I Miss Acedemia

What an odd way to begin your day at the office.

NP: "Ma Solituda" - The Catherine Wheel

Just in Time for Christmas!

As some of you may recall, Georgia was recently in the news for trying to display the ten commandments in various public spaces. Really, this is write up there with the "gravity is only a theory and not a fact" stickers they tried to place in Cobb County science books (all to support their Intelligent Falling notion of course) as far as Georgia news goes. It seems that everytime something like this comes up, it's usually is from the bright-red Atlanta suburbs.

Well, this July, sanity finally prevailed when the ACLU sued Barrow County over their version of the rock tablets, and the presiding judge ordered the commandments removed from public property.

Now, to raise the funds to cover the court costs (all of which could have been saved if someone had actually read the First Amendment), Ten Commandments-Georgia has placed the offending item up for sale on eBay. Have any of you got a spare couple of thousand laying around that I could borrow to find this an appropriate home? Darn, I didn't think so. [Ed. Note: that picture of Zell Miller is pretty scary so click the thoushalt.org link at your own risk.] via mefi.

NP: "Everything Changed" - The Charlatans UK

Where is FEMA?

Privatized and crony-ized to the point of non-existence, that's where. What is it with Republicans and their fetish for privitization. How many hard lessons do we need to live through to make them realize what is blindingly obvious to even the most casual observer: it doesn't work for things on this scale.

I'm not anti-business or anything, but what we have to remember is the raison d'etre for businesses: to make money. Not to help people. Sometimes, you need some "big" government. Just ask the citizens of New Orleans and Biloxi and Gulfport who where too poor or had no means to evacuate. They aren't stupid, as I'm sure Neal Boortz is saying right now, but they simply did not have the necessary resources. And now they are stuck, and nothing can help it seems.

When does the Bush administration have it's performance review anyway. I get one every year.

It's Our Tsunami

The headline is a quote I heard on the news last night. I still can't really process the devastation on the gulf coast. I can only look on with horror from afar. South Knox Bubba, doing a guest stint at Facing South, probably sums it up better than anyone else has yet.

With that in mind, I'll reiterate to my small number of readers that you can help by donating to relief agencies, such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Second Harvest Food Bank, the Catholic Charities Disaster Response, the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, or others (via FEMA).

UPDATE: Mystery & Misery has a much more comprehensive list.

How Did I Miss This

ESPN goes to my hometown, and no one tells me anything about it. Not my Mom. Not my friends who still live there. What gives people?

It's nice to see some postive if very fluffy news from that neck of the woods.

NP: "Swamp Thing (Live)" - The Chameleons UK

Things

I don't where to start with this one, so I'll just link it and yell about it. What the hell does a congressman from Alaska know about the Shenandoah Valley and the impact such a project would have. I'll tell you. Fuck all. He does know that Halliburton (yes, the war profiteer) is a campaign contributor though. (Sorry for the profanity Mom, but I'm that mad.)

I'm seriously so pissed I can't really write anything rational about this. The last damn thing the valley needs is to cover it with more concrete.

On a more fun note. Check this out if you get bored at work. I'm not endorsing this mind you, but there's some cool stuff there.

Normal posting will resume post-birthday (i.e., next week).

NP: "Pride (live)" - U2

News from Home...

...is sometimes very saddening.

When I read things like this is when I feel most at home in Atlanta, rather than returning to the Shenandoah Valley. And you know what, odds are I'm probably at least acquainted with the perpetrators of this crime, and would probably never have guessed it. The area just ain't that big.

On a side note, when I worked for VDOT during summers in college, the trees in this churchyard provided some of the best shade around to lounge, nap, and eat for that precious half hour called lunchtime.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Drunkeness

Get this, in Portland, ME, a man has sued for his right to drink and get drunk on private property. He was arrested and spent nine hours in jail, even though he didn't intend to be in public in anyway. You just can't make this up.

If he wins, it's a victory for alcoholics everywhere. Of course, the flip side would mean that the officers couldn't be sued for neglecting to arrest someone in this situation if they were to end up with alcohol poisioning or something.

NP: "Spitting Games" - Snow Patrol

El Owen Dee Owen

My thoughts are with my friends in London this morning. Maybe a visit to the British Red Cross may be in order.