President Chavez is cultivating Hollywood celebrities.

The Republicans look like suffering big losses in Congress: the conviction of an incumbent Senator on corruption charges is not helping their cause.

The “Joe the Plumber” fracas has not shown liberal America at its best, but some of the incidents have been downright creepy. Suggesting that ( Read more... )

About a book that empowers students to profit from their teacher’s prejudices. About the sad necessity for the book.

Some people are so web-active, merely contemplating their output is exhausting.

The AFL Grand Final had the biggest crowd since 1986.

Abortion legalised (in the sense of being taken out of the Crimes Act) in Victoria. Via splodgenoodlesThe ( Read more... )

About Steyn and Maclean’s acquittal in the “hate speech” case. Steven Pinker puts it well. Once you have laws controlling speech, any official discretions involved are likely to be used in a way reinforces the world-view of said officials: and human rights commissions are not, nor in current circumstances likely to be, havens of conservative, ( Read more... )

The Canadians have re-elected their minority Conservative Government with more seats but still not a majority.

If the election does not go the way the polls suggest, this guy may prove to be on to something after all. I am not convinced, though that Oz pollster Malcolm Mackerras is predicting an Obama win makes me wonder, given his track record ( Read more... )

The complaint before the British Columbia Human Rights Commission against Mark Steyn and Macleans has been dismissed.

Presidential heights and weights. Presidents tend to be tall.

About the panhandling (i.e. begging) problem in US cities.

Hitch on the US as banana republic.

The ACORN voting registration push is running into some problems-such ( Read more... )

Remembering Paul Newman, he of on-screen glamour and off-screen savvy.

Evangelical activists-who have been keen on the past on banning books, boycotting films, etc-complain about having their books banned.

Nebraska’s new “safe haven” law is having unintended consequences.

Suggesting that a “green bubble” on energy and environment has burst-in ( Read more... )

Did you know that there is a Sydney, Novia Scotia? Neither did I, nor did the Buenos Aires lady who booked her tickets over the internet.

Photo essay on things to find to eat in Fitzroy.

Arguing that Prof. Macintyre has a rather narrow view of Oz history ( Read more... )

A clear attempt to intimidate litterers.

Mapping levels of neuroticism by US State.

In case you were wondering, yes the Rosenbergs were Soviet spies. About how their alleged innocence was a totem issue for much of the left.

Pictures of Hurricane Ike devastation. In pic 11, I think the builder of the yellow house has the basis for an ad ( Read more... )

On not being bothered by Europhysicists being likely to destroy the world.

For the first time, causal reasoning has been documented in non-human animal -- specifically crows.

Study to test what happens when we die, including out-of-body experiences.

Walking is good for you.

About quality journalism and why the internet is bad ( Read more... )

A map of the US by county by dominant ancestry. Notice the wide spread of German-American plurality counties.

Experiencing Sept 11 2001 as experiencing history. A photo from the next morning.

The minority Tory Government in Canada is doing quite well in the polls.

The new (37-year old) Governor of Louisiana was determined that there would be ( Read more... )