Time to chime in on the new SCOTUS decision! On the web, it looks like only the bloggers are doing any real work. I had to laugh at this bit from CNN though:

Robert Knight, a spokesman for the conservative Culture and Family Institute, said Thursday's ruling would have "very real consequences."
Knight warned that it would undermine the legal foundation of marriage, lead to more deaths among gay men from sexually transmitted diseases and lead to schoolchildren being taught "that homosexual sodomy is the same as marital sex."
"This is social engineering by a court. It will have very bad effects on the idea of our republican form of government," Knight said. "If a government like Texas cannot legislate on public health, safety and morals, what can it legislate about?"

The last bit is the best. It sounds like the government of Texas might just as well flee to Oklahoma or something, doesn't it? And if the state can't tell you what to do with your tallywhacker, what GOOD is it?

The Wall Street Journal, usually a good source for opinions, came out with a lame-ass editorial (unsigned, of course) that refuses to recognize that people have the RIGHT TO PRIVACY. They do. Got that? I get really pissed when I read "it's not in the Constitution". Bite me. And go back and read it again. Just because it's not enumerated doesn't mean the right doesn't exist. I always wonder, when I read an attack on the right to privacy, what do people who hate privacy so much really want? Then I figure it's some kind of hideous Orwellian future and leave it at that.

Andrew Sullivan has a bit on Scalia's dissent, which is interesting. Here's a quote ripped from context: (from Scalia's dissent, Findlaw)

"Finally, I turn to petitioners' equal-protection challenge, which no Member of the Court save Justice O'Connor, ante, at 1 (opinion concurring in judgment), embraces: On its face §21.06(a) applies equally to all persons. Men and women, heterosexuals and homosexuals, are all subject to its prohibition of deviate sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex."

In other words, the Texas law didn't unfairly discriminate against gay people because it's illegal for two straight guys or two straight women to have sex too!

Today I read the email and realized that general screwiness was going to reign. Continental sent its one day fare sale email (which incidentally crashed their server) for my perusal and delight; it appears my only deal was to fly to Cleveland. I'll just keep my $113, thanks just the same. Also, after reading the following from Best of the Web,



Nothing we could say could improve on this report from the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press, on Howard Dean's official announcement of his presidential candidacy yesterday:

How will he win support of Democratic Party leaders, given his frequent criticism of them, a reporter asked Dean at a small morning news conference.

Not a problem, Dean responded. They'll come around once they get to know me.

"It is a bit of a club down there," he continued. "The Democratic Party, all the candidates from Washington, they all know each other, they all move in the same circles, and what I'm doing is breaking into the country club."
Jaws dropped.

Dean's 17-year-old son, Paul, was cited last week for aiding a break-in at the Burlington Country Club. Paul Dean allegedly drove the car while three friends broke into an outbuilding to steal beer.

Dean then asked a press aide: "Why do I say these things?"

I am moved to add a prayer:

O Lord, please make Howard Dean the Democratic Nominee for President.
For Christ's sake, amen.

Which reminds me;
"I have only made one prayer in my life: Lord, please make my enemies ridiculous. And He has granted it." Voltaire

Today's email brings various tidings. First, Ann Coulter's new book is coming out tomorrow. Second, there's a very good editorial in the Wall Street Journal today by JOSHUA MURAVCHIK called The New Gloomsayers which you might enjoy, on three recent books that predict American decline, or the future of democracy. Stuff like that. It's nice and extensive. Only one of the books looks worthwhile to me---considering that I'm a fan of constitutional monarchy, as well as the free market, try and guess which. Regarding the last post, I didn't make up the button; rather, I found it via a link listed on Andrew Sullivan's site, where you can find many links to other Iranian blogs.

Feel free to copy this button and pass it around...

I feel somewhat guilty for neglecting the blog of late. If you haven't already heard, there's a campaign to link to Iranian sites in English for a blog-wide demonstration on July 9. Here's one link that I found interesting: womeniniran.org Here's another: Notes of an Iranian girl right here on ye olde Blogger.