Daily Archives: November 24, 2009

Have an Edgy Thanksgiving!

In the 1970s, All in the Family had an episode (in season six) in which Thanksgiving dinner is disrupted over Michael Stivic’s atheism, and Michael and Gloria’s determination not to raise their baby with a religion:

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America vs. Global Terrorism: What Happens When Ahab’s Pursuit of the White Whale Takes Place in Real Time?

Robert Wright, in the New York Times this weekend, articulated clearly his view of how the viral terrorism meme spreads, in an age of global communication, to psychologically susceptible people (like Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan):  One reason killing terrorists can spread terrorism is that … Continue reading

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Creation vs. Evolution Watch: A Trojan Horse at UCLA?

This past week a group of Evangelicals came onto the UCLA campus in Westwood and gave away 2000 free copies of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859). But, as usual, there is a catch to such things. The edition of … Continue reading

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Beck Zedong!

Glenn Beck’s got a one hundred year plan (oh, shit): “We need to start thinking like the Chinese.” In other words, Glenn Beck thinks that focused, insurgent, belligerent, fanatically committed mass movement Maoism—with its disciplined cell groups, ideological purity, and relentless propaganda—is the right … Continue reading

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“I Wonder if I Know What You Mean”

“I wonder if you wonder.” Great layers of inuendo and connotation in an exchange of wits between Barbara Stanwyck and Jimmy Stewart in the film noir classic, Double Indemnity (1944): And here’s another great example of insinuation in a different genre:

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Have You Seen “Christmas in Connecticut”?

Until last night, I’d never seen Christmas in Connecticut (1945), but my wife got me to sit down and watch it with her—and what a great holiday movie! Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan have smoldering chemistry (it’s surprising that they don’t melt … Continue reading

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This is the Person Republicans Are Putting Forward for President in 2012?

Fruitfly research in France! Liberals are just so crazy!!!!

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My Daily Rant

Two of my biggest problems with Sarah Palin are: her painful syntax; and her (ab)use of English generally I like to see philosophical conservatism in the mix of ideas circulating, but could Republicans get some William F. Buckleys into the arena again, … Continue reading

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Sarah Palin Groupie Watch

They see themselves as innocent and sincere, and she’s one of them, so they perceive her as innocent and sincere. Who’s in the family, who’s not? Politics is often less about formal platforms and policies and more about cultural signals and cultural style, isn’t it?

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Truth, Carrying a Torch, and Justice, Carrying a Sword, Pursue a Person Who Has Violated the Moral Law

In this case, committing a murder:   The painting, by the way, is part of the Getty Museum’s permanent collection. It’s titled, “Justice and Divine Vengeance Pursuing Crime”. I snapped the above image of it this weekend, while in Westwood. The painter’s … Continue reading

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Curly Physics? Let the Big Banging Begin!

On Monday, the Large Hadron Collider started cracking little knuckleheads of protons into one another, and here’s what the New York Times says is the ramp up schedule for ever greater energy knock-about levels (ultimately leading to Big Bang equivelent energy collisions): … Continue reading

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25, 5, and 2: Three Great Reasons Not to Buy a Hummer

This evening I watched an extraordinary documentary titled A Crude Awakening (which can be found at Amazon here), and in the film three numbers jumped out at me: 25 5 2 And what do these numbers represent? 25 is the percentage … Continue reading

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