Disinterest
I am giving serious consideration to not watching the Academy Awards for the first time in . . . counts on fingers . . . nine years.
Archive for February, 2008
Gay Marriage
I am opposed to gay marriage, but I am also opposed to straight marriage. I also oppose bans on gay marriage. But read the whole thing, because it is more complicated than that. Marriage is a package deal. Break up the package, and the answers become clear. Marriage combines a constellation of legal obligations in contract (concerning property, intestacy, finances, parenting, medical decision-making, &c.) with a set of privileges* conferred by the state under various mandates and entitlement schemes. If we get rid of all the illegitimate, welfare-state junk associated with marriage, all we are left with is a complex, legitimate two-party† contract. As it stands now [ . . . ]
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Moon Eating Contest
Tonight’s total lunar eclipse, visible from Western Europe and Africa to the Rocky Mountains, will be the last one until 2010. The moon will enter the Earth’s umbra at 8:43pm EST and will enter total eclipse at 10:01pm EST, where it will remain for 51 minutes, until 10:52pm EST. The moon with then leave the Earth’s umbra at 12:09am EST on Thursday morning. Total lunar eclipses last longer in totality than total solar eclipses because the Earth is larger than the moon, so its umbra is much larger than the moon’s, and the moon, being small, takes longer to pass through [ . . . ]
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Indy IV
The first trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is up. They’re calling it a teaser, but I don’t think it really fits that description, what with having actual movie footage and dialogue in it. [HT: Flibbert]
Oh, Alex V
Today was the third episode of this year’s Teen Tournament. Today’s Jeopardy! round included a category called “Right On The Money,” with trivia about U.S. currency. The $200 clue was (approximately) “The current $2 bill features Thomas Jefferson on the front and the signing of this document on the back.” The contestant responded, “What is the Declaration of Independence?” and this response was deemed correct. It isn’t. The back of the current $2 note does not feature the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It features the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress by the Drafting [ . . . ]
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Decisions, Decisions
Today I went to the ultramarket. While I was at the ultramarket, I saw the most appalling thing. I took a picture: They’re from a local company with Polish owners. For those who do not know, Sophie’s Choice is a novel turned film starring Meryl Streep about a Polish woman forced by a Nazi officer to choose one of her two children for death. I’m sure the product is quite tasty. I’m not sure the best of judgment was used in selecting a company name.
STS-122 Launch
STS-122 (finally!) scheduled for launch at 2:45:30, smack in the middle of today’s 10 minute launch window. Official clock: Here is NASA TV, live, with approx. 60 sec. delay. Congratulations, Atlantis, on a splendid liftoff!
Recent Posts
- RT @thomasclarkin: Fact: Detroit's best export is techno. 2 hrs ago
- @SupaTrey http://t.co/otfHrHb ? in reply to SupaTrey 3 hrs ago
- Oh is that today? 4 hrs ago
- Home now. 5 hrs ago
- @SupaTrey Mostly good. I have one small concern, but not sure how to state it. in reply to SupaTrey 14 hrs ago
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