This is a problem I don’t have. Well, except once in a while when the waterbed heater takes some time off. Maybe someday I’ll join the 32% of americans who get the recommended 8 hours of sleep on weeknights. Weekends are another story…usually good for 8-9 hours.
Henry at Crooked Timber offers congratulations to Congressman Billy Tauzin a republican from Louisiana:
CT extends its hearty congratulations to Congressman Billy Tauzin (R-La), who�s demonstrating his sincere attachment to free market virtues by retiring from politics and selling himself to the highest bidder.
Well, yea, Henry is being a bit tongue in cheek. Tauzin’s retirement plans (R) do have a peculiar (though common in Washington) stench.
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Henry also notes that:
Needless to say, Tauzin has been assiduous in his efforts to protect the interests of big pharma and the content industry over the last couple of years; it�s hard to believe that his grossly inflated salary is unconnected to services previously rendered.
If this assessment is true, and I agree with it, it appears to directly conflict any idea of “…attachment to free market virtues…” Rather more likely is that Tauzin has dedicated himself to both protecting the interests of his suitors not the citizens he his supposed to serve andstealing money from taxing you and I and finding ways to put the proceeds, unearned, into the pockets of others. This has nothing to do with free market virtues.
There is an interesting discussion in the comment thread regarding the causes of this long standing environment of subtle and not so subtle corruption that permeates the relationship between government at all levels and the clients the goverment protects regulates.
Update (Jan 25): Also see Marx, Incentives and Liberalism at Catallarchy.
From Time:
Sources with knowledge of the case tell TIME that behind closed doors at the E. Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse, nearby the Capitol, a grand jury began hearing testimony Wednesday in the investigation of who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame to columnist Robert Novak and other journalists.
I’d sure like to see the results packaged up and delivered to the people well before November.
Via Atrios.
If you like science Fiction and in particular if you like Isaac Asimov you will love West Virginia University’s new Asimov collection which was donated by Larry Shaver.
The 600 item collection is housed in a controlled environment and may be viewed by appointment only. This presentation of the covers of many of the books is great.
And here is a lot of related cover art and illustrations. Makes you wonder just what was on the minds of those folks back in the 20th century.
Via Metafilter where this robot generated some commentary…
James Landrith has cosigned Jonathon Wilde’s fine response to the SOTU reading:
It is a spectacle millions watch on air with tremendous involvement and pointless excitement, but is ultimately an act of fakery.
Message to politicians:
I don’t want your ‘strengthening of the economy’. You have screwed it up enough already.
I don’t want your ‘sanctity of marriage’. It’s not your business.
Quit trying to define everything as right or left. The world is not binary.
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Do go read the rest. His summation should be constantly visible to every politician.
