WASHINGTON — In a landmark ruling today, the Supreme Court found 9–0 that the United States federal government was in violation of antitrust laws and ordered it broken up immediately. Writing for the majority, Antonin Scalia had this to say. His words are offered without further comment. ==== The definition of a monopoly is well-established and has […]
Archive for February, 2007
If Van Gogh had Lived Today
A thousand-word post.
Looking to Our Own Camp
A couple days back PZ posted a comment on something new called Conservapedia, which is a right-wing religious answer to Wikipedia and, like every other thing in their bizarro world, it essentially exposes them as the charlatans they are. To be sure, Wikipedia has its problems. Sometimes the posts aren’t entirely accurate, and in some cases it’s clear […]
Prayin’ In the Land Down Unda
TOAD SUCK, AR — Cloyd Jackson is just like any other Arkansan who’s felt the hand of God: He’s a man with a literal — and literalist — mission. Founder and First Pope of the Righteous Church of Fosterology, Jackson appears to be a more or less unassuming man living a modest life just beyond his means in a twelve-foot […]
At Least he’s the Right Color
I sometimes think that what really offends the conventionally religious about people who claim godhood is not that it’s blasphemous, but that it exposes, simply and directly, the incredible foolishness of their own beliefs. When you analyze the claims of most apocalyptic cults, after all, they do tend to say some pretty ridiculous things. Their […]
If I Had a Son…
I bash kids’ shows regularly and frequently attack religiosity. It’s easy for me to do that, since I don’t have any kids of my own. I can sit on my butt and theorize, and I can talk endlessly about what I’d support or reject in my own kids, if I had any. I thrash McDonald’s, I smoke NBB, I deride and belittle […]
Denial is Not an Effective Strategy
A month or so ago I went in for a general physical checkup, the first I’d had in years. Overall things are okay — no unexpected lumps, lesions or blood test results — but the physician noticed that my cholesterol (both TC and LDL) was a little high.* I knew that, but it wasn’t as high as it had […]
Hippocrates Redux
How sure are you that you’re getting the right information from your physician? How certain are you that you’re getting all the information you might need from a person who is supposed to be responsible for helping you look after your well-being? If you’re part of an 18% minority, you may not be getting your money’s […]
The Priorities of the Religiously Deranged
It struck me again this morning. Every once in a while I get broadsided by a bizarre sense of unreality when I think about how obsessive we — all of us, any of us — can become over really small, really insignificant things. Take, for instance, the three-plus thousand US soldiers who’ve been killed in Iraq, many of them […]
Where is Molecular Biologist Barbie in All This?
I do confess to watching a few kids’ shows. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a regular viewer of Grim Adventures; I’ve also found Foster’s Home to be entertaining (though Bloo can truly get to be too much to take sometimes) and I’m familiar with Avatar, SpongeBob, Jimmy Neutron and Ben 10. Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon offer different […]
Wow.
Steve Jobs is calling for an end to DRM in digital music. No guess whatsoever if it’ll happen, but it’s a pretty daring move. Read his letter to see more. He’s putting forth most of the same arguments I’ve used for years in objecting to both DRM and encryption of DVDs.
When Chickens Become Roosters
Golly, where to begin with this one? Foreign or domestic? Ethnic or bizarre? Anti-Bush, anti-bigot or anti-insanity? Yes — actually I am talking about totally separate things here. 1. Will Rogers is Not Worthy of Emulation Okay, let’s start with something Bush once wondered why he should even be concerned about. North Korea has said it’ll […]
Spew