Monthly Archives: December 2013
Buckaroo Banzai – End Credits
Dr. Samuel Johnson quote
Quote
“Don’t cant in defence of savages.”
— Dr. Samuel Johnson
Tolerance lessons from the far-left
Link
One anti-vivisection activist responded on Facebook.”You could die tomorrow. I wouldn’t sacrifice my goldfish for you.” Another commented: “If you had died as a child, no-one would have given a damn.”
Classy.
Old, weather-beaten Star Wars sets in the desert
Link
Old, weather-beaten Star Wars movie sets from the 1970s remain in the Tunisian desert

Old Star Wars set, from Yahoo News
Buckaroo Banzai – The Bar scene
The bar scene from The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension (1984).
Great lighting.
Ahmadiyya Islam and the American jazz scene of the 1950s
Link
I was not aware that Ahmadiyya Islam was once (sort of) the unofficial religion of American bebop:
Ahmadiyya Islam and the American jazz scene of the 1950s
I remember there were terrorist attacks on the Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan about 7 or 8 years ago…and the English newspaper, the Taiwan News, trivialized it by dismissing Ahmadiyya Islam as “just a cult.”
Shameful. They really did bend over backwards to make excuses for Muslim terrorists back then.
Character-based fiction boosts brain power
Link
Turkish economy in for rough landing
Link
The Right Stuff – Ending
https://youtu.be/8Bu2wm0Z7yM
Broken link.
Rumors of the death of British capitalism have been greatly exaggerated
Link
Rumors of the death of British capitalism have been greatly exaggerated:
UK to Become Largest European Economy?
Hmm. Twenty or thirty years is a pretty long time frame to be making straight-line predictions over.
But in the medium-term (2018), the Brits seem well-poised to overtake the French.
Who lost Iraq?
Link
Charles Krauthammer asks, “Who lost Iraq?”
American decline?
Link
Daniel Drezner, on American decline:
“Indeed, given the depths of its domestic political dysfunction, one can only imagine what America’s rivals must think. In 2013 alone, the federal government couldn’t evade a stupid, counterproductive budget sequester, a government shutdown, and brinksmanship with the debt ceiling. There was no agreement on immigration reform, much less on policies such as climate change, education, or infrastructure. Despite mounting gridlock and policy own goals, however, the United States ends 2013 with a rapidly declining federal budget deficit, a surging energy sector, and accelerating growth in the economy and employment. President Obama was justified in noting that 2014 could be a breakthrough year for the United States. The most brilliant strategists living in Moscow, Beijing, or Tehran can’t displace the structural strengths of the United States.”
What would Jesus do?
Link

From Ace of Spades
Iowahawk, regarding Phil Robertson
Quote
Iowahawk, regarding GLAAD’s attempt to blacklist Phil Robertson:
Nobody has a right to have a show on A&E. Just like nobody had a right to be a Hollywood screenwriter in 1948.
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) December 20, 2013
Touché!