Here's a question for you and your NRA cohorts:
What's to be done with that 9-year-old alleged shooter in Washington?
Only criminals with have handguns, right?
Nice job, guys.
[tagname]
Friday, February 24, 2012
Hey, Wayne!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Sly Puss
It’s too good to let pass.
In writing about Topic X, authors often manage to slip in a little elbow about Topic Y to the ribs of the body politic; and those little nuggets should be identified and celebrated.
To wit: In Salon.com you will find an article by Glenn Greenwald discussing Iran as the source of some discomfort, alright—evil—and you will also find this: “while the Face of American Meritocracy, NBC News‘ Luke Russert…”
Think about it. Meritocracy, rising on the merits of one’s efforts; and Luke Russert, elevated to a job with a major news organization upon the death of his father, Tim.
Also think about using upper case: Face of American Meritocracy.
Then dedicate an appreciative chuckle to Greenwald.
You’re welcome.
Sphere: Related ContentSaturday, December 24, 2011
Um…well, I guess…
Here’s a little surprise; guess who’s included in this year’s Religion & Ethics Newsletter’s “In Memoriam 2011?”
Jack Kevorkian and Christopher Hitchens.
Along with unsavories, or, at least, once unsavories, such as Cardinal Foley—maybe he found God, or at least heard the snapping of growling watchdogs and contributors after his AIDS comments—we find these two who aren’t usually listed in the category of “Prominent Religious.”
Although, upon reflection, they both were certainly spiritual, and, in their own ways, pastoral. There’s also an environmentalist listed, probably the most spiritual of them all.
There’s also a Jewish songwriter, which is a nice gesture, because songwriters are also quite spiritual.
The others are/were (?) luminaries of various Christian sects. And now they know whether Hitchens was/is (?) correct, don’t they?
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday, October 12, 2011
Um…Not really
The Hank Williams, Jr./ESPN brouhaha is mildly diverting on a few levels, but it is also a sad commentary on one: understanding the Constitutional right to free speech.
Williams’ Constitutional rights were not affected by ESPN’s action. The Constitution is silent on the right of company censorship of employees’ speech.
“Congress shall make no laws…” is the way the First Amendment begins. There is nothing in it which limits any other instance of speech restrictions. Most states also limit “freedom on speech” similarly in their state constitutions.
Williams should know better. We all should know better.
Sorry, Mr. Williams, Jr., your Constitutional free speech rights were not offended, and you have none otherwise.
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, October 11, 2011
Silliness
“Reverse racism” is such a silly phrase.
What could it possibly mean?
A racist is a racist, regardless of skin color, and “reverse racism” is just an example of unthinking writers who waste electronic ink.
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday, September 21, 2011
Fraternal Quip
This from my older brother: Yesterday we could not spell third-world country; today we are one.
(I wonder if it’s a joke which has been going around. Regardless, I like it.)
Sphere: Related ContentSaturday, September 10, 2011
So, I’m a smart ass…So sue me
:
Not really…the suing part.
The local newspaper, The Desert Sun had a piece today indicating disapproval of those protesting Chaz Bono’s upcoming appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”
I liked it except for the use of “sexual preference.” Now, since I am of the opinion that virtually everyone who is protesting against Mr. Bono’s appearance has participated in his sexual preference activities in one way or another, I doubt very seriously they are protesting that/those preference(s).
So I wrote the following to the “Community Conversations Editor” at the paper. I got carried away.
It was such fun and became so silly that I thought I’d share it. Have fun.
xoxox
Dear Mr. X:
Today your editorial page gave a well-deserved “Thumbs Down” to those who are protesting against Chaz Bono’s appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”
There would be disagreement only from those who are unwilling to learn.
There is, however, one phrase with which others might quibble; it is “sexual preference.” It might be good to take a few moments to educate your writer about the more accurate “sexual orientation” for use in this type of discussion.
To personalize the point, Sir, might I suggest that your sexual preference is what you prefer to do during sexual incidents. Everyone has sexual preferences which are unique and of no concern to others.
Sexual orientation, on the other hand, is how you “lean” when choosing a partner with whom to participate in mutual sexual preferences.
Absent a declaration from a person, sexual preference is unknowable; sexual orientation is somewhat easier to discern. Since most of the protesters against Mr Bono themselves probably engage in whatever sexual activities they might imagine he participates, they are more than likely protesting his orientation than his preference.
Please discuss this with your writer.
Sincerely,
gene touchet
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, September 06, 2011
From BRAAACK to lowercase 8 point “poo”
My brain farts (How I dislike the word!) have been reduced to a negligible poo.
They have been replaced by brain black holes. It’s possible to stand (albeit metaphorically) on the edge of the hole and virtually see the nothingness to which thought and memory are reduced, especially memory.
“I’ll have the Country Benedict.”
20 minutes later, after having the plate placed before me, I am asked, “Looks good. What is it?”
“Country…”
Nothing.
Blankness.
(Is “blankness” truly “nothing?”)
A strain to come up with the words and some babble…”It’s a famous breakfast dish…some kind of sauce…English muffins…”
“Eggs Benedict?”
“Yes.”
Crisis over. The memory, however, of the lack of memory lingers.
Sphere: Related ContentMonday, September 05, 2011
Actually, God’s punishment…
Every wonder why God doesn’t punish those people who behave antithetically to the “teachings of the ages?”
For instance, it seems obvious to clear thinkers that the wildfires in Texas are punishment for supporting Rick Perry.
Doesn’t it?
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday, August 24, 2011
Alas! A crisis of conscience!
From Box Turtle Bulletin:
Shocking, simply shocking! A new study has determined that some men are attracted to both male and female persons. Or, at least, sexually stimulated by watching them have sex.
This new finding contradicts and earlier one which denied evidence of existence of bisexuals, but was flawed in its population selection. (NY Times)
For many, many years, I’ve been skeptical about discussions I’ve had with certain serial-one-night-stands.
“How can you date/marry her? What’re you doing here if you’re going to be there?”
“I guess I just like you both.”
Skeptical. Mighty skeptical.
Now some researchers tell us that X and Y, and a couple of other less-frequent Alphabet Letters were correct about themselves after all?
Well, after the brachytherapy, it’s pretty much moot. Still, it does give pause.
Do I apologize?
Or do I wait for the next “study” to give us another way to look at ourselves?
Sphere: Related ContentSunday, July 24, 2011
Great Quip
Technorati Tags: Culture Wars,Republican Party
From today’s New York Times we find this little nugget in a column by Frank Bruni which puts l’affaire Bachmann in its place:
I once tried to pray away the gay. But sometimes a houseguest just won’t leave.
Quel drole!
Sphere: Related ContentSunday, July 10, 2011
Thanks, Ms D
Much appreciation to Maureen Dowd for reminding us of a great line.
In an article about celebrities of yore, particularly Liz and Dick (Dick ‘n Liz?), La Dowd recalls:
As Liz Smith once observed, “Whenever somebody says, ‘So and so is a big star,’ I say, ‘Have they been condemned by the Vatican?’ ”
Is that a great humbler or not? (BTW, L&D were.)
Thanks, Les Dowd et Smith.
Sphere: Related ContentSunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
No More Poo Pooh-Poohing?
Well, there might not be many of you still hanging around waiting for further inanities, but here’s one I just didn’t want anyone to miss, or to lose to posterity and faulty memory.
Andrew Sullivan, on his blog The Dish, gives us this fascinating item on medical experimentation. (It sounds like something that will, in a few days, turn out to be a hoax, but a fun one!)
It discusses the gut’s bacteria and the role those little critters play in health. There’s an interesting twist to it, and one medical wag has coined transpoosion for the procedure.
Enjoy.
Sphere: Related ContentMonday, May 23, 2011
SCOTUS* vs California Republican Demagoguery
In case you didn’t know it, Dear Gentle Reader(s), the State of California’s prison system is in dire straits. Check out this bit of information provided by the Supreme Court of the United States today:
The degree of overcrowding in California’s prisons is exceptional. California’s prisons are designed to house a population just under 80,000, but at the time of the three-judge court’s decision the population was almost double that. The State’s prisons had operated at around 200% of design capacity for at least 11 years. Prisoners are crammed into spaces neither designed nor intended to house inmates. As many as 200 prisoners may live in a gymnasium, monitored by as few as two or three correctional officers. App. 1337–1338, 1350; see Appendix B, infra. As many as 54 prisoners may share a single toilet.App. 1337.
This court case has been going on since the early 1990’s.
Don’t quote me, but I blame the Republican Party’s draconian misuse of the ballot initiative available to Californians. (OK, these ballot measures passed, which means a majority of voters agreed with them.) Specifically, the three-strikes issue, and the 2/3 majority in the legislature needed for tax increases.
By one vote (*thankfully, Mr. Justice Kennedy provided it, otherwise I’d’ve been forced to call it a SC(r)OTUS decision because it would’ve gone the other way) the Court has upheld a lower 3-member Court’s decision to require California to reduce its prison population by some 40,000 inmates.
That’s a tough number, but it brings home the lesson of the dangers of falling for hyperbole during election cycles. We can’t get away from responsibility by believing those who don’t have our societal best interests at heart.
Sphere: Related ContentThursday, May 05, 2011
Sheesh
Technorati Tags: Statutory Rape,victimhood
Well, Dear Gentle Reader(s), we might not agree on this, but here goes.
From the local newspaper:
A woman praised as a community leader for her work running a police activities league for youth was arrested Monday for an alleged sexual relationship with a teenage boy.
[Ms X], 33, of Cathedral City was arrested at her home and booked into the Indio jail on multiple counts of statutory rape and oral copulation with a minor.
[X] is suspected of “having an ongoing sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male victim,” Cathedral City police Lt. Chuck Robinson said.
“…a 17-year-old male victim.”
Doesn’t anyone remember being 16, 17, 18?
One has to wonder if the youth thought of himself as a “victim,” at least before the story became public. Where does victimhood begin?
(I’ll bet he thought of himself as “lucky.”)
Sphere: Related ContentMonday, May 02, 2011
Just wondering
Ross Douthat, over at The New York Times, has an interesting article on the state of American consciousness and future today, Death of a Failure.
It’s an interesting piece, but this phrase caught my attention: “…the utopian fantasy politics embodied by groups like Al Qaeda, or the mix of thugs, fools and pseudointellectuals …”
Queston: Isn’t the combination of “fools and pseudointellectuals” redundant?
Technorati Tags: Ross Douthat,BinLaden
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Words, Words, Words
The nicest words in the English language, to me, aren’t “I love you” nor are they the first Mama’s or Dada’s.
Rather, they’re “flush toilet.”
Sphere: Related ContentFriday, March 25, 2011
Topsy-turvey
Technorati Tags: Republican Party,Politics
Think taxation without representation was bad?
How are we liking no taxation with representation?
Sphere: Related ContentThursday, March 10, 2011
Classic typo
Technorati Tags: The Desert Sun,Michelle Malkin
Here’s one for the books:
Your left-wing choice [E.J. Dionne] sure showed his colors Monday (“GOP's madman strategy”) and I do not have a problem with that.
However, your choices of “right wing” being Michael Gerson and Bill O'Reilly do not equate except in your own left-winged minds. How about some true conservative contributors such as Thomas Sowell, Charles Krauthammer, Michelle Maulkin, Lou Dobbs or Ann Coulter, or are you perhaps afraid readers will actually learn something?
Michelle Maulkin. Gotta love it.
(This comes from a letter to the editor in the virtual right-wing-rag The Desert Sun out of Palm Springs.)
(Can you imagine anyone thinking he could learn from Malkin, Dobbs, Sowell, or Coulter? lol)
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