Hard Facts

I commented on a blog I like, except when the writer's politics peep through:

" Perhaps the most depressing story in the world

The female feticide of India and China - this story, "India's imbalance of the sexes," is the first of 4 parts. There's gonna be hell to pay.

via Fr. Jim Tucker

Posted by CrankyProfessor at February 26, 2007 1:00 PM "

My comment:

All societies need to limit population. Every past society has, every future one will.

The only effective way is to limit the population of reproducing females. Males are irrelevant---there's always another sperm donor, but females need to commit for nine months.

Different societies adopt different means. Why object to some means---sex-testing embryos, female infanticide, and not object to others---locking fertile females up in nunneries. They all have the effect of nullifying "increase and multiply".

Bamboozlement

I was in an odd situation last week. I made a joke about invasive bamboo at a gathering of plant people.

One of the others blew up, seemingly losing all sense of proportion. The other people there smoothed it over. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, the explosive one apologised, explaining that I had hit a nerve. I later got an apologetic phone call too.

I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction. I stayed totally calm. I reasoned that the other person had a problem, not me. I didn't give in to resentment and righteous indignation.

But I wasn't totally over it either, until I realized that I could make a joke about bamboozlement the next time I meet her.

declassification

My goal here is to write up thoughts I've had and stories I've told myself. Sometimes I've been inspired by posts on other blogs.

So here's my first post, inspired by a comment to this post on the Mother Jones blog.

The original comment: So the CIA confirmed that the Valerie Plame info was classified? How does this correlate with the VP saying the info was declassified?

My riff: That's a no-brainer. You don't need to be a Cheney to understand. The declassification was itself classified, and only revealed on a need-to-know basis. The CIA didn't need to know.

At the time Libby talked to the grand jury, the declassification was still classified, so he had to cover it up.

Since then, Cheney has declassified the declassification, so that Libby can be the fall man.

Deacon's assessment of my riff: Gary - You've been reading Vonnegut again, haven't you?

And my riposte: Well, it's a better defense than Libby's lawyers presented. And who knows, in this White House it could easily be the truth.