What is the Logical Conclusion?

Doug Mataconis on why Ron Paul cannot be President:

It’s not because there’s anything wrong with him. It’s because there is too much wrong with the system.

Well, if not now, when? If not Ron Paul, who? Is the system really so broken that it can’t be fixed by anyone? If so, what is the next logical step?

Let me put it another way…
What would you do with your refrigerator if it was broken beyond repair? Would you continue to put beer and steaks in it, or would you find it necessary to get a new one?

For the record, I don’t think the system is broken beyond repair. But if the general consensus is that it is irreparable and there aren’t enough people who believe it can be salvaged, then maybe it can’t.

Great-Grandmothers, Tact, and Spanking

I had a conversation with a really nice lady while waiting outside at the OB’s office yesterday. I would have never guessed her as a great-grandmother if she hadn’t told me she was there with her granddaughter who had a 10 month old baby.

We talked about a lot of things having to do with kids, and of course she gave me some parenting advice. She’d obviously had a lot of practice in giving advice without seeming like she was giving advice, and I even though I picked up on what she was doing, I appreciated the fact that she made an effort to disguise it.

The point is, I knew what she was driving at, and actually appreciated what she had to say.

Her main point was that we shouldn’t hesitate to spank when needed. Of course, she didn’t come right out and say this. She gave a couple of anecdotes about kids misbehaving in the store, at the doctor’s office (hint, hint to the other lady waiting with her 3 year old), and at church. She followed that up by saying that she was sure that my parents had spanked me when I needed it, and look at what a nice young man I’d turned out to be.

Well, at least she was half right. 😛

I’m down with spanking. No doubt about it.

Luckily for Becky, she doesn’t have to question herself on spanking. She has plenty of other people to question it for her.

Turning Into a Housewife

So I’m sitting here surfing/writing/reading/napping and there are all of these crazy shows about having babies on TLC that document parents’ first few days at home with their babies.

Either our kid is really easy, we are really laid back and easy going, or both. These people stress over the slightest little things, get rattled by everything else, and are constantly whining about their precious sleep. Haha! You crybabies don’t deserve to sleep from what I can tell!

Anyway, while I’m having fun not being at work, I don’t see how some people (I assume mostly women based on the commercials) could stand to sit and watch stuff like that day in and day out. Luckily I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.

Deputy Fired for Stealing $10 in Gas

From the KNS:

A Knox County sheriff’s deputy was terminated today after being charged with stealing less than $10 worth of gasoline.

I think it is more newsworthy that all of the other incidents involving county employees and greater sums of money haven’t ended in termination. That’s exactly what would happen at my job, and I’m not open to public scrutiny like these jobronis are.

See, it doesn’t matter how much you steal. All that matters is that you are a thief.

New Theme…Sorry for Any Issues

Please be patient over the next couple of days if things get really screwed up when you’re trying to view this site. I’m going through my first attempt at developing a WordPress theme, and I’m sure there are plenty of things I’ve missed and will change.

I’ve done a few things that I hope will make this site more convenient for the regular readers and a little more organized and easy to navigate for new readers. Most of these changes are due to some really good information I’ve gotten from sites like Copy Blogger and things that I like/dislike when browsing around myself:

* Larger text for posts
* Moved to a “double wide” single column in the left margin so you don’t have to look between two columns to get to the meaty content
* Separated colors for content columns from navigation/ad columns to make the content stand out a little more.
* Integrated Google Ads into the site a little better. Hopefully this will not only make the site flow more easily for regular readers, but result in a better CTR for new visitors.
* New graphics for comments, header, etc.

Please let me know if you guys see anything I’ve overlooked (I’m sure there’s plenty) or anything you’d like to see done differently!

Latest from the Tour de Dope

For the second straight day the stage winner has been booted from the race, this time by his own team. Michael Rasmussen was sent home by Rabobank for violating team rules.

I know most people in the U.S. don’t care about the Tour now that Lance Armstrong has retired, but I can’t help it. I love to sit on the couch and watch these ‘roided out oxygen-doped-blood junkies pedal up the mountain as drunk Europeans run naked in front of them, basking in the glory of socialized health care and 35 hour work weeks.

This new twist puts American Levi Leipheimer only 2:49 seconds behind the new race leader, Alberto Contador. But time is not what matters the most here.

With four stages left, that means that four more leaders are likely to get hit with doping charges. If Leipheimer can position himself into 5th place at the end of tomorrow’s stage, he has a good chance of the winner of tomorrow’s stage being disqualified along with the three winners of the next three stages, and he will sneak away with a Tour victory.

Then we can get another year of European complaints about how the Tour is rigged for Americans to win.

Let’s just hope the rest of the world doesn’t catch up to us in our ability to beat drug tests by next July.

Margie Loyd on Medical Leave

KNS has the full story. Of course, the details of a medical leave are privileged. I’d guess that she’s claiming some emotional distress due to the spending scandal that’s been brewing lately.

That, or it could be that lunches in the Mayor’s office have been downgraded from lobster at Regas to bean burritos at Taco Bell, and the extra onions didn’t sit well with her.

This Story Had So Much Potential

I was all giddy to read this story entitled “Fury Face Greets Teachers“. I thought it may be about some parents who were up in arms about the quality of education their children are receiving. They were fed up with being ripped off by gov’ment education, mad as hell, and unwilling to take it anymore.

🙁

Never mind. It was just a feel good story (self-written PR), about 1/3 which was about a ground hog at a local school. The rest was singing the praises of how great the school is. I assume it was written by a teacher at the school who misspelled the word “furry”–twice.

God luk two all the kidz at Fort Craig Elementary in this yeers spilling be!

Half Full in Knoxville, Half Empty in Nashville

A report called Kids Count was released today that ranks states on child welfare, infant mortality, etc. There were headlines about the report in both the Knoxville News Sentinel and The Tennessean, but they put opposing spins on the story.

According to the KNS:
Report shows state improving on health of children, teenagers

But The Tennessean says:
Tennessee ranks low in well-being of kids

Oddly enough, these stories seem to be working towards the same end, glorifying the use of state funds to improve the well being of our children. It’s always about the children, isn’t it?

Minnesota ranked at the top. It will be interesting to see how the papers there spin this, won’t it?