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Sunday, January 02, 2005 |
Cupertino Parents Respond to Lawsuit
Cupertino Parents Respond to Lawsuit: "
A group of over 100 parents in Cupertino, California have put up a website to respond to the innumerable inaccurate media reports of the situation in their schools that is the subject of a lawsuit by teacher Steven Williams, filed by the Alliance Defense Fund. The ADF's highly dishonest press release, titled Declaration of Independence Banned from Classroom, began the typical media frenzy surrounding such cases, most of it blindly accepting the nonsense in that story. The website includes letters and analysis from several parents within the school district. I've written a lot about the lawsuit here.
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(Via Dispatches from the Culture Wars.)
5:08:26 PM Permalink
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The Christian Right's compassion deficit
The Christian Right's compassion deficit: " 'It took President Bush three days to ready himself to go before the television cameras and make a public statement about Sunday's devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck southern Asia. Even though he was late, and much more money will be needed, the president pledged at least $35 million in aid to the victims of the disaster. But, as of December 30, some of the president's major family-values constituents have yet to be heard from: It's business as usual at the web sites of the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, and the Coral Ridge Ministries. These powerful and well-funded political Christian fundamentalist organizations appear to be suffering from a compassion deficit. Organizations which are amazingly quick to organize to fight against same-sex marriage, a woman's right to choose, and embryonic stem cell research are missing in action when it comes to responding to the disaster in southern Asia. None of their web sites are actively soliciting aid for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami.' — Bill Berkowitz (workingforchange)
(Via Follow Me Here....)
10:44:56 AM Permalink
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Comet Machholz
During a very rainy week (with more to come), we had a nice period of clearing last night, leaving the sky crisp and crystaline. I stepped out with the binoculars and found Comet Maccholz very easily, just to the west of the Hyades. I pulled out the little Astroscan, and brought it in very nicely, though as usual for a comet like this, binoculars were best. The Pleiades were also gorgeous, as was the always fascinating Orion Nebula. I hope we get some more clearings during the next week or so; one of the joys of seeing a comet is watching its position change over time.
10:41:35 AM Permalink
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© Copyright 2005 Steve Michel.
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No official URL for this yet, but the word is going around on several sf mailing lists. Frank Kelly Freas, the legendary science fiction artist, also a frequent contirbutor to MAD Magazine, has died.