If you were a clothing designer, and you were making T-shirts for sale at WalMart, and somebody said "How about a shirt with a skull? Maybe something kind of crude and retro-looking?" You might google around for royalty-free skull images and come up with the one I have here, and a few months later the shirt you made with it would be sold in all of WalMart's stores. Pretty … [Read more...] about Cool Skull Shirt Not Really That Cool
Aspire to Improve Yourself, Just Don’t Actually Do It
...growth hormone to make children taller; pre-implantation genetic screening of embryos; stimulants to boost performance on exams and at work; anti-depressants to improve moods; and medicines such as Viagra and anabolic steroids that restore some of the powers of youth. Just over the horizon, he foresees drugs to erase painful or shameful memories or to simulate falling in … [Read more...] about Aspire to Improve Yourself, Just Don’t Actually Do It
A Modest Proposal for Iraq: Scorched Earth
[Note: This post is part of what was supposed to be a series of satirical posts that explore aspects of the United States' involvement in conflicts in the Middle East. If it seems neither funny nor informative, that's because these posts didn't work out. Please don't assume I actually believe any of what I'm saying.]This is the second installment of a series of modest … [Read more...] about A Modest Proposal for Iraq: Scorched Earth
Possible Charges in the Kathryn Johnston Case
When I first wrote about the botched drug raid in which Atlanta police killed a 92-year-old woman, I assumed that none of the officers were at fault. After all, the raid was legal because they had a warrant. Mrs. Johnston wasn't actually a drug dealer, but apparently she didn't realize the invaders were police, so she shot at them in self-defense. The police, in fear for … [Read more...] about Possible Charges in the Kathryn Johnston Case
Bootsy, R.I.P.
This is my friend Cindy's cat, Bootsy, who unexpectedly passed away earlier today. Bootsy was 6 years old. … [Read more...] about Bootsy, R.I.P.