(no subject)

Wow, you guys should see my apartment, it's so..festive! I swear I have more cards this year than I've ever received in my entire life, it's wacky. And my mom sent me a holiday themed bouquet yesterday with a lovely candle that I'm hoping to use tonight to celebrate the solstice. My whole place will be glowing with candle light tonight, I can hardly wait.

To my fellow pagans, have a fantastic solstice celebration tonight!

Many thanks to scar_let for the novel (which I can't wait to start) and cd (background music for tonight's celebration!), to missjones for helping me whittle away at my Amazon list, and cyranocyrano for agreeing to spend at least part of Xmas day with me. I'm going to roast up a Tofurkey, smash some potatoes, and maybe whip up some orange cranberry bread as well. Nothing fancy, but it's always nicer to share a homemade meal with someone than to eat it all alone.

Now I just need to get Elvis singing Christmas songs out of my head, he's been there since I woke up this morning...

(no subject)

If I weren't already in a jubilant mood I certainly would be after receiving this Solstice gift from ophidiae:

Sims 2 Theatre Presents-
"Potion Masters Don't Dance"

*giggles madly* You must go see, it's to die for!

Hmmmm...

via Eschaton
Well the Snoopgate story just keeps getting more interesting:

A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush's secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson, one of 11 members of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, sent a letter to Chief Justice John D. Roberts Jr. late Monday notifying him of his resignation without providing an explanation.

Two associates familiar with his decision said yesterday that Robertson privately expressed deep concern that the warrantless surveillance program authorized by the president in 2001 was legally questionable and may have tainted the FISA court's work.

And I bet I know a bunch of other Rethugs who are going to have a blue Christmas this year:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 - Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under criminal investigation, has been discussing with prosecutors a deal that would grant him a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony against former political and business associates, people with detailed knowledge of the case say.

Mr. Abramoff is believed to have extensive knowledge of what prosecutors suspect is a wider pattern of corruption among lawmakers and Congressional staff members. One participant in the case who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations described him as a "unique resource."

Heh.

Ah, but then I get this lump of coal in my stocking:

A U.S. appeals court today upheld the decision of a lower court in allowing the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse display, hammering the American Civil Liberties Union and declaring, "The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state."

...Writing for the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Richard Suhrheinrich said the ACLU's "repeated reference 'to the separation of church and state' ... has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state."

Suhrheinrich wrote: "The ACLU, an organization whose mission is 'to ensure that ... the government [is kept] out of the religion business,' does not embody the reasonable person." ...

That'll teach me to gloat, and to think it was only yesterday that the reality based community made headway in Pennsylvania. Well, two steps forward, three steps back I guess. And speaking of coal in one's stocking, this story just about breaks my heart:

I had the great privilege this past Sunday to speak with Laurel Hester, the woman whose terminal cancer has embroiled her in a domestic partnership benefits controversy with the local government in Ocean County, New Jersey.

Pam over at Pandagon says:

You've might have heard about the story of Laurel Hester, the NJ police officer who has terminal cancer. She has been fighting the Ocean County Freeholders, who have decided that she cannot leave her pension to her partner. How can these men sleep at night?

Law and Public Safety Chairman John P. Kelly, one of the Freeholders (all compassionate, conservative Republicans, by the way), said that if Hester's request was granted it would "violate the sanctity of marriage."

Read the rest of the story, but have a few hankies on hand. "Compassionate conservatives" indeed. Fuckers.

(no subject)

The Rude Pundit proposes a new "Loyal Citizens Contract with America":

"I (the undersigned) believe President George W. Bush when he says that the United States of America is fighting a 'new kind of enemy' that requires 'new thinking' about how to wage war. Therefore, as a loyal citizen of President Bush’s United States, my signature below indicates my agreement to the following:

"1. I believe wholeheartedly in the Patriot Act as initially passed by Congress in 2001, as well as the provisions of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act. Therefore, I grant the FBI access to:

"a. my library records, so it may determine if I am reading material that might designate me an enemy of the nation;

"b. my financial records, including credit reports, so it may determine if I am contributing monetarily to any governmentally proscribed activities or organizations;

"c. my medical records, so it may determine if my prescriptions, injuries, or other conditions are indicative of terrorist activity on my part;

"d. any and all other personal records including, but not limited to, my store purchases, my school records, my web browsing history, and anything else determined as a 'tangible thing' necessary to engage in a secret investigation of me.

"I agree that I do not need to be notified if my records have come under scrutiny by the FBI, and, furthermore, I agree that no warrant is needed for the FBI to engage in this examination of my personal records. Additionally, I agree that the FBI should be allowed to monitor any groups it believes may be linked to what it determines to be terrorist activity.

"2. I believe that the President of the United States has the power to mitigate any and all laws passed by the Congress and that he has such power granted to him by his status as Commander-in-Chief in the Constitution as well as the 2001 Authorization of Military Force, passed by the Congress, which states that the President can use 'all necessary and appropriate force' in prosecution of the war. Therefore, I grant the United States government the following powers:

"a. that the National Security Agency, under the direction of the President, may tap my phone lines and intercept my e-mail without warrant or FISA oversight;

"b. that the President may hold me or other detainees without access to the legal system for a period of time determined by the President or his agents;

"c. that the President may authorize physical force against me or other individual detainees in order to gain intelligence and that he may define whether such physical force may be called 'torture':

"d. that the President may set aside any and all laws he sees as hindering the gathering of intelligence and prevention of terrorist acts for a period as time determined by the President, including, but not limited to, rights to political protest.

"I agree that the Judicial and Legislative branch should be allowed no oversight of these activities, and that such oversight merely emboldens the terrorists. I also agree that virtually all of these activities may be conducted in complete secrecy and that revelation of these activities amount to treasonous behavior on the part of those who reveal these activities to the press and the citizenry.

"3. Finally, this document is my statement that I believe the President of the United States and the entire executive branch, as well as all departments and agencies involved, as well as all of its personnel, will treat these powers I have granted them with utmost respect. I believe that these powers will not be abused, nor will any of the information I have given them permission to examine be misinterpreted. However, should such abuse or misinterpretation occur, I agree that such actions are mere errors and no one should be subject to investigation, arrest, or employment action as a result.

"My consent freely given,
"(Your signature)"


Be sure to pass it around to any of your GOP or "Libertarian" pals, I'm sure they won't mind signing.