Tonight, I watched “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” (1966) with the kids. A western movie, but “made in Italy” though shot in Spain with American stars; a road movie without roads, that takes you through the deadly desert, lively towns, and concentration camps; a buddy movie and antagonistic movie together, with a pair extended to a trio; a ( Read more... )

Last Wednesday, I saw Puccini's La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera As usual, the Franco Zeffirelli production is lavish ( Read more... )

As promised, here is a detailed rational refutation of the utilitarian concept of (Global) "Happiness Maximization" in general, and its specific variant that concludes in favor of wireheading, the cultivation of individuals in vats in a permanent state of artificially stimulated bliss.
( Read more... )

What always fascinates me when I meet a group of very intelligent people ( Read more... )

Shankar Raman, at the Cambridge Science Festival, gave a presentation seriously offering us to take Pascal's WagerAccording to Pascal's famous argument ( Read more... )

Does Virtue lead to Misfortune and Vice to Prosperity? Do we live in an Evil World where vice is rewarded while virtue is punished? Is Virtue counter-productive in This World, and does the only hope of vindication for the virtuous lie in an After-Life?

Not at all ( Read more... )

Dear Douglas,

I just read this interview of yours by Tal Cohen:
http://tal.forum2.org/hofstadter_interview

I quite agree with you when you claim ( Read more... )

I love Yukito Kishiro's japanese comic book series Gunnm (tastelessly published in the US as Battle Angel Alita). It is not just another ultraviolent scifi superfighter story ( Read more... )

In his latest article on immigration, A Simple Libertarian Argument Against Unrestricted Immigration and Open Borders, LewRockwell.com, September 1, 2005 (see also this followup), Stephan Kinsella admits that though the government is illegitimate, there are things that are more or less good for it to do, and that in particular it must use its ( Read more... )

A random correspondant argues against picking the least of two evils. Quote: you don't have to align yourself toward fighting the worst evil to be morally correct. if you're fighting evil you're fineYeah sure ( Read more... )