2008 Woodie Awards
This may come as a surprise, but scientists lie. Maybe not all of them, and maybe not all of the time, but scientists do lie, just like lawyers and politicians. The curious thing about scientific mendacity is that scientists will occasionally admit their dishonesty, and then rationalize it by trying to show how their lies actually contributed to the greater good.
Oh China, my China I bet you think you're pretty clever, Western Civilization. I bet you think you're the tops, the end result of thousands of years of forward-moving innovation in science and technology and that you've come to where you are through plague, through war and through natural disaster, retaining your dignity to the end.
These days, everyone seems to be caught up in a big fuss about China. As a warm-blooded American, there is no way to avoid all that Liberal chatter of "People's Republic" this and "New Superpower" that. Well now's the time to set the record straight. Yes, it's true that China's getting stronger, and yes, it's true that it's good at Ping Pong, but this doesn't mean that there's nothing this great nation can do about it.
In the classic Jane Austen novel "Pride and Prejudice," Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy overcome their initial misgivings for one another. Her prejudice against him evaporates as the novel progresses, as does his sense of superiority over her. Such a scenario appears unrealistic today, if indeed it ever was possible.
When you watch television, do you pay attention to the commercials? Superbowl commercials are sometimes discussed even more than the actual game, and the Geico cavemen commercials actually have a fan base. I'm wondering if anyone is paying attention to the Dove Company's "Campaign for Real Beauty" commercials.
The segue from "Jeopardy" to "Dr. Phil" on UPN is always an interesting one. You go from watching awkward conversations courtesy of Alex Trebeck during the interview segment, to conversations where the guests try to act serious while trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of Dr.
Don't be fooled; evil exists in this world. I'm a person who optimistically believes in the general good inherent within all human beings, but that doesn't mean evil is not present. Big corporations continually exploit their workers and consumers in order to increase profit margins, people regularly commit acts of violence or hate against each other and to top it all off, the New York Yankees are an annual staple of October.
Of all the horrendously misguided trends to emerge in recent times, I didn't see this one coming. Reality TV, sure - people will watch basically anything. And Atkins? I mean, have you seen how fat Americans are? But, I'm sorry to say, the homophobic/racist tirades by pseudo-celebrities followed by heartfelt outreach to the leaders of the offended communities, completely blindsided me.
James Mathews' op-ed yesterday, titled "Demonstrating dignity," shows a lack of understanding on how social movements cause change. It has always been disruption and direct action which push progress forward. The labor movement had strikes, the gay rights movement had the Stonewall Riots and the civil rights movement had sit-ins.