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I couldn't find this cartoon online, so I decided to type it in. I think it's brilliantly self-referential.

C: Let's hurry down this hill and go home.
H: What's the rush?
C: There's a TV show on sledding I want to watch.
In my opinion, television validates existence.
Take this sled ride, for instance. The experience is fleeting and elusive. By tomorrow, we'll have forgotten it, and it may as well have not even happened.
But if we were on TV now countless viewers would share in the event and confirm it! This ride would become a part of mass consciousness!
And on TV, the impact of an event is determined by the image, not its substance.
So with some strong visuals, our sled ride could conceivably make us cultural icons!
Instead of being boring ol' Calvin and Hobbes, we'd be "Calvin and Hobbes - As Seen On TV"! Wouldn't that be great? Don't you wish we were on TV?
(The sled goes off a cliff, Calvin & Hobbes are falling through the air...)
H: At this moment, I like my anonymity.
C: I think we should go for the high-brow public TV audience, don't you?

One summer while I was still in highschool I took a few friends of mine up to my cottage during the summer. These friends of mine and I were all in an a cappella group together. What follows is the text of a handwritten letter my mom left for us at the cottage, exactly as she wrote it, including among other things her feedback on our recent songs. Enjoy.

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Recently there has been a lot of talk on the interwebs about US foreign policy toward Iran, the possible effect war with Iran may have on the price of oil (and thereby the US economy), and the stances that the presidential candidates have toward these issues.

The Left recently ran away with it, claiming oil producers have "Bush over a barrel", and that war with Iran would skyrocket oil prices and destroy a fragile US economy.  I read one response which claims that since Canada and Mexico are our two biggest sources of oil that we don't have to worry about it.  To the author's credit he concludes that, "Doing anything other than letting the free market work, including going to war in the name of energy security, is the height of folly and imposes huge costs on everyone involved."  However, I am aware that people from the Right will interpret it differently, as a "get out of jail free" card to allow the US to start a war with Iran.

What I wish more people would realize is that issues such as this one are not as polarized as they seem.  The problem with a citizenry accustomed to a two-party political system is that they get used to thinking in extremes.  The Left often exaggerates too far, and so does the Right.  Often the answer is somewhere in the middle, and that is where my opinion lies in this particular case.

My justification for my opinion is as follows.  The argument about our sources of oil being distributed and the world oil market being self-balancing hold water.  Therefore I think it's impossible to say that we are "over a barrel" when it comes to oil.  Clearly the world would not come to an end if we went to war with Iran.  However, Iran is the fourth largest exporter of oil in the world.  It is impossible that war in Iran would have no effect on the world's energy economy.  Just because we also get our oil from other countries doesn't mean that a skyrocketing price on oil from the world's fourth largest producer wouldn't affect the price of that oil.  I believe additional evidence for the effect of Iran's stability on world oil prices comes from the increase in oil prices triggered by the detention of British sailors by Iran.  Obviously it was a minor incident, but it certainly had an impact on oil price!

http://godhatesobama.com/

lofl

"American families have to balance their budgets, so should their government." hah! what?! http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

"American troops are shifting from leading operations to partnering with Iraqi forces, and eventually to a protective overwatch mission." Geeky reference, I know, but anyone whose played Half Life 2 will find his unintended reference to the Overwatch somewhat unsettling.

Man... this week looks to be excellent.

Tonight, dinner & Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin with Mary
Tomorrow, Lute demo & status report to Chicago Concert Artists (my indie job)
Wednesday, Fitzgerald's with daddio and possibly Sherri/Aidan
Thursday, going to Chicago Symphony for free with Dan (Boulez, Berlioz, Stravinsky) and possibly attending a chorus party afterward

Friday isn't pulling its weight yet, but I'll be seeing about that.

I was just looking at my profile picture... And we wonder why the dog has back problems. Heh.

My mom's ex-boyfriend used to blow in his nose so that air would come out his mouth (so his cheeks would flap). Maybe he will end up having nose problems too?

Yes, we are weird and cruel to our dogs.

Speaking of animals, this's my latest delicious bookmark: http://www.freesciencelectures.com/video/rats-laugh-when-you-tickle-them/

http://www.pixelsurgeon.com/ is closing :(