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James Carnley › Likes
I wonder if/when the number of HTML 5-supporting-browser-only sites will pass the number IE-only sites.
James Carnley liked this
Gore urges US to try for 100% renewable energy within 10 yrs - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environ...
Roney Smith, jumpinroo, (jeff)isageek and 7 other people liked this
that would be great if US could do that. It will be a challenge.
- Dean
Obama is readying executive orders to swiftly reverse Bush on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights, etc http://www.dailykos.com/storyon...
Kumar, Drew, Eric Geller and 12 other people liked this
Oh gosh, this is what scares me about Obama
- Kevin L
why does that scare you klecu?
- mjc
@klecu, this is common practice at the end of any presidency. The outgoing president passes as much legislation as possible along the lines of their parties agenda, and the incoming president elect undoes it all.
- Jeff P. Henderson
This is what I'm waiting for. I hoped for that!
- Ryo / Fuck Facebook
Scary? I'm with Ryo. This the whole reason I voted for the guy!
- Rob H.
klecu, the Bush administration is trying to codify regulations (not laws) that go directly against what the American people voted for on Nov. 4. We expect nothing less of Obama than to reverse the policies of the past 8 years.
- JD Lasica
What is scary about Obama doing it is also what is scary about Bush doing it. Governing by executive 'whim' is not a democracy. That the president use regulatory means to conduct legislative business is unhealthy. I hope as his term goes on and he removes Bush's actions the whole process gets re-examined and reduced.
- Andrew Leyden
Yeah! This scares me big time!!
- Joey
Today May be a Historic Moment in U.S History... [PIC] - http://www.patrickmoberg.com/novembe...
Robert Peña, James Carnley, Karthik and 2 other people liked this
Haha,, That is cool...
- EminiAddict
Google unveils Android platform roadmap, accepts patches - http://arstechnica.com/news...
James Carnley and Robert Scoble liked this
Paul Krugman wins Nobel economics prize - Los Angeles Times - http://www.latimes.com/news...
Brian, Pat Kitano, Aaron Draczynski and 12 other people liked this
"He has come out forcefully against John McCain during the economic meltdown, saying the Republican candidate is "more frightening now than he was a few weeks ago" and earlier that the GOP has become "the party of stupid.""
- Roshan Vyas
from Bookmarklet
The 55-year-old American economist was the lone winner of the 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) award and the latest in a string of American researchers to be honored.
- Robert Scoble
Ironically, due to the strengthening dollar the USD value of the prize has dropped from $2 million USD just 3 months ago.
- Kevin Fox
I suspect Krugman 'earned' it not for his econ work but for his rabid anti-Bush screeds over the last few years. Which is, of course, the continuing politicization of an award that used to mean something. The Nobel committees need to get their heads on straight.
- Rob Sterling
Rob: Supporting evidence?
- Kevin Fox
@Rob via Gawker, here's what conservative Jonah Goldberg has to write: "A lot of readers write in to tell me the prize must be a joke, that it's political etc. I have no idea whether, or how much, politics entered the decision — though politics often does. But I think folks need to know that Krugman really is a very serious and respected economist...."
- Roshan Vyas
"I have no idea how his academic work has held up since he became a pundit. But people have been talking about him getting a Nobel for years. Look, Noam Chomsky's a great linguist. Being good at your academic specialty has never been a great indicator of your political acuity." http://gawker.com/5062580...
- Roshan Vyas
The Nobel prizes have lost their luster as a result of the awarding becoming less about achievement and more about politics. Krugman actually is deserving of the recognition of his peers for his work in Economics, but because he is a rabid and far-left looney-tune politically, the award will be widely viewed as a leftie badge, just as those of Gore and Carter were.
- eggsy
It seems like it's hard to become an expert in a field that has political ramifications without also forming and espousing an educated opinion on those ramifications. Should we limit Nobel prizes to those who are experts yet choose to keep their most educated opinions to themselves?
- Kevin Fox
The Nobel Peace Prize has been completely politicalized. I can't help wondering if his anti-Bush statements weren't a form of campaigning for the prize.
- Robert Hafer
@Kevin: Krugman's columns in the NYT are intemperate and hardly scholarly in nature or tone. However, since John Nash was certainly no less sane than Krugman and he also won the NP in Econ, I suppose this is justifiable.
- Rob Sterling
Robert H.: Did you mean to say the Peace Prize? Taking a look at the last several winners that's hard to imagine. Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank? Shirin Ebadi in Iran? Any Peace Prize winner has to have an influence on peace, and that almost always means politics, so yes, it's political, but are you saying there's a bias toward some other political aspect than peace?
- Kevin Fox
Carter did not promote peace, the IPCC doesn't promote peace, the UN perpetuates human suffering. The criteria appears to be promoting the UN agenda, not peace.
- Robert Hafer
That's definitely a debatable view. I was recently in Trieste and several cities in Croatia which would not be the places they are if not for UN support and administration. My sister-in-law has the same things to say about Kosovo, where she works now.
- Kevin Fox
Ask the people in Sierra Leone about the quality of UN peacekeeping
- Robert Hafer
My point is that overgeneralizations are bad.
- Kevin Fox
@Kevin isn't that an overgeneralization of overgeneralizations? ;)
- Roshan Vyas
;-)
- Kevin Fox
What did Al Gore have to do with "Peace"?
- eggsy
To unwisely perpetuate this thread, I ask: What is peace? How is helping thousands of impoverished Bangladeshi women start their own businesses helping 'peace'? Are there elements to peace beyond the absence of war? If so, what?
- Kevin Fox
Gag me with a spoon.
- eggsy
Well, the Nobel judges awarded the Peace Prize to Gore for his bringing awareness to global warming, which they wrote ""may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the Earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states."
- Roshan Vyas
Typical of the American Left Kevin, you render language meaningless in a framework of relativism. If the word "peace" has no definite meaning, than to whom shall this prize be given? Or maybe for you, words have "penumbras", and can thereby be sculpted to fit one's needs. The confusion about the word peace exists only in the minds of you and yours.
- eggsy
I heard Republicans are against wealth redistribution. OK, that's fair. How about all Republicans sign an agreement not to take any unemployment checks after they get laid off? Then I'll believe them. I bet if that were to happen at least 85% would join Democratic party. Especially now.
Prof. Pamela Hood, General Kafka, Adam Bullied and 21 other people liked this
Also, no driving on interstate highways! Don't send your kids to public schools either, etc etc etc
- Internet's Tad
Only flaw with that argument: employers pay for unemployment insurance not the employees. It's not the redistribution of anyone's wealth other than the company's.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
I believe that many Republicans take that position due to the party's platform, not because of their own personal beliefs. That being said - what does John McCain's plan to buy up bad mortgages count as?
- Shawn Farner
They mean the wealth (re)distribution should not be reversed from the present direction of "taking from the poor and giving more to the rich."
- LPH™ and his dog P™
Capitalism *is* wealth redistribution.
- Steve Lowe
I've been laid off a couple times in my life and spent months looking. But I never took any unemployment from the government.
- Sam J. West IV
@Tina The myth that your employer pays your unemployment insurance is the same as the myth that your employer pays half of your Social Security tax. It's all part of your compensation. Your employer just hands it over to the government on your behalf. It's still you making the payment.
- Chris Johnson
Wealth Redistribution is easy to define. It's when Person A gets together with Person B and they decide to give Person C money by taking it forcibly from Person D against their will.
- Sam J. West IV
Again: unemployment is paid for BY YOUR EMPLOYERS. It is NOT a government handout, and if you DON'T take it then who do you think keeps the money? Do you think the government gives it back to the companies that paid in?
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Chris: by that argument, aren't you shortchanging *yourself* (rather than "not taking a government handout") when you choose to not accept unemployment?
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
+1 tina
- Kyle Lacy
You are shortchanging yourself if you don't take unemployment.
- Alex Scoble
Twenty years ago I started a company after being layed off and using unemployment to keep me going.
- Michael Krigsman
@Chris White, we are in danger of finding out.
- Morgan Warstler
Robert, wealth redistribution and unemployment insurance are two totally separate things. Please read and educate yourself as to what conservatives stand for. You don't have to agree, but please understand.
- ChiliMac
I don't understand the connection, sorry. It's like someone saying, "You don't believe in one thing, so you shouldn't do this other, completely different thing." Or maybe not saying it, but posting it on FF. Water off a duck's back keeps the doctor away, that sort of thing.
- Glen Campbell
@Tina Yes, you are. You're forgoing an insurance benefit for which you paid the premium. Scoble's thought experiment would only make sense if you could choose to opt out of the unemployment insurance system altogether, neither paying the premium nor getting unemployment benefits.
- Chris Johnson
Chris White: You made me laugh! "And Trix are for kids".
- Melanie Reed
Our society is so abnormal that the normal man never dreams of having the normal occupation of looking after his own property. When he chooses a trade, he chooses one of the ten thousand trades that involve looking after other people's property. - G. K. Chesterton
- Melanie Reed
This was a tiresome argument when the likes of Tibor Machan, Ayn Rand and other libertarians beat it to death in the 60s and 70s. But yes, I'd gladly opt out of government benefits if the proportionate cost of those benefits was deducted from my tax burden. Social security, unemployment, medicare, medicaid...bring it on.
- Rob Sterling
Actually Robert, every time I've been unemployed, I've refused unemployment checks. Never once collected a government cash stipend. And yes, I've qualified for it more than once.
- Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
I'm not a republican, but I'm against wealth redistribution. And I will take any benefits that I've already been forced to pay for via taxes.
- Kingsley Joseph
So the Republicans need a Opt-Out bill.
- CW™
like any of them would need an unemployment check to begin with .. stupid argument
- Steven Hodson
If the employer is paying for unemployment, why'd I only get $40 for 4 days of temporary layoff in 1996? The reason cited was that I hadn't been working long enough. Sounds like I had to contribute something to get something, and being a college student / grad student didn't count...
- MiniMage, sheeple of FF
I'm a Dem who's never taken unemployment, despite paying lots in taxes. Obama and Biden have decided it's only fair to have people over $250k pay more. I think the discussion should be what's a fair level of wealth redistribution. Since 40% of us don't pay taxes at all, and get stimulus checks we know what the bottom level is. What's a fair level at the top? How much should government be allowed to take 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%? Or should we just say no one's allowed to make over a certain amount?
- Alex Nesbitt
This is such a weird discussion. As if all Republicans and all Democrats believe the same things as others registered in their party. The Republicans particularly these days are a mish-mash of libertarian-leaning small-government economic conservatives and religious social conservatives...
- LogEx
...there are a lot of people out there who are truly independent, but register with a party so they can participate more fully in primaries. Many of these folks, for example, lean libertarian on issues of freedoms, justice, liberties, property, etc., but may lean economically conservative but socially progressive.
- LogEx
There are a ton of poor Republicans, and a ton of rich Democrats.
- LogEx
McCain is already covered, he gets disability, he really does. Is that not grand.
- Barbara Duck
from twhirl
In a country with so much opportunity for virtually every individual, I find it strange that it's considered ok by any mainstream political group to take money away from people who are willing to work hard for it only to give it to those who either aren't or have made personal choices that make it much more difficult.
- Jim Dittmer
I hear you but at the same time unemployment is insurance that everyone's employer pays into so it hardly seems like wealth redistribution to collect on an insurance claim.
- Brian Shields
@Scoobie - Employees pay for unemployment, just like they pay for health insurance. Dude, have you ever run a company? When you agree to give an employee $X, you do it in full knowledge that you also have to cover other costs for them - if you suddenly didn't have to pay those costs, the employee could, and would, be paid more. The government is only robbing Peter to pay Paul. Don't be dense.
- Morgan Warstler
It's amazing how the experiences of a little misfortune in life can turn a Republican into a Democrat. It's also called "developing empathy.";-)
- Cathryn Hrudicka
Cathryn: It sounds like you are implying Conservatives/Republicans lack empathy. Trust me, we do not. :D
- ChiliMac
The MoJo Interview: Bill Maher (On Religulous) - http://www.motherjones.com/intervi...
Gabriel Nijmeh, bill giltner, James Carnley and 2 other people liked this
"I would say that Jerusalem was an eye-opener. I was raised Catholic but my mother was Jewish. And, I guess, and maybe it's a liberal East Coast thing, but we have this idea that Jews are less crazy than the Christians and the Muslims. But when you go to Jerusalem they actually look more crazy. I call it the funny-hat capital of the world.... When you go to Jerusalem you notice that there is a lot of craziness going on. Even on the plane over, they were, at a certain point, they all stood up in the aisle of the plane davening; they wrapped their tzitzit around their arms, and they just looked like crazy people, always bowing their head. It's disconcerting."
- Sean McBride
from Bookmarklet
Jerusalem: ground zero for the self-destruction of the human race? Certainly Jerusalem-centric ideologies have generated a wealth of apocalyptic scenarios that have been embraced by millions of fanatics. Some of them control weapons of mass destruction.
- Sean McBride
Sean: when I visited Jerusalem they prayed all around me on the plane. Had the exact same experience. It was very interesting to watch. A guy next to me translated the ceremony for me and explained why they were praying at that point in time.
- Robert Scoble
Robert - what is disturbing is to assemble a total picture of the ideology, complete with political program, that is associated with these practices, and to graph the influence of these beliefs on Israeli and American politics. It is easy to plot a direct line between these zealous religionists and the Bush 43 administration and the McCain/Palin camp, with neoconservatives playing the...
more...
- Sean McBride
Robert - and, as you noted in another comment, Israel is also one of the most impressive centers of high tech research and development on the planet. Israelis as a whole highly value science, reason, progress and all those good things.
- Sean McBride
Meh. Celebrities have zero credibility with me. I could care less what any of them, including Maher, have to say. He's a talent, period.
- Patricia
Being a celebrity doesn't automatically make one an uninteresting thinker any more than being a member of any other class does (except, perhaps, for the class of stupid people. :)) Mark Twain was a celebrity in his time, and I would rank Twain among the 20 most important thinkers in world history. Maher asks some salient questions about religion and religionists that need to be asked.
- Sean McBride
@sean mcbride, it's not about disinterest. :) Mark Twain became a celebrity through his work, not out of the pursuit of being a Hollywood talent....
- Patricia
Let me add that I definitely don't put Bill Maher in the same class as Mark Twain -- not even close. But I am looking forward to seeing Religuous.
- Sean McBride
@sean, i'm not. i could tell from the previews that he didn't get a well balanced opinion from one single question he asked. i also don't agree that God makes people act stupid - people make people act stupid and attacking religion doesn't exactly squelch that. He should be doing a documentary about the decline in quality of our public figures and ourselves. It used to be hard to have a...
more...
- Patricia
Patricia -- how should one respond to militant religionists who use "God" as a pretext for military aggression, human rights violations, genocide, anti-democratic policies and the like?
- Sean McBride
"God" as an excuse to conquer territory, steal resources, murder outsiders (and "traitors" from within), suppress free speech, impose authoritiarian or totalitarian rule, line the pockets of "priests," etc.
- Sean McBride
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