Archive for the ‘Common-Place Book’ Category
I've Been Feeling Unreasonable Lately
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. — George Bernard Shaw
In: All, Common-Place Book, Reflections
Valuing Marriage Like Freedom
Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it. — Anniken Huitfeldt, Norwegian Family Issues minister, upon introducing a parliamentary measure that would make marriage laws gender neutral in Norway, recently passed by a vote of 84 votes to 41 [quoted in "Marriage Equality for Norway", Joe.My.God, 11 June 2008.]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Faaabulosity
Unmistakable Cracking Sounds
As the California Supreme Court decision outlawing this state's ban on same-sex marriage settles in, we are being treated to the unmistakable cracking sounds of long-held, icy bigotries giving way to a wellspring of justice. [editorial, "Gay marriage gaining ground", Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2008.]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Faaabulosity
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 […]
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", […]
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
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
Old Ideas for New Crises
The context was a blog entry about financial difficulties for Border's bookstores, but this excerpt jumped out and grabbed my cuffs. In 1932, according to the author of The Coming of the New Deal [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.], more than a quarter million families lost their homes through mortgage foreclosures; this at a time when […]
In: All, Briefly Noted, Common-Place Book
Paul on Roach on Sex
I have previous read the two available books by Mary Roach, Stiff and Spook, and rather enjoyed them, for the most part. Roach is a sort of gonzo journalist-science writer who likes to take odd topics and see how science deals with them. Stiff is subtitled "The Curious Life of Cadavers", and Spook is subtitled […]
In: All, Books, Common-Place Book
…and Then There Were Three
We've heard by now, with excitement, about the election of the Democratic physicist Bill Foster, in special election, to take over the long-corrupt seat of Denny Hastert, but I was also excited to hear the news about the election of the Democratic physicist Bill Foster, etc. Here's how fellow physicist Bob Park talks about it […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Current Events
Bodin on Heliocentrism
After Copernicus published De Revolutionibus in 1543, acceptance of the idea that the Earth orbited the Sun was neither immediate nor universal. Some appealed to common sense: No one in his senses, or imbued with the slightest knowledge of physics will ever think that the earth, heavy and unwieldy from its own weight and mass, […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, It's Only Rocket Science
Bush, like Ozymandias
The [2008 President's State of the Union] speech had an inescapable problem. It couldn't possibly address the question at hand – the actual state of the union. Costly and unending occupations. Economic recession. Unprecedented foreign indebtedness. Unsustainable trade deficits. A declining middle class. Millions about to lose their homes. Leading banks on the auction block. […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Current Events
Raymo on the Nature of Science
For science to be possible, we must make two assumptions: (1) That the world exists independently of our knowledge of it; and (2) that we can know the world with ever increasing verisimilitude. As obviously true as these statements might seem, in fact their veracity has been long and vigorously debated by philosophers. Nevertheless, they […]
In: All, Books, Common-Place Book
Obama on Equality
We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Current Events
FDR on "A Decade of Debauch"
In April 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pointed out while he was dealing with the wreckage of the Great Depression: "America a century ago was regarded as an economic unity. But as time went on the country was cut up, bit by bit, into segments. We heard about problems of particular localities, the problems of […]
On Finding the Way
If at the end of our journey There is no final Resting place, Then we need not fear Losing our way. — Ikkyu Sojun (1394–1482), Zen master and poet [quoted in Jennifer Michael Hecht, Doubt: A History. New York : HarperSanFrancisco, 2003. p. 268.]
In: All, Books, Common-Place Book
Schermer on Science
Science is not a thing, it's a verb. [Michael Schermer, "Why People Believe Weird Things (video)" TED.com, February 2006.]
In: All, Common-Place Book, It's Only Rocket Science
Single-Issue Voting: Reason #1
I was just remembering what I said a while back about how reproductive rights really are a litmus test. It's not that I automatically trust anyone who appears to be pro-choice (Feinstein), it's just that I definitely don't trust anyone who isn't. Basically, no one who doesn't believe a woman should control her own body […]
The "New Atheists"
I decided to make a note of the following because I wanted to give the essay it's from more attention that I have available at the moment. 2007 was the year atheists in America came out of the closet. And indeed, a glance at the state of our world suggests this was a predictable response. […]