tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106647752011-12-14T18:34:47.986-08:00Speaking Truthiness to PowerBarongernoreply@blogger.comBlogger961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1153615701454627712006-07-22T17:47:00.000-07:002006-07-22T17:50:41.820-07:00

A very good AMV.It is found here, and hopefully this author has produced more of the like.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1152879186533949422006-07-14T05:03:00.000-07:002006-07-14T05:13:06.556-07:00

My own question is, "what is the difference between murder, and hiring a hitman to kill someone, and how does this relate to Iran and Syria, and their relationship with the terrorists."It seems that the both Iran and Syria supply both money and instructions to the terrorist groups. How is this different from a country hiring a mercenary army to attack another country. Maybe we should take a

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1152193900754491842006-07-06T06:44:00.000-07:002006-07-06T06:53:34.710-07:00

So the North Koreans have launched a missile and it failed. They then proceeded to launch another missile into the sea. Then they launched another one. And yet another one was soon launched. This was of course follwed by several more launches of missiles of various types. I'd give you an exact number but I have lost count. Since they are threatening to launch more I think others will soon

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1152029932973661572006-07-04T09:18:00.000-07:002006-07-04T09:20:44.320-07:00

The country is now 230 years old.That would be 11 Score and 10 years ago, *bounce*.We might not have much history now, but we are still going strong.It's not the history you have it's what you do with it.Let's see when we started everyone was still ambievilant about this whole democracy thing. Now even North Korea calls itself a democracy. So truth, justice and the American way. Hee ...

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1148082392044042722006-05-19T16:37:00.000-07:002006-05-19T16:49:21.356-07:00

I am tiger hear me RoarActually it is more like, "I am kitty hear me yawn."Like me the poor little kitty has been tired for the past two weeks. But then again, cats seem to be tired most of the time. She does however have no set time schedule, and can sleep anytime she wants (lucky cat).So this is more of the way I'm going to be updating this blog. Instead of doing a daily, in order to emulate

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146454568268045212006-04-30T20:33:00.000-07:002006-04-30T20:36:08.280-07:00

Today is the carnival of the cats and it is hosted today by Furry Paws.Sunday is also a day of rest, and since nothing of stellar importance is happening I've decided to rest today. So taking today off from blogging. It is so hard to stay awake when you have a sleeping cat in the room.Besides its been rainy all day. Hard to think of Sun blogging if you havn't seen it all day. You would think

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146367198112232612006-04-29T19:48:00.000-07:002006-04-29T20:26:38.610-07:00

The CO2 project is doing a roundup on the Medieval warm period. One of the things about being interested in human development from the earliest origins, to the present is that you develop a very broad view of time. Just 20 years ago they was hysteria about global cooling. Now there is hysteria about global warming. Please, when it comes to climate a hundred years is barely long enough to get

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146280060217894442006-04-28T19:53:00.000-07:002006-04-28T21:15:12.390-07:00

Here is a picture of Mabel (the Boomer sub cat), relaxing on her chair. Behind her is a toy squirrel, which is actually a dog toy. It is big, life like, and has a squeeker in its tail. Mabel loves attacking the thing, and will get a death grip on its head, and rake it with her hind claws.I have also found the electronic squeeker mouse for her, and she likes it. Unfortunatly for the Boomer

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146242826705435312006-04-28T09:18:00.000-07:002006-04-28T10:47:38.696-07:00

I really need to write shorter posts. However, to paraphrase Mark Twain, "I would have written a shorter article, but I didn't have enough time." Better yet is a quote from the staffer's sayings.“Your briefing should be like a skirt: long enough to cover the important parts; short enough to be interesting…”A good editor helps an author cut their work down to size. To coin a mixed metaphor, "

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146191805401864712006-04-27T19:28:00.000-07:002006-04-27T19:43:58.146-07:00

Today is tree day or wood day as the case may be.Today we shall contemplate the forest, which some of us can't see because of the trees.It is sort of like the parable.When I was young I looked out my window and saw a mountain.I went off to study, and when I looked at the mountain all I saw were rocks, strata, snow and various aspects of ecology.Then when I came home again I looked out and again

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1146106554454940342006-04-26T19:31:00.000-07:002006-04-26T20:07:46.643-07:00

This is the last of the introductory posts. Today is Water day, and I am dedicating it to water. Water posts will be dedicated to water. Be it symbolic, metaphoric or actual H2O. Water has a deep affect on the human soul. I could sit on the strand and stair out at the ocean forever. The sea has a soul and I love it so.love to a pirate is the kiss of the salt breeze,the curve of a white sail

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145984211190136712006-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:002006-04-25T09:56:51.336-07:00

Yes, it is the day that everyone has been waiting for. Today is fire day. Ok, probably no one has been waiting for fire day. But today is the day I've dedicated to blogging about fire.But what exactly does it mean to blog about fire. It is not just powerful exothermic chemical reaction. It is more accurate to say that this is a day to blog about what fire symbolizes. Fire has always been

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145923841429935432006-04-24T16:50:00.000-07:002006-04-24T17:19:16.003-07:00

As we progress through the cycle that is the week, we arrive at Monday. The moon has long been a symbol of the mystic. So I dedicate Monday's to topics of the mysteries. Religion, myth, psycology, the mind and the inner self are the topics of the day.We have found evidence of the spiritual from the earliest of times. Spirits, ghosts, demons and demigods are found in all cultures. They go by

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145842983742364082006-04-23T18:38:00.000-07:002006-04-23T18:43:03.756-07:00

The carnival is up over at Animal Family. Sadly though their pet rabbit passed away today. It is always sad to lose a beloved pet. I am still coming to terms with my own loss of four months ago. I just want to hug my two girls now. It is so sad that small furry creatures which have so much love to give, have so little time with us. Hug your furred ones tonight.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145802832495899492006-04-23T07:05:00.000-07:002006-04-23T07:36:34.076-07:00

Today is Sunday, the day when I post about astronomy, space and the exploration of the next frontier. To start off the Space posts, I give you the Mars Rovers. These little robots really need a medal for going above and beyond the call of duty. The original mission was scheduled for three months. It has now been over two years, and though age is creeping up on them, they are still going. The

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145796790751647362006-04-23T05:50:00.000-07:002006-04-23T05:53:10.753-07:00

My tornado/terrorisim post is up at the carnival of the insanities. Everyone should check out all the other great posts in this carnival. I wonder if the insanities will also accept cat posts, after all cats by definition are insane. Or at least my cats seem to behave in weird and strange ways.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145659649937526292006-04-22T15:41:00.000-07:002006-04-23T05:49:00.820-07:00

The exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station is teeming with lifeThus the BBC says in it's opening graph. The headline screams, " Wildlife defies Chernobyl radiation." What is going on here. It turns out that the disaster has created a huge wild life preserve.This is also the same thing that is seen along the DMZ in Korea. Both are areas where we just don't go anymore. It is

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145654160308538812006-04-21T12:10:00.000-07:002006-04-21T14:37:53.393-07:00

I, Pencil, simple though I appear to be, merit your wonder and awe, a claim I shall attempt to prove. In fact, if you can understand me‚—no, that's too much to ask of anyone‚—if you can become aware of the miraculousness which I symbolize, you can help save the freedom mankind is so unhappily losing. I have a profound lesson to teach. And I can teach this lesson better than can an automobile or

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145638536325785232006-04-21T09:46:00.000-07:002006-04-21T09:55:36.373-07:00

Here we have the cats exhibiting a rare moment of truce. There has been a general easing of tension between the two. Though Minerva the 'fast attack cat', will be the one that will break it. She won't usually attack, but will chase Mabel under the couch. I think she mainly does it just to have fun and get a reaction out of her.The only time Minerva seems serious about it is if Mabel actually

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145587391166079302006-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:002006-04-20T19:43:11.176-07:00

Now that Mabel is getting more playful, I can give her the exercise she needs. Most of her plumpness is fur, though she does have a little bit of plumpness about her. In fact her thick tail is why I started calling her a boomer kitty. She is heavy boned but she has a layer of plumpness too.She plays a lot with her toy mouse, which is good. However, there is nothing like a "thing on a string"

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145580194122516022006-04-20T17:21:00.000-07:002006-04-20T17:43:14.133-07:00

Thursday is now wood day.Yes, but what does that mean?"From the humble acorn, grows the mighty oak"It is the day to blog about progress and diversity. From the most humble beginnings great things grow. Often in their growth there is often branching as new ideas and memes split off. But how is this going to be applied to "wood" dayThursday shall be dedicated to Human progress. Human progress

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1145076848743591822006-04-14T01:30:00.000-07:002006-04-15T08:26:21.996-07:00

Today is the anniversary of my adoption of Phoebe.I adopted her in 2001 from a local Petsmart adoption center. She had spent a year in foster care, learning to trust again. She had been given up for adoption by a woman, whose boyfriend abused this poor cat. She was the first cat that was soley mine. She was a unique personality. She had various quirks but they made her all the more adorable.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144950215469284052006-04-13T10:40:00.000-07:002006-04-13T10:43:35.480-07:00

Could it actually be? Both cats are on the couch together, and seem to be tolerating each other. Ok, I don't expect them to be cuddling anytime soon. But this is deffintely a step in the right direction. Just as long as the paw about to do the stepping, keeps it's claws sheathed.Minerva really looks like a fairy cat in this pic. She had just been looking out the window, which is why her

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144723770417102112006-04-10T19:38:00.000-07:002006-04-10T20:19:23.263-07:00

There was a kerfluffle about the exclusion of a Sisu in the latest edition of the Carnival of the cats. Sisu who is a regular side show attraction, responds that he was unfairly excluded.Thus there was no tiny or baby in this weeks carnival. I can only hope that my own Minnie made up for it. Though it is a big job for even a "fast attack cat." Exspecially such a tiny one. Lawrence responds

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144611619424362912006-04-09T11:37:00.000-07:002006-04-09T12:47:54.733-07:00

It is that time of year again. The storm clouds darken on the horizon. People huddle in underground bunkers and in safe rooms. Sudden death and destruction threatens the country. People will die, property will be destroyed and lives forever altered. The destruction will be random, and nothing can be done to stop it. The only protection is an elite group of intelligence operators, trying to

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144546847904489182006-04-08T18:38:00.000-07:002006-04-08T18:45:55.583-07:00

So close ... yet so far.These are this years Hurricane names:2006 AlbertoBerylChrisDebbyErnestoFlorenceGordonHeleneIsaacJoyceKirkLeslieMichaelNadineOscarPattyRafaelSandyTonyValerieWilliamPlease note that the "K" for this year is Kirk. That's right it is once again not Kahn. We need to see a weatherman out in the middle of a storm shouting, "KAHN" at the top of his lungs. We need a good

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144458724874894852006-04-07T18:00:00.000-07:002006-04-07T18:24:33.790-07:00

This little thing is Minerva ne' Minnie ne' FAC (Fast Attack Cat).She is Mabel's daughter, and despite her small size really is almost three years old. She is 7.2 pounds of feisty though. I refer to both of them by submarine types. Mabel is a boomer (she will mostly hide), while Minnie is a "Fast Attack Cat", who is intent on finding the boomer and attacking her. Minnie even makes a little

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144201208748083702006-04-04T18:33:00.000-07:002006-04-04T18:40:08.760-07:00

Phoebe3-10-98 to 12-19-06Earlier in this blog you will see a quick post about Phoebe. Alas, the poor dear came down with cancer. It was a long fight over the summer, which she would eventually lose. She was really the first cat that I owned that was not a family cat. She was incredibly sweet in her own grumpy way.I just wish that she could have had a longer life. I adopted her on 4-14-01.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144190382835623082006-04-04T15:21:00.000-07:002006-04-04T15:39:42.846-07:00

Found via Instapundit. Slate has an interesting article on The Federal Bureau of Investigations luddites. I increasingly get the feeling that the entire organization needs to be scrapped, and rebuilt from the ground up. Of course people would reject that, since we have this idea of proper FBI agents dressed in their early 20th century best. The problem is that they are still in the early 20th

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1144001804942076082006-04-02T10:41:00.000-07:002006-04-02T11:31:57.646-07:00

Asymmetrical blogs on the blog entry "dooms loom and the band played on", with her own take on the situation. She is going more for an economic impact to explain the declining birthrate in Italy and Europe in general.Here is my reply:Economic reasons for not having children are only part of the problem, and then only a minor part.Having children goes beyond economics to social and emotional

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1143818605526170332006-03-31T07:19:00.000-08:002006-03-31T07:37:20.816-08:00

This is Mabel. I got her about a month ago. She is a the sweetest feral cat. When she was first captured to be spayed, she hung upside down from the roof of the cage hissing at anyone who came near. Now she is a gentle housecat.It took almost five years for her to start trusting people enough to get close to them. In the end she found a loving home, and comfort. Though she does wish she

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1142354344644762002006-03-14T08:25:00.000-08:002006-03-14T08:49:16.803-08:00

The Kelo bill has been co-sponsored by Senator Talent of Missouri. I received a responce from him regarding his stance on the bill.From: Senator Jim Talent Date: Mar 14, 2006 8:10 AMSubject: Re: Kelo decision - Property RightsTo: baronger@gmail.comDear Mr. (Baronger):Thank you for contacting me to voice your concerns with the Supreme Court decision on eminent domain. I appreciate the time you

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1141947390110600262006-03-09T15:28:00.000-08:002006-03-09T15:37:35.530-08:00

Reynolds seems to be getting some good reviews for his new book. It still isn't in at my local library, and since the branch I requested pickup at is going to be closed soon, I probably won't get it till mid-April. But then again having it come in mid-April would make a cool b-day present.Currently Army of Davids is ranked #129 on Amazon, and it keeps going up (yesturday it was #210), which is

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1140380458713654372006-02-19T12:18:00.000-08:002006-02-19T12:20:58.726-08:00

This bill is not only for the sake of pets. People often put themselves in danger by staying behind and caring for their pets because shelters won't take them. Write your congressman, let's get this bill out of committee.Here is the link to the Humane Society webpage

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1140373034895605312006-02-19T10:14:00.000-08:002006-02-19T10:39:34.896-08:00

Althouse points to an interesting article on introversion in Atlantic. She has an interesting take on it, On the internet, no one knows you're an introvert. Very spot on.I tend to be a bit on the introverted side myself. I've often wondered why people at college thought I should be dragged to parties. Excuse me, I'd be much happier curled up in the library. The world would be a lot better

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1131124474010972832005-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:002005-11-04T11:34:16.156-08:00

Ahem ....i burn my city at both endsit will not last the nightbut allah my friends and allah my foesit makes a fearsome frightI cannot believe that Paris is still burning. It has now been eight days. Still I did get inspriation to filk a popular poem. No disrespect intended, please don't fatwa me. This is right out of all those post-modern apocolypse/1984/social destruction stories. Civil

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1123721556910519072005-08-10T17:51:00.000-07:002005-08-10T17:56:20.036-07:00

Press it I dare you.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1122828930773159032005-07-31T09:55:00.000-07:002005-07-31T09:55:30.803-07:00

Cameras and Counterterrorism by Heather Mac Donald, is a common take on the raging controversy surrounding having cameras monitor public spaces. The big fear is that there will be a loss of anonymity. In large cities everyone is a nameless face in the crowd. It's ok if a local policeman sees you, for he has no idea who you are. However if you live in a small town, the local peace officer

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1122741692305678972005-07-30T09:41:00.000-07:002005-07-30T10:11:48.196-07:00

Ahhhh, paradigm shift world view is now askew.  The little town of Hazel, Kentucky has a presense on the web.  This is a small flyspeck country town in the middle of nowhere.  My grandparents used to live there, and I actually spent a semester there after moving from Hawaii.  I did really well in school then, since I could finish all of my homework on the 3 hour bus ride.  Not to mention that

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1122568095407365932005-07-28T09:24:00.000-07:002005-07-28T09:28:15.416-07:00

Oh Beauty who dost betwixt thy fever'd buttocks my beleagur'd skull embrace ...The website known as BigHominid's Hairy Chasms will always leave the first timer scratcing their head going WTF. It is an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in course vulgarity. It is also highly philosophical and introspective and has a zen like quality. It is in fact all about the fuck. But it is philosophical

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1122056611777293982005-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:002005-07-22T11:26:38.140-07:00

Malkin echoed my exact thoughts. I woke up groggily after falling asleep in front of the TV. For a second I wondered if there was so little news that the networks were forced to start airing repeats. But no it was yet another attack against civilization. It looks like the London terrorists just went ahead and proved what failures and losers they are. This was deffinately their B team, but

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1121952648119317612005-07-21T06:21:00.000-07:002005-07-21T06:46:00.146-07:00

One of the interesting things about languages, is that they are flexible and often import terms. The latest Harry Potter book has just introduced a lot of young people to the English Slang term, "Snogging." Of course the book was written in such a way that everyone who didn't know the term, would instantly identify what it was. So the question is, will the book be enough to influence a slight

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1121951994033087962005-07-21T06:15:00.000-07:002005-07-21T06:21:11.820-07:00

Apparently the Roberts nomination is being attacked from both sides. The question is how honestly are the attacks from the right. This might be a form of political judo, where some on the right critisize the nomination in order to give support to the nomination. After all the pro Roberts people can say, "Look even some on the right are against the nomination."

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1121018445524983102005-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:002005-07-10T11:00:45.530-07:00

Unconsidered Trifles looks at the response on Amazon to Sen. Santorum's new book.How extremely sad that Santorum can write a book criticizing the notion that government is a co-equal or better guardian of children (a notion, by the way, that Orwell foregrounds in 1984 which I am about to finish), and people read that as an indictment on themselves and their "lifestyles." Not surprisingly, one

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1120774409223280262005-07-07T15:12:00.000-07:002005-07-07T15:13:29.226-07:00

Interesting presentation of the trend of casualties in Iraq.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1120767430135052272005-07-07T13:15:00.000-07:002005-07-07T13:17:10.136-07:00

Interesting article on the relevance of newspapers today. For breaking news we now turn to the internet and the 24 hour news channels. Newspapers will probably end up being for more in depth coverage and after action reports.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1120763926836259762005-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:002005-07-07T12:39:02.570-07:00

A proper Shakespearian responce to the London incident. This is heavy stuff, so I'll look for some lighter stuff around the web. The fight goes on, and in this one there are no front lines. There is no safe area in the rear. It's hard to find the words to truly express what I feel. Others are better at this then I am.Quick look around the blogs as I'm seeing what is being said about London.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1120231681709838582005-07-01T08:23:00.000-07:002005-07-01T08:34:11.536-07:00

The main stream media, are like a bunch of sharks cicling this story. Any drop of blood or rumour of blood was bound to set them into a feeding frenzy. With the exception of the Aruba story, there are no huge stories going on. They were impatient for the next whale of a story to tear into. Now there is going to be a huge feeding frenzy. It's going to get bloody.With the last retirement being so

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1119633739163417182005-06-24T10:10:00.000-07:002005-06-24T10:33:35.646-07:00

I have sent off my letters to my representatives:Senator Kit Bond, MO-RSenator Jim Talent, MO-RRep. Kenny Hulshof, MO-R (Ninth District)What follows is an open letter to my representatives. I encourage everyone to write their representatives. There needs to be a rewrite of the law, if not the fifth amendment. The Constitution needs to mean something. Even those who say the Constitution is a

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1119620839583304062005-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:002005-06-24T06:57:17.966-07:00

Althouse seems to think that this case strikes a balance. I disagree, in that it might look good on paper, in practice it stinks.Here is my comment:I think the main point against the ruling is one of practice. Yes it might seem fair and strike a reasonable balance on paper. However as Justice Thomas pointed out, in practice this is bound to lead to corruption. I would set a high bar to when a

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1119558748060750652005-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:002005-06-23T22:52:47.233-07:00

''The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution says 'nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.' This is a tacit recognition of a preexisting power to take private property for public use, rather than a grant of new power.''Please note that it says for public use. What happened is the Supreme court has decided that if a business says they can provide more taxes and

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1118002636193446772005-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:002005-06-05T13:28:09.950-07:00

This is another interesting, preference cascade article.After all what happens if the silent Majority realizes that it is in fact a majority, or at least a very substantial minority. Blogs, livejournals and other modern communication networking is increasing the ability to communicate. With entry cost to communicating witht he world now virtually zero democracy may have at last come into the

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110501237368369512005-03-10T16:28:00.000-08:002005-03-10T16:33:57.370-08:00

Yoshimasa Yamada, 26, was arrested for breaking the Swords and Firearms Control Law after he burst into the police office and allegedly screamed out a demand for money only to end up surrounded by police officers. Apparently the uniforms for the Japanese Railroad, and the police are very similar. The Japanese railroad offices were right next door to the station, which undoubtedly only added to

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110486244302156292005-03-10T12:14:00.000-08:002005-03-10T12:24:04.306-08:00

Today's Opinion Journal tackles something that I've been saying for a while. The problem that social security is facing is that there are fewer workers then those that are on social security. The problem can be cured in either of two ways. Either Americans start producing more babies or we increase immigration. Kudos to the journal for even broaching this subject.I've been of the opinion that we

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110483573063522692005-03-10T11:10:00.000-08:002005-03-10T11:39:33.066-08:00

The linnean classification of certain animal species in Turkey have been changed by the government. The names changed had names of subregions that had seperatist groups in their taxonomic structure. This usually occurs at the species level which, in order to differentiate animals that are in a like genus.The genus level is the name that is often the common folk name. Thus we would have the

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110425880419792252005-03-09T19:21:00.000-08:002005-03-09T19:38:00.423-08:00

I started reading this one when it first went up. However due to pressure from his superiors it was taken down. It has now been brought to the attention of everyone, via this Army Times article. It is a very raw take on the life of an infantry grunt. Military blogs will hopefully end up being archived somewhere more permanent then the ephemeral blogsphere. For a while historians were moaning

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110383610138760262005-03-09T07:50:00.000-08:002005-03-09T07:53:30.140-08:00

MixMem points us to another carnival. There is a carnival of philosophers. Am I blogging or am I merely dreaming that I am blogging?

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1110052591225538322005-03-05T11:50:00.000-08:002005-03-05T12:04:56.620-08:00

So is Chris Muir commenting on the FEC situation? The Captain seems to think the same thing.I know, I know .... if you need the joke explained, or say "get it" you have ruined the joke. Either way both comics work well together today.update:The Captain has a post on a NRA interview with Bradley Smith. In the interview Mr. Smith, goes into what exactly is in danger of being censored.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109987583605474422005-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:002005-03-04T23:50:23.513-08:00

Now for something relaxing. Except it is not relaxing, its a great big, huge cliffhanger. Megatokyo strip 682, entitled Ice Cubes leaves us dangling with too many unanswered questions. All brought about by one question, by Erika. This is my little take on the drama.Erika: If I sleep with you, will you go away?This can either be interpreted one of two ways. She wants to get rid of him, and is

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109985816468200932005-03-04T16:33:00.000-08:002005-03-04T17:27:38.430-08:00

The MSM have focused on blogs so much, that forums have been skipped over. If a blog is the metaphorical soapbox in the town square, then forums would be some sort of meeting place. How to categorize them. The smoking room at the country club, the local tavern or a town hall. Two of my regular forums are Megatokyo and Baen's Bar. One is a discussion board dedicated to a web-comic, the other is a

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109980204538481032005-03-04T15:10:00.000-08:002005-03-04T18:39:26.443-08:00

The Campaign Legal Center responds. The Blogstorm, well actually it's more of a sudden shower right now. The Center is trying to make sure that a tempest doesn't happen, and it will be just a light drizzle.The issue the FEC - and the courts - are grappling with is how to deal with online political ads by candidates and parties, and with paid advertising that is coordinated with those groups. As

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109902305858176162005-03-03T17:46:00.000-08:002005-03-03T18:58:17.940-08:00

So has the SEC finally done, what was once considered impossible. According to the Captain, this has happened. From left wing Daily Kos to the right wing Captain, both sides are denouncing the SEC. McCain-Feingold which brought conservative and liberal together, is once again bridging the ideological divide.So are the reds and blues truly united at last? This new purple movement, seems to be

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109896841694999292005-03-03T16:31:00.000-08:002005-03-03T17:17:31.983-08:00

Volokh has written an article, on blogging for the "The Times-Picayune".I like his reference to books. Just like books there are a lot of blogs; but only a few that are really worth mentioning. In the end the bloggers are the grassroots watchdogs, finaly given voice. Still need to see if the FEC, will carry through with silencing the bark. Hopefully the MSM and blogs will eventually reach a

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109882377706877582005-03-03T12:37:00.000-08:002005-03-03T12:39:37.706-08:00

Interesting analysis of the difference. Nato is a Hegemony for example. An empire would be one controling other countries directly. A hegemony if I have it right, would be more akin to a nation being "first among equals."

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109874899994782272005-03-03T10:21:00.000-08:002005-03-03T11:08:48.323-08:00

Will bloggers eventually face arrest for their political views?In just a few months, he warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign's Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines.Smith should know. He's one of the six

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109794839172246982005-03-02T08:20:00.002-08:002005-03-02T18:57:52.776-08:00

In today's opinion journal's edition of, "Best of the Web", I found this interesting tidbit. In vowel-deprived Kyrgyzstan, opposition candidates allegedly won only three seats in the parliamentary vote. "Opposition supporters have begun protests to disrupt the second round of voting--to be held on March 13 in more than half of the constituencies. Many are calling for a 'tulip' or 'lemon'

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109779315328559812005-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:002005-03-02T08:01:55.330-08:00

Looks like Instapundit, has put some thought into what I discussed in my last post too. He terms it a preference cascade, in that suddenly people realized that they were not alone. The sudden emergence of patriotism, after 9/11 was not sole due to the attack. Patriotism, was always there, but it was uncool and so people didn't express it.Suddenly people realized they were not alone in their

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109740459453491202005-03-01T20:09:00.000-08:002005-03-01T22:15:27.606-08:00

What is with Canada now? They are so against us having anti-ballistic missile tech, that they don't want us to shoot down any missiles heading toward them. Sorry, just don't get that. Do you think that if push comes to shove, they would still be angry if we did prevent one of their cities from being nuked? I guess this is a case of better to ask forgiveness then to seek permission. I think this

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109358089195002462005-02-25T10:52:00.000-08:002005-02-25T11:01:29.196-08:00

Condi has apparently found her powersuit. I must admit that I do like her outfit. The question is that will it make her stand out enough to really get noticed. The soldiers at the Wiesbaden army airbase, gave her a huge greeting. The Washington Post, and other's are running the photo. So is this the beginning of a presidential run.personally I've been hoping for "Condi 2008", for a while now.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109357533260077322005-02-25T10:43:00.000-08:002005-02-25T10:52:13.260-08:00

Carnival of the Histories. Carnival of the Recipes.personally I am interested in the historical recipes. Ethnobotany and Ethnozoology is the study of man's past relationship with food. Any food that fell into the fire has the chance of being carbonized and then preserved. This is recovered from archaeological digs, via flotation techniques.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109220287285608252005-02-23T20:05:00.000-08:002005-02-24T11:14:56.583-08:00

“All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what's cool. And that works all the way from the external trappings to the level of metaphor, subtext, and the way one uses words. In other words, I happen not to think that full-plate armor and great big honking greatswords are cool. I don't like 'em. I

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109216844339447012005-02-23T19:35:00.000-08:002005-02-23T19:47:24.340-08:00

Found this via a submariner, it seems that those who live like sardines are also interested in the vastness of space. An entire galaxy of dark matter, which is invisible stuff which can't be explained. I'm still waiting for the astromoners to properly explain dark matter. Yet astronomers and physicists havn't found all the answers to the stuff we can see, so I'm not expecting an answer anytime

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109216014338223032005-02-23T18:35:00.000-08:002005-02-23T19:33:34.340-08:00

Spirit and Oppurtunity have now been roaming about the surface of the red planet for over a year. Currently Oppurtunity seems to be in a better shape with regards to it's powersupply; while dust is threatening is giving Spirit a gloomy outlook. What was originally a 90 Sol (Martian day of 24 h 37 m), has now progressed to 380 sols for Oppurtunity and over 400 for Spirit, with no end in sight.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109118538494023802005-02-22T16:07:00.000-08:002005-02-22T19:44:43.966-08:00

Now on the docket of the Supreme Court is case 04-108, known as Susette Kelo v. City of New London. This is a case involving eminent domain. For the record I am on the side of the petitioner. The City of New London condemned the Kelo's property in order to turn the property over to a development company. The Pacific Legal Foundation recently filed a friend of the court brief in support of Susette

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109022257112664312005-02-21T12:56:00.000-08:002005-02-21T14:16:11.080-08:00

CSJ has an article on successful blogging how too's, which links to brigg's blog.Brigg's has his take on the 10 rules of the successful blogger. Here is my review of his points. But explore his site and determine for yourself._______________Rule 1: "Read more blogs," gives us a link to two blogger blogs. This is a very useful rule as it gives us real world examples of what works and what

Barongernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1109016337765353422005-02-21T12:04:00.000-08:002005-02-21T12:31:46.540-08:00

Orin Kerr, one of the bloggers over at the Volokh Conspiracy, has an interesting series of articles; on how bloggers, are probably going to affect the future of law reviews. Since blogs can analyze, and bring more expertise to bear on court decisions and laws; they will probably eclipse the law review in a few years.The big question though is, how do I cite these blogs. Here is where credentials

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108842884829071742005-02-19T11:53:00.000-08:002005-02-19T11:54:44.830-08:00

Looks like the professor had the same thought I had.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108662512803352442005-02-17T09:39:00.000-08:002005-02-17T09:48:32.810-08:00

It seems that this meme is gaining ground. A journalist is someone who reports his or her ideas about the state of current affairs to the public through a medium. The Web is one such medium (note AP style capitalization of Web). It looks like all branches of government are accepting this.Legislation to give blogs same access to FOI as journalists.Plame decision: Bloggers are considered to be

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108582047083964262005-02-16T11:22:00.000-08:002005-02-16T11:27:27.083-08:00

Beldar scores the Plame decision, which deals with journalists and the first amendment.His score is Prosecution 34 and Journalists 0. That is if this was looked at, as if it was a football game.The final conclusion: Journalists have no more priviledges then those of ordinary citizens. Just because you write for a MSM outlet does not give you special status above that of the common man. All

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108580899525899592005-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:002005-02-16T11:14:38.793-08:00

Well not really, but sad and tragic like all murders are. Yet for some reason this one did not catch the national headlines. A hooters waitress was murdered, and the suspect is of course her boyfriend. Even though the evidence is flimsy and someone else confessed the prosecutor is still going after him. I wonder if it's getting to the point where boyfriends/husbands had better call their lawyers,

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108579130930064372005-02-16T10:38:00.000-08:002005-02-16T10:38:50.933-08:00

Instapundit now describes himself as a barker. A more apt description is probably a caravansaray. Though this is mainly because I'm emphasizing the wandering nature of a carnival. I wonder if that makes this blog a sort of caravansaray too since I keep promoting them too.Here are the latest carnivals via Instapundit:Carnival of the VanitiesCarnival of EducationCarnival of the LiberatedRed Ensign

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108511464553296892005-02-15T15:00:00.000-08:002005-02-15T16:52:40.636-08:00

I have added another journalist to my blog-roll. Since blogging is supposed to be the new and upcoming form of journalism, it is probably best to see how the actual credentialed experts do it. So now in addition to "The Savy Literate"; I now have "Common Sense Journalism" in my blog-roll. One blog by a fairly new journalist and one by a seasoned veteran of the field. Both are recognized

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108492733442419342005-02-15T10:24:00.000-08:002005-02-15T10:38:53.446-08:00

A violin player sits on the corner playing his music. Pedestrians pass by, some stopping to appreciate the tune. At his feet is his open violin case. A few coins have been tossed in. The song goes on, but payment for it is not expected. The player knows this, yet he plays on the public street. No price for admission, but please leave a little token of your appreciation. He has given you a moment

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108439885369270042005-02-14T19:50:00.000-08:002005-02-14T21:17:50.406-08:00

Just found this on instapundit. Didn't know this was in the offering, when I wrote my carnival piece. But it seems that the carnival is going to be a relationship structure in the blogsphere. The marketplace of ideas is patterning itself after an actual market model. We are social animals, and have an instinctive need to organize. The blogsphere is just beginning that organization.Another social

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108399139346908912005-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:002005-02-14T09:00:23.426-08:00

Since I have a new blog this little gem from the "Carnival of the Capitalists" caught my eye. It's an odd gem but I'm sure to find a good setting for it. Like a bower bird I need to set it just right in the nest. The content of my own little bower is still almost empty. Flasy and gaudier nests like Instapundit already exist, attracting readers that would otherwise visit my bower. But this little

Barongernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108394386165482222005-02-14T06:29:00.000-08:002005-02-14T15:25:39.640-08:00

Today we have the 14th edition of the "Carnival of The Capitalists." This is a huge grouping of economist blogs. Yes the blogsphere is not all politics. Though economics is probably politics near cousin. Weekendpundit is hosting this carnival. He has done a nice job too, and it's not a simple listing of links. It's divided into sections and there is a short synopsis and intro to each of the blogs

Barongernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108328145405175592005-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:002005-02-13T19:43:05.253-08:00

I know that groundhogs day has passed, but the puny reference had to be made. So does the marmot predict six more weeks of North Korea hysteria. Not if the other 4 members of the 6 way talks have their way. China can pinch their fuel. S. Korea can pinch off fertilizer. Japan can affect them economically. This is why NK wants only bilateral talks, they know that in a six way they can be brought to

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108325553577551562005-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:002005-02-13T13:39:03.476-08:00

The recipe blogging goes on. I've seen quite a few interesting ones. I'd join in but I would actually need to write mine down. I've gotten to the add spice until it feels right stage. I do it by instinct acquired over a long period of trial and error. I don't think I can write down, "and add chili powder till the little voice in your head tells you to stop." It works for me now ... but only since

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108318182554976042005-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:002005-02-13T10:09:42.560-08:00

I stand by the first amendment in that he does have a right to say what he wants. However, he does not have a right to insist that others pay him to say it. He is being paid by the tax-payers of Colorado to say what he says. By firing him the tax payers would exercise their right of free speech.So I say that he can say what he wants to say, but he has to pay for it himself. I'm pretty sure he has

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108155975470482942005-02-11T12:29:00.000-08:002005-02-11T14:03:04.860-08:00

With North Korea we are back to good old fashioned real politics. In other words all agreements need to be backed up by the threat of force. North Korea has shown little regard to agreements, and is very forceful in it's political moves. Remember this is the country that gave us the classic laugh line, "and after months of negotiation we have finely decided on the shape and size of the table."

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108152571602044042005-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:002005-02-11T12:09:31.603-08:00

Stolen from coppersblogDon't really need to say anything more. I guess a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1108150925968324992005-02-11T11:34:00.000-08:002005-02-11T15:00:19.326-08:00

Very definitely true for my tastes.I like fruity wines with very little tannin. Some tannin is good for bite but it should be nice and smooth.I mainly prefer 'blancs.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1107796545343298842005-02-07T09:01:00.000-08:002005-02-07T09:15:45.343-08:00

I've been thinking about the various demographic crunch that faces the first world. Recently we had a post in Megatokyo's forums that dealt with Northern Ireland, but dove-tailed into this problem. I know that Israel faces a similar situation but I hadn't really given Northern Ireland much thought. The Catholic population of Northern Ireland is increasing at a faster rate then the Protestants

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1107732569678159482005-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:002005-02-06T15:33:52.760-08:00

This is the feature that finaly prompted me to start the blog. Here you can see a nice pic of the cover of Tori Amos's new CD. I've been a huge fan of hers since her first album. I still remember wishing that she had more then one album, and then more then two. Even now I think she doesn't have enough albums. I love her piano based songs that are sung from the heart. Her concerts are

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1107724179587181592005-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:002005-02-06T13:20:39.093-08:00

In the tradition of Instapundit I shall dedicate a post to my cat. Don't worry this won't turn into a cat-blogging blog. Well luckily I don't own a digital camera. Anyway these are some pictures of my cat, that my sister took while she was visiting me. Maybe I should just upgrade to a digital camera. Anyway Phoebe is a snowshoe. She is basically a cross between a seal-point Siamese and a tabby.

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10664775.post-1107721201616684962005-02-06T13:06:00.000-08:002005-02-06T12:20:01.616-08:00

I can always go the James Dean, rebel without a cause route. "What have you got" But is a blog just a means of rebelling. The modern equivilant of going up the mountain to shout defiance at the universe. To proudly state, this is who I am and these are my opinions. To the ancients doing this meant risking a bolt of lightning from the gods. Today with blogs we just have the occasional flamey

Barongernoreply@blogger.com0