A three-hundred foot section of a ramp leading to a 9.6-mile bridge over the Songhua River collapsed today, nine months after the bridge opened, the New York Times reports. It’s the sixth major bridge to collapse this year. Last year, a crash involving a brand-new high speed rail line cost the lives of 40 people….
Author: Alan Vanneman
Imagine if his position hadn’t been his position
Over at the New York Times’ “Room for Debate” page, Ramesh Ponnuru tries to explain how Todd Akin ran off the rails: Akin’s position on abortion inspired some of the controversy, of course. So did his clear implication that some rapes are not real rapes. He managed, however, to add more toxic ingredients to the…
What’s Chinese for “Solyndra”?
Chinese solar panel manufacturers, who helped put the Obama-embarrassin’ Solyndra Corp. out of business, are now struggling as well, according to the Associated Press: “Chinese solar panel makers that grew fast over the past decade are suffering big losses due to slumping global sales and a price war that threaten an industry seen by communist…
Richard Posner, so not one for strumming the guitar
How Much Is Enough? ask Brits Robert and Edward Skidelsky, father and son, the dad being well known as the author of a famous, three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes and the son a not as well known philosopher. How Much Is Enough? springs off an essay Keynes wrote back in the day, imagining life…
Casuistry, left and right
Todd Akin—“If you’re pregnant, then you weren’t raped.” Obama—“If you’re dead, then you were a militant.”
Jessica Williams—“Nutty”
https://youtu.be/pFFDkqFeBV4 In an earlier review of several dozen albums devoted to Thelonious Monk’s music, I wasn’t too crazy about Jessica Williams’ In the Key of Monk. But her new one, Deep Monk, sounds pretty good. Catch up with Jessica at her website here.
Niall Ferguson, Thelonious Monk-loving slimeball
Last week, I praised Niall Ferguson for having the chops to quote Thelonious Monk in his recent book, Civilization. Well, don’t buy the book. Niall is an arsehole, as Matthew O’Brien explains here. Hey, the Nazis listened to Mozart. Listen to Thelonious, not Ferguson.
Republicans, so not walking on water
Well, what would you do if you were walking by the Sea of Galilee? Cut loose! Foot loose! And trousers loose too, if you were Kansas Republican Kevin Yoder, who jumped nude into the sea, along with about 20 more inhibited Republicans, according the latest mega-scoop from Politico. For some reason, the FBI took it…
Pseudo-New Yorker
Legal humor here. “Jennifer, I thought you were the one who wanted to give up hydro-carbons.” “Well, if you don’t, you’re going to hurt their feelings.” “The Romans were not just a bunch of money-grubbing imperialists. Anyway, the Pines will give us a 30% discount if we show up in this thing.” “You can fertilize…
Quote of the Day? Walkback of the Week!
Via Brad Delong, Daniel Kuhn, at his site Facts and Other Stubborn Things, brings us the “quote of the day” from libertarian economist Mario Rizzo, after learning that his signing of a document headed “Economists for Romney” proved to be a source of amusement in some quarters: I interpreted signing as restricted to economic policy…