Leaving aside all comments on the correctness of any side in any question of rights, it seems to me that all countries that I have heard of react extremely negatively to being told by any outside entity that they should change their laws and customs.
The only way to get real, positive change is to convince the population of a country that humans deserve X as a basic right, not impose it from outside. If the population doesn't take X's status as a right seriously, they won't pay any attention or care when it is abridged or diminished.
It's so fun to look back at my previous posts from 4 years ago. (72 & 125).
Presume when entering into having contractors that they will rob you blind, but can still produce great works, as evidenced by Egypt.
ajay@45 - I suspect the density of West Indian villians has a connection with the desire of film producers, scriptwriters, directors and actors to do filming there as opposed to anywhere in Manitoba.
Unless the preponderance is mostly in the books.
I rather like the story that the Gov told his staff he was off for Argentinean Tail and they have bad hearing.
Which is all cover for the fact that he actually carried 20kg of cocaine as his checked baggage allowance, and would have had more but wasn't willing to pay the 2nd bag fee.
I have to ask: Captain Bligh seemed to do ok in an open boat hundreds of miles away from where he wanted to be. There are many other tales of ships crews navigating substantial distances in similar circumstances. Were these all just discounted?
The same blogger in a data center from last time are there again:
http://gustavbloggers.com/
(Actually, it's all different people working for the same company, except the CEO who came to NO in order to be with the volunteers. He was there the first time.)
Alex @25
But I was secretly hoping for a surprise choice in Madeleine Albright. Ah well.
It'd be terribly awkward to nominate somebody for Vice President who isn't eligible to be President. She was born in Czechoslovakia.
As I recall the coverage from NPR, the EPA still has the highest value on life of the various agencies, and their water branch has an even higher one.
Wouldn't those be bigger issues?
WORK LIKE YOU WERE LIVING IN THE EARLY DAYS OF A BETTER NATION.
This is awesome.
I don't think the electoral college has much influence on primaries. Primaries are about selecting which party candidates will run the the actual election, which is where the electoral college is used.
Unless what you have in mind is having all state parties go to proportional representation of their party delegates.
I keep it on an island off Costa Rica.
I would trust John to be in a position to know more than most. Given the low-profile nature of the original deal, and how amazing bad an idea it was, it stands to reason SFWA didn't blow trumpets when it was repaid. This would be why most people wouldn't know, but someone like John who has gotten officially entangled in SFWA inner workings as part of the Committee he served on does.
I see you appreciate Questionable Content on the webcomic list. It's the remarkably entertaining, if much less highbrow, story of twentysomthing hipsters in Northhampton, MA. It's Friends for the indie crowd, perhaps. Lots of fun.
However, I note you omit XKCD, so beloved of Cory Doctrow. It's the Far Side of online geekery, but with slightly more words.
Jo Walton @ 76
The impression I get from other people in the know is that given SWFA's past, this level of stupidity is coming close to routine.
Lee @ 52: There's a substantial difference between voting for oneself a a member of the general electorate of a body and voting for oneself as a member of a Board or Executive Committee. In the former case, any person voting (usually, subject to various ordinary restrictions) is eligible to hold the post they're voting for. On the other hand, when a Board selects the members of a committee, in most cases the membership is not restricted to Board members.
Xopher @ 53:
I remember a planet in the Legion of Superheroes universe where politicians were drafted instead of elected. Presumably some skill-level was established, but after that they were selected at random and induced to serve under penalty of law.
Ancient Athens did some of that, which is probably where it was taken from.
I would say that the problems of US train service are as follows:
1) Lots of places where it doesn't make any sense, which saps political will. Lots of places so close driving is more practical, lots of places too far. Houston is close to New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas, would make great sense, right? Except the city itself is so spread out you're looking at terrible local transit costs arriving or departing there.
2) Tremendous infrastructure costs necessary to upgrade. The Acela has the ability within the train to go much faster than it does on its existing route, but the track doesn't support it. Apparently to upgrade each grade crossing is between a couple hundred thousand and a million dollars apiece, the track would need straightening, and the caternary towers would need replacement.
3) Amtrak has a terrible record of service, and hasn't inspired anybody to think it would be any more successful in the future. On the other hand, who would replace them? A supersized MTA?
The topic has made it to Ars Technica as well.
Worse than Vogon poetry: bogus DMCA takedowns stun sci-fi lovers
It includes a very entertaining adjective for Cory:
"blogger/author/professional-loather-of-DRM Cory Doctorow"
You'd think people would remember the AL's appearance in Grapes of Wrath.
I'm still not sure I like the fan writer category being open to professionals, although I've heard the arguments a dozen times. It just strikes my "odd" notion.
Also am very down with the Naomi Novik nominations. That was a really good book.
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