tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119502962012-04-15T21:47:42.605-05:00"Fear any fool who says something is impossible; they're often painfully wrong."Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115826454599431072005-05-11T10:40:00.000-05:002005-05-11T10:47:34.606-05:00

"You've got your phenomenon on one hand. Concrete and knowable. On the other hand you've got the incomprehensible. You call it God, but to me, God or no, it remains just that, the unknowable."~Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, Northern Exposure, A Wing and a Prayer, 1994"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat,

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com2http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/todays-quotes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115825794292198032005-05-11T10:30:00.000-05:002005-05-11T10:36:34.303-05:00

In the former Soviet state of Kyrgyz a practice known as "ala kachuu," which translates roughly as "grab and run" is one of the standard ways "men" use to acquire a bride. Sick of all the courting and the costs of the standard "bride price" (up to $800, plus a cow)? Easy, just kidnap your wife.She might think less than kindly to your overtures though, and the occasional dead young woman does wash

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com1http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/barbaric-and-then-some.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115824509710399342005-05-11T09:56:00.000-05:002005-05-11T10:15:09.753-05:00

I figure everyone can always use a good recipe, so as I come up with some from time to time I'll be posting them. Feel free to rant at me for the horrors, or angels, I've unleashed after you make it and decide what you think, but remember that I happen to think they all taste pretty nummy...Ingredients:- 16 oz tomato puree (½ water, ½ tomato paste, whipped with an egg-beater)- 1 pound ground

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/recipe-home-made-spagetti-sauce.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115823134179577972005-05-11T09:37:00.000-05:002005-05-11T10:31:22.006-05:00

As you may have noticed my article frequency has been a little slow lately. Ok, it's been dead. But have no fear, I've just been moving, not rotting. Sooo.... I've got a few additions I'd like to announce.Blogroll:1. Science & Politics - a moderately left-leaning blog focusing on the interaction of science and politics, as well as personal musings.2. Across the Great Divide - a strictly moderate

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com2http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/site-additions.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115236958071365742005-05-04T14:47:00.000-05:002005-05-04T15:02:38.160-05:00

I'm usually a huge Seth MacFarlane fan, but this newest cartoon just doesn't cut it. The format parallels between American Dad and Family Guy are just too numerous to ignore, and the jokes weren't funny. I hate to say it, but I think we've got a dud...Family Guy, on the other hand...Well, let's just say that being able to watch a new episode was as close to Nirvana as I've been in a long time.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/american-dud.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1115062225164198422005-05-02T14:21:00.000-05:002005-05-02T14:30:25.166-05:00

How much of a target for insurgents or future conflicts do you think this will make Baghdad residents? In an age where communications networks are the first thing to go in a fight I definitely wouldn't want one in my neighborhood, let alone my back yard.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/target-practice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114971836798017222005-05-01T13:21:00.000-05:002005-05-01T13:23:56.796-05:00

I must apologize for the spotty posting schedule. I'm in the process of moving into a new apartment and my access to the internet is currently shoddy at best. I'll do what I can, and hopefully it won't take too long to get back to normal.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/05/apology.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114726686817254312005-04-28T17:15:00.000-05:002005-04-28T17:18:06.820-05:00

It looks like Philip Schuth's mom died of natural causes, most likely kidney or heart failure.He's still a loon though.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/update-freezer-mom-died-naturally.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114726218888983972005-04-28T16:59:00.000-05:002005-04-28T17:14:22.543-05:00

The federal House of Representatives passed H.R. 748 - The Child Interstate Notification Act today by a vote of 270-157, in yet another move to block access to perfectly legal abortion services. Legal Fiction has a chilling fictional piece that could very soon mirror actual events:At trial, the defense attorneys pointed out that the father had, on occasion, physically abused his daughters when

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/overstep.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114724301412557152005-04-28T16:37:00.000-05:002005-04-28T16:58:51.666-05:00

I've converted my blog into the fabled "three tier format". I have also clarified the permalink location and added a trackback feature courtesy of Haloscan. I will be making additional heavy modifications for some time as I get used to the world of blogging, and I will continue to tweat the site in minor ways quite possibly forever, as I see fit. By the way... hope you approve of the change.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/heres-deal.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114724159593060202005-04-28T16:20:00.000-05:002005-04-28T16:35:59.596-05:00

"James Trussell, a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, has estimated that, if emergency contraceptives were widely available in this country, they could reduce the approximately 1.3 million abortions that take place yearly in this country by half. If a culture of life is so sacrosanct, shouldn't that trump the issue of premarital sex?" "According to Trussell, who

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/extremism-but-by-who.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114722440206199422005-04-28T15:59:00.000-05:002005-04-28T16:07:20.206-05:00

The California Cars Initiative (CalCars) has developed a modification kit the Toyota Prius that, by beefing up the battery capacity and allowing it to be plugged into the grid for charging, makes the daily commute (up to 30 miles total, roughly) possible without the use of gas. Anything longer activates the gasoline engine, but I think the idea of a daily commute without fumes rushing through my

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com1http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/sans-gas.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114550221874067722005-04-26T16:12:00.000-05:002005-04-28T15:56:57.320-05:00

According to chrisale at Murky View we may be seeing the peak of oil production by as early as next year. What that will mean for tensions between the west and developing eastern countries such as India and China as they vie for our standard of living, and thus access to the oil we depend on, remains to be seen. Either way I'm not looking forward to what this portends for the years ahead.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/end-in-sight.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114549890705230052005-04-26T16:03:00.000-05:002005-04-26T16:11:30.706-05:00

Republican leader Bill Frist said on Tuesday that he "isn't interested in any deal that fails to ensure Senate confirmation for all of President Bush's judicial nominees.", further backing himself into the corner of inflexibility. In the words of the Daily Kos, "Reid just engaged Frist in a game of chicken, and Frist blinked first.". It will be intersting to see how Frist digs himself out of

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/stiff-as-board.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114547681529280612005-04-26T15:19:00.000-05:002005-04-26T15:57:39.176-05:00

Just as every son thinks he has the worlds greatest father I think I might e lucky enough to have the best senator currently serving. Read Senator Feingold's speech here and you'll understand why.Hell, if the guy wanted to be president I'd support him; he's got more backbone than any 3 other senators except McCain, in my mind.His ability to ignore partisan politics and not vote to throw out the

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/feingolds-da-man.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114546442353539502005-04-26T15:06:00.000-05:002005-04-26T15:55:42.123-05:00

It seems House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is behind the times. Anyone who believes that supreme court judges can't cite or consider international law/precident as part of a persuasive argument in support of their opinion needs a refresher course on judicial law."Absolutely. We've got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States? That's

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/how-dare-he.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114545979554993252005-04-26T14:57:00.000-05:002005-04-26T15:06:19.556-05:00

"You're born absolutely free except laws of nature. If you drink too much you'll get drunk, that's a law. If you get old you die, that's a law...these are the only laws you're born with and any government just fucks you out of that type of freedom...You're not free. You need a diploma in this country to cut hair. They say if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. But if you teach a man to

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com2http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/freedom.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114544428758155762005-04-26T14:21:00.000-05:002005-04-26T14:43:13.336-05:00

Ok, so not literally in my backyard, but he might as well have. I can take a five minute car ride from my home and park right outside of 1330 Bainbridge St., the (former) home of Philip Schuth, a deranged guy responsible for the last three days paper headlines in my quite neck of the woods.It seems that Mr. Schuth, who everyone thought was such a nice fellow, decided to deck a kid passing by on

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/guy-freezes-mom-in-my-backyard.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114542885049891012005-04-26T12:46:00.000-05:002005-04-28T17:15:00.370-05:00

And you thought I was joking...It seems like [Rep. Dennis] Baxley [R-Ocala] has a handy way of dealing with all those nasty liberal professors spouting unfounded ideas in Florida college classrooms and harassing students who disagree. Let them sue the bastards.In a bill titled, ironically, the "Academic Freedom Bill of Rights", Baxley has proposed that:"Students have a right to expect that their

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com1http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/future-headline-teacher-sued-by-former.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114536831345341682005-04-26T12:24:00.000-05:002005-04-26T12:33:51.346-05:00

Democrats are the party for people who work for a living.Such an obvious fact, but one often not considered.

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/so-simple.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114494849840453902005-04-26T00:44:00.000-05:002005-04-26T00:54:09.843-05:00

When it comes to genetically engineered foods I find it humorous to listen to opponents claim that we're somehow "playing god" by inserting the genetic code from one species into another. The latest flap involves the fact that scientists are finding that sometimes human DNA makes good source material. Anyone familiar with programming or construction understands the concept of modules. They're

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/theyre-only-building-blocks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114492576615551422005-04-26T00:10:00.000-05:002005-04-26T00:16:16.616-05:00

Few things can show something as convincingly as a good graph. Maybe people will sit up and listen to this one before they claim GW is God's gift to America...

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/why-i-like-graphs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114490307652060612005-04-25T23:35:00.000-05:002005-04-25T23:38:27.653-05:00

And to the rest of us.Since I'm apparently no longer venting into empty space just to hear my own "voice" I'd just like to go on record as saying that yes, you may find grammatical and typographic errors on this site. At times you might find a great number, I have an annoying habit of not noticing an error until after I've posted and then come back the next day to review. I also constantly

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/word-to-wise.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11950296.post-1114462284298003732005-04-25T15:44:00.000-05:002005-04-25T23:56:58.213-05:00

Jack over at Random Fate recently wrote a post title "Sadness" that I think everyone should read. It goes a long way to show that there really are gems to be found in this ever-expanding sea of information.Human connections are tenuous at best, a thin web that can tear even despite the best efforts at preservation. ~~Jack

Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514117779013620878noreply@blogger.com0http://pointprogression.blogspot.com/2005/04/post-worth-reading.html