Charles Stross has a really interesting explanation for why novels are the length they are: Once a trend like that becomes established, it’s hard to stop. Put yourself in the position of a bored browser in front of a supermarket wire-rack, contemplating novels by two authors you’ve never read. They both cost the same, and you have enough pocket money to buy one. The year is 1980; LibraryThing or other internet resources aren’t available. How do you make your mind up? Well, you remember what you’ve heard about the authors, and you look at the cover painting,...
Continue reading...I'm sorta disgusted.
I was fed up with the actions and rhetoric of the left when Bush was in office, despite sharing many of their concerns. I’m fed up with the current tactics of the right, and share none of their concerns. And yes, sadly, I’m still fed up with the left. I’m having trouble understanding how we move forward from such insanity. President Obama answered the question quite diplomatically this morning, as he often does. Noting that there is a divide in the ‘tea party’* movement between the truly insane (birthers, etc…) and the more rational (deficit hawks, etc…)...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day – 30 March 2010
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. From David Brooks’s kind-of-silly column today about happiness: The United States is much richer than it was 50 years ago, but this has produced no...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Good morning, everybody. Ricky’s gay, Sandra’s dumping Jesse, but, worry not!, Heidi and Spencer are staying together. Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama will sign changes to student lending into law today. The changes will replace the current system of the government giving loans through private lenders and instead provide loans directly to students. The CERN Large Hadrom Collider succeeded Tuesday morning in colliding particles at three times the highest energy levels ever recorded. Of course, I have absolutely no idea what that means. Members of the League for Democracy Party in Myanmar voted to skip the country’s...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day – 29 March 2010
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. And today’s from Ross “Do that thang” Douthat, in today’s column “A Time for Contrition,” in which he inexplicably partially blames psychiatry for the Catholic...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Monday, 29 March 2010
Good morning, folks. Butler, West Virginia, Duke and Michigan State: What in the—? Anyways, here’s your morning constitutional: President Obama made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Sunday to meet with President Karzai and address the troops stationed there. Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow Metro subway trains this morning, killing at least 36. An obituary for ‘Cap and Trade.’ Seven have been arrested in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana in raids by a FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force on the militia group Hutaree, a self-described Christian militia, this weekend. They are expected to appear...
Continue reading...Things I Drink, And So Should You: The Negroni
Because this place needs another regular feature, I’m here, every Friday afternoon, to tell you that what you drink sucks. Being married to an Italian can be fantastic. The food is amazing. The scenery, when in Italy rather than on Mott St. or in the North End, can be breathtaking. The language, the art … seriously, it’s a good deal, even without considering the individual Italian with whom I chose to spend the time before she decides to divorce me. The drinking, however. If you’re not careful, you can find yourself beyond sauced before the bruschetta shows...
Continue reading...Best. Week. Ever.
With the awesomeness surrounding the passage of healthcare reform, new DOT policy should not be overlooked. Increased commitment to and investment in bicycle facilities and walking networks can help meet goals for cleaner, healthier air; less congested roadways; and more livable, safe, cost-efficient communities. Walking and bicycling provide low-cost mobility options that place fewer demands on local roads and highways. DOT recognizes that safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities may look different depending on the context — appropriate facilities in a rural community may be different from a dense, urban area. However, regardless of regional, climate,...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day – 26 March 2010
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas Friedman, Gail Collins, Nicholas Kristoff, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today’s is from Professor Krugman’s vitriolic column “Going to Extreme:” For today’s G.O.P. is, fully and finally, the party of Ronald Reagan — not Reagan...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Friday, 26 March 2010
Good morning, everybody. How about those games last night? Sorry about your brackets, though. Now, your morning constitutional: Russian bombers were intercepted in British airspace. Is Russia’s military getting bolder? Protesters in Iraq are demanding a manual recount of votes in the recent election. The economics of an aging populace. The Obama administration announces plans to help homeowners. A caucus system in Utah that favors conservatives could imperil Sen. Bennett’s reelection hopes. Former militiaman urges people to vandalize offices of members of Congress who voted for health care reform. Calls himself a “Christian libertarian” but cashes government...
Continue reading...
Recent Comments