A Dem split decision

It looks like Obama, by the narrowest of margins, won last night’s delegate hunt. By our estimates, he picked up 840 to 849 delegates versus 829-838 for Clinton; the Obama camp projects winning by nine delegates (845-836). He also won more states (13 to Clinton’s eight; New Mexico is still outstanding), although she won the most populous ones (California and New York). And Obama’s argument that he might be the most electable Democrat in a general election was bolstered by the fact that he won nine red states versus four for Clinton. Yet with Clinton’s overall superdelegate lead (259-170, based on the lists they've released to us), and when you toss in the 63-48 lead Obama had among pledged delegates going into Super Tuesday, it appears Clinton has about 70 more overall delegates than Obama does (1140-1150 for Clinton versus 1070 to 1080 for Obama).

Against Happiness

Happiness: Enough Already

Wilson, who asserts that "the happy man is a hollow man," is hardly the first scholar to see melancholia as muse. A classical Greek text, possibly written by Aristotle, asks, "Why is it that all those who have become eminent in philosophy or politics or poetry or the arts are clearly melancholic?" Wilson's answer is that "the blues can be a catalyst for a special kind of genius, a genius for exploring dark boundaries between opposites." The ever-restless, the chronically discontent, are dissatisfied with the status quo, be it in art or literature or politics.

Romney Vows to Battle On

You go Mitt!

Aaaaakward

Hilary versus ObamaCare

Krugman explains

But as I’ve tried to explain in previous columns, there really is a big difference between the candidates’ approaches. And new research, just released, confirms what I’ve been saying: the difference between the plans could well be the difference between achieving universal health coverage — a key progressive goal — and falling far short.

Specifically, new estimates say that a plan resembling Mrs. Clinton’s would cover almost twice as many of those now uninsured as a plan resembling Mr. Obama’s — at only slightly higher cost.

...

If you combine the economic analysis with these political realities, here’s what I think it says: If Mrs. Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, there is some chance — nobody knows how big — that we’ll get universal health care in the next administration. If Mr. Obama gets the nomination, it just won’t happen.

I totally knew that N.Y. would win

: Obama, Romney Ahead In California

in the latest Zogby poll, both within the margin of error I believe.

Yes we can.

Imagine a message of hope like this versus McCain. Not even close.

This is better

On the FISA bill

So, after all that, after all the back room offers and counteroffers and fear-mongering and delaying, the Senate has finally struck a deal on the surveillance bill, and everyone has agreed to it, including Sens. Dodd and Feingold, so there should be no filibustering this time around. They'll get to voting on it all on Monday.

Most crucially, the Dodd/Feingold amendment, which would strip retroactive immunity for the telecoms from the bill, will only need 51 votes to pass. The same goes for the related Specter/Whitehouse amendment, which instead of offering immunity to the telecoms, would replace the federal government as the defendant in all the lawsuits.

And look, the whole world didn't come crumbling down! Many props to Dodd.

We do ordain and establish this Constitution.

...via an interesting blog

Its fear that makes me freeze, oh please don't make me leave

and I thought I'd throw this in

Hybrid cargo ship

Cool! It can cut 20% of the fuel bill. Impressive!

The worst market crisis in 60 years

According to George Soros

And the outcome, according to George S.:

Although a recession in the developed world is now more or less inevitable, China, India and some of the oil-producing countries are in a very strong countertrend. So, the current financial crisis is less likely to cause a global recession than a radical realignment of the global economy, with a relative decline of the US and the rise of China and other countries in the developing world.

hope versus pessimism

McCain: There Will Be Other Wars

I can't remember the book, but there was an interesting argument that the authors could predict who was going to win a presidential election based almost entirely on how 'positive' they spoke. If it is McCain "There will be more war" versus Obama and his uplifting hopeful message, it will be no contest. Who the hell wants to elect a guy who says that there will be more war? It may be 'straight shooting' but it is a loser -- and scary as hell.

Groovy Jesus Hippies

Lost?

“Lost” returns for a fourth season Thursday at 9 p.m. on ABC, preceded by “Lost: Past, Present & Future” Thursday at 8 p.m.

The decline of American power

Waving goodbye to hegemony

Interesting piece.

Social experiments on people

But, of course, only those other people, like in Guatemala:

Between 1969 and 1977 residents of four villages in eastern Guatemala participated in a strange lottery. Twice a day, in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, villagers were provided free drinks. But in two of the villages, the participants gulped down a fortified protein shake version of the local hot gruel known as atole. In the other two villages they were given fresco, a drink free of protein supplements. Everyone in the village was allowed to participate but detailed records were only kept for pregnant women and children under seven.

"The main purpose of the initial study was to assess the effect of improving protein intake on the mental development of preschool children," wrote the authors of one summary of results from the study. But the eventual goals of a series of follow up studies became much more ambitious. Researchers are now hoping to understand what role proper nutrition at an early age plays in the development of "human capital" and in the potency of humans as economic actors.

Next week, The Lancet will publish a report revealing the latest round of research findings from the Guatemala study. An e-mail sent out on Friday publicizing the piece claims that "The research provides new and compelling evidence that the first two years of life are the window of opportunity when nutrition programs have an enormous impact on a child's development, with life-long benefits, including economic returns to individuals and societies." If you were one of the lucky ones who drank the atole protein shake, cha-ching! But if you were one of the poor suckers who just got the fresco, well, too bad.

Gotta have your protein, Marge...

Ray Kurzweil: How technology's accelerating power will transform us

See that isn't so hard

Feingold: GOP "Shameless" Obstruction of Surveillance Bill

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) reacting to yesterday's goings-on:

The conduct of Senate Republicans yesterday was shameless. After weeks of insisting that it is absolutely critical to finish the FISA legislation by February 1, even going so far as to object to a one-month extension of the Protect America Act, they obstructed all efforts to actually work on the bill. Now they want to simply ram the deeply flawed Intelligence Committee bill through the Senate.