A couple of years ago, shortly before the 2008 elections, some people were making fun of undecided voters for being stupid: How could anyone not tell the difference between Barack Obama or John McCain after 20 months of campaigning? How could anyone not know which one they thought would make a better president? At the time, I wrote a defense of undecided voters premised on the … [Read more...] about Decision In the Face Of Deception
Fukushima: Waiting For the Magic Bullet
Here's something I'm wondering about. Maybe some of you can help me out, or point out where I'm going wrong... The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is just continuing to deteriorate, with damage at all three fueled reactors, containment cracks at two of them, and overheating spent fuel pools at one of the shutdown reactors, with more spent fuel problems likely. The … [Read more...] about Fukushima: Waiting For the Magic Bullet
Fukushima Uncerntainty
A lot of people have been saying a lot of things about the nuclear emergency in Japan, much of it conflicting, and therefore much of it wrong. I see no reason why I shouldn't get involved. As with almost everything else I talk about here, I claim no expertise beyond an amateur interest in the subject. Make of that what you will. To start with, Dr Josef Oehmen, a research … [Read more...] about Fukushima Uncerntainty
On SWAT and the Inevitable Accidental Shooting
Here's an excerpt from a statement by the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, District Attorney's office about the SWAT shooting of 68-Year-Old Eurie Stamps while he was lying on the floor: As Officer Duncan moved to the right of Mr. Stamps, just past Mr. Stamps' shoulders, he had to step to his left. As he stepped to his left, he lost his balance, and began to fall over … [Read more...] about On SWAT and the Inevitable Accidental Shooting
Scattershot 2011-03-09
Random shots around the web: Kevin Smith is releasing a horror movie in which the bad guys are, basically, the Westboro Baptist Church. The Scarlett P. Twitter in a nutshell. Massively idiotic anti-terrorism training. Can't. Get. It. Out. Of. My. Head. (Hat tip: Ethics Alarms) … [Read more...] about Scattershot 2011-03-09