What College Rankings Really Tell Us: newyorker.com

What College Rankings Really Tell Us: newyorker.com: an interesting comment on the US News and World Report rankings of colleges and universities.

Swan Dive Fail - Original

Super Bowl Congratulations.

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers fans on winning the Super Bowl. I pulled for the Steelers, but I think the Packers are a great team. Very classy. I am also happy Aaron Rodgers got the MVP. I thought he was going to be an excellent QB when he was drafted.

Now, I want my San Diego Chargers to get their act together and win a Super Bowl! Of course, I've been wishing this since the 1969 season.

Dogs detect cancer in humans by scent

According to Shorts, the NPR Health Blog, dogs can apparently detect cancer in humans through scent.

Are you eating real blueberries?

NPR has a good article entitled, "Fake Blueberries Often Masquerade as Real Fruit."

Christians Proud of the Confederacy?

I am very proud of my Southern ancestry, but not proud of slavery, segregation, racial prejudice that goes with it. Christianity.com has an excellent article entitled, "So Horrible It Taints All" by

John Mark Reynolds, that is worth reading. This is why flying the Confederate Battle Flag is wrong!

Tory Trotskyists and Liberal Leninists?

Colin Talbot has an interesting perspective on British Politics in his blog entry, "Not Maoists, but Tory Trots," posted on Jan 11, 2011. See: Whitehall Watch.

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year in 2011!

Tron: Legacy

I just saw the movie, Tron: Legacy, today with my family. It was a very enjoyable film to watch - very entertaining - I recommend it. Excellent special affects and acting. The story did remind me of Star Wars meets The Matrix, though.

Republicans do cry after all....

This CBS 60 Minutes story is about politicians crying, especially focusing on the the next Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20025417-10391709.html?tag=strip

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! John ch 1 vs 14.

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

US Military's Batman Suit

The US military has a "Batman" suit. Check the article out and see the video: http://ht.ly/2BHOb

Tea Party Rambos?

My prediction: most Tea Party candidates elected to the US Congress this year will moderate after a few years. Why? Because to get things done in Congress, one must work with House members/Senators who hold different ideological beliefs. "Rambos" don't last long in Congress (with apologies to Sylvester Stallone). If these new members do not work with other members of Congress, then they will not get much done, and will be vulnerable in the next election.

However, I don't think these people will moderate their respective ideologies. Most will stay faithful to the principles they ran on the first time they are elected. Operationally, however, they will moderate in order to get bills passed that help their districts, respectively.

Then, they will understand men like Sen. McCain and Sen. Lugar. They are excellent Senators, but are willing to work with Senators who do not share their ideology.

It is easy to refuse to compromise when one is safe and has little power.

- Dr Rob

Where a sitcom meets reality...

This is where a TV sitcom meets reality. The following article is from The Telegraph, a British newspaper. This attempt at austerity by the current British government was actually an episode in the BBC series, Yes, Minister, back in the 1980s ("The Economy Drive"):

Treasury civil servants 'to work at smaller desks' in latest austerity drive:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7922782/Treasury-civil-servants-to-work-at-smaller-desks-in-latest-austerity-drive.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Civil servants at the Treasury are to be forced to sit closer together while working at smaller desks in order to free up space to squeeze in extra Whitehall staff, it has been claimed.


Now the British government is doing it for real.