Good news/Bad news

President Bush sounds like he's more willing to deal with an uncomprehensive immigration strategy than in the past.

Active Sonar testing in the ocean is suspended for a bit. I don't know much about this story but I have a feeling that if the army wanted to test some sort of sonar thing on land but we found it hurt the deer/elk/bunnies/etc, that this would be a bigger story. This may well be a useful tool, but we don't own the whole planet.

In Somalia people are getting killed for watching the World Cup. Apparently the alcohol advertising during the show is offensive to some people. Personally I find killing people for watching tv offensive myself.

Joe Stein is offended because he doesn't want to be seen as a flag waver.

Even though I've seen tons of neighborhoods that do this, I've never actually lived in one. I've also never lived in a neighborhood that had those flags reminding you of the holidays and seasons. In fact, I've always looked down on those places. If you need semaphore to inform each other that it's going to get hotter in the upcoming months, nobody is putting a magnet school in your community.

So the reason I didn't want to put a flag outside wasn't because I disapprove of our international policies. It was because I didn't want to associate myself with the other people who put them up, and with their unquestioning, tribal, us-versus-them, arrogant mentality. Though I love being American, I don't want to proclaim it as the sole basis of my identity.

Frankly, I think he's just an ass.