costs and cousins

A couple of thoughts on some of the news of the day.

Costs

The University of Maryland has determined that the costs of climate change will outweigh the benefits. I know they're right, although the authors of the study wimped out on placing a cost on climate change. But I bet those who say climate change is a Good Thing will dispute the methodology. After all, I'm sure the Maryland people thought that Miami being underwater would be a cost. But the climate change apologists might instead argue that by creating artificial coral reefs out of Miami's coastal high rises, we can improve breeding conditions for fish to the benefit of our seafood industry.

Cousins

So Lynne Cheney has discovered that de facto Vice President and certified shooter of old men Dick Cheney and Democratic senator and presidential wannabe Barack Obama are cousins - specifically, eight cousins based on a common ancestor. A FRENCH guy. Clearly, this is a campaign smear against Obama, trying to link him both to Dick Cheney, who is about as popular nowadays as a pedophile at Chuck E Cheese's, and implying that he has French ancestry too.

But really, is this really being related? Hell, I bet I'm an eighth cousin to both of them, and to practically every other American.