Posted on March 22nd, 2008 by Daniel McCarthy
I had no idea that the great economic journalist Henry Hazlitt was indeed related to the great essayist William Hazlitt. Turns out, according to this archival Time article about H. Hazlitt succeeding H.L. Mencken as editor of the American Mercury, William was Henry’s great-great-great uncle. I’m grateful to Scott Lahti for bringing this to my [...]
Filed under: Culture, Fun facts, economics
Posted on July 31st, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
Taki Theodoracopulos isn’t generally considered a great fan of the government of Israel. But did you know that he once volunteered to fight for Israel in the Six-Days’ War? Not long thereafter, though, the great Yehudi Menuhin told Taki to take another look at the plight of the Palestinians. What he saw prompted him to [...]
Filed under: Fun facts
Posted on July 14th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
A decade ago, conservatives rightly ridiculed inner-city “midnight basketball” programs meant to reduce crime. Well, times change. Now a patriotic blogger is suggesting that the best thing we could possibly do for Iraq is: subsidize the national soccer team to the tune of, say, “a hundred million dollars.” Sound like a joke? Check out David [...]
Filed under: Fun facts, Politics
Posted on July 2nd, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
Every time a space shuttle launch is impending, I like to regale friends with the story of NASA’s hunt for the high-tech computer components — nowadays found only on eBay — that make sure the shuttle doesn’t turn into a flying funeral pyre for the astronauts on board. The name of the sophisticated processor unit [...]
Filed under: Fun facts
Posted on May 25th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
"Milicrats" — short for military bureaucrats — is a term William S. Lind uses in his piece in the new issue of The American Conservative, which prints tomorrow. It's apt, and being a resident of Arlington, Virginia, I live close to the precincts of milicrat central.
We have art here. Here's what kind of art [...]
Filed under: Fun facts, Immigration, Social criticism
Posted on April 19th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
News that the FBI is after Jack Anderson's papers reminds me that Bill Bennett's fondness for jailing reporters has some even nuttier antecedents. Like the plot to kill Jack Anderson. G. Gordon Liddy tells Playboy about it (via lefty blog Elementropy):
PLAYBOY: Why in God's name did you want to murder Jack Anderson in the [...]
Filed under: Fun facts, media, spies
Posted on April 18th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
Normally I just tear up the endless Chase / Citibank / etc. credit card applications that fill my mailbox every day. But as this fellow found out, a thoroughly torn-up dismembered application is no obstacle to getting a new card — even one with a different billing address and cell-phone number.
Filed under: Fun facts
Posted on March 29th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
MIM Notes, the Maoist newspaper, has a web page dedicated to video-game reviews. Would Chairman Mao approve of Doom 3?
Filed under: Fun facts, Ideology, Pop culture, Uncategorized
Posted on March 8th, 2006 by Daniel McCarthy
The Independent publishes some statistics about women’s place in the world that are sure — and, no doubt, designed — to get feminists riled up. Some of the numbers, though, might not reflect what the Independent had in mind. This one, for example:
67% of all illiterate adults are women
If that’s the case, no [...]
Filed under: Fun facts