mindful rage » 2005 » April http://www.halberd.org we do nothing important, and we're very good at it Tue, 20 May 2008 17:40:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Dark Forecast http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/26/dark-forecast/ http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/26/dark-forecast/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2005 17:27:17 +0000 Matt http://www.halberd.org/archives/2005/04/26/dark-forecast/ Now this doesn’t make sense to me. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has a bill on the floor that would prevent the National Weather Service from providing any service which is comparable to a service provided by a private sector company. They’d basically be limited to severe weather warnings and the like:

We have every right to expect these agencies to minimize unnecessary, competitive, and commercial-type activities, and to do the best possible job of warning the public about impending flash floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and other potentially catastrophic events.

What. The. Hell?

Where is the problem with this? The NWS provides what I’d call a very reasonable service at very little taxpayer cost. It’s one of those agencies that does good work with little overhead.

Why not let them keep doing what they’re doing, and if a private-sector company can provide a better service for a price, let them! Competition and innovation should drive the market, not artificial restrictions on capable agencies!

What’s next? Cutting NASA’s budget even further because Sir Richard Fucking Branson is real close to being able to get people up to that there space station what we got* up in space?

* Santorumized for your protetction

]]> http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/26/dark-forecast/feed/ Books I Would Stab For http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/25/books-i-would-stab-for/ http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/25/books-i-would-stab-for/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2005 18:28:17 +0000 Matt http://www.halberd.org/archives/2005/04/25/books-i-would-stab-for/ Well, the title’s self-explanatory.

]]> http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/25/books-i-would-stab-for/feed/ Son of the Return of Free Reading http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/22/son-of-the-return-of-free-reading/ http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/22/son-of-the-return-of-free-reading/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2005 17:41:09 +0000 Matt http://www.halberd.org/archives/2005/04/22/son-of-the-return-of-free-reading/ It’s Friday, I’m bored, that means it’s time for some free online reading for everyone. Today we wrap up a three-week tour of some free online Gene Wolfe short pieces, finishing up with what I consider to be the finest work of the three, Copperhead. It’s one of those very deep and subtle works than can come off as a abrupt and somewhat blunt on a casual readthrough, but is utterly rife with subtext and hidden meaning.

Read, and enjoy!

]]> http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/22/son-of-the-return-of-free-reading/feed/ More Free Reading http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/14/more-free-reading/ http://www.halberd.org/2005/04/14/more-free-reading/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:49:49 +0000 Matt http://www.halberd.org/archives/2005/04/14/more-free-reading/ Once more, Gene Wolfe brings the noise with a short science fiction piece called Castaway.

This is a fantastic little piece of short writing. Read and enjoy.

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