Archive for January, 2007
Spoiling for a War
Read this, and tell me there isn’t room to pursue diplomatic negotiations with Iran: Two hard-line newspapers, including one owned by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have already called for the president to stay out of all nuclear matters. Ayatollah Montazeri said Iran has the right to nuclear technology but questioned the way Mr. [...]
Didn’t You Hear? It’s a Battalion of Intergalactic Smoking Missiles!
The Post has a long article today on the difficulties House Democrats might have forming a consensus on how to address climate change. It is, I think it’s safe to say, one of the most maddening things you’ll read all week. I hardly know where to start. 1) Why don’t Dems deal with more things [...]
Today in Metaphors: Canada Edition
What is this report on climate change like? “The smoking gun is definitely lying on the table as we speak,†said top U.S. climate scientist Jerry Mahlman, who reviewed all 1,600 pages of the first segment of a giant four-part report. “The evidence … is compelling.†Andrew Weaver, a Canadian climate scientist and study co-author, [...]
Prediction: Meltdown
There are Superbowls where two evenly matched teams play their hearts out to the finish (Pats-Panthers), and Superbowls where one team either can’t hang or completely melts down, treating spectators to an epic snoozer (Bucs-Raiders). For XLI, my money is on the latter. Thing is, I can’t figure out which team is going to do [...]
Don’t Look Back in Anger
You may have noticed that I continue to nurse a grudge against onetime hero of mine John Edwards, based on his opportunistic stance changing in the ’04 Democratic primaries, which led to the destruction of my naive belief that some politicians were, in fact, above it. I’m annoyed by his embrace of some ugly elements [...]
Technical Appendix
To this: So, it’s not really a preference argument; it’s a cost-benefit argument. The cost of adding an additional resident in a high density area of the city (higher property prices, additional congestion costs) is less than the gain that new resident provides to the city (human capital gains, labor market deepening). In low density [...]
Next Workshop
Sounds like we’ve got a good crowd for the next Boundary Street meeting, including a number of newcomers. We’ll officially set a date of February 7th for the meeting, and we’ll tentatively say we’re convening in Brookland. You can find the assigned exercises here. Look forward to seeing everyone.
The Vietnamization of Iraq
Matt directs our attention to this plan for getting us out of Iraq: Iraq’s best hope for peace resides in a quick withdrawal of almost all US military forces from the country and their replacement by a new and smaller multinational force. “Quick” and “almost all” means a reduction to no more than a few [...]
Say Hello to the Cardinal’s Nest
Brookland is home to another new coffeeshop, but this one also serves beer on tap. The Cardinal’s Nest, not to be confused with but possibly connected to the also newly opened sports bar The Cardinal Club, is also the latest Catholic themed establishment in the area. I don’t understand the reliance on Cardinal, though. There [...]
Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads
So, there are things to like and things to dislike in this proposal, but given the current makeup of the House of Delegates, I’m not sure Virginia can expect much more. On a side note, let me draw your attention to this excerpt from the Post piece: Northern Virginia’s 2030 plan calls for widening Interstate [...]