Archive for the ‘All’ Category
No-Sex Sex-Ed
I just read this sentence* and the little light bulb lit up. In a letter sent to the student body and faculty, and obtained by WIS News 10 Columbia, Irmo High School Principal Eddie Walker wrote, "The formation of this club conflicts with my professional beliefs in that we do not have other clubs at […]
In: All, Eureka!, Raised Eyebrows Dept.
The Correct vs. The Popular
Robin Tyler was one of the original plaintiffs in what became In Re Marriage Cases, for which the recent decision overturned prohibitions in California on same-sex marriages. In an article of personal reflections, she made these observations (obviously, among other interesting observations): In a Los Angeles Times article on May 18, Chief Justice George indicated […]
In: All, Faaabulosity, Splenetics
Doing the Right Thing
I think there are times when doing the right thing means not playing it safe. — Ronald M. George, California Chief Justice and author of the majority opinion for In Re Marriage Cases, legalizing gay marriage in California [quoted in: Maura Dolan, "California chief justice says same-sex marriage ruling was one of his toughest", Los […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Food Stuff
The Smoking Gun: Hidden in Plain Sight
Errol Morris makes the most extraordinarily good documentary films. "Documentary" because he uses primary sources and first-hand testimony to tell stories in search of truth. "The Thin Blue Line" was the first of his movies I ever saw, and it remains unlike any other film experience–except, perhaps, his other films. (Errol Morris website.) While I […]
We Plant a Tree
Two evenings ago we planted a tree, a Cedrus deodara 'Aurea', or golden Deodar cedar, also apparently known as a "Golden Himalayan Cedar". That's a picture of it at right that I took today. I don't intend to start doing Friday cedar blogging, but we might see another picture someday as it grows. This tree […]
Cold Lemon Soufflé
This is a dish I've made several times, always substituting some non-sugar sweetener for the sugar in the original recipe. In the past that meant aspartame, which made a dessert that tasted good but never had quite the right appearance or texture. I last made this for Ars Hermeneutica's last annual meeting, and that time […]
Number of States Recognizing Marriage Equality Doubles
The California Supreme Court today decided a case in favor of marriage equality for all loving couples. There are now two states in the union (i.e., 4% of the country) where marriage equality has been legally recognized.The opinion is available here: In Re Marriage Cases, S147999. The heart of the litigation was the question whether […]
In: All, Current Events, Faaabulosity
Notes to The Map that Changed the World
I recently finished reading Simon Winchester's excellent book, The Map that Changed the World : William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology (New York : HarperCollins, 2001, 329 pages). It's the fascinating story of William Smith (1769—1839) and how he came to draw the first geological map of England (the first in the world, […]
In: All, Books, It's Only Rocket Science
Moyers on Drinking with W
"Look, back in 2000 working people were told 'Gee, George W. Bush is the man you want to have a beer with!' Yeah, but when you had that beer with him you got up from the bar realizing he had left you with the tab." — Bill Moyers to Charlie Rose, "Conversation with Bill Moyers", […]
Park on Creationists' Strategy
Creationists continue to pervert the language and the science. Can't we find a criterion where they'll agree they've lost? Bob Park describes the latest in his inimitable style. INTELLIGENT DESIGN: ACADEMIC FREEDOM IS THE NEW STRATEGY. Even before Darwinian evolution defeated intelligent design in Kitzmiller v. Dover School Board, it has been apparent that this […]
An Exciting Proposal
Tidying up I tripped over one more little gem from Watson's Ideas that I had marked, this one because of the lovely, all-purpose nature of the case made for the proposed clock in Lyons. I think we should use this as a model for modern proposals, for simplicity and clarity. The first clocks in towns […]
In: All, Books, Common-Place Book
Moyers on America's Story
You know by now that I am a Bill Moyers groupie. Happily, someone recently pointed out to me the transcript of another speech of Moyers' that I hadn't seen before: "For America's Sake". The speech dates from 12 December 2006 and was given "in New York sponsored by The Nation, Demos, the Brennan Center for […]
On Reading Watson's Ideas
I have always liked reading big books. I can remember how, in my youth, I trudged my way through Isaac Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (941 pages), for instance. I also can remember reading David Kahn's The Codebreakers (1200 pages), but I can't say I remember any details. It all goes into the […]
Close Door — Not!
Okay, since Garth Risk Hallberg at The Millions ("That Button Doesn't Work") invites us to help spread the word anyway, here he is quoting Nick Paumgarten from The New Yorker (link) on the efficacy of close-door buttons in elevators: In most elevators, at least in any built or installed since the early nineties, the door-close […]
A WWII Train Ride
[The following was a memoir that my father sent to me last year, just a couple of months before he died.] Following the end of the war with Germany in May, 1945 the Army Corps of Engineers unit of which I was a member was assigned to Army of Occupation duty. I was finally tagged […]
In: All, Personal Notebook, Reflections
On Not Reading Singh's Fermat's Enigma
For a few days recently I was reading Simon Singh's book, Fermat's Enigma : The Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem (New York : Walker and Company, 1997, 315 pages). However, I stopped reading after about 80 pages. The reason had nothing to do with the subject, which was interesting and developing reasonably […]
In: All, Books, It's Only Rocket Science, Writing
Reich on Ignoring Economists
After hearing Hillary Clinton say on television this morning: "I'm not going to put my lot in with economists” , Robert Reich wrote In case you’ve missed it, we now have a president who doesn’t care what most economists think. George W. Bush doesn’t even care what scientists think. He rejects all experts who disagree […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Current Events
Park on EMF Non-Dangers
Just in case you came in late, or you don't remember the events of the time, and never realized the terror that could be induced by toasters, Robert Park updates us on the utter lack of danger associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF). HYBRIPHOBIA: REMEMBER WHEN POWER LINES CAUSED CANCER? EMF stopped causing cancer in 1997, […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, Snake Oil--Cheap!
Fast-Tack Evolution
The story, as it's told online in National Geographic News,* goes like this. n 1971, scientists transplanted five adult pairs of [Italian wall lizards] from their original island home in Pod Kopiste to the tiny neighboring island of Pod Mrcaru, both in the south Adriatic Sea[, off the coast of Croatia]. Genetic testing on the […]
In: All, Eureka!, It's Only Rocket Science
Baroquen Bean-Paste
Matthew Guerrieri, at Soho the Dog (in "Miso, Soy of Man's Desiring") alerted me to a new product of immeasurable possible interest: Bach-Infused Miso Bean Paste. According to company officials, the bean paste fermented for 150 days while the music of Johann Sebastian Bach was playing continuously (nearby? loudly? within its hearing?). There is, however, […]
In: All, Curious Stuff, Raised Eyebrows Dept.