Posts

John Yoo: Still wrong on the Constitution

Image
Please oh please oh please world, remember this is how John Yoo* views constitutional questions: With the Constitution being secondary to whatever warmaking policy imperative Yoo is in favor of this week. The Constitution vests power in Congress to authorize war, the executive to, uh, execute it—and, it's generally understood, that power allows the executive to act with dispatch when an attack has been made upon the United States and its forces. Such is not the case here. Tom Woods  (who is almost certainly more conservative than I am) writes: "In conformity with this understanding, George Washington’s operations on his own authority against the Indians were confined to defensive measures, conscious as he was that the approval of Congress would be necessary for anything further. 'The Constitution vests the power of declaring war with Congress,' he said, 'therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they have deliberated upon t

Being poor makes you more poor (An ongoing series)

Financial stress may hit your brain and wallet : "Being short on cash may make you a bit slower in the brain, a new study suggests.  People worrying about having enough money to pay their bills tend to lose temporarily the equivalent of 13 IQ points, scientists found when they gave intelligence tests to shoppers at a New Jersey mall and farmers in India.  The idea is that financial stress monopolizes thinking, making other calculations slower and more difficult, sort of like the effects of going without sleep for a night." Not much to add to this, except that I've seen other studies that suggest the stresses of being poor do hurt one's decision-making capabilities. Expecting people to "bootstrap up" out of their circumstances thus isn't always realistic.

Pennsylvania governor: gay couples barred from marriage 'like 12-year-olds' | World news | theguardian.com

Pennsylvania governor: gay couples barred from marriage 'like 12-year-olds' | World news | theguardian.com : "Marriage licenses given to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania are invalid because they were barred from marrying in the same way as 12-year-olds, attorneys for the Republican governor said on Wednesday. Tom Corbett's administration has filed a lawsuit seeking to block same-sex marriage licenses in suburban Philadelphia, where Montgomery County register of wills D Bruce Hanes has issued more than 150 to gay and lesbian couples since July 24. State attorneys said in a court filing on Wednesday the gay marriage licenses have no "value or legitimacy" and can't be defended in court. They compared gay and lesbian couples to children, who can't marry because a 1996 law says marriage is between a man and a woman. "Had the clerk issued marriage licenses to 12-year-olds in violation of state law, would anyone seriously contend that each 12-year

Stop-and-Frisk: A Response to Ben

This week, Ben and I debated the New York stop-and-frisk ruling for Scripps Howard News Service. Usually, we each get our 300-odd-words in, and leave it at that. This week, though, I find a lot to object to in Ben’s take—and find that my own half of the column doesn’t really address those objections. (We write separately, so I don’t often see Ben’s take until it’s going to the publisher.) So this week, I offer a rare fisking of my colleague. Standard disclaimer: Ben and I agree on little, but he’s my friend—a good and loyal friend—so please understand that though my objections here may be vigorous, they are by no means personal. This is the relationship we have. Ben starts: Contrary to critics’ claims, stop-and-frisk is indeed an effective crime deterrent. If Judge Scheindlin’s decision holds up, New Yorkers will soon discover just how effective it was. Okay, then, let’s examine Ben’s case. Understand exactly what Scheindlin ruled in the class-action lawsuit against

What I Ate and How I Exercised Monday

Image
Today's Log Breakfast: 333 Egg, Scrambled, Large 2 Each 204 Turkey Sausage 1 Serving 90 Coffee, Brewed 10 Fluid ounces 3 Milk, 2%, w/ Vitamin A & D 2 Tablespoons 15 Peppers, Bell, Yellow, Sweet, Large, 3.7in 1/4 Each 13 Onion, White, Chopped 1/8 Cup 8 Lunch: 272 Lettuce, Romaine, Shredded 3 Cups 24 Chicken Breast, Skinless, Cooked 1 Each 142 Radishes, Large, 1" - 1 1/4" 1 Each 1 Tomatoes, Fresh, Med 1 Each 22 Peppers, Bell, Yellow, Sweet, Large, 3.7in 1/4 Each 13 Honey Dijon Dressing 2 Tablespoons 70 Dinner: 374 Soup, Classic Chicken Noodle 3 1/4 Cups 374 Snacks: 695 Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches 1 Each 90 Bar, Strawberry, w/ Yogurt Coating 1 Each 140 Croissant, Plain 1 Each

How I ate and exercised today

Image
Really like the difference that a half-hour of decent exercise can make in my day.   Daily Report for June 23, 2013 Daily Log Breakfast 583 Banana, Medium, 7" - 7 7/8" Long 1 Each 105 Egg, Scrambled, Large 3 Each 306 Sausage, Patty, Original, Vgtrn, Morningstar Farms 2 Each 160 Milk, Whole, 3.25% 1 Tablespoon 9 Coffee, Brewed 10 Fluid ounces 3 Lunch 233 Flax Roll-up, Damascus Bakeries 1 Slice 110 Mediterranean Hummus, Trader Joe's 3 Tablespoons 105 Tomatoes, Fresh, Med ½ Each 11 Cucumber, Sliced 6 Slices 5 Sprouts, Alfalfa, Fresh 4 Tablespoons 2 Dinner 754 Chicken Stir-fry W/ Brown And Wild Rice, Assorted Veggies 2 Servings 754 Snacks 708 Banana mango Smoothie 1 Serving 217 Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches, So Deliciously 1 Each 90 Sausage, Patty, Original, Vgtrn, Morningstar Farms 2 Each 160 Flax Roll-up, Damascus Bakeries ½ Slice 55 Popcorn, Air Popped 6 Cups 186 Exercise 522 Elliptical 30 min 391 Walking 30 min 130 Nutrients Fat 73g 28% C

How I ate and exercised

Image
Suddenly remembering that I got in the best shape of my life without changing my eating at all: Just by exercising a day. Makes a huge difference. This time: Trying both. Daily Summary Thursday Jun 20, 2013 Daily Summary for Jun 20, 2013 Export to spreadsheet Daily Calories 600 1200 1800 2400 Daily calorie budget 2,611 Food calories consumed 2,489 Exercise calories burned 646 Net calories so far today 1,843 I can eat  768  more calories today Meal Calories Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks 20.5% 17.2% 23.2% 39.1% Today's Log Breakfast: 509 Bagel, Everything 1 Each 270 Tomatoes, Fresh, Med 1/2 Each 11 Cream Cheese 4 Tablespoons 198 Iced Coffee, Small, With Milk 1 Ea