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June 20, 2005 |
Philadelphia, Mississippi Whit Pistol Accused killer Killen is brought to the courthouse with shackles on his wheels, to prevent a flight risk. he trial of last century is making all the news in Mississippi and nowhere else, as the racially-motivated murders that inspired the film Mississippi Burning are underway after a lengthy ignoring of the whole thing. It took a little time to build a case and find a non-racist jury, but after 41 years, Edgar Ray Killen is being given as fair a trial as the white man's legal system will allow in a Philadelphia, Mississippi court.
The accused killer Killen is on trial for the premeditated murder of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who came to the town to aid in black voter recruitment. The accused was originally tried in 1964, but the jury deadlocked and couldn't decide whether murdering a Negro and two Jews was a crime in Mississip...
he trial of last century is making all the news in Mississippi and nowhere else, as the racially-motivated murders that inspired the film Mississippi Burning are underway after a lengthy ignoring of the whole thing. It took a little time to build a case and find a non-racist jury, but after 41 years, Edgar Ray Killen is being given as fair a trial as the white man's legal system will allow in a Philadelphia, Mississippi court.
The accused killer Killen is on trial for the premeditated murder of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who came to the town to aid in black voter recruitment. The accused was originally tried in 1964, but the jury deadlocked and couldn't decide whether murdering a Negro and two Jews was a crime in Mississippi. "Killer" Killen, as this reporter's just dubbed him, was released and not retried for years, although he was punished then by enduring Southern cooking at a barbecue in his honor thrown by all his Klan kronies.
Thankfully, Hollywood intervened in 1988 with a film about the murders fueled by the performances of Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe that, while good, no self-respecting black man is going to sit through when they've actually lived the same shit every day. Embarrassed by the liberal ass-tanning, modernized Mississippi began a crusade to re-try Killen and put the killings to rest once and for all.
Since the accusations have resurfaced, Killer Killen has denied orchestrating the murders and downplayed his involvement with the charitable organization the Ku Klux Klan; or at least that's what his lawyer says he has said, the 80-year-old is a bit indecipherable over the loud sound of his wheezing and mumbling. Philosophers only I've talked to suggest maybe Killen will live another 30 years as his real punishment from God, long enough to see black culture completely co-opted by every white kid on his street and allowing black performers to dominate the box office, television, and every station on the radio. And there's always the White House, if God is particularly cruel to the poor peckerwood.
Some fellow good old guys and girls have come to Killen's defense, while denouncing the killings, and say the frail, birdlike man had nothing to do with the horrific murder of people they wouldn't have spat on back then. Among those testifying were other Killens, including Killen's brother and sister-in-law, and several associates with peculiarly pointy hairstyles, like Cricket Beechauser.
"I love Killen," said the comparatively young 75-year-old Beechauser. "Killen taught me everything I know, not that I'm braggin' or nothin'. I'd do anything for him, that's how much I respect Killen—I'd go to jail for Killen. I'd go to hell for Killen, if that's what I had to do. Killen ain't any more racist than anyone here in this courtroom." To which at least the defense agreed.
The only irregularity in the Killen trial came on Friday when an angry protestor in the courtroom objected to the Beechauser testimony. A young white woman stood up and began shouting at the witness, still on the stand, insisting if the Ku Klux Klan liked Killen so much, they deserved Killen.
"Order in the court!" clichéd Judge Marcus Gordon. "If there's any more outbursts I'll remove the defendant. Then there won't be any Killen to shout about."
The prosecutor Mississippi Attorney General James Hood, for those of you who like irony, said the state would win this time against the Klansman.
"This time we will get Killen for these killings—hey! I just noticed how that sounds. Weird. But in all seriousness, my office is seeking the death penalty. And we'd better hurry up because this old Nazi is half in the bag already."
So declare the men of law in Mississippi, where the state motto in racial killings is "better late than never." the commune news knows there's no statute of limitations on murder, but thinks it must be really hard for an 80-year-old white bigot hate machine to find a real jury of his peers in Mississippi—but then again, probably not as hard as it sounds. Shabozz Wertham asked to cover this case, but regretted it after getting down there and experiencing his first day of Mississippi summer. Could be worse, of course—we're always told it was a lot hotter in the 1960s.
| June 20, 2005 |
Washington, D.C. Courtesy NASA Cassini photograph #9, which may be of Saturn, Bigfoot, or a Tom Jones concert, among other possibilities fter years of fiscal excess in the 1980’s, when the organization famously spent millions of dollars on magic space beans, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s legendary cost-cutting backfired this week when NASA head Dean Michaels admitted that he personally regrets equipping the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, currently orbiting Saturn, with a 27-shot disposable camera.
“Though the decision seemed a wise one at first,” apologized Michaels before we cut him off to identify the speaker, “due to the camera’s low cost and ease of processing at over 10,000 Photomats and convenience stores across the country, we are finally now coming to understand why no one has ever used one of these things for deep-space photography before: They suck big-time.”
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fter years of fiscal excess in the 1980’s, when the organization famously spent millions of dollars on magic space beans, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s legendary cost-cutting backfired this week when NASA head Dean Michaels admitted that he personally regrets equipping the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, currently orbiting Saturn, with a 27-shot disposable camera.
“Though the decision seemed a wise one at first,” apologized Michaels before we cut him off to identify the speaker, “due to the camera’s low cost and ease of processing at over 10,000 Photomats and convenience stores across the country, we are finally now coming to understand why no one has ever used one of these things for deep-space photography before: They suck big-time.”
Providing an array of blurry, blown-up photographs to illustrate his point, Michaels offered a shot-by-shot analysis of the confusing images from Cassini’s Fuji QuickSnap Outdoor.
“Jesus, that’s not even what we were aiming at!” Michaels yelled while examining the first photograph. “That’s the Alpha Centauri! Fucking Fujifilm.”
“This one, I have no idea what this is,” Michaels admitted, gesturing to a blurry gray photograph featuring a vaguely floral print. “Can anybody see anything in this? I’m not even sure if we’ve got it right-side up.”
Most intriguing of all the shots, however, was #17, which seemed to provide bizarrely compelling evidence that Cassini had somehow managed to snap a picture of a NASA technician’s thumb from deep space.
“This one’s a miracle of bad photography,” explained Michaels. “People should be praying to this thing instead of some batshit on an underpass somewhere,” Michaels added, referring to the Mother Mary apparition discovered earlier this year under a bridge in Illinois.
Beyond the photo quality issue, NASA also ran into problems with the camera’s 27-exposure capacity, which is fine for most weddings or a day at the beach, but somewhat restrictive when trying to capture the vast wonder of the solar system.
“Yeah, that was a boner,” admitted Michaels. “We’ve only got three shots left and four more planets to go, so it’s going to be tough. We’re going to have to line them up for a panoramic shot or something, hopefully without the sun in the background since that always makes everything look all dark and washed-out. What can I say? We were in the checkout lane and it seemed like a good idea. It has definitely served us better than the Bic lighter and CrystalBurst gum that Stevens wanted to get for the same money.”
Critics are citing the Cassini debacle as the organization’s biggest embarrassment since the 1990 launching of the super-powerful Hubble telescope, which has mostly been used by technicians to take scarily detailed bird’s-eye view photos of their homes from outer space, after expensive repairs were made to fix the out-of-focus lenses NASA ended up with when a sponsorship deal and partnership with mall-based eyewear provider LensCrafters backfired.
But NASA supporters call such claims ludicrous, since they totally disregard all the malfunctioning toy trucks the large contingent of RC-car enthusiasts at NASA have landed on foreign planets between those two events.
“We went to the fucking moon, people,” Michaels snapped after this reporter asked if they might have been better off trading up to a disposable camera model with a built-in flash, considering the darkness of space. Michaels defaulted to a common NASA dodge that comes up whenever critics point out the organization’s frequent misadventures. “Think about that for a second. The moon. What have you done?” the commune news would like to take this opportunity to honor the first woman in space, Ralph Kramden’s wife Alice. Or was it that chick who blew up? No, that’s just mean. And in our book, it hardly counts as space if you don’t at least get out of sight of the people on the ground first. So forget that. Boner Cunningham is the commune’s teeniest reporter, but we’re careful to clarify that by that we mean “most like a teen-ager,” since fellow reporter Ted Ted takes great, violent pride in his status as our smallest.
| Hurricane Ophelia Drowns Self Out of Love for Hamlet Web polls overwhelmingly against hurricanes UN: Iran can keep nukes, but only if kept in Amsterdam Hot model endorses college degrees in web ad |
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September 26, 2005 Louis Apartment or BustOh, shits.
Boris must tell of exciting commune road tripping story, but where for begin?
First to begin on thing with terror persons who does taking over commune office. This thing is so funny for Boris. "Oh hello you! Get on grounds or we can shoot all persons!" Ha ha. Boris does love this stuff. Terror Persons should be show on televisions for laughing. Boris could be small star who does fall on ground so not to get shots. Ha ha. Look at ducking Boris!
Maybe best to start story before this times, when Boris is in Louis apartment and cannot not leave this place. This thing does gone on so long with no food for Boris, him having to eat pizzas borrowed from pizzas-carrying man who does drop box and runs away when Boris jump out naked yelling for excit...
º Last Column: Boris Does Love Jehoma º more columns
Oh, shits. Boris must tell of exciting commune road tripping story, but where for begin? First to begin on thing with terror persons who does taking over commune office. This thing is so funny for Boris. "Oh hello you! Get on grounds or we can shoot all persons!" Ha ha. Boris does love this stuff. Terror Persons should be show on televisions for laughing. Boris could be small star who does fall on ground so not to get shots. Ha ha. Look at ducking Boris! Maybe best to start story before this times, when Boris is in Louis apartment and cannot not leave this place. This thing does gone on so long with no food for Boris, him having to eat pizzas borrowed from pizzas-carrying man who does drop box and runs away when Boris jump out naked yelling for excited pizza. Is true! This is not even plan thing, Boris only forgot about get dressed after bath. With no persons there for reminding, Boris does sometime forget thing like puts on clothes or flushing toilet thing. After while though, no more pizza man coming to loan pizza. So Boris does get so Boris hungry all the times, and decide to walk to commune place to get chew gum from venting machine. Chew gum is not big foods, but does chew in mouth so long to seem like much foods, then swallow stays in belly long time for fullness. You know this tricks? So good. So Boris does walk to commune place and get shot on by fun terror persons. Next thing knows Boris, on big family bust trip thing with all commune friends! Yay for bust! This thing is greatest big trip of Boris whole life, so many memory. Most memory find out to be dreams because Boris does sleep most of trip, but dream memory so fun. Boris does become king of castle using karate and does eat big hoagies sandwiches. Also, Boris does be a fish and swim to cartoon place with singing. This thing is most fun bust trip thing ever does happen. Truth, sometime there is problem on trip. First, no person does want to share Russian bologna with Boris. Then, thing two, no person does want to share bust air full of Boris Russian bologna fart. Then, thing three, Boris does have to ride on roof of bust because of breaking bust toilet after eating Russian bolognas. Persons can does be so mean about Boris smell, like Ivana Ballsack-Folger and evils midget fairy thing that is Ted. But, Boris have most fun time on bust roof rest of trip. All kind of bird friends to make and in rain is like slipping and slide game for childrens! Real children Lefting does like this game too like Boris. And also does woman-thing Stigmamma. Hers is so amazing best at running on wet roof in high heeling shoe! So, like Boris say, such fun trip thing. Excepting for part at end where trip is over for three day and no person does tell Boris, who is now living on bust roof. Goodbye friends, but no thanks for telling Boris you are gone. Is OK though, Boris does like dead car museum now where bust is parking. Is fun place for living, except for ass-crazy dog thing on ground which will bark and not let Boris come down from bust roof for food or peeing. OK dog, no Russian bologna is for you. º Last Column: Boris Does Love Jehomaº more columns |
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Quote of the Day“Sometimes when we touch the honesty's too much. Okay, you want the truth? It's not the honesty. It's that really rough patch of skin you have. Have you ever been to a doctor for shingles?”
-Hildy DanielsFortune 500 CookieThis Bud's for you; at least, that's what I'm telling the cops if they pull us over. You'll be horrified to learn that woman you've been ogling in that "Physical" video for years is mom. White man finally break treaty again, just like you been expecting all these years. Take the Rockford Files theme off your answering machine already, the joke was old in 1994.
Try again later.Top Reasons Chinese Protest Against Japan1. | Lousy Japanese driving creates international stereotype against all Asians | 2. | Oppressive communist computer chips frequently mocked in Japan | 3. | Age-old rivalry involving some chick named Xiang Chao | 4. | China invented overpopulation; Japan just copying us | 5. | China jealous of slightly more freedom available in Japan | |
| Jury: Jackson Did Not Molest This Specific KidBY orson welch 9/19/2005 As America struggles to cope with the hype of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Hollywood is doing its part by sending a slew of new DVD releases our way. We’ve got old films, we’ve got TV series by the bundle, and we’ve got new films even. Not that many, but enough so I don’t have to pad out my intro. So let’s see the line-up.
Now on DVD:
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Britain’s charming sci-fi parody novel that broke all the rules in its making has been made into a movie that breaks all attempts to break any rules. Passable and forgettable, the movie is more like Cliff’s Notes for those too lazy to read a 200-page novel. You get all the cleverest jokes, diluted and slapsticky for today’s movie audiences, and the movie doesnâ...
As America struggles to cope with the hype of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Hollywood is doing its part by sending a slew of new DVD releases our way. We’ve got old films, we’ve got TV series by the bundle, and we’ve got new films even. Not that many, but enough so I don’t have to pad out my intro. So let’s see the line-up.
Now on DVD:
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Britain’s charming sci-fi parody novel that broke all the rules in its making has been made into a movie that breaks all attempts to break any rules. Passable and forgettable, the movie is more like Cliff’s Notes for those too lazy to read a 200-page novel. You get all the cleverest jokes, diluted and slapsticky for today’s movie audiences, and the movie doesn’t waste its time getting into human nature in the slightest. Oh, and the romance is tacked on so you hardly even notice how flimsy it is to the premise. Oh, goody.
Mindhunters
Any more by-the-numbers a thriller would look like a learn-to-count film for preschoolers. A group of FBI behavioral profilers are caught in a game of mouse-and-mouse with a movie-style psychopath, who’s quite clever and just wants to torment them, even if it would be easier and more psychopath-like to just attack them and cut them to pieces. How long did this movie sit on a studio shelf? I’m not sure, but it did stink like mothballs.
The Longest Yard
Burt Reynolds used to be a Hollywood golden boy. Now they hate him so much they cast Adam Sandler in his role for remakes. Yes, Adam Sandler plays a football star (you read that right) who goes to jail and organizes a game to rally prisoner spirit. This movie recaptures all the uplifting good stuff from the first film like Sandler’s Mr. Deeds captured Frank Capra’s wit, charm, and optimism. Yep, 0 for 2 for Billy Madison.
Robots
Hollywood, I’m making you this counter offer: I’ll give you every projected dollar I’ll earn next year if you give up on making cutesy CGI movies with annoying celebrity voices. We both know sooner or later the fad is going to bottom out, at least for a 10-year drought or so, so take advantage of the offer while you can. It’s easily a clear $9,000, maybe up to $18,000, if Domino’s returns my call. I’ll give you anything I can to avoid sitting through another animated movie with the voice of Robin Williams. Sometimes I still wake up screaming with Aladdin flashbacks. So get back to me on this, Hollywood. I’ll lie, cheat, or steal to honor my part of the bargain. But hurry up, before Cars comes to the theater.
That’s our answer to disaster this week. As they say, fight fire with fire. Which makes no sense, because everyone knows you’re supposed to fight fire most effectively with water. But it doesn’t have as much alliterative appeal, and logic never made for great clichés anyway. Good-bye, America, and don’t forget to choke on it. |