The Remains Of The Day...

After Pentecostal Celebrations (seen in post below this one) my friend Kevin and I drove down to Washington D.C. both to see the sites/sights, and to have lunch with an old friend of Kevin's, Michael Fumento (author of several books, blogger, lawyer, etc...) in Georgetown (see pic on left).

After a quick lunch and quicker picture, Kev and I were off to the Immaculate Conception National Shrine of DC (see pics below) which looks to be big enough to encapsulate 2 Philadelphia Basilicas or perhaps 3 St. Patricks of Harrisburg. The crypt downstairs is mighty impressive, but the cathedral itself is truly stunning (if you like Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes, I am impartial to this).

Then we were off to the National Mall, or near it, for dinner at Occidental at the Willard. But first we had to stop by this little gift store where they had a life-sized cardboard cut-out of President Obamania standing outside, which presented an opportunity for effigial eye-gouging by Kevin (see pic below). Then we enjoyed some rather expensive bread and circus ($150+) for two before advancing to the White House for more effigious expressions (by request only). Then we got drenched in the rain and left.

Open Minded...Until They Disagree

Fellow University of Illinois alumnus, Matt Kaufman, has written another fine column, this time about an outrageous case of political correctness in Oakland, CA in which words like natural, marriage, and family values, have been declared hate speech.

An excerpt:

Then came the threat. An Oakland official, Deputy Executive Director Joyce Hicks, sent out a memo to city employees citing "fliers ... in public view which contained statements of a homophobic nature" which "were determined to promote sexual orientation-based harassment." This, Hicks warned, could bring punishments "up to and including termination."

The GNEA ladies didn't get intimidated. Instead, they got attorneys. Aided by a sympathetic group, the Pro-Family Law Center, they turned up a bunch of evidence that their views had been singled out to be silenced. But judges sided with the city: A U.S. District Court for Northern California said marriage and family values had "anti-homosexual import." The next court up from there, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the city was merely pursuing its "legitimate administrative interests."

You must read the whole thing (click here), as it's really quite alarming...and could be on its way to your home town soon.

Also, just for fun, check out Michael Fumento's hate mail. He and Matt Kaufman were College Republicans together at the U of I.

I was a U of I student at the same time as they,...but I was too busy dating the Vice President of the College Democrats (I hate to admit). My enlightenment came later...