Ostentatious or your God-given right?

I was splayed out on my back, watching "60 Minutes" with my family when I heard a report that intrigued me. They were talking about the fact that the average house size has increased astronomically in the past 20 years. Case in point, one of the Houston contractors said that 20 years ago a large house would have been 5000 square feet, while now an 8000 square foot house is considered on the larger side. For a family with an average of 3.6 people, mind you. Part of me thinks that no matter how vulgar a house that size is, people should be able to do whatever they want. However, a larger, nagging part of me thinks that, given problems with poverty and hunger, it's a little dirty that people are spending that much money on a HOUSE. This house spending is even funnier, since I wager that the people who were on "60 Minutes" showing off their homes are probably in debt and will get divorced soon. Cynicism aside, does this conspicuous consumption bother anyone besides me?

This is a medical condition

I have an obsession with freakish things, specifically animals. I want to own a game ranch someday, but instead of having pedestrian animals like "gazelle," "emus," or "fish," I want MY ranch to have giant armadillos and 3 foot spiders. And maybe a frilled lizard or a two-headed caribou thrown in for good measure.

There has to be medication for things like this, right?

Preaching to the Choir

Does anybody know how to post a link on this thing? Anyway, here's the article:

Student from Virginia is Convicted of Plotting with Al Qaeda to Assassinate President Bush

I mean, it's a pretty obvious thing to write about, sorry for not searching on the back page for the most obscure thing I could possibly find.

So, an American citizen, Abu Ali, (who is described in the article as "an Arab-American student from Virginia") has been convicted of conspiring to commit acts of terrorism. The article claims that the Justice Department "see[s] the trial as an important test of its ability to use foreign intelligence sources for a criminal case in an American court."

Abu Ali's defense is that his confession was coerced by his captors, who "brutalized" him for forty days. Furthermore, the fact that he was interviewed by the FBI for four days without being 'read his rights' or allowed access to a lawyer showed up in the court documents. Two words: civil liberties. Do you feel your civil liberties being eroded? I feel my civil liberties being eroded.

Here are my questions:

(1) Should the Justice Department be able to use foreign intelligence sources for a criminal case in an American court?

(2) Was the FBI testimony admitted to the case as evidence?

(3) How strong is the evidence that torture is a common practice in Saudi jails?

My preliminary grappling to (1) leads me to believe that (1) and (2) should go together--if FBI testimony may be admitted, foreign intelligence may also be admitted. I do not think, however, that either source should be admissible. What is the precedent for this? I'm sure it's a "national security" issue, but does it date to the Patriot Act? Does it have something to do with military law?

My answer to (3) is that the evidence is very strong; in fact, Le monde diplomatique did an excellent article on that last summer which we should all read as soon as I find a copy of it.

Here's the Washington Post coverage of the trial:

Va. Man Convicted in Plot to Kill Bush

Is it ok to be content?

Maybe it's sleep or old age talking, but I used to think that the purpose of life was intense accomplishment and happiness. I wouldn't say I was a hedonist (my Catholic upbringing prevented that quite well), but I never thought I would be ok with just being...well ok. I think this leads up to the fact that The Real World (the actual one, not that MTV baccanal of idiocy) is about to bite me in the ass, and I'm terrified. I like this little cocoon of comfort in which I am still a child. Child may be the wrong word. But a "young'un." That's a better word. I'm a young'un. Work? Grad school? Marriage?? Kids??!!! Holy hell. I just want to have naptime and color outside the fucking lines with my crayons, man. I want my mom dammit. I know I sound a little juvenile, but Thanksgiving is so close that I can taste it. I can taste the turkey, the lack of responsibility, and the cranberry sauce. The proximity of the holidays is probably giving way to this childish behavior. Talk to me in about a week, and I'll be embracing the adult life again.

On a different note, I really want an albino frog.

You must go on, I can't go on, I'll go on.

That's right. I'm talking about the theses. It's just about the only situation where I think "git 'er done!" is acceptable.

Inaugural Post

The title is self explanatory.