He's Gone Too Far!

John McCain's Deputy Communications Director disses Dungeons and Dragons players in a blog post.

It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others.

Not all players play in their mom's basement... only most!!! What's next!? WoW!?!?

Seriously though, here's a link to Andrew Sullivan's take on the cross in the dirt story.

Confrontational Words from Russia

They will crush us like a clam on their tummy! Literally, they almost said that. Don't worry though, they "have always been a peace-loving state."

That's What She Said

Guantanamo Charges were "spray and pray." So not only do we torture our enemies, we also do not afford them the legal rights they deserve as human beings. Also, with the "spray and pray" method, there is a chance that some of these individuals could go free and continue to attack America. That is assuming of course that they are guilty, and it has been shown in the past that some are innocent or guilty of minor crimes.

Back Door Legislation

The Bush Administration has just announced a plan to drastically change the Endangered Species Act. The main change would be that federal agencies would not be required to carry out an independent scientific review of a project they are proposing. While I am all about overhauling an old piece of legislation (the Act has not been significantly changed since 1986), I am extremely wary of placing the welfare of our endangered species in the hands of economists and developers.

The Response of the administration to these concerns is pitiful:

But Dale Hall, who directs the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the move would not apply to major federal projects and would give his agency more time to focus on the most critically endangered species rather than conducting reviews of projects that pose little threat.

"We have to have the ability to put our efforts where they're needed," Hall said, adding that individual agencies will have to take responsibility if their projects do harm a protected species. "This really says to the agencies, 'This law belongs to all of us. You're responsible to defend it.' "

Even minor federal projects affect our environment and threaten our wildlife. Every project needs to be carefully thought out from multiple angles with each party's wellbeing being considered. I understand the need to focus resources directly where they are needed, but every species should be considered and not just the most critically endangered.

The second quoted paragraph tends to insinuate that the agencies will be forced to defend their actions after a problem arises. Shouldn't the goal be to prevent problems from arising in the first place? Instilling the fear of having egg on bureaucrats' faces should not be the method our government takes to preserve our wildlife for future generations.

I don't know about you, but I hope to take my children and grandchildren hiking in Colorado. Hopefully we'll be able to see more than urban development and smokestacks when we go.

The funniest Thing I May Have Ever Seen

That Barack Obama sure can dance and sing!

I Met The Walrus

In 1969 a 14 year old Beatles fan interviewed John Lennon about his views regarding peace and revolution. Here's the audio (along with some amazing animations)!

Back!

Sorry for the hiatus. I just got a little too busy with work, trips, and studying for the G.R.E. For awhile there I was just posting interesting things on Facebook, but that just didn't do it for me the way my own blog does. Also, I think people get a little annoyed when you post something every single day on Fb! Thanks for reading in the past and I hope you continue to read in the future.

When Ninjas Attack

Thank God our schools have contingency plans in place in case a Ninja shows up on school grounds!

A Good Thing to Think About

Joe Klein, blogger from Time Magazine, makes a very interesting point,

Do you really believe the (Iranian) mullahs would stage a nuclear attack on Israel, destroying the third most holy site in Islam and killing untold numbers of Muslims?

An interesting perspective that needs to be out on the table in this escalation of hostilities towards Iran. An escalation that reminds me of the rhetoric spewed at us by the administration five years ago.

Hat tip: The Daily Dish

Big Brother is Here

There is 1 CCTV camera for every 14 citizens in the UK. God help us if the United States ever gets to this point. The possibility of losing my civil liberties to CCTV truly scares me more than Terrorism, the energy crisis, or a nuclear Iran.

Those Damn Irish

Earlier this week The Republic of Ireland voted against the Lisbon Treaty, a series of changes to the European Union that many said would streamline the organization and make it more internationally relevant.

This Washington Post Op-Ed Columnist points out a very interesting fact. If anyone in the EU should want to strengthen the group or aid it in anyway it should be the Irish. The tax breaks and greater fluidity with the continent have transformed a once lagging country into a global economic powerhouse.

The fact that they soundly rejected the treaty speaks volumes to the culture of "Europeanism" right now. If the Euro-crats were unable to explain and defend a treaty to the most receptive audience, then maybe there is a deeper reason behind its failure at the polls.

A Convenient and Powerful Truth

Al Gore gave an amazing speech tonight in Detroit endorsing Senator Obama for President. While I was around during the buildup to the 2000 election, all I really remember thinking about the two candidates was, "Wow, this George Bush guy doesn't sound or seem that smart, but Al Gore appears to have a good head on his shoulders even if he is a little boring." I now see that that assessment was at least partially correct. This man has great oratorical skills and is able to hold an audience's attention and adjust his speech and mannerisms to their cues. I wonder what our country would be like if he had won the Supreme Court battle?

Evolution is Dead

Richard Dawkins' worst nightmare, proof that God created and designed the world. You may ask what sort of proof these creationists may offer. The answer of course is fruit. Yes fruit. Bananas are an example of Intelligent Design/Creationism. Yeesh, what will they think of next?

He Won

That's all I can really type now. I'm still trying to take it all in. In the meantime enjoy the video that sums up his campaign.