Post Show Thoughts

Certainly, this wasn't the best show I or Tony have done, but it was sufficient. We hadn't been on the air together since the KSTP gig, which was over 20 weeks ago, so we tripped over each other a little. Also, I'm still having problems with the station ID, it's NEWSTALK 1450 KNSI, St. Cloud.

I also think some of the anonymous posters are a little over critical of Tony, we get the job done, and it's nice to do a show with Tony because he thinks so completely different than I, it makes for some fun jousting. Next week is Cheri Yecke, be sure to tune in!

Radio show is from 1-3pm today on 1450 KNSI in St. Cloud. If you're not in the area, fear not, because you can listen in on the web:

KNSI Direct Link

Or you can get to that link at our show's website.

Call in number is (320) 251-1990 for all you MOBsters.

Marty Sr (AKA Captain Bogs) gets a letter published in the Strib!

Random Thought

Why is it so hard to get to the golf course early before a round and properly warm up? You're planning on spending 4-5 hours playing golf, it shouldn't be that hard to invest 20 minutes at the range warming up and fixing any swing issues before you start keeping score. For some reason this never happens for me, which is a pain because my golf swing is rather touchy. I tend to score well in golf, after three or four holes.

Weekend reading:

I think someone might have stolen my "random link o' the day" idea with a "Cool site o' the day"

A fair list of the worst movies ever. I've seen most of these, and I own a lot of them.

This guy is awesome

Global Warming stuff. I think that any curtails of emissions is a mistake, the key is Carbon sinks.

Sometimes the media can drive you batty.

Army has some asshat hacker problems I think if anyone had been injured because of this incident, this guy should be charged with attempted murder.

Big fight in the movie industry about who is going to pay for the new digital projectors. I think big studios are going to need to pay for it themselves, the last thing they need is to force theatre owners to raise ticket prices again. That would completely destroy their already piss poor numbers.

Space shuttle SOL

Kansas and Nebraska spar over child molestation, which state is more redneck

My love of bad movies is intolerable, here are all the "flubs" in"Plan 9. Also, look at the sidebar under "bargain bin movie reviews" for more of the fun I have with bad movies.

Google maps and stuff is awesome

Man charged in flashing his banana. Keep it clean.

Dumb things you can do with money.

Pope laments loss of western church.

Abortion parade fun. 1st amendment need not apply.

Coke gets new coke to help people lose weight. Yeah right.

Cool old car.

Open Thread! Kevin Ecker is gone until Monday, totally spam time.

Senate and Bush might spar over Stem Cells I'm backing Bush on this one.

Berlin prepares big brothel. I covered this in this blog last year, sorta, in Germany, if you're a woman on unemployment, you have to take a job in a brothel if offered or else you lose unemployment. So it's possible that many of the women in this brothel are being forced by the government (under the guise of church/state seperation) to have sex for money. Europe sucks.

Morris gets it right on Bush. I like how Democrats in D.C. are getting completely whipped by this Texas good ol' boy.

Open Thread!

Thoughts of England

This is your Captain speaking...

Anyone else notice that the Irish called off their violent revolution as soon as the Brits started shooting bombing suspects at random?

Despite the long-standing struggle to contain the IRA and their bombs, this battle with these radical Muslims is a whole different matter. The Irish had different targets, usually phoned in a warning, and did not target random citizens. Current bombers are targeting the anyone who happens to be in London, with no political target other than the English people.

I have no direct knowledge of this, but the way the English law enforcement is reacting, I bet they have intelligence that the bombers are on a schedule, with 4 bombs a week every Thursday. That would explain everything we see in the added security on Thursdays. Not the time or place to be if you're young, male, swarthy and happen to want to wear a backpack and a jacket.

English traditions may have to be curtailed in a small way. The Hyde Park corner where people have long stood up and advocated the violent overthrow of the English crown may have to be silenced now that some idiots actually think the idiots who say that are serious.

Another corner of Hyde Park is where they used to construct their gallows. Maybe they need to shift these people North a few hundred yards and see how well they speak with their neck stretched a bit.

England has now made overstaying your student visa a capital offense. I wonder if we would have the illegal immigrant problem we have if we applied the same remedy?

Keegan's last night did not go well for the two man team of Myself and Aaron Solem. We didn't even get our scorecard back. We missed a solid four or five questions because State Senator Michelle Bachmann came over and started talking to us. That was fine, I guess, but I doubt we were anywhere close to the 21 right answers needed to win.

Coincidentally, our team was named "The Carthaginians"

What was fun was that I was interviewed about my radio show on Aaron's blog. I also got to meet Doug from Bogus Gold, I saw The Night Writer again, John the Policy Guy and I successfully avoided David Strom again.

Oh, and the Fraters lost again!

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.hollywood.com/

What military aircraft are you? B-52 Stratofortress You're a B-52. You are old and wise, and you absolutely love destruction. You believe in the principle of "peace through deterrence" and aren't afraid to throw your weight around.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

You're a B-52. You are old and wise, and you absolutely love destruction. You believe in the principle of "peace through deterrence" and aren't afraid to throw your weight around.

Funny, hat tip that Tony Garcia guy.

http://www.theonion.com/news/index.php?issue=4130

Radio Show Promotion

Tony and I are preparing for our radio show debut on 1450 KNSI in St.Cloud. This has been a wonderful journey for me, starting about a year ago when Tony and I finally found some funding to do a limited run of radio of The Duece, 1570 The Patriot II. Later, tony and I battled a bit on am1500 in their "Next Big Thing" contest (that is still going).

Now we have a weekend show on 1450, Sundays from 1-3pm. However, we have some hurdles to jump yet. KNSI gets low listenership during the weekend. Extremely low. This is both good and bad, it's good in the sense that rating can't get lower. It's bad in the sense that we won't have any kind of listener base.

This is bad for a few reason, not the least of which we're hoping to get callers. So, it'd be great if we could get some of the MOB to listen in on the webcast. The webcast is available at http://www.1450knsi.com/tunein/tunein.html or at our website, http://racetotheright.com

I'd like it to be a regular deal where members of the MOB call in, do some shameless self promotion of their blog, and actually make interesting callers. I'm a big fan of most of the MOB (Solem and Swani, you know what I'm talking about) and I think it'd be great to have a strong online presence. The best part is, that will be instant feedback for the station higher ups, who aren't expecting any kind of listenership for some time after we start.

I'm going to try to put a link permanently on the sidebar to the webcast, so look for that sometime this week or weekend.

Also, try to get to the The Patriot's picnic I'm probably not going to make it, but if I can I'll be there.

Again, Sunday, 1-3pm. 320-251-1990

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

--Seneca

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.huntington.org/

Called it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm

By David Whitehouse Science editor, BBC News website

Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot yet devised - a "female" android called Repliee Q1.

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe.

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University says one day robots could fool us into believing they are human.

Repliee Q1 is not like any robot you will have seen before, at least outside of science-fiction movies.

She is designed to look human and although she can only sit at present, she has 31 actuators in her upper body, powered by a nearby air compressor, programmed to allow her to move like a human.

Secretary of State of Minnesota Mary Kiffmeyer under the gun.

Waiting for liberal overreaction…

I must admit, there’s a soft spot in my heart for Secretary Kiffmeyer, she was the only notable elected official that came by to visit all the U of M conservatives during their end of year celebration (proudly called “El Dos de Mayo”).

With that said, Kiffmeyer has also been a favorite whipping post for the crybaby left in the alternative dailies here in Minneapolis. The City Pages has been especially cruel to her, and for no reason. Minnesota had the highest voter turnout in the country, with no notable voter irregularities or complaints of voter intimidation. Kiffmeyer is a girl scout in a den of thieves, and she holds herself to a high standard that I wish other office holders (ahem, Pawlenty) would emulate.

The story:

A state audit has faulted Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer's office for some procedural discrepancies in how it implemented a new federal law intended to make voting simpler. ...

The review of Kiffmeyer's implementation of HAVA focused on the $5.7 million in federal money her office spent. The audit, which was released July 7, said her office charged "an unreasonable amount" of payroll costs -- roughly $312,000 -- toward developing a state plan to implement the new law.

"Employees continued to charge time worked to developing the state plan, long after it had been issued," the audit said.

The audit also questioned roughly $104,000 in advertising costs, much of it for "Get-Out-the-Vote" commercials, that were labeled as costs for developing a state plan to implement the law. ...

While Kiffmeyer conceded there were some discrepancies in how the money was accounted for, she said the audit found no violations of federal law.

The audit with an official response from the Secretary is available here

Now, some people are always on the lookout for the latest item they can use, no matter the actual substance of the complaint, against any Republican. It’s partisanship at a sick level, and of course, Minnesota GOP Watch has taken up the call. As well as MinnPolitics and Norwegianity

I think the word "shrill" came to mind when I was reading those posts.

I’m sure the City Pages Blotter is also covering this story, but I refuse to check it anymore because Molly Priesmeyer from the Blotter failed to show up to El Dos de Mayo, even after she promised (after forcing us to promise we wouldn’t like deep fat fry her or something).

Anyway, I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg in the long list of things the loons out there will throw at Secretary Kiffs whenever and wherever she decides to take her political career.

Now, about the audit, it’s clear that issues are procedural, not substantive. The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) had problems with technical procedures dealing with how a contract was ended with a computer vendor. Among the most damning pronouncements made in the entire OLA document was this doozy from the top of page 9 “The office did not complete a final payment approval form as required by the Department of Administration.”

Dear heavens no! They didn’t complete the proper form!

In fact, the entire document reads like a bureaucratic romance novel. (“and then she failed to put the cover letter on the TPS report, which required a visit from the Administrative executive support solicitor”)

[TPS reports are from the fine film “Ofiice Space” that came to mind while reading the report, especially the ongoing joke about “TPS” reports. Must see.]

In fact, the OLAs own audit conclusions state “The office of the Secretary of State operated within available resources and complied with management’s established internal controls”

What else do you want? From what I can tell, the SOS’s office did everything to try to save taxpayer dollars. It was because of their actions that the State of Minnesota didn't have a legal battle over computer source code that might have saved millions, and certainly prevented further expenses just before the 2004 election.

In fact, in their response, the SOS office noted that using the OLA’s procedural preferences, rather than federal guidelines, on the federal HAVA grant program would have resulted in less benefit to local governments and less benefit to people with disabilities. I mention this incident because I think it is emblematic of the administrative barriers that people with disabilities face, beyond the physical barriers. When it comes to choosing between red tape and people with disabilities, I'm glad that our secretary of state stands up for people with disabilities.

Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that Kiffs sided with voters with disabilities and the federal fund disbursement guidelines. She made the decision that was the best for the voters. Her decision resulted in a much greater amount of money being directed to local governments to improve polling place accessibility. It’s that simple.

The ironic thing in all of this is that it was largely because of Mary Kiffmeyer that the Help America Vote Act was funded at all. You might recall that the policy passed, but the funding was opposed by the White House and by Congressional leadership. Minnesota and all states almost got no federal funding, which would have made the Help America Vote Act another unfunded mandate. It was going nowhere until Mary went personally to DC, during a hurricane, to lobby the White House. It was said at the time that DC was a ghost town, except for a skeletal staff at the White House and Mary Kiffmeyer. Afterward, the White House turned around, so did Congressional leadership, and the funding was passed, and political insiders from both sides of the aisle in DC attribute it to the fact that the president was so impressed with Mary's persistence, visiting the White House during a hurricane to lobby for the funding.

The partisanship and vicious attacks that have been directed at Kiffmeyer are dismaying, especially considering that voting in Minnesota is as good as it gets.

Random Thought:

An old high school buddy of mine is going into environmental law. I couldn't help but think that the last thing the environment needs is lawyers. The environment needs engineers, scientists, and stewards. The environment needs men to think of ways to stop burning coal for power. The environment needs rich folks to buy up habitat land. The environment needs investors to stabilize the economies of third world nations so that they too can care about the environment, instead of only caring about whether they'll be able to eat tomorrow.

"You've got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket - you might have caught a fish"

-- Darrell Royal

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

--Seneca

Judge Roberts the Persuader

There has been a little discussion about how Roberts would change the Supreme Court of the U.S. if he were confirmed. And after O'Conner practically endorsed him to replace her, it looks like he should be confirmed (I'm still expecting fireworks). So there are a few questions about how SCOTUS will be changed. The most obvious of which is that O'Conner was a well known swing vote, and Roberts is at least a swing vote, and appears to tend more to the conservative side of things. So the court will become more conservative. The other question is one of interaction. Will Roberts have any persuasive power over the court beyond his single vote?

That was the topic of a great post about this by Gerry Daly (who again touched on the subject today) Basically, what Gerry did was find out how each member of the SCOTUS voted when Roberts argued a case before the Court. (Roberts was 25 for 39 in the cases he argued, which is a 64% win record) It showed that O'Conner and Kennedy were the most likely justices to vote with Roberts. (We're excluding Justice Brennan for this discussion).

I decided to use some of my illgotten knowledge of behavioural statistics to determine whether Roberts had any special hold over the two swing votes of this Court (O'Conner and Kennedy) versus the rest of the court. The idea is that we can assume that Rehquist, Scalia, and Thomas are ideologues that will vote in a set manner, and that Breyer, Ginsburg, Stevens and Souter are also not swing votes. Assuming this, I calculated the number of times the Justices of the "ideologue" court voted with Roberts, and it came out to a very nice 40-37. Almost fifty-fifty. I think that shows a strong tendency of the justices I named to have opinions of similiar strength in completely opposite ideological directions.

Now, if you add up the number of times the swing votes voted in Roberts' favor, you get the integer 20. On the other hand, if you add up the number of times the "swing" voted against Roberts, you get 6. Twenty to six, or a 77% success rate. Now, to figure out if these numbers are statistically significant, I ran a 2-tailed Fisher's exact chi-square test comparing the distrubution of the rest of the court to the swing votes, and got a statistically significant result. (Where P = less than .05, X^2=5.00 Df=1). What this means is that this distribution would be very unlikely random. It shows with some degree of confidence that Roberts had a fairly good hold over the swing voters on the court when he was arguing before them.

(You can run Chi-square about a dozen different ways, and I ran the chi-square a few times in different ways, and they always came up statistically significant)

Can we then extrapolate from this that Roberts will continue to have sway in the beyond his single vote? I say yes, it is well known that there is a great degree of interaction between the Justices, and that they exert influence over each other. If Roberts continues to do what he's done his entire career, he will more than likely pull Kennedy to his way of thinking.

Read this article for a more general discussion on the Court's interpersonal dynamics, but note that they do get one thing wrong, they say:

Roberts knows the Court intimately and commands its immediate respect, based on his record as one of the best oral advocates the current justices have seen before them. And unlike the more hard-edged Luttig, supporters also say, the genial Roberts holds the promise of forging new alliances that could pull the likes of Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, and even David Souter to the right, or at least to the conservative edge of the Court's middle.

That's completely untrue, especially if you use the numbers Gerry published. Breyer voted against Roberts 63% of the time, which is matched by Justice Stevens voting against Roberts' cases 67% of the time, closely matching the ideological lines on the court. In fact, you can make the same case that Ginsburg could be swayed by Roberts, as she voted in his favor 57% of the time, to match Souter voting in his favor 62% of the time, but I consider both ideologues. Ginsburg is not going to be swayed (especially considering that she has a close friendship with Justice Scalia), so Souter and Breyer are not going to be swayed. O'Conner was often swayed, but Roberts has Kennedy's number.

Mind you, these numbers have nothing to do with how the ideology of the court is going to be swayed, but most experts feel the court will get at least a little more conservative. And with Rehnquist in his twilight, and rumors about Justice Stevens' health, there will be plenty more battles to worry about. This first one is not going to be important, except as trailblazing.

I love stats.

Follow up on Gen. Westmoreland.

This is your Captain speaking...

Going over my post on Gen. Westmoreland, I noticed a few things.

Almost the whole post was on only 4 years of a man who lived for 91. What should have been a highly successful life was defined by the 5% of it that I am sure he wished he could have changed. His efforts to honor those he led and get the nation to give his troops a memorial that reflected the sacrifices they gave their nation was an honorable task. But when you visit that memorial you will see that he was in charge as the toll mounted and the memorial descends. It was after Westmoreland was gone that the death toll started down and the memorial starts up. (Not really his fault. Johnson was replaced by Nixon. That was much more important than who the general in Saigon was.)

Westmoreland's task was unbelievably difficult. By the time they put him into the position of CINCMACV, the revolution in South Viet Nam had almost succeeded. He stopped the revolution, but when the conflict evolved into a war of aggression from North Viet Nam into the south, he was unable to defeat the north fast enough to get the job done before the support of the American people deserted him. We are a democracy, and American armies can never succeed without the support of the American people. Johnson knew he had lost that support and in effect resigned ("I shall not seek, nor will I accept, the nomination of my party for President"). Westmoreland and his forces were left out there on their own, waiting for a new president to give them guidance on where to go next.

For those interested, some light reading. H. R. McMaster's Dereliction of Duty is the best explanation of how we got into that mess. James E Parker's Last Man Out tells the story from a grunt's perspective with the added kick of the CIA's role in the last days of the war after all our forces had been withdrawn. When Thunder Rolled, by Ed Rasimus, is an excellent recounting of the aerial war over North Viet Nam. Powell' and Schwarzkopf's autobiographies (An American Journey and It Doesn't Take a Hero, respectively) show how that war shaped the outlook of our present military leaders. For the other side, A Viet Cong Memoir by Truong Nhu Tang. Good reading all, and they should keep you busy over the weekend.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.bananalink.org.uk/

General William Westmoreland, RIP

This is your Captain speaking...

I have been tasked again, this time about a General Westmoreland eulogy. I had not commented about the general's death because I am deeply conflicted about his role in our country's first completely unsuccessful military engagement. I do not want to say bad things about the dead, but if I must I will.

Shakespeare has Mark Antony say that a man's "good is oft interred with his bones." I think that this will happen with Westmoreland. This was a good soldier, concerned with his men, who lead those men into a situation where their legacy, and his, is a blot in our nation's history.

He was the person responsible in Viet Nam as we went from 100,000 troops to a half million. He instituted programs such as the strategic hamlet program that were failures. His troops never lost a battle in the field, and he began a new method of battlefield mobility, the vertical envelopment using helicopters instead of parachutes, that became the standard of modern light infantry.

Headquarters never knows what is going on in the field, if you are a field soldier, so it is to be expected that the field had contempt for the REMF(rear echelon MF's) in Westmoreland's empire. But the strain that came from a no-front-line, no-geographical objective method of fighting undercut the relationship of HQ to field. Body counts replaced miles covered as the measure of what we had accomplished, and if you are fighting a totalitarian regime that really holds no value on the lives of their countrymen, that measure has no meaning. So the one thing Westmoreland had his spokesmen say every day to the press was a meaningless statistic, hated by the press who received the information and the field soldiers who at great personal peril produced it.

The worst failure of everyday life in the war was with the press. The daily briefing at MACV (Military Assistance Command, Viet Nam) turned into a confrontation that the military could not win. I forget who said not to fight anyone who bought ink by the barrel, but the print media never had the impact of the video clip on the 7 o'clock news every night. The editorial control that idealogues in New York had over what was shown to the American people was something that even President Johnson could not overcome, let alone a general halfway around the world.

The heaviest burden Westmoreland had to bear was the Washington duo of Johnson & McNamara. The Constitutional supremency of the civilian over the military, reinforced by the fairly recent firing of a popular general (McArthur) by an unpopular president (Truman) during an armed conflict (Korea, for all you history buffs) clearly placed the final authority over the running of the Viet Nam conflict in Washington. The traditional management concept of allocating authority and extracting responsibility was never applied in Viet Nam. Washington never gave Westmoreland the mission of winning the war. McNamara's avowed intent for our operations in Viet Nam was to make the prosecution of the war too painful for the North Vietnamese to continue while at the same time not doing anything which might offend the Russians or the Chinese. Notice there was nothing in there about actually winning anything. So after ignoring one of McArthur's statements ("Never get involved in a land war on the Asia mainland.") the two Democratic administrations in the 60's then forgot something McArthur said that I had to memorize my first year at the Air Force Academy--"From the Far East I bring you one single thought, one sole idea, written in red on every beachhead from Australia to Tokyo: There is no substitute for victory."

What was the good soldier supposed to do? The easiest answer is the old Army saw--"Soldier on, Soldier." This is what Westmoreland did, and in my opinion it was the wrong thing to do. What he should have done was to resign, but this may not have been something he could have done. The Army does not produce people who sulk when they do not get what they need, it produces people who go ahead and accomplish their mission against all odds and over all enemys, even the enemys who are supposed to be on our side.

He had 4 years at MACV. Sometime in those 4 years the fundamental flaws in the American position should have forced him into a confrontation which would have produced either his public resignation or a mission which could be accomplished against the enemy we faced, with the tools and authority to use those tools needed to finish the job, not just to prolong the conflict.

Never happened. By the time Nixon was elected, winning the war was no longer possible. The effort required would not have been supported by the American people. Nixon lowered the mission to bug out with what could be seen as an honorable peace. Westmoreland was booted upstairs to the Chief of Staff of the Army, and retired from that position. We gave the war to the South Vietnamese and promised them that we would support them with supplies and air cover. The Democrats in Congress cut off funding to anything not related to withdrawal, and for the first time in our history we lost a war, although we never did lose a major battle in the field. We lost a bunch of them on TV and in the press, though, enough to assure our defeat.

Sic transit Gloria. Requiescat in pace.

No luck at the Tables...

If I could have made wagers on whether I'd get 5-3 offsuit or 8-2, I'd have made a fortune. Those were the only two hands I seemed to get out of fifty poker hands. Oh well...

Quick guide for new bloggers

Last night, before I went to bed, I decided to write down all I knew about blogging and how to make a successful blog. It took about four minutes.

That said, I think I have some helpful advice to new bloggers about how to get started, and what you'll need to do to get to a halfway respectable blog. (Assuming people consider this blog halfway respectable).

First and foremost, to get and maintain any level of readership, a blog needs to be updated everyday. Blogs are not somewhere to post up column length and style material every week or so. You can do that, but you'll want stuff in between. Also, if you just start blogging like that, you'll never get any readership because hardly anyone will notice you. So, blog every weekday.

Try to find your blogger personality as well. I think that a good blogger is a healthy mix of several different elements. Foremost, bloggers are cyber sherpas, e-guides on the vast information superhighway. The internet is just too huge, there is just too much information out there for most people to prospect on their own. This first created the need for search engines, now blogs further assist people in expanding their knowledge. I didn't come up with that philosophy, Hugh Hewitt did, I've just adopted it as my primary philosophy in blogging. This philosophy is partly the reason that I do the "Random Links o' the Day." By doing those, I show that I continuously explore the web, not just remaining happy in my small corner of preferred sites.

Also, a blogger needs to be part reporter. This is perhaps the most difficult element to try to do, because trying to be a reporter sucks. You have to call people, beg for interviews, email people. And for what? For your blog? It's a tough sell. However, it can be done. This is an especially rewarding project at the local level. It's about impossible at the national level, but just talk to Captain Ed sometime, he's just some guy with a laptop that never graduated from college and still has to go to work everyday.

A blogger is also part historian. Research is fairly important to a good blogger. The one thing we all can do is go to the library, look at our books at home, or do research on the web. Some of the best posts out there are those that compare something happening today to something that has already happened. (Lookup the Cranky Professor). This is the part of blogging that I feel I need to work on, as I typically don't do much research at all, except occasionally when there is newsworthy stuff involving psychology (my undergraduate major).

Finally, a blogger is part editorialist as well. Many of the reasons I've found that people blog is because they want to get out there and have their voices heard. That's why Captain Ed started, that's why Peter Swanson started. Peter especially was sick of getting his letters and column submissions edited by overzealous paper employees. One thing to avoid as a blogger is being an echo chamber, repeating the talking points of the major parties. Readers look to blogs for new ways of looking at things, insight, and information. If you can consistently provide an inventive perspective (IMAO does this) readership will follow.

Another element I like to see in a blog is variety. If you do different types of posts, some are sortacolumnish, some are just headlines with single sentence commentary, some stories, some history, I think readers will continue to show up to see what new post you come up with. Conan O'Brian avoids doing the same bits over and over (though he still manages to get stale) and I think the same is necessary in blogging. Mitch Berg is best at this, he posts all sorts of things, national stories, personal stories, reviews, music, etc.

Be a good writer. Sometimes this is about impossible, but the more you write, the better you'll get. People want literacy in those they read.

Pictures are also nice. Blogger makes it easy, and I'm hoping to start adding more pictures to my site.

I like to think of a blog as an ongoing conversation. This why comments sections are a must. Do your best to make sure that anyone, with little effort, can comment on your blog. Blogs are also described as "garage bands" and "open mic commentary." Both of these descriptions show that the blogosphere is an open market that favors the buyer (reader) and not the seller (publisher). But this also means that with a little effort you can move up in readership thanks to the liquidity of the blogosphere's audience.

In fact, the report for future blog readership is a good one. While less than 20% of all people visit blogs are on a regular basis (versus the 80% of journalists that visit blogs on a regular basis), some 30-40 percent of people under the age of 18 read blogs regularly (Sifry is the place I got those numbers). Soon enough, there's going to be a healthy rush of young readers that will drive the blogosphere.

[There's a small chance that blogging is just some fad, at least that's what some who don't read blogs have told me. However, I highly doubt it. The reason is this, there were probably people who thought that dime novels were just a fad when they started out. In the late 1800s there was a rush of books printed cheaply on cheap paper that were well known to be low quality literary trash. They were generally poorly written novels. I bet there were some who thought to themselves "why would anyone buy such crud, and look, these books don't last at all. They practically decompose on the shelf. Eventually people are going to go back to leatherbound copies that have shown the ability to last the tests of time. Those people would have been wrong, and 100+ years later cheap paperbacks are still the most popular form of book. Hugh Hewitt's book "blog" goes into more detail.]

Now, there's some of the nitty gritty elements of getting readership. Getting and keeping readership is tough. The first key to getting readership is making sure that any friends and family who might be inclined to read your blog know about it. Everyone knows 100 people. Of those hundred, maybe ten will start reading if you let them know about the blog. Blogs are very popular amongst the younglings as a way of letting their friends and family keep up with what they're doing if they are away from home, like at a college outstate. It's a good start, and I like the fact that blogging is a cheap (basically free) way of bringing family together. No need for huge phone bills, no postage, just what every really wants out of family, good story telling and news.

Hopefully, your family can get around your political views, and can forgive you for covering national stories if you choose to expand as a blogger. Then again, maybe that uncle of yours needs some better political insight. Whatever. At least having family as readership encourages you to blog. You might even keep a small personal blog, and later create a political blog. Then your family that is interested in your political stuff can read it without forcing your political views down the throats of your relatives.

Another key to developing readership is talking about other bloggers. This seems almost too bootlicking to mention, but it's the truth. However, I like visiting other blogs, and when someone posts something up worth mentioning, I post it. Typically, that person will then be interested in what I'm saying about him, and will visit. It's not brown-nosing, it's building community. The MOB typifies this way of blogging.

In fact, if you're not in Minnesota, you should consider starting your own blogger community. Find a dozen or so blogs you like, email them, and get started on a blog roll. Believe me, readership will build from there. My readership had a very healthy jump when I joined the MOB. IT had an even better jump when I started going to MOB events and actually meeting people face to face. In fact, that's a good idea too, have blogger socials at local pubs and restaurants.

Visit blogs a lot. I try to hit 10-15 random blogs a day (normally using the "next blog" button on the top of blogger pages). Sometimes, I'll leave a comment. One thing I like to do is frequent liberal blogs and get into flamewars in their comments section. This is fun, and it typically will get you a few extra hits a day. Also, if you have some favorite bloggers, comment in their blogs regularly. Finally, visit the blogs of the people who comment on your blog. It's building community and good will, as well as readership. If you post up good stuff, people will visit your blog. If you leave intelligent comments on their site, they'll likely visit your blog.

A few things you can do to get a few extra hits is get on the aggregator done by mnSpeak (I link it on the side bar). I also get a lot of hits from thefacebook.com. You can also get webspace on friendster.com. I get occasional hits from blogcritics.com as well.

Mind you, a lot of my readership I picked up because I had a radio show. I was also posted on CaptainsQuarters. However, my biggest readership increase came after I went to the MOB event in St. Cloud, which was a small social of about 20 bloggers from outstate. Meeting them and getting posted all over helped me quite a lot. I also got a fair amount of readership after I broke the story about the screw up at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce when they published a letter that mistakenly accused a St Cloud area state senator of raising taxes. It is perhaps the best piece of journalistic work I've ever done, and according to my friend at the Chamber, I introduced a lot of people to blogs that day.

That gets back to my main point about getting readership, post quality content and do it everyday and the readers will come.

As I reread what I wrote, I notice that this really wasn't a "quick" guide. My apologies. I've hopefully given a good framework for anyone out there hoping to enter the blogging world. Now, if you don't already have a blog, go to blogger.com and start...right now.

One of the things I want to do is bring more people into the blogosphere. I also want to help out and encourage new bloggers (young and old) as much as I can. If I can look back after a few years of blogging, and see people enjoying their new found platform into the cyber world, I will feel as though I haven't wasted my time blogging.

Finally, if there are any other suggestions for new bloggers or ways of increasing readership I might have missed, please leave them in the comments section. Also, I'd like to hear how some of my readers either started blogging or hear their stories about why they now read blogs.

Personally, I remember that I started blogging because I heard about blogs in the news. I wrote down "start blog" in my planner. I thought it'd be a good place to write and get writing experience and to try out column ideas. By the time the Kerry/Bush election came around I was already addicted.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.snpp.com/guides/ql.html

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.geraldschroeder.com/

Giant Gummy Bear

Awesome, h/t Fark

Weekend Reading:

Sex versus violence in video games

Another example of how the employment world is becoming more impersonal

Smoking Ban and business, Anti-Strib gets a visit from Mr. Lungs as well.

Sisyphus at Nihilist gives the Top 11 bad things happening in Iraq caused by the U.S.

Walter Williams on more aid to Africa

Walter Williams on slavery reparations

Thomas Sowell on the positives from the No Child Left Behind Act

Cal Thomas pro Roberts

AM1500 wants your first baseball game stories, limit of 50 words for a contest they're doing. I'll post up my entry this weekend, and I want to read any entries of my readers, so leave them in the comments section. (what's the point of weekend reading if there isn't the occasional assignment?)

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/

Random Link o' the Day:

http://bjibbs.blogspot.com/

Well, myself, Tommy G and Gilles got our collective butts handed to us in trivia. This is the second time I've had Gilles fail me as a quiz guru. Better study up Bill....(ominous tones).

BTW, is Keegan's not horrifically expensive?

Interview at Keegans with Bill Gilles from DogParkWalker

Fun interview discussing the different philosophies of blogging.

500 and counting....

This is the 500th post in this blog. It took 16 months plus three weeks to get here. I've had up various counters now for about five months, and my unique visitors per day has gone from 4 (it shocked me to see that) to 43 (presently, topped out a month ago at 73 visitors a day). With a little help from Captain Ed, I cracked the hundred visitor mark 6 or 7 weeks ago.

In the TTLB ecosystem I rank an "adorable little rodent" (about 4000th on the list) which puts me into the top 10% of all blogs tracked by TTLB. I have a much better ranking from Technorati, where I rank 54,460 of 12 million blogs tracked by them. Technorati thus puts my blog into the top half of one percent.

And I'm just your standard modestly accomplished MOB member.

Shows how good you Minnesota blog readers got it, Minnesota has the best bloggers and blogging communities out of anywhere. Sometimes it is as good as it gets.

There are some goofy Bible translations out their, including the Technical Slang Version, and I'm still looking for it, it was featured on Dennis Prager's show taday, it's an ebonics version of the Bible, I did find an Ebonics version of the Lord's Prayer


Here is an awesome ode to Scotty:

http://www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/05/0705/072105.html

Your Hidden Talent

You're super sensitive and easily able to understand situations. You tend to solve complex problems in a flash, without needing a lot of facts. Decision making is easy for you. You have killer intuition. The right path is always clear, and you're a bit of a visionary.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

What Makes Me an Expert?

The guy I normally go to these restaurants with is named Orlando Ochoada, he's a bit of a local legend and has a good taste for food. He and I have been going to random restaurants for three years now (sometimes we have a guide like the City Pages, sometimes we just get in the car and drive around). Yesterday at Snuffy's, we were trying to figure out how many places we had visited since we started. We were able to name about 50.

That's a lot of restaurants, and I kept notes on almost all of them. I'm trying to go through my backlog of restaurants, but I get busy with other things so it's bee slow going. Besides the reviews in this blog, I have published 10 restaurant reviews in other small collegiate newpapers, most notably "The Minnesota Patriot."

I use Orlando's sense and mix it with my own, since no one person's sense for food is perfect. I think I have a less sophisticated taste than most other restuarant reviewers, which I think is a good thing. Most people couldn't tell the difference between cajun and texican, so that shuoldn't matter at all. What matters is taste and quality, and that I know.

What Makes Me an Expert?

The guy I normally go to these restaurants with is named Orlando Ochoada, he's a bit of a local legend and has a good taste for food. He and I have been going to random restaurants for three years now (sometimes we have a guide like the City Pages, sometimes we just get in the car and drive around). Yesterday at Snuffy's, we were trying to figure out how many places we had visited since we started. We were able to name about 50.

That's a lot of restaurants, and I kept notes on almost all of them. I'm trying to go through my backlog of restaurants, but I get busy with other things so it's bee slow going. Besides the reviews in this blog, I have published 10 restaurant reviews in other small collegiate newpapers, most notably "The Minnesota Patriot."

I use Orlando's sense and mix it with my own, since no one person's sense for food is perfect. I think I have a less sophisticated taste than most other restuarant reviewers, which I think is a good thing. Most people couldn't tell the difference between cajun and texican, so that shuoldn't matter at all. What matters is taste and quality, and that I know.

If you didn't already know, the Al Queda farm team made an attempt to bomb London, luckily no one was killed and only one person is hurt (so far).

Also, after someone suggested it, I read this article by Scott Johnson of Powerline. I found it quite interesting, especially his last paragraph:

This summer Mayor Rybak contributed memorably to the city's collection of fatuous quotes on the subject of crime when he assured citizens that "Minneapolis is a safe city for those not involved in high-risk lifestyles." High-risk lifestyles--such as sitting at a living room table or riding a city bus.

Yeah, or parking your car.

I also found this article about how Bush interviewed Roberts for the SCOTUS job. I like the fact that Roberts work out habits were an important part of the process.

I'll be at Keegans tonight.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://sheen.catholicexchange.com/

Things you're not going to hear about Scotty (James Doohan)

http://imdb.com/name/nm0001150/bio

He was a WWII vet that was wounded in Normandy as a member of the Canadian Royal Artillary

He was given an honorary Degree in Engineering by the Milwaukee School of Engineering where apparently half of the students polled said they were inspired to study engineering by his role in "Star Trek" (1966)

James, age 80, and wife Wende, age 43, became parents to 7 lb. 13 oz. Sarah. [11 April 2000]

That's right, the old goat had a child at 80 years of age.

He also wrote a book

Favorites always die first

James Doohan, actor who portrayed "Scotty" and made engineering cool for like three and half minutes (longest ever recorded level of "coolness" for engineering) died. He was 85.

He was one of my favorites, Bones (played by DeForest Kelley) was my favorite. He passed away some time ago. If this keeps up Nimoy is next, followed by Takei. Soon, all well be dead except for that Nichols lady I hated.

Nichols: "Captain, Starfleet is calling"

Kirk: "I can see that, the little light is blinking, why are you on the bridge again?"

Nichols: "Who's going to press the button when the light is blinking except me?"

Kirk: "I could train Spock to do it, he likes little blinking lights"

Spock: "I have a third eyelid"

Daily Coulmn of Student Fees

July 20th, 2005

Daily Coulmn of Student Fees

July 20th, 2005

Snuffy's Malt Shop

Snuffy's Malt Shop is in fact a chain of restaurants that have been in operation for iver 20 years, they have received accolades from as far away as the New York Times for their authentic 50's style parlour.

Snuffy's (the original) is located on S. Cleveland Ave in Highland Park (244 S. Cleveland Ave) near the intersection of Eau Claire and Cleveland. I will write more on Snuffy's after sampling a better part of their menu, but I can tell you, they have the best Malts I've ever tasted, in Minneapolis or elsewhere. Try it soon.

Snuffy's Malt Shop

Snuffy's Malt Shop is in fact a chain of restaurants that have been in operation for iver 20 years, they have received accolades from as far away as the New York Times for their authentic 50's style parlour.

Snuffy's (the original) is located on S. Cleveland Ave in Highland Park (244 S. Cleveland Ave) near the intersection of Eau Claire and Cleveland. I will write more on Snuffy's after sampling a better part of their menu, but I can tell you, they have the best Malts I've ever tasted, in Minneapolis or elsewhere. Try it soon.

Band Box

Band Box is an old fashioned roadside diner located in downtown Minneapolis just south of HCMC on the corner of 10th and 14th street (Address is 729 s. 10th street). It has a wonderful atmosphere that likens to an earlier day, the days we remember from movies where our favorite protaganists, whether on the run from the law or just traveling the American road our protaganists could rely on a greasy meal that would stay with them as their travels continued.

What would make this establishment perfect were if it were located next to a long stretch of desert highway, with a line of semi-trucks in the parking lot. As it is, parking for The Band Box is not that difficult, 1 hour parking is available across the street.

Be sure to bring cash or a checkbook, no credits cards taken.

Their best offers are burgers, which are cooked until you get a crunchy outer crust of meat and grease, protecting a softer burger in the middle. They use chopped steak, so they're always high quality, if not a little pricey in the 5 dollar range (not including fries). Be sure to get bacon, unlike some restaurants they use thick cuts of quality bacon that is just delightful in itself.

The Band Box also has fries that are greasy, very greasy. VERY greasy. I loved them.

The Band Box is open everyday from 7am to 4pm, serving breakfast all day.

While sitting there I was reminded of my favorite roadside diner scene in any movie, the final scene of "Spaceballs" when Barf and Lone Starr (Played respectively by Bill Pullman and John Candy) witness an alien creature emerge from a patron and do a musical number for everyone in the diner. After consuming those fries, I was certain I had my creature consuming me from the inside. That's the sign of a good grease joint.

http://greaseforpeace.com/

Band Box

Band Box is an old fashioned roadside diner located in downtown Minneapolis just south of HCMC on the corner of 10th and 14th street (Address is 729 s. 10th street). It has a wonderful atmosphere that likens to an earlier day, the days we remember from movies where our favorite protaganists, whether on the run from the law or just traveling the American road our protaganists could rely on a greasy meal that would stay with them as their travels continued.

What would make this establishment perfect were if it were located next to a long stretch of desert highway, with a line of semi-trucks in the parking lot. As it is, parking for The Band Box is not that difficult, 1 hour parking is available across the street.

Be sure to bring cash or a checkbook, no credits cards taken.

Their best offers are burgers, which are cooked until you get a crunchy outer crust of meat and grease, protecting a softer burger in the middle. They use chopped steak, so they're always high quality, if not a little pricey in the 5 dollar range (not including fries). Be sure to get bacon, unlike some restaurants they use thick cuts of quality bacon that is just delightful in itself.

The Band Box also has fries that are greasy, very greasy. VERY greasy. I loved them.

The Band Box is open everyday from 7am to 4pm, serving breakfast all day.

While sitting there I was reminded of my favorite roadside diner scene in any movie, the final scene of "Spaceballs" when Barf and Lone Starr (Played respectively by Bill Pullman and John Candy) witness an alien creature emerge from a patron and do a musical number for everyone in the diner. After consuming those fries, I was certain I had my creature consuming me from the inside. That's the sign of a good grease joint.

http://greaseforpeace.com/

More on John Roberts:

Agreed with case involving arresting a 12 year old for eating a French Fry

The girl might have gotten off easier if she had been eating a "Freedom Fry"

Kevin Ecker He's doing the dancing pill

Bill GillesLike Usual, Gilles doesn't know what he thinks.

Tony Garcia Is convinced that Rehnquist will retire as soon as Roberts gets through.

I disagree, I think Rehnquist intends to stay where he is until he dies. (I am certain the instant that Rehnquist retires he will start dropping off quickly in health, however the more reasons he has to live, the longer he'll live. Thus, he stays on SCOTUS)

I'm also convinced that this confirmation process is going to be a lot harder than everyone is expecting.

Update


Andrew Gettis is concerned

Ann Coulter

If the Senate were in Democrat hands, Roberts would be perfect. But why on earth would Bush waste a nomination on a person who is a complete blank slate when we have a majority in the Senate!

We also have a majority in the House, state legislatures, state governorships, and have won five of the last seven presidential elections — seven of the last ten!

We're the Harlem Globetrotters now - why do we have to play the Washington Generals every week?

Conservatism is sweeping the nation, we have a fully functioning alternative media, we’re ticked off and ready to avenge Robert Bork . . . and Bush nominates a Rorschach blot.

I think, Ann, in a column I would be embarassed to write, still manages to make the above point in a strong way. A point that I believe that conservatives have not taken home with them yet, and a point that is the most important one noted in the column.

My latest column available here

Judge Roberts on trial:

Ann Coulter has problems with his lack of record

"We don’t know much about John Roberts. Stealth nominees have never turned out to be a pleasant surprise for conservatives. Never. Not ever... Oh, yeah...we know he's argued cases before the supreme court. big deal; so has Larry Flynt's attorney."

So declares conservative columnist Ann Coulter in a new dispatch set for release.

Coulter declares: It means nothing that Roberts wrote briefs arguing for the repeal of Roe v. Wade when he worked for Republican administrations. He was arguing on behalf of his client, the United States of America. Roberts has specifically disassociated himself from those cases, dropping a footnote to a 1994 law review article that said:

“In the interest of full disclosure, the author would like to point out that as Deputy Solicitor General for a portion of the 1992-93 Term, he was involved in many of the cases discussed below. In the interest of even fuller disclosure, he would also like to point out that his views as a commentator on those cases do not necessarily reflect his views as an advocate for his former client, the United States.”

This would have been the legal equivalent, after O.J.'s acquittal, of Johnnie Cochran saying, "hey, I never said the guy was innocent. I was just doing my job."

Reading the entire article, it sounds alomost as if Ann is angry that she wasn't picked (or Roy Moore).

Mitch Berg is excited

Hugh Hewitt is geeked


Hinderacker pre-empts the left's plan of attack

Sisyphus is a little peeved it wasn't a chick

Lunk Francl at New Patriot gives the best Lefty argument against Roberts, he has scary looking eyes

Learned Foot at KAR live-blogged the announcement, got himself a surprise

Fraters always being themselves

Captain Ed needs to try to get more sleep

Ron Rosenbaum from KSTP was talking about how Roberts should get through the process without much problem, and on C-Span Ted Kennedey and Patrick Leahy talked about how it is their duty to discuss the President's choice to make sure he's right for all Americans.

For my two-cents, I think that this is a good pick. Roberts may be a bit inexperienced, but he has the personal fortitude to survive the process. And the process is not going to be pretty. I don't care what anyone says, this is going to be really ugly.

Bush's SCOTUS nominee

President Bush to: Everyone

FOOO YOU!

Yeah, so the president's nominee isn't Clement, instead he goes with Dudley Do Right

Good for Bush, he forced a lot of people to waste a lot and time and energy researching Clement only to completely get all of us.

It's going to be a fun summer.

I have never used the photo program in blogger until now, so I'm just testing it out. I once considered the hobby of photography, but as others will attest, I have no ability. It might open up new avenues to the blog, or I might just discard it, I don't know.

So, the first photo is...

A guy lighting a cigarette with a lightsaber!

Late News Roundup:

With all the excitement and gunfire, plus my column was due, I wasn't able to do my standard news roundup yesterday. Luckily, days are a renewable resource.

The big news today and probably for the rest of the summer is the Bush appointee to the Supreme Court. Rumors are that Edith Brown Clement will be the one to take O'Conner's place on SCOTUS.

I like this choice for two reason, first, Clement has already been voted on by the U.S. Senate when she was nominated by Bush I in the 1990's. The vote was 99-0. Also, she was a member of the Federalist Society which gives her fair conservative credentials. She is going to be a tough candidate to attack, and with another opening on SCOTUS probably on the way her lack of solid constructionist case credentials won't be a big deal.

Another Clement biography

New abortion data

Bloggers and the Next Appointee

This article notes that this will be the first time in the "blogger era" that a SCOTUS seat will up for filling. This means that it should be an exciting process. I recently finished reading T. Sowell's autobiography "A Personal Odyssey" where he talked about how he had testified on behalf of Robert Bork.

Thomas Sowell is a black conservative/libertarian/classical liberal. He noted that he spent a lot of time researching in a law library all the court cases that Bork had worked on or was involved with, and that it shpwed that Bork had a very strong civil rights background. When Sowell told some White House staffers about his work, they were surprised and wanted to get that research out to the public, as per Sowell's suggestion. It was too late for Bork though, and Sowell wondered what on Earth the White House guys were thinking.

This is not going to be an issue here. Bloggers well have lots of research and analysis almost instantly, and there won't be the possibility that lies that Borked Bork will Bork Clement.

An obviously partisan GOP anonymous blog has popped up in the MN blogosphere. There are actually quite a few of them, and I typically avoid them, however, this one has pretty good information and writing. It might actually be worth the time to read it.

Unfortunately, my rules for who goes into my top roll on the sidebar prevent anonymous bloggers. I will not put up the name of someone's blog, just their name. That's my rule. Also, if you're wondering who's on the farm team (bloggers that I'm watching to see if they can get it together and earn their way onto the top position on the sidebar) here they are:

Will Marean
Tom Gromacki
Bill Gilles
Alex Newman
Spead Gibson (has already earned it but I don't know if I can use his real name yet)
Night Writer (same deal as Speedy)
Patrick Delaney (hasn't updated in a long time)
Max Page (the only real liberal in the bunch, also has stopped posting)
and
Bob Gindorff (who hasn't updated his blog in ages)

Actually, I'm not even sure if I can use Gromacki's name, I just did because he trolled on my website and you should get called out for doing that.

Gerry Daly finds more numbers that show that the RNC is well ahead of the DNC. I'll admit that I'm a GOP guy, and I vote GOP. I'll even admit that I'm glad that the RNC is ahead in fundraising. However, I'll tell you that you shouldn't give money to the RNC or any party group. Only give money to candidates. I think any true believer in democracy (I mean by that represantational republicanism) should agree that if you only give money to candidates instead of the big business party machines, it will be a better system (one day a column on this I'm sure).

Mitch Berg and Mischke

Tony Garcia has an excellent post on the Rove Scandal

Editorial on Michelle Wie for you golfing nuts out there. I personally hope Wie does do some male tournaments, but that she spends at least 75% of her time on LPGA events. That wuold be good for LPGA earnings and for Wie's ambitions.

My next column is on student services fees (fairly insider stuff) and I had one source for it. It'll be a snoozer, but I had to write at least one column on fees (a subject that has consumed three years of my short life thus far).

Two reflections on blogging, Speed Gibson on his first year and Night Writer on completion of his 6 month experiment in blogging.

Fear makes you do stupid things...


I had my scariest moment in 5 years of living in Minneapolis last night.

I have walked through hockey riots and have been in numerous bar fights (I was a bouncer) in my life. So I don't think people can call me "jumpy" as a legitimate adjective. However, my roomate called my behaviour last night as just that, "jumpy."

It was for good reason. When I drove home late last night, I went past a group of people that could best be described as "gang bangers." I wasn't too interested in parking my car right in front of this crew at 11 o'clock at night with no one else around, so I pulled into the driveway that leads to our garage. I had the garage door opener in my pocket, I pulled it out and drove my car into the garage.

Not a hard process, something I had done with relative ease before at this apartment. All I had to do is remember to put the garage door opener back into my pocket before leaving the garage. The reason is because there is only one door into our garage, the garage door itself. There is no side door, trap door or doggy door. Just the main garage door, and it can only be opened with the garage door opener.

Again, this shouldn't be a big deal, I've done this before.

However, as I opened my car door to get out, I heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Close

Really close.

I'm no stranger to firearms. I've owned 'em, bought 'em, and shot 'em. I didn't hear the sharp crack of a .22 which might be mistaken for a firecracker. I heard the loud concussion of a handgun, large caliber. (I guessed a .40 cal)

Now, I admit, I live in a really bad part of Minneapolis. I've had a friend who is no stranger to Minneapolis living describe my area as "deep in the hood."

Personally, I was rather enjoying the area. There is a park within walking distance and there hadn't been any problems on the block since I moved in.

Oops.

At that point, standing besides my car in the garage, the door facing towards the street, I had two options: close the garage door and sit tight, or try to get to the back door of the apartment. I looked at the button on the inside of the garage that would close the garage, and I looked out to the street. I didn't see anyone, so I figured that I'd be better off in the apartment. I turned to grab my bag out of my car, and I hit the button on the inside of the garage on the way out that locked the garage door.

I hurried into my apartment, fumbled with the keys, took a deep breath, relaxed and was able to open the door and get in. Not that being in the apartment would matter that much. I don't have any guns down with me, they're all at my parents' house in Alexandria, MN (Where my parents have a garage with a side door that they keep unlocked, German Sheperd and all). I even refused when my dad offered to load up the guns for me a few weeks back. I just didn't think I'd need them, the summer had been rather peaceful and I felt safe enough to go out on late night walks.

The next hour spent in the house was exciting. The lights on the outside are connected to motion detectors, and they were going on and off with regularity, front and back. I'd occasionally sneak a peak outside and see people, looked like the standard set of drug deals you see all over the place. A cop car came by about 20 minutes after the shot was fired, no one was around to see, no lights on in any house. (That's right, I kept my lights off too, I didn't want to get pegged as the guy who called the police and have gifts like broken windows left in the apartment.

My roomate made it home after an hour, I told him what happened. He takes things fairly lax, all he said was "no use worrying, either we'll be dead in the morning or not"

In our area of Minneapolis, gun shots are not a priority call. I remember the nightmare scenario that a friend told me about an incident he had in Minneapolis where someone had broken into his basement. The dispatch operator calmly asked if there was a locked door between him and the intruder. There was, so the the operator suggested not confronting the intruder, and told them a car would be sent by, sometime.

This reminds me of a story my dad told me about working dispatch in the Air Force (not sure what they actually call it, I'm sure he'll tell us). Basically, he said that it's tough getting the call from some guy who needs air support (Really, Really REALLY needs air support) and telling him to sit tight, because someone else, in charge of a larger group of men, also REALLY needs air support. Same thing in Minneapolis I guess.

"There's a guy in our house"

"Is he armed?"

"I don't know, he's in another room"

"Is there are locked door between you and him?"

"Yes"

"Sit tight"

It was a rather restless night, everytime my roomate rolled over (two rooms away) I was awakened. I kept trying to relax, but I hate the idea of someone taking pot shots with a gun outside my home. I also am rather distasteful to the idea of being that guy who got killed bringing a knife to a gunfight. (I don't even have a knife in the apartment, I have a six foot wooden staff that I did some martial arts training with some years ago).

However, the night shifted to lightly scattered light.

I started the morning like I normally did, and everything appeared to be back to normal. I was preparing to leave the house, when I noticed that I didn't have the garage door opener in my pants pocket. I looked throughout the house, no go. I realized, I must have left it in the car last night. I remembered putting the little contraption on my seat while trying to reach my backpack. I must not have grabbed it.

And I pressed the button on the inside of the garage to close the door.

My car was parked in the garage, and it was locked in, with no way to get in.

estupido!

I guess I won't driving around today. I'm still trying to figure out how to get in, without taking an ax to the garage door (a door that might be more valuable than my 17 year old car). Best as I can gather, I'll call the landlord.

Fear can make you do dumb things, and disrupting daily patterns and habits can cause failures like these. However, as someone who has studied psychology, I understand this and do my best to work against it. I don't want to be a S-R (stimulus-response) rat that can forget something like this. However, gun shots can remind me how true S-R theorists can be under the right circumstances, free will be damned.

So, looks like a relaxing day at home.

Your Dominant Thinking Style:

Exploring You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name. You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs. An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles. You show people how to question their models of the world.

Your Secondary Thinking Style:

Visioning You are very insightful and tend to make decisions based on your insights. You focus on how things should be - even if you haven't worked out the details. An idealist, thinking of the future helps you guide your path. You tend to give others long-term direction and momentum.

What's Your Thinking Style?

The High and the Mighty

This is your Captain speaking...

Watched this movie last night...Mighty--bad. Dated, dull, wordy. No characters you can identify with. No one to either like or dislike. The one delight is having Robert Stack, who played the veteran pilot in the Airplane series, play the young captain John Wayne has to slap around to get him to fly right. With everything the Airplane movies did with his character and the whole slap-the-panicked woman scene, it was almost worth the time spent. Well, not really. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Now I have to find the book and read it again. I remember it as being good. It can't be as bad as the movie. No idea where my copy of the book is, however. I haven't seen it in 20 years.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.comedycentral.com/

John Wayne and Ernest K. Gann in the movies.

This is your captain speaking.

AMC had a John Wayne movie last night based on an Ernest K. Gann book, and it will show another tonight. Both movies are good examples of early disaster movies, in these cases based on aviation stories. It is too late to see Islands in the Sky but you can catch The High and the Mighty tonight, on TV for the first time in 20 years.

Islands in the Sky is based on one half of one chapter of one of my favorite books, Fate is the Hunter. It tells the story of a rescue of a crew of an airplane that landed on a frozen lake in northern Canada in the early days of WWII. Overdramatic at times, it is a typical early 50's movie with good performances from Wayne and his supporting cast, which include Lloyd Nolan and Andy Devine. Most of the movie rescue is based on some of the difficulties of the actual rescue. I guess if they put it all in no one would believe it. I went back and read the whole story of the rescue again, and I cannot believe it. Those men were true pioneers. If you can see the movie and are impressed by what they did, read the book. The true story is far more impressive, especially for yours truly. I have flown over that area. I have been a pilot for 40 years, and it takes a lot to impress me about aviation. This did.

I really do not remember all that much about The High and the Mighty. It has a great theme song, and the aviation problems are accurate, which you would expect from a collaboration between Gann and Wayne. The book it is based on is fictional, but since Gann wrote it, it is based on an actual events. As I said in my review of Fate is the Hunter, Gann is a lot better writing about things which actually happened to him. Since Fate ended before the stage in Gann's career that this incident occurred, I think there is a lot of truth in it. It will be fun to watch this movie again.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://writingright.typepad.com/writingright/

Juicy Lucy

There are plenty of styles of this burger around. It's called the Juicy Lucy, and the concept is simple; cook the cheese inside the hamburger.

Around Minneapolis there are plenty of places to pick up this burger, Matt's Bar on 35th and Cedar, The 5-8 Club where Highway 77 and Highway 65 meet. You can get them at the Turtle's Supper Club in Shakopee (Not that good) or at Tuggs in the St. Anthony Main area. However, the best Juicy Lucy is located in Saint Paul.

The Nook, just across the baseball diamond of Cretin-Derham Hall, uses Velveeta cheese in their Juicy Lucy. They also use a lot more cheese than other places. The service is quicker, and the atmosphere in quaint and cozy. It's small, and very relaxed.

Also, if you're not in the mood for Velveeta, they do have pretty good hamburgers anyway. Located on Hamline South, near Randolph and Hamline, this is a burger joint you have to try.

Juicy Lucy

There are plenty of styles of this burger around. It's called the Juicy Lucy, and the concept is simple; cook the cheese inside the hamburger.

Around Minneapolis there are plenty of places to pick up this burger, Matt's Bar on 35th and Cedar, The 5-8 Club where Highway 77 and Highway 65 meet. You can get them at the Turtle's Supper Club in Shakopee (Not that good) or at Tuggs in the St. Anthony Main area. However, the best Juicy Lucy is located in Saint Paul.

The Nook, just across the baseball diamond of Cretin-Derham Hall, uses Velveeta cheese in their Juicy Lucy. They also use a lot more cheese than other places. The service is quicker, and the atmosphere in quaint and cozy. It's small, and very relaxed.

Also, if you're not in the mood for Velveeta, they do have pretty good hamburgers anyway. Located on Hamline South, near Randolph and Hamline, this is a burger joint you have to try.

Reflections on a Saturday that's too hot...

This is your Captain speaking...

I get to control my TV when no one else is at home, so I got to watch Tiger flail away in the wind as he allowed people into the Championship on moving day. What a difference an ocean makes when you're talking about golf and golf courses. SI has credited Mother Nature as the designer of the Old Course at St. Andrews, so it has a lot of situations that would not be allowed here, like driving over a hotel sign. It is fun watching John Daly overdriving a par 4 hole so far that he cannot get a birdie on it, and VJ's second shot at 17 not only running through the green but also running through the tee box on 18 by 40 yards or so. Par putts are being measured in yards instead of feet, and all of a sudden a tournament that Tiger had locked up is up for grabs. Fun viewing.

Long before I had ever played golf I parachuted into the north side of the Firth of Tay, which is just north of St Andrews, to "train" with the Scottish Territorials. The Territorials are the British equivalent of our National Guard. This unit was an airborne one; I was the Air Force Liaison Officer with the 8th Infantry Division, which had both armored and airborne brigades, so we took an airborne company and jumped into Scotland. Most of my training seemed to center around the Dining-In we attended the second night, which turned into a fun, if slightly (all right, more than slightly) inebriated brawl. The whole thing was just a chance for our airborne planners and the Brit planers to execute a joint plan, and get to know each other and to know how the other guys thought. Mission accomplished, then we had a good time. Anyway, even though I did not golf at the time, I still was able to get a quick look at St Andrews and the Old Course and buy a golf towel that I still have that has the logo of the Old Course on it. In fact, I was using that towel on my golf bag when I told this story to Jr. He reacted like most collectors: "Dad, what the hell are you doing??!!" I had to go get another towel for my bag.

Back to Scottish golf... One of the things I like about the way they play golf in St Andrews if the attitude they have. This is not a game for wusses. "The wind is blowing at 40 knots." "Well, at least it isn't blowing hard."... "I hit my ball onto the road, I need relief." "The road was there when you hit the ball. If you didna want to hit the ball off the road, why did you hit it there?"..."It's cold and raining." "Sorry mate, no open tee times for another month. You can either play and pay off your caddy, or just pay off your caddy. It is not his fault if you canna play in three inches of goose down."

I think the story I like most about British Open golf is the one about Lee Trevino when he hit his ball into the high rough. (It was not at St Andrews.) His caddy put the golf bag down and started looking for Lee's ball, along with all the marshals and a number of spectators. They found the ball before the 5 minute limit, but they could not find the golf bag without an intensive search that took longer than it took to find the ball. Now, in the interest of truth, this is a story told by sports reporters. I did not see it, and I have noticed that American sports reporters may stretch the truth once in a while. But it is a great rejoiner at the nineteenth hole..."How did you do today?" "OK, hit my ball into the rough on 10. Found my ball. Lost my bag."

The Twins are not on TV today, so I'm going to have to play golf even if it is too hot. My wife wants to go to the movies, but I cannot see giving those bums any of my money. We used to go to a movie every weekend, but it seems like there is nothing worth seeing any more. At least nothing that overcomes my distaste for all that Hollywood has become. So I am doing what I can to defund that whole crowd. After all, the Hollywood elite is the largest group of idle rich (and liberal rich) there is in the country.

Speaking of the Twins, I have noticed with amusement all the hope that the Brett Boone trade engendered in the breast of the Twin faithful and the sportswriters that cover them. Guys, why do you think that the last place team in the American League West cut this guy in the first place? They had given up the hope that Boone would return to his old form and start hitting. I am sure that Terry Ryan, who I think is one of the best general managers in baseball, got Boone because he was cheap and he had actually hit major league pitching at one time, hitting for both average and power. And, if nothing else, he still has a great glove. Since we have both Punch and Judy starting in our infield, it is worth the gamble. Unfortunately, I think he is in the same stage of his career that Steve Carleton and Don Baylor were in when they came here and will not help that much. As a Twins fan, I hope I am wrong.

Please do not take the previous thought to say anything bad about Nick Punto. I think Punto is an exciting baseball player, a true hustler who tries his hardest at all times. His contribution to the offense is critical to the team, since he manufactures runs by himself all the time and the Twins need all of them they can get. The
Twins were not the same team when Punto went down. What the Twins need is a corner player (either infield or outfield) who can hit with power this season. I think Justin Morneau will fill the bill as he gets some experience. He needs some help, some help that has not been forthcoming this year. But remember, this is a rebuilding year. The Twins replaced all their starting infield from last year and have rookies (effectively)at both 1st base and catcher. I think they are doing a lot better than expected.

The hazards of having roomates...

There are very few things I like to watch on TV. For many years I went without a TV at all, and some of the roomates I had also didn't have use for a television. However, now, at least for the end of the summer, I'm rooming with a guy I know from the U who absolutely needed cable. Fine, I'll split the bill. But the guy wants nothing better than to watch VH1.

Among the events I most look forward to every year are the golf majors, and the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. Even when I didn't have a TV, I found a way of watching these events.

Roomate is a no go on either, and I'm way to nice to say "Turn off Sgt. Bilko (the movie he's watching right now) and let me watch Monty and Woods go at it."

Sigh...

It gives me an excuse not to pay the cable bill next month. (Too bad The Open is on ABC)

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.gophersports.com/

More Karl Rove

This is your Captain speaking...

It makes me laugh to see the libs in full cry about this whole CIA covert agent name thing. Turns out that Rove learned the fact that Wilson's wife was a CIA agent from Robert Novak, not the other way around. How do you take a backwards leak to the grand jury?

Made a small error in my comments in Tony's blog on this subject. I said that in order to be a crime, the agent had to be overseas and at the present time be a covert agent, but that is not quite right. (Nor is it correct.) If the agent was a covert agent within the last five years it is illegal for an agent of the government to disclose the name of a covert operative. Wilson's wife (which is how Rove indentified Plame) had been back behind a desk in Langley for 6 years when all this occurred.

By the way, has anyone really looked at what all the debunking of Wilson's report really points at? Niger exports two things: goats and yellowcake. Niger's export board has reported that there was a group from Iraq trying to import a product from Niger to Iraq. I think Saddam's dance card was full, so he did not need the goats. Yellowcake is good for fuel rods in a nuclear reactor, but Israel took care of that a few years ago. Properly refined (separating out the U235 from the U238) the U235 can be made to provide a hugely exothermic chain fission reaction. I'm really happy that the engineering involved in separating out two chemically identical atoms which weigh almost the same is so difficult. Otherwise, Niger would have an atom bomb of its own. Could it be there was something to the report that Iraq was trying to import the raw materials of an atomic bomb? The Brits still think so, and they have been experts in the intelligence game a long time. (There was once a meeting in the middle of a river between a German Prince and Napoleon, each of whom had only one person with him at the meeting. The NEXT day England had TWO reports on what was discussed.)

Wilson went out to prove a negative in the first place. Quick, all you logicians. How do you prove a negative? Of course, it can't be done All you can say is that you have not found it (whatever 'it' is) yet. (The whole UFO controversy depends on this fact. No one can ever PROVE there are no UFOs.)

I heard this man on Lars Larson, and I had to get his book:





I suggest everyone read this book.

Also, Ann Coulter's latest column is another must read for this weekend. This Karl Rove "scandal" has reached a level of stupid I cannot comprehend.

Your Blogging Type is Social and Responsible

You enjoy blogging and do all you can to advance the blogging community. From helping friends set up blogs to getting rid of spam - you take a leadership role. A super blogger, you tend to blog regularly. You'd hate to disappoint your audience. And always appropriate, there's no way you'd blog something too personal!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Yeah, that's really interesting....YAWN

Also, a penis update, a girl grew on

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=vn20050714080208315C857453

Eww....

Hlaing Thar Yar, Myanmar - Chicken-seller Thin Sandarin had always dreamt of being a man.

When she inexplicably grew a penis last month, the 21-year-old treated it as an awe-inspiring omen - as have the thousands of stunned villagers who have travelled to a pagoda to see him.

"On the morning of the full moon day of June 21, I noticed my thing (sex organ) was not the same as before," Thin Sandar, who now goes by the male name Than Sein, said on Wednesday.

"And my breasts disappeared," Than Sein added. "So I called out and showed it all to my mom and dad. It was very strange."

Experts have examined him, and he awaits test results from a women's hospital. - Sapa-AFP.

Plan 9 from Outer Space available on the internet:

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/14/plan_9_from_outer_sp.html

Weekend Reading:

Islamic extremism an issue to Muslims? Polls show that about half of Muslims in Muslim nations consider the extremists of their religion a problem. What about the half that's okay with it?

Tommy Mischke He's indescribable, but people try anyway.

Waiting periods for abortions save babies.

Bill Gilles goes Gun It's a sad fact that some places in America they'll arrest you for trying to defend your home.

Arctic pollution linked to bird droppings

Brain Pills

http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1528069,00.html

Can't remember phone numbers, worried about an upcoming exam or desperately want to give up smoking? In future, the answer will be simple: just pop a pill.

The idea that an array of easily available and addiction-free drugs could be used to improve memory or increase intelligence is the stuff of science fiction dystopia - in Brave New World, Aldous Huxley created a whole planet under the spell of a pleasure drug called Soma.

But a new report by leading scientists in the fields of psychology and neuroscience argues that, very soon, there really will be a pill for every ill.

"It is possible that [advances] could usher in a new era of drug use without addiction," said the report by Foresight, the government's science-based thinktank.

"In a world that is increasingly non-stop and competitive, the individual's use of such substances may move from the fringe to the norm."

However, the report said the widespread adoption of new brain-enhancing drugs was not without risks and would raise "significant ethical, social and practical issues."

Drugs that work on the brain are already common - many people can hardly begin their days without the mind-sharpening effects of caffeine or nicotine.

Launching the report yesterday, the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, said that brain-enhancing drugs developed to treat diseases such as Alzheimer's were likely to find increased use among healthy people looking to improve their perception, memory, planning or judgment.

Ritalin, prescribed to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is sometimes used by healthy people to enhance their mental performance. Modafinil, a drug developed to treat narcolepsy, has been shown to reduce impulsiveness and help people focus on problems.

"It improves working memory - your ability to remember telephone numbers - it gives you an extra digit or two," said Trevor Robbins, an experimental psychologist at Cambridge University and an author of the Foresight report.

"It also improves your planning when you're doing complex, chess-like problems. It makes you more reflective about a problem: you take a bit longer but you get it right."

Modafinil has already been used by the US military to keep soldiers awake and alert and some scientists are considering its usefulness in helping shift workers deal with erratic working hours. It has also been tested for cocaine users. "It produces some of the subjective effects of cocaine without the chronic dependence," said Prof Robbins. Other drugs are being touted as "vaccinations" against substances such as nicotine, alcohol and cocaine. The treatment would work by causing the immune system to produce antibodies against the drug being abused - these antibodies would render the drug impotent when taken and prevent it from having any effect on the brain.

....

· Ritalin (methylphenidate) is used by a small number of students in an attempt to improve exam results and by business people to improve performance in the boardroom

· D-amphetamine also improves memory but only for people of a certain genetic make-up

· Rimonabant is used as an antidote to the intoxicant effects of cannabis and a treatment for heroin relapse. But it is sometimes also used to enhance the high produced by these drugs by reducing their side-effects

· Naltrexone is already used to treat chronic alcoholism and narcotic abuse. It works by blocking the pleasure receptors that are normally activated in the brain when people use the drugs

· Propranolol, a beta-blocker, is used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and abnormal heart rhythms. It is also used sometimes by snooker players to calm their nerves

· Modafinil, a stimulant developed to treat narcolepsy, has been used by soldiers to improve memory and judgment. It is also used in treatment of cocaine addiction

Miscellaneous:

I get a mention about my post on blogosphere traffic, left or right domination

Thomas Sowell is always a must read, presently I'm reading his autobiography "A personal Odyssey"

One of the great parts of this book are T. Sowell's battles with his teachers in prep school. They are similiar to mine in a lot of ways. The lesson that was quite apparent is that once you learn not to fear your teacher and do what is right, and not to fear losing a "grade" you can do what you need to do to actually get yourself an education. I will expand on this sometime later.

Sowell also does columns, of which his random thoughts columns are the best, this one is a must read.

More College Republican problems, this time in Nevada

Actually, it was the Young Republicans that had the problems, but the YRs are basically CRs that are recently out of school. I see them as the same group.

Sugary soft drinks under attack

Whatever, let pop go unregulated you safety nazis, go eat some granola or something.

We can all start smoking again.

Toronto — A new drug has been found, for the first time, to prolong the lives of patients with advanced lung cancer, a Canadian-led international research team says.

Patients with end-stage lung cancer who were given Tarceva lived longer than patients given a placebo, said the study led by researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

About a third of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer — the most common type of the cancer — were alive for a year or more on the drug compared to about one-fifth of those on the dummy pill, said principal investigator Dr. Frances Shepherd.

Random Link o' the Day

http://www.protestwarrior.com/

Are you crying? There's no crying in prison...

Bernie Ebbers just got a guilty verdict and a 25yr sentence, which is for him is a life sentence.

For those of you who are not old enough to remember Mr. Ebbers, he is the ex-CEO of WorldCom, which went bankrupt a few years ago in the largest bankruptcy in American history. Although he did not personally benefit from the different shenanigans his company performed, he did lead them as they lied on their financial reports, creating a situation where the company went from a darling of Wall Street to a company which had to shut down in bankruptcy.

The government wanted to send a message with a long prison sentence, and they got their wish. Ebbers is almost 64, with a heart problem, and a 25 year sentence in a federal prison (no parole in the federal system, remember) will keep him in stir until he expires. Personally, I do not think that our courts ought to be a "message medium." Can't tell if all the money he lost other people deserves this kind of sentence, but he should get the sentence he deserves, not one designed to "send a message."

I like the fact that those who deceive on the financial reports do get a criminal prosecution. We have to have accuracy in the information we use to make financial decisions. I only wish we could prosecute terminal stupidity, too. There are a couple of ex -UAL CEO's that would be in jail for that.

As usual, the press managed to make a fool out of themselves. (Unfair. It was only one reporter. I hate to say female reporter because people will think me sexist. But whoever asked the question had a very high voice.) Ebbers ended up weeping at the sentencing, not an unnatural reaction when you are going to the lockup for the rest of your life and still do not think you have done anything criminal. During the impromptu press conference the lawyer had on the steps of the courthouse, a reporter asked him "Why did your client cry when he heard the sentence?" Give me a break.

Midweek News Roundup:

CBS news story about young blogger-diarists (diaryists?)

I got that article from some anonymous poster on Edstrom's blog. The basic idea is that young people who are writing personal journals (not political blogs, thus the diary distinction) that are way to revealing and may hurt them later in life.

Right, like something you publish when you're a teenager is going to destroy your chances at being president. I mean, W never did anything wrong...

Evangelical Outpost on what meaning there is in blogging

Via Mitch (No, I don't take everything from his site)

Personally, I think blogging is a little more than a social community and relationships. I started blogging because I would send people stories in email, that turned into MartyEmail, which turned into blogging because it was easier. After 18 months of evolution, this is what you get. If you ask me why I blog, and why I spend so much time doing it I couldn't give you a good answer. I know it's not anything "social" (you spend 8 minutes with David Strom, and that's enough for a lifetime). I just think I do it because I like writing, and that writing a column every few weeks just wasn't enough.

Now I worry that I write too much on the blog, and that's taking away from other writing projects I have. I'll have to find a balance somewhere. However, I produce so much more now that I have a blog than I did before, I'm not sure if my point is a good one. My other writing projects went undone before the blog as well.

Ed Morissey from CQ has some good stuff (like always):

Why the NEA sucks

Apparently, the most important thing for that teacher's union is defeating Wal-Mart. Good for them.

Only 3 abuses at Gitmo

I took a lot of crap from people after I wrote a column on the subject. But in the end, I was right. The worst thing that happened to any prisoner was another fraternity initiation, wearing a bra and dancing with another prisoner.

Speaking of my columns, there was only one response to my last column

As far as I can tell, nobody cares about the MN State Government. Shut it down again (a possibility if they don't get a compromise through by Thursday this week).

An editorial from my colleagues at the Daily

Not going to comment...

I went looking to other news, didn't find much. The bombers in London were Britons (so passing out citizenship isn't going to work); Armstrong takes lead in Tour de France; Rehquist is sick, No surprise there, he's 80 and fighting cancer. He's been on a cynical death watch for sometime now. Personally, I hope Rehnquist doesn't announce retirement. I think keeping his job will keep him alive longer than if he retired. Finally, I don't care at all about the Rove scandal. He's not a constitutional office holder (deputy chief of staff) and I don't think he got anyone killed. Other care more about it than I do, I'm not even going to research it. Tough.

I made a few more additions to the blog. Mostly, I added stuff I had been wanting to add for sometime. Have no worries, don't look it at if you don't want, and don't break your brain trying to figure it out.

Wednesdays suck.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.wapsisquare.com/

Must read

h/t Mitch

EU nonsense:

EU wants to regulate vitamins?

The goal I guess is to have only a marketplace with recognised supplements on the market, as if people we're getting high on echinacea and shark cartilidge.

Estupido!

EU wants to regulate internet broadcasted TV

Yeah, regulating the internet, good luck with that.

Recently Luxemberg passed the EU constitution, hoping that their vote will make up for the fact that the constitution failed in France and the Netherlands.

Whatever, screw the EU.

Bonsai tree car crashes

Human brained monkeys:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15891104-13762,00.html#1

In cutting-edge experiments, scientists have injected human brain cells into monkey fetuses to study the effects.

Critics argue that if these fetuses are allowed to develop into self-aware subjects, science will be thrown into an ethical nightmare.

An eminent committee of American scientists will call for restrictions into the research, saying the outcome of such studies cannot be predicted and may in fact produce subjects with a 'super-animal' intelligence.

The high-powered committee of animal behaviourists, lawyers, philosophers, bio-ethicists and neuro-scientists was established four years ago to examine the growing numbers of human/monkey experiments.

These procedures, known as 'human-primate chimeras', involve the combination of human and monkey cells, tissue and DNA to observe any effect and examine the possibility that such combination could actually exist.

Chimeras are mythical monsters from Greek literature, which combined various bodyparts from lions, goats nd snakes.

I can't tell you how loud I want to scream right now. Let's just say it's really loud.

Update

The order has been rescinded

Drudge Flash:

Reproduced in its entirety here because of Matt's habits:

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON JULY 11, 2005 17:21:08 ET XXXXX

PAPER: US TELLS FORCES TO 'STAY OUT OF LONDON'

American defense chiefs faced condemnation last night for banning U.S. airmen from entering London, the Uk's DAILY MAIL will report on Tueday.

All 12,000 members of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Britain have been told not to travel inside inner London because of the risk of further bomb attacks.

The news provoked fury from British MPs who pointed out that the UK had been America's staunchest ally in the wake of September 11.

They said it handed a symbolic victory to the terrorists.

Even as news of the order emerged yesterday, President Bush was promising that America 'will not retreat in the face of terrorists', and voicing his solidarity with Londoners. Shortly after thebombings he declared in his weekly radio address: 'In this dark hour, the people of Great Britain can know that the American people stand with them.'

But yesterday U.S. officials were justifying the travel ban as a 'prudent' move. 'The security of our people is our main concern,' they said.

MPs said the spectacle of the world's most powerful armed forces being too scared to walk the streets of London was a symbolic victory for the terrorists.

The message that the city was unsafe for Americans would also have a devastating impact on the tourist industry, which relies heavily on the 3.6million U.S. visitors each year.

The order to U.S.A.F. personnel, who form the bulk of America's military presence in Britain, was issued on Friday. It applies whether they are on or off duty.

Even those with urgent business in the capital, such as visiting their embassy or the Ministry of Defence, must seek special permission.

Families and civilian staff at U.S. bases have also been 'strongly advised' to avoid London, and a number of theatre trips or sightseeing visits have been cancelled, the paper claims.

Developing...

As much as I appreciate the USAF, the British MPS are completely right. USAF and other military men should be walking the streets with our allies in confidence.

Winston Churchill:

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Let the USAF stand with Britain in London, do not give any territory to the terrorists. Whatever happened to the American cowboy that walks slow, talk slow, and brushes their teeth with steel wool? Let's go here...

Update

I've been looking for a recording of the "fight them on the beaches speech" and this is as far as I got"
Pay the Churchill Society
Have to download new program

If any of you know where I can get a decent mp3 of this speech, let me know.

Went to see Land of the Dead, the latest of the Romero zombie movies. It didn't make much of an impression on me, which is why I haven't gotten to writing a review of it yet. I give it a shaky thumbs up. See it if you can see it cheap.

I like how my father's first post was an introduction to the world of Blogger, he lost his post thanks to a sudden power break and had to re-write it. Anyway, I think he'll be a good addition.

The best part is, I don't need to change the name of the blog! (I will not be posting under the name "Junior" and don't any of you start calling me that either, I took the name "Marty" fair and square from my dad.)

My father will post under the name "Captain Bogs" which is an adjustment of his former profession (airline Captain), and a nickname he and I garnered when I was playing Legion baseball. I used to be known as "Boggins" which is a bastardization of the word "bargains" because I would occasionally be late to Legion games because I would stop by local auctions looking for antiques for my parent's antique store. My dad became known as "Biggy Bogs" since he would also go to auctions, and like the good father he is he'd watch most of my Legion games, and he was taller than anyone on the team (he's 6 foot 5 inches and a former starting Basketball Player for the Air Force Academy)

The reason I felt it was necessary to add my father was because I will soon be taking a job that is going to require that I travel a lot. That means there will be very little internet availability, I will leave a lot of audio posts and get to editing and writing when I can.

I believe firmly that a good blogger must make sure that there is something new on his site at least every weekday, and preferably every day. I have seen what a lack of regular posting can do to a blog's readership, and it is not good.

With my new schedule, my present rate of posting would be impossible.

I have spent a lot of my life trying to earn some name recognition, in radio and as a columnist, so there is some concern in my mind that adding my father would somehow water that down. However, I'm quite certain it's the right choice for the readers. On top of that, my dad adds a lot of gravitas to the blog. A career in the military during the cold war with a lifetime of experiences make him a perfect resource. That and the guy has read about everything in my library.

If anything, this will give my dad something to do with his retirement, at least between the raquetball and the golf rounds. Who knows, he might even start up his own blog in time.

As for right now, I hope he gets a warm welcome from all of you. I'll be "babying" him along until he gets a good handle on all the intricacies of blogging (like how you should never make fun of the Fraters guys) and what makes a good blog post and how to use the "return" key.

It has been decided, I shall join the blog.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Marty's father, also known as Marty. I graduated from the Air Force Academy some time ago with a degree in Humanities. I spent a career(21 years) in the Air Force, most of the time as a C-130 instructor pilot with some time off to become parachute jump qualified and work with the Army Airborne guys in Germany and then Italy when they moved south of the Alps. After I graduated from USAF, I have worked as a commercial airline pilot, first with Northwest Airlink and then with United Air Lines. I retired from UAL in Oct 2004 when I turned 60. I have always leaned to the conservative side in my politics, although I have never been very active. I am a Viet Nam vet, my dad was a WW II vet, and one of my grandfathers was a WW I vet. (The other one had not completed the citizenship process.)

I am a collector of both coins and currency, and I love to read. Martin gave me an assignemnt not long ago to write about my favorite books, but it really did not say just how much I read, (Almost all of those 5000 books we now have I have read, not to mention the other ones without number that my wife threw away.) Martin's mother has not been able to throw away his baseball cards, mine did, to include the Mickey Mantle cards and the Sandy Koufax rookie card. I have always been against paying very much in taxes, and after I got audited I have a grudge against the IRS. I firmly believe that those who make the laws should be bound by them, so Congress should have to pay Social Security and be bound by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It should also be illegal for members of Congress to have someone else do their income tax return, so they can see just how hard it is to do.

They found the body of the fourth missing SEAL, and like I predicted, he was not captured but died in the fighting.

Pray for our soldiers.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://twinsbaseball.com

mediasoul.typepad.com/mmreviewer.jpg

An Official review of:

The Thinking Toolbox

This book was an enjoyable and quick workbook on the basics of thinking logically and learning to form arguments, analyze arguments and examine evidence. There are plenty of varied examples and exercises to work through and perfect your analytical skills. This book was written for your typical youth who is just starting out in the arts of persuasion, and I, having been already well versed in these subjects didn’t find the book all that useful.

I did do a spattering of exercises, and found the examples used were pertinent, and a few of them were quite challenging. This book would probably be quite beneficial to teens and those about to enter college.

The book has a Christian bent, which is not objectionable to me (I being a Christian myself). This book would even be useful to young people of any faith, and the Christian themes are not overpowering.

Among the most interesting of the examples and exercises are historical examples including the discovery of Pluto and the gunfight at the OK Corral. If you are a young person about to enter college or know one, get them this book. It will give them a head start in formulating arguments and defending against some of the academic idiocies that are like a plague in this country.

Weekend stories you might have missed

Luxemborg approves EU constitution, nobody cares

Taliban claims to have beheaded missing Seal, I doubt it's true, it'd be the first time a SEAL had ever been captured

Baseball to be axed from London games, America to declare war on Cricket

You can still download ICQ Wow, that goes back a long time, I can't believe people still use that program.

Nine foot long, 646 pound catfish caught:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0629_050629_giantcatfish.html

Global Warming and the case for Carbon Sinks:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0621_carbonsinks.html
http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-55/iss-8/p30.html
http://www.fern.org/pages/climate/carbon.html
http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/48.html

I wouldn't mind figuring out how to do this:

http://www.lileks.com/diner05/index.html

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.bunkermulligan.net/

LTE

While I'm at it, here's some Letters to the Editor I found:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2002/02/28/30290 SSFC
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2002/04/18/31302 Let Greens debate
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/03/24/48845 SFV and Funding Bias
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/08/11/49975 Alumni Center’s wall sucks

LTE

While I'm at it, here's some Letters to the Editor I found:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2002/02/28/30290 SSFC
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2002/04/18/31302 Let Greens debate
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/03/24/48845 SFV and Funding Bias
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/08/11/49975 Alumni Center’s wall sucks

Even more old Daily columns:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/03/63081 Talk Radio
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/08/63141 Smoking Ban
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/17/63294 Blogs and blogging
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/22/63371 UN
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/03/08/63611 Judicial Rule
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/03/29/63867 Terry Schiavo
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/04/12/64106 Baseball steroids
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/04/26/64361 Rape and Self Defense on campus

All my Daily columns (paid)

Even more old Daily columns:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/03/63081 Talk Radio
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/08/63141 Smoking Ban
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/17/63294 Blogs and blogging
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/22/63371 UN
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/03/08/63611 Judicial Rule
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/03/29/63867 Terry Schiavo
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/04/12/64106 Baseball steroids
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/04/26/64361 Rape and Self Defense on campus

All my Daily columns (paid)

Finals Stuff:

Wow, I got a lot of play in the Finals edition of the Minnesota Daily. The Finals issue of the Daily is a work of satire, and I wrote a number of satire pieces, a number of which made the Daily. I also got mentioned in a few articles, so here is the list of stuff somehow or somewhat related to me or friends of mine or Campus Republicans:http://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=45&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=46&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=47&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=25&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=13&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=2&step=viewHank: http://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=30&step=viewSadly, this is the second consecutive Finals edition I have made.

Finals Stuff:

Wow, I got a lot of play in the Finals edition of the Minnesota Daily. The Finals issue of the Daily is a work of satire, and I wrote a number of satire pieces, a number of which made the Daily. I also got mentioned in a few articles, so here is the list of stuff somehow or somewhat related to me or friends of mine or Campus Republicans:http://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=45&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=46&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=47&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=25&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=13&step=viewhttp://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=2&step=viewHank: http://mndaily.com/finals/2004/index.php?id=30&step=viewSadly, this is the second consecutive Finals edition I have made.

More old Daily columns:

My columns published in the Minnesota Daily over the years:http://mndaily.com/articles/2005/01/25/62909 [Getting to know Jane Roe]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/12/06/62579 [Christian extremism of the center]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/11/22/62393 [College Republicans]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/11/08/62149 [Conservative Nation]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/10/25/61860 [David Lloyd George]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/10/11/61627 [The Movies]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/09/27/61376 [Liberals get it wrong]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/09/13/61141 [on Beggars and Thieves]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/11/26/47644 [Gay Marriage]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/10/14/46950 [More on the College Republicans]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/07/28/39218 [Liberal's mindset]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/06/30/39139 [Affirmitive Action]http://mndaily.com/articles/2002/12/03/37343 [Dems=abortion party]http://mndaily.com/articles/2002/10/09/36498 [New U prez needs faith]

More old Daily columns:

My columns published in the Minnesota Daily over the years:http://mndaily.com/articles/2005/01/25/62909 [Getting to know Jane Roe]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/12/06/62579 [Christian extremism of the center]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/11/22/62393 [College Republicans]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/11/08/62149 [Conservative Nation]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/10/25/61860 [David Lloyd George]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/10/11/61627 [The Movies]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/09/27/61376 [Liberals get it wrong]http://mndaily.com/articles/2004/09/13/61141 [on Beggars and Thieves]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/11/26/47644 [Gay Marriage]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/10/14/46950 [More on the College Republicans]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/07/28/39218 [Liberal's mindset]http://mndaily.com/articles/2003/06/30/39139 [Affirmitive Action]http://mndaily.com/articles/2002/12/03/37343 [Dems=abortion party]http://mndaily.com/articles/2002/10/09/36498 [New U prez needs faith]

Kevin from Eckernet has a great post about how to translate the jargon in "scientific" papers.

Thursday's Keegans Trivia Night:

Our team at the Americana themed trivia night consisted of myself, Aaron Solem, Bill Gilles and Brian Edstrom.

We got beat, big time. The winning score was a perfect 25 out of 25, done by a number of different groups and after a tiebreaker some guy at the bar finally won. We got 21 out of 25. I am now convinced that any team needs someone of middle age to do well, since we could have dropped our weak link (sorry Edstrom) and picked up Speed Gibson who was playing alone, and gotten a respectable 24 out of 25.

Speed Gibson has the quiz itself.

Message from Chad the Elder:

While we know that everyone is caught up with the horrible news coming out of London, we still wanted to take a moment and let all the MOB members know that there will be a fundraiser for Soldiers' Angels tonight at Keegan's Irish Pub in Minneapolis. If you could post a brief mention of this on your blog, we would greatly appreciate it. Here are the details:

Where: Keegan's on Hennepin and University

When: 8pm-???

What: All American Trivia Night and fundraiser for Soldiers' Angels. Reps from SA will be on hand to collect donations and a portion of the night's drink specials will go toward the cause. You can find more info on Soldiers' Angels here:

http://soldiersangels.homestead.com/index.html

Thanks for your support.

Regards,

The Gents at Fraters Libertas

More from around the web:

Captain Ed 1

Captain Ed 2

Hugh Hewitt

BBC Reporter's Log

Amatuer Photos submitted to the BBC

Mitch Berg

"3 million passengers a day on the tube, during rush hour 500 trains running in the Tube"
-from CNN (on in the background)

Paul from Powerline

Powerline (another great spot for important developments)

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, ² will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." ³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; ⁴ he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation, ¹⁰ no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. ¹² On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. ¹⁴ Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. ¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

Poll:

Some of you may have noticed that my father has been trolling around my blog, leaving comments. He even did that book meme that was noticed by a few of my loyal readers, who have asked my if my father (who is also Martin Andrade) will start posting on the blog.

I asked him about it, and all he said was that if he did post, all he would do is post once a week (600 words) about how much taxes suck.

My question to all of you:

Should my dad join the blog?

Vote in the comments section.

Part II

On the London Attacks:

Part I

On the London Terrorist Attacks:

Weekend Reading:

George F. Will on who Bush should nominate to SCOTUS

Ann Coulter "Reagan's biggest mistake finally retires"

Walter Williams on dependancy

Bill Buckley on the rightness or wrongness of the Iraq War

You Are 80% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.britannia.com/history/

This post was causing formatting problems and was moved to my other blog Here

The British People, at their core, are a rugged and stoic group of people. Despite their trendy liberal ways, on September 11h they stood with us. Today, while the British can stand by themselves, they don't stand alone.

I put C-Span on the tube, then switched over to CNN, and as of this writing some 33 people have been confirmed killed, hundreds are injured. There were 4-5 explosions in the Tube and one on a double decker bus during rush hour.

Having checked around the various news sites, and have been impressed by the reaction of the Britons to this. I can't find the source (I heard it on the radio) but one Briton was quoted as saying that they could handle IRA bombings, they can handle this.

Unfortunately, my prediction that this was going to be a slow news summer is wrong.

http://drudgereport.com
BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

The Road Ahead

For a great many of us, the folks who voted for G.W. Bush, the balance of his success or failure are going to be decided in the coming months. Many people voted for Bush for two reasons, War on Terror, and judicial appointments. Sure, there were a fair number of the moral majority, the pro-lifers, and the tax cutters, but Security and judicial appointments were important issues for a lot of us.

There is an error in judging Bush by these few events. G.W. has a Senate Democratic Caucus that has become indignant and stonewalling. The use of the filibuster is unprecedented in the history of the senate. This use also seems to me to have been calculated.

Many in the GOP Senate Caucus are intimidated. If the Dems are willing to use the filibuster on the freakin' ambassador to the UN, they'll use it to shut down the government and let the GOP take the blame (like they did previously) thanks to a sympathetic media.

This thinking is (like many Senators) old. What needs to happen is that no matter what, when Bush gives his nominee to the Senate, the core group of actual Republicans (-snowe, chafee, McCaine) stand up for Bush's nominee, and that they push the issue in the face of a filibuster.

There is more than one way to bust a filibuster. The attitude now is that you HAVE to get the 60 votes to take the floor back, but there was a time when before this rule when if you were going to filibuster, you had to prepare for a long speech and a long night of standing. The GOP needs to prepare for this, if the Dems want to filibuster, let them, but force them to take it into the night. Force the Democrats out of their comfort zones, show us citizens what you're made of guys.

Tony Garcia's three pence

Stuff:

Some old crap I was too bored to post up.

Conversation about Affirmitive Action I got caught up in.

Mitch Berg is collecting moonbat conspiracy theories

Scotland gets Olympics They'll need english interpreters for english speaking peoples.

Someone googled my site looking for "Hoplin"

Hmmm.....

And he MNDaily gives an article about sci-fi freaks convention

Summer Daily Column July 6 2005

Column commenting on how the Minnesota State Partial shutdown is really not a bad thing.

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/07/06/64760

Summer Daily Column July 6 2005

Column commenting on how the Minnesota State Partial shutdown is really not a bad thing.

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/07/06/64760

What Natural Disaster are you? Take the quiz!

Random Link o' the Day:

www.devilrays.com

My column is available here

And amazingly, there was also a letter published opposing my last column from two weeks ago:

In the end, Andrade’s piece reads like a bad high school essay in which the author puts forth an entirely irrational argument and attempts to appear intelligent by using big words like “extrapolate” and “diatribe.”

I don't like responding to negative letters like this, but I have to mention one thing, "extrapolate" and "diatribe" ARE NOT BIG WORDS. Especially considering the man who wrote the letter was a U graduate. I write for a University newspaper, I expect that "diatribe" and "extrapolate" are part of the vernacular.

Words like "samzruddled" "whiddiful" "clashamaclabber" "nimgimmer" and "floccinaucinihilipilification" are big words that I wouldn't expect my readers to know. But I avoid such caliginous vocabulary when I write. Now, Mr. Michael Everson (in case he Googles himself) enough whitty-whaw, stop getting spiflicated because the katzenjammer that has ruled your life prevents you from learning a word or two.

News Roundup:

Petition to impeach SCOTUS justices that voted anti-property rights

College newspaper gets censored. Free speech need not apply

Mitch Berg shout out on Fireworks

H/T to Mitch, Lott on how Fireworks bans DON'T WORK

Last year, states with bans actually had a much higher fireworks-related death rate (.027 per million people) than states without restrictions (.012 per million).

Thank you facts.

Map locating hometowns of all the fallen in Iraq

Karl Rove worse than Osama? Sure, right, gotcha.

The Bikini was first introduced on July 5th, 1946. Read its fascinating history here.

Thai teachers allowed guns in school (rock on)

Former Chess champ gives up boards for politics (No telling when Putin is going to put the castle down on Kasparov)

Television bad for children Duh. It ain't much good for any of us.

Amazon.com still solid after 10 years. Here's my question, is Amazon making money yet?

More computer classes needed? You have to weigh that against studies I've found showing computer use lowers IQ, creativity, reading comprehension, and math ability.

China is starting to treat video game addicts. All my friends are in desperate need of counseling then...

Captain Capitalism on "crap" degrees and male/female differences. (I'm not endorsing his ideas, but it's a funny post)

Like usual, summer is a bit slower.

Column sources:

USA Today
http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5489207.html
http://www.doer.state.mn.us/shutdown/pdfs/open.pdf
http://www.doer.state.mn.us/shutdown/pdfs/closed.pdf

"What then is the American, this new man?...He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world."

- Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur from Letters from an American Farmer

Column will be on the MNGov't fake shutdown. Fees will have to wait (there might be another article on fees in the paper this week anyway).

Yeah, I'm less than 3 hours from deadline too...

Back to the grind.

Random Link o' the Day:

http://www.yankeedoodles.net/index.htm

Be sure to take some time today and reflect upon what it means to be American.

Feel free to leave patriotic musings in the comments section.

Spitbull has a post on the non government shutdown Minnesota is having.

I have a few ideas for what my column this week should be on. My choices are to write a column on the fees system at the U of M; or I can write an essay I've been thinking about for some time "Why I am a Reagan Conservative" based on a book I saw at a bookstore; another option is a treatise on the Twins stadium (why an outdoor stadium is a bad idea in the state of May snow outs); there's a column I want to write on how the ROTC is treated like 2nd class citizens at the U. My column deadline is Tuesday at 1pm, I'll start working on the column Monday evening, please comment on it before then.

I have watched the last three Twins games live at the Metrodome against the Devil Rays. The Dome is friendlier than when I first went to a Twins game (1994). There's a mascot that gives away T-shirts, there's people there now too, the Twins tend to win, all good things. The Twins are a much more fan friendly host now. Kudos to them for providing veterans with free tickets today as well, very classy.

What "they" are saying at the Live 8 concerts

Personal favorite:

TV presenter Davina McCall said: "I have been wearing my wristband since January so it is nice to be here with the culmination of the movement. It is all set in the right direction but it's not a done deal. Poverty is a bad thing and there are so many ways that we can tackle these things in a great way. I am thrilled, a smidgeon over-excited really. I need to calm down a little bit."

Yeah, wearing a wristband, I'm sure that helps a lot.

How about starting a business and EMPLOYING people. That oughta help world poverty.

Well, everyone have a good long weekend. I might post, I might not, I probably shouldn't.

Two things:

One, is look for craziness this summer with the Supreme Court appointment battle;

And expect stupidity and emotionalism from the moonbats during the partial gov't shutdown.

In fact, I have NARN on in the background, Mitch mentioned that over two-thirds of government workers are still on the job. Chad from Fraters mentioned "Why do we have non-essential government workers?"

Good question.

Random Stuff:

Bogus Gold has some stiff on Intelligent Design

Chad the Elder has some stuff on anti-Americanism abroad (I guess India is our best friend?)

SCSU on politics in Batman Begins

Basically, the question is about how much can we read into the politics of Bruce Wayne. Is Wayne a liberal (light rail [which increases crime], no guns) or a conservative (private charity, corporate shareholder). I tend to think of Batman as sort of a strange, mentally ill, fiscally conservative Democrat.

That's why, despite how much I loved the movie (the best of the comic book genre), I prefer The Punisher. There's no questions about guns, mercy, or pilanthropy. That's the true Pat Buchanan of comic books.

I'd comment more, but it's too nice out.

Best Hot Dog in Minnesota

Some of you might not know this, but the best hotdogs in the Twin Cities are in the Metrodome. That's right, the beloved Dome Dog, a hefty price to pay at $4.50 but it can't be beat. According to a Sports Illustrated article I read some time ago, the Dome Dog was the best hot dog in all of Major League Baseball. That's saying a lot.

Sure, a trip to a ball game can be costly, the cheapest tickets are 6 bucks, you pay $3.50 for a soft drink to go with your Dome Dog, and the seating is uncomfortable as all get out, and parking is a pain. However, the Dome Dog is a double bypass in a bun. And here's a little hint, if you show up on Wednesday night during the baseball season, the Dome Dog goes from $4.50 to one dollar. That's a bargain.

For information and tickets:

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com

Best Hot Dog in Minnesota

Some of you might not know this, but the best hotdogs in the Twin Cities are in the Metrodome. That's right, the beloved Dome Dog, a hefty price to pay at $4.50 but it can't be beat. According to a Sports Illustrated article I read some time ago, the Dome Dog was the best hot dog in all of Major League Baseball. That's saying a lot.

Sure, a trip to a ball game can be costly, the cheapest tickets are 6 bucks, you pay $3.50 for a soft drink to go with your Dome Dog, and the seating is uncomfortable as all get out, and parking is a pain. However, the Dome Dog is a double bypass in a bun. And here's a little hint, if you show up on Wednesday night during the baseball season, the Dome Dog goes from $4.50 to one dollar. That's a bargain.

For information and tickets:

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com

Weekend Reading:


Craig Westover shows how the Kelo decision by the SCOTUS has opned the floodgates

Be rich and live tax free? It's possible thanks to state and municpal bonds.

Justice O'Conner retires

TownHall.com offering blogger space al la Kos

My post on the subject

Thomas Sowell is 75, has wisdom to offer

George Will on the Ten Commandments

Roger Ebert on War of the Worlds

Ebert didn't like the movie as much as I did, which is why I'm posting it, however, he also makes a completely idiotic statement:

...why balance these towering machines on ill-designed supports? If evolution has taught us anything, it is that limbs of living things, from men to dinosaurs to spiders to centipedes, tend to come in numbers divisible by four. Three legs are inherently not stable, as Ray demonstrates when he damages one leg of a giant tripod, and it falls helplessly to the ground.

Roger, I know you haven't studied geometry in fifty years, but c'mon. ANY THREE POINTS MAKE A PLANE. That's why we use tripods for cameras. It is inherently stable. To be balanced as a walking machine, having three legs is easy. You keep two legs on the ground, and lift up the third leg, and fall on it. (Walking is a system of controlled falling). This is a good system for the aliens. On top of everything else, Ebert even gets the scene wrong. The Cruise character blew up the innards of one of the machines with grenades, it didn't matter how many legs it might have had, the controlling mechanisms were destroyed, the machine falls. I hate idiocy.

Well, last night at Keegans our team came close to actually winning the trivia contest. By one question we lost. Depressing, especially considering Mitch forgot "ago" and I talked Mitch out of "Audobon Society." (Don't ask) Our team was Mitch Berg, myself, Aaron Solem, and a bloggerless gent who volunteers with the GOP in district 59. Good times certainly. Next week Aaron wants to get a dream team together. Among those suggested is DogParkWalker, Swanblog, Innocent fron Peace in our Time, and Tony Garcia.

OurHouseBlog won.

Fraters....Lost! Huzzah!