Pun Salad

This is Thomas Sowell's latest book. It contains six longish essays on topics that will be familiar to readers of Sowell's other works. The book's title actually only refers to the first essay; it's an exploration of how today's "black culture" shares a number of characteristics with "redneck" culture as seen in the South in previous centuries. Other essays explore Jewish culture, German culture, black education in America, slavery as a worldwide phenomenon, and a culminating semi-philosophical essay on how "visions" (belief systems) can unlearn the lessons of history.

Sowell, as always, does a great job of digging out neglected lessons of history and culture. After reading him, it's very easy to lose patience with more conventional writers. Highly recommended.

• Matthew Hoy reports that the yarn about federal goons visiting the home of a UMass-Dartmouth student was echoed as fact in a Sacramento Bee editorial three days after it was debunked.
• Similarly, Patterico notes the LA Times report of Wyoming Governor Freudenthal's declaration that his state considered the Endangered Species Act no longer in force, as well as other outrageous statements. The problem here? The report was based on an April Fool's prank. Kausfiles also gloats (but not unseemingly so) about this misstep, and also points to this correction:

  A Dec. 18 article defending the separation of church and state stated that the Rev. Jerry Falwell claimed that Ellen DeGeneres played a role in the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina because she was the host of the Emmy Awards before both events. He made no such claim.

  Apparently it was too hard to find something outrageous that Rev. Falwell actually said? Hey, we'll just go with something we heard someone say he said at that cocktail party last night …
• So is it going to be "Journalists Behaving Badly" day here at Pun Salad? No, not entirely. Grady Hendrix spent one hour and seventeen minutes watching the "Special Features" section of the Dukes of Hazzard DVD. His article at Slate may be the funniest thing ever appearing at that site. (At least intentionally funny.)
• Roger L. Simon says bravo to Michael Crichton's illustrated talk, "Fear, Complexity, & Environmental Management in the 21st Century." American Thinker dubs it a "must-read." Pun Salad heartily concurs!