Bout of Context

WSJ: “Fishing in the stream of consciousness, researchers now can detect our intentions and predict our choices before we are aware of them ourselves. The brain, they have found, appears to make up its mind 10 seconds before we become conscious of a decision — an eternity at the speed of thought.”

Neuroscientist John-Dylan Haynes says “We think our decisions are conscious, But these data show that consciousness is just the tip of the iceberg. This doesn’t rule out free will, but it does make it implausible.”

The article builds toward advocating going with your gut for most decisions, which I could preach sans Ph.D in nueroscience! Still - it’s a quick, interesting read for chronic analysis paralysis sufferers.

The optional condensed program will squeeze in basically the same curriculum - with newer courses and additional business training debuting in the short program. It targets candidates with 2+ years of “substantive work experience,” according to Dean David Van Zandt. This first among top-tier schools was only a possibility since ‘04, when the ABA loosened duration requirements. [Still no joy for online law school.]

“For us to be successful, we have to be producing students that the rest of the world wants. Just producing people who are great at legal analysis, they are a dime a dozen out there now,” says Van Zandt, who also noted the target candidates will be those who “realize the opportunity cost to a three-year program.”

Fair enough, Dean. I’m all for experimental new Ed programs (more so in curricula, less so in logistics.)

“Cuban scientists have announced a new vaccine they say extends the lives of lung cancer patients by up to five months…based on proteins that trigger an immune response from the patient’s body and has no side effects.”

This seems a liberal interpretation of the term ‘vaccine’, but it’s a start.

The still-enforced prohibition on women serving directly in combat coupled with law restricting the number of active 4-Stars to eleven have jointly limited promotability of women to senior positions.

Gen. Dunwoody said. “I grew up in a family that didn’t know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career — that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform.”

“I want to come in not to kick them out, but to work with them and save them so they can stay in their homes.”

Good going. I wonder whether individuals of more modest means could coordinate similar efforts; for example, small-scale syndicated lending models (like Prosper.com) for private refinancing or bridge-loans? Each additional means of helping people is a victory; and methods that reduce the need for government bail-outs and bankruptcy court proceedings are among the best possible for everybody.

Interesting read on how NYC’s suburb-like borough parallels broader America in coping with the mortgage crisis:

“Staten Island is more dependent on private cars and private homes than its urban neighbors. It has a smaller share of the very rich and very poor than the rest of the city. While its homeownership rate is double that of the city as a whole — some 70 percent…— it is roughly the same as that of the nation as a whole.”

Karl Rove discusses Obama’s windfall profits tax rhetoric today. He makes good points about how this tax is inefficient in targeting either profit margins or total profits, in both of which oil companies lag several other industries. It’s even suboptimal for sending a message that Americans will punish industries causing societal unrest. Financials (re: mortgage crisis), where there’s concrete evidence of fraud, would be more apropos targets.

If there’s been collusion by American oil companies fraudulently raising prices - penalize them. If oil companies dodge corporate taxes via loopholes - close them. Identify negative externalities of oil production and propose ways to offset them with targeted surtaxes - and do the same for other polluters. But don’t arbitrarily tax an unpopular industry in isolation, just because it’s profits are growing or because voters are frustrated - that’s contrary to our principles.