Monthly Archives: April 2005

In the Reign of Cotton Mather

Posted on April 30, 2005 by Kevin

Excellent Forbes article by Cato analyst Radley Balko:

bq.. This country’s laws are being rewritten by puritans, prigs and busybodies.

Earlier this year, when Major League Baseball questioned Congress’ right to hold public hearings on steroid use in the big leagues, Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) and ranking minority member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) sent back a striking response. Davis and Waxman told baseball that the committee “may at any time conduct investigations of any matter.”

Any time. Any matter. And this from the congressional committee charged with curbing government excesses.

But “any time, any matter” jurisdiction is fast becoming the norm in Washington. Think Terry Schiavo and gay marriage. Think obesity, the “crisis” that has Congress poking around in your kid’s lunchbox and in your refrigerator. Think the drug war, which gives cops access to our medicine cabinets, doctors’ offices and hospices.

If you think the feds are bad, state governments are even worse. The Nanny State is descending, from 50 capitals.

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People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad!

Posted on April 28, 2005 by Kevin

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.

Link

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Jokes with Realistic Endings

Posted on April 19, 2005 by Kevin

Via Something Awful. This is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Highlights:

bq.. A priest, a rabbi, and a buddhist monk walk into a bar, sit at the end and start having some drinks. Two hours later, they come out with a better understanding of each other and a mutual respect, the beginnings of a friendship that last a lifetime.

bq.. What do you get when you cross a chicken with a centipede?

A media circus about the debate over the morals and ethics of genetic engineering.

bq.. How do you drown a blonde?

Hold her head underwater until she can no longer breathe and stops struggling.

bq.. Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?

Repeated absences and stealing.

bq.. A man walks into a bar.

He drinks 6 Newcastles, 4 shots of Jack Daniels, hits on the waitress unsuccessfully, takes his wedding ring off, tried again and fails, drinks 3 more shots, drives home, beats his daughter for coming home late, and cries himself to sleep realizing that he hates his life.

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Beeeeeeefcaaaaaake!!!

Posted on April 16, 2005 by Kevin

To celebrate my 39th birthday, I squatted 320 lbs. My eyes crossed, I blew a few capillaries, and it made me very happy… :-)

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Playful Parenting session

Posted on April 3, 2005 by Kevin

I had the pleasure of presenting a session on “Playful Parenting” at the 2005 Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Vermont La Leche League Conference. It was this weekend in Chelmsford, MA. Before you ask, my wife is a La Leche leader here in Scituate, and she and several of her co-leaders had asked me to run a session for the fathers in attendance.

While I’m no expert on parenting, I think I’m pretty good at it. :-)

Playful Parenting is an excellent book by Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen, a psychologist from nearby Brookline, MA. To sum it up:

bq.. Have you ever stepped back to watch what really goes on when your children play? As psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen points out, play is children’s way of exploring the world, communicating deep feelings, getting close to those they care about, working through stressful situations, and simply blowing off steam. That’s why “playful parenting” is so important and so successful in building strong, close bonds between parents and children. Through play we join our kids in their world–and help them to

* Express and understand complex emotions
* Break through shyness, anger, and fear
* Empower themselves and respect diversity
* Play their way through sibling rivalry
* Cooperate without power struggles

p.. If you’re interested, my session notes are available on my web site’s wiki.

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