Barry Bonds Is Arrogant, Bellicose, and Black.

If he had been humble, friendly, and white, would he be catching this flack? I don't know the answer to that, but I suspect that we would be more forgiving. My father and many of his generation could not accept that Roger Marris hit more single season home runs than Babe Ruth, asterisk or no asterisk, nor could he accept Hank Aaron’s hitting more total. They were both comparatively nice guys. The truth is that comparing records across generations is a useless pursuit. Barry Bonds can’t accurately be compared to Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth or even Ty Cobb, an arrogant, bellicose, and white member of the Hall of Fame. Bonds has recently been the best player in baseball, with or without steroids. Give him his due.

Wait a Minute, Man

I always a bit suspicious when old, honorable, terms or names are given to new groups or causes. Why don’t they pick a name that describes their own cause rather than borrowing the goodwill of another? The Minuteman has an honored place in our history from over two centuries ago. There is nothing wrong with using the name in fun, like when my beloved Mary calls me the minute man. However, in the mid 1960's the name was attached to a right wing hate group that tried Klan like intimidation on those who spoke up for anything they hated, which was nearly everything. I was 17 when Eli Leflar, a local lawyer who spoke out against them, received a flyer in the mail with a circle with crossed perpendicular lines in it and a caption that told him that “the cross hairs are on your neck” and that they were watching his every move. I got cold chills when I held it in my hand and wondered if I would have his courage. We now have the Minuteman Project, another right wing group which gives me chills anew. See, Minutemen Project volunteer begins gathering signatures for Washington initiative 946: Decline to Sign.

Your Supreme Court Justice Is Not a Crook

"‘For Pete's sake, if you can't trust your Supreme Court justice more than that, get a life!’ [Antonin Scalia] said Wednesday, replying to an audience member at the University of Connecticut who asked about Scalia's refusal last year to sit out a case involving his hunting partner, Vice President Cheney.” Once Again, Scalia's the Talk of the Town, By Charles Lane
Washington Post, April 15, 2006. See, also, Antonin-The Guardian of the Constitution Unless They Mess With His Boys

"‘I think the proudest thing I have done on the bench is not allow myself to be chased off that case,’ Scalia said.

Holding on to the opportunity to do judicial favors for a crony is Scalia’s proudest moment on the Court? Wow, is that scary, and it might even be true. After all, what else has he done? Stolen a presidential election from the people. Labored mightily to demolish the wall of separation between church and state. A little help for Dick Cheney seems almost inoffensive by comparison.

With U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay retiring from the field, the Republican Party will need someone else to serve as its official enforcer, and there’s no reason he can’t be in the judicial branch instead of the legislative. Scalia certainly seems mean enough and unprincipled enough for the job. He may well inherit DeLay’s old title, The Hammer. In recognition of his position, they could change it to The Gavel." Scalia’s best Arkansas Times April, 20, 2006

We No Longer Have Leaders-Pols Trade Principles for Polls

We have "A Craven Congress."

“U.S. politicians' reliance on focus groups and political consultants threatens genuine leadership and trivializes democracy.”

"Racism Isn't A Big Deal" To New "White" House Lackey

"President Bush Introduces Tony Snow as New White House Press Secretary" but forgets to mention this-"Here's the unmentionable secret," Snow said on an October 2003 edition of Fox News Sunday, "racism isn't that big a deal anymore."

Scottish Shinty-Camogie/Hurlers Strong Against Irish

The Scottish women have an inside edge with Hilda Dooley.

Paul

We lost our friend Paul last week. There was no better or more committed warrior fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. When I can, I’ll do a better tribute to him. I just can’t right now. The comment from Ujimasa made me wonder what Paul would have written. There is (was?) no predicting him, but this one would be typical of his warrior spirit:

Shall Ashura
subdue a man like me?
I shall be born again
and then I'll cut the head
off Katsuie...
by Takemata Hideshige (After being defeated by Katsuie)

This one gives me some comfort:

Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake;
A life of forty-nine years is passed in a dream;
I know not what life is, nor death.
Year in year out-all but a dream.
Both Heaven and Hell are left behind;
I stand in the moonlit dawn,
Free from clouds of attachment.
by Uesugi Kenshin

Hurling Results 2006

April 30
Kilkenny claims fourth National League title in five seasons defeating Limerick 3-11 to 0-14
Down beat Laois 2-16 to 0-19to maintain Division One in relegation final
Armagh wins NHL Division Three title over Longford 3-10 to 1-11
Tyrone beat Sligo 3-09 to 0-10 in NHL Division Three Shield final
Dublin beat Kerry 0-17 to 1-06 in Division Two final to win promotion back to Division One.
April 23
Limerick beat Clare by 3-23 to 2-23 after extra-time
Kilkenny over Tipperary 3-20 to 2-11
April 16
Limerick over Waterford 0-21 to 0-14
Tipperary beat Offaly 2-21 to 3-14
Dublin over Westmeath1-15 to 0-11
April 15
Antrim beat Down 1-17 to 0-15
Wexford over Laois 2-31 to 3-14
April 9
Wexford 0-18 Down 1-11
Offaly stun Waterford 3-14 to 0-15
April 2
Tipperary over Laois 4-17 to 0-12
Kilkenny beat Galway 1-16 to 1-10
Cork beat Wexford 0-19 to 0-07
Limerick beat Antrim 4-24 to 2-11

For action shots, see Virg n' Mary.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani,- Iraq’s Jerry Falwell, Ronnie Floyd, and other “Christian” Nuts

“His Eminence, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the supreme religious authority for Shiite Muslims in Iraq and worldwide, decrees that gays and lesbians should be killed in the worst manner possible, according to this news article from a London-based gay rights group.”
"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into." Jonathan Swift
From, Healing Iraq-Daily news and comments on the situation in post Saddam Iraq by an Iraqi dentist.
If you haven’t read The End of Faith by Sam Harris, it’s time you did. See also, Optimism Goes to War, A Review of Michael R. Gordon’s Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq by David Rieff.

Tough Luck Jerry-Hope You Fall Well

Sinners Win! US Supreme Court has refused to censor gay’s criticism of Jerry Falwell.

"I was just 12 years old. My family and I were on vacation in Virginia. My dad and I were watching television in our motel room. Jerry Falwell's 'Old Time Gospel Hour' was on. Reverend Falwell looked into the camera and, preaching against gay people, said, 'Even animals don't do that.'
That was the first time in my life that I ever felt unworthy of the love of God."
Falwell was not only morally but also factually wrong. “Homosexual behavior is . . . even more common in other species than in humans.”

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." . . . Susan B. Anthony"

SPEAKING OF SELECTIVE MORALITY, PATTI HAS THE LATEST DOPE ON THE DOPE'S ADMINISTRATION.

Eating Placenta With Zero Gravity Tough, but Virg is Betting on Tom

Tom Cruise is intending to eat Katie Holmes' placenta after his fiancée has given birth to their baby.
“I have been training to get my body accustomed to zero gravity for months now,” Cruise told reporters. “That’s why I jumped up and down on Oprah’s couch.” Cruise said he and Holmes chose the moon because “it is really, really quiet there,” adding, “There are no human beings on the moon, no paparazzi, and most importantly, no psychiatrists.”

"Elsewhere, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got a vote of confidence today from a retired member of the Texas Air National Guard. "

Bush & Neocons Fear For White House Traditions If Romney Elected

“I have no problems with Jews, Arabs, or Mormons, but I fear for our Easter Egg Roll if Romney, or any other non-Christian takes over the White House,” George W. Bush announced yesterday. “This is not against Mormons, but the tradition has already been damaged by the queers. I’d feel the same way about Joe Lieberman if he had a Chinaman’s chance,” Bush added. Bush said that he admired the Mormons’ balls for not admitting blacks to the priesthood until 1978. He agrees with “the Mormon belief that some Native Americans are actually members of the Lost Tribe of Israel, among other things. Don't misunderstand, I'm not putting down the Mormon religion & I would personally have no problem whatsoever voting for a Mormon candidate. However, . . . Mormons are a strange cult.”

Lilly Livered Coward Peace Creep Hippies Criticize Rummy

THOSE BASTARDS!-THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL DONNIE
“We went to war with a flawed plan that didn't account for the hard work to build the peace after we took down the regime. We also served under a secretary of defense who didn't understand leadership, who was abusive, who was arrogant, who didn't build a strong team." - Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste.

"My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions - or bury the results." - Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold.

"They only need the military advice when it satisfies their agenda. I think that's a mistake, and that's why I think he should resign." - Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs.

"We grow up in a culture where accountability, learning to accept responsibility, admitting mistakes and learning from them was critical to us. When we don't see that happening it worries us. Poor military judgment has been used throughout this mission." - Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command.

"I really believe that we need a new secretary of defense because Secretary Rumsfeld carries way too much baggage with him. ... I think we need senior military leaders who understand the principles of war and apply them ruthlessly, and when the time comes, they need to call it like it is." - Retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack.

"He has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. ... Mr. Rumsfeld must step down." - Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton.
“Rumsfeld has lost the support of the uniformed military officers who work for him. Make no mistake: The retired generals who are speaking out against Rumsfeld in interviews and op-ed pieces express the views of hundreds of other officers on active duty. When I recently asked an Army officer with extensive Iraq combat experience how many of his colleagues wanted Rumsfeld out, he guessed 75 percent. Based on my own conversations with senior officers over the past three years, I suspect that figure may be low.” Replace Rumsfeld By David Ignatius, Washington Post

ENTER OUR HERO-Bush voices strong support for Rumsfeld
“I reiterated my strong support for his leadership during this historic and challenging time for our nation,” George W. Bush

AND THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY-Rumsfeld Shrugs Off Calls for Resignation

For a different perspective on Virgil's "fair and balanced" approach, see Not-so-idle Questions on Rumsfeld's Generals, but remember that Virgil is right and Rummy & W. are jerks and their policies suck whether the generals said so or not.

"We have found the weapons of mass destruction"-Bush May 29, 2003

That was a lie, of course, and he knew it.
Terrorism really is a tricky business. See post below.

Terrorism is a tricky business

“. . . terrorism doesn't frighten Western leaders as much as they pretend. Rather it's a potent weapon for political incumbents. Any magician will tell you that the secret of all conjuring tricks and illusions is misdirection. The audience is tricked into looking away while the switch is made or the trapdoor opened. Thus terror is used to trick the terrified, distracting attention from more urgent issues.
In Bush's case, from poverty, public health, decaying infrastructure, environmental scandals, budget blowouts. If you take the nail clippers from air travellers they mightn't notice the injustices of the Bush tax cuts. Terrorism is the biggest example of misdirection since Hitler blamed Germany's problems on the Jews. As he said: ‘If the Jews didn't exist we'd have to invent them.’ In the same way, the West invents the terrorist threat. The problems that cause terrorism are not addressed. The big money is spent on the advertising campaign known as the war on terror.” Terrorism is a tricky business by Phillip Adams in The Australian

Bush Administration Reverses Wetlands Decline - If Golf Courses Count

“. . . the feds just redefined ‘wetland’ to include, yes, sewage ponds, ponds created to grow fish or water cattle, and all those barren or cattail-choked ponds dug out to collect human-generated runoff. You see these runoff ponds along highways, near shopping malls, in golf courses and in suburban developments. Now they are all being counted as ‘wetlands.’" How to explain the new increase in wetlands? Just count anything wet by Judy Helgen, Star Tribune That allowed them to show an increase in wet lands while native wet lands actually decreased.
Golf, of courses, also pollutes with pesticides & fertilizer and guzzles scarce water resources. For more on golf see, Augusta, the Masters, and Golf In General - What Happened To Your Noble Roots?

Thanks Bell

Many believe it's is up to the President to destroy any good will we may have built up in the world. Bell proves that private industry can help.

W. (dub-ya) n.

W. (dub-ya) n.

1. The 23rd letter of the alphabet that is usually a consonant, but is sometimes a vowel.

2. The symbol for the element tungsten.

3. A corrupt, evangelical, fundamentalist fool who cannot or will not recognize the results of his policies (civil war, huge debt, increasing interest rate that will soon raise many Americans' minimum payments above their income with harsh bankruptcy rules, long lasting environmental problems, corruption in DC, using the Bible for a science book, calling for more math and science majors while cutting the student loan program, etc) and will sell out his own country and its troops to make his failed policies and lies look rational and true.

Augusta, the Masters, and Golf In General - What Happened To Your Noble Roots?

“Golf is a pussy game-Just like American football.” Seamus O’Lingle
It is compared to the day when Setanta’s sliotar found its mark. There are, however, even today, true traditions that haven't abandoned Cuchulainn’s spirit as golf has done. Virgil salutes the noble lads and lasses who carry on the real traditon with camogie, hurling, and shinty.

Jesus May Love Um, But I Don't

1.Racist, misogynistic, privileged, fratboys, who have no empathy and who would "plan on killing the bitches as soon as the (sic) walk in and proceding (sic) to cut their skin off while (ejaculating) in my duke (sic) issue spandex" even though they haven't sent thousands to their deaths for no reason other than their own egocentric ignorance and arrogance.

2. George W. Bush who has. His leaking may even make it tough for Jesus to love him.

What Should Camogie Players Wear?

Virgil's opinion is "whatever they want." Most disagree. Cast your vote.

Say It Ain’t So John

“John McCain says he longer considers evangelist Jerry Falwell to be one of the ‘agents of intolerance’ that he criticized during a previous White House run.” “ . . McCain recently agreed to speak at Falwell's Liberty University . . .He stood by his choice yesterday after being reminded of some of Falwell's positions, such as blaming 9/11 on God's anger over ‘the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians.’"

I knew Maeyken Wens, John, and believe me, you’re no Maeyken Wens.

44 Years Ago Today-Benny "Kid" Paret Died of Homophobia .

"I got tired, of people calling me faggot." Emile Griffith

Male & Female Christs, The Cross, The Stake, & The Tongue Screw.

In April, 1573, Maeyken Wens of Antwerp, was arrested because, though a woman, she refused to remain silent. She remained in prison until October and turned down offers of freedom in exchange for her silence. She “was sentenced to death by fire and, because of her ability to persuade others, she was compelled to go to her death in the public square wearing a tongue-screw, so that she could not preach or sing as she passed through the crowds on her way to the stake. She had two sons: a teenager named Adrian, and a toddler named Jan. On the fateful day of her execution, Adrian carried his younger brother on his shoulders so that they could see their mother one last time. As the fire was lit, Adrian fainted, and did not regain consciousness until his mother's body had been consumed by the fire. He later poked through the ashes, to see if he could find some remembrance of her. All he could find was the terrible tongue-screw, which had kept her from speaking of her faith during her final moments. But that is not the end of the story. Van Braght, who wrote the account one hundred years later, mentions that he himself knew Maeyken's grandchildren, and that they still had the tongue-screw, the final relic of their martyred grandmother. That instrument, devilishly designed to deny communication, had in reality become the means by which the story was being repeated. I like to think that somewhere, there are still parents passing that tongue-screw from hand to hand, telling once again the spellbinding story of Grandma Maeyken, who gave her life at the stake, but who could not be silenced even in death, because her story was still being faithfully passed from generation to generation.”
Read her letters.