See, the thing is, this happens all the time. It just doesn't get reported.

I followed that link off of a piece by Bill West, at the Counterterrosim Blog. It's a good piece, though certainly nothing earth-shattering.

Be nice if the next POTUS had the political will and the intestinal fortitude to actually, y'know, do more than pay lip-service.

Sylvia Poggioli has been running a six-part series on Muslim women in Europe, focusing specifically on women in France, Germany, and Britain. The second segment aired this morning, focusing on a woman named Syran Ates, who is as terrific an example of courage, moral and otherwise, as I've encountered lately.

Of particular interest, at least to me, was Ates' assertion that "excessive tolerance" is responsible for the rise of "political Islam." It put into words something that I've been struggling to articulate for myself, and something which came up several weeks back in the discussion surrounding this whole thing. I think I found it all the more resonant because yesterday afternoon I did a very short interview for a Vegas paper promoting the Las Vegas Comic Fest, wherein the reporter asked me if I considered myself a neocon in light of Q&C and some of the more recent issues of Checkmate, something I most assuredly do not. The question was asked, I think, more so I could refute it than so I could confirm it.

In fact, if there's anything that terrifies me in this world, it's zealotry. And while I believe there are absolutes in the world, that there are issues of Right and Wrong, and of Good and Evil, and that writers, in particular, are obligated to work with these ideas in some way, shape, or form, no matter how lightly, I am, for the most part, very, very nervous of those people who have discovered The Way, and feel that, for whatever reason, they must foist this upon others.

Saying that, I also have to recognize zealotry in myself, those things that I brook no argument on, and ask no quarter regarding. Tolerance is a wonderful thing. I'm all for tolerance. To a point. I lose tolerance the moment it's not reciprocated, especially when that lack of reciprocation comes in the form of, say, blowing people up.

This is not confined to the Middle East or the Third World, obviously. We're as guilty of it in this country as anywhere else, though we're less prone to kill each other over our intolerances. But one look at the political state of the nation should tell you everything you need to know. Politics used to be the "art of compromise" (and please note the date of the article, and the subject matter) -- of crafting a deal where nobody gets what they want, but everyone gets what they can live with. Now? Now, it seems like it's all or nothing, where the loser will cheerfully salt and scorch the earth in defeat, and the victor punishes the loser for "making it so hard."

Nothing I'm saying here is new, I recognize that. Rather, the ramblings of a barely-caffeinated mind.

Also, I can't find a highlighter anywhere in my damn house. I think my kids have stolen them all.

I actually quite dig this, any implied snarkiness in the header aside.

I think the quote by Greg Kuntz says it all.

Loretta Hildago Whitesides, on the Wired blog, has a nice opinion piece about Huckabee, creationism, and why the answer to the question does matter. You can read it here, and it's worth watching the YouTube clip from the Bill Maher interview.

And then there's this little gem. And note that this contradicts what the Iranians said earlier about the incident.

When in doubt, deny the facts.

Apparently, it works wonders.

lithera posted this update from CNN about the Saudi rape case.

I've seen comments around the web from people arguing that the rule of law is the rule of law, and that while we may not like how Saudi Arabia does business, its their country and they've got a right to do as they please.

Bullshit.

She was raped. And she's being punished for it. She is being flogged 200 times because she had the audacity to go out without a male relative accompanying her. And that's the excuse for it, because that's her wearing a short skirt, innit? She was asking for it, right?

Except, this little thing, this tiny little thing, that says that a human being shouldn't have to move in fear in the world. That a society that equates and unescorted woman with a viable target is a broken one (and yes, I'm aware I'm talking about more than Saudi Arabia, here).

I will say it again. She was raped. Specifically, she was gang-raped by 7 men. And she's going to spend 6 months in a Saudi prison (and anyone who can weigh in on what that stay is going to be like, I'm sure we'd all love to hear it.) She's going to be flogged 200 times, and then she's going to prison for months.

And saying they -- meaning the Saudi Government -- has the right to do as they please is the same as saying that what's happening in Darfur is cool, because, y'know, that's their thing, we don't have anything to do with it.

Basic.
Human.
Rights.

Universal rights. Inherent rights.

But Saudi Arabia has never really been big on those. Not when a society is built upon a caste-system of dehumanization and hatred. No, Saudi Arabia has never been big on those basic human rights.

And to all you NeoCons out there -- nice fucking job, assholes. You sure as hell have done a bang-up job showing Saudi the way towards Democratic Enlightenment. You dumbfucks.

The fact that, time and again, the Saudi government is excused for its reprehensible, vile, horrific behavior, makes me want to projectile vomit. Our government's continued kowtowing to their regime is shameful.

Some things need to be indefensible, must remain inexcusable.

The NPR story has been amended with the following, which I'm reproducing here, as well as linking to in-context.

Editor's Note: Since this story aired, Hillary Clinton's campaign contacted NPR to say that the campaign paid Maid-Rite a bill for $157 the day of Clinton's visit and left $100 in tip money. NPR contacted Maid-Rite manager Brad Crawford, who confirmed that a bill was paid and tip money was left. Crawford, who was not in the restaurant at the time, said that he believes a campaign staffer left the money with one of his employees, but "where Hillary was sitting, there was no tip left." Neither Anita Esterday nor the manager on duty that day were available for comment as of noon Thursday.

I am relieved and somewhat gratified to hear this, and having just hollered so loud, feel that I needs must holler just as loud about the clarification.

Two "political" posts in one morning, I gotta stop before I descend fully into madness.

But I heard this story on NPR as I was driving the Girl to school, and it just about made me spit.

My heart goes out to Ms. Geri Punteney, and I am glad that, for her, the connection with Senator Obama was a worthwhile and rewarding one, even if the Senator himself (or more precisely, his handlers on the campaign) utterly dropped the ball.

But Hillary, the Clinton campaign...I'm actually ticked-off, honestly, and it's such a small thing, but it reveals so very much.

You leave a tip.

You're running for President of the United States, you leave a goddamn tip!

When you have over 90 million in your war chest, you leave a goddamn tip!

And when you don't leave a tip, whether it's simply gross negligence on the part of your handlers or because you're too busy or because you're running from Point A to Point B and you forgot, whatever the reason, and the story hits the news, you damn well better make it right.

Talk about doing everything you can to shoot yourself in the foot.

I'm trying to remember if it was How to Eat Fried Worms or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing or some other book I read as a child where the main character and his friends leave tips for a waitress in pennies, dropping them in the bottom of their milkshake glasses, etc. And the waitress finally loses it on them, explaining that for her, this is how she can afford to buy bread.

I've waited tables. The only reason you don't leave a tip is if the service was crap.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

On another note entirely...Amazon.com just sent me a reminder about the CMA awards. I do not know why they sent me this reminder.

But I cannot help but notice that the CMA award bears a striking resemblance to this.

It's not news to say that Ann Coulter is a vile piece of work.



It's good to laugh. Or, at the least, smirk.

I normally don't veer to politics (though I do believe that writing -- and capital 'A' Art -- are always political), but I think this is well-articulated, well-delivered, and, frankly, spot damn on.

If you're a Giuliani fan, don't follow this link.