Live And Let Die

2007-03-22 - 10:09 a.m.

Morning, everybody.

Lots of news today. Let's start with this item in the Everyone Is Offended By SOMETHING Dept.:

PARIS (AP) � A French court cleared a satirical weekly newspaper Thursday in a case brought by Muslims who were angered by its publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

The newspaper Charlie-Hebdo and its director, Philippe Val, were accused of "publicly abusing a group of people because of their religion." Val had risked a six-month prison sentence and a fine of up to $29,250.

The trial last month drew nationwide attention in a country with Europe's largest Muslim community and a strong commitment to freedom of expression and secularism.

Val said the ruling was a victory for secular French Muslims.

"This debate was necessary," he said.

Lhaj Thami Breze of the fundamentalist Union of Islamic Organizations of France, one of the groups that brought the suit, said he would appeal the decision. Francis Szpiner, a lawyer for the conservative Mosque of Paris, the other group behind the suit, said it was not likely to appeal.

At the trial in February, a state attorney called for the dismissal of the case, saying the cartoons denounced terrorists' use of the Muslim faith but did not damage Islam. The defense read a letter of support from Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who is running for president and said he preferred "an excess of caricatures to an absence of caricatures."

On Feb. 8, 2006, the paper printed three caricatures � two of them reprints of those carried by a Danish newspaper in 2005 that stoked anger across the Islamic world. One caricature was an original.

In September, a Danish court rejected a lawsuit against the newspaper that first printed the cartoons � a verdict some Arab politicians and intellectuals warned would widen a cultural gap.

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In the Hot Air Causes Global Warming, So STFU Dept.:

Al Gore testified on global warming yesterday on Capitol Hill, but refused to take a pledge to use no more energy than the average household. So again, it's a case of "do as I say, not as I do". Everybody is supposed to drive a hybrid car, turn down their thermostats, shun gasoline and use less energy. Unless, of course, you're Al Gore.

He asked for - and got - 30 minutes to make his opening statement before he would come in. Then he arrived late. Gosh, late to testimony at the Capitol. Kinda rude, isn't it?

Then there was the issue of Gore's written testimony. According to the rules of the committee, he's supposed to have it in 48 hours before his appearance. But Gore didn't submit it until yesterday morning. But then, he's a Democrat. Rules are for Republicans.

Then it was his usual sermon: global warming is going to kill us all, we are in the middle of a national emergency and if we don't act, the planet will be lost...and so on. Yet the discussion and the debate is one-sided. Nobody wants to talk about the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there could be another view. Then it was back to Nashville. After all, the local power company needs their $1,200 a month.

The thing that really makes no sense is, even his Al-ness has stated that nothing we do will stop global warming. Man did it, and now it's too late. Well, if it's too late...why are we bothering with all this? Simple. It involves lots and lots of money and power.

And over here, Ann Coulter skewers and roasts Gore rather well.

Careful, Ms. Coulter - you may have to purchase some carbon off-sets.

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Oh, and about the firing of the eight attorneys...

I don't remember this much hoopla in 1993, when then-President Clinton fired all ninety-three of HIS attorneys.

Oh, that's right - it's all President Bush's fault.

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Thomas Sowell does another "random thoughts" column. Of note is this:

Amid all the media hysteria over the price of gasoline and the profits of "Big Oil," one simple fact has been repeatedly overlooked: The oil companies' earnings are just under 10 percent of the price of a gallon of gas, while taxes take 17 percent. Yet who ever accuses the government of "greed"?

Good question.

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"Dave, you just made another post - what are you going to do now?"

What else? I'm going to Disneyland.

Be seeing you.

Brin - 2007-03-22 18:58:01 - http://bindyree.diaryland.com
I will be mentioning this in my own post tomorrow, but just FYI, the average temperature in Washington DC on March 21 is 57 degrees. When Al Gore was testifying yesterday, it was 43. How dare the Beltway be cold!

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