May 24, 2006

Standing Up to The Lemmings

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell
and I don't have time
to go 'round and 'round and 'round

It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

- Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready to Make Nice"

It seems easy for many people to get over their own poor behavior. But call them on it, and you're accused of dredging up the past and rubbing their faces in it. They go on the attack, instead of admitting they were wrong and offering an apology for their past words and deeds. Who needs people like that, whether in their personal lives, or as fans? If you have any respect for yourself, you cut them loose and leave them to fend for themselves. People who are willing to drape themselves in the flag ought to be willing to come home in flag-draped coffins. But that supposes people realize that words and actions have consequences. Perhaps that's giving most people too much credit.

Addendum: You can hear the Dixie Chicks song on their myspace page.

May 01, 2006

No Heiress Left Behind

The title of this joint report from Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy pulls no punches: Spending Millions to Save Billions: The Campaign of the Super Wealthy to Kill the Estate Tax.

"Unfiltered by Rational Argument"

After reading the text of Stephen Colbert's appearance at the White House Correspondence Dinner, I'm quite amused. But Lloyd Grove notes that the insider response to Colbert was rather chilly:

As for the after-dinner entertainment, the conventional wisdom was that Bush killed with his self-mocking routine — "The President was fantastic," gushed staunch Dem Patricia Duff — while the hired talent, Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert, bombed badly. "It was an insider crowd, as insider a crowd as you'll ever have, and he didn't do the insider jokes," said BET founder Bob Johnson.

Paying the Price

The Cost of Gas: Gas prices are up as a reflection of continuing, worsening instability in the Middle East and our foreign relations with oil-producing countries. People hiss "Conspiracy!" and demand relief. But the price of gas indicates that our free market economy works. So if you're a hard-core believer in capitalism, why all the bitching and moaning at the pump? Isn't that what this country is about, for some of us to get as rich as we can and to hell with everyone else?

Mission Accomplished: As for claims of conspiracy, how about an illegitimate war based on the tragedy of 9/11, a war foisted on the American people in order to settle a personal score? We have Saddam, but bin Laden and his followers are still on the loose. Iran and North Korea, known problem states, pursue their goals of nuclear power.

Iraq is in the midst of a civil war - pretending that it isn't doesn't make it so. Iraq has become an excellent training ground for Al Qaeda and other terrorists - because of us. Our invasion, our occupation, our setting loose the religious fundamentalist impulses that were kept under check during the Hussein regime, have made that possible. The United States is not into nation-building, but we believe in liberating people so that they can build their own nation. Whether that's peacefully or through civil war is for them to work out amongst themselves.

Illegal Immigration: On the radio this morning I listened as a DJ complained about his neighborhood La Fonda being closed today to express its support of immigrants who work in this country, legally or not. He warned listeners that some of our favorite eateries could be closed. He felt he was "paying the price" - that is, his neighborhood restaurant being closed - so that illegal immigrants and their supporters could go protest and make their voices known.

We all pay a price. Illegal immigrants depress the price of labor by being willing to work for less money. But their willingness to be paid under the table is what makes many products and services affordable for us.

Illegal immigrants may be illegal, but that doesn't mean they're subhuman. The accident of our birth in this country doesn't give us the right to look down on them, to be sequestered in our comfortable lives and make cheap jokes about rounding people up and shipping them off or shooting them. 'Cause that's soooo funny, right? To mock people who have to escape where they're from in order to make a better life for themselves and their families?

In my family, I am a first-generation American. My parents are immigrants. They came here, legally, for their higher educations. They could have lived decently in Thailand, but they wanted to come to the U.S. for its opportunities and they wanted their children to have good lives here. Their life has not been easy. They have been productive people. They have pursued business opportunities, with some success and some failure. In recent years they have each become a U.S. citizen.

There is no question that people should come to this country legally and take the necessary steps to pursue work and citizenship. But it costs time and money to do that - and if you are poor and jobless and your family can't sponsor you, are you simply supposed to accept that you and your family are doomed to a life of poverty and squalor? You do what you have to in order to survive.

Survival isn't some stupid reality-show concept - it's a condition of life for many, many people in this world.

Immigration reform does not mean just throwing up a fence and paying for a militia to patrol our borders. A guest-worker program is the best viable solution for dealing with the problem. Reform the system that people have to go through so that they don't sneak into this country and work undercover. There should be a penalty for people who come here illegally, but that doesn't mean something draconian. If people are in the system, they can contribute taxes, their children can go to school, they can get medical assistance instead of hoping the illness will just go away. Yes, we have to deal with this issue, as we must deal with many others, but simply because we are better off and comfortably situated - not necessarily rich - our comparatively lofty situation does not give us the right to be smug, clueless, hateful, heartless people.

March 28, 2006

Local Officer Tickets Driver for Anti-Bush Bumper Sticker

A woman was pulled over and ticketed by a DeKalb county police officer for having a "lewd decal" on her car - a bumper sticker that says "I'm Tired Of All The BUSHIT." The officer told the woman that the sticker violated a county ordinance and wrote a ticket for $100. The woman, Denise Grier, plans to challenge the fine on the grounds that the ticket violates the First Amendment, that she was targeted for her political expression. As she should. The ticket should never have been written in the first place.

Andisheh has a more eloquent post here.

Driver fights ticket for bumper sticker [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

"Bush War Blues"

Billy Bragg recorded a song called "Bush War Blues" - it's available on his site as a free download.

February 08, 2006

Another chapter in the history of violence

CNN is currently running an article "Bush urges end to cartoon violence." I know what the headline means. I know that this is an extremely serious situation. Yet part of me thinks the title for this is funny. Funny in a bleak way, I guess.

I understand why these political cartoons would incite anger, but this tsunami of riots and mob violence across the Muslim world is a frightening response. Frightening - and childish.

It does not help their case in the eyes of the Western world to be seen as emotional, irrational, perhaps even savage and uncivilized. Their anger may be justified, but lashing out like this makes it difficult for non-Muslims to take their concerns seriously, except as forces to be contained, to be kept at bay. Which isn't much of a solution, either.

I find it hard to see the value in a religion that inspires people to wreak havoc in the world, to persuade others of the rightness of their beliefs, to force others to submit to their will, through violence and the fear of violence. Religious fundamentalism, no matter its origin, demands submission, refuses compromise, and denies the merit of anything that does not fit into its particular world view.

I do not say that all Muslims are like this, I know that isn't true. But when I read the news, it's hard not to believe otherwise.

January 26, 2006

Let's Discuss

I know that talking politics is not for polite conversation, but this is a blog. How do you feel about Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court? Are you for or against him? Why? Yes, really, I would like to know. Frank discussion - but of course, civil and polite - would be welcome.

These are my main thoughts about Alito - and yes, I've signed petitions, I've sent emails and I've also called my Senators.

1. Alito's record, as shown in memos that surfaced, shows that he has given strategic thought to how to erode Roe v. Wade. Not If he were on the bench, wouldn't that be considered judicial activism?

Abortion should be safe and legal. It shouldn't be used as birth control - and birth control methods and sex education should be available and accessible to young women so they're not having abortions or babies that nobody wants. If your personal beliefs make you opposed to abortion, I respect that. But it is not your business to interfere with a woman's private decision.

2. Why all the deference to executive power, when as a Supreme Court judge, his concern ought to be the separation of powers, the maintenance of the system of checks and balances between the judiciary, the legislative and the executive branch? Where are all the conservatives who claim there needs to be strict readings of the Constitution?

And the rest of you: WHY ARE YOU NOT PAYING ATTENTION? Because this matters a lot more than American Idol or Dancing/Skating/Crocheting with the Stars, ok? I'm not a tremendous activist by any means. But it is not too much trouble to make a phone call or write a letter or even send an email.

Why do I bother? Because I'm not going to sit here and do nothing. You can have an opinion either way, but if you're not going to act in support of your beliefs, then your opinion is essentially worthless.

November 16, 2005

The Latest About Target, Emergency Contraception

Target digs itself a deeper hole in emergency contraceptive scandal [AMERICAblog]

And the FDA may have had a political reason *gasp* to reject the Plan B emergency contraceptive: Report Details F.D.A. Rejection of Next-Day Pill [NYT, 11/15/05]

November 09, 2005

His other name is Wormtongue

Says Scott McClellan to reporters about the revelation of CIA secret prisons around the world: "The leaking of classified information is a serious matter and ought to be taken seriously."

GOP Leaders Urge Probe in Prisons Leak [WP, 11/9/05]

November 04, 2005

Most recruits from rural areas, the South and West, per Pentagon data

Youths in Rural U.S. Are Drawn To Military: Recruits' Job Worries Outweigh War Fears [WP, 11/4/05]:

As sustained combat in Iraq makes it harder than ever to fill the ranks of the all-volunteer force, newly released Pentagon demographic data show that the military is leaning heavily for recruits on economically depressed, rural areas where youths' need for jobs may outweigh the risks of going to war. [Added emphasis]

More than 44 percent of U.S. military recruits come from rural areas, Pentagon figures show. In contrast, 14 percent come from major cities. Youths living in the most sparsely populated Zip codes are 22 percent more likely to join the Army, with an opposite trend in cities. Regionally, most enlistees come from the South (40 percent) and West (24 percent).

October 31, 2005

My Letter to Target

According to Planned Parenthood, a Target store pharmacy refused to fill a birth control prescription to a customer in Missouri on September 30. I sent an email through their action page and got a brief, generic letter from Target about how Target respects the diversity of its employees.

Now I've just read about a woman in Arizona who was raped and her prescription for emergency birth control was refused by the pharmacist for "moral" reasons. This decision was supported by the pharmacist manager, who offered to fill the prescription himself, if the young woman and her friend accompanying her could get to the store within 10 minutes - because his shift was ending. This incident happened at a Fry's Food Store pharmacy in Tucson. Arizona doesn't have a shield law protecting pharmacists with delicate consciences, but many of the pharmacies there have corporate policies that allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on moral grounds.

What I'm wondering is why such people are in this profession. Find another career. If denying birth control to women, including women who've just been raped, so offends you, then get out of the field.

I haven't let the horror of this story sink in yet. To divert my attentions, I finally wrote my reply to Target:

I am extremely disappointed with this lackluster response. I have been a loyal Target customer for years. I really enjoy shopping at your stores and I am extremely upset about having to give that up. There was a location that opened near where I live and I was really excited about it. But ever since I learned of the incident at your store pharmacy in Missouri, I have stopped shopping at Target, because I am very angry about your policy.

If your pharmacist is incapable of doing his or her job based on his or her personal beliefs, that is a problem. That person has no business being one of your employees. If a customer comes in with a birth control prescription, written by her doctor, it should be filled without comment. It's one thing if there's a professional concern, such as if the customer is taking other medication and the new medication could interfere with that. I agree with that - your pharmacists SHOULD exercise their professional judgment. But as for their personal judgments, those are irrelevant and SHOULD NOT come into play when a woman comes in to get her prescription filled. What the pharmacist thinks personally is irrelevant!

It is not acceptable to refer the woman to another pharmacist or another pharmacy. What if the store is the only store in town for miles? What if the medication is needed as soon as possible? By allowing this behavior, Target practices bad customer service by interfering with a woman's private choices. Because Target allows its pharmacists to choose not to perform their jobs, jobs which are given state licenses in order to practice, Target chooses to provide substandard service to its customers, which is appalling.

This corporate policy is unacceptable. I don't even care if in this particular incident in Missouri is shielded by state law to protect a pharmacist's conscientious objection. I live in Georgia where such a law exists, and that law is wrong. If your organization can't be bothered to hire professionals who are capable of performing their jobs, then I will have to take my business elsewhere. I have already told friends and family about this, and they feel just as strongly as I do. So you have many disappointed customers who will also be taking their hard-earned money elsewhere because of this policy. I strongly urge you to please reconsider your policy.

Rape victim: 'Morning after' pill denied [Arizona Daily Star, 10/23/05 - via Zeebah]
Call. Call Now. [Bark/Bite via Zeebah]

October 28, 2005

Where in the World is Robert Novak?

The Novak Report: When the Plame indictments come down, the columnist will have a lot to explain. [Slate]

Lewis "Scooter" Libby Indicted

Copy of indictment available here. He's also resigned from his position at the White House.

October 26, 2005

Bitter Fruit

Photo essay covering funerals for those killed in Iraq by Paul Fusco, Magnum Photographer. [via deano]

If you're so gung-ho for this war, then get your ass over there and help finish this thing. Unless you think dying for no reason isn't worth dying for. The reason we went in - a bogus reason - is not the reason we're still there. The original reason we were given for going to war has everything to do with why somebody leaked the identity of a CIA operative when her husband wrote an op-ed column in the New York Times challenging the White House's claim [addendum: made via a report from the British government] of yellowcake uranium.

We have a volunteer army, it's argued. A volunteer army is better to have than a conscripted one. Well how much of a volunteer are you if the military is the only option for you to escape poverty, if you don't have the option of going to college? How much of a volunteer are you if it's illegal for you to quit the military once you join?

If the draft was reinstated, then people would take this war more seriously. Then people would realize they have something at stake, if they or their children actually had to fight in this war, or any other war. Then people might realize what sacrifice for the sake of your country really means. Things seem different when your own life is at stake.

Sure, people would go to Canada or some other country claiming asylum or conscientious objection. The wealthy and well-connected would find ways to escape their obligations. (Chickenhawk Cheney skipped Vietnam because he had "other priorities.") Fine - somewhere it will be on record and the press can expose them and challenge them on why they were exempted from fulfilling their duty as citizens.

As an aside, I find myself increasing angry with the New York Times and the case of Judith Miller. Miller isn't a saint protecting the freedom of the press. She's an irresponsible, reckless journalist who allowed herself to be used by sources to drum up justification for this war. She's damaged the field of journalism and she's damaging the credibility of the NYT (at least in the eyes of those who don't already view the NYT as part of that liberal media, a liberal media owned by such prominent liberals like Rupert Murdoch). She ought to be fired, not allowed to take a leave of absence and then resign to "pursue other interests." Fire her ass, and let her try to explain that her work and her practices weren't dishonest and fraudulent.

October 07, 2005

The New Reds

Bush on Iraq: "God told me to" I guess we have to run the country with the president we've got.

Isn't it ironic that Republicans have claimed the color red, that there are red states? It wasn't so long ago that to call someone a "Red" was to accuse the person of being that ultimate of evils, a Communist. Now Republicans are the new Reds.

September 19, 2005

Final Report by Federal Commission on Election Reform Now Available

The commission, headed by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James A. Baker III, has issued its final report, Building Confidence in U.S. Elections (7.6 MB). Significant reforms have been recommended, including a uniform voter ID card, verified paper trails for electronic voting machines, and nonpartisan, independent administration of elections, among other recommendations.

I'm particularly interested by the call for a national voter ID card, considering that Georgia now has a state requirement for a valid photo ID in order to vote (Provisional ballots are available to those without ID on election day, but with a requirement to produce photo ID within the following days or else the ballot becomes invalid). Georgia's law has been criticized as a new poll tax.

July 28, 2005

Misreadings

I find it interesting and frustrating that only now do more people (U.S. citizens, that is) realize that the "war on terror" hasn't resulted in "mission accomplished." Where was this skepticism back when links between Saddam and 9/11 were scattered around like confetti?

The following links cover the administration's choosing of new choice phrases such as the "global struggle against violent extremism" instead of the "global war on terror." When the language you're using isn't working - to market your product, to advocate your policy - just change it. Reframe the debate, redefine the reality. Black is the new black, extremists are the new terrorists.

Shifting Language: Trading Terrorism for Extremism [NPR]

U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War [NYT]

July 01, 2005

Not surprised

O'Connor, First Woman on High Court, Resigns After 24 Years [NYT]

But it still sucks. I'm already getting emails from NARAL and Planned Parenthood asking for donations and activism.

June 29, 2005

The Pot and the Kettle

I haven't lost my clout, Bush says [Seattle Times] Trailing the play on this news. Oh the layers of absurdity:

In what has become a monthly session with reporters, Bush said an Amnesty International report condemning the U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was "absurd."

"It seemed to me they based some of their decisions on the word of - and the allegations - by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble - that means not tell the truth," Bush said. He appeared to have intended to use the word "dissemble." [Emphasis added]

Bush disassembles English language, again [BoingBoing]

This isn't amusing - it's depressing.

June 02, 2005

This is Your Brain on Dangerous Ideas

Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries This list probably should be cross-referenced with the American Library Association's list of Most Banned Books.

March 23, 2005

Oh the Hypocrisy

The Days of Our Lives This post at Hullaballoo is worth reading. Here's the beginning:

By now most people who read liberal blogs are aware that George W. Bush signed a law in Texas that expressly gave hospitals the right to remove life support if the patient could not pay and there was no hope of revival, regardless of the patient's family's wishes. It is called the Texas Futile Care Law. Under this law, a baby was removed from life support against his mother's wishes in Texas just this week. A 68 year old man was given a temporary reprieve by the Texas courts just yesterday.

[via messages from the ether]

January 21, 2005

What a Country, or Why I Love the Interweb

Say hello to my new bumper sticker. Stickers and other objects are available for purchase.

December 30, 2004

Foreign Aid - It's All How You Measure It

Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S. Programs and Policy [Order Code 98-916, dated 4/15/04] From a report prepared by the Congressional Research Service, a division under the Library of Congress:

"The United States is the largest international economic aid donor in dollar terms but is the smallest contributor among major donor governments when calculated as a percent of gross national income."

Are We Stingy? Yes [NYT] If Americans are offended by Jan Egeland's criticism about the West - as in wealthy industrialized nations, not just the United States - that rich nations are "stingy" for not donating even 1% of their GNP for humanitarian/foreign aid purposes, then maybe we should examine why we're so quick to take offense. And hey, let's make a horrific disaster on the other side of the world all about US and OUR hurt feelings. (This calls to mind that scene in Dr. Strangelove when the President calls Russia to explain that a nuclear bomb is accidentally heading to Moscow and the President whines "Well, how do you think I feel?") Good thing individuals are willing to dig in their pockets, because we're not exactly getting a rousing call to action from the Man Who'd Rather Be Clearing Brush than Leading the World By Example. For instance, Amazon's tally of donations to the Red Cross - encouraging people simply by setting up a link - is now at $5,734,758.29, based on 91,095 donations.

Aid Grows Amid Remarks About President's Absence [Washington Post] And let's not ignore the opportunity take political cheap shots during times of tragedy. Josh Marshall aptly notes about this same article: "President's latest response to the tsunami tragedy: badmouth Bill Clinton."

December 23, 2004

Where's Your Ribbon?

Those magnetic ribbons are everywhere, the yellow or red, white & blue ones with phrases like "Support Our Troops" or "God Bless America." These often strike me as empty gestures, especially when it's a big yellow ribbon on a giant SUV. (Honestly, who needs a tricked-out Hummer on the streets of Atlanta, let alone anywhere?)

The prankster in me wants to move the ribbon to another spot on the car. The wicked me wants to trace the outline of the ribbon with a Sharpie, maybe write some counter-phrase within the outline - and then replace the magnetic ribbon. Well maybe not a Sharpie - a grease pencil or something. I wouldn't want to steal one - that's just mean.

At PoMo Sideshow, you can order custom magnetic ribbons with alternative phrases such as "More Patriotic Than You," "God Bless Jingoist Ribbons," "Where is Your Ribbon?" and others. You can also provide your own phrase for your ribbon. I guess if I were to pick one, I'd go with something more serious than snarky, like "Demand Open Source Voting" or "Real Patriots Question Bush." Of course, then I'd worry about someone stealing my ribbon, because it's just so darn cool. ;) But they offer different ribbon sizes and you can specify whether you want an indoor magnet or one that would be used outdoors, like on your car.

December 19, 2004

Buying Blue (or even Green)

BuyBlue.org is a fairly new organization whose goal is to inform progressively-minded consumers which companies are more "blue" in their practices - the idea being that we can direct our consumer spending accordingly. At the moment, the criteria for BuyBlue's lists of Blue and Red companies is what political contributions were made during the most recent election cycle. Eventually the group will expand its criteria to take into account other factors. From their FAQ:

Are political contributions the right way to go?

We get asked this question often. Most of the time someone is writing us to say that corporation X is classified as blue/red and because of their actions with labor, the environment, minorities and other issues they really should be on the other side.

We realize that basing our Blue Christmas list on political contributions alone is a flawed approach. Our future vision is to provide you with a comprehensive picture of a corporation which will include things like environmental policy, labor policy, minority issues, gender issues, etc. However, we wanted to get something out to you in time for Christmas and political information is far easier to come by than some of the aforementioned items. Look at it as a first step we are taking towards corporate transparency in order to arm you with good information to make your purchases.

The group's first goal was to generate an initial list in time for holiday purchases - not surprisingly, a lot of the big box stores are quite red. Still, I wasn't thrilled to see that Target and Amazon.com were on the red side.

Of course the issue isn't just which retailers to frequent with one's business. It's which companies to support through buying their products. Ultimately, it goes beyond simply becoming better-informed; it's about becoming a better consumer. What I need and what I want are separate concerns; simply because I can buy something doesn't mean that I should. I am surrounded by an overabundance of things; paring down would be far better for my peace of mind (and my budget) than acquiring more.

This isn't going to be an overnight process for me. (We are talking about a girl who has a ridiculously long wishlist at a certain online vendor, after all.) But now I have a starting place: how and where to wield my wallet.

November 09, 2004

In a Twist

Somebody's got their rant on: Fuck the South.

November 05, 2004

Consider Me Mobilized

I have to do something. I don't know what, but I cannot sit through another four years stewing. This is an improvement for me from the last few days, when I wished horrible things would happen to people in their snug little homes in the red states, since they have such a fetish for terrorism on their doorsteps. There are good people out there, even if they have persuaded themselves to go with their impressions instead of subtance. We have to somehow connect with the moderates, break through the labels and stereotypes that are fed to them and show that we aren't elitists who look down on them, that we too are good people, that we have moral values and care about a lot of the same things that they do. We have to do better at mobilizing our own base, and demonstrate to progressives and independents that we actually have something to offer by joining forces. And actually offer something, not just pay lip service.

I've been guilty of thinking that people "out there" are stupid lemmings - even though I'm living amongst these people. I really don't relate to those who feel that their god has a hand in everything they do; sometimes I wonder what's the difference between having faith and being crazy. That doesn't mean I'm better than these people - but they aren't better than me, either, no matter that their faith gives them cause for arrogance and assertions of moral superiority. To my mind, true faith requires humility and living your life accordingly. It's a good way to live one's life, whatever your beliefs.

I'm pretty consumed by politics right now, but I don't intend that it will become the focus of the Armoire either.

November 03, 2004

*sigh*

So I watched Kerry's speech this afternoon. I'd planned to watch on the web or listen to NPR but one of my coworkers had a small television. We crammed into her office. I sat on the floor, holding my head.

I'm pretty sure everyone else in the department is Republican, but they're nice people. I like them a lot. I like them even more for not gloating and rubbing this in my face.

I tried not to cry, but I did. The leaky-eye kind of crying, not the hiccupy-hyperventilating-choking sobbing. I had steeled myself, after all, hoping against hope that I'd be wrong. That's the thing about being a pessimist - you're never disappointed. Still, I would rather not have been emotional in front of my boss and my coworkers, even though we're a close-knit department.

For all that I wished I could've been passionate about Kerry, I didn't wish this moment on him either. Even Sunshine Edwards couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes. Damn it, leaky eyes again....

If the rest of my department watched Bush's speech, they were kind enough not to invite me.

Resolved, Not Resigned

Inconsolable, perhaps. But after thinking about it more precisely, I'm not resigned. I'd like to see Ohio's election results thoroughly accounted for, including these provisional ballots. Even though the statistical projection means that the current administration is already declaring victory, I don't want Kerry and Edwards to concede just yet. We've been here before. Whatever the outcome, I want to trust that Ohio has taken every step it can to verify the complete (and not merely projected) results of a true and accurate election.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still angry that we got stuck with this smirking chimp in the first place. I still think there are a lot of gullible people in this country, who wrap themselves in the flag and in their faith and manage to be hateful, selfish and small-minded anyway. I'm disappointed by the apathy, by these fence-sitters who couldn't decide to decide, but whatever. I think the country is in horrible shape right now, but maybe things will have to get even worse before they get better. Maybe more people will have to experience personal loss or hardship in order to realize that there needs to be change. If we're fortunate, the press won't be cowed by the administration again. And this time, bloggers will be around to nip at everybody's heels.

Yeah, I feel like I've been hit in the solar plexus. I feel grim - that I'll be gritting my teeth for the next four years - or longer, depending how bad things continue to get. But we can't give up. We can't let our spirits be crushed beneath the policy tanks of this administration.

Don't Mourn, Organize [Daily Kos]

UPDATE: Kery just conceded. Fuck fuck fuck. Well, OK then. We'll just have to keep fighting.

Hangover

I changed train cars last night because of an asinine conversation between a woman and a homeless man. She took the opportunity to complain how Marta has no money to maintain the system, evidenced by our train being held at a station, and he complained about how Marta needs to make sure the bathrooms are open more often, because "when you got to go, you GOT to go!" Then she asked him whether he voted. He said "For who? For what?"

At this point I got up and moved. I just wanted to ride home in peace and quiet, especially on this day. I didn't want to hear pointless discussions by people who think they're all enlightened for talking to lecturing a homeless person when they have absolutely no interest in helping that person. Shut up and quit being an asshole.

This morning it was really quiet on the train. People seemed pretty glum and resigned. Or maybe it was just me, trying and failing to hold back tears.

November 02, 2004

You're Only A Day Away

Ok, the sun will come out tomorrow. If not locally, then somewhere. The world will not end. I will still be here, even though I'm feeling bleak, because I don't dare hope that things will change. To have hope is to risk heartbreak. I only have direct control to change my own life, and heck, I need to do a better job at that. Today, not tomorrow.

So.

I find it hard to have faith, to believe in the goodness of others, not just the bad. To believe in myself is a regular struggle. But despite everything, despite the differences we have and the flaws that still need to be resolved, we believe in democracy. We believe in it so inherently that we take it for granted. It makes me sad and angry that more people don't exercise their right to vote. But it's good to see that more people bother to care this time around.

Paul Krugman's Election Day column is worth reading, regardless of one's political leanings. The worst one can say is that it's maybe a little bit sappy. But I'll take it.

Faith in America - Paul Krugman [NYT][Bugmenot]

Vote or Shut Up

I voted last week by absentee ballot. I'd like to feel my vote counts, but this state bleeds red. Still, I did it.

I've been steeling myself to expect problems, that there won't be a definitive result at the end of the night. To expect the worst, if there is a result. I'm feeling pretty malevolent and pessimistic about the ability of my fellow citizens to be responsible, rational people. I guess we'll see what happens.

October 15, 2004

Trashing the Vote: Can We Stop Them?

Yesterday I read that Nader's been thrown off the ballot in Pennsylvania, because the petition seeking to add him contained bogus names and addresses, leaving the number of valid signatures well below the required amount. It's possible Nader has better ideas. But I don't like him and I think he's a shit. No matter what he says, he's a spoiler. Of course if Kerry were a better candidate, someone who could appeal to progressives and moderates, the election wouldn't be so close. Of course, who knows how accurate the numbers are going to be anyway, given that there are organized efforts all over the country to fix the vote. It's not just the issues with electronic voting machines. It's tampering with voter registration through whatever means possible.

My first awareness today was in Paul Krugman's column, which outlines voter registration issues going on all over the country, but especially in swing states:

Earlier this week former employees of Sproul & Associates (operating under the name Voters Outreach of America), a firm hired by the Republican National Committee to register voters, told a Nevada TV station that their supervisors systematically tore up Democratic registrations.

The accusations are backed by physical evidence and appear credible. Officials have begun a criminal investigation into reports of similar actions by Sproul in Oregon.

Republicans claim, of course, that they did nothing wrong - and that besides, Democrats do it, too. But there haven't been any comparably credible accusations against Democratic voter-registration organizations. And there is a pattern of Republican efforts to disenfranchise Democrats, by any means possible.

Block the Vote [NYT] [Bugmenot]

Here's the story from KLAS-TV, the Nevada local news outlet that's investigating the story. You can read the story and also see it presented as a news segment. There is footage of ripped-up voter registration applications and the reporter even goes so far as to contact one of the people who thought he had registered and was shocked to find out his application had been trashed. And guess what? KLAS has another story that connects Voters Outreach of America to Ralph Nader; apparently the group obtained petition signatures to get Nader on the ballot in Arizona, and perhaps elsewhere.

At Daily Kos [via Zeebah], I read more about Nathan Sproul of Sproul & Associates. He was a former head of the Arizona Republican Party. Of particular note is how Sproul & Associates, operates as Voters Outreach of America but posed as America Votes - a real, Democratic voter registration outreach organization - during voter registration drives. And they're doing this in public libraries! Leave it to librarians to compare notes and figure out some of what's going on.

The more I find out about stuff like this, the more I fear that there will be riots.

October 08, 2004

The Earth is Round and the Sun Also Rises in the East

I guess I can deal, so long as the sun still revolves around the Earth. I'll be at the bar, if anyone needs me during tonight's finger-pointing debate.

Kerry's running mate, Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), ridiculed the administration's arguments during a campaign rally in Bayonne, N.J., accusing Cheney of convoluted logic and asserting: "Here's the truth: The vice president, Dick Cheney, and the president, George W. Bush, need to recognize that the Earth is actually round. That the sun rises in the east. . . . They need to level with the American people."

Candidates Use Arms Report to Make Case [Wash. Post] [Bugmenot]

October 05, 2004

Not Drunk. But Not Sober Either

I'm having a glass of wine. It's the only way I can watch the debates without my head completely exploding. I can't sit still. I keep leaving the room, although I'm still in earshot. It's not that I need to watch these to be informed, to decide how I'm going to vote. I guess there's the possibility of true confrontation, instead of just the endless spin and recitation of messages.

October 04, 2004

Registered?

The deadline to register to vote in the state of Georgia is TODAY. A few helpful links below. Applications can be made in person at the appropriate county office or by mail to either your county office or the Secretary of State's office (no faxing, apparently). Appropriate identification (ie, copy of driver's license) will be necessary. Of course you're already registered to vote, right? ;)

Voter registration application (GA Secretary of State) - It's a PDF that can be filled out online. Has to be postmarked by today's date - 10/4/2004.

Fulton County Voter Registration

DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections

September 10, 2004

If All You've Got is One Thin Dime

The vice president says that the usual indicators that measure unemployment, consumer spending and other economic milestones don't account for the many who sell goods on eBay. On the stump in Cincinnati (that would be Ohio, a swing state), Cheney notes, "That's a source that didn't even exist 10 years ago" and that "Four hundred thousand people make some money trading on eBay."

In response, John Edwards said that Cheney and Bush were "out of touch" and that "If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands, this economy would really be cooking."

Cheney: Economic Stats Miss EBay Sales [AP/Newsday via Wonkette]

September 09, 2004

Evacuation Drill

A firm-wide email was sent yesterday mentioning that my building was having its "annual (post 9-11) evacuation drill." The city fire department may participate, so I might actually see Atlanta firemen coming up the stairs as I walk down some 50-odd flights. Free ice cream will be handed out afterwards. [Update: No firemen, but I did get a frozen fruit bar, yum.]

The last time I had to leave a building through the emergency stairs, it was the summer of 2001. ConEd accidentally cut some cable that provided power to my building's elevators. My legs were kind of rubbery by the end, and I was a little surprised to see some of New York's Bravest hanging around in the lobby - but they were there for anyone needing help to get down the stairs. One of my coworkers was at the full term of her pregnancy and she didn't want to wait for the guys to come get her. So she walked with some of the secretaries and a guy from the mailroom, who all kept watch on her. It wasn't a surprise that she ended up having the baby a day or two later.

In the days or weeks after 9/11 I heard that my office building was one of those evacuated because of a bomb scare in or near Grand Central. But by then I was going to school full-time and looking for library work. In my downtime I would walk around aimlessly, the smell of scorched chemicals and dust strong in the cool crisp air. Flyers for the missing were taped everywhere. Every so often I'd pass a firehouse. I didn't gawk, but it was impossible to miss the flowers and candles and the dark swags of fabric draped over the archways. In the end, I have no personal tragedy, no dramatic stories to tell about that day. And that makes me damned lucky.

The thought occurs to me: If we concentrate and focus our collective mental energies - could we will Dick Cheney's heart to burst into a thousand flaming pieces? Although I think he deserves a slow, debilitating, long-suffering, excruciatingly painful death for many reasons, what he said in Des Moines on Tuesday is appalling. From a Washington Post article on 9/8/04:

Cheney went beyond previous restraints to suggest that the country would be more vulnerable to attack under Kerry. "It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November 2nd, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again," the vice president said, "that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States, and that we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mind-set, if you will, that in fact these terrorist attacks are just criminal acts and that we are not really at war."

There are complaints about overreaction to the remarks, about the lack of context, etc. etc. No, I think I read and heard it pretty plainly: If you vote for the wrong guy, you're going to die. My apologies to the people of Des Moines, but terrorists don't care about you - not enough to set off suicide bombs on your little Main Streets. You can afford to be glad and smug that you don't have the glitzy international prominence and symbolism of New York and DC to make you an easy target.

Now, of course, Cheney's in clean-up mode, helping us to understand what he really said. Right - because we're too stupid to understand. We're all just hysterical liberal media (but owned by the conservative, right-wing elite - Rupert Murdoch, anyone?) and leftist pinko handwringers who need the paternal condescension and wisdom of our Republican elders to guide us through these black, apparently never-ending days of fear and terror. To quote Mr. Big Time! - "Go fuck yourself."

Cheney: Kerry Victory is Risky [Washington Post] [bugmenot]
Cheney Spits Toads [NYT] [bugmenot]
We're Just Glad They're Not Using 9/11 for Political Purposes [Wonkette]

September 08, 2004

Thank you, Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter wrote a letter to Zell Miller, a copy of which was published in today's editorial pages of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Thank you, Jimmy.

To Sen. Zell Miller:

You seem to have forgotten that loyal Democrats elected you as mayor [of Young Harris] and as state senator. Loyal Democrats, including members of my family and me, elected you as state senator, lieutenant governor and governor. It was a loyal Democrat, Lester Maddox, who assigned you to high positions in the state government when you were out of office. It was a loyal Democrat, Roy Barnes, who appointed you as U.S. senator when you were out of office. By your historically unprecedented disloyalty, you have betrayed our trust.

Great Georgia Democrats who served in the past, including Walter George, Richard Russell, Herman Talmadge and Sam Nunn, disagreed strongly with the policies of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and me, but they remained loyal to the party in which they gained their public office. Other Democrats, because of philosophical differences or the race issue, like Bo Callaway and Strom Thurmond, at least had the decency to become Republicans.

Everyone knows that you were chosen to speak at the Republican National Convention because of your being a "Democrat," and it's quite possible that your rabid speech damaged our party and paid the GOP some transient dividends.

Perhaps more troublesome of all is seeing you adopt an established and very effective Republican campaign technique of destroying the character of opponents by wild and false allegations. The Bush campaign's personal attacks on the character of John McCain in South Carolina in 2000 was a vivid example. The claim that war hero Max Cleland was a disloyal American and an ally of Osama bin Laden should have given you pause, but you have joined in this ploy by your bizarre claims that another war hero, John Kerry, would not defend the security of our nation except with spitballs. (This is the same man whom you described previously as "one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders --- and a good friend.")

I, myself, served in the Navy from 1942 to 1953, and, as president, greatly strengthened our military forces and protected our nation and its interests in every way. I don't believe this warrants your referring to me as a pacifist.

Zell, I have known you for 42 years and have, in the past, respected you as a trustworthy political leader and a personal friend. But now, there are many of us loyal Democrats who feel uncomfortable in seeing that you have chosen the rich over the poor, unilateral pre-emptive war over a strong nation united with others for peace, lies and obfuscation over the truth, and the political technique of personal character assassination as a way to win elections or to garner a few moments of applause. These are not the characteristics of great Democrats whose legacy you and I have inherited.

Sincerely, and with deepest regrets,

Jimmy Carter

September 07, 2004

Zell Miller, Servant of the Dark Side

Ok, first off, here is a snicker-worthy juxtaposition: Zell Miller and Emperor Palpatine (that would be the evil emperor from those Star Wars movies). [via Defamer]

For those who haven't been keeping up, follow the link to watch Zell Miller's speech at the Republican National Convention. Or read the text of the speech, although I don't think the text alone provides the full impact . I venture to guess that even the Republicans - some anyway - regret having him deliver such a big F.U. to his party. He's further evidence for my theory that every time Georgia makes national news, it's never good. Maybe most Georgians don't care how they're perceived by the national media - but this is the kind of thing that makes other people wonder whether we have paved roads in Atlanta. And Atlanta isn't even the Deep South, if you go by what people in the rest of the state believe.

Poor Zell. He used to be a governor, the chief executive for his state. Then he became a legislator, one of a hundred U.S. senators, many of whom had at least equal if not greater standing than he during their terms in the Senate. He found himself in the distasteful position of having to negotiate with other legislators instead of being the head honcho big-shot executive of his state branch. Perhaps he didn't feel he was getting his due from his fellow Democratic colleagues. So he pimped himself out to the other side, who trotted him out at their national convention - and what did they get? The rage of Satan banished from Heaven, the wrath of a scorned woman politician. It played well to the delegates in Madison Square Garden, but what about the television audience? He and his wife were supposed to be sitting in the Bush family box when Dubya later gave his acceptance speech, but they weren't there with Laura and the twins. Perhaps they were disinvited - completely unofficially, of course. Can't imagine why.

Side note: here's an article by Frank Rich in the 9/5 NYT "How Kerry Became a Girlie-Man" that addresses the theatrical setup for how the Republicans wish to shape the opinions of the feebleminded undecided. Ok, that's not fair. People feel torn by principles and have to decide who is going to least screw them over in the next four years. I just hope they're actually thinking about these things and not letting the spin - from both sides - persuade them. Because if Arnold "I'm a Fucking Clown" Schwarzenegger is going to win you over by calling the opposition "girlie men" then I don't know that we can have an intelligent debate. But I guess that's not the point, is it?

September 02, 2004

The Diebold Variations

See other images at The Diebold Variations [via MeFi]

September 01, 2004

Vote by Absentee Ballot

That's it, I am no longer trusting Diebold election machines with my vote. I've used the machines twice now, but there's no fucking way I'm going to risk the manipulation of my vote in the general election. Doesn't matter that Georgia is going to Bush, that my vote won't belong to the majority. What matters to me is that it's counted correctly. It's not that I really believe that the election, at least in this state, would be fixed - it's that it could.

I've written before about Bev Harris (here and here). The latest major, gaping security hole, as pointed out by Harris at Black Box Voting:

Issue: Manipulation technique found in the Diebold central tabulator -- 1,000 of these systems are in place, and they count up to two million votes at a time.

By entering a 2-digit code in a hidden location, a second set of votes is created. This set of votes can be changed, so that it no longer matches the correct votes. The voting system will then read the totals from the bogus vote set. It takes only seconds to change the votes, and to date not a single location in the U.S. has implemented security measures to fully mitigate the risks.

This program is not "stupidity" or sloppiness. It was designed and tested over a series of a dozen version adjustments.

In another post, Harris notes that there are unusual items on Diebold financial ledgers, the most interesting of which is a payment of approximately $144,000 to Georgia Lottery Services, Inc., an entity which apparently has nothing to do with the Georgia Lottery.

Coded Speech

When Nerds Protest the RNC

*snort*

August 30, 2004

Redacting the Supreme Court

The following quotation is from a Supreme Court opinion - United States v. United States District Court for the Eastern Dist. of Mich., 407 U.S. 297, 314 (1972):

"The danger to political dissent is acute where the Government attempts to act under so vague a concept as the power to protect 'domestic security.' Given the difficulty of defining the domestic security interest, the danger of abuse in acting to protect that interest becomes apparent."

Thi