Monthly Archive: May 2015
Is it OK for Rich People to Shop at Thrift Stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army?
Goodwill is not a place for poor people to shop. It’s a jobs program.
In Defense of World Governance
World governance is something no serious thinker would today endorse. This is unfortunate, because world government is the only hope for the long-term survival of the human race.
Book Review: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
In a sense, it is the perfect speculative fiction novel, even as it pays unspoken homage to a similarly-themed book by very different authors from thirty-eight years ago.
An EITC Increase Versus a Minimum Wage Increase
What are the pros and cons of Warren Buffett’s proposal to increase the earned income tax credit rather than increase the federal minimum wage?
No, Fox News isn’t Terrible Because They Have a “Viewpoint”
They’re terrible because they are actively destroying good journalism.
And it isn’t just them.
Should We Retire the Mystery Man?
The figure is traditionally taken to be a “he”: Maybe it’s because he seems to be bald. Whatever the explanation, and despite WP’s decision to rename him the “Mystery Person,” relying on him or zir or it may still qualify as sexist. Plus he happens to be… white.
Punk Rock History’s Not Where I Wanna Be
The punk activist scene in DC of the heady 80s and 90s is apparently inspirational to many people today. I was there and I’m still trying to figure it all out. Passing into history is strange.
On the Way to Fraud [UPDATED]
How does a completely made-up experiment end up in a major scientific publication, get covered by the media around the world, and even influence policy and practice? The answer is really simple, and really complicated.
David Letterman’s Great Music (Already Updated!)
David Letterman’s show featured some awfully great music.
Introductions: zic and the squeaky-wheel growing pains edition
zic squeaked. And got promoted. So allow me to re-introduce myself. I’m zic (or maybe rzic), and I’ve joined the team. The powers that be (that would be Tod) assure me it’s not an affirmative action promotion. I’ll write, you decide.
