I think their usual lineup of guests must have all simultaneously perished, because HuffPost Live invited me to join a panel this evening, literally minutes before air time. I was happy to oblige, of course. (The host, Josh Zepps, has my boss on a lot.) We’re discussing he recent moves by Hungary to ban Nazi and communist symbols, and whether laws that prohibit vile speech can ever be justified. I think I managed not to embarrass myself or my employers... Read more
As you might be aware, I also blog for a little outfit known as Friendly Atheist. Yeah, way more people read me there. Here’s a roundup of some of my recent posts there. I looked at how Andrew Sullivan is calling out liberals for being unwilling to confront the reality of radical Islam’s threat and involvement in the Boston bombing, saying, “when Andrew Sullivan links arms with Sam Harris, I’m going to pay attention very closely.” I wonder at the... Read more
Because after over 20 years, Bob Mould’s song needed to have a mandolin, Rubbermaid bin, and egg whisk applied to it. Here’s my own twangy take on a song originally recorded by Mould’s band Sugar in 1992. Read more
Jon Huntsman ran what turned out to be a pretty pathetic campaign for president in the 2012 cycle. Running to capture the nomination of a party that at several times was in the thrall of figures like Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum, he was already fighting an uphill battle to become acceptable to the GOP’s Bronze Age base. It didn’t help matters that he was weak in debates and generally mush-mouthed in interviews. One is tempted to give... Read more
Paul likes cleverly-arranged a capella music. Paul also likes beautifully composed music written for video games made before 2000. In walks Smooth McGroove (and his cat), and my world is changed. I wish Mr. McGroove great fortune, wealth, and additional free time to make more of these. My hero. Read more
It’s been a while since I last debuted a dumb song about a prehistoric reptile for the amusement of my toddler son, so let’s correct that right now. Sung to the tune of “Macarena,” is a quick, stupid ditty for a certain pterosaur with a 40-foot wingspan. He wanna keep things tidy, yeah he wants things to be spotless And he might forget your birthday and you’ll think that he is thoughtless But if your nose is running, give you... Read more
Andrew Sullivan has what at first seems like an alarming reaction to the death of his friend David Kuo, following a ten-year-long battle with brain cancer. Watch: I feel a revulsion to this line of thinking, that someone has gone “to a better place,” or as Sullivan calls it, “home.” It obviously comes from the ridiculous idea that we all go to a warm, soft, fuzzy afterlife once we drop dead, a state that is allegedly better than the best... Read more
I am known as something of a high-strung, ever-disappointed, self-loathing stick in the mud. Guilty as charged. So Hemant Mehta pointed me to a confection that could just possibly warm my cold, ashen heart. Yeah, that’s a Captain Picard facepalm cookie. Make it so…delicious. Read more
I was curious as to whether Robert Caro, he of the voluminous Lyndon Johnson biographies, might be on Twitter. Imagine my amusement when I found this: To be clear: This account will almost certainly never be put to use. It has been reserved, however, “just in case.” — Robert Caro (@RobertACaro) May 8, 2012 The dude has written four 1000-page installments of the life of one guy, and is working on another. I guess the idea of 140 characters at... Read more
David Kuo, 1968-2013: I have seen what happens when well-meaning Christians are seduced into thinking deliverance can come from the Oval Office, a Supreme Court chamber or the floor of the United States Congress. They are easily manipulated by politicians who use them for their votes, seduced by trinkets of power, and tempted to turn a mission field (politics) into a battlefield. Read more
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