Monthly Archives: June 2011

The truth and Johann Hari

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Don Arthur

"Truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with saying" philosopher Richard Rorty once said. Earlier this week journalist Johann Hari discovered he’d made a mistake about what was true and what wasn’t. Guy Beres at Larvatus Prodeo writes: … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 3 Comments

Legislating for two jokers and a cocker spaniel

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Ken Parish

Tonight’s 7:30 Report featured a story on gay marriage (yes, I know the “report” bit has been deleted, presumably to signal the new post-Red Kezza regime). Strangely though, it didn’t even mention in passing the fact that there is significant … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Politics - national | 21 Comments

Troppo helps raise over $30,000 for Africa!

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Nicholas Gruen

I’m thrilled to say that we raised over $30,000 for Africa. Troppo itself initially raised a little over $2,000 to which would have been matched the contribution I’d promised, but in the last day I also said to the fund … Continue reading →

Posted in Bargains, Blegs, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Inequality => Despair => Social and economic misery

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Nicholas Gruen

I love finding links between equity and efficiency – there are lots around. Here’s another . . . . (it seems). Early Non-marital Childbearing and the “Culture of Despair” by Melissa Schettini Kearney, Phillip B. Levine This paper borrows from … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Education, Philosophy, Political theory | 2 Comments

Time to buy a new smartphone

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Nicholas Gruen

My first smartphone was an Apple iPhone.  I’m rather proud of being a technology laggard – it’s nice to have others at the bleeding edge.  Anyway, just before doing the Govt 2.0 Taskforce I thought I’d better get a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Bargains, Blegs | 17 Comments

Missing Link Friday – Metablogging

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Don Arthur

"I arrived with fellow baboon researcher Monica yesterday night, after a fairly smooth trip starting in St. Louis and passing through Atlanta and Johannesburg." That’s primate biologist Kenneth Chiou writing about his trip to Pioneer Camp outside Lusaka. Chiou has … Continue reading →

Posted in Missing Link | 1 Comment

Antinomies

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Nicholas Gruen

Antinomies are discomforting things. If you haven’t run into them before, they were a topic of debate and discussion introduced into modern philosophy by Kant (Unless he had some forebear of which I’m unaware), though you might say that they … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Philosophy | 6 Comments