Noted and quoted, the battle against fundamentalism

"Speaking as somebody with three sisters and a very largely female Muslim family, there’s not a single woman I know in my family or in their friends who would have accepted wearing the veil.

"I think the battle against the veil has been a long and continuing battle against the limitation of women, so in that sense I’m completely on (British Leader of the Commons Jack) Straw’s side.

"He was expressing an important opinion, which is that veils suck, which they do. I think the veil is a way of taking power away from women."

–Author Salman Rushdie, expressing support for Straw’s call for Muslim women to remove their veils, saying it was a barrier to integration and community relations.

The Larry King Blurbmeister Award

There was a time, many, many years ago, when Rolling Stone was a credible publication. Now it’s nothing but a publicity organ for overhyped musicians and celebs. “Critic” Peter Travers heads up the magazine’s movie promotions department:

*MIAMI VICE: “If you’re looking for a crime story that sizzles with action, sex and the visceral jolt of life on the edge, Miami Vice is the one.”

*THE BREAK-UP: “Vince Vaughn is the best friend a movie comedy could have. He’s hilariously funny.”

*CARS: “Downright breathtaking! A class act all the way…Pixar does it again!”

*THE HEART OF THE GAME: “There’s no denying the emotional force of this movie. It gets to you.”

*MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3: “This summer M:i:III is the movie to beat in the race to push your pulse rate past the danger zone.”

*POSEIDON:  “It’s a blast. Poseidon hits the action button and never stops!”

*SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS: “Uproarious…fiendishly funny! The laughs come with a sting! Thornton and Heder keep you howling. Jon Heder orbits past his Napoleon Dynamite character at last by getting seriously fierce! A hot and rowdy funfest! Ben Stiller is in top form.”

Noted and quoted, anti-Semite edition

“It was just the stupid rambling of a drunkard, you know and … what I need to do to heal myself and to be assuring and allay the fears of others and to heal them if they had any heart wounds from something I may have said. So, this is the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster.”

–Mel Gibson, still blaming alcohol for his hatred of Jews

What are words for?

Nice piece by Phil Kloer in today’s AJC on what constitutes an "icon," yet another one of those terms corrupted by the pop culture media —

Paris Hilton calls herself one. The TV show "Celebrity Duets" conferred the title on both Marie Osmond and Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong). Media outlets have recently slapped the Big I on Pamela Anderson, Steve Irwin, Boy George and "America’s Funniest Home Videos."

Egads!

People magazine and VH1 justified their rankings for their 2003 list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons." They included:

• "Can you dress up as them for Halloween?"

• "Do they pass the one-name test?"

• Has "Saturday Night Live" satirized them?

• Do they have a catchphrase?

Not surprisingly, that list included Britney Spears, Martha Stewart and Bugs Bunny.

We’ve been down this road before, as Kloer points out:

Likewise, "diva" moved from referring only to female opera singers who combined notable talent and volatile temperament to an easy tag for any female singer with a Top 40 hit who would show up for a VH1 charity event.

Too bad too few people care about the words they speak. Alas, the media deserves the lion’s share of blame. 

You know what sucks about being a Baldwin? NOTHING!

With MSNBC on in the background, I hear this ominous introduction:

Coming up, one of the Baldwin brothers is advising President Bush. It’s true, we’ll talk with Stephen Baldwin next.

I wonder if he ever bumps into Kissinger? (I couldn’t resist watching: Baldwin refers to himself as “the first Jesus psycho.”)

Too bad the Canadians didn’t really blow up the Baldwin house, as depicted in the “South Park” movie.

You know what sucks about being a Baldwin? NOTHING!

With MSNBC on in the background, I hear this ominous introduction:

Coming up, one of the Baldwin brothers is advising President Bush. It’s true, we’ll talk with Stephen Baldwin next.

I wonder if he ever bumps into Kissinger? (I couldn’t resist watching: Baldwin refers to himself as “the first Jesus psycho.”)

Too bad the Canadians didn’t really blow up the Baldwin house, as depicted in the “South Park” movie.

Sic ‘em, Sonny

Not surprisingly, Sonny Perdue’s rant has plenty of supporters, but not a majority, at least on an AJC forum addressing the topic. Of course, I’m sure the paper deleted most of the pro-Sonny comments (as a contrast, the headline below comes via the New York Post following the Yankees elimination at the hands of the Detroit Tigers) –

By Stopped Reading AJC

Nice to see the Gov point out the obvious. Its felt that way for a long time, that Carter and others go out of their way to point out the negative. Most Dawg fans don’t feel Carter is worthy as the UGA beatwriter. I mean shouldn’t we have someone a little more educated when it comes to the game of football?

By Jimmy

Just what does the paper mean by “Dawgs get put in their place”. Quite frankly there is only one way to read this. You only make this statement when you either dislike someone or you feel they are out of line in someway. We will skip the dislike part, the paper has proved time and again that they dislike UGA (a reason, by the way, that I don’t take the paper and will not buy anything you advertise on this website if I can help it) and jump right to the out of line part. Just where is UGA out of line? As is typical of a liberal newspaper, you are out of line if anything you do, say, believe or trust in is against the liberal point of view. The headline is a disgrace to fair and honest reporting

By drdawg

The AJC is nothing but a bunch of left wing liberal woosies who think they are in New York. They have no clue what Georgia is or has been, and they couldn’t find Valdosta or Albany on the map if you paid them.
They are disintegrating, and they are too egocentric to understand why. They only thing good they ever did was to hire Lewis Grizzard and he is dead, just like the paper will be soon.

By Jim

Sonny is “right on” the AJC is only good for potty training you dog! Go Sonny!

By jdawgz75

Thank you Sonny for telling the Atlanta Journal Communism the way it is! It is always doom and gloom from them and never praise. I am not even referring to their sports coverage…I knew there was a reason I hate Tech fans. It is not their sports affiliation, but their liberal bantering. The world is not a cyber simulation Techies! Grow some balls and maybe your sports teams will follow! I still am amazed how I always see Tech fans responding to crap on forums like this yet never see them fill the stands. Shoot at least half of these Techies have probably never attended a game, yet now they are offended by Sonny’s comments. GO DAWGS

By Angie D.

Thank you Gov. Perdue for “putting the AJC in its place”. It would kill them to put a good light on anything UGA does.This is true with the entire bias, one-sided opinions of the AJC. I am canceling my subscription after 30 yrs.I’m done! The AJC owes the people of Georgia an apology for their blatant disrespect for a fine University that represents the collegiate community as well as the sports enthusiast. Waiting for an apology, Angie

By WalterB

I agree with the Governor. Typical AJC – the Cox family is always negative about anything good in Georgia, the South and/or the US. Their liberal, socialist leaning can be seen in most every page of the AJC. Now they are even putting their dirty fingers into the sports pages. Shame on them. No one would dispute that the Dawgs lost; and it wasn’t pretty. But, to say they were put in their place is ridiculous. A more cutesy headline would have been “The Coon dog takes a Bite out of the Bulldog”. Florida should be aware of a mad Bulldog!

Sic ‘em, Sonny

Not surprisingly, Sonny Perdue’s rant has plenty of supporters, but not a majority, at least on an AJC forum addressing the topic. Of course, I’m sure the paper deleted most of the pro-Sonny comments (as a contrast, the headline below comes via the New York Post following the Yankees elimination at the hands of the Detroit Tigers) –

By Stopped Reading AJC

Nice to see the Gov point out the obvious. Its felt that way for a long time, that Carter and others go out of their way to point out the negative. Most Dawg fans don’t feel Carter is worthy as the UGA beatwriter. I mean shouldn’t we have someone a little more educated when it comes to the game of football?

By Jimmy

Just what does the paper mean by “Dawgs get put in their place”. Quite frankly there is only one way to read this. You only make this statement when you either dislike someone or you feel they are out of line in someway. We will skip the dislike part, the paper has proved time and again that they dislike UGA (a reason, by the way, that I don’t take the paper and will not buy anything you advertise on this website if I can help it) and jump right to the out of line part. Just where is UGA out of line? As is typical of a liberal newspaper, you are out of line if anything you do, say, believe or trust in is against the liberal point of view. The headline is a disgrace to fair and honest reporting

By drdawg

The AJC is nothing but a bunch of left wing liberal woosies who think they are in New York. They have no clue what Georgia is or has been, and they couldn’t find Valdosta or Albany on the map if you paid them.
They are disintegrating, and they are too egocentric to understand why. They only thing good they ever did was to hire Lewis Grizzard and he is dead, just like the paper will be soon.

By Jim

Sonny is “right on” the AJC is only good for potty training you dog! Go Sonny!

By jdawgz75

Thank you Sonny for telling the Atlanta Journal Communism the way it is! It is always doom and gloom from them and never praise. I am not even referring to their sports coverage…I knew there was a reason I hate Tech fans. It is not their sports affiliation, but their liberal bantering. The world is not a cyber simulation Techies! Grow some balls and maybe your sports teams will follow! I still am amazed how I always see Tech fans responding to crap on forums like this yet never see them fill the stands. Shoot at least half of these Techies have probably never attended a game, yet now they are offended by Sonny’s comments. GO DAWGS

By Angie D.

Thank you Gov. Perdue for “putting the AJC in its place”. It would kill them to put a good light on anything UGA does.This is true with the entire bias, one-sided opinions of the AJC. I am canceling my subscription after 30 yrs.I’m done! The AJC owes the people of Georgia an apology for their blatant disrespect for a fine University that represents the collegiate community as well as the sports enthusiast. Waiting for an apology, Angie

By WalterB

I agree with the Governor. Typical AJC – the Cox family is always negative about anything good in Georgia, the South and/or the US. Their liberal, socialist leaning can be seen in most every page of the AJC. Now they are even putting their dirty fingers into the sports pages. Shame on them. No one would dispute that the Dawgs lost; and it wasn’t pretty. But, to say they were put in their place is ridiculous. A more cutesy headline would have been “The Coon dog takes a Bite out of the Bulldog”. Florida should be aware of a mad Bulldog!

The Log Cabin cabal

I have voted for Republicans before. I may very well do so again, assuming they nominate a sober candidate like McCain or Giuliani in 2008. Not bloody likely, since neither seems to hate gay people. And rest assured, you’re not going to get very far in today’s GOP if you don’t follow the homophobic party line. There’s no longer room for debate — the fundamentalists have overtaken mainstream Republicans and now constitute the heart, soul and genitalia of the GOP. Which is regrettable, since the alternative is not much better (socially liberal, yes, but Democrats are feckless on most issues of consequence. Besides, I can’t belong to any party that claims the soulless Clintons as standardbearers).

But don’t blame me — this registered Independent will be voting Libertarian.

(Here’s some of the latest GOP gay baiting, first from Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a frequent Bush adviser:)

(H)as the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members and or staffers? When we look over events of this Congress, we have to wonder. This was the first House to pass a pro-homosexual hate crimes bill. The marriage protection amendment was considered very late in the term with no progress toward passage. Despite overwhelming popular approval, the party seldom campaigns as the defender of marriage. The GOP will have to decide whether it wants to be the party that defends the traditional moral and family values that our nation was built upon and directed by for two centuries. Put another way, does the party want to represent values voters or Mark Foley and friends?

Mark Foley and friends being code for "dirty fags."

Next, conservative media critic Cliff Kincaid checks in –

"House leaders permitted homosexuals to infiltrate and manipulate the party apparatus while they publicly postured as friends of family values and traditional marriage. The facade is now in ruins." 

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson sums up the GOP’s dilemma well:

So for a party that crusades against gay marriage and welcomes voters that consider homosexuality a sin or a disease, headlines about a gay Republican congressman lusting after underage male congressional pages are a problem. …

The culture war is supposed to be about morality, but really it’s a crusade to compel Americans to follow certain norms of private behavior that some social and religious conservatives believe are mandated by sociology, nature or God. Republican officeholders have paid lip service to this crusade, all the while knowing that the human family is diverse and fallible. They know that the gravest threat to marriage is the heterosexual divorce rate. They know that Republicans drink, swear, carouse and have affairs, just like Democrats. They know that homosexuals aren’t devils.

Most Americans know all of this, too, by the way. Main Street hasn’t been Hicksville for a long time.

But Republicans positioned themselves as our national Church Lady and were rewarded with the support of the staunchest religious conservatives, who now feel betrayed. Faced with the spreading Foley scandal, the party has a choice.

The party can look America in the face and say, "Folks, we’re all just human, and while we should strive to adhere to the highest moral standards, this whole idea of writing a specific, narrow, fundamentalist Christian view of morality into law is really not a good idea. Even those of us who thought that way when we came to Washington realize we were wrong. Condemning others just because they are different doesn’t make us stronger or better, it makes us weaker and poorer. As Barry Goldwater would have said, live and let live."

Or the party can purge its gay staffers, maybe symbolically burn a few at the stake, and continue to pretend that you can legislate what is permitted to reside in American hearts and minds. Unfortunately, that’s where it looks like we’re headed.

The Log Cabin cabal

I have voted for Republicans before. I may very well do so again, assuming they nominate a sober candidate like McCain or Giuliani in 2008. Not bloody likely, since neither seems to hate gay people. And rest assured, you’re not going to get very far in today’s GOP if you don’t follow the homophobic party line. There’s no longer room for debate — the fundamentalists have overtaken mainstream Republicans and now constitute the heart, soul and genitalia of the GOP. Which is regrettable, since the alternative is not much better (socially liberal, yes, but Democrats are feckless on most issues of consequence. Besides, I can’t belong to any party that claims the soulless Clintons as standardbearers).

But don’t blame me — this registered Independent will be voting Libertarian.

(Here’s some of the latest GOP gay baiting, first from Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a frequent Bush adviser:)

(H)as the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members and or staffers? When we look over events of this Congress, we have to wonder. This was the first House to pass a pro-homosexual hate crimes bill. The marriage protection amendment was considered very late in the term with no progress toward passage. Despite overwhelming popular approval, the party seldom campaigns as the defender of marriage. The GOP will have to decide whether it wants to be the party that defends the traditional moral and family values that our nation was built upon and directed by for two centuries. Put another way, does the party want to represent values voters or Mark Foley and friends?

Mark Foley and friends being code for "dirty fags."

Next, conservative media critic Cliff Kincaid checks in –

"House leaders permitted homosexuals to infiltrate and manipulate the party apparatus while they publicly postured as friends of family values and traditional marriage. The facade is now in ruins." 

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson sums up the GOP’s dilemma well:

So for a party that crusades against gay marriage and welcomes voters that consider homosexuality a sin or a disease, headlines about a gay Republican congressman lusting after underage male congressional pages are a problem. …

The culture war is supposed to be about morality, but really it’s a crusade to compel Americans to follow certain norms of private behavior that some social and religious conservatives believe are mandated by sociology, nature or God. Republican officeholders have paid lip service to this crusade, all the while knowing that the human family is diverse and fallible. They know that the gravest threat to marriage is the heterosexual divorce rate. They know that Republicans drink, swear, carouse and have affairs, just like Democrats. They know that homosexuals aren’t devils.

Most Americans know all of this, too, by the way. Main Street hasn’t been Hicksville for a long time.

But Republicans positioned themselves as our national Church Lady and were rewarded with the support of the staunchest religious conservatives, who now feel betrayed. Faced with the spreading Foley scandal, the party has a choice.

The party can look America in the face and say, "Folks, we’re all just human, and while we should strive to adhere to the highest moral standards, this whole idea of writing a specific, narrow, fundamentalist Christian view of morality into law is really not a good idea. Even those of us who thought that way when we came to Washington realize we were wrong. Condemning others just because they are different doesn’t make us stronger or better, it makes us weaker and poorer. As Barry Goldwater would have said, live and let live."

Or the party can purge its gay staffers, maybe symbolically burn a few at the stake, and continue to pretend that you can legislate what is permitted to reside in American hearts and minds. Unfortunately, that’s where it looks like we’re headed.

The Larry King Blurbmeister Award

There was a time, many, many years ago, when Rolling Stone was a credible publication. Now it’s nothing but a publicity organ for overhyped musicians and celebs. "Critic" Peter Travers heads up the magazine’s movie promotions department:

*MIAMI VICE: "If you’re looking for a crime story that sizzles with action, sex and the visceral jolt of life on the edge, Miami Vice is the one."

*THE BREAK-UP: "Vince Vaughn is the best friend a movie comedy could have. He’s hilariously funny."

*CARS: "Downright breathtaking! A class act all the way…Pixar does it again!"

*THE HEART OF THE GAME: "There’s no denying the emotional force of this movie. It gets to you."

*MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3: "This summer M:i:III is the movie to beat in the race to push your pulse rate past the danger zone."

*POSEIDON:  "It’s a blast. Poseidon hits the action button and never stops!"

*SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS: "Uproarious…fiendishly funny! The laughs come with a sting! Thornton and Heder keep you howling. Jon Heder orbits past his Napoleon Dynamite character at last by getting seriously fierce! A hot and rowdy funfest! Ben Stiller is in top form."

Noted and quoted, anti-Semite edition

"It was just the stupid rambling of a drunkard, you know and … what I need to do to heal myself and to be assuring and allay the fears of others and to heal them if they had any heart wounds from something I may have said. So, this is the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster."

–Mel Gibson, still blaming alcohol for his hatred of Jews

You know what sucks about being a Baldwin? NOTHING!

With MSNBC on in the background, I hear this ominous introduction:

Coming up, one of the Baldwin brothers is advising President Bush. It’s true, we’ll talk with Stephen Baldwin next.

I wonder if he ever bumps into Kissinger? (I couldn’t resist watching: Baldwin refers to himself as "the first Jesus psycho.")

Too bad the Canadians didn’t really blow up the Baldwin house, as depicted in the "South Park" movie.

You know what sucks about being a Baldwin? NOTHING!

With MSNBC on in the background, I hear this ominous introduction:

Coming up, one of the Baldwin brothers is advising President Bush. It’s true, we’ll talk with Stephen Baldwin next.

I wonder if he ever bumps into Kissinger? (I couldn’t resist watching: Baldwin refers to himself as "the first Jesus psycho.")

Too bad the Canadians didn’t really blow up the Baldwin house, as depicted in the "South Park" movie.

Sic ‘em, Sonny

Not surprisingly, Sonny Perdue’s rant has plenty of supporters, but not a majority, at least on an AJC forum addressing the topic. Of course, I’m sure the paper deleted most of the pro-Sonny comments (as a contrast, the headline below comes via the New York Post following the Yankees elimination at the hands of the Detroit Tigers) —

By Stopped Reading AJC

Nice to see the Gov point out the obvious. Its felt that way for a long time, that Carter and others go out of their way to point out the negative. Most Dawg fans don’t feel Carter is worthy as the UGA beatwriter. I mean shouldn’t we have someone a little more educated when it comes to the game of football?

By Jimmy

Just what does the paper mean by “Dawgs get put in their place”. Quite frankly there is only one way to read this. You only make this statement when you either dislike someone or you feel they are out of line in someway. We will skip the dislike part, the paper has proved time and again that they dislike UGA (a reason, by the way, that I don’t take the paper and will not buy anything you advertise on this website if I can help it) and jump right to the out of line part. Just where is UGA out of line? As is typical of a liberal newspaper, you are out of line if anything you do, say, believe or trust in is against the liberal point of view. The headline is a disgrace to fair and honest reporting

By drdawg

The AJC is nothing but a bunch of left wing liberal woosies who think they are in New York. They have no clue what Georgia is or has been, and they couldn’t find Valdosta or Albany on the map if you paid them.
They are disintegrating, and they are too egocentric to understand why. They only thing good they ever did was to hire Lewis Grizzard and he is dead, just like the paper will be soon.

By Jim

Sonny is “right on” the AJC is only good for potty training you dog! Go Sonny!

By jdawgz75

Thank you Sonny for telling the Atlanta Journal Communism the way it is! It is always doom and gloom from them and never praise. I am not even referring to their sports coverage…I knew there was a reason I hate Tech fans. It is not their sports affiliation, but their liberal bantering. The world is not a cyber simulation Techies! Grow some balls and maybe your sports teams will follow! I still am amazed how I always see Tech fans responding to crap on forums like this yet never see them fill the stands. Shoot at least half of these Techies have probably never attended a game, yet now they are offended by Sonny’s comments. GO DAWGS

By Angie D.

Thank you Gov. Perdue for “putting the AJC in its place”. It would kill them to put a good light on anything UGA does.This is true with the entire bias, one-sided opinions of the AJC. I am canceling my subscription after 30 yrs.I’m done! The AJC owes the people of Georgia an apology for their blatant disrespect for a fine University that represents the collegiate community as well as the sports enthusiast. Waiting for an apology, Angie

By WalterB

I agree with the Governor. Typical AJC – the Cox family is always negative about anything good in Georgia, the South and/or the US. Their liberal, socialist leaning can be seen in most every page of the AJC. Now they are even putting their dirty fingers into the sports pages. Shame on them. No one would dispute that the Dawgs lost; and it wasn’t pretty. But, to say they were put in their place is ridiculous. A more cutesy headline would have been “The Coon dog takes a Bite out of the Bulldog”. Florida should be aware of a mad Bulldog!