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WaPo – IOC failing in its responsibility to the Olympics, by Sally Jenkins As the Vancouver Games come to a close, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge will call them a success. But it’s the IOC — so incubated in blue blazers, five-star accommodations, and shellfish buffets — that requires real assessment. Exactly what should [...]

Categories: Sports and Leisure

As I understand it, the Book of Esther is one of only two books in the Hebrew Bible that does not mention God. It is the straightforward story of how Jews were threatened with genocide but were able to turn the tables and kill those who would kill them. via Powerline. Happy Purim! I read [...]

Categories: History

Curtsy: Vanderleun.

Categories: Entertainment

Der Spiegel – Christianity’s Modern-Day Martyrs The rise of Islamic extremism is putting increasing pressure on Christians in Muslim countries, who are the victims of murder, violence and discrimination. Christians are now considered the most persecuted religious group around the world. Paradoxically, their greatest hope could come from moderate political Islam. By SPIEGEL staff. One [...]

Categories: Geography and Foreign Affairs

A new reason to rescue yesterday’s t-shirts from the back of your closet. Once upon a time, it was your statement to the world — a show of school pride, a taste for graphic design, a photo of your favorite singer’s mug shot. These days, it probably sits unworn in storage. Here’s your chance to [...]

Categories: Business & Media

Boston.com’s Big Picture site is already on the case. A good point made by RC2: 8.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Chile sends tsunami 500mph barreling straight for Hawaii. The entire Pacific, including Oz and Japan, is under tsunami warning, although as I type they’ve already dialed the direst predictions about how big the wave will be [...]

Categories: Science and Nature

A few examples of the authorities trying to find ways to make themselves useful in this new paradise we find ourselves in: BBC – ‘Nose blow’ driver case dropped Michael Mancini said he had been given a fixed penalty notice after using a handkerchief while his van was stationary in traffic in Ayr. The 39-year-old [...]

Categories: People and Current Events

Telegraph – Canadian women’s ice hockey team apologise for beer and cigars on ice The all-conquering Canadian women’s ice hockey team has apologised after players celebrated winning Olympic gold by quaffing champagne and beer, and smoking cigars, on the ice. Victorious players emerged from the dressing room, still in their uniforms and with gold medals [...]

Categories: Sports and Leisure

National Post: The Winter Games in particular are a hotbed of weirdness. You say that not enough women play hockey internationally to make it legitimate? How about the sport of nordic combined, in which participants both cross-country ski and ski jump? Are there leagues devoted to the pursuit of such an odd combination of skills [...]

Categories: Sports and Leisure

This is amazing: How to print a book, with type setters, wax, copper plates, lots of blades and glue and people. Also, why don’t they seem to make videos like this anymore? I love any car ad that shows the robots on the factory floor. Why not make videos showing how cars are made, or [...]

Categories: Art and Literature

I like this: As for those editors who insist on replacing “Dickensian” with “in the style of Charles Dickens, English novelist, 1812-1870″, that’s a big part of why American newspapers are unreadable. It’s like going down a suburban avenue with speed-bumps every 20 yards. The whole trick of writing is to let the reader get [...]

Categories: Business & Media

The Dalai Lama tweets. Ahem, yer holiness.

Categories: People and Current Events

I’ve never thought of it this way: NY Daily News – Palin vs. Edwards, a case study in media bias When in 2004 John Kerry picked Edwards, whose entire resume in public life at that point consisted of six years in the U.S. Senate, to be his vice-presidential nominee, few questioned whether Edwards was qualified [...]

Categories: Politics

National Post – Last known Canadian First World War veteran dies, aged 109

Categories: War and Peace

A golden (get it?!) oldie from Mark Steyn, from New Criterion, September, 2007: The same networks which offer drearily parochial coverage of the Olympics to the point where you’d barely know there were any other countries competing except as exotic background extras in a Team USA victory parade insist after the commercial break that in [...]

Categories: Sports and Leisure