Congrats to the Seahawks, Redux
Again, I'm not a Seahawks fan, but it should be interesting to live in a city whose team is celebrating a major championship. Good for them.
The Day Hitler Became Chancellor
80 years ago yesterday, Adolf Hitler, the strange Austrian who headed a movement that combined violent thugs with some of Germany's leading industrialists, was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.…
How To Tell If A Conspiracy Theory Is Daft
In 2011, Giuliano Mignini, the prosecutor responsible for making a pig's breakfast of the Monster of Florence case and damaging, possibly beyond repair, the futures of Raffele Sollecito and Amanda…
An Insomniac’s Pleasures
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronomer, the way Henry Hill wanted to be gangster. I grew up on Carl Sagan, and my Mom took me…
The Wannsee Conference
Yesterday wasn't just Martin Luther King Day. It was also 51st anniversary of the Wannsee Conference. A lot of people lazily describe this event as the meeting at which the…
The Believing Brain
Yesterday I did a marathon post that was largely about how smart people convince themselves to believe weird things. For those who hadn't gotten enough from that, I suggest either…
My Significant Other Reporting
Sadly, this isn't video, just a picture of Venice reporting on the legislative session for TVW Channel 23 (our local version C-Span). If you live in Washington State and have…
Congrats, Seahawks
I'm not all that big a Seahawks fan, or one at all really; but seeing people excited for their team is fun, and if the team should win, it would…
The Unsinkable Rubber Ducks of Italy
Update (3/26/2015): Amanda Knox and Raffele Sollecito were acquitted today by the Italian Court of Cassation. So ends their legal nightmare. I wish them both the best going forward, and I'm glad…
Manifesto By Strange, Sullen, Hectoring Twit Is An International Bestseller
Yes, we're talking about Mein Kampf, apparently one of the bestselling political books of the year. B-School grads in India are expected to have devoured its lessons in business management. (Curious,…