evolution

Go here instead.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a snowstorm that featured lightning and thunder in addition to driving snow.

I’m a true neutral 4th level human wizard. It takes about 15 minutes, but you can find out about yourself here.

I Am A: True Neutral Human Wizard (4th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-11
Dexterity-10
Constitution-12
Intelligence-16
Wisdom-15
Charisma-13

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn’t feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he’s not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard’s strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

The alignment actually surprises me. I always thought of myself as chaotic good.

On the bright side, just 4000 more experience points and I can cast lightning bolt.

Read this entire article.

Then, tell me — don’t you think this is one sick bastard?

Secretary of Health and Environment “touts” prevention:

Bremby’s message, discussed as part of a Lawrence Noon Rotary Club meeting Monday: Helping ease the pain of America’s health care situation doesn’t necessarily mean revamping health regulations, overhauling insurance procedures or reaching for drastic systematic changes that get various interest groups all riled up.

The best thing to do simply is to convince people to help themselves by changing behavior, he said:

• Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Take part in 30 minutes of physical activity at least three times a week.
• Avoid tobacco products.

“The solution is well within our reach,” Bremby told about 110 Rotarians and their guests during lunch at the Lawrence Holidome.

Today it’s “convince”. In five years, it will be “urge”. In ten, it will be “strongly urge”. In fifteen years (and sooner than that, if current electoral trends hold), it will be “legally compel”. If the government’s going to manage health care, they’re going to manage health care.

Totalitarianism might come “wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross”, as Sinclair Lewis (and recently Ron Paul) said, but it might also come wrapped in a white coat or a black suit. Or, say, an IZOD track suit. And carrying a bowl of Kashi.

Is there anyone else who is tired of hearing it yet? I sincerely hope we take a good look at ourselves, our would-be rulers, and a media culture, all of whom are reveling in an orgiastic expression of the will to power, and ask whether this two-year campaign for a four-year office is worth it.

Having said that (HYPOCRISY alert), let me now issue my quick-hit thoughts on the candidates for President, starting with the Republicans:

• McCain: Your best days are, sadly, behind you.
• Huckabee: Just what the country needs: a benevolent preacher-king. If he’s the “conservative” nominee, I’m staying home.
• Romney: See above.
• Giuliani: Is there a political position he hasn’t held?
• Thompson: When is he going to get the lead out?
• Paul: I want to like him. I really do. But I can’t.
• Everybody else: No thanks.

And then the Democrats. I wouldn’t vote for any of them, but I don’t dislike them all.

• Clinton: Aura of inevitability desperation, especially vis-a-vis our next contestant. Do we really want to do this again?
• Obama: As I said, I wouldn’t vote for him. But, he is the only person on this list with even a shred of integrity. I hope he is the nominee.
• Edwards: The official Nutroots™ candidate. I think of him in the same way I think of them; i.e., barely better than vermin.
• Everyone else, i.e. the rest of the Democratic contingent of the Senate: No thanks.

In short, the coveted evolution endorsement goes to… nobody.

I said that I would share my reaction to Paul Morrison’s imminent resignation.

Truth be told, I don’t know that I have any thoughts other than what I’ve already said (here and here). At best he took the appropriate action after embarassing himself and this state; at worst he was a petty criminal himself, one who was sold out by the very people who helped him into office (the current Democratic establishment) for the sake of their future political careers, such as they are. I generally have a hard time working up sympathy for those who claim and hold power in the best of circumstances; I hold none for Morrison.

It has been widely speculated elsewhere that the Governor will name current Securities Commissioner Chris Biggs as Attorney General. Biggs is not widely known even in Kansas, but from what I know of him, he wouldn’t be a bad choice.¹ I really can’t think of anyone else that is likely to be named to that post. Whoever that is, I’d assume, has the inside track to the Democratic nomination for that post in 2010. I rounded up potential Republican candidates in an earlier post, linked to above.

I think Morrison effectively defused the whole thing by publicly announcing his resignation. His stay in the post was short and will soon be over.

Kansas will go on. Morrison’s difficulties are just beginning.

1. Famous last words, I know. [↩]

…to the dark side, Joel.

Chris de Burgh is doing a show in Iran — the first Western artist to do so since the 1979 revolution.

The bright side: Unless everyone at the concert has just eaten, he won’t possibly offend anyone.

Or… will he?

Lady in red is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
There’s nobody here
It’s just you and me
It’s where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I’ll never forget the way you look tonight

That’s your friendly neighborhood sharia violation right there.

Cue the band. Stay tuned. Reaction from me will be sometime after 17:00.

UPDATE: KMBZ 980 says they have it — Paul Morrison is to resign the Attorney General’s office at this news conference.