fundamentalist flogging

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/75yearold-widow-to-be-flogged-1641548.html

Late post but I had to bring the above to your attention because this is what happens when a government is run according to legalistic or fundamnetalist religious "ideals". I don't care if its Wahabism, Sharia, Mormon or Christian. If the Dominionists and others from our own religious right had their wish there would be flogging for blasphemy, insulting their religion would be a crime. I have no doubt that there would be dozens of religious crimes punishable by death.

We must be careful to keep religion at arm's length from our government. Saudi Arabia, of course, has been the playmate of the Bush dynasty for years. It's an oily and corrupt relationship that has damaged our country, not least by supplying most of the terrorists who attacked us in 2001.

Hey George, give the prince a nice wet one for all the dead and for the ruins in Iraq!

Your rights? Majority rules them gone and Ken Starr agrees!

Remember Ken Starr? He did his part to waste our tax dollars by relentlessly hounding President Clinton over lying about extramarital trysts. Money well spent since Bill was impeached, tried and...oh yeah, acquitted. Well Ken is now telling the California Supreme Court that any rights may be taken away by a simple majority vote.( http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Ken_Starr_argues_for_Prop_8_0305.html ) Wow. Think what might have happened if that had been tried with voting rights in say, Mississippi or Alabama in the sixties. Some cities in the North might have more easily taken care of the "problem" of minorities in their neighborhoods.

The shame of Proposition 8 in California is not just that a majority of those who voted said yes, it is that a major religious group played such a large financial and human support role. It is a clear example of a religion imposing its belief upon an entire state, using its financial muscle and cultural influence. I do not argue with their right to lobby and advocate, I do think it is a shame that they could use their tax exempt funds to advocate the removal of the civil rights of other taxpayers who do not subscribe to their doctrines.

Churches can do what they want as far as what they sanction or bless. None of the proposed equal marriage laws mandates that any religion or church sanction anything they do not wish to sanction. The issue is the special rights that the state awards married couples, and they are special rights. No domestic partner laws confer those kinds of rights either legally or in the eyes of society. I believe at some point the U.S. Supreme Court will decide in favor of marriage equality as far as the civil aspect. It may be even more likely to be a strict constructionist court.

CPAC DELERIUM TREMENS

Someone I know well has posted photos of his experience at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. It looks like he and his wife had a good time. His pictures and thier captions have the feel of a 12 year old gushing liberally at a Jonas Brothers' concert. He heard Rush, muckled onto Michelle, flushed with pride at Joe the Plumber. Speaking of plumbers, he saw G. Gordon Liddy, convicted felon, as well as scads of other minions.

Now much is being made of Rush as a "leader" in the Republican Party, or at least the conservative movement. Flush with adrenalin after his declaration that he wished our President to fail, he has eagerly reiterated this on his radio show. Well, I don't easily dub anyone a leader. A leader takes risks, performs some concrete action to accomplish a goal. John McCain is a leader. George Bush was a leader, albeit a poor one. Rush has a radio show. He talks. He has nothing at stake but ratings. He has guaranteed dittoheads in the millions and has already succeeded in his field.

However, if he has taken over the Republican party and does speak for them I am for it. It further discredits them, much as all the groveling apologies from those weak-kneed GOPers after they tried to speak up to him.

Now if Sarah Palin does run for a second loss in 2012 I will be happy.

Library Commons aka "How do you like us now?"

Here at the University of Southern Maine we have worked hard to create new space. The computer lab and the information technology support folks are here. We have been working well as a team and our numbers are up, way up. But what's next? What will set us apart and move us forward? There are already signs of stagnation. People are falling back into the old model where the "patron" comes to us and stands before the counter or desk until we notice and grant an audience. They humbly ask for assistance and...we might grant it with a smile or we might grunt and point them in some direction.

I believe in another way. We must go to where the customer is. This can be nothing more than actually getting up and leaving our seats. Go to the computer station where the individual is working and see what they are doing. It's a waste of time to quiz them for five minutes as they stand before you when you can actually witness their work. If they need to speak with someone else then escort them to that person and introduce them, at the same time cuing your coworker to what the question is.

Discussion? Ideas? I am a brand new blogger. This is my first topic.