PSoTD

I can relate, I have heard this song numerous times while driving kids home from sports practice.

There's been a bunch of simplistic jingoistic crap commercials running in Central Pennsylvania for McCain, and that is really not much of a surprise - there really doesn't appear to be any sophistication available within the brain trust of the McCain campaign.

However, the visual imagery is somewhat surprising. They're using a gawdy and cheap looking technique of making images appear pasted on top of each other that recalls the early days of National Enquirer covers. Is that what they're going for, the look that appeals to National Enquirer and World Weekly News fans? It just seems to scream "unbelievable" during their ads...

It seems to provide tourism revenue to regions at a pretty low cost.

Mazomanie's comeback is partly because of historical society members who saw the potential of their hamlet nestled amid rolling hills, the Wisconsin River, Black Earth Creek (a Class A trout stream) and farm fields.

Its location is a tourism promoter's dream: on the road between the popular Taliesin -- the home of Frank Lloyd Wright -- and the state capital of Madison. It's also within an hour's drive of water-park-filled Wisconsin Dells.

"It's really been an awakening in the last year or so," said David Friske. He and his wife, Karisa, own the Walking Iron Bed and Breakfast, a brick Victorian Italianate house built in 1865 just outside downtown.

The area is also known for its onetime controversial nude beach on the Wisconsin River in the nearby Town of Mazomanie. It attracts naturists from other states and is the only public nude beach in Wisconsin, though not officially designated as such.

So the Dow dropped almost 7 % of price on Monday. What's everybody doing? Are they bailing out the market and swelling the catastrophe, or are they holding steady in their positions? I have to admit, my faith in the people who invest in the market isn't that high right now...

A woman I know said a friend of hers had a cousin who has a neighbor that works with a lady that said that she heard at a bar that there were some people conspiring against America.

Talk about laughable - if there's ANYTHING that "Pajamas Media" stands for or exists for, it's to be in the tank of the Republican Party.

I like it. Everybody Laughs at Broder.

In the last two years, this soup kitchen in Harrisburg has seen a 20 percent increase in clients, yet contributions are dwindling.

My wife and I enjoyed this new series last year until its momentum was stopped by the writer's strike. Tonight is the season premier, hopefully the writing and the story lines are as compelling as last year and we look forward to the interesting acting approach Damian Lewis gives to cop Charlie Crews.

Oh, and of course, Sarah Shahi!

American Suburbia probably will need to take the concept to heart in the next few years...

Green Bay launches its fall leaf pickup schedule Oct. 13, but you could do yourself, the city and the environment a favor by skipping the raking this year. Advertisement

Or at least, if you must rake, take it to your compost pile.

Public Works Director Carl Weber said mulching and composting instead of raking leaves to the curb could save city crews a ton of grief.

"Obviously, I'm trying to cut down on the number of times we've got to drive around the city," Weber said. "So any leaf that's not put out saves us time, fuel and money."

Expect local governments - and state government officials - to press the idea much more vigorously as a cost-saver and good for the environment.

All the Republican recommendations and suggestions about what Sarah Palin should do in the debate and the campaign. Apparently, sometimes Republicans don't walk in lockstep on candidates and issues, and the amount of debate and recommendations on what to do about Palin has to be confusing to the McCain camp. They're back at square one: trying to satisfy their base.

David Broder's op-eds are not predictable. The reason isn't because of what his opinion will be on a given topic, but what his topic matter of choice is. But he is consistently conservatively shallow in his thinking and can be counted on to display a lack of understanding to how those not in the mediacracy sees things.

I find the disdain to which he considers the immediately polling after the debate quite telling. Any "pro-tilt" towards Obama as a result of the debate is about the political and financial climate, not about how Obama and McCain actually performed during the debate. Whether this is true or not isn't proved by anything and exists only in the minds of Broder and people like him. It diminishes the assessment skills of people who watched the debate in a preconceived way - short of McCain barfing on himself trying to dislodge his tie which he had swallowed while angrily bellowing to kill Iranians, David S. Broder was going to declare McCain the winner in this debate. The only question was whether he was going to write about it.

This was taken in Lucca, I think. A lot of people bicycle in Italy, downtown, country, everywhere...

One of the economic tactics I want to try to save money in the near future is to buy a quarter side of beef and store the cuts in our freezer. So... any suggestions where to do this at?

Here's your chance to prove it. Good luck!

There's a lack of imagination in the souvenirs offered for tourists to bring back to their kids, at least as offered near the major tourist sites. I would have LOVED to find some cool things about Pompeii to bring back to our 8 year old, but it was all schlocky and the same.

Just a suggestion - get some product competition in there.

I did not take this photo, but we did go to this Crypt in Rome, and it's definitely a walk into a different reality...

And, by the way, what would regulators say about this?

When John Dykstra got his September credit card bill from Advanta, a small-business card issuer, he was shocked: Dykstra says he has a good credit score and has never missed a payment, but his interest rate had jumped from 7.99% to 26%.

He was even more shocked by the explanation: A brochure in the mail told him he needed to be aware of the "continually changing business environment."

He's not alone. Card issuers from Bank of America to Capital One are using the economic crisis as a reason to raise rates. According to Consumer Action's 2008 survey of card companies, Bank of America, Citi, and Capital One have recently said that "market conditions" could cause them to increase APR's.

They probably should be embarrassed that one of their associate professors gave such a public viewing of his lack of reasoning and logical argumentation. This is, in college student terms, about the same as providing a presentation to the entire class that earns a D minus, leaving all classmates to realize there's a thudbrain in their midst.

We went to a winery last week outside of Bolgheri in Tuscany, Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia. They are a higher end winery, and have a very high reputation, and some consider their Masseto Merlot to be "the greatest Italian Merlot." We didn't get to taste the Masseto while there (after all, it's at least a few hundred dollars per bottle), but we did get generous glasses of three other wines which are delicious. Of course, I'm a sucker for red wine anyways, but I REALLY liked the Le Serre Nuove.

And, of course, the vineyards had beautiful views, being in the hills above the Mediterranean. So I thought you'd like to see.

Some posts to check out.

We're importing email scam jobs from Nigeria, it appears. More jobs for Americans!

So... bikinis are better for volleyball. Proof!

Scandal at Capital Blue Cross!

John Oliver DID nail Bush's legacy in this clip.

After all the excitement, all the buzz, all the initial enjoyment - the Coliseum files for Chapter 11.

Would you like a wearable motorcycle?

John McCain's just a liar. He's running new commercials in Pennsylvania that basically say:

Economic Collapse
John McCain Is Going To Stop It
McCain Has the Record To Prove He Can
Obama and His Buddies Will Tax You Billions
John McCain Approves This Message

It's basically throw any shit against the wall time for McCain, and he doesn't care how bad his reputation is going to die for it.

McCain's just another lying liar after all.

Seriously, all the McCain puffery is starting to look, well, suspicious.

So Dan Balz sees McCain's "campaign suspension" as a gamble.

Why not call it what it is? It's abdication of his campaign responsibility to the American people. If John McCain didn't believe he could run for President and fulfill his responsibilities as Senator, then he should have abstained from running. Yes, he owed Arizona's people the responsibility of adequately performing as U.S. Senator, and by running for President he promised them that he could do so, and he promised the rest of America that he would be an available candidate for consideration for the highest office in the land.

Now he is reneging on both promises. He's saying he can't be both Senator and candidate, and that being Senator is more important. That's his choice. But Americans are owed more than this - they are owed a full review of the candidates who are running for the Chief Executive office for the next four years. Americans expect, as part of that review, timely and orderly debates. Calling off on them isn't a good gamble for getting the job as Chief Executive. If we expect the Chief Executive to be able to manage several issues at the same time, why shouldn't we expect candidates to do so, also?

I think McCain is going to get punished in the polls for this little ploy, particularly if he grandstands in Washington - and he'll richly deserve it. This is a weakness of McCain's being masqueraded as patriotism, and he doesn't have enough veneer to keep Americans from seeing the difference.

We saw these guys dressed up in costumes pretty much as the main historical sites in Rome, and as we were leaving the Forum this guy came up and suggested we take some photos with him. We just thought he was part of Rome's tourism PR.

Ah, we are so naive. As soon as we took a few photos and we were putting our cameras away, he says:

"20 Euros."

What? Huh?

"It's a Job, Mon. It's a Job."

"Well, we're not paying that. What if we just erase the photos?"

Ha ha ha. Apparently these guys are all buddy buddy goofy photo pals until you take the photo, and then they get all stern and intimidating afterwards. He didn't care if we erased the photos, he wanted the 20 Euros.

Of course, standing there arguing with us for five minutes didn't help his future sales. Finally, he negotiated down to 3 Euros, which we had in coins in our pockets, and we gave it to him as a learning lesson for ourselves, and some sympathy for what seems to be a pretty crummy job for him.

It is time for the bullshit to end on this weak premise:

I'm a strong believer in free enterprise. So my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention.

It is neither natural, nor an instinct, to oppose government intervention. Governance is what we get in our natural search for consensus in direction of competing viewpoints. When President Bush says his natural instinct is to oppose government intervention of a democratically elected government, it is an admission that he believes that his belief trumps the electorate.

It is an admission of the dictatorally-inclined.

And it is an admission that for him, it is not a considered belief, but something he stumbled upon - an "instinct" - and he's thought about it as much as a dog thinks about why he smells the bushes for the urine scents of other animals as he walks along the sidewalk.

I'm sure that his presentation last night gave much of America a sense of deja vu wretching, but for whatever reason, this line stuck out for me. It is time to crush the acceptance of "instinctual governance" with TMIPFE* being the example of why it should not be accepted. We cannot have morons that pride themselves as unthinking as they make policy decisions in the position of making those decisions - and when they admit that they are just that, by using such terms as "natural instincts", well then, they have to be crushed out of politics and government.

*The Most Inept Public Figure Ever

So when is Senator McBunnyPants II going to suggest that the nation postpone the election because of the Depression they are promoting?

It's clear that one's not a competent candidate.

Every once in a while I rediscover something about myself, as I did in Pisa last week - I experience a heightened level of vertigo when at heights looking down. I know this is pretty common, but for me it is an overwhelming sensation, as I felt when on the roof of the Tower last week. It's a sensation that gravity is sucking me down, at an accelerated level, so that any movement that is horizontal with the surface, such as walking along the floor of the roof, might actually warp dizzyingly into a downwards curve that would suddenly and inexplicably throw me over the railing to the ground below. It's a VERY uncomfortable sensation and completely charges my "flight" efforts - I want to get down immediately because I can't trust my own balance nor my understanding of what my balance or reactions are really doing.

So, as others walked around the top of the Tower, I stood, pretty much in the middle area the whole time. I made myself walk around the outer ring once, but that was it, and sat on a step pretending to admire the view, but enjoying the groundedness I felt, until our group was allowed to go back down the stairs.

I think this TimesPeople experiment might be interesting. I signed up to see how it works. If you're looking for me, I'm PSoTD, as usual.

Here's a bunch of famous folks my wife joins in turning 41 this year - of course, she just reaches it today.

Kinda strange to think that Kurt Cobain would have been that age this year.

Stopped for coffee here one rainy day, and we ran into a bunch of Americans on a bicycle tour of Tuscany. Charming little town in the hills about an hour away from Pisa.

It should do so for the remainder of Bush's life.

There are lots of them, both in variety and in volume, and in general, I think that Italy does a great job with their road signage. Sometimes it's difficult - big cities sometimes have no place for signs, and even the medium sized ones can have so many that the most important one gets lost to the driver in the mix of options, which we found out in Pisa - but in general, high marks for Italy's road signs.

If you go to Italy and plan to drive, you may find this site helpful. My favorite, of course, is this little one on the right. Which we memorized for a lifetime after I drove up an alley and eventually found myself boxed in, surrounded by three buildings and stairs and 2 inch clearance on both sides to reverse out of, going steeply downhill. I made an 11 point turn in the square and drove out forwards and managed not to bung up the side mirrors. Well, not that you know, at least. We had seen the sign on the way in, but didn't recognize it at that point, and, of course, it means dead end.

But sometimes a driver stumbles on the right location by a general directional focus and pure luck. And it appears that Will might be leaning towards voting for Obama by the same route.

The view from our Italian farmhouse terrace near Montescudaio, looking towards Cecina and the Mediterranean, at dusk.

If you want that view, then stay at Sylvia and Charles's place, The Dolce Toscana Country Inn. Just a beautiful place, quaint and in the country yet five minutes drive to Montescudaio for some delicious Tuscan meals and wines that Sylvia helped us find.

Just watching this guy on BBC news on Friday in Rome, watching him live discuss the bailout effort while we checked into our hotel, gave a palpable sense of Administration panic to a couple of ordinary Americans who had been without televisions or news for five days.

In other words, he gave two ordinary citizens of the United States traveling abroad a mood of NO CONFIDENCE.

After seeing Smart cars all over the place in Rome, you get used to the look and appreciate the fact that they can turn around on a dime, which in those kinds of cities is a REAL benefit. Plus park perpendicular to the curb.

I was even passed by one while driving our Renault on the highway to Pisa. And I am not ashamed.

Long day, long trip back from Rome. Italy, of course, is/was fantastic. I'm sure I'll be recounting the trip here beyond what is reasonable for anyone to read for the next few weeks, but for now, I'm going to sleep.

Head Like A Kite

Time to Jumble!

New Metallica. I can't say that I understand this video but it sounds pretty cool!

My first exposure to Metallica was their infamous City Island concert (which I think ended concerts on City Island). The Cult opened for them promoting their Sonic Temple CD (which was their best CD ever).

Metallica had just released "And Justice For All". There was a giant model of "Lady Justice" with her scales and a couple of very large naked boobs on the stage. They'd played just about everything off Justice, and more importantly off Master of Puppets. It was a rainy twilight and thousands of black T-Shirts pumped their fists in the air. Surreal. I was hooked.

Fkkk the Black Album. Give me Master of Puppets! The new CD is a welcome throwback.

Not my favorite song off this record but not bad.

Couldn't stop myself. Have fun!

There in about a week.

Well, can you, punk?

John McCain will tell you.

Although it doesn't come with the cool sound effects of the 1970s series of a similar name...

A pair of congressional audits released Wednesday raise serious doubts about whether the federal government will finish a promised border fence this year and confirmed that a system of high-tech sensors won't be working soon.

The plan to build 670 miles of border fence by Dec. 31 has been thrown into doubt by slow property acquisitions, higher costs and the prospect of a federal budget stalemate.

....

The cost of the fence is also hindering progress. When new construction began in early 2007, the fence cost an average of $1 million a mile. It has now climbed to an average of $7.5 million a mile.

The government eventually could face bigger problems with the fence. Congressional auditors found that the government made no estimates for the cost to maintain it.

What party runs the Executive Branch again?

Just watch how he campaigns.

Yup, the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

At least in terms of being able to stand American politics and American political news coverage.

In case you need to know what time it is in, for example, Kiritimati.

In 2000, about George W. Bush and his compassionate conservatism. Apparently it works again this year:

What about her religion, you say? Yes, she’s a social conservative to the Nth degree — but as far as I’m concerned, that only matters if she thinks her views should be translated to national policy. Her record (as opposed to the rhetoric) indicates that she won’t. Since this is of enormous importance to me, it’s an area on which I’m intensely focused.

Is there enough record to decide this for Palin? Was there enough record to decide that for Bush? Ask yourself this - what is the point of running for Vice-President if you're not going to follow your own views in governance and policy questions?

I think that's a winner.

We should be here a week from today.

photo by robot matsuri!

People really shouldn't pardon this on age or era or anything else any more, after all, it's the 21st Century. People like this ought to be tagged with a sign that says "I'm a Moron" because saying this in the press is basically promoting that fact. I'm sure her kids and grandkids, if she has any, appreciate the notoriety.

In a corner booth, Biden sat down and, after a moment's conversation, planted a kiss on the forehead of Carolyn Bauer, age 89. Bauer explained afterward it wasn't such a friendly encounter.

"I told him I'm not going to vote for him," Bauer said. "Anybody who runs with a guy with a name like that is not going to get my vote. It'd be disgusting to get a man named Barack Obama as president of the United States. No way. I mean it . . . I'm going to vote for McCain and the lady."

"[Obama's] a Muslim," Bauer added. "He pretends to be a Christian, and he isn't, he's a Muslim."

Obama has attended Christian churches for years, and his children are baptized.

A first thing, single must item MUST BE THE DECONSOLIDATION OF NEWS MEDIA. Because McKay is right.

BTW, if Democrats want to talk about Sarah Palin, I would suggest they make the comparison of her to Dick Cheney:

Dick Cheney was a surprise selection - one might argue a "mavericky" pick - for VP by Bush.

The public didn't really know that much about Dick Cheney despite his public visibility in positions held prior to 2000.

The news media really didn't question the Cheney selection, or his stands on anything during that campaign outside of the one Edwards-Cheney debate.

Cheney made a LOT of policy during the last 8 years.

The public doesn't like Cheney according to the polls.

Shouldn't the press have asked a lot of questions then?

One of the unspoken downsides to democracy is that apparently about 3 percent of the population floats from day to day not sure enough of what direction for the United States should move towards in order to prefer a candidate - a three percent that moves from candidate to candidate depending on the most recent glossy convention - and that three percent will probably end up determining our next President.

Every time I see one of this guy's AP articles, I wonder: doesn't his editors ask him to cover something important in the campaign?

Maybe Associated Press doesn't pay well, why else would Nedra Pickler be a lead political reporter for any campaign?

So it's Charlie Gibson.

I think Obama's strategist allowed himself to be outmaneuvered by McCain's strategist in the immediate post-convention time. Regardless of the quality of the decision, McCain's choice of VP candidate stepped on Obama's buzz after a pretty great convention. Unfortunately, Obama's folks didn't have anything similar to release last Friday. A big surprise endorsement could have been the ticket, but alas, none were forthcoming.

On the other hand, the conventions will be pretty much forgotten after the debates. But it would have been useful to hollow out the Republican energy after their convention.

Some Republicans are so... subtle.

It's the press. They run the Republican strong on defense narrative without critical analysis. Seriously, with the Republicans in charge, is our defense stronger now than 8 years ago? If so, tell us how, and look at the whole glass, not just to the level the water goes up to.

It's easy to say "Republicans took the fight to the terrorists" but it's much more difficult to say whether they've done it in a wise or effective way. Using something stupidly doesn't make you strong.

We're going there a week from today.

That the Anchorage Daily News would become a must-read for bloggers in this election?

Last month PennDOT announced the new web site of The Keystone Line Amtrak website with some good press. It is a nice looking site, however...

I just think it's POOR not to provide pricing on the site. I know there's a lot of variables, but airlines do it, bus services do it, why not here?

And it really doesn't have to be that way - because the Amtrak site DOES provide fare - and reservation - information. So... why not use to fares with that reference?

When it comes down to it, this site is brochure ware, which is okay, but only if used in conjunction with other marketing programs. It is not a standalone, and frankly, if promoted as such it will frustrate consumers as much as benefit them.

I don't plan to take any such photos.

Beyond belief, it's starting to become fashionable to visit places for the enjoyment of watching the local menfolk brandish deadly weapons. In Italy, soldiers in body armor were recently deployed to stand vigil around potential terrorist sites. The Financial Times reports that in Rome, where a thousand of them appeared this summer, patrolmen quickly became tourist fodder in their own right.

Have you been there?

It was only a matter of time.

I think so. Know why? Last week was the last week of summer, this week is the first real week of school around the country. Know what happens this week? Parents are home, parents control the later evening television.

Interesting site, moves fast.

Actually, I will disagree with Josh Marshall, I thought McCain's presentation was pretty darn good, and he'll get a bump, and the race may be tied by early next week.

The problem with the speech, however, is that in the process of trying to elevate the man, it indicts the party. Yes, it sugarcoats it, but the fact that it happened at all - and that for McCain to have any chance, it HAD to happen - leaves voters with the following choice:

Change Washington with a guy who's been there for decades, and with a political party brimming with people that have been responsible for the past 8 years of failure to follow their philosophy, which was tacitly acknowledged by McCain last night; or

Change Washington with a guy who's relatively new, with a political party that has been mostly out of power for the past 8 years and with philosophies that have been largely ignored by the Republicans for most of that time.

If a change is what is desired, then it really leaves voters with only one option. That realization will probably be coming home to voters in the next two months.

One other thing that struck me last night - we have two different kinds of pronoun candidates. McCain is an "I" and "you" guy. If you look at his speech, the use of the word "I" jumps out even for a campaign speech.

Obama is a "we" and "our" guy.

I think there's something very important there. If change is to occur in our national policies, I don't believe that an "I" can do it - can't change the environment, can't win against the dollars.

The President will need people power, and know how to build it and how to use it.

A President needs a "we".

Both kids are now registered in the Cumberland Valley Youth Basketball Association. Evaluations are in late October, practices start pretty soon after that. Basketball season around our house is a very busy time, but a fun time - I really enjoy it.

Now that we have two kids in this league, I've had to make a decision, and this year I'll coach our oldest and assistant coach the youngest. Games and practices will conflict and the head coach really should be there unless of an emergency - that's the commitment you make to the kids on the team, and their parents.

The sad part of that is that this is likely to be my last year of head coaching hoops for the oldest. She and I have already discussed it, and the three of us (including the youngest) are in agreement - next year she'll need a different coach, hopefully someone who can bring coaching and kid talents to the table that I don't, and I'll head coach his team as well.

Has a point. Where are Joe Biden's medical records?

But the 9/1 through 9/3 results show Obama still holding a 49-42 lead.

Sarah Palin and the Republicans put community organizers on the Technorati map, albeit in a belittling way.

I trust that some major media outlet will report how many mentions of the torture McCain received as a POW have been made on the stage of the Republican National Convention after it ends tonight. It has to be in double figures, at least.

I don't think that photo is of them, but when you read their front page...

GOVERNOR PALIN "ROCKS THE NATION"!

Citizens of Wasilla, the Mat-Su Valley and the great state of Alaska can be proud of Governor Sarah Palin as she joins Presidential hopeful Senator John McCain as the Vice President candidate. Political party’s aside, this is an amazing opportunity for Alaskans to show the world that the Gread Land abounds with creativity & American pride. Alaska...the last frontier is also a state rich in natural resources, dynamic tourism, pristine beauty with a population of business savvy entrepreneurs. The GWCC/CVB Board members and staff will continue to provide our members and community the best service possible toward our mutual success. Palin rocks! Business rocks! The Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and Convention/Visitor Bureau rocks!

Well put.

The mockery went too far. They played the “Obama doesn’t love America, just himself” card, over and over and over. For people already inclined to believe that (i.e., the hardcore Republican base), the speech was a smashing success. Maybe they will work a little harder, volunteer a few more hours, dig a little deeper into their pockets. But so will partisan Dems, who are far more plugged into watching the election coverage.

So my reaction: St. Paul loved this speech… and so did Chicago. Palin swung for the fences, mocking the very notion of community organizing. So did Giuliani. This was the day after “Service” was the theme, and Republicans fell all over themselves praising their party’s commitment to give back to the community. Jarring.

Sarah Palin, the desire of conservative bloggers and right wing radio, gave a refreshingly honest speech last night.

No, the content wasn't honest. No, too many of the statements weren't true or were downright falsehoods.

But still, it was honest. She showed Americans who she was, and who her base wants. It was honest about what the "young Republicans" bring to America:

Misrepresentations
Snark and Mockery
Repetition
"Culture War"
Cynicism

I guess we'll see if that's really what America wants: "Snark and Mockery '08".

Ingredients:

6 gallons of John McCain was a tortured POW.
6 gallons of Barack Obama will raise your taxes.
6 gallons of Mock Obama and Democrats for pure sport.
1 gallon of Mavericky Maverick Maverick juice.

Combine ingredients then add a dash of daddy worship and fear of foreigners. Bottle in gallon jugs. Liberally coat the mouth of the jug with salt from tears from stories of John McCain's torture, then chug.

Courtesy of Talking Points Memo.

Where some see contemporary Christian music as evil.

There is a great evil within many modern churches today in the music they actively promote.

That this is a new development can easily be identified by looking back even 50 years ago, where we find the majority of churches still singing out of hymnals to the accompaniment of piano and organ. Today, however, they have traded in their instruments for a base guitar and drums, and now sing and sway to so-called praise songs somehow projected on the wall behind performers they call worship leaders.

This is part of what is now called contemporary Christian music, and is called such because it is a break from the past. Traditional Christian music is no longer in style — it’s too old and stale, like a moldy piece of bread, to suit their tastes. Instead of what stirs the soul, this music clamors for what gratifies the flesh. Instead of heartfelt conviction, these churches demand that which will soothe their guilty consciences.

Now, that this is evil is without a doubt to those who are thinking individuals. Though its proponents parrot old arguments, they only further the observation that they are addicted to a herd mentality, oblivious to the cliff that lies before them. It is all too telling that they cannot find scriptural authority for their preferences.

Although I could offer several biblical reasons against contemporary Christian music (CCM), only two issues need be honestly considered by Christianity at large today: dishonesty and compromise. Forget about the issue of rebellion, the secret motivations of those who want to do their own thing and break from the past. And we can forget about those who serve as their predecessors, who also broke free of their own pasts, such as Lucifer, Adam and Eve, as well as Cain, the first murderer. We will not even consider their contempt for Bible doctrine and their assertion that there is only one that is important, all the rest being optional.

Bristol Palin's baby daddy is headed to the big party in Minneapolis!

What happened to leave the kids out of the national politics and respect their privacy? I guess they are there as role models for teenagers trying to ruin their lives.

We should start believing these Republicans that are saying that Palin has greater qualifications than Obama. I don't mean to say that we should believe it is true in how they frame it.

I mean we should believe that THEY believe it. Which really goes back to their judgement, doesn't it?

As promised.

Well, I guess this is why I can't successfully order our train tickets in Italy online. Not such an interconnected world after all...

I am surprised. Apparently I am one of the few bloggers carrying the day for the vast majority of human beings that can't stand eggplant. Science has shown that over 98% of the human population have an enzymatic reaction to eggplant which can cause, among other things, nasal mucus glow and the feared rectal thud syndrome. But I did manage to find a few bloggers brave enough to battle against the Unified Eggplant Syndicate.

I think I'm going to get this underwear

I'm watching the Republican Convention on CNN, and Bush just spoke. No real insight about that, it was horrible as I expected, but I do think that CNN should move their microphones away from the guy in the crowd imitating Barney from The Simpsons. A few of his drun