One day I will have to expand this concept of “Libertarian Veganism” but for now, I’ll just point you to my other site:

We are what we eat subsidize

I used to be against legalizing drugs, until my mid twenties when I read research that showed how few deaths actually occur from recreational drug use. When I thought about it some more, I realized that I never became a drug user because I didn’t want to be a drug user, not because of the laws. I did a little drinking in college, some of it stupid, but it never became close to a problem. I tried pot a couple times, and thought it was pretty lame. In any case, the reasons I never had a problem with substances has to do with me not being a moron. I always wanted to be a successful programmer, and that was just what I made my decisions based on.

So now, in my early thirties, I’m firmly against the “Drug War.” I believe in lowering the drinking age to eighteen. As long as you’re an adult and doing it in the sanctity of your own home, do whatever you like. This “War on Drugs” is just so asinine. It costs too much, it’s ineffective, and it’s disproportionately affecting minorities.

Here are a couple articles that do a much better job than I can do, in explaining the inanity of the “Drug War”.

Measuring Prohibitions by Radley Balko
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/119675.html

Prison Rape and the Drug War by Jacob Sullum
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/119284.html

What’s Wrong With the Drug War? by The Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org/drugwar/

The top story today will undoubtedly be the school shooting at Virginia Tech today. How long before the shooting is blamed on Marilyn Manson (who though I can’t recall having a recent hit seems to always be the poster boy for this type of thing) and/or video games. I’m sure the tallking heads will have a field day over this. Parents groups will be outraged, breathlessly exclaiming “Won’t someone please think of the children!?”. Religious “leaders” will be demanding the Ten Commandments be put back in school.

It’ll be Columbine all over again.

Sixty years ago today, Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Dodgers to man first base. He represented the first modern African-American player to play baseball in Major League Baseball. Sixteen years before Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Robinson moved the country forward towards the American Civil Rights Movement of the late fifties and sixties. Twenty years before American would see the first interracial kiss on the silver screen, Robinson was thrilling baseball fans with his talent, skill, and determination.

Jackie Robinson, by virtue of being a baseball player, was one of the first black heroes to white children of American. During his ten year playing career, all in Brooklyn, kids chased him down the street trying to get his autograph. To those young fans, Robinson was fighting the good fight against the hated New York Giants and New York Yankees. Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947 and the MVP award in 1949. A whole generation of baseball fans, as well as baseball players were changed forever.

By the time I became a baseball fan, black players were well established. In fact, my favorite players growing up were Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, the two black stars of the 80’s New York Mets. It wasn’t until much later that I even learned of the time when baseball was all white. It seemed inconceivable to a kid in 1986, when the all time home run champion was Hank Aaron, the best pitcher in baseball was Dwight Gooden, and Willie Mays was considered the greatest all around player, that blacks were ever not part of baseball.

Sadly, it is true that just a decade before I was born, that blacks were considered second class citizens by law. It is a blight on our nation that we first had slavery, and then the legal oppression of an entire race. Jackie Robinson, to me anyway, was one those civil rights pioneers that we owe our thanks to opening our eyes to the idiocy of racism. He was a great ball player and a great American. April 15th should be a national holiday, in the same way we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

I have a couple ancestors in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Paul and Lloyd Waner, two brothers who played mainly for the Pirates during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

The Pirates have announced they are retiring Paul’s number. Read all about it here:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_502638.html

On Wednesday, April 4th 2007, my wife and I entered a contract to purchase an awesome home in a small town called Plattsburg, MO. It’s a 4900 square foot home sitting on 22 acres, with a 4.5 acre lake. It’s an amazing property, with an amazing amount of potential. We have a lot of plans for the house and we can really see ourselves settling down there for ten or more years. It’s such a nice property. The home itself needs some work, mainly new floors, but we have the ability to fix a lot of it up. It’s gonna be a lot of work the next couple months, but it will be worth it. My wife and I will be including lots of pics on our blogs as we convert it to our home.

We are truly in one a golden age for baseball fans. There is no other time in history when a fan could watch or listen to so many baseball games. Just yesterday, I listened to the home broadcast of the Boston-Kansas City game. Later, I caught the Tampa Bay broadcast of the Yankee-Ray game. After that game, I caught a few innings of the A’s-Angels game.

If I was a TV person, I could buy Extra Innings and watch every game. MLB also offers an internet tv broadcast service. It’s stunning really, if you’re a baseball fan.

My wife Kelly, and I are buying a new house, and there should be just enough room to setup some Strat-o-Matic games for me to simulate.

Such a time, such a time.

To get on record before tonight’s Mets-Cardinals 2007 season opening game, I want to get my predictions down. I plan to write about baseball quite often this season.

Division Winners

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Dodgers
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL: West: Angels

Wild Card

NL: Mets
AL: White Sox

World Series

Twins v. Cardinals with a Twins victory