A dementedly objectifying book, aimed at kids, about why “Mummy” might want to have plastic surgery was profiled in Newsweek recently, and got a lot of people hot under the collar: WhatAreWeTeachingOurChildren, ThisWillCorruptTheValuesOfOurYouth, etc etc etc. Now, the author of… Read More ›
Culture
The milieu through which we swim
Dodgy science journalism week
That old “really the earth is cooling and we’re about to have an ice age” argument gets another outing, this time in The Australian courtesy of Phil “Australia’s first astronaut” Chapman. Greensblog comprehensively debunks his arguments, which basically rest on… Read More ›
PZ refutes four bad arguments against evolution
Read. Bookmark. Refer to this the next time you need to refute bad arguments against evolution from creationists and IDologists. Favourite bit: The Second Law of Thermodynamics argument is one of the hoariest, silliest claims in the creationist collection. It’s… Read More ›
One of these things is not like the others
Hmmm, which one could it be? * Wilt Chamberlain, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee * Musashimaru (born Fiamalu Penitani), Sumo grand champion, highest level * Danica Patrick, Indy car driver, first-time winner If you guessed that it’s the woman who… Read More ›
Gratuitous Hurry-Up-Auntie with that new-season-of-Doctor-Who blogging
Beppie mailed me links to these a few weeks ago (and I forgot to do anything with them!), promotional shots of the scrumptious David Tennant looking all fierce and cool for the just-started 4th season of Doctor Who in the… Read More ›
From Little Things, Big Things Grow: the GetUp Mob
Making pop songs from political speeches seems to be becoming a trend. The GetUp Mob has set the Apology to music. The song originates in Paul Kelly’s “From Little Things, Big Things Grow”, written in the 80s about the 1966… Read More ›
Eccentric Eye on the World: Moustache and Beard Championship
Footage via Reuters, of men competing for the most “extravagant” look (no journalist commentary) at a competition organised by the Eastern Bavarian Beard and Moustache Club. Jury member Thomas Zauener explained that there were “different categories: natural beards, moustaches and… Read More ›
The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD: La Bohème at Paddo’s Chauvel Cinema
Conductor Nicola Luisotti; Production Franco Zeffirelli; Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, Quinn Kelsey, Oren Gradus, Paul Plishka Despite our ill-health, mr tog and I managed to drag ourselves to pick up our tickets (booked weeks ago) and… Read More ›
Friday Hoyden from fiction: Jo Marsh March, Little Women
How old were you when you first read Little Women? I think I was about 8, and I was utterly typical: Jo was my favourite. Was anyone unenraptured by Jo March on reading the book? What about portrayals on the silver screen or the box?
Typical MND misrepresentation: shame on you, Glenn Sacks OK, his explanation does make sense after all
Alert blog-readers may have noticed that many blogs, including this one, use a “cut” or “more” tag on longer posts, so that only the first few paragraphs show on the main page, and to read the full story one needs… Read More ›
Hoyden About Town 