whither now, first amendment...

Commentary: Town makes it illegal to fly a foreign flag - CNN.com:

This is where we've arrived in this country: You have the constitutional right to burn an American flag, but you can get into trouble for simply flying a foreign one.

At least you can in the 30,000-person town of Pahrump, Nevada, which is close to Las Vegas and even closer to stepping over the line with an idiotic, intolerant and insulting ban on foreign (read: Mexican) flags. The town council voted last week, 3-2, to approve an ordinance that makes it illegal to display a foreign flag -- unless an American flag is flown above it. Scofflaws face a $50 fine and 30 hours of community service.

Pahrump resident Michael Miraglia proposed the ban because, he said, he got upset when he saw immigrant activists marching through U.S. cities last spring, waving Mexican flags. Mr. Miraglia told USA Today that he was especially miffed that "we had Mexican restaurants closed that day."

So that's what started all this -- the fact that some guy couldn't get his burrito fix.

[... rest of article is good to read, too...]

At moments like this, I barely recognize my own country. Americans confronted slavery, the Great Depression, the Third Reich, and racial injustice here at home. Now some of us tremble at the sight of a piece of cloth. How sad. We're a bigger people than that. Even if some of us, now and then, tend to forget it.

Matt Lauer, credulous idiot

The Today Show's Matt Lauer can be the most skeptical and cynical anti-politician interviewer out there, but put a little pseudo-science in front of him and he falls for it like it's a new haircut.

At least, when it comes to "reality show psychic" Lisa Williams (Lifetime), which Lauer bought into so well he didn't even blink at her repeat of the most typical of anti-skeptical responses ("it just doesn't work around people who aren't open to the possibilities"),  Reuters retains it's skepticism and legitimate cynicism intact...

Different name, different accent, same schtick.

prejudice continues unabated on the airlines...

The airline was U.S. Airways, acting only on a "note from a passenger"...

Afarensis: Six Muslim Imams Put Off Plane:

Sad thing was they were attending the North American Imams Federation conference in Minnesota. You'd think that since there was a conference the airlines would, you know, be cognizant of it...Apparently a note was passed by a passanger to a stewardess, who notified the pilot who asked the Imams to get off the plane. The Imams refused - they were trying to return home to Phoenix - so they were taken off the plane in handcuffs. To add insult to injury US Airways refused to put the six on another flight...Story here.

If U.S. Airways doesn't get off their ass and get a LOUD public apology for blunt racism and prejudice in action out there soon, they're going to have a LOT of stockholder resentment at their planned Delta purchase, as well as loud CUSTOMER resentment from a long-time Delta customer who may cash out his 2 free frequent flyer flights and move on to another regular airline...

Yo ms. or mister "anonymous passenger" - if you are so nervous about who you're flying with, YOU get off the fucking plane.

Of course, this is also reflective of how little faith or trust the average nutball, and the average airline worker, has in the work that TSA goes through for screening...

sci-fi genre loses one of it's most prolific actors...

British (well, North Irish) actor John Hallam died last week at the age of 65.  His sci-fi/fantasy credits included...

• Moonbase 3 (Peter Conway)
• Bernadotti in three The Saint episodes
• Luro (a Hawkman) in the 1980 Flash Gordon
• Tyrian in Dragonslayer
• Sir Wilfred Death in an episode of Blackadder series 1
• "Light" in the Doctor Who story, Ghost Light
• Captain Drinian in the BBC Prince Caspian & Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• A Baron in Robin Hood Prince of Theives
• The Mirror in 10th Kingdom

and a host of other roles in British dramas including Cadfael, Sherlock Holmes, Lovejoy, Zorro, EastEnders, Knights of God, and many more...

His dark looks and piercing hawk-like eyes made him the perfect bad guy, or at least someone ambiguously untrustable, yet when he smiled, the warmth of his personal character always shown through.

as Light in Doctor Who: Ghost Light
as Luro in Flash Gordon, on the left next to Brian Blessed


this makes me sad...