Deal struck to end St Mary's priest rebellion | The Courier-Mail
I wonder if there will be some tension within the congregation over this, and whether Kennedy himself will accept it and go peacefully.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
An unlikely solution
Condoms to be advertised round-the-clock on TV - Times Online
England has a high teenage pregnancy rate, so how do they solve it? With 24 hour condom advertising on TV, of course.
Um, I wonder just how many British teenagers there are who do not know that they can buy condoms?
The ads will probably run during shows like Shameless and Skins, shows which are full of lower income area teenagers having sex in all its variations.
Something is seriously wrong with that place.
England has a high teenage pregnancy rate, so how do they solve it? With 24 hour condom advertising on TV, of course.
Um, I wonder just how many British teenagers there are who do not know that they can buy condoms?
The ads will probably run during shows like Shameless and Skins, shows which are full of lower income area teenagers having sex in all its variations.
Something is seriously wrong with that place.
Set your watches
Male circumcision reduces risk of genital herpes and HPV infection, but not syphilis
Once again, I will do a post on the benefits of circumcision, partly for the fun of waiting for the international anti-circumcision forces to post a rebuttal in comments.
Honestly, the argument appears to be over, at least in the African context:
Once again, I will do a post on the benefits of circumcision, partly for the fun of waiting for the international anti-circumcision forces to post a rebuttal in comments.
Honestly, the argument appears to be over, at least in the African context:
"Medically supervised adult male circumcision is a scientifically proven method for reducing a man's risk of acquiring HIV infection through heterosexual intercourse," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "This new research provides compelling evidence that circumcision can provide some protection against genital herpes and human papillomavirus infections as well."The Pope has nothing against circumcision as far as I know, so a big push to fund safe and hygienic circumcision in Africa would have to be one of the more effective things the West can do to reduce AIDS.
Of interest
Hernando de Soto Says Toxic Assets Emerged From a Shadow Economy - WSJ.com
de Soto's take on what went wrong with the financial system sounds plausible to me. An extract:
de Soto's take on what went wrong with the financial system sounds plausible to me. An extract:
At the beginning of the decade there was about $100 trillion worth of property paper representing tangible goods such as land, buildings, and patents world-wide, and some $170 trillion representing ownership over such semiliquid assets as mortgages, stocks and bonds. Since then, however, aggressive financiers have manufactured what the Bank for International Settlements estimates to be $1 quadrillion worth of new derivatives (mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and credit default swaps) that have flooded the market. These derivatives are the root of the credit crunch. Why? Unlike all other property paper, derivatives are not required by law to be recorded, continually tracked and tied to the assets they represent. Nobody knows precisely how many there are, where they are, and who is finally accountable for them.It is hard to believe the financial institutions could not see the problem they were creating, or react to it earlier.
Doctors and their conscience
Obama weighs patient rights vs. doctor's conscience | csmonitor.com
The Christian Science Monitor really does good journalism, I think, as this well written article shows.
I wonder: is it possible to have some sort of compromise that involves doctors being entirely free to exercise their conscience in certain areas, but if so they have to it clear to the potential patient that they reserve that right in terms of "treatment" offered.
I'm thinking, signage at the reception counter, or a clear statement of the receptionist to the effect "Dr X does have conscientious objection to certain types of treatment that other doctors may be prepared to offer in the fields of reproductive health, etc. You understand that he does not have an obligation to discuss this with you when presenting options, and if you have any concerns about the potential for this to affect your treatment, you should see another doctor."
If people understand they are seeing a doctor on that basis, I don't see the harm. The doctor still exercises his/her conscience, but the patient understood that he/she would be doing that.
Of course, people would argue that this doesn't work for those who are incapable of understanding the warning, but life isn't perfect. (It may also cause much loss of business, I guess, which would not make it popular with doctors. But if the choice is between that and prosecution or loss of funding because they won't refer a patient elsewhere, would they take it?)
The Christian Science Monitor really does good journalism, I think, as this well written article shows.
I wonder: is it possible to have some sort of compromise that involves doctors being entirely free to exercise their conscience in certain areas, but if so they have to it clear to the potential patient that they reserve that right in terms of "treatment" offered.
I'm thinking, signage at the reception counter, or a clear statement of the receptionist to the effect "Dr X does have conscientious objection to certain types of treatment that other doctors may be prepared to offer in the fields of reproductive health, etc. You understand that he does not have an obligation to discuss this with you when presenting options, and if you have any concerns about the potential for this to affect your treatment, you should see another doctor."
If people understand they are seeing a doctor on that basis, I don't see the harm. The doctor still exercises his/her conscience, but the patient understood that he/she would be doing that.
Of course, people would argue that this doesn't work for those who are incapable of understanding the warning, but life isn't perfect. (It may also cause much loss of business, I guess, which would not make it popular with doctors. But if the choice is between that and prosecution or loss of funding because they won't refer a patient elsewhere, would they take it?)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Unlucky and lucky
93-year-old man 1st person to be certified as survivor of both A-bombings
Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on Aug 6, 1945, when a U.S. B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city. He suffered serious burns to his upper body and spent the night in the city. He then returned to his hometown of Nagasaki just in time for the second attack, city officials said.
Time to delay
When even John Quiggin acknowledges a fundamental flaw in the government's emissions trading scheme, and calls for change, it's definitely time to stop and delay the introduction of a scheme that virtually keeps no one happy.
I still think there is little point in introducing anything until we see more clearly the direction the US is going to take. And I still think a carbon tax is a better idea, even if it does not "guarantee" a set level of reductions.
For nearly any problem, Labor tends to be drawn towards gesture politics (the mere appearance of effective action) over steps that ensure actual results. Introducing the present CPRS in its current form would be a continuation of that dubious tradition.
I still think there is little point in introducing anything until we see more clearly the direction the US is going to take. And I still think a carbon tax is a better idea, even if it does not "guarantee" a set level of reductions.
For nearly any problem, Labor tends to be drawn towards gesture politics (the mere appearance of effective action) over steps that ensure actual results. Introducing the present CPRS in its current form would be a continuation of that dubious tradition.
Agreed
Bryan Appleyard believes in global warming but doesn't think a blight of windmills on every hill in the land is the answer:
There is...absolutely no reason to believe at this point that wind power can do anything more than contribute a small fraction of our energy needs. Nuclear will be the answer once we have found our way through this crazy posturing phase.Sensible chap, that Bryan.
A question or two
Lateline - 24/03/2009: US Govt plans to purge toxic assets
This segment on Lateline last night showed us one of the newly empty suburbs of America, where there are worthless "sub prime" houses the banks are happy to virtually give away.
One thing I don't understand is: where did the former occupants of these houses go? Was there an adequate rental market to absorb them immediately? You can't imagine the same thing in Australia, where housing demand is keeping rents up and vacancy down.
Another question: is there nothing much in the way of public housing in America? In Australia, I could imagine a push for governments to acquire a dirt cheap empty suburb or two as a way of boosting public housing.
This segment on Lateline last night showed us one of the newly empty suburbs of America, where there are worthless "sub prime" houses the banks are happy to virtually give away.
One thing I don't understand is: where did the former occupants of these houses go? Was there an adequate rental market to absorb them immediately? You can't imagine the same thing in Australia, where housing demand is keeping rents up and vacancy down.
Another question: is there nothing much in the way of public housing in America? In Australia, I could imagine a push for governments to acquire a dirt cheap empty suburb or two as a way of boosting public housing.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cold fusion comeback
'Cold fusion' rebirth? New evidence for existence of controversial energy source
Pretty clear evidence is given that a certain type of cold fusion device is producing neutrons. (If fusion is happening, there must be neutrons.)
Whether cold fusion ever proves useful for energy production is, however, another question.
UPDATE: the New Scientist version of the story goes into more detail, and provides an alternative explanation to fusion. (Not sure how credible it is, though.)
Pretty clear evidence is given that a certain type of cold fusion device is producing neutrons. (If fusion is happening, there must be neutrons.)
Whether cold fusion ever proves useful for energy production is, however, another question.
UPDATE: the New Scientist version of the story goes into more detail, and provides an alternative explanation to fusion. (Not sure how credible it is, though.)
The limits of solar
The Solar Fraud - BraveNewClimate.com
Barry Brooks reviewed a skeptical solar power book last week, and thinks it has some value.
Brooks is promoting nuclear power quite strongly now, but whether or not he is making any inroads to the Green movement accepting it is another issue.
Still, if I were rich, having solar power to the house still appeals. Doesn't eveyone just like the idea of not being reliant on utilities?
Barry Brooks reviewed a skeptical solar power book last week, and thinks it has some value.
Brooks is promoting nuclear power quite strongly now, but whether or not he is making any inroads to the Green movement accepting it is another issue.
Still, if I were rich, having solar power to the house still appeals. Doesn't eveyone just like the idea of not being reliant on utilities?
Please let me see one...and in praise of Sony
How the Kindle will change the world. - By Jacob Weisberg - Slate Magazine
Meanwhile, here in the boondocks known as "Australia", there is no sign as to when epaper devices will arrive. Grrr. (I think I might prefer the Sony reader anyway.)
Speaking of Sony, here's an observation. I have been pounding away at work for the last 7 years or so on the same Sony laptop. (It is only used for wordprocessing and browsing the internet. With an upgrade of RAM, it still works fine.)
I type a fair bit everyday, yet I have recently noticed that there is absolutely no sign of wear or deterioration in the letters on the keyboard at all. This is quite different to the wireless keyboards in the office, as well as a couple of other brand laptops at home. It seems that for most keyboards, after a year or two, the most popular characters start to wear off, until some completely disappear.
How does Sony make their letters so tough? Why can't all keyboard manufacturers do that?
Meanwhile, here in the boondocks known as "Australia", there is no sign as to when epaper devices will arrive. Grrr. (I think I might prefer the Sony reader anyway.)
Speaking of Sony, here's an observation. I have been pounding away at work for the last 7 years or so on the same Sony laptop. (It is only used for wordprocessing and browsing the internet. With an upgrade of RAM, it still works fine.)
I type a fair bit everyday, yet I have recently noticed that there is absolutely no sign of wear or deterioration in the letters on the keyboard at all. This is quite different to the wireless keyboards in the office, as well as a couple of other brand laptops at home. It seems that for most keyboards, after a year or two, the most popular characters start to wear off, until some completely disappear.
How does Sony make their letters so tough? Why can't all keyboard manufacturers do that?
Crossing lines
Australian Story :: A Bitter End - Part 1
Australian Story over the last two weeks has been about the recent high profile euthanasia/murder case involving Graeme Wiley.
The shows are well worth watching to get an idea of the people and issues involved. It is done with the usual "Australian Story" soft bias, in the sense that hard questions are not asked or pursued, so that nearly all participants are allowed to put their own spin on events without challenge. (There was a bit of counterpoint by one of the daughters in this case, but I still reckon there was a general air of sympathy towards Caren Jenning, who has since killed herself.)
One of the things about the show that struck me was that, even allowing for my feelings against euthanasia as a wise policy, it always seems very hard to like the character of the people who get involved with the issue in a major way.
For example, Wylie himself, who apparently at least at some stage wanted to kill himself, was made to sound like an intelligent but stubborn bombastic type even by those close to him. To me, Caren Jennings came across a know-it-all busy body, and despite many people willing to sing her praises as a generous helper throughout her life, her good character did not extend to telling the truth to the police in the segment of the record of interview we heard.
The de facto of Mr Wylie (Shirley Justins, who is still alive) seemed, well, a little dim, and it is not clear whether some incidents she described were truthful or not. They were re-enacted in the show, which gives the viewer the impression they must be true, but they were certainly self-serving and later the daughter indicated she doubted them. But Justins portrayed herself as being somewhat manipulated by Caren Jennings, and one could imagine how that could be the case. However, it seemed they might have both been involved in the late change to Wylie's will, benefitting Justins, made at a time where his mental capacity was clearly going to be extremely doubtful.
And of course there was Dr Philip Nitschke, as usual hanging around any high profile case of a person who wants to kill himself for any reason. (He has a surprisingly short entry in Wikipedia; there is a lot more that should be inserted to give a true feel for the radicalism of his views.)
Many parts of the show were just a touch creepy, such as the bit where Nitschke and Jennings re-create for the camera the jolly meeting where (it would appear) he gave her a gift of alcohol to take after she swallows Nembutol. The issue of who may have supplied her the drug was never pursued in the show. (As I said, it is a "soft" version of events.)
Maybe it takes a certain aggressive character to be involved in euthanasia as a issue, and I generally react against that in people anyway. But I think they themselves might find it harder to get political support simply because of a reaction against their character. (Even though, logically, having fewer annoying suicide-inclined people around might be an argument for allowing euthanasia!)
Like the modern aggressive atheists, they allow for no shades of grey. Their view of the issue is right, and everyone who disagrees is an soft minded idiot.
Australian Story over the last two weeks has been about the recent high profile euthanasia/murder case involving Graeme Wiley.
The shows are well worth watching to get an idea of the people and issues involved. It is done with the usual "Australian Story" soft bias, in the sense that hard questions are not asked or pursued, so that nearly all participants are allowed to put their own spin on events without challenge. (There was a bit of counterpoint by one of the daughters in this case, but I still reckon there was a general air of sympathy towards Caren Jenning, who has since killed herself.)
One of the things about the show that struck me was that, even allowing for my feelings against euthanasia as a wise policy, it always seems very hard to like the character of the people who get involved with the issue in a major way.
For example, Wylie himself, who apparently at least at some stage wanted to kill himself, was made to sound like an intelligent but stubborn bombastic type even by those close to him. To me, Caren Jennings came across a know-it-all busy body, and despite many people willing to sing her praises as a generous helper throughout her life, her good character did not extend to telling the truth to the police in the segment of the record of interview we heard.
The de facto of Mr Wylie (Shirley Justins, who is still alive) seemed, well, a little dim, and it is not clear whether some incidents she described were truthful or not. They were re-enacted in the show, which gives the viewer the impression they must be true, but they were certainly self-serving and later the daughter indicated she doubted them. But Justins portrayed herself as being somewhat manipulated by Caren Jennings, and one could imagine how that could be the case. However, it seemed they might have both been involved in the late change to Wylie's will, benefitting Justins, made at a time where his mental capacity was clearly going to be extremely doubtful.
And of course there was Dr Philip Nitschke, as usual hanging around any high profile case of a person who wants to kill himself for any reason. (He has a surprisingly short entry in Wikipedia; there is a lot more that should be inserted to give a true feel for the radicalism of his views.)
Many parts of the show were just a touch creepy, such as the bit where Nitschke and Jennings re-create for the camera the jolly meeting where (it would appear) he gave her a gift of alcohol to take after she swallows Nembutol. The issue of who may have supplied her the drug was never pursued in the show. (As I said, it is a "soft" version of events.)
Maybe it takes a certain aggressive character to be involved in euthanasia as a issue, and I generally react against that in people anyway. But I think they themselves might find it harder to get political support simply because of a reaction against their character. (Even though, logically, having fewer annoying suicide-inclined people around might be an argument for allowing euthanasia!)
Like the modern aggressive atheists, they allow for no shades of grey. Their view of the issue is right, and everyone who disagrees is an soft minded idiot.
More on solar disasters
Last August, I noted a Scientific American article about the great danger that a large solar storm of could cause to modern infrastructure. A big event of the kind that last happened in 1859 could cause massive disruption for weeks or months.
Now New Scientist visits the issue, as a result of a new NASA sponsored study that looks at the possible disaster.
The basic problem is the nature of the damage to the electrical system:
The article notes that the main satellite which would give short warning of the coming storm (and perhaps allow some electricity utilities to take some action to limit damage) is aging and no replacement is planned. Sounds very obvious that this is one early warning system that should not be allowed to lapse.
Now New Scientist visits the issue, as a result of a new NASA sponsored study that looks at the possible disaster.
The basic problem is the nature of the damage to the electrical system:
According to the NAS report, a severe space weather event in the US could induce ground currents that would knock out 300 key transformers within about 90 seconds, cutting off the power for more than 130 million peopleThat's an amazing thought, isn't it?: a huge part of the world having a permanent black out for months. As the study notes, a blackout of that length affects everything; water supply, fuel supply, food supply. As least survivalists would finally feel their preparation was worth it.(see map) . From that moment, the clock is ticking for America....The truly shocking finding is that this whole situation would not improve for months, maybe years: melted transformer hubs cannot be repaired, only replaced. "From the surveys I've done, you might have a few spare transformers around, but installing a new one takes a well-trained crew a week or more," says Kappenman. "A major electrical utility might have one suitably trained crew, maybe two."
Within a month, then, the handful of spare transformers would be used up. The rest will have to be built to order, something that can take up to 12 months.
The article notes that the main satellite which would give short warning of the coming storm (and perhaps allow some electricity utilities to take some action to limit damage) is aging and no replacement is planned. Sounds very obvious that this is one early warning system that should not be allowed to lapse.
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