John Scalzi, as he periodically does, is responding to reader questions, and one was on his attitude toward Republicans. If you're familiar with Scalzi, then you can probably guess that his attitude toward Republican politicians isn't generally positive. I found a lot to agree with in his post, notably on his social positions such as being pro-choice … Continue reading A Democrat in a two party system
Tag: Politics
Black Sails and the dynamics of power
I recently discovered the TV series 'Black Sails'. Its a show on Starz about pirates in the Bahamas during the golden age of piracy. It's a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel 'Treasure Island'. If you've read that book or seen film adaptations of it, then you're familiar with the characters Long John Silver, … Continue reading Black Sails and the dynamics of power
Obama takes over for Colbert
In case you haven't seen this yet, it is simply awesome! UPDATE: Well, it appears the Youtube version has disappeared. I can't figure out how to embed the version from the Colbert site itself, but you can watch it here.
Why I voted Democrat across the board
This Tuesday, November 4, is election day here in the United States. If you are a US citizen, and you didn't do early voting, then you need to go vote. Getting people, particularly young people, to vote in the midterms is always tough. I know when I was young, I was barely aware that the midterms … Continue reading Why I voted Democrat across the board
Why are we still doing daylight savings time?
Here in the United States, daylight savings time ended today. We got an extra hour of sleep (yay!). But this is only a temporary reprieve. It'll be back in the spring, when we'll have to "spring forward" and start waking up an hour earlier again. Multiple people put up articles this weekend pointing out that … Continue reading Why are we still doing daylight savings time?
Are social psychologists biased against conservatives? A simple check for ideological bias.
Maria Konnikova has an article in the New Yorker on whether there is bias in social psychology against conservatives. One of the people calling attention to the issue is Jonathan Haidt, whose work my long time readers will know I'm generally a fan of. The core issue that Haidt is calling attention to is the … Continue reading Are social psychologists biased against conservatives? A simple check for ideological bias.
Hans Rosling and Ola Rosling: How not to be ignorant about the world
Worried the world is going to hell in a handbasket? You'll feel better after watching this video, and also get some insight into why you might have thought it was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm5xF-UYgdg Watching this video also reminded me of something I learned years ago, not to trust numbers given in isolation. Whenever I hear about the … Continue reading Hans Rosling and Ola Rosling: How not to be ignorant about the world
The Great Recession was less severe than the Great Depression because we do learn from history.
As is quickly becoming usual, Tina at Diotima's Ladder asks excellent questions: Roosevelt and Obama: Did we avoid a Great Depression? | Diotima's Ladder. For the past week I’ve been rushing home every night to catch The Roosevelts: An Intimate History by Ken Burns. I’m not really a big Ken Burns fan. And yes, it’s the fiddle music. … Continue reading The Great Recession was less severe than the Great Depression because we do learn from history.
SMBC: The curse of knowledge
Click through for full sized version. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. This strip reminds me of something I heard someone say in a presentation on communication strategies several years ago. It was a concept the speaker referred to as "the curse of knowledge". The curse of knowledge is the idea that when you know something, it is … Continue reading SMBC: The curse of knowledge
Court Says Some Employers Don’t Have to Cover Birth Control
There is a lot of discussion over the US Supreme Court's decision: Court Says Some Employers Don't Have to Cover Birth Control | Political Wire. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 split, ruled that "closely held" companies can on religious grounds opt out of a federal health-care law requirement that companies provide contraception coverage for employees, the Wall Street … Continue reading Court Says Some Employers Don’t Have to Cover Birth Control
SelfAwarePatterns 