One Brick Out; Falwell Falls and more . . .

Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters had scheduled a stop on his upcoming tour for Tel Aviv, Israel. At the urging of Palestinian musicians and artists he has changed the venue to Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam (Oasis of Peace in Hebrew and Arabic), a community jointly founded by Israelis and Palestinians as a step toward reconciliation and peace.
A small step, perhaps, but any step that is not towards confrontation, violence and death is a good one, yes ?


FALWELL vs. THE FIRST AMENDMENT (ROUND 2)

The Rev. Jerry Falwell has for the second time demonstrated his failure to grasp the First Amendment to the Constitution. Odd for one who has lived his adult life under its protections.
This time he tried to silence online critics (Homosexuals !!) who had obtained the website "Fallwell. com" and used it to lampoon the good Reverend. He wanted the courts to shut down Fallwell.com and silence that mocking voice.
Not so fast said the courts, shoving Jerry out the door and leaving Fallwell.com in operation.
Why Jerry didn't learn this lesson when he sued Hustler hustler Larry Flynt for defamation, lo these many years ago, and also got tossed out on his kiester, it is hard to say. You would think he would prefer not to remind people of the Hustler satire featuring him having unnatural relations with his mother in an outhouse, but there is no accounting for taste.

IF WE ALL SAY "I BELIEVE" TOGETHER . . .

. . . then the promise in Jason Leopold's Truthout story today that Prosecuter Patrick Fitzgerald will soon ask his Grand Jury (and isn't it grand ?) for a multiple-count indictment against Karl Rove will come true just in time to disable the Republican Super Strategist for the upcoming congressional elections. Since as far as I can tell the entire Republican machine has been utterly dependent on Rove since at least 2000, just the initial wave of panic at facing elections without him should cost them 7-10 house seats and maybe two in the Senate

Is there any way I can have chocolate with this ?

MEASURING SUCCESS IN KABUL

Yesterday's rocket attack on the American Embassy in Kabul was a bust miltarily. It missed the building and only injured one policeman.
But it shed interesting light on the security situation in Afghanistan's capital when Tom Collins, a U. S. military spokesman sought to downplay the event by describing the overall level of security in the city. "Kabul is generally, relatively speaking, pretty safe," was how Collins summed it up.
Recall that for all the blood and treasure we have spilled in Afghanistan, the "security" of Kabul is about all we have to show for it. The Taliban continue as an active force. Opium has returned to its pre-Taliban levels. So, Kabul is our crown jewel.
Now imagine that your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend is standing in front of you and saying, "Well, generally, relatively speaking, I'm pretty faithful." Do you relax ? O.K., try your doctor telling you that "generally, relatively speaking, your cancer is pretty good." Are you comforted ?
Chalk up another for the "fine, fine job" that Don Rumsfeld has done and
Stay Naked.
jd