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Note to U-T Employees: You Think You're Angst-Ridden? Look at Your Former Ohio, Illinois Colleagues
Don, re: #40, as a Shellback with considerable arduous sea duty under his ever expanding belt, I can say with certainty that on my pirate ship you'll be keel-hauled for "providing shove". Rather, me and my mates always give the editorial writers a hearty heave-ho, then lean over the side to watch the scurvey dogs sink. We like to go about brandishing sabers, cutlasses, and laptops shouting "arrgh, arrgh, arrgh". After we've given the dastardly "Lickspittle" Kittle his due, we shall all repair to the cabin for a repast of rum. Please make a note of this terminology and usage for future reference. Respectfully, Captain Fred "Red Hair Skunk" Williams Pirate Officer Commanding the Buccaneer known as "Little David's Retirement"*, currently located off the Malibar Coast. (*Formerly known as as the yacht "Happy Days")— August 2, 2008 7:46 a.m.
None
Sunday, you have a way with words. Keep writing! (If you could put in a few more paragraph breaks it would be easier to read online.) The world is an odd place. When young men use their bodies to entertain men drinking beer, they are called roll models and even heroes. You see their faces and exploits on television (with lots of beer ads) every day of the week. They devote news segments every night detailing how these young men perfomed a feat of athleticism or dexterity, using their beautiful young bodies to display the majesty of humanity by performing in a game. Yet when an athletic young woman uses her body to entertain men drinking beer (or even not drinking beer) she's considered an outcast, a potential prostitute, a shame to her family and friends. She performs a dance in the nude, instead of a game in a uniform. Now personally, I'd rather watch beautiful young women dancing naked than athletic young men chasing after a ball...what the preference of sports fans says about them, I don't know. There's one really imporant question, though. Why does the City of San Diego give away hundreds of millions of dollars to support and nurture the athletic young men, yet treat the athletic young women as quasi-criminals? The sports-boys get into all kinds of trouble, beating people, drunk driving, using weird drugs to build up their bodies. Although lots of them have gone to college for absolutely free, few seem to have much education or skill other than playing with their balls in front of men drinking beer. The dancing-girls on the other hand usually turn out to be single mothers or college students, supporting themselves, paying their own tuition and rent. Often they have a surprisingly high level of skill in other areas, such as nursing, scholarship, art, or in the case of yourself, Sunday, writing. Can you imagine one of the Padres or Chargers writing as well as you do? I'd like to see them try it without a press agent at their side. They're mostly a bunch of pampered numbskulls. Sunday, I encourage you to continue writing and telling us about what your life is and isn't about. It's time to give young dancers as much respect as young athletes. Your post is a blast of fresh air. Yet just as athletes and cops have a steroids problem, isn't meth still an issue with local dancers? Any thoughts? Best, Fred— August 2, 2008 7:35 a.m.
Moores's JMI Knocks Condos Out of Austin Project, Citing San Diego Failures
Moores mentions "what we watched happen in San Diego". So now even he admits it's a boondoggle. Can we get our money back, Mr. Moores? We kinda need it, ya know? Sorry about your wife divorcing you and all, but even after she's taken you to the cleaners, you've got a few hundred million laying around that we sure do need to fix our pension mess and infrastructure neglect. After all, we gave the money to you in the first place. It's ours. Thank you, Fred (Does John read this blog?)— August 2, 2008 7:07 a.m.
Equal Rights For Women? Thumbs Down!
The treatment of Hatfill was a disgrace: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Hatfill How the investigators could have missed Ivins is puzzling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_E._Ivins I don't know that Ivins had much in the way of assets, but I wouldn't mind the government confiscating it. The right of citizens to sue government over unfair treatment is a crucial balance against abuse of power. Otherwise, when a cop on steroids busts out your teeth just for taking his picture when he's on duty, how can you pay for your lifetime of wearing dentures?— August 2, 2008 7:04 a.m.
The Cross Controversy
Re: #12 I was joking. It didn't come out as I intended. Yet you should ponder the fact that until not too long ago atheists were not allowed to vote. You should also think about the fact that atheists are despised, and somehow unelectable in America today. Yet we are the second largest belief system in this country with estimates ranging from 14-24% of the population. Imagine if Jews were so discriminated against at the polls... See this: http://abstractnonsense.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/… If Your Party Nominated A Generally Would You Be Comfortable In Voting Well-Qualified Candidate For WH ‘08 For A WH ‘08er Who Was ___, Would You Vote For That Person? Yes No Catholic 95% 4% Black 94 5 Jewish 92 7 A woman 88 11 Hispanic 87 12 Mormon 72 24 Married for third time 67 30 72 years old 57 42 A homosexual 55 43 An atheist 45 53 So those of us who are both rational AND honest about it are the very ones voters think are disqualified from running things... That explains a lot about the last eight years, doesn't it..?? Hey Josh, since we've veered away from the Soledad Easter Cross, why don't you make a new blog entry specifically on this issue and we can move on there...otherwise, I think we've beaten this horse enough, and ought to give it a rest. Best, Fred (Comment to technical staff...your CMS seems to parse out extraneous spaces, resulting in something like the table above looking far better in the comment editor than in the preview or final display...it would be cool if there were an "advanced" option for posting that allowed some mild formatting freedom. Also, the Blogs link on the front page is newly hidden in the News dropdown menu. Is this wise for the Reader long-term when your blog readership and commenting is growing so quickly? I don't know the answer, but think the new link is going to be hard to find for newbies...and we need more newbies here. Keep up the great work. Love your site, Fred.)— August 2, 2008 6:58 a.m.
The Cross Controversy
Re: Agnostic=Wuss I guess the closest I can get to clarity without biasing my argument with a negative formulation is to say that the use of agnostic is "strategic". It's a dodge that lets you avoid conflicts with the fanatical deluded. It's more socially acceptable than the more confrontational "atheist". I'd say the overwhelming majority of non-believers agree with you. But I agree with the noted biologist and author Richard Dawkins that it's chickening out. You either believe in the supernatural, events that violate the fundamental observed and tested laws of nature and the universe -- especially from "divine" intervention, or you don't. If you don't believe in Zeus, Thor, Beezebub, Genies, or any other magical mumbo-jumbo, but insist on using the tools we inherited from the Enlightenment onward and demanding proof of any extraordinary statement especially if those statements are wildly improbable fabrications like Divine Daddies who frown if you masturbate...that's a-theism, or "without God". That's NOT a-gnostic or "without knowledge". Bertrand Russel's Flying Teapot is a nice way to describe this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot We DO have knowledge enough to challenge anyone making bold assertions to prove them. When they cannot, why must we still pretend to give them the benefit of the doubt? Tradition? Fear? Well, traditionally atheists are killed, aren't they? Good reason to fear to speak up. America is different though. Disagreement and dissent is good. Didn't Jefferson comment that a little rebellion now and then is good for the country? So Americans especially have a duty to make it clear that we won't give traditional teachings, many of them quite ridiculous and easily disprovable, undue respect. I'll take Ecclesiastes and Proverbs willingly as wonderful world literature, alongside Marcus Aurelius, Spinsosa, or Shakespeare. Agnosticism though, says that you're willing to give the whole book a passs, basicly saying "Whatever dude, I dunno." Yet we do know. Israeli archeologists, who have a huge motivation to find something, have absolutely disproved the book of Exodus, and much else in the Bible as a historical record. As to the Jesus story, the creation and amalgamation from dozens of texts is well documented. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authors_of_the_Bible… And nobody who claims to be a Christian can ignore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_the_C… So again, we don't have to give their traditional amalgamated and edited tales respect or claim not to know if they are true...we know they are very likely not true, and can demonstrate that the claims they make about their supernatural beliefs are false. So that's why I believe the use of "agnostic" is strategic rather than forthright. Do you really consider yourself "without knowledge", Josh?— August 2, 2008 6:40 a.m.
The Cross Controversy
Josh, it's always good bantering with you. Why choose October 2, 1942 as the cut-off date for religious curios on public property to be grandfathered? At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942#October I only find this: October 2 - British cruiser Curaçao collides with the liner Queen Mary off the coast of Donegal and sinks - 338 drowned.— August 2, 2008 6:02 a.m.
Money Flows Out of Brandes's Investment Firm, As Stock Portfolio Fails To Perform
OH, she goes to THOSE kind of parties. Well forget it. I wouldn't be caught dead with those kind of people. So I guess I'll have to find a beautiful and intelligent woman who has good taste. If Tanya's hanging out with the likes of David Copley...no way.— August 1, 2008 2:56 p.m.
A.H. Belo, Initially Considered Candidate To Buy Copley, Reports Big Loss, Layoffs
Don, that's a lot of music! Wanna make a deal..?? I'll listen to Opera if you'll listen to: Dead Kennedys, "Frankenchrist" Mojo Nixon and Jello Biafra, "Prairie Home Invasion" Butthole Surfers, "Independent Worm Salon" Psi Vojaci, "Leitmotiv" XTC, "Oranges and Lemons" or "Skylarking" What's interesting is how music informs our world views. For example, no one I know who liked Punk in the 80's is now a Republican, but many of the Country Western and Heavy Metal fans somehow turned into fans of Bush. Sanders claims to like Pink Floyd...but I wonder if he's ever listened to the lyrics. I'd recommend "Sheep" from their album Animals to describe our situation in San Diego. What about opera lovers? How would you categorize them politically? I went to one opera here in San Diego (I forgot about it) with a former staffer for Jan Goldsmith. But he was certainly no knuckle-dragging conservative. Then again, we all know who was Wagner's biggest fan. So, are opera fans left or right, Don? Any opinion? Fred— August 1, 2008 2:54 p.m.
The Cross Controversy
Alright, I'll go for "grandfathering" existing religious installations on government property. What's the cut-off date? I didn't participate in the lawsuit, but to my knowledge none of the plaintiffs made a dime. On the contrary, they were publicly villified and occassionally threatened, told to leave the country and called lots of nasty names by so-called "Loving Christians". That's VERY different from your shyster on wheels shaking down small business. Don't forget that Bobby Glaser, a behind-the-scenes political mover and shaker used the ADA to sue the stadium over toilet facilities. That's the sort of stupid lawyer trick none of us like. How can you compare that to upholding the Constitution in the face of a glaring breach of the law of the land..?? I have admiration for their courage. As an aside, I think "agnostic" is wussy. You either believe in the supernatural or you don't. I'm not only an atheist, I'm a militant anti-theist. Not only does religion NOT deserve respect, it deserves our united scorn and ridicule. Basically, if someone cannot accept the fact of evolution (instead of talking-snake and rib-woman tales), the amazing vastness of the real universe (instead of the Bible's puny heaven and hell), and their own mortality (instead of facile promises of eternal life in exchange for shamefaced-groveling)...they're probably better off not making any important decisions like voting in an election. As others have said before me...we're all atheists. Hardly any of us believe in Zeus, Thor, or Ba'al anymore. Some of us just go one step further. I hope you'll join the proud atheists, Josh. Richard Dawkins has a fascinating talk on the topic at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_dawkin… As always, best... Rev. Dr. Fred Williams, PhD. Div. Pastor and CEO Christian Alliance for Spiritual Hope (C.A.S.H.)— August 1, 2008 2:39 p.m.