Fred Thompson is officially declaring next week with a webcast that the world can watch live, and I plan to be sitting in the front row. The more I have seen of this guy the more I like him, and after scouring YouTube for clips, reading his blog and others blog about him daily, and following all the news, I have seen a lot of him.

So the big news is that next week on September 6th he will officially declare he is running, and you can watch it live online at www.imwithfred.com.

Be watching, this guy is gonna take the election by storm!

Ok a little while ago I wrote about how google was allowing those associated with news stories to comment on google news.  Here is a great example of one of those comments.  Amidst all the biased reporting concerning the deportation of Elvira Arellano, an illegal alien who holed up in a church for a year to escape authorities, Ira Mehlman, Media Dir., Fed. for American Immigration Reform, comments on google news and gives the governments perspective on the story, which is incredibly good.  I can’t wait to see more of this in the future!

This just in from NB, walking actually causes more global warming then driving.

So much for that “walk to work day” sponsored by EMC that was supposed to save the planet.

As is reported by Newsbusters here, Google is once again thinking outside the box and offering something totally new and innovative. I have long enjoyed google news since it gets stories from all over the internet, based simply on popularity, rather then whatever bias the news provider has (granted, the most popular articles are usually biased, but at least I can browse through all the articles listed to get different points of view).

So Google news is not new, however they are planning on offering something very new along with the news. Along with every major news story they plan to have a place where those mentioned in the news article can make a statement concerning the news. So if the big news from the day was that Arnold was using his bazooka in the backyard, causing global warming, Arnold would be able to go on Google News and make a statement such as that his bazooka is a hybrid and so it is permissible. These responses to the news would be available alongside the news articles.

I think that if this is done right, and that if it is implemented by those making the news, then it could be a great thing. Those making the news can basically present their side of the story. Those accused in the news are given a forum to respond to accusations or reports. Also, clarifications could be made or details could be added. I could almost picture this completely bypassing reporters and the big news propagandists agencies as those who are involved in situations report the news directly to the public. Pretty awesome.

Yesterday the Carolina Railhawks beat the Richmond Kickers to advance to the final four of the US open cup.  They will play the winner of the NE Revolution and Harrisburg City Islanders.  Here is the write up of the 1-0 win from the Railhawks website.  It would be pretty neat if the Railhawks could advance to the final of the US Open cup.  If a USL-1 team got that far in the tournament it would be great for the team and perhaps it would inspire ownership to look towards joining MLS.  I think that this is a great area for soccer, considering how many young people play, how many adult leagues there are, not to mention the Latino population around here which loves soccer.  The next US open cup match is September 4th.

Earlier this week Warren pointed me to Scott Adams blog, and there has been some very interesting debate going on there. He began by writing two blogs on Atheism and Pascal’s Wager. In these blogs he presented very simple arguments against Atheism along with some interesting theories concerning which religion is true. All is well and good. However his posts were quite offensive to Austin Cline over at Ask.com, and Austin wrote up quite a fiery response. Scott answered with this post and is now waiting for a response. This is turning into quite an interesting affair.

I have always enjoyed the Dilbert cartoons, but never realizes Scott Adams had a blog. After reading quite a bit of his writing I have found it is very enjoyable reading and quite thought provoking. Here is another Scott Adams post, suggesting that maybe the problem in Iraq is that there are not enough Guns. He says that you cannot test his theory, but I say that it has already been tested and proven, right here in America. Hence the second amendment which states that you can never have too many guns (it might use different words then that).

The Red Sox showed why they are the best team in baseball, not just in record, but in their ability to put a great team together. Tuesday was the trade deadline and they added what every team needs to win a world series, which great pitching. Gagne was by far the best pitcher available, and historically was one of the strongest closers in baseball. He is coming off two years of being hurt, but he has been strong this year, and has pitched very well. He will be a great setup man for Papelbon, and if he proves himself I anticipate that we will be able to sign him to close next year so that Papelbon can move into the rotation. If we dont sign him then we will get two extra first round draft picks as compensation for letting him go at the end of the year. Win win situation.

As far as who we traded, probably neither of the two position players were ever going to be playing for the BoSox, and Kason Gabbard, though he pitched well in his time up, was not a top prospect for the Red Sox and had yet to prove himself against good major league teams. Giving him up for a proven guy like Gagne was a no-brainer.

By the way you might be wondering what big move the Yankees made to counter the Red Sox slick dealing. They signed a back up out fielder and first baseman who will sit on the bench because the Yankees already have a crowded first base and outfield. I am not just saying this because I am a Red Sox fan. Really everyone is scratching their head now concerning this move by the Yankees, and though they are winning games now, they did nothing to improve their chances of catching the Red Sox or doing well in the playoffs. If they make the playoffs, and thats a big if, then they will be hard pressed to make it past the first round.

By the way there is a great video in the link above of Gagne’s first interview as a Red Sox. I can easily see him becoming a fan favorite and fitting into Boston well.

Looks like we are going to have a Biblical offense, if nothing else. I dont care how good we are going to be, I’m looking forward to the start of a fresh season. Go Wolfpack!

UPDATE: I like to see this from the head coach.