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Kidnappers and pirates do it for money, in particular for a payment of ransom. Blackbeard wanted the stuff in the ships he seized, but today’s pirates cannot practically sell a cargo of almost anything, nor the ship itself, and the crews’ watches and cellphones don’t amount to anything in this business. (A piracy enterprise in [...]
Archive for April, 2009
April 11th, 2009
Category: Drug Policy
Yes, that study is real science. No, it’s nowhere near showing clinical potential, let alone clinical efficacy.
April 10th, 2009
Category: Literature
… is the young hero of a series of fantasy novels by Rick Riordan.
April 9th, 2009
Category: Literature
If you don’t guess it, you’ll be annoyed with yourself when you see the answer.
April 9th, 2009
Category: Defense and national security
On defense policy, it’s time for Brent Scowcroft to slap down the nutcases.
April 8th, 2009
Category: Uncategorized
If the Republicans want to keep depriving the Democrats of Al Franken’s vote, they should pay a price for it.
April 7th, 2009
Category: Corruption in Washington
PBS Frontline does a devastating account of the BAE/al-Yamamah bribery affair, featuring Reagan, Thatcher, Blair, both Bushes, Jimmy Carter, and Louis Freeh.
As part of the bribery, BAE sent $2 billion to accounts at the Riggs Bank in Washington controlled by Prince Bandar bin-Sultan, aka “Bandar Bush.” How much of that money went into the Riggs account controlled by Bandar’s wife, which made big payments to two of the “advance men” for 9-11?
April 7th, 2009
Category: Watching Conservatives
The Republican Party risks writing off Minnesota for several election cycles if it continues the scorched-earth policy.