Dirty Red Commie

Guess what, I got a girlfriend, well like 2 weeks ago.  What can I say, I'm pretty excited about the whole deal too.  Brian's met her and can account for her awesomeness.  I think you all like her.  There's not a lot to say other than yay. 

Also, I'm headed to Billings sometime in the realitively near future is there a weekend that you (Billings) guys plan on not being there?

Well, man has a point:

 http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/fidel_castro/2007/05/ideas_cannot_be_killed.html

I hope someday we can all go to Cuba. 

Second Life is a virtual on-line world reminiscent of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. In addition to the communication and games afforded by most virtual worlds, citizens can create, buy, and sell property.

The French organization Front National caused a stir when it set up a headquarters in Second Life. The protests held there have quickly escalated to violence. Violence, in this context doesn't mean people are being hurt. The area the organization has settled in doesn't even allow virtual property damage. Some of the weapons used are purely symbolic, such as machine guns and bombs. Others have a stronger effect in the virtual world--attacks designed to overload that area of Second Life so as to make it temporarily unusable. Pig bombs, holographic attacks, push guns, and rez cages are some of the weapons unique to this virtual world.

What a surreal story. I wonder if these sorts of events will start to make wider press in the near future.

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060227fa_fact

 Is an account of internal struggles to draw a line between torture and proper treatment procedures for detainees.  It's a good read - if somewhat of a letdown, we all know how this fight ended - and enlightens us mere mortals outside of the Beltway to executive policy-making trends.