Carson's PostCarson's PostTwo guys talking about politics and current events, a generation apart. Articles
Playing Chess
2008-01-13 12:03:00 I’ve always admired the game of chess. Like a musical instrument or a foreign language, becoming good at chess is a frustrating challenge, but one that I feel must lead to being a “better person”. I’ve always wanted to play more, but rarely find the opportunity. I tried out several chess sites on the internet (Yahoo ... More About: Internet , Education , Chess
David Cameron and Social Policy
2008-01-12 14:05:00 Does Tory leader David Cameron ’s new welfare plan work? This from his newsletter to supporters: “Our radical programme is designed to end the culture of long-term welfare dependency, and involves measures such as time limits on out-of-work benefits and US-style return-to-work programmes for jobseekers.” Who are these people, and how did this begin? Well, they are the ... More About: Politics , Social , Policy
War Smirks
2007-12-31 18:43:00 So far, the most telling “2007 Top List” I’ve come across is Bob Cesca’s list of Pres. Bush’s “War Smirks”. I don’t have access to a complete listing of times when the President has been smiling and cracking jokes while he brazenly puts forwards foreign policy hubris - often in the form of sending young ...
Subprime crash and ?market sentiment? explained.
2007-12-30 15:35:00 Finally a rational explanation! More Funny Video s More About: Politics , Market , Crash
How do we tell our grandkids how Harper failed in Bali?
2007-12-17 23:34:00 “How do we hold you accountable for these stupid policies thirty years from now when you wrong and you’re dead?” This is what a member of the crowd asked HE Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic who was showering the Chatham House meeting hall with his irrational anti-climate change rantings. Rantings not dissimilar to what ... More About: Environment , Bali , Harper
UK?s Pension Funds: FairPensions survey
2007-12-12 15:41:00 I’ve been assisting in producing FairPension s’ second annual pension fund transparency survey, which got released last Saturday. The report sees a pretty clear divergence between the more enlightened funds who see it as their duty to remain transparent and to engage with investments. The bottom half seem pretty ambivalent to transparency or engagement, even when ... More About: Economics , Environment , Activism , Survey
Carson?s Post: One Year Old
2007-12-08 02:06:00 Actually, the first birthday of Carson ’s Post came and went last week. I have been struggling with this post as it has been one that I have been thinking about almost all year. Before I began this blog I quickly realized how often bloggers blog about blogging, and have worked hard to resist this narcissistic ... More About: Blogroll , Year
Is this a tipping point moment for Climate Change?
2007-12-07 00:20:00 You know the rules: environmentalists and concerned “green” citizens on one side, business on the other. The green lobby shouts and screams about the threats of climate change, and the business lobby ignores them or reacts with “reality” statements, excuses and a lack of general acceptance. It seems these rules don’t work anymore, and the past ... More About: Politics , Economics , Environment , Climate Change , Climate
The G20 Summit
2007-11-29 02:04:00 From the gentlemen who brought us The Front Fell Off More Funny Videos More About: Humour , Activism , Summit , The G
Lecture Podcasts - Breaking down Classes
2007-11-20 09:55:00 A few weeks ago Tony posted about the recent trend of uploading University lectures onto the internet. His point was that professors are usually more interested in the research side of things — the lectures are an annoyance for many profs. If that is the case, the more profs post these lectures, the more the ... More About: Economics , Education , Podcasts , Classes , Breaking
BBC internal memo on climate change
2007-11-15 21:15:00 “The Editors”, the blog that serves as another example of the BBC moving in a smarter direction than all media, has just posted an interesting piece on Global warming. How does a media organization as august as the BBC report climate change? Moreover, what does the Beeb do about climate change sceptics? ... More About: Environment , Climate Change , Climate , Change , Internal
What are Philosophers experts at?
2007-11-15 14:32:00 This interesting question was posed by Bryan Chaplin of EconLog at a recent conference on Social Philosophy and Policy: Profs and grad students alike largely seemed to accept the following list of topics where members of their occupation actually have expertise: Accurately describing the views of other philosophers, living and dead. Checking arguments for logical validity/internal consistency. Its worth ... More About: Economics , Experts , Philosophers , Pert , Philosopher
Engineering through the ages: the Eurostar in St. Pancras
2007-11-14 09:15:00 Last week, the Queen was there to reopen the “Cathedral for Railways”, St. Pancras. Today, the Euros tar will arrive in its new British home. It is a landmark occasion: the restoration of St Pancras, a Victorian monument to Great British Engineering , meets the high speed Eurostar - the train that connects London with Paris. It is also the completion of 9 year £5.8 billion channel tunnel project, and Britain has now joined the High Speed Rail club. This high speed connection links the UK with Europe. Calais is less than an hour away, making it faster to get to than Brighton. Paris is barely 2:15 away, closer than Manchester. This fast link to Paris and the ongoing TGV fast rail network, means most of Europe is now a few hours by train away. More About: Erin , Ages
The iTrojan: your mac is vulnerable too
2007-11-14 08:49:00 On Halloween Apple Macs owners got a taste of what these Windows people have been talking about for years, as internet criminals released the first trojan for Macs: The Trojan comes disguised as a video-decoding plug-in that users are told they must install to watch free porn clips. Instead, the software burrows into the operating system and diverts some of the victim’s future web surfing to sites under the attacker’s control. It’s the professional attack on Macs that the security community has long predicted, according to Dave Marcus, security research manager at McAfee’s Avert Lab, who said it was “written by people who know how to write malware.” In some ways Mac users should be proud, the iGospel has spread so far that there are enough Macs out there for malware crooks to take the time to write their vicious code. As Wired reports: “The arrival of the Mac Trojan signals that cybercrooks have decided there are finally enough Apple system... More About: Rojan
iPhone: a must-have for the traveller?
iPhone: Madrid through the mini s
2007-11-12 18:35:00 Interesting article here about how the iPhone, a little bigger than a pack of cards, can replace an entire backpack of the necessities of the tourist. I’m not sure I believe it, but ? it’s here: iPhone: Madrid through the mini screen More About: Lifestyle , Iphone , Mini , Traveller
Britain in a motto?
2007-11-12 17:59:00 UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is seeking to capture the public’s imagination with a search for a national motto. Is this a good idea? One would think not. For a number of reasons. ? A national motto would only appeal to a super-serious few; ? It is justly open to ridicule by the vast majority; ? An entity will ... More About: Britain , Motto
What?s up with Pakistan?
2007-11-12 06:11:00 Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the newly named vice-chief of staff, could be Pakistan ?s next strongman. He?s Washington?s Plan B. If Musharraf does finally resign his command, Kiyani will control the military. Musharraf, who has near zero popular support, will be left without a power base ? or even army protection. More notes from Eric Margolis’ Who Will ... More About: Politics
US Healthcare (only) for the healthy
2007-11-09 17:25:00 In another case of ‘If it’s good for stockholders, it’s good for the company,’ a US Health insurer tied bonuses to dropping sick policyholders. One of the state’s largest health insurers, reports the LA Times, set goals and paid bonuses based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was ... More About: Healthcare , Legal , Corporations , Healthy
Exercise the Brain
2007-11-09 12:35:00 To stay in shape now has a new meaning. Feeling a little less mentally quick than you did a few years ago? Maybe you are among the many people who do ?brain exercises? like sudoku to slow the cognitive decline associated with aging. We?ve got a better suggestion, say Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang in this ... More About: Health , Exercise , Brain , The Brain
Biggest Freaks: Ron Paul Supporters or Apple Geeks?
2007-11-09 00:44:00 Wired gets the unusual opportunity to test the fervor of the internet’s two most mobilized camps. The political supporters or Mac Users. Hint: Ron Paul in Leopardskin? Apple Fanatics Ron Paul Enthusiasts Kim Zetter writes an accurate article on what experts say is the poor security architecture of the iPhone’s operating system Sarah Lai Stirland writes an ... More About: Politics , Geeks
Vaclav Klaus: Environmentalism is an ideology like Soviet Communism
2007-11-08 23:20:00 Last night I attended a talk at Chatham House where His Excellency Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, faced-off with Professor Robert Watson of the UK government’s Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs. I, like everyone in the room, walked in with a pretty fixed set of ideas, none of which ... More About: Politics , Global Warming , Economics , Soviet
Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense
2007-11-08 20:15:00 Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense , who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in ... More About: Human Rights , Common Sense , Late
On Underarms
2007-11-08 17:51:00 Underarms, a part of the body most of us have never given a moment’s thought to. Wrong. People are rolling stuff into it in increasing numbers and with increasing thickness, some guys are even ‘trimming.’ Here’s an interesting NY Times article Cast Aside Underarm Protection, if You Dare that basically makes the point (the way I ... More About: Lifestyle , History
Oll, making the best of a bad situation
2007-11-08 17:25:00 There are many causes for oil prices surging to near $100 a barrel. China and India are voracious new consumers driving up demand, and fear of supply interruptions ? principally from conflict between the United States and Iran ? might be adding as much as $30 to the price. The falling dollar also makes oil ... More About: Energy , Situation , The Best Of
So who put too much lead in the paint? The designer or the manufacturer.
2007-11-08 17:18:00 Who is to blame for all these product recalls, China or the companies? In the vast majority of cases, the products made in China are designed and engineered elsewhere. That would be my guess. You don’t send an email to the manufacturer to make a 4″ truck, you send exact ingredients and specifications ? that’s the ... More About: Designer , Corporations , Paint , Manufacturer
US Man in Pakistan
2007-11-08 07:20:00 Just who is Gen. Pervez Musharraf? Robert Sheer at Truthdig.com reminds us that Musharraf “seized power in Pakistan , ending democratic rule, two years before the 9/11 attacks and did nothing to end his nation?s support of the Taliban rulers next door, who were harboring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida. Before that he was part of a ... More About: Politics , Palestine
Israelis still more inclined to settlement, than settle.
2007-11-08 06:48:00 In the run-up to peace negotiations in Annapolis later this month, Israel is continue to expand their settlements in the West Bank, an obvious sign of the good faith that will guarantee success of the talks. According to Peace Now there is continuing construction in 88 out of about 150 of the authorised settlements, in addition to ... More About: Palestine , Settle , Settlement , Israelis
On US meddling and selfish foreign policy
2007-11-07 19:49:00 To what extent is the current situation in Pakistan a carbon copy of Iran under the Shah? It’s pretty close, says David Ignatius in his Washington Post column In Pakistan, Echoes of Iran and that’s pretty scary. One of the great similarities, of course, is US intervention: “But changing Pakistan is a job for Pakistanis, and history ... More About: Politics , Policy , Foreign Policy , Foreign , Reign
The Bible: if you want it, it?s there, or you can put it there
2007-11-07 18:21:00 Ever wonder how evangelicals arrive at their literal and definitive interpretations of a Bible that is often highly opaque? Well, wonder no more. Here is a wonderful text-book example of the arcane practice of finding in the bible what you are seeking: On questions relating to the Bible’s treatment of family and morals, one might expect assurance, ... More About: Religion , The Bible
Oil Prices may be a drop in the bucket
More articles from this author:2007-11-07 17:59:00 “I am sorry to say this, but we are headed toward really bad days,” International Energy Agency chief economist Fatih Birol declared this week. “Lots of targets have been set but very little has been done. There is a lot of talk and no action.” And we are very sorry to hear it. Here is the ... More About: Drop , Prices 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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