December 2008
75 posts
Studying Islam has made me an atheist →
This, written by Douglas Murray, could be the story of my teenage years, with the odd detail changed. It was Ancient Greek religion that I realised could be compared with Christianity, with the…
Two Hundred Spam E-Mails Can't Be Wrong →
“When I looked closer at the deals, some natural questions started popping up. First of all, would the cash they were offering be available immediately? Would refinancing my home loan lower my…
links for 2008-12-31 →
“War is something absurd, useless, that nothing can justify.” Louis de Cazenave, French veteran of World War I
“Where there’s tea there’s hope.” Arthur W. Pinero
Best Albums of 2008: The Way I See It - Raphael... →
A depressing year for science reporting in the... →
But then isn’t every year? That’s why we need Ben Goldacre.
Tony Bayfield on Liberal religion and... →
This is a well-balanced article that sets out the rightly oft-repeated argument that there is a difference between fundamentalists and people who are just strict observers of their particular brand…
Richard Herring on talking about football →
Blimey I know this feeling. Actually, when I was at uni, I even went to the trouble of watching football. Not just so that I could coverse with blokes about what happened that weekend, but also…
Elf Union Newsletter: December 2008. →
From McSweeneys. A little late for Christmas, I’m afraid, but since I didn’t read it until today, you’ll just have to cope.
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2008-12-21) →
Hercules and Love Affair (17)
Raphael Saadiq (16)
D’Angelo (12)
Santogold (9)
Sufjan Stevens (9)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.” Larry Lorenzoni
“Christmas to a child is the first terrible proof that to travel hopefully is better than to arrive” Stephen Fry
links for 2008-12-24 →
Best Albums of 2008: Fleet Foxes →
“Christmas is a holiday that persecutes the lonely, the frayed, and the rejected.” Jimmy Cannon
Robert Reiner on the politicisation of the police →
This is one of the best articles I’ve read about the position of the police in years. I think the important things to note are: a) that the politicisation of the police was started by the tories and…
Olly Moss poster designs →
These posters are outstanding. So simple, and yet so ingenius. The Great Dictator one is especially wonderful.
links for 2008-12-23 →
Best Albums of 2008: For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon... →
David Wilson: Why I watch It's A Wonderful Life... →
“the film asks us to consider how family, community, duty and responsibility to one’s fellow human beings is what characterises a person’s worth. Not piety or religious observance, but the struggle…
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2008-12-21) →
Hercules and Love Affair (17)
Raphael Saadiq (16)
D’Angelo (12)
Sufjan Stevens (9)
Cut Copy (9)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“Rose-colored glasses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the small print in dreams.” Ann Landers
“Justice is truth in action.” Benjamin Disraeli
links for 2008-12-19 →
Andrew Lilico: What if we needed a recession to... →
Personally, I don’t see this article as much of a ‘what if’ but rather an expression of evident truths. Maybe I’m an Austrian economist at heart…
A.A. Gill goes on the "Sex and the City" Tour →
“Looking around at the women, I try to discern some defining characteristic. Surely girls who come to New York to spend a day on a bus looking at fleeting backgrounds from a defunct TV series in the…
“A subject for a great poet would be God’s boredom after the seventh day of creation.” Friedrich Nietzsche
links for 2008-12-18 →
Heresy Corner: Why is Labour so illiberal? →
Excellent article. I take issue somewhat when he suggests that the left are naturally less interested in institutions such as habeas corpus, trial by jury and the like, but this is a well-argued…
Malcolm Gladwell compares Teachers to Quarterbacks →
Pretty typical Gladwell fare - what can we learn from the world of American Football about choosing good school teachers - also pretty typically, it’s difficult to work out exactly what the point is,…
links for 2008-12-17 →
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” Albert Einstein
Remember those Police that got injured by... →
“Only four of the 12 reportable injuries involved any contact with protesters at all and all were at the lowest level of seriousness with no further action taken. The other injuries reported included…
links for 2008-12-16 →
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2008-12-14) →
Sufjan Stevens (22)
TV on the Radio (12)
Death Cab for Cutie (12)
Radiohead (12)
Squirrel Nut Zippers (10)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
The Guardian's 10 favourite headlines from The... →
3: “Woman Profoundly Moved By Lyrics Artist Put Zero Time Or Effort Into”
“Rave is the refuge for the mentally deficient. It’s made by dull people for dull people.” Morrissey
links for 2008-12-14 →
Stephen Fry reviews the Blackberries 'Bold' and... →
“Watching someone writing an email on a Storm is like watching an antelope trying to open a packet of cigarettes.” Fascinating and well-written stuff.
links for 2008-12-11 →
“The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” Oscar Wilde
George Monbiot: Cyberspace has buried its head in... →
“we have to change the way we talk about this issue. You don’t believe me? Then just read the gibberish that follows when this article is published online.” Followed, inevitably, by a load of comment…