H20h wow

And on the semi-official last day of my connection to USA Today and the Tech_Space / Science Fair legacy (yeah, I have stuff to say about that, but not today), we have confirmation of water on Mars. The universe sends me off with a bang...

Out of his gym and out of tact

LA police chief William Bratton interrupts his workout to give his State of the Paparazzi Address. It is a beautiful thing and a nice reminder that a vast amount of celebutard gossip really does sum up to less than one sentence. Is Bratton always this, uh, forthright? Or does a good workout really clear out the politico BS that effectively? (And damn you, KNBC.com, why won't you let me embed the video?)

Sensible Talk is sensible

Over at that strapping young site, a perfectly civilized essay on why government regulation works, as seen through the lens of the (lack of) death and destruction from this week's Chino Hills earthquake. I am debating whether it would be entertaining to print out a copy and stash it in my suitcase, that I may roll it up and smack certain of my relatives on the nose with it during the holidays. (We are such festive people when we gather.)

I am not sure how wingnuts can fail to understand why their pure-free-market Cloud-Cuckoo-Land evaporates when confronted with the day-to-day reality of life in a highly technical, extraordinarily complex world in which the consumer has a vanishingly small chance of being adequately informed to make the sort of decisions that one must make to live in the world. As a consumer who is painfully aware that she is not adequately knowledgeable about things like food safety and building codes, I like that I can elect people who can set up structures whereby these things are pursued. Robert Niles' essay makes the case for the benefits very well.

The eternal question

"Witness screamed 'Why?' in gunman's face"

And even with no other data but that headline, one feels the presence of Unitarians. (Confidential to AFT: Race you to seminary!)

Ted Stevens gets tubed

Wouldn't it be fun if Senator Ted Stevens ended up at Club Fed and found he had some time on his hands to learn himself some Internets after all?

(And if you think that's mean-spirited, you thank me for not posting my thoughts re Robert Novak getting a brain tumor, Ted Kennedy-style. Just no civility left in me at all this week.)

Why justice delayed is justice denied

As my friend comments from across the room, better before than after. Still.