HOT5 Daily 7/7/2010

1. "Daily Gut: Feelings Before Frontiers" Funny & true. 

Representative Sample: And so our President has put feelings before frontiers. Which is a mistake, because you can’t inspire anyone – kids or Muslims – without actually doing something. And if space exploration is no longer about space exploration, what exactly is it?

2. "With magnetic nanoparticles, scientists remotely control neurons and animal behavior" The article only mentions the possible medical benefits, but it sounds like it could have other less pleasant applications. 

Representative Sample: “We targeted the nanoparticles near what is the ‘mouth’ of the worms, called the amphid,” explains Pralle. “You can see in the video that the worms are crawling around; once we turn on the magnetic field, which heats up the nanoparticles to 34 degrees Celsius, most of the worms reverse course. We could use this method to make them go back and forth.

3. "Game theory and Israeli negotiations" Links to an interesting article.  

Representative Sample: Fantastic article about the blackmailer’s paradox and Israel’s chronic negotiation failures in dealing with the surrounding Muslim/Arab nations. This feeds into the “for a nation filled with smart people, Israel sure acts dumb” paradox.

4. "Agnosticism and the Varieties of Certainty" An excellent response to a Slate article attacking & misrepresenting atheism. 

Representative Sample: Rosenbaum’s mistake is to suppose that atheists are committed to providing some kind of utterly comprehensive worldview that explains everything in the way religious doctrine sometimes purports to. But why? Can’t we point out that claims made on behalf of one brand of snake oil are outlandish and unsupportable without peddling an even more wondrous tonic?

5. "Update on Lack of Feminist Support for HR-1371" Major feminist organizations apparently unconcerned with Iran stoning women to death while participating in the UN Status of Women Commission.

Representative Sample: Today, I received the below update from Maria Rohaly concerning the continuing lack of feminist support for HR-1371, a bill which concerns Iran's participation on the UN Status of Women Commission-as they prepare for another stoning punishment to be meted out to a woman charged with adultery.

To submit a blog post for HOT5 Daily, please e-mail me at unrright@NOSPAMgmail.com. Put HOT5 in the subject.

Department of Education's Muslim Outreach Program

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave an interview to Al Jazeera today. According to Mr. Duncan, perhaps the "foremost" mission of the Department of Education involves outreach to the Muslim world.

before I became the Secretary of Education -- President Obama charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to education.

When pressed for specifics about why expanding international relationships & building self-esteem in the Muslim world were primary goals of a U.S. federal agency apparently devoted to an entirely different mission, the secretary had this to offer.

Well look, let's face it, we are doing a terrible job here at home with this whole education thing. We keep spending more and more money and have less and less to show for it. Why shouldn't we focus on something that just makes people feel good instead? And after all, international cooperation with Islamic nations will help improve education here at home. We have schools that want to teach intelligent design in science classes. Wouldn't they benefit from the latest Islamic creationist research? People associate creationism with Christianity, but Muslim countries are also doing great work in that area.

There are all sorts of things we could learn. What's the best way to stone a woman to death for adultery? When is it justified for a man to beat his wife, and how hard? Those questions can only be answered by Islamic scholars.

Duncan described education as an international collaboration of which Muslim nations must be a part.

It is a matter of trying to reach out and get the best of all worlds, if you will, and there is much to be gained by drawing in the contributions that are possible from the Muslim (nations)."

Almost as an afterthought, the secretary did state that the U.S. Department of Education will still be working on issues related to U.S. education -- sort of.

For anyone reading who might be clueless... this is satire. Some text was quoted either directly or altered from the following article.

HOT5 Daily 7/6/2010

1. "Religiously Dissing America's Independence Day" The evangelical left doesn't like Independence Day, joining the other elements of the left that just aren't too thrilled with the U.S. in general. 

Representative Sample: Animosity towards America's founding by the Religious and Evangelical Left is perhaps best embodied by popular Anabaptist theologian Stanley Hauerwas. Guru to much of the Evangelical Left, he has pronounced July 4 one of history's worst dates because of the ostensible arrogance of founding a nation upon a premise rather than a culture. 

2. "Costa Rica to Allow US To Send Troops" The drug war now requires 7,000 U.S. marines in Costa Rica. I guess we'll start seeing marine recruiting ads saying, "Join the Marines, become a drug-enforcement policeman!"

Representative Sample: Costa Rica has granted the U.S. military a six-month window to bring 7,000 Marines, five planes and 46 warships into its territory to help stem the flow of drugs northward.

3. "Infrastructure? Did We Say Infrastructure? We Meant “Government Employee Pay Maintenance”" The propaganda about the stimulus rebuilding infrastructure was about 94% a lie.  

Representative Sample: It would have been interesting to see public reaction at the time if Obama had said “we want to spend $230 billion making sure government employees continue to get 8% pay raises, even through the recession.

4. "Shut Up, Ban Ki-Moon Explained" Because everything is Israel's fault. 

Representative Sample: The UN’s shameless appeasement of terrorists is a well-worn story, but it’s always instructive to take note when it happens. The UN has issued a report on heightened Israel-Lebanon tensions, and it’s not surprising who gets blamed. What is surprising is the UN’s reasoning

5. "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures" For Democratic politicians. A good, brief debunking of Democratic nonsense about extending unemployment benefits.

Representative Sample: look for the shrill pitches by Nancy “Unemployment Checks are the Fastest Way to Create Jobs” Pelosi to try to tar fiscally responsible Republicans as heartless. The way to solve the problem is by allowing the economy to grow and by growing create jobs. Otherwise we are just kicking the can down the road.

To submit a blog post for HOT5 Daily, please e-mail me at unrright@NOSPAMgmail.com. Put HOT5 in the subject.

HOT5 Daily 7/5/2010

1. "Declaration of Independence: A Fisking" A repost, but a good one. 

Representative Sample:  Jefferson provides no proof that there’s a “Creator,” much less that he’s endowed us with any rights, inalienable or otherwise. And, rather obviously, that’s untrue. One has to know very little history to realize that “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is hardly Man’s natural condition. And the idea that “all men are created equal” is simply laughable on its face.

2. "100 Great Things About America" In no particular order. 

Representative Sample: 19. Iced drinks  When will the rest of the world figure this out?

3. "Iraqi Forces Capable, Confident as Drawdown Advances" Optimism on Iraq for a change.  

Representative Sample: “From our foxhole, from here in U.S. Division North, the best way that I see it is that they are capable of handling the existing threat right now, which will buy them time to be able to work towards [handling] a larger threat to their country in the future.”

4. "Democrat Proposes Internet Sales Tax" When tax & spend is a critical part of your political outlook, there is always a need for more money. 

Representative Sample: someone tell me how the Democrats are for the “little guy” and how they really care about the middle class. They care alright. They care about all of the money we have to fork over to them every year.

5. "The World's Worst Theme Parks" If you are looking to vacation at someplace different.

Representative Sample: Step back into the halcyon days of Stalinism, experience the joys of Gulag life, immerse yourself in the warm embrace of totalitarianism -- and when you get a bit peckish, enjoy a tasty meal of "Nostalgija" borscht, "Deer's Eye" cocktail, and "Reminiscence" starch jelly in the cafe.

To submit a blog post for HOT5 Daily, please e-mail me at unrright@NOSPAMgmail.com. Put HOT5 in the subject.

A Useless Gallup Poll

I noticed a news story regarding a Gallup poll on patriotism. Although patriotism is a good Fourth of July topic, the poll itself is almost totally useless. It measures vague levels of self-described patriotism, and arrives at the unsurprising conclusion that "Republicans, conservatives, and seniors" are the most likely to call themselves "extremely patriotic." Given that a minority of the left is actively anti-American, and even many mainstream liberals are embarrassed by open displays of patriotism, associating it with jingoistic nationalism, it's pretty easy to predict what categories of people might identify as extremely patriotic. Gallup tries valiantly to pretend that its survey results have any actual meaning, but fails miserably.

Gallup asked respondents to identify their personal level of patriotism. The choices were: "extremely patriotic," "very patriotic," "somewhat patriotic," and "not especially patriotic." What's the difference between extremely & very? Gallup doesn't know.

The difference between "extremely" and "very" patriotic is left to respondents to interpret.

It's always a sign of quality polling when your questions are so vague that respondents have to figure out what they mean for themselves -- a lazy, meaningless poll by Gallup.

HOT5 Daily 7/4/2010

1. "Who Are Your Favorite Founders?" Happy Fourth of July. 

Representative Sample: we asked: What Founder is either your favorite or one who you think deserves more credit for his or her contributions to America?

2. "If the U.S. Won’t Drill Oil Offshore, Other Nations Will" All too true. 

Representative Sample: if the United States commits to bypassing offshore drilling at depths greater than 500 feet, we will be cutting off our collective noses to spite our collective face. Spain, China, Venezuela and other nations will continue to exploit potential reserves of fossil fuels, wherever they may be found.

3. "The Great American Contradiction" Food for thought.  

Representative Sample: As the 4th of July approaches, people on both sides of the political spectrum raise cans of Coors Lite to toast ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ - however I fear they're completely oblivious to the fact that modern American politics completely contradicts this supposedly sacred principle.

4. "Sin Tax Is Counterproductive" Good points. 

Representative Sample: I oppose, for the most part, what most people refer to as the “Sin Tax”. I mean that extra fee besides sales tax that is tacked onto things deemed “sinful” like cigarettes and alcohol.

5. "Things About Non-Christians (According to a Christian)" Common Christian assumptions about non-Christians. Any non-believer has encountered some or all of these attitudes. 

Representative Sample: Don’t assume you know the person. At all. Don’t assume they are broken or sad “deep down inside”, know nothing about the Bible, have never been to church, etc.

To submit a blog post for HOT5 Daily, please e-mail me at unrright@NOSPAMgmail.com. Put HOT5 in the subject.

Obligatory Michael Steele Post

When Michael Steele originally became a candidate for Republican National Committee chairman, I thought he'd be a good one. He seemed like an effective communicator, had a great deal of energy, and appeared to be a excellent fit for the job. I and others who supported him were obviously wrong. Steele has been a disaster as RNC chair. It's been one gaffe after another. The latest episode is just more of the same. If you are the chairman of the RNC and you can't even launch a coherent attack on President Obama without undermining your own party''s positions, you don't belong in that job.