Links Roundup

Comedian Bill Hicks on Creationism. Funny stuff.

Charles Krauthammer, in an unusually good column for him, on Intelligent Design.

The top 20 geek novels. I've read numbers 1-4 and 17. I also own 9, 13, and 19 (kind of own number 8 if you count Prelude to Foundation). I'm kind of surprised by a few omissions here. No Tolkien. No Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels. No Kafka. No Bradbury. No Samuel Delany. I guess for some of those, it depends on your definition of geek.

The FDA decision regarding Plan B was politicall motivated. Gee, imagine that. I never would have guessed. I mean, it's not like the scientific advisers overwhelmingly approved it. OK, enough snark.

President Bush is getting a little desparate for speech material. I saw on another site where he used the same speech a third time. Maybe if he just repeats it 500 more times some idiot will buy the lies again...

A long article on avian influenza. It still doesn't look good. Pharmaceutical companies don't seem to be making enough vaccine. "We really don't see the pandemic itself as a market opportunity." In other words, it comes down to money. Preparing for a pandemic isn't profitable.

Bottled water is causing tooth decay. Well, not directly. It's just that people are drinking less tap water and, thus, getting less flouride. Gotta love unintended consequences.

Texas was apparently a little overzealous, and executed a man now possibly believed to be innocent. The lone eyewitness and co-defendant both are recanting, claiming they were pressured by police. Well, if that's the case, the police can just release the falsely accused. Oh wait, they can't...

So, that's enough for now...