How do you respond to some idiot saying you shouldn’t swear your oath of office on a Koran? Why, swear it on Thomas Jefferson’s Koran, of course!
“Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers’ belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself,” said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.
Snap!
In the spirit of the solstice season, I bring you archaeoastronomy.com. It’s got articles on the topic, an animated “earth clock” and even podcasts. Enjoy!
My brother Carl sent me this update. Go, Pagosa Springs!
Here’s a quote from the above article that made me happy: “In any case, there are now more peace symbols in Pagosa Springs, a town of 1,700 people 200 miles southwest of Denver, than probably ever in its history.
On Tuesday morning, 20 people marched through the center carrying peace signs and then stomped a giant peace sign in the snow perhaps 300 feet across on a soccer field, where it could be easily seen.”
If you can’t use a NY Times link, here’s another.
I’m trying really hard, but I don’t have a response to this:
A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.
There’s more info (but no more clarity) at the Yahoo News article. I see that it’s all about the HOA exercising their power, but WTF?
UPDATE, via Wil Wheaton dot Net: It looks like HOA board has apologized and “called the incident a misunderstanding.” Uh-huh. I hope the misunderstander gets punished appropriately.
For those of you keeping score at home, Pluto has been renamed 134340 Pluto and 2003 UB313 (nicknamed “Xena”) has been renamed 136199 Eris. Eris’s moon was named Dysnomia, though its formal name is 136199 Eris I. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?