Archive for the ‘All’ Category
Their Dismembered Remains
Pigeons strutted happily among their dismembered remains. [Ghost of a Flea, by James Sallis, p. 101.] The meaning is assisted, somewhat, by the preceding sentences: I'd gone across for coffee and doughnuts…. We'd both wisely foregone the doughnuts after tasting them. Pigeons strutted happily…. I'd say it makes a strong case for using the semi-colon.
In: All, Common-Place Book, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Such Language!
"Old Jewish Men Confused"
[NYTimes] Scott McClellan, the press secretary to President Bush, called on you and allowed you to ask questions on a nearly daily basis. What, exactly, is your relationship with him? [Jeff Gannon] I was just another guy in the press room. Did I try to curry favor with him? Sure. When he got married, I […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Illegal but Very Cheap
Here's another for the innumeracy files. I heard on the radio today news that the Feds had "slapped" Wal-Mart with a fine of $11 Million to settle claims that Wal-Mart had illegally hired undocumented aliens. The spokesman for the Feds was deliriously happy with this result, evidently because it was the largest fine in the […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science
Religion a Choice?
The Panda's Thumb reports on research suggesting that "Genes contribute to religious inclination". Now, if I were writing the story, no doubt a thriller pitting anti-evolutionist Christians against brilliant, couragous, but slightly naive scientists studying evolution, I'd probably plan a climax in which it is revealed that genes — those bugaboos that keep throwing Darwin […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
One-Testis Beetles
There is some payoff for reading all those boring-to-death scientific headlines; every now and again one gets an unexpected treat like this: Researchers Find Three Major Beetle Groups Coming Up One Testicle Short BERKELEY – A surprisingly large number of beetles are missing one of their testes, the male gonads of insects. As far as […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., The Art of Conversation
Republicans Unexpectedly Oppose Traditional Marriage
When I first read these paragraphs in an editorial from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ("Congress: Democracy's day off"), I looked back at it several times, wondering where the typo was, or where the word had been left out that changed its meaning: The House passed on a voice vote, without hearing or thought, a measure to […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Rock into Rocket Scientist
My new motto: I evolved from a rock into a rocket scientist. Evolutionists may need billions of years to make people believe a rock can turn into a rocket scientist, but that time just isn’t available. [Dr. Kent Hovind, aka "Dr. Dino", from Universe Is Not "Billions of Years" Old, to be found on his […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, It's Only Rocket Science
Scientific Truth
Mark, the "Moderate Liberal", wrote a good piece called "The War Against Evolution", trying to understand, as I do with very little success, the anti-science forces at work in the USA today. It's all very trying (the anti-scientism, not Mark's essay). He and I, who both have degrees in Physics and are therefore part of […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, Notes to Richard
ID and Astrology
Because I suffer from hubris, as all scientists seem to do, I sometimes imagine that I'm a clever, creative person with an inventive mind. Then, suddenly, my fortress of personal fiction crumbles when I am faced with creative invention that zooms light-years past any of my own paltry attempts. Thanks to Steve Reuland at The […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., The Art of Conversation
Propeller Heads: No Joy
Bull Moose comments (in Corporate not Conservative) on the current state of affairs in Washington, DC: Conservatives are left to wax nostalgic about the long lost halcyon days of free trade, deficit elimination and welfare reform – the Clinton years. Republicans have severely underestimated the popularity of FDR's social security program. Even the Bushies have […]
No Brainer
Today's entry in the "Unfortunate Juxtaposition of Headlines in the RSS Feed" came from The Scotsman: 'No risk' man fried and ate friend's brain (by Shenai Raif) Why Scots don't like inviting friends to dinner (by Alastair Jamieson)
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept.
"Obvious Natural & Social Reality"
Possibly the most quotable paragraph from Superior Court Judge Kramer's decision, released yesterday, finding that the State of California had no compelling interest to deny marriage to same-sex couples: Thus, the cases cited by the plaintiffs do not establish that California courts have recognized that the purpose of marriage in this state is procreation. Instead, […]
Carrying the Sword
"Separation of Church and State" is such a tired old platitude, so 1780s. "Carrying the sword in place of the Lord" just has such a nice modern, authoritarian, patriarchal ring to it: In a 1989 ruling, [Supreme Court Justice Antonin] Scalia cast the deciding vote in Stanford v. Kentucky, concluding that the execution of a […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Raised Eyebrows Dept.
Earworm Origins
Deep down, I'd like to believe that I don't really care that much about priority and doing things first and getting proper credit and all that, but sometimes a matter comes along that is so supremely unimportant, so trivial and petty, that one can get a little irritated. This is one such story, and it […]
Dissent vs. Disloyalty
Louisville native Bob Edwards warned last night [in a speech at Centre College] that the United States is in a period like the McCarthy era of the 1950s, in which the government is stifling political dissent while the news media and the public fail to speak out in vigorous opposition. […] He quoted Edward R. […]
Most are Average
From "Framing The GOP", by Parker Blackman (which I read at TomPaine.com), this stunning tautology: Most Americans are moderate in their views; extremism on either side of the political spectrum makes them uncomfortable. I've known for some time that most people don't have any sort of feeling for statistical concepts, and few of them seem […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, Raised Eyebrows Dept.
Negative Fluidity
From "DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern", by Mike Allen (Washington Post). "If death comes from a thousand cuts, Tom DeLay is into a couple hundred, and it's getting up there," said a Republican political consultant close to key lawmakers. "The situation is negatively fluid right now for the guy. You start hitting […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Such Language!
Oh No! Gay Porn!!
Noted with irritation: Gay author Greg Herren said he was surprised when he was asked to give a presentation to the Gay-Straight Alliance at Manchester High School in Chesterfield County, Va. He was told that his presentation had been approved by the faculty adviser of the school’s one-year-old Gay-Straight Alliance, as well as by the […]
You Snollygoster You!
I enjoy words quite a bit, often more than I should, sometimes to distraction. Years ago I wrote a short essay about my then-fondness for the word "madcap", which I'm still fond of even if it's not at the top of my list of favorites. Yesterday I was reading and something reminded me that I've […]
The Right to Vote
I'm actually surprised and maybe even shocked to read: Last week, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Il., introduced House Joint Resolution 28 with 54 original co-sponsors. The Jackson amendment would reverse the Supreme Court's ruling in Bush v. Gore that the citizen has no constitutional right to vote. Currently, voting is a state right, and all […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept.