I always knew I was sharp...

...I just didn't know why. Until now.

"The results showed that eyewitness accounts of people in a negative mood are more likely to be accurate compared to those in a positive mood state," says Professor Forgas.
"It shows that our recollection of past events are more likely to be contaminated by irrelevant information when we are in a positive mood. A positive mood is likely to trigger less careful thinking strategies."

Damn straight, you sonuvamotherlovin@#^@%&*!*#@&!!!

Forget Alien vs. Predator...

...the real match up the of summer is W. vs Satan!

"Q I'm a local youth minister, recently hired. And one of the things -- two of the things we've talked about today are enemies and freedom. And I believe that the enemy that we need the greatest freedom from right now happens to be Satan, and it's the enemy that we also don't necessarily always see. There's so many people who are being attacked on every level. (emphasis added) A lot of those people are youth that are in our middle schools and our high schools. And I was just wondering how we can do more for faith-based initiatives for children, before they're drug addicts?"

"THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I appreciate you saying that."

Uh...OK. Hey, Mr. President? Thanks and all, but could you focus on tangible threats, like, you know, terrorists and stuff? We'll hold down the satan-smashing end of things in our own creative and effective ways (see below).

Ahhh, Enlightenment...

It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, one cannot squeeze the autism out of children.
Sweet Jesus! What century is this?

For the love of god...

Big thanks to GQ for their hardhitting interview with John Kerry, in which they reveal what he looks for in a woman and his favorite actresses. I'm just going from Drudge's little excerpt, so it's possible they asked him similar questions about what he looks for in a circuit court judge or an Attorney General, but I'm not holding my breath.

Bill O'reilly: Calm and Sensible

No, I can't believe I just typed that either. But in a column in the New York Daily News today, he is just that. He's writing about the John Kerry swiftboat hoo-ha, and essentially dismisses the whole thing as a distraction.
"The lesson here is that blind partisanship is not an attribute. No person or candidate is all good or all bad. In America today, with both sides peddling lies and defamation and spin, it is alarmingly difficult just to get simple facts on which to base a responsible vote."
If even a blowhard like O'Reilly can see that this is ridiculous, then we really do need to move on.

27 years...

Today is the 27th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death . Shed a tear, shake a hip, eat a pile of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Inane, worthless, and distracting...

Instapundit is in the midst of an all-out blogasm over the Kerry-Christmas in Cambodia flap. How, precisely, is this relevant? For that matter, how is George Bush's service (or lack thereof) in the Alabama National Guard relevant? For that matter, how are John and Theresa Heinz-Kerry's sleeping arrangements relevant? Or George Bush's vacation schedule?
Are we, as a polity, completely retarded? Unless I missed the memo, both candidates have yet to fully flesh out and present their visions for the next four years on a whole range of issues. Policy toward Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Sudan, and about 180 other countries, immigration policy, enforcement of drug laws, and specific numbers on types and levels of agricultural subsidies all have yet to be laid out satisfactorily in this campaign. And the media (both old and *NEW! BLOGGERIFIC!!!*) are on about details from 1968? Are you kidding?
Matt Welch, seems to have it right on this whole lame business.
"What I don't understand is how anyone professes to truly give a flip about what John Kerry and George Bush did 32 or 36 years ago...(i)s this what you're basing your vote on this November? Really? Whatever happened to the New Seriousness after Sept. 11?"
Indeed, as they say.

And, I do realize that the Kerry camp largely brought this up themselves with the constant harping on his medals. But why rise to the bait? A collective refusal to be swayed by these inanities would get both campaigns back onto substantive issues (or onto them in the first place, as the case may be) right quick.
I know, I know; I can dream, though, can't I?

Good for them...

The Iraqi Olympic soccer team beat the Portugese team in a preliminary match today, further illustrating the superiority of rigorous athletic training over severe beatings as means to sporting excellence.

Anything but unexpected...

Well, this was inevitable and expected. And I think the court did the right thing. I wholly support the rights of same-sex couples to marry (and yes, I mean marry, not unite civilly or whatever...), but the court exists to keep officials in their proper roles, and rein in overreaching. I was quite proud of Mayor Newsom's boldness in bringing the issue of equal rights before the public in such a dramatic fashion. But I understood, even as I wiped my misty eyes watching the ceremonies on the news, that he had overstepped his mayoral prerogatives. Had this been allowed to stand, it would have set a precedent that many of the people who are so upset at todays ruling would have sorely regretted. Many are the "progressives" in San Francisco who would flip their wigs if the Mayor used a similar move to, say, make housing policy. They'd stage a vomit in on the steps of city hall. Here's hoping we can find a way to both grant full equality to all citizens and maintain the checks and balances that make the system function.