No. 337: "Substandard"
To justify a
current policy, a well-known organization cites these conditions: "unrelenting
crowding, lack of privacy, infrequent communications with family and the
outside world, no ability even to go … for fresh air and a view." Who is
defending what policy?
Send
your answer by noon ET Tuesday to [email protected] .
Thursday's Question
(No. 336)--"Three for All":
Planned Parenthood, the Museum of Natural History, CNN--what's the
connection?
"Name
the next three entries on Liddy Dole's résumé."-- Jim Derby
"Failed pitch for the next season's Real World : Wacky high jinks ensue
when a group of reproductive-rights activists are picked to live in a
neoclassical beaux-arts science institution on Central Park West and
have their lives taped for a 24-hour news channel."-- Michele Siegel
"Surprisingly, they all have very cruise-y men's rooms."-- Larry
Amoros
"Trendy weddings sites featured in the Times 'Style' section."-- Julie
Anderson
"Is
there a board of directors that Gerald Ford won't sit on?"-- Mark
Greenberg
Click
for more answers.
Randy's Wrap-Up
News Quiz responses
typically offer a reliable guide to what America is thinking (if only by
providing sullen and resentful counterexamples), but from time to time
participants make small errors of--well, fact would be too vulgar a word; let's
say emphasis. I would like to correct--no, let's say refine--a few of these
enormities--no, let's just say fatuities.
Planned Parenthood is "pro-abortion."--It would be more correct to say the
organization offers a variety of reproductive options and defends a woman's
right to choose.
The Museum of Natural History is boring and old-fashioned.--It's pretty
obvious that some of you haven't seen the new hominid penis.
It is only when CNN runs out of airplane accidents to cover at tedious
length that it turns to the inane blather of lackluster commentators--I'm sure
there's a flaw in this, but I can't think of it now.
Web of Sin
Answer
They are among the many Web sites off-limits to all
New York City public school students, K-12, thanks to the filtering program
installed by the board of education.
After initially lying, insisting it had received no
complaints, the board shifted to the more reliable techniques of equivocating
and trivializing its critics, insisting that there was no problem, and if there
was it was small, and temporary, and that those who complained were just a
bunch of complainers whose purpose is just to make some complaints.
The board of education's
computers use I-Gear, a filtering package made by Symantic. The board has no
plans to remove or modify this software, although individual schools may phone
for help in making their own alterations.
"A Serial Violator of
the First Amendment" Extra
That's how some guy on
local news described New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose latest defeat came
Friday when a federal judge found that the city unlawfully punished an AIDS
group critical of his administration. Below, a few of the mayor's 21 First
Amendment cases. Did he win or lose each?
United Yellow Cab Drivers vs. (Police Commissioner) Safir --attempt
to block cabbies from holding a demonstration.
Latino Officers Association vs. Safir --attempt to stifle cops from
speaking to the press.
People vs. Lyons, etc. --attempt to stop people from handing out
Socialist Workers campaign literature.
Bery vs. City of New York --attempt to stop artists from selling work
on streets without official artist license.
Time Warner Cable vs. City of New York --attempt to force Fox News
Network onto the system.
Rudolph Giuliani vs. A Bunch of Idiots --attempt to brand letter "I"
on foreheads of those who disagree with him.
Kalke vs. City of New York --attempt to thwart All Saints Lutheran's
Church from distributing condoms in city parks as part of AIDS education
program.
City of New York vs. Jerks Who Cross Against the Light --attempt to
impose corporal punishment on those who impede any car any time with their damn
walking.
New York Magazine
vs. City of New York --attempt to stop the
magazine from making fun of the mayor in ads on the sides of buses.
City of New York vs. Time Warner Cable II : This time it's
personal--attempt to make Fox prime-time lineup mandatory viewing in city's
schools.
Answers
The city lost all these
cases, except 6, 8, and 10, which do not exist.
Extra Credit
You can keep the money
you've won so far, or risk it on this follow-up: What is the overall tally in
those 21 cases?
Extra Credit Answer
The NYCLU has gone to
court in First Amendment cases against the Giuliani administration 21 times. It
has prevailed, in full or in part, in 18 of the 20 cases so far decided.
Delightful Footnote
Public advocate Mark
Green may sue the mayor for wasting more than $5 million in public funds in
these "frivolous lawsuits."
Read More About It
www.nyclu.org/guilianifirstamnd.html
(Special thanks to Donna
Lieberman.)
Common
Denominator
Ted Turner.
