- No dope? Lincoln Allison has an article in the Guardian that asks whether performance-enhancing drugs are really something that should be shied away from. He has lots of thoughtful points (e.g., that in sports where knowledge of doping is fairly public, fans don’t mind that records are “tainted” by drugs; that a strict anti-drug policy is obscene when the athlete’s performance ultimately relies on judgement, strategy, and skill—things not in the least bit enhanced by the drugs, etc.), and the article as a whole provides an interesting contrast to the “default” assessment that doping’s a bad thing. Give it a read. (Guardian: “Faster, stronger, higher,” by Lincoln Allison [August 9, 2004])
- Giant, Millenia-Old UFO. Scientists are just now beginning to probe the depths of an Antarctic lake that is 40 times larger than Lake Tahoe. This is a lake buried under two miles of ice. A lake, the contents of which (water, yes, but possibly also microbes and such) have been undisturbed for probably several hundred thousand years. Which is kinda neat, and also obvious fodder for sci-fi movies. Also, curiously, planetary scientists are interested in Lake V, because it probably shares numerous similarities with places like some of the moons of Jupiter. Go figure. Scope out a Google for Vostok on the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory if you’re itching for more info. (SFGate: “Beneath Antarctica’s ice lies mysterious Lake Vostok High-tech tools help scientists detail underwater features,” by David Perlman [August 2, 2004])
- I suppose you liked Savage Bees? While we’re on the topic of undiscovered treasures, let me just say that the Agony Booth is a gem. It is, in its own words, “an ongoing inquisition into some of the worst movies humanity has to offer.” The site offers absurdly long reviews of hilariously awful movies—what movies’ hilarity is all the more amplified by someone else seeing them in your stead. (via LII)
- Better late. Than never. I had no idea it was National Punctuation Day on Sunday. If I had I would have, er, celebrated.
- No ninjas. I don’t usually throw any pure-blog entries into the rundown mix, but this item over at onepotmeal is worth a glimpse, if only for the “Dear Denouement” format (a keeper) and the P.S., which really cinches the whole thing.
- Speaking of ninjas. Reuters “reports” that you ought to check the symmetry of your opponent’s extremities before picking a fight. The article cites a study that purports to show people with asymmterical extremities (hands, ears, etc.) had shorter fuses, due to stressors during pregnancy. It doesn’t give you enough of the details to really make heads or tails of, but golly, doesn’t it make a nice headline. If I were you, I’d wait till I had my hands on the actual study before I started picking fights with symmetrical people. (Also, contrary to the headline of the article, I have my doubts that the original study actually advises people to “Check Ears Before You Pick a Fight.” Though of course I’ve been wrong before.) (Reuters: “Check Ears Before You Pick a Fight, Study Advises” [August 23, 2004])
An Ancient Lake, (no) dope, and a Bloody Good Time
Posted by Ben on August 25, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown/
Rundown
- Global Issues is an interesting web site that offers commentary and information on a whole host of topics, from Racism to Global Warming to the International Criminal Court. Haven’t had too much of a chance to explore it, but it seems to have some good stuff. (And with the title “Global Issues That Affect Everyone,” how can you go wrong?)
- The Christian Science Monitor has a new piece on the ongoing saga of the Bhopal gas disaster (in India), a 20-year-old accident in which thousands were killed and various corporate bodies eschewed responsibilities. (via CSM: “Bhopal gas tragedy lives on, 20 years later” by Scott Baldauf [May 4, 2004])
- And corporations find that, surprisingly, war does little to hurt their brands abroad. (via NYT: “War and Abuse Do Little to Harm U.S. Brands” by Simon Romero [May 9, 2004])
Posted by Ben on May 11, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown/
Rundown
- An article in the NYT paints Chile as a South American underdog (not to mention oddball): unpopular, orderly, and lawful. I don’t know enough about Chile to say what about this article, if anything, is suspect, but I am wary of its tone. For starters, it immediately identifies Chile as hypercapitalist (the author’s exact word) and orderly—though the author doesn’t go so far as to explicitly tie these two together in any meaningful way—and points out that these characteristics makes Chile atypical of its South American neighbors. It’s an interesting article, but seems to mostly imply that those other SA countries, their people’s heads filled with crazy lefty thoughts, are headed in the wrong direction, i.e., that capitalism and free trade are absolutely the way to go, ra ra ra.
- Okay, so this is one of those resources that I probably should have known about already, but the Fish & Wildlife Service has a pretty nice collection of public domain images. It’s searchable, so you can easily find, say, a nice picture of a Texas blind salamander. Nice.
- Bill O’Reilly mistakes a solidly conservative Canadian paper for a Socialist rag. So what’s new.
Posted by Ben on May 1, 2004
https://www.swordbilled.com/rundown/