Spatial reasoning. Really, is this a surprise?
Category Archives: Social Commentary
The Tebow Phenomenon
Dan Foster and Rich Lowry have some thoughts on why there is so much hostility to the openly Christian quarterback.
As a non-believer (but not a fundamentalist atheist), I think that he raises hackles in two different groups of people — those who are bigoted against Christians in general (and they are legion — it is the last acceptable bigotry in our society) and those Christians who feel guilty because he sets the bar too high (and there is actually a non-zero intersection of those two sets). I would think of him as the Ned Flanders of the NFL, the completely unironic guy who is made fun of because in living up to his beliefs rather than down to his impulses, he makes everyone else look bad. And because he’ll continue to do so, he won’t care. Which will just make them all the angrier.
When A Choice Isn’t A Choice
Thoughts on sex-selective abortions. It really does seem like the objective goal of the “pro-choicers” is to maximize the number of terminated pregnancies, not offer women real choices.
Death To Pennies
I’ve wanted to get rid of it for at least thirty years. When you can’t purchase something with a single coin, it’s time to end it, and with the penny, it’s long past time.
Righting An Old Tragic Wrong
As his hundredth birthday approaches, there is growing demand for a pardon for Alan Turing. His treatment really was barbarous.
Climatologists Trade Tips On Destroying Evidence
The Daily Tech is on the story now. It amazes me how the warm mongers continue to live in denial about this. They don’t seem to understand how devastating it is to their credibility.
[Update a few minutes later]
I notice now that the article is about a week old. But it’s still a good run down.
[Update a while later]
This follow-up post addresses the desperate defense of “taken out of context.”
[Sunday morning update]
“A sequel as ugly as the original.” Extensive thoughts from Steve Hayward.
How Newt Gingrich Saved Pr0n
Insane, Or Evil?
Some thoughts on the Norwegian mass murderer and appropriate punishment.
The “Occupy” Movement
…and its simultaneous enthusiasm and contempt for democracy.
[Update a few minutes later]
When is it all right to emulate Guy Fawkes? Hint: don’t try it while Republican.
[Update a while later]
Whatever happened to Occupy [Insert Your City Here]?
I’m guessing that the expression of the protesters — in form and substance — wasn’t serving the interests journalists favor. Excessively left-wing speech coming out of an angry/confused/unclean face… it’s not helping the mainstream Democrats.
You don’t say.
In Which Andrew Sullivan Is Unfairly Attacked
One wouldn’t have thought it possible, but I actually largely agree with Andrew Sullivan. The notion that intelligence is not heritable is ludicrous, and if it is, the notion that every “race” is going to be equivalent in that regard is equally so.
Yes, I know that (Marxist) Stephen Jay Gould desperately attempted to make the case, but he failed. I have no firm opinions on which “race” is smarter than which (and yes, one can agree that race is a social construct while also recognizing that groups of genetically related people will share some inherited traits), but I don’t believe the acceptance of the notion that some are born smarter than others, and that some genetic groups may be on average smarter than others makes one a racist per se. Moreover, I don’t even care, since this fact should play no role in either public policy or individual interactions. The only people who believe that it should are collectivists, who believe that people should be dealt with as groups rather than individuals. Thus, if anyone is racists, it is them.
[Update in the afternoon]
It should be noted that I am not defending The Bell Curve or any specific research. I’ve never even read it. I’m simply defending the notion that different “races” could have different average “intelligence.”