Archive for October, 2002
Birth rate reflects women’s plight
“According to a comparative study on declining birth rates in four countries (the US, Sweden, Germany, and Japan), Sweden was the only country with a high female labor participation rate as well as a high birth rate. Many Japanese and American women choose to quit their jobs. The female labor participation rate in Germany is […]
There’s Sheer Wizardry In Us Muggles
Chris Mooney seems to miss the overt similarities to British Colinial policy, but he does a good job of highlighting the contradictions in how Muggles are treated in Harry Potter.
“Muggles aren’t evil, but the ideal wizarding approach to them seems to be a kind of enlightened paternalism, most genially embodied in the character of Arthur […]
Sense and nonsense about self-defense when proof is needed
George P. Fletcher is Cardozo professor of jurisprudence at Columbia Law School
“Perpetrators of violent acts rarely concede that they are aggression pure and simple, rather than actions in defense of life, liberty, or some other important value. Is there a sensible boundary between sense and nonsense in claiming self-defense? Lawyers must seek this distinction, for […]
Meet the new Zionists
“The members of the Christian Coalition of America are some of the most passionate defenders of Israel in the United States. There’s just one catch: they want to convert all Jews to Christianity. Matthew Engel reports on an unholy alliance”
Guardian
One Charger to Juice Many Gizmos
“The startup, Splashpower, has developed a prototype electromagnetic chip that can be embedded in any device that requires charging such as a PDA or cell phone. The second component of the product, which Splashpower is in the process of shopping around to manufacturers, is a pad that can be laid anywhere.
The pad needs a power […]
US weapons secrets exposed
“In a paper to be published soon in the scientific journal Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the two academics focus on recent US actions that have served to undermine the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. In a move that stunned the international community last July, the US blocked an attempt to give the convention some teeth […]
NPR, New York Times Count Out Anti-War Activists
“National Public Radio and the New York Times arrived at the same conclusion about the anti-war rally in Washington, DC this weekend: The turnout was disappointing. But neither report matched reality.
The Times account on October 27 was vague, reporting that "thousands of protesters marched through Washington’s streets," adding that "fewer people attended than organizers had […]
Winona Jury Shocker
“How dumb were prosecutors to let Peter Guber, former head of Sony Pictures, on to the Winona Ryder shoplifting jury? They must not have read Nancy Griffin and Kim Masters’ Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood.”
Slate - Mickey Kaus
Aboriginals unite against lack of progress on self-rule
“Thousands of Aboriginal citizens from around the island demonstrated in front of the Presidential Office yesterday to push for a return of their "traditional territory."”
The Taipei Times
Women Suffer Most in Afghan Health Crisis, Experts Say
“Previous studies, including by United Nations agencies, have shown Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate to be among the highest in the world.
Preliminary data from the maternal health study show that from 1998 to 2002, about half of the women of childbearing age who died succumbed to complications associated with their pregnancies or childbirth.
In Badakhshan, the most […]
An anthropologist and documentary filmmaker, 
