Latest Posts

August 17, 2005

If at first you don’t succeed…

…You might be a Member of Congress: Members of Congress want to establish a new government-backed venture capital program… OK, but what’s the catch? …to replace one that’s being phased out because of sizable losses. Continue Reading...
August 17, 2005

‘Making Development Work’

A wide ranging piece in Policy Review by Robert W. Han and Paul C. Tetlock examines current aid practices, suggests the implementation of “information markets,” and looks at how such markets might impact current policy analyses like the Copenhagen Consensus and the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Continue Reading...
August 16, 2005

Church and governance in Nigeria

A promising brief recognizing the critical role of civil society in Nigeria, and especially that the Christian church, from Ecumenical News International: Nigerian president urges African churches: Play part in governance Abuja (ENI). Continue Reading...
August 16, 2005

Fa(s)t food

There’s yet more evidence that supports my claim, “Besieged by the media and public opinion, quick-service restaurants have got the reputation for being unhealthy. But the truth of the matter is more complex. Continue Reading...
August 15, 2005

The idol of nationalism

What Amrith Lal calls patriotism in this piece from the Times of India is probably more accurately called nationalism, but the point is well-taken nonetheless. The brief essay begins: As practised in our times, it is religion at its worst. Continue Reading...
August 15, 2005

Debunking the preservationist myth

An article from Nature examines how even human activity as inherently destructive as military exercises can actually boost biodiversity. In “Military exercises ‘good for endangered species,'” Michael Hopkin writes of the results of a study conducted following US military exercises in Germany. Continue Reading...
August 15, 2005

Space tourism

In an interview with The Space Review Richard Garriott, vice-chairman of Space Adventures discusses the possibilities of space tourism and the potential market in the United States. Garriott describes Space Adventures as currently an [travel] agent, and we have millions of dollars in cash paid reservations for sub orbital flights. Continue Reading...
August 15, 2005

A relevant essay

Given the discussion that’s been going on around the Acton site over the last week or so, I’m pointing out this timely piece (now archived) in yesterday’s St. Paul Pioneer Press, co-written by Todd Flanders, an Acton adjunct scholar and headmaster of Providence Academy. Continue Reading...