tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:17:31 +0000Expect stories about anything relating to science, technology, economics and policyhttp://www.poltcl.com/noreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)Blogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-3998008226021664560Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:41:00 +00002009-02-22T13:49:52.413-05:00social governmentHey guys! Today I got a job as a contributor to the website www.socialgovernment.com. The site tracks the uses of new media in government and gives advice on how government can use it better. You can check out my first article at http://tinyurl.com/bt3pcc. You can also follow the site @socialgovt on Twitter.What does this mean for this blog? Well, I'll still be writing for it. However, posts on http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/bgKyhHeel28/blogs-future.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/bgKyhHeel28" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/blogs-future.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-2578887536584727724Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:35:00 +00002009-02-21T15:44:05.655-05:00classUSunited nationsWhat you see below is a rough cut of a paper I wrote on the US/UN. It definitely needs some polishing, but I thought people might be interested in reading it as-is. Let me know if you you have any comments.Introduction The United Nations (UN) was created out of the ashes of the League of Nations at the end of World War II. Though its primary purpose is to prevent conflict between any two http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/rAMEyWlc_TU/does-us-still-need-un.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/rAMEyWlc_TU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/does-us-still-need-un.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-8251188355431638673Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:38:00 +00002009-02-20T10:18:28.532-05:00foreign policybatteriesenergyArs Technica has a really neat story today about the future of battery technology in cars. Basically, there are three main battery technologies suitable for cars: traditional lead-acid batteries (the kind that runs the radio and headlights), nickel metal hydride (NiMH, the kind in current hybrid vehicles), and the "wave of the future" lithium ion (Li-ion).NiMH batteries do fairly well in hybrids.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/dafGcaFqblM/battery-tech.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/dafGcaFqblM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/battery-tech.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-1266745241022590030Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:28:00 +00002009-02-18T15:30:47.964-05:00obamastimulusInternetenergytransparencyPresident Obama signed the stimulus bill into law yesterday. So, what's next? Well, today he launched http://www.recovery.gov, a site designed to give the average citizen a better understanding of the plan as well as provide some transparency. It's got a timeline and some video, as well as a FAQ. I was happy to see that it also links to the full bill.In terms of technology, CNET is reporting http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/FmaPxfd5LZ0/recovergov.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/FmaPxfd5LZ0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/recovergov.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-3878307645255009331Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:10:00 +00002009-02-16T20:53:34.406-05:00unificationunited nationsI'm currently in the process of writing a paper on the United Nations. The general theme is whether or not the United States still needs the organization. The paper is going well and looks to be on track to prove my thesis (the US does need the UN).However, I continue to be frustrated ideologically. A very few people frame major problems in an international context. Perhaps it is my Canadian http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/0_KwdFvrdXA/frustrations-with-un.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/0_KwdFvrdXA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/frustrations-with-un.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6942294503178995879Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:43:00 +00002009-02-12T12:56:54.230-05:00terrorismclassI just feel like writing today, so I will recount a story from my Monday "Topics in International Politics" class.We were discussing terrorism as our last full topic of the course. There were some really interesting viewpoints in the class because of the diversity of the students. There was one girl who grew up in India who made the point that bombs blow up every day all over India, not just in http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/MfmUcJaqErQ/deserve-neither-and-will-lose-both.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/MfmUcJaqErQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/deserve-neither-and-will-lose-both.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6306847650596701787Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:51:00 +00002009-02-05T11:15:33.670-05:00economicsstimulusgood and evilThis is a subject I've been thinking about a lot recently. It all started during a discussion I was having about the Mormon Church. I told the other person that I refuse to believe that anything is monolithically good or evil. The result of the conversation is inconsequential, but the same idea came up today while talking with some friends about Bill O'Reilly. They were shocked to find out that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/MoguKgWdEaY/good-and-evil-in-stimulus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (alexanderddmuir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/MoguKgWdEaY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/02/good-and-evil-in-stimulus.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-7906072997513654240Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:26:00 +00002009-01-12T00:41:10.372-05:00israelgazaI just came across this website by the Anti-Defamation League (a pro-Israel organization here in the States) which asks the question, "What if Hamas was in your neighborhood?" They even provide posters on this theme to raise support for Israel's current military action in the Gaza Strip.The answer to that question is that if Hamas was in my neighborhood, there would be IDF tanks rolling down my http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/gmVgM6Tz36s/what-if-israel-surrounded-your.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/gmVgM6Tz36s" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/01/what-if-israel-surrounded-your.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-3823117028109302380Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:04:00 +00002009-01-08T13:23:12.299-05:00rhode islandeconomyI'm applying for an internship this summer in RI's state government. I'm hoping to get placed with the legislature and work on policy development. I'm sure that one of the biggest things that they'll be working on is the state of Rhode Island's economy.Governor Carcieri gave a speech last night on a new budget designed to avoid a $357.4-million current year budget deficit. The plan is basically http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/Bp94vrI7kzM/rhode-islands-woes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/Bp94vrI7kzM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/01/rhode-islands-woes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6927801521447495580Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:45:00 +00002009-01-07T16:46:55.694-05:00financial crisisTalk about Moral Hazardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/3tELqHei3vg/moral-hazard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/3tELqHei3vg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/01/moral-hazard.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-4850418033594238040Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:30:00 +00002009-01-07T14:51:22.954-05:00Creative CapitalismcorporationI should be looking for internships right now, but I feel like writing instead.I had a discussion with one of my friends the other day about corporatocracy. He was upset about campaign finance and how it was affecting our political system. Afterward, I thought about my previous post on the subject.At the time, I was thinking more about getting corporations directly involved in politics, basicallyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/XaZUYtb8Pl4/revisiting-corporatocracy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/XaZUYtb8Pl4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2009/01/revisiting-corporatocracy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6708605030077188672Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:11:00 +00002008-11-11T08:53:27.282-05:00In Flanders Fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses row on row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lieIn Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold ithttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/2aDmw1o3BIQ/remembrance-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/2aDmw1o3BIQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/11/remembrance-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-4901198473229987366Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:09:00 +00002008-11-06T23:15:01.712-05:00new mediagovernmentWhat a week! I've been falling behind in my blogging but I assure you that there's more to come. Anyway, I just saw this on Digg. I don't know how much new material there is on it, but some of what I read was pretty interesting. Take this little tidbit from his foreign policy plan:Engaging the American People on Foreign Policy: Obama and Biden will bring foreign policy decisions directly to the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/nhBrif5gmrs/change.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/nhBrif5gmrs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/11/change.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-3666581701583017535Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:44:00 +00002008-10-23T11:47:26.181-04:00new mediatwitterA lot of people I know don't quite get twitter. Today I found a great site, that has among other things, a simple and compelling description of the service. Check it out!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/53j5uaPIG3k/twitter-explained.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/53j5uaPIG3k" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/10/twitter-explained.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-5693707099570236759Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:08:00 +00002008-10-22T16:13:35.087-04:00unificationeuropefinancial crisisNicolas Sarkozy, in a speech on Tuesday, pushed for the European Central Bank to work with an "economic government" of the 15 eurozone nations in response to the current economic crisis. But what does that mean? What would the role of an "economic government" be? From Mr. Sarkozy's statements, as well as the ECB's opinion on the subject it sounds like this new government would take some fiscal http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/J6gAKU-KfRc/economic-unity-in-european-union.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/J6gAKU-KfRc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/10/economic-unity-in-european-union.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-7477515670499714736Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:32:00 +00002008-10-10T13:38:55.367-04:00unificationfinancial crisisI've been feeling a little prescient of late. I've been more or less advocating some sort of unification since I started writing this blog, but I never thought I'd see it being advocated on CNN. At the moment, I think I agree that a single currency (something like the Euro) and a world financial system is the was to go- but I never expected it to come at the costs that we're about to face.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/Vqt904R5fOA/mixed-feelings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/Vqt904R5fOA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/10/mixed-feelings.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-5005034678367994806Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:17:00 +00002008-10-07T14:21:15.420-04:00twittergovernmenttransparencyI got an update about Congressional rules on interacting with the general populace today. Below is the email:Dear Sunlighters,Good news! Thanks to your help, the House and Senate recentlyupdated the guidelines that govern how members of Congress canuse the Internet to communicate with us about their work.The new rules now allow members of Congress to interact with us onsites such as Twitter, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/reasAKJSK24/congressional-tweets-revisited.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/reasAKJSK24" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/10/congressional-tweets-revisited.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6121439892403572404Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:26:00 +00002008-10-08T09:23:09.585-04:00unityeconomicsfinancial crisisI have refrained from posting on the current crisis largely because, like a lot of people, I'm still struggling to understand how and why it happened. So why write now? It just so happens that every major international index was in the red at yesterday's close. Leaders from Europe's four largest economies (Germany, France, England, and Italy) met over the weekend to try to solve the continent's http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/bn4Tkf5kwA4/financial-crisis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/bn4Tkf5kwA4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/10/financial-crisis.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-7870653534153994001Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:35:00 +00002008-09-24T21:58:42.408-04:00energy efficiencygreenThis week is GridWeek! GridWeek is a conference on Smart Grid technologies aimed at government and industry alike. It is really interesting because it focuses on bringing clean, reliable and renewable energy sources to market- from massive solar and wind farms all the way down to consumer grade power generators. Look for policy makers to be referencing the things presented here when going up http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/3fplxthvxTA/grid-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/3fplxthvxTA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/09/grid-week.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6236451781827871031Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:23:00 +00002008-09-23T00:36:10.037-04:00miscellaneousA young man named William L. Smith was murdered about two blocks from my fraternity's house early Sunday morning. He had recently transferred to Becker College, which is about 5-6 blocks from my school....I don't really know what to say. This story has nothing to do with my usual topics but I felt I should give it some attention. I guess the circumstances of his death just sort of resonate a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/FdR7JcILZBw/tragedy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/FdR7JcILZBw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/09/tragedy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-9111131024971428169Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:30:00 +00002008-09-15T16:29:05.239-04:00IraqUSdemocracyThink back. Way back. Back to the late 1700s. After the Revolution, but before the Constitution. America was goverened by a weak set of documents called the Articles of Confederation. There was a movement among some of the remaining Founding Fathers to strengthen the United States by writing a new document. They did so at a constitutional convention in the summer of 1787. Many people opposed thishttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/eda0tUe9jJ0/why-democracy-in-iraq-will-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/eda0tUe9jJ0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/09/why-democracy-in-iraq-will-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-6704486031846519827Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:24:00 +00002008-09-11T08:26:02.704-04:00Where were you?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/v_5EtPsDm-M/lest-we-forget.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/v_5EtPsDm-M" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/09/lest-we-forget.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-74966825642692897Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:10:00 +00002008-09-02T15:13:23.724-04:00citizenshipunificationIt can be many things: a chicken in every pot; two cars and a white picket fence; starting a business; owning a private jet. But above all it is a promise; a promise of an opportunity to achieve your own personal American Dream. It is formalized in our laws and Constitution and ratified by citizenship. It is put into practice in our markets and tested in our courtrooms. It is what binds us http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/Ti_Z1SnFbEU/american-dream.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/Ti_Z1SnFbEU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/08/american-dream.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-8977928937253511732Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:07:00 +00002008-08-12T16:44:58.178-04:00citizenshipI began thinking about citizenship a few weeks ago during one of my regular bouts with sleeplessness. What had been and still is bugging me is that it will take me years to earn citizenship in this country. I tried to dream up a way of simplifying the process while also making sure that only people who really wanted to be a citizen could. Here are the results:Get rid of the notion that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/7omUKd81l1k/citizenship.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/7omUKd81l1k" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/08/citizenship.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855389024043306232.post-705683980627035726Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:57:00 +00002008-08-12T15:06:35.675-04:00energy efficiencyairplanesgreenThe NASA competition for quiet, small, and fuel efficient airplanes that I mentioned a while ago wrapped up this weekend. The Pipistrel seems to have done well again. The NASA press release is here.The results are certainly encouraging, but what I like better is the bigger prizes in store for next year's competition. It's good to see people taking the future of air travel seriously.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~3/F3BVyNmYd6c/up-up-and-away.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Alexander Muir)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PoliticallyIntotech/~4/F3BVyNmYd6c" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.poltcl.com/2008/08/up-up-and-away.html