I think you meant 'ugly kludge'.
Baseball really does have the best sports stats geeks.
Well, the author should meet some Cricket fans.
Your point is valid, but I think you have at least one historical misconception there.
I have no historical misconception. Here is the extract from an essay from Bertrand Russell, no less: http://bit.ly/r3O0Ym (Check the last lines in that page)
...but fall into the despairing slough of materialism.
I really have no idea what that means. Can someone please point me to an example of a society that has fallen under the despairing slough of materialism because of their irreligiousness? Or even a person for that matter? Please, before its too late! You see I am atheist and I don't want to fall into whatever "slough" this Bahai fellow is talking about.
"What man has done, man can aspire to do." -- Jerry Pournelle, about space flight