A story in this morning's so-called newspaper: (long aside - I live with the wretched choice between the Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I. I could go into detail, but it's too early in the morning to discuss why these rags both suck pond scum.) (One the green, one the blue.)

There's apparently a tv show on PBS called "Postcards from Buster". Buster is an animated bunny, a friend of Arthur, for those who know who Arthur is - the um, animated, um, aardvark, i think he is. "Postcards from Buster" is aimed at kids from 6 to 8 years of age, and the animated characters visit real children in various places in the US and see what it's like where they live. With me so far?

PBS decided not to distribute an episode [don't even ask] of "Postcards from Buster" set in the horrible terrible evil state of Vermont. While Buster is visiting and meeting children from 2 different families who "show him how maple syrup and cheese are made" (according to this piece from Lynn Smith, of the LA Times) Buster meets one ilttle girl who introduces him to her mom and her "stepmom". Then he meets another family - including (GASP) TWO MORE MOMS.

A woman from WGBH, the Boston PBS station that produced the show, is quoted as saying "This is a show abotu kids learning frm other kids. We've visited kids who are Muslim, Mormon, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostal, kids rurally [is that grammatical? sorry, never mind], kids in cities, kids whose fathers and mothers are heterosexual, singe parent, living with grandparents." Apparently, though, Buster the Bunny cannot risk being exposed to the Dreaded Lesbian Couple and their children.

The you-should-pardon-the-expression Secretary of you-should-pardon-the-expression "Education" in the US, Margaret Spellings, apparently wrote Tuesday to the president of PBS to ask that PBS remove the US Department of Education logo from the episode and return the public money spent on the episode, opinining "Many parents would not want their young childre exposed to the lifestyles [sic] portrayed in this episode."

I wonder if she asked that the logo be removed from episodes featuring Muslim families. Or well, Mormon families or Pentecostals. "Many parents" might not want their children to see anything of the outside world. Especially parents whose children's future might be entrusted to the US Department of Education which wouldn't want any cooties to rub off onto little television watchers.

I swore to myself that I would NOT get political in this blog. I SWORE that there was enough to talk about that wouldn't raise hackles and I wouldn't get into this sort of thing because honestly I really don't enjoy it. I have extremely strong political views and opinions and I know it and I don't enjoy wrangles and arguments, so I've tried not to put stuff out there. I have trouble reading any newspaper any more because I get so massively bummed out by so much every damn day. But crap. "Lifestyles?" They want to yank money because a bunch of happy kids introduced their happy families and went and made maple syrup???? And it wasn't Dick and Jane and Spot and FREAKING PUFF?

Calm, calm. Ohhhhmmmm...

But it's about the BUNNIES!