In today's newspaper I note that Russian archaelogists seem to have discovered the presumed-to-be-lost-below-the-Caspian-Sea Khazar capital. The Khazars were an empire back in the days of the Vikings, beyond Ukraine, and they had converted to Judaism. Apparently the first religious evidence of that lost-to-the-mists-of-history rather sizable empire ( Read more... )

Today all the buses in the city had double little flags on them. I've not recognized that before - well, to have two Swedish flags isn't uncommon, there are after all many flag days, but this time was the first May 9 I noted them having both the Swedish flag and the circle of stars.

Doomsday (movie)

( Read more... )

It is Paulville, the gated community containing 100% Ron Paul supporters!* (From james_nicoll's LJ ( Read more... )

From the Guardian.

From sclerotic_rings, the Judge A Book By Its Cover Blog!

Fantastic and highly recommended, if you like me think SF book covers are frequently horrid. Baen Books feature frequently and deservedly on this very entertaining blog, including one cover which I think I mentioned here as sort of the extreme low. Go visit immediately!

And tell me how to add it as a LJ

james_nicoll  observes that certain males turn more conservative and cranky with age.

I'd add a specific subsection to this group, the aging guys who go enamored by some tradition-heavy religious doctrine. The old, intellectual converts. To rather hard-core Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, orthodox Lutheranism and so on. I know people who back in their younger ( Read more... )

Or at least a really old European.

Via james_nicoll, the amusing world which gives you Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven & David Brin assisting the Homeland Security Department in the SF author group known as SIGMA. The illustrious group's motto is "Science Fiction in the National Interest".*

It is in order to save civilization, according to Niven himselfI think we are all hoping/praying that this ( Read more... )

Well, it did entertain me. SF author John C Wright tells about movies he don't like because they are unpatriotic and unchristian, like Happy Feet and Starship Troopers, and he is of course free to think so. I laughed at The Patriot because it is patriotic drivel, as an example ( Read more... )