Fri
Jun
26
A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they’re dead.
Leo Rosten
Thu
Jun
25
Say nothing of my religion; it is known to myself and my god alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life; if that has been honest and dutiful to society, the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one.
Thomas Jefferson
Tue
Jun
23
Who was Neda?
A short article from CNN about Neda, an innocent women killed near a protest in Iran. I’ve heard mention of the video of her death, and on the one hand think it’s fascinating how this has gone around the Internet and been picked up by the media, but on the other hand find it very disturbing that someone’s final, dying moments are effectively an international spectacle. The piece in the article that particularly struck me was “Since her death, public displays of mourning for Neda have been prohibited, the friend said.”
Mon
Jun
15
Photos from a protest in Iran, in response to Ahmadinejad’s questionable reelection.
Sun
Jun
14
From the New York Times, “An advertisement from 1930 asserts that 20,679 physicians say that Lucky Strike cigarettes are less irritating. The ad is part of an exhibit at the Science, Industry and Business Library, part of the New York Public Library. The exhibit aims to show how Madison Avenue sold America on cigarettes.”
Paper Water Bottle
A high-school student developed a water bottle made (mostly) of paper. A good idea, and it’s nice to see a kid interested in science: most high-school kids I’ve known seem more interested in business management, or something else they believe will put them into some serious cash.