October 23, 2012 – 5:49 pm
Do forgive me for all that doom & gloom in our previous thread. Here, this’ll cheer you up. From Jim Rickards.
October 22, 2012 – 10:47 pm
Well, there you have it, America. We don’t have to watch any more debates until the next presidential campaign gets underway, which won’t be for several months yet. Romney held his own well enough, and landed a few good blows (best of all: the apology tour). He looked steady and calm, and plausibly Presidential. That […]
October 22, 2012 – 5:55 pm
Readers, today we have come to the last debate of this historic election cycle. The stakes couldn’t be higher: upon this election hinges the very survival of this great Republic, and the security of our children, and our children’s children. So here’s tonight’s drinking game.
October 21, 2012 – 11:05 pm
From about 1580, in fact. Here.
October 20, 2012 – 9:06 pm
Just got this in the mail from the Obama campaign:
October 20, 2012 – 8:25 pm
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about defense-spending cuts. All I can say is they’d better not cut this.
October 20, 2012 – 12:30 pm
With just over two weeks to go until the election, I know many of you are still in the critical “undecided” column. If so, then perhaps this rousing exhortation, sent to me this morning by African Americans for Obama, will help you make up your mind: The American people and President Obama know how to […]
October 20, 2012 – 11:23 am
Here’s a gloomy piece about my genetic homeland. It contains this priceless quote from P. G. Wodehouse: “It is never difficult to distinguish between a ray of sunshine and a Scotsman with a grievance.’
October 19, 2012 – 8:20 pm
Here’s an odd little story — a million maps found in a 948-square-foot cottage about to be torn down.
October 19, 2012 – 8:14 pm
Want more of this? It’s up to you. Sixteen days and counting.
October 19, 2012 – 8:09 pm
Some “random thoughts on the passing scene” from Thomas Sowell: Not since the days of slavery have there been so many people who feel entitled to what other people have produced as there are in the modern welfare state, whether in Western Europe or on this side of the Atlantic. Yes, so much so that […]
October 18, 2012 – 10:04 pm
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama did a little standup comedy at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner tonight. Have a look. I’ve seen the President cracking wise before, but never Mr. Romney. I have to say, he was downright Carsonesque.
October 18, 2012 – 7:44 pm
Amazing slit-camera photography. See here and here.
October 18, 2012 – 7:16 pm
I haven’t posted anything about martial arts in quite a while, so I thought I’d share this clip of some truly remarkable practitioners. Hat tip: Matt Blazon.
October 18, 2012 – 3:29 pm
I wouldn’t want anyone reading the previous post to think I’m particularly stoked about Mitt Romney; he’s a total squish on many issues of importance to conservatives, and just another democracy-exporting dreamer when it comes to foreign affairs. Speaking of which: in this weeks Radio Derb, John Derbyshire zeroed in on the same comment from […]
October 18, 2012 – 2:45 pm
Mitt Romney’s “steady erosion in the polls” continues: as of this afternoon’s Gallup survey, Romney now leads fifty-two percent to forty-five percent among likely voters. Not that I put a lot of stock in polls, mind you — after all, only about nine percent of the people pollsters call actually respond. Nice to see this […]
October 17, 2012 – 3:03 pm
From Edge.org, here’s a fascinating article about human athleticism, and how it compares to that of other mammals.
October 16, 2012 – 3:39 pm
Tim Carney brings the mallet down on a load of tendentious hogwash from Politico. Here.
October 16, 2012 – 3:03 pm
Here we go again, folks. Tonight’s debate is now considered to be a must-win for the incumbent, thanks to what one of our commenters referred to not long ago as Mr. Romney’s “steady erosion in the polls”. So what’s tonight’s drinking game? Well, this time, readers, you get to take your pick. Sadly, I won’t […]
October 16, 2012 – 2:30 pm
Possible debate strategy for Mr. Romney tonight: just stand there holding this chart.
October 15, 2012 – 8:30 pm
Here. Hat tips to Bill Keezer and GoV.
October 15, 2012 – 2:15 pm
I must apologize for the thin content here over the past few days — from time to time the demands and obligations of personal life leave me no time for blogging. (I realize that for waka waka waka to go dark for a day or two deprives no one of oxygen, but a lot of […]
October 12, 2012 – 10:48 pm
For weeks now the Obama campaign has been offering a chance at dinner with The One to those who chip in a few bucks. (We commented here on one such solicitation.) That dinner has now taken place, it appears. I know this because Mr. Obama just tweeted a picture with the heading: Table for four: […]
October 12, 2012 – 10:30 pm
Some house-guests arrived sometime after midnight Thursday night  —  the night of the bizarre VP debate  —  and of course before anyone could go to bed we had to spend an hour or so arguing about politics. (They’re liberal sorts.) Healthcare came up. So did the alleged “fact” that the healthcare system of the  U.S.A. […]
October 11, 2012 – 10:40 am
From Danger Room, here’s a damning summary of the runup to the assault in Libya (thanks to Lokilinkster for the link). An excerpt (emphasis added): The security situation in Benghazi was “a struggle and remained a struggle throughout my time there,’ (.pdf) said Lt. Col. Andrew Wood, the State Department’s Site Security Team commander in […]
October 10, 2012 – 11:44 pm
OK, enough grim reality. Let’s all lighten up and take a break. Here, for example.
October 10, 2012 – 10:41 pm
You’ve probably heard people mentioning Lara Logan’s blunt talk about Afghanistan last week, but you should take twenty minutes and actually watch it. It’s here. If you are informed enough, and wise enough, not to be taken in by the steady diet of lies and self-serving propaganda this administration feeds us about our Mideast adventures […]
October 10, 2012 – 11:16 am
From the Heritage Foundation, here’s a sharp video on the Obama administration’s deceitful, ass-covering response to the Benghazi attack. But hey, look  —  Big Bird!
October 9, 2012 – 9:33 pm
I haven’t said much about politics for the past few days; that’s because I haven’t had much to say. It’s been delightful to watch the discomfiture of  Mr. Obama’s media catchfarts as they’ve watched the momentum shifting sharply in Mr. Romney’s direction, though. A couple of things worth mentioning: First, Mr. Romney’s foreign-policy speech certainly […]
October 9, 2012 – 7:53 pm
I’m working a long day today, so for tonight here’s another musical item: a clip of the one and only Steve Gadd taking some extended solos. These aren’t your typical drum solos. What I love about Gadd’s soloing is the depth of the groove that’s always playing in his head, and that he expresses just […]
October 8, 2012 – 8:08 pm
Can we stop saying “flat-screen TV” yet? You can’t even buy the other kind anymore.
October 8, 2012 – 12:37 pm
As I was poking around on YouTube this morning I ran across a link to this little number by the great Chaka Khan, only available on a compilation album released in 1998. Recorded and mixed by yours truly, at the now-defunct O’Henry Studios in Burbank, CA. (What a great studio that was.) Note the guitar solos […]
October 6, 2012 – 10:14 pm
We’ve been hearing for a couple of days now that Mitt Romney’s drubbing of President Obama in Wednesday’s debate may have been due to his having smuggled in a “cheat sheet”. Now we have confirmation:  we’ve just learned that the folks at RedState.com have got their hands on a copy. Here it is.
October 6, 2012 – 9:55 pm
Last year I wrote a little post about visiting Google’s lavish offices in Manhattan to see my friend Greg, who had recently joined their engineering staff. Here’s a longish excerpt: It being a mild day, Greg and I dined al fresco on a high terrace with a sweeping view of Midtown. (I had a delightful […]
October 5, 2012 – 9:53 pm
I’m feeling a little under the weather tonight, so all I have to offer is a handful of interesting links. Here’s an item about construction of three-dimensional objects by swarms of autonomous drones acting without central guidance. Here’s one about evolutionary music-composition algorithms. This item covers a topic that gets far too little attention from […]
October 4, 2012 – 9:57 pm
Philly Student’s Romney T-shirt Likened To KKK Sheet
October 4, 2012 – 10:40 am
Mind-boggling, suicidal socialist insanity in France. Here.
October 3, 2012 – 10:04 pm
Well, well. If you’ve ever wanted empirical confirmation of the “Taranto Principle”, you got it tonight. When your every public appearance for the past four years has been a tongue-bath from fawning media groupies, this is what happens. Next up, the vice-presidential debate. Iowahawk: “Compared to that, this one was a nail-biter. Wear a raincoat.”
October 3, 2012 – 6:32 pm
OK, folks, ready for the big debate? The good people at RebelPundit.com have given us tonight’s drinking game. Here it is: Bottoms up!
October 2, 2012 – 1:01 pm
In the days following the lethal attack on our diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, the Obama administration doggedly clung to its story that the assault, in which a United States Ambassador was killed on U.S. soil, was an unforeseeable and spontaneous eruption of anger, caused by an unflattering video about Mohammed. This story was false, and […]
October 1, 2012 – 9:09 pm
Sorry all  —  still too overwhelmed with domestic logistics (and ongoing emergencies at work) to spend any personal time at the computer. The blog is gathering dust, and emails are piling up in the inbox. Things should be getting back to normal in another day or two, insh’Allah. Meanwhile, just to get you in the […]
September 27, 2012 – 6:17 pm
To all who’ve emailed with links, comments, etc. recently: thanks as always. We’re moving house today and tomorrow, however, and will not be able to get to any of it for at least a couple of days.
September 26, 2012 – 9:44 am
Here’s an item from Iowahawk, posted way back in 2006, that’s as relevant today as the day it was written. Update: As is this.
September 25, 2012 – 8:34 pm
We’ve been hearing a lot about free speech lately (though not nearly enough). Here’s the NYPD coming to its defense. (And responding to an assault.)
September 25, 2012 – 4:00 pm
The latest Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report has the U.S. ranked eighteenth, down from second place in 200o. Well, home of the brave, still, maybe. We’ll see.
September 25, 2012 – 10:47 am
Speaking of world-class narcissists, no list would be complete without including  the exquisitely unlovable Madonna. (Sadly, I learned this first-hand; you will find my name on your copy of Like a Virgin, if you have one.) Ms. Ciccone has now enlivened the campaign season in her own special way. The Huffington Post reports: Madonna brought […]
September 24, 2012 – 10:06 pm
We never seem to run out of examples of the pathological narcissism of Barack Obama. Just when I decide to lay off for a few days, I get this in the mail: Â * Â Â Â Â * Â Â Â Â * Malcolm — If you win this, you’re going to have a lot more friends […]
September 24, 2012 – 8:28 pm
There will be reduced activity here this week, as the lovely Nina and I are fully consumed with the immense task of emptying our Brooklyn house so as to permit a major reconfiguration of its interior space. Given that our kids have now moved out, and that we are spending more and more of our […]
September 24, 2012 – 7:19 pm
Here’s an outstanding essay by economist Thomas Sowell on widely held misconceptions regarding the historical effects of varying tax rates on the wealthy. An excerpt: The very idea that profits “trickle down’ to workers depicts the economic sequence of events in the opposite order from that in the real world. Workers must first be hired, […]
September 22, 2012 – 11:20 pm
Again, I’ve had no free time for writing today — I’ve been very busy with work, and meanwhile the lovely Nina and I are busy preparing our modest brownstone for a major construction project that begins in just a few days. So for tonight, a repost of some old items: A reminiscence of my salad […]