Interestink....

Here's a thing to make you go "Hmmm...."

What's for breakfast?

I don't know how long this will last, but it's damn amusing: John Kerry gets Google-bombed, and is now the top-rated hit when searching for "waffles."

Changing your answer....

Apparently the question as to whether the Second Amendment was an individual right or not was answered shortly after World War II. This, along with all the historical evidence, keeps me wondering why so many people even try to argue against it being an individual right.

Oil for Terror

Sadly, you probably won't be reading about this in any of your major news outlets any time soon. However, it's very much worth a look. While it remains to be seen whether or not Saddam Hussein had an weapons of mass destruction, it appears that he indeed was bankrolling terrorism, including Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, all under the supposedly watchful eye of Kofi Annan and the U.N.

All of this makes a person wonder: If George W. Bush's reasons for going to war in Iraq are dubious, does it really matter what those reasons are now that Saddam's deposed? If so, does it matter if we compare it to John Kerry's view that we should get the U.N.'s permission for everything first, the same U.N. that was so watchful of Saddam in the first place?

Rational....

For any of you have yet to explore James Lileks website, here's a good place to start. He's got a variety of interesting material, but his blog, which he calls The Bleat, is always interesting. He seems to be politically independent, spiritual without being religiously dogmatic, and intelligent. I enjoy reading his material. I don't always agree with what he has to say regarding some topics (though I happen to agree this time), but, unlike some other sources, he has such a clear, intelligent, rational way of presenting his opinion that I find I can't begrudge him when his opinion differs.

Spring....

Spring is upon us... but it seems to be a sort of incongruous spring for some reason. Perhaps it's just me, or perhaps it's just from not being quite used to South-central Wisconsin yet. Some trees are budding, while others are not, and a few flowering shrubs are blooming. The daffodils are starting to bloom, and the tulips are finally starting to bud as well. Perhaps things seem unusual due to a lack of the familiar spring sights I'm used to: trilliums, wood violets, and marsh marigolds.

Friday was a truly beautiful day -- the high reached 81° F at least. I was very fortunate to have the day off, but spent much of the day running errands or doing housework in preparation of our move. Saturday was a fine day as well, though I had to work in the morning. Maryanne and I spent the afternoon running some additional errands, and it was quite a pleasant day.

Sunday was another matter. The day started well enough, but quickly headed downhill as the remnants of a storm moved through, bringing with it a lot of wind, but very little in the way of much-needed rain.

Progress....

It's a shame we don't hear about this kind of thing on the news.

Istanbul not Constantinople

Easter miracle: Pope John Paul II apologizes for the Catholic Church's involvement in the sacking of Constantinople on April 13, 1204.  I'm sure Maryanne will have something to say about this.

Satire....

After making quick work of Dave Barry's Bad Habits and Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, I started on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. It was a slow start, and I was initially a bit put-off by the irreverence of the satire. I've read Mark Twain before, but little had prepared me for what this book would hold: biting satire, a variety of humor, a scathing view of the Catholic Church, and some truly heart-wrenching tableaus. It was hard dealing with a work that treated King Arthur so poorly, while other works I had read held him in such high regard.

Nonetheless I enjoyed it, though it's now making me debate whether I should reread T.H. White's The Once and Future King. I'll probably move on to something unread, instead.

"'Patriot' Games"

A fight could be brewing over the fate of the Patriot Act.

Use both hands....

You hardly ever hear about this kind of thing in the news.

History....

I found this interesting.

Over-priced....

It's been a while since I posted about that hotbed of unrest known as Carroll College.

"Lying for Dollars"

Caught in the act! The Brady Campaign is a bunch of lying liars.

Priorities....

Here's yet another reason not to live in California.

Vexations....

The past several mornings at work, while not hellish, have certainly been demanding. Something, certainly the result of a lack of foresight by someone, has been causing (painfully) slow login issues for a multitude of users. As a help desk analyst, I'm very frustrated by this. My job is to help people after all. It's, shall we say, vexing, when it seems that someone else's lack of preparation or planning makes matters worse by creating more problems than we already have.

Card-carrying member....

Here is an interesting op/ed piece from Mike S. Adams about why he joined the N.R.A.

Disarmed....

Here is yet another reason why I'll never live in Illinois.

Domestic terror....

James Swan offers some sound advice for dealing with what he terms "animal rights 'humaniacs.'"

Killing the dead....

Apparently vampires are still a problem in Romania. And since civilians have taken matters into their own hands, the police have become involved.