Bronson Boo Hoo!

Peter Bronson is lamenting the United Way's cut in funding to the Boy Scouts. He believes that it is because of the bigoted views adhered to by the Boy Scouts keeping homosexuals out of the organization. Peter does not, I assume, that the bigoted views of the Boy Scouts are bigoted. He thinks they are either valid or their own business. If he thinks being bigoted against homosexuals is the right thing for the Boy Scouts, then well, his opinions are moot. They are predicated on beliefs that are contrary to what the United Way stand for: helping everyone. How can they help everyone when they exclude groups that exclude people based on a trait that has no bearing on what they do. It is a simple idea in play here. Bigotry is not reward or supported by the Cincinnati United Way. Politics are such that they can't punish groups totally in this region, where anti-homosexual views are common. Combined with a bigger need in other areas the United Way cut out funding for the Boy Scouts. That is life. If Peter wants them to have more money, then I suggest he and the CCV start hold bake sales.

I have to ask Peter a question, how much do Christian charities support AiDs research or support for victims? I bet most conservative Christian groups do not give a penny to help fight AiDs. I am sure there are exceptions or specific groups that do help all people dying from disease, but I mean groups that the CCV and Bronson would trumpet.

To FCC Chairman Michael Powell

FUCK YOU! Bill me.

Saying a Racial Slur Gets the Media into Frenzy

Ok, so there is a videotape and according to some sources Cincinnati police Sgt. Jeff Butler said the word "nigger" while being investigated by CPD internal affairs. I really wonder what the story here is? This happened in 1998, over 5 years ago. Beyond being the typical if it involves race then we can exploit it attitude of the media, I don't see the impact of this man's words.

Now, by saying the "n-word" he broke no law. You can think him to be a racist or bigot or idiot, but he broke no law. Plenty of other groups of people are insulted every day in the media alone, not to mention in the break rooms across the country. Why does this matter? What matters is whether this guy broke any laws, which is why he was being investigated. This got a skeptical play by WLWT, but Kathy Wilson seems to either have better hearing or has a problem with book covers. Leslie Blade lets opinion flow into her news story, but reports generally most of same facts out.

If WLWT or CityBeat wants to put on airs about hate speech, they should review the tapes from 1230 AM the Buzz and the number of incidents of hate speech would make your mind boggle.

What I have a problem with overall is the underlying theme on this issue: guilt by association. "If one guys says a word, then see, they are all racists." If this person had actually attacked or mistreated anyone because of their race, then this would be support for the contention that this man was a racist. Just because others around him don't correct him for saying a "bad" word does not mean much. If a religious person says they will pray for me, I don't like it. Sometimes they go out of their way to ask me "have you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior?" I don't say anything to say that offends me. I instead ignore them. If this police officer broke the law, then lock him up. If he said a racial slur, then call him an asshole and move on.

FOX Propaganda in Action

Chemical Weapons or Chemical Explosives? Somehow in an interview with Brit Hume, Fox News foreign affairs analyst Mansoor Ijaz "reported" that "chemical explosives" were smuggled into Northern Iraq from Iran. This little tidbit then gets extrapolated without any evidence:

Now, what alarmed me about this and the reason that I felt it was necessary to get this out as soon as possible, is because I have now heard three times in the last week, from separate sources that I have been talking to that something big is being planned for Baghdad. In which the idea that is being put forward is to kill as many as 3,000 to 5,000 people at one shot; something that would be similar to a World Trade Center (search) type of attack. In that part of the world, the only way you could get that done is if you launched a massive chemical or biological attack.

Now, someone this gets translated to the front page teaser as "Terror expert Mansoor Ijaz says chemical weapons came in from Iran." Ah, no he did not say that. Chemical explosives include things like, oh nitroglycerin or dynamite. I know FOX wants spins stuff for their boy Bush, but this is just ridiculous. Mansoor Ijaz is treated like a reporter but he is an open advocate for the War. I don't get how he could let this misconception go on when you read this from his FOX News bio:

Ijaz received his Bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in Physics from the University of Virginia and received his Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Damn, that's a big ass barrel of monkeys.

WMD Found? Nope!

After further review the mortar shells found in southern Iraq found by the Danish did not contain a blister agent. Sorry folks, someone jumped the gun once again. WMD's were not found. I bet it will take months for people to understand that we did not find them.

I found the announcement of finding these mortar shells just happened to occur a few days after a big report is released detailing how Iraq had not possessed WMD since the mid '90s. I wonder why someone jumped the gun? Hmmmm, very odd that a report would surface as an attempt to refute a news story. I wonder if a journalist would investigate who released that information, when the mortar shells were originally found, and how long had they been sitting on the information.

Chris Smitherman?

Something happened today with Chris Smitherman? I heard a fragment of the WLW news at 3PM, but I missed the whole story. Something about comments he was alleged to have made? Anyone???

Goth's invade Main Street

The Warehouse, Cincinnati's premier dance club for everyone who likes to be different for difference’s sake, is moving from Vine Street to the Main Street entertainment district. This is great for Main Street, but not great news for Vine Street.