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{ Category Archives } opinion

Star Trek

Just saw the film. In fairness, it’s been years since I’ve seen any other film in the franchise, and over a decade since I’ve seen any of the TV shows. Still, this isn’t the Trek I remember; it’s the saturday morning cartoon version. It’s brightly colored, fast paced, full of nonstop action. It was written [...]

It’s Time to Fire the TSA

I like this article, by Joel Johnson of Gizmodo:
I don’t want to die on an airplane. I don’t want to die in my home while eating an organic bagel infested with parasites that lay eggs on my liver. I don’t want to die from starvation or bad water or a thousand other things that I [...]

new TSA madness

Most of what I have to say is simple repetition of others. Still, this much at least is original: while the new restrictions remain in effect, I will not fly commercial air in the US.
I will not succumb to an atmosphere of paranoia in which I am required to keep my hands visible, my lap [...]

Airport Impressions

Civilian Commercial:
Seoul Incheon: not actually very remarkable. It’s a big modern airport very much like many other big modern airports. It’s not ideally designed: it requires walking maybe 1500 meters from one end to the other, for military arrivals at least. Still, its linear design means it is at least simple. Also, free internet and [...]

Secure Flight

My first contact with the program triggered all my phishing alerts: an unexpected email purporting to be from a trusted source asked for personal information. I’d have rejected it out of hand, but I do expect to fly as a passenger on commercial air soon and I’d rather not be turned back at the gate [...]

On Pirates

Let’s not even mention the modern notion of a copyright pirate for a moment. That’s a distraction, a reduction of the word. A pirate is a desperate person who attacks ships either to capture their inherent worth or to ransom them and their crews. It’s cropping up again, off Somalia. This most recent batch has [...]

when the bailout is tossed overboard

The House of Representatives voted down the proposed bailout today. This I approve! There was substantial opposition to the bill among just about everybody I know, and it’s good to see politicians obeying the will of the people every once in a while.
I can’t rule out the possibility that a bailout of some kind is [...]

The Importance of Diversity

My little brother recently wrote about an article which argues that western culture has gone too far in accepting and promoting diversity, and the acceptance of other cultures.
On the one hand, I am forced to agree with this guy on some points: not all worldviews have equal merit, and some are simply better than others. [...]

No good will come of staying in Iraq

One of the worst things about living in a representative democracy is that when you become fed up with your representatives, it can take ages to actually change them out.
The citizens of the US have wanted for years to get out of Iraq. The citizens of Iraq want to know when we’ll leave. The war [...]

“Your right to freely swing your fist ends just before my nose”

Prayer is not healthcare. If a parent chooses to deny their child medicine in favor of prayer, they should be convicted of negligent homicide. This isn’t a matter of freedom of religion: people should have leave to practice their religion as they see fit, except when such practice harms another person. This is a clear [...]