January 2012
1 post
Boing Boing: Penn Jillette: An Atheist’s Guide to the 2012 Election http://goo.gl/mag/fkfgZ
October 2011
1 post
August 2011
7 posts
James Lawton: Fergie shows how to re-seed a... →
This, as we saw so vividly at Old Trafford on Monday night, is to constantly re-seed a winning team.
Not for the future but for today. Not according to some well-honed philosophical principles, but the need to create seamless progression while always retaining the ability to win at the highest level.
Hysteria over the "grease devil" urban legend is... →
Things you don’t expect to read when catching up on the Sci-Fi news.
US judges rule for teacher who called creationism... →
4 tags
“Last year, the ALA tallied 348 challenges to books, which is a fraction of the...”
– The Neverending Campaign to Ban ‘Slaughterhouse Five’ - Betsy Morais - Entertainment - The Atlantic
Chimps prove that human generosity is an ancient... →
Is selfless behavior in humans a unique evolutionary development? For years, studies designed to test prosociality, or altruism, in chimpanzees have presented them as “reluctant altruists” that are indifferent to the welfare of their fellow chimps. But now it seems that chimps care more for their fellow apes than we realized.
May 2011
2 posts
“[ social science research shows]…On basic questions of morality and human...”
– Why do Americans still dislike atheists? - The Washington Post
April 2011
4 posts
ESPN The Magazine - 200 Best-Paying Teams in the... →
To find out which athletic organizations shell out the most dough, we surveyed 272 teams in 14 major pro leagues, covering seven sports, spanning 10 countries - The sports and leagues: Aussie rules football (AFL), baseball (MLB, NPB), basketball (NBA), cricket (IPL), football (CFL, NFL), soccer (Bundesliga, EPL, La Liga, MLS, Serie A, SPL).
The War Behind the Abortion War - NYTimes.com →
For eons now, people have been wondering why the two sides can’t just join hands and agree to work together to reduce the number of abortions by expanding the availability of family-planning services and contraception.
The answer is that a large part of the anti-abortion community is also anti-contraception.
March 2011
2 posts
Why I am an amoral, family-hating monster…and Newt... →
the ties between a couple should be made with respect and affection, not the strictures of law and precedent; letting gays marry, for instance, strengthens the public approval of our kinds of bond, while weakening the authoritarian bonds. Our ideal is a community of equals, while theirs is a hierarchy of power, a relic of Old Testament values in which marrying a woman was like buying a camel, a...
February 2011
3 posts
Middle-earth according to Mordor - Salon.com →
A newly translated Russian novel retells Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” from the perspective of the bad guys.
Malcom Gladwell, Your Slip is Showing « Brian... →
Malcom Gladwell continues his march toward ignorance with his latest installment in the New Yorker about social media vs. social activism. Honestly, Gladwell is more than welcome to share his thoughts as it is a democratized information economy after all. I do find it alarming however, that he is wielding his influence through an equally influential medium to spin intellectual and...
January 2011
5 posts
LankaeNews office on fire | Breaking News →
Not long after they run a story about the President’s health. What a coincidence.
WatchJon Stewart on Sarah Palin and the Arizona shootings : Petty Woman
Gene Wolfe talks dystopian futures, and the... →
Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas accuses Ipswich Town... →
Wow. Just when you think Arselol can’t be a bigger bunch of whiny, bitchy girls…
WatchRaymond Chandler & Ian Fleming in Conversation (1958) | Open Culture
December 2010
4 posts
Stieg Larsson: Swedish Narcissus
When a writer moves from journalism to fiction without swapping in the appropriate creed, the result is prose so burdened by over-explanation that it threatens to overshadow the action it’s describing. Such is the Millennium trilogy by investigative journalist Stieg Larsson, composed of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, which...
A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An... →
The Great Indian Love Affair With Censorship/Ashis... →
Interesting parallels to Sri Lanka.
November 2010
7 posts
Updated With Joss Reaction!! Warner Bros.... →
What a terrible, terrible idea.
Yes, They Did have Star Wars Spoilers back in 1978... →
In late 1978, David Prowse revealed that he was Luke’s father – two years before Empire Strikes Back hit theaters.
Are Arsenal the dirtiest team in the Premier... →
Sri Lanka newspapers refuse to take part in porn... →
Newspaper editors in Sri Lanka on Tuesday refused to publish pictures of men and women who are wanted by police for appearing on porn websites in the country.
If true, well done!
The Education Of Demetrius Walker →
George Dohrmann’s book ‘Play Their Hearts Out’ exposes the dark side of youth basketball, a world tainted by shocking greed and ego.
Culture Alt Delete: Steampunk and Transhumanism |... →
…could steampunk have a transhuman aspect that escalates it beyond nostalgia into something uncomfortable and world changing? I think the answer is yes, but to some degree it just depends on your interpretation.
“Principal- Colombo International School (CIS), M.J. Chappel was questioned by...”
– NCPA cries foul, CIS sees no evil
October 2010
4 posts
Detectives Beyond Borders: Bouchercon wrap-up:... →
Some interesting comments about the greats of crime fiction.
Robbie Savage sparks Twitter war with Darren Gough... →
IAmA son of Michael Behe, the Catholic biochemist... →
Thankfully stupidity doesn’t always run in families.
Unknown poem reveals Ted Hughes' torment over... →
September 2010
3 posts
Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about... →
American atheists and agnostics tend to be people who grew up in a religious tradition and consciously gave it up, often after a great deal of reflection and study, …These are people who thought a lot about religion,” he said. “They’re not indifferent. They care about it.” Atheists and agnostics also tend to be relatively well educated, and the survey found, not...
Portugal drug decriminalisation 'a resounding... →
Drug use among 13- to 15-year-olds fell from 14.1 per cent in 2001 to 10.6 per cent in 2006. Among 16- to 18-year-olds it has dropped from 27.6 per cent to 21.6 per cent. This, incidentally, has come after years of steadily increasing drug use among the young; between 1995 and 2001, use in the 16-to-18 bracket leapt up from 14.1 per cent to its 2001 high. This drop has come against a background of...
Three arguments for the consciousness of... →
August 2010
4 posts
The Prehistory of Prop 8 | Psychology Today →
“…the world is teeming with innumerable examples of “marriage” that would be unrecognizable to Warren and other so-called traditionalists.”
Bebe to Manchester United
“He doesn’t speak any English, so that needs to be addressed, and we need to allow him to settle in, but sometimes you have to work on an impulse.”
You can’t help but admire Ferguson and that attitude. He really is one of the last great footballing romantics. And unlike Wenger’s exercises in mass-deception & pride, his occasionally bear fruit.
Indonesia Finds Banning Pornography Is Difficult -... →
July 2010
4 posts
Super Heroes vs. the Westboro Baptist Church -... →
They’ve faced down humans time and time again, but Fred Phelps and his minions from the Westboro Baptist Church were not ready for the cosplay action that awaited them today at Comic-Con. After all, who can win against a counter protest that includes robots, magical anime girls, Trekkies, Jedi and…kittens?
"The Information Architecture of Cities", by L.... →
Bill Simmons: LeBron James and the choice --... →