saturn return to sender

I was skimming through Judge John Jones’ opinion on Kitzmiller vs. The Dover Area School District, released today. I’ve never actually read a court opinion before, but I was struck by how straightforward it was, and clear-headed. Also by how mercilessly it shreds the defendants’ arguments. I mean, justifiably so — I still can’t believe we’re wasting time and money on this at all. But its tone suggested a bias. Calling the pedagogy implied by some of the Dover board’s decisions “colossally bad” teaching, for example.

Then I read this:

Jones — an appointee of President Bush, who backs the teaching of Intelligent Design — defended his decision in personal terms.

“Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activist court,” Jones writes.

All I can say is thank the Designer for rationality. And thank you, Judge Jones, for doing your job.

The only brilliant thing to come out of America’s involvement in the Montreal climate talks:

The National Environmental Trust distributed custom-printed noise-making rubber whoopee cushions printed with a caricature of President Bush and the words “Emissions Accomplished.”

- U.S., Under Fire, Refuses to Shift in Climate Talks

Brilliant!

Meanwhile, according to New York magazine, there was some sort of very classy move by the Bush administration to try to keep Clinton from speaking in Montreal at all. I dunno. It seems like they were just looking for some reason to walk out. They didn’t care what. It’s like they were bored or something. “Can we go yet?” I picture our delegation whining. “This is boring.”

Ellis Henican used the phrase “the polemic business” to describe “the great cacaphony that is American political dialogue.” Well, at least if by American political dialogue you mean Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly (*flinch*), and the like. I think he must’ve let that phrase slip, ’cause it’s too close to a truthful description of what life here is like. We sell ugliness, we run a trade in dog shit. We buy it, too. We eat it up. Yum.

If none of that is depressing enough, read this:

What has happened to our moral sensibility? Did we ever have any? What do these words mean? Do they refer to a term very rarely employed these days – conscience? A conscience to do not only with our own acts but to do with our shared responsibility in the acts of others? Is all this dead?

It seems to be, yes.

“I, Jon Stewart, hate Christmas … .”

Linking to clips of Bill O’Reilly’s show is sort of like linking to video of a train wreck. It’s hard not to look, just for the shock value. It’s so twisted, destructive, and horrible! And so completely useless. I’m reluctant to grant Bill O’Reilly the degree of respect afforded by acknowledgement of existence of any sort whatsoever: he doesn’t deserve the attention. I get annoyed at Media Matters for devoting so much bandwidth to him. Aren’t there more important things they could be covering?

But I guess I don’t mind linking to Jon Stewart clips about Bill O’Reilly. They’re just plain funny.

breezy

Holy crap. It is a bit windy out. The national weather service says, “WEST WINDS WILL BECOME SUSTAINED AT SPEEDS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 80 MPH.”

Also, wind chill will be between -3° and 7° F. I think I won’t be riding my bike today.