ztraffer

John McCain , republican presidential hopeful for the US elections of 2008, has just won the State of Florida primaries, leaving him well positioned for "super Tuesday", a key event in the presidential race. I am very happy about this. First of all, because I just think that he is one of those rare exotic species: the honest politician. Of course, I don't really know, I can't know for certain, what is in his mind, what his true motivations and intentions are. However, I do believe that a person's eyes are a window into their soul, and that if you pay attention, you can see a lot through them. What I see, is honesty, selflesness, and the drive to do what is right -not too scientific, but I think that intuition, when balanced by analysis, is a powerful tool. Second, because he is one of the very few -certainly the only one this close to the top- who feels strongly about finance campaign reform, which in my opinion is the single most important issue in US politics. W...

Limitations of Representation Have you ever thought to yourself, “if I was president, I would handle this issue this way” or “drastic changes are needed in this area now” or “this important issue is being ignored”? As individuals, our direct influence on the policies and actions of our nation are limited at best. So we settle for hoping that the people in office don’t upset things too much for the rest of us, and perhaps -dare we hope- actually make things better. And yet this system -representative democracy- is the best practical system of government us humans now have. By best, I mean a system that maximizes the ability of the society and individuals abiding by it, to thrive and achieve their potential. An intrinsic problem of political power is that for the most part –there are of course, exceptions to the rule- the kind of people that are good at acquiring it, are not the best choice for wielding it. If you crave power above all things, you probably shouldn't have it. By the s...

For the past month or so, it seems that as soon as I get a free moment, I find myself watching yet another fascinating talk at TED . Soon I'll run through all the archives and will have to do with just a couple a week. Delirium tremens looms.

Perhaps the most beautiful solar eclipse in our system. This breathtaking picture was taken by the Cassini spacecraft. Besides the stunning views of Saturn's ring system, our planet can also be seen as a tiny blue dot, a billion miles away.

Happy New Year, world!