Ordinary Extraordinary

What DO they stand for, exactly?

What I have found is that it’s necessary to make sure the American people understand what we have to say, what we stand for as a husband and wife, and what we will do for the American people if we’re lucky enough to be elected - Cindy McCain

Excuse me, Mrs. McCain?

YOU will not be elected to anything in November. The presidency, like pregnancy, belongs to one half of a couple - the other half is just along for the ride.

Wherein I sound like a conspiracy theorist

Observe Sarah Palin on her way to the Vice Presidential debate:

She has her hair down. Palin never has her hair down.

If she wears it that way for the debate, I suspect it will be to cover the earpiece in her ear.

(Also, what the hell did she do to her hand?)

Armchair Economists

Yes, The Dow fell 777 points yesterday.

Yes, it was the biggest point-loss in history.

It was also only a 7% drop. The drop that triggered the Depression was closer to 25%, and Black Monday's was about 22%.  Funny how that  little statistic barely got reported in the mainstream media.

Seven percent is significant certainly, but not necessarily the harbinger of another Depression, or of a market spiraling out of control. The NYSE does have a tool in place to prevent the market from free falling: it's called a circuit breaker and had the market continued to plummet, trading would have been halted.

Doesn't it make you breathe just a little bit more easily to know that there actually are some balances to keep things from running away unchecked? And yet, that little failsafe mechanism has barely been mentioned in any of the news coverage either.

I blame the armchair economists. 

Specifically, the armchair economists who are whipping the country into an absolute frenzy based on insufficient (or incorrect) information and perfunctory analysis (at best). As it turns out, they are just as knowledgeable, and just as prone to gloom & doom hyperbole, as nuns teaching a Sex Ed class.

They're just as effective at teaching people how to make well-informed decisions, too.

I wrote a huge essay about all of this last night, but it was very long and I was getting very snarky near the end, so I've chosen instead to just hit you with some of the highlights. Bullet points after the jump:

Love Poem

EDIT: I was in a rush to put this up before I left for work, so neglected to mention that one of the people responsible for (and featured in) the video above is a friend of mine. I also neglected to quote his response to the feedback that he's gotten about this: Who says the Religious Right are the only folks who get to cherry-pick the Bible?

This, folks, is why I love my friends.

One More Reason to Adore Jon Stewart

Open Letter: Short & Sweet Edition

Dear Berkeley,

Fuck you.

No, seriously: Fuck you.

No love,
Me

I believe

I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington. . . I'm asking you to believe in yours. * * * * * I reject the notion that the American moment has passed. I dismiss the cynics who say that this new century cannot be another when, in the words of President Franklin Roosevelt, we lead the world in battling immediate evils and promoting the ultimate good. * * * * *

We are the people we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek.. . . We are the hope for the future, the answer to the cynics who tell us that our house must stand divided, that we cannot come together, that we are not the ones who can make this world the way it should be.
-Barack Obama, Feb 5 2008

Yes, yes, a thousand times YES. It is so refreshing to be rooting for someone rather than just against the greater of two evils.

Many of my female friends are incensed that I'm not supporting Hillary, but voting for a woman simply because she's female is just as bad as voting for a man simply because he's male. I don't like Hillary Clinton. I don't like her policies, I don't like her double-speak, and I don't trust her to bring real change to our ailing government. She is not my candidate. Barack Obama is, and he has been ever since he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

I've been mulling over how best to articulate what it is about Obama that I find so inspiring, but ultimately I've decided simply to quote the words of others who have expressed my feelings perfectly.

From Patrick Nielsen Hayden of Making Light:

I’m for Obama knowing perfectly well that, as Bill Clinton suggested, it’s a “roll of the dice”. A roll of the dice for Democrats, for progressives, for those of us who’ve fought so hard against the right-wing frames that Obama sometimes (sometimes craftily, sometimes naively) deploys. Because I think a Hillary Clinton candidacy will be another game of inches, yielding—at best—another four or eight years of knifework in the dark. Because I think an Obama candidacy might actually shake up the whole gameboard, energize good people, create room and space for real change.

Because he seems to know something extraordinarily important, something so frequently missing from progressive politics in this country, in this time: how to hearten people.  Because when I watch him speak, I see fearful people becoming brave.

That’s not enough.  But it’s something.  It’s a real something.  It’s a start.

From Hilzoy of Obsidian Wings:

. . . people often wonder whether Obama's call for a new kind of politics is just empty words. Here again, I think he has a real record to point to. He has consistently worked for ethics reform. In Illinois, where he helped pass what the WaPo called "the most ambitious campaign reform in nearly 25 years, making Illinois one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure." In the US Senate, he was the Democrats' point man on ethics, and was deeply involved in the ethics legislation passed this year. He didn't get all he wanted -- for instance, he and Russ Feingold couldn't get a bill establishing an Office of Public Integrity to deal with Congressional scandals. But he accomplished a lot, and wants to accomplish more.

Moreover, he is very interested in open government. The searchable database of government grant and contract recipients that I mentioned above is part of that. But Obama's proposals (pdf) go further.

And finally, from Wil Wheaton of WWdN: In Exile:

We've been afraid for too long, and it's cost us dearly. Karl Rove and George Bush and Dick Cheney will have many disastrous legacies, but one of the most despicable and enduring will be how they used fear to deeply and deliberately divide our country.

It's going to be a huge challenge for our next president to heal this nation, and end the Culture of Fear that's been created by the Bush Administration. I believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate to do that, and I was proud to vote for him today.

C'mon California... why aren't you on the Obama bandwagon yet?

 

God's Standards

People, I don't care who you vote for as long as you don't vote for this douchebag:

I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view. - Mike Huckabee, 1/15/08

I'm guessing that he plans to start with the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Silence! I kill you!

I know I'm late to the party here, but this is some of the funniest shit I've seen in quite some time:

Many thanks to The Fireman for sending me this little gem and brightening up what was otherwise an awful day.

The Last Word

As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don't know. I hope so. It's frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won't get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
-Major Andrew Olmsted

On Thursday Major Andrew Olmsted was killed in action in, making him one of the first three casualties of 2008.

Olmsted, who so eloquently explained why he went willingly to Iraq, was an avid blogger whose posts from the front lines gave personal insight into what has become an increasingly abstract and impersonal war. It was no surprise to any who had been following his blog that wrote a final post for hilzoy to publish in the event of his death.

I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all.
-hilzoy

Though the post popped up in my feed reader on Friday morning and various people sent me links over the weekend, I couldn't read it until this evening. Every time I tried, the faces of my friends who are deployed in Iraq floated in front of me and my mind played tricks that these were their final words and not Andy's. But tonight I steeled myself and read his final post all the way through.

I'm glad I did. It's charming and heartfelt and funny and poignant and utterly devastating - an absolutely necessary read. Would that we could all have the opportunity to make so eloquent a final statement.

. . . while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.
-Major Andrew Olmsted

May we all be so lucky. Rest in peace, Andy.

Friday Food For Thought

An Oakland Welcome

There are a lot of things I like about Oakland, not the least of which is the fact that my BFF lives there. It's charming, conveniently close to San Francisco, and hey - I'm kind of a big deal there! Until last week it was safe to say that my only real problem with Oakland is the fact that it's home to the Raider Nation - quite possibly the most obnoxious and least sporting fan base in the entire country.

But what happened last week at the Oakland Airport has left me so angry that my hands are shaking as I type this.

On September 27th 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport.Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located.

Let me make that crystal clear: 204 Marines and soldiers returning from WAR were DENIED ENTRANCE TO THE TERMINAL at the Oakland Airport and forced to wait in a trailer like so much unwanted baggage.

No matter how rationally I try to think about this, it just makes my blood boil.

A few points to remember:

• This was a decision made by the Port of Oakland, not the Department of Defense. This was NOT a matter of keeping them sequestered together until they could be debriefed.
• The passengers went through customs in Kuwait, where their flight originated. This is standard practice for military personnel returning to the States and is a far more rigorous screening than anything the TSA does to civilian passengers.
• They were flying into Oakland on a chartered commercial jet, not a military one. This is also standard practice.
• The troops were allowed off the plane both in Leipzig, Germany and at JFK in New York.

The story was first reported on OC Blog and quickly denounced as being a bit of political propaganda. However, Michelle Malkin  did a little research and contacted both the Navy Chaplain who serves with the Marines, and the Port of Oakland. You can read the entirety of OAK's response on Michelle's blog, but let me highlight my favorite parts:

As you know sometimes the way things appear initially regarding an incident turn out to be different after looking into the details. We checked into this once you had called me and raised your public relations concern, so again thank you.

and...

Airside Operations and Aviation Security worked with the ground handling company and other law enforcement partners to coordinate a plan that was satisfactory to the pilot and passengers...

Is it just me, or does this statement read as though Marilyn Sandifur, OAK's spokeperson, is essentially saying "Oopsie! Silly us!" and trying to get out of this mess without actually apologizing? Also, it's pretty obvious that the "plan" they coordinated was NOT satisfactory to the passengers.

The statement that the Port of Oakland posted yesterday is only a slight variation on Sandifur's original and it still 1) blames the military 2) lacks any sort of actual apology.

The worst part is that this is hardly a new policy for the Oakland Airport. Soldiers returning from Vietnam, Libya, Afghanistan, and the (first) Gulf War all have similar stories. Clearly, Oakland is following in San Francisco's anti-military footsteps:

• In 2005, the San Francisco City Council refused to grant the USS Iowa permanent berth in San Francisco - it had been scheduled to open as a museum. Their reasons? Community opposition to the Iraq war.
• This year, the Council is trying to prevent the Blue Angels from flying over the city and the Marines were denied permission to shoot a recruiting video on San Francisco's streets.

Excuse me San Francisco, but who do you think is going to save your asses when Kim Jong-il finally goes crazy and pushes the big red button, or when another earthquake buries half the city in rubble?  The Army, the Navy, the Marines, and the National Guard that's who. The same people who aren't allowed to set foot in your terminals, or fly over your city.

Men and women have staked, and lost, their lives for the last two hundred plus years so that you all have the freedom to be idealistic assholes; they deserve more than just your hospitality.

They deserve your fucking gratitude.

Boxing Up My Well Wishes

I have a handful of friends serving overseas at the moment, so every couple of months I spend a Sunday afternoon putting together care packages. I send one to each of my friends as well as to a couple of servicemen (or women) whose addresses I get from AnySoldier. I've done enough of these now that I've got it down to a science.

• First, a trip to Target and the 99 Cent store for snacks, hygiene items, magazines, and whatever else seems useful or has been requested. I have a stock of the basic items, so I'm usually just shopping for specifics or anything on which I'm low.
• Next, I assemble the boxes with the strongest packing tape possible. It's hard to predict what the boxes will have to go through before they arrive at their destination, so it's important that they be sturdy.
• Then, I spread all of my purchases out on the dining room table and start sorting and re-packaging. Anything that could leak or melt (including bar soap) gets double-bagged in a freezer-strength Ziploc. Anything that can be condensed (like boxes of single-serving drink mix) is removed from its box and also flung into a Ziploc.
• Next, I jot down a note to put in each box. My friends get longer personal letters, the folks from Any Soldier (obviously) get more generic ones. I always my email address at the end of the Any Soldier notes, in case they have time to respond (many do, eventually).
• Finally, it's time to load up the boxes! Food, magazines & games are put into one box, toiletries into another. The separation is key - otherwise they get snacks that taste like deodorant and really, who wants that?  When everything's packed securely, I put the note at the top and seal up the boxes (again, with lots of strong tape).

All that's left after all that is to address them and take them to the post office.

It's hard to describe how I feel at the end of a care package afternoon. On the one hand, I'm happy to have accomplished something that will bring other people some cheer. On the other, I hate the fact that there are so many people over there who need cheering. The whole business of war seems very personal when I'm looking at a collection of brown boxes lined up on my table.

No matter what your politics, please remember that there are thousands troops deployed overseas whose lives are in danger every single day. They deserve to know that they have the support of the people back home. If you have a few dollars and minutes to spare, I sincerely hope that each and every one of you will box up your well wishes and send it to any of the more than 3000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have signed up  with AnySoldier.

Never Forget

Open Letter: Political Edition

Dear Tony Snow,

I've always thought you were a likeable guy. Hey, anyone who calls Bush "impotent" and "an embarassment" is ok in my book.

(Which reminds me: Where, exactly, did your principles and opinions go? Ah, nevermind. That's a question for another letter. Back to the matter at hand.)

I've always thought you were a decent fellow. You're a musician! You're a philosopher! Once upon a time, you even had original thoughts! (ahem) As such, I developed a bit of a soft spot for you and was vastly sympathetic when you were performing your duties as press secretary in between chemotherapy sessions. However, it is safe to say that my sympathy has run out.

You're leaving your position as White House press secretary because of financial hardship?

Eat me, rich boy.

No seriously: eat me. I am poor and made of ramen. Tasty!

Look, you've been in the position less than 18 months, during which time you've earned at LEAST $200K. Before accepting this illustrious job, you were on both FOX News and your own nationally syndicated radio show. You've been a nationally syndicated columnist, a television host, and a political commentator.  I find it extremely hard to believe that your family will be standing in line for foodstamps anytime soon.

I can understand wanting to get as far away from this administration as possible, really I can, so give us a reason we can stomach. Say you hate the buffoon in the Oval Office, say you suddenly remembered that you have principles (ahem), say that you want to spend more time with your family, but please: don't tell us you have to step down because of the terrible financial strain. We will be forced to laugh in your face.

Repeatedly. And loudly.

No Love,
Me

Memorial Day

Season of Remembrance Begins by Kathleen T. Rhem

Today we remember all who have given their lives in defense of our freedom so, at 3pm, please take a moment to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance.

Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking:
Dream of battled fields no more,
Days of danger, nights of waking.
In our isle's enchanted hall,
Hands unseen thy couch are strewing,
Fairy strains of music fall,
Every sense in slumber dewing.
Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Dream of fighting fields no more:
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,
Morn of toil, nor night of waking.

No rude sound shall reach thine ear,
Armour's clang, or war-steed champing,
Trump nor pibroch summon here
Mustering clan, or squadron tramping,
Yet the lark's shrill fife may come
At the day-break from the fallow,
And the bittern sound his drum,
Booming from the sedgy shallow.
Ruder sounds shall none be near,
Guards nor warders challenge here,
Here's no war-steed's neigh and champing,
Shouting clans or squadrons stamping.

-Excerpt from Sir Walter Scott's
The Lady of the Lake: Canto 1

Think For Yourself

If you don’t like a radio hosts’ lingo, don’t listen. If you think Alec Baldwin is a horrible father, that’s your right to say so. But when people have to start to fear what they say (like me, wondering if I should even put up this post for fear that someday down the line a future employer or corporation will find this and disregard me for an opportunity) then the First Amendment is slowly being wrapped up in moth balls and put away in a dark attic where no one will find it.
-Paul Davidson, here

Can I get an amen? AMEN.

When exactly did we forget that free speech covers ALL speech, not just the politically-correct, non-offensive milquetoast variety? If you don't like it, don't listen/watch/read. Exercise your free will; it's really not that hard. In the words of Voltaire*, "think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

I am so disheartened that America's citizens need to be REMINDED to think for themselves.

_____

*People, please stop crediting Voltaire as saying "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Volatire didn't write that, Evelyn Hall did. She used that phrase to describe Voltaire's attitude in The Friends of Voltaire and it's been mis-quoted ever since. Stop the madness!

God's Plan

Over IM this afternoon, Harris mourned the passing of Jerry Falwell and wondered about God's great plan:

He: Falwell's dead.
Me: I know.
He: Wrinkly nutsack of evil
Me: Yepper
He: Much like Strom Thurmond, I think we need to drive a stake through his heart, chop off his head, stuff his mouth with holy wafers and burn the head and body seperately.
He: Just, y'know, to be sure.
He: Next up: Pat Robertson
He: I'm still waiting for him to pipe up with whatever it was that Greensborough Kansas did to deserve being wiped off the face of the earth
Me: Oh I'm sure he has a reason
He: God has shitty aim I guess.
He: Since Katrina was "punishment" for New Orleans tolerating homosexuals.
He: (nevermind that the gay district survived untouched)
He: and God managed to COMPLETELY miss San Francisco
Me: *snicker*

Light Green

Like many others, I've been largely silent on the issue of Global Warming. Not because I don't think that it's important (I do), but because the debate raging over it is so volatile that it seems we'll never be able engage in any sort of dispassionate discourse. How are we to agree on a solution to a problem when we're so busy arguing over its validity?

Enter a voice of reason: John Mayer's Light Green approach to reversing Global Warming.

In the "degree of difficulty" column, reversing the effects of global warming is a .5 out of a possible 10, at least in theory. You just get back by reversing the way you came. No accounting for a volatile political world stage, or clashing of belief structures. Just throw this bitch in reverse and we're home.

The trouble is, nobody has managed to come close to bringing this issue to you in a way that doesn't turn you off. At best, it's a bore, and at worst (toilet paper square accounting?) it's insulting to human autonomy.

It seems to me that when it comes to this issue, we've been given only two sides to pick from: side one says the future of global warming does not present a doomsday scenario, almost chuckling the matter aside. Side two says it is a dire issue (which it is), and then goes on to inundate side one with so many separate nakedly-scientific points that they make naivete' seem cozy by comparison.

So here I am, introducing a third side.

. . .

Pick one thing to change this year, and keep the rest of your life the same. After all, the only message the charts with escalating red lines are meant to send is that the red lines have to stop escalating, not that hey have to drop to the bottom of the graph by next Tuesday.

At last, a simple personal plan devoid of doomsday haranguing or political dogma. Now this? This we can do, one small change at a time.

Bigger Than Y2K And Twice As Stupid

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Oh, wait, no it's not. We're just moving the clocks ahead three weeks early.

WTF, people?

The Energy Policy Act was passed in July of 2005. Did it not occur to anyone to start planning for it before last week?

When I got into work this morning, our main scheduling program (the one on which ALL of production is reliant) was behind an hour and all of our Outlook calendars were completey out of whack. I'm not exactly sure how an hour time difference moves my Wednesday afternoon appointment from 1:30pm to 4:30pm and then duplicates it to Tuesday & Saturday, but apparently this time change is very powerful. According to our IT department not even an act of god can restore the proper settings - we're destined to be one hour out of sync from March 11th until April 1st.

And we haven't even changed the clocks yet! We're not doing that until Saturday night!

At least Palm sent me a very helpful email explaining in Very Serious Language that I must download a patch for my sync software ohmygodrightnow or risk never being able to sync my Treo again.

I say again: WTF, people? Am I the only one who is completely mystified about the mass hysteria over this relatively small issue?

It could be worse, at least we can still use our exchange server; poor Teece has been told that she may have to print out a MONTH'S worth of calendars because her company has fuxx0red their DST patch so badly.

Guess it's time to start stockpiling canned food and weapons - the apocalypse is nigh. Anyone want to go in on an underground bunker?

(Future) President's Day

This Tuesday, February 20th, Barack Obama will hold his first rally in Los Angeles since announcing his candidacy for President.

2:00 PM at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex - I'll be there; who's with me?

Admission is free and the rally is open to the public, but RSVP to guarantee yourself a spot.

Diagnosis

Never fear, it has all been made clear:

Bush isn't an idiot, he's just suffering from presenile dementia.

(In spite of being more than two years old, the link above is still relevant and more than a little unsettling.)

Experts need not apply

This morning, after President Bush unveiled a faster way to kill soldiers yet another poorly thought-out military strategy for Iraq, Robert Gates (our Defense Secretary of just three weeks) was quoted as being "no expert on Iraq" and "no expert on military matters."

Holy crap Bob-o, how the hell did you get appointed to this position?

I know, you were in the CIA for 27 years. You wrote a book about how covert operations and blatant disregard for Congress won the Cold War. Your doctorate is in Russian & Soviet History. You have never served in the military and left your prestigious CIA career to become the president of a university. Given all of that, there's no reason to expect you to be an expert in military matters or the cesspool that is Iraq.

But Mr. Gates? You are the fucking Secretary of Defense. Didn't you think that position would require oh, I don't know, expertise in military matters? Familiarity with Iraq? Particularly when being appointed in the middle of a war that is being waged in Iraq? 

I'm willing to be charitable. Perhaps, in the flurry of activity since you started, you've gotten a little fuzzy on the parameters of your job. Allow me to refresh your memory with a little blurb from the Department of Defense website:

The Secretary of Defense is the principal defense policy adviser to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct concern to the Department of Defense, and for the execution of approved policy. Under the direction of the President, the Secretary exercises authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense. The Secretary of Defense is a member of the President's Cabinet and of the National Security Council.

That's your picture next to the job description, Bob. Maybe you should have fucking read it before you signed up for this ride.

5 down, 45 to go

Just one more reason that I'm proud to be a Jersey girl: NJ Governor Signs Gay Civil Unions Law.

World AIDS Day

Around forty million people are living with HIV throughout the world - and that number increases in every region every day. In the UK alone, more than 60,000 people are living with HIV and more than 7,000 more are diagnosed every year. Ignorance and prejudice are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease.

World AIDS Day, 1 December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This year, it's up to you, me and us to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice.

Did you know that in the US two teenagers are infected with HIV every hour?

Wear the ribbon. Light a candle. Talk to people. And donate to the marathon that I'm running for AIDS Project Los Angeles. The deadline for donations is next Friday, December 8th.

Vote.

All it takes is one voice that becomes a hundred,
and then a thousand, unless it's silenced.

I know you're sick of hearing it by now. You've read it on every blog, heard it on every radio show, and watched it on every commercial. Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. Still, I can't stress the importance of this enough: If you are a U.S. Citizen,

VOTE.

I don't care who you vote for, I just care that you vote. It is your civic responsibility.

Feeling disenfranchised? Disillusioned? Unrepresented? Choosing not to vote is not an effective form of protest. Those who are in power rely on the apathy of those they have alienated. They want you to stay home, to shrug the government off as an unchangeable juggernaut. Show them that you will not submit, that you will not remain silent, that you know you are not represented. Go to your polling place, take your ballot, and submit it unmarked. Vote for every single Green Party representative on the ballot or write in Mickey Mouse for Governor. Just do something. Claim your ballot. Use your voice. Strike fear into the hearts of those who don't represent you.

We have more power than we could possibly imagine, we need only use it.

Spanning the Globe

Yesterday, I threw my cell phone in the trash and put a used kleenex in my pocket while trying to leave my desk for a meeting. Then I missed the phone base completely and tossed my receiver at the floor rather than hanging it up properly. When I got home, I put loose tea in the cat food bowl, managed to stash the cat food in the cabinet (it usually goes on top of the fridge), and was completely surprised when Boy 2 showed up at 7:30pm, even though we'd only made the plans earlier in the afternoon.

This morning, I adjusted my decongestant dose.

My brain is still foggy, though, which clearly means that I am in no way qualified to be witty or entertaining at the moment. So how about some headlines and happenings to scare the crap out of you? It is October, after all.

• American Fascism is on the Rise. The precursors of fascism -- militarization of culture, vigilantism, masculine fear of female power, xenophobia and economic destabilization -- are ascendant in America today.
• Keith Olbermann speaks out about the death of habeas corpus. We have lived as if in a trance. We have lived as people in fear. And now, our rights and our freedoms in peril, we slowly awake to learn that we have been afraid of the wrong thing. Therefore, tonight have we truly become the inheritors of our American legacy.(Note that the links above go two places, the first to his assessment of the Military Commissions Act's impact, the second to a transcript of his special commentary on the issue.)
• Gunmen execute 8 in Afghanistan and October may be the deadliest month for Americans in Iraq to date. If anyone was curious, we're STILL at war on multiple fronts and we're STILL losing. At least Rumsfeld has God on his side.
• The Republican National Party has a new web ad called These are the Stakes that you really need to watch. Hyperbole, deception, and fear-mongering at its finest!
• W. is twice as popular as Congress! Of course, Congress only has a 16% approval rating and, actually, more Americans than that believe we can talk to the dead...
• I'm surprised to realize that I have more respect for Bill Clinton now than I ever did when he was in office.
• And lastly, a bit of gallows humor: Yesterday, Yahoo News reported that a death row inmate killed himself hours before his execution. They've re-edited the article since it was first posted; originally there was a line that said prison officails were "baffled" by his motive since he'd left no note. The man was going to be electrocuted by the sate that afternoon and you're stumped as to his motive??

If you're not concerned yet you are not paying attention.

Frodo Failed

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) explains the Iraq war by citing Lord of the Rings:

As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else. It’s being drawn to Iraq and it’s not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don’t want the Eye to come back here to the United States.

Happiness is a Warm Gun would like to rebut the Senator's assessment:

okay, no. it's like this: the shire was attacked on 9/11 by sauron. the drunken redneck leader of the hobbits decides to blow up middle earth, randomly. the eye of mordor is drawn to the hobbits, killing EVEN MORE people uselessly. the people of middle earth and the hobbits start to realize that this doesn't make sense, but by this time the eye has created total chaos everywhere it has followed us, so the only course of action is to leave middle earth the way it is and to GO AFTER THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO CAUSED THIS SHIT. but the media in middle earth and its government are too focused on keeping frodo and sam from getting married to actually do anything useful.

(quote via metaquotes)

This bumper sticker has never seemed more appropriate.

Lunchtime Politics

Across the street from my office is a cluster of six restaurants, the only ones for several blocks. The crosswalk in front of them is, therefore, prime proselytizing space between the hours of noon and two.

I've been assaulted by every possible special interest group while waiting for the light to turn in my favor: Save the Whales, Free Tibet, The Clean Water Initiative, the International Vegan's Association, you name it. Out of curiosity, I listened to their spiels the first few times. These organizations' reps are categorically uninformed and ill-equipped to answer questions or engage in conversation; they're more like automatons spewing sound bites while robotically offering pamphlets. So it's become a bit of a game amongst the lunchtime regulars to see how fast we can shut these people down.

Today, my challenger was a perky young recruiter for the Democratic National Party.

She: Hi! Help the Democrats take back Congress this year?
Me: No, thank you. I'm a Libertarian.
She: We really need to take back Congress, though, can I talk to you for just a second?
Me: I'm not interested in helping the Democrats monopolize Congress.
She: What, why not?
Me: I am a Libertarian. I don't support the Democratic Party.
She: But, what? We have changes that we need to make!
Me: There are only two changes I'm interested in making right now. One, getting that shrub out of office, and two, loosening the stranglehold that the nearly-indistinguishable Democratic & Republican parties have on our government.
She: . . .

Armageddon

According to Bernard Lewis, the world is going to end on August 22nd.

Guess there's no need to drop off my dry cleaning tomorrow, right? If the Wall Street Journal prints it then it must be so!

Thank heavens The Guardian is here to provide perspective on this latest claim as well as on Lewis himself.

Strapped

Apparently I'm full of link love today, but I found this review of Strapped over at HTTP 403 (Forbidden) and I had to share:

I didn't need Tamara Draut to tell me that I'm strapped, but I did need her to tell my mom. In the five years since I graduated college, the same argument arises again and again. I insist that it's much harder to make a living now versus when she was my age in the mid-'70s. My mom disagrees, and continues to wonder why I haven't taken her advice and purchased a home. I inform her that a down payment on a condo in Los Angeles, where I live and work, would be greater than the sum total of all money I've made this year. She again tells me the story of how she and my father saved the money for their first down payment while she was a drugstore clerk and he was an oft-unemployed electrical engineer. I tell her those days are over, at least in California, and she doesn't believe me. Repeat as necessary.

Read the rest here.

The book itself is full of terrifying statistics like Today's college grads are making less than the college grads of thirty years ago; men aged 25 to 34 with bachelor's degrees are making just $6,000 more than those with high school diplomas did in 1972.  However, Draut's analysis of the financial obstacles facing my generation is also very straightforward and free of finger-pointing histrionics.

Though I wish she focused a bit more on personal spending responsibility (clearly a large part of our debt problem), Draut raises some good points about the ever-widening gap between money necessary for tuition fees / housing / families and the earning potential of people under age 35. Definitely worth a read if, like me, you've been out of college five or more years and still find yourself struggling to make ends meet.

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July, everyone.

Striking the Match

I was in the midst of writing a completely different post when a chilling headline popped up on my news ticker:

Breaking News: Troops Entering Gaza

For those who haven't been following the news, a quick recap (all quotes are from CNN.com): A 19-year old Israeli corporal named Gilad Shalit "was captured Sunday morning when Palestinian militants tunneled into Israel and attacked an army post near the Gaza-Israel-Egypt border, according to the Israeli army. Two other Israeli soldiers were killed." On Sunday, Israel's political-security Cabinet authorized the government to "take all necessary actions" to secure the release of Shalit; Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "promised a harsh response if Shalit is not returned, and Monday a large force of Israeli infantry backed by tanks ringed Gaza." 

A few hours ago, Israeli forces blew up Gaza's main power plant (and a couple of bridges) before ground troops crossed the border into the southern part of the Gaza strip. Though the Israeli government claims that they are only doing what is necessary to prevent Palestinian forces from moving Shalit, I have an uneasy feeling... like the anticipation of striking a match before dropping it on a powder keg.

American, Egyptian, French, and U.N. diplomats have all tried to bring the Israeli and Palestinian governments together for peaceful negotiations with no success. Palestinians themselves are divided on the issue: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya urging peaceful negoations while Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (currently exiled in Syria and thought to be behind this kidnapping) remains silent.

I'm not generally a Chicken Little type, but this is the culmination of generations of religious and political tension. The Israel-Palestine conflict is too visceral, too mercurial, for academic discussion. Only the Herculean efforts of a few political figures has kept either side from declaring outright war, but now even that strength is flagging. I can't imagine that the Israelis will stop with simply recovering Shalit, nor that the Palestinians will refrain from retaliating.

The Middle East just got a lot more volatile.

And in lighter news...

Pissed off Patricia is doing her part to prepare for the war against marriage.

There is No Bumper Sticker Solution

One of the advantages to my new dear-god-that's-early work schedule is that I get to watch the good half of the Today show... the actual news stories and interviews with political figures, rather than the cooking segments and fashion shows.

Yesterday, Katie interviewed Bill Frist (Senate Majority Leader) and today, Matt interviewed Rex Tillerson (CEO, ExxonMobil) about gas prices. Though both interviews were interesting, Katie & Matt kept probing the two men for short, quick answers and then later replayed sound bites out of context to make their answers seem to be something they weren't (shocking, I know).

People, there is no bumper sticker solution.

Yes, Sentaor Frist sounded like a wind-up parrot as he repeated "supply and demand Katie, supply and demand" ad nauseam, and yes, his $100 rebate is so ridiculous as to be laughable. But this is an exceedigly complex issue and everyone is too busy clamoring for a quick fix to understand the breadth and depth of it.

I have to applaud Rex Tillerson for having the courage to be interviewed on the Today Show, though I'm sure he knew what he was in for. (10 minutes of brilliant interview and the only sound bite that NBC replays is the one in which Tillerson says that his company is in the business of making money. Well, duh! Hello, free market economy) He brought up several important points:

Although oil companies are reporting record profits, only 30% of their profits come from U.S. sales. The rest are from international sales. These days? That's largely China.

Of those U.S. profits, only a small fraction are from gasoline sales; they make most of their money on the upstream, not from the pump.

Even after the merger, ExxonMobil controls only 8% of the gasoline market - a market in which competition is rapidly increasing.

After adjusting for inflation, gasoline is less expensive today than it was during the gas crisis in the 70s

Clearly the issue is not as simple as "record profits = price gouging and monopoly."

If prices at the pump rose in direct proportion to the price of crude oil, we'd all be paying $14 a gallon for gasoline.

Matt was skeptical when Tillerson said that the major oil companies are not getting together and fixing fuel prices, but ExxonMobil's CEO is absolutely correct. The Federal Trade Commission has an entire panel devoted to ferreting out price collusion in the oil industry and they have never ONCE found an instance of it. Ever.

I am tired of hearing about the people who have to hock their jewelry, or re-arrange their carpools, or take the desperate measure du jour to put gas in their cars. The fact is that in the American free market economy there will always be people on the margins. There will always be a segment of the population that is in debt to the last possible penny, who live at the absolute limit of their means. For them, a fifty cent raise in gas prices or a half percent raise in taxes, will upset their entire budget because they have left such a narrow margin for error.

We cannot regulate the economy based on that small percentage of the population. Besides, to play Devil's Advocate for a moment, there are some positives to our rapidly rising gas prices...

Environmentalists should be jumping for joy that fuel has gotten so expensive: cost is the only effective motivator in curbing consumption. People won't start carpooling because it's "bad" to waste gasoline; but they'll sure as hell do it if commuting solo starts to constrict their wallets.

Likewise anyone who has a mutual fund (if you have a 401K, you are invested in a mutual fund) should be thrilled with oil companies' rising profits: almost all of them involve an oil company.

That being said, you know what? There are two things that the federal government could do right now to lower gas prices but nobody is talking about them.

Day Without an Immigrant

You should wave the American flag. It's the flag of the country that we all are proud of and want to be a part of. Don't disrespect the traditions of this country.
- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

May 1. May Day a.k.a. International Worker's Day (the unofficial Anarchist's Anniversary), Beltane and (now) Day Without an Immigrant. It's also "National Love Day" in the Czech Republic, so head to Prague if you need some lovin'!

If you've turned on the television, brought up a news site, or opened a paper, you know that today millions of people across the U.S. are demonstrating against immigration reform. Here in Los Angeles, where 46% of our residents are foreign-born, the demonstrations have been particularly enthusiastic; the second of our two marches is currently spanning more than 5 miles in length and 100 feet in width.

That's a lot of people. And this is no riot; it's a very peaceful and civilized demonstration.

To quote Brandon, Mass grass roots demonstrations swell my heart. I think it's wonderful when so many people can be moved to peacefully make their point - there are certainly a few other current issues that could stand such a show of support.

However, my applauding the passion and grace of the protestors doesn't mean that I agree with them. It doesn't mean I disagree with them either. My opinion lies somewhere in the middle, honestly.

Just call me Mrs. Stewart

Reason #1.974,620 to love Jon Stewart:

And today's forecast in Iraq is partly shrapnel with a chance of AAAAAAHHHHH!

Meanwhile, our President is still busy lying through his teeth.

Can I get a "Hell yeah?"

Tom Paine taught us that a Constitution is not an act of government, but of "the people constituting a government."

. . .

As far as I can tell, the argument for writing marriage discrimination into our Constitution rests on essentially theological premises: God forbids gay marriage; my church opposes it; it violates natural law; and so on. But these arguments reflect a basic confusion about the American Constitution and our framework of liberty.

. . .

Doctors don't even know how to keep grown heterosexual men, like our State Comptroller, from ogling young women in public. Do you really think they can turn millions of gay men and women into straight people?

. . .

Our Constitution should not be an historical record of our prejudices and follies but, as much as possible, a covenant reflecting our devotion to expanding liberty and equality for all of our citizens.

. . .

Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You didn't place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.

Selected quotes from Jamin Raskin's testimony before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 1, 2006

Bill Maher may have said it first, but Raskin said it more eloquently.

Operation Swarmer

No matter what you may have heard, we are still at war. It has been two years since Bush announced the end of major combat operations, and yet our troops are still in Iraq... fighting and dying every day.

Other nations in history have fought in foreign lands and remained to occupy and exploit. Americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home. And that is your direction tonight.

After service in the Afghan and Iraqi theaters of war, after 100,000 miles on the longest carrier deployment in recent history, you are homeward bound.  -George W. Bush, 5/1/03

Really Mr. President? The sailors on the USS Lincoln may have been homeward bound that day, but how many of them have since been re-deployed for the "Transition of Power?" It seems as though the majority of American troops who are coming home are doing so shrouded in wood and draped in flags... 2300 of them so far.

Today Coalition troops launched Operation Swarmer, "a mission to find insurgents in rural areas of Salaheddin province northeast of Samarra." It is also the largest air assualt that we've launched since the invasion of Iraq.

Does that sound like a peaceful transition of power to you?

I have said before that I am a patriot through and through. I have nothing but respect and admiration for our military; I support them whole heartedly and it is time to bring them home.

Oops

Too... many... jokes... head... go... *boom*

Vice President Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter