tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52884546318913105002024-03-18T20:57:34.820-07:00Out of WhackÅhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-21367184500720574632012-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:002012-06-28T13:53:49.777-07:00Are all republicans this stupid or just the ones in Texas?<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/06/28/the-texas-republican-party-platform/">http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/06/28/the-texas-republican-party-platform/</a><br />Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-51725113249898026492012-05-23T19:47:00.000-07:002012-05-23T19:47:48.316-07:00David Frum Explains Washington Gridlock (VIDEO) (HuffPo)From HuffPo:<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/david-frum-washington-gridlock_n_1534332.html" target="_blank">David Frum Explains Washington Gridlock (VIDEO) </a>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-27440598693676043682011-08-03T06:52:00.000-07:002011-08-03T06:59:05.486-07:00Honoré: Send Congress to boot camp<p><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b></span></p><blockquote><p><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>(CNN)</b> -- Like most veterans, the men and women who have worn our nation's uniform to defend this country, I am furious with and disappointed in the state of indecision that plagued Washington these past few weeks. Whether or not to raise the debt ceiling so our country can continue to pay our bills and maintain our global credit rating didn't seem like such a difficult decision.</span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span">As a retired, disabled soldier who spent 37 years in the Army, I can only see this debacle -- the weeks of haggling to get to an eleventh-hour deal -- as the definition of "mission failure." At this point, even the last-minute deal that is on its way to President Obama's desk will not repair the damage our elected leadership's amateur-hour, worthless grandstanding has caused.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" >(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/02/honore.debt.politicians/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo">read full article</a>)</span></p></blockquote><p><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br />Of course a literal requirement for congressional leaders to first undergo military boot camp would be a sufficiently high barrier of entry to make it nearly impossible to find nonmilitary candidates; a situation that would inevitably lead to a military bias in congress, but the concept of sending the present congress through boot camp has a certain appeal...</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-90986607491852532162010-11-18T19:18:00.000-08:002010-11-19T12:31:22.262-08:00Invasion of the Body Scanners<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The news these days is filled with stories of the new backscatter and millimeter-wave body-scanners in airport security checkpoints around the United States. Like many things in America these days, the public coverage of this story is very polarized and most of the public is somewhere in the middle. On the one hand, TSA insists that these screenings are necessary to deny terrorists access to commercial aircraft; on the other, many among the traveling public are upset for various reasons.</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Some worry about the radiation dose, though that has been compared in the research to the dose one would get from about 20 minutes flying at cruising altitude just from the natural radiation present high in the atmosphere (TSA actually claims <a href="http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/safety.shtm">on their web site</a> that it's equivalent to two minutes). This may or may not be a valid concern, but it's probably overblown.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Others are offended by the invasion of privacy inherent in having total strangers looking over what are effectively naked images of their bodies.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >TSA says passengers have 3 choices:</span></span></span></span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Undergo the body scan screening.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Undergo what is referred to as an "enhanced pat-down", a procedure that in any other context would be regarded as sexual molestation.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Don't fly.</span></span></span></span></li></ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Moreover, once the security process is started, the passenger is required to complete it, so choice #3 must be made ahead of the checkpoint.</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The controversy over the use of these devices, ostensibly in the interest of public security, rages on in the media, but much of the flying public seems to actually be ok with it, convinced that the value in terms of improved traveler safety is worth the intrusion.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Others would say that in effect the terrorists win this round,because they have forced the greatest nation on earth to relinquish some of its rights and freedoms.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We in America are nothing if not adaptable. This controversy has only just begun. It will likely make its way into the court system, where it will take some years before a final decision is rendered. Meanwhile time goes on and Americans will get used to it.</span></span></span></span></div>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-55546680600822179302010-10-24T22:51:00.001-07:002010-10-24T23:10:21.870-07:00Where did the intelligent Republicans go?<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I remember a time not so many years ago when Republican was not synonymous with moron as it sadly has become. Republicans were wrong a lot, sure, but for the most part they were intelligent, educated, articulate, serious people. What happened? When did they become such a pathetic bunch? When did they become anti-education, anti-intelligence, actively ignorant, dominated by right-wing Christians? Why?</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br />Democrats certainly have their share of problems, but at least they're trying to deal with reality.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >And then there are the Tea Partiers - decrying the entrenched interests in DC, but themselves mostly just an extension of the Republican Moron brigade.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >And where the hell is the 80+% of the population not on one extreme or the other? It's time for the real people to stand up and be heard. Someone has to tell all these wing nuts to shut the fuck up and stop vandalizing America.</span></span></div>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-18699420420910189322010-04-14T12:40:00.000-07:002010-04-14T12:42:08.296-07:00Alert: Evolution Suppressed in Connecticut<div class="entry" id="entry-151186"> <blockquote>"Mr. Tangarone, a 17-year veteran of the Weston school system, claims that a program he wanted to teach about Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln was rejected by the school administration because it involved teaching evolution -- the scientific theory that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor."</blockquote> <div id="more"><blockquote>Mark Tangarone, who teaches third, fourth, and fifth grade students in the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program at Weston Intermediate School, said he is retiring at the end of the current school year because of a clash with the school administration over the teaching of evolution. <p>"Under normal circumstances, I would have retired in two more years. However, I feel that because of an unacceptable administrative action, I can no longer continue teaching in Weston," Mr. Tangarone said.</p></blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/thewestonforum/news/local/55349-mark-tangarone-tag-teacher-leaves-over-evolution-flap.html">Full article</a><br /></div> </div>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-34978515210281607902009-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:002009-11-18T09:02:03.212-08:00Is this the way public discourse should play out?<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com/">CNN.COM</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><b></b></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: times new roman;"><b>WASHINGTON (CNN)</b> -- Congressman Earl Blumenauer says he's just a regular fellow "trying to get things accomplished." As a result, the Oregon Democrat tells me, he spends much of his time "looking for ideas that can bring people together -- simple, straightforward ideas that would help people and their families."</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">And so he proposed the infamous "death panels."</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">Really.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">Before they were Palinized -- and turned into those nasty death panels ready to pounce on Grandma (that "goofy stuff," as he now calls it), Blumenauer had a good idea: help people prepare for the end of life.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"> As he <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/opinion/15blumenauer.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1" target="new">wrote</a> in The New York Times last weekend, the proposition was simple: "I found it perverse that Medicare would pay for almost any medical procedure, yet not reimburse doctors for having a thoughtful conversation to prepare patients and families for the delicate, complex and emotionally demanding decisions surrounding the end of life."</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">So, when he began work on health care reform, he included a provision that would allow Medicare to cover a voluntary doctor-patient discussion (only once every five years) about things like living wills, power of attorney and end-of-life treatment.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;">Oh, the horror.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"> Talk radio quickly got wind of the proposal when ex-New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey excoriated the measure as a depraved idea that would somehow counsel people to just go ahead and <a href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Death_and_Dying" class="cnnInlineTopic">die</a> faster. The absurd notion metastasized. And since Congress is the great lagging indicator, the bizarre interpretation predictably headed toward the floor of the two Houses. Republican leaders were unwilling to balk at a juicy opportunity to fan the flames -- even though the fire was fake. They courageously took on this great cause.</p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/18/borger.death.panels/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo">read full article</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Really now. Is this the way our public discourse should play out?</span></p><ol><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Something is proposed.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Republicans find a way to twist it into something entirely different and trumpet their "message" to their party faithful.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Unquestioningly, they accept this as the message, react with righteous indignation, and repeat the message freely, spreading the meme and further obscuring it from its origin. It takes on a life of its own.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Politicians respond to this 'public outcry', as if it somehow turns this false message into truth.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The proposal goes down in flames.<br /></span></li></ol><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Come on, people. We can do better. We <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> do better. This is counterfeit democracy at its worst.<br /><br /></span></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-50641797463427399762009-08-10T13:38:00.000-07:002009-08-10T14:02:27.980-07:00Disruptions drown out debate at health care meetings<b><span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://cnn.com/">CNN.COM</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /></b><blockquote><b><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">(CNN)</span></b><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> -- The battle raging over President Obama's health care plan has spread from across the aisles in Congress to across the country.</span><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> Senators this week joined their colleagues from the House at town hall meetings as they spent their August recess in their home districts.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> But disruptive protests are turning town hall meetings into shouting matches and drowning out discussion over what is and isn't in health care plans in the House and Senate.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> Videos of the protests have been circulating on the Internet, showing raucous crowds heckling their congressmen, and carrying posters with devil horns drawn on lawmakers' heads, swastikas or Obama with Adolf Hitler's mustache.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who had a town hall meeting disrupted by angry protesters earlier this month, said he had never experienced such emotion in his 15 years of holding such forums.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> Democratic Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina even had a death threat phoned into his office. A caller said that if Miller supported Obama's plan, it could cost him his life, Miller told CNN.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> "Of course we want a full debate. Of course we want people who have dissenting views from the administration and Congress to have a full hearing. But that's not what this is about. That's not the intent of most of these people. It's not the way the press is covering it," Mark Halperin, editor-at-large and senior political analyst for TIME magazine, said on CNN's "Reliable Sources."</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> The protesters' gimmicks, Halperin said, are grabbing the public and media's attention, and valid arguments over the cost and content of the proposals are being put on the back burner.</p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> "There needs to be a debate in America on whether we should have universal health care. There needs to be a debate on the president's ideas. If these protesters have ideas, great. Let's hear them. But if they're just stunts to cause a disruption that gets the media tripped in every time, again, I think it's bad for the country whether you want the president's plan or not," he said.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/10/health.care.questions/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">CNN article</a>)</span><br /></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Debate is a foundational element of a democracy. It is a critical process in order to arrive at reasonable resolution of any significant problem, certainly of this magnitude. Those trying to disrupt the debate rather than participate in it are distracting us from our civic duty; not participating in it. Certainly they are free to protest (provided they do so peacefully), but under the circumstances, their credibility is suspect at best. Protest should be reserved for the times when the necessary debate is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> happening or when important parties to it are excluded. To protest the very debate itself is just pathetic; even stupid.<br /></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-36714337933291648822009-04-10T07:16:00.000-07:002009-04-10T13:38:28.765-07:00Obama to move ahead on immigration reform<b style="font-family: times new roman;"></b><b style="font-family: times new roman;"></b><blockquote><b style="font-family: times new roman;">(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>)</b><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> -- The White House is planning to start addressing the nation's immigration system as early as May, two senior administration officials said Thursday.</span><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> President Obama will rely on a bipartisan, diverse group of experts to help build the framework for legislation, the officials said.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> One official noted that immigration will not be "on the same track" as other key initiatives like health care and energy, and "nobody's promising legislation or a vote this year."</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;"> There are roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In addition to making a way for some of them to stay in the country legally, CNN has learned the Obama administration wants to remove incentives to enter the U.S. illegally, beef up border security and work with Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration.</p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> Meanwhile, the administration is dismissing suggestions that taking on immigration this year will put pressure on Obama's already ambitious domestic agenda. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Moving forward on immigration would fulfill another campaign promise. The president acknowledges that tackling this issue will be challenging.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/09/obama.immigration/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">full article</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)<br /><br />(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/10/navarrette.immigration/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">related opinion piece</a>)<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">Mr. Obama (and Mr.<span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Navarrette)</span><span style="font-family:arial;">:<br /><br />The Immigration issue is not only about illegals. These are people who, for whatever reasons (and there are many) are here in violation of our laws. Yes, it's a problem. Yes it requires a solution. Perhaps a path to legalization is appropriate; perhaps not. This can and should be debated.<br /><br />But what of the fate of the many thousands of people who have come here legally, have done all that has been requested of them, have paid their taxes, paid their attorneys fees, worked hard, struggled with our bureaucracy, all for a chance to become American Citizens so that they can carve out their own piece of the so-called American Dream, vote, pay their taxes, and generally participate in and contribute to our society?<br /><br />Please take a look at their plight. Many have been waiting years, in some cases over a decade just for a "green card". And our immigration "service" seemingly capriciously, bumbles through its tasks, slips its schedules, and generally unfairly allocates from the immigration status quotas. This system needs a complete overhaul. We need to treat people who've been stuck in this disastrous cycle fairly and approve their requests expeditiously. If we wish to limit the numbers of legal immigrants, we need to do that on the front end, not after they've already been waiting patiently and playing by our fickle rules for many years.<br /><br />To attend to the needs of illegal immigrants before those of people who've always played by the rules sends the wrong message loud and clear.<br /></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-38792975894475127362009-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:002009-04-03T08:30:01.522-07:00Confused<span style="font-family: arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.haaretz.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">HAARETZ.com</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span><br /><blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Why is this haggadah different from others? Well, it's got Jesus</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;">By Rebecca Dube, The Forward</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="t13">Here's a Passover riddle: When is a Haggadah not Jewish?<br /><br />Answer: When it's got more Jesus than a matzo has holes.<br /><br />A Jewish anti-missionary group has succeeded in persuading Barnes and Noble booksellers to reclassify a Passover guide from a "messianic Jewish" publisher as Christian, rather than Jewish. The group is also pressuring Amazon.com and Wal-Mart to make similar changes. </span><span class="t13"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">If you judge a book by its cover, "Passover Family Pack: Everything You Need To Enjoy a Passover Seder Dinner" looks like a traditional holiday starter kit. A festive drawing adorns the front of the package, which includes a Seder plate, a Kiddush cup, two copies of the Haggadah and a cassette tape of music, all for $39.99. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">But a few pages into the Haggadah, it becomes clear to observant Jews that something is fishy - and it's not the gefilte. The guide recasts the story of Passover as a mere setup for the arrival of "Yeshua the Messiah": The text says the wine represents the blood of Jesus; the matzo represents his body; the three matzot represent the Christian Holy Trinity, and so on. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">"They're taking the traditions of the Jewish faith and using them as a blunt instrument to convert Jewish people to the Christian faith," said Rabbi Tovia Singer, director of the anti-missionary group Outreach Judaism and host of a radio talk show in Jerusalem. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">"It's a paradigm of this entire nefarious movement. They use subterfuge to lure Jews who would normally resist a more straightforward evangelical message."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074689.html">full article</a><span style="font-family: arial;">)</span></span></blockquote><span class="t13"><span style="font-family: arial;">Religion is perverse enough without fraudulent liturgies circulating surruptitiously. How much brighter this world could be but for the proliferation of such nonsense.</span><br /></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-50830971474370180472009-03-17T22:23:00.000-07:002009-03-17T22:26:41.120-07:00Pope visits Africa, reaffirms ban on condoms<span style="font-family: arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com">CNN.COM</a><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span><br /><br /><b></b><blockquote><b style="font-family: times new roman;">(CNN)</b><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> -- Pope Benedict XVI refused Wednesday to soften the Vatican's ban on condom use as he arrived in Africa for his first visit to the continent as pope.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">He landed in Cameroon, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Angola.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region of the world, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization. There has been fierce debate between those who advocate the use of condoms to help stop the spread of the epidemic and those who oppose it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">The pontiff reiterated the Vatican's policy on condom use as he flew from Rome to Yaounde, the capital of </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Cameroon">Cameroon</a><span style="font-family: times new roman;">, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/17/cameroon.pope/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">full article</a><span style="font-family: arial;">)</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Out of whack and out of touch.</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-42977160938723261952009-03-09T07:05:00.000-07:002009-03-09T07:09:11.773-07:00Saudis order 40 lashes for elderly woman for mingling<span style="font-family: arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cnn.com">CNN.COM</a><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: times new roman;">(CNN) -- A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a 75-year-old Syrian woman to 40 lashes, four months imprisonment and deportation from the kingdom for having two unrelated men in her house, according to local media reports.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">(<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/09/saudi.arabia.lashes/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">full article</a>)</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">WTF's the matter with these people?!?</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-10700066445877048472008-12-21T10:48:00.000-08:002009-04-10T08:34:46.991-07:00Barack Obama, Rick Warren, and Invocations at Presidential Inaugurations<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">We've all been bombarded by the controversy over Barack Obama's unfortunate choice of pastor Rick Warren to give "the invocation" as part of the presidential inauguration ceremony. We needn't review the details of that controversy here.<br /><br />A question the so-called mainstream media has utterly failed to raise is why in a secular government, constitutionally separated from religion, an "invocation" is allowed to be part of the inaugural festivities at all. While that same constitution guarantees freedom of religion for individual citizens</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> (and by inference, freedom <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> religion for those who do not subscribe to ancient myth)</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">, whether or not serving in public office, conflating personal religous beliefs with official governmental functions, be it the inauguration of a new president, the opening and/or closing of governmental functions such as congress, or whatever, stands as an abject violation of the principle of separation of church and state; an endorsement of religion in general, and an at least tacit endorsement of the specific religious denomination of the participants, by official sanction.<br /><br />By focusing on the controversial nature of the particular selection of the pastor, the mainstream press has once again missed the point and failed in its duty to keep the politicians in line. Even the chatter on much of the atheist blogosphere seems to miss the point but for a few of the comments.<br /><br />Wake up, people. Notwithstanding protestations to the contrary by the christian "right", the United States of America is not a christian nation; it is a pluralistic society, populated with believers of every major religion and many minor ones, and with believers in reality as well. The atheist community's apparent willingness to accept the notion that some sort of religious invocation is a regular part of a presidential inauguration is disturbing. Granted, not every battle can be fought at once, but if we're going to concern ourselves with this issue at all, we should take it on as the affront it is to the separation of church and state, regardless of the particular pastor involved and his archaic social positions.<br /></span></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-52152340370082695232008-11-11T12:57:00.000-08:002008-11-11T13:01:35.443-08:00Small sect gives U.S. Supreme Court a lot to consider<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.iht.com/">International Herald Tribune</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;">PLEASANT GROVE CITY, Utah: Across the street from the city hall here sits a small park with about a dozen donated buildings and objects - a wishing well, a millstone from the city's first flour mill and an imposing red granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Thirty miles, or 48 kilometers, to the north, adherents of a religion called Summum gather in a wood-and-metal pyramid by Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City. Followers of Summum meditate on their Seven Aphorisms, fortified by an alcoholic sacramental nectar they produce and surrounded by mummified animals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In 2003, the president of the Summum church wrote to the mayor here with a proposal: the church wanted to erect a monument inscribed with the Seven Aphorisms in the city park, "similar in size and nature" to the one devoted to the Ten Commandments.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/11/america/sect.php">read full article</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)</span></blockquote>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-20737604000164956412008-11-04T13:12:00.000-08:002008-11-04T13:16:22.975-08:00Ex-Bear Sterns executive moves to Fed<span style="font-family: arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://associatedpress.com/">The Associated Press</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> via </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://money.cnn.com">money.cnn.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Former chief risk officer at the defunct brokerage is now overseeing U.S. banks for the Federal Reserve. </span></span><br /><br />WASHINGTON (AP) -- The former chief risk officer at investment bank Bear Stearns Cos., which nearly collapsed in March, is now a senior official of the Federal Reserve division that supervises U.S. banks.<br /><br />Michael Alix, who worked at Bear Stearns for 12 years and was its senior risk manager since 2006, was named a senior vice president in the bank supervision group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, according to an announcement by the Fed.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">(<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/04/news/economy/BearStearns_exec_fed.ap/index.htm?section=money_latest">full story</a>)</span></blockquote>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-61265730815435355102008-11-04T11:19:00.000-08:002008-11-04T11:27:14.686-08:00God is Hate<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist">Living the Scientific Life</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/3002485365_00a7d8bf73_o.jpg"></a><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/3002485365_00a7d8bf73_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 674px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/3002485365_00a7d8bf73_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Even if I was stupid enough to be religious, this one letter to the editor would challenge everything I held dear because it openly advocates hatred of anyone who doesn't believe in gawd -- in the name of gawd. I was always raught that "god is love" but after reading this letter, I realize I am not ready for this sort of love, nor for the other sorts of love that all you so-called "religious people" embrace, including pedophilia, female genital mutilation and genocide, just to name a few of the aacts you have engaged in. Even though I don't believe in gawd or any of the cruel and hateful actions that a "supreme being" represents, I will say this: I hope all you so-called religious wingnuts burn in hellfire for all eternity.</blockquote>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-70110565735432738882008-04-24T07:39:00.000-07:002008-04-24T07:51:43.082-07:00Florida lawmakers debate offering a Christian license plate<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a target="ap" style="font-family: arial;" href="http://associatedpress.com/">The Associated Press</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p"></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p"> MIAMI (AP) -- Florida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating everything from manatees to the Miami Heat, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/1/114f229b-d624-4fd3-9637-4d6c1ff10453-small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 83px;" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/1/114f229b-d624-4fd3-9637-4d6c1ff10453-small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">If the plate is approved, Florida would become the first state to have a license plate featuring a religious symbol that's not part of a college logo. Approval would almost certainly face a court challenge.</p><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" target="ap-article" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RELIGIOUS_LICENSE_PLATE?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">read full article</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)</span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">This clearly violates the separation of church and state. If drivers want to advertise to the world that they're brainwashed, they already have the freedom to place stickers and other emblems on their vehicles. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">There is nothing for lawmakers to debate. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The state government has no role in the support and promotion of any religion for any reason. Period.<br /><br /><br /></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-55654129814231464692008-04-23T20:00:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:52:25.251-08:00Bush: "$4 Gas? I hadn't heard that"<span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;">* Originally Posted Feb 28, 2008 - Updated Apr 22, 2008 *</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://money.cnn.com/">CNN.COM</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><br /><blockquote><p style="font-family: times new roman;">NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President Bush, saying he was unaware of predictions of $4-a-gallon gasoline in the coming months, told reporters Thursday that the best way to help Americans fend off high prices is for Congress to make his first-term tax cuts permanent.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqFcIWXDCM0jTk5w6TS2_wt6IrrO6UScDGmbJGCWH-Auk-lSxc-JDfofDVDlIAUprXpIam2lYOQWY7YulksCXt3ftX4qpXTb4HknJ0KytIb1Z_2_wLkdyq6bh-p11ccqnZzL9eY4bjaGW/s1600-h/$4gas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqFcIWXDCM0jTk5w6TS2_wt6IrrO6UScDGmbJGCWH-Auk-lSxc-JDfofDVDlIAUprXpIam2lYOQWY7YulksCXt3ftX4qpXTb4HknJ0KytIb1Z_2_wLkdyq6bh-p11ccqnZzL9eY4bjaGW/s320/$4gas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192667263671186226" border="0" /></a> </p><p style="font-family: times new roman;">"If you're out there wondering... what your life is going to be like, and you're looking at $4 a gallon, that's uncertain," Bush responded to a question posed at a White House news conference. "And when you couple that with the idea that... taxes may be going up in a couple years, that's double uncertainty."</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;">Analysts have said that gasoline could reach $4 a gallon by this spring, due to strong demand and a change in formulation, among other reasons. </p><p style="font-family: times new roman;">When taking the question about the $4 milestone, Bush told the reporter, "That's interesting. I hadn't heard that."</p><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/28/news/economy/bush_energy_policy/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories">more</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)</span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-59718699004013540862008-03-18T09:54:00.001-07:002008-03-18T09:57:22.737-07:00Teach Your Children Well<span style="font-family: arial;">This is what they teach their children?</span><br /><object style="font-family: arial;" height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YuX2Ma-GqUk&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YuX2Ma-GqUk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-77929117823050967762008-03-17T08:29:00.000-07:002008-03-17T08:48:33.707-07:00Court will examine profanity rules<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://associatedpress.com/">The Associated Press</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:</span><p class="ap-story-p"></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p"> WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Monday stepped into a legal fight over the use of curse words on the airwaves, the high court's first major case on broadcast indecency in 30 years.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">The case concerns a Federal Communications Commission policy that allows for fines against broadcasters for so-called "fleeting expletives," one-time uses of the F-word or its close cousins.</p><ul style="font-family: times new roman;"><li><br /></li><li><br /></li><li><br /></li></ul><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><p>Solicitor General Paul Clement, representing the FCC and the Bush administration, argued that the decision "places the commission in an untenable position," powerless to stop the airing of expletives even when children are watching.<br /></p></span><ul style="font-family: times new roman;"><li><br /></li><li><br /></li><li><br /></li></ul><span style="font-family:arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SCOTUS_BROADCAST_INDECENCY?SITE=INEVA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">full article</a><span style="font-family:arial;">)<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">It seems to me that the Federal Communications Commission should concern itself with the practical matters of standardization and bandwidth allocation that are its primary charter and stay out of the business of trying to regulate "decency". It further seems to me that our government in general should not be trying to legislate in so subjective an area as "decency". If parents find it useful to selectively "protect" their children from a handfull of vocabulary words at which some people choose to take offense, they have the option to turn off the TV, or select channels oriented toward children.<br /><br />The fact is that children always learn all available words and add them to their vocabulary, despite parental efforts to the contrary. And why not? Words are not inherently good or bad - they are just words.<br /><br />Perhaps people should spend less of their time taking offense at things and more effort fixing our political system.</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-16147655876121587842008-03-02T22:41:00.000-08:002008-04-06T22:50:05.498-07:00"Disproportionate" Force, UN Condemnations, and Decisive Action<span style="font-family:arial;">From <a href="http://www.un.org/">The United Nations</a>: </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Security Council, Secretary-General alarmed by deadly violence in Middle East</span></span><br /><div id="PhotoHolder" style="width: 180px;"><br /></div><span class="fullstory" style="font-family:times new roman;">2 March 2008 – </span><span class="fullstory" style="font-family:times new roman;">The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have condemned the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, which has claimed dozens of civilian lives in recent days.<p> </p><p> Council members met in emergency session late last night and early today to discuss the situation in the Middle East, where the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched air and land attacks on targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants have fired dozens of rockets at targets in southern Israel, including the city of Ashkelon.</p><p> </p><p> The United Nations estimates that at least 59 Palestinians – including 39 civilians – were killed yesterday in Gaza, and hundreds more injured, while two Israeli soldiers are reported to have been killed in the fighting and an Israeli civilian was killed in Sderot following a rocket attack and at least five other civilians were injured in Ashkelon.</p><p> </p><p> Following the meeting, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which currently holds the monthly rotating presidency of the Council, today read out a summary of the discussions that was agreed to by all 15 members of the panel. </p><p> </p><p> Voicing deep concern about the loss of civilian life and the escalation of violence in the region, Council members called on all sides to respect their obligations under international law and to immediately cease all acts of violence.</p><p> </p><p> “These acts must not be allowed to deter the political process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, aimed at establishing two States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security,” Mr. Churkin said.</p><p> </p><p> Earlier, Mr. Ban told the Council meeting that he has contacted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and League of Arab States Secretary-General Amr Moussa as part of UN efforts to push for a calming of the violence.</p><p> </p><p> UN humanitarian agencies operating on the ground, especially the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), are also continuing their efforts to help people in distress.</p><p> </p><p style="font-weight: bold;"> Mr. Ban condemned and urged an end to the Palestinian rocket attacks, which he noted “serve no purpose, endanger Israeli civilians, and bring misery to the Palestinian people.”</p><p style="font-weight: bold;"> </p><p style="font-weight: bold;"> The Secretary-General also said that while Israel has a right to defend itself, “I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks. Israel must fully comply with international humanitarian law and exercise the utmost restraint. Incidents in which civilians have been killed or injured must be investigated and accountability must be ensured.”</p><p> </p><p> All schools operated by UNRWA in Gaza have been closed and many families are trapped inside their homes because of the violence, and Mr. Ban called on Israel to facilitate full access to hospitals and medical centres for the injured.</p><p> </p><p> The Secretary-General urged all parties to “step back from the brink of even deeper and more deadly clashes.”</p><p> </p><p> In addition, he voiced extreme concern about the effect they are having on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiation process, and he called on members of the international community and other stakeholders to use their influence on the parties to both stop the violence and allow humanitarian relief to flow.<br /></p></span></blockquote><span class="fullstory" style="font-family:times new roman;"><hr /><span style="font-family:arial;">In reply to the above:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mr. Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary General:<br /><br />Sir, in reference to your condemnatory statements above, where is the acknowledgment and condemnation of the now routine practice among the Palestinians, Hamas, and other such terrorist groups of deliberately placing offensive weaponry among civilians; women and children in particular, sacrificing them to the inevitable military response their rocket bombardments necessitate, all for the purpose of twisting the circumstances to appear to support their outrageous claim that Israel's efforts at self defense, after months of self-restraint, somehow make Israel the aggressor?<br /><br />As for the notion of the "disproportionate and excessive use of force", in war a fair fight is not only undesirable, it is downright irresponsible. When a country, Israel or any other, is finally forced to respond militarily to a threat, it has the right and indeed the responsibility to effect nothing less than a decisive victory. Israel has far too often made the mistake of proportionate response. The only effect this has is to prolong and worsen the situation. In military defense, the object is to put a stop to the enemy attacks, decisively, and if at all possible, permanently. In the recent conflict in Lebanon, Israel's tragic mistake was not <span style="font-style: italic;">excessive</span> use of force; it was insufficient use of force, poor planning, and poor execution. Let us all hope they do not repeat that error now or ever again.<br /><br />One further note is that you can be sure Mr. Nasrallah is watching this conflict very carefully, probably waiting for an opportunity to resume hostilities in the north. The United Nations needs to recognize the predicament in which Israel repeatedly finds itself and render its full support to its efforts to decisively end these conflicts. Israel, given the opportunity, would be a strong and supportive friend to her neighbors. Can the reverse statement be truthfully made? When it can, there will be peace and prosperity in the region such as it has never seen certainly in recorded history.<br /><br />I urge you and the UN to consider how any other nation would respond, faced with rockets flying into their land from hostile neighbors. Do not judge Israel by any standard to which you would not hold yourself. Israel correctly stated, before the onset if their response, that civilian casualties were the complete and total responsibility of Hamas. They freely choose to place offensive weaponry in among civilians so tightly that it is virtually impossible to avoid some civilian suffering and death. They knew precisely the effect this would have. If they fancy themselves the protectors of their people, they're stewardship of that role is pathetic.<br /><br />Let not the UN be as part of the problem. Let the UN instead examine the real facts on the ground and intercede to the extent it is able, to help form a legitimate peace in the region; not one that comes 100% at the expense of Israel with only lip service from the other side.<br /></span></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-79131430662244747542008-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:002008-02-28T14:16:22.645-08:00Report: 1 Percent of U.S. Adult Population Behind Bars<span style="font-family: arial;">An astonishing and alarming statistic</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.associatedpress.com/">The Associated Press</a><span style="font-family: arial;">:</span><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p"></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p"> NEW YORK (AP) -- For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America's rank as the world's No. 1 incarcerator. It urges states to curtail corrections spending by placing fewer low-risk offenders behind bars.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">Using state-by-state data, the report says 2,319,258 Americans were in jail or prison at the start of 2008 - one out of every 99.1 adults. Whether per capita or in raw numbers, it's more than any other nation.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="ap-story-p">The report, released Thursday by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.</p><p class="ap-story-p"><span style="font-family: arial;">(</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PRISON_POPULATION?SITE=AZPHG&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">more</a><span style="font-family: arial;">)</span></p></blockquote><p class="ap-story-p"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /></p>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-62162508281403591842008-02-26T06:25:00.000-08:002008-02-26T06:27:53.182-08:00Did Ex-Alabama Governor Get A Raw Deal?<b style="font-family: times new roman;"></b><blockquote><b style="font-family: times new roman;">(CBS) </b><!-- sphereit start --><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Is Don Siegelman in prison because he’s a criminal or because he belonged to the wrong political party in Alabama? Siegelman is the former governor of Alabama, and he was the most successful Democrat in that Republican state. But while he was governor, the U.S. Justice Department launched multiple investigations that went on year after year until, finally, a jury convicted Siegelman of bribery.<br /><br />Now, many Democrats and Republicans have become suspicious of the Justice Department’s motivations. As </span><b style="font-family: times new roman;">correspondent Scott Pelley</b><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> reports, 52 former state attorneys-general have asked Congress to investigate whether the prosecution of Siegelman was pursued not because of a crime but because of politics. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: times new roman;"></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/21/60minutes/main3859830.shtml">Article and 60 minutes video</a>.<br /></span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-39969511317512707842008-02-16T19:21:00.000-08:002008-02-16T19:26:29.121-08:00Christians Pray for Death of Americans United Staff<span style="font-family:arial;">From </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://atheistrevolution.blogspot.com/">Atheist Revolution</a><span style="font-family:arial;">:<br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;">You can put this in your "and Christians accuse us of not being moral?" file. </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.au.org/site/PageServer">Americans United for Separation of Church and State</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> complained to the IRS that California pastor Wiley Drake was violating federal law by using his church to campaign for Christian extremist candidate </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4208">Mike Huckabee</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Drake's response was to </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://atheistrevolution.blogspot.com/2007/08/know-them-by-their-deeds-pastor-prays.html">once again</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> call for imprecatory prayers against Americans United staff. That's right - this Southern Baptist Pastor is asking his followers to pray for the deaths of AU's staff.</span><br /><span id="fullpost" style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />From the Americans United <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9669">press release</a>:<br /><blockquote>Wrote Drake, "In light of the recent attack from the enemies of God I ask the children of God to go into action with Imprecatory Prayer. Especially against Americans United for Separation of Church and State…. Specifically target Joe Conn or Jeremy Learing [sic] and their leader Rev. Barry Lynn. They are those who lead the attack."</blockquote></span></blockquote><span id="fullpost" style="font-family:times new roman;"><blockquote></blockquote></span><blockquote style="font-family: arial;">(<a href="http://atheistrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/02/christians-pray-for-death-of-americans.html">more</a>)</blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">Granted it's a little indirect, but would this constitute a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_threat">death threat</a> for legal purposes?</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288454631891310500.post-24179687474113405562008-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:002008-02-15T19:07:10.897-08:00"Cunt" on Live TV - Why all the fuss?<span style="font-family:arial;">Feb 14, 2008, NBC's Today Show. In reference to "The Vagina Monologues", Jane Fonda (presumably) accidentally uses the word "Cunt".<br /><br />Frankly, this should be a non-issue, but for some reason our government, through the offices of the Federal Communications Commission, has taken it upon itself for years to choose which words may be spoken at least in the broadcast media. Frankly, this practice is disgusting and demeans the dignity of all of us. The notion of "protecting" our children from language they'll encounter soon enough in school anyway, is a poor excuse for imposing a largely Christian agenda on a government agency.<br /><br /></span><object style="font-family: arial;" height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PiNLFogZ-5k&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PiNLFogZ-5k&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Bravo, Jane. Do not appologize. It's high time we grow up and break this ridiculous taboo.</span>Åhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100696031569405848noreply@blogger.com0