That's right, just us, folks.

There were a few diaries recently about a threatening letter sent to climate change scientist Michael Mann (not that Michael Mann).  I thought it was just standard run-of-the-mill harrassment and intimidation.  Well, the other shoe just dropped.

Flippity flip...

This relates to the Texas ban on gay couples as foster parents.  

I was just over at Oliver Willis' blog yesterday, and he had a clip from the Daily Show in which some wingnut on CNN was quoting a "six-year scientific study from Illinois" that purported to show that homosexual couples as adoptive foster parents were eleven times more likely to sexually abuse children than were heterosexual parents.  Eleven times, that's a lot.  These homosexuals must be really deviant.

Noam Chomsky gave a lecture at Washington State University this past Friday.  I, and four thousand of my closest friends, went to see this lecture. I know that he is seen as a polarizing figure, but I really respect his cogent, thoughtful analysis and linguistic perspectives on political discourse.

I tried to stay as close to the intent and spirit of his words, but it has gone through the filter of my scrawled notes. I have put in quotes the phrases that I am pretty sure are direct quotes.  That said, here is my synopsis of the lecture:

(flip)