http://www.cianboland.com A Critique of My Life and Other Miscellaneous Debris Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:17:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I'm delighted with Obama picking Biden as his running mate. Even though he was never really given a fair shake in the Democratic primary, Biden was one of the most assured of all the candidates in the debates, and certainly the wittiest. Until he became a VP candidate I had ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/23/joe-biden/ I finished reading Christopher Hitchens excellent polemic on religion last night. Rather than supplying arguments against the existence of god, Hitchens instead focuses on providing examples of how religion retards human progress and fucks people up. He very clearly lays out the case that religion is an entirely human construction, ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/15/god-is-not-great/ John McCain, staunch supporter of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, speaking out against Russia's invasion of Georgia. http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/15/in-the-21st-century-nations-don%e2%80%99t-invade-other-nations/ The drama is all over, I've accepted the Medicine offer, and I start on September 1st. I'm fairly certain that this is the right choice. Around 80% certain. So anyway, now that I've sorted out what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, I can return to ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/08/four-more-years-four-more-years/ Jon Stewart highlights how McCain is getting a pass from the media on a whole host of issues, even while his own side keeps complaining that the press is infatuated with Obama. http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/04/stewart-nails-it/ I got the place. I was told I'd know if I really wanted to do it when this moment came, but I don't feel very much of anything. Not even a sense of relief. So I don't know what to do. Goddamnit... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/02/medicine-offer/ One of the Atlantic blogging team explains why she blogs about her vegan diet from time to time, and how being a vegan or a vegetarian does not automatically mean that you hate meat-eaters: Is it possible to be a vegan without judging other people? It had better be, because ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/08/01/megan-mcardle-on-veganism/ Apologies for posting yet another YouTube video, but I just finished watching this and it definitely deserves a mention. Sometime when you're online and have an hour or so to spare, look up this video on YouTube (or watch it here). It's a lecture about achieving childhood dreams delivered by ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/27/randy-pausch/ I saw this for the first time last night and I love it! It's very funny, and Christian Bale is typically outstanding. http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/26/american-psycho/ http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/25/obamas-berlin-speech/ From the BBC: A judge in New Zealand made a young girl a ward of court so that she could change the name she hated - Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. Judge Rob Murfitt said that the name embarrassed the nine-year-old and could expose her to teasing. He attacked a trend of ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/24/talula-does-the-hula-from-hawaii-deemed-inappropriate-name-for-child/ This story has been running for a few days, but I didn't blog about it because it's kind of technical. It relates to events in Iraq over the past 2 years. Basically, McCain doesn't know when 'The Surge' (an increase in troop levels, and the adoption of a new counter-insurgency ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/24/john-mccain-doesnt-know-what-the-surge-is/ This is one of their better ones in recent times. http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/24/latest-phoenix-cover/ I wrote a post about my reasons for wanting to do medicine and upon finishing it I was too embarrassed to publish it. Suffice it to say, they were not particularly lofty, commendable or good. Methinks a reappraisal is in order... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/23/doing-medicine/ I've been meaning to blog this for months, but I kept forgetting about it, despite how much it pisses me off. The title refers to a common American phrase, for instance, "John could care less about his neighbour", which is intended to mean "John doesn't care about his neighbour". All ... http://www.cianboland.com/2008/07/22/x-could-care-less/