This post is from the JMBzine Blog Vault, which means it is a very old blog post that I wrote at a very different time of my life. My views on religion (I’m now a Humanistic Jew), politics (today I’m a democratic socialist), and many other subjects (LGBTQ+ inclusion, abortion rights, etc.) have drastically changed over the years, so please bear this in mind when reading this post.
August 15, 2001
2:26 pm
The latest update from the NY Times on the Beazley Execution
2:54 am
2:45 am
Punishing Saddam – Video from 60 Minutes – Watch this. Watch the footage of the Iraqi people suffering, and then listen the bull**** that the US is churning out. This makes me want to vomit.
2:38 am
Austin American-Stateman Story on the LaCresha Murray case – Ronnie Earl would never have pursued this case for so long if LaCresha Murray was a white girl.
The Travis County DA’s office (in the Murray case), Governor Rick Perry and the TX Board of Pardons and Paroles (in today’s execution of Napoleon Beazley) once again show how racist of a state Texas remains.
Editor’s note (2002): Beazley would end up getting a stay of execution later in the day, but would finally be executed in 2002, one of the last people offended in the USA for a crime committed as a juvenile. — Reading more about Beazley’s case, I’m especially struck by his age. He was born just a few months after I was.
2:34 am
2:27 am
Editorial note (2022): My views on LGBTQ+ equality and what the Bible says about homosexuality have radically changed in the last 20 years, thank goodness!
OK, here’s an update on the story I talked about a few days ago… God don’t make no junk, by Sam Martin
First, the discussion forum for Fine Print Mag is hashing out the story big-time. I haven’t finished reading what has been said thus far, but it is pretty intense. I will likely jump into the fray (my nickname on that board is vagrantpoet), but I want to think it over some more. To be frank, I am still rather torn by this whole issue. I have to agree with the general premise of “God don’t make no crap” but yet i have a hard time reconciling the scriptures that condemn homosexuality. Anyway, I just wanted to post this link to the discussion forum if you’re intersted in reading some other folks’ response to the story.
1:52 am
Taken from www.newsofthewierd.com:
According to a June report in Britain’s The Guardian, at least two schools in Belgium’s Limburg province will begin serving a kind of very-low-alcohol beer in public school cafeterias beginning in September, in an effort to wean kids aged 3 to 15 from sugary sodas and fruit juice. [The Guardian (London), 6-21-01]
Also, on the subject of beer be sure and visit my good friend Jim Liberty’s site at http://beernotes.blogspot.com. He fancies himself a beer critic.
Editorial note (2022): “Jim Liberty” was the penname for myself, chosen at a time when I was concerned about being judged for being a fan of craft beer. Today, I regularly review beers on BeerAdvocate.com under the name of “JMBranum.”
1:47 am
God loves me and I have proof!!!
The day after I arrive back in Austin (well San Marcos to be exact, but it’s only a 45 minute drive to Austin), they’re having the Austin Chronicle 11th Annual Hot Sauce Festival!!! Only 11 more days before I’ll be in picante heaven!!!
1:41 am
Austin Chronicle’s Intervivew with Lucinda Williams – Lucinda makes some kick*** alt.country music.
AC: Mandy Mercier and I both know you well, so we’re often approached by fans wanting to know what you’re like. The question I get asked most is, how’s your sex life?
LW: [Laughing] Really? With this record, there seems to be a lot more attention paid to that. In The New York Times, the reviewer called me a sex symbol for the intellectual crowd. One guy in Europe said it sounded like I was lying in bed with the microphone when I recorded Essence. Another guy there said, “You sound pretty heated up, this is a horny record.” They’re a lot looser over there in Europe, you know.