Too pretty to fly

These two 18-year olds claim that Southwest discriminated against them because they're "too pretty." Southwest has already been guilty once of wrongful conduct. And one only needs to fly Southwest to know that it hires no pretty, young flight attendants.

There's a clear gap in the antidiscrimination statutes--that there's no liability for discrimination against the young and the beautiful.

I'm sure that Southwes's decision had nothing to do with the girls' conduct which, according to the story, makes them seem snotty, with a sense of entitlement. That couldn't be it at all.

What's in a name?

What's in a name? When it comes to the names of people, plenty.

After the 9/11 attacks, hundreds of new parents in the Mideast named their babies "Osama" in some perverse, demented tribute to bin Laden. After Hurricane Katrina, the popularity of Katrina plummeted. We once fostered a little girl named "Passion" which always evoked interesting reactions.

So when Bill Cunningham, in warming up the crowd prior to John McCain's appearance in Cincinnati, repeatedly referred to "Barack Hussein Obama", (as reported here) it is either naive or disingenuous to suggest, as some have, that Cunningham was simply using Obamas complete name. We know what he meant, in his anything-but-subtle way.

To McCain's credit, he was unaware of Cunningham's statements before he took the stage, and when he learned of them, he immediately and repeatedly apologized to Obama.

Cunningham's conduct demeans the political process, but may be a taste of things to come. Maybe it's better to get this kind of stuff out of the way now so that if Obama is the Democratic nominee, it has lost any sting it may have.

Either way, it's been only little more than a month since the country celebrated Martin Luther King's birthday, and we were reminded repeatedly of King's dream that one day his children would be judged by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin. Maybe Dr. King's statement should be modified to add name as another irrelevant consideration.

Oops, I did it again

Once again, I attended a Baylor-Purdue athletic contest--the baseball game this weekend. And once again, BoilerHusband and I were clad in our Boiler-wear. What a fun way to spend Saturday afternoon. The weather was perfect. The kids enjoyed sitting out on the grass, where they were free to roll down the big hill or run around. There were lots of hits--in the game that is. The only thing that could have improved the afternoon would have been Purdue winning. Unfortunately for us Boiler-people, the Bears swept Purdue in the three-game series.

The last time a Purdue team came to town, BoilerHusband and I went out to support the Lady Boilers, who won a preseason basketball team tournament, beating the Lady Bears. I still occasionally get grief about sitting in the Baylor section, cheering for my alma mater.

So I don't get to gloat this time. It's alright. Wait til next time. Go Boilers!

I hate when this happens

Nothing is worse than having a good idea, implementing it, watching it take hold, and then having that idea stolen. And so it goes with the Naked Cowboy, who can be found in New York City. All those years of walking around Times Square. On the one occasion I saw him, it was cold outside--it was November! Neither Rain, nor Sleet, nor gloom of night--oh, that's the mailman. Either way, a little weather doesn't seem to faze the Naked Cowboy.

Now comes M&M/Mars, dressing an M&M as a naked cowboy. Stealing a man's underwear--how could they. Either way, as reported here, the Naked Cowboy, aka Robert Burck, has filed a trademark infringement in federal court. Not the typical IP case.

And the answer is . . .

Of course, the answer is Stand by Me. Good job Operalawguy!

I love that movie. It has many great lines, including one that always cracks me up, "Did your mother have any children that lived?"

And now, the family law trivia. Stand by Me has a soundtrack straight from the late 1950s, including the song, Come Softly to Me, by the Fleetwoods. The male vocalist and co-writer of the song was Fleetwood member Gary Troxel. Troxel is petitioner in the case Troxel v. Granville, a case that went to the Supreme Court on the issue of a grandparent's right to have court-ordered visitation with a grandchild. Troxel is assigned for Family Law students later this week.

Law trivia to impress your friends and family!

Famous first and last lines--Name that movie

Can you name the movie that starts with this line:

" I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human being. It happened in the summer of 1959 - a long time ago, but only if you measure in terms of years."

And another hint--the last line:

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone? "

You're welcome to put your answer in the comments or to keep it to yourself. Either way, I'll post the answer tomorrow evening, along with a bit of Family Law trivia to start the new quarter off right.

Race

Is there any doubt that African Americans can compete with whites on the basketball court?

It seems odd to think that just a generation ago there were those who seriously believed that whites were naturally superior in basketball, chief among them, Adolph Rupp. The movie Glory Road was a good reminder. The show that we watched today on ESPN evidenced even more clearly the racial divide in sports that existed in 1966 when Texas Western started five black players in the NCAA championship game and ultimately beat Rupp's Kentucky team. I was just a child at the time, and had no idea of the significance of that game.

Now, only the most ignorant would suggest that race is determinative in any way of the likely success of a particular athlete.

Yet, we're still caught in making judgements about people based on their race. That's becoming clear in the Democratic primaries and caucuses. Some blacks will choose Obama simply because he is black; others will not consider him because he is black.

I don't yet know for whom I'll vote in the primary. What I do know is that Obama will not get my vote simply because he is black--nor does he want it for that reason. Rather, I believe that Clinton or Obama are both accomplished and both are capable of leading this nation, notwithstanding their race or genders. I would have considered Edwards if he hadn't dropped out. Which one of the remaining Democrats will get my vote will be decided on issues other than race or gender.

Wouldn't it be nice if race weren't an issue.

My take on the New Baptist Covenant Celebration

As Osler noted in his blog, the New Baptist Covenant Celebration was truly something special. I'm not sure what I expected, but I found the past three days more inspirational, more affirming, more provocative than I ever imagined. President Carter and Mercer President Bill Underwood are to be congratulated for having conceived the idea of a convocation, where the goal was to unite black and white Baptists, as well as Baptists of other races, while celebrating the diversity in worship traditions and looking for ways by which we all might actively do the work of God on earth. They are to be commended for bringing their idea to fruition and inviting preachers and other speakers who challenged us to be more Christ-like.

And for those who criticized the Celebration as a political event for liberals, they would have been disappointed at the distinctly non-political character of the Celebration. That someone might characterize an issue like the environment as political doesn't make a discussion on the environment necessarily so.

Finally, the special interest sessions I attended were conducted by knowledgeable people who offered fresh perspectives on their individual topics. It comes as no surprise that Osler did a wonderful job as one of the speakers on the Engaging the Criminal Justice System panel--and I'm not just saying that because I'm his deacon (and responsible for his spiritual development, as he likes to remind me).

The challenge will be to translate the good feeling into action. I look forward to the next steps.