This article from the NYT on Obama’s foreign policy infrastructure has some interesting tidbits about how foreign policy theory from academics and institutes gets translated into stated policy.

A Cast of 300 Advises Obama on Foreign Policy

“Out in the netherworld of the 300, advisers often say they are unclear about what happens to all the policy paragraphs they churn out on request. “It’s all mysterious what we send him and what gets to him,” said Michael A. McFaul, a Russia scholar at Stanford University who leads the Russia and Eurasia team for the Obama campaign.

Other team leaders include Ivo H. Daalder, a scholar at the Brookings Institution who has organized his 40-member nuclear nonproliferation team into eight working groups, and Philip H. Gordon, another scholar at the institution, who is in charge of Mr. Obama’s Europe team.”

(note that registration and full demogrpahic disclosure is required by the NYT before you can look at their website.)

Stephen Kohn is the executive director of the National Whistleblower Center. A week ago on the Worldview radio show, he deployed the word “guantanamization” into the english language. You can hear him do it here.

The Air Force Association, a “a private organization that acts as surrogate and spokesman for the service” (nyt). Weeeeird.

Since when did Chinese paramilitary officers deploy to the US? (last sentence of the article)

Here’s something you won’t often see here on the hughstimson.org\blog: an earnest link to a point in defense of capitalism. It’s a good point. You can read further down the comment thread for the rebuttals, which are inevitably good points. But I enjoyed the pleasant sensation of feeling briefly coaxed away from my normal, boring, predictable point of view.

One day, perhaps in the future, the US may elect some people into the government. In the meantime, I for one welcome our transhuman overlords.

I’m currently listening to Brian Wynn in the How to Think About Science series. He tells a story reminiscent of the physicists wagering the apocalypticness of the first atomic bomb explosion. Wikipedia provides a slightly drier, but more complete recounting of the decision to use water to put out the reactor fire at the Windscale Pile 1, Oct 11 1957.

I’m also reminded of this photo I took at the Los Alamos science history museum a few years ago.

When I dropped into ABC last night, the mood at the Day 1 post-party was good (not this good, I guess that happened after). They had already received word that negotiations–which the administrations has traditionally refused to even engage in during work action–were going remarkably well. I knew from my time on campus that the walkout had been a strong event. This morning I woke up to find that unlike Monday’s session, the administration hadn’t gone home before the party was over. In fact, they sat with us until we reached a tentative deal that mooted a second day’s walkout. Which I feel a little cheated about, because today was the day I was going to spend on the picket line.

Frankly, we won.

Later this week we’ll have a full vote on ratifying the contract, but I’m guessing that’s a formality. I would like to write a real post about my experience of the negotiations and the job action, and maybe I’ll have a little more time to do such things now that the union action is settling down. But it feels good to know we did something for those who will come after. And to those folks who will labour under this contract I say: you’re welcome, and remember us when you sit down at the table to set the working conditions for the next lot.

I’ve arrived during the after-session. Negotiation has ceased and we’re talking amongst ourselves. I’m only briefly in the room, but what I’m hearing is:

The administration is starting to get frustrated, because they are expecting us to back off and we aren’t and aren’t and aren’t.

Sounds to me like we’re heading towards a walkout.

—

Ah yes, it’s announced that the Stewards Council has voted to propose a March 25th/26th walk out. So depending what happens from here, next mass meeting will include a vote on whether that will happen or not.

Contracts are for 3 years. During the last two negotiations, there have been 1 day work stoppages which have been successful in moving the administration. So this would be a small escalation. Note that other unions (particularly construction) will likely respect any picket lines. This wouldn’t be a strike, which is an indefinite action which only ceases when a settlement is reached on contract negotiation, but rather a fixed-length demonstration of student willingness.

—

Before that, there is a planned visibility action on Monday for the diag. Specifics TBA.

—

And we’re done.

Earlier sessions: 1, 2.

Good lord, Tre Arrow is finally going to court.

Tre Arrow Pleads Not Guilty, Trial Set for May — Willamette Week