The very stupid academics pushing a boycott of Israel

Earlier today, members of the American Studies Association voted to confirm the organization’s decision to boycott Israel...

UPDATED: It`s official - Stephen Hawking`s voice-box is now smarter than the mute physicist

After statements, then denials and retractions and now a counter-statement, it appears 71 year-old pop-physicist Stephen Hawking, best known as the author of the best-seller a Brief History of Time, has succumbed to the vacuous trend among British left-wing academics to boycott the Jewish state. 


Earlier conflicting reports first had Hawking boycotting an academic conference in Israel, then his spokesman claimed he was not boycotting but withdrew for health concerns, and now a new statement is reiterating the first one.

Hawking, 71, has suffered from motor neurone disease for the past 50 years, and relies on a computer-based system to communicate.  

According to Shurat HaDin, an Israel law centre which represents victims of terrorism, the equipment has been provided by an Israeli hi-tech firm,Intel, since 1997.   

"Hawking's decision to join the boycott of Israel is quite hypocritical for an individual who prides himself on his whole intellectual accomplishment. His whole computer-based communications system runs on a chip designed by Israel's Intel team. I suggest if he truly wants to pull out of Israel he should also pull out his Intel Core i7 from his tablet," said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Shurat HaDin.

Frankly, I`m past the point of caring what Stephen Hawking does anymore. This whole episode suggests his brain isn`t working particularly well. The only person in the world that remains impressed by him is Sheldon from Big Bang Theory.

h/t BCF

Werner Cohn on Titles and Other Ornamental Self-Descriptions

Some sixty years ago I wrote a letter to Albert Einstein. I disagreed with a statement he had made that seemed to me too indulgent of the Stalin regime. Within a week I had a reply, assuring me that he, Einstein, fully shared my own views of Stalin. He signed this note “A. Einstein.” No more, no less. Now here is my question to all the self-styled “doctors” and all the self-styled “Ph.D.’s” of our time: would Einstein have been more impressive to me, or to you, dear reader, had he signed “Dr. Einstein” ?

In the course of my travels, I've met a few people with Ph.D's who insist on being called "Doctor." None of them has the skill to remove a wart or turn on a TARDIS, so their use of the title was a sign of either pomposity or insecurity.

Read the rest of Werner Cohn's very insightful piece HERE.