Infinite Monkey Theorems 20100709
July 9, 2010
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Posted by Michael S. Langston
Boxer might lose?!?! In what has to be either a sign of the end times or a sign of our bright future, Senator Barbara Boxer is in a tight race against former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (via the Atlantic here):
The latest Field poll looks a bit troubling for Sen. Barbara Boxer: she leads her Republican opponent, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, by just three percentage points (47% to 44%)…
San Fransisco’s City Council, in an attempt to prove themselves the absolutely dumbest people on Earth, might ban the sale of pets (via Huffington Post here):
…If the ordinance passes San Francisco could be the first city in the nation to ban the sale all pets except fish….
The IMF tells the US to slow down on spending (via the Hill here):
The United States must rein in its deficits sooner than President Barack Obama wants, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday.
In an annual report on the U.S. economy, the IMF said the U.S. faces a “central challenge” in implementing a “credible fiscal strategy” to ensure that public debt is put on a sustainable path without putting the economic recovery in jeopardy….
The NSA responds to the WSJ article (posted here yesterday) concerning the “Perfect Citizen” program (via the Atlantic here):
Today’s Wall Street Journal article by Siobhan Gorman, titled “US Plans Cyber Shield for Utilities, Companies,” is an inaccurate portrayal of the work performed at the National Security Agency. Because of the high sensitivity surrounding what we do to defend our nation, it is inappropriate to confirm or deny all of the specific allegations made in the article. We will, however, provide the following facts: PERFECT CITIZEN is purely a vulnerabilities-assessment and capabilities-development contract. This is a research and engineering effort. There is no monitoring activity involved, and no sensors are employed in this endeavor. Specifically, it does not involve the monitoring of communications or the placement of sensors on utility company systems. This contract provides a set of technical solutions that help the National Security Agency better understand the threats to national security networks, which is a critical part of NSA’s mission of defending the nation. Any suggestions that there are illegal or invasive domestic activities associated with this contracted effort are simply not true. We strictly adhere to both the spirit and the letter of U.S. laws and regulations….
I’m not saying I automatically disagree that their statement is completely accurate, but we should not forget the NSA is the same agency who for years denied even having something like Echelon.
Categories: Economics, Elections, Legislation, Military, Politics
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Tags: Animal Rights, Barbara Boxer, Carly Fiorina, Economics, Elections, IMF, NSA, Politics, San Fransisco, The Atlantic, WSJ
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“In what has to be either a sign of the end times or a sign of our bright future” Either way, two women in this race makes it a win-win for me. I want to see a female POTUS. This election is definitely another reminder of the end of unequal times, and a bright future.
“Any suggestions that there are illegal or invasive domestic activities associated with this contracted effort are simply not true. We strictly adhere to both the spirit and the letter of U.S. laws and regulations….” That statement seems oddly familiar. I believe I have heard it expressed in simpler terms: we decided the interpretation, and guess what? It doesn’t apply to us, ergo nothing is illegal or invasive! Sometimes these officials remind me of my kids, It is all in the semantics.
Well… I don’t know that I care so much about a female potus specifically, but that’s the male of me. Being part of the majority makes it difficult for me to identify with group politics, though I always thought (even during the primaries) that Mrs. Clinton would’ve made a better potus than Mr. Obama. No way to know for sure of course as it’s discussing a non-existent hypothetical…. I’m digressing
From a completely political point of view – the fact any “Republican” challenger in Boxer or say Pelosi’s district has a chance of winning is a good sign, since those districts were purposefully and politically drawn to maintain a democrat in those seats (there are conversely republican districts drawn for the same reason… I need to write about this).
These districts, distorts the ratio of voters needed to actually win an election. IE – when the district is drawn to protect one party & the voters are too… unwilling to vote for the other party, they effectively reduce the power of their vote and give it only to those who actively vote in primaries (which are usually true believers and a very small portion of voters overall).
As for the NSA – good point. I completely forgot how the government not only lies directly to us for our own good, but also loves to get lawyers involved to help prove what they are doing isn’t illegal. Plausible deniability.