Hi, Shir, wonderful to see your font!

erin_o, kinda makes me wonder which council member has a relative with a popcorn maker factory and/or movie theater that had surplus popcorn makers.

If disrespect, fear of giving offense, and popular sentiment were given primacy over Constitutional principles, women still wouldn't have the right to vote, people of different ethnic/religions/appearances wouldn't be able to marry, and some people would be obligated to pay poll taxes because popular sentiment suggested they should.

Prevention of that kind of behavior is part of what the Constitution is about - equal protection under the law....and popular sentiment which demands that popular sentiment be given primacy over the law deeply and meaningfully undermines the Constitution.

An open society requires running the risk that someone's going to use the openness against you. There's no problem with reasonable caution, but it's not as though there are hordes of Islamic people preparing to storm lower Manhattan. Even if the people building the mosque were radical, fire-breathing Islamic fundamentalists, THEY'D STILL HAVE THE RIGHT, whether or not it opened old wounds. As an atheist, I don't care for religion of any type, but that doesn't give me the right to to tell someone they can't build a church in my neighborhood. I can tell them I am not interested in their message, but I can't shut them down because I don't like their belief system.

And IMHO, that's what the mosque furor is ultimately about - having the courage that the principles of openness and fairness will ultimately result in a better, more tolerant society.

Matt, I agree with all of this, for the record. I don't think feelings should be given primacy over Constitutional principles. And I think it will be an American triumph when the community center is built.

I absolutely support the Cordoba Initiative's right to build the center (and, not that it matters, but I should note it does not cause me pain, unease, or offense). I wish, last night, that I'd thought to express my feelings thusly, "Were my congregation in the Cordoba Initiative's position, I would suggest that we change our plans, in order to avoid causing pain and strife."

I fully acknowledge the above is so very easy for me to say. I'm a New England Protestant in a town that was founded more than 100 years before the American Revolution. Back then, in order to found a town, you first had to start a church. That church (congregation, not building, we have a history of fire) is the one to which I currently belong. I know full well I can't squeeze my enormous, privileged hoofs into the Cordoba Inititive's shoes.

You know what's really fucking disrespectful? Jack-hole former politicians from Georgia and Alaska telling people in lower Manhattan who breathed the ashes of their neighbors as they fled for their lives what they should and should not put on their own fucking block.

Yeah. I think we're hearing a lot of put-on offense, and it's being put on for the sake of midterm elections. They're trying to gin up legitimate pain in this country, and exploit it for political gain.

What I'm really gobsmacked by is how Obama's milquetoast comments have caused such OUTRAGE. I think people are just looking for reasons to be OUTRAGED.

Thanks to Fox News, there are SO many people out there who sincerely believe that trolling is an acceptable form of discourse.

sj, the location looks absolutely perfect!

Fans cool breezes toward Teppy. Hope a reasonable cooling option is found quickly.

Scarborough breaks with GOP

I watch Morning Joe despite the conservative credentials of the host. They have a good variety of opinions. This morning Joe Scarborough compared blaming all Muslims for 9-11 to blaming all Baptists for the murder of doctors over abortion beliefs. I expected that argument to come from one of the other hosts or guests.

First, I would love to see logical and respectful conversation on topics. Second, I would love to see the political debate over actual real issues. I am so ready for the NYC real estate conversation to be over.

I need a better link about the Muslim community center NOT opening on 9/11/11. So far all I've found is this one: [link] which is okay, but not really from the mouths of the developers. (This is because I replied to someone on Trudy's FB who spouted off that date, which is patently untrue.)

It could have been mentioned earlier in the conversation, but I didn't read the whole thing. Anyhow, I apologize if you've been over that and already discussed it. However and strangely, I can trace in Cindy's post a flammable theme which outburst here, in another "liberal"/"touchy" issue: women at leftist demonstrations. Basically, you can read a little about it here: [link] . It also seems like there's unreported, gross sexual harassment of women and trans in demonstrations in the West Bank. There's even a course for activists to "learn how to cope with it".

Now, I'm not saying these are the same issues: an Israeli woman demonstrating in the West Bank isn't the same as a mosque next to Ground Zero. Not at all. But I recognize the same tone: what one can and cannot do, what one can be expected to be insulted for/things to be denied from (and when does it OK and justified - people who support women's right to demonstrate wearing what they want are now called and mocked as "feminists of spaghetti straps" who are willing to fight for "other people's rights" on their own terms.

All of these are important issues that we need to clarify as a whole, about "the other's" place in a liberal society. And a liberal can be a liberal under only certain terms, for certain freedoms contradict others.

And now, to another issue: people and the many ways on which they suck. Or, people and their lack of responsibility, to be precise.

As you may remember, I've been a research assistant the past year. Everything was good: I borrowed books (with my access to the library - she no longer a student here), searched for non-existent articles, same old tunes. However. Researcher went abroad with her husband, and some books were overdue. She's still abroad, and apologized for not telling me she went without returning the books I borrowed for her. Her husband is now back in Israel, and I was promised he'll get them back to me as soon as... yesterday, actually.

That was 36 hours ago. I've called him 8 times and left 2 messages. There's a fine growing here (which they said they'll pay), and I'm not sure if I can borrow other books in the meantime (I never, never had a fine or overdued a book here before). But that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is not answering my calls or getting back to me on something which is their responsibility.

Two Lumps and Zombies: [link]

TCG is fine, but he had a minor car accident. It's always something.

Shir, that's crappy of the researcher and her husband. I hope you hear back from them soon. As for whether or not you can take out other books in the meantime, different libraries have different policies. Around here one of the more common policies is if the fine is under $10, then you can continue to check books out. But some places have the policy that all overdue books must be returned and all fines paid before you can check out more books.

Glad to hear that TCG is ok, but even minor car accidents can yield major inconveniences.