself to visit each and every website in turn, that you like, to see if they've been updated then you want an R.S.S. reader.

Only a small number of websites don't use R.S.S. feeds. All Blogger blogs have an option to publish feeds.

Happy Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

We just got home from St. George where we spent most of Thanksgiving week. We had great time there with our family. We also learned about our own little family while we were away from home.

Two nights ago my daughter awoke in a panic--It was likely a nightmare, but she couldn't express herself. All she could do is cry and gesture desperately, behind her, in the direction of the single window in the room.

It was likely going to be a long night.

We had no explanation for her terror. It occured to me to ask her if she'd seen something terrible. I asked her if she'd seen someone in the window. She nodded in agreement with her head buried into my shoulder, and instantly fell asleep.

We too could return to sleep. And I had one final thought as I closed my eyes. We all feel safer when we feel that someone is aware of us. When they listen to our thoughts-our fears, the world is a better place.

OneUtah:Questions for a Neocon

2006-08-18T09:13:00.000-06:00

OneUtah has an interesting exchange in the comments between myself and one of another mind. The original post was by Cliff (the guy that looks like Adam Clayton from U2).

ScienceDaily: Measles Mumps Rubella And Mercury-based Immunizations Cleared As Causes Of Autism

2006-07-05T10:42:00.000-06:00

Here is hoping that we can discover what really can cause autism.

ScienceDaily: Measles Mumps Rubella And Mercury-based Immunizations Cleared As Causes Of Autism

MAKE: Blog: Gas Powered Blender

2006-06-22T08:43:00.000-06:00

I've always wanted one of these! It adds an extra kick to a smoothie.

MAKE: Blog: Gas Powered Blender

Invisibility cloak moves a step closer | The Register

2006-05-26T13:20:00.000-06:00

I just love the opening line on this article, and the implications of the science!

"After generations of being effectively invisible to the opposite sex, physicists have finally laid down blueprints for a functioning invisibility cloak."

The future is here...We just can't see it.

Invisibility cloak moves a step closer | The Register

My Blogging style

2006-05-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

I made a solid decision when I started blogging that I wasn't going to put images on my blog. I just want everyone to know that it isn't for lack of knowledge that I rely, alone, on text to get my message across. This is a matter of style. But, everyone's doing it so I have to give you something.

Here is a picture my wife took of our daughter rendered as ASCII. Isn't she a cutie?

MMMMMMMMMMMNNNMMMNNNNNNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
NNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMND8DNNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNMNMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM88DDDNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMD888NDDNNNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNO88DDNNNMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN8888NNNNNMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNM88DDNNNDDNNMNMNNDNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMD888DNDNNNNMNMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNMMMMMMMMMDD8DDNDDDD8DDDNNDD8NNNMNMMMMMMMMMD88DDNNNMMNMNMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNDDZZZOOOOZ8O88DD8OD8DDDNMMMMMMMMM88D8NDDNMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDNOZOZ$I7I7$$7Z$ZZZZOOOODNDDDDMMMM8O88DDNNMMMNMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNDOZ$7??++=?++++?IZZZZODNNDDDDDDD88888DDNNMMNNMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDNDZ$7I?+==~~~===++?7$7Z8NMDDDDDDD8O888DDNNMMNDMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNDZ$7I?++===~~==++?I7$Z8DMMDDDDDD88OODDDNNMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNN8O7II?++======+++??7$$ODMMN8DDDD888ODD8DNNMMMNNNN
MMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM8DOZ7II???++=+++++++?I$$ODMNND88D88D888DDDNMMMNMMNM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDDZZI7OOO7I+=+?I77I77$7$8O$ZMMMD8888888DDNNNNNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDNO$IIII??7?=++++ZZZII7$O$$8MMMMMMNDDDDDDNMNNNMNMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNN8$I+++?I??++?++++++?7$+?MMMMMMMMMMMMMDDNNNNNNMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMN$I?+=+?$+++?+====+?$ZZDNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMZ7?+++?7I+?I+====?IZOMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDZ7II7I?+++??I???I$8MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM$I$O$778OZ7IIOOI?II7$$$$$ZMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM$I?I?II??IOD$777$$$$7III7$ZMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMZ?I??II???IIZO8ZI7$$$7777ZZOIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM7I$???7??????$Z$7D7IIII7Z$$77I7DMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM7Z$I?I?II?????I7$$$8ZZ$777777I77OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMZ7$I7I7III??????IIIIIIII777++??I?DMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM8$ZZ$7III???????++++++++++++++??I7ZNN8MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM8$ZO7777I????????????+++++???????IIIII7MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN8Z8Z$7IIIII??????????????????????IIIII7ZMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMND8DZ$$77IIIIII?I????????????????IIIIII77NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
NNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNDDDNOZ777IIIIIIII????IIII???I???I?IIII77$MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDDDDN8Z$77IIIIIIII????????7I??IIIII77I$$$MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMD8DDNNDOZ$$777IIIIIIIIII?II??7I77I7$77$77OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNM
M8MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMD888DDD8ZZ$$$77777IIIIIIIIIIII7$ZZZ$$$ZZNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
8MMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDDDDND8OOZZ$$$77777777777777$ZZ$OOZOZZ8DNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNDDDMN88OZZZ$$$$$$$$$77777$ZOZZZO88888DDDMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Lightcone RSS: Which stars light have reached me since my birth

2006-05-08T16:06:00.000-06:00

I just subscribed to a new RSS feed telling me to which stars I have become visible in my lifetime. So, just eight seconds after my birth, light would have had enough time to reflect off of me and make it's way back to the Sun (It's a boy). Every day the feed is updated to tell me how far my influence has traveled into the universe.

Hat tip: BoingBoing

TCS Daily - Avoiding a New Isolationism

2006-04-03T10:24:00.000-06:00

"Thirty years ago, Henry Kissinger observed that America oscillated (his term) between poles of "crusading and isolation" in its engagement (or non-engagement) with the world. The challenge in building a popular (and stable) basis for American engagement comes in forming a consensus around a policy that lies between these two extremes."

TCS Daily - Avoiding a New Isolationism

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Isolationism Redux (03/31/2006)

2006-03-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Playing on a theme of foreign policy, the National Journal has a great article explaining the evolution of isolationism in America. It even paints President Bush as an isolationist turned outward, although, not entirely.

Hat tip: RealClearPolitics

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Isolationism Redux (03/31/2006)

AEI - Short Publications

2006-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

The AEI has a brilliant speech by Charles Krauthammer defining the Unipolar world in which we now live. This, as opposed to the world that existed before the fall of the Soviet Union. He enumerates the pros and cons surrounding different schools of thought on Foreign policy. He, of course, drills down the list to one philosophy, explaining why he think that it is best. He illustrates how the framework for these ideas changed after the fall of the Soviet Empire, and became important after the events of 9/11.

No matter which camp we, individually, may be in it is important to recognize the positive aspects of each approach. However, we would be deluding ourselves if we think that we can cherry pick the approach we use in foreign affairs, based only on a whim, and not suffer the mixed consequences of such an approach. Generally, it is best to pick just one philosophy and run with it. I have fallen into a category that Krauthammer does not give the blue ribbon, but I find his arguments compelling. I confess there is an inherent weakness to the approach that I espouse. I don't think I'm revealing too much to say that I fall into the 'Realist' grouping. A good way to find out where you stand would be to take this test. But, don't take the quiz until you read the article below. (Note: I took the test almost 2 years ago)

AEI - Short Publications

New Scientist Quantum computer works best switched off - News

2006-02-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day:

"A non-running computer produces fewer errors."

-Onur Hosten, member of team that produced a non-working computer that works.

New Scientist Quantum computer works best switched off -
News

Various and Sundry Dartmouth Studies.

2006-02-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

"When do we reach adulthood? It might be much later than we traditionally think."

--Graduate student, Craig Bennett, at Dartmouth Medical School

Science Daily: Brain Changes Significantly After Age 18

And...

"Even parents who give their child a clear message that smoking is not acceptable run the risk of having that message undermined if they allow their child to see R-rated movies with a lot of smoking."

--Mike Beach, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.

Restricting R-Movies Linked To Decreased Teen Smoking, Drinking

gazelem: Thomas Jefferson Education

2006-02-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have discussed sending our kids to private school since we are not enthused about the job that public school is doing today. Although, we are both products of 'Public Education', we don't necessarily want to subject our children to it.

There is one problem. Money. So, I've come across a post by Gazelem who is a self described as "obsessive", and he's talking about reading the same books as his children and then talking about them, or writing, or both. Now, I know that sounds like this would require an "obsessive" person to pull off, but methinks a dabbler like myself just might be able to do it--and still send the kids to Public School.

Now, what this accomplishes in my mind is places the primary responsibility of educating the children squarely on the parents. The kids can also be a part of a much larger culture that can be had at a public school. I want kids who are independent thinkers, but can play well with others. The balance I'm trying to strike is between raising elitist snobs, and, alternatively, common (and sometimes ignorant) folk.

On a side note, Gazelem credited me, in an earlier post, for getting him hooked on Geocaching. I'm afraid I may have dangled the carrot, but he turned his own nose. I just can't be blamed for his Geocaching at 4 AM on a whim! That's just crazy and it's time to have an intervention.

gazelem: Thomas Jefferson Education

The Forgotten Methane Source

2006-01-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Save the World! Cut down a tree.

Turns out that plants emit all sorts of terrible, evil, corporate sponsored gasses.

The Forgotten Methane Source

The Prejudice Map

2006-01-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

The World according to Google: You are where you're from.

Well, not really. Just type " are known for*" into Google and you'll see how it works.

The Prejudice Map

Hacking Matter: Wil McCarthy's ebook

2006-01-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading my first real ebook. Wil McCarthy made his, popular, Hacking Matter available for free. Unfortunately, it appears to have been slashdotted, so you'll have to try back later.

The experience of reading this book is mind bending. Imagine living under a roof that can morph from a 40%+ efficient solar cell to a battery, to a skylight. The windows move when and where you move at your whim. When the sun sets, the walls, ceiling, floor, and tables begin to glow providing all the light you'd need. Cars, chairs, even people hover. These are just some of the things described in the book that have an analogue to today's lifestyle. All these will soon be made possible by a man-made substance that has been dubbed Wellstone.

wilmccarthy.com

Fear, Complexity, Environmental Management in the 21st Century

2005-12-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Michael Crighton urges us to forget everything we thought we knew about the world.

Hat tip: Tyler at The Wasatch Front

Fear, Complexity, Environmental Management in the 21st Century

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | U2's Vertigo tops touring chart

2005-12-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Whaaaah? Did I miss the concert?

Apparently, U2 topped the touring charts for 2005, but the year isn't over yet--I'm going on Saturday. I guess Utah doesn't count for much of anything.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | U2's Vertigo tops touring chart

Chron.com | Simpler guidelines to make CPR 'more effective'

2005-11-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

The ratio between recommended chest compressions and breaths in CPR has changed.

"The revised CPR guidelines, issued Monday by the American Heart Association, advise giving 30 chest compressions for every two rescue breaths, up from 15 for every two breaths."

It's time to get re-certified.

"About 9 million Americans are trained in CPR each year. The heart association hopes to increase that number to 20 million in the next five years."

Chron.com | Simpler guidelines to make CPR 'more effective'

ASHDOWN OPPOSES HR 4194

2005-11-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

ASHDOWN OPPOSES HR 4194

"A prime example of the lack of Congressional technology chops"

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- Pete Ashdown, US Senate candidate (D-UT), today came out
against HR 4194, the "Internet Anti-Corruption and Free Speech Protection Act
of 2005." While understanding the intent, Ashdown decried the bill as
comparable to Senator Hatch's failed "INDUCE Act" in the way that it
circumscribes all non-blog on line political activity.

"While I support the efforts of Representatives Shays and Meehan to close
soft-money loopholes, this is not the way to do it," Ashdown said. "The
mistake it makes, and this is the same broad clumsy brush that painted Hatch'
s INDUCE act, in that it refers to "web logs" only. INDUCE referred to "P2P"
technology without bothering to define it. P2P can equally cover the
technology behind email, instant messaging, and legal file transfers, all
which would have been made illegal by INDUCE." Senator Hatch introduced the
INDUCE Act after he said the government should be "destroying [illegal
downloaders] machines." (Ted Briddis, Associated Press, June 17, 2003) "HR
4194 seems to think that all political communication on the Internet is done
over "web logs" and therefore only that should be protected speech. Never
mind mailing lists, Usenet, web bulletin boards, audio, video, and other
technologies down the road."

Ashdown lauded Internet users for working to expand democratic discourse
through the net. "For the first time in the history of democracy, the
Internet presents the opportunity for all to have an equal voice in lobbying congress and political action. What disturbs me about the Congressional and FEC actions is that it appears they are attempting to curb that freedom."

For Ashdown, HR 4194 was just another example of a Congress that does not understand today's on line environment. "Some staffer thought the only speech that needed to be free was 'web logs' and therefore we have our amendment to protect 'that Internet thing'."

While condemning the practical effects of HR 4194, Ashdown praised the efforts of campaign finance reformers. "While I do not endorse this bill, I do wholeheartedly endorse the concept of campaign finance reform. However, I feel that reform efforts should be focused on the FEC, making it a competent, responsible agency that gives all Americans the assurance their democracy is not for sale."

When he is elected, Ashdown pledged to bring the ideas and knowledge of the technology community to the Senate. "What remains to be seen is whether the political efforts of on line communities will ever result in the election of a candidate who understands what they\'re talking about. I want to be that candidate, but I need the support of on line and off line communities to do it." What disturbs me about the Congressional and
FEC actions is that it appears they are attempting to curb that freedom."

For Ashdown, HR 4194 was just another example of a Congress that does not
understand today's on line environment. "Some staffer thought the only speech
that needed to be free was 'web logs' and therefore we have our amendment to
protect 'that Internet thing'."

While condemning the practical effects of HR 4194, Ashdown praised the efforts
of campaign finance reformers. "While I do not endorse this bill, I do
wholeheartedly endorse the concept of campaign finance reform. However, I feel
that reform efforts should be focused on the FEC, making it a competent,
responsible agency that gives all Americans the assurance their democracy is
not for sale."

When he is elected, Ashdown pledged to bring the ideas and knowledge of the
technology community to the Senate. "What remains to be seen is whether the
political efforts of on line communities will ever result in the election of a
candidate who understands what they're talking about. I want to be that
candidate, but I need the support of on line and off line communities to do
it."

INDUCE Act: http://www.corante.com/importance/archives/004563.html
Release: http://peteashdown.org/media/releases/20051115-HR4194.html
Blog: http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/11/10/online-speech

Which race are you? Me? Well, I am tall.

2005-11-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Numenorean

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

deseretnews.com | Y. professor thinks bombs, not planes, toppled WTC

2005-11-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

At first blush, this seems like some real crackpot psuedo-science. Read more, and it presents a solid alternative to the 'official' explanation.

The first footage, I saw, of the collapsing towers amazed me. The collapse of all of the structures was remarkably similar to the many planned demolitions that have been filmed of condemned buildings. I was surprised to hear it explained that the heat from the igniting jet fuel liquified the steel support beams. Who has ever heard of that happening? Jet fuel burns quickly-surely not enough to cause what we saw on 9/11. The power inherent in a bomb is not the size of the bomb itself, but in what surrounds the bomb. That's why bombs that go off in buildings cause more damage than those that are detonated outside. Any explosions happening from the collision were coming from the outside, not inside the buildings. These are the thoughts that I, a layman, had when I heard the explanations surrounding the cause of the destruction.

Then I saw the article below and I imagined a plot from an Oliver Stone movie. I thought this professor is just trying to get published-get famous.

Maybe, I think too much.

Y. professor thinks bombs, not planes, toppled WTC

Utah Policy.com: George Will's Confusion

2005-11-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Utah Policy.com posted this statement culled from Hugh Hewitt's radio program.

"National radio host Hugh Hewitt pointed out yesterday on-air that George Will's latest column on Utah's rebellion against No Child Left Behind contains a few sentences that "would have received an 'F' if they had been written by a 3rd Grader." The sentences in question: "Not all Utahns are Mormons. Almost 11 percent are Hispanics, heading for 20 percent by 2020, and there is a significant population of Pacific islanders. But the state's singular tone is set by the Mormons." Though Hewitt, an evangelical, "disagrees with Mormon's theologically," he knows enough about them to recognize "they're not some kind of ethnic group, segregated and cut off from everybody else in Utah. Doesn't Will know that many Utah Hispanics and Pacific islanders happen to be Mormons, too?""

Google Maps Mania: A game of RISK on Google Maps

2005-11-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I registered for the game of RISK when I got married. Everything else we asked for was actually practical. When someone actually gave us the game I was excited. After the honeymoon was over, and we got down to some real life, I decided to crack open the game.

My decision to not play RISK with my wife ever again saved my marriage.

Google Maps Mania: A game of RISK on Google Maps

Wilson-Plame: Who's wearing the pants?

2005-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

An article in Utah Politics on Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame has this humorous line.

"Former Ambassador Joe Wilson, wife of Valerie Plame..."

Maybe Valerie wears the pants in the family? Who am I to say?

Whiny and Inaccurate Self-Pleading

White House bares teeth at The Onion | News.blog | CNET News.com

2005-10-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

The Whitehouse has sent a cease and desist letter to the satirical newspaper, The Onion, for its use of the Whitehouse seal in it's articles.

"Lawyers for the administration noted that U.S. Code forbids the use of the seal "in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions are allowed, the Times said, but the Onion had not applied for one."

So, does this apply to only commercial ventures or products alone. Does it apply on the level of a State? Does it apply to bloggers? The Wasatch Front has the Utah State Seal prominently placed. Does that imply to anyone that the State of Utah endorses that blog over others?

White House bares teeth at The Onion | News.blog | CNET News.com

How much is your blog worth? $3,$4?

2005-10-24T22:57:00.000-06:00

Technorati has hacked together a nice algorithm that figures what a particular blog may be worth in cash. It is based on the alleged purchase price of a Weblogs, inc. weighed against the popularity of <'insert' your blog here>! My two blogs came in much better than I thought but I'll keep my day-job.

Farrercommons
$3,387.24

Davis County Watch
$1,693.62

CRS: Daylight Saving Time Shift

2005-10-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

Starting in March, 2007, DST will begin on the 2nd Sunday in March and finish the 1st Sunday in November. That will amount to four extra weeks of DST each year. Congress has done this because they think it will help people conserve energy. Comments?

Daylight Saving Time

FT.com / In depth / Hurricane impact - Fema ex-chief blames 'dysfunctional' Louisiana

2005-09-27T15:00:00.000-06:00

"Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leaders, said the hearings were a 'sham'.

"Questioning one Republican crony will not get the truth of the disastrous federal response to Hurricane Katrina and prevent it from happening again," she said. A group of Democrat congressmen has introduced a petition calling for a vote on the creation of an independent commission.""

I think that it is fine to hold hearings to address how the disaster response to Katrina was handled, but I have a problem with these 'independent commissions'. What knee-jerk concession led to this concept? Why does Congress create commissions to do the job of Congress? As I see it, Congress is authorized and duty-bound by the Constitution to provide oversight for the other two branches of the Government. The Congress are elected because the citizenry feel that they are qualified to do so. So, I have a hard time comprehending why we would want an extra layer of bureaucracy. We need to return to the days where if Congress wants to hold hearings , they do so, and Congress is answerable to the people.

Hurricane impact

Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch

2005-09-26T10:47:00.000-06:00

A new modern GPS has been launched-the first of many to replace the older satellites. It is backwards compatible with most older receivers. I'm hoping the accuracy of my GPSr will improve. It should take a while for an entire constellation of new satellites to be put in place, but this is a start.

"The advancements for the military will provide warfighters with a more robust jam-resistant signal and enable better targeting of GPS-guided weapons in hostile environments, while the new civilian signal removes navigation errors caused by the Earth's ionosphere.

"I think this is a pretty huge step. We have essentially been operating on the original-design signals of GPS for over a decade, and this is going to be the first time we are actually adding new signals from space," said Col. Allan Ballenger, GPS system program director at the Space and Missile Systems Center. "

Spaceflight Now|GPS modernization begins with Delta rocket launch

CRS:Terrorism-Riding the wave of illegal immigration

2005-09-23T10:56:00.000-06:00

In 2004 1.6 million illegals attempted entry into the U.S. 93% of these aliens were Mexicans. The acronym OTM is used to describe those that are "other than Mexican" aliens. Mexico won't take OTM's back, and we don't have enough beds to detain them here so they are let loose inside the Country with explicit instructions to attend their court hearing. Is it ridiculous to assume that a person entering this country illegally won't volunteer to appear before a judge? It is It only takes a handful of people to execute a terrorist agenda (9 in the case of 9/11).

"...Terrorists and terrorist organizations could leverage these illicit networks to smuggle a person or weapon of mass destruction into the United States, while the large number of aliens attempting to enter the country illegally could potentially provide cover for the terrorists. Additionally, the proceeds from these smuggling networks could potentially be used to finance terrorism. The issue of OTM apprehensions has received publicity recently for many of these reasons, which were highlighted during congressional testimony by DHS then-Deputy Secretary Admiral James Loy when he stated that AlQaeda is considering infiltrating the Southwest border due to a belief that "illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons."

What can be done to fix this problem?

Border Security: Apprehensions of "Other Than Mexican"Aliens

Researcher dispels Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles

2005-09-16T12:42:00.000-06:00

Here is something to think about as you are updating your 72 hour kits.

"First, people should be more concerned about the quality of the water they are drinking rather than the container it’s coming from. Many people do not feel comfortable drinking tap water, so they buy bottled water instead. The truth is that city water is much more highly regulated and monitored for quality. Bottled water is not. It can legally contain many things we would not tolerate in municipal drinking water."

Point being there are risks associated with drinking bottled water that don't exist for tap water. I have nine gallons of distilled water packed away for my little family. What factors should I take into account when storing this stuff (i.e. keep out of direct sunlight, keep cool, etc...)?

Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles.

Celebrity maps

2005-09-15T16:05:00.000-06:00

Back in April, CNET reported on a poll done of Americans in which 72% favored censorship of personal information about celebrities. I took that as a challenge to obtain as much information about celebrities as my readers could provide. I received zero response. I did stumble upon this tool today. It lists celebrity addresses and maps them on GoogleMaps.

Celebrity Maps

CRS Speaks to Katrina Response: Bloggers blame Bush

2005-09-14T11:47:00.000-06:00

Democracy for Utah and The Raw Story are both reporting that President Bush has been blamed by an Congressional Research Service for his response to Katrina. This is patently false.

My comment to Democracy for Utah reads:

"If you read the report in it's entirety, available from CRS(pdf), you would see that President Bush is also absolved from blame in his response.

"...In response to the Governor's requests, it appears that the President did take the steps necessary to trigger the availability of Stafford Act emergency assistance and disaster assistance, by declaring first a state of emergency, and later a major disaster, and authorizing specific Stafford Act assistance to be made available to the State of Louisiana to respond to the effects of the Hurricane..."

Nowhere in the letter does any blame get assigned to anyone. "

The Tax Foundation - Tax Reform and Revenue Neutrality: President's Panel Should Avoid the Redistribution of 1986

2005-09-13T17:21:00.000-06:00

The Tax Foundation has weighed in on the idea of committing to a revenue neutral Tax reform.

"A good revenue-neutral tax reform plan would involve no deliberate redistribution between the corporate and individual income tax systems. The tax code should raise sufficient revenue to fund government programs, not act as a tool for social engineering or political patronage. Thus, the goal of tax reform is to make the tax code more simple, fair, and economically efficient by eliminating special tax breaks and applying the lowest possible tax rate on the widest possible tax base—in other words “plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest amount of hissing" as Jean Baptiste Colbert wrote some 250 years ago."

Governor Huntsman has elicited no willingness to consider anything but a revenue neutral reform. Why will he not consider a break when there are clear excesses? Despite this I do think that the Task force is going about 'plucking the goose' all wrong.

The Tax Foundation - Tax Reform and Revenue Neutrality: President's Panel Should Avoid the Redistribution of 1986

Roberts Repeatedly Dodges Roe V. Wade

2005-09-13T09:54:00.000-06:00

It seems that Specter isn't much of an apparition.

Did the Senators think that the man that has argued more than any other in front of the Supreme Court would buckle under pressure when faced with the likes of Specter and Kennedy?

Washington Post:Roberts Repeatedly Dodges Roe V. Wade

Citizens Against Government Waste: CAGW Issues "No Pork" Challenge to Congress on Hurricane Relief

2005-09-02T11:45:00.000-06:00

What an interesting idea. Create a bill for Emergency relief without any extraneous and unrelated projects included (i.e. pork barrell, swine bucket, etc) .

CAGW:Challenge to Congress

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Hurricane hits Hollywood shoots

2005-08-31T13:31:00.000-06:00

It sounds like the hurricane could be on path to put some terrible movies out of their misery. I'm thinking specifically of projects involving Kevin Costner, Ashley Judd, and Lucy Lawless. Maybe our 2006 theater experience won't be as bad as 2005 has been?

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Hurricane hits Hollywood shoots

Lonsberry: Just some Quotes

2005-08-31T12:46:00.000-06:00

I hate the sound of Bob Lonsberry's voice. It's high pitched, whiney--very much like Super Dale from "Totally Awesome Computers". (Of course, my 17 month old daughter just loves him!) That being said, Lonsberry's head is squarely fastened on his shoulders. Yesterday, he broke a story about the Deseret News publishing a story- at the behest of Rocky Anderson- in exchange for some early information, turning the editorial reigns over to the Mayor! (I have yet to see this reported anywhere else, least of all, the Deseret News!)

So, here are some fantastic quotes, gathered by Lonsberry, that I find to be true as well.

Just some quotes I collected.

First Detailed Picture Of Migraine Attack

2005-08-23T14:15:00.000-06:00

As a migraine sufferer myself I found this extremely interesting. Every eighth adult Swede has migraines (Does this seem to be a high number to any one else but me?) The researcher tried to develop a highly detailed picture of how the symptoms progress from hour to hour over a 72 hour period leading the researchers to the conclusion that drugs can be taken any time and have reasonable effect.

Later on the article began to state too much of the obvious.

"A majority of those affected report negative impact on the highest ranking factors in life, such as family life and the ability to perform their work and enjoy meaningful leisure time." Translation: Swedes don't like headaches.

First Detailed Picture Of Migraine Attack

MapYourAncestors.com - Bringing Genealogy To Life

2005-08-19T16:26:00.000-06:00

I was just getting ready to do something like this on my own (for myself) when somebody beat me to the punch. It sounds like they do a fantastic job. All you need to do is email them your family tree and they will complete a Map of your genealogy.

MapYourAncestors.com - Bringing Genealogy To Life

MAKE: Blog: The Grower bot...

2005-08-15T12:57:00.000-06:00

File this under useless but fun. This robots entire job is to hug the walls and draw grass on the wall based on the CO2 levels in the room. I'm tempted to ask why, but it is just too cool. Now they just need a bot that mows the lawn based on the frequency of the nagging that takes place in the room. :)

MAKE: Blog: The Grower bot...

Yahoo! Search Results for define:et al

2005-08-10T13:26:00.000-06:00

I know 8 million search results doesn't seem like a lot, but being number one on that list should raise an eyebrow! The majority of the visits to my blogs lately are coming from this search. They are lost souls searching for an answer to the question, "what does 'et al' mean?" It's a shame that nobody has commented on that post yet, because I'd really like to know myself. Are there no Latin authorities in the blogosphere?

Update: Since posting this I have been demoted to the second result.

Yahoo! Search Results for define:et al

The Tax Foundation - White House Effort to Create a "Predatory Bureau"?

2005-08-01T11:46:00.000-06:00

Not long ago, I remember watching Alan Greenspan say that all Government programs/jobs ought to considered dispensable. Even Greenspans job would be 'fair game' if he could not justify his own existence. It seems that the Whitehouse is moving in that direction with the creation of a new Bureau. Of course, if the Predatory Bureau whose aim is to ferrett out the wasteful programs, becomes obsolete itself, then it should also be eliminated.

The Tax Foundation - White House Effort to Create a "Predatory Bureau"?

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Reelection Rates of House Incumbents: 1790 - 1994

2005-07-29T09:51:00.000-06:00

I'm confident that this report has crossed Orrin Hatch's desk since this is the group that reports to Congress. I'm sure this applies to the Senate as well. This statistical analysis from March, 1995 shows the historic trend; the incumbent almost always wins. Is this why Hatch has been so cool when faced with solid challenges from the left and right? The only exception to the rule has been that the death of the incumbent, almost always, results in his losing his seat.

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Reelection Rates of House Incumbents: 1790 - 1994

Salt Lake Tribune - Business:Washington has a firm grip on Utah's rural development, executive says

2005-07-27T12:28:00.000-06:00

According to this article, 68 percent of land in Utah is managed by the Federal government. Senators in other States have shown no compunction about seizing more. Is the cause of protecting the environment used as an excuse by those outside our state to strip us of sovereignty and power? What percentage of other States lands are held by the Federal Government?

Salt Lake Tribune - Business:Washington has a firm grip on Utah's rural development, executive says

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Congressional Access to Executive Branch Information: Legislative Tools

2005-07-27T12:19:00.000-06:00

CRS has released a report given to Congress educating them on tactics that can be used to extract information from the Administrative Branch. With John Roberts confirmation up in the air, and the Democrats demanding records from his time as Solicitor General, this report is a "how-to", on requesting/demanding his records be made available.

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Congressional Access to Executive Branch Information: Legislative Tools

Google Maps: Hybrid

2005-07-25T12:47:00.000-06:00

Google Maps have made a new hybrid option available that mingles maps with photo views. It is very similar to the Transparencies hack that I talked about earlier.

PATRIOT: Table of Contents

2005-07-25T12:25:00.000-06:00

In reviewing what I've covered on PATRIOT, it seems to be quite a lot when compared to other topics. So, I'm making this post into a 'Table of Contents' for all my posts on the topic of PATRIOT. This is my only resurfacing post. You'll see this whenever I post on the PATRIOT Act.

The State of the Beehive:Urquhart Articles

2005-07-25T12:19:00.000-06:00

Charley Foster has done a lot of footwork on the upcoming Senate Race. For those who are interested, as I am, in seeing Orrin Hatch unseated, Steve Urquhart says he's the one to do it.

The State of the Beehive

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Libraries and the USA PATRIOT Act

2005-07-22T10:21:00.000-06:00

"The USA PATRIOT Act, P.L. 107-56, enacted to help track down and punish terrorists and to prevent further terrorism, contains no provisions specifically directed at libraries or their patrons. It has several provisions, however, that might apply in a library context."

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People

CNN.com - House votes to extend Patriot Act - Jul 21, 2005

2005-07-22T09:54:00.000-06:00

The House approved the PATRIOT Act by 257-171 yesterday. The legislation would need to be revisited in ten years.

CNN.com - House votes to extend Patriot Act - Jul 21, 2005

John Roberts:How the Left may attack

2005-07-20T17:08:00.000-06:00

In 2003 when John Roberts was in process to be confirmed to the D.C. Circuit Court, The Alliance for Justice came out in opposition to his appointment. Here is the introduction to the letter. The opposition ultimately proved to be ineffectual.

"Report of the Alliance for Justice:Opposition to the Confirmation of John G. Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Introduction

John G. Roberts, nominated by President Bush to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has a record of hostility to the rights of women and minorities. He has also taken controversial positions in favor of weakening the separation of church and state and limiting the role of federal courts in protecting the environment. The Alliance for Justice opposes his nomination to the D.C. Circuit. Although Mr. Roberts is indisputably a very capable lawyer, that alone does not qualify him for such a prestigious and critical post. As a group of over 300 law professors stated in a 2001 letter to the Senate, a lifetime appointment to the federal bench is a privilege that comes with great responsibility and requires much more. Every nominee bears the burden of showing that he or she respects and pledges to protect the progress made in the areas of civil rights and liberties, the environment, and Congress' constitutional role in protecting the health and safety of all Americans. Mr. Roberts' record, particularly his record as a political appointee, argues strongly that he would not do so. While working under Presidents Reagan and Bush, Mr. Roberts supported a hard-line, anti-civil rights policy that opposed affirmative action, would have made it nearly impossible for minorities to prove a violation of the Voting Rights Act and would have resegregated America's public schools. He also took strongly anti-choice positions in two Supreme Court cases, one that severely restricted the ability of poor women to gain information about abortion services, and another that took away a key means for women and clinics to combat anti-abortion zealots. Finally, Mr. Roberts is being considered for lifetime tenure on a court that is only one step below the U.S. Supreme Court and is acknowledged to be the second most important court in the country. His nomination must be considered in light of the special significance of that court. Moreover, Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatch's insistence on scheduling three controversial Circuit Court nominees, including Mr. Roberts, for confirmation hearings on a single day ensured that senators had no meaningful opportunity to question Mr. Roberts about his views on a number of critical issues. The Alliance for Justice urges the Senate to reject his confirmation..."

Here is the Google Cached version in it's entirety.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

2005-07-20T09:43:00.000-06:00

Why do I love google? Because they send me to the moon!

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment

2005-07-18T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what are considered the exceptions to the First Amendment? Take particular note of the 'time, place, and manner' restrictions. Also, the government can tie conditions to federal funds. Therefore, a university that does not allow the military to recruit on campus would forfeit their monies.

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People:Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment(PDF)

- The Debates:Not a blog

2005-07-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Apparently, the "sourceblog" for the PATRIOT Debate is not a blog after all. I will, therefore, move it over to my links section. It is still a good resource, however infrequently it may be updated.
- The Debates: Not a blog

Stock Market News and Investment Information | Reuters.com

2005-07-15T11:56:00.000-06:00

Sharp has announced that it is developing a new technology allowing for a dual-view LCD screen. Depending upon the angle at which the screen is viewed the display would be different. My wife could watch her Soap Opera's, sitting on one end of the couch, and I could secretly watch her Soap Opera on the other end (I'm kidding). Yet another way to promote family togetherness without the added burden of family communication. :)

Seriously, there are useful applications to this technology. In car navigation could display on one side and a movie on the other. ATM's, Cell phones, and PDA's could be equipped with these screens.

"The panel could be used to display two different advertisements on one screen at the same time. Placed next to an escalator, for example, passersby would see one advertisement on the way up and another on the way down."

Stock Market News and Investment Information | Reuters.com

Extending the PATRIOT Act

2005-07-12T10:57:00.000-06:00

Sensenbrenner just introduced a new bill that would make all 16 provisions of PATRIOT permanent and not expand the subpoena power. It should be on the House floor next week.

The Debates

HR3199(PDF)

Debunking 8 Anti-War Myths About The Conflict In Iraq - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)

2005-07-11T14:26:00.000-06:00

Here are eight myths about Iraq that are busted by John Hawkins . Follow the link for a full explanation. Busted:

1) George Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
2) A study released in March of 2003 by a British medical journal, the Lancet, showed that 100,000 civilians had been killed as a result of the US invasion.
3) The Bush Administration claimed Iraq was responsible for 9/11.
4) The war in Iraq was actually planned by people like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz back in 1998 at a think tank called the Project for the New American Century.
5) The war on terror has nothing to do with Iraq.
6) Saddam Hussein had no ties to terrorism.
7) Saddam Hussein had no ties to Al-Qaeda.
8) The Downing Street Memo proves Bush lied to the American people about the war.

Debunking 8 Anti-War Myths About The Conflict In Iraq - Right Wing News (Conservative News
and Views)

Google Maps Mania

2005-07-11T13:22:00.000-06:00

An unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, ideas and tools being influenced by Google Maps.

Google Maps Mania

A Dictionary of Scientific Quotations

2005-07-11T11:04:00.000-06:00

A Dictionary of Scientific Quotations

Frobba.com thr33:Track Hurricane on Google Maps

2005-07-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

Now Google Maps is being used to pinpoint the location of hurricane Dennis.

Frobba.com thr33

Wired News: GPS Monopoly: Collect Over $200

2005-07-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Here is the game currently being played in London. Users can 'buy' real properties located in London. The cost of rent on these properties is determined by how often 18 cabs, equiped with GPS devices, frequent that area. One player, taking into account the Wimbledon tennis tournament, has purchase property at that location. Sounds like fun.

Wired News: GPS Monopoly: Collect Over $200

Hudson Institute :Their Will Be Done

2005-07-06T15:46:00.000-06:00

Robert Bork, the one-time Supreme Court nominee, has written a thought-provoking piece on the drift away from the Constitution that has been orchestrated by the Courts and those who influence them.

"Once the justices depart, as most of them have, from the original understanding of the principles of the Constitution, they lack any guidance other than their own attempts at moral philosophy, a task for which they have not even minimal skills. Yet when it rules in the name of the Constitution, whether it rules truly or not, the Court is the most powerful branch of government in domestic policy. The combination of absolute power, disdain for the historic Constitution, and philosophical incompetence is lethal."

He says that a minimum of three nominations will be required in order to restore the courts integrity.

Hudson Institute: Their Will Be Done

Near friction free lube discovered

2005-07-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

From time to time I come across stories that sound so 'adult' that I hesitate to post them. I fear who may venture upon this post, but it begs to be told, nonetheless. Japanese scientists have created a lubricant that allows for almost zero friction. Nuff said-now the link.

Near friction free lube discovered

Google Maps Transparencies/Google Pedometer

2005-07-06T11:10:00.000-06:00

Overlay Google maps with a satellite image of the area or vice-versa.

Google Maps Transparencies

Plot your walks/marathons.

Gmaps Pedometer

PREVIEW: The Bork Precedent

2005-07-05T15:21:00.000-06:00

It is clear those who would filibuster a nominee would make themselves unpopular-perhaps enough for the nominee to go through. In the case of John Bolton, though, a filibuster has not been used. The threat of a filibuster, in his case, has led us down an entirely different path of delay and appeasement. Another tactic that has also succeeded in preventing Boltons confirmation has been the endless requests for more information. The Whitehouse has refused to give in to most of these requests and so we wait. When a nomination for the Supreme Court happens the Whitehouse had better be ready for a similar tactics to be employed. What countermeasures will they use?

PREVIEW: The Bork Precedent

US space shuttle Discovery set to launch July 13: NASA

2005-06-30T14:48:00.000-06:00

US space shuttle Discovery set to launch July 13: NASA

Update: Despite an independent panels review saying 3 of 15 criteria have not been met, the Space shuttle will be launched. I like that, NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin is willing to accept the advice of his Engineers regardless of what outsiders may say.

BBC-NASA unveils shuttle launch date

Body of Evidence

2005-06-30T12:11:00.000-06:00

A little anecdote before I launch into the subject of this post. A couple of days ago, when the Presidents speech started, my wife turned off the T.V. asking the question, "What can he say that we don't already know?" Her question demonstrated what we all may be feeling. When war is always on our minds we may want to escape, we've heard these words before. Why can't it be finished? It was a, valid, sincere question. I answered that he would probably repeat many themes during his speech but that, much of what was said, would bear repeating-for some. Having read the speech, I have realized, my simple answer doesn't suffice. Nothing he said jumped off the page like the Crispin' day speech from Henry V. Nothing that he said was news to me but, he demonstrated, in saying it, that the Commander-and-Chief stands with our troops. The Armed forces have some core principles- finish the mission, never leave a soldier behind- that guides every action. Our President, despite all that he lacks, keeps these principles. He needs to say it again. We should listen.

Some, in the media, would have us believe that no relationship ever existed between al-Qaida and Iraq. This is untrue. The lie has been repeated often and most notably by CNN. Stephen F. Hayes of the Weekly Standard dissects the components of this lie in his article.

"Conveniently, such analyses ignore statements like this one from Thomas Kean, chairman of the 9/11 Commission. "There was no question in our minds that there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda." Hard to believe reporters just missed it--he made

the comments at the press conference held to release the commission's final report. And that report detailed several "friendly contacts" between Iraq and al Qaeda, and concluded only that there was no proof of Iraqi involvement in al Qaeda terrorist attacks against American interests. Details, details."

Body of Evidence

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People: Postal Reform

2005-06-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

"When you control the mail, you control information."
--Newman (Seinfeld)

Can USPS be saved? A recent Congressional research report stated unequivically, "USPS would be bankrupt but for the fact that it is a government entity, with Treasury borrowing rights." Should the Postal Service compete with private industry? From the report.

"There are several components to the argument. One relates to fairness. USPS has many
advantages stemming from its governmental status. It pays no federal, state, or local taxes
on its income, sales, purchases, or property. Unlike private sector companies, it is immune
from most forms of regulation, such as zoning, land use restrictions, motor vehicle
registration, parking tickets, and antitrust. It is also able to borrow money at the lowest
possible rate because it does so through the U.S. Treasury. Companies facing competition
from USPS argue that these factors put them at a great disadvantage (though they tend to
ignore the statutory constraints and regulation by the PRC that USPS faces)."

Open CRS Network - CRS Reports for the People

Utah Wilderness Via Washington - Hurricane Valley Journal

2005-06-29T09:47:00.000-06:00

It seems a couple of Senators, (i.e. Durbin, Boxer, Feinstein, Kennedy, Kerry, Leahy and Clinton), have taken it on themselves to save Utah's wilderness from Utah's residents. They want to have 358,000 acres of land declared as wilderness. No Utah Senators are signatories of the Bill. Bennett’s office said it best. “We will not support wilderness designation in other states, so senators from other states should not support legislation for ours.”

Utah Wilderness Via Washington - Hurricane Valley Journal

ObjectGraph Dictionary

2005-06-29T08:59:00.000-06:00

Here is a nice dictionary I found that suggests the word you may be trying to spell as you type. It works like Google Suggest.

ObjectGraph Dictionary

US Census Press Releases

2005-06-29T08:55:00.000-06:00

US Census Press Releases

Is it time to change the criteria we use in deciding who enters the U.S.? Below are the standards currently used.

"Exclusion and Removal
All aliens must satisfy State Department consular officers abroad and DHS Bureau
of Customs and Border Protection inspectors upon entry to the U.S. that they are not ineligible for visas or admission under the so-called grounds for inadmissibility of the
INA. These criteria categories are:

health-related grounds;
criminal history;
national security and terrorist concerns;
public charge (e.g., indigence);
seeking to work without proper labor certification;
illegal entrants and immigration law violations;
lacking proper documents;
ineligible for citizenship; and,
aliens previously removed."

If we oppose just the above standard, how would we modify it? It appears to me that the Bush plan would temporarily loosen the 'illegal entrants and immigration law violation' standard as long as the worker could prove they had legal work in the country now. Or is it permanent removal of the standard and/or others?

CRS Web (PDF)

O'Reilly Network: Top Ten Questions People Ask About Switching to Internet Telephones

2005-06-28T15:33:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about trying VOIP but it won't happen until I get broadband internet. Here is an FYI for those, like me, that are holding out on making the switch.

O'Reilly Network: Top Ten Questions People Ask About Switching to Internet Telephones

Google Earth - Home

2005-06-28T15:30:00.000-06:00

I figured this would happen eventually. Keyhole, the subscription service has changed it's name to Google Earth, and is now free. The free download is available here.

Google Earth - Home

CDT: OpenCRS

2005-06-28T12:47:00.000-06:00

"American taxpayers spend nearly $100 million a year to fund the Congressional Research Service, a "think tank" that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. Yet, these reports are not made available to the public in a way that they can be easily obtained. A project of the Center for Democracy & Technology through the cooperation of several organizations and collectors of CRS Reports, Open CRS provides citizens access to CRS Reports already in the public domain and encourages Congress to provide public access to all CRS Reports."

Open CRS

I'm also providing a link to all available documents on the USA PATRIOT Act.

Hatch: Second letter on PATRIOT

2005-06-27T09:31:00.000-06:00

Below is a second letter I received in response to mine that opposed "administrative subpoenas". (Note: I have since changed my mind-I consider the 'subpoena' section to be unnecessary, but harmless.)

Hatch cites in his letter, "...the most important civil liberty: the freedom from future terrorist attacks." Do you agree that our security is our most important value?

"Dear Mr. Farrer

Thank you for your letter expressing your opposition to the expansion of the USA PATRIOT Act. I am always interested in the thoughts and opinions of Utahns and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, several sections of the USA PATRIOT Act are set to expire at the end of this year and the Senate is currently debating the reauthorization of these provisions. Please let me reiterate that I share the beliefs underlying your expression of concern. It is critical that Congress respect the limits of government and not attempt to authorize powers that exceed those delegated by our cherished Constitution. Likewise, it is critical that Congress not take action to jeopardize individual civil liberties or other constitutional protections that are the hallmark of our country and its form of government.

I would like to address some misinformation about the USA PATRIOT Act which has led some to call for its repeal. I have studied the implementation of this law at great length. While serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 108th Congress, I held numerous hearings on this Act, including a field hearing in Salt Lake City. So far, no one has advanced any credible evidence that the USA PATRIOT Act has eroded the civil liberties that we hold dear as Americans. To the contrary, the USA PATRIOT ACT has enabled the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency to save American lives and protect what is perhaps the most important civil liberty: the freedom from future terrorist attacks.

It is extremely important to note that all the information gathering activities conducted under the authority of the USA PATRIOT Act are conducted under the careful scrutiny and supervision of the judicial branch, which has the power both to terminate unlawful intrusions and to punish those who violate their court orders. The USA PATRIOT Act does not change the role played by the judiciary in the oversight of Federal law enforcement activities. For example, Federal agents must still have probable cause and then obtain judicial approval before they can search a residence or install a wiretap or pen register to gather information.

Beyond that, courts still have the power to suppress evidence obtained illegally and in violation of the Constitution. Every one of these authorized actions must be done pursuant to specific legal protections and valid court orders which require the government to meet exacting legal standards. Further, in many cases, there is a requirement that any gathering of information be minimized, which requires agents to obtain only information that relates to terrorist or criminal activity. There is no provision for monitoring innocent communications.

I have always been sensitive to the need for protections of our nation's civil liberties against unwarranted government invasions. In drafting the USA PATRIOT Act, I worked to balance carefully legitimate privacy concerns against the rights of our citizens to be free from terrorist attacks. This was a difficult-but mandatory-balance.

The only substantial addition or expansion to the USA PATRIOT Act currently being considered is the inclusion of what has been called an "administrative subpoena" power. You should know that this power is currently used in many various criminal (non-terrorist) investigations and prosecutions and has been found in court to be constitutional in those contexts. Adding these powers to those included in the USA PATRIOT Act would give those fighting terrorism the same tools that have been proven to be effective and appropriate in other cases. However, I believe that before any such provision is adopted, it should be carefully examined to ensure that it adheres to limits set in the Constitution. I remain committed to a thorough and thoughtful debate on this issue.

Thank you, once again, for your letter. Though we may disagree on some of these issues, I hope my comments have been helpful.

Sincerely,

Orrin G. Hatch
United States Senator"

Barbara Lerner on Iraq and Syria on National Review Online

2005-06-23T16:32:00.000-06:00

I get the feeling that since Bush made foreign policy the focus in his first term that he is trying to reinvent himself, second term, as being equally strong on domestic issues. Well, he targeted domestic policy from the start but, 9/11 made a shift inevitable. He has made a strong showing on Social Security, but he needs to refocus the nation back on national security. National Review has similar criticism for Bush for losing courage on the war-front abroad. Lerner says that in framing the war in Iraq as a war on Iraq Bush has let other enemies, like Syria, fortify themselves.

Barbara Lerner on Iraq and Syria on National Review Online