The Morning Blog

Japan, before and after.

Have to give it to them: In the wake of this horror, The Japanese keep it classy.

Probably not the best time to be invested in an insurance company...

It's amazing to think that there's going to be a run for the Presidency next year and I really just have no idea who the Republicans will be fielding. There's a piece here focusing on Tim Pawlenty and his...I think 'vagueness' might be an apt word. He's trying to be a candidate for everyone and as a result, no one. Palin gets thrown around a lot but I just can't imagine her running seriously. Maybe as part of a book tour. But not as a serious candidate.

Talk of a Libyan no-fly zone is quickly becoming academic. At this point, I have to say that any politician holding a discussion concerning the possibility of maybe taking action to consider the implementation of talks to determine the feasibility of establishing conditions suitable to the....you get the idea. It's just posturing at this point. Unless the Arab League decides to do something, the Libyan rebels are on their own.

Foreign Policy looks at the results of a previous dust-up America has had with the Libyan military. Frankly, I don't know how applicable the Chad experience is. For one thing, this is not an invasion where all you have to do is convince the invader that they really want to go home. This is an existential war. The losers will die.

And al Jazeera looks at the case for and against intervention.

Meanwhile in China... Prime minister Wen Jibao has dismissed any possibility of their being a Mid-East style uprising in the country. Inasmuch as they recently became the worlds second largest economy, I have to agree with him. Sooner or later though, I think the Chinese government is going to have to accept that the Chinese are quite capable of governing...the Chinese. He's willing to admit that his own people are mature enough to handle the running of small villages. His patronizing, statist position seems to be that maybe someday...if they're good...The Chinese might even be permitted to handle the management of townships!

After all, the Chinese have proven to be pretty adept at managing their own business.

Not to mention, their collections.

Watson Watch: Your future robot overlords are playing poker. Personally, I don't see why there's a problem with fielding robots in online poker games. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I don't even see any reason to identify them as robots. Players have the option to play or quit. Does losing money to an anonymous robot versus losing money to an anonymous poker pro change that arithmetic at all?

More Diabolical Robots, Theresa Bait Edition: Ahem... giant, robot spider.

More Tech Stuff: I like the idea of this website that offers independent films not available on Netflix. Fandor seems like a nice supplement to the more mainstream films being offered on Netflix. That said though, that's basically all it is: a supplement. I have a hard time understanding how they can justify charging the same monthly fee as Netflix. If they fix their pricing though, it's something I might consider.

I'll probably never have the chance to write this again so here goes: Filthy Rich Man Buys Lube. Alternately, were he just a teensy bit richer, he could have bought an awful lot of tortillas.

I'm guessing that the game play will involve a lot of sitting around and watching soap operas. It could be like the Sims only with muscles and 'roid rage.

Kacee Bait: Lamb and potatoes, lamb and potatoes. Well...maybe no potatoes.

This leads me to conclude that sperm whales are probably saying nasty things about us behind our backs. At least one of them thinks we're fat.

Oy vey...You gotta be kidding me: bacon wrapped matzo?

100 years ago today, people really were being held captive in a Chinese laundry.

Happy Pi Day, ya bunch o' poindexters!