Monthly Archives: September 2005

The Uses of Disaster

Interesting essay in Harpers (cited by the muted horn). The Scottish-born mathematician Eric Temple Bell, who witnessed the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, saw “no running around the streets, or shrieking, or anything of that sort” but instead people … Continue reading

Posted in security theater | Leave a comment

and don’t stop until you catch your tail

That droll Mr Bush recently said it would be bad to stop killing people and breaking stuff in Iraq before “the mission” is completed. Say what? I thought the mission was to take Saddam’s nukes and war-germs and bad chemicals … Continue reading

Posted in militaria | Leave a comment

intentions sometimes count

Jacob Sullum observes: As I read the relevant Supreme Court decisions, if the [New York] police said they would randomly search bags [on the subway] for drugs, unlicensed guns or other contraband, mentioning in passing they would, of course, arrest … Continue reading

Posted in drugwar, security theater | Leave a comment

QotD

Will Wilkinson at TCS A president who fattened farm subsidies, installed tariffs for steel and lumber, doled out a massive new prescription drug benefit, and nationalized airline security, folding it into a vast, cumbersome, dangerously ineffectual bureaucracy, is hardly channeling … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Leave a comment

Horatio Bunce and Davy Crockett

A friend asked me why Ron Paul voted against a hurricane relief bill; was there something poisonous in it, or did he think it would be ineffective? I replied that I would expect Dr Paul to vote against any such … Continue reading

Posted in constitution, history | 2 Comments

do cats count coup?

Fluffie (age 12 years) continues to snub Pillow (age 5 months). Last evening Pillow sneaked up behind where Fluffie was sitting, reached out and tapped her on the head. Fluffie merely got up and walked away.

Posted in pets | 1 Comment

the case of the missing keyword

The referral log usually has a few surprises. This week, my mathematical doodles were found three times by searches for words that do not appear on the page: intimate crystal candy best girl friend thanks to a previous post.

Posted in me!me!me! | Leave a comment