Celtics = Obama

I'm watching Game 2 of the NBA Finals right now, and I can't help but notice the similarities between this competition and the presidential election. See, watching (and more importantly, listnening to the damn TV announcers) the game it becomes obvious that there is really no need to play these games; the outcome has been decided. The Celtics were anoited NBA champions last summer with the Garnett trade; everything else is just a formality.

Evidence? Leon Powe has shot 10 free throws; the entire Lakers team? 2. Three Lakers are in foul trouble. Celtics? None. Paul Pierce fakes an injury and is hailed as a hero.

The reason is obvious; the Lakers are like the Yankees - the team everyone loves to hate. Because the Celtics have sucked since the '60s - with a few years excepted when Bird made them good - and the Lakers haven't, LA has become the "bad guy" and the Celtics the "good guy."

Similarly, Obama has been anoited by the media, first against Hillary in the primary, and now certainly in the General. Everything will be ignored that could hurt Obama; everything - real and imagined - will be thrown at McCain. In both cases, its extremely frustrating.

The only way this could be worse is if The Sports Guy was broadcasting.

Iraq Debate

It's been a long time since I've done a political post, and I kind of like it that way. Even so, with debate coming soon over Iraq, and reports of the Iraqi political government sucking ass, I feel it is important to emphasize the importance of the mission over there. General Petraeus, US commander in Iraq, has an interview with the New York Post today which I think is a good read. To me, the crucial part:

Q: Now that the surge is fully in place, what's your sense of the positives and negatives thus far? If you could have more of any one item, what would it be? Troops? Time? Iraqi unity?

A: I can think of few commanders in history who wouldn't have wanted more troops, more time or more unity among their partners; however, if I could only have one at this point in Iraq, it would be more time. This is an exceedingly tough endeavor that faces countless challenges.

None of us, Iraqi or American, are anything but impatient and frustrated at where we are. But there are no shortcuts. Success in an endeavor like this is the result of steady, unremitting pressure over the long haul. It's a test of wills, demanding patience, determination and stamina from all involved.

Sadly, this is the one thing he is unlikely to get. Oh, and to keep things in perspective, make sure you're reading some Michael Yon at least sometimes. From a recent dispatch:

The official reported that on a couple of occasions in Baqubah, al Qaeda invited to lunch families they wanted to convert to their way of thinking. In each instance, the family had a boy, he said, who was about 11-years-old. As LT David Wallach interpreted the man's words, I saw Wallach go blank and silent. He stopped interpreting for a moment. I asked Wallach, "What did he say?" Wallach said that at these luncheons, the families were sat down to eat. And then their boy was brought in with his mouth stuffed. The boy had been baked. Al Qaeda served the boy to his family.

Yes. An 11-year old. Shall we really give up and run from these bastards?

Stupidity at its Finest

eHarmony is being sued because they aren't a gay dating service. From a Rueters article:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The popular online dating service eHarmony was sued
on Thursday for refusing to offer its services to gays, lesbians and
bisexuals.
A lawsuit alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation was
filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Linda Carlson, who was denied
access to eHarmony because she is gay.

*Sigh*

The stupidity of this lawsuit irritates me greatly, but not as much as the fact that they will probably win the lawsuit. I kinda hope that the person suing (a lesbian from San Francisco, no surprise there) is doing so because she wants to make the quick buck, not because she actually believes that all dating services must offer every kind of combination.

Warning: D&D Reference Ahead:

So I saw this post on NRO where someone (half-jokingly) argued that having a "conservative political outlook" makes you more able and likely to defend yourself and I couldn't help but ask:

"So if one of my D&D players espouses conservative political thoughts in-game, that gives... what, a +2 Competency bonus on their AC?"

One day I'm going to stop having thoughts like this, and I'm not sure if that will be a good day or a bad day...

How Embarrassing...

State Senator Abel Maldonado is proposing a toll-free number for people to call to report.....

CARPOOL LANE ABUSE!

Yes folks, because when I think of the most important things facing my great state of California, what do I think of? People abusing the carpool lane. Good God. Hey, it oculd be worse, he could try to tell me what kind of light bulbs to use.

By the way, no, that is definitely NOT me and Candace precinct walking for Abel. Must be some kind of conspiracy.

*Sigh* I'm so ashamed.

Strangest Story Ever

My favorite author Mark Steyn shows me the story that keeps getting better:

It starts:

A man charged with deliberately spreading HIV allegedly tricked his lover - who had registered himself with the local council as a dog - into having unsafe sex on the basis he could not transmit the disease.

Let's take this one phrase at a time: First, a man is charged with intentionally spreading HIV - a fairly disgusting charge to begin with -but he " tricked his lover - who had registered himself with the local council as a dog." Wow. This story is already bizarre. So HIV guy's lover registered himself as a dog??? Can I do that? I would love to be a freakin' dog! Second"with the council"? What council? I really don't know. And finally, some idiot believed that someone HIV positive couldn't transmit the disease? What kind of strange concoction of a story must that have been? But let's continue:

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard yesterday that Michael Neal, 48, accepted a dog tag from his lover as a "sign of commitment" in their master-slave relationship.

Kinky? Yes. But it's a sad day indeed when the above is the most normal sentence in the whole damn story.

[He] allegedly "deliberately contracted" HIV by having sex on the altar of a Catholic Church with two men he knew were HIV-positive.

First, read that statement a few more times, and let it sink in.

..
..

Ok. Now, this guy is seriously messed up in the head.

The witness yesterday told the court he was in love with Mr. Neal.

"I was pretty much besotted by him and under his spell, which made me very gullible and stupid," the man's statement said.

Indeed. The story goes on, and I swear it's not by The Onion; I mean, I know it's a messed up story, but I just can't read it and not freakin' laugh.

Bush Jokes

I quite enjoyed reading President Bush's remarks from the Radio and Television Correspondants' Annual Dinner. Agree or disagree with his politics, there were some funny lines there. Among my favorites:

• A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn, and my Vice President had shot someone. (Laughter and applause.) Ahhh, those were the good old days."
• "I have to admit we really blew the way we let those attorneys go. You know you botched it when people sympathize with lawyers."
• "Considering what's next -- President Clinton, of course, wrote a very successful presidential memoir, with 10,000 pages or something. (Laughter.) I'm thinking of something really fun and creative for mine -- you know, maybe a pop-up book."
• "[I]t's good to see Speaker Pelosi tonight. (Laughter.) Well, some have wondered how the two of us would get along. Some say she's bossy, she's opinionated, she's not to be crossed. Hey, I get along with my mother."

Most touching to me though were his comments of sympathy and good wishes not just for Tony Snow, but also for Elizabeth Edwards:

"Someone who is not here tonight is Tony Snow. (Applause.) When Tony called me and told me the outcome of his surgery, my heart just sank. But I know Tony is a fighter. And, Tony, we're all looking forward to the day when you come back to the White House. (Applause.) Last week we all heard the news about Elizabeth Edwards, and again, your heart just sinks for what she and her family faces."

A real class act I say.

And speaking of Mr. Snow and Mrs. Edwards, NRO points to some websites to send your good wishes.

I wish I could vote in Penn.

Here's Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum commenting on President Bush's speech last night:

The president is right. This is our hour. We can play politics with the hour, we can seek political advantage and to win the next election with this hour. We can confront the reality of this hour and do something about it. On my watch, even though i'm ing what many consider to be face a difficult time back in pennsylvania — on my watch, i'm going to confront the reality of the threat to me, to this country and to our children and grandchildren. It is just too important to walk away and play politics to get re reelected. It is too important to the future of this country to minimize the threat that we are engage ed in and play politics with it. It may win and lose elections. Matters not to me. Matters not to me. What matters is, defending our country when it needs to be defended. Not putting personal politics above what's the best interests of the national security of this country. I believe the president, given all the mistakes that this administration has made in the conduct of this war — and they certainly are numerous — the president has it right. This is the greatest threat for our generation, and i pray we have the courage to confront it.

There's more. I wish I could help him out in Penn, where's he trailing Democrat challenger Bob Casey.

So Much to Say...

Well, Labor Day has come and gone, and I am still not in school. A little distressing, but I'll manage. There are so many wierd things going on I dont' even know where to begin!

We'll start with Pluto. Despite Reva's objections to Pluto no longer being a planet, I'm with Phil here. Pluto's "planet status" - a god-awful PC phrase if I've ever heard one - should be decided by those most knowledgeable: ASTRONOMERS. Scientists shouldn't be afraid to do something just because it might offend/disturb/upset some people; even if those people are The Reva. Then, to complicate matters the Californaia State Legislature has decided that stripping Pluto of its planet status will cause "tremendous impact on the people of California and the state’s long term fiscal health" and so are condemning the International Astronomical Union. I've always disliked my state assembly, but this is really embarrassing. I shake my head in disgust.

I heard that Kim Jong Il, crazy-ass leader of North Korea, has a fetish for collecting Mazda RX-7's. I heard this on the Bill Handle Show though, so I'm not saying it's true.

But apparently US Marines in Iraq have begun forcing Saddam Hussein to watch South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut while in prison as a form of punishment. For those who haven't seen the movie (and I suggest you do) Sadaam is protrayed as a gay lover of Satan. I think this is great. Simply hilarious. I don't see what Saddam could complain about either. I mean, Satan's his BITCH. How much cooler do you get to be?

Iran seems determined to get nukes while the West seems determined to see just how far in the sand they can stick their collective heads. *Sigh* I hope Israel comes through for us again because if I die because some liberal PC wacko (*cough*TedKennedy*cough*) kept my government from bitch-slapping Iran I will be pissed. I mean, there would definitely be some serious haunting going on after that.

Oh, and I might be buying a house.

Joss Whedon is my Master Now.

Patriot Blogging

I've been debating about making this post for a long while. I really enjoy the concept of the California Patriot. Though the writing can be hit and miss, they've had some really good writers since I've been reading, quality can, of course, vary. And though I have my gripes with the magazine (this month's art comes to mind), the thing that irritates me the most about the Patriot right now is the blog.

Don't get me wrong: the blog is a fantastic idea. And the primary blogger, Pat Rodriguez, is fantasitc! If there was such a thing as a "professional blogger," this guy should do it. The problem came when he opened the floor to other bloggers and got three more: Ben Chapman, Chris Page, and Mickey Klein.

Let's look at what each writer's focus is on: First, Chris Page covers the ASUC beat. A tough job to be sure, and I'm grateful to him for doing it. Thank God someone does. Pat's a fairly strong Libertarian, fiscally conservative, yadda, yadda, yadda, but mainly covers Berkeley-related topics, which is essential. And like I said, I've loved his work since he started. Ben, well, I'm not really sure about much of his politics. He's definitely fiscally conservative, but he hasn't written about much else. He knows history. And finally, Mickey: an extremeley vocal Libertarian who often criticizes Bush, opposes the war in Iraq, and strives to legalize pot.

So what's my problem? In short, balance. Libertarians are dramatically over-represented. Where's a social conservatives? Where's a hawk? Where's a Bush supporter? What's missing from the blog is someone who is a mainstream conservative who's not a Libertarian. Mickey's arguments especially sound like they're from the left, and no one on the blog counters them. The Patriot is supposed to be a Conservative magazine, not a Libertarian one, but it is sliding in that direction.

This isn't to say that no Libertarians should be represented; indeed, often they make good points and spur debate. But there isn't anyone on the blog to counter those arguments, and that is where problems arise. (Side note: It irks me doubly since I know both the Opinion Editor and the EiC are more libertarian than traditional conservative, and when my own article got, err, slightly disrespected in the last issue; it makes a cynic like me wonder if this is intentional.)

"So John, you're a good guy, why don't you write and fix their problem?" Ah yes, the "stop bitching and do it yourself" argument. Not that I don't see merit in this solution, but (as many of you know) I'm not the most dependable guy when it comes to blogging, and I wouldnt' want the responsibility of knowing that I needed to blog regularly. I'm just not that reliable. And, you know, I'm graduating in a month or so.

I do hope the Patriot addresses this concern; I know it can be tough finding writers for blogs, but fixing this would go a long way to making the Patriot Blog, and the magazine, a better publication.

Newspapers & Cartoons

I've quite a lot to say about those pesky Danish Cartoons, but I'll get back to them when I discuss the Patriot's article on them. For now, here's a nice list of the newspapers that have printed them. In the entire country a whopping 23 newspapers have, with 8 of those being college papers. (Note, this is a page of every paper globally to have printed them; scroll down to see the US papers) How can anyone judge if the cartoons are inappropriate or not without actually seeing the damn things?

I'm happy to note that my hometown paper, the Riverside Press-Enterprise, printed them. Happy, but not surprised.

March Patriot

Today came the newest issue of the California Patriot! There are some really good articles in this month's issue - I'm particularly fond of this one - but what will get the most attention is the Patriot's decision to reprint two of the infamous Danish cartoons. The editors make their case for it, but expect lots and lots of protesting. I'll try to keep people posted.

Cartoon Terrorists

Terrorism is a seriuos subject, and needs to be seen as such. But sometimes, you see an image, or you read about something and laugh. You don't mean to, you know it's serious, but you laugh anyway.

For example, I was reading National Review and saw this passage:

[The] Egyptian-born preacher is charged with inciting murder and “stirring up racial hatred.” (He is also wanted in the U.S. on a 2004 indictment for, among other things, providing material support to al-Qaeda.) In sermons at his London mosque, many recorded, Abu Hamza urged followers to kill Jews, non-Muslims, and apostates from Islam.

Serious stuff. But then I saw a picture:

How do you NOT laugh at that??? I mean, the guy has a freaking Hook for a hand! How is this guy (Abu Hamza) - with his one-eyedness, tongue sticking out, hook-handed - not the poster boy in the American Media of what terrorists look like? How have their been no cartoons about this guy? I mean, HE HAS A FREAKING HOOK HAND!

I wonder if it screws of and he can put other things on it. Now that would make him the coolest terroist around.

Do they let him into court with that thing? Damn, I just can't stop laughing.

We're All Ignorant

I had a Professor once who enjoyed pointing out that anytime people make a "best guess" or average line, it means that they're just ignorant, and don't really know what the hell they're talking about; or rather, don't know all the variables in the system they are dealing with.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Climate study, where even when we think we know stuff we're usually wrong.

Take, for example, this story. See, in the 1980s it was found the CFCs (the stuff that used to be in hair spray and refridgerators) were really, really bad for ozone, and that our ozone layer was being destoryed. So the whole world stoppped using CFCs. Amazing, right? Well, recently the ozone layer has picked back up slightly, and most people concluded that this proves the dramatic effect humans can have on the environment. But wait!

The model indicates that the apparent slowdown of ozone loss during the late 1990's most likely resulted from a maximum in solar intensity rather than from the ban on CFCs, the team reported 8 February in Geophysical Research Letters.

Yes folks, it turns out that it probably wasn't humans causing a hole in the ozone, just the sun going through its normal cycles.

Like I said, we're all just ignorant.

Melted Butter

There's been lots of discussion about the Danish cartoons, but easily the best comment comes from Italy's Reform Minister Roberto Calderoli:

"I have had T-shirts made with the cartoons that have upset Islam and I will
start wearing them today," Ansa quoted Calderoli as saying.
He said the T-shirts were not meant to be a provocation but added that he saw no point trying to appease extremists. "We have to put an end to this story that we can talk to these people. They only want to humiliate people. Full stop. And what are we becoming? The civilization of melted butter?" Calderoli said.

God I love Italy.