Council addition is unnecessary 04/03/04

"The creation of a new nonvoting seat on the Metro Council is unnecessary. Baton Rouge's students just need to show up, speak up and be counted."

It doesn't get any simpler than that. Had students been involved in the first place we never would have had to put up with the likes of Jim Benham and Lorri Burgess. Of course, Lorri doesn't want that so she'll go along with this madness.

If this position was held, presumably the voting would be held in the same manner as SGA elections. Can you imagine the pettiness of campus politics spilling over into local government? Or the dunderheaded thinking of the Progressive Student Alliance, who wants to give out free tampons to all students who need them (female or male, most likely.) The nonsensical ramblings of Joe Greco are nutty enough!

If young people want to take their infighting and factionalism to another level, they are more than welcome to run for the Republican State Central Committee. After all, that's what it's there for.

Caffeine fix

I'm coming to the conclusion that I am not much of a coffee drinker, at least not in the power-chugger / "coffee achiever" sense of the phrase. I just made a pitcher of Community Cafe Special, and it's about the most bitter fluid I've tasted in a long time, and this is with three tablespoons of non-dairy creamer and a packet of artificial sweetner. I say fluid because it's not mud, though in some climates it might be. How anybody could drink this stuff black is beyond my comprehension.

Although it may be heresy in Louisiana, I've come to prefer Starbucks* over CC's. In particular, the above linked coffee - it's smooth without being bitter, mellow without tasting like hot water with a brown crayon dipped in it (that would be Starbucks' Gazebo blend). Besides, I've never forgiven Community for buying out Herold & Miller Coffee Company and surpressing their wonderful Alcafe blend, easily the most flavorful and smooth blend I've ever tasted. They pulled the same thing in the 1970's with Mello Joy in Lafayette only to let the copyright lapse and have the grandson of the founder ressurect the "original cajun coffee" brand and blend.

None of this explains why my own mother has abandoned Community for - ugh! - Folgers. Decaf, no less. Shoot me now!

*To all you unclean, Phish-listening, patchouli-wearing anti-globalization types who don't like the Seattle megachain, I re-emphasize my general message to you people, which is, simply and sincerely, go fuck yourselves. I'll go to Starbucks whenever I damn well please as I drive my SUV with not one but two George W. Bush stickers on the back, my St. Christopher medal on the visor and my free-market loving fat ass motoring along!

Gymnasts Post 197.500 to Win NCAA Central Regional

These girls aren't doing so bad either.

It's LSU vs. Tennessee! For a Shot at the National Title

Way to go girls! Now don't pull a "Dale Brown"...Lady Tigers to the top!

Belushi given Hollywood star

It's about time. I mean, hello. He could have been honored years ago, but nooooooooooooooo!

Lollapalooza Tries Two-Day Format

What? This thing isn't dead yet?

"Confirmed acts for this year's run include Morrissey, the Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, String Cheese Incident, Modest Mouse and the Polyphonic Spree."

Okay, so it soon will be. The sad truth: none of these are headliners unless you happen to be holding the festival at the House of Blues. In the equipment closet.

Morrissey?! How 1989-90! Lollapalooza acts put nearly him out of business and bumped him off the radio. Don't get me wrong - I love the guy. He makes music with big hooks, he's outrageous and witty in the Noel Coward tradition, wears a big pompadour and is inexplicably adored by Mexican kids, as well as the usual cadre of young predictable homosexuals and kids of all flavors suffering through "that awkward phase". He's one of four modern acts, along with Violent Femmes, Korn and Dashboard Confessional that resonates via themes of alienation. (Those Emo kids got nothing on Moz). Being a UK punk and power pop fan, digging the Smiths was a logical next step. It was certainly less comical than being a die hard Cure or Bauhaus fan.

None of this has anything to do with Morrissey's ability to draw a big crowd in 2004, which is the reality facing this dying festival.

Election Year Ignites Hip-Hop Activism

or "91% of Black Voters that voted for Democrats in 2000 isn't high enough."

VH1 Outing 'Gaydar' Pilot

What's next? Jew/Not a Jew?

Why the French are wrong, #1945

Yes, the French Bishops have condemned Mel Gibson's movie: "In this film, the face of Christ shows through less than the obsessions of our times -- the dread of evil, fascination with violence and the search for the guilty."

So I'm not to fear evil, I might have a perverse affection to the violence in the movie, and I shouldn't want justice?

"'(The film's) violence, which overwhelms the spectator, ends up blotting out the meaning of the Passion and the essence of Christ's person and message -- love carried to its perfection by the voluntary giving of one's self,' said the bishops."

But Jesus didn't voluntarily give of himself - he was sent to Earth to redeeem, and he gave himself to the Father's will. Being Lord himself, he would never have abandoned his mission. Besides, the opening scene in the film has Jesus doing just that, and it sets the tone for the whole film.

"Noting the film opening in 500 cinemas around France was banned for children under 12, it added: 'Isn't it paradoxical that a film about Jesus cannot be shown to children?'"

No worse than watering down our liturgy to appeal to children (a 'Mass for Children' was added, post-Vatican II, of course). Our Lord was nailed to the cross and that's kinda hard to Barney-ize.

This kvetching is about par for the course when it comes to the French.

Reader reactions to Ave Maria's hothouse

Lots of great points about the greenhouse church in Florida. I didn't even think about the heat.

Bush, Kerry Duel Over Economy

Not in this market, babe - the local news-talk station airs only President Bush's address. That's the way it oughta be!

Actually, there's more merit than you might think to that opinion. An address by the Queen of England is never followed by a rebuttal from some toothless Cockney commoner, the exact opposite in status in that nation. A teacher isn't required to allow for a counterpoint by the students The President is this nation's chief administrative officer and it is good for him to report to the shareholders, ie., the citizens of this country. Not everything has to be politicized.

Rarely is the forum used properly by the opposition, even when Clinton was President. When a contrasting viewpoint is added to the presentation, the address is transformed into a dialogue, and the other side is at a disadvantage. Political types know that whoever sets the topic controls tbe debate, even a virtual one such as this. The rebuttal is always a response to the ideas of the party-in-power, and therefore always comes across like a bunch of carping by the losers. The response, which always airs last, is usually about how bad the president's ideas are and does not offer anything of their own. When you play by those rules, the response will always sound like so much whining.

It's surprising in this age of spin that the Dems (and during the Clinton era, the GOP) don't turn this whole rebuttal process on it's ear. If the Democrats were smart, they wouldn't waste precious time answering the President's agenda - they'd utilize free access to put forth their own ideas, turning the proceedings into a commercial for Democrat ideals. Yet they don't, perhaps because they have no real ideas except Bush=Bad. Say what you will about Clinton and the so-called "third way", they were all about fusing ideas, even if they were compromises of left and right. If the Dems in power were to actually discuss the ideas favored by Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry et al, the public would see them for a nuts that they are. It's pretty much a no-win situation for the Dems.

So let their carping continue, just as long as George W. Bush sets the agenda and just as long as don't have to listen to John Kerry's holier-than-thou scolding.

‘Sesame Street’ turns 35

“‘Sesame Street’ grew out of the Great Society programs,” says executive producer Lewis Bernstein, referring to the Johnson administration’s social initiatives. “That was a period when politics, educational needs and the social milieu all converged to say, ‘You influence kids at an early age and you can give them the skills they need to navigate their way through school and in life.”’

BARF!

Despite the misplaced doe-eyed utopian liberalism, I absolutely love Sesame Street - it's part of my childhood. The Muppets may not have fit in with the Saturday Night Live vibe, but they were great for a 3-to-7-year-old. I remember when I hit second grade, some of the guys in my class copped an attitude and claimed to be better than Big Bird and Mr. Hooper. Looking back, I can tell you that each of those people is probably a big loser. They certainly don't have the communication skills I have - few do, actually (Note to self: easy there ego, don't overdo it!)

Seriously (Note from Ego: I was being serious. Keep beating me up and one day you'll need me and find I've left you for someone younger and prettier.) this show did teach a lot of kids the basics about letters and numbers, and that speaks well to the potential of television. Not that the Children's Television Workshop needed grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting - how much money has been made from the merchanidising of this show?!

Here's the article...

TV Shows Take On Bush, and Pull Few Punches

It took how long for the NYT to figurte this out?

New York Times Spots Liberal Messages in TV Shows

"The New York Times observed today (Friday) that liberal producers and writers are increasingly inserting dialogue into their scripts criticizing President George W. Bush directly and/or questioning his policies. The newspaper cited numerous instances in recent weeks of television shows that mocked the president's positions on such matters as Iraq, the economy, and same-sex marriage. The Times observed that network executives denied that a liberal agenda was at play, insisting that the incidents referred to in the article represented isolated cases. Parenthetically, the Times stated: 'These network executives declined to be quoted by name because, they said, it would be tantamount to engaging publicly in a debate traditionally thorny for them.'"

FCC leader to stay tuned to racy soaps

Well it's about time, as this is the dirtiest stuff on all of TV. We'll see how tenacious they are about this when they're flooded with phone calls asking, "what are y'all doing to my stories?"

Britney Eyes China Show

Observations:

1.) I'll bet the chinese would love the scene with the guy in his underear grabbing her boobs.

2.) Is this headline for real - "she eyes China show"? Sheesh! Why not say, "Britney plans to bring new slant to Chinese culture"?

3.) Onyx Hotel? What the f---?

Game show announcer Art James dead

Art James was host #4 for Concentration (there would be many more) but you may remember him best as the game show host in Kevin Smith's Mallrats. He is also remembered for a blooper during his first hosting gig, Say When! (a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production...I just had to say that) and shown ad nauseam in living color on those game show wacky moments specials, when during a live-on-coast-to-coast-national-television commercial for Peter Pan® peanut butter, he dropped a knife into a jar with a bit too much gusto, and it broke the bottom of the container, spilling pb onto the floor. He began laughing uncontrollably but finished the spot. I'll bet sales of Peter Pan® went up that day!

Kids forced to become Buddhist monks

You will convert to the most tolerant religion on the planet...or you will DIE!

Hatred of Jews and Muslims takes root in France

Here's a headline for ya: "Hatred of the French not exclusive among Muslims, Jews".

UCF President Apologizes For Wearing Afro Wig

How STUPID can someone be?

Bored Boy Behind President Gets Nationwide Attention

Reminds me when the elder Bush did the same thing during the debates.

Judge quizzes doctor about pain fetus might feel

BOOM!

'Simpsons' stars on strike for more D'oh

Give it to them. Everything they ask for.

Don't touch that dial!

"At last coming to DVD, the groundbreaking Canadian sketch-comedy show SCTV Network 90: Volume 1 is due for release on June 8th. Collecting the first nine 90-minute episodes that ran on NBC in 1981 (the show originally aired beginning in 1976 as a 30-minute show), each episode will be presented in remastered 4:3 full screen and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. Extras include audio commentaries on each episode with cast members Joe Flaherty and Eugene Levy; the 'SCTV Remembers,' 'Origins of SCTV,' 'The Craft of SCTV' and 'Remembering John' featurettes, HBO's 1999 'SCTV Reunion' special hosted by Conan O'Brien, and a 24-page booklet with rare photos and essays by O'Brien, SCTV producer Andrew Alexander and journalist Don Waller, plus tributes by Ben Stiller, Fred Willard, Dan Aykroyd and Dr. John. List price will be $89.95."

That's a bit steep but it's still worth every penny.

Polls show Bush getting stronger

Or: "we've buried this story long enough ad it still won't go away."

Women sue Hooters over secret tapes

"Five women who say they were secretly videotaped naked or undressing while they applied for jobs at a Los Angeles area Hooters sued the restaurant chain Tuesday."

In other words, half-naked with shorts riding up the ass, waiting on a restaurant filled with a bunch of over-cologned, over-gelled, drunken grabass men, that's okay.

Janet Jackson Appears on Letterman

"Asked whether she was still friends with Timberlake, Jackson said, 'at some point, he and I need to talk.'"

That's because white boy threw her under the bus.

Remembering Peter Ustinov

Ustinov was before my time, though I do own Spartacus and Topkapi on DVD. What Ustinov represents is the passing of a generation of actors who were total professionals. Roger Friedman explains:

"Somewhere in NBC's vaults is a tape of the night the old David Letterman show slowly turned upside down. The year was 1986 and the main guest was Peter Ustinov, whom I booked onto the show to promote a book about UNICEF; Peter was their goodwill ambassador and willing to do anything to help the cause. That night the producer Bob Morton told me the show would look as though it was slowly rotating clockwise through the hour. Would Peter be up for it? he asked. Was Reagan a Republican? I replied.

"By the time Peter stepped out, it would already be a few degrees at a tilt, and moving. Ustinov was brilliant that night, keeping an eye on the monitor and responding in kind. He didn't have to do it, and he didn't need to prove himself. He was 64 years old, an Oscar winner, and known around the world as an author, humorist, actor and bon vivant. But that night he even had Letterman in stitches, holding onto his desk so as not to 'fall over.' It was a hoot. When the show was completely upside down, Peter was in full comic mode, eyes rolling up, tie flapping. It was an award-winning performance."

Like Quincy Jones says, "old school gets the job done!"

'Idol' Reject Hung Ready for Album Release

Make it stop.

Pay more for a cab ride?

Remember when Ronald Reagan said government is the problem? He also said "Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

Emotional Elder Bush Attacks Son's Critics

I have always ben a fan of George Bush (I will not call him "the elder" or "George H.W. Bush" or "41" - he is simply George Bush, just as his son is George W. Bush. Simple.) He was the kindly uncle to Reagan's more powerful fatherly demeanor, and his presidency is one of military triumph over despotism, diplomatic triumph over communism, and, unfortuntely, too many missed opportunities both foreign and domestic. Still, his predecessor was a hard act to follow - Reagan still is, as his shadow falls over our current president more than his own father's legacy. Give the man credit for what he accomplished.

The world has missed his sage wisdom, but he kept his promise of fading into the background unlike his successor who still seeks the spotlight with no shame whatsoever. This is to be expected since Bush is a class act and Clinton is...well, he's Bill Clinton.

"The former president appeared to fight back tears as he complained about media coverage of the younger Bush that he called 'something short of fair and balanced.'

"'It hurts an awful lot more when it's your son that is being criticized than when they used to get all over my case,' said Bush, who has often complained about media coverage of both Bush presidencies."

We are no longer a nation where polite society rules and gentlemanly conduct allows men of good will have civil disagreements. So let me lower myself down to the level of the liberal press by saying to the former president: we feel your pain, but what do you expect from those charlatans who purport to be reporters? They're a bunch of a-holes, so f-'em.

Pope urges weekly Confession

Alas, the Holy Father is wise: I was at my happiest when I went to confession weekly. I dread it, admittedly, but it does cleanse. I feel its power upon leaving, knowing that God works through this sacrament. The trauma of going leads me to black out and sometimes forget the wrong I have done. I always end by saying, I know I have left some sins out but I approach the confessional with sincerity and am heartily sorry at having committed them. Hopefully, God will hear my apology and allow his grace to envelop me, a miserable creatuire if there ever was one.

Tits 'n' That

Yes another bit of titillation from Miz Britney, who never ceases to amuse at her own expense. This time involving...oh my! Look at the wingspan!

"You've all seen Britney Spears' new 'Toxic' video, right? The old T&A-flaunting, heavily eye-shadowed, vampin' Brit we've come to know and lust after (since she was a little girl) is back. Actually, she never went away, did she?

"How utterly apropos it is, then, that Brit-bay-bee filmed part of her video on a set now reportedly being used for movies with a bluer purpose--and compared to a typical Spears offering, that's tres blue, mes chers!

"Just this past week, a gay porn company used the exact same airplane interior for one of its saltier flicks. Isn't that terribly cute? Wonder what the triple-X film will be titled? Let's assume the filmmakers are smart cookies. If so, they'll surely opt for Oops! I Did Him Again!"

When you use the phrase "gay porn" and "salty" together...hello!

Heinz Seeks to Disavow Kerry Connection

"H.J. Heinz Co. has launched an election-year campaign of its own, this one to distance the ketchup maker from what is shaping up to be an acrimonious presidential race."

I'm glad - I prefer Heinz ketchup, pourable mustard and the great 57 sauce.

Today's Reading and Psalm

Hey look! It's everybody's favorite Psalm, #23, playing the part of the responsorial psalm in today's Mass:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

I quoted from the RSV rather than the NAB because I like to think I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever rather than a few years to come.

Man interrupts mass over anti-gay marriage video

First and foremost I've had to tell people to shut up in Mass. This would have made me violent.

This article says this rabblerouser "is a free-lance writer who contributes to the National Catholic Reporter, an independent newspaper that has endorsed same-sex marriage."

How many things wrong can you find with this sentence? I'm not talking grammatical errors, either.

The transformation of Richard Clarke

A-HA!

"Clarke since he left the government is described by friends as becoming much closer to Rand Beers, who succeeded him as chief terrorist official in the Bush administration. Beers quit his high-ranking post to become Sen. John Kerry's foreign policy adviser. Since then, Clarke and Beers have been collaborating.
That Beers is a registered Democrat and Clarke says he is a registered (but never an active) Republican is inconsequential. Clarke's only political contributions in 2002 and 2004 were to two former colleagues on the Clinton National Security Council staff who are running for Congress as Democrats."

Not your father's campus newspaper:

Ten years ago I was on the Reveille staff and I never thought we'd get away with something like this. Not that we wanted to.

"Jessica Pivik's first publishing assignment quickly became one of the most widely-read items in LSU's Daily Reveille. Pivik, an unassuming 19-year-old journalism student and sorority girl, writes a frank and uninhibited column called 'On Top.' In laid-back chatty style, Pivik discusses the ins-and-outs and dos-and-don'ts of sex. Topics have included oral sex and sex toys. In less than a semester, she has won praise from some readers but drawn disdain from others. Opinions may differ wildly about 'On Top,' but one thing is certain: more people are reading the Reveille. In March, 4.6 million visited the Web site, up from 1 million in January. Pivik never envisioned creating such hubbub when she decided to write a sex column. Mainly, she says, she wanted to be like cool and savvy Carrie Bradshaw of HBO's 'Sex and the City.' On that count Pivik is not alone. Young female college columnists all across the country have taken the same cue and are writing sex columns in campus papers, Editor and Publisher recently reported. 'It's hard to find a copy of the Reveille on Thursday mornings,' says Reveille advisor Melissa Moore. "

This is just sad.

Britney's dive into sleaze

Sorry, folks...papa like, papa like!

CSPI Applauds House Push to Curb NCAA Alcohol Ads

BUSYBODY ALERT! CSPI are the Head Nannies in Charge of the Mom-ifiation of America. Watch them, contact your congressman and try to keep from groaning.

Theologians, historian explore decline in confessions

A priest seems to be on the right track in analyzing the dimished role of confession:

"Franciscan Father Joseph Chinnici, a theologian and dean of the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif., argued that while confession has declined dramatically looking at the issue only in those terms masks larger realities of changing religious practice among U.S. Catholics.

"He described massive changes in Catholic attitudes and self-understanding in the wake of the Second Vatican Council which, he said, converged to undermine the traditional Catholic cultural supports for auricular confession -- the penitent's enumeration of sins by number and kind into the ear of the priest."

Then remembers he's a Fransican in Berkeley and proceeds to blame America like everybody else in that town:

"He and [Boston College historian James] O'Toole agreed that a general U.S. social movement -- the rapid, massive suburbanization of American Catholics in the decades following World War II -- brought major shifts in parish life and relationships that affected every area of U.S. Catholic culture, including Catholics' approach to penance."

No no no! They're missing the obvious:

"'Between 1965 and 1975, the numbers of American Catholics going to confession fell through the floor,' he said."

No, let's not blame the dumbing-down of the church in the wake of Vatican II, let's blame America for winning WWII!

Leave it to a nun from a liberal university to come to the most dunderheaded conclusion:

"Like the other sacraments, penance is liturgical prayer, and 'we've forgotten the sacrament is an act of worship. ... There is too much emphasis on what are my sins, and we forget that what happens here is God's action in my life,'" Dominican Sister Catherine Dooley of Catholic University said.

Uh...what?! [Sarcasm starts here] This isn't a confession, it's a little mass! Let's not emphasize what we did wrong, let's just praise God![okay back to regular.] Oh puh-lease. Confession is like a tango: it takes two to do it. I confess my sins and God works through the priest to forgive. God takes action in our lives when we do what we have to do to reconcile ourselves to him. Taking the attitude of "I know I'm doing wrong but I'm not focusing on that because it's a downer" is a spiritual dead end. (If that's the kind of "there, there dear" attitude that we can expect from the women in the church, my prayer of preserving the priesthood as it has been since Jesus walked the Earth grows more fervent.)

Oh my God I am heartily sorry...

Coming soon: Long-awaited Vatican document on liturgical abuse

As pointed out in this article, many liturgical abuses have occurred in Mass. Do you recall seeing any of these?

1.) The practice of inviting non-Catholics to share in Communion.

2.) Allowing laicized priests to administer sacraments.

3.) Substituting non-biblical texts for biblical readings during Mass.

4.) Introduction of non-Christian elements in Catholic liturgies, and celebration of Mass in non-Christian places of worship.

5.) Allowing non-Catholic ministers to wear Catholic vestments.

6.) Adoration of the Eucharist in unworthy settings.

7.) Giving first Communion outside of Mass and before first confession.

8.) Using corruptible metals, glass or ceramic for the sacred vessels, including the chalice.

9.) Breaking of the host at the consecration, instead of immediately prior to Communion.

I'll add one to ake it an even decade: that blasted hand holding!

Seriously, I was astounded to read some of these. Shocked.

Non-Catholics receiving Communion is a violation so flagrant as to be a cause for a priest to be severely disciplined. Substituting non-biblical texts for biblical readings during Mass is another. I've heard of this involving the words of Martin Luther King in Catholic churches with predominantly black membership, done as a sign of solidarity or whatnot (liberation theology rears its head again and again).

I must admit to being directly affected by number 7. My first communcion took place when I was 7 years old and in the second grade, but the priest at St. Patrick's, Father Nick Martrain (an otherwise wonderful man) did not believe in kids going to confession until they were in the 4th Grade. In the third grade, I and a whole group of kids were reassigned to the new Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, where Monsignor Lester Lacassagne (a regal cleric who favored the old time cassock for formalwear and guyaberra shirst for casualwear) held to the second grade rule in place for centuries. As such, I received no formal instruction on the sacrament of reconciliation. I made my first confession when I was in 4th grade when the class went to confess as a whole. I told Monsignor about it, and he told me that there was nothing to worry about. I'll never forget his kindness becuase less than two weeks later he died of a heart attack on the same day John Lennon was killed and the new church was to be dedicated. Nick Martrain is no longer a priest, is married and sells insurance. In retrospect, I'm glad my young brain was't filled with spoonfuls of post-Vatican II mush like "reconciliation = love".

If this document is as potent as this article predicts, it will be a welcome rebuke of the abuses of the arrogant "AmChurch" and their liberal mindset.

Well done

I'm not a big TV watcher, but I caught an entire episode of Cold Case on CBS, and it was a fantastic hour. I'm not a fan of CSI because I can't take the autopsy scenes (insert slurping sounds here). Yet this show was shot in such a manner that I never saw any gratitous gore but knew exactly what was going on. Plus, Kathryn Morris clicks with me BIG time. I may add this show to my weekly appointment viewing along with Law and Order.

The Party Party: Republicans have more fun.

I must correct our esteemed author: we ARE the party!

Court Opens Door To Searches Without Warrants

I'd be lying if I said that this gives me no cause for concern. As a strong believer in personal liberty, I don't believe that average joe is a criminal just waiting to commit a crime. If this deosn't allow me to say "show me your search warrant" or even question what an officer's probable cause is, I'm afraid I am on the way to be a criminal: I'm not letting anybody into my home without my lawyer present. Neither should you.

A Test of Kerry's Faith

A major question answered: "He [Kerry] is enough of a stickler for Catholic rules to have sought an annulment of his 18-year first marriage before marrying again."

Hey liberal press, that's not being a stickler. That's being a loyal Catholic. Points to Kerry for being faithful, at least that time.

I like this paragraph:

"If anything, the church is getting tougher. The Vatican issued last year a 'doctrinal note' warning Catholic lawmakers that they have a 'grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.' When Kerry campaigned in Missouri in February, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke publicly warned him 'not to present himself for Communion' - an ostracism that Canon Law 915 reserves for 'those who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin.' Kerry was scheduled to be in St. Louis last Sunday, and told TIME, 'I certainly intend to take Communion and continue to go to Mass as a Catholic.' "

Tick...tick...tick...

'National interest' cited in sealing of Polozola medical records 03/28/04

Boy, this is an unbelieveable turn of events: "Polozola's ruling issued late Friday nullifies an order state District Judge Janice Clark issued last week to consider releasing the testimony. It also prohibits her from taking any further action and orders all recordings and transcripts at issue in the case delivered to federal court by Thursday and sealed."

In other words, I'm the head judge in charge and I say you can't touch me. Wow. This is unpreceedented.

The argument about Polozola being on oxycontin is a powder keg. If Edwards's attorneys were to succeed in getting his conviction thrown out on that basis, each verdict rendered while Polozola was on the stuff would be open to appeal. That's enough to scare the you-know-what out of Jim Letten and John Ashcroft.

Of course, this will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and could have far-reaching implications if they decide to hear it.

The one big hole in Edwards's argument is that the drug made affected Polozolas behavior. He's always like that - they don't call him the Ayahtollah Polazola for nothing.

As for Janice Clark, this is to be expected. For her and every other Democrat politician of her ilk, this is about power, status, rewarding her friends - like Edwin - and sticking it to da man. "I gots hiz azz now!" she probably cackled between slurps of red wine. Had Frank Polozola never careless enough to be in an accident, this wouldn't be an issue. But this fight is personal between Polozola and all of the sleazy Edwards cabal, and between the Edwards gang and the Republican judge who wants to lock them away.

I'm rooting for Polozola personally and politically, even though the sealing of the records strikes me as judicial impropriety. But I'm not one to surrender to a bunch of corrupt liberals on principle. I'd rather fight to maintain my position then accept any judgment against me as the rule of law having spoken. Never give in to the dark side, even when you threaten to corrupt yourself - nothing you do could ever be as bad as the destruction to civilization that they are bringing about.

(Yes, folks, I'm one arrogrant SOB! That's because I have GOD and RIGHT on my side! Oooh, even more arrogance!)