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Opinari - Latin term for Opinion. Opinari.net is just what it seems: a cornucopia of rants, raves and poignant soliloquy.

Thursday, December 18, 2003



Coming to a store near you - the captured Saddam Hussein action figure. I think I am going to buy my son one, and a dozen GI Joes. We'll dig a bunker in the back yard... springtime should be fun. Heh.

UPDATE: Buy the action figure, along with some other notables at HeroBuilders.com.

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.: posted by Dave 8:15 PM


In economic news:

  • Leading indicators rose 0.3% in November, pointing to economic growth next year.

  • The Philadelphia Fed reported factory orders in its region hit a 23-year high in December as employment improved.

  • Nationwide, jobless claims fell by 22,000 last week.


    • Damn those Bush economic policies.

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    .: posted by Dave 1:27 PM


    Wal-Mart is now offering music downloads, and they're doing so for $.11 cheaper than iTunes. I'll be interested to see how sales go, especially with so many iPods being bought for Christmas gifts.

    Note to Santa: Leave iPod under tree. Get many cookies for trip back to North Pole.

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    .: posted by Dave 1:24 PM


    Wednesday, December 17, 2003

    Progress in Iraq? Well, apparently, there is enough progress going on to have a Linux Users' Group. I had no idea. I have to admit, it's an interesting question: will open source software beat Microsoft to the punch?

    Consider this:

    CD-burners are in overdrive churning out copies of Microsoft Windows XP, or sketchy pre-release copies of the company's Longhorn OS due to ship in 2006... I found one guy who sold Red Hat Linux 7.2, but he didn't know what it was...Virtually no Iraqis know anything about the debate over open versus proprietary software. Since Iraq never signed on to the copyright conventions common in other countries, Iraqis have no sensitivity to the issue. They believe that all software costs 2,000 dinars, or roughly one dollar, the price software sellers charge for any copied CD.

    Ironically, Microsoft has a leg up because Iraqis bootleg their software on the street. It remains to be seen if the open source movement will be embraced.

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    .: posted by Dave 8:47 PM


    The reputed head of the Iraqi insurgency surrendered to US forces at dawn yesterday, Al-Arabiya television reported last night.

    The reported surrender of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest ranking member of the former regime still at large, follows the arrest at the weekend of two leaders of the insurgency along with Saddam Hussein.

    If this is true, why aren't the major networks reporting it? Is this a secret only Al-Arabiya is willing to divulge?

    Everyone seems to be preoccupied with Strom's secret daughter, or Hinckley's unsupervised visits.

    UPDATE: Well, MSNBC is at least saying that there was a "major raid".

    ANOTHER UPDATE: The Singapore Straits-Times is reporting that he was captured, too. Maybe this is just an attempt to scoop the American networks while having little verifiable basis for the assertion. It wouldn't be the first time: just ask the "newspaper of record."

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    .: posted by Dave 3:58 PM


    Terry McAuliffe attempts to usurp "Baghdad" Jim McDermott as the idiot Democrat of the week.

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    .: posted by Dave 3:46 PM


    Chris at Two Hour Lunch isn't pleased with Hillary Clinton today. I think he's still riled up after her visit to the troops on Thanksgiving. Chris is a Desert Storm veteran, and I can see why Mrs. Clinton's opportunistic criticism of the CIC (Commander In Chief for those of you lacking proficiency with TLAs) rubbed his rhubarb the wrong way.

    As I posted on his blog, I believe Hillary is just posturing herself to be pro-Iraq liberation, and anti-Dubya at the same time. That doesn't play well with the troops, but it's not a bad point at which to start your 2008 presidential campaign. Which leads me to my early prediction: Condi Rice v. Hillary Clinton in 2008.

    UPDATE: I like this ticket even better: Condi Rice/Dennis Miller vs. Hillary Clinton/Michael Moore. Boo-yeah!

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    .: posted by Dave 3:41 PM


    Lean Left discusses the virtues of affirmative action:

    If you are opposed to affirmative action, you must first tell me what you are going to replace it with. Because today, right now, if you are not white, you are going to have a harder time getting a job, a raise, or an interview because and only because you are not white. Tell me how you are going to deal with that, and only then will I pay attention to what you have to say about affirmative action.

    Because affirmative action is the only program that has any concrete effect on overcoming that prevalent racism. If you are going to remove it without putting something in its place, then all you are doing is acquiescing to that racism. I do not consider that a valid option.

    No matter what the study purports to show, one fact remains: two wrongs do not make a right. I don't care if your Asian, Hispanic, black, or white. If you are more qualified, and your references are better than the other candidates, you are my first choice for the job.

    Racial blindness does not start with "leveling the playing field". It starts with acknowledging that the playing field is based upon qualifications, and credentials. Nothing more. In order to negate race as a consideration, we have to start somewhere. Affirmative action does not negate race. It fully acknowledges it as a factor, and allows it to be a full-fledged consideration. By doing so, racial hurdles will remain. Ending them will only come by... well, ending them. BOTH ways.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:56 AM


    Tuesday, December 16, 2003

    < rant >

    (Donald) Rumsfeld defended the Pentagon's release of a videotape of Mr. Hussein after his capture, saying Iraqis needed to see proof that the former dictator was "off the street, out of commission."

    Just what the *&$% gives anyone the idea that Rummy has any reason to defend the action of releasing a video of Hussein in custody. Would they rather us hint that we captured him?

    Cardinal Renato Martino said Mr. Hussein should face trial, but he stressed the church's opposition to the death penalty. He told reporters the Vatican hoped Mr. Hussein's arrest would "contribute to the pacification and the democratization of Iraq."

    Cardinal Martino said he felt "compassion" for Mr. Hussein, even if he was a dictator, after seeing images of "this destroyed man" being "treated like a beast, having his teeth checked" by an American military medic.

    Object to the death penalty all you want, but in what bizarro world does this monster not deserve a dose of his own medicine? As for being treated like a beast, since when is a dental exam beastly? At some point, compassion becomes simple stupidity. This is one of those times. If Sunday was humiliating for Hussein, just wait until the Iraqi people get him in their crosshairs.

    < /rant >

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    .: posted by Dave 4:56 PM


    Who should decide Hussein's fate? Donald Sensing asks just that.

    Here's my take:

    According to the bylaws of the Baghdad based national war crimes tribunal, the Iraqi judiciary can prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Other crimes in their jurisdiction include "squandering public assets and funds" and "threatening war or the use of the armed forces of Iraq against an Arab country." Both could be easily applied to Saddam.

    So, these are the recently established laws of the Iraqi governing council. The basic infrastructure is there. The question then becomes, "Do we recognize their sovereignty?"

    Bush and Blair are, as Donald Sensing noted, on public record as saying that Hussein should be tried by the Iraqi people. If Iraq is a sovereign nation, then that is the course that should be pursued.

    Also, it would be in the best interest of the Iraqis for them to see this despicable person tried, and, sentenced to whatever punishment they deem necessary. Detaching the proceedings from those directly affected by them would facilitate the view that America is nothing more than a colonial bully. Giving him to the Hague would be even worse. Hussein does not deserve a platform for his megalomania, just as Milosevic did not deserve the one he was given several years ago.

    It would be ideal if Hussein met a fate similar to Mussolini. However, it is the Iraqi people that should make that decision.

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    .: posted by Dave 2:54 PM


    Monday, December 15, 2003

    Lest we forget about the ruckus with Halliburton, today's Wall Street Journal reports that Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root may have been coerced into paying higher than acceptable wholesale prices for the fuel which they provided under contract with the U.S. government. Halliburton has been lambasted recently for such overcharging, but the latest documents shed new light on the matter:

    Corps of Engineers documents indicate KBR attempted to negotiate lower rates from their Kuwaiti subcontractor -- Altanmia Commercial Marketing Co. -- earlier this month, and also tried to line up alternate contractors inside Kuwait as early as October. In a letter to KBR, a senior contract negotiator for the Corps of Engineers cited possible "political pressures" from the Kuwaiti government and the U.S. embassy in Kuwait to negotiate future fuel-import business exclusively with Altanmia.

    If this is true, the blame should rest on the government agencies in question, not Halliburton. But wait, that wouldn't score points with the anti-Bush crowd, now would it?

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    .: posted by Dave 11:14 AM


    In other news, IBM has announced that they are moving as many as 4730 programming jobs to India, China, and elsewhere.

    Unlike low-wage manufacturing, the U.S. computer-services jobs to be moved overseas by IBM typically pay $75,000 to $100,000 or more a year, according to one person familiar with the operations. In contrast, hiring a software engineer with a bachelors or even a masters degree from a top technical university in India may cost $10,000 to $20,000 annually, analysts say.

    That's quite an incentive for work to be offloaded to emerging markets. How will this affect IBM? IBM's director of global employee relations warned that:

    Offshoring "is going to raise a lot of tensions," and is likely to foster union activity at historically non-union IBM. In particular, he predicted "to train someone to do a job that you know will no longer be yours" raises issues of "dignity and fairness" that unions might exploit.

    That's an understatement. Train for ten years, get canned because someone overseas can do the job for 1/10th of the price. As a software developer myself, I still maintain that offshore developers cannot do the job that onsite developers can do, because the offshore worker cannot know the requirements of the system unless he/she is immersed in the workings of the system, or understands the business case. Executives who only see the bottom line might disagree, for now.

    I predict that jobs will stay on-site, but job growth will be greater in the area of offshore outsourcing. If this becomes an election issue, and it probably will, look for some legislation that forbids businesses who do work for the U.S. government from offloading jobs to foreign vendors.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:03 AM


    Why should the trial of Saddam Hussein be an Iraqi affair and not an international one?

    "Enlightened" minds in the West are already calling for an international tribunal to try Saddam. It's not possible, they say, to find "impartial" judges in Iraq. (By this logic John Malvo, the Beltway sniper, should be tried in Germany.) But the restoration of Iraqis' sense of justice--visibly and psychologically--is of course precisely the reason he needs to be tried before the Iraqi people in Iraq itself.

    Agreed.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:23 AM


    Sunday, December 14, 2003

    Time Magazine asks Dennis Miller:

    Your politics have drifted right in recent years. How come?

    I'm left on a lot of things. If two gay guys want to get married, I could care less. If a nut case from overseas wants to blow up their wedding, that's when I'm right. (Sept. 11) was a big thing for me. I was saying to liberal America, "Well, what are you offering?" And they said, "Well, we're not going to protect you, and we want some more money." That didn't interest me.

    That's the message that comes across to me, too. It certainly isn't going to wash in middle America either.

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    .: posted by Dave 8:05 PM


    Blogs are for opinion, and analysis. So are periodicals like the National Review, or the Nation. So what is UPI? United Press International, I thought, was a NEWS agency.

    Straight from Yoo-Pee-Eye itself:

    What's clear from the initial video footage of the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is that this is not the evil mastermind at the controls of the resistance organizations that continue to harass the U.S.-led coalition.

    Thus the immediate benefits enjoyed by the U.S. occupation from his surprisingly meek capture will be psychological in that it proves to the Iraqi people that the brutal despot will not return to power. But little practical or actionable information will come from the arrest to assist U.S. and coalition forces in their hunt for the anti-occupation guerrilla groups.

    Excuse me... what in this statement is factual news? If the UPI wants to take a position of slanting their coverage, just say so. Of course, if the Beeb, and Reuters can do it, why not the UPI?

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    .: posted by Dave 7:54 PM




    Saddam's lice is on sale on eBay.



    Hat tip to Right Wing News

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    .: posted by Dave 7:49 PM


    Bill Whittle draws comparisons to Abe Lincoln's Civil War "quagmire" in 1864. Interesting.

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    .: posted by Dave 7:46 PM


    James Taranto reminds me of something - today is also the third anniversary of Al Gore's concession. A "sweet coincidence"? Very much so.

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    .: posted by Dave 5:58 PM


    So many of the residents of Fallujah and Tikrit are angry about the capture of Hussein. To this, I say, who gives a *&%$? Manhattan and Malibu are bastions of American liberalism, too, but they don't speak for most of America. Likewise, two Iraqi towns do not speak for Iraq.

    Trust me. These people are happy to be free of this demon, and they should be.

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    .: posted by Dave 5:43 PM


    So who is going to get the $25 million reward for the capture of Saddam Hussein?

    No one.

    The source of information is apparently someone who is being accused of crimes against Iraqis, and Americans. So... it took a rat to tell us where the king rat was. How ironic.

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    .: posted by Dave 5:39 PM


    France and Germany have tried, separately, for centuries to rule Europe in one way or another. Military conquests have failed, or have been short lived. Such attempts would be, needless to say, not well received in the 21st century.

    So, what should they try instead? How about political pressure directed towards a voluntary alliance of European countries? It seems that France and Germany would prefer to have a pure democracy in Europe, where (duh) they get more votes on EU policy, taxation, and laws, than other, less populous Euro-states.

    As expected, Spain, and Poland, objected to this stance. Neither wants to lose its sovereignty to a European conglomerate. Given history, who can blame them?

    So, there is a rift in the EU. On the one side is the old Europe, fresh from dictatorship, and Communist rule. On the other is new Europe, with visions of socialist, confiscatory, and bureaucratic grandeur. Where shall the two meet?

    Well, they could not agree on a common constitutional document. So France and Germany have decided to take the reins of leadership, and go ahead on their own. France's Chirac calls the move a "pioneer group" who wish to integrate faster than the other states.

    Why do France and Germany want more weight given to their votes than other states? Fairness? Hardly. This is the only way the two can ever gain true control of the Euro-continent. This is the only way they can ever compete with the British-American alliance. This is their last shot at some world identity.

    It's a shame common sense allies like Spain's Aznar, and Poland's Miller stand in their way. The UK's prime minister, Tony Blair, calls the idea of a European super state "an idea whose time has come and gone." Unless the French/German/Benelux faction amends their position, Blair will likely be right.

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    .: posted by Dave 4:04 PM


    Al Hunt, on how the Hussein capture affects Dean's candidacy:

    Others noted, the activist anti-Bush democrats who will turn out in the initial Iowa caucuses and then the New Hampshire primary–where Dr. Dean has a humongous lead–may be largely unaffected by the Hussein capture. Thus, one leading Democrat who isn't involved in any of the campaigns, sees a political nightmare: "It helps Dean get the nomination and kills him in the general election. I can just see the Bush commercials now."

    This is exactly why Republicans have been salivating at the thought of Howard Dean, Democratic presidential candidate. Like it or not, Gephardt, or Lieberman are more electable nationally than Dean, especially when issues like national security, or terrorism are concerned.

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    .: posted by Dave 3:43 PM


    Heard from the left:

  • Yeah, but where are the WMDs?
  • Sure, but what about the attacks on our troops?
  • OK, now when are we going to leave Iraq?
  • Mmm hmm. Now about this al Qaeda group...
  • So... what about Osama bin Laden?*


    • * It took Christiane Amanpour about 15 seconds to leap onto this bandwagon.

    Get ready for an onslaught of desperation from those who hate George W. Bush more than they want any policy initiative by his administration to succeed. Remember, if Dubya did it, it must be bad!

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    .: posted by Dave 3:36 PM


    Ten to twenty inches of snow last week. Four to eight today. Twenty MPH gusts. Ahhhh.... It's great to live in New England.

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    .: posted by Dave 2:46 PM


    So how is the Democratic Underground reacting to the Hussein capture? Well, let's take a peak:

  • Be prepared--we're gonna have to face another 4 years of Bushit. Canada is looking better and better.
  • I firmly believe that for teh (sic) US to survive as a democracy and for the COnsitution (sic) to survive, Bush MUST be driven from power along with his neo-conservatives cronies. The Republican party must go back to its roots as a bastion of conservatism instead of as a vehicle for Empire and fascism which is where Bush is currently pushing it. So ANYTHING that helps Bush is a bad thing.
  • interesting that it just happened NOW of all times, when chimpy's poll numbers were dropping like stones. magnificent timing!
  • this administration has had the most incredible luck regarding timing. Nastiness about Halliburton, et al? No worries there--Saddam's been captured.
  • THAT IS GREAT! Thanks, Bushies, for a job well done. Your services are no longer needed. Get out and go home to the pig farm.
  • Let a team of Internationally selected doctors by the UN and nations that OPPOSED this invasion perform their own DNA tests - THEN - I might give this "capture" of Saddam some validity
  • What about the rich getting richer and never sharing, What about the stalled economy, What about the reasons why it took this g__d___d long to find this asshole, and what about Osama? Is this really a time for rejoicing?


    • I don't even think any commentary on my part is necessary here. These are the internet junkies mobilizing in favor of Howard Dean? If this truly is the face of the "new" Democratic party, then the Republican majority will only grow.






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    .: posted by Dave 2:22 PM


    Today is a great day in the war on terrorism. Today, Saddam Hussein has been captured, and without a shot being fired, no less. Hussein was found in a 6 X 8 hole, where he was disoriented, disheveled, and otherwise unkempt. Apparently, Hussein had just lost the resolve to hide any longer.

    As news spread across the country that ex-president Saddam Hussein had been captured alive near his hometown Tikrit, prolonged bursts of gun fire, automatic weapons, pistols and heavier calibres filled the air in Baghdad.

    "It's a great joy for the Iraqi people because a great dictator has been arrested," interim Governing Council member Mahmud Othman told AFP.

    In central Fardous Square, people threw old bank notes bearing Saddam's face into the air.

    "It's not possible, it must be a double," said taxi-driver Taher, refusing to believe the eight-month hunt by crack US and Kurdish militia forces had come up trumps...

    In the Shiite holy city of Najaf, which suffered harsh oppression under Saddam's Sunni-led government, people took to the streets to dance, an AFP correspondent said.

    A local television channel urged people to party. Music was being played across the central Iraqi city.

    Huge crowds gathered around cafes with television sets tuned to Arabic satellite channels following every detail of the arrest.

    One can only wonder how much celebration is going on behind the scenes of the Franco-German coalition, and of the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party".

    World leaders reacted one after the other when finding out that Hussein had been captured:

    Tony Blair: "This is very good news for the people of Iraq. It removes the shadow that has been hanging over them for too long of the nightmare of a return to the Saddam regime," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

    "It also gives an opportunity for Saddam to be tried in Iraqi courts for his crimes against the Iraqi people," he said in a statement, adding, "And it gives us an opportunity to take a step forward in Iraq."

    Jacque Chirac: French President Jacques Chirac, who drew US ire for his vehement opposition to the US-led war, "is rejoicing in the arrest of Saddam Hussein," his spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said.

    "It is a major event," Colonna said.

    Gerhard Schroeder: "It's with great delight that I learned of Saddam Hussein's capture," Schroeder wrote. "I congratulate you on this successful operation. Saddam Hussein caused horrible suffering to his people and the region. I hope the capture will help the international community's effort to rebuild and stabilize Iraq."

    Interesting that Schroeder and Chirac couldn't even find the time to issue personal statements, but instead either used a mouthpiece, or a written telegram.

    So was Hussein contrite for his actions?

    Members of Iraq's Governing Council said that they saw Saddam Hussein in US custody on Sunday and found him defiant and unrepentant after his three decades of iron rule.

    Adnan Pachachi, among four members of the council who were taken to see Saddam, confirmed his identity at a news conference.

    "He seemed rather tired and haggard but he was unrepentant and defiant at times," said Pachachi, who was foreign minister before Saddam's Baath party took power in 1968.

    "He tried to justify his crimes one way or another and said that he was a just but firm ruler," he said, flanked by other Governing Council members.

    "Our answer was that he was an unjust ruler because his crimes were responsible for the deaths of thousands of people."

    No one should expect Hussein to weep for the millions of dead for whom he is responsible, any more than Hitler would have been expected to do the same. Hitler's end was fitting: his own cowardice culminated in his suicide. How will the Hussein story end?

    Iraqi Council member Ahmed Chalabi said that the 66-year-old Saddam, discovered Saturday evening in a camouflaged farmyard hole near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq, would be tried in public.

    "The nightmare that was haunting the Iraqi people has been lifted. Saddam is under arrest and he will be tried publicly and punished for his crimes," Chalabi told Iraqi television...

    A special tribunal to try Saddam-era war crimes was set up by Iraq's US-installed interim leadership on December 10 but is unlikely to begin work before a new government takes power in July.

    It will sit in the former president's personal museum. Defendants would have legal defence and its findings could be appealed. So far, Bremer has pointedly made no comment on whether Saddam would be tried there.

    Another Iraqi Governing Council member, Adnan Pachachi, said Sunday that: "this issue will be discussed further, and we will see how the new tribunal will deal with Saddam."

    In Cairo, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa told reporters that the Iraqi people should decide the fate of Saddam, toppled in the US-led war that began in March.

    "One must let the Iraqi people have its word on this important event which amounts to the old regime's definitive outcome," Mussa told reporters shortly after the news broke from Baghdad.

    "It's the Iraqi people who must decide the fate of the old regime and its old leaders," especially "after the unacceptable and serious developments discovered after the fall of the regime," Mussa said.

    He was referring to the discovery of mass graves.

    Even British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose country went to war at Washington's side, said Saddam would face local justice.

    "This is very good news for the people of Iraq. It removes the shadow that has been hanging over them for too long of the nightmare of a return to the Saddam regime," Blair said in a statement released by Downing Street.

    "It also gives an opportunity for Saddam to be tried in Iraqi courts for his crimes against the Iraqi people.

    A minor party of France's opposition, the Greens, said it wanted to see a trial of the former Iraqi leader take place in the International Criminal Court, a body the United States has sought to diminish.

    "In no way would we accept the same conditions of detention or justice as those applied in Guantanamo," said a spokesman in reference to a US military camp in Cuba that has held hundreds of alleged "enemy combatants" in months of legal limbo.

    I would have to agree that the Iraqi people should decide his fate, even if such a fate is a heinous death that the European anti-death penalty zealots would find repulsive. However, handing Hussein over to the ICC would be ridiculous. At most, the court would hand down a 30 year sentence (READ: Milosevic). President Bush, Bremer, and company need to handle this political football correctly, and allow the Iraqis to administer justice on their own terms.

    At this point, it behooves us to reflect back on the occurrences of the past 3 years, starting with the White House race in 2000, and culminating at this moment in history. Had we gotten Al Gore as our president, does anyone believe he would have had the nerve to stand up for what is right and just (NOT what is politically acceptable)? Gore no doubt learned something from his predecessor about governing via poll, and, in the absence of presidential leadership, the polls no doubt would have leaned toward appeasement of the United Nations. The state of the world at large took a turn when the electoral college selected George W. Bush as the 43rd American president. For that, Iraqis all over are thankful.

    Now, turn your attention to the current campaign for president in 2004.

    What did Howard Dean have to say?

    "It is a great day of celebration. President Bush deserves a day of celebration," Dean said during a brief news conference in West Palm Beach. "We have our policy differences but we won't be discussing those today."

    "This, I hope, will change the course of the occupation of Iraq but I think the first order of business is to say this is a great day. I congratulate the Iraqi people," Dean said.

    So, says Dean, let's celebrate, and then get the hell out of town. No doubt, Dean will continue to try to make Iraq an issue, even though, now, no one can ask "So where is Saddam Hussein?" How long will it take for him to ask "Yeah, but... where is Osama bin Laden?"

    Other Democrats took a moment to pander to the masses:

    "I supported this effort in Iraq without regard for the political consequences because it was the right thing to do. I still feel that way now and today is a major step toward stabilizing Iraq and building a new democracy," Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt said in a statement.

    Joe Lieberman said, "I consistently supported Saddam's removal for the past decade, and am prepared to do what it takes to win the war on terrorism at home and abroad."

    Added Kerry: "I guess he supposes it's a good thing to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Well, I knew it was a good thing on that day, day one."

    Today, there are no "I told you so"s of which to speak. Today, our military resolve has shown itself to be fruitful, and the American position of seeking the extinction of Saddam Hussein has proven to be proper.

    Quotes attributed to Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and CNN.

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    .: posted by Dave 1:57 PM


    Tuesday, December 09, 2003

    Imagine if you will a world where college football embraces, at long last, the concept of a true playoff system. Imagine incorporating the existing bowls into the mix. Imagine the participation of so-called "mid-majors", giving them the possibility of winning the "big one". Imagine the excitement of March madness in December. Think it's not possible?

    Let's examine a proposal of mine. First of all, let's start the season in the last week of August, and play until Thanksgiving weekend. There is no reason we can't play 11 games in 12-13 weeks (depending on the calendar year).

    Now, take the following 4 weeks to play the playoffs. 15 games, 16 teams. The top 8 seeds get a home game. Let's take the conference champions of each of the following conferences: Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, MAC, WAC, and the PAC-10. The final 8 slots are given to at-large teams based on a BCS-type matrix.

    The conference champions would be Miami, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Kansas State, Miami Ohio, Boise State, and USC. For the sake of debate, let's give the remaining slots to the top remaining BCS teams: Oklahoma, Ohio State, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Iowa, Purdue, and Florida. Now, seed the teams as they are ranked in the BCS.

    Boise State at Oklahoma? Could be fun. Florida at LSU? The Gators already won that game this season. Rematch anyone? How about another rematch with Iowa at Michigan?

    Purdue at USC? Sounds good to me. Who wouldn't watch Georgia at Ohio State? Here's one I would LOVE to see... Miami Ohio at Texas. If Arkansas can win there, so can Miami. This is a quality team. Kansas State at Florida State? I would be there. Finally, another rematch, this time on the other team's home field: Miami at Tennessee.

    In an ideal world, these would be our matchups. Second round games would be played at, for example, the Holiday, Fiesta, Cotton, and Citrus Bowls. The semifinals would be played at, say, the Orange, and Rose Bowls. And the championship game? The Sugar Bowl.

    Four weeks. Sixteen teams. Fifteen nail-biting games.

    It HAS to happen someday. College football loses something every time we get to the postseason. All other sports decide their championships on the field. Even college football, at EVERY OTHER level, does so. It's time the college powers (including the networks) got together and did the same thing.

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    .: posted by Dave 6:02 PM


    Saturday, December 06, 2003

    Conservatives are blasting Bush for the Medicare bill, but it won't matter. Here's why.

    In a two party system, the constituency is inherently polarized. You're either with one, or the other. Bush's political handlers know this, and they know something else. Conservatives, whether they like Bush's spending propensity, or not, will still vote for him. He is the most viable choice for conservatives. To them, he is their moral beacon, and their commander-in-chief. He threw them a bone by cutting their taxes. Bush's political moves have been calculated, just like every executive predecessor.

    It is fully understood that, to broaden your constituency, you may have to alienate a majority of them some of the time. Bush did this by expanding the scope of Medicare into the arena of prescription drugs. But, because of his overall appeal to them, Bush will still get the vast majority of conservative votes.

    Compartmentalized politics was the reason Bill Clinton was able to serve eight years as the American CEO. Bush has taken yet another page from the Clinton play book, and executed its contents to his advantage. Remember when Clinton instituted welfare reform to appeal to moderates? He did so, knowing that the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party" (to paraphrase Howard Dean) would stil vote for him, because he was their only plausible option.

    Bush will have to soothe conservatives, but he won't lose them. This is why his Medicare policy won't mean a thing, politically. But it will mean the American taxpayer will take a hit for years to come. Such is American politics.

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    .: posted by Dave 5:26 PM


    Gephardt's first sensible statement this year:

    Speaking for a clear minority of Democrats at the convention, Gephardt suggested that Democrats need to put the 2000 race behind them.

    “We can’t just dwell on the past. We’ve got to look forward,” he told reporters, adding that Gore “probably won the popular vote.”

    Well, he gives good advice to the Democratic party to quit dwelling in the past. And he's right. Gore did "probably" win the popular vote. But that's not what elects the American president. What amazes me is that the left cannot let this go. I doubt they ever will.

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    .: posted by Dave 5:12 PM


    Today, I am going to take a break from my blogging Sabbatical to express my disgust at our Congress, and their fiscal irresponsibility. Have you seen the content of the spending bill for 2004, $373 billion worth of waste. Never mind that I think 80% of what the government spends is waste. Let's look at some of the obvious pork...

  • $50 million for a rainforest project in... IOWA! Excuse me? Iowa is an agrarian state, not a tropical enclave. Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, had this fine piece of legislation added to the spending bill. This from project director David Oman: "There will be no facility like it in the United States. This will have a national scope and, yes, some federal assistance is appropriate." WRONG. The government should not be in the business of subsidizing pet projects, especially misplaced ones like this. You want a rainforest in the middle of Iowa? Get PRIVATE funding!

  • Jim Gibbons, another Republican spender, wants to toss $225,000 at a public pool problem. I might add that it is a problem that he helped cause as a child. Now, I'm not saying that he is culpable as a young child for something like that, but... well, here's what he has to say: "“I have an enormous guilty conscience for putting frogs in the swimming pool when I was about 10 years old... This is a very meritorious project, one that I am not embarrassed about at all." Well, Senator, you SHOULD be embarrassed. You want to assuage your conscience? PAY for it YOURSELF! It's not the mandate of the U.S. government to soothe the conscience of a man who destroyed a public pool drainage system 50 years ago. Got guilt? DEAL WITH IT.


    • This is just another example of how reckless public officials are with our money. It cuts across party lines. Dems, Reps, independents... it matters little. Grassley is supposed to be a fiscal CONSERVATIVE, for God's sake.

    At some point, this waste has to end. This is why the line item veto would have been a godsend - for executive-imposed fiscal discipline. However, it wouldn't matter with this administration anyway. They have yet to veto a bill of any sort. I doubt a tool such as a line item veto would make much difference.

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    .: posted by Dave 3:15 PM


    Thursday, November 27, 2003

    I'm waiting on the Bush-haters on the left to start trashing Dubya for being an opportunist for visiting the troops overseas today. If anything will boost morale in Iraq, it is a visit from the commander-in-chief, and a nice helping of turkey and dressing.

    Alas, if the aircraft carrier incident from months ago is any indication, Bush will be lambasted in the leftist media for doing something unprecedented, and genuinely good. You may not like Bush. You may not like his policies. But you have to admire him as a person.

    UPDATE: This just in for those who think the administration is not doing enough to reinforce troop presence in Iraq. The Pentagon is sending 3000 more troops to bolster the coalition presence there. Hopefully, we'll see more of these deployments until the stench that is Islamic terrorism is removed from society.

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    .: posted by Dave 2:16 PM


    What kind of son-of-a-bitch would even think this?

    I'm definitely torn, because I obviously don't want any more of our soldiers getting killed, but I also wouldn't mind the quagmire going on just long enough to ruin Bush's re-election chances.

    If you are more concerned with a president's re-election failure than the well-being of our troops abroad, you are a sick bastard. Excuse my anger on this day of Thanksgiving, but whatever troglodyte surfaced to write such a screed should be lambasted by all within earshot. It figures these are the types of opinions emanating from the Left Coast, but it still sickens me.

    Anyone who feels that way should abdicate their citizenship, move to a more totalitarian state, where their opinions can REALLY be appreciated.

    < end of rant >

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    .: posted by Dave 1:10 AM


    Yayy! Tuesday Morning Quarterback is back! Thanks NFL.COM

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    .: posted by Dave 1:01 AM


    My last post was about the things for which I am most thankful. This post, to which SayUncle linked, got me thinking about people I meet in passing... people who I will only see once, and likely will see only for a few minutes. It's people like the one in this post for whom I am thankful. Read this, and if you don't get a tear in your eye, you must be having a really bad day.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:47 AM


    Wednesday, November 26, 2003

    Today is Thanksgiving. Much like today, times were pretty turbulent during the first Thanksgiving. American natives and European settlers were still trying to cope with each other. But even through the angst, the God-fearing settlers found time to thank the Lord for everything He had given to them.

    Today, I am thankful, too.

  • I am thankful for my beautiful wife, with whom I am spending my first Thanksgiving.
  • I am thankful for my beautiful son, with whom I am also spending my first Thanksgiving.
  • I am thankful for my supportive family, on both sides of the marital divide, and for their help in establishing this household. They have been invaluable to us.
  • I am thankful for this nation, where we can live in relative freedom, to love, to learn, to worship, and to be individuals.
  • I am thankful for the men and women who are fighting for the just cause of freedom, and in defense of American ideals abroad, who defend us each day against the tyranny of Islamic terrorism.
  • I am thankful for the teachers, and mentors throughout my life, who influenced me, and led me in the right direction, through constant correction, and discipline. I owe them a great deal.
  • I am thankful for my pets. My dog, Buddy, and my cat, Calin, are a constant joy to us. God knew what He was doing when He made pets.
  • I am thankful for the health of my family, and may they continue to be prosperous and well.
  • I am thankful for my job, which is as fulfilling as anything for which I could have ever hoped.
  • I am thankful for technologies such as the Internet, which enable me to communicate with all of my friends, and family. Without it, I would be isolated in a faraway place, with no outlet for communicating my ideas, and thoughts.
  • I am thankful for the hundreds of friends I have, in the numerous places in America, Europe, and elsewhere. You all mean more to me than I can ever express.
  • I am thankful most of all for my Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins. He has blessed me in ways I never imagined. And without Him, I would be no one.


    • If your list of thankfulness is as robust as mine, you are lucky indeed.

    God bless everyone this Thanksgiving day.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:49 PM


    Saturday, November 22, 2003



    Today is, among other things, the day of the week that I reserve for watching college football. It's difficult to watch the Vols from the Northeast, as I refuse to pay hundeds of dollars for a satellite system, or add-on packages for cable TV. I do, though, make extensive use of the internet. Fortunately, if the Vols are not televised by CBS, they are being shown on ESPN, or Jefferson Pilot (on the internet, which comes in rather nicely).

    I feel like writing about the Vols today because today was the last home game for several UT seniors. The accolades will go out to many of them, but none will be more deserving than Casey Clausen. Casey did not bring the Vol nation a national championship (of course, neither did Peyton). But he did bring us two victories in Gainesville, and one in South Bend, and another in Miami. This kid has impressed me in his four years, not from his sheer ability, but from his unflappability, and his confidence both on the field, and off.

    I had no reason to write about Casey Clausen today, until I read his piece in the News Sentinel. I grew weary during the last four seasons, listening to the grumbling of all the wannabe coaches out there, telling us how worthless Clausen was. When things go awry, the quarterback usually takes the heat. This is one kid who has been taught how to weather the storms of fickle fans.

    Casey, you will be missed by this Vol fan. I hope you go on to the next level and excel, despite your critics. I hope coach Fulmer can find another player to do the job as successfully as you have. No, more than that, I hope coach Fulmer can sign many more kids to scholarships in the future just like you, Casey. Thanks for the memories.

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    .: posted by Dave 8:35 PM


    Thursday, November 20, 2003

    I haven't read much about the energy bill (there are only so many hours in the day). But, if Tom Daschle is supporting it, it must be a bad idea.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:24 PM


    The Two-Dozen Old Person March:

    Yesterday afternoon, about two dozen disgruntled AARP members from Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania gathered in the rain outside the organization’s downtown Washington headquarters to cut up their membership cards. The protest was organized by two liberal advocacy groups.

    So, reputedly, senior citizens across the fruited plain are angry about the Republican-backed prescription drug benefit. And they are angry that the AARP endorsed it. So they cut up their membership cards. All TWENTY-FOUR of them. Twelve senior citizen pairs is all they could get for this poor display of desperate symbolism? Pardon me if I don't see the groundswell of anger here.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:18 PM


    As if the world needed to be reminded WHY we are battling these terrorist thugs, we have a new set of attacks in Istanbul. 26 people are known dead. 450 or more injured.

    This cancer on the face of society will not stop on its own. It needs to be rooted out, and destroyed. Western journalists, and political opportunists who decry everything George Bush because... well, it's George Bush, so it has to be wrong... are not helping matters with their often vitriolic dissent. Once the Western world speaks as one, and seeks to destroy al-Qaeda and its sympathizers, REGARDLESS of cost, both financial, and human, these attacks will continue. They may be intermittent. They may be unsuccessful. They may be costly. They may be mild. But they will persist.

    Thankfully, we have leaders with the mettle of Tony Blair, and George Bush, who will not back down from these killers, despite the best efforts of the Islamic propagandists, and the leftist blatherers of the Western world.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:09 PM


    Cheeseburger fries. Boy, these sound yummy to me:

    Looking to emulate the success of Chicken McNuggets and fried mozzarella sticks, the group is hoping to inject some red meat into the American snack food diet with cheeseburger fries. The fries, which look like a squat version of standard french fries, are made of a meat and cheese compound that tastes - as the name suggests - like a cheeseburger.

    Breaded, deep fried, and served with ketchup or barbecue sauce, cheeseburger fries have found their way onto menus in several states, including Nebraska, Minnesota and Texas, since June. There is also a version being made available to public school cafeterias.

    The last sentence made my wife wonder aloud:

    They are marketing this product to public schools. I wonder if they will be able to market this to the schools in Arkansas? You know...the ones that are so concerned with student health they are measuring body fat? Wanna bet they start serving these deep-fried fat sticks for lunch soon?

    I'm not sure how this will play out with the "fitness nazis" of the world, but I know this much: as fit as I was in grade school, you can bet your bottom dollar that I would have been eating cheeseburger fries for lunch before I would have been eating corn, beans, and tossed salad.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:11 AM


    Fox News on how candidates are confused about the assault weapons gun ban:

    Tuesday, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean explained his support for extending the assault weapons ban next year because “deer hunters don't need to have assault weapons.” Gen. Wesley Clark says: “I like to hunt. I have grown up with guns all my life, but people who like assault weapons should join the United States Army, we have them.” Sen. John Kerry offered, “I never contemplated hunting deer or anything else with an AK-47.”

    Clearly what worries these senators is that people and not deer will be “hunted” with these guns. As Sen. Carl Levin noted early this year, allowing the ban to expire will “inevitably lead to a rise in gun crimes.” Ratcheting up the fear factor to an entirely new level, Sen. Chuck Schumer claims the ban is one of "the most effective measures against terrorism that we have."

    The most charitable interpretation is that the ban's proponents know nothing about guns. The “assault weapon ban” conjures up images of machine guns used by the military, which are surely not very useful in hunting deer. Yet, the 1994 federal assault weapons ban had nothing to do with machine guns, only semi-automatics, which fire one bullet per pull of the trigger. The firing mechanisms in semi-automatic and machine guns are completely different. The entire firing mechanism of a semi-automatic gun has to be gutted and replaced to turn it into a machine gun.

    Functionally, the banned semi-automatic guns are the same as other non-banned semi-automatic guns, firing the exact same bullets with the same rapidity and producing the exact same damage. The ban arbitrarily outlaws different guns based upon either their name or whether they have two or more cosmetic features, such as whether the gun could have a bayonet attached or whether the rifle might have a pistol grip. While there were no studies or scientific basis offered for making these distinctions, the different names or cosmetic features were claimed to make these guns more attractive to criminals.

    Idiotic bureaucrats have NO business making policy decisions about firearms. That is painfully obvious. If you don't know the difference in a Bushmaster and a Kaleshnikov, don't assume that you know best for the rest of us. Why these cretins insist on calling a semi-automatic firearm an "assault weapon" is beyond me. Well, on second thought, demagoguery is the likely motive. Can we come to a concensus somehow that keeping FULLY automatic firearms off the streets is, perhaps, not such a bad idea, but the current legislation is just wrongheaded and uninformed? At some point, common sense has to prevail over rhetoric.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:06 AM


    In Shreveport, LA, the voice recognition system used to route non-emergency calls doesn't seem to recognize Cajun and Creole dialect. Says the police communications captain:

    In Louisiana, we have a problem with Southern drawl and what I call lazy mouth. Because of that, the system often doesn't recognize what [callers] say.

    Well, heck, if you've spent any time in the Bayou, even the well-educated folks there are difficult to understand. Why would we think a computer system would be any different? And have you used any speech recognition software lately? It has a hard time with ANY dialect, let alone those with a pronounced drawl.

    But, alas, the VR system has been laid aside for a less-modern method. Touch tone. Sometimes, less technology is more.



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    .: posted by Dave 10:44 AM


    Good news. Microsoft has decided to implement a long-awaited feature to allow users to disable popup ads.

    Crucially, the question over whether the pop-up blocking will be turned on by default has remained unanswered by Microsoft, which said only that it plans to include the feature, and will gather user feedback before announcing further details. A default "on" setting would almost certainly kill pop-up advertising on the Web, since almost all pop-ups are un-requested by users.

    This is certainly going to be a topic of debate as the new IE is rolled out. Personally, I would think that, in order to avoid litigation, Microsoft would simply make the default setting "off". But, we'll see.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:40 AM


    Good news for all of you who are, well, butt ugly.

    Face transplants are technically possible and could arguably be less difficult than reattaching a severed finger, surgeons said Wednesday, but they called for more research into the risks involved before they are attempted.

    Talk about progress in society. Remember the movie Face-Off? Someone must have been inspired.

    Now, do I want a Robert Redford, or a young Sinatra? Hmmm.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:35 AM


    This from Rush Limbaugh:

    Now get this: 75% of black Protestants "think homosexual behavior is sinful." Ladies and gentlemen, I could have figured this out when I was still doing drugs.

    Rush. Ever the self-deprecator.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:32 AM


    Steven Waldman on the gay marriage issue:

    Privately, religious conservatives are appalled and grossed out by homosexuality but realize that the more common American view is modulated. So, they choose to focus on the idea that marriage in general is under threat. Read their public statements, and you'll see a surprising shortage of outrage about homosexuality itself.

    This is exactly the case. No one is arguing that homosexuality should be banned by the state, nor should gays be rendered second class citizens. However, when families in the U.S. begin to see the institution of family assaulted, they react rather sharply. The reactions of late are more of a defense of the traditional family, and less of an indictment of the homosexual lifestyle.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:28 AM


    Wednesday, November 19, 2003

    Eminem rants about black people, in his "more angry" days. Now his racist rapping comes to light, and people are stunned? Come on. It's Marshall Mathers, blonde badmouth extraordinaire. Why people buy his crap anyway is beyond me.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:32 PM


    Keyshawn Johnson. #1 draft pick in 1996. #1 putz in 2003. So you don't want to be a Buccaneer, Shawn? Well, stay home then. Trust me, people. McCardell and Jurevicius are better wideouts than K.J. any day. That's why I cut him from my fantasy team! Pro sports needs less ego, and more humility. Maybe K.J. will see that. Then again, maybe Hades will see a cold front settling in soon.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:30 PM


    Let's get another thing straight. Michael Jackson is a very strange person. He has been since, well, since birth, I can only imagine. His affinity for children borders on ill, but to brand him a serial molester is, honestly, based on circumstantial evidence. That being said, any parent who would send their child alone for some "play time" at Mikey's Mansion is insane in their own right. I say MJ is innocent until the guilty verdict is rendered, but until then, how about using some parental common sense and keep the kids away from Neverland?

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    .: posted by Dave 11:27 PM


    Can someone tell me why a 16 team playoff is good for Division II College Football, but it's not good for Division I? This B(S)CS fiasco has to end sometime. Can you imagine the possibilities of Oklahoma having to play TCU, Washington State, and then USC to win the championship? Can you imagine the TV ratings? Is anyone in the B(S)CS caucus listening?

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    .: posted by Dave 11:24 PM


    Helpful Plumbing Hint #1:

    If you are trying to remove a 500 pound sink from your basement, make sure you turn off the hot and cold water feed pipes before you try to dislodge it from the wall.

    Excuse me while I empty the Shop Vac for the third time.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:19 PM


    Let's talk about the gay marriage issue in Massachusetts. First of all, let's differentiate between two issues: personal beliefs, and matters of law. I do not support homosexuality, so I also won't support homosexual marriage. My stance is one of Biblical beliefs, and of my understanding of the natural law of marriage as delineated by God. I also believe the general detachment of people in society from the basic tenets of the Bible have led us down this path to begin with.

    That being said, I am also a proponent of freedom. God gave us a free will, and, as such, it is our choice to do or not do certain things. God's moral code is not compulsory. It is not imposed upon us. He gave it to us, recommended that we adhere to it, and gave us consequences if we did not. It is my choice to do so to the best of my abilities. The state should not compel homosexual couples to adhere to that code, anymore than an Islamic state should compel others to abide by sharia (which they do anyway, but I digress). As a matter of law, the state would be wrong to mandate that homosexual couples have no rights. It does not harm me if they are given rights of property, and tax status, and benefits from employers. In my ideal world, a gay couple and my family can co-exist peacefully. Do no harm, and be not harmed. If they want civil unions, let them do so.

    It's the other idea of acceptance here that bothers me more. That is the idea that the criteria for having children should be "a home with love". While I agree that love is necessary, it is not the sole basis for a stable home for a child. A child needs a nurturing male and female. The absence of this stability is what has given us a generation of malcontent kids full of self-gratification, irresponsibility, and immaturity. You doubt we have such ills in society? Spend 15 minutes in the local mall. Then come back and tell me kids aren't missing something.

    Endorsing same-sex marriages as complete reflections of Biblical marriage is to say that the male-female parental paradigm is not needed for the nurturing of children, and to think that is just plain wrong. Men have something unique to contribute to children that women do not have. Women, on the other hand, contribute to the child in areas that men cannot understand.

    It can be said that, if same-sex couples were intended to have children, God would have given them the ability to procreate. Anyone with a cursory sense of anatomy can see this is not so. In vitro fertilization, and adoption, are not the same as creating a child, physically, as a product of the love and union of two distinctly different people. Children cannot be brought up optimally under such circumstances, despite the desire of the homosexual lobby to will it to be so.

    Suffice it to say that no one in this world who is homosexual has done me harm by being gay. It is doubtful that they ever will. It would be best, in my view, if we created civil unions for one purpose, and heterosexual marriages for another. And keep the kids out of the middle. What two consenting adults do betwixt themselves is their business, and their business only. When a child is involved, that is another story.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:13 PM


    Even my fellow RTBers are noticing that I have been on, shall we say, paternal hiatus.

    Falling down on the job. It sure feels like it.

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    .: posted by Dave 8:47 PM


    Time management. Elusive, yet necessary. I have a hard time with time management. Before life took on a new sense of responsibility, I always knew I lacked time management skills. I figured it would be the biggest hurdle in realizing my ambitions and goals.

    Well, this year, I have added more responsibility in career, home (with all of the responsibilities of home ownership), and personal life (add a loving wife, and an adorable child into the mix). Throw in a dose of graduate school for good measure (something called Human Computer Interface Design, and Object Oriented Database Systems), and... well, you can see where this is going.

    Arrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

    Thank you for allowing me to interject with such a voracious scream as to agitate my co-workers. Someone needs to give me some pointers on how to juggle all of this. (Is Glenn Reynolds listening? How can one man blog so much, without even a hint of adjourning from his PC? Try as I may, this is the first time I have been able to blog since my son came home. You time managers out there amaze me... but I digress.)

    Anyway, helpful hints are welcome. Blogging is my refuge, and, as you can tell, I haven't had much refuge lately. :)

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    .: posted by Dave 1:14 PM


    Saturday, November 08, 2003



    My Wonderful Son:

    Tuesday in Connecticut was Election Day. Anyone that knows me knows that I am very much into the world of politics. Wouldn't it be ironic, I asked not long ago, if my son was born on Election Day?

    Well, something funny happened on the way to bed on Monday night. Babies, as you know, are an unpredictable sort. To be sure, they follow no one's schedule but their own. Well, one minute I was watching the football game, the next I was waking up after dozing off, with my wife asking me if I knew where her contact lenses were. Well, no one looks for their contacts in the middle of the night, so I knew something was up. After quizzing her for a few moments on the matter, she asked of me, "Call the hospital. My water just broke." What did she say? Water? Broke? Oh boy. That time had arrived.

    We went upstairs and hurriedly put together her things for the hospital stay. We hurried down the barren interstate, knowing that when we returned, our lives would be forever changed. We were admitted to the hospital, and the doctors made plans after consulting with us to deliver the baby around noon the next day. Election day, of course.

    Ami and I spent the next few hours being simultaneously anxious, nervous, happy, and tense. Finally, when Ami went to the operating room, I realized the gravity of the events about to unfold. It was with joyous tears that I thanked God for all which He had given me. This has indeed been a fruitful year.

    Ami went into surgery, obviously nervous about the situation, but calm, knowing that I was there to love her, and to reassure her that everything would be fine. The doctors were impeccable, and I would not trade them for any others. Ami's mom was there after coming in from Michigan. She has, and will continue to be, an invaluable help to us both. As will my mom be, of course, as she was en route from Knoxville. She was going to be here on Thursday for the scheduled delivery. Well, Ethan didn't care. He wanted to come out now. Sorry, Mom.

    As I watched life come out of life, my son from out of my wife, I was absolutely fascinated. As we finally heard our baby, Ami and I both were tearing up as we glanced first at the doctors, then at each other, knowing that this was the product of our love, and it was infinitely better than we had ever imagined.

    The doctors cleaned little Ethan up, and I went to observe his every move. Then, they handed him to me. "Hello, little guy. I'm your daddy. It's good to see you finally." This, my friends, is what makes life invaluable. If you ever think otherwise, think of your kids. Your perspective will change in a hurry.

    So, now, Ami and I have a 6 lb, 13 oz, 19 1/2 inch child. He has a full head of blonde hair, blonde eyelashes, blonde eyebrows. He has everything for which we had hoped, and then some. Aside from his encounter with the circumsizion knife, he has been delightfully well-mannered, and quite docile, to our surprise.

    The mother is doing well. She will be quite sore for awhile, as the c-section surgery took about twice as long as normal ones. But, there were no complications. She looks as radiant as ever, and extremely proud to be a mother.

    God has been wonderful to us. Thanks go to Him, and thank you to all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

    UPDATE: My wife and I are also keeping a blog to chronicle the events of Ethan's life, in first person. The blog is My First Year - A Blog by Ethan.

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    .: posted by Dave 8:10 PM


    Friday, October 31, 2003

    Wired has an interesting article on how the Dean campaign is utilizing the blog:

    But when done right, as the Howard Dean campaign apparently is doing, the blog is a tool for building community. The trick is to turn the audience into the speaker. A well-structured blog inspires both reading and writing. And by getting the audience to type, candidates get the audience committed. Engagement replaces reception, which in turn leads to real space action. The life of the Dean campaign on the Internet is not really life on the Internet. It's the activity in real space that the Internet inspires.

    I do wish more candidates would utilize the blogosphere, particularly on the local level. Let's hear town council tell me on tomorrow's post why they are raising the mill rate, again.

    One other quote from the article:

    The challenge is to find a way to build community without the community feeling built.

    It is here that Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, had his insight. After a short stint at Progeny Linux Systems, Trippi recognized, he told me, "you will absolutely suffocate anything that you're trying to do on the Internet by trying to command and control it."

    I wish the Democrats felt the same way about loosening restrictions on people's income as they seem to feel about the Internet.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:58 AM


    Need Orange Paint for Home Office:

    I'm a bit sad now that I found out that Home Depot no longer carries the Tennessee Vols "Big Orange" paint. I know they have machines that can match paint from photos, etc., but I really wanted some of the good ol' "Big Orange 101".

    So... if anybody out there has a couple cans of the "Big Orange 101" stuff, let me know, and I will have it shipped up here to Connecticut. There really isn't enough orange here, you know. Oh, and if you happen to know the RGB values for the Volunteer orange (I believe the specific orange hue is known as "carotene"), post them here!

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    .: posted by Dave 11:43 AM


    State firefighters were offered help in fighting the fires in Southern California and refused it because of a regulation that states that "no flights can go up into waning daylight." So, some shortsighted bureaucrats made this little rule on-the-fly, and now, a situation has been exacerbated. Can anyone say that a few air drops in the evening would have put out the fires there? No. But it surely would have helped. This is just a small example of why California is such a regulatory mess, and why common sense should prevail instead of bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:22 AM


    My wife opines about the study that found that "campus diversity may cut binge drinking."

    Sheesh. So now, they have an excuse to "tailor their admission policies" for the "good" of all involved. Asinine.

    Yep, that about says it all. So now, if you want to make a dent in campus drinking problems, you need only to admit more women, and minorities, since, we all know, fraternities are responsible for most binge drinking, and most frat boys are white, and, by extension, non-diverse.

    Somewhere along the way, cause and effect became lost concepts.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:08 AM


    Supply-Side Theory 101:

    Those of you out there who doubt the validity of supply-side economic theory should follow this little example.

    Indian software firms are excited about the newly announced GDP growth in the United States. Why, you ask? Because growth means more orders for their software. When capitalists (investors, purchasers, buyers, and consumers) have more to spend, others (such as the aforementioned software firms) can sell more products, and can subsequently create more products. Creating more products leads to the need for 1) more materials for consumption, and 2) more human capital to do the work. This, in turn, leads to more workers having more capital to spend on more things, as well as more providers of materials for consumption, who will, you guessed it, need to hire more people to produce them. Is this sinking in yet?

    Blame the Bush tax cuts. I am.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:58 AM


    Good news for database administrators everywhere:

    CNET News.com - New data says there's lots of new data.

    Job security. Definitely a nice fringe benefit.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:52 AM


    Evidence that stupid people live all over the place:

    Edward Gallart, of the Bronx, went to the restroom on the Metro-North commuter train. He dropped his cellphone in the toilet. He reached in to retrieve it. His arm was stuck. Thousands of commuters were stranded because one bonehead couldn't put down his cellphone while he took a leak. It took 90 minutes to extricate this guy's arm. They had to take the toilet apart to do so.

    For all of this, it will cost the railroad maintenance department several thousand dollars. Some of this expense will be offset by taxpayers. A more appropriate measure would be to bill this moron.

    Oh, and to top it off, the cellphone was not recovered. It figures.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:49 AM


    Google used to be my favorite search engine. But almost daily, I find reasons to like it less.

    I don't like that they weight some sites higher than others in searches if ownersw of those sites pay for such consideration.

    I don't like that they enact censorship of Second Amendment advocates, while having no care whatsoever about such things as porn sites.

    And now, Microsoft might be buying them. That can only worsen the situation.

    To be honest, I like Microsoft generally. I own shares in the company. I am a certified programmer using Microsoft technologies. And I hate the idea of Linux on the enterprise desktop. That being said, I do not wish for Microsoft to own Google. What I do wish is that Google would revert to its original form, but, alas, this is a capitalist society, and who can blame the innovators of Google for wanting to cash in on their product's ubiquity? Even so, that cannot change my opinion. Google was once a great search engine. Now, it is nothing more than a commercial enterprise, with a reputation that exceeds its utility.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:34 AM


    One thing I find interesting about the political climate in the Northeast as opposed to the South is the lack of distinguishing features between the Republican and Democratic parties, especially on a local level. Next week is the general election for town officers, and both sides have been typically partisan.

    Most amusing to me, though, has been the platform of the Democrats. Basically, their main plank is one of "fiscal discipline, and responsibility". Their main complaint: Republicans have raised property taxes too high, too often.

    Am I in some kind of Bizarro world, where the parties have swapped identities? Well, not really. In the Northeast, Republicans are really lightweight Democrats. They are more liberal on social issues. They do not shy away from taxes. They pander to unions, and voting blocs. And on a local level, they rarely run have any ideas of "fiscal discipline". In fact, two candidates who call themselves members of the "Enfield Taxpayer's Party" have some compelling ideas, such as an automatic referendum when spending exceeds the rate of inflation, get laughed out of town for such proposals. The Hartford Courant calls them "impractical". It is just fundamentally contrary to the very being of Northeastern politicians on all levels to equate themselves to conservative ideas, especially pragmatism and thrift in spending.

    Whether it is a Republican or a Democrat in local office, the mill rates will continue to climb, spending on public services, and education will continue to outpace inflation, and the other party (whomever is not in power at the time) will cry "foul" during the next election. At some point, tax rates will reach a saturation point, and there will be an outcry by the electorate. Until then, I can only dream about a device such as California's Proposition 13.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:23 AM


    NY Times "economist" Paul Krugman really gets me sometimes. Yesterday's news of 7.2% GDP growth for the last quarter was impressive to everyone in the field of economics, with the obvious exception of Krugman. Ever the pessimist, Krugman lets on that he believes the recovery is precarious at best.

    The big question, of course, is jobs. Despite all that growth in the third quarter, the number of jobs actually fell... And unless we start to see serious job growth — by which I mean increases in payroll employment of more than 200,000 a month — consumer spending will eventually slide, and bring growth down with it.

    Krugman knows that job growth does not precede capital investment, nor does it generally happen in parallel. Businesses invest, then jobs become necessary as a result of such investment. Should we look for job growth in the fourth quarter? At the current rate, yes. I don't pretend to be an economist, but I am familiar enough with the business cycle to know that jobs inevitably must follow business investment.

    Does Krugman give credit to the Bush tax cuts? Of course not.

    If so, does it validate the Bush economic program? Well, no.

    Stimulating the economy in the short run is supposed to be easy, as long as you don't worry about how much debt you run up in the process... To put it more bluntly: it would be quite a trick to run the biggest budget deficit in the history of the planet, and still end a presidential term with fewer jobs than when you started. And despite yesterday's good news, that's a trick President Bush still seems likely to pull off.

    So Krugman maintains that the deficit coupled with monetary policy is the real reason for economic growth. This blog has mentioned this fact in the past, and it will again. As a percentage of GDP, the deficit is NOT the largest in American history. I would never call the Bush administration spendthrifty, as I have been critical of many of their spending initiatives, but to stigmatize them by saying the deficit is the largest ever, and is the real inertia behind economic expansion is disingenuous.

    Truth be told, job growth in the 90s due to a phantom tech spurt was bound to implode upon itself. Manufacturing efficiencies lead to a smaller need for human capital. That is the nature of evolving economies. Human resources have to be diverted elsewhere when such is the case. To be sure, corporate losses, and outsourcing have led to job shrinkage in real terms, but not as much as many would have you believe (read: Krugman, et. al.)

    When businesses and individuals are allowed to keep more of their money, they invest it in jobs, homes, and durable goods. This is the real impetus behind economic growth. But economists with an agenda will never tell you that.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 9:55 AM


    Nude Karaoke? I at least hope they have minimum physical requirements.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 9:31 AM




    If you follow the Vols, you probably know about Chuck Prugh, and his month long fight with mononucleosis, coupled with pneumonia. Prugh has definitely appreciated all of the support from Vol fans everywhere. Says Prugh:

    "I learned we've got the greatest fans in the world,'' Prugh said, "and it would be an honor to play for them again.''

    These are the kinds of players I love to hear about. These are the kinds players that bring a team together, instead of fracturing them in the middle (are you listening, Kelley Washington?) I, for one, would love to have ten more Chuck Prughs on the roster.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 9:29 AM


    Tuesday, October 28, 2003

    Here at the office, we had a client who sent us some nifty VCDs (video compact disks) with some details of their business processes on them. Due to restrictive network policies, we could not install the Windows Media Player codec to play VCDs. However, we are enabled to install any third party software that does not write to certain parts of the Windows registry. So, users downloaded something called Global DivX Player. GDP is supposed to be a lightweight tool for playing unconventional formats such as DivX and VCD.

    This leads me to my rant on the matter. GDP is full of spyware and adware. You wouldn't believe how system performance was lacking on the network machines. Now, after several users inatalled the package, and complained, I decided to run a quick check using a tool called Webroot Spy Sweeper to view the damage. What I found was appalling: NetDotNet, Alexa, SuperBar, and SaveNow all found their way onto the PCs. (Read today's SlashDot discussion on adware if you want to see how it affects users.)

    The moral to the story is this: if you are a power hungry sysadmin, you need to learn to give users a bit of leeway when installing software. I say this because, as the IT leader in my group, I still cannot gain admin access to the machines. This incident could have been avoided if I had only been allowed to download and install the codec for WMP, or RealPlayer, for that matter.

    End of Rant.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 10:55 AM


    Andrew Sullivan on Dubya's reelection prospects:

    The economy may do for 43 what it failed to do for 41: re-elect a Bush.

    If so, chalk up a victory for supply-siders everywhere.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:40 AM


    Brendan Miniter is not sure that now is the time for one-half of a billion dollars in construction projects on Capitol Hill:

    It's hard to argue against building an organized entrance point for tourists, especially after Sept. 11 and after Russell Weston shot his way into the Capitol in 1998, killing a policeman. But with money tight, the project seems an extravagance, if not a boondoggle.

    I agree with the sentiment. However, I would settle for simply ending spendaholic legislators' abilities to add "pork" projects to necessary bills. This practice is, by far, more wasteful than anything else. I guarantee the savings would easily be in the billions.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:36 AM


    Wired's Michelle Delio has embarked on a journey along Route 1, from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Florida. Not to be a copycat, but tis is something I would very much like to do myself one day, with my wife and son. I've always had a bit of wanderlust, and this trip sounds like fun.

    Delio's first entry is about the northernmost part of Maine, and their history of fighting both Canadians, and prohibition. I never knew Maine once declared war on Canada. Interesting read.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:22 AM


    Monday, October 27, 2003

    Kevin Hassett writes about the irrational congruency of Democratic policy, arguing that the sole motive for their positions is a hatred of President Bush. Writes Hassett:

    When high school students who sit next to each other give the same wrong answer it is a sign of foul play. In a similar manner, the fact that Democratic candidates all have converged to the same tax policy is a sign of foul motive. Rational analysis can not explain their policy proposals. Only hatred of Bush can.

    I couldn't have stated it more clearly myself.

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    .: posted by Dave 2:35 PM




    I was as dumbfounded as anyone when Red Sox manager Grady Little stuck with Pedro Martinez in the ALCS. It was obvious that Pedro was out of gas, to everyone except Pedro, and apparently Little. That being said, I don't think firing him was the right thing to do. Living in the Northeast, I have an unusual exposure to everything Yankee - Red Sox. The passions about the game of baseball, and the AL East, rival the passions of UT - Florida, and Bama - Auburn. So, I could call this a knee-jerk reaction to a manager's poor judgment. But I can't help but to wonder if there is something more, behind the scenes, that contributed to Little's dismissal. I mean, the players love him. You can't argue that he wasn't successful. Look at his record: in Little's two years as Red Sox manager, Boston was 93-69 and 95-67. So they lost in game seven, and he gets canned? The Red Sox fans are frustrated by years of ineptitude in the postseason. They always seem to fall short. But to take the frustration out on one man, because of one decision, is wrongheaded.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 12:35 PM


    Newsweek's Steven Levy cites the biggest problem with direct recording voting machines - the votes cannot be verified.

    After you punch the buttons to choose your candidates, you may get a final screen that reflects your choices—but there’s no way to tell that those choices are the ones that ultimately get reported in the final tally. You simply have to trust that the software inside the machine is doing its job.

    Levy also interviews a professor and computer security expert at Johns Hopkins who tells him that "anyone in (his) basic security classes would have done better" and calls the system "far below even the most minimal security standards."

    I'm as much a techno-geek as anyone else, but I can certainly see the flaws in the technological solution. I'm not so sure we want to embrace technology until all of the wrinkles are ironed out, and clearly, they aren't. Although more elegant solutions are being developed (like verifiable voting, which prints out the vote as a receipt), I would feel most comfortable with an old-fashioned paper ballot, and making sure voting precincts are small enough, and have enough officials on hand to determine the accuracy of the votes.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 12:14 PM


    The Dems Debate:

    More and more, I respect Joe Lieberman, much more so than any of the other Democratic candidates. If you look at his financial backing, he is in the middle of the pack. If you listen to many of the dovish Democrats, you will hear the sentiment that Lieberman would be "too cozy" with Israel, thus miring us in a Middle East "quagmire" (an aside: Quagmire is such an overused word. I would encourage the candidates to come up with something else.) Given the mood of the Democratic establishment, it appears that an "anti-Bush" candidate (read: Dean) is much more likely than Lieberman to gain the nomination.

    To me, that is unfortunate for the Democrats. Lieberman, if anything else, has been more consistent on his positions than the others (save the fringe candidates Braun, Sharpton, Kucinich, et. al.) In last night's debate, Lieberman questioned the positions of Clark, Kerry, and Edwards. The triumverate of presidential wannabes have vacillated on many of their policies, depending on the crowd to which they have been catering. Lieberman called them on this, to their consternation. Said Lieberman:

    “I don’t know how John Kerry and John Edwards can they say supported the war, but then oppose the funding of the troops who went to fight the war...” Lieberman also accused (General Wesley) Clark of adopting “six different positions” on war with Iraq, and complained about Clark that “it took him four days to decide whether voting on the $87 billion was a good idea.”

    All of this is true. Now, it can be said that Lieberman himself has compromised some of his own positions in the past when he has entered presidential politics. However, on the Iraq position, he has not wavered, nor is he likely to do so. Clark, Edwards, and Kerry, in their thirst for the nomination, have changed their mind, and are free to do so again and again. This might play well to the fragmented constituents to whom they play, but, if one of those candidates secure the nomination, the Democrats will likely fare poorly in the general election. (It is my belief that the Democratic party underestimates the public perception of the war on terrorism, but I digress). Lieberman is probably the most electable candidate of the Dems, yet for his steadfastness in position (given the party's venomous hatred of Dubya and any policy to which he may be attached), he will surely pay. If so, I think the Democrats will regret it.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:56 AM


    The post office wants to start IDing the mail. Not just parcels, but all mail. There is a movement afoot to strip as much anonymity as possible from our daily lives, all in the name of security. Some level of security is necessary, and proper. However, if it comes down to a choice between security and freedom, I will choose freedom every time. This is one of those cases. I do not want my mail monitored, and stored in a database. I do not wish to be required to present photo ID just to remit a bill, or send a Christmas card to my mom. I'm as concerned with the cost of such measures as I am the inherent intrusiveness accompanying them. Imagine the increased overhead for simply maintaining and tracking a simple envelope. There may well be a plausible reason for monitoring some things, but a $.37 letter is not one of them.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:55 AM


    First, we had the gay and lesbian school in New York. Now we have the vegan school in San Juan. Now, let me preface my comments by saying that I have nothing against veganism, although... well, let's just say it's not for me. However, funding these sorts of fringe schools with taxpayer money is simply wrong. Taxes should be going to schools to educate kids, not to indoctrinate them, or lean them toward specific lifestyles. That's what this charter school aims to do:

    The charter promises to promote "respect for humans, all species and the environment" and "the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and humane treatment of living creatures."

    The charter model will "replace discipline based on rewards and punishments with one based on respect, responsibility and reverence." (As in: "Sierra, if you can't self-organize your workspace and continue to throw your math manipulatives at Conner, I'm not sure I can trust you with more tofu.")

    In the meantime, discipline suffers, cognitive reasoning takes a back seat to "compassion", and society becomes one big "love fest".

    Is it any wonder why California is so fiscally dysfunctional?

    As the school district's attorney Diana Halpenny noted, charter applicants met all the qualifying criteria, so "there was no (legal) basis for the board to deny the petition"... It turns out that the law doesn't require charter-petition signers to live in the district or even near it. Teachers from Stockton, Manteca and Cloverdale and parents from Redding, Antioch and Modesto signed petitions stating that they were "meaningfully interested" in teaching at or sending their kids to the school.

    So a very small minority gets this idea that veganism is sound educational policy, and, despite the fact that many of those endorsing the idea don't even live near the school, nor do they intend to send their kids to the school, it nevertheless, by way of law, becomes necessary to endorse, and validate the idea.

    Absurd. One more reason that homeschooling is the best alternative to government schooling.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:47 AM


    Neal Boortz, Atlanta's libertarian loudmouth, opines about the California wildfires:

    These wildfires and these lost homes reminded me of one government outrage I related to listeners quite a few years ago. Is it possible that some of these homes could have been saved if it were not for the Rat Nazis?

    Rat Nazis? What in the hell are Rat Nazis? The Rat Nazis are the great and exalted protectors of the kangaroo rat ... that cute little critter which inhabits the very areas that were burning over the past weekend. I can't say that this is happening today, but several years ago the Rat Nazis wouldn't let you clear an area of underbrush around your home in order to protect it from fires. The underbrush, you see, was a kangaroo rat habitat. I remember one story where a homeowner proceeded to clear a firebreak around his home anyway. Good thing he did, too, because the fire came along within days and destroyed all homes on his street --- except his. After the smoke cleared the government cited this poor SOB for clearing out a rat habitat.

    Government ... gotta love it.

    I don't know what the cause is, per se. Odds are we will be told that Bush, Clinton, and anything in between are responsible. But... it makes me wonder about the environmental policies of the Left Coast.

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    .: posted by Dave 10:35 AM


    Courtesy of my friend Joe, here's what the new illegal immigrant driver's license will look like:

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    .: posted by Dave 10:26 AM


    Saturday, October 25, 2003



    51 to 43.

    Five overtimes.

    Over four and one half hours.

    The highest scoring Bama - Vol game in series history. If you missed it, you missed an exciting game. No Jim Bob Cooter sightings (sorry SKB). I think I was the only person in the entire New England area watching the Bama game, since the World Series was on at the time.

    Speaking of which... thank GOD the baseball season is over. No spring/summer sport should last until nearly November. I love baseball, but enough is enough.

    Note to Steinbrenner: get over it. Money can't buy heart, and enthusiasm, and the Marlins had more of it than the Pinstripes did. Give Torre credit for getting you this far.

    Well, I'm going to go set my fantasy football lineups for tomorrow, and then get some sleep. It's been a long week, and another long one is just around the corner.

    At least I get an extra hour of sleep tonight.

    Labels:

    .: posted by Dave 11:31 PM


    Friday, October 24, 2003

    I've been trying to catch up on the happenings on the blogs of fellow RTBers, and I noticed that SayUncle is going to be a father. First, I want to say congratulations! This is truly going to be a wonderful time for you.

    Secondly, Uncle's post (linked here) makes me reminisce about my own realization of pending fatherhood. As I recall, the Mrs. and I had just returned from the grocery store, and she had missed her, shall we say, time of the month that week. So... we got an HPT, and administered a timely urine stream to the test kit as directed.

    Being the nonchalant type, the Mrs. adjourned from the bathroom, not expecting any positive result. She'd done this before, she said. Nothing to see here.

    Well, I decided to watch the magic wand. Intently. With focus and clarity. I watched and observed a pronounced + sign appear in the window. This was no ordinary +, mind you. It was intense, aglow... somewhat bold and luminating.

    I exclaimed to the Mrs. that our fortunes were changing, for the better, in my opinion. We were about to be parents. Life was about to change.

    Naturally, she doubted me. "You're just playing with me," she retorted. But, I wasn't.

    Life is unpredictable. Things, and people, change. So do circumstances, and situations. This was one of those times. In one fell swoop, I felt anxiety, surprise, gladness, self-doubt, unworthiness, and inexplicable joy... and that's just the emotions that I can remember.

    In thirteen days, I will be something I never imagined I would be - a father. My son, Ethan Joshua, will finally arrive. My wife and I will be the happiest people on God's majestic Earth.

    To SayUncle, I say again, congratulations. Enjoy the coming weeks. Savor them. You only have one first child.

    God bless children, and the joy that they bring us.

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    .: posted by Dave 6:27 PM


    Today, I have to take exception to something that irks me every time I see, or hear it. Many times, when someone on the left disagrees vehemently with someone else (usually someone on the right), they like to use language that is as damaging as possible to that person, or persons. One of the most often selected words from the English lexicon in this context is "fascist". When Reagan failed to support public funding for AIDS research (wrongly so, in retrospect), he was labeled a fascist. When George W. Bush... well, seemingly when he does anything contrary to the left's agenda, he is invariably labeled a fascist. Reading the many quotes in context, it could be interpreted that the intended definition of fascist is something akin to an angry, stubborn, and downright bad person. If you look at the definition of fascist, you will see this:

    a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

    Perhaps those who call Bush a fascist intend to label him a dictator. In practice, Bush couldn't be farther from a fascist. In fact, invariably, a fascist leader in a democracy would likely veto any legislation that didn't come from his hand. Bush's veto record? Zero. Zip. Bush, if anything, leans toward legislative democracy.

    Bush as one who exalts nation above the individual? Forcible suppression of opposition? Not hardly. Fascists don't cut personal taxes if they value the state over the individual, nor do they attempt to demarginalize an obviously militant religion like the type of Islam we see manifested daily in the Middle East. A fascist would be prone to confiscate incomes, and exterminate international opposition. This is not the modus operandi of Bush at all.

    Why the treatise on fascism? It is bothersome to me that people will reinvent the language in such a way as to attach an enormously negative stigma to someone or something with which they disagree. Far right pols often questioned Bill Clinton's morality, but I never recall such monikers as "fascist" being slung at him. The left and the right are perpetually going to disagree on policy. However, it would be nice if the discourse would contain enough intellectual honesty as to not give a label to something which it doesn't deserve.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:30 PM


    SKBubba opines about video games, and their role in violence. While I am not going to go the extra mile and blame a video game for a shooting (any more than I will blame the presence of a firearm for a shooting), I must cite Bubba's well-reasoned opinion on responsibility:

    Better yet, some of these kids ought to get off their fat asses and go outside and play every now and then. And their parents ought to encourage that behavior instead of enabling their kid's little inner demons by purchasing these games for them and allowing them to spend countless hours being exposed to this crap.

    I couldn't agree more. Parents often facilitate their kids' behavior by allowing them access to such garbage. Doing so also implicitly discourages physical activity of any kind. It is solely the parents' responsibility to get their kids into productive activities, and out of sedentary, anti-social ones like... well, like playing Grand Theft Auto.

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    .: posted by Dave 12:10 PM


    Lenore Skenazy answers the proverbial question, "Why do beauties end up with beasts?" It seems that some believe that it's the fault of the beauties themselves:

    But just perhaps, suggests Jill Spiegel, author of "Flirting for Success," the fault lies not in the stars, male, but in the stars, female. "When you're a starlet who gets everything so easy, you crave a little challenge," Spiegel says. "That's why they're attracted to men with a bad boy edge to them."

    Boy, ain't that the truth? That sounds like a recap of high school, and undergrad.

    However, there are some beauties who are grounded enough to understand their priorities, and not so self-important as to decide that the "challenge" of taming the male beast is such a big deal. I, too, used to wonder how some men were so fortunate enough to end up with such dashing, effervescent women.

    But I wonder no longer. Why? Because I ended up with one myself. And this one seeks no challenges. Lucky for me.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:49 AM


    After being away from the laptop all week, I just realized that Gregg Easterbrook's TMQ column is no longer on ESPN. Apparently, he offended Eisner, and pals, with some alleged anti-Semitic remarks. I don't know the details, although I see the Blogfather and others have been keeping up nicely with the saga.

    All I want to know is... when is someone... anyone going to resurrect this brilliant column? TMQ was one of my favorite weekly reads, especially during football season. Why does PC sensitivity have to usurp good writing?

    UPDATE: Charles Krauthammer defends Easterbrook in the Jewish World Review. I guess not everyone Jewish was offended by Easterbrook's remarks. Otherwise, I would imagine no one writing for JWR would come to his defense.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:39 AM




    The world's smallest five megapixel camera? The DSC-T1 is just .8" thick, 2.4" tall, and has a 2.5" LCD viewfinder and a 3x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens. Being a gadgetaholic, I might have to buy this.

    Note to my wife: Ignore this post. :-D

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    .: posted by Dave 11:28 AM


    Illegal immigrants working for WalMart? Naw. It couldn't be.

    Note to the INS: Have you been to Dalton, Georgia, and looked around? Have you raided the carpet mills there, too?

    Second Note to the INS: Maybe if you would enforce the law, and deport these people, this wouldn't be such a problem.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:25 AM


    Big Brother Comes to the Classroom:

    Remember RFID? They are basically external microchips that broadcast a unique ID, allowing them to be tracked easily. WalMart has been at the forefront in implementing their use, seeking to replace the UPC bar code with RFIDs.

    Well, now a charter school in Buffalo has decided to implement RFIDs to track the attendence of students at the school. Coming soon: tracking library, nurse, and office visits. Every student will have a tracking dossier.

    While being able to track your kids makes sense in some way, I don't like this technology. The potential for abuse is enormous. I also don't like these kids serving as essentially a test bed for the technology. If it serves their purposes here, why not track employees in large companies? Why not track everyone, for that matter?

    I agree with privacy consultant Richard Smith:

    I think the Buffalo experiment is getting children ready for the brave new world, where people are watched 24/7 in the name of security. My main concern is that once we start carrying around RFID-tagged items on our person such as access cards, cell phones, loyalty cards, clothing, etc., we can be tracked without our knowledge or permission by a network of RFID readers attached to the Internet."

    That about sums up my view. Once we start down the slippery slope of tracking people, there will only be an increase in the implementation of such ideas. To wit, Intuitek President David M. Straitiff, whose company developed the RFID system for the school, scoffs that abuse of the system would become an issue. It's precisely that cavalier attitude about RFIDs that makes them dangerous.

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    .: posted by Dave 11:13 AM


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