The International House of Bacon

* A pretty decent overview of the Obama speech from Michael Medved (thanks Melvin). After not thinking about it for a while, I still think the Obama speech was better than the general consensus on the right appears to believe, but that general consensus might be that turning point to uniting behind McCain the way they would against Clinton. Still, there is room for discussion as to what the speech said and accomplished, and Medved does raise a few interesting questions. Other interesting things I read in response to the piece: Caroline Glick’s powerful personal story which speaks to how many of us would have liked to see Obama respond, John Derbyshire at National Review picking apart some of Obama’s statements.

* Ron Paul is angry that the GOP hasn’t looked to his base of supporters. Well, duh, what did you expect?

* Today’s the 5 year anniversary of the Iraq invasion. I’ve read more than my share of opinions on it at this point that I won’t bother rehashing them all here - although my position as to what “good” foriegn policy is has changed since the war began in 2003, I still think Iraq was a good move to make, and still think we’re in a better position to finish it properly now than we were back in May and June of 2003. I still wonder how things would have worked out differently had we partitioned the country off, but at this point I’m more concerned with finishing right and getting out than bailing and having to fix it again later.

* Marijuana decriminalization of an ounce or less was passed in the New Hampshire house this week. Another reason to love this state. Unfortunately, Gov. Lynch plans to veto it - another great reason to vote him out in November.

* Jonah Goldberg notes the hypocrisy between Obama’s position on Wright and on Don Imus. Don Imus makes an insensitive comment with humorous intent and Obama things he should be fired. Wright makes years and years of comments that are as ugly - if not uglier - and we’re supposed to let that slide. Yeah, I think there’s a bit of a problem there. Obama did say that ” there’s nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group.” I suppose simply being an advisor absolves all that.

* Scientology doesn’t get a restraining order against Anonymous. I’m more amused by the Anonymous/Scientology feud than anything else (I’m not virulently against Scientology, and 4chan runs a good TF2 server, so…), but seeing this back and forth is great.

* Drew Carey at Reason.TV on the human organ market. The fact that we’re so backwards in regards to organ transplants as a society is something that depresses me a lot.

* Finally, mp3 audiobooks at libraries are coming sooner than I would have anticipated. I hope this trend continues.

* We’ve started watching The Return of Jezebel James, because my famous girlfriend Parker Posey is in it and we’re not quite over our Gilmore Girls fix. It’s amazing how jarring a laugh track is after not experiencing it in a comedy for a while, and, while Posey’s trying a wee bit too hard to channel Lauren Graham, it’s…well…not horrible. I won’t say it’s great, or even all that good, but it’s a quick 30 minute shot in the arm as something mindless to keep on the DVR when we don’t want to watch an hour of something.

* Another show we’ve been going through is Quarterlife, which spent an evening on NBC before getting cancelled days later. Bravo aired the remaining pieces, which we’re watching - it’s essentially what I expected from Tell Me You Love Me, except that I feel like it’s it’s a better show. It’s a shame NBC didn’t give this one a better shot.

* Also on the DVR as we wait impatently for the shows we like to return (and baseball, and Battlestar) is Tim and Eric Awesome Show, which succeeds in ways that Wonder Showzen didn’t, in my mind. It’s completely bizarre and makes no sense, but, well, I kind of like it that way.

* Michael Cera = awesome. Michael Cera + Edgar Wright = more awesome. Michael Cera + Edgar Wright + a story about a guy who has defeat his girl crush’s seven ex-boyfriends video game-style? = the most awesome. Please let this happen.

* Also, Jason Segal doing a Muppet movie? Really? This is also exciting. Please let this happen.

* DMX, the rapper, apparently didn’t know that Barack Obama was running for President. Or that any black man was. Or that anyone actually has the name “Barack.” Or, we can deduce, that there was even an election happening.

* A crazy episode in Red Sox Nation today as they nearly boycotted their final spring training game and the trip to Japan over a dispute with Major League Baseball over their coaches getting paid a stipend for the trip. I’m with the Sox players on this one, way to stand up for a coaching staff that too often gets shafted by baseball and fans alike.