From the NYT letters to the editor: Re “Student Faces Town’s Wrath in Protest Against a Prayer” (news article, Jan. 27), about a successful lawsuit brought by Jessica Ahlquist, a 16-year-old atheist in Cranston, R.I.: There are only six words in the text posted on the wall of Cranston High School West that are the …
Monthly Archive: January 2012
Jan 31 2012
Answering The Call
For JT. When it comes to rhyming verse, I’ve seen better; I’ve seen worse But at least I know the form to write it true There’s a problem, though, with these, cos I don’t speak Japanese So I’ve learned I must decline to do Haiku With a sonnet in pentameter, I know the right parameter, …
Jan 31 2012
Look The Other Way
At our school board meeting hall, there’s a banner on the wall That says ,“Jesus is my savior and my lord” Though its stands against the rules to have prayer in public schools If it’s clear that it’s a message from the board When I started to complain, I was answered with disdain: “What a …
Jan 30 2012
“Look Around”
Funny thing, perspective. The same comment can be seen as good or bad, support or refutation, because of all the often-unsaid baggage that the speaker or writer attaches to that comment. In our discussions of de Botton’s proposed tower (btw, de Botton sounds far more reasonable in Kylie’s new interview than he has been portrayed …
Jan 29 2012
Headline Muse, 1/29
Though he never before seemed to care If a lie should be broadcast on air What a marvel! We find, Since he’s falling behind, Newt thinks negative ads are unfair Headline: Gingrich questions Romney’s honesty. You know he’s worried when he wants everybody to play fair.
Jan 29 2012
Why Should You Care?
An atheist doesn’t believe in a god, So why should an atheist care? So what if he’s put on some idiot’s list For a heaven he knows isn’t there? The church claims a place of authority They tell us it’s written in stone I will not assist their intrusion— My name is not theirs; it’s …
Jan 28 2012
The Grandest One Of All
Regarding de Botton’s proposed atheist monument, commenter Crudely Wrott writes: Build a cathedral? Build a cathedral?! Shit, de Bottom, we are born inside the grandest one of all! Look about you. We don’ need no stinkin’ interpretive scale models! Or, in Cuttlespeak… We could pillage, pilfer, plunder All religion knows of wonder We can take …
Jan 27 2012
An Atheist Monument? (Or, On Herding Cats)
A leader’s role is heady brew, But difficult to swallow; Please, name yourself the King of cats— I do not think they’ll follow. You want to build a monument And point it at the sky Assuming that they notice, cats Will only ask you, “Why?” Feel free to tell the feline folk It’s there on …
Jan 27 2012
On Adequate Sampling
He claimed it was a goblet of the sweetest, purest wine But the first sip tastes like vinegar to me. He said, “but near the bottom there’s a sip that’s just divine— You may have to drink a lot of it to see.” He calls me narrow-minded cos I haven’t tried the rest Says my …
Jan 26 2012
NYTimes Article On Cranston
Nothing you haven’t heard before. But a lot of people who haven’t heard it before are going to hear it. (The link goes to the New York Times article on the Cranston banner.) I’ve been arguing with a few people, away from here, about this case. I don’t know–to me, it seems so cut and …
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