Author: Morgan Freeberg

Went up into the hills yesterday with a friend of mine, to go hiking and make some far away inanimate objects dance around, by way of burning gunpowder. Great fun. Turns out, there’s a big bright round thing up in the sky and that might have something to do with why there are shadows and […]

Wisdom from my Hello Kitty of Blogging account: I’d like to take this opportunity to propose a new holiday, a pre-Halloween holiday. I’m proposing a week-to-ten-day-long festival called “Get all the people who hate fun out of the way (they don’t want to be involved anyhow).” Or something. Frumpy housewives who want to start tongue-clucking […]

As I get older, I notice my observations about things — on some level — become, paradoxically, simpler. Perhaps this comes from OO design methodology. You remember the classic XYZ Corporation example: Salespeople have regions and make flat salaries, commissions and bonuses; but before they are instantiated as salespeople objects, they are employees, and as […]

Got a big controversy over the above photograph. She’s a local lady here, who’s created a national uproar. I guess it’s the “What’s Your Excuse?” line rubbing some people the wrong way. Jack Armstrong of Armstrong & Getty was complaining that her occupation has been toned down, failing to find mention in articles like this […]

They know, Mr. Taranto, they know. [Shanta] Driver’s position seems instead to be based on the contemporary leftist theory that groups certified as “oppressed” deserve special treatment at the expense of the “privileged.” Such a view, however, collapses in its own illogic. A system that gives special treatment to members of an “oppressed” group is […]

Mkay, wish I was wrong about this thing, but in the end I was right. US may avert default as Boehner blinks US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner told Republican lawmakers yesterday he will give President Barack Obama a proposal extending the government’s ability to borrow money through Nov 22 – but only if […]

By which I mean… The basic skills are simple to learn, however to become a competent performer takes dedicated training until movements become second nature and complex formations can be achieved — which rely not only on the skill of the individual member, but on concentration by the team as a whole to move in […]

…derp derp derp derp derp derp. From here. Thanks to a Facebook post from blogger friend Rick. Cross-posted at House of Eratosthenes and Rotten Chestnuts.

Via Gerard. Christopher Orlet writes in the American Spectator: If you move to a new rental every six months, yanking your kids out of school after school, and if you do drugs in front of your children, and sell your food stamps for cash, then chances are you are part of that culture. If you […]

For quite some time I’ve been convinced that a lot of the arguing people do is about things that aren’t discussed directly within the arguments themselves; they’re arguing about other things. Years ago I noticed that it seems to have something to do with how people have taught themselves to see the world around them, […]

I haven’t pointed it out directly here, although perhaps I’ve made more-than-occasional reference to it…since it’s like preaching to the choir. But it’s probably more appropriate here than as a Facebook post. There are two economic systems fighting each other for supremacy right now. With the one, you go to a job and exchange your […]

It’s important, because it could be just one out of many. And likely is. Gerard pointed to one of the best articles I’ve ever seen, a few days ago… Everyone knows that stereotypes are inaccurate, especially psychologists… : [Many examples, cited by page number] : Except stereotypes are not inaccurate. There are many different ways […]

Maybe I should put that headline in quotes, since I didn’t write the title or what follows. Submitted from Soozcat, wife of Captain Midnight, in an off-line. Enjoy! When our niece was still in grade school, we decided it was time to teach her about money and budgeting. Captain Midnight planned ahead, cashed out an […]

1. Tolerance 2. Fairness 3. Equality 4. Inclusion 5. Science 6. Open-minded 7. Egalitarian 8. Stereotype 9. Oppressive 10. Non-threatening 11. Diversity 12. Everyone 13. Skeptic 14. Nuance 15. Progressive 16. Environment 17. Hate speech 18. Abuse 19. Torture 20. Greed 21. Assault (weapon/rifle/gun) 21. Wealthy 22. Any tangible noun that ends with “ist,” or […]

Telegraph: Damon Lindelof, the writer of Star Trek Into Darkness, has apologised to fans for the scene in which… Wait, wait, this is all wrong. That article is a stupid article because it doesn’t include any pictures of its subject. How are we supposed to know why the writer “apologised”? And what’s up with that […]

Lerner-itis (n.) Mental illness triggered when the patient finds other people are forming opinions about him that he doesn’t like. The patient starts to behave irrationally, handing out orders to people about what to think and what not to think. The reasoning seems to be, since the subject of concern is the reputation of the […]

People who think like adults argue like adults; therefore, people who want to think like adults, are obliged to argue that way. It can be tough to do sometimes. First thing to keep in mind is that you have to engage the ideas and not the people pushing them. What tends to get you bogged […]

Who’s squirming harder: The gentleman appearing from 2:24 through 3:03 pronouncing “if guns are outlawed then only outlaws have guns” to be a “weak argument,” but unable to explain his rationale…or me, watching him. Him, I suppose, if I could film my first reaction in the web cam and measure it…I’m probably just slightly wincing. […]

This is one of those weeks where I hope people have been paying attention… The following were either written/uttered since Monday morning, or else revealed to be dreadfully bad ideas since Monday morning. Quite a week for a good education, for anyone willing to watch, listen & remember. 1. Hoping that the persons responsible for […]