-
Archives
- October 2019
- September 2019
- November 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- January 2018
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- July 2017
- December 2016
- October 2016
- May 2016
- March 2015
- April 2011
- March 2011
- April 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
- February 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
- May 2003
- April 2003
- March 2003
- February 2003
- January 2003
- December 2002
- November 2002
- October 2002
- September 2002
- August 2002
- July 2002
- June 2002
-
Meta
Monthly Archives: December 2006
Why no knighthood for Saddam Hussein?
If John Scarlett could get a knighthood for helping to get us into the war, and for services in the fight against Al-Qaeda, it seems very unfair that Saddam Hussein could not, too. After all, he did as much as … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in War
2 Comments
slikewatch in Berkeley
There is a paper referenced in Language Log which charts the use of “all” as a quotative in Californian speech over the last decade. It seems to be falling out of favour, replaced in this usage by “like”, so that … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Science without worms
1 Comment
Twelve great Britons
A spasm of irritation at some posturing lefty in the Independent made me wonder what my list of twelve great Britons would be. Here is something like it. They are chosen because they all changed the world and all are … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in British politics
14 Comments
Scott Atran rips open Sam Harris
Fantastic stuff here, (jump to Scott Atran) pointing towards a scientifically informed study of religion. To get there, of course, it is necessary first to remove the sillinesses of pharyngular atheism and dogmatic assertions about “religion” based on nothing but … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in God
4 Comments
Name that spiritual leader
Who said at Christmas this year: %(loony)“Many people say I embarrass them with my humility.”%? Please put your guesses in comments before you look up [the answer.]
Posted in God
5 Comments
The speed of spaghetti affects the shape
Jeremy Ahouse sends me an amazingly good story from The Scientist about protein folding. As you know, proteins are made of a long chain, or chains, of amino acids folded up on themselves in complicated ways to make nubbly shapes, … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Science without worms
Comments Off on The speed of spaghetti affects the shape
Is theology nonsense (no 599968 in an ongoing series)?
Interesting piece in the TLS (I hope it’s not paywalled) by Thomas Dixon, who has organised a conference to which I think I am going next summer, rounding up a bunch of science-and-theology books. One of them appears to be … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in God
2 Comments
living well
One of the most creative areas of British journalism is the creation of synonyms for “notorious drunk”. Such people exist in British public life, but the constraints of libel laws mean that you would be very very foolish to say … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in Journalism
1 Comment
Sneaking anti-piracy
My laptop runs windows XP, which none of the other computers in the house do – why should they upgrade? — and is also set to collect automatic security fixes. So this morning it asked whether it should upgrade to … Continue reading Continue reading
Posted in nördig
Comments Off on Sneaking anti-piracy
In which I have a dream unlike MLK
So I was at a conference of some kind, vaguely religious or journalistic: people sat at long benches along refectory tables, and we were discussing the Bishop of Southwark when a slim, dark-haired woman, a friend of mine though unidentifiable … Continue reading Continue reading