tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33775332010-04-26T09:22:07.646-05:00"The purpose of all war is ultimately peace." --Saint AugustineChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comBlogger5000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-13636423954659155692010-04-26T08:49:00.000-05:002010-04-26T08:49:00.148-05:00

Interesting paragraph from Richard Posner's book Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline that I caught from a reference in Paul Hollander's The End of Commitment: Intellectuals, Revolutionaries, and Political Morality in the Twentieth Century: A proclivity for taking extreme positions, a taste for universals and abstractions, a desire for moral purity, a lack of worldliness, and intellectual

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-18388259768221809782010-04-26T00:55:00.001-05:002010-04-26T00:55:00.381-05:00

Dave e-mails to report that SpongeBob SquarePants wasn't the only kid's show going green on Earth Day: I had the same thought yesterday morning. My 6 year old daughter got to learn about the importance of turning off appliances in your house and your neighbor's house on Handy Manny and how wind power makes the earth happy on the Imagination Movers. When the 'next up' commercial told me how

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-35818864034957479202010-04-24T09:33:00.001-05:002010-04-24T09:33:45.584-05:00

David Harsanyi looks at what's Next on Cowardly Central: "South Park" is the program that featured an image of Jesus Christ defecating on President George W. Bush and the American flag. It's the program that featured the Virgin Mary gushing blood while undergoing menstruation and Pope Benedict XVI inspecting her in a truly distasteful manner."That's where we kind of agree with some of the people

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-12465608128611643542010-04-23T14:23:00.000-05:002010-04-23T14:25:18.988-05:00

Another edition of Beer of the Week brought to you by the stout-hearted men and women of Glen Lake Wine & Spirits. When you think of Stillwater, Minnesota beer is not the first thing that comes to mind. Book stores, coffee shops, antique stores, bed and breakfasts, and neutered metrosexuals carrying their wife's purse about town do. Oh, did I mention that our own Brian "Saint Paul" Ward is also a

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-86172995498343713902010-04-22T14:49:00.001-05:002010-04-22T18:24:07.992-05:00

Over the last four-plus years, I've watched many an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants with my kids (and sometimes without them). While the show has brought no small amount of amusement into our world, there has been a noticeable decline in the quality of the episodes produced over the last couple of years, especially the "specials." Now, it seems almost certain that the show has passed the tipping

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-46173907191197783452010-04-21T17:51:00.001-05:002010-04-21T18:04:06.955-05:00

The May edition of First Things rocks. Well, as much as any periodical devoted to serious discussions of religion, culture, and public life can. Mary Ann Glendon looks at God and Eleanor Roosevelt. Timothy Reichert examines how widespread contraception has been a Bitter Pill for women and children. Joseph Bottum describes the Bad Medicine Americans will be swallowing after the passage of

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-19403498980782996872010-04-20T14:14:00.003-05:002010-04-20T15:06:23.396-05:00

You may recall that during the 2004 presidential campaign there was a lot of discussion about the economy. Despite the fact that nearly all economic indicators were trending positive, the Democrats--lead by John Kerry--continuously harped on the theme that it was a "jobless recovery" and that as president George W. Bush had lost more jobs than Herbert Hoover. And it was indeed true that the job

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-72046740124296972072010-04-19T00:14:00.001-05:002010-04-19T14:59:52.658-05:00

Penn Jillette thinks owning a Hummer is stupid. But he understands that one of the keys to freedom is the freedom to be stupid. Which is why he penned his Homage to Hummer in Saturday's WSJ:Hummers are stupid and wasteful and if they go away because no one wants to buy one, that'll be just a little sad. It's always a little sad to lose some stupid. I love people doing stupid things that I'd never

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-80961736941289233052010-04-16T13:10:00.001-05:002010-04-16T14:05:34.479-05:00

Another edition of Beer of the Week, brought to you as always by the fine folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who can remove the fear and loathing from your liquor buying experiences. Along with the beer itself, every Beer of the Week review also includes a look at the package that it comes in. The color, shape, and design on the bottle or can is part of the overall experience of enjoying a beer.

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-58810537505451363762010-04-16T11:38:00.004-05:002010-04-16T14:59:18.457-05:00

Eric Felton has a piece in today's WSJ on how difficult it's becoming to avoid video screens in public: If you have traipsed through a hotel lobby lately; tramped on a health-club treadmill; guzzled a beer at a bar; or nervously anticipated your turn in the dentist's chair, you likely found your eyes wandering to a video screen. The business of "captive TV," as it is called, is booming. According

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-53823925710861885552010-04-15T16:05:00.001-05:002010-04-15T16:05:36.472-05:00

Like many Republicans in Minnesota, I believe that the current MN GOP Party Platform is desperately in need of a major overhaul. We're not talking about a little pruning here and there either. We're talking about taking a chainsaw to it and getting rid of as much of the dead wood as possible (upwards of 90% of its current form). If you share this sentiment, you should check out Mitchell Berg's

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-87414297458530533442010-04-15T15:31:00.003-05:002010-04-15T15:37:32.617-05:00

One last Ford Field Frozen Four riptose from James: Someone posted the attached photo from the Frozen Four over at Gopher Puck Live. It's obviously taken from the "risers" behind the BC bench. Probably considered a "premium" seat too ($197). I suppose it is possible to have worse seats at a hockey game than the first six or so rows depicted here, but I cannot imagine it. Nice view of the

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-84263830150943581992010-04-14T07:07:00.003-05:002010-04-15T07:25:13.699-05:00

Article in USA Hockey Magazine on A Team For The Ages: If special can be measured by degrees, one team photo would stand out above the rest. It features the Shattuck-St. Mary's squad that captured the 2003 USA Hockey Tier I 17 & Under National Championship in Laurel, Md.A closer look at the names under the photo would make any hockey coach drool.There's the baby-faced Ryan Duncan, the 2007 Hobey

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-39508937827342109602010-04-13T09:20:00.002-05:002010-04-13T11:30:18.542-05:00

They say that a story is only as good as its sources. Which means that a piece in today's WSJ on Target Field by Mark Yost called If They Build It You Will Pay should be journalistic gold: For the past six months, I've had a friendly online debate with some blogger friends in Minnesota: Would the Twins get snowed out when they opened their new outdoor stadium? Actually a good part of our debate

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-84331466015681659102010-04-12T21:11:00.005-05:002010-04-13T05:55:28.303-05:00

Cheers to the Boston College Eagles for crushing the hated Badgers of Wisconsin 5-0 on Saturday night to win the NCAA Hockey Championship. Jerry York (pronounced "Yawk") has created quite the hockey powerhouse at BC and their recent record of success in the NCAA playoffs is remarkable. Jeers to the NCAA for ever allowing a Frozen Four to be played on a football field. As much as it pains me to

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-82786631573929872702010-04-12T13:58:00.004-05:002010-04-12T18:29:15.916-05:00

Article in Saturday's WSJ on workers in Denmark organizing to fight for one of their most basic rights (sub req):Michael Christiansen, a truck driver turned union representative, is fighting hard to preserve one of the last, best perks of the beer industry: the right to drink on the job.Mr. Christiansen's union brethren are wort boilers, bottlers, packers and drivers at Carlsberg A/S, Denmark's

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-57241991325771736672010-04-09T14:24:00.002-05:002010-04-09T14:34:04.718-05:00

Son: Wow dad, you must have reviewed like fifty beers of the week by now. Dad: Nothing to be proud of son...[pauses as son walks away] Dad: [proudly]...Fifty beers...Yes, believe it or not, this is the fiftieth installment in our Beer of the Week series. When Dan, the owner/operator of Glen Lake Wine & Spirits first suggested the idea of a weekly beer review, I doubt if either of us would have

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-4585875261247924512010-04-09T10:58:00.001-05:002010-04-09T11:30:23.136-05:00

Still some buzz about town following Wednesday's Republican rally at the Minneapolis Convention Center. More than ten thousand folks apparently turned out to see Sarah Palin join a host of local GOP leaders including Governor Pawlenty, Congressman Kline, and Congressman Paulson. But the real co-star of the event--if anyone can ever really share top billing with Palin--was Congresswoman Michele

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-8812830275812315692010-04-09T09:18:00.007-05:002010-04-09T13:28:04.687-05:00

The state of Massachusetts has a health care system similar to what Obama's gang is imposing on the entire country and things are getting rather interesting in the Bay State. An editorial in today's Wall Street Journal gives us the frightening vision of what health care will be like nationwide if we don't turn things around. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has effectively imposed a premium

Atomizerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05258490804319216493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-80926113766911476912010-04-08T11:02:00.002-05:002010-04-08T11:36:06.872-05:00

A few years ago, a couple of the major airlines started charging passengers for checked luggage, ostensibly to help offset higher fuel prices. Now, nearly all airlines--with the notable exception of Southwest--have followed suit with an array of fees and surcharges that apply to almost all checked luggage. Despite the fact that fuel prices have fallen from their 2008 highs and since stabilized,

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-43689184520385641982010-04-08T09:58:00.000-05:002010-04-08T10:00:39.845-05:00

If you had problems with the PayPal link to donate to King Banaian's campaign that I posted yesterday, try this one. It seems to be working and I've gone back and updated the link in the original post as well. Thanks for your support.

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-26241236283999121642010-04-07T17:36:00.002-05:002010-04-08T07:14:30.177-05:00

David Harsanyi on the government's latest efforts to take on parental responsibility: And if Washington can't dictate calorie counts in school vending machines, or tax soda pops, or force elementary schools in Topeka to stock their cupboards with USDA-approved nutritional fare, then, really, why do we have a federal government in the first place? As we speak, legislation is wiggling through

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-9786969792618458412010-04-07T10:58:00.004-05:002010-04-08T09:55:21.423-05:00

The burning question being asked all over Minnesota House District 15B these days is: "Mr. Banaian: your campaign seems to have the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?"Indeed the King Banaian for House campaign has officially left the station and is picking up steam as it rolls toward the November election. In order to keep that locomotion going, fuel is required. And

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-84700434516514881632010-04-06T16:42:00.001-05:002010-04-06T16:46:48.720-05:00

The recent efforts by "truth-seeking" journalists to leave no rock unturned in hopes of finding any thread that remotely connects Pope Benedict XVI to "cover-ups" of sexual abuse by Church authorities has demonstrated once again that the only thing that matches the levels of their invective against the Catholic Church is their ignorance of the Church and its workings. They frame the unfolding "

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377533.post-82506554888889687342010-04-06T10:13:00.001-05:002010-04-06T10:18:55.119-05:00

Now that global warming seems to cooling off as our environmental panic du jour, the WSJ's Bret Stephens opens it up to his readers to speculate on what sky will be the next to be claimed to be falling: Given the inescapability of weather, it's no wonder global warming gripped the public mind as long as it did. And there's always some extreme-weather event happening somewhere to be offered as

Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781053410876242483noreply@blogger.com