January 2012
5 posts
Jan 26th
101 notes
WatchWatch
washingtonpoststyle: Stephen Colbert interviews Maurice Sendak. This is the greatest interview in the history of “The Colbert Report.” (Go to our actual tumblog if you have trouble watching on the dashboard.)
Jan 25th
694 notes
Jan 25th
1,454 notes
Jan 23rd
707 notes
Jan 19th
3,432 notes
December 2011
6 posts
1 tag
The Case Against Santa →
As someone who didn’t really grow up with Santa—but is now forced to include Santa into my child’s developing mythological landscape—I share many of the sentiments below. Particularly since my threats are hollow (since the presents are already purchased and waiting in the basement). Besides, I’d like to be thanked (since I bought many of those presents). But the thing I find most...
Dec 23rd
30 notes
Dec 19th
1,386 notes
Dec 8th
8,350 notes
Dec 7th
376 notes
WatchWatch
npr: What’s Behind A Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct The Screams Toddlers outfitted with high-tech wireless recording devices have helped researchers discover that tantrums have a very distinct, predictable pattern. Understanding that tantrums have a rhythm can not only help parents know when to intervene, but also give them a sense of control. Source: YouTube (by permission),...
Dec 5th
172 notes
Political Language: this is how you start a... →
Oh, hell yes! A postmodernist takedown! (via ilyagerner, evgenymorozov): The first paragraph of Matt Cartmill’s review of Donna Haraway’s Primate Visions book. It appeared in the International Journal of Primatology (Vol. 12, No. 1, 1991) This is a book that contradicts itself a hundred times; but that is not a criticism of it, because its author thinks contradictions are a sign of...
Dec 1st
107 notes
November 2011
28 posts
Nov 28th
2,233 notes
Nov 26th
58 notes
Nov 23rd
363 notes
1 tag
Nov 22nd
314 notes
“Sarcasm seems to exercise the brain more than sincere statements do. Scientists...”
– Richard Chin in Smithsonian Magazine, part of his story “The Science of Sarcasm? Yeah, Right.”  One of the gems included in Monitor writer Scott Baldauf’s regular Good Reads column. (via csmonitor) See? Sarcastic people are smarter. Or, you know, whatever.
Nov 21st
9 notes
Nov 21st
272 notes
Nov 21st
1,164 notes
Nov 16th
366 notes
Nov 16th
1,158 notes
“One of the Republican weaknesses is that we rely too much on consultants and too...”
– Newt Gingrich • In an interview with David Brody. Not quite sure what the political calculus is here, as admitting publicly that your entire party doesn’t know what it’s talking about is rarely good politics. However, not “actually knowing things” would seem to be a disqualifying factor for someone...
Nov 16th
72 notes
“Oh, that crazy uncle Ron. Every real Republican knows our government is...”
– Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman Torture GOP with Sane Foreign Policy Views. Writing nice things about Ron Paul makes Ilya cry. (via ilyagerner)
Nov 14th
The Geekiest Family Portraits of All-Time
Enjoy! From mentalflossr: More here: The 11 Geekiest Family Photos Ever
Nov 11th
83 notes
Black Rhinos Are Now Extinct in Western Africa  →
This is really sad: Two subspecies of rhinoceros have been declared extinct this month, highlighting the problem of poachers who kill the beasts only for their horns. The West African black rhino was officially wiped out as it has not been spotted in the wild since 2006, and none live in captivity. The Javan rhinoceros of Vietnam was declared extinct just a few weeks earlier. Read more.
Nov 11th
235 notes
Nov 10th
47 notes
The Easter Island "Heads" Have Bodies
mentalflossr: Huh.
Nov 8th
2,824 notes
Nov 8th
31 notes
Nov 7th
663 notes
Nov 7th
59 notes
Nov 7th
598 notes
Nov 7th
12,129 notes
Nov 5th
556 notes
When you Google "anagram," you're asked, "Did you...
Nov 5th
78 notes
Nov 4th
461 notes
The New Republic: Is your Kindle weighing you... →
thenewrepublic: Is your Kindle weighing you down? futurejournalismproject: Weighty eBooks A scientist demonstrates that when you fill your Kindle with digital books, it actually gets heavier. Via The Telegraph: Using Einstein’s E=mc² formula, which states that energy and mass are directly…
Nov 3rd
250 notes
Nov 3rd
54 notes
Wisconsin Senate Adopts Bill Promoting Abstinence... →
Oops! From ilyagerner: Jaahbs, Jahbs, Jahbs.  Everything is culture war, forever. The end. There’s one silver/Chlamydia-encrusted lining here. According to another study of “virginity pledges” (I think I took mine by accident when I joined the debate team…), which are often used as part of abstinence-education programs, “pledgers” substitute oral and anal sex for vaginal intercourse. So...
Nov 3rd
35 notes
2 tags
A List to LaTeX Itemized List
I will go on record and state—emphatically—that there is no reason for anyone who is not a professional typesetter to ever learn or use LaTeX. Yes, I know it’s the new fad in political science. But if you spend time learning how to code something like this (see below) on a regular basis, that’s probably time better spent (a) collecting data, (b) reading new scholarship, and (c)...
Nov 2nd
1 note
Nov 1st
168 notes
October 2011
30 posts
Oct 31st
281 notes
WatchWatch
Kids in the sandbox!
Oct 31st
1 note
Oct 28th
776 notes
The Huffington Post points out that retired U.S.... →
inothernews: So Oakland’s cops did what sniper’s bullets, improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades couldn’t: they hurt a U.S. soldier. Good job, Oakland PD.
Oct 26th
1,437 notes
Oct 26th
Oct 25th
215 notes
Oct 25th
1,288 notes
Oct 24th
545 notes
Oct 24th
301 notes
Oct 23rd
96 notes
“I believe that Iraq should reimburse the United States fully for the amount of...”
– Rep. Michele Bachmann during an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday morning.• Bachmann added that Iraq was a “wealthy country” that would be “subject to dominance by Iran and their influence in the region” once American troops withdraw by the end of the year. source (via • follow) ...
Oct 23rd
275 notes