Less mercury pollution is a Good Thing

Last updated on: January 5, 2012 at 2:20 pm By Fred Clark

Jess Zimmerman at Grist calls our attention to a photo archive showing “What America looked like before the EPA“: In 1972, the year-old EPA had photographers traverse the country to document the (often dire) state of the environment. This project, Documerica, was “the visual echo of the mission of the EPA,” according to one photographer. Now, 40 years later, archive specialist Jerry Simmons has unearthed the photos and put them online at the National Archives website and on Flickr. It’s... Read more

Smart people saying smart things

Last updated on: January 5, 2012 at 1:45 pm By Fred Clark

Lori Ventola: “Resolving to be Shameless“ You’ve written the same goals so many times, and failed at them just as often. Why do you keep doing it? Because you think you should. Something in your head says there’s something terribly wrong with you. Something that’s not wrong with everyone else. And it will be repaired, if you can only make yourself do this one thing (or two, or 10, or 20). More often than not, the entire list is one... Read more

Numerous links by the numbers

Last updated on: January 5, 2012 at 12:04 pm By Fred Clark

Cracked: “8 Gratuitously Violent Horror Movie Scenes (from the Bible)” Juan Cole: “Top 10 Myths about the Arab Spring of 2011” Zompist: “10 policies supported by every Republican presidential candidate in 2012” (via AZspot) David Badash: “Top 10 ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Repeal Lies That Never Came True” Think Progress: “Rick Santorum’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Campaign Statements” Consumerist: “Top 10 Primetime TV Shows with Product Placement Activity” (Note: No. 6, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, gets a free pass from... Read more

Ron Paul, Pat Buchanan and Dr. Seuss

Last updated on: January 5, 2012 at 1:51 am By Fred Clark

Kevin Drum discusses the matter of Ron Paul in an exchange with Daniel Larison. The back-and-forth began with Drum’s post “Crackpots Do Not Make Good Messengers,” which I’m going to quote at length because his whole point is that this list of complaints is not short: Ron Paul is not a charming oddball with a few peculiar notions. He’s not merely “out of the mainstream.” Ron Paul is a full-bore crank. In fact he’s practically the dictionary definition of a... Read more

Duverger, Kushner, Bonhoeffer

Last updated on: January 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm By Fred Clark

A brief reminder: Duverger’s law. That’s how it works. Candidate A vs. Candidate B. Party A vs. Party B. Moral purity and moral perfection will not be on the ballot. Those seeking moral purity and moral perfection pleasure themselves by imagining that theirs is a superior ethical responsibility. But this is delusional — an embrace of irresponsibility. It’s the claim that one is not responsible for any outcome, consequence or action in this world apart from maintaining, above all, one’s... Read more

Three kinds of falsehoods: Innocence, interest and intrigue

Last updated on: January 4, 2012 at 1:50 pm By Fred Clark

If I make a false statement, your response — and your evaluation of me — will depend, in part, on the nature of the statement in question. I’m speaking here of false statements about matters of fact, instances in which the evidence all points to an undeniable conclusion — false statements that are falsifiable, that are demonstrably false. We’re not talking about opinions, matters of taste, or adherence to theories or tenets of faith. String theory, the doctrine of the... Read more

The blackbirds of Beebe and other omens

Last updated on: January 4, 2012 at 12:03 pm By Fred Clark

Once again the New Year begins with hundreds of dead blackbirds on the ground in Beebe, Ark. Just like last year, “Bible prophecy scholars” have weighed in, reminding us of the prominent role that Beebe, Ark., plays in the biblical book of Hosea. But I’m reminded, instead, of Ani DiFranco’s “Independence Day“: and there was an exodus of birds from the trees but they didn’t know, that we were only pretending and the people all looked up, and looked pleased... Read more

Guinness beef stew open thread

Last updated on: January 3, 2012 at 5:16 pm By Fred Clark

Usually there’s pie. But this is not pie. This is Guinness beef stew. What happened was that I thought, for a bit of variety, maybe we could go with shepherd’s pie. The shepherd’s pie looked pretty good. But then the same thing happened that happens every time I’m thinking that the shepherd’s pie looks pretty good. I always wind up going with the Guinness beef stew instead, because it looks even better. Anyway, consider this a conflict-avoidance open thread. Read more

Say anything to take us out of this gloom

Last updated on: January 3, 2012 at 4:58 pm By Fred Clark

Here’s Amanda Marcotte on “Why the Iowa Caucus Is About Abortion“: If the Iowa caucus was regarded in the light it deserves — as a reflection of what Christian right extremists are thinking right now, instead of as a predictor of larger trends — it could be incredibly useful. It would be nice, for instance, if the nation at large was aware of how Christian conservatives are voting not because of reality or even realistic-sounding misinformation, but because they believe... Read more

Do you want a big rock or a small rock?

Last updated on: January 3, 2012 at 12:47 pm By Fred Clark

Do you want a big rock or a small rock? You have to pick one or the other. A huge, heavy, substantial, unbreakable hunk of granite? Or a tiny, buoyant, crumbly piece of pumice? Which one do you want? I’m assuming you know what the rock is for. The question would be silly — utterly stupid and pointless — unless we all already agreed on what the rock is for. No point in asking about the proper size or weight... Read more