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Thursday, August 19, 2010
Pakistan floods: Why aid is so slow compared to Haiti earthquake - CSMonitor.com
Pakistan floods: Why aid is so slow compared to Haiti earthquake - CSMonitor.com: "nearly three weeks into the disaster in Pakistan, the roughly $230 million committed to help 15 million people affected breaks down to about $15 committed per flood affected person. Within 10 days of the Haiti earthquake, $742 million was committed (and $920 million pledged). With some 1.5 million people directly impacted, that breaks down to $495 per person committed, she says."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
FOXNews.com - Probe Reveals Flaws in N.C. Prosecutions, Including High-Profile Murder Case
FOXNews.com - Probe Reveals Flaws in N.C. Prosecutions, Including High-Profile Murder Case: "at times, 'information that may have been material and even favorable to the defense of an accused defendant was withheld or misrepresented.'
The report does not conclude that any innocent people were convicted, noting the evidence wasn't always used at trials and defendants may have admitted to crimes. But it states prosecutors and defense lawyers need to check whether tainted lab reports helped lead to confessions or pleas."
The report does not conclude that any innocent people were convicted, noting the evidence wasn't always used at trials and defendants may have admitted to crimes. But it states prosecutors and defense lawyers need to check whether tainted lab reports helped lead to confessions or pleas."
FOXNews.com - Advocates say attorney general 'dragging his feet' on standards to prevent prison rape
FOXNews.com - Advocates say attorney general 'dragging his feet' on standards to prevent prison rape: "Justice Department statistics show that an estimated 4.5 percent, or 60,500 inmates, report being victims of sexual assault in federal prisons, said Pat Nolan, vice president of outreach program Prison Fellowship. It happens to almost 1 in 8 juveniles in custody."
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Science Behind Foldit | Foldit
The Science Behind Foldit | Foldit: "Foldit is a revolutionary new computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. This page describes the science behind Foldit and how your playing can help."
Friday, August 13, 2010
Critical of GOP candidate Ron Johnson | Hudson Star-Observer | Hudson, Wisconsin
Critical of GOP candidate Ron Johnson | Hudson Star-Observer | Hudson, Wisconsin: "Since Johnson apparently forgot, here’s what he was recently asked by the website Wispolitics:
“Do you want to open up more of the United States — the continental United States — to drilling. I mean, would you support drilling like in the Great Lakes for example, if there was oil found there, or using more exploration in Alaska, in ANWR, those kinds of things?”
Johnson said: “Yeah. You know, the bottom line is that we are an oil-based economy. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get off of that for many, many years, so I think we have to just be realistic and recognize that fact. And I think we have to get the oil where it is, but we need to do it responsibly.”
Johnson let his answer stand for weeks. But the day before Russ Feingold ran an ad highlighting the need to protect the Great Lakes, Johnson changed his tune in a press release. Now he claims he’s always been against oil drilling in the Great Lakes."
It sounds like he was asked a general question, gave a general answer, and is now being chastised for specifics. I don't think this proves that he changed his mind -- it may simple prove that he wasn't careful enough with the details.
“Do you want to open up more of the United States — the continental United States — to drilling. I mean, would you support drilling like in the Great Lakes for example, if there was oil found there, or using more exploration in Alaska, in ANWR, those kinds of things?”
Johnson said: “Yeah. You know, the bottom line is that we are an oil-based economy. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get off of that for many, many years, so I think we have to just be realistic and recognize that fact. And I think we have to get the oil where it is, but we need to do it responsibly.”
Johnson let his answer stand for weeks. But the day before Russ Feingold ran an ad highlighting the need to protect the Great Lakes, Johnson changed his tune in a press release. Now he claims he’s always been against oil drilling in the Great Lakes."
It sounds like he was asked a general question, gave a general answer, and is now being chastised for specifics. I don't think this proves that he changed his mind -- it may simple prove that he wasn't careful enough with the details.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
FOXNews.com - Prosecutors seek rare federal death penalty in Ohio fire that killed mom, 8 kids
FOXNews.com - Prosecutors seek rare federal death penalty in Ohio fire that killed mom, 8 kids: "Now federal prosecutors are seeking a rare federal death penalty against the convicted drug dealer accused of setting the inferno. They contend that Carter's Section 8 subsidy effectively involved the house in interstate commerce, giving them federal jurisdiction that allows a death penalty for fatalities caused by the alleged arson of government property."
Monday, August 09, 2010
FOXNews.com - In role reversal, Ohio sex offender mistakenly given private information about his neighbors
FOXNews.com - In role reversal, Ohio sex offender mistakenly given private information about his neighbors: "Neighbors routinely get a picture and a name when a sex offender moves next door. In a turnabout, an Ohio sex offender has received private information about his neighbors, including their Social Security numbers.
The material was shown to The Associated Press by convicted rapist Pearly Wilson, who was mistakenly given the information by a prosecutor. The data also contain the names, addresses and birth dates of nine of Wilson's one-time neighbors on Columbus' east side."
"Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien took responsibility for the error, which he believes to be isolated.
Wilson's former neighbors, meanwhile, are wondering why the government has data about them at all."
The material was shown to The Associated Press by convicted rapist Pearly Wilson, who was mistakenly given the information by a prosecutor. The data also contain the names, addresses and birth dates of nine of Wilson's one-time neighbors on Columbus' east side."
"Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien took responsibility for the error, which he believes to be isolated.
Wilson's former neighbors, meanwhile, are wondering why the government has data about them at all."
Thursday, August 05, 2010
More than the Sum of Our BMIs | Patrick Basham and John Luik | Cato Institute: Commentary
More than the Sum of Our BMIs | Patrick Basham and John Luik | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The BMI is wholly arbitrary, having no scientifically valid relationship with mortality. It's inadequate as a measure of body fat because it cannot account for the composition of a person's body — fat, muscle, organs, water, etc. It's also affected substantially by a person's frame and the relative length of his or her legs and torso. And it does not take into account whether body fat is well-distributed or concentrated around the waist, the latter being more likely to indicate health risks."
"There is scant scientific evidence to support assertions by the federal government and others that being overweight or obese increases one's mortality risks, or that the overweight and moderately obese can improve their health by losing weight. Such claims ignore 40 years of international data suggesting that obesity is not a cause of premature mortality. Many studies have demonstrated that the effects of diet and physical activity are independent of the effects of BMI and other measures of body size or fat."
"Recent empirical analysis of the relationship between BMI and mortality found that death rates were essentially the same given BMIs ranging from 20 to 35. Normal-weight individuals of both genders do not appear to live longer than the mildly obese (those with BMIs of 30 to 35). This suggests that the only scientifically justified obesity interventions pertain to the small fraction of the population with BMIs of more than 40 (3 percent to 4 percent of adults)."
"There is scant scientific evidence to support assertions by the federal government and others that being overweight or obese increases one's mortality risks, or that the overweight and moderately obese can improve their health by losing weight. Such claims ignore 40 years of international data suggesting that obesity is not a cause of premature mortality. Many studies have demonstrated that the effects of diet and physical activity are independent of the effects of BMI and other measures of body size or fat."
"Recent empirical analysis of the relationship between BMI and mortality found that death rates were essentially the same given BMIs ranging from 20 to 35. Normal-weight individuals of both genders do not appear to live longer than the mildly obese (those with BMIs of 30 to 35). This suggests that the only scientifically justified obesity interventions pertain to the small fraction of the population with BMIs of more than 40 (3 percent to 4 percent of adults)."
The Making Up of a President - Clifford F. Thies - Mises Daily
The Making Up of a President - Clifford F. Thies - Mises Daily: "We found that the values implicit in presidential ratings are just about the opposite of those of the people, as expressed in their voting. The people vote for the nominees of the party of the sitting president who have avoided war, and whose terms of office were characterized by strong economic growth. The people don't really care much about political or personal scandal. By contrast, the intellectuals love war, don't care about economic growth, and are obsessed with scandal.
Another thing Gary and I found is that ratings of presidents, upon their departure from office, tend to start low and then rise over time. Therefore, the very low rating accorded George W. Bush in the recently released Siena poll can be expected to improve in the coming years."
"And how does the intellectual elite explain the turnaround of the economy under Reagan, that we went from the stagflation of the 1970s and the malaise associated with Carter to 'morning in America'? Well, I'm glad you asked that question.
According to the presidential experts, it was Luck. The intellectual elite rank Ronald Reagan low in economic performance, #21, below Barack Obama. But they rank Reagan #3 in Luck."
Another thing Gary and I found is that ratings of presidents, upon their departure from office, tend to start low and then rise over time. Therefore, the very low rating accorded George W. Bush in the recently released Siena poll can be expected to improve in the coming years."
"And how does the intellectual elite explain the turnaround of the economy under Reagan, that we went from the stagflation of the 1970s and the malaise associated with Carter to 'morning in America'? Well, I'm glad you asked that question.
According to the presidential experts, it was Luck. The intellectual elite rank Ronald Reagan low in economic performance, #21, below Barack Obama. But they rank Reagan #3 in Luck."
Man faces jail for YouTube video of traffic stop | Technically Incorrect - CNET News
Man faces jail for YouTube video of traffic stop | Technically Incorrect - CNET News: "The wiretap argument enjoys an interesting logic: that the audio part of a conversation between a police officer and a suspect is private, and therefore, according to laws in certain states, both parties have to agree to any recording.
However, traffic stops don't really seem all that private. Indeed, they often cause traffic congestion as rubberneckers slow their vehicles to take in the action. So one wonders just how sturdy that argument might appear in any eventual court case.
And then there's the police highly technological penchant for dashboard cams. Don't they make TV shows out of the footage? Is the logic really that the police can film anything, but the public can't?"
However, traffic stops don't really seem all that private. Indeed, they often cause traffic congestion as rubberneckers slow their vehicles to take in the action. So one wonders just how sturdy that argument might appear in any eventual court case.
And then there's the police highly technological penchant for dashboard cams. Don't they make TV shows out of the footage? Is the logic really that the police can film anything, but the public can't?"
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