How to argue with Zompist
As well as why to do it.
Zompist.com: Mark Rosenfelder's Metaverse
Recent changes to Zompist.com.
Latest posts
Xurnese grammar
The Xurnese grammar is finally up.
New location for the rant page
The rants page, after years of denying that it's a blog, now *is* a blog. I've moved it to Wordpress, since the hassle of posting, though small, is just large enough to prevent me from posting most of the time.
Dark matter and dark materials
Review of His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.
Nobel's other mistake
Did Al Gore deserve to win?
The Right's noseplant
Angst among Christians and CEOs.
Ron Paul, Maps, Iraq, and Tolkien
No less than four questions. And answers!
Good and bad Orientals: 1943
Subtle propaganda. Also, baseball team loyalty map.
Our purple country
Great map showing US politics by population density.
Moore bitter blues
I'm dragged to a Michael Moore film.
Bible politics
Local Englishes and whether they'll still be there in 1500 years. And is it time to reevaluate Arafat?
Bible politics
The meaning of life, and ordering Gemma and Emma.
More on authoritarians
Authoritarians and social dominators from the source.
Conservativism conquered from within
John Dean answers two questions: Where did all these conservatives come from? And what the hell is wrong with them?
Bond overdose
What Bond has in common with the Beatles.
The Hot Gates
Thoughts on one of history's most famous lost battles.
Bible politics
Why did Christians move from social justice to minding the mote in their neighbors' eyes?
Bob's Comics Reviews: Digger, Slow Wave, the PBF
Web comics explore wombats, dreams, and sick humor.
Touting my brother
Showing off my brother Terry's paintings.
What kind of ape are we?
Frans de Waal challenges the popular depiction of nature as savage and brutal.
Underrated things
We've had overrated things; now the underrated things.
More mistakes in Iraq
More tales of outrageous failure.
The children's railway... FROM HELL
My boss scars his children with an inexplicable toy railway.
Overrated things
Questions on overrated aspects of the 20th century; on Dave Sim; and on electoral scurrilousness.
How not to win in Iraq
Why Bush's plans won't work. Executive summary: continuing to follow the same failed plan will result in more failure.
How to win in Iraq
Everyone should embarrass themselves with a plan for Iraq. Here's mine.
Fuschia's day off
The first Fuschia Chang comic in five years.
The Gipper and the GIMP
Questions on afterthoughts, on Linux, and on Ronald Reagan.
Back from the brink
So it turns out that the American people don't have limitless patience with failed war, Congressional corruption, fiscal irresponsibility, shameful emergency management, unchecked presidential arrogance, reflex negativity, and small-minded denial.
Bob's Comics Reviews: Making Comics, 99 Ways to Tell a Story
Scott McCloud and Matt Madden show you, between them, well over a hundred ways to make comics.
Ask Zompist
Does the Koran encourage intolerance?
Ask Zompist
Why schools are the worst way to teach kids.
Ask Zompist
A cheap way to generate more site content by having you, the readers, submit questions! Three new answers are up.
The Book of a Million Years
A review of Poul Anderson's sf novel, which wasn't quite named that but might as well be.
Ask Zompist
A cheap way to generate more site content by having you, the readers, submit questions! First answers are up. Questions, too!
Do you get discounts on meat?
These are illustrated snippets of chat from #spinnwebe. They may not be for you if you have a weak stomach or a strong conscience. This one features tieboy, Samwise, Kyol, Bob, and me.
How consies think
Why does Bush want to shred the Constitution? Tony Auth pretty much nailed it back in 1983.
Gaming rationality
An economist offers you and a stranger $10. The stranger proposes a division of the money; you can accept that, or reject it-- in which case no one gets anything. What's the rational strategy?
The Almeopedia
Or, Virtual Verduria for short attention spans.
The World Ceres
Who cares about Pluto? I wanted planetary status for Ceres!
Bob's Comics Reviews: Posy Simmonds, Alison Bechdel
Graphic novels that really seem like novels: one a satirical modern retelling of "Madame Bovary", the other an autobiographical work from the creator of "Dykes to Watch Out For". Also, all the Bobs were converted to the new format and prev/next buttons were added so you can read them in sequence.
Don't fall for it
The foiled terror attack will probably give a temporary boost to Bush. In fact, the attempted attacks are more evidence that Bush and DeLay's approach is wrong, and makes us less safe...
Busted analogies
Sometimes an analogy is so awful that it actually attains reverse sentience, sucking out intelligence and working against progress.
He rode a blazing saddle
How well does Blazing Saddles hold up, thirty years later?
Oblivion Journal
More thoughts on Oblivion: neat stuff; world-building critique.
Oblivion Journal
Or, why there haven't been any updates lately. I should really return that amulet to Weynon Priory sometime.
The rogues
A forgotten god is not powerless. A new story in Virtual Verduria.
Never mind, the mockingbird's already dead
Critics swing their puny little daggers at To Kill a Mockingbird but fail to dispel the magicka.
How to win, and whether we want to
Democrats are savoring an unusual taste these days: the taste of possible incipient victory. It's sweet and a little effervescent, with a nutty undercurrent of potential failure...
Why Iraq got borked
What happened in Iraq? It's hard to imagine a better answer than George Packer's The Assassins' Gate...