Tuesday, October 17, 2006

News noted

* Bill Moyers on Net Neutrality.

* The Armour of God pajamas!

* Following in the footsteps of Penelope Ashe, mysterious author Travis Tea sets out to test the editorial standards of a certain publishing company.

* Garrison Keillor on who supports torture:
I got some insight last week into who supports torture when I went down to Dallas to speak at Highland Park Methodist Church. It was spooky. I walked in, was met by two burly security men with walkie-talkies, and within 10 minutes was told by three people that this was the Bushes' church and that it would be better if I didn't talk about politics. I was there on a book tour for "Homegrown Democrat," but they thought it better if I didn't mention it. So I tried to make light of it: I told the audience, "I don't need to talk politics. I have no need even to be interested in politics - I'm a citizen, I have plenty of money and my grandsons are at least 12 years away from being eligible for military service." And the audience applauded! Those were their sentiments exactly. We've got ours, and who cares?

The Methodists of Dallas can be fairly sure that none of them will be snatched off the streets, flown to Guantanamo Bay, stripped naked, forced to stand for 48 hours in a freezing room with deafening noise. So why should they worry? It's only the Jews who are in danger, and the homosexuals and gypsies. The Christians are doing fine. If you can't trust a Methodist with absolute power to arrest people and not have to say why, then whom can you trust?
Hm. If you're a Shi'ite, then you'd trust another Shi'ite. And if you're a Sunni, you'd trust a Sunni. But clearly you can't trust anyone who isn't a member of your group of Righteous People like you, so obviously they have to be banned from holding positions of power over Righteous People like you. And if they insist on perversely seeking such power so that they can do Evil Things to the Righteous People Like You, then obviously they have to be rounded up and sent to prison camps so that they can Learn Their Place. Or maybe you can just save some time by shooting them down or blowing them up in the streets.

* As part of a world tour intended to boost his rather bedraggled public image, Mike Tyson proposes to fight women. Yep, that'll make him look good.... whether he wins or loses.

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