QOTW
“Next to enriching plutonium, the most popular activity in Iran these days seems to be howling at the moon.”
Reader Tips
Hey, it’s the last long weekend of the summer. Let’s take the rest of the day off, get out and enjoy it. See you Tuesday.
Tommy Douglas: Half-Tier Health Care
In response to last week’s item from a physican’s wife (The Calvert Manifesto), Saskatchewan blogger Arcolaura offered a few comments that I thought deserving of their own post;
When the Sun Country Health District had a public meeting for input into their strategic plan, they showed us the provincial health goals, including “improved access to quality health care services” or something very close to that. I had to say, never mind “improved” and “quality.” There were a couple hundred of us at that meeting (they had booked a room for 30), and most of us were looking for “restored” access to “basic” health care services.
That was some months ago. Just this week, they finally restored enough services here to stop locking the hospital doors at 11 p.m. every night.
It sounds as though little has changed. In an earlier NPD government incarnation, a different bureaucrat travelled the 120 miles from Regina to explain to Arcola residents that the hospital was likely to suffer reduced services due to the town doctor’s advancing years and pending retirement.
The “town doctor” (for want of a better term for the South African trained practitioners who were rotating through at the time) was in his 30’s.
Previous: Tommy Douglas: Back Door User Fees
Who’s Hsu In Democratic Fund-raising?
The original post is good;
When all the facts about Hsu came to light recently they shocked, positively shocked, the fundraisers for Hillary Clinton, who never suspected anything might be amiss. As the NYT article went on to say,. “The fund-raiser also said Mr. Hsu was seen as a point of access to Asian supporters and money and that many in Democratic fund-raising circles are surprised by his legal problems.”
Despite Hsu’s remarkably light footprint on the visible world he was nevertheless able to embark upon a fashion, garment or high-technology business, whichever it is, or maybe it was the latex glove trade; able to make a fortune in Hong Kong after he was a fugitive and return to California to invest in Silicon Valley while he was a wanted man. He was able to maintain himself as a ” point of access to Asian supporters” of the Democratic party; able to appear at public functions and have his picture taken with national political figures with approximately the same ease you or I could have ourselves photographed with a clown at the local shopping mall.
…but this comment is better;
I do think you’re onto something, but for a bit more fun, who do you think actually broke the story?
I seriously DOUBT the WSJ reporters diligently pored over the lists of FEC reports looking for “spot the bagman” in the Hillary campaign.
THAT’s WORK. Reporters avoid that like the plague. They might actually have to do something that’s different from rewriting press releases and work up a sweat. THAT would never do.
I also seriously doubt that their Psychic Friend rang them up with the news. Dionne Warwick gave that up long ago.
My guess is that a campaign, a seriously run, well organized, disciplined to the point of having people pore over FEC lists to find embarrassing donors, and well-funded enough to assign what would appear to be several staffers to this task, is responsible.
[…]
If I had to put a finger on someone, I’d put it on the Goreacle. He’s got money coming out of his ears, has half the WSJ on speed-dial, and has nothing to do with his life but live down his defeat. Unless … a “crusader in shining armor comes … to rescue the party from the evil sleaze of Hillary, and save the planet!” Of course the danger of that play is that he was enmeshed in the Clinton era sleaze but he might be gambling that the tide of sewage won’t touch HIM.
h/t Maz2, in the comments.
The Sound Of Settled Science
It may not rise to the level of scientific inquiry of a thermometer installed over a barbeque, but still…
CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) is a novel experiment at CERN conducted by an interdisciplinary team of leading scientists from 18 institutes in 9 countries. The goal is to investigate the possible influence of galactic cosmic rays on Earth’s clouds and climate, by studying the microphysical interactions involved. This is the first time a high energy physics accelerator is being used to study atmospheric and climate science.
Cosmic rays are charged particles that bombard the Earth’s atmosphere from outer space. Studies suggest they may have an influence on the amount of cloud cover through the formation of new aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the air that seed cloud droplets). This is supported by satellite measurements, which show a possible correlation between cosmic ray intensity and the amount of low cloud cover. Clouds exert a strong influence on the Earth’s energy balance; changes of only a few per cent have an important effect on the climate. Understanding the microphysics in controlled laboratory conditions is a key to unravelling the connection between cosmic rays and clouds.
(h/t Johnlee in the comments.)
Labour Day Classic
It’s a bit late for this, but if you’re looking for a spot to exploit the pain of Bomber fans, you can use this thread. (As an aside – did anyone think to check inside the gopher suit after the game? From radio accounts, Gainer may have been abducted and replaced with an enemy infiltrator…)
CBC: “Don’t Worry Stephane, We’ve Got Your Back”
It starts out as a relatively straight-forward news item from Newfoundland;
The federal Liberal environmental plan would make the Hebron offshore oil megaproject “dead on arrival,” a Newfoundland Tory MP says.
Fabian Manning said Liberal policies will at least still if not kill the Hebron, which the Newfoundland and Labrador government expects to deliver at least $16 billion in royalties over a 25-year production period.
[…]
“If anybody thinks [Bill C-288] is not going to drastically reduce economic activity in this country … they’re dreaming in Technicolor,” Manning said in an interview.
Followed by a typical “get response from the other side”. (In this case, a non-response);
Federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who met with the Liberal caucus this week in St. John’s, described Manning’s remarks as fear-mongering.
But wait! They’re not done yet – here comes another Liberal non-rebuttal, this one from MP Scott Simms, who gets four paragraphs to suggest ulterior motives. CBC does him the additional favour of inserting this mid-report eye-catcher to be doubly sure you won’t miss it – Political motivation claimed;
Scott Simms, a Liberal MP representing a central Newfoundland riding, said Manning’s remarks have more to do with improving the federal Conservatives’ electoral standing than the environment. […]
Simms said he believes Manning is using the issue to steer voters in Newfoundland and Labrador away from the Liberals. Largely because of a long-running dispute between Premier Danny Williams and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, support for the federal Tories in the province has dropped like a stone this year.
(Those dastardly Conservatives! Steering voters away from Liberals! Is nothing sacred?)
This is where things get really good – watch while the CBC goes on the hunt for information to support Simms;
For example, a Corporate Research Associates poll released in June suggested that only 17 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador respondents would vote Conservative federally.
Remember now what this “news report” is purportedly based upon – a claimed risk to Newfoundland oil development posed by Liberal demands for implementation of Bill C-288.
We received the opinion of a sociology professor.
We received the opinion of a weatherman*.
As a bonus prize, we received results of June public opinion polling in Newfoundland.
Did we hear from an economist? No.
Did they interview an industry expert? No.
Did they ask Chevron? No.
Did the CBC make any effort at all to determine if the concerns of the Conservative MP quoted were valid?
No.
And that is why we mock you.
Reader Tips
Another day, another dog show. Today’s tips here, catch you later.
“It was one of the best days of my life”
“.As I pulled into her driveway we noted that her front door was wide open and as we drove around the back a couple of windows were open as well. Lights were off. I told granny to sit tight and I ran around to the front of the house and in the door I went. I grabbed the first shadow I saw, threw it out the door and down the steps and beat the piss out of it. I went back in and got another one and then another and then another.
“It was one of the best days of my life, it was as easy as picking low hanging fruit or shooting wolves in deep snow.”
Eyes Wide Shut
Consider that CBC and CTV never miss an opportunity to broadcast any political setback for the Bush administration on Iraq and one is tempted to ask how they managed to miss this?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has backed down from demands for a withdrawal of our troops in Iraq by next spring.
Selling voters on cut and run was always tough, but now a new UPI/Zogby Poll finds that 54% of Americans believe the Iraq war is not lost.
Beyond the achievements of our forces, the public is obviously impressed that Iraq’s five top political leaders have agreed on a series of compromises, including oil wealth distribution and provincial elections.
Since Reid and other Democratic leaders now know that outright surrender is out, they’ve decided to try for whatever they can get. “I don’t think we have to think that our way is the only way,” Reid told the Washington Post, making it clear he now seeks an anti-war alliance with shaky Republicans.
“I’m not saying, ‘Republicans, do what we want to do.’ Just give me something that you think you would like to do, that accomplishes some or all of what I want to do.”
Close their eyes, perhaps?
Built On Sand
Or rather, silt. Rebuilding on a mistake;
What’s more, that sinking, unstable soil is in a bowl below sea-level surrounded by the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Pontchartrain, bodies of water that are eating away the coastline at a rate of 25 square miles or more each year.
In September of 2005, I interviewed a geologist who was the former Dean of his southern university’s Coastal and Marine Studies program. His closing, unsolicited recommendation was that New Orleans “should be largely abandoned as a city.”
New Orleans is doomed city, a geographical mistake destined to fall to geologic and hydraulic forces beyond our control. It is sad they we are too arrogant to concede this failed city to the sea, and seem destined to waste the billions of dollars that could be spent moving the inhabitants to higher ground.
Honest Crooks?
Inmates in a Japanese jail found about 300 marijuana plants in the exercise yard, but instead of getting high, they reported the discovery to the authorities. […] Takashi Nomura, a prison guard, said inmates are allowed to cultivate vegetables and did not appear to have added marijuana. “We only grow potatoes and beans here,” he said. In physical checkups, prison officers found no sign any inmates had taken advantage of the wild marijuana.
Via reader Larry, who asks “perhaps we should do a prisoner exchange?”
I vote for a prison system exchange.
Click To Download NDP Accomplishments
Sat. Afternoon Update – Now is the time at SDA when we DANCE!
his suggested edit.)
Documenting Media Bias Against The Harper Conservatives
Reader Tips
Another dog show weekend (local), with an early start tomorrow morning. So leave your tips here, and I’ll catch you on the flip side.
How Do You Draw Hypocrisy?
Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Ben Sargent was arrested in 1998 ” and subsequently convicted of public lewdness stemming from an incident at an Austin adult bookstore near the University of Texas.”
The Sound Of Settled Science
USHCN station – Port Angeles, WA.
Update – I originally spotted this one surfing through the reports at the site. Reader “Johnlee” advises that it received particular attention from Steve McIntyre. Worth the read, especially if you’re new here and unaware of the significance of the photos I’ve been sharing.
Not Waiting For The Asteroid
Welcome to the I-don’t-care-azoic Period ;
[F]or the media ponderers there’s a more troubling issue than the restoration of trust. It’s the possibility that too many people now simply don’t much care about the major media anymore. Normally the great media combines would overcome periods of lassitude by forming up focus groups to tell them what to do next. Hah! They want “Survivor”! Alas, living as we do now in a world of seemingly infinite choice, it is possible not to care for a seeming infinity of reasons, which is why the established media are having such a hard time knowing what to do.
Lorne Calvert: Give Me 4 Beers
“…to reach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”*
(Heh – Sask Gov’t proposes changes to liquor act… “if your organization is caught serving minors under 19 years of age, it may face fines as high as $10,000 compared with the old maximum fine of $2,500, according to the new rules.”)