Academic

Casual Friday: hope for agoldensummer Edition

Posted on December 05, 2008
      

H.M.

Posted on December 05, 2008
Worth remembering: “H. M., an Unforgettable Amnesiac, Dies at 82“. And for those five decades, he was recognized as the most important patient in the history of brain science. As a participant in hundreds of studies, he helped scientists understand the biology of learning, memory and physical dexterity, as well as the fragile nature of human [...

Hodgepodge

Posted on December 05, 2008
Study finds that Katrina kids are the sickest children in the U.S. How Many U.S. Jobs Are “Offshorable”? The Andrew Johnson Celebration Carbon Markets, Institutions, Policies, and Research For Three Years, Every Bite Organic       

Today in Presidential History: Happy Birthday Edition

Posted on December 05, 2008
  Happy birthday, Martin Van Buren, born December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York. Kinderhook is still home to the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. Here’s a virtual tour. Was Van Buren the originator of “O.K.”?       

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Diversity in the Top Leadership of Agencies

Posted on December 05, 2008
The GAO is writing about it. Congress is investigating. Joe Davidson at the Post reports: Diversity within the group of men — and still only men — who have been president of the United States will change significantly when Barack Obama is sworn in next month...

Police Officers? ideas on the war on drugs

Posted on December 04, 2008
The Simple Justice Blog has an interesting post on cops against the war on drugs. Especially interesting is their take on forfeiture and the example of the owner of the Empire State Building losing the landmark to the state if s/he gets caught smoking a joint in the lobby...

?I have one word for you Benjamin. Iodine.?

Posted on December 04, 2008
Okay, maybe I took some liberties with the classic quote from The Graduate. In the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof makes the case that giving people more iodine will cure much of the world’s troubles.  Almost one-third of the world?s people don?t get enough iodine from food and water...

New Federal Prosecutions Data

Posted on December 04, 2008
From TRAC: When monthly 2008 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was up (43 percent). Prosecutions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are up 65...

The Accuracy of Judges? Workload Measures

Posted on December 04, 2008
From the GAO, “Federal Judgeships: General Accuracy of District and Appellate Judgeship Case-Related Workload Measure“, testimony by William O. Jenkins, Jr. Highlights:   In 2003, GAO reported that the 1993 district court case weights were reasonably accurate measures of the average time demands that a specific number and mix of cases filed in a district court could [...

La Belle et la Bęte

Posted on December 04, 2008
      

Speaking Truth to Power

Posted on December 04, 2008
      

How to Interrogate

Posted on December 04, 2008
… new political appointees. From the GAO, “Confirmation of Political Appointees: Eliciting Nominees’ Views on Management Challenges within Agencies and across Government“: While some progress has been made in recent years, agencies urgently need to strengthen basic management capabilities to successfully address current and emerging demands...

Today in Presidential History: Sphere of Influence Edition

Posted on December 04, 2008
December 4, 1816: James Monroe elected president. Of course, we all know about the Monroe Doctrine. There are 81 mentions in the presidential papers of the phrase “Monroe Doctrine”, dating from 1856 to 2007. Ten of those occurred before 1900...

Today in Presidential History: Old Hickory Edition

Posted on December 03, 2008
180 years ago today: Andrew Jackson elected president of the U.S. President Jackson is not remembered as a great defender of “an independent and virtuous judiciary” but instead has gained notoriety and fame for the legendary statement, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it...

Bush and the Bureaucracy

Posted on December 03, 2008
New on Palgrave, President George W. Bush’s Influence over Bureaucracy and Policy, ed. by Colin Provost and Paul Teske. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 provided President George W. Bush with unprecedented levels of public support.  The Bush administration used this support to push forward many aspects of its policy agenda...

Yellow Badges

Posted on December 03, 2008
Says the Post: Wearing yellow badges and traveling in groups of 10 or more, agency review teams for President-elect Barack Obama have swarmed into dozens of government offices, from the Pentagon to the National Council on Disability. With pointed questions and clear ground rules, they are dissecting agency initiatives, poring over budgets and unearthing documents that may [...

Where is the love?

Posted on December 02, 2008
The ABA Journal recently announced its 2008 Top 100 blogs. Alas, your favorite blog (I hope) was not mentioned.  Indeed ABA Journal list-makers, Molly McDonough and Sarah Randag, where is the love?       

Today in Presidential History: Birth of USEPA Edition

Posted on December 02, 2008
December 2, 1970: USEPA begins operations. As Moe said, During the year of its creation, 1970, the politics of structural choice focused not on what kind of agency was to be created or where it was to be located, but on the bureaucratic powers, procedures, , and deadlines that would be written into the Clean Air Act...

The Transfer of Power

Posted on December 02, 2008
On transition planning, worth a look. What was being said, October 2008 (Paul Light): He also said that criticism of Mr. Obama for starting his transition planning too early ? he started in July ? was ?nonsense.? ?I thought, if anything, the Obama people were late,? he said, noting that the Reagan campaign had started planning its [...

Today in Presidential History: Electoral College Edition

Posted on December 01, 2008
December 1, 1824: The Electoral College swings the election for John Quincy Adams (over Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay). Go read Jenkins and Sala. For the consequences, Carson and Engstrom. Or you can go to the source:       

Cabinet Possibilities Who Are Saying ?No, Thanks?

Posted on December 01, 2008
So says Al Kamen in the Post, of interest: John Brennan Jim Clyburn Susan Collins Kent Conrad Artur Davis Chet Edwards Jim Hunt Richard Lugar Claire McCaskill Sam Nunn Colin Powell Penny Pritzker Olympia Snowe Gotta love the implications of Lugar, Collins, or Snowe...

Hodgepodge

Posted on December 01, 2008
Politics on Librivox CFP: Representations of the Serial Killer in Film and Television U.S. Government and Environmental Policy Encyclopedia Encyclopedia of American Environmental History Dorian and Antony Fisher Venture Grants       

Economists Get All the Cool Toys

Posted on December 01, 2008
Like job market signaling mechanisms, says Al Roth: The signaling mechanism run by the American Economic Association closes on Monday at midnight (but signalers must register by Sunday). Economists may use it to send up to two signals of interest to potential employers...

Today in Presidential History: Mark Twain Edition

Posted on November 30, 2008
November 30, 1835: Mark Twain born. In 1936, FDR spoke at the opening of the Mark Twain bridge in Hannibal, Mo.: It was my privilege last year to have a part in the opening of the centennial commemoration of Mark Twain’s birthplace. On that occasion from the White House I pressed a key which caused [...

Today in Presidential History: Campaign Promise Edition

Posted on November 29, 2008
November 29, 1952: Eisenhower keeps a campaign promise and visits Korea.       

Today in Presidential History: John Paul Stevens Edition

Posted on November 28, 2008
November 28, 1975: Ford nominated John Paul Stevens to SCOTUS. In December he lauded the process that led to Stevens’ nomination: Let me talk about personnel for just a moment. I think we have put together a very good team, both in the White House and in the Administration...

Casual Friday: Austin Edition

Posted on November 28, 2008
      

NSF Replaces SGER Grants With Two New Grant Mechanisms

Posted on November 28, 2008
Of interest: The updated NSF Grants Policy Guide (GPG) describes two new grant programs that will, collectively, replace the old Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) funding mechanism. Effective January 5, 2009, grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) will take the place of the old SGERs...

Today in Presidential History: Macy?s Edition

Posted on November 27, 2008
November 27, 1924: The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is held. In 2002, George W. Bush addressed the nation in videotaped remarks: Good morning. As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember to share our blessings and make this holiday season a time for giving to those in need...

Hodgepodge

Posted on November 27, 2008
A list of the “best advanced math books” The world in 17 years Alexi shotguns a Red Bull The Righteous Path       

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