House Approves Flag Burning Amendment:
"'If the flag needs protection at all, it needs protection from members of Congress who value the symbol more than the freedoms that the flag represents.'"

A flag is not the people. It is not the country. It is not even the government. It is a symbol of that government. If we chose to get rid of our government, the new one would pick a new flag. That flag would then be the symbol of our government.

We don't fight for the flag. Well, perhaps there are those who do, but that's as misguided as fighting to protect a bible. It's not the thing, but the thing it represents. We fight for the principles that have shaped our government and this country. When the government mishandles our rights, we can - in fact we should - organize a protest. One of the ways to protest our government is to show our distaste for the symbols of that government.

Suppressing this form of protest is a complete misunderstanding of what we mean by freedom. The people of this country are patriotic. We like this country. We like the freedoms we have rightly earned. But we don't like the government moving step by step, inch by inch, toward the sort of regime it claims to abhor.

Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation

I've been feeling like some of my medications have been making me jittery. I was reading my Harvard Heart Letter and it had a special notice about sleep problems. One of the things they mentioned was this Restless Leg Syndrome. So, I looked it up. Seems odd to me - almost like a fake syndrome. I mean, just because I can't sit still, I've got a "syndrome?" Seems strange, but it does describe what I've been doing. It makes it hard to sleep sometimes, because I'm constantly moving around. I'll have to look into this some more.

Conservative Republican says Democrats demonize Christians

This is the worst kind of "ism." He lumps all Democrats into a single pile and complains about them as a group. Is that anyway to convert people to your point of view? Of course not. It's no more effective than standing on a street corner and yelling at everyone, "You're going to hell if you don't repent!"

Is it any wonder that liberals whine and cry so vehemently? When they see this kind of outrageous rhetoric they must pop a vein. I don't care for the Air America sort of liberalism, but I would rather hear from a dozen Al Frankens than one Neo-Conservative like Hostettler.

More British memos on pre-Iraq war concerns

It's getting louder and louder... pretty soon, the rest of the media and the Congress won't be able to ignore it.

Ibuprofen May Up Heart Attack Risk:

"'The list of traditional NSAIDs seems to be comparable to the Cox-2 drugs in increasing heart attack risk,' says Hippisley-Cox, 'but when you put that into perspective, the vast majority of people taking these drugs will not be harmed by them.'"

Wow. I used to take a lot of Ibuprofen. Had a lot of trouble with my back. I stopped taking it when all the talk about kidney problems came up. But now, it's being linked to increased heart attack risk. That's a bummer. Is there anything that doesn't kill you anymore?

World Naked Bike Ride Day

As much as I enjoy riding my bike - I'm not sure I'll be participating this year. The closest Naked Bike ride to me is in San Diego. Darn it - I so wanted to be a part of this! I'll be climbing Mt. Lukens tomorrow... maybe I'll take off my shirt in solidarity!

Boy Scouts are prepared -- to sell camp names

Naming rights to a scout camp isn't anything new - camps and other facilities have been named after major donors for years. But "selling" the naming rights? That seems a little odd. Of course, what boy wouldn't want to go to Camp Hooters?

Google pays tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright on his birthday

Of course if you're reading this some other time, the image won't be there - so I've saved it for you:

Some Democrats Angry With Dean:

"When Howard Dean opens his mouth, Democrats cringe -- and Republicans pounce. His depictions of Republicans as 'pretty much a white, Christian party,' with many who 'never made an honest living,' have prompted top Democrats to beseech him to cool his rhetoric. They also have questioned how much more the party will take from its volatile chairman."

I'm not sure who's the bigger idiot today. Calling the other side out with rhetoric that's sure to get pounded seems like a dumb move. Can't we all just get along? Thanks to Stephen for reminding me of this story.

Ann Coulter is an extraordinary idiot.:

" I would sooner trust the North Koreans to keep their word than the Democrats."

Right - does she really believe this? This is out of control rhetoric by a woman who has clearly lost the ability to see the entire scene in front of her. I repeat: Ann Coulter is the idiot here.

BUSH'S IMPEACHABLE OFFENCES

I'm not sure all of these would hold up, but a little investigating wouldn't be bad. It's handy to have these all in one place though.

Is it just me, or is there a rising movement to get Bush to face impeachment? It seems like the amount of noise on the subject really rose in the last two weeks.

Angry mother moons school official:

"'She was protesting the school's disciplinary treatment with regard to her daughter'"

Bible Publisher prints bibles in China:

"'It is an absolute travesty to have Bibles printed simply because it's cheaper than having them printed elsewhere,' Mosher exclaims. 'We should be shipping Bibles into China, a country that imprisons and tortures and kills Christians for practicing their faith.'"

Why cyclists wear black pants