Bar and Star

Tuesday, Apr. 24, 2007 - 12:00 a.m.

I've been informed by a Bear friend of mine that I do not have to turn in my Honorary Bear card.

I do however need to see about getting my gaydar looked at.

---

Rosie O Donnell came out in sympathy of Alec Baldwin.

Isn't this the same woman who imitated the sounds of Chinese dialect and then claim she had no idea people would take it wrong? And then said to watch out because it might happen again?

What the heck is this woman still doing on the air?

The only conclusion I can come to is that ABCs standards are far lower than those of CBS and NBC.

A couple of morning jocks at a New York radio station were just pulled off the air for calling a Chinese restaurant and trying to order 'Flied Lice'.

I'm worried that there is a great big dam out there, metaphorically speaking, and the few trickles of pseudo-morality we've seen in the last few weeks re going to turn into a flood like we haven't seen since the McCarthy era.

---

Scott Hysmith, who is flat on his back via a gift from his son David, AKA his oldest Petri dish, sent me this article, as did Jamie Lord, who is back online almost halfway sortakinda, after his old computer went to the big blue screen in the sky:

WICCAN SYMBOL OK FOR SOLDIERS' GRAVES

MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) -- The Wiccan pentacle has been added to the list of emblems allowed in national cemeteries and on government-issued headstones of fallen soldiers, according to a settlement announced Monday.

A settlement between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Wiccans adds the five-pointed star to the list of "emblems of belief" allowed on VA grave markers.

The settlement calls for the pentacle, whose five points represent earth, air, fire, water and spirit, to be placed on grave markers within 14 days for those who have pending requests with the VA.

The VA sought the settlement in the interest of the eleven families involved and to save taxpayers the expense of further litigation, VA spokesman Matt Burns said. The agency also agreed to pay $225,000 in attorneys' fees and costs.

The pentacle has been added to 38 symbols the VA already permits on gravestones. They include commonly recognized symbols for Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckiankar and the Japanese faith Seicho-No-Ie.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the agreement also settles a similar lawsuit it filed last year against the VA. In that case, the ACLU represented two other Wiccan churches and three individuals.

VA-issued headstones, markers and plaques can be used in any cemetery, whether it is a national one such as Arlington or a private burial ground .

Wicca is a nature-based religion based on respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons. Variations of the pentacle not accepted by Wiccans have been used in horror movies as a sign of the devil.

I can't for the life of me figure out why this took so long.

---

Okay, that's it. Have a good Tuesday!

---

what you missed - what's next - leave a note
first post - cast page - diaryrings - top ten

THE LEGAL STUFF: All content on this site that was created by me is copyright 2003-infinity by Brin Marie McLaughlin. Steal my stuff and I'll squash you like a bug. All incoming email or any other form of communication with me is subject to publication or other distribution by me in whole or in part at my sole discretion. This diary features the sole opinions and experiences of one person, namely me, the person who is paying for this space. In the interest of safety and accountability, no anonymous input will ever be allowed here, ever, for any reason in the entire history of ever. Whenever there is a comments section appearing in this diary, it's to be considered part of my paid presence on the web, and shall be used by my readership to supplement the things I have written here with relevant information in a polite manner. Comments that do not fall in that category are subject to deletion at my whim. Your visit to my diary along with your use of my comments section constitutes the understanding of this statement. Anything else on these pages including any comments belongs to whoever created it. All external links are current as of the date of the entry in which they are first featured, but at no other time. News excerpts used here are for educational purposes and are permitted under the Fair Use Doctrine. Hold hands when you cross the street, and play nice.