Unqualified Offerings

I’ve said it before, but “privatization” of government services as such is bullshit. Or can be. And can be much worse than straightforward government provision. Yglesias explained why last month. Basically, if it’s a situation where the service has many buyers and the new private entity will have to sell to them, presume in favor [...]

Crypto-spoilery after this brief warning. And by the way, Dresden Files becomes a genuinely good show with this episode. If they keep it up I’ll start recommending it beyond, “It’s a pleasant enough way to pass the time.”
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Well now. This story worked on a couple of levels. First, the allusions to 2001: A Space Odyssey [...]

I spent a lot of time in the exhibit hall collecting cool pens and notepads and other knick knakcs from the exhibitors.  The trick is to grab the stuff while they’re busy with somebody else, and NEVER make eye contact with the exhibitor.  They don’t mind giving you stuff, but they’re absolutely desperate to talk [...]

It has been 134 days since my last confession.
Well, unless you count the post about swimming class last month. What happened after that was, the Y assigned Sharon, another teacher there, to finish out the last two sessions of our class. Because of bad weather, only two of us showed up for the first of [...]

By Mona
First, these happy tidings from OlbermannWatch, about a news anchor I love:
…we have come to the conclusion that we have done more harm than good over the past 2+ years in keeping [Keith] Olbermann in the public eye at a time when few were watching his show and even less cared [...]

I spent the afternoon at the first sessions of the Biophysical Society meeting in Baltimore.  Saw a few friends, had a nice dinner, but not much activity yet.  Tomorrow will have more going on.
Only one item sticks out:  In a talk about energy transfer in molecules, somebody observed how remarkable it was that the phenomenon [...]

Al Gore is the only person to win the office of President but not exercise any Presidential powers. More Presidents should follow his lead. Discuss.