If this is the type of legislation moving through the state legislative branch.

Doesn’t Jack Franks have more important things to legislate on?

And I’m not quite ready to yet, but Oscar viewership was actually DOWN 2 million viewers from last year’s show.

The drop in total viewership was an indication that this year’s Oscar ceremony was more popular in the big cities than rural areas, more so than an average Academy Awards, said Larry Hyams, vice president of audience analysis and research for ABC.

Countdown to Prudish Red Staters, or the evil conservative Evangelicals brainwashing their flock not to watch the awards excuses in 5……4……3…….

Andrew Sullivan wonders if the Pope isn’t setting a bad example by “clinging to life.”

But there is also a point at which clinging to life itself becomes a little odd for a Christian, no? Isn’t the fundamental point about Christianity that our life on earth is but a blink in the eye of our real existence, which begins at death and lasts for eternity in God’s loving presence? Why is the Pope sending a signal that we should cling to life at all costs - and that this clinging represents some kind of moral achievement? Isn’t there a moment at which the proper Christian approach to death is to let it come and be glad? Or put it another way: if the Pope is this desperate to stay alive, what hope is there for the rest of us?

I’m no theologian, but my answer would be: because life is precious. Even during the bad times, life is precious. Even at the end of life, it is precious. Do we go on to bigger and better things? I believe so. But even the bigger and better is different than what we experience here. We should revel in our short time here on Earth, even while we look forward to what comes next.

I’d also say that the Pope is a teacher. It makes perfect sense to me that he would want to stick around as long as possible, in order to impart his wisdom and learning as long as he can.

Do you have any answers for Andrew?

Look what you’ve started.

The bloglist has been updated. You might still find some dead links, but all the new blogs have been added. If you want on the blogroll, just shoot me an email. I’ll try and do another update later this week.

Elena Lyons - #76 on Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100.

I shoot sporting clay with a 12 gauge. I’ve actually won trophies and things.

Ok, so she doesn’t actually have a gun in that picture, but the VH1 special had shots of her at a shooting range with her Dad. She handles a firearm like a pro.

Oh, and no man hands or hairy arms there. (most likely nsfw)

Ward Churchill goes ballistic.

I wish the reporter had hit him back.

**Update**

I wasn’t the only one not looking. Instapundit himself failed to notice, but a lot of folks have let him know as well.

UPDATE: A veritable army of readers has emailed to complain about the poor firearms safety demonstrated in this photo (fingers should be on triggers only to shoot!). Well, yes, but I’m prepared to make an exception for a photo-op like this one, where the firearms appear to be pointed safely. But don’t try this at home kids — or on the range!

**Updated the title after reading Stace’s comment. Honestly Stace, I wasn’t really looking at the trigger finger**

There is nothing like a hottie with a pistol.

The Beltway Buzz has the numbers on the next gubernatorial race in California.

The leading Democratic challenger? Rob Reiner.

Meathead.

Meathead is the most popular choice among the liberals. How appropriate.

The LA Times says the question everyone (at least in the press) is asking is What is a journalist?

Good question. I think I recall asking that a while ago.

Damn, I just love being ahead of the curve.

The WaPo uses the word “dominatrix” in connection with Condi Rice’s look in Europe.

I can think of another word: hot. She’s no Madeline Albright… and that’s a good thing.

In this piece about the Pope (and please keep him in your prayers… if you’re the praying kind), I can’t help but notice this:

One of the most active popes in history, he played a hand in the fall of communism, spoke out against the war in Iraq (news - web sites), fought for human rights and called for debt relief for poor countries.

But many have criticized his conservative views on contraception, gay marriage and women priests.

So let’s see… we have the GOOD:

ending communism, speaking out against the War in Iraq, fighting for human rights, and debt relief

And then we have the BAD:

anti-gay marriage, anti-women priests, anti-contraception

I’m not Catholic, though I attended a Catholic high school. From what I recall, the Pope’s not exactly going against the grain in his support (or condemnation) of ANY of these topics. True, some have criticized him for not supporting gay marriage. Some have also criticized him for not supporting the war in Iraq.

A religious leader in this day and age is going to get criticism from certain circles no matter what they do. I can’t help but think that the “many” who criticize the Pope on those issues also include the reporter who wrote this piece.

Not the watermelon-smashing Gallagher. Conservative talk-show host Mike Gallagher went off on the blogs on his show the other day.

He said that bloggers are a bunch of “geeky losers in their basements cranking out crap on a computer” and that blogging provides “power for freak-shows to harass and destroy individuals.”

“I am worried about this trend of legitimizing bloggers,” Gallagher said.

He then went on to reveal his ignorance of how blogs work by saying that bloggers send out “thousands and thousands” of emails to people whether they like it or not.

Gallagher continued, “I am not enamored with the bloggers… I think it is a breeding ground for a lot of bad, bad things.”

Gallagher stated what really bothers him about blogging is that “anybody can do it.”

Well yeah, Mike. That’s kind of the point.

Talk show hosts can either accept the fact that blogging is here and embrace it, a la Hugh Hewitt, Joe Kelley, and I guess myself. Or you can lash out at the bloggers a la Mike Gallagher.

Glenn Reynolds points out Gallagher has his own blog… but you’ve gotta pay 50 bucks a year to read it.

So perhaps it’s not so much that Gallagher has a problem with blogs as much as he has a problem with free blogs?

I happen to love blogs. My has had a lot of bloggers as guests, and I view them as great sources of information and another way to prep for my program.

I wish Mr. Gallagher (and other talk show hosts) felt the same way.

All right folks, the time has come for me to binge and purge. Binge on a lot of new blogs, and purge the old dead blogs from my blogroll. Here’s where I need your help.

Many of you have written over the past few months asking if I’d link to your blog. I procrastinated. And then I lost your email when I switched over to my new server. If you send me an email with your blog, I’ll link either tonight or over the weekend (providing the wife doesn’t go into labor or something like that).

I’m really looking forward to getting these new blogs in the blogroll and reading what y’all have to say.

By the way, Mazurland… you’re first. Thanks very much for the baby gift.

One more personal note… I’ve noticed Justin in Texarkana hasn’t been the last talkback I receive the past couple of days. You’re not getting tired of the show, are you Justin?

As Stan from South Park would say… “now that’s pretty %#&!ed up right there!”

I just noticed Pajamahidin doesn’t even have a link to the guy who coined the freaking phrase. That, my friends, is the very definition of a travesty.

**Update**

It’s there.. just have to look for it. It’s kind of like a bloggy Easter Egg. And if you haven’t read the comments, Pajamahadin seems like a very nice fella.

It’s there.. just have to look for it. It’s kind of like a bloggy Easter Egg. And if you haven’t read the comments, Pajamahadin seems like a very nice fella.

An update on the Iranian readers at LGF noted here and here. Reader “Ted” says:

When I saw that post at LGF I did some quick googling to see what came up. The
Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST) is some kind of
governmental technology research and finance incubator. It is also an Internet
Service Provider. Rummaging through the Nuclear Threat Initiative webpage suggests
IROST is also tied up in Iran’s CBW and missile programs.
http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Biological/2305_2383.html
One might then wonder if IROST is also tied up in infowar. On that score, Charles
seems certain it was an automated spider program and not a real person.

IROST is also notably affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education,
Iran’s overall (nonmedical) educational bureacracy.
http://www.iran-embassy-oslo.no/embassy/educat.htm Doesn’t take much to assume that
this Ministry would be involved in cracking down on dissident students and
professors.

If it’s a spider, then yes, I think Ted’s reasoning is sound. Thanks for the info, Ted.

Didn’t see this coming.

Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch has parted ways with the hard rock act, citing a recent religious awakening.

What’s next? Tom Cruise becoming a Baptist preacher?

I came home tonight and the lovely bride was ready to get off the *&!@ couch! Since that wasn’t going to happen, I took Andrew to Blockbuster so she could have a few minutes of peace and quiet.

On the way home, Andrew caught sight of the moon and treated me to the following conversation:

Andrew: I know why the moon shines.

Me: Why?

Andrew: Because the moon man has a flashlight. And he stays up every night and shines his flashlight. And then he goes to sleep and the sun man shines his flashlight. But his flashlight is really hot and so it gets warm.

Me (trying not to laugh): really? So this guy lives on the moon?

Andrew: Yes. He’s an astronaut. And do you know what else?

Me: What?

Andrew: Tomorrow, when it snows? That’s because the astronauts are up in space and they’re going to pour frozen ice crystals on the Earth.

That’s my boy. A weird cross between Robert Heinlein and Cro-Magnon man.

Looks like Chris Rock is going to go after Bushie at the Oscar’s on Sunday.

Do you think this year Hollywood will make the connection between the low Oscar ratings and their anti-Bushie ramblings? I doubt it. It won’t be that Hollywood’s out of touch, it will be the Prudish Red Staters, or the evil conservative Evangelicals brainwashing their flock not to watch the awards. It certainly won’t be Hollywood. Maybe a few more billboards outside the Kodak Theater would get the point across.

Keep it coming Hollywood, the 2006 election season is right around the corner. We’ll take whatever help we can get.

After looking over IROST’s website, I notice they hand out scientific awards every year. One of the winners last year appears to be a math professor at Kansas State University. Perhaps someone interested in this story should politely email the professor and see if he can give some background on IROST.

It’s entirely possible that IROST is indeed a public face of the private mullahs, but one should be sure that’s the case before outing the people visiting a pro-freedom website like LGF.

mainstream in movie bondagemovie briana banks clipsmovies luvana carmenof teen cast movie not anothernude movies celebcelebs movies list nudemovies licking clitfiesta tiffaney cum movies Map

Of all the things I didn’t need to know, this probably ranks in the Top 5.

Koko the gorilla has a nipple fetish.

The Scottsdale Unified School District in Scottsdale, Arizona has decided to change job titles for some of its employees. School Superintendent Dr. John M. Baracy decided to make these changes to show the school community what the district values - learning.

I guess I need a PhD like Dr. Baracy to understand how a job title shows how important learning is to the district and its employees. After all, it’s just a title. I could call myself Supreme Allied Commander of All Mother Earth and The Greater Milky Way, but it doesn’t mean anything if unless I achieve total world domination.

If the district, and it’s Superintendent value learning so much, why is he spending his time coming up with new titles for people? Not to mention the cost of reprinting business cards, name plates and letterhead. That money, and his time, could be better spent elsewhere.

If you ask me, it’s nothing more than PC bologna. Here’s some of the more pathetic changes:

-Receptionists are now called “Directors of First Impressions”

-Bus drivers will now be known as “Transporter of Learners”

-Want to complain about your child’s elementary school principal? Instead of contacting the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools you must now contact the “Executive Director for Elementary Schools and Excelling Teaching and Learning”

Dr. Baracy makes just under $200,000 per year in base salary. And the best he can come up with is Transporter of Leaners?

What a waste of public resources.

**UPDATE**

I’m feeling generous today, and I know Dr. Baracy must be a busy man. Plus our schools are so underfunded I wanted to save the district some money. I thought I’d help Dr. Baracy out and offer a few suggestions for new titles for his employees.

-Cafeteria employees (or lunch ladies as we called them) shall hereafter be known as “Nurtrition Distribution Associates”

-No school will be permitted to have hall monitors. However, every school will be required to have “Pedestrian Traffic Flow and Vacant Corridor Safety Officer”

-The title School Nurse is offensive to me as a female, it’s so sterotypical, doncha think? So I declare that all school nurses shall now be called “Personal Mental, Physical and Sexual Fitness and Hygene Attendants”

-And of course, the title of teacher doesn’t fully encompass the role they play in a child’s life, yet “Life Skills and Learning Coach” does

The NY Observer has a wide ranging article with New York Senator Chuck Schumer today. Worth reading, especially his comments and strategy on taking back some Senate seats in 2006.

Charles Johnson at LGF noticed what appears to be traffic from Iran.

As Charles says:

Since Iran is cracking down on blogs, I’ve blocked this IP address from our site. It may be innocent, but it also may be a representative of the mullahs trying to collect damaging evidence against Iranian bloggers.

I might be wrong, but it appears far more likely to me possible that Mr. Johnson may have (unintentionally) just outed an Iranian citizen and opened him up to scrutiny (or worse) from the Mullahcracy in Tehran. Perhaps a better way to have done this would have been to mention that people from Iran were poking around the archives, you banned the ISP, but leave out the personal information for the time being (and while you do some checking on this organization) since you may in fact be helping the despots in their fight against freedom.

Let’s hope not.