Archive for the 'commentary' Category

Remembering September 11th

Published
by
wvpv
on 9/11/2008
in commentary and war on terror
. 0 Comments

Do you remember where you were and how you felt?

So what about now?

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Scientists figure out the platypus

Published
by
wvpv
on 5/9/2008
in commentary and religion/church
. 0 Comments

I can rest easy tonight knowing that scientists have figured out the platypus.

With a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver and snake-like venom hidden in heel spurs, the platypus could be the result of some strange genetic experiment.

And it is, scientists say: evolution.

Well of course they said it was evolution. Shocking.

By comparing platypus genes to those of humans and other mammals, scientists hope to fill in the gaps about mammals’ evolution and better identify species’ specific traits.

Ahh, the ever-elusive transitional evidence.  That’ll be the day.

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Uncomfortable situations

Published
by
wvpv
on 5/2/2008
in commentary
. 0 Comments

A few uncomfortable situations for me:

  • talking to people in the bathroom
  • the moment right after I said something I shouldn’t have
  • having a thought that was there and now it’s not
  • tripping and falling over something
  • seeing something that’s crooked (as in not level) and not being able to change it
  • hearing someone being criticized
  • trying to lead when I have no idea what I’m doing
  • screwing up something I said I was good at
  • figuring out where to start on something complicated

How about you? Have any?

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The end of porn

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/12/2008
in business and commentary
. 0 Comments

Know one thing I’d like to see?

I’d like to see the porn industry exposed and vilified as much as the cigarette companies are.

Let’s just call porn for what it is: the #1 destroyer of relationships in the world

Who calls out the porn industry when:

  • a sexual predator rapes and kills a 10-year old girl?
  • a marriage ends up in divorce and the kids have to pick up the pieces for their whole lives?
  • a college girl gets AIDS after getting conned into doing a porn video?

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Apple violates user trust by including Safari in iTunes update

Published
by
wvpv
on 3/24/2008
in commentary and technology
. 0 Comments

People are rightly outraged that Apple has included Safari — clearly a second-rate browser download — along with the iTunes updater.

I’m OK with iTunes, because it’s a stellar product. Safari isn’t. It can’t stack up to to Firefox.  Apple certainly has a monopoly in the music delivery and player market, but even the evil Microsoft doesn’t do this kind of thing.

Here’s the CEO of Mozilla on the subject.

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Coming Soon: The Real Obama

Published
by
wvpv
on 2/23/2008
in commentary and politics
. 5 Comments

[obama]
Now that Barack Obama is likely to squish Hillary and win the Democratic nomination, it’s time for the real Barack Obama to step forward. With so much talk about change you would think that he (or someone else in the Mainstream Media for that matter) would talk about what he stands for and the positions he’s taken on issues in his brief political career. Hillary isn’t going to trot out some of is more eyebrow raising principles and associations, because, honestly, most of his beliefs fall in line with those of the Democrat party.

Once the nomination is official, the GOP won’t hold back. Because Obama is so dreamily charismatic and the Mainstream Media swoons for him, it will end up as a double-team against McCain.

I digress. Back to Obama’s stand on some of the issues that concern me:

Abortion - supports Roe v. Wade, against the partial birth abortion ban, supports embryonic stem cell research, supports the interests of NARAL (no link for you!) and Planned Parenthood (no link for you!)

Civil Rights - believes being gay or lesbian is not a choice, thinks the gay rights movement is like the civil rights movement, support affirmative action in schools and government, did not support a ban on flag burning, voted against the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage in 2006, supports the interests of the ACLU (no link for you!) , suggests that the Bible tolerates homosexuality in his Audacity of Hope (no link for you!) book,

Energy - does not believe we should expand oil drilling on our own land, supports increased ethanol usage, believes global warming is a real threat

Foreign policy/War on Terror/Homeland Security - believes we should pull our troops out of Iraq, willing to meet with foreign dictators one-on-one, supports a larger role for NATO in world affairs, sees China as a competitor and not an enemy, supports military action in Pakistan, supports providing Habeas Corpus for detainees of the US

Health Care - supports universal health care (except for babies; see Abortion section above), supports decriminalization of drugs

Immigration - supports giving drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, supports allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security

Taxes - against permanently repealing the death tax, generally against making tax cuts permanent

Other - officially endorsed by MoveOn.org (no link for you!) , voted the Most Liberal Senator in 2007 by the National Journal, apparently doesn’t care for the Star Spangled Banner, stopped wearing is US flag pin as sign of patriotism, has been tied to the Nation of Islam, has plagarized Spike Lee movies, has been linked to crook developer Tony Rezko

Sources: ontheissues.com, votesmart.org, nationaljournal.com, newsbusters.org, youtube.com, debbieschlussel.com

There you have it.

Tags: , ,

Sad:No local BBQ places in new KC Power and Light District

Published
by
wvpv
on 2/16/2008
in business and commentary
. 0 Comments

[jack stack ribs]Ran across this article this morning about the new KCP&L District in development near the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City.

Famous Dave’s BBQ is a relative newcomer and compared to the rich BBQ heritage of Kansas City, well, there’s no real comparison.

Visitors to the Sprint Center will be missing out if they don’t travel outside of the Power & Light District. There’s lots of good BBQ in the surrounding area, most of which I have tried myself. There are nearly 400 BBQ restaurants in a 40 mile radius of KC.

My only gripe with Famous Dave’s (in my one visit): small portions.

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Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church

Published
by
wvpv
on 10/13/2007
in commentary, religion/church and technology
. 0 Comments

Second time this article has been shared in my sphere of friends on Facebook.

Ok. Ok.

This age-old debate drums on.  How “in but not of” should we be in the culture of ours? It’s certainly not a black-and-white issue in my mind. Back in my high school days it was about Stryper and Christian heavy metal and the associated drugs and sex culture.

This article is a little one-sided and slants toward the “look at these hypocritical Christians” shtick. It skimps on the details about the outreach and positive influence on kids that aren’t part of a church at all. From my perspective, the fellowship was good, fun and positive. You can’t just let the gaming at church stand on it’s own — as it is with any other outreach effort.

I’m glad it’s Halo and not some of the other games that are out there.

Tags:

My Top 10 Alternatives to Dog Fighting

Published
by
wvpv
on 8/21/2007
in commentary and sports
. 1 Comment

[Rock, Paper, Scissors]

If you think about it, dog fighting is really a competition of egos. It just happens to be brutal and inhumane.

So it got me thinking… What other competitions would be suitable alternatives to dog fighting? Here’s a my top 10 (in no particular order):

  1. Cyberathlete Professional League / Cyberathlete Amatuer League
  2. Battlebots
  3. Competitive Rock-Paper-Scissors
  4. Robocode
  5. Power tool drag racing
  6. US Air Guitar Championship
  7. Adult spelling bee
  8. Whistling competition
  9. Competitive Paintball
  10. Bocce Ball

If you see any of these in a rap video, don’t forget to give credit where credit is due.

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Liberal bias makes me Sicko

Published
by
wvpv
on 7/2/2007
in blogging, business, commentary and media bias
. 6 Comments

Have you heard about Google blogger, Lauren Turner, who wrote this article and was forced by Google to “clarify” it?

I thought she made some valid points — points that seem to guide readers toward Google’s products.

What if Sicko (sorry, it doesn’t deserve a link) really is a distorted piece of propaganda by some do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do fat blob?

What’s the point of having corporate bloggers if you’re going wuss out under a little pressure?

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An observation on the tragic murder of Jessie Davis (and child)

Published
by
wvpv
on 6/24/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

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You’ve probably heard by now that the police officer boyfriend of Jessie Davis is now charged her murder.

Most likely this guy will be charged with two murders.

Can someone please explain to me how the status of this unborn child is regarded as more significant if a deranged boyfriend decides snuff out it’s life as opposed to it’s own mother?

Why don’t they call it a fetus?  Hmmmm.

According to the U.S. Census data from 2005, of the approximately 62 of the 150 million women in the U.S. are between the ages of 15 and 44 years old.

abortionsper1000.gif

Combine that with the abortion statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Inistitute, 2% of women in the 15-44 age group have an abortion every year.  Doing the math here — 2% of 62 million is:  1.24 million abortions on average per year.

So I guess it all boils down to choice?   Again, how is the choice of a killer different than the choice of an inconvenienced mother?

I wish someone would explain it to me.

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Rosie O’Donnell leaving “The View”

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/25/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

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‘Bout stinkin’ time.

Guess she’ll be taking her freak-show on the road.

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Justices uphold abortion procedure ban

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/18/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

Good news for those of us who love our children and can’t stand the thought of abortion.

Baby, steps…baby steps.

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We can only hope.

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/13/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

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After Imus, DeLay Calls for Rosie to Be Fired

I don’t think it’ll happen, but we can hope.

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The Myth of Big Riches

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/11/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

Saw a new Isle of Capri Casino billboard on the way into work this morning. Next to the nice looking people that looked like they were having the time of their lives, it read: “Jackpots Found Here”.

Not 10 minutes earlier I read the headline of this article in the Kansas City Star:

Players on a losing streak
In March, they lost a record $66.8 million at Kansas City’s four riverboat casinos.

Makes perfect sense doesn’t it?

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e.g. or i.e.?

Published
by
wvpv
on 4/7/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

Note to self.

e.g. = exempli gratia or “for example.”

i.e. = id est or “that is”

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Missing Boy Scout found alive.

Published
by
wvpv
on 3/20/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

I’m sorry, but of course he was found alive.   He’s a Boy Scout.   Duuuh.

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Barbaro:It’$ all about the Benjamin$

Published
by
wvpv
on 1/30/2007
in commentary
. 0 Comments

barbaro_shrine.jpg
P$$$$t.

The Barbaro heroic$ weren’t about a love for animal$. It wa$ about the money.

$orry to ruin it for you.

(You can $ave a copy of my Barbaro $hrine if you want. I don’t mind.)

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The James Kim Tragedy

Published
by
wvpv
on 12/7/2006
in commentary
. 0 Comments

james-kim-path01s.jpg
This is a really sad story — the wilderness death of James Kim, a CNET Editor. Here’s a satellite map of his path. Maybe this is just the Eagle Scout in me, but he should have never left his car. Body heat, melted snow for drinking — maybe they all could have survived. Really sad.

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37 Percent of U.S. Births Out of Wedlock

Published
by
wvpv
on 11/22/2006
in commentary
. 0 Comments

» link

Poor kids don’t have a chance.

If you’re man enough to make a baby, you should be man enough to be a committed husband and father.

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