Most of you know about the really bad decision handed down by the Supreme Court this week in regard to student speech. It has sent a few chills up my spine and not because of the moronic content of the student’s banner. What’s freaking me out is that the Supreme Court seems to have made this decision based on the message contained – e.g. they appear to have ruled that there is some kind of “illegal drug exception” to free speech rights.
Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to Reuters for finding this cool Soviet arcade game collection – and, in a welcome respite from the breathless iPhone buzz, Lore Sjöberg delivers the only original piece of iPhone coverage all week.

Ok – I’ve long been promising my choices for this nation’s great small cities. There are many, but the below is my short list of favorites:

Charlottesville, Virginia
Durham / Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Portland, Maine

So, get to it and check them out.

Last week, I received two tips about Violent Acres, the notorious blogger whom I discussed a while back. Earlier, I incorrectly speculated that she was a man – based mostly on her misogynistic geeky left-brained diatribes. I think she is a decent writer and have found a lot in her pieces to agree with.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just last night, I deleted a draft of an old article I had written about the ridiculous imprisonment of a 20-year old student who has had his life ruined for something most of us have done – in fact, something that simply should not be a crime.

Today, a glimmer of hope for this kid appeared – only to be snatched away by an insane, overzealous prosecutor.

I’m in the middle of a very busy afternoon so I don’t have a bunch to say about it, other than to say the Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker not only lives in a different world than I do, but he is also himself an immoral and cruel human being.

I converted to WordPress from Movable Type. It was a big fat stinking hassle, but it was high time. The technical work is done but the cosmetic work continues… please tell me if you notice anything broken.

Don’t worry, dude. The huge petrol lines will be back soon enough.

I’ve frequently been impressed by Bob Gates. In a den of thoughtless reactionaries, psychopathic personalities, and just plain morons, it’s no small relief to see a guy like Gates in a position of such power. You can thank Bush the Elder and Jim Baker for this. I have a great many differences with Gates; for example, he’s a bit too paranoid for my liking. However, given his background and current responsibilities, I can understand some sleeplessness. I hold a lot of respect for his intellect and for the rational, informed things he tends to say.
Read the rest of this entry »