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He blinded me with science!

edited December 2008 in Politics
Obama appoints an actual scientist to be energy secretary.

Comments

  • edited December 2008
    appoints an actual scientist
    This is still America, right?
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • I knew there was a reason I voted for Obama :-p
  • On a slightly unrelated note -
    image
  • appoints an actual scientist
    Maybe he'll apoint an actual tech industry guy to his government next! Americans, how your country can go from the absolute pits of respect on this plant (you had Dick Cheney running your country for eight years) to this above-average level so fast astounds me. Maybe a year from now you'll get back all that respect you lost under Bush.
  • Maybe a year from now you'll get back all that respect you lost under Bush.
    It'd sure be nice. I really didn't understand the psychic toll that feeling such a deep level of shame for my country was taking on me, until suddenly there was the prospect of it actually changing. It would be really awesome to find out what being proud of my country feels like.
  • It doesn't hurt that this guy is on Obama's transition team.
  • edited December 2008
    On a slightly unrelated note -
    I up the ante.
    Image removed because I'm a hot-linking idiot. Get it here: comic
    EDIT: On topic, this does make me feel better about my country again. Proper people for the correct jobs.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • You got owned.
  • Obamaappointsan actual scientist to be energy secretary.
    Just another point for the Obama good score. The bad side is looking a little empty.
  • I actually have had the pleasure of meeting Steven Chu in person, and he is the best cabinet pick Obama has made so far. Not only is he a smart person and a brilliant scientist, he has done a lot of good at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. Simply picking a great scientist may not necessarily the best choice, but choosing someone who is a great scientist and a great administrator is fantastic.

    Although when I first saw the news, I misread and thought that Obama had inexplicably chosen Alex Chiu (of immortality bracelet fame).
  • Image removed because I'm a hot-linking idiot. Get it here:comic
    It was another stupid hotlink image though. Complaining about providing a link back to the original site. Which you did. People should just shut up when they make a webcomic and just put the website on every new comic. Allow hotlinking on those things or find a way to detect whether or not a link back has been provided if that's what you wish to complain about.
  • Allow hotlinking on those things or find a way to detect whether or not a link back has been provided if that's what you wish to complain about.
    Better to just not hotlink. It's bad form.
  • It sounds like a good idea, but I wonder how he will do. Scientists aren't usually good at politics.
  • Scientists aren't usually good at politics.
    That's his biggest strength in my opinion. The president needs to be good at politics to effect policy. His advisors should be entirely agnostic to the politics behind any issue, and provide nothing more than their professional opinion.
  • Better to just not hotlink. It's bad form.
    True, but I find it equally bad form to whine about not being linked, when you can't even check whether or not a link has been provided. Where have the times gone that hotlink images just said "Please don't hotlink"? Heck, why don't people just use a spacer.gif as their anti-hotlink image. Same results with less bandwidth cost.
  • Same results with less bandwidth cost.
    Better to shame and humiliate the hotlinkers for their poor Internet manners.
  • True, but I find it equally bad form to whine about not being linked, when you can't even check whether or not a link has been provided. Where have the times gone that hotlink images just said "Please don't hotlink"? Heck, why don't people just use a spacer.gif as their anti-hotlink image. Same results with less bandwidth cost.
    The reason that hotlinking is bad isn't because people want you to have to go to their site to see the content. It's because of bandwidth. Save the image, and host it somewhere else, so that you don't use someone else's bandwidth to host the image on your site.
  • Same results with less bandwidth cost.
    Better to shame and humiliate the hotlinkers for their poor Internet manners.
    And how is not showing a single thing not achieving the same?

    This gave me a show idea though, what about a show on netiquette?

    ADD:
    The reason that hotlinking is bad isn't because people want you to have to go to their site to see the content. It's because of bandwidth. Save the image, and host it somewhere else, so that you don't use someone else's bandwidth to host the image on your site.
    *facepalm* I k-n-o-w. Was it not clear from my suggestion to just use spacer.gifs as anti-hotlink images that I know about the bandwidth issue? I cross-load images to my photobucket before I put them in an image tag. Unless of course I know the site owner doesn't care, like for XKCD comics. I am however complaining about the stupidity of hotlink images. Why use a humongous image complaining about wanting a link back to the site, when there is a fucking link to the site!

    Let me paraphrase so that you will perhaps notice it this time. I don't mind anti-hotlink images. I mind stupidity. You should start paying attention again Scott.
  • I don't mind anti-hotlink images. I mind stupidity.
    Well, you don't seem to mind yourself. Seems a little hypocritical.
  • I don't mind anti-hotlink images. I mind stupidity.
    Well, you don't seem to mind yourself. Seems a little hypocritical.
    Hardy har har. You didn't get my point and are now trying to protect the side of your head, wonderful Scott, wonderful!
  • His advisors should be entirely agnostic to the politics behind any issue, and provide nothing more than their professional opinion.
    Some (hell, most) governmental decisions require understanding of the political system in order to allow implementation.
    If a well informed adviser comes with a new plan for criminal rehabilitation, without knowing which parties will go against it, and which sprinkles he should coat his advice with in order to lower the resistance, chances are the plan will fail.
    This a relatively simple example as all parties want rehabilitation. What about budget decisions on education? Every decision comes at the expense of some social sector. Even with best intentions in mind, all decisions will be doused in political background. A good adviser should have awareness to the politics.

    This appointment sounds like a gamble. The guy seems wise and respectable, so chances are for win. I just hope he'll catch fast which role everybody plays.
  • edited December 2008
    Hardy har har. You didn't get my point and are now trying to protect the side of your head, wonderful Scott, wonderful!
    Post edited by Jason on
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    Douche chill? No thanks, I only take one warm or hot.
  • Douchey Long-Stockings, douchtato, Douche Vader, doucheburger, douchelicker, baba ghadouche, douches wild, douchetacular, Professor Dumbledouche, bag o' douche, douchepile, Mr. Barky Von Doucher....
    Douche-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat.
  • 2 Posts 1 Douche
  • "If We Make it Through Douchember" - Merle Haggard
  • "If We Make it Through Douchember" - Merle Haggard
    Freaking win. Jason, please one-up this one. Your Douche Vader was funny, but you can do better!
  • It sounds like a good idea, but I wonder how he will do. Scientists aren't usually good at politics.
    This one is. That's why he's such a good choice.
  • It sounds like a good idea, but I wonder how he will do. Scientists aren't usually good at politics.
    This one is. That's why he's such a good choice.
    But wouldn't that make him... a Political Scientist?

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