Category: General

So, I am finally home from the interminable Boston séjour. I had a minute or so of relief at being home, after a nice drive, when I realized that my taxes are due by the end of April. I.e. Monday. Damn it. I guess I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow night. Read more →

I am watching Jon Stewart on the new Bill Moyers show right now. I have never been more impressed with Jon. And that’s saying something. If you missed this, you should be able to watch it from the show’s web site some time soon. UPDATE: Damn, the second half of the show is talking to Josh Marshall. Yes, Josh Marshall… Read more →

Democrat says expect online gambling bill Thursday House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (news, bio, voting record) on Wednesday said he will introduce a bill this week to lift a ban on online gambling. “Why anyone thinks it is any of my business why some adult wants to gamble is absolutely beyond me,” Frank told a community bankers group… Read more →

Here’s the thing: precision of language allows for both more elegant and more useful communication. I love that English has this dizzying variety of words, many of which are similar in meaning, but with a difference of connotation that allows us to increase our precision. However, I am also a pedant, so the flip side of my love of precise… Read more →

Here’s a quotation from a new story published on March 31st in the Globe & Mail: Mr. Trottier, 24, and his colleague were hanging posters Tuesday night announcing a lecture by Victor Stenger, author of God: The Failed Hypothesis, when they were approached by two men. The men asked for a copy of the poster, mumbled under their breath and… Read more →

You can now listen to the recent Oxford/Cambridge-style formal debate on the proposition “We’d be better off without religion”, thanks to the Time Online. (Note that this is explicitly not the same proposition as “God doesn’t exist”, etc.) The debate was organized by Intelligence Squared, and had the following participants: Pro: Professor Richard Dawkins Professor A.C. Grayling Christopher Hitchens Con:… Read more →

For the record, I’d like to see the rest of the world on the same scale. This obviously comes from Scientific American, but I got it from the always interesting Strange Maps. It kind of saddens me to see that “marred by creationist jargon” tag on Massachusetts though. I do kind of think of Boston and environs as a relatively… Read more →

Speaking of those people that cocky atheists particularly love to make fun of, you should take a moment to read this blog post outlining the shock of someone who has lived in the middle east, upon moving to middle america. So when I came to the US I was shocked, absolutely stunned at just how absolutely people believed the Bible.… Read more →

You know, you can’t make up stuff like this: The owner of a photo store, who says her business partner is Jesus, began Holy Week by putting signs outside her store urging passing motorists to show their support for the Christian holiday. “Easter: Beep for Christ,” the signs said. Phil Young, owner of a neighboring tattoo store, soon after put… Read more →

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..but this time good ones: We had a double bill of Double Indemnity and Body Heat last night. Best piece of dialogueBest delivery of a line, though, is a tie between Robinson‘s line about “Margie” drinking straight from the bottle, and Turner‘s “You don’t look lazy.” from the night: Phyllis: I was just fixing some ice tea; would you like… Read more →

If you were exchanged in the cradle and your real mother died without ever telling the story then no one knows your name, and somewhere in the world your father is lost and needs you but you are far away. He can never find how true you are, how ready. When the great wind comes and the robberies of the… Read more →

There was a time in my life where if I “disappeared” off the Internet for two weeks, from my birthday through St. Patrick’s Day, it would have meant that I was on some sort of mad road trip across North America, having adventures and probably breaking a law or two. Not so this year. While I did ring in my… Read more →

Normally I’m not a Converse fan. My taste in footwear these days runs to Blundstones, with summer forays into Doc Marten sandals. I am, however, quite the fan of artist and comic creator Scott Morse. I think I have everything he’s done (excepting work on corporate properties) on my shelf, not to mention several pages of original art. And now… Read more →