tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328357342012-01-04T11:22:51.082-07:00<i>Dicentra spectabilis</i> is the botanical name for the common bleeding heart. Though I might be common, I'm not much of a bleeding heart. Not in the political sense, anyway. I chose the name because I thought it sounded cool. And because I like to grow them.dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.comBlogger1501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-87928899644963160292009-04-07T21:55:00.005-07:002009-04-07T21:58:17.223-07:00

I post over at the Protein Wisdom Pub now.Better traffic, see.To see a list of my posts only, click here..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-80990028053602758672009-03-23T19:04:00.004-07:002009-03-23T22:36:52.998-07:00

Boy: Here boy!Dog: In case you haven't noticed, I'm a black lab, and I take offense at the racial epithet directed my way.Boy: Uh, you're a male dog, right? It's well within mainstream speech habits to refer to a male dog as "boy."Dog: Lassie was a boy, but they called her "girl." Put that in your OPM pipe and smoke it!Boy: Don't bring the federal budget into it, plzkthx!Dog: And 86 the LOL speak

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-50925231727203186142008-10-06T10:35:00.010-07:002009-03-27T13:13:17.356-07:00

Wherein I analyze and refute Saul Alinsky's Rule for Radicals point by point, over at the Protein Wisdom Pub, where anybody can summarize the news.The series, in toto:Part One — ProloguePart Two — The PurposePart Three — The Ideology of ChangePart Four — Class Distinctions: The TrinityPart Five — Of Means and EndsPart Six — A Word about Words and The Education of an OrganizerPart Seven —

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-59753796862804601202008-09-27T13:31:00.010-07:002008-09-27T14:43:52.688-07:00

Once again, one of my comments over at PW grew arms and legs, so I'll post it here to save Jeff's bandwidth. I was responding to this comment, and my response starts out here.So here's the problem:Many progressives see the requirements to getting a mortgage — credit checks, asset evaluation, collateral, down payments — as the equivalent of the poll tax; in other words, it was a means of keeping

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-69567886052047587372008-09-22T15:53:00.013-07:002008-09-27T14:05:51.714-07:00

That's the key bill, isn't it? S.190, "A bill to address the regulation of secondary mortgage market enterprises, and for other purposes," sponsored by Chuck Hagel and cosponsored by Elizabeth Dole, John Sununu, and John McCain.On 26 Jan 2005, Hagel gave the following speech on the senate floor:S. 190. A bill to address the regulation of secondary mortgage market enterprises, and for other

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-6786727716080957332008-09-19T21:40:00.003-07:002008-09-19T21:44:28.693-07:00

From an otherwise depressing blog post at PW:83. Comment by Jeff G. on 9/19 @ 9:56 pm...having a good credit rating really helps one’s self esteem.And that’s what’s most important. I know, because I used to watch Oprah.85. Comment by happyfeet on 9/19 @ 9:59 pmI’m too cheap to find out my score. That’s probably a sign it’s not too bad, no?87. Comment by dre on 9/19 @ 10:04 pm$5.95 Equifax89.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-90080490691036202762008-09-01T14:18:00.007-07:002008-09-01T15:15:59.914-07:00

I've been browsing the blogosphere again, looking at the reactions to the news that Bristol Palin is pregnant, is keeping the baby, and is marrying the father.The sick and twisted among us are using phrases like "unable to control her own daughter" and "didn't pass her values along" and, that universal constant, "hypocrisy."But let me give you some insight into how perfectly staunch Christians

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-75723205929781800142008-08-31T18:11:00.004-07:002008-08-31T18:18:39.421-07:00

Jeff Goldstein's round-up of Leftist reaction to Sarah Palin's nomination spurred this comment of mine, which I'll reproduce here for posterity. So to speak.We ought to do a "Sarah Palin Facts" post based on those Chuck Norris Fact goofs. This would get my vote for number one.They're doing it on Twitter already. Some are in her favor, others are not. So someone would have to separate the wheat

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-47553260582910460192008-08-30T12:09:00.004-07:002008-08-30T12:28:16.409-07:00

I am not in favor of teaching Intelligent Design (ID) in the schools, especially not in science class. Orson Scott Card's essay on ID echoes my objections to the theory vis-à-vis its status as science.However, most people don't take on ID from a theological point of view, so I'll do it here.ID fails as a solid theological assertion because of its invocation of the God of the Gaps as its

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-63212577074033345792008-08-27T17:53:00.003-07:002008-08-27T18:10:38.291-07:00

Use the comments to this post.And remember the question at hand: why troll PW? Why troll at all?Don't move the goalposts or I'll delete your stuff..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-77739856547576236432008-07-25T15:27:00.002-07:002008-07-25T15:28:41.881-07:00

what it might sound like were Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to carry on a conversation with a Swingline staplerThe thread is pretty choice stuff, too..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-21628212040650181332008-07-25T11:49:00.001-07:002008-07-25T11:50:27.921-07:00

Hilarity ensues..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-45383257915813706872008-07-18T21:23:00.003-07:002008-07-18T21:26:33.136-07:00

From Jerry Pournelle:The purpose of modern government is to take money from the folks who save and pay their bills and live within their means, and use that to hire government workers; and to keep their power by using the money to buy votes from those who do not save and pay their bills and live within their means. And of course the money comes from those who work and save and pay their bills and

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-13040731840203127092008-06-10T18:11:00.002-07:002008-06-10T18:13:27.814-07:00

"Against the argument that you cannot cry fire in a crowded theatre: Oh yes you can — you must, if in your considered view there is a fire. In that case there is a duty to cry fire."— Julian Porter, QC, speaking at the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal on Friday 6 Jun 08.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-42099845460257644562008-06-09T18:04:00.004-07:002008-06-09T18:15:19.780-07:00

So asks Gagdad Bob at One Cosmos. After explaining why male sexual identity is trickier than a woman's, he observes the following:We are about to elect a feminized man whose official policy is to surrender to our enemies, so we have moved well beyond the theoretical to the actual. In the triangulated war between liberals, Islamists, and the left, only one side can win. Our side will lose if we

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-28733072326213358952008-04-29T16:06:00.003-07:002008-04-29T16:10:01.837-07:00

So this morning I'm sitting there at the dentist's office getting a root canal--no, really--and I'm listening to Shire Network News on my iPod, and they play the sound from this video, which I'd already seen, but I still was unable to stifle a laugh.Yeah, I've got four hands in my mouth, plus a rubber dam and a bite-block, and a running drill, and half my face numb, and the thing still made me

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-90989154680435351522008-04-23T11:04:00.000-07:002008-04-23T11:05:30.986-07:00

From a comment over at PW:You haven’t got a clue. You couldn’t get a clue if you covered yourself in clue musk and stood in a field full of horny, lusty clues, during clue mating season.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-19953387332888177772008-03-10T14:26:00.003-07:002008-03-10T14:32:56.217-07:00

Ace's IQ Test for Dogs is a monitor AND keyboard destroyer, and if you're at work and trying not to LOL, a destroyer of your inner ears as well.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-82429626139997542008-02-29T14:31:00.007-07:002008-02-29T14:41:56.339-07:00

Once again, Gagdad Bob over at One Cosmos nails it. I'll post an excerpt below, sans indents, to make it easier to read. Bold added by me.Obama and the Lure of the False Vertical: Worshiping a Groovin' ImageRegardless of whether or not you believe human beings are in need of salvation, they inevitably seek it in one form or another. Some of these forms are both "authorized" and therefore

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-18069685142056046142008-02-27T16:02:00.002-07:002008-02-27T16:05:28.747-07:00

It was written in 2005, but it's worth reading now, on the day that the giant of modern conservatism died.Conclusion:William F. Buckley understood that conservatism can only be a partial philosophy of life, because any calling which claims to be a whole philosophy of life is not one at all. It is a religion, and in all likelihood a false one. Armed with this conviction, he changed the world by

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-29868891267741560532008-02-06T10:57:00.003-07:002008-02-27T16:02:05.511-07:00

Many of the pundits on the right are perplexed by the apoplexy of most of talk radio and the blogosphere over McCain's apparent nomination to the GOP.Here's the reason for the "Kossak-like anger," Glenn:For about a year, over here in alternate-media land (talk radio and the dextrosphere), it's been all about Rudy, Mitt, and Fred--Fred, Mitt, and Rudy. McCain and Huckabee were nowhere on our radar

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-79189900031713918592008-01-30T18:29:00.001-07:002008-01-30T18:37:00.530-07:00

I've got it, at least today. Some on the right are perplexed by it, notably Roger Simon, so here's a response from one of his commenters, which sums it up for me:Why so many on the Right detest McCain ought not be that tough a mystery to crack - they're returning the bile he's spewed in our direction for years.McCain argues against tax cuts using "class warfare" rhetoric.McCain gives Democrats

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-28949289832528695652008-01-11T15:40:00.000-07:002008-01-30T18:38:40.283-07:00

I just posted something brilliant over at Ace's pad in response to a magnificent post of his, wherein he makes the best case against Ron Paul that I've heard—it's precisely what I've been thinking all along.Hard-core libertarians like the Ronulans remind me of what Jonah Goldberg was telling Dennis Prager yesterday. He observed that the core difference between leftists (Liberal Fascists) and

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-59963572863213037692007-11-07T18:08:00.000-07:002007-11-07T18:09:19.685-07:00

Get a Cash Advance

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-2589599978653330862007-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:002007-10-04T12:14:22.802-07:00

I'm going to repost here a comment that I just made at Protein Wisdom. I have been thinking about writing such a post here, but I ended up doing it there first, because it seemed more appropriate.The MoveOn [ad] meant exactly what it said.Well, no it didn’t. Hard lefties don’t use words the same way as you and I. They chose the word "betray" because it rhymed and because it is not a nice thing to

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-7071764732808190412007-10-02T10:10:00.000-07:002007-10-02T10:12:30.068-07:00

Verbatim.If these morons have their way, they'll put another Clinton in the White House for sure, on another plurality. Which is exactly what we need.But no one articulates it better than The Anchoress. Nobody. Hence the link..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-74287748349875987052007-09-28T21:18:00.000-07:002007-09-28T21:25:22.640-07:00

Over at Ace of Spades HQ, a couple of self-righteous vegans decide to spit into a hurricane, with predictable results. I just about wet my pants a couple of times.h/t Mrs. Peel.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-82558743273681355452007-09-21T13:04:00.000-07:002007-09-27T20:59:05.017-07:00

From Protein Wisdom, on the rank and file of the Left: I rather doubt many of them have followed to their logical conclusions the premises upon which they base their entire political world view — preferring instead to live in the heady subjunctive of their fantastical present, where "activism" appears a kind of righteous protest against the ostentatious inequity of outcome, a howl directed at the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-25111717184696698162007-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:002007-09-12T10:54:21.356-07:00

This cartoon, from Cox & Forkum reminds me of this tale of someone who was on the 59th floor of Tower 2 when the first plane hit, and barely escaped with her life.Never again.But humanity doesn't seem to take "Never again" very seriously. It's always "Ever again. And again. And again.".

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-72659027532496499892007-09-10T12:12:00.000-07:002007-09-10T12:19:06.832-07:00

From James Lileks, on the Administration's post-9/11 tactics:As I keep saying every time a court strikes down a provision of the Administration’s post 9/11 practices, or a newspaper reveals another element of our secret strategies: we are a hair’s breadth away from a fascist state.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-20468433751246124352007-09-06T15:27:00.000-07:002007-09-06T15:31:11.728-07:00

From Michael S. Malone at ABC News, in a story about how a bank that reversed its program of giving college students interest-free overdraft protection was swarmed by a Facebook campaign to renew the program:only post-adolescents would characterize the end of a charity as a "rip-off."

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-32609898715748295202007-08-30T19:45:00.000-07:002007-08-30T19:59:46.184-07:00

For a slow news week, Jeff and a guest-poster Karl are sure heating it up over there. First is this detailed (but iceberg tippish) compendium of examples of media bias, mendacity, and malfeasance with regard to the Iraq War. Jeff followed it up with a post about how the press has Just Plain Got It Wrong about the British withdrawal from Basra.Then in this post, Jeff quotes Dave Kilcullen at

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-29038065863967786732007-08-22T18:06:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:08:40.164-07:00

Cattus PetasatusQuomodo Invidiosulus Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem AbrogaveritVirent Ova! Viret Perna!!Guessed them yet?The Cat in the HatHow the Grinch Stole ChristmasGreen Eggs and Ham.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-2465293305807845882007-08-20T18:44:00.000-07:002007-09-12T10:56:38.972-07:00

No, not this one. This one. It shows how NASA GISS had to revise down its figures for the hottest ten years since 1880. It turns out that there was a Y2K error in the data, of all things.Ha! Our bad! Right? Well, the error would have been discovered sooner, except that the man who discovered the error had to reverse-calculate it out of GISS's data. Steve McIntyre, a Canadian mathematician, has

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-78766805244433354082007-08-18T23:44:00.000-07:002007-08-18T23:47:09.315-07:00

From Orson Scott Card's review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.The elitists are such boneheads they think literature exists to be admired.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-2807240636932545252007-08-13T19:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:10:59.861-07:00

Step 1: Find something that you find distasteful in your opponents' behavior.Step 2: Attach an emotionally provocative word to the behavior even though the behavior doesn't actually rise to the denotation of the word.Step 3: Insist that "to you" the word applies.Step 4: Accuse your opponent of committing the crime that is associated with the ordinary denotation of the word.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1289193436622861622007-08-13T11:51:00.001-07:002007-08-18T23:47:58.648-07:00

From a Protein Wisdom commentator, on the Beauchamp affair.What’s especially ridiculous is that TNR defended itself by saying "many of these questions have been formulated by people with ideological agendas." Not even a full 360 degree eye roll that detached the optic nerve and caused my eyeballs to flop out of my face and land, squishily, on the keyboard before me could capture the awesome irony

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-16898084596871710932007-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:002007-08-03T14:54:26.603-07:00

Over on Protein Wisdom, I posted some acronyms last night that I came up with to describe the Scott Thomas Beauchamp episode. Well, there are several ways for this to turn out: we could keep repeating our chorus of WHAT A DOUCHEBAG (Wannabe Hemmingway Artlessly Trashes Army, Driving Opinionators Utterly Crazy, Hoping Evidence Belies All Garbage).Or when it turns out that he totally lied, it will

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-83131335142974625432007-07-31T18:51:00.000-07:002007-08-03T14:56:05.994-07:00

Glenn Beck, that prankster, has created a sticker to put on your car that says "Hydrocarbon Powered Eco-Vehicle."And he's invited his readers to share the public's reaction to the sticker. In only one case did someone clue in and — wait for it — black out the sticker with a Sharpie®. (Imagine the uproar on the left if someone blacked out a vulgar bumpersticker or a rainbow square.)In the other

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-40364758862136253712007-07-26T10:34:00.001-07:002007-08-03T15:00:27.090-07:00

The identity of The New Republic's source in their scandalous stories about soldiers is finally out, one "Scott Thomas Beauchamp." (His pseudonym was "Scott Thomas"; good security there.)Here's an entry from his blog from 24 May 2006:...there could be no other way to appreciate what I had or what I'm going to have once I get out other than enduring this now when all I really want to do is teach

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-49834874895229762492007-07-24T20:07:00.001-07:002007-08-03T15:00:50.128-07:00

This from my online Page-a-Day calendar:The Japanese sent 9,300 balloon bombs floating across the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Though probably fewer than 1,000 balloons made it all the way across the Pacific, several did cause damage when they exploded into fiery balls in places like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, and Canada. Called FU-GO by the Japanese, the balloons

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166187035476207032007-07-21T19:03:00.000-07:002007-08-03T15:02:38.458-07:00

I don't read NYT, so I wasn't spoiled, but really, is anyone surprised anymore? At The Leaky Cauldron, they organized a letter-writing campaign to NYT to castigate them for their insensitivity.So of course, I had to get my licks in:SUBJECT: What WON'T you print?So, it appears that Harry Potter spoilers are fit to print.What a bunch of smug, selfish, elitists you all are. HP fans been waiting for

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-57802862453862948942007-07-16T15:15:00.001-07:002007-08-03T15:02:18.905-07:00

I never was a Marxist, but Alan Johnson was, and he enumerates his reasons why he discontinued this particular worldview here.Money quotes:[First,] I no longer think that the bad bits in human beings can be swished away by replacing scarcity with 'abundance'. I think they are pretty much here to stay. And I think the bad bits amount to enough of the whole, enough of the time, to undermine the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-14270274018279770182007-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:002007-08-03T15:03:01.660-07:00

Here's a great article by a former BBCer who recognizes the folly of the journalistic mindset. Spot on, mate, spot on.h/t: Dan Collins over at Protein Wisdom.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-22155995975065792512007-07-14T17:57:00.000-07:002007-08-03T15:03:22.936-07:00

Orson Scott Card gave this movie a good review, which I read before I saw the movie.Here's the part of the review with which I agree the most: "Without anyone taking much notice of it, Goldenberg has actually discovered what all those miserable little screenwriting classes pretend to teach: He has discovered how to tell a real story on film."Goldenberg is one of the guys who wrote the 2003 Peter

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-48736285744525768252007-07-13T20:14:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:11:37.158-07:00

In this post, near the bottom, I cite the legend of St. Urho as evidence for the Medieval Warming Period. The man, if you'll remember, is celebrated for having driven a plague of grasshoppers out of Finland's vineyards long ago.I was willing to concede that St. Urho himself might be fictional, or that the grasshoppers were, but—and this is my mighty logic in play here—no country celebrates a guy

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-72915097732918240612007-06-23T16:22:00.001-07:002007-08-22T18:12:11.589-07:00

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words: * zombie (3x) * missionary (2x) * stab (1x)Wha? "Missionary" is a bad word? Criminey, some people have dirty minds.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-66590782446903719982007-06-05T20:51:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:12:46.623-07:00

I was going to wax eloquent on the second and third aspects of The Perils of Illegal Immigration, but then I read this post over at Ace of Spades and collapsed into a heap of quivering despair.I was already incredulous about the provision that people could get their Z-visas if a 24-hour background check failed to turn up anything disagreeable. A private investigator with only one client would be

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-32422210765697496352007-06-04T15:03:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:13:20.580-07:00

There are several problems, as I see it. (1) The problem of illegal immigration (2) The problem of the proposed Comprehensive Reform Bill (3) The problem of the debate on immigration/reform. I'm going to cover only the first today.And unfortunately, before speaking on this subject, I have to establish certain bona-fides to stave off the charges of "racist" and "xenophobe."I was a Mormon

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-15254251780136314942007-05-29T10:14:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:13:56.839-07:00

This is a response to the gauntlet thrown down by the intrepid Zombie, who is unable to post all 500 submissions at zombietime.com.These are the five submissions that didn't make the cut (one did).This one is a parody of LOLruses.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-40970121289989624302007-05-24T09:11:00.001-07:002007-08-22T18:14:37.785-07:00

Why, yes. If you insist..

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-9412562987370851142007-05-21T08:43:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:15:34.991-07:00

I've been meaning to transcribe this for awhile, and I finally got around to it. It's part of an interview from Pajamas Media's Blog Week in Review for 19 Apr 2007. Col. Austin Bay interviews Jeff Goldstein from Protein Wisdom. The whole podcast is worth listening to (it also includes Neo-Neocon), but this one little bit resonated with me quite a bit:AB: The title of this topic [is] "The

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-22822885996078409352007-05-17T12:20:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:16:31.449-07:00

You'll love this.And here's a comparison between the questions the Republicans got asked on MSNBC versus FoxNews.100 Movies 100 Quotes 100 Numbers, on YouTube. h/t AceSomeone cobbled together movie quotes that contain numbers, from 100 to 0. See how many movies you can name.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-4578492200614063352007-05-10T12:43:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:17:09.010-07:00

Now I've heard it all. A lefty who ridicules people for doubting anthropogenic global warming refers to "the fallacy of requiring proof."I guess that's related to the fallacy of believing your own lying eyes instead of what the profs tell you in your Womyn's Studies class.Also at Protein Wisdom."Up is down, black is white, Potsie is the Fonz." — Jeff Goldstein.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-64640150012919564562007-05-09T09:06:00.001-07:002007-08-22T18:17:42.740-07:00

From today's Pearls Before Swine™.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-80792820902862833852007-04-26T18:51:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:18:24.051-07:00

The Anchoress hits one out of the park with this post on how much energy the average music star must use in watts consumed during concerts, exhaust from the 18-wheelers that transport it, and petroleum consumed to make CDs, tee shirts, and other concert-related paraphernalia.She also links to this article that shows that Hollywood's TV- and movie-making spew more pollutants than "aerospace

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-76168346556538218252007-04-20T11:59:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:19:08.737-07:00

Is it just me, or do national tragedies tend to strike while the news organizations are whipped into a froth over a whole lotta nuthin'? 9/11 took Gary Condit out of the news (not a moment too soon), and the VTech shooting knocked Imus off the front page. (I don't remember what was going on when the tsunami hit; it was over Christmas, so I wasn't following the news.)Perhaps Providence or Fate or

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-72288627713286268002007-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:20:09.792-07:00

I managed to be commenter #2 on LGF's post on how some Somalis were insulted by the bag of hamsteak that was set down on their table.I've been waiting to use that reference for years. That this is the highlight of my day should tell you something about my life, none of it good.UPDATE: And by none of it good, I mean that my life is pretty pathetic, in a self-deprecating sort of way. Except for the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1174947244724127422007-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:27:04.843-07:00

No specific reason, really, but a combination of several, including the emotional devastation from stepping down off Effexor (I'm back on it now; it wasn't causing my fatigue), mental fatigue that is probably caused by the fact that my thyroid still isn't well-balanced, a bit of a slow news month (months?), news fatigue, business at work, and, probably most significantly, this article by Orson

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1171063775032919852007-02-09T16:17:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:27:49.335-07:00

I just read this article from The New Yorker about the politics of Joel Surnow, co-creator and executive producer of the hit TV series 24.The article does say something about the man's politics, but it spends most of its energy criticizing the portrayal of torture in the show, which is always shown to be necessary and effective. And Jack Bauer uses real torture, not waterboarding, hypothermia,

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1170710804456609782007-02-05T14:05:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:29:29.667-07:00

Blogging has been light, as my regular reader (hi mom!) must have noticed. The reason why is related to the subject of this post: the rantings of Amanda Marcotte.I've had depression all my life. Just recently I stepped down off of Effexor (a notoriously difficult drug to stop because of the prolonged withdrawal symptoms), taking my last dose just before Christmas. This is the first time in maybe

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1169930480201433662007-01-27T13:35:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:30:55.534-07:00

In response to his essay on "The Crisis of the Islamo-fascist War," I e-mailed him the following:The Democrats will try to blame the disaster on Bush, but the American people will know that things went hopelessly wrong only after the Democrats forced our premature surrender to Islamo-fascism in Iraq.No, the American people won't. The left will successfully blame the disaster on Bush."See, we told

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1169924284620674592007-01-27T11:27:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:32:12.384-07:00

I signed the NRSC Pledge that Hugh Hewitt launched. I was a little ambivalent about it, partly because of John Hawkins's objection that it puts the NRSC in a no-win situation (if they give in to this, they'll be deluged by other similar pledges on other hot-button issues), but I resolved the conflict thus:If someone else comes up with another similar pledge with regard to any other issue besides

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1169752241172601522007-01-25T12:09:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:32:54.516-07:00

From Jules Crittendon's piece on what the State of the Union Address should say, a commenter responds to the chickenhawk argument:Some mistakes are with you forever; being a Marine isn't one of them. —htom[I originally tried to post this on the 22nd, but Blogger did something wonky and it never showed up on the main page.]

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168904619118194172007-01-15T16:20:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:33:52.521-07:00

Here's a round-up of some initial reactions to Dinesh d'Souza's new book, from people who haven't read it. But Amazon has a pretty forthright explication of the book's central argument, and after having read it I wonder why one would need to write an entire book on it.The short version is that the "cultural Left," e.g., the results of the counter-culture revolution of the sixties, notably the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168728037322212732007-01-13T15:17:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:54:50.566-07:00

From One Cosmos, again, this time in response to something I said.Dicentra, I don't know why you and others insist on perceiving everything I say in the worst possible light. I am not trying to "score points" off of anyone.Then what are you trying to do? Why is it so all-fired important that Bob engage you? Why, after being told to get lost, do you keep going back over and over and over again?

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168650337281044282007-01-12T18:04:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:35:26.190-07:00

This is amusing, for what it's worth. Cows and economics. Economics and cows. It's just that simple.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168621401488667352007-01-12T10:00:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:52:29.464-07:00

Laura Ingraham went ballistic this morning over Barbara Boxer's insinuation that Condi Rice has no standing to send troops to war because she doesn't have a husband or kids at risk. Laura is understandably incensed on behalf of a fellow spinster, who, like myself, did not necessarily choose to be either single or childless. Converting the personal into the political is a hallmark of the Left,

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168545545506015862007-01-11T12:58:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:37:48.034-07:00

Victor Davis Hanson asks "Why? Why? Why?" about "this increasingly corrupt institution, whose health is so necessary to the welfare and competitiveness of the United States?" About "Why when academia is so critical of other American institutions, from the Republican party and corporations to churches and the military, does it ignore its own colossal failures?" I can answer part of that. Academia,

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168295148173171772007-01-08T15:01:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:38:57.696-07:00

People often cite the West's addiction to petroleum as the source of all our problems, especially those in the Middle East. Although it is true that petroleum dependency is a nightmare, it is not true that it would be an easy thing to find an alternative energy source, if only those bastages in Big Oil would quit suppressing the research.What people seem to forget is that thermodynamics is

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168065544434274702007-01-05T23:37:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:39:40.283-07:00

Checking my referrer logs, I found this blog, which appears to be either the ramblings of a schizophrenic or the product of a random sentence generator.Anyone know what this is about?.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168065181481659752007-01-05T23:23:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:40:17.928-07:00

Sometimes, I will stop watching an otherwise enjoyable show cold when they cross a line that is important to me.I haven't been watching Leno much lately, but tonight I let it run in the background while I piddled around on the computer. In his monologue, Jay announced that President Bush had signed into law a bill that allows him to read any letter, any time, for any reason, without a warrant.Of

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1168031029038056432007-01-05T13:08:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:41:30.639-07:00

First, I'd like to thank the Associated Press for finally releasing Jamil Hussein, undoubtedly because of the preponderance of banners like these, which I'm removing from the front page:[Was hot-linked to Flopping Aces, which has since taken it down — ed.]Only it wasn't the AP who produced him, it was the Iraqi Police. But that's just details. Latest info on the developing story is at Malkin.I'm

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1167704312142467482007-01-01T19:09:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:42:11.457-07:00

I must have made some quick comment about ISG and Gates prior to writing this letter. Either that, or this is a really lame answer. More lame than usual, that is.11 December 2006Dear Ms. XXX:Thank you for writing to express you [sic] feelings about the Iraq Study Group and the nomination of Robert Gates.The report of the Iraq Study Group represents an important bi-partisan effort to determine an

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1167702504523807802007-01-01T18:43:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:42:48.481-07:00

I recorded my observations of the trip on my LiveJournal in four entries:The GoodThe BadThe Birds (Heavy Graphics Warning)The Leafy Things (Heavy Graphics Warning).

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1167178841790711962006-12-26T17:18:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:43:24.318-07:00

My mother, on Christmas day, came up with irrefutable proof that Darwin was dead wrong.Cats love fish.Cats hate water.It's irrefutable, I tell you. IRREFUTABLE!.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1167156302077510052006-12-26T11:01:00.000-07:002006-12-26T11:05:02.090-07:00

I'll be away from home and Internet access until Jan. 1. We're going to Disneyland! That is, I'm going with my brother, his 5-month pregnant wife, and their three kids (ages 4–10). They've never been. We're driving from SLC to LA (12 hours) in one day, but the kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves on long drives.See you next year...

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166811829497565172006-12-22T11:16:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:47:20.633-07:00

The first essay, How Our Civilization Can Fall, explains how previous civilizations have fallen when their economies were decimated by barbarians, and how it could happen to us if we fail to destroy Islamic Supremacy now, while we still can.The second essay, Honoring Those Who Died, made me so angry and so sad that I wanted to throttle someone. Not Card, but the people he is talking about. He

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166804057454680682006-12-22T09:08:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:48:08.020-07:00

Over at Protein Wisdom, guest poster Dan Collins offers the PW denizens a chance to reflect a bit.As Advent draws to a close, and Christmas nears, perhaps it would be fitting to perform a spiritual inventory, and consider whom you may have wronged in thought or in deed this year. On the other hand, this is also your opportunity to demand an apology from any wanker who may really have pissed you

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166654526598347212006-12-20T15:41:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:48:51.630-07:00

Another letter to the Congresscritters:This is an issue of great importance to me: the selling of the War in Iraq and the general War on Terror.Everyone knows that President Bush is not the Great Communicator that Ronald Reagan was. As a consequence, all of his enemies get to do all the talking for him. I know the president doesn't give a hang about public opinion, but unfortunately, public

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166634874017672572006-12-20T10:11:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:49:52.730-07:00

From American Digest, this gem about the Star of Bethlehem and alien people clutching at their gods.Excerpt:To have "evidence and no doubt." That is what those that put themselves forward as our "wise men" seem to propose to us day after day from their sterile rooms high above the avenues. They have the "indubitable evidence" from which we should derive, they insist, doubt about all that for

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166575866004121602006-12-19T17:50:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:50:43.987-07:00

under "cognitive dissonance" and you'll see this article on the "surprisingly" robust Iraqi economy.

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166570817225455682006-12-19T16:25:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:51:52.620-07:00

From Dr. Sanity:I wrote in a previous post titled "What is Easy vs What is Right," a comment on the most recent Harry Potter film:...Rowling's series has become the metaphor of our times. Whether this is conscious or unconscious on Rowling's part is neither here nor there.When Dumbledore says to Harry at the end of the movie (paraphrasing), 'Dark and difficult times lay ahead. Soon we will have

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166566288744634382006-12-19T15:02:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:54:09.490-07:00

Over on One Cosmos, a commenter called "Integralist" expressed dismay over Bob's apparent black-and-white thinking. Not wanting to clutter Bob's blog with what ended up being a long answer, I decided to post it here. Bob's answer to Integralist is in this post on lies and counterfeits. I'm answering one of Integralist's comments to that post.It seems that you (erroneously in my view) equate

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166471622415405792006-12-18T12:17:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:56:34.686-07:00

In the wake of this article by Mark Steyn and this post over at One Cosmos, I thought I'd add my 2¢ to the issue of taking offense.As a caveat, I am not talking about taking offense where offense is intended. If someone deliberately "disses" you, that's one thing. (Of course, if you decide not to take offense even when offense is intended, you've just freed yourself from the influence of the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166128369516238192006-12-14T13:28:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:57:26.113-07:00

Christopher Hitchens, that is, who muses on the question of why women aren't as funny as men.Observing that "one of the earliest origins of humor that we know about is its role in the mockery of authority," he cites Kipling:But the Woman that God gave him, every fibre of her frame Proves her launched for one sole issue, armed and engined for the same, And to serve that single issue, lest the

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1166123275205730682006-12-14T11:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:58:17.248-07:00

In response to an e-mail I sent to all my congresscritters, I get the following response from Sen. Hatch (R-Utah). I had advised deep-sixing the Iraq Study Group recommendations and said something pithy and trenchant about Robert Gates's confirmation, which Hatch voted for.November 29, 2006Dear Ms. XXXX:Thank you for your emails of November 22nd. I appreciate your views on the possibility of

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165940091748659802006-12-12T09:04:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:59:26.833-07:00

Gagdad Bob hits one out of the park with this post. In dissecting the words of Ken Wilbur's Integral Politics, he points out the enormous disparity between how the Left perceives the Right and how the Right perceives itself. To wit:Quoth Wilbur:Let’s begin our story by noticing that in this country, mainstream Republicans or conservatives have very strong amber/traditional values. Hence, when

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165855075203637522006-12-11T09:31:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:00:21.457-07:00

Since Michelle Malkin decided to post on left-handedness and its inherent greatness, I thought I'd announce that I, too, am left-handed, as are my sister, my mom, my grandmother, and her grandmother (my great-great).However, I use scissors right-handed (despite the fact that all the scissors in the house were left-handed) and I learned to mouse right-handed (though I change my computers to

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165703690489352122006-12-09T15:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:01:02.080-07:00

Here's a primer for budding journalists who may be confused about which words to use.Straight from the AP!

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165611220333981012006-12-08T13:34:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:01:51.663-07:00

The patient presents at the emergency department with severe, sharp abdominal pain, lower-right quadrant, and fever. The attending diagnoses acute appendicitis and orders immediate surgery to prevent the appendix from bursting and causing sepsis.The family of the patient insists on watching the surgery from the upper gallery. As the surgeon cuts into the skin and abdominal wall, the blood starts

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165609964210763282006-12-08T13:29:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:02:29.796-07:00

There is a conflict between two parties:One has the desire but not the ability to destroy the other.One has the ability but not the desire to destroy the other.Whom should we say wears the white hat and whom the black?

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165518394618493712006-12-07T11:59:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:03:11.546-07:00

Not December 7, 1941, mind you. Today: 7 Dec 2006, the day the Iraq Surrender Group declared peace in our time. Please, Mr. President, if I could ask just one little thing from you, it would be this:Grasp the report firmly in your right hand.Proceed to the nearest wastebasket.Release the report such that it falls into said wastebasket.Pour 6 oz of liquid butane into the wastebasket.Light a match

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165440303658272642006-12-06T14:16:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:04:03.653-07:00

In my LiveJournal today, I mentioned that reading the blogs was causing me some degree of anxiety. One of my commenters (all of whom are friends I know from another internet discussion group), a left-leaning Brit, made the following observation:The blogs seem to thrive, don't they, on the following propositions:— All progress by those I sympathise with is illusory, and real control continues to

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165437414388085422006-12-06T13:34:00.000-07:002006-12-06T13:52:33.893-07:00

I listened to a podcast yesterday of Michael Medved's show wherein he featured a debate between Victor Mordaci (web site: Sword of Islam) and Jafar "Jeff" Siddiqui, who led a demonstration against US Airways because of the treatment of the six imams. He alleges that it was the result of racism and irrational fear. He is also a common spokesman in Seattle for understanding Muslims, and is the head

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165361335270258042006-12-05T16:16:00.000-07:002006-12-05T16:29:51.393-07:00

Don't know why I didn't know about these sites before, but they enable folks back home to get in contact with members of the military who are currently deployed and establish correspondence with them. (Including sending stuff that they need and want.)Any SoldierAny MarineAny SailorAny AirmanAny Coast GuardFirst click on the FAQ link to read up on the conditions. Then click on Where to Send and

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165341087796073522006-12-05T10:44:00.000-07:002006-12-05T10:51:27.813-07:00

In this December 1 piece, Victor Davis Hansen articulates the two points of view on the war on terror that predominate in the US, calling them the Majority Opinion and the Minority Opinion. The former is the "we've done enough, let's gracefully retire and return to Sept. 10" opinion and the latter is the Bush Doctrine.To be honest, the Majority Opinion is far more appealing than the Minority

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165249700459234282006-12-04T09:26:00.000-07:002006-12-04T09:29:26.143-07:00

So I go over to my site meter today and find out that someone found this blog via a Google search for "Captain Jamil Hussein." Turns out I'm on the second page, one entry higher than Protein Wisdom.Boo-ya! In yer face, Jeff, ya running-dog intentionalist!

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165117600068092952006-12-02T20:46:00.000-07:002006-12-02T20:50:35.366-07:00

It's not uncommon for those who disparage religion to equate it with superstition, thereby robbing religion of all credibility. I mean, what's the difference between believing in carrying a rabbit's foot and believing in God?If you don't dig religion, it's all the same to you. But if you're actually involved in religion, the difference is pretty clear, even though people are often unable to

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32835734.post-1165114677191713222006-12-02T19:56:00.000-07:002006-12-02T19:57:57.203-07:00

From Gagdad Bob, a link to this article that explains types of economic premises and that the "market pricing" model is the latest development and therefore the one hardest to grasp, the other models being programmed into our genes, or something like that. Classical Values also comments on this article.I don't know how much weight to give this theory, but Bob and Eric do make some interesting

dicentra63http://www.blogger.com/profile/18265008441951516140noreply@blogger.com0