Really...

The indicated crime of "removing sensitive, classified documents from the National Archives" is a misdemeanor? Ugh. The author of this column describes the result of this kind of silliness quite aptly; "(that) national security document classification and other security laws are much ado about nothing and that if you're important enough, you can violate national security laws with virtual impunity".

Something to fear...

What does Michael Crichton have to fear? His latest book, "State of Fear" takes on the quasi religion of global warming. What a country, where someone can be attacked by those who claim to be "understanding" and "diverse" for different views.

This is so awesome

Got this from BOTW.

"What are we protecting you from a wrong cheeseburger?"

Hilarious.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Time for the annual seal hunt! Get your clubs, get set, go! All us evil conservatives have been just itchin to go club some seal pups.

Yawn

Same old song and dance. Leftist chicken littles implore us to notice the sky is falling. Is the great 'die off' going to begin soon?

Missing WMD

Powerline links to what seems to be a plausible explanation for the missing WMD. I hope it's true (not just of the anthrax, but all their WMD), because I sure don't want the WMD smuggled into a place like Syria or Iran.

Terri Schiavo

Thomas Sowell cuts to the chase, in language far clearer than I could ever muster (also read here). I was angered that Congress seemed to overstep its bounds in passing a law to interfere with a family matter - but I am angered more by the fact that they had to (and they acted Constitutionally!), because another government entity (which I have far less sympathy for) had made a poor call that violated the Constitutional right to life of a woman. As far as I'm concerned from my reading on the case, there is significant doubt as to whether or not Terri is in a vegetative state, and that alone should force us to "err on the side of life", as the President has stated. Finally, the husband's behavior can't be viewed without suspicion - although to be fair, it's a tough situation and I can't honestly say what I'd do were I in his shoes (assuming he's telling the truth). This case is certainly a gray area, and the usual suspects will fall on the same sides - those who err on the side of life, and those who are the purveyors of the culture of death.

To the conservatives who are willing to "live and let live" - I felt the same way until I was drawn into the case and understood more of the facts. I just wanted to let her die and not think about it, since this is a matter between the husband and the family, right? Well, turning your face from an ugly reality won't make it go away, and this is truly an ugly reality. Think about it: the willful starvation of a woman, and her only crime is that she has become an inconvenience to one person - we treat animals and criminals more humanely. I still have sympathy for the "live and let live" conservatives (I'm thinking more libertarian folks like Glenn Reynolds, Neal Boortz, and Charles Johnson) especially since many of this stripe have personal experiences that mirror this case. However, viewing this as an objective outsider (objective in the sense of Constitutional vs. moral implications, with no previous experience to color my viewpoint) I feel I've come down on the right side of things now.

I view the behavior of the MSM as the most disgusting thing in this whole episode, for they have been the ones who have shaped the public debate on this by manipulating and omitting the facts. I never heard of the nurse (who in a sworn affidavit, gave a statement contradicting Mr. Schiavo and casting him into suspicion) until I listened to Sean Hannity. Or of the doctors and neurosurgeons who have stated that Terri is not only not vegetative, but can possibly be rehabilitated by new treatments. What is clear to me now is the MSM is bent on seeing a "conservative crack-up" by painting this as a Constitutional overreach by the Republicans to split those crazy Evangelicals from the Constitutional law-and-order conservatives. That the MSM will distort a story to allow a woman to starve to death in order to score political points against President Bush shows you what's most important to these people. It's power. To them, power is life, and not vice versa.

Good news for stem cells

found via The Corner: Aussie scientist finds potential way to skirt ethical issues surrounding embryonic stem cells. More good news is that these cells seem to be safer than the embryonic ones as well. This is good news, but we'll see if it catches on.

Great Idea

This would actually make me sad that I turned down CU-Boulder for grad school. Well, that and the good snowboarding being just an hour away.

This just seems backwards

How does this make sense? My favorite quote, seen on Good Morning America, was when one of the non-husband family members said, "[Hopefully the courts will now go along with the will of Congress]." Heck, lets just get rid of due process all together. Or more in the spirit of things, lets make all due process so long that no one will ever get to the end of it. What's the functional difference between a path that you can never get to the end of and a path that doesn't exist?
This just feels like a clumsy political stunt such as a clueless libral might use in order to try to convince everyone how he "gets" the sanctity of life thing while simultaneously trampling all over the sanctity of marriage and individual choice (i.e. free will). Someone please tell me why I'm wrong or at least over-reacting... Husband and wife leave their parents and cleave to each other. Hence they each bear the ultimate worldy responsibility for each other. Assuming that Terri indeed does not want to live as a vegetable, what about her wishes? The courts already determined that she is in fact in a vegatative state. I would of course snap my fingers and fix her, but I can't.

Does George W. Bush Read?

Why am I posting this? Because I got into an argument with a Mass. liberal (one of my classmates) on the way to Maine. We were passing by New Haven and he commented on its most famous alum, and how they should be ashamed that they produced such a stupid man. "He's obviously dyslexic, and that has to impact his reading ability. He's clearly not that intelligent. I bet he 'reads' books on tape!" Those were his arguments - he was seconds away from a declaration of "mildly retarded". Anyway, according to this article (and to anyone with common sense) the answer is yes, the President reads, and he reads books of much import. Another interesting part I found out in this article is that Woodrow Wilson (famous Democrat Pres., PhD, and Princeton alum) was dyslexic as well. Sorta skewers the whole 'dyslexic=stupid' theory.

Drivel

How does this crap get published in the #1 paper in the US?

Global Dimming

Hilarious post on the religious left: Filthy Old Cars Will Save Us All. Which is it, eh? Global warming or global dimming? I dunno, but the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And it's all capitalism's fault!

Insane

Danny Way is going to jump the Great Wall of China. I also found it interesting that China has a Minister for Extreme Sports. Nothin' like the efficiency of Communism.

I agree

with this. Honestly, would we even know about the Oil-for-Food scam were it not for her?

You can stop worrying

50 cent is safe y'all.

Why?

Why in the world must something like this occur? Obviously a remake but utterly pointless as the original is freaking ONGOING, AMAZING and in freaking ENGLISH and this fraud is doomed for FAILURE. When will these people learn? What is so hard about coming up with something original? This port of "The Office" is something that I dread watching. I wonder why? Isn't it cheaper to just buy the damn shows and replay them here? You know, as if it wasn't already on BBC America?

About Time

Have you ever been reading something and noticed something that actually made sense? In some ways what I'm about to share kind of seems mean but really the thing is that sometimes things need to be done.

A new county law aims to keep readers from reeking. Libraries in San Luis Obispo County have had their own rules banning offensive body odor since 1994, but the policy became law after the Board of Supervisors last month adopted an ordinance that lets authorities kick out malodorous guests.

BillnHill

Our (well, my former) portly governor seems to be casting his hat into the ring for '08...I'd much rather have him as the candidate than Hillary, although she will probably be the candidate with him as running mate. Let's hope he's the candidate and can rescue the party from the leftward spiral it's in.

Under the umbrella...

...of that end all liberal buzzword, 'disenfranchisement', "Hillary Clinton and John Kerry want to let criminals vote". The question in this article is why, besides the obvious that felons happen to vote overwhelmingly democrat. An interesting piece with some good background information.

Gizoogle

Translate any web page to Ghetto-speak.

Pow

Looks like I'll be riding pow on Tuesday. Better get my homework done now....

Calvin and Hobbes

I found all the Calvin and Hobbes strips archived! And just when you thought you were going to be productive......

The Invaluable Claudia Rosett

reports on yet another scandal of the UN - the utter failure to protect North Korean refugees. I honestly did not know anything about this, although I had heard bits of stories from some blogs.

More evidence

of the failure of public education. The little idiots can't even spell, and they're in 6th grade. But at least they're getting a proper anti-military education!

This is disheartening

GW only rates seventh in poll...how could anybody pick JFK, or Bill Clinton?!? over our nation's greatest hero? Certainly GWB, or even RR does not deserve a higher rating than GW. Although I am glad to see two Republicans topping the list.

Aside: can you spot the anti-Bush jibe in this story?

A Primer

in case you're behind the times, like me, on the problems with the UN. I told a friend about the Oil-for-Food scandal and couldn't give details, so I looked like a conspiracy-monger. Anyway, here's a good primer on it. Also, a newer UN scandal has popped up and this is a good article on it. This "Sex for Food" scandal just disgusts me. I can't believe there are people who still believe in the moral authority of the UN. They've lost all credibility as far as I'm concerned. I'm further disgusted because if these were American troops committing these atrocities we'd have wall-to-wall coverage, like Abu Ghraib was.

Bono nominated

for Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently, it's his second (nomination). Like his ego needs any further inflation. Although I don't understand this:

Bono, who's long been a champion of third-world debt and AIDS relief, was nominated because of his efforts to help impoverished countries.

If you're trying to help an impoverished country, why would you champion its debt?

CNN supports felony

It seems that a CNN reporter commited a felony while trying to write an article about how easy it is obtain a dangerous .50 BMG rifle. Found via instapundit.

Loretta Sanchez Looks Like an Idiot

See here. Loretta Sanchez is a California Congresswoman (D-of course) . I would love to see the video of this exchange - Rumsfeld probably delivered his words in a way to make her feel about 2 inches tall.

Mixed emotions

Part of me had hoped the headline would read;

Broncos Cut Plummer

but se la vie, it is what it is;

Jake Plummer is the quarterback of the future for the Denver Broncos

I'm not a militant Jake hater or anything, I just don't trust him with a football. Sometime's he's great but about the same amount he's terrible. Oh well, I wish the best of luck to him and my team.

The Evil One

has published a textbook. He should publish another one: "How to Make Calculus Suck".

Ha Ha

If you're a regular listener of the Glenn Beck program, here's a funny photo summary of how Stu had to repay the city of Philly back for the Eagles' loss. By the way, Geno's has some awesome cheesesteaks. Across the street at Pat's (Geno's archrival as the king of cheesesteaks) was where John F'in Kerry famously took dainty nibbles of a cheesesteak, after asking for Swiss.

More cliches than you can shake a stick at

So, if any of you are in the vicinity of UNM on March 8, you should come check this out:
"Please come to the International Women's Day Luncheon on March 8, 12-1:30, SUB Ballroom. Professor Barbara Ransby, from the African American Program at University of Illinois, Chicago, will speak on "Feminist Therapy for Post-Election Depression: Reading Ella Baker's Legacy in Contemporary Politics" (see more info below). Tickets are $8 for students and $18 for faculty/staff/community. Download the attached ticket form to purchase your tix! See you there for some good old and new fashioned feminist rabble-rousing! gail"
I got the invite as an email (auto to all grad students) so no direct link. Though if you go here, you can go to March 8 on the calendar.

Not only is it a femininst "ethnic studies" professor speaking, but the topic is "Feminist Therapy for Post-Election Depression..." I mean where else could you get so much cliche in one night? You rock on with your bad self Professor Barbara Ransby.

Does anyone

see anything wrong with this? Sooooo, this chick gets to try out for the guy's team. As a result, it's only fair that guys can try out for the volleyball and softball teams. Hmmmmm, that means that volleyball and softball teams with dudes would have an unfair advantage (assuming that guys are better athletes in general in these sports, which I think is a fair assumption). How is this a good thing?

Good News

Amazingly enough, from the Washington Post, too. A great story on how the mood in Iraq is shifting, and also mentions a new hero for Iraq. Heartwarming stuff.

They did it!

Or at least they're going to:

Dean, the former presidential candidate and governor of Vermont, is expected to win the DNC chairmanship at the election February 12.

This qoute from this story about how the last opponent to Howard Dean in the race for the DNC chair is dropping out. I must be dreaming.

The Following

cartoon expresses pretty much accurately expresses what I think about the dude who proclaimed sponge bob to be gay.

Can't help it

You know, I'm a Broncos fan. I will be until there is no more me. I don't particularly care for the Patriots, I didn't watch the Super Bowl, I had dinner with a nice lady friend yesterday evening. But, at the very least I can acknowledge their accomplishment. Three Super Bowls in four years. A 14-2 record this past year. That's something to be proud of. It's quite a feat and I have to say they have become a dynasty. Slate, the liberal magazine has the following headline today;

The Lamest Dynasty in Sports

I suppose that being a liberal really means, in the words of Rush, that you're full of gloom and doom all the time. That good news must be bad news. I know I know, some people prefer more parity and a team that wins all the time seems destined to have fans turn on them but to be so negative. What's the point?

Something to ponder

I was listening to talk radio this morning and the discussion was about Ronald Reagan, this past weekend being his birthday and all. The commentators were asking their audience about a "Ronald Reagan day", perhaps on his birthday or maybe his face on currency. Many people called on one side or another, some dumb and some with something sensible to say. The one caller though that really got my attention was the one that identified himself as a democrat. This annoyed me. It annoyed me because it's something that I've heard again and again, someone who pronounces himself the ultimate expert in Republican issues because they're a democrat. Now, I can be reasonable and I truly believe that their are issues that people share as a concern and have similar ideas to solve regardless of their party affiliation but I refuse to believe the nonsense that the best person to comment on a Republican is a democrat. I understand that there are many democrats who liked President Reagan and his policies but really, doesn't that just make them bad democrats? I mean, welcome to the small-r fold bro but come on. Doesn't anyone else tire of people on TV saying that a Republican policy is good just because those agreeing with it are dems? I know I am.