…as only Iowahawk can.
Category Archives: Social Commentary
Face(book) Value
Jay Garmon dissects a dumb statistical correlation between SAT scores and “favorite” SF&F books. I found it interesting that there were no works by Neil Stephenson on the chart.
One Toke Over The Line
Willie Nelson comes out as a Truther.
Humans, Chimps…
…and property rights. Some thoughts on the beginning of commerce and trade from Donald Sensing.
First African American Presidential Candidate from a Major Party?
Thomas Jefferson and the other major party candidates for the election of 1800. Washington didn’t approve of political parties. At least according to my read of the census definition:
A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa….
My understanding of current thinking on evolution is that we all have origins in Black racial groups of Africa. And that this is our only origin in a period spanning tens of thousands to millions of years.
Ay Carumba
Nancy Cartwright gave ten megabucks to the Church of Scientology. P. T. Barnum had nothing on L. Ron Hubbard.
Like cocaine, this is life’s way of telling you that you make too damn much money.
Social Security Giveth, IRS Taketh Away
Social security is trying give out debit cards instead of checks while IRS is moving to ban refund loans. I guess the IRS subscribes to the ostrich theory of micro financing: out of sight, out of their minds.
Dopey and Dazed
Dopey
Does anyone find it dissonant that Iowan Democrats gave a victory to an admitted marijuana user to become President and the Senate is letting him keep his seat, while denying money to college students convicted of possessing illegal drugs?
The question that is begged is, “Does prior marijuana use help the chances of a Presidential candidate?”
Dazed
Obama’s last speech had a fog index of 8.17 (higher is more academic). McCain, 8.14 (most recent 4 weeks old on hydrogen?!); Clinton, 9.5; Giuliani, 11.6; No speeches I could find on the Huckabee site, just responses to opponents jabs, his foreign affairs article got 13.05.
My prior beliefs were that veterans like Giuliani would speak at the lowest level of diction and Obama and Clinton would use their race and sex as license to be less “regular guys” and more intellectual. That the leaders for New Hampshire are the candidates with the lowest Fog index tells me that the other campaigns need to use the K.I.S.S. formula: “Keep it simple, stupid!”
The Splendor Of Alpha Geeks
Overtolerance
Apparently, many people (particularly young people) are unable to condemn, and are willing to tolerate anything. Except “intolerance,” of course.