From the first invention of human language right up to the present moment, there has never been an instant when “He did it first” was a winning argument. Counterexamples?
Category: Politics
Other Countries Have All the Good Scandals
We’ve got unjustified judicial firings, secret prison networks, and unauthorized wiretaps– all good, solid scandals based on important ethical principles. Meanwhile, in Israel… Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found drunk and naked apart from bondage gear. Reports say he was able to identify himself to police only after a… Continue reading Other Countries Have All the Good Scandals
Coming Soon to a Presidential Address Near You
Two American physicists are reporting the discovery of nearly perfect quasicrystal patterns in the decorative tiles of a certain type of Islamic art: Penrose tiling is very reminiscent of “girih” – the elaborate patterns used in Islamic architecture. While travelling in Uzbekistan, [Harvard physicist Peter] Lu noticed motifs with 10-fold rotational symmetry, which is a… Continue reading Coming Soon to a Presidential Address Near You
Stealth Creationists and Illinois Nazis
I’m having the sort of morning where I feel like lobbing a grenade at somebody, and the predictable outrage over yesterday’s story about a creationist paleontologist is as good a target as any. The issue here is whether it’s appropriate for Marcus Ross to receive a Ph.D. for work in paleontology, given that he’s a… Continue reading Stealth Creationists and Illinois Nazis
Pound Foolish
President Bush’s budget request for next year has been released. Surprising approximately no-one who has followed current events over the last seven years, it’s a mixed bag for science: President Bush rolled out a 2008 spending plan Monday that disappointed advocates for scientific research, even as it called for hefty increases for several key programs… Continue reading Pound Foolish
Let’s Hear It for Oppressive Government Regulation
I didn’t actually plan for the site to go completely dark for the weekend, but Kate and I were off at a wedding for the weekend, and wound up not actually having regular Internet access, so I couldn’t post any of the weekend things I didn’t get around to scheduling before I left. I’m sure… Continue reading Let’s Hear It for Oppressive Government Regulation
The Problem of the Modern Republican Party
Mark Kleiman explains the problem of abortion in American politics (Bill Hicks: “Yeah, I’m gonna win you all back with this one”) in two paragraphs of this post: Jane Galt is right that the country would be better off if the abortion debate sparked less hatred on both sides. Moreover, she’s right that one key… Continue reading The Problem of the Modern Republican Party
Sociology of Car Bumpers
Something my sister pointed out, based on driving from San Francisco to southern California, and subsequently confirmed by local observations (for example, in the parking lot on my way back from basketball today): When you see magnetic ribbons attached to cars, they invariably have right-leaning political slogans on them: “Support the Troops” and the like.… Continue reading Sociology of Car Bumpers
Blame Where Blame Is Due
A lot of people have commented on this New York Times article on science budgets, mostly echoing the author’s lament about the negative effects of operating at 2006 funding levels. I really don’t have much to add to that, but it’s worth reminding people where the blame for this belongs: Last year, Congress passed just… Continue reading Blame Where Blame Is Due
The Budget Mess
The Democrats have decided to punt on the budget, which the outgoing Republican Congress left unfinished in a childish fit of pique. Instead of completing the usual budget process, the incoming Congress plans to pass a “continuing resolution,” to fund 2007 operations of Federal agencies at the same level as 2006. See, people, this is… Continue reading The Budget Mess