Say they work hard, ‘earn’ their bonuses; call disagreement ‘socialism.’… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
The Logic of Bonuses for Bad Performance 
Jan 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The bonuses for 2008 were the sixth-largest on record and paid for by taxpayers. What’s the thinking here?… Read the rest
Octuplets Not Really an Occasion for Rejoicing
Jan 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The cost of taking care of multiples is huge. It’s not going to finish when the babies go home.’… Read the rest
Drink Coffee, See Dead People
Jan 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ben Goldacre takes a closer look, finds the usual confusions; academics are sadly unblameless.… Read the rest
No Reason to Worry About Thimerosal in Vacs
Jan 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Researchers find no risk of thimerosal in vaccines causing brain problems.… Read the rest
Octuplets’ Mother Plans Exciting TV Career
Jan 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Will portray a childcare expert stranded in the wilderness with only a knife and a pacifier.… Read the rest
FGM in Denmark
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A Danish woman has been convicted of having two of her daughters genitally mutilated.… Read the rest
Forced Marriage in Syria
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Muna, 15, dreads being married off to cousin who hits his mother with an iron bar.… Read the rest
Abu Hamza Gets it Wrong Again
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If a husband rapes a wife, she might call the cops, or ‘accept it with laughter and embarrassment.’… Read the rest
Michelle Goldberg on Tragic Ted Haggard
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
By preaching against homosexuality and allying with anti-gay politicians, he caused real damage – and trapped himself.… Read the rest
Women Gather to Cheer Female Submission
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Signers affirm that women and men were designed to reflect God in ‘complementary and distinct ways.’… Read the rest
Obama Calls Wall Street Bonuses Shameful
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Rewarding themselves for trashing the economy and causing mass impoverishment not okay.… Read the rest
John Patrick Diggins
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘He was the most philosophical-minded of the American historians,’ said the political historian Paul Berman.… Read the rest
Mother of Octuplets Has Six Children Already
Jan 30th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
So she needed fertility treatments because…… Read the rest
Godless Virtue
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In secular Denmark and Sweden rates of violent crime are among the lowest on earth.… Read the rest
Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Science is not a monument of received Truth but something that people do to look for truth.… Read the rest
Obama Wants UN to Put Pressure on Mugabe
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is discussing a US-led diplomatic push to get tough new UN sanctions imposed against the regime.… Read the rest
The Pope and the Irony Meter
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Jesus and Mo ponder the Vatican on the arrogance of elected officials.… Read the rest
Christopher Hitchens on Assassins of the Mind
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Almost every historic battle for free expression has begun as a struggle over what is and is not ‘blasphemy.’… Read the rest
Eve Garrard in Praise of Again
Jan 29th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Novels, poetry, landscapes, music, all repay being revisited again, and again, and again.… Read the rest
