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Can God Make a Rock So Big He Can't Move It?

Just stumbled over this one again -- it's an old question, but it trips a lot of people up, so...

Democrats Begin to Simulate Abortion Concern

Exactly how many ways does this Howard Dean statement not make sense? "I want to reach out to people who...

Intelligent Design as Pseudoscience

A few thoughts this morning on "intelligent design" -- not something I normally venture into discussing in this space. Intelligent...

Lost People

The number of people I encounter who are coming uncoupled from reality is alarming me. I have no idea if...

Product Review: iRock FM Transmitter

I'd started MP3-ifying my CD collection back in the 90s, before the MP3 craze really took off. So when I...

Capitalism is the most environmentally friendly economic system?

Or: "How to deceive about an important subject..." The left cracks me up. I remain open-minded, but when I read...

Social Studies: Your Tax Dollar at Work

Students write letters to soldiers all the time. Even if you don't agree with this particular conflict, you can at...

Giving Credit Where Due: Rocketman Apology

We all do stupid stuff. Sometimes we lose our cool. It's not right: Just because we all screw up doesn't...

"I Didn't Mean to Hurt You"

"How could you??" she screamed, crying and quaking with rage. "How could you??!?" She threw the pictures down on the...

What's Wrong with Anti-Trust Laws?

As a recovering "centrist" who still harbors definite left-leaning tendencies, one of the more "leftist" ideas I believe in is...

Conspiracies Within Conspiracies

History repeats. Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey, regarding Rathergate: Now, I mean, I have my own beliefs about how that happened:...

Noam Chomsky and the Liberal Tissues of Lies

At one time, I admired Noam Chomsky. I had absorbed this attitude, unquestioningly, through my college education. I at first...

Quixtar/Amway and God: Open Forum

One of the odd things about Quixtar is the way it attempts to conscript religion or religous arguments into selling...

Speech is Censorship!

Regarding Eason Jordan, Baldilocks quips, pithily: Observe as a new meme is born: the right-wing blogger as First Amendment antagonist....

Cluessless About Marriage

One of the arguments brought to bear regarding gay marriage is that marriage a private affair. Glenn Reynolds today expressed...

Pick Your Ethnicity!

Leftists are so weird. Tonight I heard a woman claim that it wasn't any of our business whether Ward Churchill...

Must! Find! Gay! Gene!

The BBC reports a new studies proves that homosexuality is a genetic trait residing in a combination of genes! Or does it?

"Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor"

We are often told about some policy "widening the gap between rich and poor." We are told this is evidence...

Wacky Packs Are Back

Indulge me while I take a somewhat twisted walk down memory lane...

Why Politics Works the Way It Does

A grand unified theory of political behavior which answers a nagging question that's been bothering me lately...

The "Pentagon Strike" Video & "9-11 Research"

Recently someone mailed me a link to a Flash presentation called "Pentagon Strike" which purported to show that no 757 ever hit the Pentagon...

Ward Churchill: Big Money in Leftism!

You won't believe how much Ward Churchill -- who just called the 9/11 victims 'little Eichmanns' -- makes each year. Or maybe you will.

Liberal Logic Loop

I've noticed this recurring pattern when debating with liberals: Liberal: Your policies are evil. Conservative: No, actually, yours hurt people....

Those Anti-Eco Christians: The Virus Spreads

I thought about writing about this last week, but hoped the whole thing would go away. I hoped common sense...

Iraqi Election Thoughts

It wasn't going to happen. Bush was never going to hand over governing power. It would never happen. It was...

European Relations under Bush and the Neocons

The following is from an article about how a shadowy group of elite advisors in the US have led our...

Blue State "Generosity", Red State Divorce Rate

Two popular leftist tropes... First allegation: "Blue" states (Kerry-voting states) paid more taxes, "red" states received more of the benefits....

Love Your Enemies?

"I play with them and then I smash them." "I will not enage them." "To get that close to that...

Europeans Ignorant about EU Constitution

According to the BBC: Nine out of 10 European Union citizens know little or nothing about the new EU constitution,...

Tsunami a "Wonderful Opportunity"

I'm listening to Air America right now. The meme is that Condi is incredibly dishonest, and Barbara Boxer is an...

Adolf Hitler: Christian

Yeah, right! More evidence from John Ray that Hitler was not a Christian "believer", but simply attempted to re-purpose Christian...

Doing What's Good for (Abortion) Business

Want a chastity belt? An Pennsylvania abortion-rights group demands the state legislature provide them for free. No kidding!

NCC: Human Rights Not Universal

Leftist front group National Council of Churches (NCC) is apparently doing it's best to makes sure young people don't end up improving the world...

Leftist Myth Du Jour: Bush & Phramaceutical Profits

Listening to Medved, a leftist asserts that one of the biggest money-makers these past years have been the pharmaceutical industry...

Socialized Medicine vs the Tsunami

What has killed more people? The recent tsunami in Asia, or one year of socialized medice in the UK? The answer may suprise you.

The State versus God

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel demand that God should give them a king, rather than the prophet Samuel. Modern reflections on an ancient passage.

I'm a Rich Englishman!

Or so I've just learned. A left-leaning critic I enjoy corresponding with writes: I think I understand who you are...

IL Churches Must Hire Homosexuals

Well, guess what? It's another installment in our continuing drama: "Protecting homosexual behavior trumps the First Amendment." Be sure to tune in for next week's installment: "Homosexual male church daycare workers mandated by law."

Nazi School Prayers

"Positive" atheists make the claim the Nazis mandated school prayer -- and seemingly indict American Christians in doing so. But does the historical evidence support their point?

Noonan: "Mission Inebriation"

Peggy Noonan apparently believes idealism is fine for dead liberals, but wrong for living conservatives.

Minority Companies Hurt Themselves

In "The Economics of Discrimination" I pointed out that companies which engage in discrimination automatically penalize themselves by doing so....

Homosexuality and Freedom of Speech

I have written here and here my thesis that the main "point" or effect of making homosexuality a protected category...

Dr. Landsea Leaves the IPCC

A scientist steps down from an international climate change panel. The reason? They're deliberately being dishonest about global warming evidence...

Inside the Mind of Krugman

Sometimes, you just stumble across a gem that unintentionally speaks volumes about it's author. Today's example comes from Paul Krugman:...

Separation of Church and State

Happened to hear a few moments of today's "Michael Medved" show. The topic was Bush's inauguration, and a caller, "Chuck",...

French Tsunami Coverage

Unliked the BBC, the French press provides positive coverage to the US tsunami relief effort. That's a shock! Or is it? Instead, I believe there's another, hidden, and typically French motive behind the French media's sudden about-face...

Windshield Wiper Horrors

I drive a late-90's Pontiac Firebird. White. T-Top, with ultra-wide tires. Stick. Quite a lot of fun in good conditions....

"Unconstitutional" and "Un-American"

Appropros the most recent Michael Newdow Attempt To Be An Important Person-In-The-Spotlight... When everyday people like you are told something...

Tsunami Enviro-Hypocrisy

Dig the "it's-all-about-me" attitude expressed here... Many believe the tsunami that devastated this tourist hotspot and killed thousands had...

Homoeroticization

He and I used to walk around the Central West End together -- home to many gay bars -- talking....

Gaia's Deeper Purpose

Among others, Michael Crichton has postulated that environmentalism is a proxy religion for secular humanists who reject the JudeoChristian metaphysic....

Metablogging Notes

Sorry for the infrequent, long, and ranty articles lately. I'm not begging or pandering for readership -- if I were, you'd see more scantly-clad girly pictures here.

Christmas's Pagan Origins?

A number of people have argued that the December 25th date for Christmas has pagan origins. But it looks like...

EU Environmental Insanity

In 2000, Scotland implemented a clever scheme which would both be environmentally friendly and generate useful byproducts. The EU, it turns out, will have none of it. Worse, the final outcome is nothing less than insane.

The Polar Express: One Christian's Take

Saw Polar Express this afternoon. Technically, not bad. Theologically, far from Christian. Or at least, that's how I saw it.

Quixtar: Fake Capitalism

Recent, we're seeing a new trend in Quixtar discussion on this blog -- a trend which harkens back to the...

The Pretenders

Perhaps the left is something quite different than I'd imagined -- perhaps it's just the tip of an historical iceberg.

Anthony Flew's 'Conversion'

I originally wrote about this subject much closer to the news itself -- that Flew, a llifelong defender of atheism,...

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Professional Sucks

I'm using Macromedia Flash. And I'm extremely unhappy about that. I rant at you. As if you cared.

Air Marshals: Making the Skies... Dressier

In the business world, I learned that marketing copy would be of higher quality if it were written while wearing...

The UN: What is it all about?

The New Yorker: Just before Thanksgiving, John Danforth, the United States Ambassador to the U.N., expressed his frustration with the...

Crime Notes: UK and US

Stories of crime and punishment from at home and abroad, united by a common ironic theme.

Review: John Carpenter's "They Live"

A long review of John Carpenter's late-80s movie about aliens. Or is it Republicans? Or is it really about himself?

Rumsfeld in Kuwait: Hearing Part of the Story

Rumsfeld blows off important questions from the troops. Or does he? The media spins the story, and some parts of the blogosphere fall for it.

UCC Ad Misleads About Race

If you've been paying attention, you've heard the flap about the United Church of Christ ad rejected by several TV neworks as being too controversial. It's also contrary to the facts.

Spong attacks John Stott

John Shelby Spong, perhaps apoplectic that a single orthodox Christian received a tiny bit of positive media coverage, takes it...

O'Reilly: Crypto-Liberal?

I've argued before that O'Reilly is note actually a conservative. And this thought from "Rightwingsparkle" raises the question again: I...

How to Create a Violent Society, Part 2

Theodore Dalrymple: Intellectuals propounded the idea that man should be freed from the shackles of social convention and self-control, and...

Interpol Crime Data Lockdown!

It makes the France, Germany, the UK and Canada look bad. It makes the US look good. You paid for it. But you can't read it anymore. What's going on?

Injected Food

I'm visiting my mom. She's in her 60's. She seems to have picked up a new term lately: mainline. I...

Another Living Liberal Caricature

Been a bit behind on keeping caught up with other blogs, but noticed that last month Deb had attracted a...

Al Franken: "Racist"

I just caught onto the Al Franken/David Horowitz fight. Seems Al called one too many conservatives "racist", as usual without any justification. Unlike so many others, Horowitz didn't take it lying down...

Bono & Jesus

I was a U2 fan way back before they were hugely popular. I liked their message of faith and peace in the face of the the Irish conflict. Sadly, Bono seems have gone over to the dark side lately...

DU Discusses Latest Stem Cell Advances

Okay, it may be a cheap shot to even quote Democratic Underground -- it makes the liberal position look rather...

Yet Another Non-Embryonic Stem Cell 'Miracle'

If John Kerry was elected, Christopher Reeve would be walking today! Or soon! Or something! These miracles are ONLY possible with embryonic stem cells, right? Ach, you poor sheep...

Liberalism and the Bible

The philosophy of liberalism, by which I mean claiming to always be "for the little guy" or underdog, is utterly...

Useless Citizens of Heaven

Garrison Keillor: I am now the chairman of a national campaign to pass a constitutional amendment to take the right...

Abortion: Deceptive Labels

Previously, when discussion abortion, I've always used the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" -- being fair, I figured, by given each...

Becoming a Two-Party Man

Until this election, I'd never voted for a Republican for President. So I'm not much of a stalwart conservative, at...

Another Leftist Motivation: Being in the Center

The latest bit of evidence in my ongoing question to understand leftism: The psychiatrist Hadassah Brooks Morgan says that John...

Thanksgiving for Atheists?

Here in the United States, the time again draws near in which we celebrate Thanksgiving. Frankly, this is one area...

Why 'Inalienable' Matters

Lileks: Later I was talking with an architect, who described how housing is a right in Europe, unlike America, where...

Barcelona: A Re-Review

During the mid-90s, I watched the film Barcelona with a friend. Loved it. The film was set even earlier --...

Smokin': Lefty Lunacy

I think the left has utterly lost it. Or at least a much-too-sizable contingent. Yesterday, while waiting in line at...

Religious Conviction Not A Function of Intelligence

Burgess-Jackson: In my discipline, philosophy, there are as many theists as there are atheists... but if the hypothesis of [theist] stupidity is correct, shouldn’t the ratio be extraordinarily high in a field such as philosophy, which attracts people of such impressive intelligence?

Europe Has Its Stereotypes Wrong

Three thousand Americans killed in a single day by Muslim extremists. As the nation descends into economic shock and air...

Red State/Blue State Secession Nonsense

Other than suggesting a trade for Alberta (mostly in jest, mind you), I've been largely ignoring the whole "red state"...

Guantanamo and Ashcroft: The ACLU Shows Its Stripes

The left is up in arms about the treatment of the Tablian prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay. Listening to the specifics of their complaints reveals the breathtaking ignorance of their position...

Arafat's Legacy: Beslan

Liked Beslan? Impressed with the "tenaciousness" of it's perpetrators? The depth of their "convictions"? Their desire to gain international "recognition"...

MSNBC & Newsweek: Still Kissing Kerry

A week's gone by, the election's over, and the spin and kiss-up continues still. May I direct your attention to...

Left Moves North?

Will prominent members of the left now finally keep their promise and move to Canada, or other places abroad? Not...

Chris Suellentrop Illustrates How the Left Doesn't Get It

I'd like to point your attention to an article by Chris Suellentrop which ran a few days ago in Slate...

Election Returns / Air America

I'm listening to Air America and the spin is that since the real results seemed so "vastly different" than the...

Civil Liberties in France

I have a French friend whose little brother was unjustly (she testifies, in tears) accused of rape by a fellow...

CNN: Still Pulling Hard for Kerry!

Good heavens, CNN is dishonest. They pulled their original, candid report on what the NBC reporter said about his first...

Christians and "Economic Justice"

I'm quite tired of well-meaning Christians trying to sound non-partisan by talking about "economic justice", a term which usually crops...

Vote Kerry: Help Democrats Get Real About National Defense

Kerry opens a new line of attack in Rochester, Minnesota, and Random Observations is granted an exclusive interview with campaign spokewoman Stephanie Cutter.

Republicans Stealing the Vote in Wisconsin!

Republicans are trying to disenfranchise minorities in the Badger State again! Or perhaps I'm being ironic...

The Nation: 100 Deceptions

Honestly. I try to see the world from "the other" point of view. But sometimes my curiosity, and ability to...

Because He Could: Partisan Reviews

Was just browsing the Amazon customer reviews on Dick Morris's Because He Could -- Morris's answer to Clinton's My Life,...

Other People's Children

Lately I've had the pleasure of wandering around left-leaning blogs of principle. It's refreshing to find them -- I had...

Drug Reimportatation

Mark Steyn talks about drug reimportant. Jon Henke has a light bulb moment. I kibbitz from the sidelines.

Presidential Intelligence

The New York Times: To Bush-bashers, it may be the most infuriating revelation yet from the military records of the...

Flu Myths?

Steve complains people say crazy things about the flu vaccine. For the most part, I agree with him. Until we...

Gettin' out the Vote in Florida

We lost power today for a few minutes. I haven't checked to how the microwave oven and VCR weathered this...

George Soros Behind High Oil Prices?

The BBC, a few weeks ago: US light crude settled at a record closing price of $51.09 on Tuesday, up...

Flu Vaccine Shortage: Heads Must Roll!

Congratulations, my fellow Americans. You are again making me deeply ashamed of our cluelessness. First, for feeling the need to blame someone for every ill in the world. And second, for being to lazy to try to figure out who to blame.

The Trouble with Oil

Oil causes many problems in the world, and increasing oil taxes is a necessary step towards solving these problems. Or is it?

Ancient Leftists?

Was there a leader like Jesse Jackson during the American Revolution? Was there an equivalent of Ted Kennedy in ancient Rome? Is there an equivalent to the Marxist revolutionary among primitive peoples?

University Professor Thinks He's God

And this is unusual how? Student Kacie Spears said professor Louis Houston lost control right after class began Wednesday morning...

Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor

Oh no! The gap between rich and poor is widening! Gather the villagers! Grab your pitchforks! Light the torches!

A Business Opportunity BETTER Than Quixtar???

Over the past year, I've had a lot of time to think about Quixtar. And due to the tremendous response I've seen on this blog, I've had a lot of time consider both sides. And I think I might have been too hasty...

"Evolving" Morality?

Are we evolving, morally? Is the banning of slavery an example of such moral evolution? And is the bible one of the main things which has held us back from this moral evolution?

Voodoo No More

Once upon a time the media laughed at Ronald Reagan's ideas about how stimulate the economy. They mischaracterized his plan as "trickle down economics". Nobody's laughing any more...

Good Article on Media Anti-Gun Bias

A reader posts a link to a very interesting article on the media, guns, and crime; an article good enough to pass along to the rest of you...

Kerry on Democracy

Kerry argues you can't "impose" a democracy on people. The question is open as to whether it can or will work in predominantly Muslim countries, or at least Iraq in specific. But Kerry's statement is at odds with reality.

Bush, Kerry, Trees and Timber

Who mislead us about Bush's alleged timber company? Bush? Kerry? Or, perhaps, was it FactCheck.org itself? I find something fishy about their reasoning.

Debate Thoughts

Was able to catch last night's debate. In my opinion, Bush looked good: confident, tough. The grimacing didn't really work...

Ah, Artists

Or, more reasons to question the value of the NEArts... You've built a new library. You want to install a...

How Not to Help Haiti's Poor

A friend forwards a template Amnesty International letter about Haitian refugees to George Bush. I take the time to write back to my friend and address some of the core arguments of the letter.

More Democrat Violence?

Things seem to have gone nuts in the last several days: As you probably know, USA Today reported yesterday that...

"WMD" Trailer Back in the News

And I wouldn't be suprised if this is being done for political reasons. Nonetheless, it looks like an article at...

Why They Hate Us: Linda Heard

Why do they hate us? Why do they hate us? Linda Heard demonstrates precisely why they hate us. Clip and save this for the next time a left-leaning friend of yours brings up the topic.

"Separation of Church and State"

Only applies to conservatives... Some black pastors say the Bush campaign's appeals have made them more determined than ever to...

What is it with you Americans and marriage?

I've just finish reading (pronounced "wasting time looking at") a rather lengthy (and often tragicly funny), um, web site (if...

Sudan's Darfur Crisis... Disappears!

Via Instapundt: Now that the Bush administration is stepping up the pressure regarding the situation in Darfur, Sudan, the crisis...

Kerry Cheated in Debate?

According to the guys at INDC Journal, it's looking like John Kerry might have cheated in the debates. Ask me if I'm shocked. Actually I am. I guess I'm just not surprised.

Kerry Democrats In A Nutshell...

Sometimes you can tell a lot from the little things: Random Observations about the first presidential debate, Kerry and his crew, and their actions and reactions in a telling news article...

Joining the Big Tent

I'm having a real laugh these days about who is being called "conservative". Consider Glenn Reynolds, for example. Glenn is...

Kerry Hangs with the Cool Kids

Comments on comments on comments about Kerry's comments about Allawi's speech. Or: My view of Kerry's critique of our foreign policy. Ach, just read it.

Microsoft and the Internet

What are Microsoft's latest moves in the browser market? And how did they become rich 'n' famous in the first place? Many people don't know the real story...

The REAL Terrorist Threat

According to NEA guidlines, when terrorism occurs, it should not be suggested that any particular group is behind it. Michelle Malkin points out there are exceptions, apparently, to every rule...

Goat's Cheese Vignette

The moral of this baaad little story? Where there's a will, there's a whey. Except when bureaucrats have the final say...

True Conservatives: Version 1

Why are Democrats currently out of power? What strategies will they be able to use to get it back? What does this mean to us as a nation?

Christianity Today: Alien vs. Predator

How does the modern Christian relate to a cheap knockoff monster-battle flick? And what would the creator of the universe say about that? My thoughts and musings.

Oncoming Dirty Tricks?

I'm going to be blunt about this: I believe it likely that people in the center of the Democratic party have considered staging attacks on themselves, of various sorts, in order to win sympathy and make conservatives look bad.

The Other Forgery: Niger/Uranium Update

I've been sitting on this story since it first came out, probably over a week now (I have no idea...

Rathergate: Rove Did It?

I'm clearly having trouble avoiding this topic, but the debacle raises too many hilarious points. I'm loving the "Rove did...

Rathergate and the Dinosaurs

One last thought: Rathergate reminds me of a Jeff Goldbum appearance on SNL after "Jurrasic Park" came out. As a...

Rathergate: Common Sense Injection

There's a point I'd like to make here which I think has been overlooked. Many of my associates on the...

Bush and "Post-War" Iraq

There are many reasons to be unhappy with George Bush's handling of things. One cannot help notice that he makes...

France Blocks Darfur Sanctions

July 30: The UN gives Sudan 30 days to end the violence of face sanctions. France agrees. Now it's September, and it seems France has had a change of heart. Or was that an oil change?

At Least He Had a Job...

A student in Madison, Wisconsin finds a unique way supplement his income. Sadly, he's clever, dull-witted, and amoral all at once...

You Know You Hold the Moral High Ground When...

You are so insecure you must grab a sign away from a little girl and tear it up because she...

Fahrenheit 9/11 in Persia

From World Magazine Blog: Fahrenheit 9/11 premiered to a full house of Iranian moviegoers in the capital city of Tehran...

Rathergate: Beldar's About-Face

Bill Dyer makes a lot of sense, but ultimately, I disagree with his recommendations regarding where we need to go from here. I think what he's suggesting, though I agree it's sensible, may backfire.

Why Do They Hate Us? Reason #83: Melanin

The Guardian interviews a home-grown Iraqi terrorist, associated neither with Al Qaeda nor Saddam's former Baathist Party. I found his motives for attacking our troops... surprising. (Updated)

Jonah Goldberg Sums It Up

I had thought that the evidentiary standard for smears was that they were to be assumed false until proven true beyond a reasonable doubt. Guess there's a double standard in play here, no?

Rathergate: CBS Brings on... Bill Glennon?

CBS trots out an IT consultant. What does this tell us about the relative credibility of CBS versus bloggers?

Doing Quixtar Ethically: Is It Possible?

I meet a number of IBOs who think, somehow, they'll do Quixtar the "right", "ethical", and "moral" way. While I appreciate their good intentions, I don't think they understand the nature of the business very well.

Al Gore, Unhinged

Once, I'm told, one of Abraham Lincoln's aides inquired why he would not be meeting with another politician. Lincoln replied:...

Fear the Blogs!

Powerline quotes Emerson professor Jeffrey Seglin, appearing in the LA Times: "The mainstream press is having to follow them," said...

"Killian" Documents Reactions

I spent a few minutes this morning wandering the fever swaps over at Democratic Underground. Was nice to see there...

CBS Not Complicit?

Have you heard about the stunt 60 Minutes pulled? They slimed Bush using forged documents. My two cents on the matter.

Mike Novak on the Democratic Descent

Via NRO: I am a lifelong Democrat, and I have always loved the ethnic, religious, and regional varieties of Democrats...

Microsoft and Spam: Greeks Bearing Gifts

A while ago, Microsoft promised they'd eliminate spam completely. An inveterate Microsoft watcher, I was pretty sure I knew how that would turn out...

Biggest Deficit in History?

You've heard this one before. And, as is usually true with these stats, it's about as meaningful as saying that movie tickets are more expensive than ever before...

The President Talks 'bout Jesus Too Much

His frequent mentions of Jesus Christ in official speeches demonstrate the President's dangerous religious extremism, and clear inability to grasp the proper separation between church and state.

AP Bias on the Campaign Trail

The AP newswire can change a lot of people's minds at once. But lately, it seems they've been making a lot of "mistakes", and curiously, they all seem to benefit one candidate's campaign.

John Kerry's Vietnam Deferments

Those of you who are paying attention noticed that, before Bush had even completely his acceptance speech, Kerry opened up...

Kerry Blasts Bush over Rising Medicare Premiums

John Kerry has been attacking George Bush over increased medicare premiums: John F. Kerry promoted his economic message in this...

Positive You're Failing? Go Negative!

It's been a long-honored tradition, a rule even, in American politics that you stop campaigning during the other party's convention....

"Lean Left" Responds Regarding O'Neill

Kevin T. Keith of "Lean Left" has responded to my perplexed post regarding his blog's claim that O'Neill has lied....

FAIR is Deceptive

A short excursion into FAIR convinces me they're anything but...

Disturbing Zogby Poll

We're losing our country. Not to the Democratic Party, obesity, chronic tooth rot, or a general sense of vague malaise....

Quixtar Generates No Wealth

Can you make money at Quixtar? Sure! So why not do it? Well, let me ask a question: Do you care if you hurt a lot of other people? Allow me to explain...

Who Gets to Talk?

Much of what I post passes, apparently, unnoticed or at least uncommented. But there's a few threads that, probably due...

Spin the Violence! Spin! Spin!

The "party of peace" is out in force again, with one unifying theme: Hatred. I'm loving the protest coverage. Shall...

Is Kerry's Silver Star Really Tin?

Thomas Lipscomb drops a bomb on the Kerry campaign: The Silver Star smells fishy, and Navy Secretary Lehman has "no idea" who wrote those words to which his name was signed. Meanwhile, no response returned from the SS Kerry...

Discrediting the Swiftboat Veterans: Did O'Neill Lie?

O'Neill lied, right? Or maybe not... I take a quick look at a typical anti-SwiftVet slam -- and find it wanting. Did O'Neill lie? It's not impossible, but this is hardly proof...

Zell Miller on JFK (The Original)

Quoth Zell Miller... Consider one of our greatest Democratic Presidents: John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Back in 1963 President Kennedy proposed a...

On Urban Legends, Snopes is Slanted

Apparently Snopes.com is not interested in being credible. I've noticed they were extremely quick to "debunk" any popular "urban legends" which leaned left, but appear uninterested in doing the same for slams against conservatives...

Why Kerry Worries Me

The overwhelming impression one gets of Kerry is that of a man who manufactures his own history at will...

Fuming About SwiftVets, Kerry, Bush, and the Media

Venting after seeing probably the most dispicable media hit-job I can recall in recent memory...

Alan Keyes and Reparations

Alan Keyes supports reparations. What next, Hillary Clinton comes out supporting vouchers and privatized social security? A few thoughts on why I think Alan's stance is sorely misguided...

Guns Have Only One Use?

"Handguns are made for killing, They ain't good for nothing else..." - Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Saturday Night Special" That's probably the...

Kerry Campaign: We Rely Upon the Media

Kerry's campaign spokesgal admits they expect the media to do their dirty work for them. (Apparently, there's just one major fly in that ointment.) An interesting admission, as is her charge that SwiftVets are a Bush "front"...

Disturbed Leftist Academic Du Jour

Last time we highlighted a well-credentialed leftist who is sure we invaded Iraq to gain alien technology. Today's sad but...

School Choice: An NY Times Retraction?

The times corrects one of its articles about failing charter schools. Or does it? You be the judge.

He's Got a Point There, Judge

but I still think he's wrong... Glenn Reynolds makes an extremely good point about the apparent increase in anti-Islamic sentiments...

Bush's Seven Minutes with the Kids

Moore made much hash of the fact that Bush was told about the events of 9/11, and then spent seven...

Now Alston: Does the Lying Never Cease?

Another whopper of a lie from the Kerry campaign? Another fabrication? Who would have believed it! Why, it's almost enough to make one cynical about the current Democratic candidate's honesty!

Blog Review: EU Referendum

Just wanted to recommend an interesting blog: lately, I've been reading what gets posted at EU Referendum, an interesting pair,...

Kerry Will Be Better than Bush on Intelligence?

There are indeed, I am told, major differences between Kerry and Bush's stance on Iraq: A new one is, apparently, that Kerry would have been a more insightful consumer of intelligence. Yet what does Kerry's record say?

Jesus was a Liberal?

Jesse Jackson claims Jesus was a liberal. LaShawn barber points out this is biblical illiteracy -- from a supposed "Reverend" at that. But if you examine the passages closely, you'll see it not only supports LaShawn's contentions, it actually teaches the opposite of what Jesse says it does...

"See the Violence Inherant in the System!"

One student fails to be oppressed. This is a big problem, apparently, for her professor...

Wealthy Liberals for Kerry

John Ray argues that wealthy people and cultural elites who are leftists do so because they think they "get a...

An Esteemed Leftist Academic

You are not going to believe this one! Are you one of those who are amazed how unhinged the left -- particular leftst academics -- have become? Wait until you see this example, which explains quite a lot...

Becoming a Conservative

Some comments about Bill O'Reilly remind me where I stood, politically, a decade or two ago, and what happened in the meantime to bring me where I am now.

SwiftVet Media Feeding Frenzy Starting?

Well, Fox has started to cover the story... the usual route for left-unfriendly facts. Without Fox, nobody would have to...

My Two Cents on the SwiftVets Flap

For those that are still with me, I don't think you be shocked to learn any of the following, but...

Fox News on Kerry: A Bit of Leftist Bias?

I'm told Fox News is supposed to biased towards the right. Perhaps that's true with some of their editorialists, but...

Kerry Flip-Flops: Conservatives Just Don't Get It

Moderate conservatives, and other forms of ordinary people, are a naive bunch when it comes to politics. Consider the Iraq...

EU: Charity, Subsidies, and Dumping

EU Referendum has an interesting pair of articles on EU sugar subsidies and EU "charity". Now why, I can hear...

Admitting One's Motivations

Was perusing this rebuttal (badly-formatted but well written, scroll down to the debate between Gagnon and Countryman) of a particular...

And What a Messy Week It's Been...

This box completely freaked out hardware-wise (while I was away on vacation, to make timing worse) and took quite a...

The Math Behind "A Million Mogadishus"

I'm not sure if you were subjected to the original quote, but I thank Glenn Reynolds for linking me to...

NPR Covers Sandy Berger

NPR tells me one part of the story -- but not another, which would provoke a different reaction if I knew it. How unusual!

Michael Moore: Republican Operative?

As I was reading some of the reviews of this popular book debunking a lot of Moore's lunacy -- and...

Policies or Values?

Bombings and shooting in Afghanistan: Yet another incident in the news disproves a major plank in the leftist platform.

Kerry Campaign is Shameless

This short story starts with the left says something the right does is disgusting. But guess what? You'll only be suprised by ending if you've never read a conservative blog before. You'll want to know anyway, though.

More Gore Wackiness: "Digital Brownshirts"?

Earlier I mentioned Al Jazeera's coverage of Al Gore's speech. Another Gore snippet, as highlighted by Hugh Hewitt and others:...

Al Jazeera Loves Al Gore

Al Gore plays fast and loose with the truth. No, let's be honest: Al Gore is lying. And he knows it. But Al Jazeera uses his words to further anti-American hatred among it's readers. No embellishment is needed.

More Evidence of Non-Cooperation Between Saddam, Al Qaeda

This time reported in the NY Times, if you can believe it: Contacts between Iraqi intelligence agents and Osama bin...

Manipulating the Faithful: More Leftist Projection

How often have I heard my left-leaning friends and associate accuse Republicans of cynically manipulating the "religious right" into supporting their platforms?

CNN, Water Boarding, Rumsfeld

CNN "covers" Rumseld, a memo, and "waterboard". Only, it doesn't really "cover" the debate at all... No, wait! Turns out the entire story is untrue.

French Defense Media

If I recall correctly, the current leftist narrative in vogue (it's hard to keep track of these things, since they're...

Gun Control Killing More People in Canada

Another day, another failed policy, another chance to blame someone else for the our wrong ideas. Will Canada start learning from experience? Or will the chance to blame the US be more tempting than reason?

South Korea: Thank Spain

A quick reminder of some things we really ougth to have learned already.

Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Vox Day discusses the huge gap between the reality of the Inquisition courts and the popular myth which elevates it...

Random Observations

As Thomas Sowell might put it, random notes on the passing scene... PBS, Bill Moyers, God, religion, global government, and Wahabist Islam.

The Tyranny of Restroom Inequity

It's old news, but I just stumbled upon these comments by Vox Day. In response to this: City Council members...

Super Size Me

One quick follow-up to the last post (which you'll probably read next), from FrontPage Magazine, a comment about the movie...

Pounding the Obseity Drum

The "obesity epidemic" is spreading, unchecked. And the press, and an expansion of federal governmental powers, is necessary to save the day... or maybe not!

The Deceptive Ways of Quixtar IBOs

It's not always true that you can judge an organization, or a group, by their representatives. There's always a bad apple in the barrel, and sometimes there are situations which go the other way 'round. And yet...

Union, Corporate Donations Equivalent?

Just saw a debate centered around Linda Chavez's new book, Betrayal (popular term these days, eh?) in which Alan Colmes...

Reagan, the Communists, and Modern Leftists

I was extremely unhappy that Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter. Eight years later, I was starting to come around, despite...

America: What Went Wrong?

I've been going through my old books lately, and as a result, have in front of me America: What Went...

Regarding Maher Ahar

A friend recently sent me a letter about the potentially troubling case of Maher Ahar, asking what I thought...

Random Bias Roundup

Powerline points us to a piece Dinesh D'Souza which demonstrates the extent to which which Reagan critics are going to revise history, as well as N.E. Blogger, who shows us how Brokaw's people suppressed some of Bush's more vital statements before broadcasting the interview.

The Story Behind Blair's Purple-Powder Protestor

You may have noticed a small notice in the news recently that a protestor threw purple-dyed cornflower at Tony Blair...

Time Magazine, Radley Balko, and the Coming Obesity-Fueled Onslaught

TIME magazine and ABC news slant their coverage of the fast food debate they're creating, and Radly Balko gets involved. But what do food-control advocates really want? I offer a few thoughts on the debate...

Howard Dean and Privacy

Howard Dean's defunct campaign is now selling his supporters' private information. The word "irony" is somewhat overused, but I think it applies here. Alanis?

Moderating Islam

If you haven't seen it already, here's an interesting article which documents how the messages at one mosque are altered...

Defending Quixtar, Selling Quixtar

It seems those who defend Quixtar are typically those selling Quixtar. And it also seems they use the same kinds of arguments over and over again. Here's a few of the common ones...

CBS: Simple Secrets for a Happy Family?

A CBS Early Show interview offers some interesting advice on having a "Happy Family"... of one the "secrets" offered is, when you're unhappy... get divorced! Yes, I'm sure that will make families everywhere absolutely ecstatic...

Amazon Doesn't Care About Kids

Two reports about Amazon make me concerned about their attitude towards children.

Urban Legends: Better Safe Than Sorry! (Not)

We love to worry, don't we? And we seem to have a knack for worrying about the most useless things while ignoring the real threats...

New Computer: Toshiba Satellite M35-S320

I've got a new laptop computer! It's great under Windows XP, but Linux was another story.

What If Everything Was Getting Better?

What if the sky wasn't falling? What if the world were actually becoming a better place? What if what was needed were not radical changes, but rather doing more of precisely what we've been doing?

Why I'm Not a Libertarian

I've had friends -- libertarians even -- say I seem to be a libertarian. Indeed, in many ways, my philosophy is close: I believe in minimal economic regulations and am also cautious about using government to "do good" in the social realm. So why am I not a libertarian?

Why We Believe

Why do people believe what they believe? For a lot of reasons which suprise me! Some thoughts and confessions about why we believe as we do.

Kerry's Wound: Tiny, Self-Inflicted?

Oh good heavens: National Review's Byron York has tracked down Louis Letson, the physician who treated Kerry for the wound...

CNN Demands an Apology, Again

Not content to simply report the news, CNN blocks information with their spin. Abuses in Abu Ghraib are so important that we mustn't be told the facts, only CNN's opinions.

Can International Involvement Prevent Genocide?

Can the international community prevent genocide? A reader asks, and I put my opinion out there for the first time. This is not the feel-good essay of the year...

Reviewing Reviews of "The Passion"

Now that I've finally seen The Passion, and can speak as one who has seen it, there are a number...

Thoughts on Violence and "The Passion"

My girlfriend and I went to see "The Passion of the Christ" together on Saturday night -- she wanted to...

Notes on Frontline: The Jesus Factor

Saw "The Jesus Factor" the other night, and, like many others, thought it was a fairly straightforward portrayal. Only a couple negative things have come to light about it...

Newsday's Air America Suckup

Newsday runs an impressively fawning (and clueless) piece about Air America. It was too cute not to mention publicly.

How to Identify a Mossad Agent

A Palistinian homicide bomber is just walking along, minding his own business, on his way to blow up little Israeli boys and girls...

Near-Hiroshima Ignored by Press

Jordan intercepted three tanker trucks filled with twenty tons of chemical weapons sent in from Syria. The trucks were apprehended...

In Trouble? Call 9-1-1-U-N!

Marc Miyaki asks: "What if the police in your neighborhood decided to learn from the UN?" Great question!

Another Journalist Complains about Peter Jennings

Recently, a reader responding to an article I'd posted about a recent Peter Jennings documentary, remarked "I have always believed...

UNICEF: Where My Pennies Went

I'm heartbroken. When I was a little boy in the early 70s, my family attended a small Presbyterian church in...

Charles Todd Jr., Christian Entreprenuer

I only met Charles Todd a few times, but in that few minutes, I saw clearly how a businessman could serve other people and his God through work. I have posted his life philosophy in the hope it could benefit others.

Saddam's US Oil-for-Food Money

The UN assured us that the Oil for Food program was subject to rigorous oversight, but we're learning that Saddam used money meant to feed Iraqis for his own purposes. Among other places, the trail leads to the UN, but what happened here in the US?

Ijaz Expands Clarke's Culpability

Information Mansoor Ijaz reveals shows that there may be more to Mr. Clarke's recent actions, and his involvement in the 9/11 tragedy, than meets the eye. You must read this.

Leftist Projections du Jour

Opponents impersonated in political ads; death threats and dark, violent mutterings. Good heavens! Consider the content of the minds producing such statements...

Hollywood Wants more Passion

The Passion seems to be doing pretty well at the box office. Perhaps Hollywood could learn some lessons from it? One studio thinks it might... uh, kinda...

Amway / Quixtar can work for anybody! Right?

Recently, I had a comment entered on The Quixtar Business Meeting article which just breaks my heart. The post is...

Inside the mind of Oliver Stone

Slate publishes a hilarious but scary interview with Oliver Stone. Kudos to Ann Louise Baradach for getting her facts straight...

Quixtar: A Business Opportunity for You!

A while ago I took a friend up on an offer to learn a bit more about Quixtar. I'm glad I did, as it's provided me with a what I would normally consider a fascinating glimpse into the world of Amway/Quixar...

Demanding an Apology from Bush

Richard Clarke apologized! Bush didn't! What does it all mean?

Celebrating Pesach Seder; Notes on Hillel, Jesus, and the Golden Rule

Did Jesus learn from the great Jewish Rabbi Hillel? Did Hillel first articulate the "Golden Rule" most Christians attribute to Jesus?

Peter Jennings on Jesus and Paul; The Word and the Witness

Just in time for the annual observance of Jesus' death, Peter Jennings tells the stories of Jesus and Paul. Well, not entirely...

Bush, Mercury, and the Clean Air Act

If you've been paying attention to the news lately, you've heard the EPA's latest warnings about the purported dangers of mercury consumption in fish. Could this be the first blow of a one-two punch?

Another Liberal Trick

Bunnie Diehl recounts seeing someone engaged in an "evil" smear campaign against the Bush at a recent party in Washington, DC. Apparenty, the trick has worked just fine...

Richard Clarke, Republican?

Clarked seemed to tell the 9/11 committee that he should not be suspected of any partisan motivations or loyalties because he was a Republican. But is that what the record really shows? Pull the thread and watch the sweater unravel...

Myth: Hilter was a Leftist

Was Hitler a leftist or rightist? Today we look at a leftist argument that Hitler's alleged leftist tendencies are nothing more than a conservative myth. What we find instead is a stunning display of bad logic, nonstandard definitions, omitted data, and ad homen arguments about rightists.

How the Media Chooses Your Candidates

What changed the press coverage of Howard Dean? Who wants to dominate AM talk radio now? A New York Times article profiling Al Franken provides a fascinating peek at how the message you hear is being crafted behind the scenes.

Release the Presidential Daily Briefings?

I occasionally spend some time in a deliberate effort to see the world through the "other" (leftist) point of view....

Japanese WWII Internment: The Rest of the Story

The story of US internment of Japanese families is one I was taught in school. But, once again, I'm learning that I wasn't told the whole story. Lately, this has been a familliar feeling.

US, French Foreign Policy Not Equivalent

The French government pursues foreign policy with goals and techniques which would be wholly unacceptable to most US citizens. Gabrielle says US critics who characterize French opposition to the US as moral have no idea what they're talking about...

White Racism

Racism is inevitable, but, like crime, disease, and poverty, that doesn't make it desirable. A few comments from a white racist provide fertile ground for clarifying why I'm opposed to racism in all it's forms.

Woodrow Wilson: Anti-Communist, Leftist

James Loewen reveals some damning information about Democratic President Woodrow Wilson's foreign anti-democratic foreign policies, stuff they probably didn't teach you in school...

Responding to a Critic (Sokal Hoax)

Apparently, thanks to a kind link from John Ray, Random Observations has attracted a bit of criticism; and that's not necessarily a bad thing...

Intellectual Freedom Chilled at CU Boulder

Colorado Senate hearings produce appalling evidence of professors harrassing conservative students. But what goes down in the Senate itself is no less jaw-dropping...

Poststructuralism and the Sokal Hoax

This is definitely ancient news, but thanks to a link from John Ray I stumbled across the Sokal Hoax. Besides...

Kerry's "Brown Shirt" Social Service Plan?

Note: Since I wrote this, I've been corrected: Kerry only offered to pay for tuition at public university levels, not...

Kerry on Education

There's been much discussion among conservatives (how sad that it should be limited thusly) about Kerry's recent dissembling. And indeed,...

France Aids Chinese Hegemony

In which France teams up with China to do to Taiwan what al Qaeda did to Spain.

The Kerry "Foreign Leaders Love Me" Quote

This isn't the sort of thing I normally wade into; I'm not a big fan of petty partisan politics. But...

Democratic Underground on Terrorism in Spain

So how do the Spanish bomblasts play in the Democratic Underground? Once, again, we get a chance to do a little study of applied psychology. One can only hope that DU is some kind of elaborate Republican hoax; if these commenters represent any significant subset of the Democratic faithful, our country is in deep, deep trouble.

Hollywood and Christians: A Theory of Motive

Saturday, I went hiking with a group of friends by the bluffs of the Missouri River. As we were walking...

NBC Hiding Embarassing Kerry Interview?

Good heavens, Random Observations seems to have become a "media bias" blog lately. I swear, it's not because I'm trying....

PBS Frontline Corrects the Bible

Frontline apparently pulls a few punches in order to make the New Testament look bad. Sadly, though, they're below the belt, and they're refuting their own words, not those in the bible.

Guardian Environmental Hoax / Building Liberals, One Brick at a Time

Yet another fake story in the press (Bush Buries Secret Global Warming Report) triggers my ire, and I rant intemperately about the state of things as they are. Of course, I'm not shocked: This is precisely what my worldview predicts. Still, it's appalling to watch.

The Simpsons and Tony Blair

Matt Groening admits the satirical is political, and gives us a bit of insight into how his political views color The Simpsons.

Religious Affirmative Action

New York Second Circuit Federal Court Judge Sifton has decided that the US Constitution compels us to oppose Christianity and favor other religions. What version of the Constitution is he reading?

"Embedded", Revisited

Is Robbins' controversial play "Embedded" an even-handed, touching portrayl of the Iraqi war, or is it, as critics charge, a vicious pack of lies?

How to Write Compelling Web Pages

Want to persuade people you're a nut? Does your central thesis lack substantiating evidence? Then follow this easy ten-step guide when creating your web site! There's something here for everyone...

ABC News Promises More Bias

ABC News tells us what we already know, and threatens the Bush administration with a shocking gloves-off display of threats to bias his coverage.

O'Reilly on Entertainment Weekly on "The Passion"

Entertainment Weekly says Mel Gibson is attacking the media, but (apparently) omits any mention of recent media attacks on Mel. Fox News's entertainment correspondant Lisa Bernhart says this is justified, apparently, because Mel Gibson has faith.

Of Bombs and Belief; Of Arundhati and Oppenheimer

Unlike Arundhati Roy, I'm not absolutely convinced that the world would certainly have been a much better place without Los Alamos; nor do I feel the sins of the fathers should be visited upon the sons. But sometimes it's useful to consider her arguments in light of her own apparent standards.

The Laffer Curve Strikes Again

Is raising taxes fiscally responsible when we are in a recession? Can you really cut taxes in order to get out of a deficit? The answers may suprise you.

Kerry: Republicans Go Negative?

Guess who's accusing the President of saying negative things about his political opponent? Wow, that's an amazingly bold move, considering the recent behavior of the accusers.

Press Conference: Bush's National Guard Service

I'm watching a press conference with a white house official. They've released the payroll records which demonstrate George W. Bush...

Antisemitism and German Media Bias

The whole thing started innocently enough. "Dr. Dot" was just trying to get her jacket and leave. Little did she know she'd end up with a fat lip and a false story in a German newspaper...

Diamonds Made from Coal?

Are diamonds made from coal? Wouldn't that be further evidence that oil isn't made from diosaurs or decaying plant materials?

What's in the heart of another?

What can we learn from M*A*S*H, the National Prayer Breakfast, Gregg Easterbrook, and Ronald Reagan's 1976 campaign about judging a book by its cover?

Sunnyside Elementary, Meet Handbasket

Guns and knives in school. Kids having sex in the bathroom. Disrespecting the teacher and failing to show up for...

Kerry and Health Insurance: It Doesn't Add Up

A quick look at one thing John Kerry is going to do to make health care in America more affordable. Sadly, it seems to violate common sense.

Bush and WMD

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has some reasonable complaints regarding WMD. For one, that Perle has long complained that...

Understanding Liberals

Sorry: I normally try to keep Random Observations more of a news-channel-like format. But lately, I'm going to be putting...

Sushi and Hatred

Rambling about sushi, politics, leftist hatred, and blogging...

Hitler was a Leftist Socialist

I'd always been taught that Hitler and his party belonged, politically, to the right wing. But the closer I looked, the less true that seemed to be...

Marquis Harris Cannot Teach: He Would Create "Unrealistic Expectations" for Pupils

Marquis Harris is too smart too teach high school: We can't give students too much hope they could be like him -- best not to set their expectations high! What kind of students? Perhaps, since he's an African American, we mean that he would be an unrealisitic role model for minority students?

UK Policing: Camels and Gnats

Violent crime continued to increase in England in 2003. So where are the bobbies focusing their efforts?

Principled Conservatives

Tim aruges liberals' dislike for Bush is fueled by something other than principle, but that recent conservative complaints about spending show conservative principle is alive and well.

Yet More Lies: Arts Funding and Hating Bush

A friend tells me Bush sucks: He's cutting arts funding massively! But alas, I'm learning a sad, sad lesson about the credibility of liberal statements.

Rant: US Electorate Moving Rightward?

"Jane Galt" says Americans are getting more conservative. I disagree: hardcore liberals themselves have shifted left, leaving the rest of us further away from their own positions.

Crime in Britain in 2003 (Or "How to Create a Violent Society")

Violent crime continues to increase in Britian with no significant improvement in crime overall. Expect hasher penalties and stricter controls on toys, airguns, guns, and alcohol consumption.

The BBC's Democracy Lesson

The BBC and a Labor MP offer ask listeners for a new law, offering to put it before Parliament. The project is quickly cancelled when the BBC learns what's really on it's listeners mind...

Liberal Illogic: Happy Conservatives Make Tugboat Spring Leak!

Sadly, another liberal provides an example of "How Not to Think." Or, perhaps "How to make mistakes in order to arrive at a predetermined result." Also: Conservatives are happier, in general, than liberals.

Photo: What Would Jesus Drive?

My friend Pedro from Denver answers the question definitively.

Media Whores Online

Today, after clicking on hyperlink #1,424,329 from can't-remember-where, I found myself on an amusing little site called "Media Whores Online",...

Non-Salty Foods: Government at Work

A lesson from my own experiences in unforeseen problems and how not to stop drinking on campus.

Dean's God-Talk

Last month, I noted that Amy Sullivan had advised the Democratic faithful that if they expected to have a prayer...

FDA & "Morning-After" Dangers

A USA Today article mentions: The recommendation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panels this month to allow the...

Denver Veterans Protesting

A week ago I was in Denver, walking the 16th Street mall -- a section of the city which has...

Airline Security: Air France Leads the Way

In which Air France chooses murderers, bouncers, dog handlers, and those having received training in radical Islamic countries to guard its passengers.

Michael Jackson: Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

I believe lot of people are confused about what "innocent until proven guilty" means. Judge for yourself whether you think I've lost it when I take a lawyer and rabbi to task on this.

The Dangers of Air Marshals?

British pilots' union and airline officials think air marshals are going to be dangerous. The record says otherwise.

Man Stuck in Paris Airport Over 10 Years

A man gets stuck in an airport for over a decade. Urban legend? Sadly, unbelievably, no...

Tim Robbins' Play "Embedded": A Separate Reality

Tim Robbins wrote a play, Embedded reflecting his idea of what happened with embedded reporters on the ground in Iraq....

Chick-Fil-A Rocks

When I was much, much younger, I attended a Christian conference called "Marketplace" in the Chicago Hilton Towers, along Michigan...

Philosophy and the Filmmakers Behind "Lord of the Rings"

Comments from the Lord of the Rings cast, and myself, about the meaning and applicability of Tolkien's ideas today.

Fun on Democratic Underground

Once in a great while I find myself wandering Democratic Underground. It's always a refreshing experience.

Let Your Inhibitions Run Wild!

That's a line from a Rod Stewart song from the 80s, in which he's attempting to seduce a young lady....

Salt and Light

Sometimes being sick can make you appreciate everything you have...

Star Trek Cloaking Treaties

How do you keep peace with an aggressive enemy? Roddenbury shows us the way!

Observing Paul Simon's Death

I'd been wondering how Paul Simon had been doing lately. I remembered him as a presidential contender who impressed me...

NPR on Campaign Finance Reform

For a moment, I thought NPR might be giving equal time to conservatives and liberals. Silly me.

Damaging Democratic Memos & Moral Equivalence

A rant about memos of dispicable recent behavior by the Senate Intelligence Comittee Democrats, and the response I get when I mention this kind of evidence to their supporters...

Democrats Reaching the Faithful?

Just discovered Amy Sullivan's June Washington Monthly article, "Do Democrats Have a Prayer?" which tries to persuade Democratic candidates, like...

Encounter with a Quixtar Drone

One of the fun things about having a blog is that comments on your previous writings sort of trickle in...

Wesley Clark: Liar?

The good general wouldn't fib to us, would he? I'm watching him CSPAN-2, and from what he says, I'm mighty tempted to conclude he would...

Homosexuality vs. Freedom of Religion

Once again, homosexuality is used as a wedge issue against freedom of speech and religion...

Semi-Annual Crime and Guns Article

Those of you who know me know I'm not a huge gun affictionado. But I do have an interest in...

The Quixtar Business Meeting

Last night I attended one of the local Quixtar business meetings. It met at a local hotel and was attended...

Spiders Smarter Than Young Men?

Lately, there's been grousing around the blogosphere about the low view afforded to males in the media lately. The New...

God and Science

There's a "meme" going around that's just dead wrong, and mighty hard to squash. Today, it rears its head in...

Anecdote About Making "Alien"

Somewhere I'd heard that the cast of "Alien" was caught completely unaware by the scene where the Alien burst out...

Vote Fraud? Count No Evil!

You'd think with the mishaps in Florida, and all the screaming about people's votes "not being counted" and hanging chads, we'd want more than ever to make sure elections are fair. Yes?

Meeting Girls

In which a friend and I observe that "women" seem to be the ultimate tool for attracting... more women. What does this say about women, men, society, and "dating"?

Schwarzenegger's Stature

Was talking with Mom tonight about everything under the sun. After discussing the comparative environmental merits of coal versus nuclear...

The Quixtar/Amway Sales Pitch

Recently a friend of mine called to tell me about "business opportunity" she had. I smelled something I'd heard many...

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Who says Canadians don't have a sense of humor?

Judge: Don't Teach Daughter Homosexuality is Wrong

This is so interesting, I can't do any better than simply to "anti-Fisk" the Christianity Today weblog account...

PBS Kids: Understand Others, Respect Differences

PBS Kid's motto reveals exactly what is wrong with their approach to educating (err, indoctrinating) our children.

When Babies Attack!

Move over, Hell's Angels: Vicious babies are on the loose in Croatia!

Bloomberg: Republican? Sensible, Even?

Stephen Malanga over at the always-thought-provoking City Journal writes about a new friend or foe list New York is keeping...

US: Isolationist or Empire?

It's that old case of darned if you do, darned if you don't...

I Say a Little Prayer for You...

Songwriters can have some pretty twisted views of life and love...

Daylight Savings Time

Who's idea is Daylight Savings Time? What's the point? I don't know, and haven't Googled on this one, but that doesn't stop me...

Why Boycott Cuba or China?

Recently, a friend of mine said he didn't agree with politically or economically isolating despotic regimes. This is my answer as to why I agree with economic sanctions and boycotts...

Grocery Strike: A Union Employee Responds

This morning, someone who appears to be a St. Louis grocery store union employee responded to my previous screed on...

Paul Manufactured the Christian Jesus!

There's a popular "meme" going around about the nature and origins of Christianity. But it flies in the face of the evidence it purportedly cites.

St. Louis Grocery Store Strike: Schnucks, Dierbergs, Shop 'n Save Insult Intelligence, Attempt Dirty Tricks, Ruin Public Image on Random Observations

A falsified comment blows up in its author's face. Not pretty, not pretty at all. But darned funny...

Filthy Rich Republicans!

Thomas Sowell uses election returns as further evidence of how innacurate the "Rich Republican" myth is...

Had an Epiphany? Please submit Federal Form A5834/3, "Permission to Change Religion" and we'll mull it over...

Yet another event reminds me why I'm grateful to live under the US Constitution, and grateful our judges haven't completely "intepreted" it's fundamental rights away just yet...

The Great St. Louis Grocery Store Strike

Those of you from other parts of the world may not be aware of it, but in St. Louis we're having a little grocery store strike at the moment...

I *Like* a Boring Life

Something odd happened to me on my way to REM sleep early this morning...

Diversity Day Aftermath

As mentioned previously, yesterday was "Diversity Day" at a friend's workplace. She's a sharp girl, but not the kind of...

Diversity Day!

Tomorrow is "Diversity Day" for a friend of mine who works for state government. Her workplace had asked different people,...

The World Trade Center

I stayed in the World Trade Center for half a week in the spring several years. In fact, I stayed in the Hilton, on about the eighth floor. I still have the door key...

How to Write Like a Liberal

The Nation's Katha Pollit says conservatives can't take it when people disagree with them. Oh really?

The Need for a Liberal Voice

Liberals explain their need to completely dominate the one remaining format that isn't nearly or completely biased their way...

Exposing Secret Anglican Plans

I'm not Anglican, but it has been instructive to see how the battle between liberals and conservatives has played out...

The Great CNN/Krugman Suckup

Wow... I just witnessed the tail end of a nauseatingly fawning interview of "Princeston Economist Extrodinaire" (real quote, I'm not...

Michael Moore on Small Business

We think of Michael Moore, defender of smalltown America, as the opponent of huge, faceless business which put the "little...

Unsolicited Advice: How Not to Clean a Keyboard

Want to get rid of all that grunge between your keys? Here's helpful tip about a technique you might, but definitely should not, consider.

St. Louis Police on the Job

Tonight's local evening news carried the story of a man whose car was stolen near Forest Park. Later, he received...

Canada on Saudi Arabian Torture: No Problem!

I can only reprint this (via Instapundit): Sampson's ordeal is Canada's shame Feds took see-no-evil approach to his claims of...

Absolute Truth

Sunday at church, I saw something quite depressing. To illustrate a point, a camera crew visited a local university, and...

The Nature of MEChA?

MEChA distances itself from "Voz de Aztlan" because of the latter's homophobia. What about it's anti-semitism?

Clinton, Christians, and MFN Status

On December 15, 1991, William Jefferson Clinton promised that, if elected, he would "absolutely" deny China the coveted "Most Favored Nation" status...

Zoloft vesus Exercise

The actions of psychiatrists imply antidepressants are the best solution for depression. But it seems studies indicate otherwise...

Ruining M*A*S*H

I used to love MASH. Hawkeye was, in certain regards, a person who I looked up to... But recently, I had a thought which made MASH a whole lot less enjoyable.

Rating the Charities

A friend of mine and I were delighted to discover Charity Navigator, which provides some quick stats on about 2,500...

Why I Don't Give to KETC

I mentioned in my last post that Charity Navigator rated my local PBS outlet as a one star (of four)...

Woody Harrelson's About-Face?

Just when you think you really *know* a celebrity...

Which Ten Commandments?

Some newspaper articles just deserve a good fisking. Like this one about the ten commandments...

Movie Review: Just Married

Boy meets girl. They have sex shortly after meeting. After a month of good sex, they move in together. They have more sex. After nine months, they get engaged, then married...

A Measure of Success

Nothing much to blog about tonight, but I've got a loaf of beer bread in the oven, which reminds me of a recent story from my own life...

Study Proves Police Safer Without Guns

Remember the statistics that prove that if you own a gun, it's more likely to kill someone in your family...

The Blind See?

Yet another medical miracle involving adult, not embryonic, stem cells.

Janitor's Beating Meant for Pastor

I believe in tolerance, meaning co-existing peacefully with those who have different beliefs than yours. Today, tolerance apparently means you must never disagree with certain selected opinons, or your janitor may be beaten to a pulp!

Take Up Your Cross...

In my previous post on this subject, I reprinted the story of a group of radio workers who endeavored to...

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Dear reader, The following story touched my heart, and I thought it might touch yours as well...

The Physics of Psychics

Among others, entertainment moguls like Gene Roddenbury and Stephen Spielberg like to present psychic phenomena as being "scientific", while deriding other (theistic) religious beliefs as "primitive". But what does science have to say about mind-reading? How does it work?

Half of Japanese - American Business Deals Are Mob-Tainted?

Japan is suffering a national recession. Why? Japanese bankers, politicans, and Yakuza (mafia) all got into bed together. Tell me character doesn't count!

Love, Marriage, and the Beeb

I'm listening to the BBC's radio programme "Outlook". This is odd, because I realize I see the BBC on the...

Gimme that Star Trek Religion!

Gene Roddenbury believed in a future free of religious beliefs. Well, not really. Just certain ones he didn't like.

Product Review: Gyration Cordless Keyboard and Optical/Gyro Mouse

Yesterday, I purchased the Gyration Cordless Compact Keyboard and Mouse and have been using it for a little under a...

BBC: Behold the Chaos!

The BBC is, as usual, too cute to be true. Their front page offers a link "In pictures: Blackout chaos"....

Asthma Drugs Hurt, Not Help

Last night, I was talking to a friend, and saying, regarding health care, that very often we had simply no...

Rant: Rich and Poor, Left and Right

The prevailing myth is that conservatives are rich titans of industry, the upper crust, while liberals are the poor, suffering...

The Great Northeastern Power Blackout

Random Observations fails to provide in-depth coverage of the Great Northeastern Power Blackout. Our crack reporters fail to bring you there and tell you why!

Consterned Clerics Bash Bishop, Assault African

English Anglican priests attempt to beat up a Kenyan bishop but the bishop is rescued by passers-by...

American Racism and Xenophobia

Sure! But what about the rest of the world?

Blogging: How Far is Too Far?

A reader takes me to task for calling a CNN poll "idiotic"...

Advantage: Bernard Lewis

Bernard Lewis, sage and much-maligned originator of the phrase "Clash of Civilizations", and author of Islam: What Went Wrong? has...

This One's For You, Babs

Recently, Barbara Streisand sent a fax to the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, asking them to name a street after one of her favorite politicans...

Star Trek and Social Evolution

Our society continues to evolve, according to the immutable laws of science, towards a utopian ideal, right? Roddenbury thought so anyway. So did Marx.

So You're a Feminist... Isn't that Cute!

Free speech on campus shouldn't be a conservative cause. In fact, it shouldn't be a cause at all...

Of Shoes and Souls

Several humorous stories with an interesting juxaposition between footwear and faith. Indeed, these are the times which try men's soles...

Science Fiction or Magic?

Apparently Gene Roddenbury loved Science Fiction. It's a shame he didn't love science, and appeared to lack even the most elementary grasp of physics or astronomy.

A French Intifada

For those who have just emerged from a cave, European antisemitism is on the rise. And that's putting it mildly,...

An Anti-Meme: The "Smart" Manifesto

Introduction Recently, there has been some buzz about Dawkin's comment about "bright" being roughly the opposite of theist; a quick...

Living Water

What is water? It's the stuff that sustains life. We can live weeks without food, but we can only go days without water. And food comes in many varieties, but there is just one kind of water. Or is there?

Bush, the EU, Africa, and Farm Subsidies

Farm subsidies have been a hot topic for years. But recently, the flame's been stoked yet another notch higher. A short primer and recent developments...

The Haliburton Hoax

Imagine I told you that if you worked for me, my company would pay you $70,000 annually, and implied this might be a base level for an "open-ended" salary. What if you signed on and discovered, by mid-year, you'd only been compensated $2,400, and could probably only expect about $6,000 compensation total? That's the kind of distortion we're talking about here...

The Worse, the Better!

Sometimes a bad movie review is a good thing to find. This week, the producers of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" team up with Roger Ebert to produce just such a review for our enjoyment. Let's just hope the kids don't "learn" anything about the world or history from this one!

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Liar Dad, Thief

Robert Kiyosaki's book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is currently a bestseller. But Marc Miyaki points to evidence that Kiyosaki may have made up his "Rich Dad", and may be harming those who take his advice by leading them down a "primrose path"...

Queering the Schools

Is homosexuality inborn or a social construct? Some argue the former, queer theorists argue the latter. I come down neatly...

Orson Scott Card Tells It Like I See It

Orson Scott Card writes obtensibly about the proposed wall between Israel and Palestine, but uses the article to explore what...

Christians and Socialism

There are sincere, well-meaning Christians who invoke their faith to argue for "progressive" policies. But does the bible or the example of Jesus lend support to this political goal?

Inside a North Korean Gulag

Recently Sungwoon Bang escaped from North Korea into South Korea. After his first escape attempt, he was encarcerated by the...

Stupid Criminals

Many criminals aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. Here's a story to prove it...

Frum on Gay Marriage in Canada

David Frum of the NRO comments about how the legality of gay marriage in Canada could aid the continuing trend of criminalizing traditional Jewish, Christian and Muslim beliefs.

French Outrage du Jour

It's 2AM. Dozens of French police assemble to confront the threat to their fair city. They have the tear gas cannisters primed for the assault. Steathily, they assemble to storm the building and lob the tear gas to overcome, with no warning... scores of wounded and disabled British war heros gathered on the last night of their religious pilgrimage! A mistake? Not in France...

Jokes from Tim Blair

Frank referrs us to some good political jokes cooked up by Tim Blair, who's taken a bunch of old jokes...

It's a Red-Letter Day

I have no idea what that means, but surely it is. Slightly after midnight, this morning, I ended up listening...

Media Bias Roundup: LA Times, Dowd, Al-Jazira, Scott Ritter, and French Media

Deb and Vinny discuss an internal LA Times memo which documents the paper's biases; Maureen Dowd is under fire for putting her own altered quote into the president's mouth and then criticizing him for it; and the Weekly Standard discusses revelations that Al-Jazira (and other Mulsim news outlets) were on the dole from Saddam; and AIM covers Scott Ritter and French media delusions.

The Economics of Discrimination

Liberals get a lot of strange ideas. Many of them are self-contradicting, or are contrary to the available evidence, but that doesn't seem to get in the way...

On Colorblindness

Is the goal of a color-blind society dead on arrival? Why do some support affirmative action while others oppose it? Are all affirmative action critics racist? And what makes for legitimate criticism in of your opponents in this public debate?

Distorted U.K. Rape Statistics?

Have UK government reports on rape been used to push an anti-marriage political agenda? Melanie Phillips of England's Daily Mail thinks so.

Rapists Serve Average of 11 Months

From Sexual Assault Statistics: Less than half of those arrested for rape are convicted, 54% of all rape prosecutions end...

In Praise of Hypocrisy

There are two types of hypocrisy, one of which I have no praise for...

For Who They Were, Not What They Did

A brief comment after another woefully long hiatus. (My current endeavour often demands a huge percentage of my time, leaving...

Boston: To Hell in a Handbasket

Deb, the Insomnomaniac and her husband had a horrible run-in yesterday with a gang of about 30 violent 13- and...

C-SPAN: What PBS Oughtta Be

C-SPAN embodies a lot of what I would expect from a government-funded network. But there's a catch...

Fun in the Sun

Everybody looks better in a tan, don't they? Perhaps in the short term -- but what about the long term? Check out these photos...

Sudan: France's Latest Human-Rights Example

How can we Americans learn to shed our simplesse and adopt a more vigorous, moral international role? Today we look to France for much-needed guidance in this area! (I've never been more proud to be an American. Or at least not someone who voted for Chirac.)

"A Matter of Emphasis"

Did Bush know there was no WMD all along? Apparently, some argue he did, citing a report from ABC News. But just how reliable is the source?

A Ready-Made Theocracy for Bush

Remember the debate about JFK's Catholicism: you know, will he listen the Church and thus give the Pope executive influence over the U.S.? As far as we know, the Pope never took the bait. But guess who has?

The Show About Nothing

Seinfeld proved conclusively that you could write a successful show about absolutely nothing. The series thesis statement could be: Jerry and friends hang around together while and failing to learn anything of signficance.

James Lileks and Stupid Old Laws: Privacy and Sexuality

Quoth Rick Santorum: If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home,...

Arab News on Journalistic Bias

Of course, we're not the only ones who think our reporters are biased. Arabs do too -- but in a completely different way. Tim takes a bit of time to "deconstruct" an Arab News op-ed regarding Western journalistic bias. Pot and kettle time, boys and girls.

Securing a Hotel

The American soldiers entered the hotel to search for Ba'athist soldiers. As they entered the lobby, we could see the...

The UN's Solution to Racism

Are you concerned about what happens with the University of Michigan case? Just wait until you see what the United Nations has in store for us!

Liberating Iraq

It's early in the morning, and I'm seeing Iraqis jumping up and down in the street. The expressions on their...

Affirmative Action Before the Supreme Court

Is affirmative action constitutional? Is the goal of a specific racial diversity at U Michigan a 'compelling reason' to set aside constitutional protections against racial discrimination? (Notes and observations on the debate as broadcast on C-SPAN.)

The Mosque Incident

I keep hearing what appears to be inaccurate spin on the mosque story, and just wanted to throw in my two cents for any readers who are hearing the redacted version...

CNN: Human Shield Thomas Cahill

"I just tuned into CNN for several minutes. Why do I keep doing this?" CNN interviews one of the human shields who stayed, and we learn an important lesson... about human shields who don't mix with the locals very much.

Why Did Chirac Say 'No'?

Jane Galt asks what Chirac's motivations were for threatening to unconditionally veto any use of force against Iraq by the U.N. Why indeed?

The U.N., France, and Oil For Food

The U.N. seems to be typical big government: inefficient, sluggish, unaccacountable, and often immoral. The "Oil for Food" program being revived exemplifies this...

The French in Rwanda

Is the French government truly opposed to what's going on in Iraq because, as they maintain, they are committed pacifists, or is it rather because Paris is adopts a military approach when it's convenient French economic or political interests, and flaunts a cynical pacifist or humanitarian veneer otherwise? A look back at French involvement in the Rwandan massacre five years ago sheds some light on this question.

James Woods as Rudy Guiliani

'Rudy', a made-for-TV film about Rudy Guiliani, shows tonight on USA TV. (In twenty minutes, in fact.) Catherine Seipp writes...

Opinion: Hating Iraqis

Imagine you're an Iraqi: You're trying to protect yourself and your family from the local Baath party contingent, and you discover Syrians and Jordanians are supporting them and supplying them with the very weapons they are using to threaten you and your family...

Do Iraqis Hate Their Government?

I'm watching Hannity & Colmes: Some talking heads are discussing the "peace shields" who changed their stance on the war,...

BBC: Reporter Angry About Bias

Who would have believed it? The BBC's coverage of the war has come under fire from one of its own...

CNN: Idiotic War Polls

I'm watching CNN. They're going over poll results which show, they allege, a "credibility gap" for the Bush administration. The...

Absurd Legal Awards

I'm no fan of tobacco. Cigarettes killed most of the previous generation on my father's side of the family, many...

Expecting Less

Joanne Jacobs comments on research by Claude Steele which finds that peoples' tested intelligence can be raised or lowered by...

Embryonic Stem Cell Ethics

During a lecture, Nobel prize-winning* physicist Richard Feynman once said, regarding science, ethics, killing, and war......

Why "The X-Files" Worked

A few thoughts after watching a "Cops"-style X-Files episode: (a) Dana conspires to make us believe Fox. There's an old...

Ask Yourself: Why Do We Hate You?

I have. I've carefully catalogued each and every reason I've heard that they hate us. I have friends from Asia,...

An Open Response from a "Warmonger"

Okay, so I'm not a warmonger, but undoubtedly I'll be cast as one. Since I suspect I will have visitors...

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Yesterday on St. Louis FM talk radio, I heard an interview with a man who wrote a recent book asserting...

Tierney: French Weapons Inspectors Helped Saddam

This is buried in the previous post, but just to be clear... Stephen DenBeste, probably among others, is on record...

Affirmative Action Alternative 'Faltering' in Texas?

I was reading left-leaning blog Counterspin Central when I came across a reference to an article which indicated that a...

Signs: Miracles and Vi Lurvey

Warning: Minor spoilers. Mel Gibson's character undergoes a paradigm shift (change of mind) based on a "miracle" M. Night Shyamalan...

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