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Buying ‘Carbon Offsets’ is the 21st-century equivalent of buying Papal Indulgences – a salve to the consciences of the deluded for having committed an entirely fictitious sin dreamed up – rather conveniently – by the indulgence-peddlers themselves. A ‘Sin of Emission’, one could say… – Commenter Tanuki March 6th, 2007 | 23 comments - (Comments are closed)
 The trouble is that once you haven’t won, the sense that you are gatecrashing somebody else’s party is overwhelming, and it hits you hard that the ‘somebody else’ is much more glamorous than you. – Dan Mazer, the writer of Borat on being nominated for an Oscar. More or less how I feel about life in general, really. March 5th, 2007 | 4 comments - (Comments are closed)
Garbage In, Gospel Out – William S. Lind, discussing the operational philosophy underpinning US military intelligence. March 2nd, 2007 | 45 comments - (Comments are closed)
How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. – Robert A. Heinlein, one of the world’s great science fiction writers and moggie-lovers. March 1st, 2007 | 36 comments - (Comments are closed)
Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance – G.K. Chesterton, The Speaker, 1925 February 27th, 2007 | 16 comments - (Comments are closed)
Having spent £13,000 on installing a wind turbine at his home, John Large is disappointed at the return on his investment, which amounts to 9p a week. At this rate, it is calculated, it will take 2,768 years for the electricity generated by the turbine to pay for itself, by which time he will be past caring about global warming. The wind turbine was installed at the engineer’s home in Woolwich, southeast London, four weeks ago and has so far generated four kilowatts of electricity. An average household needs 23kw every day to power its lights and appliances. Mr Large said that his difficulties highlighted the problems faced by consumers who wanted to buy wind turbines to save money and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. – from the Times today (hat tip Bishop Hill) February 17th, 2007 | 63 comments - (Comments are closed)
There’s more to the world than politics. Politics is a way to have paved streets and cops and firefighters show up when we call 911. It’s nothing more than that. – Commenter ‘Sunfish’ February 16th, 2007 | 13 comments - (Comments are closed)
One thing that is really bugs me about the guy or at least the Obama phenomenon is that he and his supporters (definitely his supporters) like to make a big deal about every possible racist interpretation that can be put into what his opponents say about him. Yet it is obvious to Blind Freddy that he would not be in the limelight in the first place were it not for the whole race issue. If Obama were white would anyone really give a damned what he said? He’s milking this mixed heritage business for all it’s worth. How much of his book is about his philosophy and how much of it is about converting his personal life story into a heap of ‘we are the world’ cliches?The hype that has been placed on the guy speaks volumes for the ridiculousness of the media’s patronising attitudes on race. Is there any evidence that he is any much smarter than the average politician? Any wiser or more intellectual? Does anyone know what he stands for besides banal platitudes and a trendy populism? – Jason Soon of Catallaxy enunciates what I suspect a number of Samizdata readers and contributors are thinking about Barack Obama. February 14th, 2007 | 18 comments - (Comments are closed)
Most people have no idea how much damn maintenance and tender loving care a ballistic missile needs to remain operational. The frigging things are like a temperamental girlfriend (more likely to go off in your face than take you to the heavens). If I was forced to chose between standing 500 yards from the launch site of a Russian ICBM or within 500 yards of the intended target, I’d chose the target. – A pseudonymous commenter February 13th, 2007 | 12 comments - (Comments are closed)
“The trouble with you, Spode, is that just because you have succeeded in inducing a handful of half-wits to disfigure the London scene by going about in black shorts, you think you’re someone. You hear them shouting ‘Heil, Spode!’ and you imagine it is the Voice of the People. That is where you make your bloomer. What the Voice of the People is saying is: ‘Look at that frightful ass Spode, swanking about in footer bags! Did you ever in your puff see such a frightful perisher?'” – Bertie Wooster helps Keith Windschuttle describe the English-speaking century February 12th, 2007 | 8 comments - (Comments are closed)
“I always felt this country was going down the tubes when the television folk replaced Basil Brush with Roland Rat.” My dad, with his finger on the pulse as usual. Here is a tribute page to television’s most superior fox. February 11th, 2007 | 19 comments - (Comments are closed)
Don’t worry, I’m not gonna start any sword fights. I’m over that phase. – Captain Malcolm Reynolds, one of the many fine characters in the television series, Firefly. February 7th, 2007 | 7 comments - (Comments are closed)
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