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If you're referring to the 'threat' of someone actually using the phrase 'God bless America' in a sign at a school (see http://www.sacbee.com/news/news/old/local03_200110 13.html for more information) then yep -- I suppose the ACLU is right on target.

If you're referring to Ashcroft 'investigating' whether or not we should create a national ID system, or convict hackers to life in prision (a little extreme, if you ask me) -- the ACLU has been strangely silent (as far as I know -- correct me if I'm wrong, of course).

Sadly, I think the ACLU is actually adding to the distraction of the real issues in our country right now. They're not helping anyone but their own best intrests (which as far as I know, is nothing new).

I think the real issue that the bugs the hell out of the ACLU right now is that it's becoming fashionable to 1.) Stand up against folks like the ACLU who are simply distracting America from being patriotic 2.) Be a patriotic American 3.) Be a 'God fearing' American 4.) be a soldier, actually taking part in an effort to stop terrorism.

Peggy Noonan said it best with her column this past week, "Welcome back Duke" (referring to John Wayne, of course).

If you don't understand my above post, read this. (I bet someone thinks it's off-topic)

Here is Dave Barry's scheme to revamp social security.

I love these debates. First off.. isn't smut to you -- but it might be smut to concerned parents not wishing their young children to see naked women. CAse in point. The Poseidon Adventure where a local christian home schooling group 'clothed' the naked Poseidon that was standing near a convention center they were attending. The main quote -- and principal fact we must remember here is.. "What is art in one person's eye is not art in another's,".

If this is deemed offensive, what makes you think other art that incorporates nudity or perhaps other potentially questionable content wont' be silenced? How do we know the Venus DeMilo won't be categorized in the .sex TLD?

I've got one of those Intellimouse Explorers (the huge silver ones with the superfluous tail light and like three extra buttons; well, what the hell, here's a http://www.microsoft.com/Mouse/explorer.htm link) and sites that won't let you back out are an incredible annoyance. See, two of the buttons on there serve as Forward/Back (respectively) while browsing the web, and after about 20 minutes of using them, I was hooked. You wouldn't believe how simple (and remarkably intuitive) to navigate with your thumb. Now if I could just find a good use for those buttons in Half-Life... I mean, sure, it's easy enough to hold down the back button and select the page before the offending site, but that would require moving my cursor over six or so linear inches of desktop space. Isn't that just a little bit unreasonable? No? Ah well.

Offtopic, but I found this article in the sacramento bee about American men seeking brides in Russia fascinating: http://www.sacbee.com/news/ projects/brides/day2_01.html. A large number of the men work in the computer industry. Coincidence?


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Also, you can read Dave's weekly columns here.


From an older column (paraphrasing from memory)

"Every day, Microsoft gets calls like this:

Business: Help! Our entire worldwide accounting system is locked up, and no matter what we type it just says, 'Who wants to know? Signed: DOS'

M$:Haha! I mean, sounds pretty serious.

Business: We'll give you a million dollars if you tell us how to fix it.

M$: Ok, press the NUM-LOCK key.
Business: So THAT's what that thing does. Thanks! The check is in the mail!"

and then:

" 'Windows' was designed as a security measure to thwart those somehow able to get past DOS."

Chuck

If you sign yourself up with NY Times OnLine, which is free, you can read Dilbert in sync with the dead trees.

Or, you can hit the Sacramento Bee comics page -- no registration required at all.

Viewing the comics without the ad frames is left as an exercise to the reader.