Alan K. Henderson's Weblog

Great Britain have a destroyer and aircraft carrier for sale.

Labels: Curiosities

Two video blasts from the early 1980s - William Shatner hawks the Commodore Vic-20 and discusses microchip technology.

Labels: Curiosities

Intercepts headline: Retired Teachers in California Earn More Than Working Teachers in 28 States.

Labels: Education

He's got green technologies nailed.

Labels: Science

From his blog: What Obama's foreign policy speechwriter would REALLY like him to say tonight

Labels: Foreign policy, World

Archaeologists discover 15,000-year-old artifacts in the Lone Star State.

Labels: Science

Robert Mueller will soon be stepping down as FBI Director. NPR reports the short list of nominees, which includes Jamie Gorelick.

Glenn Reynolds notes her scandals revolving around FNMA, Countrywide, and the Duke Lacrosse false rape allegations. Let's not forget the Gorelick Wall either:

You may recall that the lack of interagency communication was identified by the 9/11 Commission as being the direct result of an official policy of the Clinton White House. That policy was most closely identified with Jamie Gorelick. Called the “Gorelick wall,” the policy is widely referred to as the biggest reason 19 Islamic terrorists were able to attack us on 9/11. The policy mandated a separation of criminal investigators and intelligence agents. No sharing of info. Gorelick herself proudly asserted in a Washington Post op-ed that she was the one who had erected that wall between the agencies.

Puke.

Labels: Crime, Politics

What did Qadaffi ever do to his people that Fidel Castro never did to his?

Labels: World

Of course, the UN won't call it that, but that's what it is.

This isn't like the no-fly zone over Iraq. We had just defeated Saddam, and the no-fly zone was a term of ceasefire. Nobody but the Libyan people are at war with the Libyan government. The UN has decided to take sides.

Unfortunately, the UN has a nasty habit of engaging in military conflicts without trying to win them. That habit has got to go, if the UN is to redeem its last few shreds of decency and usefulness. Libyans deserve better than a new tinhorn dictator to replace the old.

Labels: World

Regarding the post below - yeah, cops were on the scene to make arrests, but law enforcement failed to secure the property in the first place. There's no way a gang of protesters should have been able to get into a legislative committee room.

Imagine if a bunch of protesters massed outside a county courthouse, and after a while a large group decided to enter the courthouse as a group. You think the sheriff's department officers guarding the place would allow it? Don't you think they'd perceive the act as an immediate threat to the peace? Court house entryways are narrow - it doesn't take many officers to block entry. Shouldn't legislative offices be equally secure?

Labels: Crime

Michigan prosecutors are doing their job, but some of the police in Wisconsin and Tennessee are not.

Labels: Crime, Politics

Rand Simberg has holiday-appropriate music.

Labels: Music

InstaHeadline: "Miami Mayor Carlos Alvarez Ousted in Recall by 9-1 Margin Over Tax Hikes, Pay Hikes for Unionized City Employees." Instapundit reader Laurie Myers' emailed her reaction, starting with this: "The unions tried to save him but failed big."

Hey, if people are mad at you for taking their stuff, the people you're giving that stuff to aren't the ones who should be doing your PR.

Labels: Politics

Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler contributor LC Jackboot has lots to say about the science. His credentials:

I spent 6 years in the US Navy nuclear program as both an operator, radiation and chemistry technician and instructor. Following this I entered the commercial nuclear field as a radiation safety officer for a year, then transferred into plant operations. I obtained an NRC Reactor Operator license and following the additional requisite training and experience an NRC Senior Reactor Operator license and served as a Control Room Supervisor. I decided to leave the shift-work of operations and transferred to a position as a Senior Emergency Planning Engineer. This allowed me to obtain a Master’s Level certification in Nuclear Engineering Technology. We developed, trained and tested implementation of the nuclear emergency plans for the state and local government as well as the company. I also had a sub-specialty in emergency planning for what is called Severe Accident Management, which is precisely what Japan is facing.

Rand Simberg links Brave New Climate's coverage of the events.

Labels: Science

The hearings are titled The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response. I have bones to pick over such an imprecise term as "radicalization." The term is no doubt intended to include terrorist attacks and not-politically-motivated violence such as honor killings.

Since Islamic violence is on the rise in the West, we should be trying to figure out what parts of Islam are producing it - and if other parts of Islam can help us ameliorate the threat.

But should that task be passed to Congress? Isn't that like hiring Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty to solve a crime? Moriarty may not have any personal involvement in the crime in question, but he is deeply invested in preventing Holmes from ever being successful at anything, so the Congressional Moriarties can't be trusted. Same goes for any Executive Branch political appointee.

Currently, the best vehicle for assessing the extent of Islamic criminal activity are think tanks and investigative reporters.

Labels: Crime, Politics

Senate Republicans 1, public-sector unions 0.

Unfortunately, unruly mobs are forming in Madison. This is a very dangerous time.

Labels: Politics

I want to hear fiscal liberals defend the Industrial Revolution. I don't think they can. The key aspect of the Industrial Revolution was that it increased national wealth by increasing productivity - something that doesn't figure anywhere in leftist economic philosophy. Many of the left's economic schemes do the opposite - sometimes consciously.

Labels: Economics, Politics

Michael Moore says of the money of wealthy Americans: "That's a national resource, that's ours." Let's take this claim to its logical conclusions.

Any good that is described as being a "national" or "public" good is ours in name only - in reality, it is the government's. Public schools. Public transportation. Public buildings. All the government's.

Fiat currency does not have any inherent value. Currency represents shares of goods and services produced by its owner, just as stock represents shares of a company's net assets. NBC paid Jay Leno $20 million during the comic's last years at Tonight. Since money is just a voucher, whoever owns the voucher owns whatever it can be redeemed for.

US Dollars can be legally redeemed for all lawful goods and services. Everything Leno buys. Everything Leno can legally buy. The services NBC bought from Leno. Everything in the hands of both rich and poor. All the government's.

When I say "the government," I mean the federal government. Article One, Section 10 of the Constitution bars the states from issuing legal tender other than silver or gold coin. States can't own fiat money it can't print. It can't own gold or silver either, since federal currency is redeemable for those commodities. So if a state issues gold coins, the coins really belong to Washington.

If someone steals one of Leno's cars, who does the law authorize to file charges? The owner? Not according to Moore - in his eyes Leno is just a custodian. To be consistent with his property rights philosophy, Moore should be demanding that this change, that the courts recognize all property crimes as federal crimes.

Labels: Economics, Law

Newt Gingrich is launching a presidential exploratory committee. Hope they have enough lifeboats.

One thing that troubles me about Mr. Newt, something that even conservatives scarcely mention: his 1998 resignation. He didn't have staying power as Speaker of the House - why should we expect him to have staying power as President?

Labels: Politics

Some obscure outfit declares Athens the most flirtatious city in the world. Uh, okay, if you say so.

Labels: Curiosities