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photos by Lara Shipley

Visa Auctions?

June 25th, 2007 · Comments Off on Visa Auctions?

I’ve given this exactly no serious thought, but Megan McArdle has an interesting proposal. My first-pass reaction is that this would weaken the humanitarian argument aspect of the argument for immigration, but it’s probably still worth pondering.

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Tags: Markets

Say the Right Things When Electioneering

June 25th, 2007 · Comments Off on Say the Right Things When Electioneering

The Supreme Court has ruled, by a 5-4 vote, in favor of Wisconsin Right to Life, which had been embroiled in long struggle with the Federal Election Commission over ads the anti-abortion group was prevented from broadcasting. The spots would have asked voters to urge Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl not to filibuster Bush’s […]

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Tags: Law

Fictional Deities

June 22nd, 2007 · 9 Comments

TCSDaily seems to be on a real tear against Christopher Hitchens’ book-length jeremiad against religion: The lastest attack there blasts Hitch for neglecting to grapple with the theological ideas of some of his favorite literary giants. He says not a word, for instance, about Shakespeare’s Iago as a critique of atheism. What’s that you say? […]

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Tags: Religion

The First Casualty of Politics Is Humor

June 22nd, 2007 · 2 Comments

The folks at ThinkProgress are purporting to be upset about this exchange on Glen Beck’s show: [Michael] Graham asked Beck if he wanted to see the Clintons murdered in the [spoof Sopranos] video. “[S]eriously, Glenn, didn’t you at one point want to see, like, Paulie Walnuts or someone come in and just whack them both […]

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Tags: Journalism & the Media

Public Service Announcement

June 22nd, 2007 · 7 Comments

“Awesome Canadian hip-hop” are three words seldom strung together in that order; as far as I’m aware, it’s a descriptive phrase with a unique extension: Edmonton-based rapper Cadence Weapon. He’ll be playing The Red and the Black next month.

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Tags: Washington, DC

The Stupid Are Cocksure

June 22nd, 2007 · 4 Comments

Kevin Drum suggests that Rudy Giuliani—who seems to imagine that having watched things blow up makes him a terrorism expert—is a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger Effect: Dunning and Kruger, in a famous series of tests, found that “Incompetent individuals, compared with their more competent peers, will dramatically overestimate their ability and performance relative to […]

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Tags: Journalism & the Media

Just a Bit Off the Top

June 21st, 2007 · 15 Comments

I realize Ross’ defense of circumcision in response to Andrew Sullivan’s most recent attack on the practice is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but to the extent that it’s serious, it’s not all that cogent. First, there’s the aesthetics. I’ve heard preferences in both directions here, but frankly, I’m not sure why this should cut in either direction […]

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Tags: Sexual Politics

Incarcarex

June 21st, 2007 · Comments Off on Incarcarex

Via Jacob Sullum:

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Tags: Random Cool Link

Worst. Profile. Ever.

June 21st, 2007 · Comments Off on Worst. Profile. Ever.

Pace Slate, I find it hard to believe Esquire‘s July cover story about Angelina Jolie can be “the worst celebrity profile ever written.” I’m inclined to nominate this vigorous fellating of Keanu Reeves in Details, which the inimitable Matt Welch references in his takedown of the entire genre.

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Tags: Uncategorized

British Invasion

June 21st, 2007 · 4 Comments

Did I miss the memo specifying that the Britishism whinge would be supplanting the more familiar whine this year? I feel like I’m suddenly seeing this once-obscure variant everywhere. Is that extra “g” adding some special nuance?

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Tags: Language and Literature