Hot in Here

When learning that his daughter's seventh-grade science class would be viewing "An Inconvenient Truth," a Washington-state parent said, "No, you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation -- the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet -- for global warming."

The story goes on to say "His angry e-mail, along with complaints from a few other parents, stopped the film from being shown" and that the teacher was sent a disciplinary letter for "not following school board rules that require her to seek written permission to present 'controversial' materials in class."

Here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Should the school board also discipline art teachers for presenting the controversial description of "black" actually being black and "white" being white?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Don't forget that heresy about 'up' and 'down' in physics class" or "Oh, for....Honey? Do we have more vodka?"

Discuss.

I Don't Believe You

They're having a bit of trouble filling the jury box for Scooter Libby's perjury trial, since many potential jurors are being excused "for their strong views on the Bush administration, the Iraq war, or other elements of the case." The story says "Many of the residents of the largely Democratic city (Washington, D.C.) said they would have a hard time finding Libby's former boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, a credible witness if he were called to testify as expected."

So here's another bonus edition of This Week's Discussion Question:

How screwed are you if everyone thinks your star witness is a big, fat liar?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Credible? I'd sneak a peek out the window if he told me it was sunny" or "Three posts in one day, Dave? What's up?"

Discuss.

Who Woulda Thunk It?

Today Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) announced that she's running for president in 2008, providing fodder for a bonus edition of This Week's Discussion Question:

Wow! Who saw that coming?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Yawn" or "Are you happy now, Russert?"

Discuss.

Neighborhood Bully

Last week we saw this headline at Yahoo News: Bob Dylan bores me to tears -- Simon Cowell. The story cites an interview in the February issue of Playboy, in which Cowell says he never bought a Dylan album and would "plug my ears and run in the other direction" if he were to see a 21-year-old Dylan singing "Blowin' in the Wind."

It makes perfect sense to us here at TWDQ, prompting This Week's Discussion Question:

Could anyone who owned a Dylan album possibly have created American Idol?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Yet you sat there and listened to William Hung?" or "What the world needs now is another pop singer like I need a hole in my head."

Discuss.

Since You Asked

Saturday, in response to critics of his plan to escalate the war in Iraq, the President said, "To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible." Because to propose nothing would be irresponsible, we at TWDQ would like to interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to offer one up:

Resign. Now. You AND the Vice President. Now. Before you send another 20,000 American men and women into the meat grinder to stall for time so you don't go down in history as another president who had to helicopter the last Americans off the rooftops in a war zone. Now. Before you start poking Iran and Syria with sharp sticks to provoke yet another war, though we fear you've already started doing that. Now. Before Congress decides we ought to take a good hard look at getting behind the International Criminal Court.

Resign. Now.

There's your proposal, sir.

Thank you. We now return you to our regular discussion.