After the third beer the topic turned to politics. Continue reading →

My son made me watch the Democratic debate this week (a first!) and I’m glad I did. What a contrast to the Republican debate! I love to read the reviews of debates like this and, more than any other time, I … Continue reading →

90% of science fiction is crap. 90% of everything is crap. Continue reading →

A Harvard economist asked 5000 people how they thought wealth was distributed throughout the United States and then asked how it should be distributed. If wealth were distributed the way that most people think it is distributed, I think the … Continue reading →

Usual disclaimer: discrimination against atheists is pretty tame compared to the discrimination that blacks and jews and gays have historically faced. It’s not like atheists were ever persecuted or excluded from public office [er, you sure? -ed]. This bloggingheads.tv vialog … Continue reading →

Nate Silver’s column today was about how the tech industry overwhelmingly supported the Dems in the recent election. Obama won 84% of the vote in San Francisco and almost as much in Silicon Valley and the rest of the Bay … Continue reading →

In 2004, more preschoolers than law enforcement officers were killed by firearms Continue reading →

I wish it were possible to stay out of the culture wars. But then I go and read something like this: Halfway through my pregnancy, I learned that my baby was ill. Profoundly so. My doctor gave us the news … Continue reading →

I hate the culture wars even or, perhaps, especially when my side is winning. There are so many interesting points to make for and against a federal mandate that employers provide insurance coverage of contraception. For example, Using insurance to … Continue reading →

If you had asked me, six minutes ago, whether we should spend more money on NASA, I’d’ve said “No. Can’t afford it and it’s not a proper role for government.” Neil deGrasse Tyson’s testimony to the Senate may have just … Continue reading →