Mississippi: Still As Backwater As Ever

Ken AshfordRaceLeave a Comment

While the rest of the country was celebrating Martin Luther King yesterday, the State of Mississippi just couldn’t bring itself to the table.  Well, not all the way.  Instead, Mississippi celebrates the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King.  Yes, THOSE two go together really well. Anyway, enjoy this actual recording of a phone call to the Mississippi … Read More

iRod

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

I would love to have the time to read more magazines.  I just don’t.  If I want information, I usually go on-line.  Which is a bit of a shame.  Magazines are fun — you can take them to bed, or sprawl out on the couch, and just flip through them.  And when they come in the mail, it is like … Read More

Victory in Georgia

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

From the Associated Press: ATLANTA – A federal judge Thursday ordered a suburban Atlanta school system to remove stickers in its high school biology textbooks that call evolution "a theory, not a fact," saying the disclaimers were an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. "By denigrating evolution, the school board appears to be endorsing the well-known prevailing alternative theory, creationism or variations … Read More

Bush Flips On Sex

Ken AshfordElection 2004, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

Get off the subject, George. It’s a minefield. Don’t get all flippity-floppity with the election one week away! Bush Says His Party Is Wrong to Oppose Gay Civil Unions By ELISABETH BUMILLER Published: October 26, 2004 WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 – President Bush said in an interview this past weekend that he disagreed with the Republican Party platform opposing civil unions … Read More

God Sent Mixed Messages

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Godstuff, IraqLeave a Comment

We all know He speaks to Bush, and we all know He speaks to Pat Robertson. So why was He telling Bush one thing about the War in Iraq, and telling Pat Robertson something else: "I mean, the Lord told me it was going to be A, a disaster, and B, messy," Robertson said. "I warned [President Bush] about casualties." … Read More

The Impact of Fahrenheit 9/11

Ken AshfordElection 2004, Popular CultureLeave a Comment

I was among the many who thought that, once you get past all the controversy and noise, "Fahrenheit 9/11" would simply be a movie that preached to the choir. It wasn’t going to sway many on the right (who wouldn’t see it because they were on the right). Nor was it going to sway many in the center (on the … Read More

“Amish In the City”

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

In the right hands, this new reality show could be an interesting and educational social experiment about what happens when cultures collide. But it’s on UPN, so what are the chances of that? The show takes 5 young Amish people and places them in a Hollywood Hills mansion with six-non Amish roommates. Now, the Amish people taking part in this … Read More

Not That There’s Anything Right With It . . .

Ken AshfordRepublicans, Sex/Morality/Family Values1 Comment

Regarding the recent conservative push to resurrect the same-sex marriage issue, Paul Waldman has the best tagline: I can’t say for sure, but it does seem that some Republican senators spend more time thinking about homosexuality than any gay person I know. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I don’t know how often Republican senators think about homosexuality and … Read More

WorldNetDaily Bites Its Pillow In Abject Fear

Ken AshfordRight Wing and Inept Media, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

This isn’t a slam piece against WorldNetDaily — it’s a humor piece. Here, apparently is what they are concerned about now: the "child protection gestapo" taking kids from homes and giving the children to (oh no!) same-sex couples. Mind you, the concern here isn’t that abused kids will be given to gay couples, but any child: Governments that kind-heartedly bestow … Read More

Ruminations of ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ – Part II of II

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Election 2004, Popular CultureLeave a Comment

Well, shit. Kevin Drum took my Part II point. Almost verbatim. [T]he thing that really struck me about the film was the almost poetic parallellism between its own slanders and cheap shots and the slanders and cheap shots of pro-war supporters themselves over the past couple of years. If Moore had done this deliberately, it would have been worthy of … Read More

Ruminations of ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ – Part I of II

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Election 2004, Popular CultureLeave a Comment

Warning: “Fahrenheit 9/11” is a rich film jam-packed with facts, factoids, opinions, interviews, and messages. Unless one recounts every little moment, it is impossible for a review to “spoil” the entire film in a Rosebud-is-his-sled-type manner. Nevertheless, my essay below does reveal certain parts of the film — so if you plan on seeing it and don’t want anything revealed … Read More

SCOTUS Punts The Pledge Issue

Ken AshfordConstitution, Godstuff, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Court dismisses Pledge of Allegiance suitJustices sidestep church-state issue in tossing atheist’s case Read more here. The opinion is not available yet, but it will be interesting to see what, if anything, the justices said about the merits of Newdow’s case. Apparently, Rehnquist wrote about it, but his views were already pretty well-known.