Random Thoughts From Marybeth

Get On the Bus For the Blog Tour

Michelle Malkin posts about Air America and Al Franken. According to a New York Post article, Franken said, "About three weeks into the life of Air America, I became an involuntary investor — I stopped being paid."

Um, no. If you show up for work the day after you expected to get paid but didn't, it's no longer involuntary. Or is he accusing Air America of slavery?

Dan Savage who is guest blogging for Andrew Sullivan tells about a man who joined the army after 9/11 and served two tours in Iraq. An investigation into the man's background came up with evidence that he is gay so he is no longer in the army.

This is just dumb. (Beyond what I see as the obvious stupidity of removing someone for feelings rather than actions.) If wars can be aided by propaganda and given the Islamic extremist views on homosexuality, then the news that there are gay guys kicking terrorist butt would be a good thing, no?

Lileks on Intelligent Design. It's pretty much what I was thinking here. Only more. And better said. I was beginning to worry that I didn't understand the arguments over ID. I just don't see the conflict in accepting scientific evidence while still believing in God.

That doesn't mean I believe ID should be taught in schools. Let them teach the science. Let me worry about finding a way to integrate the science with my religion.

Speaking of schools, there is a proposal in Kentucky to ban "junk food" in schools during school hours. Diet sodas and non-carbonated water would be permitted. A proposal to ban caffeinated beverages from being sold during the latter half of the school day was deleted because there wasn't enough evidence to show that caffeine is bad for children.

Parent Stella Woods applauded the state's effort to reduce students' access to sugar and fat.

"I think it's excellent; they don't need the sugar," she said. "Their health is very important because they're young, growing children."

Her daughter, Christina, however, said school lunches are terrible. "They don't fix it good," said the 14-year-old, who likes to buy Mountain Dew from the vending machines at school.

If that sentence came out of my child's mouth, my complaint would have been about the quality of her education, not about whether or not she can get something with sugar in it.

Riding Sun (who has moved to a new URL) writes about the destruction of Mecca.

In lighter "news", Scrappleface reports "NCAA Considers Ban on Hostile Animal Mascots". It's worth reading just for the phrase "perky men wearing fur suits with gigantic foam heads".

And last, not from a blog but just because I thought it was funny, The Laws of Anime.