CAN FLOATING TURBINES SAVE WIND POWER?
Well, maybe now that Ted Kennedy is dead.
Archive for December, 2011
December 27, 2011
NAVIGATING love and autism. “The first night they slept entwined on his futon, Jack Robison, 19, who had since childhood thought of himself as ‘not like the other humans,’ regarded Kirsten Lindsmith with undisguised tenderness. . . . So far they had only cuddled; Jack, who had dropped out of high school but was acing organic chemistry in continuing education classes, had hopes for something more. Yet when she smiled at him the next morning, her lips seeking his, he turned away. ‘I don’t really like kissing,’ he said. Kirsten, 18, a college freshman, drew back. If he knew she was disappointed, he showed no sign.”
Plus: “Parents always ask, ‘Who would marry my kid? They’re so weird.’ But, like, another weird person, that’s who.”
WHAT EVERY GOOD AMERICAN NEEDS: Bullet Jewelry.
RELATIONSHIP ADVICE: Can a Real Conservative and a Real Liberal Be Real Friends?
THE PRO-NUCLEAR OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Energy Secretary Steven Chu: “The Administration and the Energy Department are committed to restarting America’s nuclear industry – creating thousands of jobs in the years ahead and powering our nation’s homes and businesses with domestic, low-carbon energy.”
Well, good for them. Faster, please.
IS CLEVELAND CRIMINALIZING SOCIAL MEDIA? “I have previously discussed Cleveland’s prior misguided attempts to create ambiguous social media law. Cleveland has finally passed a law that may criminalize social media. This new ordinance (see page 25, sections 1392-11, 1393-11 and 1394-11) that allegedly is aimed at trying to curb flash mobs is very troubling and may create unanticipated problems that were not envisioned by its sponsors. Will Cleveland police officers during a Terry Stop and Frisk check to see if someone is carrying a digital weapon (personal electronic device) instead of a physical weapon (gun or a knife)?”
Gives a new meaning to “The Full Cleveland.”
THE HILL: Democrat wants grants for women’s restrooms in fire stations. “Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) has proposed legislation that would let fire stations around the country apply for grants of up to $100,000 to build women’s restrooms, showers and changing facilities. The Fairness in Restrooms Existing in Stations (FIRE Stations) Act, H.R. 3753, says these grants would help promote gender equity in fire houses.” What about gender equity among elementary school teachers? Young kids need male role models, but male K-6 teachers are virtually nonexistent.
#OCCUPYCONGRESS: Growing Wealth Widens Distance Between Lawmakers and Constituents. “Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House has risen 2.5 times, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, rising from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars. Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly.”
CHANGE: China Launches Own Global Positioning Satellite: “China took a further step on Tuesday toward ending its dependence on U.S. satellites to provide navigation and positioning services with the start of trial operations of its homegrown Beidou system.”
BYRON YORK: Ron Paul is surging in the Republican presidential race. Just not among Republicans. Instead they’re non-Republican “mischief” voters.
TOM BLUMER: Is the Obama Administration Politically Manipulating the Poverty Data? “If I’m right, the press is doing a really good job of setting things up.”
VIDEO: Rich Statists Exposed As Complete Hypocrites. They want to reduce the deficit with other people’s money. But we’ve run out of that.
#OCCUPYCONGRESS: The 1%: Pelosi Spends Christmas in $10,000/night Hawaii Suite.
PUBLIC PENSION UPDATE: New York Post: Mum’s The Word.
New York’s teacher-retirement fund wants to keep taxpayers in the dark about the pensions it hands out. Must be some darn fat pensions, huh?
Wouldn’t want to enrage the public to the point where pensions are trimmed, now would it?
In a predictable — but disturbing — development, the state Teachers’ Retirement System last week said it will no longer publicly disclose the names of teachers and how much they get in retiree benefits.
Even though the public foots the bill.
The move comes after other public-sector pension systems zipped their lips, following a disturbing appellate-court ruling last October. . . . this is information that has been openly available — without protest — for almost three decades.
It was only when the Empire Center set up an easily searchable Web site with names and pension amounts that the funds started squawking.
Shut up and pay your taxes. Where they go is none of your business.
ANDREW MALCOLM: The Obamas celebrate Kwanzaa in spirit of umoja.
MICKEY KAUS is not buying E.J. Dionne’s overheated rhetoric about Romney. “Dionne isn’t stupid. He knows this. But, as he argues, ‘raising the stakes of 2012’ is ‘playing into Obama’s hands.’ So raised stakes it is. That seems to be the Dem message this week. … The question recurs: Is there an actual memo that goes out?”
WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: Japan And China? Best Friends Forever? “Following six weeks of big pro-US moves by Japan, Tokyo is also signing deals with China. As the Wall Street Journal reports, last week saw a package of economic agreements that could help ease the Chinese yuan into a more international role and make life easier for Japanese companies doing business in China.”
IN THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW, a Mea Culpa.
CHINA CLAMPS DOWN on gold-trading frenzy.
DON SURBER: Rick Santelli for Vice President.
PICTURE THIS. A photoblog.