As some of y'all are aware, John Bruce Thompson (aka Jack Thompson) is an anti-gaming activist and (for now) lawyer.   He is one of the most rabid anti-game personalities making the rounds right now.  For YEARS, everytime there was a school shooting (or rumor of same), Jack would be on the news saying how it was all the video games fault.  After the VA Tech shootings, he was on CNN with an hour saying how it was all video games' fault - even though there were no details as to...

This weekend, I had a converstion with my mom regarding the presidential election this year.  As a Civics teacher in the county's middle school, it's something that she's got to pay extra attention to, for obvious reasons.  During the conversation, she made a comment that scared me, at first.  If Obama manages to win the Democratic nomination and the general election in November, what kind of cabinet is he likly to try to bring on board?  Some of our first thoughts we...

Interesting things that you pick up from time to time. Something that makes me think that the campaigns can't get any more hypocritical (and Hillary's would have to work VERY hard to do that), something sneaks up and slaps me across the back of the head. It seems that a member of Hillary's campaign decided to speak up about Barak Obama's past ... indiscretions ... regarding some illegal drugs. Now, the really funny part about this? They acted as if it was news. Obama admitted to i...

For those of you who have been around JU awhile, there are few things that will cause the folks here to unite. Dislike of the Westburo Baptist Church, members of it's congregation and it's pastor, Fred Phelps, is one. The congregations picketing of funerals of gays and soldiers who died in Iraq has caused all kinds of outpourings of disgust and dismay from folks who think they're evil incarnate to those who just think that it gives Christians a bad name. Every now and again, the folks th...

Well,  it seems that the Surry County grand jury finally decided to get off their duffs and do something about the mounds of evidence they've been presented with.  According to the linked article (and other local news sources), the grand jury indicted Mr. Vick and his coconspirators with 2 counts  "of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting."  Time for these would be up to 5 years per count.  This would be on top of...

This past weekend (and the 2 weeks leading up to them) was especially difficult for me and my family to deal with. The linked article discusses the Farewell ceremony for the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment as they deploy to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With them, goes my middle brother. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with him on Saturday. It was a nice, quiet , relaxing afternoon spent as a family, just doing family things....

It appears that the Texas Legislature has managed to get its act together about something. The general publics concern about Gov. Perry's executive order to require the Gardasil anti-cervical cancer vaccine has prompted the legislature to pass legislation that blocks the requirement for at least 4 years. And the interesting part? They passed with the necessary majority in both houses to override any veto. As it currently stands, Perry's not talking about whether or not he'll veto. More d...

From what I'm seeing while browsing around JU this morning, Star Dock is being responsive to the users (and their bandwidth bill) by dealing with the spambots that have been plaquing us recently. From what I've seen, the route they've chosen is to completely disable anonymous comments. While this might appear to just be the simplest solution, I believe that it's also the most effective solution, because it also eliminates OTHER problems that have been creeping up in the JU community. ...

My wife, in remembrance of the anniversary of the attacks on New York, DC, and the crash in the fields of Pennsylvania, wrote this and emailed it out: -------------------------------------------- I shared this on an e-mail list this morning and I thought that each of you might appreciate reading it as well: My phone rang that morning shortly after I dropped my son off at school. "Turn on the TV," my father's voice sounded so urgent and I immediately grabbed the remote. The smoke...

Our local nutcase is at it again. Rambling away about how it's all Bush's fault that the Gulf Coast region so devestated by Hurricane Katrina, almost exactly a year ago, still hasn't been 100% rebuilt. Sad, but true. What he fails to realize ... well, let's just say that Stardock doesn't have enough room in the database server that houses JU for what the poor man doesn't realize and address what's going on, instead. In New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers, that organization ...

... No, but gas prices are. At least, in the places that aren't - a) tourist traps or where I don't visit ... Seriously, in the last two weeks, I've noticed a trend in gas prices. They're actually falling. Now, they aren't back down to where they were a year ago, but they're getting closer. In Williamsburg, near my house, the gas stations have been averaging around the $2.95/gal for regular unleaded. When I left to come house/cat sit for my parents - they were already dropping...

In the linked article below, it seems that one of the Marines that Congresscritter Murtha bad mouthed when the Haditha events first came to light, took it personally. So personally, that he suing Congressman Murtha for libel and invasion of privacy. Even though the Marines haven't been charged yet ... scratch that. ESPECIALLY because the Marine's haven't been charged yet, Murtha's comments were defamatory and cruel. This Marine is doing something about it. Check out the story for mor...

If those aren't slightly misleading titles ... I'm not sure I know what is. According to the linked MSNBC article, Ken Lay of Enron infamy, died today at the age of 64. Lay, due to be sentenced at the end of October was the first of many corporate fat cats to get caught cheating the system. And dagnabbit - he did it again.

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's Mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was for...

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's Mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was for...