tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61379973223013479492024-02-06T22:49:25.260-05:00View on the NewsMoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13612323587459830074noreply@blogger.comBlogger599125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-2120031131180545222011-01-21T12:53:00.003-05:002011-01-21T13:12:33.205-05:00What a waste of our tax dollars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Xp4_H9f5pbAPUgs6uuIfdVNHwQ684AgVhfGnGo9wVtJ05RiudZ9L9iTbuUYCw_gH1G3hHQxXI2bbBvG0mHGjNnta1ScfQRLmdo9sC28b1iQgKk5PvJCdOtOYfwGMf3YrXxWl_3bYsnw/s1600/EXECUTION.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Xp4_H9f5pbAPUgs6uuIfdVNHwQ684AgVhfGnGo9wVtJ05RiudZ9L9iTbuUYCw_gH1G3hHQxXI2bbBvG0mHGjNnta1ScfQRLmdo9sC28b1iQgKk5PvJCdOtOYfwGMf3YrXxWl_3bYsnw/s400/EXECUTION.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564703356894813298" /></a><br />Just the other day, a Pittsburgh man was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the premeditated murder of another city man. My first thought was, why in the world are we NOT executing this guy? The murderer, Luzay Watson, is 22 years old. Based on average life expectancy, we could be feeding, clothing, housing and providing medical care to this guy for the next 50 years, just so we can keep him in a box. Of course, who knows how much money would have to be spent fighting endless legal appeals if Mr. Watson had been sentenced to die. That's another problem that needs to be addressed. I'm all for allowing condemned people – or anyone convicted of a crime, for that matter – to avail themselves of appeals. The initial court decisions aren't always right, and our justice system should do everything possible to ensure that an innocent person is not jailed for life or executed for a crime he didn’t commit. But there’s no reason why a convicted killer should be allowed to play the system for 30 years or more to avoid having a death sentence carried out. Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated President William McKinley, was convicted on Sept. 24, 1901, and put to death just over a month later. Perhaps we could find a happy medium between these two extremes.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-70823114766835456452011-01-21T12:19:00.003-05:002011-01-21T12:53:25.625-05:00Should they quit trying?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMb5Iyy86JAD3SwHwk5UmmJ5ripLMWJFlHJlnlY4XJ1Lo0odjG9gCbF7SDY2F0CvFR5g8OKe9accsb6btmo2mMkVXKU1uRGhLrU05MpBCTmZTf3XTjDIlvpZEqHx70x9vz0g2JZxG1Bs/s1600/BLOWOUT+WIN.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMb5Iyy86JAD3SwHwk5UmmJ5ripLMWJFlHJlnlY4XJ1Lo0odjG9gCbF7SDY2F0CvFR5g8OKe9accsb6btmo2mMkVXKU1uRGhLrU05MpBCTmZTf3XTjDIlvpZEqHx70x9vz0g2JZxG1Bs/s400/BLOWOUT+WIN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564698288587343026" /></a><br />Mike White of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Post-Gazette</span> wrote a piece yesterday about the fallout from the Seton-LaSalle girls basketball team’s recent 113-14 victory over the girls from Brentwood. Seton-LaSalle says it is dealing with coach Dennis Squeglia internally, but that’s not good enough for the WPIAL, which wants an official report on what action the school takes, presumably so it can go further than the action taken by the school, if it deems that necessary. The real question here is, why is Squeglia in trouble at all? Tim O'Malley, the executive director of the WPIAL, told the P-G that “sportsmanship was totally absent in this case.” The story doesn't indicate why O’Malley believes that to be the case. I'm wondering, did the Seton-LaSalle girls continue employing a full-court press against overmatched Brentwood ball-handlers, despite the score? Were they doing 360-degree dunks? Not likely. It's girls basketball, after all. Squeglia denies running it up against Brentwood and said his starters played only a couple of minutes into the second half. I don't think anybody wants a team to go out of its way to humiliate another, such as by taunting them or celebrating excessively in such a blowout. But why should the girls from Seton-LaSalle, who practice every bit as hard as the girls from Brentwood (harder, perhaps, based on the score), have to essentially stop playing as they have been taught, just so nobody's itty-bitty feelings get hurt? And it's not like this loss was an isolated thrashing. The Brentwood girls also lost 71-9 to Avonworth, 65-11 to Bishop Canevin and 64-12 to Steel Valley. My advice to the Brentwood girls, if they want to avoid another similar whipping, is to work harder and do a better job the next time. If such a beating is too much for the girls' self-esteem to bear, disband the team and just have intramural basketball.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-82841588035986495262011-01-12T14:38:00.004-05:002011-01-12T15:27:28.908-05:00Words matter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dYagH6hwrjcUxYoyjMrQjo1EEBEeoqtY4QXQ0sY6ihlAaj2jBpiL8Gp21Cfd6_VJn8nEWovfSWVf71HvlN06AaD7ZdcgCjr0pTu5DmL3z-vztLAePADjXee4dGur6vgHmNGkwOwRChs/s1600/LOUGHNER.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dYagH6hwrjcUxYoyjMrQjo1EEBEeoqtY4QXQ0sY6ihlAaj2jBpiL8Gp21Cfd6_VJn8nEWovfSWVf71HvlN06AaD7ZdcgCjr0pTu5DmL3z-vztLAePADjXee4dGur6vgHmNGkwOwRChs/s320/LOUGHNER.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561395785937240626" /></a><br />Let's be clear from the start. The guy accused of trying to assassinate Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people in the process is nuts. You can't claim there was a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the angry, sometimes violent imagery used in the world of politics with his decision to try to gun down the Democratic congresswoman. But at the same time, you can’t totally dismiss the effects that such political speech might have, particularly on the more unhinged among us. Sarah Palin, as everyone now knows, disseminated a map of congressional districts she thought the Republican Party should try to reclaim last year, including Giffords' seat, and very clearly marked them with the crosshairs of a gun sight. I'm not suggesting that gunman Jared Loughner, shown at left, saw those crosshairs and took that as an order to commit violence. But it's part of the rotten fabric of what's left of America. Do Democrats and Republicans both engage in demonization of their opponents. Certainly. But let's not pretend that it's equal. Those on the right have a much "richer" history of late when it comes to hinting at violence, or the need for such, if the political opportunities for "taking our country back" are not successful. The underlying message, which no one really wants to say out loud, is that the day is coming, because of President Obama and his minions, when blacks, Mexicans, Arabs – heck, anybody that doesn’t look like a good, old-fashioned white Amerkun – will arrive on your doorstep to take your stuff and maybe even kill you. Just being honest. That's what is written between the lines. When shameless demagogues on the radio and some TV networks, interested only in their approval ratings from a sheeplike fan base, build mental pictures of a post-insurrection, post-societal-collapse world in which only those hugging tightly to the most gold, guns and ammo will survive, we eventually will end up with political killings. Most people who listen to these programs will just don tri-corner hats, slap a “Don't Tread On Me” sticker on the back of their vehicle and bleat incessantly about Obama being a foreigner. But then there are those few who take the extra steps. They join a backwoods militia, playing Army in the woods and waiting for their opportunity. Or, like Timothy McVeigh, they take the anti-government message to another level and blow up a building with women and children inside. Or, like Richard Poplawski, they believe the lunatic-fringe claims that the government is going to take our guns, and they kill police officers. Palin could have apologized for her role in ratcheting up political rhetoric and call for change. But did she? Of course not. She blamed the media and political pundits (which, ironically, is what she is these days) for stoking hatred and violence by having the audacity to suggest that maybe, just maybe the poisoning of the well of our civil discourse might have tragic consequences. She accused the journalists and political analysts of creating “a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.” No, what is reprehensible is Palin’s stupid use of the term “blood libel” and her refusal to accept any blame, not one speck, for the sorry condition of our politics today. People with a pulpit, like Palin and the talking heads on TV and radio, have a responsibility to use it wisely, to recognize that their words – their choice of words and images – carry weight with many people, including a few who have lost the ability to recognize the difference between right and horribly, horribly wrong.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-37063691261096723992011-01-12T14:07:00.004-05:002011-01-12T14:38:35.094-05:00This and that<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSt5F6RyD3Jxj4JM1NvxXXRZAXsWEOHPjZQqp08T2n5Moc0zQr2cq2C2RylKZ2C4r56y8_CKwnRU5LelesN5XkbCpWU9pbl3u7H2LLIA9Ul0tT3KtYnWBlv4GdJKtRirlyroyCb29hf4/s1600/SCOTT+SISTERS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSt5F6RyD3Jxj4JM1NvxXXRZAXsWEOHPjZQqp08T2n5Moc0zQr2cq2C2RylKZ2C4r56y8_CKwnRU5LelesN5XkbCpWU9pbl3u7H2LLIA9Ul0tT3KtYnWBlv4GdJKtRirlyroyCb29hf4/s400/SCOTT+SISTERS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561385092466528738" /></a><br />A few thoughts on recent stories in the news:<br /><br />– Did you see the one about sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott, above, being released from prison early when Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour commuted their life sentences for an ambush robbery, provided that one sister gave a kidney to the other? According to an AP story, civil rights activists have been trying to get the sisters sprung for years, arguing that their sentences were excessive. Well, let's see. Back in 1994, the sisters were convicted of luring two men into an ambush in which they were whacked in the head with a shotgun and robbed of their wallets. Some of the Scotts’ supporters noted that the robbery only netted $11. So, because the amount of money wasn’t large, that makes it less of a crime? The people who were robbed could just have easily been killed. Sounds to me as if the original sentences were just fine.<br /><br />– I had to laugh when I read today that Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York wants to step up efforts to make abortions in the city “rare.” What a hypocrite. The Catholic Church refuses to budge on giving its followers the OK to use any form of birth control – other than not “doing it” – then has the gall to say it wants to do more to pare the number of abortions. I'm pretty sure everyone would like the number of abortions performed in New York City and everywhere else to be reduced – to zero, if possible. But if Dolan really means what he says, perhaps he should break ranks with the Vatican and start a program to help people obtain effective birth-control devices and/or pharmaceuticals. But that's never going to happen. In fact, Dolan and other religious leaders with whom he was meeting also took the opportunity to blast public schools for including condom distributions in their sex-education programs. Yeah, we sure wouldn’t want kids who are going to have sex anyway to protect themselves from deadly diseases and also try to prevent pregnancies that might end in ... ABORTIONS.<br /><br />– I certainly hope that somebody comes forward and offers to pay any fine levied on Russell Miller of Boise, Idaho, because the guy is definitely one of my heroes. The 68-year-old Miller was on board a flight from Las Vegas to Boise, seated next to a 15-year-old boy who was playing games and listening to tunes on his cell phone. As the plane approached Boise, flight attendants announced that people needed to turn off their electronic devices prior to landing. The kid did not follow the instructions, so Miller punched him in the arm. He was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery. It's just a shame he didn't whack the kid a few more times and stomp the heck out of the phone.<br /><br />– Talk about an overreaction. Greensburg police have charged a 13-year-old middle school boy with a sex crime. His offense: a little necking and petting with a 12-year-old schoolmate after they stole away to a band equipment room during school one day. Police admit that the girl had no problem with the “activities,” but they say that under the law, she is too young to consent. C'mon. It's not as if the band director was in there with the girl. This is one of her classmates, and they were doing what usually comes naturally to young people when puberty strikes. I'm not saying I'm in favor of 12- and 13-year-olds getting "busy" in dark places during schooltime, but running a kid through the juvenile system and perhaps sending him to a detention facility over this is ridiculous. What's next? Are police going to start skulking around darkened movie theaters and high school dances to see if some kid is copping a feel? Wouldn't it be better to just give both of the kids a couple of days' detention and tell them not to do it again?Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-54213616749011156392010-12-09T13:42:00.003-05:002010-12-09T14:09:35.842-05:00Let it go, people<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8DvwodJGxSit0St8mbhFSXFE5TLgUxDucARudG6Lzpclqo3oFW024bS__DPPCVm5IH4WpjPZsA_bCoGELMVhVeZju7b8MtYuRhnPfmerR0ap1okxjCfoSDtYYjjbZ5UYLvTXdMRqVWE/s1600/Manger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8DvwodJGxSit0St8mbhFSXFE5TLgUxDucARudG6Lzpclqo3oFW024bS__DPPCVm5IH4WpjPZsA_bCoGELMVhVeZju7b8MtYuRhnPfmerR0ap1okxjCfoSDtYYjjbZ5UYLvTXdMRqVWE/s400/Manger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548761470560929762" /></a><br />It seems to me that way too much is being made of the relocation of a manger scene from the borough building in Canonsburg. As most know by now, the borough manager got a complaint about the religious display on public property. He asked the Knights of Columbus to move their manger to another location, and a business down the street from the borough building was kind enough to play host. From the community's over-reaction, one would have thought that somebody had burned the baby Jesus in effigy. Folks, get a grip. Number one, the religious display had no business being on public property in the first place. Number two, it's still standing, a few doors down from the borough building. Everyone in Canonsburg, if they wish, can erect their own nativity scene on their own front lawns. There can be 20 on every block. But legally, there shouldn't be one on borough property, and borough leaders were wise to avoid an expensive court battle that they assuredly would have lost. I'm a non-believer. Would I have made a stink about the manger scene in front of the borough building? No. I don't think having a nativity scene there put us on the slippery slope toward the borough enacting mandatory Catholic church attendance. In fact, I greatly enjoy the Christmas season. I like the music, the good food, the gatherings with family and friends. On occasion, I've even attended the beautiful Christmas Eve service at my wife's church. Heck, there's a manger scene and a tree decorated with angels and such in my living room. I just don't happen to believe the story behind all the seasonal festivities. At the same time, I don't feel like less of an atheist because I embrace the joys of the Christmas season. But I will say that I'm sick and tired of hearing the crap about the "war on Christmas." There's no danger of Christmas falling by the wayside because a few people assert their rights under the law or because some stores and other entities recognize that, hey, there are some other religions that are equally deserving of respect. This is a nation where all belief systems, no matter how crazy, should be afforded the exact same level of acceptance. Christians are no more worthy of respect and should be given no more say in how our country is run than Muslims. Your selection of which deity to worship affords you no special rights. And as an atheist, I'd like to state, with absolute certainty, that non-Christians have a much better chance of being victimized by a cultural war waged by Christians than vice versa. So if you don't mind, quit whining and enjoy this wonderful time of the year.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-84644132469651340132010-12-09T12:11:00.004-05:002010-12-09T13:40:47.175-05:00These idiots should go to prison<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vSrqBmMxhlBRfbmwJOdR_8wSgV5_fn7K1wZeDNBYmC9SSdHuhsI30N33COH6u9EW12T4olHBWZlRDdX7jzFc6hIM-7dlbV6ox9YhahSgsjNg_5Ft3rCNSpBaSbrykUAg2rxj6eqNS8/s1600/FAITH+HEAL+JIHAD.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 336px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vSrqBmMxhlBRfbmwJOdR_8wSgV5_fn7K1wZeDNBYmC9SSdHuhsI30N33COH6u9EW12T4olHBWZlRDdX7jzFc6hIM-7dlbV6ox9YhahSgsjNg_5Ft3rCNSpBaSbrykUAg2rxj6eqNS8/s400/FAITH+HEAL+JIHAD.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548753630084190210" /></a><br />It happens all too often, and the punishment, sadly, rarely fits the crime. It is the premeditated murder of defenseless children who die because their parents try to pray them back to health. The latest such case is on display this week in Philadelphia, where Herbert and Catherine Schaible are on trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of their 2-year-old son, Kent, who was allowed to suffer for two weeks with bacterial pneumonia while his parents did nothing but pray over him. Of course, the toddler died. These people should definitely be sent to prison. It's just a shame that they aren't being tried for murder, because that's what they're really guilty of. A social worker who testified Wednesday said Herbert Schaible told him, “We tried to fight the devil, but in the end the devil won.” That's just sick. And what’s even sicker is that authorities have allowed the couple to retain custody of several other children. If you truly believe that an invisible demon caused your child to get sick with viral pneumonia and die, you have no business raising any child. If people like the Schaibles had to spend the rest of their days in prison, perhaps this sort of thing would go away. But as it is, authorities and society as a whole give way too much leeway to people like them, just because they claim to be acting on the direction of their God.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-73817952877774451022010-12-09T11:55:00.005-05:002010-12-09T13:40:41.946-05:00GOP to miners: We don't care<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGGKBk9aeJm02uFFfWXUj3MFr8qKmFBtPpLCQimtl427EcN7j_fSistQUqtz041YNLyT9sGgVbV4qQFSEwuG-KiN-LSwif3Sj7lEMThxoAceLtF-VPGXwWTGL9zihy-XqSKyd4uq_DgE/s1600/MINE+CARTOON.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGGKBk9aeJm02uFFfWXUj3MFr8qKmFBtPpLCQimtl427EcN7j_fSistQUqtz041YNLyT9sGgVbV4qQFSEwuG-KiN-LSwif3Sj7lEMThxoAceLtF-VPGXwWTGL9zihy-XqSKyd4uq_DgE/s400/MINE+CARTOON.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548730738606808146" /></a><br />Republicans in the U.S. House have made it very clear that they have little interest in improving mine safety. The GOP blocked passage of a bill this week that would have better protected whistle-blowers, boosted penalties for serious mine-safety violations and helped the government to shut down problem mines. The legislation stemmed from the deaths of 29 West Virginia miners at the Upper Big Branch mine. Apparently 29 deaths is just a drop in the bucket for those lawmakers whose first priority is not worker safety, but protecting corporate profit margins.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-30656871573171035202010-11-18T13:33:00.003-05:002010-11-18T13:58:27.814-05:00Crawling farther under rocks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQzfxxX9bTkVYqOI50XjQdN3bUCnnOS1rOsG8kYUb-48_ZXhbYShG5IVBPTAEPzV7t8UgnTrA9s2Xi5xIovevfYV11Mzr0FUxCbgfD7A8CAvfCKeWGIGaPUnVcq0K29NybO5B9VE9yMs/s1600/RELIGION+CARTOON.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQzfxxX9bTkVYqOI50XjQdN3bUCnnOS1rOsG8kYUb-48_ZXhbYShG5IVBPTAEPzV7t8UgnTrA9s2Xi5xIovevfYV11Mzr0FUxCbgfD7A8CAvfCKeWGIGaPUnVcq0K29NybO5B9VE9yMs/s400/RELIGION+CARTOON.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540965207018003602" /></a><br />Our base of knowledge as humans has grown exponentially over the past 2,000 years, but some organized religions are doing their best to continue living in the dark ages. A few recent examples:<br /><br />– The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, when it comes time to choose a new leader, typically selects the fellow who had been vice president of the group. But not this year. Why? According to church observers, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, who held the No. 2 post, was thought to represent the more liberal “social justice” wing of the church. Kicanas, according to a story in the <span style="font-style:italic;">New York Times</span>, has favored dialogue between Catholic liberals and conservatives. The bishops weren't going to have any of that. They broke with tradition and instead chose New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is much more reliably old-old-old-school.<br /><br />– Southern Baptists in South Carolina voted to approve a resolution this week calling on pastors to do more preaching against homosexuality, while also urging Christians to be compassionate toward gay people. I'm guessing a sermon might go something like this: “The lives you gay people are leading are vile, sickening and horrifying in the eyes of the Lord ... but do join us for punch and cookies in the social hall after today's service."<br /><br />– This is my favorite one, and I swear that I'm NOT making this up. Those forward-thinking Catholic bishops I mentioned earlier held a conference on how to conduct exorcisms because there just aren't enough priests who know how to perform the rite. Seeing as how this is 2010, not the Middle Ages, I was a bit taken aback by this. Leaders in the Catholic Church, in the 21st freakin' century, still believe that people can be possessed by the devil or some other assorted demon. How 1452 of them. My first inclination is to laugh at them, if this weren't so sad.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-31651872519336955052010-11-18T13:14:00.004-05:002010-11-18T13:33:28.247-05:00Boobs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdW1mVsDUpQRnuuVvXpdJ5I5Mwq5X67VUxYkOpra54gAh8vRIvhIRYyguc8tgKSW4njM-rIJ_2Xt6BAgdnBlMzkRzHET3Kj-3F0DvQe8hnSN15BUj5STn50hysK-Jg0krRAyFSUIJqzU/s1600/GLOBAL+WARMING+CARTOON.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdW1mVsDUpQRnuuVvXpdJ5I5Mwq5X67VUxYkOpra54gAh8vRIvhIRYyguc8tgKSW4njM-rIJ_2Xt6BAgdnBlMzkRzHET3Kj-3F0DvQe8hnSN15BUj5STn50hysK-Jg0krRAyFSUIJqzU/s400/GLOBAL+WARMING+CARTOON.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540958884123417778" /></a><br />On America’s political right, it’s all the rage these days to be deliberately stupid. Witness the many Republicans and tea party advocates who believe that Barack Obama is 1) a Kenyan; and/or 2) a Muslim. Village idiot Sarah Palin (she would be the idiot in pretty much any village in which she chose to live) made up a lie about "death panels" in Obama's health-care program, and the masses of blithering simpletons who see her as some kind of hero to the common man – rather than the pandering font of ignorance she is – slurped it up like manna from heaven. Now comes a new poll showing that a majority of Republicans – 53 percent – don’t think there’s any evidence – NONE – of climate change. That's just plain dumb. It was only three years ago that nearly two-thirds of Republicans believed in global warming. Why the change? It's pretty clear that it's politically driven. Obama is in the White House, and anti-intellectual dolts like Palin are now worshipped by a significant segment of our populace, so if scientists say something is true, they're not to be trusted because they are “elitists.” In real English, that means they're smart, and we sure don't want to trust smart people. The truth is, as long as the big energy companies own a fair number of our lawmakers, especially on the Republican side, there will be no shortage of climate change deniers. Some of them are smart enough to know that truth is not on their side, but some are just dumb sheep who believe anything they hear from serial liars like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Palin. Just for the record, about 80 percent of Democrats and a majority of independents still believe global warming is real. So, unless the Republicans and tea partiers want to admit that their ignorance is deliberate, I'll just have to assume that there are fewer brain-dead fools among the Dems and independents than among the GOP/teabagger crowd.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-26255192283676361002010-11-18T12:58:00.003-05:002010-11-18T13:14:28.653-05:00On the local front<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjKhI2_dXlhf70A6V2u3uq6l0sUNriRnjU524BzApw3G0xvLpaUJl3ojrHIxG90LHb0-PG3R91lNS67YbE-c8jjRS10iCqzeZpW913eZxVVspOXRwREZ7BWQrFgUDWI2w5XgOlTH1rDU/s1600/CODE+ENFORCEMENT.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjKhI2_dXlhf70A6V2u3uq6l0sUNriRnjU524BzApw3G0xvLpaUJl3ojrHIxG90LHb0-PG3R91lNS67YbE-c8jjRS10iCqzeZpW913eZxVVspOXRwREZ7BWQrFgUDWI2w5XgOlTH1rDU/s320/CODE+ENFORCEMENT.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540954039571501362" /></a><br />Some thoughts on a few local stories:<br /><br />– An enterprising young fellow at California University of Pennsylvania are firing up a website designed to allow students interested in “hooking up” with other students to avail themselves of a sort of online free love clearinghouse. It bills itself as “safer than Craigslist and cheaper than bars.” My guess is that the vast, vast majority of those signing up will be horny male students doing some wishful thinking.<br /><br />– Police in Charleroi have charged a local man with cruelty to animals after finding two pit bulls that had starved to death in cages in a home the man formerly lived in. One can only imagine the suffering those animals went through before they mercifully died. I'm hoping that a judge will make an example of 24-year-old Stanley McDonald and give him as much jail time as the charge allows, provided he is found guilty. I saw a friend or relative of McDonald's on TV claiming that McDonald thought a friend was going to take care of the dogs. Count me among those who think that is bull@#$%.<br /><br />– I'm rarely surprised by anything Washington City Council does, but I was still puzzled by the story about the hiring of Ron McIntyre, a city police officer disabled in a fall during the 2006 fire at the George Washington Hotel, as the new city code enforcement officer. It's not that I have doubts about McIntyre's ability to do the job. It's the rate of pay for the duties being performed. The old code enforcement officer, Mike Behrens, made $41,000 a year. McIntyre will be making $35,000, but city solicitor Lane Turturice says his duties will only be about half that of Behrens. The solicitor says McIntyre will primarily be involved with rental registrations, while the action code enforcement will be done by fire Chief Linn Brookman and someone from North Strabane Township. Can someone explain to me why McIntyre will be paid nearly the same as Behrens for only half the work? That's a great job if you can get it.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-29640780510686611442010-09-24T14:14:00.005-04:002010-09-24T15:03:47.420-04:00If it worked once ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItZLHI-rS1-3FnzoNQGPvokS9t6x1vr0iEidAjj4nlpKuQR30129Q4ODJQ4VKrn-fYR9u4FuhdcxwlmgMqzR2k_CI3f7ddlYXCI_E2P71w7TD-wghXzdBxeOhr7LOWex84VpBs2-Q1-A/s1600/PETE+SESSIONS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItZLHI-rS1-3FnzoNQGPvokS9t6x1vr0iEidAjj4nlpKuQR30129Q4ODJQ4VKrn-fYR9u4FuhdcxwlmgMqzR2k_CI3f7ddlYXCI_E2P71w7TD-wghXzdBxeOhr7LOWex84VpBs2-Q1-A/s400/PETE+SESSIONS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520553994395198802" /></a><br />When movie studios in Hollywood run short of ideas or are desperate for a hit film, they often churn out sequels to movies that have been big successes in the past. The Republican Party is trying much the same thing. In 1994, Newt Gingrich and the gang came up with the Contract with America, a list of promises that resonated with voters and led to a Republican massacre of Democrats in House and Senate races. Halfway through President Obama’s term, current Republicans are hoping for a replay of that success and have come up with their “Pledge to America.” The main points can be boiled down to this: They’ll cut taxes and at the same time cut government spending. They also promise to repeal Obama's health-care reform law and put an immediate stop to stimulus spending. According to an AP story, the GOP plan is short on specifics in some important areas, but that’s not surprising. If you start answering vital questions, such as how you're going to cut spending or how you’re going to bail out Social Security, you might anger some people, and that’s not advisable in an election year. In this case, honesty appears to be far from the best policy. There’s really nothing new in this “Pledge to America.” But Republicans were fairly giddy about the manifesto, acting as if they had just cured cancer and herpes all in one fell swoop. Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said, “It’s a contrast to the way we conducted ourselves a decade ago. We spent too much money. We lost our way.” Frankly, if somebody tells me that he helped to spend too much of my money and lost his way, I really don't think I'd be interested in returning him for another shot at it. Ryan might want to avoid that "lost our way" stuff in future speeches. Another Republican congressman, Pete Sessions of Texas, shown above, crowed that “We’ve put things on a sheet of paper.” Well, whoop-de-damn-doo. These fiscally prudent Republicans want to save money by halting the spending of any more stimulus money, but then they want to turn right around and spend about $700 billion to give continued tax relief to rich people. And if you still believe that any significant portion of the money those rich folks get to keep will trickle down into the pockets of the poor, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. One last thing. It's an interesting little story about Pete Sessions, reported by the Politico website. Politico noted that on Sessions' Internet site last year, he referred to congressional earmarks as “a symbol of a broken Washington to the American people.” Sounds like a guy who is taking a stand against government waste. Right? Wrong. Politico went on to report that in 2008, Sessions got a $1.6 million earmark for blimp research for an Illinois company “whose president acknowledges having no experience in government contracting, let alone in building blimps.” How did the company, Jim G. Ferguson & Associates, come to Sessions’ attention? Through Adrian Plesha, a former aide to the congressman who once pleaded guilty to lying to the feds about some dirty political dealing in which he was involved and who made almost half a million dollars for his work with Ferguson & Associates. But if Sessions could help a company in his Dallas-area district create jobs, who could argue with that? Just one problem. The would-be blimp-building company was based in suburban Chicago. At least the company had a second office in San Antonio, far from Sessions’ district but at least in Texas. But somehow, when Sessions turned in his earmark request, the company suddenly had a Dallas address. Did they open a new office? No. According to one of the owners of Ferguson & Associates, that Dallas address was actually for the home of one of his close pals. There was no office there at all. Bottom line: When somebody pledges to you that they're going to take better care of your money than the guys in charge now, check carefully before you swallow it hook, line and sinker. It seems to me that no matter who is running the show – Democrats or Republicans – the lies, ineptitude and corruption don’t change much.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-9642655425939374162010-09-24T13:12:00.003-04:002010-09-24T13:44:46.628-04:00Heck, cover her with some of Big Bird's feathers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_FKl9xbKfMg-ylpyqiLYXtctc9Kl0N5VPtyeiSzsMX3_T8in5pDLkFzF0-IKWkf5HdKFwQUHVF8OXJbyO290WWx7eUOa-_D7FO6vMfr5OyMvVVGySeRlT7gMLcz-WZlX3ZT7KfnK8CU/s1600/PERRY+OUTFIT.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_FKl9xbKfMg-ylpyqiLYXtctc9Kl0N5VPtyeiSzsMX3_T8in5pDLkFzF0-IKWkf5HdKFwQUHVF8OXJbyO290WWx7eUOa-_D7FO6vMfr5OyMvVVGySeRlT7gMLcz-WZlX3ZT7KfnK8CU/s400/PERRY+OUTFIT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520537221145411650" /></a><br />Katy Perry’s breasts got her kicked off Sesame Street. I never thought I’d have to write that sentence, but because there is no shortage of prudes in this country, I finally got my chance. Perry, who is a rather attractive pop singer, did a musical number with the Sesame Street puppet Elmo that was supposed to run on the show, but when a clip of the video turned up on YouTube, some people apparently were aghast about the dress Perry was wearing, featuring a gold bustier top much like the one in the photo above. And, of course, with this being one of the leading countries in the world in which people are highly outraged by next to nothing, those folks complained. And Sesame Street, of course, bowed down immediately and killed plans to run the segment. You can still see it on Perry’s website at <a href="http://www.katyperry.com">http://www.katyperry.com/</a> Judge for yourself. But here’s my opinion. Katy Perry is a pretty gorgeous human being, but I find it hard to believe that anybody was offended by her cleavage because, well, she really doesn’t have much to speak of. I guarantee you that you can go to pretty much any beach in this country and see a lot more skin that what’s revealed by Perry’s dress. Heck, go to Washington Crown Center and you’ll see a lot more. Back in the day, the women’s underwear section of the Sears catalog featured more in the way of partial nudity. Honestly, unless it was pointed out by an adult, if kids watched this video, they wouldn’t think a thing of it. And I wonder if we’d even be talking about this if Perry’s dress had a couple of little straps on it. Unfortunately, children are too often taught that the human body is something to be ashamed of. The folks who are griping about Perry are probably the same ones who want women who breast-feed their children in public to be treated like Hester Prynne. Some people in this country are becoming more like the Taliban every day.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-63728200131714022422010-09-24T12:49:00.006-04:002010-09-24T13:09:02.819-04:00This and that<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqhihPuU0K5Iq8McYvNg6A-bsVgbsc3Htxv_yGZoQH45xsq24GYEivTjcWVqsV_UmQCe0ZTWv4pB75EuRdu-qR96vjPhsorj2oI8mdU1sn9fSvMcFof4tO5KbHLpHeIL71kyqmqfIOqc/s1600/VALERIE+HAMILTON.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqhihPuU0K5Iq8McYvNg6A-bsVgbsc3Htxv_yGZoQH45xsq24GYEivTjcWVqsV_UmQCe0ZTWv4pB75EuRdu-qR96vjPhsorj2oI8mdU1sn9fSvMcFof4tO5KbHLpHeIL71kyqmqfIOqc/s400/VALERIE+HAMILTON.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520525337304332290" /></a><br /><br />– A few days back, some of you might have seen a North Carolina sheriff pleading with law enforcement officers across the country to be on the lookout for his 23-year-old daughter's killer. It seemed pretty cut and dried. The guy in question is a convicted sex offender and all-around scumbag. The girl was described by her father as "perfect." But now you have to wonder. The suspect, Michael Harvey, claims that while he panicked and stuffed Valerie Hamilton’s body in a storage unit, he didn’t kill her. Instead, he says Hamilton, shown above, overdosed when they both took heroin, and she was dead beside him when he woke up the next morning. Add to that the fact that police said medical examiners found evidence of drug use, that it appears Hamilton left a bar of her own free will with Harvey, and that there were no outward signs of violence on the young woman’s body, and you have to begin to wonder if the guy might be telling the truth. Toxicology tests will most likely tell the tale in this case. It just goes to show that initial impressions in a criminal investigation can be dead wrong. The cops might get Harvey for providing the drugs that killed the woman, but the real blame for her death, if it was an overdose, lies with her poor decision-making.<br /><br />– A school district in central Pennsylvania is engaged in a dispute with the mother of one of its students. Janet Malin wants Lampeter-Strasburg School District to exempt her son from its random drug-testing policy, with which the boy must comply in order to get a permit to park on campus. The woman’s reasoning? According to an AP story, the mother says her boy was raised in the Quaker faith, which “requires him to be truthful and obey society’s laws.” I’ve got two words for Ms. Malin: Richard Nixon. Nixon was a Quaker, and he was one helluva liar. Case closed. Verdict for the school district.<br /><br />– The latest case of official stupidity came out of a New Jersey school district this week. It seems a fifth-grader who found a cigarette lighter on his way to school has been suspended because the lighter was considered a threat to student safety. I kid you not. Never mind that the 11-year-old never even tried to flick the Bic. The idiot school superintendent said the district considers something a weapon if it “has the potential to cause harm.” Guess what? Being exposed to dim bulbs like the school officials in that district pose a greater threat to students than an unlit lighter ever could.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-16916616733123116542010-08-06T12:47:00.001-04:002010-08-06T12:49:03.135-04:00Religious hatred behind mosque opposition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMiIwU-75Z0Hs3BheG8arBkXSTHsW6a-ET-hKjLb_VEQ9_1hfq7LLnFPOvaIBbsvGc1Jk1F1ClJIYAqvksAnj1S5gTM9LL23P3QgIKThWwOuiUxnrKYrI8ez-67GMxXGL4_ZvOdVW9YQ/s1600/Pat-Robertson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 370px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMiIwU-75Z0Hs3BheG8arBkXSTHsW6a-ET-hKjLb_VEQ9_1hfq7LLnFPOvaIBbsvGc1Jk1F1ClJIYAqvksAnj1S5gTM9LL23P3QgIKThWwOuiUxnrKYrI8ez-67GMxXGL4_ZvOdVW9YQ/s400/Pat-Robertson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502339784650257010" /></a><br />A group started by noted hatemonger Pat Robertson (the story I saw called it a “conservative” group; doesn’t that go without saying?) has filed a lawsuit in what will no doubt be a long, expensive, but ultimately fruitless, attempt to stop the construction of an Islamic center a couple of blocks from Ground Zero. The action comes after the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee unanimously refused to block demolition of a 152-year-old building that stands in the way of the project. Those proposing to build the Cordoba Mosque have made it very clear that their goal is to foster peace and understanding between Islam and people of other faiths. That didn’t stop one goofball at the committee’s hearing from holding up a sign that said, “Don’t glorify the murders of 3,000. No 9/11 victory mosque.” And Rick Lazio, a former Republican congressman now running for governor of New York, took the opportunity to do a little demagogueing, accusing the Islamic group’s imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, of being buddy-buddy with terrorists. He noted a “60 Minutes” interview in the wake of 9/11 in which Rauf said the attacks were in some part sparked by U.S. policies in the Middle East. Of course they were. Does anybody really doubt that the United States’ constant support of Israel against any other interests in that region just might have fostered some anger and resentment? One question I have for mosque opponents is this: Exactly how far must a mosque be from Ground Zero? Is is four blocks? Six? Eight? The distance from Ground Zero really isn’t the issue. It’s the hatred by many people of all things Muslim because of the actions of a militant, violent fringe of that religion. As an online poster noted recently on the O-R website, these folks won’t be calling for a ban on Catholic churches near grade schools because some priests raped children. Apparently, the central argument that will be made in the Robertson group’s lawsuit is that the landmarks panel “acted arbitrarily and abused its discretion.” No, it didn’t. It acted dispassionately, rationally and intelligently. The mosque opponents should give that a try sometime.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-614262652599436802010-08-06T12:44:00.001-04:002010-08-06T12:45:47.482-04:00Kagan’s on the court<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcTYIlkmP6vGmNyhSRknc5Ye5PteTcGVWj5F1q24Q5RvzLzEVO0xkFOv78qw5mTme_4ip3DscD1IWkI6StcK-bMVB7NFSWnV3lcrM0k1RxcNDm8srOZ6j9gvEhJuAHM3Wll0VIKOVCoE/s1600/kagan.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcTYIlkmP6vGmNyhSRknc5Ye5PteTcGVWj5F1q24Q5RvzLzEVO0xkFOv78qw5mTme_4ip3DscD1IWkI6StcK-bMVB7NFSWnV3lcrM0k1RxcNDm8srOZ6j9gvEhJuAHM3Wll0VIKOVCoE/s320/kagan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502339003782716402" /></a><br />Elena Kagan won approval of the Senate this week to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, marking the first time three women will be on the panel. The vote was relatively predictable. Kudos to Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Lindsay Graham, Judd Gregg and Richard Lugar for putting politics aside and voting for Kagan for the only reason that should matter: They found her to be a well-qualified candidate for the court. And then there’s supposedly Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the lone member of his party to vote against Kagan. In response to critics of his vote, Nelson said, “Are they from Nebraska? Then I don’t care.” In other words, “Can they vote for me in the next election? If not, I don’t care.” There’s nothing wrong with a lawmaker breaking with his party. In fact, independence is a valuable quality in a lawmaker. But it’s not independence that Nelson is displaying. It’s pure politics. He’ll be facing re-election in a couple of years in a conservative state, and if there’s anything remotely controversial about an issue, you can expect Nelson to vote with the Republicans. He might as well just switch parties and make it official. Then there’s Scott Brown, the Republican senator from Massachusetts, who had the most hilarious explanation for his “no” vote on Kagan. Brown said he thinks Kagan is “brilliant,” but he voted against her because she lacks courtroom experience. I have no problem with someone thinking that members of the top court should have a judicial background, but Brown’s explanation was ludicrous. He said, “The best umpires, to use the popular analogy, must not only call balls and strikes, but also have spent enough time on the playing field to know the strike zone.” That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. First, that’s not a popular analogy. In fact, I’m guessing no one has EVER heard it uttered before in human history. Second, an umpire doesn’t have to have any experience as a player to be a good arbiter. All an umpire has to do is understand the rulebook and apply it accurately and fairly. Brown comes out of this looking like a boob. In other words, he’s perfect for the Senate.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-17916144426527369282010-08-06T12:19:00.003-04:002010-08-06T12:37:11.922-04:00Gay OK<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kDq7iXCg48nX0-cMTAoYW8d960evWJl0GRLpzVTJcusvD7fUuAxxZCRbicXRe5PZo9fIjjJjk8mvft0YKmziAdrvSJ9qHAKJMC2zp5VftLAgjWvjQcfg6l7Bz3OkhaNuzBNgJmD2Peg/s1600/gay+marriage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kDq7iXCg48nX0-cMTAoYW8d960evWJl0GRLpzVTJcusvD7fUuAxxZCRbicXRe5PZo9fIjjJjk8mvft0YKmziAdrvSJ9qHAKJMC2zp5VftLAgjWvjQcfg6l7Bz3OkhaNuzBNgJmD2Peg/s400/gay+marriage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502335694743301090" /></a><br />Justice was served this week in California, where a federal judge struck down the clearly discriminatory Proposition 8, which had invalidated the state law allowing same-sex marriages. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker got it exactly right when he said that opponents of gay marriage, primarily the loving, caring religious right, were motivated only by their ill will toward gay people. Said Walker in his ruling, “Proposition 8 played on the fear that exposure to homosexuality would turn children into homosexuals and that parents should dread having children who are not heterosexual.” That’s definitely what was on display. Fear, stupidity and hatred. The “holy trinity” of right-wing Christianity. There are reports that Judge Walker is, himself, gay. How did Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush not spot that when they nominated him to the federal bench? Kidding. Anyway, this issue isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Eventually, it will reach the Supreme Court, and how that turns out is anyone’s guess. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Alito, Scalia and Thomas won’t be in favor of gay marriage. But whatever the case, the final outcome is inevitable. There will come a day when gay people in this country can marry just like heterosexuals. And that will be a great day.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-22341223535421486262010-08-02T15:44:00.005-04:002010-08-02T15:54:06.246-04:00He's still an idiot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrWL-YKrhc6d7i6XE1nHr2dMjWuasf7ZwY5Cy7JoTLLzhMuvc_HGi5QfVHCair7KUHCe2oRmN5XSn-2Wc1ZUEZA7nZqZAHJLGbn-9w51qs9HvlMWDz1m963eGznYQo5S41o9BE7AVn8w/s1600/JEFF+REED.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrWL-YKrhc6d7i6XE1nHr2dMjWuasf7ZwY5Cy7JoTLLzhMuvc_HGi5QfVHCair7KUHCe2oRmN5XSn-2Wc1ZUEZA7nZqZAHJLGbn-9w51qs9HvlMWDz1m963eGznYQo5S41o9BE7AVn8w/s400/JEFF+REED.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500902915791750370" /></a><br />You would think that with memories still fresh of his little incident with police officers in an alley where a teammate was allegedly relieving himself, Jeff Reed might try to avoid causing a stir. You would be wrong. In an interview with the <span style="font-style:italic;">Post-Gazette</span>, the Steelers kicker is whining about the way he's being treated in contract negotiations. Reed claims that somebody in a higher-up position with the Steelers lied to him about getting a long-term deal. Reed told the P-G that team President Art Rooney II has advised him that such a contract won’t get done before this season gets under way, in part because the team had to ante up some millions to hire Flozell Adams to replace injured offensive tackle Willie Colon. Here's what Reed told the newspaper: “It’s one of those things. Life is not really fair. I’ve experienced that a few times in this league. I honestly feel that if you perform ... you need to get compensated for it.” For the record, Reed will be compensated this year to the tune of $2.8 million. For kicking a ball maybe eight or 10 times a game. Most people would feel really blessed to have such an arrangement. Fact is, Reed is an excellent field goal kicker. At the same time, he’s very average in the kickoff department, and he has repeatedly conducted himself like a buffoon. Maybe the Steelers just want to wait to see if Reed can go a year without acting like a horse’s ass in public. You know, maybe avoid going 12 rounds with a paper towel dispenser, and stop having run-ins with the boys in blue.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-1669218324978720432010-08-02T12:42:00.004-04:002010-08-02T12:58:38.986-04:00What a schmuck<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcYeLXpyITA7tNKLZQ1X2m9xYP4ghx42drlS_BsVg45mOojsU53AbW1V2vIvVI9l6tBpBpHPchXEenOBjqpb8brWDD3XJWFVOBLEGyTp2GTi8380lzWjvVsgF1ISBdbAPcEDC2Tmocf0/s1600/Karen+Sypher.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 333px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcYeLXpyITA7tNKLZQ1X2m9xYP4ghx42drlS_BsVg45mOojsU53AbW1V2vIvVI9l6tBpBpHPchXEenOBjqpb8brWDD3XJWFVOBLEGyTp2GTi8380lzWjvVsgF1ISBdbAPcEDC2Tmocf0/s400/Karen+Sypher.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500857672489512978" /></a><br />If you want a few laughs, reading about a sex scandal generally is not the first thing that comes to mind. But Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino’s testimony last week in the case of a woman accused of trying to extort millions from him to keep quiet about a sexual encounter in a restaurant provided some moments of hilarity. I'm sure Pitino wasn't trying to be funny when talking about his dalliance with Karen Cunagin Sypher (shown above) in 2003, but it sure turned out that way. Here are a few paragraphs from an Associated Press story:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Pitino testified Wednesday that he meet Sypher on July 31, 2003, at the restaurant, where he had gone following a golf outing.<br />Pitino, who is married, said he bought Sypher a drink and the two exchanged small talk after the restaurant closed.<br />When he got up to leave, Pitino said she whispered something, unzipped his pants and the two had sex “very briefly.”<br />"Unfortunate things happen," Pitino said.</span><br /><br />That's good comedy right there. I can just hear Pitino after his wife found out about the hanky-panky: "Well, honey, I was minding my own business in a restaurant when this lady unzipped my drawers and an ‘unfortunate thing’ happened.” I'm guessing Pitino didn’t think it was very unfortunate at the time. Or maybe he just thought it was unfortunate that the sex was very brief. But is that really something you want known? “Fastest Gun in the West” isn't a good nickname when you’re talking about things that go on behind closed doors. Bottom line: Pitino did something slimy, and Louisville, by continuing to employ him, has made it clear that wins on the basketball court, and money, are more important than having someone of good character leading the teenagers and early 20-somethings on the team.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-82323702574643167912010-08-02T12:30:00.005-04:002010-08-02T12:42:00.733-04:00Politics via PSA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKgCOEY3JyOsXvbIG9eMsb3l3o41ZOau7PSrRXF8JbFzPJW89qYeQ5BaSgyBdR5NBTtDthmTHBW62x1ymt7M5LYcHe-_Zk1hCj2WnllHXtIAH7rm5Z6wy-7mRJDEVP7oPxfHMAsv4KTU/s1600/weights+and+measures.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKgCOEY3JyOsXvbIG9eMsb3l3o41ZOau7PSrRXF8JbFzPJW89qYeQ5BaSgyBdR5NBTtDthmTHBW62x1ymt7M5LYcHe-_Zk1hCj2WnllHXtIAH7rm5Z6wy-7mRJDEVP7oPxfHMAsv4KTU/s320/weights+and+measures.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500853257744501122" /></a><br />If you've been watching the news on WPXI-TV lately, you've no doubt seen "public service announcements" featuring Allegheny County Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty. In the ads, Flaherty touts the work done by his office’s weights and measures division in making sure Allegheny County residents are getting the lunch meat and gasoline they're entitled to. That's all well and good, but what is interesting is that the so-called public service announcements are paid for by the Friends of Mark Patrick Flaherty political action committee. In other words, it's a campaign ad disguised as a PSA. If it were a real public service announcement, perhaps a simple video made by someone in Flaherty's office and offered to the local TV stations, WPXI most likely would run it for free, though not in the middle of the morning and evening news shows, which are prime advertising time. Heck, he probably could have gotten one of the WPXI talking heads to do the voice work on a real PSA, but that doesn't get Mark Patrick Flaherty's face on the screen in front of voters who might (will) be asked to cast their ballots for him as he makes a run for a higher office. Flaherty might contend that he's not currently running for anything. Well, I'm willing to wait and see. If Flaherty never runs for county executive or some other office that would constitute a "promotion," I'm a liar. If he does, we'll know what these "public service announcements" were all about.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-28132376537872911992010-07-21T11:10:00.001-04:002010-07-21T11:12:22.415-04:00Open mouth, switch feet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnFk8sp-6-Nb0MxfHBtnruw1JDRipJNDs3yZW3zR25KlwCqsMKQypJUYbrAWbtarjpS7eFHYpR2sQz-dxIbRHWEtk6KsiKOPfLyBlHdJEiNNReA8yY83F6YaXbFY17fjkq7LiwHkWT28/s1600/POPE+COMMANDMENT.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnFk8sp-6-Nb0MxfHBtnruw1JDRipJNDs3yZW3zR25KlwCqsMKQypJUYbrAWbtarjpS7eFHYpR2sQz-dxIbRHWEtk6KsiKOPfLyBlHdJEiNNReA8yY83F6YaXbFY17fjkq7LiwHkWT28/s400/POPE+COMMANDMENT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496377518501733394" /></a><br />In the world of clumsy public relations moves and tone-deaf pronouncements, the Catholic Church has few peers. That was evidenced again the other day when the Vatican issued new rules regarding sex abuse by members of the clergy (which, by the way, were weaker than those imposed by U.S. bishops) and decided that would be a good time to also announce that the category of “grave crimes,” such as sex abuse of little kids, would also include any attempt to ordain women. Those within the Catholic Church who think women should maybe be treated as men’s equals were none too pleased with the synchronicity. The next day, the Vatican trotted out an official to say that the Holy See had not intended to equate ordination of women with child rape. Gotcha. About the same time, I saw an AP story noting that the Vatican was 13 years late – yes, 13 years – in submitting a report on child rights that is required of all entities that signed on to the United Nations’ 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. The chairman of the panel charged with implementing the convention has made repeated attempts to get the Vatican to submit its report, with no success. Last September, Vatican representative Hubertus Matheus Van Megen told the U.N. that the needed document was being “finalized as we speak.” Apparently, the word “finalize” has a different meaning in Europe. But maybe the reason for the delay is this: Van Megan said the Vatican planned to include a paragraph about “the problem of child abuse by Catholic Clergy.” A whole paragraph?!?!?!? Who says they don’t take this stuff seriously?Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-28722016006122121392010-07-21T11:08:00.001-04:002010-07-21T11:10:22.125-04:00Blatant disregard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXeQ5t65hXPfK2fw30X3WjFh_57uFCQIJGfclpSyCi1-YT6JI3sboUp0zGmzZCXVukEaWPr5ikN8gTaD-NgJf94PhugrGhE6iss_84eBd7ISnDrcJw4USSgbzv0sFR2sRk4V85SHgEc4/s1600/MINERS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXeQ5t65hXPfK2fw30X3WjFh_57uFCQIJGfclpSyCi1-YT6JI3sboUp0zGmzZCXVukEaWPr5ikN8gTaD-NgJf94PhugrGhE6iss_84eBd7ISnDrcJw4USSgbzv0sFR2sRk4V85SHgEc4/s400/MINERS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496377041962241490" /></a><br />Dennis Roddy and Daniel Malloy of the Post-Gazette had a good story the other day about what allegedly was going on in the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia before 29 miners were killed in an explosion April 5. According to the report, an electrician at the mine is saying that he was ordered to disable a methane detector on mining equipment. Apparently, that particular piece of equipment was not in the area where the deadly explosion occurred, but investigators are looking into the possibility that the same type of thing was done elsewhere in the mine. If it is found that shenanigans like this contributed to the disaster in that mine, and the deaths of 29 people, somebody should go to jail for a very, very long time. In China, they’d probably execute any executives whose deliberate actions, or orders, led to mass deaths. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-9348986884835380602010-07-21T11:06:00.001-04:002010-07-21T11:08:26.279-04:00Casting a net too wide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBSp8khptb7Srwr5Ialvwg9O0-OJguolRlLr-kvkJxegW_ufU5ks1IDAgiD_-ezUYXoz8n8UGWSjzi6MVXlC5QMJzdPYUpOFRmRQODkRioNkHepF9uuCBMvuPM7R_03tiKDyjsBPqKMs/s1600/GOVERNOR+PATERSON.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBSp8khptb7Srwr5Ialvwg9O0-OJguolRlLr-kvkJxegW_ufU5ks1IDAgiD_-ezUYXoz8n8UGWSjzi6MVXlC5QMJzdPYUpOFRmRQODkRioNkHepF9uuCBMvuPM7R_03tiKDyjsBPqKMs/s400/GOVERNOR+PATERSON.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496376442600157570" /></a><br />Kudos to New York Gov. David Paterson, who signed a measure Friday that will clear out a database that held the names of thousands of people who had been stopped and frisked by police in New York City but were not charged with a crime. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly lobbied Paterson to reject the legislation, with Kelly calling it a “great crime-fighting tool.” But I think Paterson had it right when he said the so-called “stop-and-frisk” system was “not a policy for democracy.” There’s just way too much opportunity for official mischief. Don Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union expressed the concern well by saying, “Innocent people stopped by police for doing nothing more than going to school, work or the subway should not become permanent criminal suspects.”Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-25709167132908924242010-07-21T11:04:00.001-04:002010-07-21T11:06:49.993-04:00Gee, I wonder why<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg7dqPyendWvh08etb3KF7CA3dGmrH7XOk5TZGypqcODdqorPm4z0Q-HS2j-XhunbrvHP-ncPPM1i3jCfu6wESpYmrX8dt1EKteOtZ2xqvHRd01CR0fcl3rQwbCSb_6aS0Q3r3iYqzrY/s1600/ARMY+SUICIDES.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg7dqPyendWvh08etb3KF7CA3dGmrH7XOk5TZGypqcODdqorPm4z0Q-HS2j-XhunbrvHP-ncPPM1i3jCfu6wESpYmrX8dt1EKteOtZ2xqvHRd01CR0fcl3rQwbCSb_6aS0Q3r3iYqzrY/s400/ARMY+SUICIDES.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496376113308227810" /></a><br />Despite extensive efforts to shed light on and address the issue, the Army reports that suicides by its soldiers hit 32 last month, the highest number since the days of the Vietnam War. In 2009, a record 245 soldiers killed themselves, and it looks, unfortunately, as if there’s a good chance that record will be broken this year, considering that 145 soldiers had committed suicide through June. It’s a sad state of affairs, and Army leaders are trying everything they can think of to get their men and women the help they need. But they come off as disingenuous when, as in the story I read Friday, they express puzzlement as to what is behind the epidemic. Do you think maybe it’s the fact that our servicemen and women have been sent over and over and over again to Iraq and Afghanistan? Might want to look into that.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-8875017526344455072010-07-13T14:34:00.003-04:002010-07-13T15:00:31.559-04:00Be proud, Republicans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9On8a7nY36leC3CR-a3_njifGx8aT4igUk06jxyC1eSNVjl5WvQBm8fRAERbTFLJU81Xiqm0FFoRVgg8qdaygBbhnpRJ0NFzDdAnNyNbUJWV1Cd3tMD655LFeCrAUueN2OhREqRzugnQ/s1600/David+Vitter.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9On8a7nY36leC3CR-a3_njifGx8aT4igUk06jxyC1eSNVjl5WvQBm8fRAERbTFLJU81Xiqm0FFoRVgg8qdaygBbhnpRJ0NFzDdAnNyNbUJWV1Cd3tMD655LFeCrAUueN2OhREqRzugnQ/s400/David+Vitter.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493466723406205698" /></a><br />U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana seems to be auditioning for a leading role in a remake of the classic movie “Dumb and Dumber.” In this case, he’s the dumb guy cheering on even dumber ones. Vitter, whom you might remember apologizing profusely after getting snared in the “D.C. Madam” case that starred Charleroi’s own Deborah Jeane Palfrey, held a town hall meeting for some of the home folks over the weekend and endorsed efforts by some conservative (read: lunatic) groups that are mounting court challenges regarding President Obama’s citizenship. Now, every person in America with more brains than a gerbil knows damn well that Obama was born in Hawaii. But since our populace includes its fair share of dolts, these cases continue to be filed. According to the AP, Vitter told the town hall crowd that the only "direct information" he has about Obama's place of birth has come through the news media “filter.” So, what Sen. Dimbulb seems to be suggesting is that every legitimate news organization in this country is part of a vast, left-wing conspiracy to conceal the African birth of our president. C'mon. You can disagree with the president's policies and the direction he'd like the country to take, but get a grip, for heaven's sake. A lot of people in this country aren't happy with President Obama and the Democrats, and most of them know that the correct way to express their displeasure is at the ballot box, this November and in 2012, if they please. But don't waste everyone's time with this jackassery. In closing, I'd just like to say to David Vitter, “You're an idiot.” And to any and all of his fellow “birthers,” you're idiots, too. But I'm willing to help you get over this obsession. I hear that if you stare at the sun, you will eventually be able to see President Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate. But be safe. Make sure you look through the cardboard tube from a spent roll of toilet paper.Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137997322301347949.post-23520102241222088742010-07-13T14:00:00.005-04:002010-07-14T06:51:37.213-04:00In the news<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCHDMUkqaYWSXOiobnoWiabRUMuYUMpXQW7XhMHmSTaMZ2icJrbflUDUpc-kDGweW99fdKqaciDHXwXd24ZEoNhrCfBO6jIOOalNf7OxRoOeLFyYp7Z5EYI8duCn_eoXWHCSrK70nk_0/s1600/Transit+riot.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCHDMUkqaYWSXOiobnoWiabRUMuYUMpXQW7XhMHmSTaMZ2icJrbflUDUpc-kDGweW99fdKqaciDHXwXd24ZEoNhrCfBO6jIOOalNf7OxRoOeLFyYp7Z5EYI8duCn_eoXWHCSrK70nk_0/s320/Transit+riot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493460343915333426" /></a><br />A few thoughts on recent stories on the Associated Press wires:<br /><br />– I'm not endorsing the guy (or his opponent), but it certainly warms my heart to hear Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett, in an AP interview, say that he would consider privatizing liquor sales to help balance the state's books. A couple of months ago, I contacted representatives of the leading candidates for governor to get the candidates' views on putting an end to the state’s Soviet-style liquor sales system. At that time, Corbett's spokesman said privatization of liquor sales was not a priority. Now it sounds like he's giving the idea more consideration. Good news.<br /><br />– I recently heard about a book called "The Secret." When I found out what it was about, I laughed heartily and wondered why anyone in his or her right mind would spend the money to buy this hogwash. Then I found out that this crap-science book has sold millions of copies, leading me to believe there are millions of nuts among us. The main thrust of “The Secret” is the “law of attraction,” which really isn’t a law in any sense but instead is made-up bull@#$%. The AP reports that author Rhonda Byrne, in 2007, explained it by saying that "when you think and feel what you want to attract on the inside,” the law will pull you in that direction. Hah. But it seems millions of people are willing to suspend their common sense and stifle intelligent thought in order to believe that Byrne is on to something here. She's not the only one preaching this craziness. There's a fellow named James Arthur Ray who I saw profiled recently on a TV news show. You might recognize him as the charlatan who is currently up on criminal charges stemming from a deadly “sweat lodge” incident near Sedona, Ariz. With Ray out of action for a while, this presumably creates more business for Byrne, and she's capitalizing by coming out with her follow-up book, “The Power.” Here's my take: If you believe this stuff, you're a simpleton, and “The Secret” is that a shyster like Byrne has “The Power" to separate you from your money.<br /><br />– I don't know if you saw this amongst all the important coverage of the LeBron James decision, but a recent guilty verdict against a white former transit officer who shot an unarmed black man sparked rioting in the San Francisco area that led to more than 80 arrests. That's right, a conviction. I seem to recall that there was rioting when police officers were ACQUITTED of whipping the bejeezus out of Rodney King, but there was a CONVICTION in this case, and people still rioted. Wonder what would happen in the case of a hung jury?Branthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472711158045753698noreply@blogger.com1