You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.
Al Capone
The truth is, it isn’t just pencils.
The truth is, it isn’t just pens.
The truth is, it isn’t just pictures and words,
As we look through the media’s lens. [Read more…]
The pen is mightier than the sword,
Or so we’re led to think;
When victims, far too young, may be
Immortalized in ink
Cold comfort for the families
When all is said and done—
“The pen is mightier than the sword”
That’s why they used a gun. [Read more…]
Over at One News Now, there are two stories of a conflict between faith and employment. Juxtaposed as they are, it is still utterly predictable to see the Muslim told to find another job, but the Christians told they are being persecuted. [Read more…]
Making fun of politicians
Is a noble, grand tradition—
In the freest of societies, the poking never stops!
But… be careful with your freedom—
Watch your fingers; you might need ‘em
You can razz the politicians, but you mustn’t fuck with cops. [Read more…]
I packed up the kids, and we went to town hall—
Because Solstice was coming! We wanted it all!
From the tinseled-up spruce-tree to Clarence’s bell
To the picture of Lucifer tumbling to hell [Read more…]
It’s Christmas in the city; they’re about to light the tree
It’s a magical occasion, just as far as we can see;
All the networks have their angles—it’s as festive as can be—
New York City in December, oh, such pride!
Folks are marching, folks are chanting, folks are caught up in the day
But the tree is not the focus—no, as near as I can say,
It’s not ornaments, but prejudice, that’s clearly on display
Damn, I miss the war on Christmas—no one died. [Read more…]
The proud pastafarian, posed for the picture
A colander capping her head
An atheist activist, genius to boot,
As the news stories well may have read—
There’s no story in that; that won’t sell any ads,
Let’s just write about kittens instead…
Oh, wait—did we mention she used to do porn?
So that’s how the story was led. [Read more…]
“He’s looking down and smiling”
Says the close of the obit…
The deceased man was an atheist;
That means… precisely… shit. [Read more…]
It took me a little while to figure out my own particular problem with what has become known as the #shirtstorm. Oh, believe me, I was and am on the side of those who saw the now-infamous shirt as problematic. And I am on the side of those who currently are insulted by it.
But… see, I used to run a daycare. I see things, as often as not, through the eyes of those who have not yet learned to be as cynical as I am.
It is all too easy to claim “free speech” from the point of view of a comfortable, privileged majority. To say “I have every right to wear this shirt”… which, while showing off an edgy sense of fashion, also happens to show off a message which will tell the next generation who is in charge and who begs for scraps. Anyway…
Twinkle, twinkle, little shirt
How I wonder how you hurt
Who is watching? Who is there?
Who expects that you might care?
Twinkle, twinkle, little shirt,
How I wonder whom you hurt.
Twinkle, twinkle, what you did,
How you change tomorrow’s kid
When she asks what can be done,
Glad you had your day of fun
Twinkle, twinkle, what you did,
How you’ve hurt tomorrow’s kid.
Twinkle, twinkle, no surprise,
Outer space was meant for guys
If she asks if she can play
Yes she can!… some other day…
Twinkle, twinkle, no surprise,
Outer space is filled with guys…
Headline: Gilbert school board votes to rip abortion page out of textbook
“And if thy science book offend thee
Pluck it out and cast it from thee”
Matthew 5 was quite explicit; we should cut the cancer out!
If a textbook says “abortion”
In one chapter—just a portion—
We should exorcise the demon—tear the page if there’s a doubt!
Lop your hand off; squish your eye out
See, this textbook is a tryout
Will you heed the word of Jesus, and reject the things he hates?
Rip a page right from your textbook
Leave it wounded; find the next book
If the books are deemed offensive, they deserve their heathen fates!
Though the cover may say “Science”
We shall rip it, in defiance,
Cos the law imposes penalties for telling kids the truth
So we’ll tear offensive pages
And defend the rock of ages
The destruction of some lessons in protection of our youth!
The folks who actually wrote the science textbook seemed to think that a discussion about reproduction should reasonably include a sentence or two on legal means of contraception. Silly them.
GILBERT, Ariz. — The Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board voted this week to redact a section on abortion from a science book used in a high school honors curriculum.
Because school board members know better than textbook authors what belongs in a science textbook.
“You would expect a discussion of abortion maybe to show up in actual sex-ed materials. That’s why I didn’t like abortion in a biology book that all it discusses is natural processes. There’s nothing natural about abortion,” said Daryl Colvin, acting Gilbert school board president.
The discussion in Gilbert was first brought up by a conservative Christian law organization called the Alliance Defending Freedom. According to board member Jill Humpherys, Alliance Defending Freedom had complained to GPS Superintendent Christina Kishimoto over the summer.
At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, the board voted 3 to 2 to nix the abortion section of the book, citing a recently signed state law that says school lessons on reproduction must give preference to childbirth and adoption over abortion.
“These textbooks were written before the state law so the easiest, simplest, cheapest way to bring them into compliance with state law is to excise that section. It’s only a page,” Colvin said.
Not much natural about the Alliance Defending Freedom, either, but their fingerprints are all over the removal of the page.
Hey, though, for once the comments at the story are [at least mostly] thoughtful!