tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56775002012-01-06T12:01:07.691-07:00"Those who would give up essential liberty for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."--Ben FranklinMatthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.comBlogger2741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-5109756313166222662007-06-28T11:16:00.000-06:002007-06-28T11:17:50.292-06:00

Just to get some psychological space--which hopefully results in something a little less politically oriented--I have begun a new blog at this address.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1156523202159304482006-08-25T10:25:00.000-06:002007-02-11T15:43:18.609-07:00

Human beings seem to be possessed of an overwhelming drive to fit things into systems. World history is no exception. Just like the rest of us, historians want an overarching explanation. Toynbee and Marx, to name just two, have attempted this daunting task, but their explanations have been flawed, so I thought I’d wade in (“humble” being my middle name). Nor do I claim any grand motivation

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1155309760933827262006-08-11T09:20:00.000-06:002006-08-11T09:33:38.106-06:00

So, I’m sitting in the University of Wyoming Student Union taking advantage of their internet access, and trying hard to ignore the TV in the background. I’m catching up on my reading, mostly news and weblogs, which takes me about two hours, but for the entirety of that two hours, Fox News is running an ongoing commentary on the terrorist plot cracked by the British. On an on about liquid

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1151381196942695682006-06-26T22:05:00.000-06:002006-06-26T22:06:36.956-06:00

. . .of my Gatekeepers post, here is a better written and more in-depth take by Billmon.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1151378159497736672006-06-26T21:15:00.000-06:002007-02-08T03:57:42.006-07:00

I’ve been watching the ongoing blog war between Kos (of Daily Kos) and TNR with something like awe. I’m not going to recap the whole thing (check here, here, here, and here to see things develop), but this shouting match escalated faster than the whole Saddam Hussein thing, and, from the looks of it, is not over yet. Hell, even Broder, of the Washington Post, and Brooks, of the New York Times,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1151206532275518432006-06-24T21:34:00.000-06:002006-06-25T09:16:24.716-06:00

I’ve been watching the TV series, Le Femme Nikita on DVD (hate advertisements). It’s a good series: good acting, tight plot, decent amount of realistic gadgets. . .overall, far better than 95% of the crap you’ll find on TV. Only one problem—hey, you knew there’d be one problem, otherwise this wouldn’t be much of a post—at the end of almost every episode I’m left thinking that, were I a member

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1150688092884230892006-06-18T21:16:00.000-06:002006-06-18T21:34:52.963-06:00

Okay, I don't want to downplay something that might have potentially been serious, but I have some problems with this Al-Qaeda 'planned US cyanide hit article."Al-Qaeda was within 45 days of launching a lethal cyanide attack on New York's subway system in early 2003, US intelligence sources suggest."Uh-huh. What does that mean. "45 days." I'm curious as to what sort of planning is required for

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1150667343191984832006-06-18T15:48:00.000-06:002006-06-18T15:49:03.216-06:00

Had an epiphany today. . .well, actually more of a “well, duh. . .” moment. I finally figured out what George W. and his courtiers mean when they say that they are “staying the course.” Now, the unenlightened may hear the words “staying the course” and get a sudden “Kelly’s Heroes” vision of Bush, Cheney, and Rove, tough and war worn, perched on a Sherman Tank as they roll inexorably towards

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1150215363220852962006-06-13T10:15:00.000-06:002006-06-13T10:19:31.600-06:00

The Boy Who Cried Wolf: apparently the bullshit detector of most of the American public has come back on line after a five year hiatus. Now when the Administration mentions the words “turning point”, the bullshit detector redlines, and the general reaction is “yeah, right.” Offhand, I’d say that the President’s current 30% approval rate (give or take) represents the people who can be fooled

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1150054504124905072006-06-11T13:31:00.000-06:002006-06-11T13:39:31.773-06:00

It’s kind of amusing to watch various dignitaries of the Democratic Party and the Main Stream Media descend upon this years Yearly Kos, a gathering of bloggers in Las Vegas, and named for Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos, a major political weblog (500,000 hits daily). Apparently, the establishment (or, at least, parts of it) are starting to take political bloggers seriously. Which is

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1149624605814986552006-06-06T14:09:00.000-06:002006-06-06T14:10:05.816-06:00

A post over at Washington Monthly reminded me of the following quote. I've used it before, but the longer the Bush Administration remains in power the more appropriate it seems, so here it is. . . . ."Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1149609284448709042006-06-06T08:33:00.000-06:002006-06-06T09:54:44.523-06:00

Haditha Had To Have Happened (HuffPo): There is a lot of "well, this sort of shit happens in war" thinking out there concerning Haditha, and that is true. War is a barbaric, if sometimes necessary, undertaking and, in war, you can expect some men to behave barbarically. This isn't a justification. If some of our soldiers killed civilians in cold blood, then they should be tried and convicted

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1149540335789436322006-06-05T14:42:00.000-06:002006-07-19T13:58:21.146-06:00

Just perusing my copy of this weeks Economist. Apparently Pete McCloskey, a maverick republican is running against seven term incumbent Richard Pombo (also Republican, and a DeLay protege) in California's 11th congressional district. McCloskey is running on a platform of returning ethical behavior to the republican party and to congress (and seems serious about it), but what I like is the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1149521551791781892006-06-05T08:28:00.000-06:002006-07-23T21:55:52.166-06:00

When Sweet Statistics Clash With Sour Mood (NYT): This actually made a lot of sense to me. I keep hearing about so-called "good" economic conditions, but none of the people I know seem to be experiencing them. I'd concluded that our economy was being messed with more than usual, but what is happening is a variation on Bill Gates walking into a bar. If Gates walks into a one horse, West Texas

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1148763935713200262006-05-27T15:03:00.000-06:002006-07-23T21:55:51.946-06:00

There’s a pretty good takedown of George W.’s Immigration proposal over at the Huffington Post. It’s written by Silvestre Reyes, Representative from Texas’ 16th district. Now, not only is the 16th district home to the largest Texas border community (El Paso and Cuidad Juarez), but Reyes’ himself, is a 26 year veteran of the border patrol. Which is to say, he is one of those people that this

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1148603320862143432006-05-25T18:22:00.000-06:002006-07-19T13:58:21.200-06:00

Well at least we know where the line is drawn. We didn’t hear much hue and cry when the NSA began tapping damned near every phone in America and data mining the results. No big deal. They are only looking for terrorists after all. Nope. No information would ever be used for any other reason. . .well, accept finding out the confidential sources used by various reporters. But reporters are

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1148348107149160732006-05-22T19:34:00.000-06:002006-07-19T13:58:25.156-06:00

I’ve been about half following the current immigration hullabaloo, and watching with awe as George W. attempts to simultaneously energize his base while keeping his business oriented backers happy. Which means that on the one hand he’s trying to pander to the interests of a bunch of Christian Fundamentalist’s who are terrified of the prospect of a horde of brown folks boffing their daughters and

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1147644997031069952006-05-14T16:15:00.000-06:002006-07-23T21:55:58.476-06:00

Okay, it will come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog (well, has read it in the distant past, seeing as how I haven’t posted anything in about three months—chalk it up to despair at the current fucked up situation) that I have a few issues with God. Now when I say “God” I’m referring to the amorphous Judeo-Christian deity that everyone pretends is one easily defined being whose worship

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1138075649406660242006-01-23T21:06:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:21.193-06:00

I’m reading George Packer’s, Assassin’s Gate, and it is more than a little depressing. What is depressing is what passes for the decision and policy making process in the Bush Administration. Packer does not know the reason that George W. went to war with Iraq, but he does trot out the usual suspects—democracy promotion and remaking the middle east, links to terrorism, WMD, Saddam being a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1137973530592894472006-01-22T16:44:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:21.296-06:00

For any of the political junkies that might read this blog, I should point out that, despite the obvious relevance of this post’s title to the current political situation, this is not a post on SOP of the current administration . It is, in fact, a review of a video game I’ve been playing called F.E.A.R., or First Encounter Assault Recon (henceforth referred to as FEAR, since I hate typing

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1137007062950039952006-01-11T12:17:00.000-07:002006-07-23T21:55:59.700-06:00

Okay, just for the record, I’m one of those evil pro-choice people who is destined to rot in hell (where they hopefully have a good dessert cart). That said, when I look both left and right, I see a bunch of people who have both adopted positions where “no retreat, no surrender” is their mantra. On the left, the abortion issue is seen as a women’s rights issue. Women should have the final

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136925867370524552006-01-10T13:43:00.000-07:002006-07-17T18:44:40.330-06:00

Fair Warning: this post is not about what you probably think it is about. Laramie Wyoming boasts two grocery stores (I refuse to count Wal-Mart), both about a mile to a mile-and-a-half from my house. I regularly walk to one of these stores when grocery buying time rolls around. Since I’ve been in this town for about four years now, my routes are pretty cut and dried, but today I noticed

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136831296495287562006-01-09T11:18:00.000-07:002006-07-23T21:55:59.466-06:00

Just finished reading Anthony Lane’s look back at 2005 from the moviegoer’s perspective. . .and it ain’t pretty. I don’t recall any movies this year that really wowed me, but then I’m beginning to wonder if I’m even semi-qualified as a movie critic (aside from being “qualified” in the artistic sense of “I know what I like. . .and that isn’t it”). Hell, I don’t even enjoy going to the theaters

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136742928343033392006-01-08T10:54:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:30.326-06:00

Okay, that’s not entirely true. I’m pretty sure that I do get it, but the fact that I do get it scares me enough that I’d rather say that I don’t get it for fear of what getting it would say about how my mind works. Got it? Good. On with the post. So, what I don’t get (sort of) is the GOP and the chattering classes that make up their propaganda arm. Not so very long ago I would

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136314493965286932006-01-03T11:50:00.000-07:002006-07-23T21:55:59.740-06:00

Don’t have anything in mind for a longer piece at the moment (yeah, I know—thank God), so I thought I’d comment on some other stuff that I ran across during my morning perusal of the internet. Jack Abramoff has cut a plea bargain deal.Time for me to demonstrate my telepathic gifts. Here is what half to two-thirds of congress are, and will be, thinking for the rest of today. . ."Oh shit! Oh

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136251899508260452006-01-02T18:30:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:30.686-06:00

. . .if you think I'm pessimistic, try reading this.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136230788521795862006-01-02T12:38:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:29.966-06:00

A couple things have me thinking about my job today. The first, is that I’m headed back to work today. Working for the college means that, at the cost of a mere four vacation days, you can get a total of fifteen days off. Which means that I’ve been off long enough to get bored, but still. . . The second is a comment left on my Housekeeping post. Just a “Hi, how you doing, I read your

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136225971155116942006-01-02T11:18:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:29.610-06:00

There’s a good article here by Molly Ivins on the bullshit surrounding the Republican position on the minimum wage. For those who don’t have to worry about this sort of thing, the minimum wage is $5.15 and has not changed since September of 1997. A little math. Working full time (40 hours a week) at $5.15 and hour nets you $206 a week. Cut that by 20% for taxes (which is low), gives you

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136141852518315062006-01-01T11:52:00.000-07:002006-07-23T21:56:11.616-06:00

If you'll note the sidebars, I have, over the last month or so, made some changes. Al Jazeera has been added to the news list; Back to Iraq has been deleted from Preferred Blogs (he isn't posting any longer); Matthew Yglesias has been changed to link to his TPMCafe site; and Digby, Pandagon, and Shakespeare's Sister have been added to Preferred Blogs.Side Note to the Quick Note: And if my

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1136140826286972782006-01-01T11:39:00.000-07:002006-07-19T13:58:29.956-06:00

After much thought and extensive experimentation I’ve decided to give up on new year resolutions. Experience tells me that if I want something to not get done, then all I need to do is make a new year resolution aimed at doing it. With that in mind I’m switching to new year wishes, which are wishes concerning things I would like to see happen in the world in general. This should also give many

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1135966238219465172005-12-30T11:09:00.000-07:002005-12-30T11:15:11.136-07:00

I understand that immigration—specifically illegal immigration—is, once again, gaining traction as an important issue. I haven’t really given much thought to illegal immigration. My bottom line on the issue is that American politics is dominated by big money. Big money tends to favor labor that they can pay next to nothing, give no benefits, and threaten when the need arises. So, the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1135791941095039062005-12-28T10:41:00.000-07:002005-12-28T10:55:25.806-07:00

I finally got around to watching Serenity a couple days ago, and I have to say that I was not impressed. Part of it was that I really enjoyed the Firefly series, which Serenity was based on, so I had high expectations. . .maybe too high. Still, it seemed to me that things that worked in the series, didn’t work in the movie. The dialogue for example. Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, had his fair

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1135706476875529162005-12-27T10:51:00.000-07:002005-12-27T19:03:56.443-07:00

I work with a guy who has the distinction of being the only republican in an otherwise liberal shop. Now if you get him alone, and enter into a serious discussion of politics, he’ll admit that he isn’t real impressed with George W. You probably won’t get him to admit that he’d vote Democrat next time around, but he definitely does not like the current administration.However, with the rest of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1135652184280470822005-12-26T19:46:00.000-07:002005-12-26T19:58:11.510-07:00

The one thing about having a blog with a very limited readership is that when you get a comment—and after you get past your “That’s Way Cool!!” moment—you actually have the time to address the comment itself. What struck me about Christian’s comment was the following: “. . .we all have an unfortunate proclivity for painting our friends and enemies in colors of black and white. . .” Christian is

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1135534062903151942005-12-25T11:06:00.000-07:002005-12-25T11:07:42.916-07:00

To be honest, I’m not really in a Christmas mood. My recent bit of surgery put paid to my holiday plans, so here I sit, writing a blog article on Christmas Day. On the upside, I did just watch the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol, and listened to the two Christmas music CD’s that I own, so I am feeling a little more festive.No one to be festive with, though.Most times I prefer

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134932398767786952005-12-18T11:53:00.000-07:002005-12-18T12:00:00.970-07:00

You know, I’ve never seriously argued for the impeachment of George W. Bush. Not that I haven’t figured that there is grounds for it, but when I think George W., I think corporate corruption and cronyism, which means that George W. is merely fulfilling the definition of an honest politician: once they are bought, they stay bought. And if not impeachment on grounds of corruption. . .well,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134843406797016092005-12-17T11:11:00.000-07:002005-12-17T11:22:41.900-07:00

What is it with this country’s press corps? When it comes to Iraq does everything have to be a new turning point in the democratic history of the country? Does our press corps even bother to think anymore, or do they just take their talking points straight from Karl Rove? And how many “Turning Points” have their been in Iraq anyway? Has anybody bothered to keep count?While I enjoy the role of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134609031061574262005-12-14T18:09:00.000-07:002007-02-04T21:16:14.630-07:00

Healthcare just does not leave a man with much dignity.Not that this is an article slamming healthcare. I suppose what I should be saying is that bad health does not leave a man with much dignity. . .a fact that I now have more experience with than I ever wanted.On and off for about the last five months I have been in a lot of pain. At first I thought it was hemorrhoids, and believe me there isn’

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134591954309909632005-12-14T13:23:00.000-07:002005-12-14T13:25:54.320-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush accepted responsibility on Wednesday for going to war with faulty intelligence, but firmly defended a decision that has deeply divided the country. "We cannot and will not leave Iraq until victory is achieved," he said.The president said that Thursday's parliamentary elections in Iraq are a watershed moment that will inspire democracy across the Middle East. But

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134522366511149282005-12-13T17:53:00.000-07:002005-12-13T18:06:50.773-07:00

I was just reading this post over at Pandagon on domestic violence, when it occurred to me that I just don't get the courts approach to this issue. Check me if I'm wrong on this, but to my mind, domestic violence implies one partner beating the living hell out of the other. In my book, that is assault, and should be charged as such, but there seems to be the pervasive attitude in society that

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134363774051263482005-12-11T22:01:00.000-07:002005-12-11T22:02:54.060-07:00

This article on Iraq, which is probably far more accurate than anything you'll get from the MSM, and undoubtadly more accurate than anything you'll get from the White House.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134259625407347732005-12-10T17:04:00.000-07:002005-12-11T22:04:44.666-07:00

Pandagon has a post on some pharmacists who feel it is their right to deny birth control to any woman they choose. . .which, now that I think about it, makes sense. After all, is not "woman" merely another name for a brood mare for Christianity? You evil harlots need to fornicate only to procreate--and preferably only procreate with the type of insecure, small-dicked, hopelessly self righteous,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134017365772656622005-12-07T21:32:00.000-07:002005-12-07T21:49:25.796-07:00

Alright, I understand the strategy of triangulation. And I have a genuine respect for. . .well, for genuine centrists, but thus far my impression of Hillary is not that she is a genuine centrist, it is that she will espouse any belief or idea that will get her elected to the presidency. In short, a centrist is not someone who believes in nothing. They are merely someone who believes in things

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1134015960387036182005-12-07T21:15:00.000-07:002005-12-07T21:26:00.416-07:00

This is undoubtedly a waste of my time, but the whole evolution v. creationism/intelligent design thing annoys me so much that I can't restrain at least one brief remark.A quote from an article on Dover's voting out a school board that supported adding intelligent design to their science curriculum (this quote is from a supporter of adding ID). . ."If they can teach evolution, something I don't

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1133755980453568862005-12-04T21:05:00.000-07:002005-12-04T21:16:10.213-07:00

For those few people who are delusional enough to still believe the Bush Administration's bullshit about making progress in Iraq, I give you this quote from a post by Riverbend. . ."The electricity schedule in what appears to be most areas in Baghdad is currently FIVE hours of no electricity for every one hour of electricity"So, five hours of no electricity for every hour of electricity in the

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1133754912566324692005-12-04T20:52:00.000-07:002005-12-04T20:55:12.580-07:00

I work as a Stagetech at the Fine Arts Building at the University of Wyoming. Now, for any of you union Stagetech’s out there, this job isn’t what you think it is. We grew out of the physical plant and are actually a combination Stagetech/Custodian, though the custodial duties are decreasing as our actual performance related workload increases. At the Fine Arts building we handle the concert

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1132853166442216312005-11-24T10:22:00.000-07:002005-11-24T11:48:20.596-07:00

Well, everyone seems to be doing “What I’m Thankful For. . .” lists, so I thought I’d give it a shot, however, Shakespeare’s Sister also suggested coming up with a “Things I’m Really, Really Not Thankful For. . .” list (bless her somewhat cynical heart), so I thought I’d try that as well. Things I’m Thankful For. . . I am thankful for a family who, if I’ve got trouble, will be

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1132759557740784282005-11-23T08:23:00.000-07:002005-11-23T22:17:05.783-07:00

I don't know enough about Hugo Chavez to have an opinion on his character one way or another, but he sure does have a knack for sticking it to the Bush Administration.Whatever his motivation, Chavez is giving a clearer demonstration of the positive role government can play in people's lives than the Bush Administration ever has.And another item for the Irony Watch, here is Juan Cole's description

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1132687407066421082005-11-22T12:22:00.000-07:002005-11-22T12:29:27.610-07:00

This is a question that my mind keeps worrying at. Mind you, I can understand why people voted for George W. in 2000. Nobody really knew anything about him, so they accepted his rhetoric and projected image at face value. “Tough Texan for President.” Just sends shivers down your spine doesn’t it? Or maybe that’s just a mild case of constipation? At any rate, I’m willing to give people a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1132427017778443372005-11-19T12:01:00.000-07:002005-11-19T12:08:21.160-07:00

I work with a guy who has the distinction of being the only Republican in an otherwise liberal shop (not that our shop is all that big—six at the most). Needless to say, he gets a bit exasperated when we are all sitting around the coffee pot complaining about George W. and the most recent screw-ups of the current administration. He argues that we just don’t get it. George W. is going to be in

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1132339042571707882005-11-18T11:33:00.000-07:002005-11-18T11:37:22.590-07:00

The most recent hullabaloo is centered on Congressman John Murtha’s statement concerning the conduct of the Iraq War, as well as his takedown of Dick Cheney. You can find Murtha’s statement here (and it is well worth reading). As for his shot at Cheney. . .well, that’s worth directly quoting. . . “I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1125371355874835592005-08-29T20:35:00.000-06:002005-08-29T21:09:15.910-06:00

Okay, so you have those buttons at intersections that are supposed to allow pedestrians to influence the lights. My question would be, why do people push them repeatedly?As a professional pedestrian, I've actually tested this (I know. . .get a life), and one push has exactly the same effect as hammering away at it. Which is to say that it has exactly no effect, or it will (rarely) speed things

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1116954549839576682005-05-24T10:37:00.000-06:002005-05-24T11:09:09.876-06:00

Well, it seems that the Democrats and some moderate Senate Republicans have made a deal taking the so-called nuclear option off of the table (at least for now). Doing a detailed analysis of why or why not this deal is a good one requires a degree of political procedural wonkiness that I don't have (and don't ever want to have), but I do have a few general thoughts on this matter.Matt's Scream

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1116801753200135272005-05-22T16:40:00.000-06:002005-05-22T16:42:33.206-06:00

I am informed that profanities and obscenities do have there place in writing, however the great danger in using them is in overusing them. When overused, they lose their effectiveness. This is a point that I can attest to. You recall the old saying about “swearing like a sailor.” Well, having been a sailor, I can say that the old saying is absolutely true. “Fuck,” and its variations, are

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1116383713887920122005-05-17T20:32:00.000-06:002005-05-17T20:35:13.893-06:00

Here's is the text to George Galloway's defense before the Senate against accusations of corruption. It is the most eloquent condemnation of American activities regarding Iraq that I've read.This guy can cook. . .

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1116382516172888612005-05-17T20:08:00.000-06:002005-05-17T20:15:16.180-06:00

As usual, Riverbend gives a clear look at events in Iraq in her May 18th post, The Dead and the Undead.Money Quote: "By doing such things, this war is taken to another level- it is no longer a war against terror or terrorists- it is, quite simply, a war against Islam and even secular Muslims are being forced to take sides."The entire post is well worth reading.Okay, so there’s the smart way of

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1116206333073084772005-05-15T19:08:00.000-06:002005-05-15T19:25:41.450-06:00

Haven’t been writing much lately due to a combination of end-of-the-semester burnout and the sure and certain knowledge that if I read any more about politics I’ll conclude that the human race isn’t worth dog squat.I just read a recent post by Lance Mannion that posits that people are stupid, and they stink, and the more I read about the Bush Administration and its supporters, the more I think

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1115135205704167402005-05-03T09:46:00.000-06:002005-05-03T09:46:45.706-06:00

I got to thinking about jargon the other day. As I’ve probably already mentioned, I work as a stagetech and, like any other profession, it has its own jargon, most of which is absolutely unnecessary. Examples: ‘lamp’ and ‘instrument’. If you guessed that a lamp is an object that sits on your coffee table and that you turn on when you need light, guess again. In fact, ‘lamp’ is the stagetech

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1115046674550014712005-05-02T08:13:00.000-06:002005-05-02T09:11:14.550-06:00

No Nukes?: There is also another reason to bargain hard with North Korea. It is a safe bet that the message other regimes are drawing from our invasion of Iraq is that America will only invade the country that does not have nuclear weapons--of the "Axis of Evil," North Korea and Iran actually had, and have, WMD programs, while Iraq did not. In short, Iran and North Korea probably are working

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1115010756380080072005-05-01T23:08:00.000-06:002005-05-02T08:13:30.776-06:00

Tried to post today, but the "create" and "create new post" links would not work. . .until I cleared the cache of my browser. Something I didn't figure out until. . .well, check the time stamp on this post. Very irritating. Still not sure why clearing the cache had any effect. Probably just the computer gods messing with me.On the upside, if any die-hard Republicans who still think George W. is a

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114877189592342602005-04-30T08:31:00.000-06:002005-04-30T10:06:29.596-06:00

The Faith Thing: The Bull Moose makes some good points concerning Faith. Now me, I'm mainly a secular humanist, but even I recognize that the issue of Faith is not one that is necessarily lost to the Democratic Party. The Democrats should be pointing out over and over that the Faith embraced by the current GOP is not the faith of most Americans. It is a highly conservative, very rigid, damned

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114790179469046522005-04-29T09:52:00.000-06:002005-04-29T09:56:19.470-06:00

Couch Turnip DayA couple of posts worth looking at for those who might have bought into the President's complete and utter Social Security bullshit last night.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114708178287357342005-04-28T09:12:00.000-06:002005-04-28T11:09:38.290-06:00

Faith v. Science. . .Again: I've commented (at length) on this before, but all Creationism is, is an attempt to co-opt the (possibly fading) legitimacy of science to support a belief system. Science aims at establishing a hypothesis; using experiment and observations concerning this world to prove or disprove the hypothesis; if there is enough evidence provided by the step just mentioned, then

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114621162067594472005-04-27T09:23:00.000-06:002005-04-27T11:18:40.180-06:00

Thoughts On Numbers: Actually quite a few thoughts on more than just numbers. First, a good lesson about not taking statistics at face value. Statistics can, with a little creative application, say whatever the person using them wants to say. Second, if making sure that all your citizens have a living wage to put a roof over their head and food on the table is socialism, then I guess I'm in favor

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114569369735952482005-04-26T20:34:00.000-06:002005-04-26T20:36:09.736-06:00

Click the link and check out the GadFlyer's Headline/Photo of the Day.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114529062225814292005-04-26T08:04:00.000-06:002005-04-26T09:24:22.226-06:00

Fafblog! What Would We Do Without Ye?: As we've come to expect, Fafblog unerringly cuts to the heart of Bush policy. He recognizes that the Bush Doctrine really boils down to "Accomplishment ain't anything. Looking good while accomplishing nothing is everything." Oh well, I'm off to get my special anti-terror optic shields.Looking At The Successes: A quick point to reinforce the one made by

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114486135455760642005-04-25T21:23:00.000-06:002005-04-25T21:28:55.456-06:00

If you are patient, and if you are attentive, once in a blue moon you will see Juan Cole get pissed off. But when it does happen, it is a thing of beauty.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114484819776454552005-04-25T21:02:00.000-06:002005-04-25T21:06:59.780-06:00

I just read a very interesting article in the May/June edition of Foreign Affairs. I thought I’d selectively quote it and fill in the blanks later. The idea here is to figure out what country the article is talking about.“. . .they seized upon the (blank) danger, painted it in lurid colors, and stoke people’s fear in order to pose as saviors to the nation.”“Richly financed by corporate

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114469549821476012005-04-25T16:49:00.000-06:002005-04-25T21:11:15.943-06:00

Okay, so I'm going through my work mail (I have yet to get anything worth reading in my work mail, but hope springs eternal), when I come across a flyer for the University of Wyoming Library. Included in the flyer is an article with the headline of (wait for it. . .) "Book Display Promotes Literacy."Now is it just me, or is this the sort of headline that can't help but promote a reaction of "No

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114447177670684222005-04-25T09:17:00.000-06:002005-04-25T16:39:10.016-06:00

S.O.P.: Along with Steve Clemons', Washington Note, Laura Rozen's, War and Piece is the best blog source for the unfolding Bolton fiasco, however, this latest post seems to be more for effect than anything else. Surely, Laura knows by now that it is the Bush Administration's standard operating procedure to not challenge their challengers on the actual issues, but to instead set the whole

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114356725617815072005-04-24T08:19:00.000-06:002005-04-24T09:32:05.626-06:00

Don't Bet On It: (NYT registration) While still noting that it is too early to tell which direction the new Pope is going to jump, I am willing to lay a bet that the church policy of going light on child molestors--and those who cover for them--will continue. In this regard the Catholic Church is no different than any other big bureaucracy, which is to say that it is easy to rationalize that

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114275364540552592005-04-23T10:48:00.000-06:002005-04-23T10:58:28.846-06:00

After Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Joss Whedon moved on to a television series called Firefly. Firefly merged science fiction with westerns to create a superb, funny, and intelligent series that was cancelled after a single season. My own take on this is that Rupert Murdoch couldn't handle a series where prostitution was a legally accepted, and fairly honorable, profession (Rupert, buddy,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114273893828305502005-04-23T08:52:00.000-06:002005-04-23T10:31:33.830-06:00

A Very Good Point: Juan Cole makes the point that the not only is the guerrilla war being waged in Iraq not winding down, but that it is not particularly effected one way or another by the formation of a new government. It is possible that the new government may enhance security once it begins exercising power (if it has any power, which is far from certain), or perhaps American forces may get

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114185138331552042005-04-22T09:32:00.000-06:002005-04-22T09:53:13.763-06:00

This is my weekend, so I reserve the right to imitate a turnip.Besides, most of the blogs and news look like the same old thing: the warriors of God (i.e. Republicans) battling the godless followers of Satan (ignore the internal contradictions of this statement, the other side surely will) in hopes that the good and glorious forces of Mammon (i.e. corporate America) can take their rightful place

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114098765986581182005-04-21T08:51:00.000-06:002005-04-21T11:35:41.113-06:00

A Matter of Style: It is not that the subject matter of Eric Alterman's defense of his arguments concerning Anne Coulter and the Bull Moose's comments on Taxation, have anything to do with each other, but I would like to point out that the Bull Moose, even though he is being sarcastic, has a better grasp of how an argument is made in today's political climate. Alterman dares to deploy logic,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1114012205541715072005-04-20T08:49:00.000-06:002005-04-20T09:51:58.703-06:00

More On Anne Coulter: well worth reading. Just one problem. Eric, you've really got to overcome your tendency to beat around the bush. Good God, man, just come out and say what you really think. Don't sugar coat it. Heh.This Is Disturbing: (the April 20th post beginning There's a Profoundly. . .) We do not, under any circumstances, want our military adopting any specific religious platform. This

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113958184908618002005-04-19T18:45:00.000-06:002005-04-19T18:49:44.913-06:00

In my continuing quest to prove that there is a lot to be learned from Louis L’Amour westerns, I think it’s time to show how L’Amour applies directly to US foreign policy. L’Amour’s gunfighters were of a type. They were quiet men. Generally courteous. They did not look for trouble, though they could handle it when it came there way, and they new how to read people. That made sense since

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113942121411734582005-04-19T14:20:00.000-06:002005-04-19T14:22:01.413-06:00

For a must read post, take a look at the Gadflyer's post, Fear and Self-Loathing at National Review.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113939725586660232005-04-19T13:23:00.000-06:002005-04-19T13:44:02.700-06:00

Well we have a new Pope. He is Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. You can find a couple different articles on him here and here, and a profile, here. Call me crazy, but I find it less than reassuring that Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Office of the Holy Inquisition. Also his opening remarks put me in mind of a snake oil

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113933624700848752005-04-19T11:50:00.000-06:002005-04-19T12:02:16.430-06:00

Question: why do people feel the need to dress up to walk or ride a bicycle?I'm riding my bike back from the grocery store when I pass a fellow biker tricked out in black and yellow spandex (kind of looked like a thin bumblebee). Now me, I'm wearing a set of faded blue jeans, an old sweat shirt (threadbare, ugly, anything but stylish, and the most comfortable thing I own), and the tennis shoes

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113925619721319932005-04-19T08:45:00.000-06:002005-04-19T09:50:59.300-06:00

Anne Coulter: Both James Wolcott and the Washington Monthly have something to say about Coulter. My own take is that the day that a majority of the world's population thinks Anne Coulter is anything other than a moron, is the day that God throws up his hands and goes looking for an out-of-work boat builder named Noah.You Go Publius: "If I’m recalling my Sunday School classes correctly, Jesus’s

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113839890414716452005-04-18T08:48:00.000-06:002005-04-18T10:02:40.160-06:00

Okay, so every morning I get up, round up some breakfast, sit down in front of my computer, and peruse my favorite blogs and news sources--though lately the main difference between the two seems to be that one is up front about the axe they have to grind, while the other cloaks their agenda in a facade of false objectivity (and thank you very much, Rupert Murdoch, for making me aware of this). In

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113796046795932252005-04-17T21:42:00.000-06:002005-04-17T21:47:26.800-06:00

Lately, I’ve had little to say concerning Iraq. There are a number of reasons for this silence. The first is that I don’t really trust most of the news coming out of Iraq and, unlike Fox News or Scott McClellan, I don’t like drawing conclusions based on questionable data. Second, is that it is too soon to make pronouncements based on the current situation in Iraq.Concerning the quality of news

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113586337759010702005-04-15T11:28:00.000-06:002005-04-15T11:32:17.763-06:00

Recently a couple posts from bloggers that I read got me thinking about money. One post from Josh Marshall (April 13 post, beginning "The Point is. . .") focuses on the repeal of the Inheritance Tax, while the other from Publius focuses on Wal-Mart’s closing of a store in order to stymie unionization efforts. Both left me with the feeling that, yes, class warfare exists, and that the lower

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1113254224548282052005-04-11T14:49:00.000-06:002005-04-11T15:32:16.126-06:00

I've had a cold for about a week now, and, after careful thought and deliberation, I've got to say that it really sucks. I am not one of those people who handles being sick with stoic grace. In fact I'm pretty much a whiny asshole when I'm ill. Unfortunately, the University of Wyoming is in its last month of classes before summer break, which means that it is getting very very busy.We just

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112759840941035572005-04-05T21:50:00.000-06:002005-04-05T21:57:20.943-06:00

So let’s talk about sex.One of the roughly half a billion things in this world that totally baffle me is the hang up that many people seem to have concerning sex. I just don’t get it. On the one hand sex absolutely fascinates our society. Just about every product advertised uses sex in its message. Buy our product and you will be more attractive. Buy our product and you will have bimbos like

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112562120141381652005-04-03T14:59:00.000-06:002005-04-03T15:02:00.143-06:00

I am not a follower of Catholocism and know virtually nothing about Pope John Paul II, however if you are looking for a more nuanced view of the Pope than you are likely to get on Fox news, read this post on Juan Cole's Informed Comment.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112380682890553832005-04-01T11:21:00.000-07:002005-04-01T11:38:28.756-07:00

I've been thinking for awhile that both parties need to dump there extremists. Currently we are witnessing the extremists of the far right taking over the Republican party and dreaming dreams of ruling through religion. And the liberals also have there share of nut-jobs. You know and love them: the PETA folks, and that sort. All of these folks are of the variety who firmly believe that they have

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112285072415208092005-03-31T09:02:00.000-07:002005-03-31T09:06:30.256-07:00

Rest in Peace Terry Shiavo.You got a bum deal in this world. I hope you get a better one in the next.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112237120465791382005-03-30T19:39:00.000-07:002005-04-02T10:02:26.093-07:00

Okay, I’m enough of a foreign policy geek that I have a subscription to Foreign Affairs (which is not what you think it is, so get your mind out of the gutter). Actually, my sister got me the subscription last year, but it hooked me and I renewed this year. The January/February edition is particularly interesting. It is chock full of advice for the new President. The tone of most of these

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1112144488229021422005-03-29T17:59:00.000-07:002005-03-29T18:11:37.050-07:00

So I was sitting in front of my computer the other day (not all that unusual), looking over the various news stories concerning the Terry Shiavo circus and feeling more than a little down about the theocratic turn that American politics seems to be taking, when there came a knock at my door.I answered it only to find Satan standing on the other side.“Before you ask,” said Satan, “No, I am not

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111982405346894202005-03-27T20:54:00.000-07:002005-03-27T21:03:48.896-07:00

Things are getting out of hand in Timor as guerrilla’s seize the American Embassy. You, playing as the seasoned special ops pro, Sam Fisher, are called in to deal with the situation, and what begins as tolerably straightforward quickly gets complicated. Pandora Tomorrow is the second installment in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell games, and it follows closely in the footsteps of its predecessor. I was

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111963739611736332005-03-27T15:46:00.000-07:002005-03-27T15:48:59.613-07:00

Looking back across my last couple posts, it is hard to escape the conclusion that my tone is getting just a tad self righteous. Hell, another month or so, and I’ll be blathering on like the liberal version of Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter, only I won’t be getting paid as much (or paid anything, for that matter).A fate worse than death.Self righteousness is an easy trap to fall into (by the way,

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111714814545191342005-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:40:14.550-07:00

First off, I am not a militant anti-smoker. I don’t smoke, am baffled as to why anyone would want to smoke, but what the hell, if that’s your poison, then have at it. Still, the fact that this society still has a whole bunch of people that smoke does indicate something about Americans as consumers (or at least it will by the time I get done with this article, heh, heh).The brutal truth is that

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111550167135778852005-03-22T20:55:00.000-07:002005-03-22T20:59:02.830-07:00

I’m beginning to think that maybe I have a non-standard point of view when it comes to world events. Anybody know what the stats are for those who get there news primarily from TV? I’ll bet it is pretty high. Now me? I don’t even watch TV (save for videos). I get my news from on-line papers—mainly the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the BBC, and the Guardian—as

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111465033740583622005-03-21T21:13:00.000-07:002005-03-21T21:17:13.746-07:00

Well, I think that the Presidency of George W. Bush will confirm beyond all doubt that the Republicans are the party of big government. . .at least when they are in charge. Now don’t get me wrong, the Democrats are also the party of big government, just a different sort of big government. With the Democrats you can figure that they want to keep government big in order to enact social programs

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111365160910127702005-03-20T17:28:00.000-07:002005-03-20T17:32:40.910-07:00

As usual, the amazingly insightful Fafblog cuts directly to the heart of the Republican hypocrisy regarding Terry Shiavo."While congressional Republicans and professional religious mouthpieces have yet to get involved, the Medium Lobster is certain they'll be materializing any minute now, placards and subpoenas in hand - right after they finish cutting the Medicaid programs keeping these people

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1111361771800871462005-03-20T16:27:00.000-07:002005-03-20T20:47:41.590-07:00

I’ve been out of the loop lately, but here are some comments on current events. The method here is hit-or-miss so don’t expect the things I am commenting on to have any bearing on one another or to be in any meaningful order.The Terri Shiavo Frenzy: I’m pretty sure that the Republicans are making an issue out of this to prove to their conservative base that they are, in fact, god-fearing types

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1110502084371703492005-03-10T17:44:00.000-07:002005-03-10T17:48:04.373-07:00

Well, we can all rest easy. Apparently Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida have shifted gears. No longer are they persuing a war against the Great Satan (i.e. America). Nope, now they are pursuing a war against really annoying Hollywood celebrities.My initial reaction: hey, if you want to kidnap Russel Crowe, more power to you.

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677500.post-1110416060685494062005-03-09T17:53:00.000-07:002005-03-09T17:58:09.586-07:00

Hmm, why is it that when I’m video gaming I don’t have a lot to say and have no overwhelming desire to post? However, when Wealth of Nations finally shows up on my doorstep (my monthly Amazon.com order) and I begin reading it, the brain comes out of hibernation and I suddenly have the desire to write? Do video games really rot the brain? Is the realization that they might, going to make me stop

Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16242328985275917485noreply@blogger.com0