There she is, Miss Intolerance.

Good Morning: Well, in the midst of Pakistan being swarmed by the Taliban that's pouring over their borders from Afghanistan; GM's notice that it will be closing most--if not all--of its plants for two months and the ongoing financial/economic problems that continue to wrack our nation...we have the Miss USA dust-up. Poor Carrie Prejean--she LOST her deserved first place finish just because she admitted GOD's truth. HE don't want no GAYboy wives or GAYgirl hubbies. Shame on those nasty judges, especially that terrible Perez Hilton person, who attacked that poor girl just because she told him what GOD's whispered in her ear (and put in the bible, according to her) about how much he hates the idea of His & His towels. Tsk, tsk. And she is just such a bodacious KKKristian babe, too! I mean legs up to wherever, a nice rack, killer teeth and those beautiful (and eerily vacant) eyes. /snark. Ms. Prejean is not new to the business (and I do mean business) of beauty paegants. She's been at this for quite some time and knows full well what goes on at these events. She says she knew in advance that the question was one that she might be asked and that she prayed it would not fall to her to answer it. I have no problem at all with her wearing a push up bra and showing off her body to the admiring public. I have no problem that she is an idiot who, obviously, misjudged her audience. I'm guessing that, when she saw that she was not going to win the contest, she decided to get some "way of the cross" cred by being a martyr for the cause of anti-gay KKKristian bigotry. Fine. What I DO have a problem with is her and her idiot supporters thinking that her comment is somehow correct while the reaction to it is not. You want to express your opinion to millions? Okay. You wnat to not to have to own the fall-out? Sorry, that's part of the gig--ask the Dixie Chicks. Today's KKKristians seem to have this mindset that says that gays are sinners and abominations in the eyes of GOD. Otoh, it's fine with them that the likes of Carrie Prejean, strutting up and down the runway, being ogled by the audience of men who are not LISTENING to the speeches are disturbingly immodest WHILE they are espousing their KKKristian values. It boggles the mind.

No giant panda winners at the shooting gallery.

Good morning: I think I like to type that because, that way, I can at least SEEM to be starting on a positive note, before descending into the stygian depths of inchoate rage that are stored in the cellar hole 'neath my hindbrain. So, okay, we've tried reason, we've tried accomodation, we've tried balance. Howsabout we try this: "Fucking moron with guns and an inability to deal with, or even articulate, his problems decides to be a coward and kill other folks so we'll all feel bad for him." I am getting pretty worn out reading about folks with histories of abusing others or mental problems, killing folks with easily obtained (legal or otherwise) weaponry that is, to "hunting", what dynamite is to sportsfishing. I don't HATE guns. I like guns. I like the way they look, I like the way they sound and I like the way they operate. They are great, as machines, or implements or whatever you want to call them. What they are not great at, in fact they are quite horrible at, is "getting even" with one's own demons. I know how touchy some folks are about their second amendment rights. I'm that way about the other nine items in the BoR and the rest of the U.S. Constitution, come to think of it. However, when some shithead's "right" to bear arms causes the cessation (with extreme prejudice) of another's "right" to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--well, for me it's a no-brainer. I'm gonna side with the poor, unarmed schlub, every time. I'm not suggesting confiscating anyone's guns. I am suggesting that current rules for gun ownership need to be reviewed. Current firearms ownership laws, particularly in some states like GA and FL are so fucking lax that people who have histories of violent, irrational behavior are able to easily obtain weapons that are equal to, or better, than those used by law enforcement agencies. Some folks have suggested that an armed populace would cut down on such incidents as; the three policemen murdered in Pittsburgh, the thirteen people murdered in Binghamton or the four police officers killed in Oakland--all within the last two weeks. In those three particular cases, it appears that the shooters were in two cases, duly licensed--the parolee in CA, obviously not. Weapons differed--not to the victims, of course; dead is dead; but, they all had in common, that they were wielded by people who thought that "might makes right". Re: the argument for arming the populace, if carried to its logical conclusion. During the Binghamton incident the police placed a number of individuals in custody while trying to sort out who were innocents and who might have been perps. Had those "suspicious" characters been armed they might have been mistaken for the shooter and been shot by the police. This idiocy needs to stop. Now.

Dance me to the edge...

Good afternoon, music lovers: I've spoken in this space, a while back, about a coupld of Leonard Cohen tunes. I just happened to turn on NPR at noon, today, and was rewarded with a "Fresh Air" program that featured a 2006 interview, by Terri Gross, with Leonard Cohen. I recommend listening to it. Mr. Cohen is currently on tour, for the first time in 15 years. While I will not get to one of his shows, I listen to his music daily. I recommend listening to all of his music, here's a great place to start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtMFdBsWICs&feature=related.