Although I'm not certain that it would be sufficient punishment for the asshat in this article. Excerpt:

Thornton was charged in August with felony animal torture for pulling the head off a kitten owned by his girlfriend, a 30-year-old woman who lives at the same address.

Thornton and his girlfriend had a fight the night of July 28, and she left the house. When she returned, she saw the animal's head and body in the front yard.

A veterinarian documented that the head had been forcibly ripped off.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:43 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Did you remember that today was Talk Like A Pirate Day? Arrrgghhh!

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You know how things work: someone doesn't post for a while and you start checking their site less frequently, even though you expect that something big is about to happen. Then you get caught up in your new job activities and forget to check in for a long time. When you(me) finally do check in, you notice that missed the notification of something special by almost a month.

Well, better late than never, I suppose. Congratulations, Kelley. I'm certain that Spiderman is looking forward to his new future playmate.

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Paul at Wizbang has taken a beating from assorted bloggers for a variety of reasons, which I won't go into here. However, he's provided the best information related to New Orleans and its levees. This time, he's compiled all of the data into one post, which details where, when and why the levees failed. You might be shocked to learn that George Bush isn't to blame. Shocked, that is, if you're a complete frigging imbecile.

Kudos on a well documented post. It's the kind of work that actual reporters in the MSM could do if they weren't busy trying to shoehorn stories into the "Bush sucks!" template.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've followed the buzz about Mel Gibson's DUI and subsequent anti-Semitic rants. The only thing that could even remotely be considered a positive is Gibson's apology, which included this line:

I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable.

Many people aren't in the forgiving mood, figuring that whatever Mel said when drunk reflects his actual feelings. I have to say that I agree with that sentiment. However, I believe that it's more complicated than that, as I'll attempt to illustrate using some examples that hit close to home for me.

My grandmother was born in 1904. She lived through the Depression, Two World Wars, a multitude of presidents and one presidential assassination. She outlived her husband by 25 years. During that time, she suffered through two mastectomies and two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Through the whole ordeal, she didn't complain once. In fact, she worked up until about a year before her death, at which time the cancer and its treatments made such a thing impossible. She helped raise me and my sister, as my mother usually worked two or more jobs to keep a roof over our heads. She was one of the strongest, best people that I've known in my entire life. She was also an inveterate racist.

I know what you're thinking: how in the world does this relate to the Mel Gibson meltdown? Allow me to explain.

My grandmother's prejudice against blacks was deep, firmyl embedded in her psyche. I'm certain that she didn't see it that way, of course. To her mind, that's just the way things were. Let me offer an example:

As I mentioned, my mother worked a lot to keep a roof over our heads. There were times when her job would keep her late, preventing my mother from being able to pick us up. Since my grandmother worked during most of that time, she couldn't pick us up either. However, she'd known this particular cabbie, Thomas, for decades. Whenever my grandmother would call the cab company and request his services to bring me or my sister home, Thomas would drop whatever he was doing and come to ferry us home. It didn't matter where he was in the city, it didn't matter what he was doing, he always helped my grandmother when she called. Thomas had enormous respect and affection for my grandmother. And my grandmother? Well, she liked Thomas in her own way, but her way of expressing it was none too pleasant: "He's one of the good darkies."

My grandfather was a different sort of bigot. While my grandmother tended towards the they're-not-as-good-as-us-but-they're-okay-as-long-as-they-know-their-place sort of racism, my grandfather was more blunt: "God, I hate n*ggers." Pleasant, I know.

Imagine that you were born and raised while racial segregation still existed. Now imagine that your parents were openly scornful and condescending towards blacks. Now try and imagine that you'd grow up with absolutely no ingrained racial prejudice. I'm going to bet that it wouldn't be easy.

That was my mother's environment. She grew up in a household where bigotry wasn't treated as such, but rather regarded as a fact of life. To her credit, she's done yeoman's work trying to not be her parents, at least in this one regard. But there have been one or two occassions when my mother would drink and her inner demons would come out and she would say some things about blacks that, were she sober, she would never say.

Maybe there is truth in wine. Maybe this is who, in her heart of hearts, my mother really is. But I will tell you right now that it isn't who she wants to be. It's not even who she thinks she is, at least on a concious level. And so the struggle continues.

Anyway, I've been thinking about this ever since Mel Gibson started blaming the Jews for all wars and whatever else sprang to mind. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Mel's dad is, to be blunt, a raving anti-Semitic Holocaust denying loon. Let that be the major influence in Gibson's life growing up.

Now imagine that you've worked in Hollywood for about 30 years. Despite working in an industry with a large jewish population, you haven't offered public evidence of anti-Semitism(no Passion comments, please, because I don't believe that the film was anti-Semitic). And then one night you get a bit tipsy and the mask slips, revealing the ugly beast within. Is that who you really are? Probably so. But is it who you want to be?

Gibson's comments give a fair indication that he has some serious issues with Jews. There's really no other way to interpret his words. But he's somehow managed to work for more than two decades surrounded by the people that he dislikes deep down without somehow getting quoted, recorded or reported for anti-Semitic remarks until recently. So is it likely that Mel wants to be an anti-Semite? There's no question that he is, but is it who he wants to be? Or has Mel been, apparently unsuccessfully, trying to escape his past?

People are rightfully beating up Mel for what he said. Some of Gibson's critics, though, have apparently fallen on their heads. I offer Ann Althouse, an otherwise sensible person, as a prime example:

What artist has ever crashed like this? Not Michael Jackson. Not Woody Allen. Not O.J. Simpson. YouÂ’ve shown an evil heart and it changes the meaning of all of your artistic work. How horrible! How painful!

Uh huh. Gibson drove while intoxicated and spouted some anti-Semitic garbage. Stating that that is a worse offense than either a double-homicide or pedophilia pretty makes me think that you should switch to decaff.

Update: James Joyner weighs in with similar thoughts:

While the nature of his remarks, combined with the radical notions of the sect to which he adheres, makes it impossible for me to believe that he is not anti-Semitic, it’s not implausible to me that Gibson–who, after all, has made his living for the past thirty-odd years in an industry where Jews are not strangers–honestly believes otherwise.

Update: Entered into the Beltway Traffic Jam here. Go for more interesting links.

Update: Here I was set to make a snarky post about Abraham Foxman and he comes out and says this. Kudos Mr. Foxman.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:24 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Or is it 2007 already? The only reason I think so is that Bill Whittle has posted again.

So I wonder when this book goes on the market. It'd make a dandy Christmas present.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:07 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Well, it looks like two the blogs that I read regularly are engaged in a flamewar. The comments here at Q&O contain some truly priceless excerpts, including this one from Mean Mr. Mustard 2.0:

IÂ’m embarrassed for you, Dale. This is like 3:00 a.m. USENET masturbatory obsessiveness.

Really, IÂ’d suggest you get a life, but there doesnÂ’t look like thereÂ’s much hope for you.

Patterico and Jon Henke have tried to play peacemaker. Alas, it appears not to be. Anyway, more here from Ace, if you're so inclined.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:09 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Looks like the Alliance Fitness Instructor has a new workout buddy.

Stop by and congratulate Heather and Brian.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 02:27 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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If you've left me a comment, or tried to send me an email, I'm not ignoring you. My account went kaboom and I'm trying to get it resolved. I just changed jobs and didn't notice until tonight. Whoops. Anyway, I'll have the issue resolved as soon as possible.

Update: In answer to Frank's polite question in the comments, I will state that I'm finally putting my graduate degree to use. More than 12 years after graduation, I've finally become a nuclear engineer. What this means is that I've dropped to the bottom of the totem pole and have tons of training to attend and lots of catching up to do. But I'm pleased at the turn of events. I'd pretty much given up on every doing this.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:36 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Do you miss your dearly departed loved ones? Don't you wish that you could give them just one more hug, but find grappling with the unearthed grisly remains a touch disturbing? Well now you're in luck, because we've got a product that grants you the ability to hold your dead ones until you too pass: Huggable Urns. God knows that everyone wants grandpa's ashes stuffed in a teddy bear and then given to the baby.

"Isn't that sweet?! She's playing with grandma."

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:31 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I visited YouTube today and discovered this video from Hope is Emo: Words Are Dying.

Did you watch it? Amazingly pathetic, wasn't it? Now go this website and check out the contents. Scared yet? Imagine that this little "gothtard" might someday sign your paycheck.

Scared now? Okay, then click on this link and calm down a bit.

Jim Treacher thinks that You Tube Is Going To Destroy Our Society. He might be on to something.

Update: Looks like Ace finally stumbled onto this, this thing.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 10:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I heard a rumor earlier today that Acidman had died. Like Steve, I hoped it was just an evil troll. Unfortunately, it is true: Rob Smith has passed away. His daugher Samantha posted this entry.

So long, Acidman. You will be missed.

Update: There are some things that I always appreciated about Rob was his bluntness and honesty. One, you always knew where you stood with him. He said exactly what was on his mind, consequences be damned. I know that it rubbed some people the wrong way, but I found it refreshing. My favorite aunt, who I helped bury last year, was the same way.

There was one other thing about Acidman that was obvious in his writing: he loved his children. He mentioned several times how proud he was of Sam, and how glad he was that she was with someone who made her happy. That's one of the things that you most hope for as a parent. And it was obvious that Rob missed and loved his son. The estrangement left a hole in his heart that was obvious to anyone who read Rob's posts. Recently, Rob wrote that he'd given up on hearing from his son. I will guarantee you that if Quinton had reached out to him, or given him a call, that Rob would have been posting the equivalent of cartwheels.

Godspeed, Acidman. You go to a place where there are no hangovers, or addictions, or physical ailments, and where your loved ones always stay in touch.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:40 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A new Bill Whittle post is up. Enjoy.

Update: Okay, I never excerpt a Whittle column, but I couldn't resist this:

People of good will on both sides value peace and freedom, yet we have diverging choices to make, and we have to make them now. We have to chart our course, a course for our country, and ultimately, a course for the entire world.

We need a map. Several are for sale. How do we choose?

Actually, it’s not so difficult. We can choose the map that best conforms to the coastline we see unveiling before us. We chose the map that best matches reality – the objective, external, indisputable reality of bays and promontories, capes and gulfs and rivers and shoals.

We can, indeed, lay out competing philosophies on the table, and see where each conforms to reality and where it does not. No maps are without distortions; none of these are likely to be, either. And one map may conform perfectly to the coastline in one area, and be dreadfully amiss in another. We can cut and paste them as we wish. This is too important for us to be arguing about who is right – all our energies must go to getting it right.

And before we start, we must agree to one thing: we will never be so full of arrogance and blinded by pride that we dare confront a place where our map does not match the coastline, and proclaim that the coastline must be wrong.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 10:06 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Last week, Kate posted her list(you know the one) and asked for ours in return. I've answered this question several times over the years and my answers haven't changed much. Anyway, here's what I posted at Kate's Place:

1) Angelina Jolie- I have the hots for her since Hackers, or whatever the heck it was called.

2) Lucy Lawless/Renee OÂ’Connor/Hudson Leick- Yes, IÂ’m claiming a Xenaverse exemption. ItÂ’s my fantasy after all.

3) Jennifer Love Hewitt- I was kind of glad when she turned 18 so that I didnÂ’t feel dirty watching her anymore.

4) Heather Locklear- ‘Nuff said.

5) Jennifer Connelly- One of the most beautiful women on the planet. Period.

Someone asked me if my wife wouldnÂ’t mind if Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Lucy Lawless showed up for a 4-way with me. I told her that my wife would be more upset that IÂ’d actually gone insane and was experiencing hallucinations.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 10:24 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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You fall headfirst into a septic tank and open your mouth to scream for help. Or you could simply be a conservative wading through the detritus clogging up the KosCon.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Crikey. First, Jeff Goldstein stops with the daily Martha Stewart prison diay entries. To be fair, she is no longer in prison and continued postings in that vein might be construed as a mental disorder. Anyway, Jeff now posts thoughtful, eloquent dissertations, quietly ripping his shrieking lefty opponents to shreds. So I hopped over to Ace's site for the best in potty humor. And now he's posting thought-provoking editorials. Where's a guy supposed to go for entertaining shit?

Actually, I'm bullshitting you. I enjoy well-reasoned posts, as opposed to feces flinging that I typically find on most lefty sites. That's probably the reason that I avoid most blogs of that type. I like reading posts written by thoughtful liberals, if for no other reason than said posts force me to examine my own opinions. Unfortunately, the number of reasonable liberals seems to diminish every day.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 11:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Thank you for your patience.

I was on vacation with my family up in the mountains. No computers, no news and no blogs. As much as I enjoy this blog, and all of you readers and commenters, I've gotta say that I enjoyed the peace and quiet. A lot. Now it's back to my daily demented postings.

I followed one of Harvey's blog rules and didn't mention that I'd be gone. Amazingly, my traffic didn't really diminish, even though I didn't post anything for 2 weeks. That's probably an indication of something, but I'm loathe to admit the implication there.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 06:18 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Hey, it's a lot more likely than Lastango's request of Madonna found here.

As I type this post, thousands of Christians are gathering rope, pitchforks and burning torches in preparation of tarring and feathering Ms. Ciccone. Whoops, my bad.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've been waiting for Lori Byrd's reappearance on a group blog ever since the dustup at Polipundit recently. She's now roosting, part-time, over at Wizbang. Stop by and give her the old Wizbang welcome.

Not that one, you pervert! The nice one.

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I've finally decided to move to a 3-column display on this blog. However, I don't have tons of time to devote to the completion of this task. If you're looking for links right now, they're at the bottom of this page.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 02:07 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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