Assorted Links 6/17/09 Archives

Assorted Links 6/17/09

John Williams and Julian Bream: C.Debussy-Clair de Lune

Tracking and Monitoring Legislation: How to Find and Use Congressional Documents, June 25, 2009 - with WiFi Classroom
How to Research and Compile Legislative Histories, June 26, 2009 - with WiFi Classroom
Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments, July 29, 2009
Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony, July 30, 2009
Advanced Federal Budget Process, August 3-4, 2998
Advanced Legislative Strategies, August 5-7, 2009
The Singularity is Near - I "doubt that Marx is the best guide to this new world. try Charlie Stross instead"
Capital One Chargeoffs Rise To 9.4%; American Express Chargeoffs 10%; Card Issuance Drops 50%
Iran's Disputed Election - in photos
HDMI cables don’t have to be a ripoff - "And in this little scenario we see exactly what’s wrong with the American consumer. Why wait a few days when you can blow four times as much money for the same exact product in order to get it instantly? Why wait to get something you can’t afford at the moment when you can put it on a high interest credit card? Why wait to get a nice house via a reasonable down payment when you can take out a subprime mortgage that you won’t be able to afford in five years? You want to know what’s wrong with the American economy? Just look at Best Buy’s cable aisle."
Twitter, Data Center Delay Upgrades Rather Than Cut Off Iranian Communications - "Twitter has emerged as an amazingly powerful communications tool as to what's happening in Iran ... it's fascinating to see that Twitter and its data center partner, NTT, have actually chosen to delay some critical updates, knowing that cutting off communications from Iran just as so many people are relying on it would be a disaster. "
Reflections on the Iranian Enigma - "Is it all that moral, or all that wise, or all that much in US realpolitik interests to apologize to a thug? Does it show solidarity with the Iranian people to court a nut? What is so smart in making Iran the center of our attention rather than the Maliki democratic government in Iraq? Hamas rather than democratic Israel?"
Why Obama Should Stay Silent on Iran - "If Iran’s government has overreached, the right response is schadenfreude. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of guys."
Obama on the Iranian Election - "But you don't want to get to a point where foreign leaders think that the best way to immunize yourself from American criticism is to become America's sworn enemy, and the worst way is to be great friends."
Dr. Krugman: This Patient Needs More Bloodletting
The health care lobbyist in the White House--and the State House - "Why is a lobbyist for for-profit hospitals, nursing homes, and other health-care companies going to the White House tomorrow to participate in a health-care forum chaired by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius? Because that lobbyist is also an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates."
Now For The Real Interbuildability - "Years ago, I was in a new Volkswagen factory. Different cars of different brands were rolling down the same assembly line, most of the work done by robots. A huge stamping machine made fifty fenders, dropped the tool into a storage bin, grabbed another tool and made eighty doors. I said to the guy who showed me the factory: 'Soon, you can ship the tooling to another factory via e-mail.'"
Bariatric Surgery: Bad To The Bone - "But of course, you don’t have to become vitamin deficient to lose weight. You can lose weight by cutting out sugar and starch, which don’t contain any nutrients we need – or to be more accurate, they don’t contain any nutrients."
Asus Eee PC 1000HE review - cnet
Spain Cracks Down on Radar Detectors, Laser Jammers and . . . Sat Nav