Germans Bombing Pearl Harbor

Classic line from a judge hear an appeal in the Flynt Brother's Case.Flynt Brother's Case

'I'm having a hard time with this,' Judge Mark Painter said. 'If you dismiss a case, it's over. If this were proper, it seems to me you could have everybody in the county on super secret probation indefinitely.'

Toga! Toga! Toga!

In case you missed it, I think the judge was going for the "Double SECRET Probation" line from Animal House. I love it when pop-culture is brought into the judicial system.

Under Oath

If Clarke lied at the 9/11 hearing then I assume the DOJ will charge him. If I don't see any charges then either he did not lie, or that BushCo wants to keep this as quiet as possible, while still making Clarke into a baby killer.

More, More

Hey a Bronson column I don't have a problem with: Lack of faith in City Council leads to Angels. I have praised Bronson for his columns more often than people think. I just don't get the attention when I do.

Fuck or Cunt?

The Enquirer asks: The dirtiest word? They focus in the on the word "fuck." I bring up the word "cunt" as another. Would "cock" be the same? Since it has a non-offensive use I would guess not.

Sorry If I blocked anyone's swear word filters. If I did and you can't access my site, let me know and I will try to change things. Wait, second thought, hell no, I will not censor myself. Sorry again.

Willie's Ego

Can Bill Cunningham's Ego possibly get an bigger?

"As for the those non-autograph seekers, Cunningham doesn't mince words. 'The readers of CityBeat do not represent the population of Greater Cincinnati,' he states broadly. 'Most of your readers can go to hell.'"

Does he ever break character?

Lying

Glenn Reynolds is asking whether Richard Charled is lying then or now. I have to ask Glenn, did Clarke lie under oath to the 9/11 commission? If yes, send him to jail. If not, then listen to what he says and come to the understanding that BushCo did not take terrorism as seriously as it could have and after 9/11 they were obsessed with Iraq to the point of looking for any mythical link to 9/11 or Al Queda they could conjure up.

One Nation, Indivisible

My views on the Pledge Case are not going to be a shock to anyone. I believe the laws adding "under God" to the Pledge are unconstitutional. I think why most people disagree with me are for two reasons, either they want a theocracy or they have a different view on what religion is.

To me a religion is the worship and/or acknowledgment of a god or gods or supernatural creator(s) or supernatural entities. That worship and/or acknowledgment can take the form of a belief or beliefs or set of beliefs or system of beliefs or ideas about a god or gods or supernatural creator(s) or supernatural entities.

Creating a law that both acknowledges their is a god and only one god (monotheism) is in view unconstitutional. This does not mean you can't say the pledge any way you can. I today will say "cod" instead of "god" if in public or "Zeus" if I feeling like making a stink. Otherwise I just don't say it. What is wrong is that I have to make that accommodation and set myself apart. That is where the harm comes in and why we should go back to to prior form of the Pledge.

Any time you see Newdow, the plaintiff, question about where laws come from or questioning why he does not believe in "God," then you know why this is a religious point of view. The intent of the law in 1954 was religious. The history argument does not hold water. It is a compromise position that avoids conflict. I can respect that position on the grounds that outlash against atheists resulting from this case has been amazing. I would expect far worse if the SCOTUS rules in Newdow's favor.

I don't think Newdow will win. I hope he does, but I don't think the Supremes will be able to sever themselves from their religious views. Even with Scalia recusing himself, I think 5 justices will not be willing to take the heat of the theocrats in the country.

What ever happens I expect things to get ugly in the world of public discourse. The Theocrats will react harshly no matter what happens, either by gloating and an emboldened appetite or by anger and fear.

I understand why many liberals felt Newdow was fighting a no win and not worthwhile battle, but I support him and am glad he has the courage to take the heat. I hope that the media tones down the exchanges on this issue. I know they won’t but I hope they don’t pump up the fears of the ignorant just for the sake of ratings. I could “pray” all day for that but 100 “gods” could not change the media in that respect.