For all of you hipsters who are into Arctic Monkeys (looking at you (e:hodown)) the band that is opening up for them in the States is my friend's band, the Spinto Band, [inlink]jessbob,122[/inlink] You should check them out They are really good, and if you do happen to catch the arctic monkeys in the states (I know they are coming to NYC, Boston, Toronto, Philly and DC) come early, it will be worth it.

The Washington Post today had an article about former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, a VERY conservative congressman that lead the impeachment charges against Clinton, and how he has been highly critical of President Bush's eaves dropping program.

In the article Bob Barr says, "Are we losing our lodestar, which is the Bill of Rights? Are we in danger of putting allegiance to party ahead of allegiance to principle?"

I am so glad he is calling out conservatives on this. I saw soooo many people in DC (republicans and democrats) just blindly tow the party line without thinking for themselves about whether it is actually in line with their beliefs. If it is in line, fine, you can believe what you want to believe. But at least think about it.

At the conservative conference that he said this, Barr got the following response, "But nobody said anything in the deathly quiet audience. Barr merited only polite applause when he finished, and one man, Richard Sorcinelli, booed him loudly. 'I can't believe I'm in a conservative hall listening to him say [Bush] is off course trying to defend the United States,' Sorcinelli fumed"

If Bush isn't being conservative (which I believe he isn't, the party of individual rights - B fucking S), then he should be called out on it. Just cause he comes from the same party does not automatically mean you should support everything he does.

Read the article for yourself, "Bob Barr, Bain of the Right?"

Little peeve of mine came up today and I have heard the mistake made many times. I just want to clear the difference between Hindu and Hindi

Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism (the religion)
Hindi is a language (from India that Hindus may speak)

People cannot speak Hindu and People cannot be Hindi

Here is a Washington Post editoral on the NASA communications person that (e:ajay) posted about

Regarding the whole God/religion issue that has been discussed a lot here lately, here is an interesting piece on NPR that I heard a few months ago by Penn Jillette (the tall one in Penn and Teller) on his belief that there is no God. It is interesting not in that it has some deep philosophical insight, but in how this belief that there is no God informs his approach to life.