Cranky Bastard

Coulter Jokes About Poisoning Justice - Yahoo! News: "Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, speaking at a traditionally black college, joked that Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned.
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Coulter had told the Philander Smith College audience Thursday that more conservative justices were needed on the Supreme Court to change the current law on abortion. Stevens is one of the court's most liberal members.
'We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee,' Coulter said. 'That's just a joke, for you in the media.'
Coulter has made a career of writing and lecturing on her strongly conservative views.
At one point during her address, which was part of a lecture series, some audience members booed when she cut off two questioners. 'I'm not going to be lectured to,' Coulter told one man in a raised voice.
She drew more boos when she said the crack cocaine problem 'has pretty much gone away.'"

These comments are just plain outrageous. She needs to get a good talking to, and she needs to get less support from Fox News and MSNBC. It is people like her that say we should not have a "litmus test" on Supreme Court justices as it relates to abortion, but it is exactly what she wants. She wants to be able to clearly depend on newly-appointed justices to overturn Roe. Granted, she represents the far-right, but it makes us right-leaning centrists worry about the future of a party whose old values had more to do with LIMITED government than with LESS freedom. I suppose she probably supports the President in not approaching the FISA court. The Administration that has hundreds of aides could not find the time in someone's schedule to do the paperwork to make the country feel that someone would have some kind of oversight on wiretapping? So, I am not a Democrat, but I am not sure I am a Republican either. I am sure my stance will clarify as we near the next couple of elections. Right now, I am just disillusioned.

The Cincinnati Post - Wildcat fans question movie portrayal: "Last month, WKYT-TV in Lexington aired a documentary - funded in part by the University of Kentucky - that casts Rupp in a far more flattering light than even the edited version of the movie. Based on interviews with former players, coaches and beat writers, it suggests Rupp not only wasn't a racist but spent years actively searching for the ideal player to break the basketball team's color barrier.
Dick Gabriel, WKYT's sports manager who produced the documentary, said the issue wasn't home games in Lexington but Southeastern Conference road games in the Deep South. A black player for Kentucky, a disliked program already because of its immense success, would have been subjected to far greater scrutiny than one playing on another SEC team, Gabriel said.
'The South was a dangerous place for African-Americans to begin with,' Gabriel said. 'Rupp knew his teams were already hated. He said, 'Imagine what it's going to be like when we go down there with a black player who can't stay at the hotel where we stay, can't eat at the restaurants we eat?' Had he not tried to recruit the perfect player - a superstar - then he wouldn't have taken nearly as long.'
In 1969, Rupp signed the school's first black player - Tom Payne from Louisville, who spent only a year at Kentucky before entering the National Basketball Association draft. By the time Payne joined the Wildcats, the rest of the SEC was almost fully integrated.
At the end of 'Glory Road,' a screen note credits Rupp for recruiting Payne and points out the university's current basketball coach - Tubby Smith - is black. Smith took his players to see the film this past week."

I have not seen the movie and will likely share my thoughts on it after I do, but there have been some interesting things happen that I can share now. My Dad, Grandmother (Granny), and Uncle went to see the movie a couple of weeks ago. They are all die-hard Kentucky fans. They each liked the movie. My Dad didn't have much to say about it, but Granny said that it was pretty accurate. She said that, in that time period, civil rights had not yet come to the fore.
My Uncle, interestingly, went to the University of Kentucky that year, before moving to North Texas for specialized jazz studies. He was at every home game and passed Rupp during games at Memorial Hall. Granny said that he felt really strange watching the movie, because it depicted a time in his own life that he felt really close to, as anyone would when referring to their freshman year in college. He, along with most other UK students and fans, idolized Rupp. Most of us still do. I didn't sound like he argued much with the premise. He would have been the most likely, because most of his heroes at the time were African-American jazzers.
Present-day, there are no issues with African-Americans in Lexington. We love Tubby, even in a year when we are performing less than our norm. We embrace our players regardless of their color. Tubby was the first African-American member of one of Lexington's country clubs. My Great-Uncle has been a member there for many, many years. When Granny, his sister, asked him how he felt about it, my Great-Uncle said, "it's about time".
Another big honor in the state of Kentucky is the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. While there is no complete listing of members, the website boasts Kentuckians like Ali, and other African-Americans.
And as I have noted here before, Northern Kentucky is very proud of its history as the last loving stop on the Underground Railroad. It was one of the most inspiring parts of our history when I was a child. I knew that the brave people of that area in that era knew better than to treat people as less than people. They were way ahead of their time, and they were right.
It is important to both look at the movie in the context of the time period as well as in the context of the progress that has so clearly been made. Kentuckians are a very proud people. We are proud of the coaching of Rupp. We are proud of our history as helpful in freeing African-Americans. And, even in a less than stellar year, we are proud of our Wildcats and Tubby.

CNN.com - Two groups sue over NSA wiretap program - Jan 17, 2006: "Other plaintiffs include journalists Christopher Hitchens and Tara McKelvey, scholars Barnett Rubin and Larry Diamond, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Greenpeace and the Council on American-Islamic Relations."

If this proves anything, it proves that this man answers only to himself. He was willing to stand against Blumenthal publicly in the Clinton scandal. Then he was willing to more than just irritate all of his friends when he publicly supported Bush in the Iraq war. Now, he is standing up against what he sees as unconstitutional acts approved by the President. (Many of us wonder why the Administration wouldn't step into the FISA court within the 72 hour window.) And let's face it, Hitchy has never much worried about offending people. He is getting ready to launch a new anti-religion book. The fireworks...I can't wait. He has spoken openly about the limited humanity, let's say, of the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. This book makes that look like a nudge compared to the all out knock-out punch that this book should be. I feel sorry for anyone who goes up against him in the many panel discussions that he will likely do to promote the book. Being embarassed by one of the best living minds would not be the way I would choose to spend an evening. Another of many kudos to Hitchy for impressing us with his courage.

"The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., ever-controversial president of Kentucky's Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has stirred debate by asserting that it's 'an absolute revolt against God's design' if husbands and wives purposely avoid bearing children...To him, raising children is both a God-given duty and "one of the most crucial opportunities for the making of saints...Following Southern Baptist style, Mohler based his case on the Bible, saying it teaches that "marriage, sex and children are part of one package. To deny any part of this wholeness is to reject God's intention in creation - and his mandate revealed in the Bible.""

Live your life the way he says or you are going to Hell, right? Do I even need to comment on this? Don't we all know how crazy he is? The real problem here is that there are people who listen to him, and sadly, respect him.

WOAI: San Antonio News - Bible Study Coming to New Braunfels ISD: "'What makes it compliant is that we are teaching the Bible as a textbook and a document,' adds Bratcher.
Northeast ISD already offers a bible course at two of its high schools, also as an elective."

Hey kids, lets talk about Jesus. No, not on Sunday morning. On Monday through Friday at a public school. There is nothing compliant about it. By teaching this class, they are promoting a specific religion in a government funded institution. These kids are not lacking time to spend at church. There is every evening and all weekend. There is a limited period to make them prepared for the working world. Preparing them for heaven should take place out of school.

kare11.com :: KARE 11 TV - Robertson says Sharon's stroke is God's punishment: "The Reverend Pat Robertson says Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke could be God's punishment for giving up Israeli territory.
The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network told viewers of 'The 700 Club' that Sharon was 'dividing God's land,' even though the Bible says doing so invites 'God's enmity.'
Robertson added, 'I would say woe to any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course.'
He noted that former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.
Robertson said God's message is, 'This land belongs to me. You'd better leave it alone.' "

Oh my! Here we have a "man of God" taking joy in an assassination and an ailing head of State. Charming. Way to show your godliness. It seems he feels right comfortable speaking for God. Uhhh. What? I am just absolutely horrified by this guy, and ashamed that he is a fellow countrymen. I so hope that people outside the U.S. know that he does not speak for the country, just for himself. Many of us think he is an idiot, as is appropriate.

Alexander easily wins MVP honors - NFL - Yahoo! Sports: "Alexander became the only player in NFL history with at least 15 TDs in five straight seasons and the fourth with consecutive 20-touchdown years. He became Seattle's career rushing leader this season.
'It's just like all the things -- the rushing title, the MVP, all those things -- it's exciting to talk about,' said the sixth-year pro out of Alabama. 'But I don't think it would mean that much until after I retire, because then it would actually hit me what it means.
'Right now, we're on this ride and it's just kind of one of those things; everything is kind of numb to us. It's all exciting. We're already in the second round of the playoffs, we've just got a bunch of cool things that we are really not used to.'
Seattle would like to get used to having Alexander in the backfield. But he could leave in the offseason.
He was designated the Seahawks' franchise player before this season and accepted the team's one-year, $6.323 million offer -- with a proviso. The team agreed not to use the same franchise tag on him in 2006.
So either the Seahawks come up with a huge financial package, or the MVP could be scoring touchdowns and gaining all those yards elsewhere next season.
'It is a business,' he said. 'The Seahawks have to make their own decisions. I am going to be happy for whatever they do.' "

It is nice to see a Northern Kentuckian make good. Shaun comes from a good family, has excelled in most things he has taken on, and seems to just be of just excellent character. And let's not forget that he is just so much fun to watch. He is all smiles, is constantly saying "put me in, coach", and has very rarely made the news negatively. In fact, I can only think of once that he said anything that caused any trouble. That is in a six year NFL career and his time in 'Bama. CB congratulates Shaun on this award, and hopes that Seattle can make him an acceptable offer as he is loyal, but not stupid.

Psychiatry's sick compulsion: turning weaknesses into diseases - Los Angeles Times: "The association specializes in turning ordinary human frailty into disease. In the last year, ads have been appearing in psychiatric journals about possible treatments for shyness, a 'syndrome' not yet officially recognized as a disease. You can bet it will be in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, published by the association. As it turns out, the association has been inventing mental illnesses for the last 50 years or so... The last thing the United States needs is more self-indulgent, pseudo-insightful, overly self-conscious babble about people who can't help themselves. Better, as Voltaire would put it, to cultivate our gardens and be accountable for who and what we are. "

Irwin may have a great resume, but he does not one bit of good with this. What one can recognize when they read this is his luck. He is lucky not to have to deal with the type of depression that my grandmother did. She was depressed for years. There was no medicine or diagnosis to help her as there would be today. Had she been a part of the next generation, her life would have been markedly better. Note that I said better and not happier. Anti-depressants are not happy pills as is suggested in the uneducated press. Here is an educated man who should know better. Depression, as we know it now, is a chemical deficiency that people are born with and have no control over. This man suggests that my late grandmother was just a weak woman, but he clearly did not know her. I didn't either, but those who did insist that this woman was smart, strong, and anything but weak. Now I feel badly for his students who will come out of his counsel with a misconception that will be dangerous for their patients in the future.