The Only Republican in San Francisco

The anti-Dooce

I really don't know who Rachel Lucas is, but bloggers are talking about her and if they are linking then clearly I must and she is kinda funny. Here.

Boutique farming

An article in the Independent points out that organic farming is in many cases worse for the environment than conventional methods. This is primarily due to the fact that organic methods are much less efficient, and therefore consume more energy and land:

Similar findings were recorded with organic chickens, where the longer growing time means it has a higher impact on all levels, including producing nearly double the amount of potentially polluting by-products and consuming 25 per cent more energy.

Vegetable production was also highlighted as a source of increased use of resources. Organic vine tomatoes require almost 10 times the amount of land needed for conventional tomatoes and nearly double the amount of energy.

It is important to understand that buying organic foods is not a choice of greater morality. Rather, it is a decision to buy a nicer product at a premium price. It is a boutique product for people of means.

Which I think is a fine thing, but it should not be conflated with making a moral decision. I can afford to buy a nice suit. I can drink single malt Scotch. I can buy a tricked out computer. And I can buy organic tomatoes. None of these makes me a better person.

In the rich West, we've moved far enough up Maslow's hierarchy that we can eat not just for sustenance, but for self-esteem.

If we do want to imbue morality into our food choices, we should should be doing everything we can to improve the efficiency of food production to bring down the price. Between 1 and 2 billion people on the planet still do not have enough to eat, which is an economic problem. The problem exists in places where agriculture is difficult and/or where economic systems do not reward production.

Put it this way: to those for whom money is an object, an affordable, conventionally grown green pepper provides a lot more value than an unaffordable, organic one.

Penn & Teller do an excellent job making this point, with a guy named Norman Borlaug:

(h/t Instapundit and Memeorandum)

5 things most people don't know about me

Charles Hope has made an appeal to my vanity, so here goes:

1. I was once in a pretty good rock band. We sounded like the Go-Go's. Our nearest brush with greatness was opening for Jane Wiedlin of the aforementioned band.
2. I got held up working at the front desk of a hotel.
3. Through no intention of my own, I have found myself cavorting with pornographers on a number of occasions since being in San Francisco. Still happens.
4. I have a subtle bald spot. Very subtle.
5. I watch Sex and the City reruns. I root for Charlotte but am most impressed with Miranda. I am not gay.

Alright, like a chain letter, I need to pass this one on. Forgive me. How about Gentle Cricket, Richard Bennett, Ed Driscoll, Cinnamon Stillwell and Glade-One Gadfly (whose next post should be along any day now...)

Fucking Democrats

What is it with Dems and sex?

The latest is our dear mayor here in San Francisco, who had an affair with his campaign manager's wife. I think it's high-larious, but I tell you, political professionals may think twice before going on Gavin's payroll in the future.

I don't think these personal matters matter much. But it does point out an important difference between the parties.

When Mark Foley sent lewd messages, the Republicans kicked him out. Keep in mind that he never touched anyone, and that no one was underage. He was creepy, and that was enough. It was the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, if you're a senator of Massachusetts and actually kill your mistress, apparently you can depend on the support of Dems to re-elect you for 30 years. And if you're a married sitting president, and get your Little Rocks off with a subordinate, 20+ years your junior, well, Dems will fawn.

I don't think that either party has a lock on morality. It just seems to me that the Republicans' immune response is just a bit better.

Let's see how this affects Gavin's future in politics. It's clear how little respect the mayor has for the people around him. A Republican wouldn't survive this. Let's see if his party responds appropriately.

Fucking Republicans

Scrubs is a show I regularly watch and one of the few where I actually have some idea what time it's on. So imagine my surprise when they had a bunch of their staff -- half -- come out as Republicans. It was very cute and well played.

Elliot, the blonde doc, stood up and decalred it, and then so did her boy toy, and they quickly retreated to the supply closet to get it on. Funny stuff. It does make sense after all, since Republicans have more and better sex than our friends on the left.

Moonbat Digital?

Looks like Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) is starting a new game studio called Wingnut Interactive. I am not sure he understands the partisan connotation of the term here in the blogosphere.

What's next, Moonbat Digital?

San Francisco demonstrates tolerance, 3

I came across this Craigslist ad:

h/t emailer John

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Welcome Dr. Helen readers! Previous examples of San Francisco's special brand of tolerance here and here. Plus a few words on identity politics.

Because it's important

USA Today summarizes the arguments against the penny.

When the half-penny was retired in 1857, it was worth about 1/18th of the average hourly wage of a common laborer. The equivalent fraction of today's minimum wage is about 28 cents. Paradoxically, few complained about the elimination of the half-penny in 1857, yet there is so much misguided concern about the loss of today's penny.

I think it needs to go, and radical that I am, I will argue that we should eliminate the nickel at the same time. Why? By going straight to the dime, we simply eliminate a decimal place.

Using the historical standard above, the nickel is still a negligible unit. Plus, they are just too freakishly large.

How do the Dixie Chicks survive??

The Telegraph asks how how the Chicks survived their scrap with Bush:

Answer? Ordering sushi and raiding the wardrobe of The Chronicles of Narnia. Natalie “cheekbones” Maines asks:

"The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."

Nobody is asking you to love anything, sweetheart, they just keep giving and giving and giving. And as for “the entire country”...I am not sure what that is. Disagreement is what we do. Variety of opinions, all that.

30,000,000 albums sold and being served hand and foot is a strange definition of victimhood.

Shake and wake

This woke me up this morning. Let me tell you how the mind works when one feels the ground shake around here. First, you notice that the shake feels a bit weird -- more than a passing truck, say. A couple of nudges to the bed, like a big invisible hand.

A wee bit of adrenaline as we realize that it's mother nature. Then the wait. Is this going to shake more? Is it going to stop?

And as long as I've been here, it does stop, and nothing happens. All of the above transipires in 10 seconds, max. One of these days, it won't stop so quick. :)