1915 Women's Rights in America

“1/12/1915, U.S. House refused women voting rights. One Congressman: ‘Their ankles are beautiful ... but they are not interested in the state.’ ”

-- Michael Beschloss

The Batmobile

The classic Batmobile from the Adam West days is in the news.

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The iconic Batmobile from the 1960s television show sold for $4.62 million at the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Saturday night sale thrilled famed car customizer George Barris, who first bought the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car for $1 from Ford. He then transformed it into the Batmobile in 15 days with a budget of $15,000, according to auction notes from Barrett-Jackson.

The car's buyer was Rick Champagne, a Phoenix-area logistics company executive. Asked by television interviewers what motivated him to pay such a princely sum, he pointed to the woman accompanying him and said: "Her."

He then explained that he'd had his eye on the Batmobile “ever since I was a kid. I had a toy model of it,” according to SPEED TV. Asked whether he'd keep the car in his garage, he said he'd put it in his living room.

Before the auction, Barris never said what price he would take for the midnight-black and fluorescent-red-pinstriped car that Adam West's Batman used to battle villains. The selling price, which includes a buyer's commission, was apparently more than enough and surprised many observers.

The heavily modified car, known around the world, was built at Barris Kustom Industries auto shop on Riverside Drive in North Hollywood. It has been on display there in a gallery since the television show ended in 1968.

-- ONTD

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I find that I no longer feel anything for the Batmans and Spidermans of the world. I actually find this kind of funny. This dulling effect has happened only over the last few years. My old fondness for these childhood fascinations is only a cold abstraction now. One could look at it as outgrowing childhood attachments, but I kind of regret this development. It feels more like a dying, albeit a slow dying.

Obama Takes the Oath

Obama is officially sworn in for his second term

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The ceremony, which lasted less than two minutes, satisfied the Constitutional requirement that the president’s swearing-in take place by noon on the Jan. 20 after an election.

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The chief justice administered the oath faithfully and Mr. Obama repeated it accurately, unlike the situation four years earlier, when Mr. Roberts inverted a few words during the public swearing-in, Mr. Obama echoed the errors, and the oath had to be repeated in private later. The chief justice, who had relied on his famously prodigious memory in 2009, this time took no chances: He read the oath from a printed text.

After they finished, President Obama shook the hand of Justice Roberts, turned to the crowd and said: “Thank you, everybody,” before leaving the room.

-- Brian Knowlton at The New York Times

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That sounds a bit cold and formalistic. The inauguration seems to be a bifurcated affair this time around, with the public ceremonies and the president's big speech being held tomorrow. I don't recall it being done like this before, but, then, I guess I really don't follow these things very closely.

Daniel Dennett

It's Daniel Dennett, perhaps my most influential author/philosopher. He is still up and about and making people think. He offers us a way of thinking about how a belief in God can be advantageous.

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Suppose that we face some horrific, terrible enemy, another Hitler or something really, really bad, and here’s two different armies that we could use to defend ourselves. I’ll call them the Gold Army and the Silver Army; same numbers, same training, same weaponry. They’re all armored and armed as well as we can do. The difference is that the Gold Army has been convinced that God is on their side and this is the cause of righteousness, and it’s as simple as that. The Silver Army is entirely composed of economists. They’re all making side insurance bets and calculating the odds of everything.

Which army do you want on the front lines? It’s very hard to say you want the economists, but think of what that means. What you’re saying is we’ll just have to hoodwink all these young people into some false beliefs for their own protection and for ours. It’s extremely hypocritical.

-- Daniel Dennett

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One suppose that this is also his way of pointing to the sad dysfunctions of the world, as this proposition also shows us the way that zealotry thrives, for such indoctrination can be used against anyone, not just the Hitlers and Stalins of the world. It is a world of delusions chasing delusions.

1984 (2,9) Goldstein's Book

A Party member is required to have not only the right opinions, but the right instincts. Many of the beliefs and attitudes demanded of him are never plainly stated, and could not be stated without laying bare the contradictions inherent in Ingsoc (in Newspeak, a goodthinker), he will in all circumstances know, without taking thought, what is the true belief or the desirable emotion.

-- “1984” by George Orwell

Daimon says, “Well, loyalty is always more important than any cold, abstract notion of ‘truth’ or the hobgoblin of consistency. When your wife asks you how she looks, you don’t tell her that she could stand to lose ten or fifteen pounds. You say she looks great.” Daimon shrugs, “No big mystery or evil conspiracy in this.”

Pi says, “But, in this case, we are talking about people being made loyal to a government that is clearly against their own personal interests.”

Daimon, “Well, that’s a debate, isn’t it, Missy? Who is to say what is or is not in one’s best interest?”

Pi says, “Might makes right, I guess.”

Daimon says, “Has it ever been any other way? I’m not saying that I love Big Brother or that I would want to move to Oceania. I am just speaking to this point. And, of course, there is a bit of Big Brother in every government.”

"What is that smell?"

Pi grimaces and sniffs the air, "What is that smell?"

Daimon say, "It smells like it might be an errant pile of cat shit."

Monk says, "I hope not." Monk walks around the room taking some deep sniffs of his own. "Oh, Pop was microwaving some popcorn. It's probably that cheap buttery stuff."

Monk then lets the cats inside for a bite to eat, and then hoists himself on top of the kitchen counter. "It doesn't help that Jack and Jill were here this evening. I don't know if Pop lets them smoke a cigarette or two, but it smells like it. Though, I've known Jill to just pass through real quick, obviously without smoking, and that smell of stale tobacco still sits heavily in the air after she has gone again. It is her one big shortcoming. She's a looker and bright and has some energy, but she has that heavy odor of the lower-class smoker.

Pi says, "But they look really good. I liked the matching black ensemble."

Monk says, "I know. They do look good. White and attractive and lean. They are in their forties as well, but they could pass for twenty-somethings still, hot twenty-somethings. It is imppressive."

Daimon says, "I don't suppose they think the same of you."

Pi says, "Don't be such an ass, Di!"

Monk turns away and looks down, "No, I'm sure they don't. I guess this is part of the high cost of losing at life this badly."

The cats are ready to go back outside, and Monk gets down from the counter and opens the door for them. The weather promises to be quite moderate. He says, "I think it's time to call it a day."

Pi says, "Okay. Good night, Monk! Good night, Di!"

Daimon smirks, "Good night, John boy!"

Monk laughs, and Pi flips the bird at Daimon.