Tobacco

I don't smoke cigarettes. I'll occasionally smoke a cigar or hookah with friends, though not particularly often. Overly harsh restrictions on smoking do bother me somewhat. Owners of establishments can certainly set whatever rules they like but it irritates me when governments lay down smoking bans. Intense anti-smoking zealotry is also somewhat annoying. If people want to poison themselves then they should have that right.

Alcohol

I'll partake in a beer maybe a few times per week. My fiancée also recently got me a Heineken Beertender which I enjoy tremendously.  I primarily prefer imported beers. I've gradually been developing an appreciation for wine. As far as the hard stuff goes I generally prefer Jim Beam Black. I don't tend to get drunk anymore and have found myself to be primarily a social drinker. What can I say? I just can't put it away like I was once able to (not that I could really drink that much to begin with.) I suppose with my family history that's a blessing.

I'm opposed to age restrictions on the purchase and consumption of alcohol. I would propose a more European model in which the young could consume alcohol. People need to learn how to drink, how to handle alcohol responsibly. That should be taught in the family as you grow up instead of as it is now, illegally by one's friends during teen and college years.

Fast Food

I'm addicted and I don't like it. Generally I'm pretty conservative with what I get. I don't like to try new items or deviate from the norm. At McDonald's it's always a #1 Big Mac Value Meal. On a rare occasion, maybe  I'll have a #2, 2 cheeseburger value meal instead. At Burger King it's a #1 Whopper meal. At Taco Bell it's three or four crunchy tacos. At Wendy's it's a #1, a single, sometimes with a frosty. KFC, and Arby's have not had the definite Dave meal set yet. Lately, though, I don't think my system has been reacting very well to it -- especially Burger King.

I really enjoyed Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation -- the film was so-so -- and would only support government regulation of the industry in the case of companies' advertising to children. Schlosser points out fairly and accurately how it's rather questionable and immoral to advertise very unhealthy food like this to children who really don't know any better. I'm not sure exactly what the solution is but it's something worthy of discussion.

 Extraterrestrials and UFOs

They probably exist. People/parts of our government probably know it and are covering it up. Just a hunch, not something I would argue or actually genuinely believe. A fact that particularly interested me: Barry Goldwater, former GOP presidential candidate, Senator, and one of modern day conservatism's fathers, was interested in the subject of UFOs. He asked one of his friends who was in the air force about extraterrestrials and was given a very "Don't ask about that!" reply:

According to Goldwater, an angry LeMay gave him "holy hell" and said, "Not only can't you get into it but don't you ever mention it to me again."

* "E.T. The Extraterrestrial"

Television

"Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye" -- Bill Hicks. He's right. Ever since my recent mystical life began I noticed that watching television is often unbearable. Every commercial is like a dart shot into my brain. [Unless, of course, you're someone who works in television or advertising and is considering giving me a job.]  The only way to watch TV is on DVD.

Cable News

I absolutely abhor it. I only watch it periodically because of my intellectual and spiritual masochism. The problem with television is that it almost always forces an oversimplification of the event and the argument.

Of course now that I'm assistant managing editor of the NewsReal blog my frustrations with the medium can be broadcast on a larger scale.

Conspiracy Theory

I really enjoy conspiracy theories. I just find them endlessly entertaining and fascinating. Do I believe in any of them? Well, I don't believe in much, but I've always got plenty of ideas. Let's break it down:

JFK Assassination, MLK Jr. Assassination, John Lennon Assassination, Malcolm X assassination

There are enough anomalies in these events that I think entertaining alternative ideas is sensible. Anomalies don't necessarily mean conspiracy, though.

Moon Landing

It happened. The idea that we didn't go to the moon but filmed it in a studio is ridiculous.

Illuminati

Still around and scheming to take over the world? Probably not. Did they have any kind of involvement with the fall of monarchies and rise of democracy? Possibly, who knows?

9/11

There are plenty of questions and mysteries but the wound is still too painful. Is the official story to be blindly accepted? No. But it's research that needs to be treaded carefully and slowly. Leaping to the conclusion of "inside job!" is somewhat irresponsible.

David Icke

I still have a lot of David Icke to read and watch before coming to any conclusions. He can be pretty compelling, though. And he's definitely HILARIOUS.

All this Da Vinci Code Crap

You'd think with as prevalent as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code has been I'd be all into the whole thing. Frankly I think it's all ridiculously boring. I haven't read the book, haven't seen the movie, and don't plan to.

Profanity

Profanity is an art form to be mastered and celebrated. However, it has its time and place. And while I find the words themselves to be inoffensive, I can be offended if they are used in certain contexts. Namely, in contexts where their usage is meant to intimidate or disrespect me or others.

Blogging

Well, I guess I'm a professional blogger now so I shouldn't bash the medium so much.