Quick Roundup 529

That's a Good Idea

Via HBL, an editorial that makes a good argument for replacing retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens with an atheist:

[Non-believers] would still be underrepresented with just one justice. But those of us who refuse to subscribe to any religious hocus-pocus would be happy to take what we can get in a country where seemingly no politician, from either party, can resist the temptation of ending a speech with the empty phrase "God bless America."

...

Having an atheist justice, however, would not primarily be a matter of identity politics and some sort of equal representation. Rather, a nonbeliever justice would be a mighty blow in favor of the secular principles of "reason and freedom" of which Jefferson spoke.

Yes. Marc Cooper said, "hocus-pocus!" He also said "bunk," and yet I'd classify the overall tone of the article as firm, but friendly.

That said, the drawback is that atheism is not a positive position, but since I doubt that Barack Obama will throw his pal Jim Wallis under the bus any time soon, we'll let that slide. Cooper did a great job of getting the idea of church-state separation back into the air.

This article also gives us our...

Quote of the Day

"[T]he day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors." -- Thomas Jefferson

Taking the Wind out of their Sails Turbines

The way to fight environmentalism is, of course, to challenge its fundamental premise of altruism. But in case you ever need to back yourself up with some hard data on what the fantasy of "green energy" can cost, Power Hungry, by Robert Bryce sounds like it will provide it.

Reviewer Trevor Butterworth provides a sample:

Look at Texas, Mr. Bryce says: It ranks sixth in the world in total wind-power production capacity, and it has been hailed as a model for renewable energy and green jobs by Republicans and Democrats alike. And yet, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the state's electricity grid, just "8.7 percent of the installed wind capability can be counted on as dependable capacity during the peak demand period." The wind may blow in Texas, but, sadly, it doesn't blow much when it is most needed -- in summer. The net result is that just 1% of the state's reliable energy needs comes from wind.

In other words, if T. Boone Pickens has his way, he won't just be pickin' our pockets. He'll be puttin' out our lights.

He who sits on his laurels, ...

... lands on his keister.

-- CAV