For every voter added in the past two months in some states, election officials have removed two.… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
Tom Frank on Norman Mailer on ’68 Convention 
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Hemingwayesque tough-guy egotism is the price for the incomparable description and insight.… Read the rest
Unleashing the Barbarians
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Republican Party’s strategy of stoking fear thrives as a postmodern pastiche of conservative hate speech.… Read the rest
Interview With Paul Offitt
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A doctor defends scientific research against the potentially fatal misperceptions of the anti-vaccine movement. … Read the rest
Plumbers Disavow Joe
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Union plumbers are not impressed by Joe the plumber.… Read the rest
Eric Foner on the Role of Reconstruction
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Today Reconstruction is viewed as a noble if flawed experiment, a forerunner of the modern struggle for racial justice.… Read the rest
Anne Applebaum on Human Smoke
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Baker has used his license as a ‘novelist’ to excuse himself from all the tedious work of genuine knowledge.… Read the rest
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Conference
Oct 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Nearly 300 people met to discuss apostasy, the freedom to criticise religion, Sharia and civil society.… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo Get the Hots for Sarah Palin
Oct 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Their sexual innuendo skills are a bit lacking though.… Read the rest
Lawrence M. Krauss on Point of Inquiry
Oct 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He talks about the misuse of quantum physics in the New Age movement, and more.… Read the rest
Grayling on Ex-Muslims Conference
Oct 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
With Maryam Namazie, Ibn Warraq, Joan Smith, Richard Dawkins, Mina Ahadi, and more.… Read the rest
Ohanian’s Mistakes
Oct 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He seems unable to relate any incident in Einstein’s life without giving it a negative (or even poisonous) spin.… Read the rest
Atheist Joking
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Christianity makes insolently extraordinary claims but produces terrible apologists.… Read the rest
Imran Ahmad on C S Lewis and Narnia
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘It’s enough to turn anyone into a secular humanist.’… Read the rest
Anthony Appiah on Philosophers
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
With responses from Michael Walzer and Michael Sandel. … Read the rest
FBI Calls Murder of Said Sisters ‘Honor’ Killing
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sisters’ relatives have said the father killed them because they dated non-Muslims and acted too western. … Read the rest
The Usual Confusion About ‘Islamophobia’
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Steve Rendall of ‘FAIR’ conflates criticism of Islam with hatred of Muslims, tries to make the former taboo.… Read the rest
FAIR Examines ‘Islamophobia’
Oct 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The term “Islamophobia” refers to hostility toward Islam and Muslims’ – that begs the question.… Read the rest
The Uses of Cheater Detection
Oct 14th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Humans want revenge but also forgiveness. Over the long haul forgiveness wins out.… Read the rest
Physicist Says Einstein Got His Sums Wrong
Oct 14th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No mention of wife.… Read the rest
