tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59382012011-04-22T02:58:37.485+02:00Dispatches from Eastern Germany.Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1107419287341209482005-02-03T09:28:00.000+01:002005-02-03T09:28:07.340+01:00

I guess when the shoe fits...

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1107252836772071792005-02-01T11:13:00.000+01:002005-02-01T11:13:56.773+01:00

One of the funniest moments ever. If only they had the video.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1107250863174447132005-02-01T10:41:00.000+01:002005-02-01T10:41:03.173+01:00

An hour-and-a-half after they went on sale to fan club members, I finally got tickets to see U2 in Dublin. The seats? Sh-eye-t. But we have them. It's actually my fault... I got so caught up in writing a final exam for one of our professors that I forgot to check the computer until 11:15. Ouch, talk about critical error. After that, I spent another 75 minutes in Ticketmaster hell, though at one

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1107250407185110342005-02-01T10:33:00.000+01:002005-02-01T10:33:27.186+01:00

So if you looked at an optical scan ballot (just like a scantron), and saw none of the bubbles for the registered candidates filled in, then looked down at the write-in section and saw, in fact, another person's name written in, wouldn't that be an unambiguous sign that the voter was casting a ballot for that person? Let's hope so.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1107202401248768112005-01-31T21:13:00.000+01:002005-01-31T21:13:21.246+01:00

Look, I was against the war, so I understand if people have conflicting emotions about the apparent success of the Iraqi elections. But it's something we need to just get over. A people living under totalitarianism can now vote in reasonably fair elections. That victory over tyranny is cause for unconditional celebration, no matter what you think of the means to achieve it. Also, some

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106948663552769072005-01-28T22:44:00.000+01:002005-01-28T22:44:23.553+01:00

So, it's the second week, and the plot thickens. Sort of. Danny cleaned up his act a bit, so at the very least, he can read between his (potential) boss' lines, a skill exceedingly rare on this show. As an added bonus, he proved in this episode that partying in college has applications even in real life. John's still my favorite, but Audrey, Angie, and Kendra are on the rise, the first two

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106942512937763202005-01-28T21:01:00.000+01:002005-01-28T21:11:19.333+01:00

There's trouble a-brewing in U2-land. It seems fan club members who were promised a chance at tour tickets before they were available to the public (in exchange for their $40 memberships) got f'ed in the a by a combination of Ticketmaster incompetence, poor web interface, and higher-than-expected turnout. Which happens, of course, but the band's silence on this is, pardon the cliche, deafening.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106844943595659362005-01-27T17:55:00.000+01:002005-01-27T17:55:43.596+01:00

on Hillary from Andrew Sullivan. My quote of the week:When the Republicans are more obviously tolerant of dissent than Democrats, something has gone awry.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106838619309105202005-01-27T16:10:00.000+01:002005-01-27T16:10:19.310+01:00

Eva is not close -- not the same city, county, or even time-zone -- as the reactionary right. I would describe her as a thoughtful libertarian of the right-leaning variety. But mention the Clintons, either one, and her response is pretty funny. And I think she knows that. I tease her with a lame parrot imitation, "BWAWCK! CLINTON SUCKS!" and she's generally a good sport about it. The thing is, I

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106732485193573802005-01-26T10:41:00.000+01:002005-01-26T11:08:07.306+01:00

I've been so good about not linking to the Drudgereport -- a site that has way too much influence on the modern media considering Drudge's journalistic talents, or lack thereof -- that I'll cave now. But only because it's for a good cause. Seems that columnist Maggie Gallagher, whose work has appeared in the Weekly Standard, National Review, and Townhall.com, had a $20,000 contract with HHS to

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106667698691293692005-01-25T16:41:00.000+01:002005-01-25T16:41:38.690+01:00

That German society carries a special burden with the shame of the Nazi-era is undeniable, and I'm not losing any sleep over their ban on nationalist parties. Nevertheless, some of Chancellor Schroeder's words at a commemoration ceremony for the 60th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation would strike me as comical were the circumstances at all different:'Right wing forces, with their dreary

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106644708998590142005-01-25T10:18:00.000+01:002005-01-25T10:27:47.740+01:00

Let's review. The picture on the top is the east span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge as it stands today. Awkward, utilitarian, and unsafe... it doesn't hold a damn candle to the west span, to say nothing of the Golden Gate bridge. The bottom picture represents what the east span could look like after redesign and retrofit. Truly world class, like the Bay Area deserves. Not if the Governor has

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106571553505838512005-01-24T13:59:00.000+01:002005-01-25T09:36:15.036+01:00

It's a frigid January day... that alone is not enough to distinguish today for any other here in Erfurt. But, last night as we were watching Caddyshack winter gave us her first snow. We're still freezing our asses off, or in my case falling on them in front of dozens of German students, but at least it's pretty. You can tell how long I've been holed up in California by how novel this white,

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106491786008953952005-01-23T15:49:00.000+01:002005-01-23T15:49:46.010+01:00

Their caption to this picture from Alberto Gonzales's confirmation hearings is "Long Time No See."

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106349469703448532005-01-22T00:17:00.000+01:002005-01-22T00:17:49.703+01:00

And then there were three. Seasons of the Apprentice, that is. Wow, Mark Burnett and Trump must totally be reading the message boards. They dropped the lame "2 or 3" boardroom option, and they caught on immediately to the "ganging up" on Danny (who, frankly, is a horrible martyr, since he sucks). All in all, the teams are an order of magnitude more agreeable than last season, partly due to the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106341153669111692005-01-21T21:59:00.000+01:002005-01-21T22:01:11.220+01:00

...good for Janet Jackson and Bono. This article reminds me of the Simpsons monorail episode. As the relieved denizens of Springfield exit the kiboshed train (thanks to Homer's makeshift anchor and a goliath donut sign), Leonard Nimoy chuckles to himself and says, "Well, looks like my work here is done." Barney retorts, "What d'ya mean 'your work here is done?' You didn't do anything!" Much like

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106340392715732192005-01-21T21:46:00.000+01:002005-01-21T21:46:32.716+01:00

Can we please nip the cycle of partisan-op-ed-writers-posing-as-documentarians in the bud right... this... instant? Please?

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106212242755975692005-01-20T10:10:00.000+01:002005-01-20T10:17:27.570+01:00

Those being the words of my friend Shouvik when he sent me a recent NY Times piece on John Grisham. Now, I read A Time to Kill way back when, and I remember being engrossed in it. Partly, that was the time when I was convinced the law was my calling in life (an obsession ex-aspiring-lawyers, especially the politically-inclined, never fully give up), so I've since lost much interest in Grisham's

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106132839249925512005-01-19T13:07:00.000+01:002005-01-20T00:29:07.650+01:00

..and we'll agree to give them our greenhouse laws. Look, I've become more pro-business as I've gotten older, but I still think that automobiles should be subject to public regulation, since they travel on public roads and are one of the greatest influences on public health, urban development, and general lifestyle on the market (and male fantasies. Huhhhuhuhoooo baby!).

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106123567774207252005-01-19T09:32:00.000+01:002005-01-19T09:32:47.773+01:00

So I came across this article in Pravda... er, the @Stanford newsletter. Oh man, the Google digital library project sounds too cool for words. I wonder if it's too ambitious, if, in light of Yahoo and Microsoft turning up the heat, they'll neglect their core function: web searching. Google may end up in the Recycle Bin of tech icons, along with this guy. I already switched over to Copernic

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106085885014897552005-01-18T23:04:00.000+01:002005-01-18T23:04:45.013+01:00

A few days ago, I put together some statistics and compared the US government's international aid contributions (which I dubbed "A1") with those of other OECD countries. The skinny of it was that America didn't do so well... as in, dead last as a percentage of daily personal income. I resolved to return to the matter by looking at private giving and military spending, but only those funds going

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106060618324580632005-01-18T16:03:00.000+01:002005-01-18T16:03:38.323+01:00

This quote from the editorial sent chills down my spine: Several official investigations have confirmed that in the absence of a clear doctrine -- the standing one having been declared 'obsolete' -- U.S. personnel across the world felt empowered to use methods that most lawyers, and almost all the democratic world, regard as torture. A lot of folks on the Hill read the Post. I hope the editors

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106045999039873602005-01-18T11:59:00.000+01:002005-01-18T11:59:59.040+01:00

Maybe it deserves a grain of salt, but good for the Gap for using its buying power as leverage for worker's rights. Nothing will improve working conditions faster than large retailers setting standards and sticking to them. It does strike me as odd though that both the Gap and Nike are mentioned in this story as pulling Ebenezer-Scrooge-type turnarounds on labor. Happy coincidence? Or are these

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1106038371833229182005-01-17T21:52:00.000+01:002005-01-18T09:55:13.923+01:00

I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105952155902261582005-01-17T09:55:00.000+01:002005-01-17T09:56:50.983+01:00

OK, so CalPERS ain't exactly the most interesting topic, but this article in the Chronicle has two things going for it. First, it does a quality job explaining the nuances of California's pension system and Arnold's proposed changes. Second, it highlights the hilarious and utterly ironic situation of CalPERS now having a higher bond rating than the state itself. CalPERS may actually have to

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105948638573577552005-01-17T08:57:00.000+01:002005-01-17T08:57:18.573+01:00

Melodramatic, hyperbolic, kitchy... yes, this is the most loyal interpretation of a musical to the big screen I've ever seen, and though I've never been a "phan" (HAHAHAHAHAHA... don't mind me, I'm a moron) of the musical, you gotta love how the film has 1) NO BIG NAME ACTORS. Well, except for Minnie Driver, but rather than be a spoiled prima donna, she merely played one on screen... and was

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105813959632735752005-01-15T19:32:00.000+01:002005-01-15T19:32:39.633+01:00

Please be patient.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105719434070463962005-01-14T17:17:00.000+01:002005-01-14T17:17:14.070+01:00

I am 99% behind Arnold's bold new proposal to have retired judges rather than politicians draw the state's political boundaries. Why only 99%? Because, for the state legislature at least, I say there's an even better method: let a computer do it. The catch is that we'd have to shift to proportional representation in the Assembly. Rather than go into it here, I'll refer you to excellent

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105715480207739802005-01-14T16:11:00.000+01:002005-01-14T16:11:42.510+01:00

Boy, am I glad I don't pay US taxes right now. Oh wait, I do.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105646638238172082005-01-13T21:03:00.000+01:002005-01-14T14:54:45.243+01:00

Ever since the tsunami hit, America's response has been the subject of relentless invective. Here in Germany, the media has covered what has devolved into an international pissing contest over foreign aid more than the disaster itself. Deutsche Welle radio whispers aloud every five minutes about the current standings of industrialized countries in giving to the relief effort, as if they were the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105631353973450932005-01-13T16:49:00.000+01:002005-01-13T18:00:29.416+01:00

I snapped this picture of students and university staff as they marched past our apartment in Erfurt. Generally I respect Germany's lucid attitude toward everyday life. I can't sympathize, however, with these folks, who are protesting a hike in Germany's semester fees. Remember, German's don't pay university "tuition," they only pay "fees." How much are these fees, you ask? They're $150 per

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105518204317854972005-01-12T09:23:00.000+01:002005-01-12T09:23:24.316+01:00

Don't ask me "why Western?" Like all great (and, for that matter, bad) art, it just evolved from a previous idea that in retrospect had no resemblance to the final product. Oh well. I'm sure I'll tweak a few things here and there, but it will basically look like this for a while. Hope you like it!

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105355026754596072005-01-10T12:03:00.000+01:002005-01-10T12:03:46.756+01:00

Our stays in Freiburg and Heidelberg were magnificent. Both are beautiful cities, and our trip accented differences between East and West Germany that we haven't been able to observe before, at least superficially. Of course, it's not entirely fair, since Baden-Würtemberg is one of Germany's most properous regions, while Thuringia... well, not so much, and I'm sure there are factors beyond Cold

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1105354422422748822005-01-10T11:53:00.000+01:002005-01-12T09:33:29.050+01:00

Today, another brick in the wall. The White House paid a commentator to publicly support No Child Left Behind. The cat is completely out of the bag for what was probably an illegal arrangement, yet you'll excuse me if I don't put money on the case going anywhere soon, nay ever. There's a small lesson here about media bias, but the more important point lay in my bemusement with people who call

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1104753645888833832005-01-03T13:00:00.000+01:002005-01-10T16:11:42.013+01:00

I've heard of, but never read, the blog Democratic Underground. Based on this New York Times article, assuming it's fair, which it very well may not be, I'll be steering clear thank you very much. Knee-jerk extremism of any color, be it red or brown, is nausiating enough, but ascribing the recent Indonesian earthquake to... Bush? That would be Onion material if they weren't serious. Dude, it's

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1103103482849734762004-12-15T10:38:00.000+01:002004-12-15T10:39:21.746+01:00

Joe Lieberman evidently turned down an offer to be Bush's new Secretary of Homeland Security, and Daily Kos, even though they seem to agree with his decision, is nevertheless ripping him a new one for even considering the offer. Now me, I'm a Joe Lieberman fan. The guy is not the most charistmatic speaker in the world or the most personable, natural politician, but ideologically he represents

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102613051118121252004-12-09T18:24:00.000+01:002004-12-09T18:24:11.116+01:00

but it's about damn time.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102505261024057342004-12-08T13:27:00.000+01:002004-12-08T12:29:21.710+01:00

Eliot Spitzer is a hero of mine. As Attorney-General of the State of New York, he was the driving force behind a slew of investigations into corporate irresponsibility. He was also an occasional contributor to The New Republic, where he outlined a vision of government very much compatible with, indeed essential for, business growth. There's no doubt he's powerful (Slate called him "the most

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102498012943452932004-12-08T10:26:00.000+01:002004-12-08T10:26:52.943+01:00

That's the verdict on Yushchenko.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102497252870463352004-12-08T10:14:00.000+01:002004-12-08T10:20:27.426+01:00

Remember Pat Tillman? The NFL defender who turned down a multi-million dollar contract to join the Army Rangers, only to be killed by jihadists? Turns out the Army wasn't quite "up front" on that last point. In a two-article series, the Post reveals how Tillman was killed by friendly fire, and the Army lied about it. Read both articles. It's appropriate that I just finished a book called

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102496500676730482004-12-08T10:01:00.000+01:002004-12-08T10:02:54.656+01:00

Perhaps to disprove the implication of the aforementioned article to myself, a guy who frequently enjoys beating up the Mongols as the Aztecs, here's proof that I still read quasi-sophisticated stuff. The Economist ran an editorial last week about the threat of prolonged deficits to the dollar's dominant reserve status. The dollar has been the leading international currency for as long as most

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102494136268713222004-12-08T09:22:00.000+01:002004-12-08T09:23:57.190+01:00

Say it ain't so! Students who use computers frequently at school perform worse than their peers at maths and reading. Those using computers several times a week performed "sizeably and statistically significantly worse" than those who used them less often. Well gee, I thought college was supposed to make me smarter, but I guess unlimited, high-bandwidth internet access actually kills brain

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102180965427998952004-12-04T18:22:00.000+01:002004-12-04T18:22:45.426+01:00

There are three ways of approaching contraversial issues like embryonic stem cell research. You can a) come up with a totally inadequate, borderline offensive compromise that placates neither side; b) scrap any meaningful policy leadership and rally your political base around the issue, further dividing the country, or c) roll up your sleeves and develop an innovative solution that makes the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102179457706487462004-12-04T17:57:00.000+01:002004-12-04T18:03:02.866+01:00

Application to Princeton is all done. Like I wrote below, they may be has-beens athletically (though they produced the apotheosis of the student-scholar), but their public affairs school rocks. It's a crap shoot, but hey, so was Stanford. To paraphrase a common line on The Apprentice, if you're going to get rejected, why not get rejected by the best?

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102178926767352872004-12-04T17:48:00.000+01:002004-12-04T17:51:06.150+01:00

A Notre Dame professor speaks out against... exactly what, I'm not sure. The op-ed reads like vaporous nostalgia without an argument. Is he disappointed by Ty's firing? I think so; but then, how can he be after devoting almost a whole Times column to the beautiful tradition of academic and athletic greatness in South Bend? Dude, Ty was fired because they still weren't great, even after the Irish

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102116487225868412004-12-04T01:28:00.000+01:002004-12-04T00:30:19.276+01:00

I never thought I'd see the day when torture was a legitimate method of interrogation. This is simply unconscionable, and what's worse, no one seems to care. The whole point of human rights is that they apply to everyone. Everyone. It doesn't matter what atrocities they've committed (or, in the case of the Gitmo prisoners, allegedly committed). War on terror be damned, there's simply a line you

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102087976445708352004-12-03T16:32:00.000+01:002004-12-03T20:40:39.096+01:00

Maybe someone is trying to smash the heart with a sledge hammer?

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102087438101574902004-12-03T16:23:00.000+01:002004-12-03T16:23:58.100+01:00

Despite the utter predictability of Rolling Stone's list of the top 500 songs of all time, it is in honor of Primitive Wallflower's namesake poet that I'm linking to this fascinating story about a happy chapter in rock's perennial struggle between art and business.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1102081143148300222004-12-03T14:39:00.000+01:002004-12-03T14:39:03.146+01:00

...the best explanation of the Willingham firing appears in The New Republic? Two editors from FootballOutsiders.com make the case that there is a race problem in college football, but that Tyrone's firing is simply not part of it. Instead, the real scandal is that not enough black coaches get hired in the first place. TNR can get mighty old with its "overturning-the-common-wisdom" schtick (A

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101944078945917182004-12-02T01:34:00.000+01:002004-12-02T09:34:39.153+01:00

If you haven't gotten the FireFox browser yet, the last breath of life from the remnants of Netscape, download it now. I'm not knee-jerk anti-Microsoft (in fact, I still like Outlook better than Mozilla's alternative). It's just that we haven't gotten an IE upgrade in years, essentially, unless you count the Google toolbar. FireFox is smaller, displays web components faster, and its

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101941300235879532004-12-01T23:48:00.000+01:002004-12-02T10:30:00.080+01:00

In the interest of fairness, I refer you to this article, which makes bold claims about Western meddling in the Ukraine's presidential election on behald of Viktor Yushchenko in a bid to weaken Russian interests. To be equally fair, however, and a bit blunt, I have a hard time treating any magazine that prominently features Noam Chomsky's commentary seriously. Take, for example, their claim

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101892062829743692004-12-01T10:07:00.000+01:002004-12-01T10:07:42.830+01:00

...you'll always have a home at the Farm. Hint hint. Nudge nudge. Know whadda mean?

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101653104710425272004-11-28T15:45:00.000+01:002004-11-28T15:46:21.040+01:00

The best movie I've seen all year is, alas, one that hasn't been released in the USA yet. Der Untergang -- literally, Downfall -- is the first major German production dealing with the Third Reich. In this case, the movie focuses almost exclusively on the last week of Hitler's life, secluded in his bunker whilst the Allies bombard Berlin. The most striking thing about the movie is how human Hitler

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101645371750844342004-11-28T13:36:00.000+01:002004-11-28T13:46:51.833+01:00

Eva sent me this map laying out exactly what the DNC should change about its approach. In short: say "pop" instead of "soda." Brilliant!

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101622781456619442004-11-28T07:19:00.000+01:002004-11-28T13:56:22.173+01:00

...another site redesign. Honestly, and me with college applications due. Shame shame. What it came down to was I fell in love with this Blogger template, and after hours of unsuccessfully trying to hijack... er, be inspired by the elements I liked and integrating them into my own design, I just raised the white flag and capitulated to the Blogger template, albeit with some modifications. And you

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101373629388238362004-11-25T10:07:00.000+01:002004-11-28T01:23:48.740+01:00

It's one thing to be away from your family for your favorite holiday. This will be our second Thanksgiving in a row away from home. But being overseas from the holiday itself? Painful. Nevertheless, I am eternally grateful for being safe, warm, and with my wife this frigid Thanksgiving Day. If you're wondering, Eva and I do have a place to go, though I admit that I have reservations about the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1101345283322421992004-11-25T02:14:00.000+01:002004-11-28T07:10:34.890+01:00

I figured that I wouldn't have much to add to my post about How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, officially released today, but shrewdly listened to by yours truly several weeks ago. Nevertheless, an interesting curveball was thrown by none other than... Apple. To celebrate the album release, U2 made their first ever box set, and incidentally the first exclusively digital box set from anyone,

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100595835756989882004-11-16T10:03:00.000+01:002004-11-16T10:03:55.756+01:00

All the photo galleries on the right finally work consistently, thanks to a handy program from Google named Picasa. There are even some new pictures. The more recent galleries are on the top of the list.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100449471412172852004-11-14T17:24:00.000+01:002004-11-14T17:24:31.413+01:00

...the DNC could actually hear the desperation for more moderate leadership? Let me say, without qualification, good for them.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100390047061091512004-11-14T01:54:00.000+01:002004-11-28T13:58:34.160+01:00

When it comes to national and European politics, Germans are realtively well-informed, as you might expect. They are also decent critical thinkers about these issues. Gerhard Schroeder, the Chancellor, has been far from convincing in his domestic agenda, a plight shared by his brother-in-non-arms French President Jacques Chirac. Hartz IV, Schroeder's rough equivalent to America's welfare reform

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100345530645951742004-11-13T13:32:00.000+01:002004-11-28T07:07:01.783+01:00

The "skyscrapers" show the nominal margin of victory in each county. What does this tell us? Well, that Kerry counties had more people than Bush counties in general. But you knew that already. At least it's pretty!

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100264098482741792004-11-12T13:54:00.000+01:002004-11-12T13:54:58.483+01:00

That's how a Vatican official descibed Yassar Arafat. One more anecdote, related by Dennis Ross in his new book. At Camp David, on the eve of rejecting Barak's offers, Arafat told Clinton he was "a great man." Clinton responded, "I'm not a great man. I'm a failure, and you've made me one."

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100220425164848422004-11-12T01:47:00.000+01:002004-11-12T01:47:05.163+01:00

A great impediment to peace on the Palestinian side of the Jordan has died. Arafat gets a bitter elegy from TNR, and though that magazine is far more pro-Israel than I am, Arafat deserves to be judged harshly by history. Like the fictional Michael Corleone or the all-too-real Che Guevara, Arafat was man motivated partially by a just cause -- Palestinian statehood -- but whose moral blindness led

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100128119625969302004-11-11T00:08:00.000+01:002004-11-11T00:08:39.626+01:00

..and I'm sure Bono would be f$%&ing beside himself that I'm tingling from the chorus of "Original of the Species" two weeks early. But it bears emphasizing. BUY. THIS. ALBUM. Better yet, download it. Support your local entertainment mega-conglomerate.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100088390013219272004-11-10T13:57:00.000+01:002004-11-10T13:06:30.013+01:00

Well, I was going to write a long, drawn-out review of U2's new album, but I figure I should save the novella until it's actually released. In the meantime, let me say this: the first listen is deceptive. It sounds quite different from anything they've ever done before, and "Vertigo" doesn't do justice at all to the feel of the album. Frankly, I didn't care for it much at all after one whirl.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100080047560864062004-11-10T10:47:00.000+01:002004-11-10T10:47:27.560+01:00

Andrew Sullivan linked to this article, and he's right: it's one of the best on the subject.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1100027704885938472004-11-09T20:15:00.001+01:002004-11-10T17:27:50.156+01:00

Nope, it's a cartogram of the way American counties voted in the 2004 election. Each county has been enlarged to reprent its relative population, eliminating the psychological impact of seeing an ocean of red in the middle of America. Solid blue and red counties voted over 70% Democrat and Republic respectively, and the shades of purple represent margins in between. It really drives home the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099904433856910292004-11-08T10:00:00.000+01:002004-11-08T10:00:33.856+01:00

A week after the election, there're plenty of other important issues to embrace. Our troops are getting ready to take Fallujah, and Iraqis wait with baited breath for elections in January. Here's to both being a success. On the domestic front, Bush may finally do something to overhaul our antiquated tax code, and it appears that Ashcroft may go. Yay, God is great. Make sure you remove the

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099562914755832042004-11-04T11:08:00.000+01:002004-11-04T11:08:34.756+01:00

Look, as a Catholic, I try to stand up for religious people in general, and Christians in particular. But, Christ, some people make is so G§$%&?§ hard.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099562442266493832004-11-04T10:56:00.000+01:002004-11-04T11:00:42.266+01:00

Hmmmm... If Kerry had won Ohio, then the candidate with less geographical breadth of support and 4 million fewer votes would be in the White House right now. If ever there was a time to abolish the Electoral College, now is it.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099519181654693722004-11-03T22:59:00.000+01:002004-11-03T22:59:41.653+01:00

Other than, you know, Kerry & Edwards, who had the most to lose from a Bush victory? DNC Old Guard Methinks Terry McAuliffe and Bob Shrum are gone. They clearly cannot forge a party with staying power. The only thing helping them is youth backlash against certain Bush policies like the Federal Marriage Amendment, but that only proves that Karl Rove, working for the other side, can do a better

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099470569194065782004-11-03T10:12:00.000+01:002004-11-03T09:29:29.193+01:00

Enfuriating. Not the likely Bush win -- that will be too decisive and with margins too high to be anything but a legitimate mandate -- but the early exit polling. Frankly, I feel like I was taken for a ride. How can reality be so different from the predictions? Not even different... a photographic negative. Haven't we learned a damn thing about turnout trends and demographics since 2000? Or was

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099437671141804912004-11-03T00:21:00.000+01:002004-11-03T00:21:11.140+01:00

Well, it turns out the Wonkette numbers are wrong, probably early/absentee voting. The winds at this infant stage seem to be blowing for Kerry, but it's just so hard to accept such ambiguous good news. The setup for a monumental letdown later on in the night is too great. So, while the PA, MI, MN, and NJ returns are encouraging, the two that really matter most, OH and FL, are for all intents and

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099425405343884322004-11-02T20:56:00.000+01:002004-11-02T20:56:45.343+01:00

Everyone here has been resigned to a Kerry loss for weeks now. I'm clueless as to how they'd react if he pulled it off. Maybe we'll find out, if these very early and unreliable returns hold up.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1099262630775436142004-10-31T23:43:00.000+01:002004-10-31T23:58:37.900+01:00

Or just crazy biased? If you have a look at The Corner, even Jonah Goldberg is throwing around predicitions of Bush breaking 300 and chalking up Kerry's small increase to the President's "weekend weakness." They're also shocked, shocked, that the Washington Post would dare treat the election as a tie. Must be that vast left-wing conspiracy. Look, clearly there's a good chance Bush will win on

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098874641406516002004-10-27T12:57:00.000+02:002004-10-27T12:57:21.406+02:00

For the most part, anti-Americanism here in East Germany has been surprisingly tame. Yes, many Europeans are quick to criticize American culture in all its quirky manifestations (mostly that which rhymes with "Resident Tush"), but no one has ever held that general skepticism against me personally; and besides, I'm not exactly subtle in complaining about German bureaucracy or inexpediency.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098867565507802532004-10-27T10:58:00.000+02:002004-10-27T10:59:54.286+02:00

A FedEx/Republican conspiricy? In a sociopathic fit I can only describe as being frighteningly out of character for me, I actually planned ahead for the election. Registered absentee (back in Palo Alto, since I know the local candidates pretty well there), put down my San Diego address, and told my folks to send the ballot along when it came. And here's the lesson to all you libertarians

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098440765884871362004-10-22T12:26:00.000+02:002004-10-22T12:27:02.553+02:00

Eva suggested in a comment that my one-phrase dealing with her argument about Mary Cheney was, um, somewhat less than fair. OK, point taken. In the interest of fairness (and the marital right to private bickering), I have shifted her thoughts from the comments section to this paraphrasing. Eva, as I see it, argues the following: -- As a matter of principle, family members should never be

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098345423927933322004-10-21T09:57:00.000+02:002004-10-21T09:57:03.926+02:00

I hate linking through Drudge (it's a feeling akin to selling one's soul), but this essay is the best summation of why Teresa is a liability, not an asset. And you can be sure that after four years of a soft-spoken First Lady, if Kerry is elected we'll be hearing LOTS more stories like this one.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098097924673931792004-10-18T13:12:00.000+02:002004-10-18T13:12:04.673+02:00

Eva and I disagree on it. I concede that it may hurt, and indeed be hurting, Kerry, and it may have been a calculated, pre-meditated move by his campaign. But it wasn't gay baiting. Quite the opposite. Remember that Bush is walking a thin-line between tolerance for gays and appeasement of the religious right. For what it's worth, I think Bush truly doesn't think of gay people as sinners, and

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098093556576726052004-10-18T11:59:00.000+02:002004-10-18T11:59:16.576+02:00

Chris Suellentrop argues again that Kerry is sinking in the polls. I'll admit that the latest Iowa Electronic Market data caught my eye. Markets are much better spot indicators of trends and mentalities than polls. And since Kerry's negative poll results just posted, I can't believe the IEM numbers are reacting against them. So, that leaves us with two possibilites: 1) IEM investors know

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098018277974650142004-10-17T15:04:00.000+02:002004-10-17T15:04:37.973+02:00

Dude, how did I get caught up in abortion of all topics? Anyway, in Debate III, I agree with Will Saletan (who's as far from a partisan hack as could be): Kerry routed Bush on content. His answers to the health care questions were among the best I've heard to any question in any Presidential debate. Style-wise, Bush came across as a likable guy. I think, though, he sacraficed too much "

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098016845419176292004-10-17T14:40:00.000+02:002004-10-17T14:40:45.420+02:00

D'oh! I just realized I let Presidential Debate #2 slip by me without my self-satisfied commentary, and now Debate #3 has come and gone! What's a lousy blogger to do? FLASHBACK! In brief, Debate II was a draw that I might chalk up to Kerry only because his answers on foreign policy were more thoughtful and incisive than Bush's. In fact, JK had moments in the first half that exceeded even

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1098015407943480722004-10-17T14:16:00.000+02:002004-10-17T14:16:47.943+02:00

An unbelievable exchange between Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and the hosts of Crossfire here. I think it's just as much about Jon Stewart harshly reacting against the "journalist" label being placed on him as it is about reaming Crossfire for its partisan-salespitches-as-debate rouse. After all, the latter is pretty obvious to anyone with even a modicrum of balance to their perspective. As for

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1097572686631364012004-10-12T11:18:00.000+02:002004-10-13T09:35:41.046+02:00

This is pretty scary. Why can't Kerry ream Bush on Kim Jong Il's imminent ability to reach LA with nuclear missiles? Maybe because in all fairness the Clinton Administration has some share of the blame, and ít wouldn't be kosher for Kerry to burn that bridge in such a tight race. Besides, eliminating LA does have its appeal...

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1097155079318584212004-10-07T15:17:00.000+02:002004-10-07T15:17:59.316+02:00

Virginia Postrel highlights the devastating economic effects of one well-meaning attempt to correct disparities in educational funds from local property tax revenue. The article is good enough, but you should also read the full paper.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1097096196527889992004-10-06T22:56:00.000+02:002004-10-06T22:56:36.526+02:00

Tough call, but I lean toward Cheney. First off, it was quite a spectacle, because their styles clashed almost as much as their politics. Never do I remember seeing two public figures whose demeanors so epitomized their respective ideologies: Cheney's cold rationalism, in contrast to Edward's neo-Clintonism. Second, their approaches to the debate were different, and not what I expected.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1096761666615224192004-10-03T02:01:00.000+02:002004-10-03T02:01:06.616+02:00

Not a decisive victory, but a win for Kerry nonetheless. The expectations game worked in his favor, as did all the rules -- the visual time reminders, the very topic itself -- that were supposed to favor Bush. Kerry's relative calm and concision could offer no more stark reminder that the rambling, flip-flopping straw man Bush has been campaigning against these past several months is far removed

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1096759490709641532004-10-03T01:24:00.000+02:002004-10-03T01:24:50.710+02:00

It very well could have been the Worst. Idea. Ever. But Brian Wilson's sMiLe is a gorgeous triumph. The skinny of the story is that sMiLe was supposed to be the Beach Boys' follow-up to to their 1966 release Pet Sounds, widely regarded as the first "concept album," and still hailed as a masterpiece. Somewhere along the way, after the Beatles' brilliant Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Brian

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1096653521348345642004-10-01T19:58:00.000+02:002004-10-01T19:58:41.346+02:00

Based on this, sounds exciting. You gotta love 'em for never being jaded, never giving in to blunting their big ideas.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1096653221945575842004-10-01T19:53:00.000+02:002004-10-01T19:53:41.946+02:00

...in the Iowa Electronic Market. $.33 is still nothing to write home about, but the debate may have marked a reversal of fortune.

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1095968585198158922004-09-23T22:43:00.000+02:002004-09-27T19:04:27.540+02:00

I've been on a "fresh music" kick lately, trying to catch up on what I missed while in Kentucky, which, from the sound of things, wasn't too much. There's no doubt a good deal worth listening to, even if it's not all that innovative, but I'd still take the blueglass I've come to love over most of this material any day. Beyond the young bands, REM and U2, two old and all-time favorites,

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1093907864366981552004-08-31T01:17:00.000+02:002004-09-23T12:04:12.750+02:00

...I've included an up-to-date graph and link to the Iowa Electronic Market above. Like a poll, except you "invest" up to $500 in "stock" (technically it's a futures market) representing who you think will win the election, rather than who you intend to vote for. What's interesting now is that while the Zogby and Gallup polls still show a neck-to-neck race, the IEM shows that their investors are

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1093907034214630152004-08-31T01:03:00.000+02:002004-09-23T15:03:10.170+02:00

Oh yes... Eva has looked Karl Rove right in the eye. Ugggghhhhhh... I feel so violated. Midtown Manhattan is a bonafide garrison. BTW, has my Air of Importance Factor jumped on account of my new ability to drop names of neighborhoods in NYC? Seriously New Yorkers, you've got a pretty cool city, but I never got drenched in sweat from walking around San Francisco in late August. Anyway,

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1088391084708288082004-06-28T04:51:00.000+02:002004-09-23T20:01:14.323+02:00

The New York Times has a story about the efficacy of affirmative action admissions policies. In a sense, it makes a liberal case for reform: if colleges treat native African students as a craven means to inflate statistics for "blacks" (even though almost every American, albeit perhaps wrongly and insensitively, would associate that term with "African-American"), then are current policies, as

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1087618621918959502004-06-19T06:17:00.000+02:002004-09-23T15:09:24.650+02:00

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops stop short of endorsing the denial of the Eucharist to pro-choice politicians, putting the impetus instead on individual bishops. Not only is it not the unequivocal rejection of the idea I had hoped for, but even as a comprosmise solution it leaves too many strings untied. How does the Church define "pro-life?" That is, will the bishops acknowledge a

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1087250312996875612004-06-14T23:58:00.000+02:002004-09-23T15:10:23.790+02:00

Basically good, patriotic man who wrapped up the Cold War (though I would say Solidarity in Poland truly "won" it) and whose cunning and intelligence was foolishly underestimated by both the media and his opponents. His is my favorite personality of any modern president: charming, optimistic, and patriotic without shame, he had the character of a truly great president. Nevertheless, while

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1087248014782016172004-06-14T23:20:00.000+02:002004-06-14T23:20:14.783+02:00

I'm blogging from the ol' alma mater today, at the Social Sciences Reading Room (where I should have spent more time... alas).

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1087246242213339552004-06-14T22:50:00.000+02:002004-06-14T23:17:37.076+02:00

I know I pulled an Ernie and didn't post about it in a timely manner, but Peter Beinart's column from May 13th's New Republic should be copied en masse, loaded onto mothballed TWA jets, and dropped over every populated area in the country (which I suppose would mean slightly altering the subscription requirements to view it... sorry). Best... graf... ever:Ironically, the only way for the United

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5938201.post-1087244105170512172004-06-14T22:06:00.000+02:002004-06-14T22:17:04.606+02:00

...thanks to a technicality. I hope someone else without parental issues will give new birth to the suit soon. Having a reference to God in the first place is offensive to atheists, and its origins as a cheap anti-communist bucksaw, not to mention its effect of gradually benumbing American youth to the idea of the divine, should miff the religious... to say nothing, of course, of that whole "

Erniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00958740986130259119noreply@blogger.com0