Tasked by Obama with heading up the "Campaign to Cut Waste"—a new effort to root out wasteful spending at every agency and department in the Federal Government, Vice President Joe Biden sent out an email today entitled "A New Sheriff in Town." In this email, Biden points out some shocking examples of government waste, for example:

I bet you didn't know that your tax dollars pay for a website dedicated to the Desert Tortoise. I'm sure it's a wonderful species, but we can't afford to have a standalone site devoted to every member of the animal kingdom. It's just one of hundreds of government websites that should be consolidated or eliminated.

Doesn't anyone vet Joe Biden's broadcast emails? Blame me (in part); I voted for this guy only because he came packaged with the HOPE and CHANGE that was supposed to be Obama. That change seems to be refocused on bringing down a web site dedicated to an endangered species.

Why should the Desert Tortoise web site remain running?

First of all, the money to develop this site was already spent--during the Bush Administration. While I'm waiting for the facts to emerge, I'm confident we will find out that this is a relatively inexpensive site to keep running.

Hell, if the government doesn't want to host the Desert Tortoise web site, I will. Server space is cheap these days.

Second, you really want to reduce government spending Joe? Start with ending the two wars we have going . . . a waste of dollars (a few more than the Desert Tortoise web site costs us, I reckon) and human life.

Started going over the 32 Marks of the Buddha. You can see them all here: http://bit.ly/4ptE8W

While most of the characteristics are complimentary (golden skin, hair is blue-black and curls clockwise in rings), number 10 is a bit shocking:

I figure this could mean that A) the Buddha isn't circumsized or B) that he has the mutant ability to retract his penis into his body somehow.

Option "B," although freakish, seems very practical after closer consideration. Many times I could have benefited from the ability to retract my penis (and testicles) into some sort of sheath--preferably something as hard as a turtle shell.

Oh dear, I just found Open Source Integral and they have a "Wittgenstein Lair." I feel my time being sucked away by stimulating conversation already. I just posted the following:

For myself, Wittgenstein in Western philosophy parallels Nagarjuna in Eastern thought in that Wittgenstein thought proving the existence of phenomena (dharmas) was nonsensical. Naturally, there are extreme differences as well, but both thinkers pointed out the ridiculousness of insisting on objective reality and in doing so defended their own spirituality.

Integral Options, great writing by William Harryman: http://integral-options.blogspot.com/

A site to watch, Integral Playground (now in beta): http://integral.virishi.net/