Proofs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtJJaudlxVM&feature=related

A new trailer which proves that not only is LOTR a chick flick--but Led Zeppelin is soft rock.

A rather beautiful instrumental reinterpretation of one of my favorites.

Reality Dares to Poke Up Its Head

One of the 2 or 3 premier scientific journals in the world published an audacious editorial discussed on Steve Sailer's blog:

 http://isteve.blogspot.com/2009/10/lahn-lets-celebrate-human-genetic.html

Note the label at the article's end. This ought to throw the commy-pinko-fags into a fine fit.

Solar's Future

It seems that Washington state (otherwise known as the cloudiest state) has decided to subsidize some large solar installations within its borders. Unfortunately, because solar power initiatives are still the province of state government subsidies, the efficiencies that could be gleaned from the operation of competitive advantages among the states are being wasted. If there were federal subsidies instead, Washington state would not be building solar power installations at current prices: it would focus on its strengths, hydro and wind. The solar power build-out would commence in the most cost-effective locations first (the Southwest), and then gradually radiate out across the country as solar prices fell. If prices stopped falling before the nation was thus blanketed, the electical grid could be expanded utilizing DC current to provide low loss, long distance transmission from cheap producers of renewable energy of all kinds to areas that cannot produce such energy cheaply.

 

Another interesting fact is that PV solar has consistently fallen in price by about 5% per year since it was invented in the 50s. At this rate, in SoCal, with low cost financing (like an unsubsidized home equity loan) and without subsidies, PV solar should become market competitive around 2020.

 

An article on solar's future from an economic perspective (second article on the page): http://entropyproduction.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

The key is the third graph.

Liberal Fascism

A word about a recent book titled Liberal Fascism (which I do not recommend actually reading--I agree with its basic argument, but its quality is sub-par). The book's thesis is that "progressives" have sought since Wilson to create soft fascism in this country, otherwise known as the nanny state. This consists in the government gradually depriving the people of their liberties in return for (politically selective) welfare cushioning, (mandatory) regulatory guidance, and the general relief of the populace from the terrible burden of personal responsibility. And this leads to the end of capitalist meritocracy as the ruling principle of socioeconomic selection. The unmitigated triumph of political manouevring takes its place.  Of course, those who do not benefit from meritocratic competition tend instinctively to support this fascistic program--and many who sympathize with the uncompetitive underclass emotionally support the program without rational consideration of its effects--only thinking through the lens of their emotionalized vision of its effects. Is it surprising that blacks have become the "moral core" of the Democratic party?

Faster

http://www.physorg.com/news174031552.html The cost of getting into space remains the largest obstacle. This helps with that problem by reducing fuel and supplies for interplanetary journeys.   The second largest obstacle is survival time in space given the excessive radiation exposure. Again speed helps here.

This falls short of a "paradigm shift," but rates as perhaps more than incremental.

Criminal Psychology

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/weekinreview/04kimmelman.html?ref=weekinreview The competition in Europe today is to determine which nation is the most passive/submissive. The Muslims think this fits well with their competition to determine who is the most dominant.

How Deep is the Deep End

http://isteve.blogspot.com/2009/09/dual-discipline-systems-in-tucson.html This is pretty impressive, I didn't know you could go that deep. Maybe this concept should be tried with our criminal justice system: not to the victims of crime or the taxpayers who fund the system, but, more importantly, to the misunderstood criminals themselves. Second degree murder? 4-6 years for blacks, 10-15 for whites--until whites succeed in achieving a ten-fold increase in their convictions for murder to match the rate of blacks convicted of murder. In all spheres, be it remembered, the burden is upon the white race to match black achievement, not the other way round--that would be racist.

Packer's Take

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/georgepacker/2009/09/reading-the-mcchrystal-report.html This is a good summary and analysis of the McChrystal report and its implications. As with Iran, and Iraq, and Pakistan, in Afghanistan too the President has no good options. He cannot be seen to retreat in face of terrorism. But, if he commits to victory he faces grave costs on many levels and the distinct possibility of failure to achieve victory by 2012. A contradiction in our first premise (ie, that our withdrawal means victory for the Taliban and a consequent increase in the terrorist threat): the Taliban already have a sanctuary in the North-West Provinces of Pakistan--what does it matter if their sanctuary is enlarged to include Afghanistan, or the Pashtun part of Afghanistan?

An Old Favorite Back on His Hobbyhorse

It appears barney frank is actually trying to expand the CRA--I guess he thinks the cure for poisoning is to administer more poison. This guy is one of the lowest, most shameless scumbags in Congress. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Dems-push-expanded-Community-Reinvestment-Act-dismiss-evidence-that-CRA-contributed-to-financial-meltdown-Republicans-cite-ACORN-connection-59501737.html   And here's an analysis of Congressional failure to do due diligence on CRA efficacy: http://isteve.blogspot.com/2009/09/cra-does-anybody-really-want-to-know.html   The handling of the CRA by both parties sounds conspiratorial to me, the lack of any transparency or analysis seems deliberate. Perhaps the idea is to throw trillions of dollars at the poor, especially poor minorities, in order to soften them and civilize them and thereby give them an incentive to stay out of prison. But, is it even working? Is it worth the cost? How can we tell without some analysis?

Fight or Flight

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/228250/spreading-wealth/stephen-spruiell
The key line here is "This is welfare for the middle class." That is Obama's goal. Once the middle class is sufficiently swaddled in a comfortable little welfare blanket, the road to socialism is cleared and paved--and the American tradition is fled.