Interesting op-ed in the NY Times.
I've never really seen this connection before, but then IANAL, so the ins and outs of most of Constitutional law is out of my purview (I know a little, but not tons). I sincerely hope that there is a way to legalize drugs without trashing the New Deal. Of course, I also wanted to keep our military out of Iraq and count all the votes in the presidential election, so I am clearly a starry-eyed dreamer.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
validation of my laziness
Turns out my idleness is an act of political resistance. Check out this article.
Back to posting full on in a few days I hope. I am still packing and getting ready for my move. Once I'm home for the holidays, I'll be a lady of leisure and I can get back up to speed blogging.
Back to posting full on in a few days I hope. I am still packing and getting ready for my move. Once I'm home for the holidays, I'll be a lady of leisure and I can get back up to speed blogging.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Social Security again
Just a link for right now, as I am feelin' lazy: Media reports pave the way for Social Security privatization. (Media Matters is one of my favorite web resources.)
I'm back (sort of)
No posts in the last couple of days for which I apologize. I am moving this month, and I have to have all my stuff in storage by the 17th so I can sublet my place. My computer's been unplugged most of the weekend as my desk went into storage. Luckily I have a laptop, so I'll be back up and running soon.
In the mean time, check out some of the links to the right: big time sites at the top, and individual blogs farther down.
Ach, I still ache from moving furniture around this weekend. How old do I have to be before I start complaining that I am "too old for this"?
In the mean time, check out some of the links to the right: big time sites at the top, and individual blogs farther down.
Ach, I still ache from moving furniture around this weekend. How old do I have to be before I start complaining that I am "too old for this"?
Friday, December 10, 2004
Social Security
Paul Krugman has a wonderfully succinct (and bleak) assessment of Bush's Social Security reform plan in today's NY Times. Reading this article, you realize that we are teetering on the brink of the total destruction of the Social Security systems and not too far away from complete economic collapse.
Now, for neo-cons the destruction of Social Security is their not so secret plan. But, then, they're the ones who will benefit from it.
For all the rest of us, Social Security is really just a way to spread the risk of saving for retirement. It's a huge pool which consolidates the individual risk of participants and by doing so, largely negates it. I happen to think that this is one of the triumphs of 20th century governance, but I know that many people will disagree.
For small government radicals, I say this: If all you want the government to do is provide law enforcement and isolationist foreign policy, then you can get the same results with well armed anarchy. Well armed anarchy is not enough for me, so I will continue advocating a humanist, enlightenment based government which funds social programs. Otherwise, all I can do is watch my less well armed fellow humans get robbed or killed, and that's unacceptable.
Now, for neo-cons the destruction of Social Security is their not so secret plan. But, then, they're the ones who will benefit from it.
For all the rest of us, Social Security is really just a way to spread the risk of saving for retirement. It's a huge pool which consolidates the individual risk of participants and by doing so, largely negates it. I happen to think that this is one of the triumphs of 20th century governance, but I know that many people will disagree.
For small government radicals, I say this: If all you want the government to do is provide law enforcement and isolationist foreign policy, then you can get the same results with well armed anarchy. Well armed anarchy is not enough for me, so I will continue advocating a humanist, enlightenment based government which funds social programs. Otherwise, all I can do is watch my less well armed fellow humans get robbed or killed, and that's unacceptable.
homelessness redux
Well, it's starting already, homeless vets from the war in Iraq.
(Tangentially that reminds me of a song, "Homeless vets, foreign debts, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz. . . " Ahh, Billy Joel, why did you have to write that damn song, now it'll be in my head all day.)
(Tangentially that reminds me of a song, "Homeless vets, foreign debts, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz. . . " Ahh, Billy Joel, why did you have to write that damn song, now it'll be in my head all day.)
Thursday, December 09, 2004
loyalty
Former Treasury Secretary John O'Neil was on the Daily Show earlier this week. He cut a bit of a tragic figure, talking about how disappointed he was in the Bush administration. It was obvious listening to him that he came to the job expecting a certain level of professionalism from the administration and he didn't find it. He talked about putting together data and analyses only to have Bush, et. al. make major decisions based on gut instinct. Watching him talk about such a major disillusionment was awful, but it was worse to see how betrayed he felt about his treatment after leaving the post.
Rummy, loyal to the core, got called on the carpet by service members about the lack of equipment and support in Iraq earlier this week as well. He hemmed and hawed, and eventually squeezed out an answer about how you go to war with the army you have, not the army you wish you had. The man can't even give the people who put their lives on the line a straight answer becuase he is so committed to his idea of what the war should be. There's this op-ed from Maureen Dowd at the NY Times on the subject.
Rummy, loyal to the core, got called on the carpet by service members about the lack of equipment and support in Iraq earlier this week as well. He hemmed and hawed, and eventually squeezed out an answer about how you go to war with the army you have, not the army you wish you had. The man can't even give the people who put their lives on the line a straight answer becuase he is so committed to his idea of what the war should be. There's this op-ed from Maureen Dowd at the NY Times on the subject.
whaaaa?
Repugs are accusing Sen. Harry Reid of being racist becuase he said that Clarence Thomas is "an embarassment". More at The Regular and Talking Points Memo.
The logic of those people escapes me sometimes. How is it racist to expect that a Supreme Court Justice perform at the level of the other justices? Repugs are the racist ones if they think Thomas' poorly written opinions are somehow a function of his race, and should therefore be forgiven. Somehow, in their minds black=stupid and or uneducatable, but they like the visual of a black guy on the court, and they like his politics. Apparently, Reid on the other hand expects that no matter what their race, the Justices be able to write intelligent opinions, and judge cases on the merits not on preformed, purely partisan opinions. Not too much to ask, I think.
Thomas is an embarassment. I've been saying that since he was confirmed, and I am suprised that Reid, whom I otherwise disagree with, saying it.
The logic of those people escapes me sometimes. How is it racist to expect that a Supreme Court Justice perform at the level of the other justices? Repugs are the racist ones if they think Thomas' poorly written opinions are somehow a function of his race, and should therefore be forgiven. Somehow, in their minds black=stupid and or uneducatable, but they like the visual of a black guy on the court, and they like his politics. Apparently, Reid on the other hand expects that no matter what their race, the Justices be able to write intelligent opinions, and judge cases on the merits not on preformed, purely partisan opinions. Not too much to ask, I think.
Thomas is an embarassment. I've been saying that since he was confirmed, and I am suprised that Reid, whom I otherwise disagree with, saying it.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
mood ring memo
I am an angry, angry girl this morning.
Not blog stuff (none of your comments have offended me, in case you were worried ;)), it's family stuff. Between that and my dentist appointment today, I don't think I'll be posting.
Not blog stuff (none of your comments have offended me, in case you were worried ;)), it's family stuff. Between that and my dentist appointment today, I don't think I'll be posting.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
I hate George W. Bush
And I hate his phony war on terror, too. War is terror, anyone who says otherwise is selling something (broadly paraphrasing The Princess Bride).
Just found out that my little brother (a Marine) is getting sent to Iraq right after Christmas. I was mad before, but now, in the words of innumerable action movie cliches, it's personal. It's really horrible enough for a person to deal with the fact that her government is killing innocent, impoverished people halfway around the globe merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. getting between us and the oil wells). The fact that my government is asking my brother to participate in such an exercise is insupportable.
I know that history will judge Bush and his foreign policy very harshly, but I don't have the luxury of time any more. I am going to judge him now. He's an ass. A willfully ignorant, power mad, fear mongering ass.
So, now I am going to go to Harvard Law (assuming I can get in) to study international and Constitutional law, so that I can try his sorry, overprivileged ass for war crimes some day.
Oh, and check out this article in The Boston Globe. One more good link snagged from Gibson.
Just found out that my little brother (a Marine) is getting sent to Iraq right after Christmas. I was mad before, but now, in the words of innumerable action movie cliches, it's personal. It's really horrible enough for a person to deal with the fact that her government is killing innocent, impoverished people halfway around the globe merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. getting between us and the oil wells). The fact that my government is asking my brother to participate in such an exercise is insupportable.
I know that history will judge Bush and his foreign policy very harshly, but I don't have the luxury of time any more. I am going to judge him now. He's an ass. A willfully ignorant, power mad, fear mongering ass.
So, now I am going to go to Harvard Law (assuming I can get in) to study international and Constitutional law, so that I can try his sorry, overprivileged ass for war crimes some day.
Oh, and check out this article in The Boston Globe. One more good link snagged from Gibson.
welcome
Looks like Lawrence Lessig has convinced two more voices to enter the blogosphere. Richard Posner was a guest blogger for Lessig about a month ago, if I recall correctly. I don't really know anything about Gary Becker except what's in the bio blurb on the blog.
The first two substantive posts are about the rationale of preemptive/preventative war. I don't agree with either of them, really, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.
The first two substantive posts are about the rationale of preemptive/preventative war. I don't agree with either of them, really, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Apparently only England had the Enlightenment
Check out the first reveiw here. And, yes, I apologize for sending you to look at anything by Pat Buchanan.
This person needs to buy some history books from Amazon, instead of wasting his money of right wing tripe from the likes of P.B. Seriously, only England underwent the Enlightenment?!? Leaving off that he appears here to be confusing England with the UK (or perhaps he thinks Scotland isn't "Western" enough), what about France's role in the Enlightenment? Or has Francophobia within the wacko right in this country gone so far as to hate even French people who lived and died hundreds of years ago?
Oh, and I hate the historical perspective he has which renders Islam as barbarian. I know people love to hate algebra, but c'mon, Europe owes its mathematical advances to earlier Muslim scholars.
It's always these wackos on the right wing who complain most stridently about revisionist history who revise history for their own aggrandize the most.
This person needs to buy some history books from Amazon, instead of wasting his money of right wing tripe from the likes of P.B. Seriously, only England underwent the Enlightenment?!? Leaving off that he appears here to be confusing England with the UK (or perhaps he thinks Scotland isn't "Western" enough), what about France's role in the Enlightenment? Or has Francophobia within the wacko right in this country gone so far as to hate even French people who lived and died hundreds of years ago?
Oh, and I hate the historical perspective he has which renders Islam as barbarian. I know people love to hate algebra, but c'mon, Europe owes its mathematical advances to earlier Muslim scholars.
It's always these wackos on the right wing who complain most stridently about revisionist history who revise history for their own aggrandize the most.
Friday, December 03, 2004
Friday night TV
Just saw Richard Dawkins on Now being interviewed by Bill Moyers. It was a fantastic interview as both Moyers and Dawkins are intelligent, passionate, well read men. Note to self, ask for Dawkins' most recent book for Winter Solstice.
Dawkins' bafflement in the face of the 60% or so of Americans who really believe that the entire universe, including the earth and mankind, was created 6,000 years ago by God in six literal days echoes my own. It really is hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that people will discard the evidence compiled by years, generations in fact, of investigation and study in favor of a comforting fiction. And really, what do they gain by it? Dawkins said in the interview that living a life in which you belive in the literal Biblical creation, even after having been taught the science and evidence behind evolution, is living a life which is terribly impoverished on some level. I agree with him there, though I know that people will say the same thing about my life if I don't accept Jesus, or Muhammed, or [insert favorite religious/political/social philosopher here]. But then, Dawkins also neatly quantified the difference: science depends upon critical thought, upon constant questioning and examination, while those others demand faith.
Faith's not something I grok. I understand it on an intellectual level, but in my gut, in my lizard brain, it fails to compute. My mind revolts at the thought of God as a sentient entity involved in the quotidian lives of hairless, tool using, Earthian apes. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. Or not.
Here's my question, what happens if (when?) we find evidence of extra-terrestrial life, intelligent or not? The holy shit storm of all time, a jihad to end all jihads. You think evolution gets religious panties in a twist, wait till we find "little green men".
What does it mean to have faith in a diety who constructed the world and humans in such a way as to make its own existence seem impossible? Faith is just a way to keep us from asking what kind of God would create the entire universe as an elaborate auto da fe.
Dawkins' bafflement in the face of the 60% or so of Americans who really believe that the entire universe, including the earth and mankind, was created 6,000 years ago by God in six literal days echoes my own. It really is hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that people will discard the evidence compiled by years, generations in fact, of investigation and study in favor of a comforting fiction. And really, what do they gain by it? Dawkins said in the interview that living a life in which you belive in the literal Biblical creation, even after having been taught the science and evidence behind evolution, is living a life which is terribly impoverished on some level. I agree with him there, though I know that people will say the same thing about my life if I don't accept Jesus, or Muhammed, or [insert favorite religious/political/social philosopher here]. But then, Dawkins also neatly quantified the difference: science depends upon critical thought, upon constant questioning and examination, while those others demand faith.
Faith's not something I grok. I understand it on an intellectual level, but in my gut, in my lizard brain, it fails to compute. My mind revolts at the thought of God as a sentient entity involved in the quotidian lives of hairless, tool using, Earthian apes. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. Or not.
Here's my question, what happens if (when?) we find evidence of extra-terrestrial life, intelligent or not? The holy shit storm of all time, a jihad to end all jihads. You think evolution gets religious panties in a twist, wait till we find "little green men".
What does it mean to have faith in a diety who constructed the world and humans in such a way as to make its own existence seem impossible? Faith is just a way to keep us from asking what kind of God would create the entire universe as an elaborate auto da fe.
good morning
Lovely way to wake up this morning, the radio alarm ticked on and I heard that there have been two more big insurgent attackes in Baghdad. Also, Americans follow the British lead and decide that the road to the airport is too dangerous to drive. It's been close to two years now, and we can't secure the road between the capital city and largest airport in Iraq. Tell me again how our military is the best in the world, and Iraq will be a cakewalk. Good or not, our military is clearly fighting the wrong war.
On the heels of that news, this post at Eschaton put a smile on my face. I miss NYC so damn much, especially now that I am living in Texas. Every morning I climb behind the wheel of my car, and long for the subway. Every day, I miss the neighborhood falafel shop. Every night, I fall asleep wishing I could hear the low hum of traffic on FDR Drive. Oh, well.
This article from the Washington Post also made me smile, but it was a wry, cynical, twisted kind of smile. My only consolation, and it's a small, bitter one, is that these wacko fundies will someday reap what they've sown.
On the heels of that news, this post at Eschaton put a smile on my face. I miss NYC so damn much, especially now that I am living in Texas. Every morning I climb behind the wheel of my car, and long for the subway. Every day, I miss the neighborhood falafel shop. Every night, I fall asleep wishing I could hear the low hum of traffic on FDR Drive. Oh, well.
This article from the Washington Post also made me smile, but it was a wry, cynical, twisted kind of smile. My only consolation, and it's a small, bitter one, is that these wacko fundies will someday reap what they've sown.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
the meaning of facism
If you're not reading Daily Kos, well, daily, you should start.
Here's a good entry point in the diaries: Facism arrives in America.
UPDATE: Oh, and I meant to point you to this post at AMERICAblog but couldn't find it, as Cousin Aaron was distracting me with terrible stories of gun violence in central Wisconsin: The "liberal-leaning" United Church of Christ?
Here's a good entry point in the diaries: Facism arrives in America.
UPDATE: Oh, and I meant to point you to this post at AMERICAblog but couldn't find it, as Cousin Aaron was distracting me with terrible stories of gun violence in central Wisconsin: The "liberal-leaning" United Church of Christ?
Plumbing?
So, my cousin and her boyfriend are starting their own plumbing business, and are at a loss for a name. They asked us all for suggestions, so I think I'll put it to blogland as well.
Any good ideas, post 'em in a comment. Muchas gracias!
Any good ideas, post 'em in a comment. Muchas gracias!
been meaning to post this link for awhile
my lazy butt hasn't gotten around to it until now: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
at least they will appeal
Looks like another blow to the movement for reasonable copyright, this time in the case Kahle vs. Ashcroft. Where are all the conservatives who want a strictly literal, as opposed to interpretive, reading of the Constitution on this? Are they all so beholden to corporate interests that they can't make the argument they should make against all these copyright extensions which basically amount to a defacto unlimited copyright in direct violation of the Constitution? I suspect that they are. Of course, there are so few actual liberals in government these days that Repug or Dem, most legislators are conservative enough to bow to the corporations on this one.
There's a great story on this topic by Spider Robinson. It's online for free, via Baen Books, here. (Baen has also compiled a great online library of free e-books.)
There's a great story on this topic by Spider Robinson. It's online for free, via Baen Books, here. (Baen has also compiled a great online library of free e-books.)
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
off the path today
Crappy, crappy day today. I had a dentist appointment and found out I have a huge cavity. So I get a filling next week, and I am already freaking out. The dentist was not too reassuring either, telling me that I was close to needing a crown and that the cavity is close to the nerve in my tooth. I hate going to the dentist. A lot.
Anyway, for your reading pleasure, and to take my mind off dentistry, comes this story. I ran across it almost a year ago, googling for an all night laundromat in Austin. Weird what Google will turn up sometimes. I love the spookyness of it, even though I had to wade through a bit of new-agey junk to get there. A story of the unexplained, but not inexplicable. Enjoy.
Anyway, for your reading pleasure, and to take my mind off dentistry, comes this story. I ran across it almost a year ago, googling for an all night laundromat in Austin. Weird what Google will turn up sometimes. I love the spookyness of it, even though I had to wade through a bit of new-agey junk to get there. A story of the unexplained, but not inexplicable. Enjoy.
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