tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88899632012-02-16T08:41:26.573-06:00A collection of my thoughts, opinions, and experiences.Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.comBlogger2141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-86596537010395470092008-04-08T12:19:00.001-05:002008-04-08T12:21:19.192-05:00

This is one of the best discussions about abortion that I've seen. It explains very well the personal responsibility aspects of abortion. Go read it. Right now.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-92205431192775629392008-04-07T23:15:00.006-05:002008-04-08T12:19:26.426-05:00

Yeah, it's another stupid Internet meme... but I find it hilarious, but then I don't have a very discriminating sense of humor. I wonder what happens if you Rickroll Rick Astley...Over 7 million viewsApril Fools!Hilarious Muppet Bloopers!Those crazy Nazis!Play Kongai Launch!Play it!I'll add more as I find them!

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-64183716358267804662008-04-03T12:24:00.002-05:002008-04-03T12:27:47.937-05:00

Once again, Jane Fonda is lining up on the opposite side from John McCain. Last time, it was during the Vietnam War and she was supporting the North Vietnamese soldiers who were shooting at American pilots (like John McCain).Now she's supporting Barack Obama for President. Her endorsement won't help much with anyone who isn't already supporting him and might hurt him with anyone who is

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-27819702461968619092008-04-02T12:17:00.002-05:002008-04-02T12:28:58.233-05:00

The "You" Campaign is the perfect response to Al Gore's inane "We" Campaign. Al Gore needs to go away and find something productive to do. Flying around the country in his jet plane and preaching to the hoi polloi about depriving ourselves of modern conveniences to save the world is going to get really, really annoying. I mean, even more annoying.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-41723156591242240752008-03-22T12:23:00.002-05:002008-03-22T12:34:16.736-05:00

Wow. Just wow.Barack Obama is showing his true colors. He is saying things about white people that would get a white person crucified if he said them about black people. I wonder how long he'll be able to get away with this stuff. The latest example is referring to how a "typical white person" is afraid of people who are different.Well... to some extent, all humans are more afraid of

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-68855124857134571442007-10-12T17:38:00.001-05:002008-03-22T12:35:16.698-05:00

What the heck is Congress thinking? Why do they bother with passing so many non-binding resolutions? I guess they give the illusion of accomplishing something without Congress having to worry about screwing anything up.Still, passing a resolution that states that the killing of over a million Armenians during World War I is officially "genocide" is kind of pointless and can only hurt relations

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-27710481233294809432007-09-18T12:25:00.000-05:002007-09-18T12:27:39.783-05:00

One of the many offensives in the war on terror should be the humor offensive. They nutjobs are so full of themselves that they must hate being mocked. They really, really want to be taken seriously. So while our military takes them seriously, and kills them, the rest of us should mercilessly mock them. IMAO is one brave warrior in the humor offensive (not to mention just downright offensive.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-27803606400531070162007-09-11T09:11:00.001-05:002007-09-11T09:13:36.554-05:00

I've recently started reading Classical Values. Go read this post about the successes we've had in Iraq. You won't read about this stuff in the mainsteam media, unfortunately, and the Bush Administration has done a terrible job of getting this information out.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-69065543700350886962007-09-11T08:10:00.000-05:002007-09-11T08:14:47.932-05:00

I was at work, walking by the front desk, when I first saw the attacks. A TV was mounted on the wall, showing either news or company propaganda. In this case, it was showing the attacks as they happened. By the time I got there, the first tower had been hit. I saw the second impact without realizing what it was. Soon, the IT department had set up the various conference room televisions and

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-88099090086332419762007-09-06T17:18:00.000-05:002007-09-11T08:22:56.720-05:00

Kathryn Jean Lopez writes about the case filed by the National Center for Men in Michigan. She calls this so-called "Roe v. Wade for Men" case "dispicable."While it does seem wrong for a man to declare that he is not responsible for his child, there is a great disparity in so-called reproductive rights in this country. As it currently stands, a woman who is pregnant can choose to have an

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-13424227963387494142007-09-06T10:37:00.001-05:002007-09-06T10:48:49.688-05:00

I've been reading Megan McArdle's blog for a while now, starting with her old "Live from the WTC" and Assymmetrical Information blogs. She recently left The Economist for The Atlantic and has moved her blog there. The Atlantic has a different demographic than her old blog and the Lefties have come out in force. While the comments are still interesting to read, the level of vitriol has increased

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-72919588935761444132007-09-06T09:07:00.000-05:002007-09-06T10:49:53.015-05:00

I just got my new registration sticker and it has the above motto printed on the back. Ironically, the back of the sticker is an opaque blue so I can't see the date from inside the car. The old sticker was translucent and I could easily see the date from inside the car.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-621125713850051342007-08-03T09:56:00.001-05:002007-09-06T11:00:32.863-05:00

One of the big items on the Democratic Party Agenda is energy independence. Yet, they are in a rush to punish domestic oil producers with high taxes and royalties. While it would be nice if alternative, clean, renewable energy sources could power the country and end our dependence on oil, the fact is that, barring nuclear power, there is nothing that can replace oil in the short term. We are

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-36104573981250904392007-05-02T09:37:00.001-05:002007-09-06T10:51:54.268-05:00

The comment period for posts on the Volokh Conspiracy is too short...In response to this post on the regulation of TV violence, what I'd really like to see is accurate descriptions of what is in the shows that will be shown on TV. I would like to decide what is appropriate for my children to watch. A single rating tells me nothing as my standards for what is appropriate for my own children will

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-15627023879132398832007-04-04T17:37:00.001-05:002007-09-06T12:20:55.775-05:00

So the Burlington Township High School holds a terrorist attack drill and who are the terrorists?Two Burlington Township police detectives portrayed the gunmen. Investigators described them as members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the "New Crusaders" who don't believe in separation of church and state. The mock gunmen went to the school seeking justice because the daughter of one

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-72946036612960180972007-04-04T08:33:00.001-05:002007-09-06T10:55:32.878-05:00

Apparently, the Danny Jackson Bark Park is closing. This is a great park in a great location. It's really unfortunate that it's being shut down. It's only been there for a couple of years and is already very popular. The land is owned by Metro and they need it back. There are other dog parks in the area, though.I'll update this with more information once I find it....

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-25039091300607030492007-03-28T13:50:00.001-05:002007-09-06T11:00:15.726-05:00

I'm not sure what the Constitutional implications are, but Fred Thompson has already served as President, Senator, CIA Director, and had a distinguished military career...

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-25197118909308534012007-02-09T08:03:00.001-06:002007-09-06T10:58:45.598-05:00

Today's Question of the Day on NewsRadio 740's website is somewhat ironic:Has media coverage of the astronaut love triangle and Anna Nicole&'s death been excessive?Though I guess it's not ironic if you think the answer is "No." Given that Anna Nicole just died, they haven't had time for excessive news coverage, but I'm sure they will more than make up for it in the days to come. The astronaut

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-56968920665209014892007-02-08T09:38:00.000-06:002007-09-06T10:59:44.719-05:00

I went to the store the other day and picked up something that was listed as costing $139. When I went to check out, though, the price was $179. When I pointed this out, I was told that there was a rebate. How annoying. The price tag probably did indicate that there was a rebate, but in very small print. Now I have to either give up my purchase or go through the ordeal of sending in the rebate

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-43064900739124458132007-01-19T16:42:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:02:18.190-05:00

Doonesbury once again gets it wrong. When I read this strip about the National Park Service not discussing the age of the Grand Canyon to avoid offending Creationists, I was suspicious. I looked at the web site for the Grand Canyon National Park, though, and didn't immediately find anything specifically showing the age of the Grand Canyon. But now, thanks to The Corner, I have learned that I was

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-91297852433974158452007-01-17T15:38:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:03:41.581-05:00

Given that general intelligence has been found to be one of the few good predictors of future job performance, it's ironic that the Civil Rights act forbids such testing unless it can be shown to be directly related to the job at hand. Given that general intelligence is not directly related to any job but is indirectly related to every job, that's kind of a stupid test. I understand that a wholly

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-49529187817506492532007-01-17T15:30:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:06:01.169-05:00

I love IKEA. They have good furniture at good prices and they have a wide selection. But more importantly, they have a great customer experience.  My kids love Smaland, their play area. My wife and I love that we can drop the kids off and shop freely. They have a restaurant with good food. We've gone several times recently where we arrived in the morning, ate breakfast, dropped the kids off at

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-8077760993077440072007-01-09T17:47:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:07:45.536-05:00

Why did SMU seek the Bush Library if the campus is so hostile to President Bush and his policies This makes it sound like "pro-Bush politics" is a disease:Mindful of reports that President Bush wants a conservative think tank with his presidential library, Southern Methodist University's top official is trying to allay concerns that pro-Bush politics might spread through campus.Watch out! You

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-22009935511044534892007-01-09T12:42:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:08:45.747-05:00

Nazanin killed her rapist. Now she is being tried for murder. She was already convicted once and sentenced to death by hanging. Now she goes to trial again. This is how the law is enforced in Iran. This is what the Muslim extremists want for all of us.Help save Nazinan.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-16284247363475306492007-01-05T11:02:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:10:17.379-05:00

My local newstalk radio station repeated the assertion that President Bush has assumed broad new powers to read mail at will and without a warrant. The story as read on the air had several inconsistencies. First of all, it completely failed to point out that the law was passed by Congress. The story continually stated that President Bush assumed the powers on his own. Second of all, towards the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-24150823024869496912007-01-05T08:28:00.001-06:002007-09-06T11:13:53.737-05:00

On January 2nd, the top two stories in the Energy section of the Houston Chronicle:Oil prices slip in quiet trading—Oil prices slipped in quiet trading today, turning lower on warmer than usual winter weather in the United States and expectations of an agreement between Russia and Belarus over natural gas prices.Oil prices rise slightly in quiet trading— Trading was expected to remain muted

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-36469888928603531842006-12-29T15:08:00.000-06:002007-09-06T11:21:57.041-05:00

Instapundit just read the Heinlein/Robinson book Variable Star and commented that it was not quite up to classic Heinlein standards. While that's probably true, it leaves a lot of room to still be better than later Heinlein works. He deteriorated as he got older and his writings turned into fantasies where older men cavorted with younger women in search of immortality. Having said that, I plan

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-52638249871717031822006-12-28T15:33:00.001-06:002007-09-06T18:06:58.425-05:00

The correct way to use guns:Two men were fatally wounded and two others taken into custody early Wednesday after homeowners in east Harris County opened fire on them during an attempted robbery, the sheriff's office said.The incorrect way to use guns:On New Year&'s Eve 1996, 7-year-old Mary Farmer finished her cup of holiday cheer — a mixture of sherbet and 7-Up — and wanted more.Her mom thought

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-38174936304949073672006-12-28T11:15:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:07:08.397-05:00

I guess killing babies is becoming more and more popular . I'm sure that Peter Singer will be happy to see that more people are discussing the idea of killing newborns with mental and/or physical handicaps. This has got to be a new low, though. I can sympathise with the idea of mercy killing a newborn with handicaps so severe that it will likely not live or will live only in pain or misery. I may

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-84808894069604030632006-12-28T08:32:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:09:09.866-05:00

It's too bad that President Ford's death is now tainted with the controversial Iraq War. His legacy and his Presidency should be remembered as they were. Unfortunately, Bob Woodward is releasing his interview with Ford now instead of waiting and letting him be honored for who he was. The interview will distract everyone and polarize opinion on Ford. He should have waited until his planned

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-48380160365731943302006-12-27T15:59:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:13:33.357-05:00

Apparently, the University of Texas is considering what to do about statues of Confederate figures on campus. Like it or not, these figures are part of our history. I don't like the idea of removing the statues or otherwise hiding our history. I do like the idea of putting up new statues of current figures, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Barbara Jordan, as UT is appparently

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-63415381429274356042006-12-22T14:27:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:16:35.055-05:00

I see two problems with this proposal to create a federal crime commission:1. It could start making "suggestions" and "recommendations" that end up being de facto rules because not following them could lead to liability questions if anything bad happens. This could lead to local police forces following rules created by a central committee that may or may not make sense for their local community.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-69587955510746654672006-12-19T09:22:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:19:22.108-05:00

If you live in Houston, check out the TSARP Interactive Mapping Tool for flood plain data and elevation of your property. The data is preliminary, but will become official on June 18th, 2007 according to the website. You can also check out the Flood Insurance Rate Maps. If you live outside the flood plain, you should still buy flood insurance. If you currently live outside the flood plain but

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-83361013667072687732006-12-17T01:40:00.000-06:002007-09-06T12:21:20.308-05:00

Time Magazine has chosen YOU (Americans, I gather from the article) as the Person of the Year. What a cop-out. The masses are always influential and important and etc... You could chose "You" every year. I would much rather have seen them pick two or three people and just admit that they couldn't come up with one person.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-36210056740652560092006-12-14T16:09:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:22:50.040-05:00

I'm sure that the millions of dollars that Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh is trying to bring back from his tour of various Arab states will all go to pay salaries for clerks and government bureaucrats. None of that money will go to buy weapons or fund terrorism. Hamas, of which Haniyeh is a senior member, is a peace-loving organization that is grossly misunderstood by the world.Maybe the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-30294971854278847782006-12-13T08:31:00.000-06:002007-09-06T12:26:34.137-05:00

If you use Automatic Updates in Windows XP, but would like to restart your computer when YOU want to, here's how you disable the automatic restart.In a nutshell, run "gpedit.msc" and go toLocal Computer Policy → Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update. Enable the "No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations" setting. Follow the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-14174087104472408692006-12-12T09:02:00.000-06:002007-09-06T12:28:11.973-05:00

I listen to Paul Harvey in the morning on the way to work (if I'm running a little late). This morning, he commented on Keith Ellison, the Black Muslim Democrat Congressman from Minnesota. His comment was that Keith Ellison is going to be sworn in using his Koran, "the Muslim Bible," rather than "our" Bible. I guess Paul Harvey's audience is all Christian...There are lots of things to criticize

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-39571428147361353862006-12-08T08:47:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:29:52.493-05:00

I had some problems with email posts from gmail. I tried sending plain text so that I could manually type in my html but that didn't work. Somewhere between gmail and blogger (both part of Google), the "plain text" got interpreted. It turns out, though, that I can send formated text using gmail and it arrives properly formated with working links.Unfortunately, the email posting system doesn't

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-38136879892300067252006-12-08T08:41:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:32:44.089-05:00

I've been sick recently and was looking for a lozenge that contained zinc to help stave off a cold. The first one I found was Cold-Eeze. The box prominently says that it contains Zinc Gluconate Glycine. According to the FDA required label, each lozenge contains 13.3 mg of Ionic Zinc. Here are the ingredients:Active ingredient: 13.3mg of Ionic Zinc from Zincum Gluconicum 2X (104 mg zinc

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-75358586421762271502006-12-07T19:43:00.000-06:002007-09-06T12:33:36.370-05:00

A caller to the Hugh Hewitt show made an interesting comparison toinight. He compared diplomats who continue to want to negotiate and talk to Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc... to battered spouses. In spite of getting lied to, betrayed, attacked, etc... they are convinced that if they can only say the right thing or do the right thing, the violence will stop and everything will be fine. Of

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-10234535388421488232006-12-07T11:13:00.000-06:002007-09-06T12:34:11.021-05:00

The Houston Police Department is under fire for using tasers on too many black people. The solution? A moratorium on the use of tasers. I guess it's better for the police to shoot black people rather than use a taser on them. Unfortunately, something like a taser will get used more because it isn't lethal and using it will have fewer consequences than using a gun. However, the solution to

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-21956771678171958772006-12-07T11:09:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:34:49.932-05:00

If you drive in Houston, watch out for speed traps along US-59 North between 610 and Beltway 8.  I've seen up to four police cars waiting to catch speeders. This is the side without much traffic, so I'm not sure why they are bothering. I guess it's easier to catch speeders where there is less traffic...

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-88172558846067105172006-12-07T11:01:00.001-06:002007-09-06T12:35:49.983-05:00

AT&T claims that someone comes back to them every 11 seconds. So... that means that people leave AT&T and return only when they realize that the other guy is worse? That's not much of an endorsement.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1153858649005906062006-07-25T15:17:00.000-05:002007-09-06T12:36:31.745-05:00

This study shows no correlation between scholarly productivity and/or influence and teaching effectiveness in law school professors. So this means that law schools should not consider scholarly productivity or influence when making decisions to hire or fire professors. Their effectiveness as a teacher doesn't depend at all on their scholarly output. I bet that they ignore this aspect of this

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152733864171037102006-07-12T14:51:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:26:46.819-05:00

The usual Fark Moonbats come out to play. While I'm not going to claim that Israel is beyond criticism or always in the right, they have hardly been engaged in ethnic cleansing. They have attacked and killed terrorists and have injured and killed bystanders in some of these attacks. They have hardly been engaged in wholesale slaughter of Palestinians. They may be guilty of racism,

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152722088212113902006-07-12T11:34:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:27:39.877-05:00

While there is plenty of room for technology to improve medicine, the example in this article is not representative. Ten years ago, I knew a radiologist who read x-rays over an ISDN line from his house in the boonies. Today, my sister-in-law can look up my son's x-rays on the hospital network. My chart is online so that any specialists in the organization can view it. Medicine has embraced

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152664231793548822006-07-11T19:30:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:35:20.515-05:00

Oh, great... let's freak people out by making them thinkg that someone is outside their door AND block the use of their peephole for security. And you thought the peephole was to help you identify people ringing your doorbell. Wrong! It's another vehicle for advertisements.I can't wait to see who else decides to do this.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152641932585588072006-07-11T13:18:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:39:05.940-05:00

What to do with sex offenders after they've served their time? I believe that sex offenders are very likely to repeat their crimes if they have the opportunity. I have no problem with placeing restrictions on them after they get out of jail. I have two problems, though, with current implementations:1. Registered sex offenders range from vicious pedophiles who rape children to young adults who

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152568506853919052006-07-10T16:55:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:43:08.911-05:00

This guy inadvertantly ebmarrassed his boss, who had a real Egyptian sarcophagus in his office. The article is about how to recover from such incidents, implying that the employee who made the slip has screwed up. In this particular case, I have a hard time feeling bad for the boss. Keeping such treasures hidden away in offices is a shame. They should be in museums and/or studied by

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152224850391203532006-07-06T17:27:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:48:19.492-05:00

Unlike with abortion, the top courts have ruled that state legislatures can define marriage. Hopefully this trend will continue and states will be allowed to pass laws defining marriage in each state. This will allow the debate to continue and the nation to eventually reach some sort of consensus.Unfortunately, the abortion debate was hindered by Roe V. Wade which created a Constitutional Right

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152224276743834462006-07-06T17:17:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:52:35.267-05:00

Andrea Yates was insane when she drowned her children. I know this simply because SHE DROWNED HER CHILDREN. I realize that the legal definition of "insane" and the vernacular definition are not the same. But I don't see how anyone who DROWNED HER CHILDREN can be sane in any sense.I have children. It's difficult for me to imagine drowning them. I have trouble leaving them somewhere where they

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1152223850998134022006-07-06T17:10:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:55:10.052-05:00

These people are insane. While they glorify war and killing and death, everyone else is hoping for an end to killing and bloodshet. People who dress their babies in military-style clothes and look forward to when they can fight are insane.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1150812251932312652006-06-20T08:35:00.000-05:002007-09-06T17:57:54.912-05:00

According to the Texas Lottery Commission, the lottery has given $8 billion dollars to the Foundation School Fund to support public education in Texas. Wow, that's $1 billion dollars a year.In 2005, the Lottery took in $3.6 billion dollars and paid out $2.3 billion in prizes. So it looks like they do pay most of their take on public education.That's great, but... the total education budget for

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1150665333752671882006-06-18T16:15:00.000-05:002007-09-06T18:00:09.798-05:00

This NAFTA Superhighway sounds like a good deal. Bypassing unions may bring prices down and force some union members to get productive jobs. The only real problem I have with it is that I'd rather see a Super Railway with trains carrying the goods. It's a lot more efficient to load up a huge train for a long trip than to send thousands of little trucks, each with an individual driver. Maybe

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1150318790555598082006-06-14T15:59:00.000-05:002007-09-06T18:01:17.594-05:00

This guy poses an interesting question. I'm not sure what the answer should be. In our system, both options are not good. Releasing a known, repeat offendor will very likely result in more offenses. Jailing the guy for life, though, seems pretty harsh considering that he saved a child from abuse, likely saving that child and other children's lives.Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1150147238434042912006-06-12T16:20:00.001-05:002008-04-02T12:41:55.393-05:00

Obviously, something went wrong in Haditha, Iraq, or as many as 24 civilians and a US Marine wouldn't be dead. Many others have commented on the story, so I won't go into it all. I just wanted to add a personal observation. According to some of the witnesses, the soldiers ignored please from civilians to stop shooting.When I played high school football, I was barefly aware of the sidelines,

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1150065663230467462006-06-11T17:41:00.000-05:002006-06-11T17:41:04.820-05:00

For once, I'm agreeing with the monopolists. For a long time, the RIAA has been foisting on us the "license" model of music ownership, where you own a license to listen to a song. Under that model, Apple iTunes is selling licneses to listen to music on an iPod. The Europeans, being good socialists, are looking into using State power to take this license from Apple and forcibly alter/eliminate

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1149776804762157262006-06-08T09:26:00.000-05:002006-06-08T09:26:44.846-05:00

Before reading this article, I thought these cities must be run by retards to sue the people who give them tourism business. The fact that online booking accounts for as much as 70% of tourists, suing them seems kind of foolish.On the other hand, charging tax on the full price, then paying tax only on the discounted price seems dishonest to me. It may even be fraud.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1149610895721024022006-06-06T11:21:00.000-05:002006-06-06T11:21:35.723-05:00

It seems that wildlife is making a comeback in our nation's suburbs. While it's nice to see that urban sprawl is not driving all wildlife into extinction it is causing problems. Even prey animals can be dangerous to ignorant humans who think they are domesticated. I'm not sure how to build nice suburbs with lots of trees and parks and keep the animals out without having park rangers hunt them

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1149609829912199682006-06-06T11:03:00.000-05:002006-06-06T11:25:07.423-05:00

I'm stunned at how much storm damage is left nine months after Katrina. The Federal and/or State and/or City governments should just buy up all the land, demolish everything on it and then sell it off to the highest bidder. Or maybe just buy it and sell it off in lots with the junk in place but put give the buyer a deadline to clean it up.As it is, there are a lot of little lots owned by

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1148998405336191592006-05-30T09:13:00.000-05:002006-05-30T09:13:25.386-05:00

Google likes to decorate their home page for various holidays. I guess Memorial Day is too obscure to be worth decorationg for. Reading the comments on Fark.com, I guess a lot of Americans consider Memorial Day to be obscure and/or not worth celebrating.I guess World Water Day and Leonardo da Vinci's Birthday are more important than a day set aside to honor all veterans who have died in service

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1148744145968903112006-05-27T10:35:00.000-05:002006-05-27T10:35:46.026-05:00

This kind of thing just makes me sad. I, personally, do not like abortions. I would like to see them happen very infrequently. However, I am against making them illegal. I am also FOR eliminating the dangers associated with sex as much as possible, making contraception readily available, and educating teens (and younger, if necessary) about all aspects of sex.These idiots who oppose the HPV

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1148654019013141092006-05-26T09:33:00.000-05:002006-05-26T09:51:37.210-05:00

George Galloway sure is trying to find out. He has always been an enemy of the UK and a firm ally of the extremist Muslim terrorists. I don't understand how he is still an elected official. Has he not come up for reelection since he went totally bat-farking insane? Or is his district full of Muslim terrorists?

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1148597984403169222006-05-25T17:59:00.000-05:002006-05-25T17:59:44.456-05:00

Rather, the beginning of the start of the planning for the construction of a test fusion reactor is imminent or will be soon.These guys have been messing around with fusion research for so long I seriously doubt they want to succeed. I believe that generations of physicists have figured out that they can milk the fusion research cow for funding as long as they make progress but never finish. I

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1148596698865799132006-05-25T17:38:00.000-05:002006-05-26T09:52:03.943-05:00

The police in Gloucester rectrieved a five foot Batleth from a local residence.Thank God! The owner of that thing obviously planned on using it in public. Something like that would just slip into a pocket only to be whipped out and used. Actually, the owner was probably a Star Trek Fan who kept it on his wall or something. I seriously doubt it would ever be used in a crime.Looking at the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1144085695463682902006-04-03T12:26:00.000-05:002006-04-03T12:34:55.530-05:00

If you are a Yale Alumni, do not give to Yale.If you are a high school student looking at Universities, do not apply to Yale.If you are a corporation or other entity looking for interns, employees, or a University to support or sponsor, do not look at Yale.Instead, write to Yale President Richard Levin and ask him to expel Taliban official Sayed Rahmatullah. Ask them to consider instead one of

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1144082244360867262006-04-03T11:25:00.000-05:002006-04-03T11:37:25.016-05:00

I've heard all the usual justifications for daylight saving time and I saw Bah! Any of them could be achieved by changing the relevant schedules and leaving the clocks alone. There's no need to change the time that EVERYONE does EVERYTHING.Daylight Saving Time has a cost. Aside from the simple cost of programming and scheduling involved in accounting for changing clocks, there is a cost in

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1143490430985702692006-03-27T14:10:00.000-06:002006-03-27T14:13:51.003-06:00

This kind of thing (the "reverse" discrimination described in the article) is a win for "affirmative action", isn't it? The whole point of affirmative action is to give an underrepresented minority the help it needs to compete. Supposedly, oppressed minorities lack the role models and visible signs that they can succeed. So by giving members of those groups a slight advantage, they gain the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1143489411024626002006-03-27T13:52:00.000-06:002006-03-27T13:56:51.036-06:00

It turns out that Ben Domenech is guilty of multiple counts of plagiarism. The blogswarm that descended upon him found these incidences and published them for all to read. While I am not going to try to argue that plagiarism is okay or even a trivial matter, I am curious what the result would be if ideologically motivated blogswarms were to go after other writers looking for signs of

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1141077953571158212006-02-27T16:00:00.000-06:002006-02-27T16:05:53.590-06:00

Pediatricians often ask parents if they have guns. Mine did. Why? I did a quick look at child mortality statistics and have concluded that the reason is political, not health related.The Childstats.gov website has collected some child mortality statistics. The following is based on the two spreadsheets at the bottom.First of all, children just don't die of many things.For children age 1-4,

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1141063465937226892006-02-27T11:48:00.000-06:002006-02-27T12:04:26.876-06:00

This explains a lot. This message needs to be spread far and wide. Fred Phelps needs help. He is obviously in a lot of pain and needs to come out and admit to himself why he is hurting. Only then can he truly be happy.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1140718146941940192006-02-23T12:03:00.000-06:002006-02-23T12:09:06.960-06:00

Okay, while I'm generally against censorship and revising history, I really don't care whether the picture on the back of Goodnight Moon shows the author smoking or not. Presumably there were times when he did not have a cigarette in his hand, so removing the cigarette isn't exactly creating a false reality.To compare this act of a private company presumably pandering to its customer base to

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1140039330446203672006-02-15T15:30:00.000-06:002006-02-15T15:35:30.456-06:00

If Al Gore wants to criticise the President, fine. I expect nothing else from him. But I'd much rather he do it here, in America, where he would be talking to potential voters and citizens of the United States, the people that the President represents and is responsible to.I don't like that he's in Saudi Arabia delivering a speech to Saudis criticising the President for how he treats Arabs.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1139246334731385712006-02-06T11:12:00.000-06:002006-02-06T11:18:57.823-06:00

Intelligent Design is not science and there is no debate between Intelligent Design and evolution or the Big Bang or any other scientific theory.A scientific theory describes a physical process. Theories of evolution or the Big Bang describe how something happens. To be considered scientific, a theory must be observable and falsifiable. In other words, a scientific theory must have some way to

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1137780453753653262006-01-20T12:01:00.000-06:002006-01-20T12:07:34.073-06:00

I have a question for anyone who finds that they agree with Mr. Fish and his little cartoon.1. How long as the United States had nuclear weapons? (around 50 years)2. How many wars has the United States been involved in during that time (officially or unoffocially)?3. How many Presidents have been selfish, greedy bastards who care only for their own power, wealth, etc...?4. How many times has the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1136561968890749652006-01-06T09:14:00.000-06:002006-01-06T09:39:28.943-06:00

I just started the Atkins Diet, again. My BMI is currently 41.5, which I find surprising because I am not hugely obese. I'm certainly not thin and my gut is larger than it should be, but I can run and jump and wear normal clothes, though I'm just barely able to buy clothes without going to a big and tall store.My ideal weight would put me at a BMI of 26.7 while my current target weight would

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1136485019166153532006-01-05T12:06:00.000-06:002006-01-05T12:16:59.216-06:00

Read this article by Mark Steyn on the next 30 years and the coming (and currently going on) cultural clash between the modern, liberal, democratic West and the medieval, despotic, theocratic Middle East.I don't have anything to say that he didn't say better (and at greater length).Link found via James Lileks.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1135876612915893312005-12-29T11:10:00.000-06:002005-12-29T11:16:52.916-06:00

I recently traveled to visit my in-laws. We flew on one of the new Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. It was like flying in a 3/4 scale model of a real airplane. I'm about six feet tall and bumped my head on the ceiling. I could almost reach out and touch both windows. The overhead bins are big enough for a large purse or backpack, maybe, but not your typical carry-on bag. The seats were about

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1135876213532446242005-12-29T11:06:00.000-06:002005-12-29T11:10:13.543-06:00

James Lileks recounts his tale of Christmas disasters. I avoid them simply by not doing anything for Christmas. We traveled by plane to the in-laws and spent Christmas there. Thus we did not decorate the house or throw a Christmas party. We always intend to send out Christmas cards each year, but never do. At least we avoid the possibility of screwing them up that way.Christmas is a lot more

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1134138898138086592005-12-09T08:28:00.000-06:002005-12-09T08:35:22.560-06:00

I have never had much respect for the UN. Well, that's not exactly true. As a child, I had the naive belief that the UN was some sort of nascent World Government with the good of all people at heart.Hah hah hah hah hah...Excuse me while I get back up off the floor.While I have trouble sympathizing with the Palestinian cause, I do realize that they have been victims of injustice to some extent.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1133980658564722962005-12-07T12:26:00.000-06:002005-12-07T12:37:38.613-06:00

The problem with this poll is that the words used mean different things to different people.The first and biggest problem is the definition of "torture." Many anti-torture advocates have included stuff that I wouldn't consider "torture", such as sleep deprivation and being yelled at. People answering the question may not have been thinking of ripping out fingernails or electrocuting testicles.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1133363706448930142005-11-30T08:53:00.000-06:002005-11-30T09:15:06.516-06:00

The results of this poll on how we are doing in Iraq are particularly interesting in light of this article on how experts fare at predicting outcomes as compared to novices.The general public and the military are both optimistic about Iraq while the "experts" seem to be much more pessimistic.Only time will tell who is right, of course, but I would tend to trust the military over the press on this

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1133362059961477892005-11-30T08:39:00.000-06:002005-11-30T08:47:39.973-06:00

I noticed the following on the Doonesbury page:Say What?"The Democratic Party seems to be taken over by the Michael Moore contingent in their attitude toward Vietnam, and they continually call for a withdrawal of troops at a time when we haven't finished the job."-- Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, while commenting on Fox NewsI'm not sure what the point of this is. I would have assumed that the title

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1132328152540193412005-11-18T09:19:00.000-06:002005-11-18T09:35:52.590-06:00

This kind of thing always boggles my mind. While I did vote for Bush over Kerry, I do not consider myself a Bush supporter nor do I think he's all that great of a President. I just think Kerry would have been worse.Having said that, let's look at these results...Weaseliest OrganizationWhile I don't necessarily agree with this list, at least it's not stupid. I'd put Congress over anyone else (

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1128434584759214122005-10-04T08:59:00.000-05:002005-10-04T09:03:04.766-05:00

I just posted a comment to this post on the hazards of using shale oil as a replacement for "real" oil.In short, I do not disagree with any of the issues brought up. I do, however, disagree with the conclusion that the difficulties will be a problem when we need shale oil. Basically, if we get to the point where we must use shale oil to keep our economy going, someone will figure out a very

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1127918696524425072005-09-28T09:33:00.000-05:002005-09-28T09:44:56.543-05:00

I really don't know why I bother. While waiting for today's Doonesbury to load, I noticed the mudline scrolling by. That loaded, at least. There were three items:Karl Rove: "Cindy Sheehan is a clown. There is no real anti-war movement. No serious politician, with anything to do with anything, would show his face at an anti-war rally."I'm not sure if he means to make fun of Karl Rove or Cindy

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1125605006105794982005-09-01T14:55:00.000-05:002005-09-01T15:03:26.110-05:00

Fox News reporter Greta Van Susteren asks "Who is most responsible to help the hurrican victims?"The four possible answers are:The federal governmentFaith based organizationsA and BPrivate citizen secular contributionsA, B and DAside from the questionable grammar and inconsistent use of letters to label the choices, the answers leave out an important party.The victims.I'm not saying that others

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1124467783551824122005-08-19T09:17:00.000-05:002005-08-19T11:09:43.600-05:00

I keep hearing about how people with a certain level of education do this or say that or believe (or don't believe) this. I assume that I'm supposed to assume that they are smarter because they have a better education. Or at least that they can make more informed decisions.Having a Master's degree myself and knowing many people with advanced degrees, I'm not so sure that a degree by itself

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1124383793667904352005-08-18T11:48:00.000-05:002005-10-10T10:24:03.893-05:00

While I have no problem with a "shoot-to-kill" policy when it comes to police using deadly force, it appears that such force may not have been warranted in this case. Any use of deadly force, especially by the police, should be the last option and even then, only when not using deadly force could endanger lives.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1124383519425635832005-08-18T11:40:00.000-05:002005-08-18T11:45:19.436-05:00

What is the difference between boneless buffalo wings and chicken nuggets with buffalo sauce?

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1124382178725534782005-08-18T11:22:00.000-05:002005-08-18T11:23:25.233-05:00

The eskimos supposedly have dozens, if not hundreds, of words for snow. I was curious how many words for snow we have in English.I find on a skiing website that we have 5 words for snow as precipitation (snow crystals, snowflakes, rime, graupel, and hail). It also lists 5 types of snow on the ground (powder, crud, crust, slush, and ice). That's not so many...We also have names for the

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1123254964846595242005-08-05T08:23:00.000-05:002005-08-05T10:16:04.916-05:00

I sure hope that the Kansas school board sees the error of their ways and adds Flying Spaghetti Monsterism to their curriculum along with "Inteligent Design" and evolution. For too long we have been marginalized and treated with scorn (or ignored completely).I don't see any reason why Flying Spaghetti Monsterism's theory of creation is any less legitimate than Creationism or Intelligent Design

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122991215986518132005-08-02T08:47:00.000-05:002005-08-02T09:00:15.993-05:00

I do not want my doctor to be "in charge" of my medical care. I want my doctor to help me figure what I need to do and/or who needs to do it. I am in charge of my medical care. I should be able to choose what I want and don't want done, assuming that I'm making an informed decision.This article on novelty ultrasounds does bring up some good points. A novelty ultrasound by a non-doctor or

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122908564056415312005-08-01T09:37:00.000-05:002005-08-01T10:02:44.143-05:00

The United States has come under fire recently for not giving enough aid to other countries. My first thought is, "So?" The United States is under no obligation to give anyone anything. The United States government is obligated to govern and protect the country. Giving foreign aid isn't necessarily part of the federal government's job description. Charity is not charity if it's forced. Not

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122905583710239252005-08-01T09:10:00.000-05:002005-08-01T09:13:03.716-05:00

The police in Lutan will remove their shoes before raiding the houses of Muslim terror suspects. I doubt that an innocent Muslim will be overly concerned with whether the police raiding party was wearing shoes. A terrorist, on the other hand, now knows to scatter broken glass or other nasty, sharp substance on the floor of his house. And coat it with poison, disease, or feces.

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122299289327584752005-07-25T08:47:00.000-05:002005-07-25T08:49:42.386-05:00

This is news?I want the two minutes it took me to read the article back. What a waste. Who cares? Does this reporter really believe that the clothes worn by Roberts and his family matter?

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122298314533305382005-07-25T08:27:00.000-05:002005-07-25T08:31:54.540-05:00

What the heck is he smoking? He needs to stick to writing the Prairie Home Companion. His political writing is incoherent. Actually, that piece is an insult to incoherence. I'm aware of all the talking points that he's referring to (Rove revealed a secret agent's secret identity and Wilson discovered that Iraq was never interested in uranium) and I still can't figure out what he's talking

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122040711483287562005-07-22T08:45:00.000-05:002005-07-22T08:58:31.490-05:00

I hope that the London Police have a "shoot to kill" policy. If they are shooting at someone, they should be shooting to kill. Shooting at someone "to wound them" is a good way to get yourself killed.If the London Police are shooting at someone, I hope that the person they are shooting at has done something to warrant being killed, otherwise the police should use nonlethal methods to apprehend

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1122039661559664522005-07-22T08:26:00.000-05:002005-07-22T08:41:01.566-05:00

I generally agree with just about everything James Lileks has to say. I agree with his statement that we should not nuke Mecca no matter what the terrorists do.I do not agree, though, with his analogy of nuking Mecca in response to terrorism being the same as nuking the Vatican in response to the pedophila scandal in Boston. The big difference is that terrorism seems to be closely tied with

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889963.post-1121178782242847232005-07-12T09:32:00.000-05:002005-07-12T09:33:02.250-05:00

I find myself drawn to Doonesbury. I actually find it entertaining even though the politics are moronic. Garry Trudeau apparently lives in a different world than I do.Last Sunday's strip is a classic example. The characters sit around wondering if people realize how wide spread the effects of the war are. The implication being that the cost is too high. Oh, and he throws in that Bush doesn't

Earnest Iconoclasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420309852205838931noreply@blogger.com0