Category Archives: History

Monkey business no laughing matter

January 11, 2008 – 5:25 pm

This rather offensive picture comes from Josiah Clark Nott and George Robert Gliddon, Indigenous races of the earth (First published 1857). It illustrates scientific theories of racism in the 19th century, which continued into the early 20th century. Essentially, the theory is that Aryan “races” are superior in evolutionary terms to Black “races”, and that [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Cricket, Media, Racism, Society | Comments (6)

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot… and Oliver Cromwell the vandal

November 22, 2007 – 7:18 am

As promised, three sets of Oxford images for readers’ entertainment. First up is a set I took after dodging a day hitting the books. While the light was good, I clambered up St Mary’s bell tower. She’s Oxford’s official ‘University church’, and classes were once held there.
Archbishop Cranmer (he of ‘Book of Common Prayer’ fame) [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Academia | Comments (21)

Desperately Seeking Smith

September 5, 2007 – 3:28 am

It was Sinclair Davidson who told me - the other night, on Facebook - that Adam Smith is buried in Edinburgh. The instructions Sinkers gave me (via the Adam Smith Institute) for finding his grave were wonderfully poetic but not especially clear:
The Smith monument will be in line of sight of the recent statue of [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Economics | Comments (12)

SL’s placeholder

September 4, 2007 – 7:35 am

I rather like this graphic, so I’m leaving it here until I’ve finished the kicking Adam Smith post I’m working on (note to Sinkers - you really started something, kiddo).

By skepticlawyer | Comments (3)

Stolen Generation Success

August 6, 2007 – 7:36 pm

I was interested to read the recent case of Trevorrow v State of South Australia (No. 5) (2007) SASC 285. Put briefly, the plaintiff was taken from his parents as an infant, and consequently had a troubled childhood and adolescence. He succeeded in his efforts to sue the South Australian government. I think that this [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Depression, Law | Comments (6)

Fighting the Good Fight?

June 8, 2007 – 11:58 pm

What happens, say, when two devoutly religious football teams play a match, and the captain of each team prays to God that his team will win? Do the devoutly religious believe He balances the competing prayers, and that the winner is the more righteous before God?
The doctrine of free will would say that He doesn’t [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Law, Religion | Comments (9)

National Day of Secularism

May 26, 2007 – 1:56 pm

Bruce has tagged me for the National Day of Secularism meme.

He’s interested to see what I will say because of a comment I made to him when discussing those stupid citizenship questions…namely:
“The Ten Commandments can be regarded as forming one of the precedents for modern law, canon law, and all kinds of other law. [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Law, Religion | Comments (16)

An exciting… draw!

May 15, 2007 – 2:38 am

One of the hardest things about test cricket for foreigners - particularly Americans - is explaining the idea of a draw. Even harder is explaining the concept of an exciting draw. You know, that two sides can go into a game and emerge roughly equal after a ding-dong battle gladiatorial in its fury.
For mine, this [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Law | Comments (127)

Being a Communist means never having to say you’re sorry…

March 1, 2007 – 2:48 pm

I seldom lurk around the pages of the Grauniad, but this was simply too sadly amusing to ignore. Ms Clark remembers her halcyon days in the Hungarian Young Pioneers some thirty-odd years ago. In so doing she manages to recall a figure common in English writing for young people (of a certain vintage, of course): [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Politics | Comments (158)

Roman Graphics

January 31, 2007 – 11:05 pm

Here are two of my graphics, originally designed to go with the ‘Pasts Imperfect‘ piece. I haven’t figured out how to put them on the front page as yet, but if you click on the links below you can have some enjoyable fun pretending to walk around the Roman Forum in the late evening. Once [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Popular culture | Comments (5)