There are no slow news days, just lazy bloggers.
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The City Council of the District of Columbia has approved an ordinance permitting gay couples to marry in the Nation's Capital. Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the legislation. Unfortunately, City government in Washington exists along the lines of children mounting a play in the backyard. They have free reign provided no one's parents object. The parents, in this case, come in the form of the U.S. Congress. The House and Senate have 30 days to object. While this appears unlikely, one never knows. Even in a city founded on aberrant behavior, gay marriage might be one toke over the line.
The gay marriage ordinance is being hailed as a boon to tourism. Apparently the Washington Monument and the Capital weren't enough of a draw. The city is anticipating 10,000 gay marriages in the first three years. That's 20,000 people who will come for something besides the Spy Museum and the Barack Obama car air fresheners.
Nevertheless, this is a civil rights issue and it is perfectly proper that the city that hosted Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech should outlaw discrimination wherever it exists. Bravo!
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Senator Joseph Lieberman, Irritating Senator from Connecticut, has crafted a new meaning to "going rogue". Determined to singlehandedly sink America's best hope of real healthcare reform, Joe has forgotten MASH's Frank Burns who opined, "Individuality is fine as long as we all do it together." Fifty-nine senators, all of them Democrats, have seen their way to approving the current legislation. Lieberman sees it differently. We would not want to speculate that the Connecticut insurance lobby has Old Joe by his circumcised johnson but let's be real here. Why would any senator who professes to be a social liberal, want to block a bill that will protect the health of millions? The Obama Administration has proposed allowing Maine to annex Connecticut in return for Olimpia Snowe's vote. Unfortunately, Senator Snowe opposes any deal that makes Joe Lieberman a citizen of Maine. Smart lady!
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The death of Oral Roberts at 91 created an interesting conundrum for newspapers. Roberts was a dominant figure in televangelism. His passing demands ink. The trick is to be gracious without being patronizing. In a effort to appear fair, The Washington Post ran several columns on the life and times of Reverend Roberts. They studiously avoided words like, charlatan, huckster, fraud and pseudo-holy man who got really rich by conning the old and gullible. They neglected to mention the hubris of a man so fond of his own name that he put it on a university.
Roberts was a preacher in the Elmer Gantry mode. He railed against dancing and circuses (curious, considering his TV show). He was however, not opposed to the worship of the Almighty Dollar. At the height of his con Roberts was raking in over $100 million a year. Not bad for a poor farmer's son from Bebee, Oklahoma. Anyway, he's with his maker now (or at least his money-maker). I'm thinking that Roberts lived to be 91 because the Lord wasn't that anxious to have him all that close. I trust Reverend Roberts and L. Ron Hubbard will be happy together sharing that great pulpit in the sky.
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After the longest airline delay in recorded history, Boeing has finally begun flight testing the 787 Dreamliner in Everett, Washington. Customers have been waiting for two years while Boeing contended with parts issues, strikes and the painfully slow delivery of those little bags of pretzels. Among it's wonderful new features, the 787 boasts the largest windows in commercial aviation. Frequent flyers will enjoy a breathtaking view of the tarmac as they wait for hours on delayed aircraft. Welcome aboard!
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A group of Native Americans (Indians to you, the unenlightened) is suing the University of North Dakota to require the school to retain the name " The Fighting Sioux". The university had planned to retire the name which is offensive to some of our Native American brothers. Good luck picking a winner in this one. UND has spent years in debate over the school mascot and, having reached this decision, seems unlikely to reverse itself now. Alternative names have been suggested including: "The Peaceful Sioux", "The 'We're Willing To Sign Another Treaty' Sioux" or even "The Boys Named Sioux". One thing is clear. Whatever deal was made with the tribe, I hope they got it in writing.
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