This gave me pause

From Andrew Sullivan's blog:

Bush said today that we should expect an escalation of violence in Iraq because the enemy know that September is a key date for political opinion. So, let me get this straight: if there is less violence, it obviously means the surge is working, and if there is more violence it means the enemy is desperate to get us out and the surge is working.

Sigh. Looks like we're "staying the course," no matter what happens.

Or are we?

How to become a winner at Rock-Paper-Scissors!

Ever want to destroy your friends and family in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors? Ever want to ensure that you get shotgun in a crowded car, get the last beer, or get to flirt with the attractive honey while your competition has to take the ugly friend? Well, once again, the internet has come to the rescue!

Actually, I've looked over the tips, and I think they'd be a little hard to implement in real life--the tips require a lot of forethought and continuous calculation of how someone's last move will affect their next move. Nevertheless, as a public service to all of you who make minor life decisions based on scissors cutting paper, I present to you this holy grail of cheating at Rock-Paper-Scissors.

I am Jerry Falwell's worst nightmare

In regards to September 11th:

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

--Jerry Falwell (1933-2007)

My friends, it is a quote like this that does a great disservice to Christianity, for it prevents many non-Christian from even considering coming to the Faith. Why would you join something that already hates you before it knows you? But wait, the Reverend has a response to that:

"I don't hate you. I just think that you're being a pervert. ... God is angry with your kind of moral behavior."

*sigh* I am thankful that I became a Christian before I came out. I am thankful that Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and their ilk did not prevent me from knowing my Lord and Savior. But mostly, I am thankful (and humbled) that I can be a shining light of Christ's love...

Sorry

I know I've been lax in the blogging posting. I'm sorry.

It's just that I am now officially registered to take the GRE (!), which means I'm putting my studying into overdrive. I've made flashcards for some new vocab words, am sending a "word of the day" email to co-workers to both expand their vocabulary and review mine, and have purchased a new GRE math book in hopes that it will strengthen my already-improving math skills (I even think I finally understand square roots).

If that weren't enough, I also seem to be able to sit and study for at least an hour and a half without caffeine; and considering that the actual test is 4 hours long, that's exciting.

The test is June 25, so wish me luck. But, don't worry, the test won't cause me to ignore my blogging duties.

But, on a current affairs note, can someone pronounce Nicolas Sarkozy's name for me? I haven't seen a TV report on the election; I've only read his name in the paper. Nevertheless, I feel that "Sarkozy" is a name that begs to be pronounced pretentiously: I'm imagining something like "Sar-cooooo-z."