No. He'll be an engineer.

Sheesh

· 12/09/2008 10:26 PM by Steve Gigl

I know this isn’t the final word, but I’ve been half-predicting this for years:

There is evidence, however, that avoiding nuts makes children ultimately more likely to be allergic to them. A study of 10,000 children in the UK, reported earlier this year in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that early exposure to peanuts reduces the risk of peanut allergies.

Grrr. Public health studies seem more and more useless every year. At this point, anecdotal evidence almost seems better.

Category: Food
Scope: World

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Progressivism = creeping totalitarianism

· 06/05/2008 01:50 PM by Steve Gigl

This trial is yet more evidence that supports my, er, lack of support for “progressive” politicians.

It’s fascinating, in the same way that an approaching train is to the person tied to the tracks.

UPDATE: Another object lesson in progressivism on a completely different topic.

UPDATE and BUMP: What am I babbling about? Well, this might help make sense of it.= Meanwhile, if you think this couldn’t happen here, note the original purpose of the CHRC:

In 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) was founded “to investigate and try to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal jurisdiction.”

Sound familiar? Well, OK, probably not unless you’re in the habit of looking here:

What is the Minnesota Department of Human Rights?
The department is a neutral state agency that investigates charges of illegal discrimination, ensures that businesses seeking state contracts are in compliance with equal opportunity requirements, and strives to eliminate discrimination by educating Minnesotans about their rights and responsibilities under the state Human Rights Act.

Maybe our legislators are better at writing laws that can’t mutate into a travesty like Steyn’s trial. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Category: Politics
Scope: World

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FYI

· 05/27/2008 07:43 AM by Steve Gigl

You’ll be watching this page too, right?

Thought so.

Category: Technology
Scope: World

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Science fiction predicts the future correctly, for once?

· 01/23/2008 03:55 PM by Steve Gigl

Very cool.

Category: Technology
Scope: World

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Tortured phraseology

· 02/02/2007 08:53 AM by Steve Gigl

In an AP story about the latest report telling us that global warming is due to human activity (emphasis mine):

The scientists said global warming was “very likely” caused by human activity, a phrase that translates to a more than 90 percent certainty that it is caused by man’s burning of fossil fuels. That was the strongest conclusion to date, making it nearly impossible to say natural forces are to blame.

Oh yeah? Watch me: natural forces are to blame. Not nearly as impossible as they’d like to suggest.

What a stupid and childish phrase to use. And believe me, I know stupid and childish.

Do I believe that it’s man-made? Yes and no. But it doesn’t matter one way or another; by most accounts, the damage is already done, and even if we return to the trees we are stuck with the consequences. As even this report says:

Instead, world leaders should to [sic] reduce emissions and adapt to a warmer world with wilder weather, he said.

UPDATE: Lost the last line of this post somehow. Here it is:

Do as little damage as possible and adapt to the changes; sounds familiar…

Category: Science
Scope: World

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Sheesh

· 12/09/2008 10:26 PM by Steve Gigl

I know this isn’t the final word, but I’ve been half-predicting this for years:

There is evidence, however, that avoiding nuts makes children ultimately more likely to be allergic to them. A study of 10,000 children in the UK, reported earlier this year in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that early exposure to peanuts reduces the risk of peanut allergies.

Grrr. Public health studies seem more and more useless every year. At this point, anecdotal evidence almost seems better.

Category: Food
Scope: World

Rantback

Progressivism = creeping totalitarianism

· 06/05/2008 01:50 PM by Steve Gigl

This trial is yet more evidence that supports my, er, lack of support for “progressive” politicians.

It’s fascinating, in the same way that an approaching train is to the person tied to the tracks.

UPDATE: Another object lesson in progressivism on a completely different topic.

UPDATE and BUMP: What am I babbling about? Well, this might help make sense of it.= Meanwhile, if you think this couldn’t happen here, note the original purpose of the CHRC:

In 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) was founded “to investigate and try to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal jurisdiction.”

Sound familiar? Well, OK, probably not unless you’re in the habit of looking here:

What is the Minnesota Department of Human Rights?
The department is a neutral state agency that investigates charges of illegal discrimination, ensures that businesses seeking state contracts are in compliance with equal opportunity requirements, and strives to eliminate discrimination by educating Minnesotans about their rights and responsibilities under the state Human Rights Act.

Maybe our legislators are better at writing laws that can’t mutate into a travesty like Steyn’s trial. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Category: Politics
Scope: World

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FYI

· 05/27/2008 07:43 AM by Steve Gigl

You’ll be watching this page too, right?

Thought so.

Category: Technology
Scope: World

Rantback

Science fiction predicts the future correctly, for once?

· 01/23/2008 03:55 PM by Steve Gigl

Very cool.

Category: Technology
Scope: World

Rantback

Tortured phraseology

· 02/02/2007 08:53 AM by Steve Gigl

In an AP story about the latest report telling us that global warming is due to human activity (emphasis mine):

The scientists said global warming was “very likely” caused by human activity, a phrase that translates to a more than 90 percent certainty that it is caused by man’s burning of fossil fuels. That was the strongest conclusion to date, making it nearly impossible to say natural forces are to blame.

Oh yeah? Watch me: natural forces are to blame. Not nearly as impossible as they’d like to suggest.

What a stupid and childish phrase to use. And believe me, I know stupid and childish.

Do I believe that it’s man-made? Yes and no. But it doesn’t matter one way or another; by most accounts, the damage is already done, and even if we return to the trees we are stuck with the consequences. As even this report says:

Instead, world leaders should to [sic] reduce emissions and adapt to a warmer world with wilder weather, he said.

UPDATE: Lost the last line of this post somehow. Here it is:

Do as little damage as possible and adapt to the changes; sounds familiar…

Category: Science
Scope: World

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Keep it up, scientists...

· 08/28/2006 08:07 AM by Steve Gigl

... and pretty soon we’ll all learn to hate you:

“Is sunshine good for you? For years, scientists have warned us that to lie in the sun all day without sunscreen is more or less fatal. But new research is telling us that we can come out from under our beach umbrellas and sombreros because 95 per cent of our intake of vitamin D comes from sunshine. And vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium, keeping bones healthy, and protecting against serious diseases such as osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. And the sun screen? Forget it, chuck it away. Even newer research suggests that, if rubbed in too thoroughly, it gives you cancer. Eat three portions of fish a week instead, which gives protection equivalent to factor six, says yet another lot of researchers.” (London Telegraph)

(via JunkScience.com)

Category: Health
Scope: World

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Big news day

· 08/01/2006 11:39 AM by Steve Gigl

If you’re at all curious about the goings-on (or, you know, hopefully just goings) in Cuba, Babalu is the place to go.

But of course you knew that, right?

Category: Politics
Scope: World

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World Cup pt. VIII -- International soccer's weaknesses on display

· 06/29/2006 07:19 PM by Steve Gigl

Well, wouldn’t you know it, Italy managed to highlight exactly what’s wrong with FIFA soccer by winning on a penalty kick that should have been a yellow card for diving.

But today it got worse, for me at least: the ref that fell for his pathetic flop wasn’t dropped off the list of referees that will be overseeing the next round of the tournament.

Hey, way to confirm America’s prejudices, Italy and FIFA!

[Hopefully, since the US already dropped out, many of the potential viewers for the 2010 Cup wouldn’t have seen the match and won’t get disillusioned because of it.]

Category: Sports
Scope: World

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World Cup pt. VII -- My kingdom for a goal

· 06/19/2006 11:43 AM by Steve Gigl

Going to Brainerd (sort of) for a wedding and staying at a hotel supplies one with a bit of time to watch soccer, but not enough to offer terribly in-depth analysis (like I could anyway!).

But one thing’s for sure: it can’t be good that, even with a 1-1 tie, the US still hasn’t scored a goal in this year’s World Cup. “But they tied 1-1!” you say? Yeah, and the one goal for their side was put in by an Italian player on his own goal.

Still, I’ve only made it through the first half of the USA-Italy match, but the US obviously looks a lot better than they did against the Czechs.

So it’s not hopeless, but beating Ghana doesn’t look as easy as it should at this point, after they handled the Czechs 2-0.

[Oh, and I almost forgot: neener neener Iran, you lost again!]

The World Cup 2006 “series”:

1. World Cup Preview pt. I: In which I tweak my few remaining non-family readers
2. World Cup Preview pt. II—No really, it’s a sport
3. World Cup Preview pt. III—USA! USA! [cough]
4. World Cup pt. IV—Comments so far
5. World Cup pt. V—Iron Maiden can teach us a lot about the World Cup
6. World Cup pt. VI—Passion play
7. World Cup pt. VII—My kingdom for a goal

Category: Sports
Scope: World

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World Cup pt. VI -- Passion play

· 06/15/2006 11:32 AM by Steve Gigl

I’ve written about this before, but no sport is a more blatant abuser of the word “passion” than soccer. And it irritates the heck out of me.

But it gets worse, and as such I’d like to bitch about a couple of other problems I have with soccer announcers:

1. For the love of God, enough about Brazil already. Yeah, we know they’re ridiculously good individually, and yet somehow are able to play as a team. But your toadying towards them knows no bounds, and makes John Madden’s embarrassing long-distance love affair with Brett Favre look like detached disinterest. I swear I could hear that ex-USA color commentator dude drooling over Ronaldinho. Conduct unbecoming of an ex-athelete; be a man and find faults to make fun of, weenie.
2. Creativity schmeativity, it’s a freaking sport. Nobody goes on about the creativity of a quarterback during a busted play, or the creativity of a running back going down the field. Even baseball commentators, some of the most egregious overhypers, don’t talk about “creative” pitch placement. It’s a sport: either it was a good pass/play/whatever or it wasn’t (or maybe it was even brilliant) but it wasn’t “creative” because I can damn well guarantee that someone’s done it before. [NOTE: The first bicycle kick? Creative. That scorpion kick thingy? Creative. Since then? Nothing much.] And the odds that anything you’ll see in the World Cup will actually be creative are very slim. So zip it already.

The World Cup 2006 “series”:

1. World Cup Preview pt. I: In which I tweak my few remaining non-family readers
2. World Cup Preview pt. II—No really, it’s a sport
3. World Cup Preview pt. III—USA! USA! [cough]
4. World Cup pt. IV—Comments so far
5. World Cup pt. V—Iron Maiden can teach us a lot about the World Cup
6. World Cup pt. VI—Passion play

Category: Sports
Scope: World

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