Lately, I’ve been reading all about Samuel Johnson (a.k.a. Dr. Johnson), one of the most quotable and scholarly men of the 18th Century. He’s gotten some press lately for having said that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.†Which it is. The guy’s breadth of knowledge and endeavor is amazing. [Incidentally, I really […]
Toyota and the Government: Making Cars Less Safe
CNN reported a while back that Toyota was planning a recall of over 150,000 Tundra trucks. Here’s what they’ll do when you take your truck in to be “fixed†for the recall: They’ll disable the safety device that switches off the passenger-side airbag when a child is sitting in it. The device is […]
Abortion is Murder?
A theoretical argument I’ve often posed may actually become a reality. When discussing abortion, I find myself asking whether a doctor and patient of an abortion procedure should be tried for murder, or even be executed. Excepting faceless folk on the Net, I usually get a no. No one has met me face to face […]
Le Pen isn’t Mightier than Le Law
Le Pen (you know, the right-wing nasty over in France) is a horror, of course. But every time someone in France or Germany goes to trial because he says something Nazi-ish, it makes me cringe a bit. More than a bit. I hear from the occasional smug European how Americans wave their flags so hard […]
Steve Jobs Gets Called to Jesus. Jews for Jesus.
Found on Boing Boing, apparently the Jews for Jesus crew is letting Steve Jobs know that he’s not unlike that OTHER guy who was, um, born in a manger. Or, wait a minute. Something like that. See the pamphlet for yourself. [End of Post]
Hao Wu Free!
Finally. Â [End of Post]
Astronomy Pic of the Day
Pretty little ultra-violet image of our sun from NASA. Get the full-size pic and an explanation here.
Matter
My brother sends along a link to a page that, as well as anything I’ve seen, helps show how atoms are made up of mostly space. I don’t mean mostly space in the way that the earth is mostly ocean. I mean mostly space in the way that… well, have a look yourself. The same […]
UPS Goes Hybrid
Or, they would go hybrid if they had the money. Apparently, as Congress talked up the new commitment to gas-saving technology, the actual budget can’t support it. But that’s politics, and I’m just happy about the possibilities. A UPS truck that’s quiet and fuel efficient? I like it. [End of Post]
Hao Wu and Wall Street Journal
My friend Cathy emailed to let me know that Hao Wu is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. I mentioned Hao in an earlier post. Hopefully, this exposure will help free him and create more outrage about China’s contempt for human rights. I’m not linking to the whole article, because you need […]