The Pontification Station

2007-04-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

This doesn't particularly need any introduction. Basically, in case you needed any further proof that the represenatatives who write gun bans really just don't know what they're talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospNRk2uM3U

2007-03-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

All bow and worship at the altar of the First Amendment....

It sickens me that we have to fight tooth and nail year after year for the right to keep weapons, which is explicitly constitutional, while this filth, which I would argue the constitution was NEVER intended to protect, has its most vehement vanguards among those who attack our rights to bear arms......

This is absurd, to borrow Ben's phrase.

Seattle-Area Pedophile Has 'How-to' Web Site for Men Seeking Little Girl Activities
Friday, March 30, 2007

SEATTLE — A Web site created by a pedophile is a virtual "how-to" manual, complete with the best places in western Washington state to see little girls, and tips on how to avoid getting caught by the police.
The site, titled "Seattle-Tacoma-Everett Girl Love," has been around for a few years. The police know all about it, yet they say they can't shut it down because the site is legal.
"As disturbing and offensive as we find this, there's no evidence of a crime, or even suspicion of illegal activity," said Rebecca Hover of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department.
The man who runs it, 45-year-old Jack McClellan, has never been convicted of a sex crime, which means he can attend any family-friendly events where children are present, and take all the pictures he wants for his Web site. He also lives close to a school bus stop.
McClellan says his purpose is to promote association, friendship and legal, consensual hugging and cuddling between men and pre-pubescent girls. He admitted to FOX News that his "age of attraction" is between 3 and 11 years old.
"I guess the main thing is I just think they're cute, a lot cuter than women. I admit there is kind of an erotic arousal there," McClellan said.
"It makes me happy simply. Like I said, I think girls are cute, beautiful, just children in general make me happy ... being around lots of them. ... I'm doing what anyone else would do with a hobby. If someone's into birds they're taking pictures of birds. I'm convinced that none of these images are illegal."
McClellan wants to bring pedophiles out of the closet and give them a way to get some relief, by going out and being around little girls. He suggests a number of places, such as plays at elementary schools, parks, swimming pools and libraries.
"I really think a lot of this pedophilia hysteria is overblown. I think there are a lot of people like me. They have the attraction but they're not going to do anything physical because of the laws. It just makes me happy to attend these events."
McClellan said that for pedophiles, just being around children is almost like a "legal high" that makes them happy.
But "I can understand the fear," he added. "I hope that what I'm doing is setting myself up as an example that it is possible to have these attractions and not be out of control."
But he said while it's OK to look, it's not OK to touch, given the many state laws in place to protect children against that.
"I know it sounds kind of crazy, but there's kind of a code of ethics that these pedophiles have developed and what it is ... the contact has to be completely consensual, no coercion, if you're going to do it," McClellan said.
Parents are understandably outraged. FOX News spoke to the mother of an 8-year-old girl whose picture appeared on the Web site. The picture was taken at a dance recital.
"I needed to get those pictures off of there. I didn't want the pedophile community having any visibility to my daughter or her friends or any of the children that were on that site," said parent Ann Cialoa. "Whether it's a physical threat, a perceived threat, whatever threat it is. It's our jobs as parents to protect our kids from threats, and he is a threat, and people like him are a threat."
Some legal experts have said the best course of action for parents who see their kids' pictures on sites like these, is to get a temporary restraining order against McClellan and demand that his Web site be taken down.
"You have one in your face and you can't do anything about it because there's not a law to protect them from that," Cialoa said. "It's scary, and the fact that we're going to wait around for him to violate before we do something."
Neighbors of McClellan's say there's a man who rides his bike around town at night and peeps into others' windows. They believe that may be McClellan.
"You'll notice that every single person in this neighborhood has very large attack dogs," said neighbor Melissa Henry.
The Web site was taken down by the Internet service provider after FOX News called the company about it this week. The company is investigating whether any material on the site is illegal.
At least one area school has sent McClellan a letter saying if he comes onto school property or attends their functions, they will consider it trespassing and will have him arrested.
Police and prosecutors are watching him closely to see if he crosses the line. A handful of state legislators are looking at drafting a new law to deal with such Web sites. But until they do, McClellan is free to continue pushing pedophilia.

2007-03-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Famous last words:

I'll get a world record for this.

It's fireproof.

He's probably just hibernating.

I'm making a citizen's arrest.

So, you're a cannibal.

Are you sure the power is off?

Yeah, I made the deciding vote on the jury, so what of it?

I've seen this done on TV.

These are the good kind of mushrooms.

Let it down slowly.

Rat poison only kills rats.

Just take whatever you want, this is a ghost town.

It's strong enough for both of us.

This doesn't taste right.

Nice doggie.

I've done this before.

Well, we've made it this far.

That's odd.

Don't be so superstitious.

2007-03-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Well, this is good news....

Ben and Micah, you'll like this.

This decision from the DC circuit court of Appeals has been a long time coming, and hopefully the en banc panel will uphold it if it is appealed there or the Supreme Court if it gets appealed there. We shall see.

http://howappealing.law.com/030907.html#023153

BREAKING NEWS -- Divided three-judge D.C. Circuit panel holds that the District of Columbia's gun control laws violate individuals' Second Amendment rights: You can access today's lengthy D.C. Circuit ruling at this link.

According to the majority opinion, "[T]he phrase 'the right of the people,' when read intratextually and in light of Supreme Court precedent, leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual." The majority opinion sums up its holding on this point as follows:

To summarize, we conclude that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government (or a threat from abroad). In addition, the right to keep and bear arms had the important and salutary civic purpose of helping to preserve the citizen militia. The civic purpose was also a political expedient for the Federalists in the First Congress as it served, in part, to placate their Antifederalist opponents. The individual right facilitated militia service by ensuring that citizens would not be barred from keeping the arms they would need when called forth for militia duty. Despite the importance of the Second Amendment's civic purpose, however, the activities it protects are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued or intermittent enrollment in the militia.

The majority opinion also rejects the argument that the Second Amendment does not apply to the District of Columbia because it is not a State. And the majority opinion concludes, "Section 7-2507.02, like the bar on carrying a pistol within the home, amounts to a complete prohibition on the lawful use of handguns for self-defense. As such, we hold it unconstitutional."

Senior Circuit Judge Laurence H. Silberman wrote the majority opinion, in which Circuit Judge Thomas B. Griffith joined. Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson dissented.

Judge Henderson's dissenting opinion makes clear that she would conclude that the Second Amendment does not bestow an individual right based on what she considers to be binding U.S. Supreme Court precedent requiring that result. But her other main point is that the majority's assertion to the contrary constitutes nothing more than dicta because the Second Amendment's protections, whatever they entail, do not extend to the District of Columbia, because it is not a State.

This is a fascinating and groundbreaking ruling that would appear to be a likely candidate for U.S. Supreme Court review if not overturned first by the en banc D.C. Circuit.

2007-03-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is something I came across today. Good stuff, kinda makes the 9/11 conspiracy theory folks look a little silly...

Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007

We’ve all heard the “official conspiracy theory” of the Death Star attack. We all know about Luke Skywalker and his ragtag bunch of rebels, how they mounted a foolhardy attack on the most powerful, well-defended battle station ever built. And we’ve all seen the video over, and over, and over, of the one-in-a-million shot that resulted in a massive chain reaction that not just damaged, but completely obliterated that massive technological wonder.

Like many Americans, I was fed this story when I was growing up. But as I watched the video, I began to realize that all was not as it seemed. And the more I questioned the official story, the deeper into the rabbit hole I went.

Presented here are some of the results of my soul-searching regarding this painful event. Like many citizens, I have many questions that I would like answered: was the mighty Imperial government really too incompetent to prevent a handful of untrained nerf-herders from destroying one of their most prized assets? Or are they hiding something from us? Who was really behind the attack? Why did they want the Death Star destroyed? No matter what the answers, we have a problem.

Below is a summary of my book, Uncomfortable Questions: An Analysis of the Death Star Attack, which presents compelling evidence that we all may be the victims of a fraud of immense proportions.

Uncomfortable Questions about the Death Star Attack

1) Why were a handful of rebel fighters able to penetrate the defenses of a battle station that had the capability of destroying an entire planet and the defenses to ward off several fleets of battle ships?

2) Why did Grand Moff Tarkin refuse to deploy the station’s large fleet of TIE Fighters until it was too late? Was he acting on orders from somebody to not shoot down the rebel attack force? If so, who, and why?

3) Why was the rebel pilot who supposedly destroyed the Death Star reported to be on the Death Star days, maybe hours, prior to its destruction? Why was he allowed to escape, and why were several individuals dressed in Stormtrooper uniforms seen helping him?

4) Why has there not been an investigation into allegations that Darth Vader, the second-ranking member of the Imperial Government, is in fact the father of the pilot who allegedly destroyed the Death Star?

5) Why did Lord Vader decide to break all protocols and personally pilot a lightly armored TIE Fighter? Conveniently, this placed Lord Vader outside of the Death Star when it was destroyed, where he was also conveniently able to escape from a large-sized rebel fleet that had just routed the Imperial forces. Why would Lord Vader, one of the highest ranking members of the Imperial Government, suddenly decide to fly away from the Death Star in the middle of a battle? Did he know something that the rest of the Imperial Navy didn’t?Emperor Palpatine fails to act after being informed of the attack

6) How could any pilot shoot a missile into a 2 meter-wide exhaust port, let alone a pilot with no formal training, whose only claim to fame was his ability to “bullseye womprats” on Tatooine? This shot, according to one pilot, would be “impossible, even for a computer.” Yet, according to additional evidence, the pilot who allegedly fired the missile turned off his targeting computer when he was supposedly firing the shot that destroyed the Death Star. Why have these discrepancies never been investigated, let alone explained?

7) Why has their been no investigation into evidence that the droids who provided the rebels with the Death Star plans were once owned by none other than Lord Vader himself, and were found, conveniently, by the pilot who destroyed the Death Star, and who is also believed to be Lord Vader’s son? Evidence also shows that the droids were brought to one Ben Kenobi, who, records indicate, was Darth Vader’s teacher many years earlier! Are all these personal connections between the conspirators and a key figure in the Imperial government supposed to be coincidences?

8) How could a single missile destroy a battle station the size of a moon? No records, anywhere, show that any battle station or capital ship has ever been destroyed by a single missile. Furthermore, analysis of the tape of the last moments of the Death Star show numerous small explosions along its surface, prior to it exploding completely! Why does all evidence indicate that strategically placed explosives, not a single missile, is what destroyed the Death Star?

Source: http://www.digg.com/politics/Uncomfortable_Questions_Was_the_Death_Star_Destruction_an_Inside_Job

2007-02-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Once again, English is insufficient....

Woman Becomes Quadruple Amputee After Giving Birth
POSTED: 5:59 pm EST January 19, 2006
UPDATED: 4:06 pm EST January 20, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Sanford mother says she will never be able to hold her newborn because an Orlando hospital performed a life-altering surgery and, she claims, the hospital refuses to explain why they left her as a multiple amputee.

The woman filed a complaint against Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems, she said, because they won't tell her exactly what happened. The hospital maintains the woman wants to know information that would violate other patients' rights.

Claudia Mejia gave birth eight and a half months ago at Orlando Regional South Seminole. She was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando where her arms and legs were amputated. She was told she had streptococcus, a flesh eating bacteria, and toxic shock syndrome, but no further explanation was given.

The hospital, in a letter, wrote that if she wanted to find out exactly what happened, she would have to sue them.

"I want to know what happened. I went to deliver my baby and I came out like this," Mejia said. Mejia said after she gave birth to Mathew last spring, she was kept in the hospital with complications. Twelve days after giving birth at Orlando Regional South Seminole hospital, she was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she became a quadruple amputee. Now she can not care for or hold her baby.

"Yeah, I want to pick him up. He wants me to pick him up. I can't. I want to, but I can't," she said. "Woke up from surgery and I had no arms and no legs. No one told me anything. My arms and legs were just gone."

Her 7-year-old son, Jorge, asks his mother over and over what happened to her. Neither she nor her husband has the answer.

"I love her, so I'll always stick with her and take it a day at a time myself," said her husband, Tim Edwards.

The couple wants to know how she caught streptococcus, during labor or after. She doesn't know. She knows she didn't leave the hospital the same.

"And why, I want to know why this happened," she said.

Her attorney, Judy Hyman wrote ORHS a letter saying, according to the Florida statute, "The Patients Right To Know About Adverse Medical Incidents Act," the hospital must give her the records.

"When the statute is named 'Patients Right To Know,' I don't know how it could be clearer," Hyman said.

The hospital's lawyers wrote back, "Ms. Mejia's request may require legal resolution." In other words, according to their interpretation of the law, Mejia has to sue them to get information about herself.

That's the sticking point, the interpretation of the Patients Right To Know act, a constitutional amendment Florida voters passed a little more than a year ago.

Mejia's other attorney, E. Clay Parker, said the hospital is not following the law
"We were forced to file this and ask a judge to interpret the constitutional amendment and do right," Parker said.

Mejia hopes the right thing is done. She said not knowing exactly why it happened is unbearable. She only hopes she'll be able to soon answer her little boy's question, 'What happened?'
"He told me everyday, 'What happened,' and I don't have any answers for that," she said.

ORMC said Mejia is requesting information on if there were other patients or someone on her floor with the streptococcus. They said, if they release that to her, that would be a violation of other patients' rights.

Original:
http://www.wftv.com/news/6253589/detail.html

2007-02-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

THIS ought to be interesting....

to the original story: http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_020507WABinitiative957SW.546c6a4d.html

-->OLYMPIA, Wash. - An initiative filed by proponents of same-sex marriage would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriage annulled.
Initiative 957 was filed by the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance. That group was formed last summer after the state Supreme Court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage.
Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance
Under the initiative, marriage would be limited to men and women who are able to have children. Couples would be required to prove they can have children in order to get a marriage license, and if they did not have children within three years, their marriage would be subject to annulment.
All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized" and people in those marriages would be ineligible to receive any marriage benefits.
“For many years, social conservatives have claimed that marriage exists solely for the purpose of procreation ... The time has come for these conservatives to be dosed with their own medicine," said WA-DOMA organizer Gregory Gadow in a printed statement. “If same-sex couples should be barred from marriage because they can not have children together, it follows that all couples who cannot or will not have children together should equally be barred from marriage."
Supporters must gather more than 224,000 valid signatures by July 6 to put the initiative on the November ballot.
Opponents say the measure is another attack on traditional marriage, but supporters say the move is needed to have a discussion on the high court ruling.

2006-11-16T04:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/red/red_player.html?id=331&link=RED

2006-11-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

Whatever.

Today's class for mental wanderings was CHOW. cultural Heritage of the West, wherein we read the classics of western poetry, epics, philosophy, argumantation, theology, etc.

Whatever.

As usual, my mind began to wander.

As usual, I tuned back in just in time to hear something that made no sense divorced from its context.

As my mind returned, the professor was explaining the differences between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines.

Whatever.

With no hope of being entertained, I returned to my own thoughts. As it turns out, though, entertainments was to be had.

Few things are more ineteresting than a philospohy professor illuatrating Dante's Inferno on a chalkboard.

Whatever.

2006-10-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

Slacking pays off after all.....

As some of you know, I missed last week's race (on one of my favorite courses) for a wedding. It seems that I get better press when I don't show up.... I should do this more often.

http://athletics.covenant.edu/?module=displaystory&story_id=498&format=html

2006-10-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

And the status is.....

I've known for a while that our XC team is falling apart, with injuries and the like. I thought about it person by person today, and the official rundown is as such:

#1. Patrick: He's in good shape and ready for regionals.

#2. Enoch: Missing the race for a family wedding

#3 Matt: Twisted his ankle and sprained ligaments in his foot yesterday during a trail run. On crutches for at least 2-3 days

#4 Jake: Calf and hamstring problems have kept him out of practice for about 2 weeks now.

#5 Me: Doing OK.

#6 Zach: Seems well.

#7 David: Physically OK; motivation seems to be touch and go at times.

#8 Daniel: Stress fractures or close to it in his lower tibia

The Girls:

#1 Lucy: Good as far as I can tell.

#2 (previously #1) Jessie: Hip and IT band hurting; has been out of practice for 1 1/2 weeks

#3 Margaret: OK I think.

#4 Audrey: Rolled her ankle on the same trail run as Matt yesterday; foot in a brace

#5 Ruth: Stepped on a rock that broke one of the bones in her foot; ran two more practices and a race before getting it checked; now no running for 6-8 weeks

#6-8 Ashley, Bethany and Rebekah: Seem fine

So there it is. We certainly won't, as Patrick put it, "be seeing all of our squad on their A-game this year." The NAIA Regional Championship is one week from today; be sure to look for it on ESPN.

OK, it won't really be on ESPN.

2006-10-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

From the "Odd but Interesting" files....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15447465/

2006-10-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

40 reasons to ban guns.....

1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, & Chicago cops need guns.

2. Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis' high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.

3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun control are "just statistics."

4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates, which have been declining since 1991.

5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.

6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals.

7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you.

8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.

9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up no defense - give them what they want, or run" (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don't Die - People Do, 1981, p. 125).

10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart surgery.

11. One should consult an automotive engineer for safer seat belts, a civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon for internal medicine, a computer programmer for hard drive problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms expertise.

12. The 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, refers to the National Guard, which was created 130 years later, in 1917.

13. The National Guard, federally funded, with bases on federal land, using federally-owned weapons, vehicles, buildings and uniforms, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a "state" militia.

14. These phrases: "right of the people peaceably to assemble," "right of the people to be secure in their homes," "enumerations herein of certain rights shall not be construed to disparage others retained by the people," and "The powers not delegated herein are reserved to the states respectively, and to the people" all refer to individuals, but "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" refers to the state.

15. "The Constitution is strong and will never change." But we should ban and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments to that Constitution.

16. Rifles and handguns aren't necessary to national defense! Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them.

17. Private citizens shouldn't have handguns, because they aren't "military weapons'', but private citizens shouldn't have "assault rifles'', because they are military weapons.

18. In spite of waiting periods, background checks, fingerprinting, government forms, etc., guns today are too readily available, which is responsible for recent school shootings. In the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's, anyone could buy guns at hardware stores, army surplus stores, gas stations, variety stores, Sears mail order, no waiting, no background check, no fingerprints, no government forms and there were no school shootings.

19. The NRA's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign about kids handling guns is propaganda, but the anti-gun lobby's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign is responsible social activity.

20. Guns are so complex that special training is necessary to use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy.

21. A handgun, with up to 4 controls, is far too complex for the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an automobile that only has 20.

22. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men but a woman with a gun is "an accident waiting to happen" and gun makers' advertisements aimed at women are "preying on their fears."

23. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into slaughtering butchers but revert to normal when the weapon is removed.

24. Guns cause violence, which is why there are so many mass killings at gun shows.

25. A majority of the population supports gun control, just like a majority of the population supported owning slaves.

26. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered to be a "weapon of mass destruction" or an "assault weapon."

27. Most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against guns, which most people will abide by because they can be trusted.

28. The right of Internet pornographers to exist cannot be questioned because it is constitutionally protected by the Bill of Rights, but the use of handguns for self defense is not really protected by the Bill of Rights.

29. Free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters, computers, and typewriters, but self- defense only justifies bare hands.

30. The ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts of the Constitution.

31. Charlton Heston, a movie actor as president of the NRA is a cheap lunatic who should be ignored, but Michael Douglas, a movie actor as a representative of Handgun Control, Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the UN arms control summit.

32. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why they need larger capacity pistol magazines than do "civilians" who must face criminals alone and therefore need less ammunition.

33. We should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other inexpensive guns because it's not fair that poor people have access to guns too.

34. Police officers have some special Jedi-like mastery over handguns that private citizens can never hope to obtain.

35. Private citizens don't need a gun for self- protection because the police are there to protect them even though the Supreme Court says the police are not responsible for their protection.

36. Citizens don't need to carry a gun for personal protection but police chiefs, who are desk-bound administrators who work in a building filled with cops, need a gun.

37. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.

38. When Microsoft pressures its distributors to give Microsoft preferential promotion, that's bad; but when the Federal government pressures cities to buy guns only from Smith & Wesson, that's good.

39. Trigger locks do not interfere with the ability to use a gun for defensive purposes, which is why you see police officers with one on their duty weapon.

40. Handgun Control, Inc., says they want to "keep guns out of the wrong hands." Guess what? You have the wrong hands.

2006-10-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

We come from the Mountain....

Tomorrow is the Mountain Top Classic, in which we will face 7 other XC teams, including our arch-rivals, who we have yet to beat this year. We beat them consistently last year; since then they added 5 fast runners.

The pressure is on, and I'm going to bed.

2006-10-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

To those who may or may not care....

This is a public service announcement.

American History pre-1877 (at least the first half of the course) and Europe's Renaissance and Reformation (at least the Renaissance half of the course) happened in fairly similar time periods, and involved almost the exact same countries.

One should not take both classes simultaneously and expect to not become confused on at least one of the tests.

That is all.

2006-09-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Twenty-nine.

Seventeen.

2006-09-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing I wasn't on the road......

So Covenant made a rule last week that Cross country runners are no longer allowed to run on the roads because we might get hit by cars, the college might get sued, etc., etc., etc.

In light of this, I was not thrilled to do a 70 minute slow run on 2 miles of trails, so three of us set off for sunset rock on the bluff trail. The bluff trail is the rather treacherous 4 mile stretch of 2 foot wide rock strewn trail with cliffs on one side and a 150 foot drop on the other.

Normally we run to SS rock and then run back on the roads. But no more.

So yesterday, the three of us who did this run were on our way back, perhaps 1/4 of a mile after we left sunset rock, and I fell. I fell good.

I stepped on one of those jutting rocks with my right foot, which immediately caused my right ankle to decide that this was not going to work. My ankle gave out, and I fell headlong downhill and landed on the side of my left knee, and slid. I stood up with a significant amount of drama, making sure the other two guys felt sufficiently sorry for me and would be sufficiently impressed when I continued the run. The choices were these: 1) Go back to SS rock, up to the road, and wait for one of them to run back to the school and bring a car for me, or 2) run back on the trail and risk it. So I did the latter, and frankly, it helped my knee feel a little better. On the way back, I made sure to ask the guys leading questions that would ensure their stories made me out to have survived something terrible.

Well, we got back to school without further incident and I went to the Athletic training room for a cursory examination to make sure that nothing was too terribly messed up.

As the trainer started to examine my knee and leg (something that had not been done in quite a while) she was pressing my kneecap, feeling the tendons and cartilage therein.

The part that bothers me the most, I think, is the word she used to describe the cartilage in my knee.

She said "Crunchy."

I'm not sure I like the sound of that at all.

Then she was pressing under the bone all the way down my shin and said "Tell me if anything hurts." OK, yeah, whatever, I always hear that, and it never does, so I looked away and my mind started to wander. Remember how I said it never does? Well, this time, it did. Apparently I made quite the reaction when she felt the inside of my left shin just above the ankle. (Hope, Katie, and Amanda, that's the medial side inferior of the tibia, proximal to the tarsals, distal to the patella)

Her response: "Wow, I didn't expect you to go through the roof."

The diagnosis: A banged up knee with possible messed up ligaments (I'm on my way there now for further examination), a "crunchy" kneecap, and stress fractures waiting to happen in my lower leg.

Yep, I sure am glad they're looking our for our safety by confining us to the trails. Somebody could get hurt.

2006-09-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

It was an Earl Grey and Galatians kind of night.....

Good night dear friends, for I go to bed soon. In the past 5 hours, I have read approximately 130 pages on ethics and the Gospel of John, drank 1 cup of strong black tea, and had a 30-minute interlude to read articles on Biblical justification of using deadly force in self defense. Yes, I had an argument with Hope last night.

But before I go to bed, I need to re-read my Galatians memorization assignment for small group tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30.

Good night.

2006-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

In R&R yesterday....

Yesterday, I was in my Renaissance & Reformation class (the one where I have the most trouble focusing), and the lecture was going something like this.....

Prof: And humanism can has been defined by our author in three different ways.....

Me: Humanism? who cares? Oh, right, Renaissance ideas. Man, I wish I could focus. I need to stay awake. Hmmm...... practice today is going to be hard in this weather. Nah, it'll be fun. Dang it. Gotta focus. Gotta stay awake.

Prof: Now I'm wondering who has been paying attention, and will notice a striking similarity between this definition of humanism and the......

Me: I hope he doesn't call on me. I wasn't paying attention. He'll know it. Maybe I would pay better attention if I actually did the reading before class. Hmmm......well maybe if I just read the documents. Wait, maybe if I wrote his third definition in German. Yeah! that's it! I'll take my notes in German, and then I'll have to focus. OK, the third definition of humanism, when he gets to it, I will write in German. OK, time to tune back in......

Prof: .....the militantly anthropocentric and frequently irreligious ideology of the 20th century.....

Me: Well, let's see.......the, and, of, the, 20th..... that's pretty much all the German I know from that sentence. OK, so the marathon world record is 2:05:14. Geez, that guy was cruising. That averages......(does some figuring) less than 4:45 per mile! Wow......

2006-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

It grows closer....

Today's race was a nice course, but the first mile was unfortunately a combination of flat and slightly downhill, sedusing runners to go far too fast. My first mile was 5:36, to give you an indication.

The rest of the course was flat and rolling hills, my overall time was 30:11. My goal of 29:59 draws nigh.....

Take care folks.

2006-09-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

Weekend update.

Good weekened.

First race of the season, and I ran a personal best of 30:34, good for 5th place on the team. We took 10th of 15, but 1st of the teams in our division that were there.

Katie and Amanda came up, much to my surprise, and we all had a good time together with Annie, Hope, Joben, Katz, Ben, and company.

We celebrated Rachelle's birthday with some of her friends at Panera in Chatt-town.

I talked to Micah (again), and we figured out (again) how to save the world (northeastern Africa).

So much for getting schoolwork done......

2006-08-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Idle hands.....

Micah, you are not allowed to watch this. OK, fine, but don't try it. OK, fine, but don't tell that I gave you the idea. All others, enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gagUnGXqbqs&mode=related&search=

2006-08-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Not to incite anger like my last few posts...

This is a really good tribute to fallen Marines. Might want to have the Kleenex on standby for this one.

http://www.pcsuccess.us/yrg/farewell.html

2006-08-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, at least Judge Lay's dissent is good.....

http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/news.asp?ID=1296&m=print

2006-08-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, I agree with this guy on CNN.... "It's a mind-boggling concept"

www.americanpatrol.com/WMV/050609-Dobbs-CFR-56K.wmv

2006-08-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Words fail me.

If you have any doubt about who your enemies are, simply take a look at who their friends are.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-18T122316Z_01_BUL830429_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-MILITANTS-DOCUMENTARY.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2

2006-08-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Last post for the day, I promise.

Ben came up to Covenant tonight, which was the first time I had seen him since the middle of July. We sat in our room and looked at pictures from England, Ireland, and Scotland. We discussed girls and different school-related things. We went to Wal-Mart and shared a bag of Lay's Kettle cooked potato chips and a couple of Cokes. Then we came back and discussed some more deep meaningful things.

Then we got bored with that nonsense and went into the room across the suite from ours. Of the freshmen living there, one has already moved in but is on a camping trip for select new students, and the other two arrive Friday. For those of you keeping score, that is three people in their two person room. So being the helpful, welcoming people that Ben and I tend to be, we decided to make the room more welcoming and homey (read: spacious) for their comfort.

First off, the beds. Three beds scattered all about the room simply would not do. So we triple bunked them. The one that was already made was OF COURSE in the middle. The dressers were next. One of them is now in a closet and the other two are out of the way in a corner. The room has so much more space now! I hope these young men feel very welcomed to college and to the hall. I also hope the RA doesn't see it before Friday.

2006-08-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Drug in from the internet today....

Moderately entertaining, if a bit hypnotizing:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=55YYaJIrmzo&mode=related&search=

Along the same lines:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LYLwL5W3kp4&mode=related&search=

2006-08-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Semi-daily or something of the sort....

Update 8/16/06

I ran today.

Then I registered for classes.

Then I ran again.

The end.

2006-08-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Once again, Coulter tells it like it is.

http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=139

2006-08-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

In the interest of posting semi-daily....

Not that I feel compelled to do so, nor have I found anything of interest to share with you, but here is the update, for those who know me and care. If you know me and don't care, then you can probably find something better to do with your time; what follows will not be esrth-shattering. If you don't know me, then it is impossible for you to care, so you should probably move on too. If you don't know me and do care, then you're kinda creeping me out a little and should probably go away too.

Update 8/15/06.

I have been back at college for about a day and a half. As a CC team, thus far we have run twice and gone on a hike. And we have sat around and done nothing. I am now of the opinion that college would indeed be far more enjoyable if not for roommates, other students, classes, papers, and tons of other events.

I'm staying moderately injury free, the only exception being my IT band, an injury I've been nursing for almost a year now, and which will apparently never really go away. Alas.

I certainly got spoiled over the summer running at night. Running in the heat and humidity is taking its toll; as of this morning I had lost 6 pounds since I got here. Certainly most of that is just from sweating.

I thought the 2x daily runs began today but we hiked all afternoon instead. Tomorrow for sure.

Good news: Our cross country coach is almost 6 months pregnant, and today she agreed to let us name her child if we qualified for nationals. The thought scared me so much that I stipulated that it would be the child's middle name. She quickly agreed, as she and her husband have first names selected already. So now we're motivated.

Alright, that's two posts in 24 hours, I'm waiting, Micah, Hope, and.....ummm......flowerchild.

2006-08-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

I do now confess it; ye do now bear witness.

I was wrong.

Hope A. Lewis was right.

There is no middle ground, no give and take, no “we were both right.” There is but her pure, unadulterated rightness, and my vile, filthy wrong assertions.

I did not state the facts correctly. Worse than that, I stated facts that simply were not in any way able to be twisted into that which might be considered by even some to be truth. No truth could be found in them, and had I said the same thing with my current knowledge, I would be a liar of the worst sort.

Hope, however, stated perfectly and succinctly what is, what was, and what always has been. Her honesty is surpassed only by her knowledge of the situation.

Here it is, for all of you to see, acknowledge, bear witness to, and rub my face in:

THERE IS A DOOR BETWEEN SUTHERLAND AND FIVE POINTS.

It is there now. It has been there, according to one who certainly knows (Thomas Prettyman) as long as Five Points has existed as a residence hall.

Hope A. Lewis was right.

I was wrong.

That is all.

2006-08-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I wish my pranking skills were up to par.....

http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/

Well worth your time.

2006-08-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the better videos I've seen recently. LTC Randolph White, commander of the 2nd Batallion of the 58th Infantry, addresses the graduates of the Army's Infantry School at Ft Benning. As far as Colonels go, this guy has some great stuff to say, and I must admit to feeling a bit useless after hearing his comments.....

Katie, if this looks familiar, it's this year's version of the event we went to to see Scott last year.

Micah, if this doesn't look familiar, it's because you didn't come. :-D

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/08/us_army_infantr.html

2006-08-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well....

I must admit, today was a pretty good day overall.

I slept in this morning.

I talked to Katie, and that was a good conversation.

I spoke with Hope, and we are planning something evil.

I conversed with Micah, and we both laughed.

I had a great run in a thunderstorm and that was very exhilerating and refreshing.

God's grace continues to sustain me.

Oh yes and also:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_MCKINNEY?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-08-08-23-26-26

Yep, can't really ask for more.

2006-08-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

If you aren't angry, you aren't paying attention.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51417

Welcome to Americo.

2006-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Warfare and the Hezbollalapolluzah

Some very good insight on modern warfare... of course things were far more civilized when crazed men would meet each other on a huge field and commence hacking. But alas, long gone are those days, and now wars are carried out in the manner we see in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Hope and Micah, I predict an argument in our near future, even though we agree.

Originally stated in this discussion: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=487414 (warning: foul language in other parts of the discussion)

Here is one board member's insight:

There are rules to warfare. Some of the most important rules are that combatants don’t hide behind civilians, disguise themselves as civilians, or attack purely civilian targets. (Hitting a civilian factory that makes plastics used in the production of military hardware is acceptable, bombing a nursery isn’t.) Of course there will be collateral damage, that can’t be helped. But you don’t target civilians.

The reasons you don’t hide behind or disguise yourself as a civilian is that it forces your opponent to attack civilian targets in retaliation. The blood of the civilians is on the hands of the war criminals who used civilians as cover.

Then along comes the concept of “asymmetric warfare.” The theory is simple. Wars are really a battle of willpower, the side that gives up first loses. So you disguise your troops as civilians and use civilians as cover for your operations. Then you target your opponent’s civilian population. This forces them to respond in ways that guarantee plenty of collateral damage and minimal losses to your side.

Then your secret weapon shows up. A liberal (aka idiotic) press shows up to report how your opponent is murdering babies with their attacks. Political pressure forces your opponent to stop his attacks while you continue yours. Eventually your opponent gives up.

Of course this only works when your opponents are decent people who care about civilian casualties. That’s why asymmetric warfare is only (effectively) used against Americans and Israelis and not, say, the Chinese.

The bottom line is this…

What’s happening to Lebanon really sucks, I’m very sorry about it. But the criminals responsible are Hezbollah and their Syrian and Iranian allies. When a little innocent Lebanese baby is killed by an Israeli shell, it might as well have been the Iranian government putting a gun in the baby’s mouth and pulling the trigger.

2006-07-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Propitiation of a Pirate

In the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie, there is a scene in which Johnny Depp's character has been told he must, in 3 days, find 100 "souls" to take his place on a cursed ship crew or spend eternity there himself. The comedic part comes when he is asked if he can live with himself knowing that he sentenced 100 people to this damnation of sorts. He thought for a moment and then shrugged and said "Yes."

We laugh at this because he is portrayed throughout as the pirate who is the epitome of all that we pretend to despise. He is vile, manipulative, sexually crude, self-centered, and dishonest. We laugh because he thinks for a moment before responding, and there is the hope for a brief moment that he will make the decent decision. We laugh because we knew really wouldn't. In the end, he is so self-centered that he would rather give this punishment to 100 others when it is clear that he is the one who deserves it.

He is as I am.

When we were watching the movie, at this particular point, I leaned over and tried to whisper something to Micah to indicate that I had a profound thought on the subject, but the movie went on, so I told him we'd talk about it later.

Now I will "express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way. " I suppose it bothered me to laugh at his flippant attitude toward the whole scenario, mainly because I see this attitude in myself. God gave the punishment I deserve to Christ, who never did anything to deserve it, and my response is so often "yeah, I can live with that." I spend a lot of time giving thought to things that are so trivial, and treat my debt being paid as something that "just happened" and I'm OK with it.

Obviously the analogy falls apart very quickly, but I suspect that seeing Captain Jack Sparrow flagrantly display the sins that I hide so well brought these thoughts to mind.

As I throw around impressive theological terms, I hope to remember that substitution means someone else received the punishment I deserved, and that atonement required death to satisfy wrathful perfection. These are a very sobering combination.

2006-07-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Nathan's pontifications on conversations about spiritualization, fornication and moralization with those at your occupation.

If you ever have the urge/opportunity to discuss morals, theology, philosophy or almost anything else of substance with the survey crew you work with........

Resist it.

It won't end well.

2006-07-23T05:05:00.001-07:00

See you at the races

A brief introduction to the people you'll meet at your local 5K

Jen: Jen is hardcore. There's no other way to say it. She probably runs twice a day, looking for negative splits on each successive mile. Hill repeats are her favorite, with tempo runs as a close second. She obsesses about heart rate, breathing rhythm and stride length. At about 26, she will win the womens' race. Don't count on her putting her hand over her heart for the national anthem.

Matt: Matt is the male version of Jen; this is probably approproiate as they are married. Being that both are Type-A and very competetive, expect a large amount of trash-talking between them. Currently, Matt is faster than his wife, but with his recent stress fracture from running too much, she has a chance to beat him this race. Matt normally takes first for the mens' race, but with the injury he also stands to lose to the newcomer, Jacob.

Jacob: Being only 16 years old, Jacob is relatively new to this race. He ran it last year and placed 3rd overall, but the kid has talent. He does not run as dedicatedly as either Matt or Jen, and it frustrates them both that he is naturally so fast. He's currently a high school athlete, but his interest in baseball and girls will probably distract him from making all of his running that he could.

Catherine: Catherine is a bit of a fixture at this race. She, like Jacob, is young, but unlike Jacob, she has run this race for several years. Having been competing from the age of 9, this is her 6th time to compete in this 5K, and she has a bit of a friendship with Jen, whom she idolizes though only seeing her once a year. A year younger than Jacob, she goes to the same school he does but does not compete in running sports there because she doesn't feel good enough. She will win for the under 20 age group.

Britney: Britney runs 5K races because it's currently the fashionable way to be in shape. At her house, you will find video tapes of Tae-Bo and Pilates, and she has gone all out with this running thing for now. She wears New Balance shoes, Nike Shorts, an Under Armor tank top and is ready to go with her Mini iPod. Expect her to take around 40 minutes to finish and be sore for the next several days. Britney just noticed Jacob.

Martin: Martin is around 40, and has been in the Marine Corps for 21 years. He is not particularly impressed with Matt, who is faster. Instead, he knows that he could crush Matt in any real fight and that a 5K race is not the only test of physical endurance. He will probably win the Masters' division race, after which he will probably try, just like he did last year, to recruit Jacob.

Ruth: Ruth is a 64 year old grandmother of eight who has competed all 11 times this race has been held. She runs slowly, but enjoys having the mobility a lot of people her age lack. She runs simply as a celebration of her physical ability, and though she will probably place in the 64+ age group and thus go home with a sweatshirt, that really doesn't matter all that much to her. She also thinks Jacob is cute, but that Britney is all wrong for him. She has tried since last year to get Jacob and Catherine to notice each other.

Jesse: Jesse is Ruth's youngest son, a 27 year old marathon runner and big-time liberal. He is a health fanatic and can probably be seen running several miles before the race, then having a fruit smoothie. After the race, he has bottled water ready. While Matt somewhat annoys Martin, Jesse's pony tail makes Martin flat-out angry. It's OK, though, because while Martin knows Jesse is a total wimp, Jesse knows that Martin could never run 26.2 miles in 3:09:24. Matt and Jacob admire Jesse's ability to run the distances, but are both much more suited to 5K's than he is.

Robert: Robert is Jesse's older brother, a 36 year old lawyer that lives about 40 minutes away. His attire is simple; a T-shirt and shorts, with a sweatband around his receding hairline. He spends most of the time before the race sizing up the competition, starting conversations and dropping hints about his best times and trying to find out theirs, usually to their annoyance. Unfortunately, he's not a very good runner except in his own mind. Expect an injury about a mile in that will require him to walk the rest of the race.

Heather: Heather is a 20 year old collegiate runner and very good natured, friendly, and outgoing. She picks Jen out as a fellow serious runner, who in turn is secretly very suspicious of her abilities. Heather will do well, but would never trash-talk. Instead, she is very humble and encouraging, which makes Jen all the more wary of her. Her college is about an hour and a half away, but she came up with her boyfriend Jonathan, whose hometown is nearby. Heather was listening very intently to one of Martin's stories about Kuwait, and when he finished, she went to find Jonathan, but unfortunately, Robert cornered her.

Jonathan: Also a 20 year old and also a college runner, Jonathan is probably about the 5th or 6th place runner on his team. His 5K times are good, but is more of a 10K runner himself. He had a crush on Jen for a few years before she married Matt, always impressed by women who took running so seriously. He has run this race for four years now, each time, spending a good bit of time listening to Ruth, this year, smiling and nodding, agreeing that yes, Catherine and Jacob really would be cute together. The rest of his time is spent trying to ignore Britney's flirting; the whole time, he is looking around for Heather because he forgot to warn her about Robert. Then he saw her, and saw that it was already too late.

Larry: Larry is Ruth's husband, having been to all 11 times this race has been held, and being that he is on the city board of commissioners, he has the privelege of announcing the national anthem and starting the race for the 12th year in a row.

There are, of course, varying degrees to which these attributes apply to different runners you'll meet. This is just a brief overview, that you can be prepared for the competition at your next 5K road race.

2006-07-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Her broken arm, my broken heart

As you may or may not know, my mom broke her arm last week. She was walking one morning and tripped on an uneven spot in the sidewalk while trying to get a better look at several cardinals that had decided to take up residence in a tree nearby. She fell on her elbow and broke it in two places.

All is well with her arm; the doctor says everything is in place and the splint she has will hold it and a cast is not even necessary. I, however, am highly distraught.

Let's first review the facts.

My mother: A housewife mainly, with a part-time job working with American greetings. Hobbies include crochet, needlepoint, antique shopping, sewing, and playing piano.

My sister: A music student with exercise induced asthma. Hobbies are very similar to my mom's: Playing piano, singing, cross-stitch, scrapbooking, and the like.

My brother: An eagle scout black belt. Hobbies include: running, shooting, canoing, karate, hiking, and rappelling. For his job he handles guns and fishhooks.

Me: A college student intent on going into the military. Hobbies include: Rappelling, rock climbing, shooting, trail running, mountain biking, whitewater rafting. I even went skydiving once. For my job, I swing either a bush axe or a machete, and walk around carrying what amounts to a small car battery.

Now that that is out of the way, which two of the above do you think have ever broken a bone? I'll give you a hint: Neither me or my brother.

Why is this? It hardly seems fair that my brother and I do everything possible, it would seem, to facilitate the possibilty of being put in a cast, or at least having some good scars. But no. My mom breaks her arm walking on a sidewalk, and my sister broke hers skating calmly at a skating rink.

Alas, I am thus in anguish and deep sorrow in my soul. I know that "life ain't fair" but, why do they get all the good injuries? To be fair, I must point out that I have broken two toes and a rib, but nobody ever notices those injuries. You don't even go to the doctor for it. Thus, no sympathy is had. But a full arm cast.....that's good. That's really good.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to take up knitting.

2006-07-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Holiness and Handwriting

Just so you know, the world may be ending.

It seems that the universe as we know it may be ending, the first sign of this being that Hope, Micah, and I were involved in a discussion/argument in which WE ALL THREE AGREED. It was a very strange experience to argue the same things that the two of them were saying against what everyone else in the discussion was saying.

Today, the three of us agree on a theological issue. Tomorrow, the world will be slightly out of balance. You'll notice small things at first. Computers will print sideways on a sheet of paper. Soon people won't be able to walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. Little girls will fall off of balance beams. Politicians will tell the truth, and before you know it, earth itself will fall right out of orbit and the world will end.

Just thought you should be warned.

Also, if you see four strange looking guys on horses riding down the street, let me know.

2006-07-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on death and the Dead Poets' Society

Today I attended the visitation of a student with whom I ran track high school. He was shot in the chest on Friday night as part of what seems to have been an armed robbery and died in surgery. Tommy was 19.

As I was standing in the line to speak to the grieving parents, I was wondering what to tell them... "I know what you're going through" was an obvious non-choice. "God will use it for something good" is certainly truth, but didn't seem to be the appropriate truth to bring up at the moment. As for "It'll be OK"...well, maybe it will, but there is no way I'm going to try to assure them of this right now. So I stood there and debated proper eloquence until it was my turn to give his mother a hug, and I mumbled something that was probably less than profound and moved on. I really wasn't that close to him anyway, I tell myself.

So what is my point, and how does this relate to the Dead Poets' Society? In this way: In the movie, Robin Williams stars as a literature teacher who encourages his students to do things like walk around and see the courtyard their own way, to go ouitside the beaten path, basically, to ignore tradition and live by their own rules. And that is the essence of the relation.

My generation is one that prides itself on ignoring tradition. Generation X, or whatever letter they've assigned us, it is expected, will do its own thing. I suppose each generation sees this in the subsequent one, and college is a very special breeding ground for this "free thinking."

But whatever.

My point is that we ignore traditions, and in this case, ritual, to our own detriment. I think that when we hear the word ritual, we envision a Greek Orthodox church service, doing things a very strict and certain way. But today I witnessed a ritual that has helped countless people deal with what might otherwise be unbearable. Funerals carry us through times of unimaginable loss. Without them, I suspect many families would simply not know what to do. So we go through the motions of the visitation, the funeral, the burial, the time as a family, etc, and come out of it all having had a few days to grive, and hopefully able to pick up and carry on.

When we do something simply because 'we've always done it that way,' there can be danger to it. But there is a good chance that people who came before us have dealt with the same things, and maybe we should build on what others have seen instead of scrapping it and starting over our own way.

Take it for what it's worth, which is as always, probably what you paid for it.

2006-07-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

The main reason I created this is so that I could leave comments on my friends' weblogs.

That and also the absolute brilliance of rhyming 'pontification' and 'station.'