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Seven Score and Ten Years Ago
The crowd at the ceremony for the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery is estimated at nine thousand people, including nine governors and three cabinet members. Edward Everett, a famous orator and former Governor, Senator, and Secretary of State, stood up to speak, and began, "Standing beneath this serene sky, overlooking these broad fields now ( Read more... ) -
Climate Change Open Letter
Today, an open letter has been published to various heads of state, CEO's of energy companies, and other rich and/or influential people about climate change:
http://www.openletter2013.org/It is an act of foolishness ( Read more... ) -
A Problem of Gravity *Spoiler Alert*
There is a controversy going around the blogosphere about the movie "Gravity". There are a number of inconsistencies in it, as an astrophysicist named Neil deGrasse Tyson has pointed out. In response, there's an amusing opinion piece on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/14/opinion/obeidallah-fact-checking-movies/
I read the article, and was prepared ( Read more... ) -
One State Does Not Equal Peace
There has been considerable talk over the last few weeks about a "one-state solution" between Israel and the Palestinians. It is, at best, wishful thinking, and part of the reason why is in an L. A. times editorial today at:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-benami-israel-two-state-20131006,0,4331142.storyLike it or not, the ( Read more... ) -
The Lady Who Pushed for Thanksgiving
150 Years Ago Today:
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, ( Read more... ) -
Comrades with Syria (Or is it Comrades, into Syria!)
News item -- Russia has offered to provide troops to help with the finding and removal of chemical weapons in Syria.
Hmm . . . What could possibly go wrong?
Auxiliaries, which are the other useless arm, are employed when a prince is called in with his forces to aid and defend ... These arms may be useful and good in themselves, but for him who ( Read more... ) -
The Story That's Not Happening
Suddenly everyone seems to be coming up with reasons why the U.S. should not fire missiles into Syria. American politicians, British politicians, the U.N., protestors in the streets, above all the Russians are saying hands off. And there are some sound arguments such as having no legal justification, and the fact that any reasonable strike will be ( Read more... ) -
Lots and lots of zeroes
The national debt of Japan has just hit one quadrillion yen. That's a thousand trillion, or a million billion. As far as I know, this is the highest national debt figure in its own currency ever posted by a country not experiencing hyper-inflation. (Italy's debt would be even greater, but they stopped using the Lira and converted to Euros ( Read more... ) -
Moscow 1980, Take Two
According to the Los Angeles Times, Russia has just enacted a law allowing visitors who are either gay or pro-gay to be arrested. (and how exactly do they define "pro-gay"?) This would be bad enough for the tourist industry, but there is the matter of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Are they planning on arresting all the gay athletes, coaches, and ( Read more... ) -
Harmony, Shmarmony
In an appeal for money a wildlife organization sent me a 2014 calendar with glamour shots of various animals. Granted, the tiger looked very appealing, even if what it was actually thinking was "I really want to eat you". But they lost me with their motto of "living in harmony with nature ( Read more... )