I have to say that the response here to the first couple of days at Cosmic Variance has been wonderful. We especially appreciate everyone who mentioned our new existence on their own blogs. My, it sure is easier to get a running start these days than it was back in the Wild West pioneering era of the blogosphere (last year). As time goes on and we get into a groove, hopefully a fuller picture of who we are and what we have to say will begin to emerge.
Which leads me to return the favor: please welcome another new group blog, The UnCapitalist Journal, dedicated to economic and political issues from a fettered-free-market perspective. (I’m presuming that “fettered” is the opposite of “unfettered.” We need some better names here.) One of the contributors is Lindsay Beyerstein of Majikthise, who seems to be aiming to contribute to every blog in existence. You go, Lindsay.
Shakespeare’s Sister, kind enough to give us a shout-out (well, she’s from Chicago, we stick together), also points to Our Word, a community site for women’s voices. Hopefully some men will read it, too. Perhaps they will learn, for example, that abandoning popular liberal stances, like support for abortion rights, is not the way to win more elections.
So far there’s a lot of politics but not much science. I am looking forward to reading about physics and the physicist’s life. Sean and Mark have been eloquent about these things on their own weblogs and I hope this will continue here.
This from Pyracantha at ELECTRON BLUE weblog, I’m an artist who is studying physics.
Thanks for the shout-back! 😉
I like your blog design. Nice work. The posts already look interesting.
Hi Pyracantha, I hope JoAnne won’t thump me for this, but by way of motivating you and others to return, I should mention that she’s already thought about doing a regular feature that would be a sort of “day in the life of a physicist” from time to time. She works at a wonderfully active lab (SLAC), with all sorts of activity and people which would make for fascinating backdrop to the already interesting work that she does. Let’s hope that she does it. I’m also about to post a bit more on some physics activity here at Durham, following on from my earlier post.
-cvj
Sean: I did not expect to see many Hayek books on the recommendation list of the UnCapitalist Journal, but it is rather disturbing to find a book by Norman Finkelstein being promoted by one of their bloggers. If you are not already aware, Mr. Finkelstein is a Holocaust denier and self-hating anti-semite whose work is often featured on neo-Nazi websites. I just wanted to point that out, because I doubt you would share his ugly views.
Zero
Just a response to Zero’s comment:
After looking at the Bloggers’ profiles at the site, zero seems to be referring to a book entitled “The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering” by Norman G. Finkelstein. So I looked the book up at Amazon (I hadn’t heard of it).
A few of the blurbs in Editorial Reviews:
The Economist:
“His basic argument that memories of the Holocaust are being debased is serious and should be given it’s due.”
New Statesman:
“A lucid, provocative, and passionate book.”
Guardian:
“The most controversial book of the year.”
I also read many of the 116 reader’s reviews at Amazon. No sign of neo-nazis. Several of the reviews point out (I assume truthfully) that the author’s parents were Holocaust survivors.
Zero says “Mr. Finkelstein is a holocaust denier and self-hating anti-semite….”
It seems to be a bit of a stretch.