In which I blog about curious things that strike me, in the hope of piquing your curiousity. Also, perhaps, of getting some feedback on things that I can't figure out.
Common ground
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In these divisive times, it is import to cherish moments when we agree with those on the other side of the aisle. This is such a time.
I admire Mark Steyn. Even if you disagree with everything he says -- and I'm sure a lot of people do -- he is a remarkable person. A few years ago, Michael Mann, climate scientist and creator of Al Gore's famous "hockey stick" graph showing drastic warming in the last century, sued him for libel. Steyn had called the hockey stick "fraudulent," among other things. This is not the first time Mann has sued, although I'll be honest I'm having trouble finding other examples because these things don't get covered much in the mainstream media. Steyn's co-defendants, National Review and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, are trying to get the case over with as soon as possible, which is a predictable reaction. Steyn, on the other hand, views the suit as an aggressive attempt to shut down the debate, so he has no intention of settling. In fact, he counter-sued Mann under anti-SLAPP legislation, which as I understand it seeks to defend peopl...
Today is Peace of Westphalia day -- the 365th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Westphalia -- in honour of which I traditionally make a Mazarin cake . Cardinal Mazarin was the French premier throughout the negotiations leading up to the peace. Admittedly, I have no evidence that the cake was named after him, but how many other people named Mazarin have you ever heard of? In fact, Mazarin is the namesake of a surprising number of modern items. There is the Mazarin cut diamond, which is a precursor to the modern brilliant cut; and the Mazarin desk, or " bureau Mazarin ," an early kneehole desk. He was a renowned collector: a famous Japanese chest is known as the Mazarin chest because it is believed he owned it, and there is also a " Mazarin Venus ." He was especially avid about collecting books; the Gutenberg Bible is sometimes known as the Mazarin Bible because it was in his collection. In fact, his personal library bec...
Here's what I don't get about people defining their own pronouns (and I use "their" advisedly): If I am talking to you, your pronoun is "you." No one disputes that. If I am talking about you to another person, the pronoun I use to reference you is none of your business. I am in a conversation with someone else; you are not a party to it, and you are not entitled to impose rules on it. Ideally, you will never know what we say -- but if you do find out, it doesn't matter because the pronouns I used were for my convenience, not for your feelings. Heck, I may not even have met you, may not have any idea what you identify as or even what sex you really are (as sometimes happens when people have names like "Leslie" or "Ashley" that get used for both sexes, or foreign names that I am unfamiliar with). So mind your business and there will be nothing to get offended about.
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