5 years for consensual

AMDOM
* "Court of Appeals ordered that today's oral arguments in the case be conducted in secret with the media and public barred from the court room. The court gave no reason why it made the extraordinary decision. The American Civil Liberties Union and a dozen news organizations have sued to have the proceedings open to the public. Arthur Spitzer of the ACLU described the court's decision as "unprecedented and outrageous." " LINK

* "Researchers say that the small drop in the overall divorce rate is caused by a steep decline in the rate among college graduates. As a result, a "divorce divide" has opened up between those with and without college degrees... If that continues to hold true, the divorce rate for college graduates who married between 1990 and 1994 would end up at only about 25 percent, compared to well over 50 percent for those without a four-year college degree." LINK
those damn liberals. those damn educated people. i wonder if non-educated gay folk fall into straight marriage? i wonder if educated folks are smarter about family planning and use of contraception?

* "Neil Bush, the president's controversial younger brother, six years ago joined the cardinal who this week became Pope Benedict XVI as a founding board member of a little known Swiss ecumenical foundation." LINK

* sibel edmunds "is now suing the FBI over her dismissal. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered that today's oral arguments in the case be conducted in secret with the media and public barred from the court room. The court gave no reason why it made the extraordinary decision." LINK

* "The case has severely damaged relations between the doctors treating Charlotte and her parents, who said medical staff were not doing enough for her. Tensions are so high Mr Wyatt, 33, is accompanied by a member of the hospital's security staff when he visits his daughter. A court order forbids any doctors involved being identified because of concerns for their safety." LINK
Xians are dangerous wherever they are.

* "In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion." LINK
In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.In 2000, the government posted a record budget surplus. Four years later, there was a record deficit, $412 billion.

* " The Pentagon on Thursday said it did not plan to decriminalize consensual sodomy between members of the U.S. military... Under the current code, consensual sodomy by heterosexual or homosexual couples can be punished by up to five years in prison. Both consensual and forcible sodomy, as well as sodomy with a child, would continue to be considered criminal acts under the proposed change, Di Rita said.
The U.S. military defines sodomy as oral or anal sex, said Army Lt. Col. Joe Richard, a Pentagon spokesman." LINK
its all about sex with these people... 5 years for consensual, het (not that it should matter) oral sex... i wonder if thats for each person - or just for the chick (regardless of whether she was giving or receiving)... i wonder how much it costs to keep 2 people in jail for 5 years, plus court costs... i wonder what the penalty is for masturbating (apart from eternal (maternal?) damnation)

MEDIA
* oreilly informs us that howarddean ought to resign for character assassination - 'its shameful'. according to oreilly, dean simulated limbaugh snorting cocaine - and oreilly got all uppity 'how dare dean suggest that rush was doing coke, when it was just oxy' . oreilly said 'weve got the video coming up later' - except when it came to later, there wasnt video, just audio. of course, the audio just had dean snorting, not a mention of coke. praps billy doesnt realise that oxy gets snorted (according to a quick google). so praps its hillBilly Oreilly who is doing the character assassination and should resign.

* david brooks: " Unless Roe v. Wade is overturned, politics will never get better." LINK
go read. for entertainment. or brain-pain. take your pick.

* "Former Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, who helped break the Watergate story, says journalism nowadays is squandering the public's trust, insisting the, quote, "triumph of the idiot culture in news, particularly TV news, has weakened journalist drive for the truth." LINK
What are “the consequences to our society” from the press corps’ idiot culture? In the campaign which transformed our national politics, they worked for two years to make Gore seem crazy. Now, they’re working to make Coulter seem sane."

* eric alterman slams Time for the coulter thing - including this observation about the 'journo': "(John) Cloud has accepted the role of an unpaid PR flack" - which is, of course, both true and unsurprising... but it brings my mind back to notgannon... if its so easy to get journos and publications (like cloud & time), then why the hell did they use a delinquent, non-credentialled whore from a faux news outlet to do their bidding???

* wingnutdaily: "Volunteers with the Minuteman Project in Arizona say "legal observers" sent by the ACLU to monitor the citizen border patrol have been seen smoking marijuana in violation of the law." LINK