Archive for the ‘Splenetics’ Category
Sacrifice Only When Necessary (BBA III)
In a Memorial-Day editorial, "Memorial Day/Praise bravery, seek forgiveness" (Minneapolis StarTribune, 30 May 2005), the editors of that paper share their thoughts about the implications of the "Downing Street Memo": Nothing young Americans can do in life is more honorable than offering themselves for the defense of their nation. It requires great selflessness and sacrifice, […]
Provoking Iraq (BBA II)
Allegations and indications of a pre-Iraq-war conspiracy to manufacture provocations for war continue to appear. This weekend, the London Times ("RAF bombing raids tried to goad Saddam into war", by Michael Smith, 29 May 2005) reported that THE RAF and US aircraft doubled the rate at which they were dropping bombs on Iraq in 2002 […]
Whither the Indictments?
Fed up with statements by reactionary partisans who keep managing to, um, transcend obvious truth, David Brin offered up a short list of issues, of which this was one: Rush [Limbaugh] promised us indictments. Hunneds. Tousens. Milliuns of indictments, as soon as "honest men take over the filing cabinets" in DC. It would be an […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
Worth Remembering (BBA I)
I didn't write a serious memorial-day memorial piece yesterday. I welcome the day set aside for remembering the deeds of those who have fought for liberty and freedom. The challenge would have been honoring our troops' bravery and loyalty in Iraq while making it clear that the war in Iraq is neither honorable nor noble. […]
Snowflake Collectibles
Republicans have invented a new strategy for discounting science: snowflake babies. First, Republicans opposed to the bipartisan stem-cell research bill, which passed the House on Thursday, arranged a press conference with families that have adopted frozen excess embryos, featuring 21 of the 81 snowflake babies. Then, in the afternoon, President Bush appeared at the Rose […]
Bon Voyage Voyager
Bob Park, who writes What's New for the American Physical Society (my professional organization), isn't too happy with the new priorities for NASA's budget. Neither am I for that matter, although my reasons are somewhat different. Nevertheless, I agree with him: SPACE: VOYAGER 1 REACHES THE LIMIT OF BUSH’S ATTENTION SPAN. It’s been traveling for […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, Speaking of Science, Splenetics
Corruption Overload
The rich aren't like us — they pay less taxes. — Peter De Vries, American author, 1910–1993 Here I always tought it was H.L. Menken — sure sounded like something he'd write — or maybe Will Rogers or Gracie Allen*, but De Vries is fine with me. I mostly liked his books, his satire was […]
Microsoft Dumps Reed
I suppose this means I'll have to dislike Microsoft a little less than before (but because of transfinite arithmatic, it doesn't mean a substantive change). I'd also like to point out to Microsoft that I'm available as a consultant, and could probably save them a little money, as if that is important to them. When […]
The Blessed Blastocyst
It makes one wonder when miscarriage and menstruation will become manslaughter, too (although it does bolster my argument that married straight couples who fail to produce at least one child every 9 months sin much more, and far more frequently, than any male-male couple ever could): Nature is full of waste. Of all the fertilized […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
Acceptable Worlds
At virtually the same time that we heard the interesting news from South Korea about their ability to produce stem cells through cloning techniques, news teams rush to hear the president's predictable thoughts on the advance: I worry about a world in which cloning becomes acceptable. The fool pisses me off so much that I […]
Exit is Not an Option
From a press conference by "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheik Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Sabah, After Their Meeting, May 19, 2005, Washington, D.C.": QUESTION: Madame Secretary, in the New York Times today, there's an article that senior military leaders, both at the Pentagon and in Iraq, are claiming that it […]
Hate-Based Illiterates
Shakespeare's Sister ("Irritated by Ignorance: A Rant"), reading exposés of the activities of hate-based fundamentalists groups written by Deborah Levinson (who is apparently fearless enough to wade into that noxious swamp), presents us with some barely literate, dripping-with-hatred comments from Ms. Levinson's mailbag. The vitriol is astonishing and yet predictable; in other circumstances it might […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Queer Smells
My niece sent me a link to interesting news about a new study (it's always a new study, isn't it?): WASHINGTON — Scientists trying to sniff out biological differences between gay and straight men have found new evidence – in scent. It turns out that sniffing a chemical from testosterone, the male sex hormone, causes […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
Microsoft Born Again — Ho Hum
I saved these excerpts weeks ago, from a letter that Microsoft President Steve Ballmer wrote to his employees, and released publically by Microsoft, about the debacle and outcry following the company's disastrous decision to withdraw support from gay-equality legislation in Washington. I thought I would have incisive commentary, but I've found that, even faster than […]
Presidential Memorials
Capo, writing at the Cleveland Park Men's Club (those of us living in or near Washington DC will recognize the geographic reference — oddly, there's a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt there, in the Washington National Cathedral), in a piece called "GWB Memorial: The Writing's on the Wall" (16 May 2005), begins by saying A recent […]
The Gay, Gay Right
What adds a peculiar dynamic to this anti-gay juggernaut is the continued emergence of gay people within its ranks. Allen Drury would have been incredulous if gay-baiters hounding his Utah senator [in his novel Advice and Consent] had turned out to be gay themselves, but this has been a consistent pattern throughout the 30-year war. […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
W: The Original Countermajoritarian
This brings us to the filibuster. The primary objection to the filibuster is that it is countermajoritarian. That is, it enables a minority of senators (41 in the current Senate) to block proposed legislation and nominations. But there is nothing odd about that. In a government determined to avoid "capture" by any faction and designed […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
[Update 28 October 2005: Now that we top the charts at Google for this phrase, it seems appropriate that we provide the original lyrics to the theme song from MisterRogers' Neighborhood — see below.] I had a moment earlier when I was a bit gloomy and reflecting on how uncivilized Americans and American politics seems […]
Original Meaning Means…?
From "Justice Scalia critical of 'living Constitution'", by Rachel Graves (Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2005): COLLEGE STATION – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia portrayed himself in a speech here today as one of a dying breed of judges who strictly interpret the Constitution. "The Constitution, when it comes before a court, should mean exactly […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Superior Richard
Herewith, more gratitude and boot licks to Shakespeare's Sister for mentioning my blog in her Friday Blogrollin'. I appreciate it. I can see, though, that I'm going to have to write more about bears (i.e., big hairy men with beards, more or less) if I'm to remain a resource. Up to now most of my […]