Lawmaker Wants Lower Soldier Drinking Age

Yahoo! News

I applaud the sentiment, but studies are showing tragically high traffic death rates among recently returned soldiers. This would be pouring gasoline onto the fire.

French say "Non"

French Say No to EU treaty

The Netherlands has a similar vote Wednesday, and there is fear that
a.) The French "no" will make it more likely to be rejected in the Netherlands. AND
b.) A second defeat will kill it entirely.

I think that to compete in a global economy it is a good idea for Europe to present to the world as one bloc. But I suspect that the loss of national autonomy will continue to be a stumbling block until there are clear economic hardships from going it alone.

And as long as every nation must ratify the treaty before it goes into effect, I think it will be a long long time before the EU really happens. I think 25 nations is just too many to expect to be unanimous in anything.

Sex for Dummies

U.S. News & World Report

Separation of church and state works both ways! The state (and state-run schools) cannot tell students that certain religions are wrong.

Pakistan dismisses Newsweek retraction on Koran

Pakistan dismisses Newsweek retraction on Koran

"They should understand the sentiments of Muslims and think 101 times before publishing news which hurt feelings of Muslims."

I have to wonder - even if true - should this story have ever been published?

Kansas Debate Challenges Science Itself

Kansas Debate Challenges Science Itself

Stephen Meyer, a senior fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which supports intelligent design, said changing the schools' definition of science would avoid freezing out questions about how life arose and developed on Earth.

The current definition is "not innocuous," Meyer said. "It's not neutral. It's actually taking sides."

Exactly.

Reflections. . .

And here is the key to a house far away
Where I used to live as a child
They tore down the building when I moved away
And left the key unreconciled

Do you have any keys to places or things you'll never open again? Somewhere, I still have a few keys to a Chemistry lab at OU. And I still have a security badge from Walter Reed, which looks to be closing for good in the next few years. . .

Oopsie!

Newsweek says may have erred in Koran report

Hundreds of people are dead in protests throughout Muslim countries because of this report. I'm sure Newsweek thought the story would play well to all of the Americans looking for one more reason to bash Bush and Co., but c'mon, guys, did you have no clue how this kind of report would be received elsewhere? Even if true this kind of report is like throwing a match onto gasoline with predictable results. The suspicion that it may never have happened makes it inexcusable.

Subscription Music Services

Anyone signed up for one of these yet?

The two main players in the field have been Napster and RealPlayer's Rhapsody Service. Both run about $15 a month.

Now Yahoo! is offering subscription music service for only $5 a month ($7 if you pay by the month; $60 for a year)

I'm very seriously thinking of signing up for this. You can access 1 million songs, and put them on playlists. You can put playlists on portable music devices, or access your playlists from any computer anywhere.

I think, but I'm not sure, you can browse through other people's playlists (via Yahoo! Messenger) and use that to come up with ideas to fill up your own favorites lists. Much like the old old Napster...

So, I'm wondering whether anyone here has tried it. One concern - a million songs sounds like a lot, but when I've checked for a couple favorite songs on Napster or 99¢ download places, the songs aren't there. I'm thinking may 1 million songs isn't all that many after all.

- Sue

Finger Traced to Woman Who Blamed Wendy's

Finger Traced to Woman Who Blamed Wendy's

This woman is a serious sociopath. Her husband sounds like a real piece of work, too. Justice would be putting them on an island together where the only person they cheat and swindle is each other.

Unthinkable!!!

Plan Would Close Walter Reed!!!

This is a huge shock! Especially since it wasn't even on the main list published by the AP.

List of Proposed Military Base Closings

List of Proposed Military Base Closings

KEY CLOSINGS:

Cannon AFB, NM

Military Bloggers

'Milbloggers' are typing their place in history

It just seems wrong not to "Blog This"!

Officials Weighed Shooting at Errant Plane

Officials Weighed Shooting at Errant Plane

All I can think about when reading this and other stories of this incident, including the fact that the pilot purportedly stayed up late the night before trying to figure out how to get through the no-fly zones, was some Bubba taking a dare to see if he could do it...

Famous last words of a redneck:
Hey, y'all, watch this!

- Sue

Can Someone please explain to me. .

. . .why "intelligent design" is anti-evolution?

Why accepting evolution and common ancestry and natural selection and that mutations in genetic material account for it all demands that one also accept that these genetic mutations have all happened (and are continuing to happen) as strictly random chance events?

Teachers, Scientists Vow to Fight Challenge to Evolution - Washington Post
most of the "scientist" quotes are directed against creationism. Intelligent Design is NOT creationism.
Intelligent design theory argues for a designer behind life - Kansas City Star

Does "Intelligent Design" Threaten the Definition of Science? - National Geographic News

Kansas Evolution Debate Frequently Asked Questions - Discovery Institute News (Discovery Institute is blamed/credited with spearheading this showdown)

- Sue