Michael Crichton is dead at 66...the good ones die too early

I posted the following from one of Crichton's lectures on April 4. Looking back it seems right that it was only days after April Fool's Day.

"Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science, consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus."

"So we all tend to give science credence, even when it is not warranted. I will show you many examples of unwarranted credence tonight. But here’s an example to begin. This is the famous Drake equation from the 1960s to estimate the number of advanced civilizations in the galaxy.

N=N*fp ne fl fi fc fL

Where N is the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy; fp is the fraction with planets; ne is the number of planets per star capable of supporting life; fl is the fraction of planets where life evolves; fi is the fraction where intelligent life evolves; and fc is the fraction that communicates; and fL is the fraction of the planet’s life during which the communicating civilizations live.

The problem with this equation is that none of the terms can be known. As a result, the Drake equation can have any value from “billions and billions” to zero. An expression that can mean anything means nothing. The mathematical appearance is deceptive. In scientific terms—by which I mean testable hypotheses—the Drake equation is really meaninglessness."

The pundits say that he could could explain science and make it interesting. Partly true. What he could really do that the others could not was cut to the core of nonsense being tossed around as fact.

For that he wasn't well liked, but he was so good that they couldn't make him go away. At his worst he was a writer of thrillers, not to bad in itself.

At his best he was a recruiter of non-believers who learned to say, "Prove it. Don't claim it."

To someone who has seen the problems that the "isms" have caused that is high praise.

Remember the Drake Formula when, in the not too distant future, the Marxists and other collectivists use the man made global warming hoax to destroy the economy and control your every movement. Study it and demand that the shysters and hooligans who pander to the uneducated tell you exactly why it is wrong.

Link to Website

Link to death article.

Welcome to the world, H.

We have missiles on the border and stocks in the basement.

Russia will deploy short-range missiles in the Baltic Sea region near the border with Poland..
Stocks plunge anew as recession worries resurface 11/05/08 18:06 EST NEW YORK (AP) - A case of postelection nerves sent Wall Street plunging Wednesday

Will H send in the Marines or lead us in prayer?

Did someone wake up and look at his tax increases, attacks on NAFTA and remember Hoover??

Yes children and other H voters, in the real world, as compared to blessed media events and love, statements have consequences.

H world gets scarier by the day!

Okay children

You got what you wanted.

Now we will see if you will want what you got.

Deconstructing Obama

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

Grant M has sent me an email that has several interesting points.

I think he now owes the white voter..if I where Black I would be worrying..Remember Bubba Clinton started Welfare Reform..he owes Blacks nothing......

I think Grant is right in that H could not have won without the white voters, but H isn't Bubba. Clinton moved to the center because he was more of the center, especially after Waco, Somali and his tax increase chopped his poll ratings sharply. Plus, Hillary's botched attempt at being Copresident must have scared the dickens out of him. He had no real ideology.

And I agree with what Grant was trying to write in "he owes the blacks nothing," but I believe Grant meant H owes them everything, but doesn't have to pay them anything.

That the black voter has been willing to support Democrats with no real reward outside of putting up with the likes of Jesse and Al is a fact. That this was done on a national basis made, I think, people feel good but accomplished nothing. Bush did more with the appointment of Rice and Powell than the Demos did in 30 years. But because he wouldn't agree with the far Left that the country is responsible for all wrongs, he received no credit for providing an international stage where it could be demonstrated that intelligence, talent and hard work has nothing do with race.

Hussein, unlike Clintoin, does have an ideology. Read his history, what slim amount is available, and we see a man who found his way to Marxism. How much he will be able to harm the country is yet to be seen, but you can count on a hellish fight to:

1. Bring the (un)Fairness Doctrine back.

2. Censor the Internet.

3. Pass criminal laws to punish "racism" comments.

If they accomplish anyone of those the country is in trouble. Pass all three and the country is gone.

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

And while H clearly owes the white voters for moving past racism, I don't think he feels he owes them anything, and perhaps people shouldn't be "owed" for doing the right thing. But I believe there was a significant amount of reverse bias in the votes of many whites on the Left.

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

Hussein is a complex person, perhaps the most complex to be elected President since Nixon. And like Nixon I think he harbors bitterness.

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

Bitterness against whites because he feels whites were the reason his father abandoned him. I mean he has no criticism for him leaving. More bitterness against whites because he feels that they gave him things he deserved, but still they demanded something in return. Note that he has never belonged to or served anything that was not useful to him in a personal sense.

So, we'll see. The market has a fever this morning. In the coming months we will know if it is a case of the sniffles or cancer.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

-- "The Walrus and the Carpenter," Lewis Carroll

The way things are

AKA The United States of America, November 5, 2008.

Hat tip to Mike L.