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Monthly Archives: October 2007

Honey, They Shrunk the Congress

Honey, They Shrunk the Congress - IAWTC
Defending Congressional authority should not be a partisan issue. The founders wanted a strong Congress because they understood the importance of ensuring that the most democratic branch have a strong say in how the nation is run.

On Bumper Stickers


Scientific Literacy and the Habit of Discourse

Scientific Literacy and the Habit of Discourse - an excellent essay on a topic of great interest and concern to me. Important areas of public policy require that people be reasonably well-informed about scientific issues, and are able to think critically about them. [thanks to Roberta for sending this to me]
The reason science does […]

McCullagh’s Law of Politics

McCullagh’s Law of Politics
As the certainty that legislation violates the U.S. Constitution increases, so does the probability of predictions that severe harm or death will come to Americans if the proposal is not swiftly enacted.

Jon Stewart v. Chris Matthews

Comedy Central : Videos
Stewart: I’m not criticizing your book, I’m criticizing your philosophy of life.

Matthews: This is the worst interview I’ve ever had!
I also liked the part where Matthews says: “Do you want to be successful?” And Jon replies with “I am successful!”

Running Down The Hill

Running Down The Hill - Matthew Baldwin’s thoughts on the Bush/Clinton/Bush dynasties.
The executive (no pun intended) summary: OH FOR THE LOVE OF CUPCAKES AND KITTENS DO NOT VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES!
Also containing this gem on Giuliani: “that guy eats power for breakfast and shits crazy in the afternoon.”

American Lawbreaking

American Lawbreaking - “a five-part series about the laws we are allowed to break in America and why.” The parts:

That other drug legalization movement (prescription drugs replacing street drugs, at least for rich people)
How laws die (the changing nature of pornography/obscenity law enforcement)
Tolerated Use: The Copyright Problem (pretty self-explanatory, although more about changing/conflicting media […]

dawdlr

dawdlr - twitter, but with postcards instead of text messages.
dawdlr is a global community of friends and strangers answering one simple question: what are you doing, you know, more generally?

Free Rice

Free Rice - Little vocabulary game that donates rice to hunger organizations (10 grains per correct answer). Play, feed!

An Open Letter to Larry The Cable Guy from David Cross

An Open Letter to Larry The Cable Guy from David Cross - Git ‘er done, David. Git ‘er done.

Greater Los Angeles

Greater Los Angeles - L.A.: Greatest American City. According to some.
No matter what you do in L.A., your behavior is appropriate for the city. Los Angeles has no assumed correct mode of use. You can have fake breasts and drive a Ford Mustang – or you can grow a beard, weigh 300 pounds, and read […]

What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople? | Ask MetaFilter

What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople? - This is an awesome list of intro books for a huge array of fields, from hypnotherapy to astrophysics. I am afraid of a $500 Amazon bill appearing in my future.

Debating the morality behind software development

Debating the morality behind software development - Interesting interview about the moral imperatives facing software, analogous to the moral issues facing physicists in the early nuclear period. Interesting.

Honda pokes fun at Prius in new commercial

Honda pokes fun at Prius in new commercial
just because you want to help the planet doesn’t mean you have to drive a car that looks like a “wedge of cheese.” BURN!!!

People have realized they can hate George Bush but still not want people crapping in their doorway.

The Chronicle on the proposed crackdown of homelessness in SoMa.
People have realized they can hate George Bush but still not want people crapping in their doorway.

Australian actresses are plagiarizing my quantum mechanics lecture to sell printers!

Australian actresses are plagiarizing my quantum mechanics lecture to sell printers! - OK, this is strange… this advertisment features dialog plagiarised from this guy’s lecture notes. The internet - best thing ever.

International Dadaism Month

International Dadaism Month - Taking place on 4 February, 28 March, 1 April, 15 July, 2 August, 7 August, 16 August, 26 August, 18 September, 22 September, 1 October, 17 October, and 26 October.

LOLCat

LOLCat Bible
21. “Teh Ceiling Cat giv me cheezburger, teh Ceiling Cat takded mah cheezburger awai. I stil laiks teh Ceiling Cat.”
22. And teh Ceiling Cat sed “I winz!!”

Two Lists of Complaints

Two Lists of Complaints - Who hearts McSweeny’s? Phil does.

Dove Onslaught

Dove Onslaught -Dove follows up their earlier “Evolution” video with an ad featuring a young girl being bombarded with hundreds of images of female perfection.