Mitt Romney has an iPhone

TechCrunch interviews Mitt Romney on technology issues. He's for expanding H-1B visas and my impression is that he didn't understand the question on venture capital. Mark, comment #65, says so too. It's not my area of expertise, so you'll have to figure this one out without any help from me.

On H-1B visas, though, I've been paying at least a little bit of attention and have compiled some resources. Here's an informative rant, here's Google's recent testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee, here's an IT website with all the lowdown, and here's the infamous [bang bang] smoking gun video:

DFA poll, only a few hours left to vote

VOTE! VOTE NOW!

New projects

After thinking on this conversation for a bit, particularly the part about growing up with Vietnam in my living room, I started this blog. Warning: graphic images.

And inspired by Operation Mosquito, I've started another letter-writing campaign.

For want of a nail...

...or $22 billion.

From the front page of the House Appropriations Committee website:

How 2 Months Spending in Iraq Could Be Put to Better Use
10/16/07
The President is trying to masquerade as fiscally responsible by manufacturing a fight over $22 billion (roughly 2 months in Iraq) in investments that will make this a stronger and better country. Every day we’re going to bring you one specific example of how Congress and the President differ on appropriations.

Example 1: Healthcare Access

Example 2: Education

Example 3: Transportation Infrastructure and Job Creation

Example 4: Medical Research

Example 5: Law Enforcement
-Law Enforcement Fact Sheet

Example 6: Block Grants - Helping States and Communities Alleviate Poverty and Promote Economic Development

Example 7: Energy Independence & Global Warming

Example 8: Homeland Security Grants

Example 9: Job Training and Vocational Education

Help! I'm talking and can't shut up!

Here, let me help you with that.

Cool

The Air Force is leading the way on alternate energy, allowing companies to run wind farms and solar
power plants on its bases. Cool. Unfortunately, they also want to include nuclear power plants in the initiative. Scary.

On the other hand, we do have lots of BBs we've got to do something about.

Do You Believe?

I do.

Kittens for Krugman

I know, I said I wasn't going to buy any more books, but then I read this review.

Update: Paul Krugman has crossed over to the Dark Side. He's cat blogging. Cool.

Kids these days...

They're such activists.

Child Labor Eduaction and Action project
The World Can't Wait
Education Justice Campaign
Humans Out Promoting Empathy [I didn't find a website for HOPE, but here is his issue]
Peace Takes Courage


h/t

Sweet

Oreo economics

If you don't stop doing that, you'll grow three heads!

Gone herping lately? If so, maybe you've noticed that frog deformities seem to be on the rise, or at least in the news. Our amphibious friends are apparently the canaries in the environmental morass that we're all living in, and if extra legs can happen to them, how much longer till it happens to us?

So when some kids found a three-headed frog, the BBC sounded the warning and called on its resident wildlife expert, who was stunned by the ramifications. Now one would think that a naturalist with a masters in ecology would have recognized amplexus [that's amphibian for kinky sex] without having to consult color-coded pictures. Sheesh.



PS. Don't be too impressed by that PADI open water diver bit in his CV. It's their most basic certification. Heck, even I've got that one.

Paul Krugman and Mario Cuomo

solve all the world's problems.

I've been looking for an excuse to post this one

for whig

Proof

that the big guys listen to me.

Wah!

I've got a crayon and nothing to scribble on!

Waterboarding

You should read the entire post, but here's an excerpt:

2. Waterboarding is not a simulation. Unless you have been strapped down to the board, have endured the agonizing feeling of the water overpowering your gag reflex, and then feel your throat open and allow pint after pint of water to involuntarily fill your lungs, you will not know the meaning of the word.

Waterboarding is a controlled drowning that, in the American model, occurs under the watch of a doctor, a psychologist, an interrogator and a trained strap-in/strap-out team. It does not simulate drowning, as the lungs are actually filling with water. There is no way to simulate that. The victim is drowning. How much the victim is to drown depends on the desired result (in the form of answers to questions shouted into the victim’s face) and the obstinacy of the subject. A team doctor watches the quantity of water that is ingested and for the physiological signs which show when the drowning effect goes from painful psychological experience, to horrific suffocating punishment to the final death spiral.

Waterboarding is slow motion suffocation with enough time to contemplate the inevitability of black out and expiration –usually the person goes into hysterics on the board. For the uninitiated, it is horrifying to watch and if it goes wrong, it can lead straight to terminal hypoxia. When done right it is controlled death. Its lack of physical scarring allows the victim to recover and be threaten with its use again and again.

Also, don't click on the video if there are kids in the room.

Tom DeLay was never this good

Tell Harry Reid:

No Immunity for Lawbreaking Companies

Speaking of maps...

These are interesting.

I can think of some likely reasons for some of the distributions, but not all of them.

If anybody desrves to be tasered, it's this guy.

Bite my dog's ear off, will ya? Also, that dude better be glad the police dogs aren't taking lessons from the hunting dogs.