Wow. You owe it to yourself (and the country) to watch these at least once. There's some laughs at least in the last one.
I mean, seriously? Seriously?
There's more...
And finally, this commentary from conservative (but straight-shooting) columnist David Brooks.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Regurgitating The Atlantic
There's a debate on Friday between Senators McCain and Obama. It's going to be on foreign policy, not the economy (which is the topic du jour).
The article "The Petraeus Doctrine" in this month's Atlantic provides an interesting, and I think important, subtext for this debate.
Put simply, does America's future hold more Iraqs or not?
If the world is a place where failed and rogue states will attempt to attack the US or its allies and interests, and we intend to defend ourselves, then we may end up trying to establish stability (the Petraeus Doctrine) to win hearts and minds in foreign countries. This worldview holds that Iraq is winnable and we are winning, and that perhaps even Vietnam was winnable. You just need enough force going in and enough subtlety (cultural and language training, etc) and patience to see it through. You can't bomb your way to security, but you can occupy and stabilize your way to security. In fact, you have to if you want to fight terrorism.
The other worldview holds that these kinds of fights cannot be won by the military, at least for an acceptable cost. Iraq's current stability should not be viewed as evidence of a repeatable strategy for successfully occupying conquered states. Rather, it is a result of a complex series of political calculations, including expected American withdrawal. The ability to successfully extract the America military without leaving a raging civil war, while to be welcomed, is not a blueprint for future military actions. In short, this is not a "win" we should look to repeat.
My sense is that John McCain takes the first view... you can win these things if you are patient and smart enough. It may require enormous sacrifice, but he has made enormous sacrifice and can marshal the country to do so. He sees a violent world where "there will be more wars", and you have to be smarter and more willing to fight than the other guy to win. If you're lucky, you may not have to fight. But you have to be willing to, and in an unstable world, the US's responsibility (with other countries) is to fight those fights.
A soldier's view.
My sense is that Barack Obama takes the latter view. That the military can tip the scales between two opposing power structures, but cannot nurture a power structure up from scratch. Or perhaps, that if such things can be done, the military is not the right arm of government to do so. And further, that with limited resources, the military should be used sparingly, and only when the objectives are more simply and conventionally defined. (In that sense, Obama is conservative while McCain is neoconserative.) The downside of this is, you have to both be willing to not fight some fights you could win (because they are too expensive) ... such as Iran or North Korea getting nukes, or more precisely you have to empower some bad guys (buying them off rather than fighting). Also, you have to believe that enough fights can be avoided.
This is where I suspect the worldview comes in. McCain has seen a world of conflict, was 3rd generation Navy with an Admiral father. His frame of reference has been conflict. He has seen cruelty up close. He knows sometimes you have to be willing to fight.
Obama has seen a world of diversity. He has preached understanding. He's never been in the military, and has based his campaign on overcoming traditional political infighting ("games" he calls them) to reach a common purpose.
In Obama's worldview, the Iraqs and Vietnams of the world can and must be avoided, and the military cannot fundamentally alter the reality on the ground. In McCain's worldview, the Iraqs and Vietnams of the world can't be avoided, only ignored as the cost grows, and a willingness to fight and persevere is required.
On the foreign policy side, that's the debate. The inital vote against Iraq is Obama's proxy for saying, "you have to be wise enough to see these things never go as well as you think and are a waste of precious resources." The success of the surge is McCain's proxy for saying "you have to be willing to have faith and persevere, and I have those traits."
What do you think?
The article "The Petraeus Doctrine" in this month's Atlantic provides an interesting, and I think important, subtext for this debate.
Put simply, does America's future hold more Iraqs or not?
If the world is a place where failed and rogue states will attempt to attack the US or its allies and interests, and we intend to defend ourselves, then we may end up trying to establish stability (the Petraeus Doctrine) to win hearts and minds in foreign countries. This worldview holds that Iraq is winnable and we are winning, and that perhaps even Vietnam was winnable. You just need enough force going in and enough subtlety (cultural and language training, etc) and patience to see it through. You can't bomb your way to security, but you can occupy and stabilize your way to security. In fact, you have to if you want to fight terrorism.
The other worldview holds that these kinds of fights cannot be won by the military, at least for an acceptable cost. Iraq's current stability should not be viewed as evidence of a repeatable strategy for successfully occupying conquered states. Rather, it is a result of a complex series of political calculations, including expected American withdrawal. The ability to successfully extract the America military without leaving a raging civil war, while to be welcomed, is not a blueprint for future military actions. In short, this is not a "win" we should look to repeat.
My sense is that John McCain takes the first view... you can win these things if you are patient and smart enough. It may require enormous sacrifice, but he has made enormous sacrifice and can marshal the country to do so. He sees a violent world where "there will be more wars", and you have to be smarter and more willing to fight than the other guy to win. If you're lucky, you may not have to fight. But you have to be willing to, and in an unstable world, the US's responsibility (with other countries) is to fight those fights.
A soldier's view.
My sense is that Barack Obama takes the latter view. That the military can tip the scales between two opposing power structures, but cannot nurture a power structure up from scratch. Or perhaps, that if such things can be done, the military is not the right arm of government to do so. And further, that with limited resources, the military should be used sparingly, and only when the objectives are more simply and conventionally defined. (In that sense, Obama is conservative while McCain is neoconserative.) The downside of this is, you have to both be willing to not fight some fights you could win (because they are too expensive) ... such as Iran or North Korea getting nukes, or more precisely you have to empower some bad guys (buying them off rather than fighting). Also, you have to believe that enough fights can be avoided.
This is where I suspect the worldview comes in. McCain has seen a world of conflict, was 3rd generation Navy with an Admiral father. His frame of reference has been conflict. He has seen cruelty up close. He knows sometimes you have to be willing to fight.
Obama has seen a world of diversity. He has preached understanding. He's never been in the military, and has based his campaign on overcoming traditional political infighting ("games" he calls them) to reach a common purpose.
In Obama's worldview, the Iraqs and Vietnams of the world can and must be avoided, and the military cannot fundamentally alter the reality on the ground. In McCain's worldview, the Iraqs and Vietnams of the world can't be avoided, only ignored as the cost grows, and a willingness to fight and persevere is required.
On the foreign policy side, that's the debate. The inital vote against Iraq is Obama's proxy for saying, "you have to be wise enough to see these things never go as well as you think and are a waste of precious resources." The success of the surge is McCain's proxy for saying "you have to be willing to have faith and persevere, and I have those traits."
What do you think?
Monday, September 22, 2008
Oh hell
Those library books? That I was going to return? That weekend? When the storm was going to hit? Before I got moved to Dallas? Like two weeks ago?
The books that were already overdue?
Oh hell.
The books that were already overdue?
Oh hell.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Financial Crisis, Pt 1
Quote
Unquote
Although I agree broadly with Hatzius, I quibble with his idea that the goal is to avoid a sharp contraction in lending. The US needs to wean itself of unsustainable overconsumption, and since consumption has come to depend on growth in indebtedness, a reversal, however painful, is necessary. Our excesses have been so great that there is no way out of this that does not lead to a general fall in living standards (note that the officialdom in the UK is willing to say that, but since perpetual prosperity is a God-given right in America, admitting we will be getting poorer is verboten). Thus, a sharp contraction in lending seems inevitable; the trick is to prevent it from crossing the tipping point into a vicious, accelerating downward spiral.
Unquote
Another letter to Congress
This email is regarding the proposed legislation to bail out the financial markets. I appreciate that there may be no good options, and that avoiding moral hazard here may lead to unacceptable impact on "Main St."
But with this administration's poor record of following the rules (Justice Dept for example), and with news of bankrupt Lehman keeping $2.5B for their best and brightest, the Congress should NOT be issuing blank checks and retroactive pardons to those raiding the taxpayers' pockets (however necessary the raiding).
There has been too much unaccountability already.
Please insist on the Congress and courts' proper role of oversight and review.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Hubris - Part 2
On July 26 I wrote:
Two weeks later
Wish I were happier about it.
My prediction is that it will take two weeks tops for this to be in the headlines.
Two weeks later
Wish I were happier about it.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Why I should write documentation for SAP
Quote
Unquote
Surely, surely, there is a better way to say that.
Surely.
The wasted hours...
If an error return code of the DBMS for which a database reconnect is useful is not contained in the reconnect, a database reconnect is not executed.
Unquote
Surely, surely, there is a better way to say that.
Surely.
The wasted hours...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
iPhone 3G - Contrarian View
I've reviewed some features of the new iPhone previously, and I've even come around a little on some things (the shape is nicer as time goes by, the black plastic not so bad).
But in reading the following, I couldn't help but mostly agree. If you're going to get a phone, the iPhone is the one to get. And if you are going to get an iPhone, there's no good reason not to get the 3G. But, unless you have specific needs, the benefit of upgrading from the previous model consists mostly of what you sometimes get to do, what might be coming in the future. After the expectation-trouncing success of the first generation iPhone, this one can't help but leave you underwhelmed. So merely very good, so almost great.
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/07/28/columnted-iphone-3g-and-mobileme-new-features-add-little-value
But in reading the following, I couldn't help but mostly agree. If you're going to get a phone, the iPhone is the one to get. And if you are going to get an iPhone, there's no good reason not to get the 3G. But, unless you have specific needs, the benefit of upgrading from the previous model consists mostly of what you sometimes get to do, what might be coming in the future. After the expectation-trouncing success of the first generation iPhone, this one can't help but leave you underwhelmed. So merely very good, so almost great.
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/07/28/columnted-iphone-3g-and-mobileme-new-features-add-little-value
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Hubris
In 2006 Democrats delighted at the scandal-ridden Republicans. Pedophilia, restroom solicitation, lobbying corruption, DoJ politicization. Gone were the days of House post office scandals, of Gary Hart and Bill Clinton. Democrats would clean things up.
With word that Senate Majority leader Harry Reid is engaging in Tom Delay-style K Street lobbying shakedowns, I suppose I also shouldn't be surprised that John Edwards (yes, that John Edwards) is keeping a low profile after being confronted by National Enquirer reporters in the wee hours of the morning in a hotel where the the woman the Enquirer called the mother of his "love child" was staying (with child).
The required caveat is that there may be an explanation, and Edwards may have a legitimate reason for not wanting to talk about it, and for giving non-denial denials. Thus, what follows may be unfair. If so, my apologies.
But really.
No, Really.
I too first dismissed this as tabloid trash. But let's remember this is the same tabloid that produced a photo of Donna Rice on Gary Hart's lap (in front the boat "Monkey Business"). Who surfaced the story of Jesse Jackson's love child, silencing the once-family-values preacher (who later went after Obama for criticizing absent fathers). Who managed to find THAT blue dress that nearly brought down the Clinton White House and probably cost Al Gore the White House.
The Enquirer had already set its sights on the Golden Boy from North Carolina last Fall. When they seemed close to pinning something on Edwards (who was then a candidate for President), the Edwards campaign produce the married-with-kids-campaign-staffer Andrew Young, who then claimed to be the father. Of the kid whose mother later came over for dinner with the whole family. Sure.
But fishy as it all sounded, there was no proof of anything. With Edwards out of the race, there was no real story.
Now the blogosphere is positively abuzz with whether the mainstream press should talk about this. My prediction is that it will take two weeks tops for this to be in the headlines. Like the much-predicted bird flu, no matter how carefully the borders are guarded, there are too many ways in and the material is too contagious to keep out.
Earlier this week, Barack Obama's written prayer deposited in the Wailing Wall in Israel was stolen and broadcast on international websites, despite its insignificant contents. Many conservative bloggers decried this, even while saying they did not support Obama.
In that spirit, though I support John Edwards' campaign to help alleviate poverty in America, I can't offer any defense for him. With sympathy to his wife Elizabeth, who is battling terminal cancer, I have to say Edwards (like Clinton before him) is looking more like the caricature conservatives always claimed him to be: a pious phony who calls others to sacrifice but isn't willing to sacrifice his own libido.
A word of warning to other Democratic politicians: when you tap into a powerful truth about the world, and hold it up to the world, it will attract others. They will often confuse the idea and the person. Their youth and inspiration can also attract you, and remind you of your youth. That idea can also be confused with a person. But trying to grab hold of inspiration or youth gets you neither. It gets you National Enquirer reporters chasing you into restrooms.
So for Eliot Spitzer, and that governor from New Jersey or wherever, and Hart and Jackson and Clinton and Edwards, do us a favor and find another line of work. Kennedy doesn't get Marilyn anymore. I know the family-values conservative crowd have their share of hypocrites, too. They can police their own.
I'm tired of making excuses.
Asshole.
(Oh, and to the liberal bloggers: cut out that "well at least they were women" bullshit. I mean, are you serious? Only two years back into power, a useless Congress, "Bros Before Hos" Obama voters and "Party Unity My Ass" PUMA Democrats who want to vote McCain, and now we're trying to out-gay-bash Republicans? Isn't anybody motivated by the issues any more?)
With word that Senate Majority leader Harry Reid is engaging in Tom Delay-style K Street lobbying shakedowns, I suppose I also shouldn't be surprised that John Edwards (yes, that John Edwards) is keeping a low profile after being confronted by National Enquirer reporters in the wee hours of the morning in a hotel where the the woman the Enquirer called the mother of his "love child" was staying (with child).
The required caveat is that there may be an explanation, and Edwards may have a legitimate reason for not wanting to talk about it, and for giving non-denial denials. Thus, what follows may be unfair. If so, my apologies.
But really.
No, Really.
I too first dismissed this as tabloid trash. But let's remember this is the same tabloid that produced a photo of Donna Rice on Gary Hart's lap (in front the boat "Monkey Business"). Who surfaced the story of Jesse Jackson's love child, silencing the once-family-values preacher (who later went after Obama for criticizing absent fathers). Who managed to find THAT blue dress that nearly brought down the Clinton White House and probably cost Al Gore the White House.
The Enquirer had already set its sights on the Golden Boy from North Carolina last Fall. When they seemed close to pinning something on Edwards (who was then a candidate for President), the Edwards campaign produce the married-with-kids-campaign-staffer Andrew Young, who then claimed to be the father. Of the kid whose mother later came over for dinner with the whole family. Sure.
But fishy as it all sounded, there was no proof of anything. With Edwards out of the race, there was no real story.
Now the blogosphere is positively abuzz with whether the mainstream press should talk about this. My prediction is that it will take two weeks tops for this to be in the headlines. Like the much-predicted bird flu, no matter how carefully the borders are guarded, there are too many ways in and the material is too contagious to keep out.
Earlier this week, Barack Obama's written prayer deposited in the Wailing Wall in Israel was stolen and broadcast on international websites, despite its insignificant contents. Many conservative bloggers decried this, even while saying they did not support Obama.
In that spirit, though I support John Edwards' campaign to help alleviate poverty in America, I can't offer any defense for him. With sympathy to his wife Elizabeth, who is battling terminal cancer, I have to say Edwards (like Clinton before him) is looking more like the caricature conservatives always claimed him to be: a pious phony who calls others to sacrifice but isn't willing to sacrifice his own libido.
A word of warning to other Democratic politicians: when you tap into a powerful truth about the world, and hold it up to the world, it will attract others. They will often confuse the idea and the person. Their youth and inspiration can also attract you, and remind you of your youth. That idea can also be confused with a person. But trying to grab hold of inspiration or youth gets you neither. It gets you National Enquirer reporters chasing you into restrooms.
So for Eliot Spitzer, and that governor from New Jersey or wherever, and Hart and Jackson and Clinton and Edwards, do us a favor and find another line of work. Kennedy doesn't get Marilyn anymore. I know the family-values conservative crowd have their share of hypocrites, too. They can police their own.
I'm tired of making excuses.
Asshole.
(Oh, and to the liberal bloggers: cut out that "well at least they were women" bullshit. I mean, are you serious? Only two years back into power, a useless Congress, "Bros Before Hos" Obama voters and "Party Unity My Ass" PUMA Democrats who want to vote McCain, and now we're trying to out-gay-bash Republicans? Isn't anybody motivated by the issues any more?)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
iPhone Apps: Tuner
$6
Nullriver Tuner has quickly become a killer app for me. Tuner is a streaming Internet radio client. What this means is, you either select one of the 500 or so pre-loaded stations (URLs) or you enter your own. The player then loads up the station.
Why pay $6 for this when AOL radio is free on iPhone, as is Pandora? It's all about selection. Pandora is great for music, but doesn't do news. AOL radio has all of 4 stations in Houston. Not knocking that, glad to have them. The point is unless you want those (mainstream radio) stations, no local radio for you.
Me, I like Houston's KUHF NPR station. KUHF plays news at rush hour (and a bit on weekends), but is classical the rest of the time. They actually have an HD radio signal that broadcasts news 24/7 (ditto classical and Spanish language). But unless you want to pay $200 for an HD tuner, no 24/7 news. Thankfully, they also stream the HD channel online, and using Tuner I can listen to it.
Tuner has some shortcomings though. Signals drop too often, and I'm not sure if Edge is fast enough to stream all channels (the bit rate - quality and bandwidth required - is shown next to each station). But the core functionality -- streaming customizable Internet radio -- is a winner, and well worth $6.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Nullriver Tuner has quickly become a killer app for me. Tuner is a streaming Internet radio client. What this means is, you either select one of the 500 or so pre-loaded stations (URLs) or you enter your own. The player then loads up the station.
Why pay $6 for this when AOL radio is free on iPhone, as is Pandora? It's all about selection. Pandora is great for music, but doesn't do news. AOL radio has all of 4 stations in Houston. Not knocking that, glad to have them. The point is unless you want those (mainstream radio) stations, no local radio for you.
Me, I like Houston's KUHF NPR station. KUHF plays news at rush hour (and a bit on weekends), but is classical the rest of the time. They actually have an HD radio signal that broadcasts news 24/7 (ditto classical and Spanish language). But unless you want to pay $200 for an HD tuner, no 24/7 news. Thankfully, they also stream the HD channel online, and using Tuner I can listen to it.
Tuner has some shortcomings though. Signals drop too often, and I'm not sure if Edge is fast enough to stream all channels (the bit rate - quality and bandwidth required - is shown next to each station). But the core functionality -- streaming customizable Internet radio -- is a winner, and well worth $6.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
iPhone Apps: Units
$1
$1 for an application that just does conversions. I had my doubts. First, it seems a bit like that kitchen gizmo that you take out only once a year. That's part of what I like about the iPhone: it doesn't have a gazillion barely-used apps.
Or it didn't until the App Store.
But I digress. I like Units. When you open it, you see what looks like a Calculator. Three customizable buttons on the right let you choose measurement categories: currency, energy, temperature, time, length, weight, speed, volume, area. Each have icons. You also choose what "to" and "from" units it starts with.
You click the category button (say Temperature) and then put in one value, and the converted value appears above it. There's a handy switch button that reverses the to/from units so you can enter data the other way round. You can also cycle through other units (e.g. degrees Kelvin) and each of the categories.
Most people won't need most categories, but dollars to British pounds and Celsius to Fahrenheit (when overseas with no network connection) are worth $1. Automatic currency rate update option would be nice though (have to do 2 clicks to update).
Recommended for those with the need.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
$1 for an application that just does conversions. I had my doubts. First, it seems a bit like that kitchen gizmo that you take out only once a year. That's part of what I like about the iPhone: it doesn't have a gazillion barely-used apps.
Or it didn't until the App Store.
But I digress. I like Units. When you open it, you see what looks like a Calculator. Three customizable buttons on the right let you choose measurement categories: currency, energy, temperature, time, length, weight, speed, volume, area. Each have icons. You also choose what "to" and "from" units it starts with.
You click the category button (say Temperature) and then put in one value, and the converted value appears above it. There's a handy switch button that reverses the to/from units so you can enter data the other way round. You can also cycle through other units (e.g. degrees Kelvin) and each of the categories.
Most people won't need most categories, but dollars to British pounds and Celsius to Fahrenheit (when overseas with no network connection) are worth $1. Automatic currency rate update option would be nice though (have to do 2 clicks to update).
Recommended for those with the need.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Monday, July 14, 2008
Big Long Test Post
So supposedly some people have seen long post issues and some not,with LifeCast. So I'm trying another long one.
Maybe it will work, maybe not. Bug to do the test I need to write stuff. Anything really. In fact, arguably it would be better to just start writing stuff, whatever comes to mind, rather than sitting around trying to figure out what to say.
And perhaps that would be a better way to blog. Especially with the onscreen keyboard on the iPhone, which I have to say seems to have even better corrective text than before. I almost have to work to get typos.
Anyhow, the folks at LifeCast have been very helpful in following up on this long post issue, so I thought the least I could do is to try another long post.
Sure, you might argue, do a long post, but why not post *about* something. Something, like, important. (I know you'd say "like" too; you're like that).
So why blog about nothing at all?
Well, first, since I don't actually expect this to post, I'll be much less annoyed if it doesn't than I would if I spent real time (and thought) on it. Heck, if this posts, I may even have to go back and make that last sentence grammatical.
Two iPhone screens long, this, if you're counting.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Maybe it will work, maybe not. Bug to do the test I need to write stuff. Anything really. In fact, arguably it would be better to just start writing stuff, whatever comes to mind, rather than sitting around trying to figure out what to say.
And perhaps that would be a better way to blog. Especially with the onscreen keyboard on the iPhone, which I have to say seems to have even better corrective text than before. I almost have to work to get typos.
Anyhow, the folks at LifeCast have been very helpful in following up on this long post issue, so I thought the least I could do is to try another long post.
Sure, you might argue, do a long post, but why not post *about* something. Something, like, important. (I know you'd say "like" too; you're like that).
So why blog about nothing at all?
Well, first, since I don't actually expect this to post, I'll be much less annoyed if it doesn't than I would if I spent real time (and thought) on it. Heck, if this posts, I may even have to go back and make that last sentence grammatical.
Two iPhone screens long, this, if you're counting.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Sunday, July 13, 2008
iPhone Apps: LifeCast
Free.
This blog post, like all the others today, are written on the iPhone in LifeCast. You give Lifecast your Blogger or Tumblr (only) blog login, and then type your 1 page of text and click submit. Longer then 1 screen of data hasn't worked for me; it hangs submitting.
On Tumblr, you can also submit photos, and photos plus text (and other blog sites) are expected in future.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
This blog post, like all the others today, are written on the iPhone in LifeCast. You give Lifecast your Blogger or Tumblr (only) blog login, and then type your 1 page of text and click submit. Longer then 1 screen of data hasn't worked for me; it hangs submitting.
On Tumblr, you can also submit photos, and photos plus text (and other blog sites) are expected in future.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
iPhone Apps: Urbanspoon
Free.
Restaurant guide as slot machine. Detects your location, then random spins location (actually picks this one but can select others), cuisine and cost, then picks a random matching restaurant. Don't like the pick? Lock in what you do like. Oh, did I mention you shake the phone to spin the tumblers?
Fun, useful app.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Restaurant guide as slot machine. Detects your location, then random spins location (actually picks this one but can select others), cuisine and cost, then picks a random matching restaurant. Don't like the pick? Lock in what you do like. Oh, did I mention you shake the phone to spin the tumblers?
Fun, useful app.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
iPhone Apps: vSNAX
Free.
A video application that streams CBS news and entertainment clips. Slightly sluggish navigation but beautiful video on iPhone.
Content isn't terribly compelling but has fair variety (news, game trailers, celebrity gossip, etc). Probably good to pass some boredom if trapped and not in the mood to web browse.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
A video application that streams CBS news and entertainment clips. Slightly sluggish navigation but beautiful video on iPhone.
Content isn't terribly compelling but has fair variety (news, game trailers, celebrity gossip, etc). Probably good to pass some boredom if trapped and not in the mood to web browse.
Geolocate this post
Posted with LifeCast
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
