Yeah! I'm On Deadspin!

Didn't even realize it, but Deadspin published the stories I sent them about two of my crazy coaches two weeks ago. Check it out.

The Completely Clueless TSA

Read this blog post. Excellently written and explains, from a law enforcement perspective, why the TSA, responsible for keeping the skies free from terrorists, is doomed to fail us.

Frankly, the TSA is underpaid, understaffed and under-trained. It acts as a deterrent... there's always a chance that they'll catch a terrorist if one tries to sneak weapons on board. But a brute force attack, with multiple terrorists testing the system at the same time... you can't be confident the TSA will stop every one. Either the technology needs to step up or the people do.

Of course, capturing Bin Laden and bringing him to justice would help.

How bout it, Obama?

Bah Humbug

Time Magazine features an article about Christians bemoaning the commercialization of a holiday that is supposed to celebrate the birth of their savior:

[Pastor] McKinley and his friends decided to try a radical experiment. They urged congregants to spend less on presents for friends and family and to consider donating some of the money they saved as a result. At first, church members weren't quite sure how to react. "Some people were terrified," remembers McKinley. "They said, 'My gosh, you're ruining Christmas. What do we tell our kids?' " The pastors had to reassure people that they weren't advocating a Grinchy no-gifts kind of Christmas, but rather one in which people spend a little less and think a little more, expressing their love through something more meaningful than a gift card.

Then of course, at the bottom of the article, Time posts this link:


Time's Holiday Gift Guide 2009

Ah, 'Tis The Season... for the media to pay lip service to religion and promote GIFTS, GIFTS, GIFTS!!! (which earn a lot more advertising revenue than Jesus does.)

Not that I'm complaining. I had a pretty sweet haul for Hanukkah this year. Thanks Family!

Happy Hanukkah!!

Tonight we honor the brave Maccabees and the miracle that sustained the Jewish people after a brutal war with the Greek Empire. One container of oil, barely enough to light the eternal flame of the synagogue for one day, somehow lasted the eight days necessary to procure more oil. And because of that, we eat oily, scrumptious potato latkes every December. Now that's one delicious miracle.





I'd put the second one up, but the only copy I can find online has that annoying "I'm Blue" song tacked on to the beginning. That DOES NOT get me into the holiday spirit.

What Is A Republican? What Is A Democrat?

The GOP is thinking about making its members take a test in order to qualify for party funding. They're given a list of the ten core principles of the Republican party, and if they disagree with 3 or more of them, then they will be fed to Rush Limbaugh, presumably.

Here's the GOP list:

(1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill

(2) Market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;

(3) Market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(4) Workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check

(5) Legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(6) Victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(7) Containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat

(8) Retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;

(9) Protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

(10) The right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership

I don't score too well. But what's interesting about this test is that all of these ten are given equal weight. Are you pro-choice and believe in Gay marriage? Well as long as you're okay with everything else, the GOP would still consider you Republican. Two of the biggest Republican issues right now, and you could safely take the democratic side without losing precious party funding.

What would the Democratic test be? I thought up this list:

(1) Oppose big-brother government initiatives like the Patriot Act, Guantanamo Bay, and torture programs.

(2) Support a progressive tax structure that relieves the tax burden of middle and working class Americans

(3) Oppose drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge, support environmental controls and renewable energy

(4) Support maintaining separation between church and state

(5) Support cultural diversity and immigration reform, including amnesty for current illegal immigrants

(6) Support removal of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan by shifting responsibility to locals and other coalition forces.

(7) Support a foreign policy of diplomatic engagement and working together with our allies.

(8) Oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and other efforts to strip homosexuals of their rights

(9) Support the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade

(10) Support government-run social programs as a means of ensuring equal freedom for all economic classes.

Sure, the Democrats have a big tent, but most people in it can get behind at least 8 of these ten.

In other news, the Greens are planning a purity test too, but nobody cares.