Month: November 2015

Women in Professional Sports

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by wj A few days ago, the Economist had a post on their Game Theory blog entitled Playing with Pink Balls. The thumbnail photo (and it really is that small) showed someone with some kind of bat. The teaser read, in full, “Why has it taken so long to play the first….” Having my own … Read more

the persistence of culture

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by russell For the long holiday weekend, I offer a post that (one hopes) is devoid of rancorous partisan political content. For a long time, I've been interested in (and made a sort of semi-desultory study of) the way in which certain elements of African music have found their way to, and found expression in, … Read more

Your Post-Antibiotic Era Open Thread of DOOM Open Thread!

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by Ugh This is discouraging.   The world is on the cusp of a "post-antibiotic era", scientists have warned after finding bacteria resistant to drugs used when all other treatments have failed. Eek.  Also, too, it seems ISIS understands what al Qaeda generally doesn't – or probably, now, didn't – which is that it doesn't take … Read more

islamic state

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by russell The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for last night's attacks in Paris.  If they are responsible, that apparently represents an upping of the ante on their part, in terms both of the ambition of the attack and the effectiveness of its execution. The IS is kind of a strange beast.  They don't appear … Read more

On the University of Missouri

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by liberal japonicus From ObWi alumni Thomas Nephew's FB, this article is really great. A few quotes About the recently resigned  University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe:  In 2015, you cannot run a school while being blasé in the face of acts of racist harassment.  About the power student athletes have: Yet [student athletes] also have … Read more