Thoughts About Alito

I have been sitting back and watching the proceedings surrounding the recent nomination of Judge Alito for the Supreme Court with some amusement.

A boatload of conservatives who went apoplectic at the Harriet Miers nomination have regained their composure and have been preening and strutting around the barnyard like a pack of arrogant roosters.

For those of you who are slow that is my nice way of not saying that they have been acting like cocks. Read that anyway you want to, but I digress.

What I find amusing is their crowing and cackling about finally getting a justice who will respect the Constitution because they know better than everyone else what the intentions of the Framers were and how for so long the Constitution has been abused and misused by the current justices.

If the justices had ruled differently on a number of issues the talk would be very different and the discussion would be focused on trying to protect the court from those crazy liberal judges who would send the world spiraling into hell. I alluded to some of my thoughts about this rhetoric the other day but I would be remiss if I didn't mention again my distaste for the foolish behavior on all sides.

Too much time is spent on name calling and not enough on working together.

Here are my concerns with Judge Alito. I don't particularly care for his position on abortion, as I understand it. Since women are the people who give birth I have to defer to them on this issue. I cannot in good conscience try and control their bodies and how they choose to use them. I don't believe in abortion as a form of birth control. It shouldn't be used that way but that is a separate issue and in some respects a red herring for this discussion.

I am also concerned about some of Judge Alito's rulings on religious ground, as I understand them. I am a huge proponent of church and state and find much of the conversation on this to be offensive. I find it offensive to be told that I am antireligion for advocating that the first amendment be followed.

I find it offensive that people think that it is ok to trample the rights of minorities because it doesn't impinge on their way of observing their faith. I believe that Tyranny of the majority is a very real problem and that the best way to protect ourselves is to try and protect everyone.

There is a balance that can be struck, a compromise that can be reached but at the current point in time I am concerned about our ever reaching it. It is far too common an in vogue to choose a side and bash the other without a care for the words that are used.

In short, I am very troubled by what I see. I do not seriously believe that we are on the verge of a complete breakdown or some kind of theocracy but if we do not find a way to tone down the rhetoric and try and occupy the middle ground it will be to our detriment.

Tags: alito,News and politics

Shakira- La Tortura

La Tortura is one of those songs that has just caught my ear. I have listened to it quite a bit recently. If you are interested in hearing it you can watch the video by going here and clicking on the La Tortura link.

Scooby Doo

Within the past couple of months my son has gotten into watching Scooby-Doo. That is kind of cool. I used to watch Scooby. It is something that we can share and that makes me happy. There is nothing like bonding, especially over a Scooby Snack.

And because he has watched some of the older episodes he is familiar with guest stars like Big Mama Cass and Don Knotts. It is kind of odd to listen to the almost five year old try and describe what happens to Big Mama Cass in a candy factory and how the gang saved her. On a side note I wonder if she was offended by being forced to make her guest appearance in a candy factory. More on that later, or maybe not.

The little mister watched an episode of the Jetsons with me and told me that Scooby is much cooler than Astro and you know I have to agree with that.

When I asked him who his favorite animal buddy was he screwed up his face and said loudly, "Scooby!" I probably made it a little bit too difficult as I offered him a number of choices including Scooby, Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Benji and Boomer. Ok, he didn't have a clue as to who most of those other dogs were so I had to explain it to him. I would have mentioned Old Yeller but then I would have started crying and that would have raised all sorts of issues.

I can hear some of you snickering. If you didn't cry at the end of Old Yeller there is something wrong with you. You probably laughed when Bambi's mother was shot. You sick and twisted monsters, have you no shame.

But the sickest thing was not your shameful sniggering, but when my son told me that I had forgotten Scrappy Doo. I was horrified. Scrappy Doo is the devil. When that little yappy, annoying irritant showed up the writing was clear, Scooby Doo had jumped the shark.

I almost choked. I sputtered, stuttered and stumbled because I really wanted to tell him how very much I dislike Scrappy and how bad he was for the show. He arrived and Fred, Daphne and Velma left. No more would we hear such insightful expressions as "Jinkies." No longer would we wonder if Velma would ever learn to get a chain for her glasses, they fall off every show forcing her to blindly search for them. You would think by now that she would have figured that out.

Not to mention the very sad reality that no matter how good a plan Fred and Velma create it is always going to be mucked up by Scooby and Shaggy. But that really didn't matter because somehow those meddling kids always got the best of the bad guys.

And then came Scrappy Doo. Scrappy Fucking Screwed up a Beautiful Television Show Doo, destroyer of joy and happiness. My childhood was scarred by the arrival of that dumb mutt and now my son has a thing for him.

Tomorrow we are going to have the scrap Scrappy Doo talk. I hate to do it, but sometimes for the good of a child a parent has to make hard decisions.

In the morning I probably will share my thoughts on Alito. Rumor has it that he is a fan of the little yapper and that given a choice of Sesame Street characters he would pick Bert over Ernie and Elmo over Cookie Monster. If these things are proven true the man will have to go down, there is no way that we can confirm a justice who is unable to appreciate The Cookie Monster. That is just unAmerican.

Frappr Me

Hi folks,

I gave in and decided to create a Frappr map. Click here and stick a pin in.

A Comment about Comments

Folks,

For some reason I am not receiving the usual notification about people posting comments. So if you leave a remark here (and I certainly encourage you to do so) and I do not respond it may be just that I am unaware of it.

You can always feel free to email me at talktojack at sbglobal dot net.

Thanks,

The Management

Syria: UN resolution "very negative"

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria sharply criticized on Tuesday a U.N resolution ordering it to cooperate fully with an international inquiry into the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri or face unspecified action.

"We consider the resolution to be very negative toward Syria, and as it is unanimous this makes it more problematic," a Foreign Ministry source said of Monday's Security Council vote.

And my response is well duh!

Truth In Politics

I have a flurry of posts bouncing around the cavernous empty space that stands between my ears. It is a veritable blizzard, but not the kind that you would find at your local Dairy Queen. Although I must say that the thought of eating one makes my mouth water. Cue Homer Simpson sound effect.

When I was younger I was raised by my democrat parents to be truthful and honest, and honesty dictates that as a child I always thought that it would be better to be a part of the Grand Old Party because everyone loves a good party and who would want to sit around with a bunch of nags and jackasses, profuse apologies to Mr. Ed and Francis the Talking Mule.

As I grew up in the shadow of Watergate, Vietnam, Abscam, Iran-Contra and so many other affairs I wondered why we couldn't get more honesty in politics, or at least a cooler name for our scandals like Teapot Dome or the XYZ affair. Please note that since children sometimes read this blog I left Clinton/Lewinsky off of this. I would have included them but I couldn't come up with a name that didn't suck.

What I really learned from all of this is that I am an independent and happy to be one. I don't have much faith in the system (said in hushed tones) because too many people try and jack the system up. Did I sound like I have street cred when I said that.

Too few of our representatives really impress me. Too many people toe the party line because it helps them keep their jobs. Instead of focusing on what will really help people they help themselves. Too many agendas.

Speaking of agendas I'd like to address the many activists and the names that they come up with for their groups. I see things like People For The American Way, Concerned Mothers, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

If there was any honesty in these groups they'd come up with names that really described them such as "I Hate Working behind a Desk so I quit so that I could travel the Country with a Bullhorn" or "I am Incompetent and Angry But People Pay Good Money to Listen to Me Scream."

Now there is truth and there is reality and that makes me happy.

All I know is that at some point in time I hope that the two parties here wake up and stop waving their fingers in our faces because all that waggling and wiggling is downright irritating. The only things that I want to see waggling and wiggling in my face are gender related and I'd be happy to relate to them in person but I can't be more specific or my 17 wives will come and smite me and once you have been smitten you have a much harder time slinging this crap.

Of course ladies you know that once you smote your man he likely rolled over and promptly fell asleep, it is better than Ambien. So if you forgive me I am going to stop while I am ahead and start running because I hear the motors running and if I am going to avoid the sexy 17 I need to get a running start.