Random Observations about...
July 2003

On Being Neat

"People whose homes are always neat live without fear for the future, so they're willing to let go of stuff....

Star Trek and Social Evolution

Our society continues to evolve, according to the immutable laws of science, towards a utopian ideal, right? Roddenbury thought so anyway. So did Marx.

Utopia: NYC

City Journal: No fewer than 22 council members ... have sponsored Bill 386, directing the city to consider secession from...

Confessions of an Anti-Sanctions Activist

Middle East Forum: By going beyond our declared agenda of advocacy for the Iraqi people and bringing this kind of...

So You're a Feminist... Isn't that Cute!

Free speech on campus shouldn't be a conservative cause. In fact, it shouldn't be a cause at all...

Of Shoes and Souls

Several humorous stories with an interesting juxaposition between footwear and faith. Indeed, these are the times which try men's soles...

Science Fiction or Magic?

Apparently Gene Roddenbury loved Science Fiction. It's a shame he didn't love science, and appeared to lack even the most elementary grasp of physics or astronomy.

West Nile in the U.K.

The BBC carries a report blaming the spread of West Nile in the U.K. on climate change. Really? A similar...

Fun with Fidel

Dialing for Dictators: After two Florida DJs successfully spoofed Hugo Chavez, they decided to go for big game, Castro himself....

Liberman: Mfume for Supreme Court!

Oh good heavens. Kweisi may have told the Democrats not to rest on their laurels, but I'm not sure that...

Chilean "Blob" Mystery Solved

The odd mass which washed up on a Chilean beach -- for those who have followed the mystery -- has...

Mfume Rebukes "Republicans as Nazis" Smear

Kweisi Mfume actually upbraided NAACP's chairman for saying all Republicans were Nazis! Apparently Kweisi is getting smart and learning to...

A French Intifada

For those who have just emerged from a cave, European antisemitism is on the rise. And that's putting it mildly,...

An Anti-Meme: The "Smart" Manifesto

Introduction Recently, there has been some buzz about Dawkin's comment about "bright" being roughly the opposite of theist; a quick...

Living Water

What is water? It's the stuff that sustains life. We can live weeks without food, but we can only go days without water. And food comes in many varieties, but there is just one kind of water. Or is there?

Bush, the EU, Africa, and Farm Subsidies

Farm subsidies have been a hot topic for years. But recently, the flame's been stoked yet another notch higher. A short primer and recent developments...

PETA on Sausage Violence

You've all heard about the now-famous Milwaukee sausage dust-up? Boots and Sabers republishes a letter from PETA: Violence like this...

The Haliburton Hoax

Imagine I told you that if you worked for me, my company would pay you $70,000 annually, and implied this might be a base level for an "open-ended" salary. What if you signed on and discovered, by mid-year, you'd only been compensated $2,400, and could probably only expect about $6,000 compensation total? That's the kind of distortion we're talking about here...

The Worse, the Better!

Sometimes a bad movie review is a good thing to find. This week, the producers of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" team up with Roger Ebert to produce just such a review for our enjoyment. Let's just hope the kids don't "learn" anything about the world or history from this one!

Just Plain Ol' Hill

Writes P.J. O'Rourke: Compared with Hillary Clinton, Bill is a big pile of humility. "While Bill talked about social change,"...

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Liar Dad, Thief

Robert Kiyosaki's book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is currently a bestseller. But Marc Miyaki points to evidence that Kiyosaki may have made up his "Rich Dad", and may be harming those who take his advice by leading them down a "primrose path"...

Queering the Schools

Is homosexuality inborn or a social construct? Some argue the former, queer theorists argue the latter. I come down neatly...

Revising Normandy

Check out Dissident Frogman's report about some interesting co-incidences at the Memorial Museum at the Battle of Normandy. I feel...

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