Georgia (in)justice

Read more about the sad case of honor student Genarlow Wilson here:

When he was a senior in high school, he received oral sex from a 10th grader. He was 17. She was 15. Everyone, including the girl and the prosecution, agreed she initiated the act. But because of an archaic Georgia law, it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sexual intercourse, but a felony for the same kids to have oral sex.

Afterward, the state legislature changed the law to include an oral sex clause, but that doesn’t help Wilson. In yet another baffling twist, the law was written to not apply to cases retroactively, though another legislative solution might be in the works.

Wonder if the fundamentalist right will mobilize against that potential legislative solution?

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice … we won’t get fooled again”

On the road with George W.:

Mr. Bush made the short jaunt to Wilmington aboard Air Force One, spending a mere 30 minutes in the air on the way up and 20 minutes on the way back. On the ground, he traveled in the usual motorcade of about two dozen vehicles, including sport utility vehicles carrying gun-toting Secret Service agents, and vans carrying camera-toting members of the press.

There was nary a hybrid among them.

The purpose of the trip? Bush was pitching his plan to reduce projected gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

Hate or hoax?

The online community is still trying to figure out whether Donnie “God Hates a Fag” Davies is a brilliant satirist or a fundamentalist bigot. Dan Savage concludes he’s a little bit of both:

So here’s where I’m at as of tonight: This is not a hoax. Donnie Davis is engaged in a deadly serious effort—a seriously successful effort—to spread the fundy message about homosexuality (it’s a choice, god hates it) through the intentional use of humor.

Is thug the new “N” word?

Interesting story in the AJC today about the evolution of a four-letter word, often used to describe athletes like Michael Vick and Allen Iverson who sport a hip hop flavor:

Considering that Vick is not a hardened criminal or known to be a gang member, has the use of the word “thug” about him, and other young black men, started to sound like a racial epithet?

“I’ve been astonished at the blanket bigotry in some cases,” said Jamie Dukes, the 680 the Fan talk host and former Florida State offensive guard. “Thuggery denotes a criminal element.”

“And they know what you’re saying makes sense and all”

Great live version of my favorite Sly and the Family Stone ditty, “Stand!”

Donnie Davies’ sensitive side

Gay is not a choice, but apparently being fat is. I still can’t decide whether this is a joke or not, although it’s sure starting to look that way. If so, I’ve never seen a more determined prankster. Davies has four Web sites, and there’s at least minimal production value in his now-infamous music video. Watch Davies plead for compassion here, perhaps the surest sign we’ve all been had.

Nostalgia du jour

Remember Super Chicken?

Georgia (in)justice

Read more about the sad case of honor student Genarlow Wilson here:

When he was a senior in high school, he received oral sex from a 10th grader. He was 17. She was 15. Everyone, including the girl and the prosecution, agreed she initiated the act. But because of an archaic Georgia law, it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sexual intercourse, but a felony for the same kids to have oral sex.

Afterward, the state legislature changed the law to include an oral sex clause, but that doesn’t help Wilson. In yet another baffling twist, the law was written to not apply to cases retroactively, though another legislative solution might be in the works.

Wonder if the fundamentalist right will mobilize against that potential legislative solution?

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice … we won’t get fooled again”

On the road with George W.:

Mr. Bush made the short jaunt to Wilmington aboard Air Force One, spending a mere 30 minutes in the air on the way up and 20 minutes on the way back. On the ground, he traveled in the usual motorcade of about two dozen vehicles, including sport utility vehicles carrying gun-toting Secret Service agents, and vans carrying camera-toting members of the press.

There was nary a hybrid among them.

The purpose of the trip? Bush was pitching his plan to reduce projected gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

Hate or hoax?

The online community is still trying to figure out whether Donnie “God Hates a Fag” Davies is a brilliant satirist or a fundamentalist bigot. Dan Savage concludes he’s a little bit of both:

So here’s where I’m at as of tonight: This is not a hoax. Donnie Davis is engaged in a deadly serious effort—a seriously successful effort—to spread the fundy message about homosexuality (it’s a choice, god hates it) through the intentional use of humor.

Is thug the new “N” word?

Interesting story in the AJC today about the evolution of a four-letter word, often used to describe athletes like Michael Vick and Allen Iverson who sport a hip hop flavor:

Considering that Vick is not a hardened criminal or known to be a gang member, has the use of the word “thug” about him, and other young black men, started to sound like a racial epithet?

“I’ve been astonished at the blanket bigotry in some cases,” said Jamie Dukes, the 680 the Fan talk host and former Florida State offensive guard. “Thuggery denotes a criminal element.”