Lawmakers decide how you should live,

all the time. But why?

Radley Balko of the Cato Institute can't understand it either:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3747

There are plenty of laws that protect me from...well, me. It makes no sense. But I guess that's why I need other people telling me how to live. For instance: seat belt laws. Huh? That makes as much sense to me as writing a law that says no jumping out of trees headfirst.

Just an old school book burning!

You have to be kidding me! I cannot believe...hold on let me check. Yeah, I just checked and it is 2005. Okay, I'm going to close the browser and pretend I didn't just read that. Okay, I'm going to open a new browser, go to google news and search for "Alabama ban gay books". Hopefully nothing will come up, because, this is America and there is ....uhhh....Free Speech?

39 news articles come up! This is the leading article:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/26/eveningnews/main691106.shtml

Alabama bill targets gay authors! Do I even have to write how ridiculous that is?

Well, let me at least ask the obvious question: Is that censorship?

"I don't look at it as censorship," says State Representative Gerald Allen.

Oh, I guess it's not then.

Daily Show Re-cap

1. Samantha Bee was on location interviewing two women who were fired for being cigarette smokers. What's their beef? No one is forcing them to work there. This is a private company hiring people based on a contract agreed upon by two parties, employee and employer. The interesting thing was, they were only complaining, and not actually proposing solutions.

2. Jon Stewart's guest was Christina Hoff who recently wrote a book called: One Nation Under Therapy: How the Helping Culture is Eroding Self-Reliance. It's about how always being overly sensitive to kids' feelings is actually hurting them in the long run. She points out recent trends like not keeping score at Little League games, and eliminating Dodge Ball from gym class. ELIMNATE DODGE BALL FROM GYM CLASS?!?!?!?!! I freaking lived for that while attending Jay Neff Middle School! But seriously, I definitely agree with her.

As always, if you don't see it at air-time, you can catch a lot of the episode here:
http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/

Old people dont understand us gen-Xers... man

We download. Generation Y is WAY WORSE! Downloading will go on. Fact. No matter how many lawsuits are pursued, downloading will go on. I anticipate the free market to open up and businesses to get wise to the fact that they should be cashing in on downloads. There was an article about a company offering fairly cheap downloads here:
http://itvibe.com/news/3494/

I wrote some comments there. (I am anonymous#1...because i didnt feel like signin in)

The fact of the matter is, ITunes could offer downloads for like....hmmm... a nickel! and still make money, all they are doing is allowing a file download. Think about it. If MP3s were a nickel, how many would you buy? I would definitely buy like 10 per day! I honestly bet Hundreds of millions of gen x and gen y kids would buy ten or twenty per day....thats like a badillion dollars per day!@!#$**(#$(#$(&*#&(#

Congress must have a lot of time on their hands!

Because they are working on solving problems that I sure as hell don't care about!
Here is a quote from Representative Tom Davis - (R) Virginia:

“How is the average American supposed to look at the size, strength and speed of today's NFL linebackers and not conclude that they might be taking performance-enhancing drugs? ”

Tom, how about this question, from me:
"How is the average American supposed to look at the size, strength, and slowness of today's federal government and not conclude that they might be taking appropriation-enhancing, out of control spending, over taxing, corporate hand-outs?"

Solve that one for me, then you can worry about Donovan McNabb spiking his Chunky Soup!

Like, how about trim this list for me:
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2005

rather than trimming the bench press poundage from NFL Linemen!

Best Bagger Competition

Life is all about competition.
This is awesome...a grocery store worker bagging competition!
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05117/494904.stm
Check out how pumped up the dude in the picture is!

Reason Magazine backs me up!

This article is equally as frustrated as I was with Justice Sunday.
Written by the always reason-able Cathy Young

http://www.reason.com/cy/cy042605.shtml

quote from the article that i was talking about in my blog yesterday:
"If there's anything good to be said of this grotesque religio-political circus, it's that the right is open to learning strategy lessons from the left. In this case, how to score political points and rally the troops by crying bigotry. "

Crime statistics help both sides of the argument!

This is an interesting article by Steeve Sailer analyzing different data that is (possibly) related to the legalization of abortion in the early 70's.
http://www.amconmag.com/2005_05_09/feature.html

This caught my attention because I wrote a paper in a Bioethics class while a senior at St Vincent College that argued for legalization of abortion because it limited the number of unwanted children in the world. I wrote the paper not because I felt strongly about the issue, but because we had to write something somewhat radical, so I thought my position would be pretty radical and generate some good arguments during class discussions.

I have been a fence sitter my entire life on this issue. Usually I think: let the woman decide, what do I care? Lately I've been leaning more toward the pro-life side of the arguement and the last graph that Mr. Sailer provides basically sums up the argument that I have been more inclined to agree with. And honestly, I have only recently begun to think about this very valid point. That is, quoting Steve:
"The sheer waste of it all is staggering. And the impact on the overall morality of our society of this Supreme Court-condoned carelessness over life is incalculable. "

Has the world become less concerned in the value of all life since Roe v Wade?

Justice Sunday

Read the first sentence of this website headline and tell me you're not disgusted.
http://www.frc.org/
"Justice Sunday - Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith"

HUH? The filibuster against people of faith? That's what the Democrats are: "against people of faith." Come on. People of faith are christians. The politicians that are doing the fillibustering are anti-Christians? MOST OF THEM ARE CHRISTIANS!

It angers me when we make political debates into religous debates. It is just not healthy debate. Do NOT get me wrong. Every group of people in America has the right to be heard. Every person and group has an opinion that counts. But, to call your opponent out like they are against God or something...that's like a blow below the toga!

Look at this promotional poster:
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AD05D01&f=PG03I03

"Public Service?.....Faith in Christ?...We Should not have to choose."

What? What does that even mean? Are Peace Corps volunteers immoral heathens or something? I signed up on the email list to receive notification when the simulcast will be available for download. This I have to hear!

A good friend of mine sent me this quote not long ago when I was debating him on a completely seperate issue. How true this is today:
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes.nsf/quotes5/ffcc042fbd8c52708525698100716fcc

Sex-industry insider is fed up!

Here's an article I came across about a book written by a former Sex-Industry worker. (He was..maybe still is...not sure...a writer for Penthouse and Maxim.) The author's named Gil Reavill and his book is titled - Smut: A sex-industry Insider (and Concerned Father) Says Enough is Engouh. The book was released for sale today. Hopefully I'll stop by a bookstore this week to skim it, but I'm sure it probably calls for government intervention in one way or another to reign in the evil TV, Hollywood, MTV, Magazines, etc etc. What I can't understand every time I read about something like this is: WE (the consumer) HAVE THE POWER TO STOP IT! But, obviously we don't want to. If we truly wanted a change, we would simply stop supporting the products, and then the industry would change. As far as Gil's fed uppedness is concerned, I'm right with him. The average American child is inundated with brainless TV, sexual music, and the constant education of what it means to be cool from Billboards, music, TV, etc etc etc etc. I often say MTV is probably the worst thing in the world for 14 year old girls. But, guess what - They continue to make billions of dollas!

So, Gil, and all other concerned parents, call the cable company, tomorrow and cancel your subscription. If I were a father I would surely be facing this dilemma myself, and probably either 1. not buying cable TV (although I can't imagine life without the Daily Show) or 2. buying one of those high tech TVs with mad parent controls.

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/reavill200504250746.asp

Religous drugs

This is a great article regarding wether religous groups should be allowed to toke up, drink up, or shoot up ....for religous reasons, man....

http://www.reason.com/sullum/042205.shtml

Of course, religous groups should not be allowed to break the law, for religous reasons, but Jacob Sullum makes a great ponit when he says:
"A good rule of thumb might be that when a religious group can reasonably demand an exemption from a law, it's the law rather than the group that deserves scrutiny. "

Ill drink to that.

Outsourcing outsourcing outsourcing O MY

I cam across this article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7613914/
which talks about outsourcing the work of medical technicians reading medical charts to advise doctors. Outsourcing making shoes or calling the IBM helpdesk is one thing...but medical charts is crossing into a realm most people will probably take pause with. That's because, when medical information goes out of the hospital it becomes insecure. Legislation is already being proposed to limit this practice because of the privacy issues.

Steelers Draft Picks

The Steelers will be back in the AFC Championship for sure. This draft was pure brillance by Bill Cowher and company! We added two big targets for Big Ben:
6'5" 255 pound Tight End Heath Miller and 6'4" 202 pound WR Fred Gibson. Heath Miller was regarded by many as having the best hands in the draft, and Fred Gibson provides decent speed with his big frame at 4.55 second 40 yard dash.

We filled the only void I was worried about. Ben has two big targets to throw to, the rest of the drast was a waste of time for the Steelers, because we have the best players in the league at pretty much every other position...including wide receiver. I'm just glad we have 2 more target for our young QB.

Super Bowl party will be at my house next year.

Japan and China argue

The headline news on google is about Japan and China bickering. I guess it's mostly about Chinese people being pissed about some lessons in Japanese textbooks. Leaders of the countries are trying to kiss and make-up.

"It was the first top-level discussion since huge anti-Japanese protests erupted earlier this month in major Chinese cities over Tokyo's approval of school textbooks that China claims play down such wartime atrocities as mass sex slavery and germ warfare. "

source:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=696671


I don't know what the textbooks actually say. But are they really pissed because twelve year olds aren't learning about the sex slave trade? In the nuclear age, it is disheartening to hear about powerful nations arguing over school books. A great documentary about that issue is here:
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/end.php

Daily Show Re-cap

Well, tonight wasn't nearly as funny as last night with Dennis Miller, but the guest was one REZA ASLAN, author of "No god but God". He was born in Iran, and now lives in the United States where he is a PHD candidate in History of Religions at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The most recent article he has writtne is this one:
http://thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050228&s=aslan

Crips founder finds purpose on Death Row!

This is a great story, that you can listen to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608950

Turns out the dude that started the Crips (they wore blue) is on death row for a crime he claims he is innocent. I konw nothing about the evidence of that, it was just a good story to listen to. The interesting thing is, once he went to jail he began reading and praying. Now he is repentant for his ways and he frequently writes and speaks out against gangs and violence to young kids in the inner-cities.

I am against the death penalty, and I present my logic to you here:
1. Humans are fallible.
2. Death penalties are brought by human juries that create a verdict based on evidence presented by other humans.
3. Therefore, the verdicts are fallible.
4. Based on 3 - we cannot morally allow ourselves to sentence others to death.

So, I am against Tookie being on death row, out of principle. But listen to what he is doing nowadays, for the good of society and ask yourself if we should execute this man?

USDA explains how we should eat

Thanks USDA! If not for the brand new website about the food pyramid:
http://www.mypyramid.gov/ , i would not know things like:
"look for the word 'whole' before the grain name on the list of ingredients"

I joke, of course. People, come on, who could possibly think this is a good use of taxpayer money? Not me. I do not believe it is the job of the federal government to explain to me that (based on my personal profile...using the 'My Pyramid Plan' link) I need to eat 7 ounces of meat and beans per day!

I was alerted to this by a google news headline that led me to this article by AnneMarie Knepper of the Oregon Daily Emerald:
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/04/21/42674ebc4cf4d
*(notice my comments at the bottom)

Steelers

Who will the Steelers pick? Will Bill Cowher prove his draft-day genius once again? This is the last time we can talk about the Steelers til August!

BOOK REVIEW

I just finished Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Great read. If you like science fiction and/or social commentary, give it a try, because that is exactly how I would describe it: science fiction meets social commentary. It's about a guy that goes looking for the relatives of one of the scientists that built the atomic bomb. He finds them, and talks to them, and then ends up on a fun adventure....

dennis miller on daily show

damn. props to dennis miller (who hails from my hometown of Dormont, PA!) i just watched the daily show and he was freaking hilarious! jon didnt even really get a word in. he mentioned one thing and dennis started on that, made a joke, it led to another joke, which led to another joke, etc, etc until the end of his spot.

i just found this link to watch the first half of his interview with jon:
http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/
although, i was somewhat disappointed because the second part was much funnier.

bankruptcy law signed today

president bush signed into law a bankruptcy bill today. according to http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/20/politics/main689741.shtml, it is the "biggest rewrite of U.S. bankruptcy law in a quarter century".

i am a bit uneasy with this for two reasons. one, i have heard little to no debate on this bill. of course, i've heard opponents lambaste the bill, but i've heard little from the members of congress that have supported it. secondly, i dont understand why this is a pressing issue. what problem is this solving? i am by no means an expert on bankruptcy laws, but since the beginning of the united states, they have existed. in fact, chapter 25 verse 10 of leviticus is transcribed in the liberty bell in philadelphia. this chapter from the old testament describes the law of jubilee. quoting a more knowledgable person than myself, seth grossman informed me -
"an idea that every 50 years there is a Jubilee, where the deck is reshuffled, and everyone gets a new chance"

this is exactly what the bankruptcy laws are about. bankruptcy laws exist for those of us that come onto hard times. those of us that are struggling to get by, and then BOOM, disaster hits. from http://www.bankruptcyinformation.com/personal-bankruptcy.htm :
"The primary reasons for filing personal bankruptcy are unforeseen medical expenses, excessive credit card debt, loss of employment, and divorce".

bankruptcy is not an easy out. the average joe does not want to declare bankruptcy. when you declare bankruptcy, your credit is ruined, and you are broke!

but what gets me is this: why was the law rewritten? credit card companies charge interest rates because of the fact that some people will default, or claim bankruptcy. they charge high interest rates on people that have bad credit. are credit card companies not making money?

i emailed rep mike doyle of the 14th district of pa. maybe he can explain it to me.