Random News Snippets

[Andy 60]

What if you don't have enough fuel to get out of the thunderstorm?

[TheUnknown 39]

Good lord, it was a busy news weekend. Among other things:

• John Edwards admitted to having an affair.
  Bernie Mac died
  Issac Hayes died
  The father-in-law of the U.S. men's indoor volleyball team was killed in China. His wife was also attacked.
  The Olympics started
  Russia invaded Georgia
  

Edited August 11, 2008 by TheUnknown

[Chickenman 9]

Orson Scott Card Wants to Overthrow the Government

Rant from CRACKED

(Note: May offend the religious)

I've known that Card was a religious nutjob for awhile now (what with his writing a sequel to Ender's Game that is entirely about Ender fighting the higher ups at battle school, because the evil secularists want to take away Christmas!!! ) But damn. The incredible thing is that every single Card book I've ever read preaches tolerance out the wazoo. Tolerance for the Buggers, tolerance for the Piggies. He explores various ethnic cultures as well, ones that the average Western reader isn't entirely familiar with. The Ender series is completely about accepting others, no matter how alien they are to you. This is one of the best examples of pure hypocrisy I've ever come across.

[Ender 8]

http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?id=1586

That's his actual rant. And it'll make me wonder whenever I read anything of his from now on...

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

the rant looks more about judge's creating laws from the bench--to which he has a point--than about gay marriage. gay marriage is probably the best example of this phenomonon (sp?) he could find. the judge's are overstepping when they create laws from the bench. even the Supreme Court can't do that, they can only declare laws to be unconsitutional (that is if i'm remembering my AP Government class). it's particularly bad when they create these laws, skipping the process, and against the majority opinion. if gay marriage is on a state's ballot, and the people vote against it, it is not the job of your average judge to overturn it and declare it unconstitutional. that right and responsibility lies with the state Supreme Court, and when necessary the federal Supreme Court. again, this is if i'm remembering my AP Gov correctly. Unknown, some help here?

on a side note, this is one of my pet peeves. education in this country is deplorable, energy costs are through the roof, we're in a war we need to find some way to somehow get out of, and a myriad of other problems, and the lawmakers are debating the morality and constitutionality of two men/two women getting married. life must not be so bad if we have the time and resources for this nonsense. my opinion of gay marriage notwithstanding, let's fix the big problems: get out of Iraq, cure cancer/Alzheimer's/death, fix the education system, etc. and THEN we can debate whether or not people of the same gender can get married.

[Chickenman 9]

That's my exact opinion on abortion, in fact, which I'm actually pretty conservative on. As for gay marriage, I feel a bit more strongly on that one, as I'm of the opinion that they do have the right to marriage. Though I do think it's going to come about in the future anyway, and we'll look back and wonder what the hell we were thinking. Just like woman's rights and the civil rights movment.

[Andy 60]

Russia invaded Georgia

Has any one joined any of the anti-war protests?

No, because everyone is strangely silent on this war. Apparently because our own forces aren't involved, and there are no major sporting events with all the world's press attending, it doesn't matter about all the innocent civilians being killed.

:roll:

[Chickenman 9]

Have you joined any of the anti-war protests? :p

[Andy 60]

I don't do protests. I leave those to the people that don't mind getting arrested when it turns violent.

Also, I haven't heard of any taking place, which was kinda the point. lol

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

i'm not sure Georgia's the innocent victim here. it's possible Georgian militias have been attacking outlying Russian villages, and Russia said enough. if that is indeed the case, Russia's reaction may be a bit overboard, however it will certainly discourage any further attacks from Georgia.

[Andy 60]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7555806.stm

Wow, Bush has "tough talk" for Russia, eh?

I doubt we'll see anything stronger than that, though.

Probably just trying to spark a new Cold War to justify increasing military power. lol

Edited August 12, 2008 by beeurd

[TheUnknown 39]

Is it Russia or the U.S. starting the Cold War?

[Andy 60]

Who knows; I was just being silly. lol

[Chickenman 9]

Bush won't do s***. He's a pussy that only takes on countries with piss poor militaries.

Iraq might have weapons of mass destruction, let's kick some ass.

North Korea probably does have limited nuclear capability, and let's negotiate a bit. I'm sure we can reason with him.

He's a regular ewoking John Wayne, all right.

[Drake 53]

Bush won't do anything about anything now that his term is about up.

[TheUnknown 39]

the rant looks more about judge's creating laws from the bench--to which he has a point--than about gay marriage. gay marriage is probably the best example of this phenomonon (sp?) he could find. the judge's are overstepping when they create laws from the bench. even the Supreme Court can't do that, they can only declare laws to be unconsitutional (that is if i'm remembering my AP Government class).

Correct. However, simply declaring a law that a vocal portion liked unconstitutional is NOT "legislating from the bench." It is their job to find unconstitutional acts unconstitutional, whether the fundies like it or not.

it's particularly bad when they create these laws, skipping the process, and against the majority opinion. if gay marriage is on a state's ballot, and the people vote against it, it is not the job of your average judge to overturn it and declare it unconstitutional. that right and responsibility lies with the state Supreme Court, and when necessary the federal Supreme Court. again, this is if i'm remembering my AP Gov correctly. Unknown, some help here?

Well, the case has to start somewhere. The Supreme Court(s) usually only hear cases on appeals.

on a side note, this is one of my pet peeves. education in this country is deplorable, energy costs are through the roof, we're in a war we need to find some way to somehow get out of, and a myriad of other problems, and the lawmakers are debating the morality and constitutionality of two men/two women getting married. life must not be so bad if we have the time and resources for this nonsense. my opinion of gay marriage notwithstanding, let's fix the big problems: get out of Iraq, cure cancer/Alzheimer's/death, fix the education system, etc. and THEN we can debate whether or not people of the same gender can get married.

Agreed. The far right is at best clearly out of whack with their priorties and, at worst, trying to drive a wedge between Americans to distract from their screw ups. And the left still hasn't found the right reaction. This is what happens when voters and the media (which loves conflict) are stupid.

[Chickenman 9]

I was actually going to post about the Supreme Court thing, too.

I think terms like "activist judges" and "creating laws from the bench" are thrown about a bit too much by the Right when they don't get their way.

With the judicial system, their job is, at its most basic, to judge the laws. Declaring a law unconstituional is not, in fact, creating a law, as is so often claimed.

[TheUnknown 39]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/1...kids/index.html

Mini-scandal about the opening ceremonies at the Olympics.

[Drake 53]

That is...not unlike China, lol.

[Chickenman 9]

No, the real China would have killed them both afterwards for population control.

:p

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

i always shake my head at the tradition of controling the female population. don't they realize if they want more babies (boys), they need females? last time i checked, men could not get pregnant*.

*yes, i read the story of the "pregnant man," but he used to be a woman and opted not to have the "internal plumbing" altered.

[Drake 53]

Females are needed, sure, but you don't need an equal number as the men as one woman can give birth multiple times. Also, they need men because China is secretly amassing an army to take over the world.

Seriously, though, they have strict regulations over any kind of birth, be it male or female. *shrug*

Edited August 12, 2008 by Drake

[Chickenman 9]

i always shake my head at the tradition of controling the female population. don't they realize if they want more babies (boys), they need females? last time i checked, men could not get pregnant*.

*yes, i read the story of the "pregnant man," but he used to be a woman and opted not to have the "internal plumbing" altered.

Which is why that cheater won't get Disneyland! :p

[TheUnknown 39]

Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party shot in office, later dies.

And the unspoken question is: Was this politically motivated?

Edited August 13, 2008 by TheUnknown

[Chickenman 9]

Crazy. :|