spring break

I am on one.

I, For One, Welcome Our Robot Overlords

From Terrifying Robot Update comes this terrifying robot update:



Obviously there are endless civilian uses, replacing workers, getting rid of non-robotic citizens, and related etc, but the fact that this is a DARPA project suggests that they are working toward taking the human element out of war, which can only be a good thing.

Performance Art

I am assuming that this is a parody:

There’s no better way for President Obama and his administration to celebrate Earth Day than to embrace a real, environmentally sound commitment to energy independence instead of relying on foreign countries that lack environmental safeguards. One aspect of the “all-of-the-above” approach I have been discussing for years involves, of course, the necessity to “drill, baby, drill.”

It’s no secret that throughout America, including the very wealthy state of Alaska, we find a storehouse of natural resources that God so benevolently dumped underfoot, just waiting to be tapped. ANWR, for example, is screaming to be used to help bring prosperity and national security to America. Indeed, there is an inherent link between energy and prosperity and energy and security. On this day, as many are focused on preserving the planet, environmentalists need not fear that the land or wildlife would suffer from the wise decision to drill here. As Alaskans know, ANWR is not some luxurious vacation spot teeming with Bambi and friends frolicking through waterfalls and flower-strewn mountainsides, as environmentalist fundraising advertisements depict it. It is a vast, remote, desolate, frozen area available to be used with a tiny drilling footprint to bring the country closer to what is clearly needed: commonsense, money-saving, job-producing energy independence. Believe me, I live in the Last Frontier because I cherish the earth and thrive in the clean air and fresh water amid our plentiful wildlife. I don’t want to mess this up for future generations.

I mean to say the whole thing reads as if one of the more literate NRO interns had one or two too many and decided to make Palin sound like an deranged maniac.

Should it turn out to be an authentic example of one or another of Palin's ghost writers babbling incoherently I apologize to all involved.

Knowledgeably Ignorant

The first stage of the French presidential election was today. According to a  24 year old Frenchman and student, who voted for Sarkozy because of fear of turmoil in the "financial markets" -- whatever that might mean,

[n]obody knows exactly what’s going to happen whoever is elected,” Mr. Hustaix said. “Hollande is not going to be able to enforce his program, and Sarkozy didn’t disclose specifics on what he is going to do, aside from immigration and security.

He is certain that the future is uncertain except to the extent that the socialist will be gridlocked and Sarkozy threaten immigrants and "terrorists," which appears to be a coded French discourse for more discrimination against Muslims and "mild" Le Penisme.

In other words, other than knowing exactly what would happen and voting out of fear of international finance capitalism, the poor lad is in the dark. It is almost like he realizes that the State's economic policies is in the hands of the ruthless capitalists of the Bourse, the City, and Wall Street but is afraid to admit it.

Punditry is Another Word For Ignorance

Ross Douthat wrote a book. Some like it; others, who have some knowledge of the issues Douthat considers, think it is bosh and twaddle. Still yet others point out that Douthat misreads his source material. Interesting the last link is by the author of a book on which Douthat relies to distort the past. Perhaps having been given a pulpit that he uses to disseminate distortions and lies, it never occurred to Douthat that facts and fair readings are an important part of argument making.

Post Racial

You know how Conservatives like to say that people who worry about racial discrimination and racism more generally are the real racists? They lie:

That is the Swedish Cultural Minister cutting a cake while all around her hilarity ensues. Picture and story via