Sailing the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal
I've mentioned it from time to time, but in the summer of 2007 I had a long email debate with a Salafi Muslim civil engineer in South-east Asia about Islam and Christianity. Needless to say, it was an education. We correspond from time to time, and he's on my list when I announce new technical …
Continue reading "If Allah Wills It, I Will Be Back in the Office"
Some things have not changed from Soviet times: Russian officials have been left red-faced after a salad containing a live earthworm was served at a dinner in honour of German President Christian Wulff, media reported Thursday. The incident came to light after a Russian regional governor, evidently finding the matter hilarious, wrote a Twitter entry …
Continue reading "It's Important to be Careful When You're Eating Out in Russia"
If they take this to it's logical conclusion, that is: A global deal on emissions curbs by airlines struck late on Friday will allow the European Union to press ahead with plans to charge airlines for emissions permits from 2012, the European Commission said on Saturday. The EU agreed in 2008 that airlines should be …
Continue reading "Guess We'll Have to Go Back to Going to Europe via Boat"
From not so far from where I live: A reader passed along an obituary this week for a man who died last month in Rome, Ga. Donald Unsworth was 78 — husband, father, grandfather, veteran, former police officer, safety director of the Floyd County Police Department and owner of both Rome Driver’s Training School and …
The operative word here is "were": Three staffers working for embattled Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) were asked by security officers to leave an event in downtown Washington on Thursday after they tried to display large campaign signs just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was about to speak. The aides were holding lawn signs that …
Continue reading "Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi: I Thought You Were My Friend…"
The Fifth Republic forces its people to stay in the middle course: Male tourists in France were being threatened with $48 fines for walking around without their shirts on, The Independent reported Monday. Locals in seaside resort towns including Cannes and St. Tropez demanded the move after they were sick of seeing Brits and other …
Continue reading "Burqas One Day, Shirtlessness the Next: The French Practice Égalité"
The Washington Post, an elite institution in its own right, breaks down and admits the truth: A study scheduled for release Monday about the value of a college education, at least when it comes to the basics, has found the opposite to be true in most cases. Forget Harvard and think Lamar. Indeed, the Texas …
Continue reading "Victory at Last: You Learn More Away from Harvard, But…"
I see that Basil Marceaux has made it big on YouTube: I know Basil Marceaux. What you see is what you get. First: he is not the Republican nominee for Governor. Our primary is Thursday (5 August). My guess is that he'll do well to get into the single digits, although with all of the …
Continue reading "A Few Words About Tennessee Gubenatorial Candidate Basil Marceaux"
That, according to Andrew Ferguson, is what Newsweek might as well have done in its recent coverage of Christian holidays: He (Jon Meacham, Newsweek's editor) ignored the truth that the old newsmagazine editors lived by: journalists who write to satisfy people like themselves will soon run out of readers. The magazine that lies dying in …
Continue reading "Jon Meacham: Putting a Bullet in the Easter Bunny"
This gem of wisdom, from Engineering Tips: I would like to offer a suggestion that in your dealings with your co-workers, colleagues, fellow industry professionals, bosses, underlings, secretaries and the general public, put on your happy face and be polite.  Your rewards may be few or none for doing the right thing, but YOU WILL NEVER …
Continue reading "You Will Never Be Forgotten for Being a Jerk"
