Yahoo News is reporting that John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.. After reading an article by Ann Althouse suggesting that pick, I’d been hoping he would. Of course, I’d have preferred that Fred Thompson would have been the Republicans’ Presidential pick, but if we have to have McCain, at least he made a good pick for veep.
Update: Here’s a picture:
I’ve been saying that for a long time now. And now that 100 university presidents have floated the idea, people are finally talking about it.
David Harsanyi, of the Denver Post, has a good opinion piece called Let’s Chuck the Drinking Age.
An excerpt:
What happens when presidents from more than 100 of the nation’s best-known colleges call on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18? Well, a brigade of hyperbolic mommies start screaming at them, that’s what.
In the Amethyst Initiative, college presidents have offered a rational, if counterintuitive, plan. Let’s stop treating young adults like wards of the state. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (naturally) replied: No debate allowed.
There is plenty of empirical evidence suggesting that the drinking age of 21 is counterproductive. To begin with, it bars parents from educating their own children about alcohol and, like all prohibitions, it fosters criminality.
Read the whole thing. He makes very good points.
The beer came in a 4-pack of the short, 12-ounce bottles with twist-off caps.
It poured a light reddish-brown color with a small, short-lived head. It had a very pleasant aroma: rich, with a fruit scent that I couldn’t quite pin down further. I wonder what kind of hops they use to make this beer. The beer was dry, but not so dry as a Westmalle Dubble (which I had had not two nights before), with a bit more body. The flavor was pleasant, albeit I thought a bit less in the way of hops bitterness would have made it even more balanced. But all-in-all, a very nice beer.
For the record, I believe that it is inappropriate, and disrespectful of other people, to wear flip-flops in the following situations:
Today was Nathaniel’s (my 5-year-old nephew) first day of kindergarten. I sure hope he had a good day.
Mt. Shasta Brewing Company, makers of Weed Ales has won a legal battle with the Tax and Trade Bureau. Read the whole thing.
Well, on Saturday, I got the rest of my stuff out of storage, and into my house. It took 3 trips with a pick-up truck, 2 with a van, and one with the trunk of my car. Although I worked on unpacking Saturday afternoon and evening, the lion’s share of the unpacking was done yesterday - although I’m still not totally finished.
But I’ve still got a lot of work yet to do before I can change my address officially.
They got a British gymnast to be the new Tomb Raider.
Today is my mother’s birthday. To celebrate, we went out to dinner last night. The restaurant she requested we go to was The Olive Garden. I hadn’t been to one of these restaurants since 2001 or 2002 (on a rather disappointing blind date), and didn’t remember being particularly impressed with the food. Last night, however, changed my impressions of the chain of Italian restaurants.
The staff was competent and seemed to have friendlier dispositions than other restaurants. The decor was nice - I didn’t feel like I was crowded in with a bunch of strangers. I ordered the Mixed Grill - steak and chicken skewered with vegetables, and served with roasted potatoes and a brown sauce. It was excellent. Both meats were very tender and tasty, and the brown sauce had good flavor, albeit a bit salty. Our meals came with all-you-can-eat bread sticks and salads, both of which were very good.
The Olive Garden puts a lot of emphasis on wines. Had money been no object, I might have tried a Reisling with my dinner, but I had already ordered a beer at the bar while we were waiting to be seated. In my opinion, the chain could be improved if they took advantage of the microbrew revolution, and put some emphasis on beer. There were only 6 beers available on draft - 4 typical mega-swills, Blue Moon, and Sam Adams Summer Ale. Needless to say, I had the Summer Ale, although if I had had my druthers, I would definitely have paired some other beer with my supper. An Irish Red to complement the flavor of the steak, or a Märzen to act as a contrast, perhaps.
Bella Trattoria, which had closed due to damage from a nearby fire, has reopened.
The Scratching Post asks: Was the Russian Invasion of Georgia a Colossal Blunder? An interesting case is made. Time will tell.
It is something you don’t see every day, but it sure wouldn’t hurt if we saw it a little more often. A woman in Richmond becomes a consecrated virgin. It’s a pretty decent write-up for a secular newspaper.
Update: After doing a little extra reading, I was surprised to learn that, although the Rite of consecrating a virgin has been promulgated since 1970, the corresponding Rite for the consecration of widows (both orders were known in the early Church) has been languishing in committee in Rome, and has yet to be promulgated. Catholics around the world should canvass Rome for work on it to be completed.
