Month: June 2013

by dr ngo Another advantage of aging is that it helps give us perspective on the world over time, just as travel, especially residence abroad, helps provide perspective on the world across space and ethnicity. Put in terms of academe, both history and area studies point us to alternatives to what it's like all around … Read more

by Ugh It seems that there is a bit of a to do about the information the NSA collects on Americans.  Whether or not this is "legal" – from a statutory or Constitutional perspective – it's a bit troubling. First, it has been done in complete secrecy outside of government officials (until these reports).  Second, … Read more

by liberal japonicus This insightful piece about Daily Central correspondent John Oliver in the Grauniad is quite interesting, but what I want to highlight His earliest Daily Show appearances played almost exclusively on his Britishness; most Americans, he points out, hear his distinctively Brummie accent as standard Posh English. He once interviewed Tea Party activists … Read more

by Doctor Science I will be personally enriched by Governor Chris Christie’s decision to hold a special October election for Frank Lautenberg’s Senate seat. I’m a pollworker: every NJ election puts $200 in my pocket (for 15+ hours of work, mind you, so it’s hardly a sinecure). Nonetheless, I think it’s a really lousy idea. … Read more

by Doctor Science When I’ve had a garden, they’ve been shade gardens. I like to plant a lot of perennials, especially native plants, but for summer-long color to break up the relentless green my go-to plant has always been the common impatiens . A typical shade garden in August. Or it used to be. source. … Read more

by dr ngo Growing old is not entirely negative, though it certainly ain't for wusses. If I sounded angst-y in my last post, and even morbid in the comments, it's because I split up my reflections on age and happened to post the downside first. One big advantage of aging is experience, and not only … Read more

by liberal japonicus I had this for the Friday open thread, but didn't want to blogblock dr ngo's post. The Guardian, riffing about an AP report here, reveals that al-Qaida is organized like a bad cubicle farm. After 15 years as one of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb's top commanders, it became clear that the Algerian terrorist Mokhtar … Read more