Reason Morning Links: The Fretful Fed, the Decline of Dubai, and the Metro Mess

• Ben Bernanke seems worried about efforts to eat into the Fed's powers.

• Obama will miss his deadline to declassify old military and intelligence documents.

• Some details come out about tomorrow's Afghan escalation.

• Swiss voters have passed a ban on building minarets.

• Dubai continues to collapse.

• Pollsters find a substantial enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans.

• The D.C. Metro has had another crash.

• And speaking of crashes: If you want to talk about the whole Tiger Woods thing, this is your thread.

Comments

[Johnny Longtorso]

Quote of the week ? Krugman's LOL on [climate] skeptics (from ABC's This Week)

http://wattsupwiththat.com/200.....-skeptics/

Uh, oh ? raw [climate] data in New Zealand tells a different story than the "official" one.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/200.....icial-one/

[Johnny Longtorso]

A blast from the (2008) past:

Nasa is out of line on global warming

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/com.....rming.html

Here is the objective scientist being arrested outside a coal mine:

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes......l-country/

[Art-P.O.G.]

I know appearance isn't everything, but Susan Rosenburg (bottom link)...damn...not good

[Johnny Longtorso]

"Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) Have Admitted Throwing Away Much of the Raw Temperature Data on Which Their Predictions of Global Warming Are Based"

http://volokh.com/2009/11/30/s.....are-based/

[hmm]

I'm not extremely familiar with publishing and modeling for the purpose of publishing so maybe some of the real scientist folks here can confirm something in the broader sense for me. I dealt with two models and data collections for academic publishing, the data was treated like the holy freakin' grail. I swear one PhD candidate slept with a backup drive of data. Isn't that generally a norm, protecting your data and never deleting anything. I know in any chem or physics class I had writing any lab work in pencil or missing number pages was an automatic F.

Does that sort of protocol change as you move up the academic science ladder? It seemed like a pretty good set of rules and guidelines even for someone like me who can't write 1st drafts well and my best artwork still hangs on mom's fridge from 5th grade.

[.]

If you want to talk about the whole Tiger Woods thing, this is your thread...

...because the MSM have been largely silent on this earth-shattering scandal.

[Ska]

As long as it has pictures of the two broads he's banging, it's fine by me. Damn they're hot.

[PantsFan]

Saskatchewan Roughriders blow Grey Cup victory with too many men on the field

http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....le1382051/

[Johnny Longtorso]

It's Canadian football, I didn't think you could have too many men on the field.

[CFB]

Interesting little link:
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org.....in/?123123

[Gilligan]

Dubai continues to collapse

I'm guessing that property in The World Archipelago will prove to be an unwise investment.

[John Tagliaferro]

Should be some bargains in there now.

[Gilligan]

I hear you can get Iceland for a shot of vodka and a tin of sprats.

[Nipplemancer]

but how much for the iceland in dubai?

[hmm]

Repeat after me. The underlying asset's actual economic value is paramount.

I can do without bargains on sand. There seems to be an abundance of it in the world. Unless there is oil under it I'd have to pass, unless it was free.

[alan]

When anti-grav lifts finally get here, I may consider the Dubai deal so I can move those skyscrapers to a place that isn't 120 degrees in the summer time.

[SugarFree]

But it's a dry heat.

[Happy Jack]

But it's a dry heat.

So's my oven, but I don't choose to live in it.

[damaged justice]

Oh, Bernanke, your tears are so yummy and sweet.

To quote Sam Kinison, I hope that fucker is spotted digging through KFC garbage bins muttering, "Ah, there's one with meat on it."

[Rich]

Now more than ever, America needs a strong, nonpolitical and independent central bank with the tools to promote financial stability and to help steer our economy to recovery without inflation.

FTFY. Give it up, Ben.

[John Tagliaferro]

And speaking of crashes: If you want to talk about the whole Tiger Woods thing, this is your thread.

It wasn't a real crash into a tree. It was a publicity stunt for his upcoming tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

[Johnny Longtorso]

Climategate Implosion is Bush's Fault

http://www.firstthings.com/blo.....shs-fault/

The world has never seen such freezing heat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/com.....-heat.html

[Johnny Longtorso]

Rise of sea levels is 'the greatest lie ever told'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/com.....-told.html

A French scientist's temperature data show results different from the official climate science. Why was he stonewalled? Climate Research Unit emails detail efforts to deny access to global temperature data
http://network.nationalpost.co.....ience.aspx

[Gilligan]

OK, Johnny. Enough links for now.

[Rich]

Weekly Tracking Poll: New Feature Paints Ugly 2010 Picture

Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder.

[P Brooks]

There is a strong case for a continued role for the Federal Reserve in bank supervision. Because of our role in making monetary policy, the Fed brings unparalleled economic and financial expertise to its oversight of banks, as demonstrated by the success of the stress tests.

Oh. Okay, then. If Bernanke says it, it must be true.

[SugarFree]

A talking head on one of the morning shows blamed the lapse in White House security that let the reality TV weirdos to slip through on the Bush Administration.

[ed]

Not to beat a dead horse, but at the end of the day it will become obvious that Obama inherited that security lapse. And there will be pushback.

[That guy in the back]

WHAT IS REALITY?!

[Rub My Balls]

A shitty to approach life.

[FrBunny]

Swiss voters have passed a ban on building minarets.

Then how will they get the +1 gold bonus for all state religion buildings? < / nerd >

[prolefeed]

Some one already built that wonder, Bunny. The Swiss will have to switch to a different WoW.

[FrBunny]

My comment was spam, evidently.

Now no one gets to hear my wit. And it was a good one. So there.

[Rich]

FrBunny, please keep trying.

I have found that, with a bit of effort, one can almost always contrive to get the gist through.

[FrBunny]

DID SINBAD MAKE TWO DECADES OF COMEDY GOLD WITH "GIST"? DID ANDREW DICE CLAY, CARLOS MENCIA, OR DAVE COULIER? I WILL NOT BE CONSTRAINED!

[YFCLO]

This message has been sent to warn you that YOUR FUCKING CAPS LOCK IS ON.

Happy posting.

[Rich]

I am sufficiently chastised.

"Gist" sayin'. 😉

[John Tagliaferro]

Bunny,

Don't you know geek humor when you see it? It is a 'spam' filter, not a spam filter. Every nth comment gets that message and the squirrels get their jollies reading our comments about it.

[FrBunny]

Unfortunately, the offending comment later went up, putting lie to my claims of either wit or humor.

[Warty]

Good. I'm tired of your sales pitches for designer brand knockoffs thinly disguised as jokes. I'm on to you.

[matth]

These measures are very much out of step with the global consensus

Hmm, "global consensus", where have we heard that before?

[BakedPenguin]

FrBunny: just add "Sure sounds like (whatever) to me!! LOL!" to the end of any post.

Seems to work for anonymity guy.

[P Brooks]

The best part of GateCrasherGate is seeing just how intensely the punditacracy despise and fear the great unwashed, unsophisticated rabble.

I especially like hearing them whine about how this will inconvenience "legitimate" guests of the White House.

[FrBunny Beano]

RFLMAO! Ain't that the truth!

RT
http://www.anonymouspoopplay.com

[P Brooks]

"punditOcracy"

[SugarFree]

A) I can't believe the Secret Service didn't think she was Ann Coulter and shoot her.

B) She claimed to be both a Victoria Secret model and a Redskins cheerleader and was neither.

C) Their wedding cost 18K and featured a full-on fireworks display.

D) If you have a camera crew with you, you can go most anywhere, apparently.

[hmm]

C) I've been to two those, It's nice if you are the guest. The part that sucks is my wife told me I couldn't screw with any of the rich people. Which brings me to an interesting observation about the delineation between new rich and old rich, but that's a different story.

D) A cameraman ensures several things
- every moron for 20 miles will get in the framed shot
- if it's summer the shirtless guy will get in the shot
- the dumbest motherfucker on the planet will be the one that saw everything
- government officials will either run to or away from the camera depending on the situation
- you don't need press creds, you can get into anything just keep moving and filming
- someone will fly the international sign of social discontent in the shot
- people will stop and stare like deer at headlights

[Mike M.]

Manhunt out for Maurice Clemmons, recipient of commutation of lifetime prison sentence by former governor Mike Huckabee; suspected in fatal shooting of four police officers.

[P Brooks]

They cold-blooded ambush shocked the country although investigators say they know of no reason why Mr Clemmons or anyone else would have opened fire on the four officers as they sat working on their laptops, catching up on paperwork at the beginning of their shifts.

"We're going to be surprised if there is a motive worth mentioning," Mr Troyer said, sketching out a scene of controlled and deliberate carnage that spared the employees and other customers at the cafe.
-TimesonLine

Who could POSSIBLY have anything but absolute respect and admiration for our Protectors?

[P Brooks]

No motive worth mentioning.

The gun went off accidentally. A controlled, methodical accidental discharge.

[Nick]

Can we check Huckabee off the lost now?

[Mike M.]

Yeah, I wouldn't contribute any money to his Political Action Committee.

[IHOP Hostess]

Chelsea Clinton is engaged to be married. I wonder if she'll be marrying a serial-rapest guy like her mother did.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.....&tsp=1

[SugarFree]

Sounds like a match made in divorce court:

Chelsea Clinton will marry Marc Mezvinsky on Martha's Vineyard this summer, the Boston Globe reported.

Mezvinsky is the son of former Iowa congressman Edward Mezvinsky and former Pennsylvania congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky. Like Clinton, he studied at Stanford University in California. He's also familiar with parental scandal: his father pleaded guilty in 2002 to tricking investors out of over $10 million.

Clinton has been dating Mezvinsky, an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, since 2005.

[The Winter Soldier]

does Chelsea know?

[BakedPenguin]

A) I can't believe the Secret Service didn't think she was Ann Coulter and shoot her.

Oh man, that's cold. She was at least a couple notches above that ana-con Coulter.

[Rub My Balls]

WTF is an ana-con?

[SugarFree]

I believe he is alluding to her more ophidian aspects.

[Rub My Balls]

Does anyone here speak English?

[SugarFree]

We speak, American, boy.

Love it or leave it.

[SugarFree]

And we add commas wherever we feel like it.

Love it or leave it.

[P Brooks]

WTF is an ana-con?

Maybe an ana-con slowly crushes the life out of you; like a great big snake.

[SugarFree]

Or maybe we just get the joke and want to torture BP.

[prolefeed]

The part that sucks is my wife told me I couldn't screw with any of the rich people.

Did she say you could screw the poor people? My experience is that it is counterproductive to ask one's wife if it is OK to fuck ANYONE else, rich or poor.

[EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy]

the data was treated like the holy freakin' grail. I swear one PhD candidate slept with a backup drive of data. Isn't that generally a norm, protecting your data and never deleting anything.

Multiple copies in geographically dispersed sites is very common. Keeping the raw tapes for decades after the analysis is finished and even after the experiment has been superseded is par for the course. I've worked in rooms lined with cabinets full of old tapes on more than one occasion.

When you want to munge the data---and there are legitimate reasons you might---you munge a copy and explain what you did and why you thought it was necessary.

All very basic stuff.

[P Brooks]

Unfortunately, the offending comment later went up

It took a while for the moderator to decipher and clear it.

[BakedPenguin]

Or maybe we just get the joke and want to torture BP.

Ha ha! I had to leave work shortly after posting that, and therefore missed all further commentary. Foiled again, SansSucre.

Of course, this thread is dead, so no one will read this, but whatevs.

BTW, Rub My Balls, in case you ever read this, "ana" refers to women with anorexia who refuse to believe they have a problem, and are in fact proud of starving themselves to death. I hope I don't have to explain the "con" with regard to Coulter.

[??? ??????]

nice