between putting the baby to bed and watching the Twilight Zone marathon: 1. I saw Romney’s stump speech on television. It is pretty obviously a response to Obama’s Osawatomie speech on inequality by talking about opportunity etc.. I thought Romney’s speech needed . . . . Continue Reading »
Scientists have mutated a bird flu virus—which I call the Armageddon flu because it has a 50% lethality rate in humans and would be highly infectious through airborne transmission. Reckless, to say the least—as we have discussed here. But the scientists also want to publish their . . . . Continue Reading »
I shall now snootily subvert “the year in culture” blog post genre by linking to one from 2004. A wonderful essay by Una Cadegan in the Confessing History volume (which I reviewed over here ), brought my attention to Judith Shulevitz’s 2004 wrap up in Slate , where she wrote . . . . Continue Reading »
No time to link, but: 1. Well, they have Paul on tape out of Sioux City talking about a UN takeover and impending violence in the streets—stock lines from his past. But there are several good articles talking about the importance of what he stands for in terms of domestic policy as the only . . . . Continue Reading »
As regular readers of Secondhand Smoke know, I am very concerned about the growing anti-humanism permeating enviromental advocacy. It started, perhaps, with deep ecology—but is spreading now to the misanthropic ”rights of nature”—including I just found out, in . . . . Continue Reading »
Two abortionist doctors have been charged with murder for the deaths of babies killed during late term abortions under Maryland’s viable fetus law. From the CBS Baltimore story:Two out-of-state doctors who traveled to Maryland to perform late-term abortions have been arrested and charged . . . . Continue Reading »
On this the penultimate day of the year, with just a few (too few, in my view) days to go until the Iowa caucuses (in which Ron Paul is anot thefront-runner ), it’s worth spending a few moments thinking about the connection between libertartianism and Christianity. If Ayn Rand is . . . . Continue Reading »
I find it odd that learned medical commentators would think that octogenarians and nonagenarians would not be aware that their time is growing short. Of course they do! Should doctors discuss what elderly patients want in terms of end of life treatment and extensive procedures . . . . Continue Reading »
[Note: I first wrote this two years ago, but I thought it might be worthwhile to post it again for the new year.] The beginning of a New Year is an an excellent time to try something new. As you make your list of resolutions and goals I want to recommend adding a simple four step process that could . . . . Continue Reading »