DYSPEPSIA GENERATION

We have seen the future, and it sucks.

Archive for March, 2008

Marc Sageman On Terrorism And Welfare

3rd March 2008

Read it.

Guess what? There’s a connection.

Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on Marc Sageman On Terrorism And Welfare

12-year-old “Magneto Man” breaks every computer he touches

3rd March 2008

Read it.

Sign that kid up.

Posted in Is this a great country, or what? | Comments Off on 12-year-old “Magneto Man” breaks every computer he touches

We Scream, We Swoon. How Dumb Can We Get?

2nd March 2008

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Guess some women are more womenly than others. Or something.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on We Scream, We Swoon. How Dumb Can We Get?

Are there countercyclical cultural trends?

2nd March 2008

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Yeah, when the economy is strong the Democrats all wring their hands about how bad the recession is.

Every time you hear a Democrat complain about how piss-poor the economy is, perk up — it means things are going well.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Are there countercyclical cultural trends?

New York passes law against ‘libel tourists’

2nd March 2008

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The major “libel tourists” are Muslims who like to sue authors who point out the truth about Islam and shady people in Muslim governments.

Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on New York passes law against ‘libel tourists’

Why Risk Aversion Isn’t

2nd March 2008

David Friedman is always worth reading.

Many fields use technical terms that sound self-explanatory and aren’t. The result is that many people believe they know what those terms mean—and don’t.

And that’s the most truthful thing you’ll read today.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Why Risk Aversion Isn’t

Declining marginal utility, progressive taxes, and fairness

2nd March 2008

David Friedman is always worth reading.

The whole subject of what constitutes “fair” taxation is insoluble, because different people have different ideas of what constitutes “fair”.

Most regressives think that “fair” means we all wind up with exactly the same. If that were ever to happen then all progress would STOP because progress requires investible surplus somewhere in society. (Which is why “progressive” is even more of an oxymoron than “Democrat”.)

The problem lies with those who don’t accept the premise that “fair” means that different levels of effort or thought ought to receive different levels of reward. Those who do not accept that premise exclude themselves from argument, because there is no common ground, which is what a real argument (as opposed to a quarrel) requires.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Declining marginal utility, progressive taxes, and fairness

Is Brown the New Black?

2nd March 2008

Steve Sailer takes a look at blacks and latinos in modern American politics.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Is Brown the New Black?

Smaller Classes Help Smarter Kids More

2nd March 2008

Read it.

Of course, we’ve got the technology to do individualized instruction, so why have “classes” at all?

Ask the bureacrats in the schools why they’re using a process model that hasn’t been updated since the textbook was invented in the 16th century.

Go ahead, ask.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Smaller Classes Help Smarter Kids More

“Raise Awareness” and feel good about yourself.

1st March 2008

Read it.

Didn’t know there were so many slacker-dork ribbons out there. And now they’re making them into wristbands. Makes me long for the days of moving machinery.

Posted in Axis of Drivel -- Adventures in Narrative Media | 1 Comment »

Leadfoot: Sometimes going green hurts more than it helps.

1st March 2008

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Once again, political fashion gets smacked upside the head by the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Leadfoot: Sometimes going green hurts more than it helps.

Abbas Proud of Past Terrorism, Won’t Rule Out Future Terrorism

1st March 2008

Read it.

Guess how many millions of dollars the U.S. government is giving this guy every year.

Go ahead, guess.

Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on Abbas Proud of Past Terrorism, Won’t Rule Out Future Terrorism

MSI ECOlution motherboard transforms chip heat into fan power

1st March 2008

Read it.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on MSI ECOlution motherboard transforms chip heat into fan power

The Remarkable Pneumatic People-Mover

1st March 2008

Read it.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on The Remarkable Pneumatic People-Mover

Sintex’s biogas digester ingests crap, emits energy

1st March 2008

Read it.

Just think — Washington could power the continent. Brussels could do the same for Europe.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Sintex’s biogas digester ingests crap, emits energy

Robot taxidermy provokes thoughts, awwws

1st March 2008

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Pretty silly — but what else is there to do when your robot dog dies?

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Robot taxidermy provokes thoughts, awwws

MIT’s RoboScooter: high on scooter, short on robo

1st March 2008

Read it.

Wouldn’t mind having one of these.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on MIT’s RoboScooter: high on scooter, short on robo

Ships ahoy.

1st March 2008

Read it.

Everything you wanted to know about spaceships — and a lot that you didn’t.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Ships ahoy.

Hip-Protector Maker Sues Harvard Doc Over JAMA Study

1st March 2008

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When in doubt, sue. That’s what Americans do.

Besides, nobody likes Harvard anyway.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Hip-Protector Maker Sues Harvard Doc Over JAMA Study

Gene for ‘Woolly Hair’ May Spur Hair Remedies

1st March 2008

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And of course that’s important. Right?

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Gene for ‘Woolly Hair’ May Spur Hair Remedies

Israel Preparing to End Hamas Rule?

1st March 2008

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And about time, too.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Israel Preparing to End Hamas Rule?

If You’re A Wanted Fugitive In The US And You Blog, Maybe Don’t Mention Plans To Travel To A US Territory

1st March 2008

Read it.

Just a suggestion.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on If You’re A Wanted Fugitive In The US And You Blog, Maybe Don’t Mention Plans To Travel To A US Territory

Yet Another Author Discovers Giving Away Ebooks Increases Sales

1st March 2008

Read it.

You’d think that people would learn that the market has changed. No matter how counter-intuitive it may seem, all of the empirical data support the notion that giving away books and music leads to higher sales, not lower. But people will ignore facts that contradict what they “know” to be true.

Come to think of it, that explains the Democrat party.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Yet Another Author Discovers Giving Away Ebooks Increases Sales

Throw Out the Maps in 2008

1st March 2008

Read it.

Well, maybe.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Throw Out the Maps in 2008