judging, as it relates to 'fair and balanced'

My friends are arguing.  Well, one is, the other is just stating his opinion.  But that’s ok, we’re friends.

Sparked by an email today from our friend in the Midwest (where we are all from), the diatribe ensues with information reported on Fox News that Elliot Borsten of the Office for Civil Rights wrote a memo suggesting that ‘citizen’ and brown-bag’  no longer be used by employees of OCR. 

“You guyz don’t live in a vacuum, c’mon.  Seattle is banning these words.  I heard it on Fox News.”

Here’s part of the dialog from KOMO News:

"Luckily, we've got options," Elliott Bronstein of the Office for Civil Rights wrote in the memo. "For 'citizens,' how about 'residents?'" Bronstein wrote.

The Office of Civil Rights says Seattle serves all residents, whether they're United States citizens or not.

And while city leaders publicize "brown bag" lunch meetings as a way to designate a bring-your-own lunchtime event, the term has a sordid history.

"It used to be a way people could judge skin color," Bronstein said in a phone interview.

Does the public find it offensive? Most people agree it's not.

But the City of Seattle isn't alone. State lawmakers have voted to remove gender specific words in official records.

Freshman are now "first-years," journeymen are "journey-level," and penmanship is simply "handwriting."

To offend or not to offend, turns out to be a very sensitive question.

I was going to join in on ‘the argument’, but since I’m having a bout with diarrhea (excuse me!  Insensitive word)  A bout with gastronomical distress today, I decided to write this and piss off a wider swath of people. 

In fact, I don’t plan on making an argument at all.  One of the things I have learned is to not have an argument, or even civilized (oops, offending word) discussion with those who solely rely on Fox News for their information.  It is a useless endeavor.  You see, Fox News even has it RIGHT UP THAR ON THEIR LOGO that they are ‘Fair and Balanced’.  I don’t see other news agencies doing that.  If you in fact were fair and balanced, why would you have to proclaim it so?  Unless you have a high number of cretin followers who need this reassurance.

My own family listens to Fox News in Salina, Kansas.  It is the gospel and to go against is heresy.  (That means committing a very bad thing, for my Kansas readers)

So, the argument is terminated now by a future period of mutual hate, after which we will all be friends again.

It leads me to remember the years of brouhaha over calling it “Holidays” in lieu of “Christmas”, which is what it is.   More and more people are coming back to using “Christmas”, and I think that’s nice.

I believe that “citizen” and “brown bag” will follow a similar fate, and those who think these things up will all have gone on to be Congressmen, Congress people

Happy Hanukkah!

It’s always something…

Startling News from Congress....

I had to pass this along to you folks out there............

WASHINGTON—A blank piece of legislation that says nothing, does nothing, and contains no text whatsoever has been the source of heated debate in Washington this week, and has sharply divided Congress along partisan lines, Beltway sources confirmed Thursday.

Known as S.0000, the bill, which doesn’t have sponsors, co-sponsors, or an author, has reportedly drawn starkly contrasting opinions from legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and has paved the way for a major legislative battle in coming months.

“At a time when millions of Americans are still struggling, we simply cannot afford this kind of devil-may-care federal policy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), angrily waving the blank stack of papers in front of reporters. “We will not risk leading the American people into further hardship simply so the Obama administration can once again do whatever they please, regardless of the consequences. As it is now, the bill is both short-sighted and utterly irresponsible.”

Bill S.0000, which has sharply divided lawmakers.

“Frankly, we need to get back to the negotiating table and make some major changes before members of my party would even consider putting this up for a vote,” McConnell continued. “And if my friends on the other side of the aisle try push it through, well, they’ll pay the consequences at the ballot box.”

According to reports, 45 Democratic senators are in favor of the bill—which contains no text whatsoever—while 41 Republicans are staunchly opposed. At least three Republicans, including Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), David Vitter (R-LA), and Susan Collins (R-ME), have said they would consider crossing the aisle and backing the bill, an announcement that drew fierce criticism from GOP leadership and primary threats from members within their own party.

Republican critics told reporters that the wordless document would “kill jobs and force another round of big government policies upon the American people.” Some Democrats said the blank legislation doesn’t go far enough, while a majority of party members accused the GOP of “willfully undermining the legislative process” and being totally averse to any and all concessions.

Republican senators filibustered the up-and-down vote proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) earlier in the week, and sources said today’s cloture motion that would have forced S.0000 to a vote also failed to pass.

House Speaker John Boehner has already said the Senate version of the non-legislation is dead on arrival in the House, and that the Republican majority would work together to pass their own blank law.

“The truth is, Speaker Boehner doesn’t have enough support in his own party, and will need Democratic help to pass anything,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), adding that he “firmly and categorically stands behind” many of the nonexistent measures in the bill. “But once again, the GOP has decided they would rather spread vicious lies about the effects of this legislation, and they’ve successfully created a panic that is completely unfounded. Americans can’t afford to wait around any longer. We need to get this done now.”

While lawmakers have overwhelmingly fallen along party lines, several Democratic members of Congress who are up for reelection in 2014 have joined Republicans in blasting the legislation, fearing that showing any kind of support for President Obama and his agenda could lead to their ouster. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has said the bill, which would enact no changes of any kind to either federal or statewide governments, is immoral, unconstitutional, and flies in the face of states’ rights.

President Obama, meanwhile, has heavily criticized Congress for its failure to vote on the proposal.

“The inaction of Congress and the hyperbolic, ultra-partisan statements regarding this legislation, are precisely why most Americans are frustrated with Washington,” Obama told the assembled White House press corps, adding that he is prepared to sign the empty sheet of paper into law as soon as it crosses his desk. “Our government representatives are putting politics ahead of the American people, and that’s unacceptable.”

Though some lawmakers remain optimistic over a future deal brokered between the two parties, many Capitol Hill insiders said any future compromise is overwhelmingly unlikely.

“Essentially, there are two possible outcomes for this bill: It’ll either get completely gutted in committee, or it’ll be put up for a vote and then be swiftly killed,” said Washington Post national political correspondent Karen Tumulty, adding that to enact the bill’s total lack of provisions would require heavy concessions from both sides of the aisle. “But let’s not beat around the bush here—the midterm elections are right around the corner, and these legislators don’t want to take a chance and do anything that might cast them in a negative light before their constituents go to the polls.”

“To be completely honest, the best bet would be if Congress just waits until after 2014, breaks the bill up the into smaller parts and tries to pass it piecemeal,” Tumulty added. “Or maybe they should just start from scratch.”

Be Careful what you Wish for...

Saw this on Facebook - recently posted by a couple assholes I went to high school with back in the Midwest.  Yeah...be careful,  NRA "buddies...."

"...oh, wishing star, we wish for an end to bigoted assholes in this country..."  OOPS!

It's always something...

New Blood

Saaaay.....

How could you not vote for this, uh...this....

It's always something...

It's a system, ok?

We have a system in this country that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.  This is ok I suppose, but we should call it something other than a Judicial System.  "Judicial System" is a phrase that sounds like what you would say if you were drunk, or shall we say it can be understood when said by both sober and inebriated folks - "Ghudishalsistum".  for instance:  "Yesh I suppose Iwuz guilty but I have a good lawyer and thank goodness for our ghudishalsistum fer petessake."

 "...the quality of being fair and reasonable..."

It's not really a system that metes justice so much as it is a system that metes legality, or what ever can be used by legal professionals to bend whatever truth there may be in a situation to their advantage.  Depends on how good you are as a lawyer and what kind of people you pick as those who may listen to your arguments and vote for or against.

So, like, if you happen to live in say, Florida, you can kill a black guy and get acquitted.  Easy cheesy.  It all depends on the skill of the law professionals and how that is applied to the thought processes of a jury from say, Florida.

  "....rather than in equity..."

Or anything, really.  I don't think those who practice trial law care one whit about truth.  It IS,however important that your side wins.  There's the skill.  There's the game.  There's the justice legal system.


It's always something...

Dragged on Way too Long...

Had to share this news report.



It's always something...

Teatime brings folks together

I dunno...this still makes me laugh......

It's always something