The headline is almost two years old, but it never got any buzz.

This Diary is about that person, Gail Collins, whose current contributionshows a natural wit, rare among political satirists.  It's a light hearted read that informs us about the controversy over whether the the Large Hadron Collider that will be fired up next month may possibly create a serious glitch.  Rather than worry about this, she looks on the good side with:

Perspective is all. If you’re going to fret, I say, fret about that black hole. For one thing, it makes it much easier to schedule unpleasant tasks for the second half of September. Heads, the planet survives. Tails, the root canal never happens.

I am not about to rehash a certain subject that has gotten 712 diaries over the last three weeks, but the one thing we did learn is just because a source had a bad reputation, doesn't mean everything coming from it is bogus.  Many people know "The Onion" as satire, well it's trying to change.

They realize that the big money is in regular newspapers that people rely on for the straight scoop on the world.  So I will share their effort to finally get serious by stealing carefully excerpting some of the words of  this article using rigorous principles of fair use that my attornies advise me are well within my rights under Section 7.3 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Their headline is: Nation's Poorest 1% Now Controls Two-Thirds Of U.S. Soda Can Wealth  

Secularist has such a softer ring than atheist, and both descriptions fairly describe me.  This will not be a survey of the literature or of the relevant jurisprudence;  rather it will be an invitation to readers of this site to weigh in on what we would hope from our candidate during this discussion on Religion.

Let me clip the introduction from this Pew Research Site: The Purpose-Driven Campaign: The Candidates' Forum With Rick Warren

Given the increased discussion of faith and values in the 2008 presidential campaign, it is perhaps fitting that candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are scheduled to make their first joint appearance of the general election season at an event moderated by Pastor Rick Warren at his 22,000-member Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 16. (It will be televised on CNN at 8PM Eastern and 5PM & 9PM Pacific)

Warren has billed the event as a "civil forum" to discuss "pressing issues that are bridging divides in our nation, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate and human rights."

Since it's my diary I get to go first:

This time it's not from the National Enquirer, but rather the New York Times in tomorrow's edition now online in this article: Lawyers’ Ties in Edwards Case Suggest Extent of Hiding Affair

It's convoluted, but it suggests a possible collusion between Edwards and the lawyers representing his "friend," Rielle Hunter,and the man who later claimed to be the father of the child she bore.  It also describes an authoritative witness who challenges that Edwards hired Hunter before his affair had begun.

Collectivism is the central meme of his column today.  It has two meanings, but he is really using the second one  2: emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity, rather than the more common meaning.   1: a political or economic theory advocating collective control especially over production and distribution; also : a system marked by such control

I say this since his discussion uses China as an exemplar of "Collectivism" which is certainly not the first definition of this very capitalistic state.  But, in his use, based on his essay, the Democratic party fits his definition.   A collectivist society is one that demands universal health care, while the whole of society ensures the health of the individual.  As progressives we feel so strongly about this that we are willing to subordinate the desire of the individual who says he would rather have a faster car than guaranteed health care.   In this important area we say the collective will trumps the individual.

From this pagethat described that he was giving goodies for people who repeat his talking points.  I read about this plan from this Washington Post article.

The full seven minute episode is available on the program's web site.  Here is the home page link and you need to go down to "The Race Genie" segment to see it.

While polls show that only about 20 percent of Americans consider the Hilton-Spears ad racist, I would guess the numbers are at least reversed on this site.  Based on Diaries and comments, the vast majority feel that these ads are covertly, or at least unconsciously subtly racist, using the metaphor of a "dog whistle" that is only heard by those with a hidden racist tendency.

To: Philip K. Paulson (1947-2006)  
Re: Latest decision: Cross can stay

Yeah, you're dead, and as Atheists we believe that it means the end, oblivion, nothingness.   But, you know how we all are all the same, reluctant to give up connections with those we are fond of.  

Writing on this blog usually gets me little more response than I expect to get from you in your current state. And just in case we are both wrong, if you are somewhere with an internet connection and having a blast, well let me give you the latest. And it's not good.

For others who may be peeking at this letter, let me fill you in first.

A long time weather reporter in New York many years ago made a comment that got him fired:  

When you are about to be raped, and you know you can't resist, you may as well lie back and enjoy yourself.

The overwhelming majority of Americans see the foreclosure bill that will become law in the next few days almost as if they were being raped.  These are the responsible ones; those who decide what they can afford before buying a house, a new car or a new pair of shoes.  They consider the potential of needing the money for emergencies and scale down their expectations to fit their means.

With this bill, they realize that their prudence, their responsibility is about to be punished.  They are the ones who will be paying more taxes to sustain those who splurged on the homes they couldn't afford.  And these responsible ones are not being asked nicely to help someone out, to co-sign the loan of a weak willed nephew. They are being told that the decision is being made for them, that they will pay the taxes for this bailout, or they will be fined, or worse.

is the title of the introductory college textbook that I picked up from the "Free Books" box at my local library today.  The introduction, by the two authors, Erich Hausman and Edgar P. Slack is dated August 1, 1939, this  second edition having been printed November 1942.  

This book may seem ancient to some of the younger people here, but its just about my age, and no one ever considers their own life span that long.  It was written when the world was at peace, but by the time it was first distributed, Germany had invaded Poland, and the world's most disastrous war had begun.

Dueling with the San Diego Daily Paper

It's the only daily covering the entire county with a circulation of around 300,000. The San Diego Union Tribune has always reflected the conservative nature of this largely military town.  

What makes it interesting, is in the last few years, the newspaper is going through a change, not becoming moderate, but rather extremist from both sides. Unlike the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, where their editorials are reflective of their relative sides of the political spectrum, the UT often has two main editorials (not columns or OpEds) that reflect a deep political division.

Democrats don't want this law.  Republicans don't want this law.  But Barney Frank, John McCain, Chis Dodd and others who get the bulk of their campaign funds from financial interests do want this law, so it will pass.  And President Bush, who had opposed it, will most likely sign it into law since it will pass with a veto proof majority.

I've written about a dozen diaries on this subject over the last few months and always include a poll, which I will do here just to be consistent.  The polls usually show the vast majority of those on this site oppose this law, and we are of the party that is promoting it.

And those who think the economists who support this bill are promoting what is best for the country should read this article, in this months Mother Jones magazine. It shows the power of financial interests that systematically dismantled laws that would have prevented the proliferation of these deceitful mortgages. It is these corporations who will ultimately be bailed out by this bill.  

The DFH diary is this one "To Senator Obama, from a Dirty F*ing Hippie" I feel a bit paternalistic toward it, since I knew it when it was just a fledgling diary, with it's future unknown.  I read it soon after it appeared, and contributed this 25th commentObama you're off the pedestal on Dkos, of what is now 1400 and counting.

I knew if it made the rec list it would be a blockbuster,  It stayed on the list for almost a day, collecting hundreds of recs and TJ hits, which is amazing on a diary that a month ago, would could well have been treated with contempt here.  

Now we have had a refutation of this diary, not only on the rec list, but with more TJ recs than the original, with this title:  It's called context - and some diarists don't provide it..  

The New York Times has another editorialdemanding that the current bill be passed immediately.  This must be the tenth editorial with this sentiment over the last few months, with none of them indicating the negatives to this bill.  

Let me explain my view of why this is so wrong, in so many ways.

This one is actually interesting.

It begins like this:

Welcome to Toastmasters, June 13, 2033. That's right: 2033.

Today Rick Campbell, one of our senior members at age 87, is here to
reminisce a bit and give us a history lesson. He says he is so old that he
learned to drive an internal combustion engine car (remember those) with a
manual transmission. He once owned a typewriter. He remembers when bicycles
had one speed, phones had two-party lines, and cameras had something called
film. As incredible as this may seem, he says that when he was young, it
was common for people to smoke in restaurants and public places. He is from
a different time; almost a different world.

I'm sure all of us are far too familiar with the tragic events of 2010,
so Rick is not going to plow that fertile field again. Instead, he is going
to give us a personal look back at the conditions which led up to that
fateful year, in a speech titled "2010 Was Not A Good Year To Be
President."

It was just going to be a day at the county fair--no aggravations, no politics, just enjoying the simple tradition of kids delighted by the rides, prized goats on display and entertainers often far beyond their best days.  What a treat to see on the schedule, none other than Pat Boone, someone from my earliest memories whom I didn't even know was still on the circuit.

My wife warned me, "Isn't he somewhat of a right wing zealot."  But what the heck, he wasn't going to turn this into a political religious revival, was he.  "Was he?"

One week ago I posted a diary on a concept, one of jurisprudence and political principle entitled The Constitution is not a suicide pact.  I wrote at that time to soften the anger over Obama's FISA position, which many saw as his betrayal of our constitution.

Yesterday the decision on Gun Ownership, the meaning of the Second Amendment was announced. It happens that this decision to open the floodgates of gun ownership is informed by this same concept, this time damning of the majority decision for flouting a principle that was first articulated by Thomas Jefferson, and numerous Supreme Court Justices down through the years.  

There is a cascade of diaries today sharply criticizing Senator Obama for his acceptance of the FISA compromise that just passed the house. Perhaps I am less disappointed than most, since I never shared the unbridled enthusiasm towards him that has (had?) become the norm here.

Those who claim that Obama is betraying the constitution, are ignoring a long history of this documents flexibility  that is characterized by the title of this diary, well chronicled in the Wikipedia article on the expression.