Climate Progress Oxfam’s new Climate Change and Poverty blog By Joe Romm on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:59 pm This is a good time of year to highlight a new blog on Climate Change and Poverty from Oxfam. Oxfam does good work — I previously wrote on a study of theirs in “Weather disasters have quadrupled in 20 years.” They don’t have a lot of content yet — they need to work on that! — but some of the better posts are: Bali George Monbiot video Food miles Climate Alarm – 20 years on from first Oxfam paper on climate change (0)
Media Even More Table By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:35 pm Cuz I know y’all can’t get enough: () Culture Most Be a Gene Transplantation Issue By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:31 pm AP: “Toddlers rescued from orphanages and placed in good foster homes score dramatically higher on IQ tests years later than children who were left behind, concludes a one-of-a-kind project in Romania that has profound implications for child welfare around the globe.” It’s stunning that the foster parents were able to actually use retroviruses to recode the orphan children’s DNA, thus reprogramming them to the new, high-IQ level. Hard to believe that such technology could be so widespread, but several prominent phrenologists assure me that there’s no other explanation. () Politics Genocide denier Natsios resigns as envoy to Sudan. By Ali Frick on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:27 pm Andrew Natsios, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan, resigned today. During his tenure, Natsios promised that the U.S. would spend no more than $1.6 billion on the Iraq reconstruction, denied that genocide was occurring Darfur, and admitted that sanctions against Sudan were purposefully toothless. His likely replacement, Richard Williamson, has served in the UN, and called for U.S. action in Darfur as early as 2004. According to the Chicago-Sun Times, “Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is among the public officials that Williamson most admires.” () Politics Helpful Romney Translator By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:02 pm For those of us who didn’t major in English literature: Good times. That’s via Ambinder. () Politics Gonzales unpopular on college campuses. By Matt Corley on Dec 21, 2007 at 1:39 pm Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has had a tough time on the speaker’s circuit this year. First he was heckled as a “criminal” and a “liar” at the University of Florida then Pomona College canceled his speech because “students would not attend.” Yet his talent agency, Greater Talent Network, is refusing to answer questions from reporters about Gonzales’s unpopularity: Though one crisis the agency cannot handle is questions from reporters about Gonzales’ popularity – or lack thereof – on the speaking circuit. “No one here would answer questions from a reporter,” snapped one of the associates who answered the agency’s phone, before she hung up on us.) The Washington Post notes that when Greater Talent pitches Gonzales as a speaker, it neglects to mention “that he’s raising money for his legal defense fund” with the exorbitant fees. () Yglesias Should I Be Wearing a Tie? By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 1:29 pm Tyler Cowen says “dressing up actually might make people more productive, but then would not at least a few of us blog in suit and tie?” Julian Sanchez actually does this quite frequently. And, actually, I feel like I am more productive on those days when I have an event to attend that I’m dressed up for. The thing is that to actually blog in suit and tie all the time, I’d need to buy more suits, shirts, ties, etc. plus probably face higher dry cleaning bills. So the financial and “hassle” costs of shifting to a suit and tie model would be fairly high. The returns, meanwhile, seem uncertain. I feel like my blogging productivity is at a point of diminishing marginal returns. Would 20 percent more output get me 20 percent more traffic? A 20 percent salary increase? It all seems unlikely. () Yglesias Figuratively Speaking By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:56 pm In 2007, Mitt Romney “figuratively” watched his father march with Martin Luther King, but back in 1978 he was saying “My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit.” In reality, Mitt Romney never marched with King, and he never saw his father march with King because his father never marched with King either. () Yglesias Schiphol Security By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:48 pm Commenter Sam responded to yesterday’s post on comparative airport security: Counterpoint: The Schipol airport had more security than any I’ve ever been through, including Ben-Gurion. They quizzed, bugged and pestered me a lot more than people at Reagan do. The quizzing is true. I was standing right by the gate and got a pretty serious third degree — I didn’t have a good, brief explanation of what the conference I’d been attending was about (“it was about progressive America” “what does that mean?” “um…”) and kind of thought I’d be locked away. That said, they let me get away in the end, things actually moved very speedily and the security personnel were much friendlier than Americans. () Politics Rice: Huckabee’s Foreign Policy Criticisms Are ‘Simply Ludicrous’ By Amanda Terkel on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:40 pm President Bush’s foreign policy has recently come under fire from several conservatives. In a current Foreign Affairs article, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee writes that the administration suffers from an “arrogant bunker mentality.” Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton wants the United States to be more arrogant, saying that Bush’s policies are in “free fall” because he is “under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.” Today in a press briefing, a reporter asked Rice to respond to their criticisms. Rice initially refused, dismissing them as unimportant. But she nevertheless proceeded into a vigorous defense of the administration’s policies, eventually calling the statements “ludicrous”: RICE: Look, I don’t comment on other people’s comments. I don’t have time, all right. I really don’t have time to worry about this. [...] The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous. And one would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy. [...] And so, I would just say to people, look at the facts. Watch it: [flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2007/12/ricehuckbolt.320.240.flv] As ThinkProgress highlighted yesterday, a “look at the facts” of the Bush administration’s inclusive foreign policy: Digg It! Transcript: Read more () Older Newer Get ThinkProgress email alerts Powered by NewsWhip Get the daily Progress Report Got a Hot Tip? Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest. Name: Email: Tip: (required) ThinkProgress Archives December 2007 S M T W T F S « Nov Jan » 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 About ThinkProgress | Contact Us | Donate Switch to Mobile
Culture Most Be a Gene Transplantation Issue By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:31 pm AP: “Toddlers rescued from orphanages and placed in good foster homes score dramatically higher on IQ tests years later than children who were left behind, concludes a one-of-a-kind project in Romania that has profound implications for child welfare around the globe.” It’s stunning that the foster parents were able to actually use retroviruses to recode the orphan children’s DNA, thus reprogramming them to the new, high-IQ level. Hard to believe that such technology could be so widespread, but several prominent phrenologists assure me that there’s no other explanation. ()
Politics Genocide denier Natsios resigns as envoy to Sudan. By Ali Frick on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:27 pm Andrew Natsios, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan, resigned today. During his tenure, Natsios promised that the U.S. would spend no more than $1.6 billion on the Iraq reconstruction, denied that genocide was occurring Darfur, and admitted that sanctions against Sudan were purposefully toothless. His likely replacement, Richard Williamson, has served in the UN, and called for U.S. action in Darfur as early as 2004. According to the Chicago-Sun Times, “Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is among the public officials that Williamson most admires.” ()
Politics Helpful Romney Translator By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 2:02 pm For those of us who didn’t major in English literature: Good times. That’s via Ambinder. ()
Politics Gonzales unpopular on college campuses. By Matt Corley on Dec 21, 2007 at 1:39 pm Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has had a tough time on the speaker’s circuit this year. First he was heckled as a “criminal” and a “liar” at the University of Florida then Pomona College canceled his speech because “students would not attend.” Yet his talent agency, Greater Talent Network, is refusing to answer questions from reporters about Gonzales’s unpopularity: Though one crisis the agency cannot handle is questions from reporters about Gonzales’ popularity – or lack thereof – on the speaking circuit. “No one here would answer questions from a reporter,” snapped one of the associates who answered the agency’s phone, before she hung up on us.) The Washington Post notes that when Greater Talent pitches Gonzales as a speaker, it neglects to mention “that he’s raising money for his legal defense fund” with the exorbitant fees. ()
Yglesias Should I Be Wearing a Tie? By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 1:29 pm Tyler Cowen says “dressing up actually might make people more productive, but then would not at least a few of us blog in suit and tie?” Julian Sanchez actually does this quite frequently. And, actually, I feel like I am more productive on those days when I have an event to attend that I’m dressed up for. The thing is that to actually blog in suit and tie all the time, I’d need to buy more suits, shirts, ties, etc. plus probably face higher dry cleaning bills. So the financial and “hassle” costs of shifting to a suit and tie model would be fairly high. The returns, meanwhile, seem uncertain. I feel like my blogging productivity is at a point of diminishing marginal returns. Would 20 percent more output get me 20 percent more traffic? A 20 percent salary increase? It all seems unlikely. ()
Yglesias Figuratively Speaking By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:56 pm In 2007, Mitt Romney “figuratively” watched his father march with Martin Luther King, but back in 1978 he was saying “My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit.” In reality, Mitt Romney never marched with King, and he never saw his father march with King because his father never marched with King either. ()
Yglesias Schiphol Security By ThinkProgress on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:48 pm Commenter Sam responded to yesterday’s post on comparative airport security: Counterpoint: The Schipol airport had more security than any I’ve ever been through, including Ben-Gurion. They quizzed, bugged and pestered me a lot more than people at Reagan do. The quizzing is true. I was standing right by the gate and got a pretty serious third degree — I didn’t have a good, brief explanation of what the conference I’d been attending was about (“it was about progressive America” “what does that mean?” “um…”) and kind of thought I’d be locked away. That said, they let me get away in the end, things actually moved very speedily and the security personnel were much friendlier than Americans. ()
Politics Rice: Huckabee’s Foreign Policy Criticisms Are ‘Simply Ludicrous’ By Amanda Terkel on Dec 21, 2007 at 12:40 pm President Bush’s foreign policy has recently come under fire from several conservatives. In a current Foreign Affairs article, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee writes that the administration suffers from an “arrogant bunker mentality.” Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton wants the United States to be more arrogant, saying that Bush’s policies are in “free fall” because he is “under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.” Today in a press briefing, a reporter asked Rice to respond to their criticisms. Rice initially refused, dismissing them as unimportant. But she nevertheless proceeded into a vigorous defense of the administration’s policies, eventually calling the statements “ludicrous”: RICE: Look, I don’t comment on other people’s comments. I don’t have time, all right. I really don’t have time to worry about this. [...] The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous. And one would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy. [...] And so, I would just say to people, look at the facts. Watch it: [flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2007/12/ricehuckbolt.320.240.flv] As ThinkProgress highlighted yesterday, a “look at the facts” of the Bush administration’s inclusive foreign policy: Digg It! Transcript: Read more ()
