08 Sep 2003
Scandinavian Crime

From Secular Blasphemy comes this enticing tidbit about crime rates in peaceful, weaponless, Scandinavia ....

Violent Sweden

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Mystery Tiles

This silliness:

Mystery Tiles From Around the World [Slashdot]

must be a sub-project of O.M..

00:00 /Humor | 0 comments | permanent link

An Open Letter to Howard Dean

I try to keep politics out of this blog, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I was very disappointed tonight when I checked the CNN news headlines. The news prompted me to visit a campaign website and make a comment. The following is a slightly modified (links added) verison of a letter I just dispatched to the Dean campaign.

Dear Mr. Dean:

You had almost roused this generally Republican voting, middle aged small farmer with a decided libertarian bent to believe that you were for real - until I witnessed your descent into the pit of conspiracy by stumping for Davis in California.

In a nutshell, the man is an idiot, more or less single-handedly responsible for driving the largest, most prosperous state in the Union to the brink of bankruptcy.

And by claiming the tenecles of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" is aiming to undermine democracy, you have, I'm afraid, lost what credibility you'd gained in this voters mind - I haven't always agreed with your positions, mind you, but I have appreciated your apparent honesty, integrity and understanding of the pragmatic nature of governance in the 21st century. But gimme a break - Republicans, even the zealots of the religious right, are not traitorous conspirators. You're sounding like a Bush crony here - I'm thinking of John Ashcroft.

We don't need another president who thinks his opponents are evil spuds out to subvert the holy shine of American democracy. Been there, done that, with Clinton and Bush. We need a leader. I was almost hoping it would be you.

Sincerely,

Dave Haxton

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Warren Zevon, RIP

Warren Zevon has passed on - he was an honorable man. It was so refreshing to read his comments on the disease (inoperable lung cancer - he was a long time smoker) that killed him:

[I]... chose a certain path and lived like Jim Morrison and lived 30 more years. You make choices and you have to live with the consequences.

No whining about how "Big Tobacco" did him in, no moaning about how deprived he was, no ad campaign to publicize his regrets :

I got to be the most [expletive deleted] rock star on the block, at least on my block, and then I got to be a sober dad for 18 years. I've had two very full lives ...

Honesty, courage, integrity. What a trio of concepts for the 21st century. Fare thee well, Warren!

00:00 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link

Secret scriptures can stay online

Now this is a victory for common sense copyright!

Scientologists loses copyright case. Secret scriptures can stay online [The Register]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link