Consolation Prize

Some may say that the war in Iraq was a huge mistake, that it was not needed and caused more problems than it solved. That the country was lied to by the government and that our soldiers are risking their lives because some people in the White House thought this war was a good idea.

But this souvenir makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it? (rhetorical question)

New site, old site

Jaime and I just spend some hours switching this site over to new software. There will probably be a rant sooner or later on why I did so, but for now just take heed of this change:

For those of you who use my RSS feed, the site has a slightly different output from now on. Please use this link to supsrcibe from now on:

Thanks again to Jaime. I am so inept about coding, I really needed her help a lot.

Saving environment a lucrative long-term investment

A study on sea turtles in the Caribbean suggests that overlooking their natural Florida habitats could have a negative impact on the tourism economy.
Editorial
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Abu Ga-rup

I won’t say much about tonight’s address by George W. Bush as I am putting an edit together for Thursday. One quick comment though:

How hard is it to pronounce Abu Ghraib? It’s been through the news and back for the last several weeks, yet Bush could not pronounce it properly. Nitpicking? Maybe, but it does not exactly inspire confidence in his ability as a leader if he can’t even pronounce the name of the place that has brought so much shame onto us.

We don’t respect you, but you have to respect us

“We hope that the media will continue to show respect for the daughters and allow them to go about their lives,… and recognize that they are the president’s daughters,” Scott McClellen announced at the White House today.

Am I the only one that find this request rather asinine? This is coming from the administration that completely destroys people’s lives just because they voice open criticism. Former Terrorism Czar Dick Clarke got it full blast, then was heralded by Condi Rice as one of the good people they had on staff. Ambassador Joseph Wilson’s wife was outed as CIA through information leaked by the White House.

But because they are his kids the press has to show respect? The press corps seems to be as sceptic about this as I am (link). Especially because Bush and McClellen never answer the press’ questions straight but rather use them as a propaganda tool they have some nerve to ask for things like this.

Criticism, and the art of accepting it

“I cannot help but be saddened that it took a heckler to speak such truth to power.”
Opinion Column
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Mediocre FCAT, new jobs not good enough for Florida

Instead of celebrating mediocre FCAT scores and newly created jobs without any indication of their quality, a more proactive approach is needed for Florida’s future.
Editorial
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Enterprise renewed for 4th season, Enterprise iCal callendar

Just for the record: UPN announced today that Enterprise is renewed for a 4th season. The show, however, will move to Friday night 9 p.m. (21.00 for us civilized people). Ironically that’s the same spot the original Star Trek was moved to in its 3rd season before it was cancelled by NBC. Good or bad omen? We’ll see next year.

Tune in next Wednesday for the season finale. The official announcement is here link

This may also be a good time to say that I have been maintaining an Enterprise iCal calendar. More details here link.

Eligible voters should not be robbed of right to vote

Forty-thousand or more voters are to be purged from voting registration lists based on their status as ex-convicts. As this procedure had highly questionable results when practiced in the 2000 election, it is vital that it is done carefully prior to the upcoming election.
Editorial
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joining the party

This story by the NY Times is simply classic:
White House Is Trumpeting Programs It Tried to Cut

At least the mainstream media is joining the party now, calling Bush out for doing things that range from blatant to asinine. What took you guys so long?

‘Better than the bad guy’ cannot be the goal

“One of the lamest excuses for the abuse is that Iraqis did not exactly welcome U.S. troops ’with flowers’ as originally predicted. But aren’t we supposed to be the good guys?”
Opinion Column
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National initiative needed to overcome dependency on oil

Rising gas prices are caused by a deeply rooted problem. The United States, dependent on other nations for the resource, should strive for independence through the development and implementation of alternative energy sources.
Editorial
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Freshmen are like my cat

Every year The Oracle puts out a special issue that is handed out to all new incoming students at the University of South Florida. Usually they are rather lighthearted because they have to be untimely in order to still make sense 3 months from now. This one is no different.
Opinion Column
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Gas-guzzling death traps

Customers are willing to pay a premium for large cars such as SUVs. Studies, however, show such vehicles are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than ‘normal’ cars.
Editorial
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infinite cat project

This is just neat, nothing more, nothing less: The Infinite Cat Project

Click on next cat and you will get the idea. Our cat, Bebe, is on there too: link

twisted draft humor

This is definitely funny in a very twisted way. Check out the form. I especially love the date for “born again” and the true/true answers for questions like “George W. Bush, the Commander in Chief, is absolutely and always 1000% correct.”

Good stuff, but only because its obviously bogus. Let’s hope we’ll never have to use it for real.

www.draftregistration.us/

Abuse of Iraqi prisoners regrettable and preventable

The abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners considerably hurt the effort of building trust in the Arab world.
Editorial
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Bureaucracy - the bane of student existence

“‘Social?’ came the customary greeting for any student that enters the Cashier’s Office. I gave my number and awaited the verdict. ‘$7.50.’”
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SG gave up opportunity for clean start

When a called election was questioned, it not only created a bad precedent, but also indicated to students Student Government would continue to operate in the same way it has for years.
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Save Enterprise

UPN is thinking about canceling Enterprise. If you have a minute give them a call at UPN: 1-310-575-7000 (ask for the SaveEnterprise.com voice mail, or if after hours press 3) and politely ask them not to cancel the show.

Apparently enough people are calling UPN for them to warrant a designated voice mail line and a recent press release said they are listening to every call. So call them, at least once, and let them know you like the show and watch it. I’d hate to see this show go the path of Farscape.