To illegal flag, Elliot

Conservative hate group "Stop The ACLU" (they hate freedom) has certainly got their panties in a bunch over some pretty profound, though potentially offensive art.

It's a display of the Confederate flag, hung from the gallows.

I think it's fantastic art. Some Southerners are quite offended. Freedom of expression includes your freedom to be offended.

Anyone who believes that the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery needs to go back and take a high school history course. Ahh... remember when Republicans were the good guys?

Sex at noon, taxes

OK - pretty much two separate posts today, but they can both fit under the same header. Here goes:

1. Newt Gingrich is a hypocrite. He didn't do anything illegal, he's just a lying, cheating, hypocrite. He hounded Clinton for doing the same thing that he was doing, at exactly the same time.

I know Clinton lied under oath to a Federal Judge, but the question he was answering was a personal one, and should never have been asked. He couldn't take the Fifth, because he hadn't committed a crime, he was just trying to protect his family and their reputation. Scooter Libby, on the other hand, lied about a matter of national security, and the right wing nutcases are making him out to be some kind of scapegoat or pariah.

So much for "protecting the family". Giuliani and McCain have had much publicized extra-marital affairs, too. Mitt Romney belongs to a religion that supports polygamy. If you're a Bible-belt Republican, for whom do you cast your vote?

2. "If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet" - George Harrison

An 80-year-old couple in rural Illinois is being intimidated with felony charges by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Their crime? Modifying their car to run on vegetable oil (they get 46mpg) and then not paying $2,500 to register as a "special fuel supplier", when in fact they were using recycled grease from restaurant fryers. They are estimated to owe a lofty $4.07 per month in back-taxes. Shameful.

Guns to Obama: boot snug?

I'm really starting to like this guy.

No, I tax every pyre vexation

Great article by Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi: Maybe We Deserve to be Ripped Off by Bush's Billionaires (warning: liberal media bias)

We can't afford to repeal the estate tax at this point. I definitely agree with Obama's view on this issue.

Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.

Quote from Dubya's press release yesterday, Feb. 14th:

One of the problems -- not specifically on this issue, just in general -- let's put it this way, money trumps peace, sometimes. In other words, commercial interests are very powerful interests throughout the world.

Good explanation, George. First-draft has some more analysis of the press conference: Your President Speaks!

Mirth, sir, a gay asset? No, don't essay a garish trim.

You gotta admit, Tim Hardaway has got some balls. The guy knows how he feels, and is not afraid to let it be known. Most of us may not agree with him, but you gotta respect the guy's right to speak his mind.

Come on, it's not like he's running for president.

Star Comedy Men: Enemy Democrats?

So this guy Dinesh D'Souza wrote this book about how 9.11.2001 was caused by the terrorists' anger towards secular America and progressive culture. His solution is to go back to conservative values in America, take away civil rights for minorities and homosexuals, and keep women in the kitchen, etc...

Let me see if I have his logic down: Let's say Canada decides that they're going to take out a border city, say Buffalo, or Detroit. Dinesh's solution would be to legalize gay marriage and pot? Give me a break. Dinesh, we know that you're educated...either you're not being honest with us, or you're not being honest with yourself, which is it?

So, anyways, people start laying in to this guy, from the New York Times to Stephen Colbert.

In response, he tries to portray himself as the victim of vicious personal attacks, but most people saw right through his b___s___.

Frankly, Mr. D'Souza, most people in this country think we should confront the terrorists with force. Also, most people in America believe in civil liberties such as equality and free speech, that is precisely why we fight. If you are against both of these things, then you're obviously on the wrong side...

Swap God for a janitor? Rot in a jar of dog paws...

Why can't the religious kooks leave God out of our public school system? If you want to teach your kid about school, pay the money, and send them to a private school. If you can't afford a private school, teach your kids at home. You can teach them whatever you want, that way. Just keep your God away from the rest of the children, before somebody gets hurt.

Here's the quote of the month, from the web page of Colorado State Senator Dave Schultheis:

Quote of the Month: "Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom." -- John Adams (Defense of the Constitution, 1787)

Sounds like a decent, stand-up guy, huh? Actually, this guy stands for the exact opposite of freedom, and he wants to inject religion into public schools with a "Public School Religious Bill of Rights". He lists some petty claims to rights, some of which are already afforded, but also treads on some dangerous territory. One right he claims for religious teachers:

Teachers may:
(VII) NOT BE REQUIRED TO TEACH A TOPIC THAT VIOLATES HIS OR HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND NOT BE DISCIPLINED FOR REFUSING TO TEACH THE TOPIC;

Almost sounds harmless, but it's really not at all. Shouldn't public school teachers be required to teach their respective subjects without bias towards religion? If you want to teach religion, why can't you teach at a private school? Not enough positions? I'm sure your place of worship would allow you to volunteer and enlighten young congregationists... oh, but that's not enough for you, is it? You want my kids, too?

PZ Myers over at Pharyngula has some very good commentary.

Yo, Banana Boy!

OK, now I'm going to try and post a link. This is one of my favorite blogs to visit, this guy Ed Brayton has some articulate arguments in favor of the First Amendment, and integrity in science. He also likes to call out politicians when they slip up, on either side of the fence. Here's a great post where he exposes the hypocrisy of Darth Cheney.

Cheney Gets Prickly

Our Vice President is such a sweet guy, huh?

Now, sir, a war is never even -- sir, a war is won!

This is not a war blog, but my first post is on Iraq. Is that alright? Sorry, if I offend some of you right off the bat...OK, here goes:

Iraq, right? WTF? Are we really fighting a war over there? Everybody acts like we're winning or losing, that you're on our side or their side, or if we leave the country we are 'surrendering', or that we need to stop saying that we're 'losing the war'. All of that is complete BS! The war is over. We won. We captured their leader, tried him, and executed him. Regime change. No more dangerous weapons. Didn't we accomplish our objective? Now, the American troops remain in Iraq to clean up the mess that they made. We don't want it to become a terrorist breeding ground! Except that, while American troops are there, it's a perfect place for terrorists to train and target actual Americans.

Why can't we just admit that the war is over! We won! Clean it up, and get the fuck out. Jesus!


(sorry, I'm not usually into ranting - but what are blogs for? i'll try to add some humor to the 2nd post!)