Pumpkinhead: Blog
Pumpkinhead: Blog
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Recent Posts
Legally Scamming the System - Pumpkinhead Jun 22, 2007, 8:30 pm
I found this YouTube video after it was mentioned in today’s San Francisco Chronicle. It features clips from a legal seminar teaching American corporations how to “advertise a job so as to appear that the only qualified applicant is a foreign national.” The lawyers present also tell how to “legally” disqualify qualified American applicants, using [...]
test - Pumpkinhead Apr 23, 2008, 5:07 pm
test
*McCain's Empty Bank Account - Pumpkinhead Sep 20, 2007, 8:06 pm
Everyone speculated that McCain’s campaign was at death’s door after he reported low fundraising and very fast spending in the second financial quarter. He “only” raised 11.5 million in the second quarter, and his campaign debt placed his cash on hand below Ron Paul’s.
McCain’s strong name recognition causes him to bounce around high enough in [...]
Peroutka Endorses Paul - Pumpkinhead Sep 20, 2007, 6:57 pm
Yesterday, Michael Peroutka endorsed Ron Paul for president. Peroutka (for whom I voted) was the Constitution Party’s nominee in the 2004 presidential election.
The Classics - Pumpkinhead Sep 20, 2007, 3:04 am
The Columbus Dispatch provides a list of 20 must-know classical pieces. I listened to all the clips and recognized about 75% of the pieces, although many of them I wouldn’t have been able to actually name. Here is an explanation of the choices, which is helpful to a musical illiterate like myself.
The only problem now [...]
Observations on Taser Incident - Pumpkinhead Sep 19, 2007, 12:38 am
The Daily Kos offers this view of the taser incident. It’s from the perspective of both a liberal (read: not knee-jerk pro-cop) and someone who was present at the event, which should grant it some credence.
A Salon blogger notes that the officers used the “drive stun” mode when tasering Meyer. He writes:
In typical Taser operation, [...]
1787 in 5 - Pumpkinhead Sep 19, 2007, 12:59 am
There’s a fundraiser on at Paul’s campaign site. The goal is to get 1787 donors by Friday in celebration of Constitution Day. I gave $25. You should do the same.
Police 'Brutality” in Florida - Pumpkinhead Sep 18, 2007, 11:53 pm
You’ve probably heard the news, maybe even seen the video, about University of Florida student Andrew Meyer being tasered and arrested yesterday “just for asking a question” at a John Kerry event. NBC has a video here and one of several videos from a different perspective is available here. According to his arrest report, Meyer [...]
Gandhism - Pumpkinhead Sep 15, 2007, 4:38 pm
Much content been added to Gandhism.net since I last linked to it. Particularly, we’ve added an entire section detailing Gandhi’s writings about and relations with the black natives of South Africa. In short, he was extremely racist against them. Visit the site to learn the details.
Alan Keyes - Pumpkinhead Sep 15, 2007, 4:01 pm
Alan Keyes, that embodiment of political success, has announced he will seek the presidency. Again. Third time’s the charm, right?
Perhaps I’m being mean. I like Keyes on many levels and I must admit he’s a brilliant speaker. But he’s a political failure who has run for president thrice and for U.S. Senate thrice, losing by [...]
Peanut Butter - Pumpkinhead Sep 14, 2007, 2:55 pm
Peanut butter is the answer to world hunger.
As someone who’s broken his fast with a peanut butter sandwich every morning for years, I could have told you that. Large amounts of fat, calories, protein, and carbs all packed into a small spoonful. Of course peanut butter is the answer.
*UN 'International Day of Non-Violence” - Pumpkinhead Sep 14, 2007, 1:14 pm
Sign the “Stop Honoring Gandhi With UN International Day of Non-Violence” e-petition here.
The petition gives more background, but basically the UN passed an India-sponsored resolution declaring Gandhi’s birthday, October 2nd, to be an “International Day of Non-Violence.” Considering Gandhi’s racism and faux, opportunistic “nonviolence,” the resolution is ridiculous. There will be protests in response to [...]
Ron Paul Rocks at GOP Debate - Pumpkinhead Sep 6, 2007, 4:37 pm
In case you missed it, need to show it to someone who did, or just plain want to see it again, here is Paul’s hard-hitting and firey performance at last night’s debate in New Hampshire. While the Fox News moderators still refuse to give Paul any questions that would allow him to demonstrate his sold, [...]
*Sunshine for the Paul Campaign - Pumpkinhead Aug 18, 2007, 7:55 pm
Ron Paul won two straw polls today, taking 81% in Alabama and 73% in New Hampshire. These polls are important because they are closed to non-residents of the state and therefore indicate a candidate’s level of organizational strength in that state.
Alabama Results (top 4 only)
Paul - 216
Romney - 14
Hunter - 10
Thompson - 9
New Hampshire Results [...]
Another Bloody Month - Pumpkinhead Jun 23, 2007, 2:32 pm
For the first half of this month, the situation in Iraq looked a little more encouraging, at least as regards U.S. lives. While a couple troops still died every day, we were losing them at a much reduced rate from that of the past two months. Unfortunately, that seems to have changed.
We have lost 24 [...]
Going Green Hurts the Planet? - Pumpkinhead Jun 23, 2007, 2:54 pm
Although I can’t confirm it without research, I’ve heard that it takes so much energy to recycle most things the process cancels any positive effects, making it more productive in every way to simply create a new product. This report reminds me of that notion - “save the planet” ideas often cost more than they [...]
A Slice of My Life - Pumpkinhead Jun 22, 2007, 11:32 pm
Last week my brother Ben, my friend Levi, and I made an appearance at our county fair.
We aren’t much for rides, particularly the anemic type available at county fairs, so we chose to spend our time browsing the many booths. As we passed one hosted by the Registrar of Voters, I mentioned that I needed [...]
*Fanning the Flames of War With Rumor - Pumpkinhead Jun 21, 2007, 10:18 pm
Perhaps you’ve heard the anger, the calls for war to prevent genocide, and the fear-mongering of “conservative” talk-radio that was sparked by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s 2005 comment that “Israel must be wiped off the map.”
In all the fuss you probably missed this article about how “we are led to believe that Iran’s president threatened to ‘wipe Israel off [...]
*Brief Comments on the Debate - Pumpkinhead Jun 6, 2007, 4:20 pm
The LRC blog uncovered the following chart, which breaks down the amount of time each candidate was given during last night’s debate. Of course, it makes perfect sense that Giuliani, Romney, and McCain, all of whom already have national name recognition and $17, 24, and 13 million in the bank, respectively, be given twice as [...]
The Man With a Name Like a Lizard - Pumpkinhead May 28, 2007, 11:55 pm
The LRC blog links to this, where we find the following solutions from Newt Gingrich, a darling of the Christian Right and social conservatives, for ensuring “victory” in Iraq:
Develop “a military tribunal system to lock people up the way Abraham Lincoln would’ve done it” and “establish a nationwide ID card with biometrics so you can [...]
Gandhism.net - Pumpkinhead May 4, 2007, 1:44 am
If you don’t know much about Gandhi, or if you think you know about Gandhi but all you really “know” is that he was a wonderful, skinny man who babbled about peace and India, or if either is true but you don’t think Gandhi affects Americans today, you should visit Gandhism.
Although I didn’t design the [...]
Death by Health Nut - Pumpkinhead May 4, 2007, 1:54 am
Vegan adults will tend to be weaker and less healthy, but they can technically survive on their “animal products are of the devil” diets. The same diet, however, can kill kids. Soy “milk” is not the same thing as milk - overlooking all its actually harmful properties, it simply doesn’t have the same nutrients as [...]
*Presidential Candidates - Pumpkinhead Feb 15, 2007, 5:13 pm
The current Republican options for president are less than promising. Giuliani, Romney, and McCain are liberals. Brownback and Hunter are more conservative, but are fairly average candidates with a reputation for toeing the party line. Even Tancredo has his problems - a vocal proponent of term limits, he promised to only serve 3 terms himself, [...]
The Air Force - Pumpkinhead Apr 25, 2006, 5:10 pm
If you’ve read my weblog for longer than a few weeks, or if you saw my “about me” page before I recently changed it, you’d know that I was signed up with the Air Force. Indeed, I was scheduled to ship out for basic training today.
Well, that is no longer the case. I was kicked [...]
Impropriety - Pumpkinhead Apr 23, 2006, 3:07 am
In a commentary inspired by the Duke rape case, the Natalie Holloway case, and the St. Guillen case, Ann Coulter writes:
And if you are a girl in Aruba or New York City, among the best ways to avoid being the victim of a horrible crime is to not get drunk in public or go off [...]
On Being an Autodidact - Pumpkinhead Apr 22, 2006, 1:04 am
Several readers of my “college miseducation” article recently disagreed with my conclusion, which is that you’re unlikely to get a decent education at college. Indeed, I believe that the average college class, and certainly the average college humanities class, teaches little to nothing a well-educated high school graduate shouldn’t already know. I expanded on my [...]
Disarming the IRA - Pumpkinhead Apr 21, 2006, 8:09 pm
I just stumbled across a well-reasoned article on LRC about IRA disarmament. While the article is a bit dated (it makes no mention of the unlawful suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and speaks of IRA disarmament, which was unfortunately completed last year, as a future event), the general principles presented are worthwhile.
The author, Scott [...]
Reynolds on Imperialism - Pumpkinhead Apr 19, 2006, 5:51 pm
Over at the AntiWar Blog they’ve dredged up a couple of seven-year-old quotes by pro-war neocon extraordinaire Glenn Reynolds in which he argues against the dangers of imperialism and a standing army.
Commuting - Pumpkinhead Apr 19, 2006, 2:41 am
Europeans pay about $6 a gallon for gas, nearly twice what Americans are currently paying. Some people argue that means Americans can therefore afford to pay such exorbitant rates, but what’s rarely taken into account is that Americans generally have to commute farther. Many people, often from the political left, suggest Americans should rely more [...]
He Is Risen! - Pumpkinhead Apr 16, 2006, 10:48 am
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, [...]
The Sabbath - Pumpkinhead Apr 15, 2006, 6:13 am
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples [...]
The Belfast Agreement - Pumpkinhead Apr 15, 2006, 2:32 am
Check back here tomorrow for an update to this post regarding the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement
Good Friday - Pumpkinhead Apr 14, 2006, 2:36 pm
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, [...]
Presidential Embroidery - Pumpkinhead Apr 14, 2006, 1:31 am
James Bovard offers a brief article about the discrepancy between President Bush’s account of Flight 93 and the reality as revealed by the transcript of the last few minutes of that flight.
The Good Guys - Pumpkinhead Apr 13, 2006, 4:27 pm
I’m no lover of communism, but I do believe in doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. I also believe that the essence of free speech is permitting even that which is undesirable, and a nation cannot suppress such if it wishes to remain free. After all, suppression is a two-way [...]
'Trust No One” - Pumpkinhead Apr 13, 2006, 3:32 am
From CNN:
“Who do you trust in your neighborhood?” I asked a resident of Baghdad.
“No one,” he said.
“Who secures your house, your family?” I asked.
“I do. My brother lives downstairs. We have weapons. We are always in touch on the phone; we have codes,” he said.
He then added, “It will get worse — everyone knows this.”
Cheerleading the War - Pumpkinhead Apr 13, 2006, 2:19 am
Major Kevin Kelly of the New Jersey National Guard just pulled his pom-poms and miniskirt out of winter storage to pen a mawkish apologetic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Bushites are crawling out of the wood work to goggle appreciatively at the major’s editorial. He writes:
Contrary to what you may hear in the media, [...]
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Apr 13, 2006, 12:36 am
“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” ~ Ayn Rand
Through Ebony-Tinted Glasses - Pumpkinhead Apr 12, 2006, 1:57 am
Yesterday, National Review Online published a rose-tinted pipe dream about the situation in Iraq. The article was written by Bill Crawford, who claims “there are stories of hope and progress everyday [sic]” in Iraq.
His first proof is that on Thursday, April 6th, a car bomb killed ten civilians, two Iraqi forces were killed, five [...]
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Apr 11, 2006, 2:09 pm
“Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself. She is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
A Rule of Grammar - Pumpkinhead Apr 10, 2006, 11:30 pm
This site corrects the prevalent grammatical misconception that sentences must be separated by two spaces. This obsolete rule of grammar is still annoyingly held as truth by many people, including my brother’s college English professor.
Use one space after all punctuation, including periods, question marks, exclamation points, and colons. Putting two spaces after these marks of [...]
The Crows Gather - Pumpkinhead Apr 11, 2006, 12:07 am
With Iraq basically in civil war and Afghanistan a mess, the U.S. apparently believes the third time’s the charm. Seymour Hersh writes:
There is a growing conviction among members of the United States military, and in the international community, that President Bush's ultimate goal in the nuclear confrontation with Iran is regime change.
“Regime change” means a [...]
Tired - Pumpkinhead Apr 9, 2006, 10:49 am
I just got home from work. I was supposed to work a swing shift yesterday, 3pm to 11pm, but my relief never showed up so I ended up working 16 hours. I’m happy because my paycheck will reflect a pleasant 8 hours of overtime, but I’m unhappy because I just got home and I have [...]
*A Relativist - Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 2:07 pm
Some years ago I helped staff a Genocide Awareness Project display.
At one point during the day, I fell into a discussion about abortion with a college student who’d stopped to view the display. As he presented the usual pro-abortion arguments, I successfully refuted him time after time. No, the fetus is not part of the [...]
Credit and Debt - Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 4:07 am
The “Deputy Headmistress” offered some excellent advice last year that I’ve only just noticed. “Do not,” she says, “go into debt.”
I’ve succumbed to the “greased ladder” of debt a couple times in the past, and I wholeheartedly echo the Headmistress’s advice. My bank offered me a credit card when I first opened an account with [...]
*Iraqis Avoid U.S. Troops - Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 1:27 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
Shakir Abdul-Hassan goes out of his way to avoid U.S. military convoys as he drives his minibus around town, fearing American soldiers will mistake him for a suicide bomber and open fire if he accidentally gets too close.
Atheer Kamal is just as cautious: When U.S. soldiers set up a checkpoint near [...]
Yet Another Casualty - Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 1:54 am
The latest casualty of our president’s misguided experiment in imperialism is Army Specialist Ty Johnson. Spc. Johnson came from Elk Grove, a suburb of Sacramento a little over an hour from my home. Interestingly, Spc. Johnson’s brother, a former Marine, freely admits that he doesn’t agree with the war in Iraq.
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Apr 6, 2006, 10:06 pm
“It’s not that the Irish are cynical. It’s simply that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody.” ~ Brendan Behan
A Flaw in The Return of the King - Pumpkinhead Apr 6, 2006, 5:24 am
I love Peter Jackson’s rendition of The Lord of the Rings, but I think a major flaw in The Return of the King is Jackson’s representation of the Army of the Dead. The Wikipedia entry on the film notes:
The Army of the Dead does help Aragorn in the book, but it does not clear out [...]
Autism and Mercury - Pumpkinhead Apr 5, 2006, 6:24 pm
Vox Day blogs about a recent study providing strong proof of a link between autism and the use of mercury in vaccines.
A Bad Hair Day - Pumpkinhead Apr 5, 2006, 3:30 pm
I’m sure you’ve all heard the Cynthia McKinney saga. A black congresswoman slugged a Capitol Hill cop because he deigned to attempt to verify her identity when she walked around the metal detector at the entrance to a congressional office building. One argument Rep. McKinney has offered is that “this is much ado about a [...]
Destroying Humanity - Pumpkinhead Apr 5, 2006, 4:09 pm
In a bizarre, 12 Monkeysesque speech at the Texas Academy of Science, biologist Dr. Eric Pianka suggested that the airborne and highly deadly Ebola Zaire virus would (and should) eliminate 90% of the Earth’s population. Audience members reportedly gave Pianka a standing ovation. That same day Pianka was presented with the Academy’s 2006 Distinguished Scientist [...]
Civil War in Iraq - Pumpkinhead Apr 4, 2006, 1:01 pm
From the World Peace Herald:
Despite President Bush’s repeated denials, the figures are clear: 900 sectarian killings in a single month in Iraq means a civil war is well under way.
Iraq is a nation of 25 million people. In the United States, that level of killing would proportionately equal almost 11,000 people killed in riots, reprisal [...]
Violence in Film - Pumpkinhead Apr 4, 2006, 3:29 am
One reader of my recent article, Glenn, works in the film industry. He wrote:
The current “money shot” is the head shot, where someone is executed at close range with a shot to the skull, and we see in more and more films, the entry hole appear, the wad of red gore and beige brain matter [...]
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Apr 4, 2006, 3:34 am
“Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth. When perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed; nor has anyone who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.” ~ Tacitus
Little Democrats - Pumpkinhead Apr 3, 2006, 6:01 pm
If ever there was a self-parodying book, this has to be it.
The publication is a picture book for children called Why Mommy is a Democrat. Sample pages offer such reasoning as “Democrats make sure we all share our toys, just like Mommy does.” The book’s website included various testimonials. For instance, Alisa Meggitt from Iow [...]
More Die - Pumpkinhead Apr 3, 2006, 3:48 pm
Apparently eager to make up for lost time, after last month’s “meager” body count, the Iraqi insurgency killed four troops yesterday. Another five died in a flash flood.
Things aren’t looking too pretty, with nearly half as many troops killed in the first three days of this month as were killed in all of March. The [...]
Deaths in Iraq - Pumpkinhead Apr 2, 2006, 11:54 am
In what is unfortunately not a cruel April Fool’s joke, yesterday saw the deaths of four troops, two in the crash of an Apache helicopter. The past five months have seen the American casualty rate in Iraq progressively drop to the point where March saw “only” 31 troop deaths, but yesterday’s casualty rate doesn’t bode [...]
Boycotts - Pumpkinhead Apr 2, 2006, 12:39 am
Zach Wendling of In the Agora recently posted about an issue of Free Inquiry Borders has refused to stock “contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.” Wendling advocates boycotting Borders.
While I’m all for sensible boycotts if and when they succeed, I question the wisdom of boycotting [...]
Healthy People Enjoy Torture? - Pumpkinhead Apr 2, 2006, 1:25 am
One reader disagreed with the conclusions in my recent article about the “torture as entertainment” problem. He wrote:
“Healthy people can well distinguish between movie or game violence and between real violence. I personally don’t at all like horror movies, but when I see a torture scene, I find it disgusting… I know people who like [...]
*Miscellanea - Pumpkinhead Apr 2, 2006, 1:39 am
I don’t agree with everything The Daily Eudemon author Eric Scheske writes, but he’s got some interesting commentary. One recent post includes his thoughts on the laziness of using the “F Word.” I’m adding his site to my links page.
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I’ve added Leviathan Slayer to my links page.
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Today is Apple Computer’s 30th birthday. MacNewsWorld published a [...]
Published on LRC - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 9:41 pm
Thank you, Lew Rockwell, for carrying my article, “Atrocious Entertainment.”
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 9:51 pm
“A continual civil war, which is the most destructive and horrible scene of human discord, is preferable to the uniformity of wretchedness and misery attendant upon despotism.” ~ Lord Kaim
The Military-Industrial Complex - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 5:16 pm
This video discusses President Eisenhower’s warnings regarding the “military-industrial complex.” My favorite quote from the video: “We’ll bring [the rest of the world] American values, prosperity, peace, all the rest of it. But the way we’re going to do that is to take over.”
Tip o’ the pumpkin to Mike.
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 1:40 am
“The best things in life are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the [...]
Iran and Uranium - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 2:35 am
Yesterday, the UN Security Council gave Iran 30 days to quit enriching uranium or else. One might ask, “Or else what?”
Four Provinces - Pumpkinhead Mar 31, 2006, 1:31 am
I just received an email from Howard Kaloogian, who is running on a Republican ticket for Congress in Southern California. He writes:
When we traveled to Iraq to support our troops we found that the REAL Iraq was a very different place from what you see reported by the mainstream news media. Most parts of Iraq [...]
'Atrocious Entertainment” - Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 7:56 pm
I’ve completed my latest article, “Atrocious Entertainment,” about the sadism of modern entertainment, especially horror films. I believe this increasingly violent content reveals our culture’s approval of “torture as entertainment.” The consequences of this cultural approval can be seen in American atrocities committed against Iraqis, as well as the general blurring of fantasy and reality [...]
*Abortion Restrictions Across the Nation - Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 1:41 pm
Remember how twenty-one states are at a “high risk” of banning abortion? Well, there are a few updates on abortion bans around the nation.
A few weeks ago, Mississippi Democrat Rep. Steve Holland amended a Senate Bill that “sought to force any patient seeking an abortion to see a sonogram of the developing infant and to [...]
'The Tavern Nazis” - Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 1:54 pm
It’s been a long time since I’ve had any respect for Joe Farah of WorldNetDaily, but this past Saturday he actually cranked out a decent essay. Commenting on the Texas decision to arrest drunk bar patrons for “public intoxication,” Farah says:
How far are we, I wonder, from reinstating prohibition? Why don’t we just close the [...]
*The South Dakota Ban - Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 12:52 pm
The abortion ban that South Dakota governor Mike Rounds signed three weeks ago is being challenged by the attempts of pro-abortion advocates to place a referendum on the state ballot. The referendum would allow South Dakotans to vote “yea” or “nay” on a state abortion ban. The problem is that the current legislatively approved ban, [...]
A Cost Prohibitive University - Pumpkinhead Mar 27, 2006, 3:50 pm
A Southern California professor gave new meaning on Friday to my claims that mainstream colleges are unnecessarily expensive.
A business professor at the University of Southern California was arrested on Friday by the FBI on charges of swindling students and others in a real estate fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Barry Landreth, who had taught real [...]
Persecuted Afghani Christians - Pumpkinhead Mar 27, 2006, 4:02 pm
On the heels of the Abdul Rahman incident, ABC News carries this brief article about other Afghani Christians, who may number 10,000 or more.
In this liberated, democratized nation, one Afghan pastor says, “We live in constant fear.”
Many even have to hide their adopted faith from their families. That was what got Rahman in trouble, say [...]
New Blog - Pumpkinhead Mar 26, 2006, 2:40 am
Frank Golubski, an Air Force veteran and friend of Jon Luker and Michael Schweppe, has started a blog. The latest post on his blog, Rabbit Trails, is a brief but insightful piece about why the government has no biblical right to conscription.
Say What? - Pumpkinhead Mar 26, 2006, 1:14 am
I passed the English section of the SAT, which includes a reading comprehension test, with flying colors. Yesterday, I passed an English Composition CLEP test, which also included a reading comprehension section. Basically, if it’s English I can comprehend it. But I can make neither heads nor tails of what President Bush said in a [...]
More on Ben - Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 3:48 pm
Plagiarizing blogger Ben Domenech has published an apology, in which he also apologizes for trying to defend his actions.
I want to apologize to National Review Online, my friends and colleagues here at RedState, and to any others that have been affected over the past few days. I also want to apologize to my previous editors [...]
Hundreds and Thousands and Millions of Witches - Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 1:43 pm
One of my readers took exception to my recent claim that the Salem Witch Trials are rather inconsequential in the big historical picture. Among other things, this less than diplomatic reader insisted that “millions of people in Europe were also falsely accused of witchcraft and put to death,” but said “I don’t do research for others” [...]
CLEP - Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 11:09 am
I did something yesterday that I should have done long ago. I took a CLEP test.
A week ago I registered for an English Composition CLEP test. I meant to study, but never seemed to get around to doing more than glancing at a few grammatical treatises. As it turned out, I needn’t have done even [...]
Corrupt Republicans - Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 4:16 am
Izzy has the skinny on the Ben Domenech saga.
Domenech was hired to blog for the Washington Post, but just resigned over allegations of plagiarism. While Domenech has offered up a defense, I believe it’s pretty weak in light of the vast evidence of his blatant, often word for word plagiarism.
Thankfully, for once, many of the [...]
United 93 - Pumpkinhead Mar 24, 2006, 7:49 pm
Sean Hannity may be anticipating Larry the Cable Guy, but I’m personally looking forward to United 93. From the guy that directed Bloody Sunday, a film no less heart-rending because of its impeccable accuracy, United 93 will tell the story of the “flight that fought back.”
The film debuts on April 28.
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Mar 24, 2006, 7:55 pm
“It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country - in defense of us - in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. The imagination sees these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave [...]
Sean Hannity - Pumpkinhead Mar 24, 2006, 6:14 pm
I’ve taken to listening to talk radio while driving. It’s fun, sometimes infuriating, and invariably gives me something to blog about.
Sean Hannity, pet of the Republican party, took an irate call on his show this afternoon. The caller was angry at Hannity’s generalization that Democrats all hate the president, undermine the war effort, and bash [...]
Sloppy, Sloppy - Pumpkinhead Mar 24, 2006, 2:15 am
Michael Brendan has a good post up about the recent inclination of men’s fashion towards flying shirt-tails free. As a fashionista quoted in one of the articles Brendan references says, “It’s like men wearing shoes with no socks.” That’s not a good thing. From another article on the topic:
On a 12-year-old Catholic-school kid, such a [...]
New Link - Pumpkinhead Mar 23, 2006, 6:38 pm
I’ve added a new blog to my links page. Fun With Hand Grenades is run “Dreadcow,” an independent-minded Army grunt currently deployed to Iraq.
He thinks Stars and Stripes, the serviceman’s newspaper, is a propaganda tool.
'Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” - Pumpkinhead Mar 23, 2006, 7:25 pm
Patrick Henry at St. John’s Church on March 23, 1775:
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought [...]
Patrick Henry College - Pumpkinhead Mar 22, 2006, 6:07 pm
Please check back later for an update to this post in which I will respond to questions about PHC and my experiences with that college. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I’m working a swing shift this evening, I won’t be able to finish and publish my post until midnight or thereabouts.
The Stamp Act of 1765 - Pumpkinhead Mar 22, 2006, 6:25 pm
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act of 1765 341 years ago today.
This act, which “required all legal documents, permits, commercial contracts, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards,” was one of the leading causes of the War for Independence and one of the issues referenced in the call for “no taxation without representation.” It’s also one [...]
Bits on My History Class - Pumpkinhead Mar 22, 2006, 5:22 pm
After consulting my notes from U.S. History class, I reconsidered my claim in my recent article about college that the professor forgot to “distinguish the First Great Awakening from the Second.” It’s more accurate to say that while he did distinguish them, he blurred the lines between the two. The First Great Awakening tended to [...]
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Mar 21, 2006, 4:39 pm
“There are no crimes so revolting that they would not readily be committed by men who form part of a government.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
'A College Miseducation” - Pumpkinhead Mar 20, 2006, 4:34 pm
I’ve just completed my latest article, “A College Miseducation,” about my educationally useless experiences in a recent U.S. History course. One of the forty-five midterm questions was, I kid you not, “Who taught the Plymouth settlers Indian ways of fishing and growing corn?”
Read my article, in which I argue that “the most common misconception about [...]
Blogathon - Pumpkinhead Mar 20, 2006, 1:21 pm
If you’re not already, be sure to check out Buried Treasure throughout the day. My mother will be posting for 24 hours, till 7am Tuesday morning, for the benefit of the Christian aid organization Persecution Project. Feel obligated to contribute, and email my mother with a heads-up if you do so.
American Heroes - Pumpkinhead Mar 19, 2006, 7:01 pm
Whatever you think of the war in Iraq, it’s undeniable that some of the stories of American heroism and self-sacrifice in that conflict are enough to drive a person to tears.
As the third year of the Iraq war ends, Newsweek reports the stories of several Purple Heart recipients. There’s Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Shane, who was [...]
Widespread Discontent - Pumpkinhead Mar 19, 2006, 7:10 pm
President Bush’s overall approval rating stands at 36%, says a recent Newsweek poll, with only 29% of respondents approving of the president’s handling of the war.
Other questions reveal that 94% of Republicans oppose impeaching the president. Although only 5% support impeachment, that number is actually more startling than on first examination. After all, if [...]
Pumpkinhead Quotes - Pumpkinhead Mar 19, 2006, 7:19 pm
“I find that doing the will of God leaves me with no time for disputing about His plans.” ~ George MacDonald
Happy Saint Paddy's! - Pumpkinhead Mar 17, 2006, 7:23 pm
I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve already celebrated with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and soda bread. Unfortunately, there was no Guinness at the feast of the good saint.
On this day, I suggest you all read the biography of Patrick, also known in the Irish as Padraig. You may also find another [...]
*Happy Birthday - Pumpkinhead Mar 11, 2006, 1:02 am
Today is Osama bin Laden’s 49th birthday. Which leads to the obvious question - why is he still alive? Despite the fact that President Bush is “not that concerned about him,” why have we not at least served justice upon the man who orchestrated the murder of 2986 innocent Americans?
*The Vote That Counts - Pumpkinhead Mar 10, 2006, 2:08 pm
From the latest Patriot Post (you may have to subscribe - simply by giving them your email address - to view it):
In Hollywood’s estimation, the “Best Picture” nominees were Brokeback Mountain (26th), Crash (49th), Munich (64th), Good Night, and Good Luck (89th) and Capote (100th), in order of each movie’s box office gross—in other words, America’s opinion of these pictures. In all, Hollywood’s Fab Five grossed $235,643,912 and averaged $26.3 million in prof
*Reason for Optimism - Pumpkinhead Mar 6, 2006, 7:48 pm
Today Governor Mike Rounds signed the abortion ban passed late last month by the South Dakota legislature. As I said previously:
Though news of this legislation is wonderful, the bill is not actually intended to ban abortion. Like the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Act, which will not go into effect until SCOTUS rules on its constitutionality, the South Dakota law (once signed) cannot yet be enforced. The actual purpose of this bill is to provoke the appearance of a pro-abortion plaintiff, and e
*Congratulations - Pumpkinhead Mar 8, 2006, 8:13 pm
Congratulations to Mrs. Engstrom’s youngest brother, Airman Robert Spencer, for his graduation from Air Force Basic. May his enlistment be blessed.
*Twenty-One States Might Ban Abortion - Pumpkinhead Mar 8, 2006, 8:43 pm
The Times Online reports:
Emboldened by Mr. Bush's recent appointment of two conservative Supreme Court Justices, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, a clutch of other states — including Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia — are preparing to follow South Dakota in banning abortion. Jason Crowell of Missouri has already “introduced two measures that would ban all abortions except to save a woman’s life,” according to
Popular Posts
*A Relativist (42 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 2:07 pm
Some years ago I helped staff a Genocide Awareness Project display.
At one point during the day, I fell into a discussion about abortion with a college student who’d stopped to view the display. As he presented the usual pro-abortion arguments, I successfully refuted him time after time. No, the fetus is not part of the [...]
*The South Dakota Ban (39 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 12:52 pm
The abortion ban that South Dakota governor Mike Rounds signed three weeks ago is being challenged by the attempts of pro-abortion advocates to place a referendum on the state ballot. The referendum would allow South Dakotans to vote “yea” or “nay” on a state abortion ban. The problem is that the current legislatively approved ban, [...]
*Abortion Restrictions Across the Nation (33 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 29, 2006, 1:41 pm
Remember how twenty-one states are at a “high risk” of banning abortion? Well, there are a few updates on abortion bans around the nation.
A few weeks ago, Mississippi Democrat Rep. Steve Holland amended a Senate Bill that “sought to force any patient seeking an abortion to see a sonogram of the developing infant and to [...]
*Happy Birthday (28 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 11, 2006, 1:02 am
Today is Osama bin Laden’s 49th birthday. Which leads to the obvious question - why is he still alive? Despite the fact that President Bush is “not that concerned about him,” why have we not at least served justice upon the man who orchestrated the murder of 2986 innocent Americans?
*Miscellanea (28 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 2, 2006, 1:39 am
I don’t agree with everything The Daily Eudemon author Eric Scheske writes, but he’s got some interesting commentary. One recent post includes his thoughts on the laziness of using the “F Word.” I’m adding his site to my links page.
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I’ve added Leviathan Slayer to my links page.
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Today is Apple Computer’s 30th birthday. MacNewsWorld published a [...]
A Cost Prohibitive University (24 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 27, 2006, 3:50 pm
A Southern California professor gave new meaning on Friday to my claims that mainstream colleges are unnecessarily expensive.
A business professor at the University of Southern California was arrested on Friday by the FBI on charges of swindling students and others in a real estate fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Barry Landreth, who had taught real [...]
*Reason for Optimism (22 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 6, 2006, 7:48 pm
Today Governor Mike Rounds signed the abortion ban passed late last month by the South Dakota legislature. As I said previously:
Though news of this legislation is wonderful, the bill is not actually intended to ban abortion. Like the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Act, which will not go into effect until SCOTUS rules on its constitutionality, the South Dakota law (once signed) cannot yet be enforced. The actual purpose of this bill is to provoke the appearance of a pro-abortion plaintiff, and e
*Iraqis Avoid U.S. Troops (22 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 7, 2006, 1:27 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
Shakir Abdul-Hassan goes out of his way to avoid U.S. military convoys as he drives his minibus around town, fearing American soldiers will mistake him for a suicide bomber and open fire if he accidentally gets too close.
Atheer Kamal is just as cautious: When U.S. soldiers set up a checkpoint near [...]
Disarming the IRA (22 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 21, 2006, 8:09 pm
I just stumbled across a well-reasoned article on LRC about IRA disarmament. While the article is a bit dated (it makes no mention of the unlawful suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and speaks of IRA disarmament, which was unfortunately completed last year, as a future event), the general principles presented are worthwhile.
The author, Scott [...]
*Congratulations (21 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 8, 2006, 8:13 pm
Congratulations to Mrs. Engstrom’s youngest brother, Airman Robert Spencer, for his graduation from Air Force Basic. May his enlistment be blessed.
Corrupt Republicans (21 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 4:16 am
Izzy has the skinny on the Ben Domenech saga.
Domenech was hired to blog for the Washington Post, but just resigned over allegations of plagiarism. While Domenech has offered up a defense, I believe it’s pretty weak in light of the vast evidence of his blatant, often word for word plagiarism.
Thankfully, for once, many of the [...]
Patrick Henry College (21 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 22, 2006, 6:07 pm
Please check back later for an update to this post in which I will respond to questions about PHC and my experiences with that college. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I’m working a swing shift this evening, I won’t be able to finish and publish my post until midnight or thereabouts.
Civil War in Iraq (21 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 4, 2006, 1:01 pm
From the World Peace Herald:
Despite President Bush’s repeated denials, the figures are clear: 900 sectarian killings in a single month in Iraq means a civil war is well under way.
Iraq is a nation of 25 million people. In the United States, that level of killing would proportionately equal almost 11,000 people killed in riots, reprisal [...]
On Being an Autodidact (21 hits)- Pumpkinhead Apr 22, 2006, 1:04 am
Several readers of my “college miseducation” article recently disagreed with my conclusion, which is that you’re unlikely to get a decent education at college. Indeed, I believe that the average college class, and certainly the average college humanities class, teaches little to nothing a well-educated high school graduate shouldn’t already know. I expanded on my [...]
*Twenty-One States Might Ban Abortion (20 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 8, 2006, 8:43 pm
The Times Online reports:
Emboldened by Mr. Bush's recent appointment of two conservative Supreme Court Justices, Samuel Alito and John Roberts, a clutch of other states — including Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia — are preparing to follow South Dakota in banning abortion. Jason Crowell of Missouri has already “introduced two measures that would ban all abortions except to save a woman’s life,” according to
Death by Health Nut (20 hits)- Pumpkinhead May 4, 2007, 1:54 am
Vegan adults will tend to be weaker and less healthy, but they can technically survive on their “animal products are of the devil” diets. The same diet, however, can kill kids. Soy “milk” is not the same thing as milk - overlooking all its actually harmful properties, it simply doesn’t have the same nutrients as [...]
*About V for Vendetta (19 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 8, 2006, 9:10 pm
V for Vendetta, which I mentioned last month and still anticipate with bated breath, hits theaters in nine days.
Premiere Magazine has an interesting article about the movie’s plot and production. Hugo Weaving, who portrays “V,” comments on his character:
“He’s a fascinating man…He’s someone who’s been tortured and profoundly damaged by the state, this dark avenging angel who’s out to take revenge on the perpetrators of the torture. And the
CLEP (18 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 25, 2006, 11:09 am
I did something yesterday that I should have done long ago. I took a CLEP test.
A week ago I registered for an English Composition CLEP test. I meant to study, but never seemed to get around to doing more than glancing at a few grammatical treatises. As it turned out, I needn’t have done even [...]
*The Vote That Counts (18 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 10, 2006, 2:08 pm
From the latest Patriot Post (you may have to subscribe - simply by giving them your email address - to view it):
In Hollywood’s estimation, the “Best Picture” nominees were Brokeback Mountain (26th), Crash (49th), Munich (64th), Good Night, and Good Luck (89th) and Capote (100th), in order of each movie’s box office gross—in other words, America’s opinion of these pictures. In all, Hollywood’s Fab Five grossed $235,643,912 and averaged $26.3 million in prof
Pumpkinhead Quotes (18 hits)- Pumpkinhead Mar 24, 2006, 7:55 pm
“It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country - in defense of us - in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. The imagination sees these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave [...]
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