I think the employees of Google have waaaaay too much time on their hands.
Conservatism And Anti-Intellectualism
I have been only marginally following the debate between Matt Yglesius and The Corner Kids. Tom Hilton summarizes: Our story so far: Jeffrey Hart writes a piece in the Wall Street Journal about the state of modern conservatism (short version: Burke good, DeLay bad–hard to argue with that) in which he makes this observation: The most recent change occurred in … Read More
The Ten Worst Americans
There’s a blog meme going around wherein bloggers post their views on the Ten Worst Americans ever. It started as a challenge to American bloggers from a Brit blog. I’m going to take a pass for now, but someone needs to tell this guy that Chief Opechancanough, who killed 400 colonists at Jamestown in the 1620’s, was not, you know, … Read More
The Truth Is Out There
UFO Casebook’s Best UFO Photographs of 2005 Although Puerto Rico seemed to have a lot of sightings this year (or so it seems), the image at the right was taken in July in Modesto, California: I took this picture tonight at dusk. At around 8:50 I noticed some kind of craft toward my left that appeared from behind a tree … Read More
iMeat
The hot Christmas present this year was, as expected, a Video iPod. It looks like someone at Walmart in Hawaii knew this, and played a little prank: If you got a Video iPod for the holidays this year, you should be thanking your lucky stars it didn’t come from the Hawaiian Keeaumoku Wal-Wart. Rachel Cambra, a mom and an employee … Read More
Do These People Vote?
I’m constantly amazed by the incredible ignorance of a relatively large segment of Americans: Forty-one percent (41%) of U.S. adults believe that Saddam Hussein had "strong links to Al Qaeda." Twenty-two percent (22%) of adults believe that Saddam Hussein "helped plan and support the hijackers who attacked the United States on September 11." Twenty-six percent (26%) of adults believe that … Read More
Visit The NSA Website; Get A Cookie
Seems like the NSA was doing more than monitoring phone calls: The National Security Agency’s Internet site has been placing files on visitors’ computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most of them. These files, known as "cookies," disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week, and agency … Read More
Plugging Back In
There’s no point in trying to catch up with a world that keeps on spinning while you take the holidays to be with family. However, had I been around, I would have liked to comment on a thing or two. They are, in no particular order… (1) Vincent Schiavelli (pictured left) died. I always liked him. A good character actor. … Read More
The Meme Of Four
Everybody’s doing it (like here and here and here), so I’ll join in: Four jobs you’ve had in your life: Drummer with a troupe of singing waiters, short order cook, agent for playrights, attorney Four movies you could watch over and over: Hmmmmm. Heaven (Diane Keaton’s documentary, sort of), Dr. Strangelove, The Bandwagon, and Run Lola Run. Of course, if … Read More
25 Dumbest Quotes of 2005
From About.com: 25) "I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, you can’t play, you know, hide the salami, or whatever it’s called." –Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, urging President Bush to make public Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers’s White House records, Oct. 5, 2005 (Source) (Read more stupid Dean quotes) 24) "If I would do another ‘Terminator’ … Read More
Are We At War?
Kevin Drum makes an interesting point: Of course, their argument is not that the president has the inherent power to authorize domestic surveillance anytime he wants, only that he has that power during wartime. And as near as I can tell, that’s the elephant in the room that no one is really very anxious to discuss: What is "wartime"? Is … Read More
Standing On Principle
A U.S. Judge with the FICA court (you know, the one that the government is supposed to go with warrants for wiretaps) resigns, apparently in protest: A federal judge on a court that oversees intelligence cases has resigned to protest President George W. Bush’s authorization of a domestic spying program, The Washington Post said. US District Judge James Robertson resigned … Read More
A Psychiatrist’s Guide To Christmas Carols
Stop me if you heard this one. No. Don’t bother. I’m gonna post it anyway. This could be my last post for a while, except for my attempts to mobile-photoblog my car trip home for Christmas. Schizoprenia — Do You Hear What I Hear? Multiple Personality Disorder — We Three Queens Disoriented Are Dementia — I Think I’ll Be Home … Read More