You probably know of CSICOP, they take great glee in dealing with stuff like this. They publish a magazine, the Skeptical Inquirer, one of my favorites. The LA Skeptics also publish a magazine, called The Skeptic. Here's their homepage http://www.skeptic.com/index.html They feign consternation over all of this silly stuff, but actually they can't get enough of it. And there's no shortage, the crackpots are always a few steps ahead. That's one reason why I don't get upset over prayer in schools and such. If religion didn't have people doing those relatively harmless things, they'd be trampling the everglades looking for the skunk ape. Or taking Scientology classes.
Oh, God, the Velikovsky nuts are freaking GRATING.... A guy I heard on Coast to Coast AM was a "student" of Velikovsky. He also postulated that comets GAIN mass, and about 20 other weird claims that get smacked down. If you want to see some quality debunking, go to www.badastronomy.com He gets the Planet X'ers, the Cydonia wingnuts, and all the other pseudo-scientists and makes them look incredibly bad.
Does anyone else have the sneaking suspicion that Rick is planning to set up his own facist nation in Africa someday?
What do you mean planning.........Im half way there in cahoots with Robert Mugabe now........ My awful secret is out!!!!!
It was the only way he let me keep my house in Harare, had to sell my soul to the devil.....but I get to live in my utopia so all is well............
Now that is a great piece of history. It's a great place to visit, I went in 1999, bit of a trek from Jo'burg but well worth it. Summery of what happened at Rorkes Drift Or alternativly see the super film called Zulu with Michael Caine in it.
Funny that you mention it, anybody read Ian Smith's biography The Great Betrayal? I can't seem to find a copy anywhere and it's a shame since it's a good read. Looking at a couple of more books to read. Margaret Macmillan's Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World Anne Applebaum's Gulag: A History
Fantastic book. It gives a real account of how the Rhodiesians were betrayed by the West in those years. From such a promising country with the best economy in Africa to what there is now. Both white and black Zimbabwe long for the return of Ian Smith. Although controversial the structure he gave to Zim is still there today and will remain once Mugable goes. You can buy it here
The Great Wave: Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History by David Hackett Fischer. I am not particularly well positioned to judge the economic historical research that is the foundation of this book, but I found it inventive, persuasively argued and entertaining. It's essentially a survey of European and world history from the 12th century looking at patterns of prices and correlating them trends in political and social organization.
Two books about East Germany STASI: The Untold Story Of The East German Secret Police by John O. Koehler. STASILAND: True Stories From Behind The Berlin Wall and The Balkans Since 1945 By RJ Crampton.
Fantastic book, if a slightly tedious read. Which reminds me I need to pick up the later one by Diamond as well.
Speaking of old world v. new world history, anyone ever read The Conquest of New Spain? By DelCastillo...a conquistador. Amazing account of Cortez' campaign against the Mexhica (Aztecs). Much of it is actually hard to believe! Remarkable!
Why? I liked it, but of course I listened to the abridged version on CD, rather than reading the 900 page monstrocity in print. I was disappointed that it did not include any of the more complex societies in its analyses, but it was very interesting to learn about the Greenlanders, Easter Islanders, and others.
I just finished Pirate Coast, a very readable book about the war between the USA & Tripoli just after 1800. It ends up being a biography of William Eaton. I'm about 1/2 way through 1491, and will probably pick up Guns, Germs and Steel soon enough. Right after I get through Simon Winchester's book on the San Francisco Earthquake. I love Winchester and would recommend any of his other books. (Including Karl's fave, The Professor and the Madman). My all-time favorite history book is Up and Down California in 1860-1864, The Diary of William Brewer (#2 guy on the Whitney canvass).
I recently read "The First Crusade" by Thomas Asbridge. Very interesting read on a subject that's not exactly my strength as far as history is concerned.
Did you read "A Distant Mirror" Yoss? By Tuchman? Not the first crusade but the second and third, I believe?
I'm not a Tuchman fan based on this book. It goes way overboard to push her thesis that the A-bomb was psychologically the same as the Black Death. Then she decided to write her book as a biography - but drops obvious hints that the main character dies young of the plague throughout the book. [Note this isn't a spoiler since the hints start at ~page 20 and anyone with half a brain will figure it out.] I know she was really popular and sold a lot of books, but it's just not my cup of tea or a history book on my "recommended" list