7 Quick Takes (8/13/10)

One slight redesign this week.  You’ll notice at the top of the blog a new tab marked ‘Featured Series.’  You can use this page to browse through special sequences of linked posts on this blog.  Check out my math and morality series or my sequence on gay marriage, the final post of which (“Do we care about marriage too much?” is now up).

Over at the Huffington Post, I have a column up in response to the kerfuffle about Sarah Palin possibly rolling her eyes at a teacher.  Here’s a quote from my take: “The Left is Wrong about Why Palin is Wrong”

In the 2010 elections, liberals ought to be able to defeat Paul and Angle because their policies are laughable, not because their gaffes are. If the Democratic Party can’t make a persuasive case on the merits of these policies–some of the most basic protections for vulnerable Americans– we don’t deserve to win.

Hands down, my favorite thing I read this week was Eric Hague’s essay at McSweeney’s titled: “Our Daughter isn’t a Selfish Brat; Your Son Just Hasn’t Read Atlas Shrugged“. Here’s a quote (h/t First Things):

When little Aiden toddled up our daughter Johanna and asked to play with her Elmo ball, he was, admittedly, very sweet and polite. I think his exact words were, “Have a ball, peas [sic]?” And I’m sure you were very proud of him for using his manners.

To be sure, I was equally proud when Johanna yelled, “No! Looter!” right in his looter face, and then only marginally less proud when she sort of shoved him.

I’ll confess, I’ve been following the dispatches from the spies at the Americans for Truth about Homosexuality conference with only mild interest, but I was extremely amused by the latest comment fom the Friendly Atheist.  Hermant tallies at least four known spies at an event whose attendance was estimated to be about 45.  Reminds me of this Far Side cartoon:

–5–

Requisite technological geekery for the week: mad engineers have created a ‘meta cookie’ that can take on any taste (provided you’re wearing the requisite goggles and olfactory inputs. (h/t io9)

–6–

Richard Beck had some interesting observations to make about contemporary Christian art at Experimental Theology this week.  The piece is short enough to make excerpting it kind of silly, so just click through and check it out.

–7–

In case any of you aren’t breathlessly following the possible proof that P =/= NP, you are seriously missing out.  I don’t just mean you’re missing out on the chance to appreciate an interesting branch of mathematics; you’re missing out on the chance to make some serious cash.  Smarkets, a social betting site, is offering odds on which of the Clay Millennium Prizes will be proven next.

Please let this become the next hot thing in financial markets, so I can watch Jim Cramer scream about number theory on TV and so this Onion story will finally come true.

[Seven Quick Things is a blog carnival run by Jen of Conversion Diary]