The Pride of Parents

It is amazing how vain and prideful we humans can be. I entitled this post "The Pride of Parents" due to the one comment by the child, "You know I don't really want to do this."

One Man's story of the John Edwards Pick as VP in 2004

Time.com has up an interesting article from an insider on the picking of John Edwards as the Vice Presidential candidate in 2004. It seems from this article that it came down to Dick Gephardt and John Edwards. The article says that John Kerry was more comfortable with Dick Gephardt , but eventually picked John Edwards.

I don't think Gephardt would have helped the Democratic ticket in 2004, but this is a warning to both the Republicans and Democrats in 2008. Pick the person you are most comfortable with as your Vice President.

A Perfect Definition of Conservatism and Liberalism

George Will has posted today a near-perfect discussion of the modern schools of Conservatism and Liberalism, and what divides them. While it comes down eventually on the side of Conservatism - as that is what animates Will - it does not disparage the other side nor is it filled with animosity toward Liberalism. Definitely worth a read if you are unclear what Conservative, Liberal, and Moderate mean.

Today's political argument involves perennial themes that give it more seriousness than many participants understand. The argument, like Western political philosophy generally, is about the meaning of, and the proper adjustment of the tension between, two important political goals -- freedom and equality.

Today, conservatives tend to favor freedom, and consequently are inclined to be somewhat sanguine about inequalities of outcomes. Liberals are more concerned with equality, understood, they insist, primarily as equality of opportunity, not of outcome.

Moderates, I would argue are those who try to find the best balance between liberty and equality - neither as trusting of the market as Conservatives nor trusting of the government as Liberals.

Cutest Star Wars Photo Ever

squirrels with lightsabers
Originally uploaded by rylanddotnet.

Bad News for Romney: Affleck thinks he'll win

Ben Affleck may be a good actor (though I know that is also highly debated) but he has been the poison pill for many in politics. Last night he apparently had a lot to say about Mitt Romney on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Chatting about the upcoming presidential race on the season finale of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the Cambridge homey said he thinks the GOP will end up with Romney because the ex-gov looks good, has nice hair - and the Republicans really don’t have anyone else.
“He says he doesn’t like abortion and he’s all clean-cut and he looks like a Ken doll,” said Affleck who was doing a rather amusing imitation of our ex-gov during the Romney rant.

If there is anything we have learned over the last few cycles of American politics, it is that Ben Affleck is always wrong. So this may be VERY bad news for Mitt's candidacy. If Ben says you're in, chances are you are out. And with Fred Thompson allegedly planning a July 4th launch maybe the race is about to change significantly.

When a Star Trek fan has too much time on their hands...

...this happens. I can't imagine taking the time this map would require. Then again, I have been known to have my own obsessive streak here and there.

Apple pulls the trigger on DRM-free Music

According to MacRumors, Apple has now released iTunes 7.2 for Mac and Windows which supports the new "iTunes Plus" system for buying DRM-free (i.e. you can copy it and use it anywhere) music from the iTunes Music Store. It is likely this will be officially announced by Apple later this morning, along with a list of the "free" music now available to iTunes users.