January 2012
5 posts
Watchwashingtonpoststyle:
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.)
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...
Watchnpr:
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),...
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...
November 2011
28 posts
1 tag
“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.
“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...
“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)
The Geekiest Family Portraits of All-Time
Enjoy!
From mentalflossr:
More here: The 11 Geekiest Family Photos Ever
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.
The Easter Island "Heads" Have Bodies
mentalflossr:
Huh.
When you Google "anagram," you're asked, "Did you...
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…
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...
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)...
October 2011
30 posts
WatchKids in the sandbox!
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.
“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)
...