FREE SHEEHAN
Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006
"Free Sheehan" ... somebody should sell t-shirts at cafepress... Cindy Sheehan, a mother turned anti-war activist after her son was killed in Iraq, was handcuffed and arrested this evening before the State of the Union Address. Sheehan had been invited to attend by Democratic Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, so she was there legitimately. It seems that she wore an anti-war t-shirt. Does anyone know what the t-shirt said? I'm wondering what I can write on a t-shirt that will get me handcuffed and arrested. Sounds like a bit of an over reaction, don't you think?
As reported by the Associated Press:
"Sheehan, who had been invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, a misdemeanor, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. Sheehan was taken in handcuffs to police headquarters a few blocks away and her case was processed as Bush spoke." "Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat. Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond, the spokeswoman said." Honestly, I'm disappointed that we were not able to see Sheehan at tonight's address -- she would have made for some amazing reactionary shots. But anyway ... note to self: if I'm ever invited to the State of the Union Address, don't wear a t-shirt.
Note to readers: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. [yeah, that's the first amendment, just in case you forgot]
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here's your key to coolness
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006
Want to be cooler than any of your friends? With this, you could, quite possibly, become the coolest person on the planet. Get a Scrolling Belt Buckle. According to the official site, the scrolling belt buckle is "the most technologically advanced piece of clothing since the Hypercolor t-shirt." Now that's advanced. And cool.
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Codey Signs Bill Suspending Executions in NJ
Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006
Bipartisan legislation imposes nation's first-ever legislative moratorium on capital punishment; requires comprehensive study of State's death penalty system
Trenton - Governor Richard J. Codey today signed S-709/A-2347, legislation requiring an immediate moratorium on all executions in New Jersey and creating a study commission that will undertake a comprehensive examination of the State's current death penalty system. The bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 30-6 on December 15th, was approved Monday by a vote of 55-21 in the General Assembly. Codey's action marks the first time in the nation's history that a State has enacted legislation imposing a moratorium on its death penalty
"The enactment of this bill demonstrates the State of New Jersey's deep concern that it's death penalty system isn't working," said Celeste Fitzgerald, Director of New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a statewide organization that advocates replacing the death penalty with life in prison without possibility of parole. "By any measure, the death penalty has failed the people of New Jersey, who have come to know that it risks executing the innocent, is unfairly applied, fails victims' families and law enforcement and wastes millions of taxpayer dollars."
"This commission will be independent and bipartisan, and it will conduct the State's first comprehensive analysis of its death penalty system," said Fitzgerald, who also noted that recent polls show that a large majority of he State's residents support a moratorium and commission to study the death penalty.
An April 2005 public opinion survey by the Rutgers Bloustein Center for Survey Research indicates that fully two-thirds of state residents (63%), including a majority of those who say they support the death penalty, favor a temporary suspension of executions.
As required by S-709/A-2347, the new study commission shall be composed of 13 members and will submit its findings by November 15, 2006. It will examine critical issues such as racial and geographic bias, cost, risk of wrongful execution, and whether alternatives exist that will both ensure public safety and address the needs of victims' families.
New Jersey's action comes amidst a growing chorus of concern about the death penalty across the country. Cases have been re-opened in Missouri and Texas because of evidence that those states may have executed innocent men. A Virginia death sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole after DNA evidence was destroyed in the case. And voices including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the editorial board of Alabama's largest newspaper, and the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention have recently expressed concerns about capital punishment.
New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP) is a statewide grassroots organization with over 10,000 members that since 1999 has campaigned for an end to the death penalty in New Jersey. It is the core group of more than 200 New Jersey organizations, representing interests such as labor, justice, education, business, human rights, and virtually every religious denomination in the state.
For more information, see www.njadp.org.
[credit: Celeste Fitzgerald, NJADP press release]
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welcome to mooby burger, home of the mooby burger, can i take your order?
Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Looks like Dante and Randall are working at Mooby Burger now... (excuse me while I feel even more apprehensive). The Clerks II trailer has hit the net here. You can also check out the Clerks II site to read an on-set diary and check out The View Askew-niverse for everything else.
While I'm a big fan of all the Jay & Silent Bob movies, it seems that Kevin Smith keeps pushing his characters farther into a made-up reality. It's almost like Smith is now making movies just so fans can draw parallels between his other movies. As references to Mooby, 'Got Christ?', Nails Cigarettes, etc. surround you, you come to realize just how far we've come since the simplicity and edginess of Clerks. To me, it seems quite a gamble to make a movie that may alienate so many fans of the first Clerks, while at the same time failing to draw a new audience that will be confused by all the inside-humor.
I guess we'll have to wait and see...
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NJ Lawmakers Vote To Suspend Executions
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006
Lawmakers approve measure to suspend executions in New Jersey
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI, Associated Press Writer
TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey lawmakers voted Monday to suspend executions while a task force studies the fairness and costs of imposing the death penalty.
A 13-member study commission will have until November to report on whether the death penalty is fairly imposed and whether alternatives would ensure public safety and address the needs of victims' families.
The Assembly passed the measure Monday, 55-21, with two abstentions. The Senate approved it 30-6 last month.
Read the rest of the article on Newsday.com
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There's one more step to go -- Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey needs to sign the measure to make it law, which he has vowed to do before leaving office on January 17. For more information, go to (the nicely redesigned) NJADP.org.
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baby cyclops
Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006
This kitten was born in Redmond, Oregon, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, with only one eye and no nose. The poor thing died a day later. It was one of a two kitten litter -- it's sibling was born normal and healthy. More here. If you're up to it, you can see some other bizarre feline medical deformities and mutations --> warning, some of these photos are very disturbing.
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there are others like me?
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006
I had no idea that there were other people like me out there that despise the two most disgusting "foods" on the planet. I found this on Boing Boing.
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Suspension of the Death Penalty Is All but Assured
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006
By David W. Chen, The New York Times
TRENTON, Jan. 5 - With a crucial committee vote on Thursday, New Jersey lawmakers all but assured that the state's death penalty would be suspended for a year so that its fairness and expense can be studied. The review of the death penalty would be conducted a by a legislative commission, authorized by a bill that the State Assembly's Judiciary Committee sent to the floor after a 4-2 vote. The State Senate has already passed the measure by a wide bipartisan margin, and legislators now expect it to sail through the full Assembly on Monday. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey has promised to sign it before he leaves office on Jan. 17. ...read the rest of the article here.
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happy new year!
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006
Happy New Year! Yeah I know I'm almost 6 days late... Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I've been really busy lately. Actually, that's a lie. I've just been really lazy lately. Here's an update of some random info in no particular order:
It's an exciting time for the New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. "The New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee today passed S-709, the death penalty moratorium bill. The vote was 4-2. Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein and Assemblymen Patrick Diegnan, Peter Barnes, and Alfred Steele voted yes on the bill. Assemblymen Chistopher Connors and Michael Carroll voted against it. There is one step left in the legislative process before the bill is sent to Governor Codey's desk. This coming Monday at 11AM, the full Assembly is scheduled to vote on the moratorium bill. " [quoted from Celeste Fitzgerald's (NJADP's Executive Chair) e-mail] If you live in NJ, please contact your two legislators tonight or Friday and tell them to please support S-709, the death penalty study and moratorium bill." Find out who to contact here.
On a much lighter side... I watched all of Home Movies: Season 3 over the past few days. It quite simply kicks ass. If you haven't seen Home Movies, check it out on the Cartoon Network (it airs during Adult Swim) or pick up one of the first 3 seasons on DVD. You will not be sorry -- I promise.
In other cartoon news... It seems that Fox might be interested in Futurama again! Futurama (my second favorite cartoon) was cancelled in 2003. Like Family Guy, which was also cancelled, Futurama's reruns are popular on the Cartoon Network and on DVD. Now Fox seems to be interested in reviving the series! woohoo!
Switching gears... I was checking out some of the blogs that I have linked to and noticed that The Prodigal Daughter was vegan-hating on Jan. 3rd: "he's holding a pair of shoes and looking at them. he looks to the sales-ass and says 'excuse me, are these vegan?' i wanted to swing my leather jacket in his face and say 'this is leather, made from a cow. we kill them because they're f*cking dumb, leather is cool, and meat tastes f*cking good!'" Ms. Daughter and I bonded over our locality -- but clearly not our moral beliefs. As a vegetarian, it can be pretty damn hard to find animal-friendly shoes -- I suggest Zappos.com which has a wide selection of vegetarian shoes. Here's what I'm currently wearing. Sorry for your poor service at the Vans store ... but don't vegan(or vegetarian)-hate! We're just like you, only more compassionate!
Anyway, i'm off to bed....... g'night!
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