Thinking Liberally

Birding the Net

2011-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Not a political post - just an excuse to add birds to my blog :) A little birdy told me to do it! From Audubon's Birding the Net - fun and addictive!

More On "Class Warfare"

2011-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I couldn't miss this Elizabeth Warren quote that's been making the rounds with my Facebook friends - I love her. She is plain-talking, smart and sensible and can communicate her ideas well. The whole "class warfare" BS the right is accusing Democrats of is ridiculous - they are the ones who are at war on those of us who make less than $250,000 a year, which, by the way, is about 98% of us!! They are at war not only on the middle class, but are taking away the support needed to simply survive for so many in the lowest echelon of our socioeconomic structure. They ARE Big Brother, using doublespeak to convince people to vote against their own best interests.

Anyway, here is Elizabeth Warren explaining the social contract, if you haven't seen this clip yet, it's worth watching:

Two articles below make some good points about her as a candidate (for senate in Massachusetts) - why aren't other Democrats as good as she is in communicating these ideas?
Class Warfare, Elizabeth Warren Style (Washington Post) and The Underlying Social Contract (Washington Monthly)

Here she is on Morning Joe (MSNBC) in a long interview - she says, "it's about economics, but it's also about values." Damn straight.

Lets be clear - I'm not talking about "socialism" but about supporting the functioning of this country and the people in it in a fair and healthy way. But another Facebook friend posted this fantastic quote from Steinbeck today, which is so perfect:

This is exactly what I was talking about in my last two posts (minus the socialism part)!! The middle class and poor are convinced to vote against their own best interests because they see themselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

Ending some tax breaks for the wealthy is NOT going to make them un-wealthy. But removing social services and supports for the lowest tiers of our society WILL send more people into poverty and despair. There needs to be a happy medium - a balance of policies that encourage business and entrepreneurs while at the same time not abandoning those who have little hope.

I think reminding people of the social contract of helping to "pay it forward to the next kid" is a good start.

World of [Class] Warfare

2011-08-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is awesome... but at the same time it made me want to throw up. The Tea Party Media are reprehensible, disgusting, heartless monsters. Watch and see what I mean:

The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - Warren Buffett vs. Wealthy Conservatives
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

A couple more links relevant to the above video for background and further information:

Stop Coddling the Super-Rich - NYTimes.com

Awesome. Buffet is my favorite Billionaire. Bill Gates is my second favorite. Sometimes it's the other way around. Wealthy people who recognize the benefits of our society and government that have helped them get where they are, and want to give back, and pay their fair share.

Why Half of Americans Pay No Income Tax: It's the Subsistence, Stupid : Mike the Mad Biologist

Related to the Jon Stewart clip, "World of [Class] Warfare" - more details on why 50% of Americans pay no *Income* tax. (hint: it has to do with their income.)

A few articles pertinent to the current economy

2011-08-12T19:41:00.001-07:00

These articles seem to touch on common themes - the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, and now we are cutting services to those who can least afford it, yet not removing the tax breaks for the wealthy... This disparity was summed up by a friend of mine thusly:

"Things America used to be able to afford, but can't any more: retirement, medical care, education, highway maintenance, infrastructure, food safety, environmental protection, space exploration, college. But for some reason we can't add tax cuts for the rich on that list."

Yes, apparently we can still afford tax breaks for the rich, even when we are trillions of dollars in debt and the economy is in crisis.

The Hijacked Crisis - NYTimes.com

Paul Krugman - some key points:

"what we’re seeing now is what happens when influential people exploit a crisis rather than try to solve it"
"When you’re bleeding profusely from an open wound, you want a doctor who binds that wound up, not a doctor who lectures you on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as you get older. When millions of willing and able workers are unemployed, and economic potential is going to waste to the tune of almost $1 trillion a year, you want policy makers who work on a fast recovery, not people who lecture you on the need for long-run fiscal sustainability."

"What would a real response to our problems involve? First of all, it would involve more, not less, government spending for the time being — with mass unemployment and incredibly low borrowing costs, we should be rebuilding our schools, our roads, our water systems and more."

My thoughts on this: This is one of the reasons I voted for Obama - he talked about *investing* instead of cutting. Rebuilding instead of tearing down. What happened to that guy?

"The usual suspects will, of course, denounce such ideas as irresponsible. But you know what’s really irresponsible? Hijacking the debate over a crisis to push for the same things you were advocating before the crisis, and letting the economy continue to bleed."

Why London Is Burning (Hint: It’s Not Just Thugs)

Patrick Smith of the Fiscal Times agrees with Krugman:

"austerity without policies that spur demand and ameliorate its negative effects on ordinary people are not merely incomplete: They will lead—as now we see on our front pages—to violent backlashes."

"In no case have ideology and faith proven substitutes for good, detached economic and social thinking. And this time—check the videos and news photos from Britain—we are playing with fire."

My thoughts: I believe the London riots are disgraceful opportunistic violence - people stealing things they wanted - that distortion of the dream to mere desire for money. And the violence and looting and burning are inexcusable. But at its roots, not an excuse, but an attempt to understand what happened, at its roots is that disparity between the haves and have nots. And by haves and have nots, I'm not just referring to money - also education, status, opportunity, purpose. The simmering resentment reached a flashpoint, and it could happen here, too. I'm not saying we should be afraid, but we should be aware of the harm, real harm, we are causing others by the cuts we are making. We should consider who the various measures will hurt, and try to hurt the fewest people, the least amount. There are far more poor than rich, and cuts hurt them far more than raising taxes would the rich. The least harm to the fewest people would be to raise taxes.

And while we are on the subject - let's make corporations pay their taxes - if they are "people, too" as Mitt Romney affirms, they need to pay up! Yes, we have one of the highest tax rates on corporations in the developed world, so lets reduce our corporate tax rate, but remove the loopholes so they all have to pay! Huge profits, ridiculously overpaid CEOs, combined with layoffs and tax loopholes make corporations one of the few that it would hurt least... tax them.

The rich are different — and not in a good way, studies suggest - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com

Brian Alexander from MSNBC hits a nerve:

"the philosophical battle over economics, taxes, debt ceilings and defaults that are now roiling the stock market is partly rooted in an upper class "ideology of self-interest.""
"Because the rich gloss over the ways family connections, money and education helped, they come to denigrate the role of government and vigorously oppose taxes to fund it."

"a strong allegiance to the American Dream can lead even regular folks to overestimate their own self-reliance in the same way as rich people."

My thoughts on this:

In addition, the "American Dream" itself has become distorted. It used to be about creating something, being an entrepreneur, achieving a personal accomplishment. Now it's just about being rich. It's like every American baby is born with a lottery ticket, and they're all hoping to hit it big...

This allegiance is because they are actually "failed rich people" - they are delusional about their own ability to become rich someday, so they consistently vote against their own self interest in favor of the interests of the wealthy.

"most people could quickly tell you how much they paid in taxes last year but few could put a dollar amount on how they benefited from government by, say, driving on interstate highways, taking drugs gleaned from federally funded medical research, or using inventions created by people educated in public schools."
"Last year, research at Duke and Harvard universities showed that regardless of political affiliation or income, Americans tended to think wealth distribution ought to be more equal."

"The problem? Rich people wrongly believed it already was."

Recommended Reading for "clueless" rich people:

Nickled and Dimed - on (not) getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich

The combination of ideology, playing politics, pandering to campaign contributors, and willful ignorance keeps that gap between the haves and have nots growing larger than ever.

The Truth About the Economy - in 2 minutes

2011-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Bill Maher Rules

2010-11-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

I was so excited about the Rally to Restore Sanity. I really love the idea... "Bring back the civility in civil discourse!" "I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler!" During the rally, I was pleased at Stewart's attempts at impartiality, at criticizing the left as well as the right. But I temporarily forgot that the right is made up of so many complete assholes. Hard to be rational when you are dealing with poop-flinging angry chimpanzees.

Enter Bill Maher, and his "New Rules" response to the Rally - he says it so much better than I ever could!

New Rule: If you’re going to have a rally where hundreds of thousands of people show up, you might as well go ahead and make it about something. Now, with all due respect to my friends Jon and Stephen, it seems to me that if you truly wanted to come down on the side of restoring sanity and reason, you’d side with the sane and the reasonable. And not try to pretend that the insanity is equally distributed in both parties.

Keith Olbermann is right when he says he’s not the equivalent of Glenn Beck. One reports facts. The other one is very close to playing with his poop. And the big mistake of modern media has been this notion of balance for balance’s sake; that the left is just as violent and cruel as the right; that unions are just as powerful as corporations; that reverse-racism is just as damaging as racism. There’s a difference between a mad man and a madman.

Now, getting over 200,000 people to come to a liberal rally is a great achievement that gave me hope. And what I really loved about it was that it was twice the size of the Glenn Beck crowd on the mall in August. Although it weighed the same.

But, the message of the rally, as I heard it, was that, if the media would just stop giving voice to the crazies on both sides, then maybe we could restore sanity. It was all nonpartisan and urged cooperation with the moderates on the other side. Forgetting that Obama tried that and found out there are no moderates on the other side.

When Jon announced his rally, he said the national conversation was dominated by people on the right who believe Obama is a socialist and people on the left who believe 9/11 was an inside job. But I can’t name any Democratic leaders who think 9/11 was an inside job. But, Republican leaders who think Obama is a Socialist? All of them. McCain, Boehner, Cantor, Palin, all of them. It’s now official Republican dogma. Like tax cuts pay for themselves, and gay men just haven’t met the right woman.

As another example of both sides using overheated rhetoric, Jon cited the right equating Obama with Hitler and the left calling Bush a war criminal. Except thinking Obama is like Hitler is utterly unfounded, but thinking Bush is a war criminal, that’s the opinion of General Anthony Taguba, who headed the Army’s investigation into Abu Ghraib.

You see, Republicans keep staking out a position that is further and further right, and then demand Democrats meet them in the middle. Which is now not the middle anymore. That’s the reason healthcare reform is so watered down. It’s Bob Dole’s old plan from 1994. Same thing with cap and trade. It was the first President Bush’s plan to deal with carbon emissions. Now, the Republican plan for climate change is to claim it’s a hoax.

But it’s not. I know that because I’ve lived in LA since ’83, and there’s been a change in the city. I can see it now. Yeah. All of us who live out here have had that experience. “Oh, look, there’s a mountain there.” Governments led by liberal Democrats passed laws which changed the air I breathe for the better. Okay, I’m for them, and not for the party that is, as we speak, plotting to abolish the EPA. And I don’t need to pretend that both sides have a point here. And I don’t care what left or right commentators say about it. I only care what climate scientists say about it.

Two opposing sides don’t necessarily have two compelling arguments. Martin Luther King spoke on that mall in the capital, and he didn’t say, “Remember, folks, those Southern sheriffs with the fire hoses and the German Shepherds, they have a point, too!” No, he said, “I have a dream. They have a nightmare.” This isn’t “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob.”

Liberals, like the ones on that field, must stand up and be counted, and not pretend that we’re as mean or greedy or shortsighted or just plain batshit [crazy] as they are. And if that’s too polarizing for you, and you still want to reach across the aisle and hold hands and sing with someone on the right, try church.

From Real Time with Bill Maher, Episode 196, New Rules

Obama's Post-Election Speech

2010-11-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

My (moderate and quite reasonable) Republican contractor told me this speech gave him chills and hope - he really liked it and is hopeful that the government will start being able to work together... THAT gives me hope. I hope this mid-term trouncing does for Obama what it did for Clinton... I'm just so tired of the bickering. Here's the speech:

If you want to hear the rest of the questions and answers, they are in the following three videos:

I have to say I like how calm he seems, and NOT defensive. It drove me crazy that he was sounding more and more defensive, just like Bush always did - being defensive is NOT inspirational, not leadership. I hope he can get off of the defensive for the next two years and get on with leading.

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear - full videos!

2010-10-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

The full videos (with sponsor's ads, of course) are up on Comedy Central here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/rally_to_restore_sanity_and_or_fear/

And I'll link to each below. The sponsor is the Axe "wash your balls" campaign - funny and probably NSFW (but what would you be doing watching these or reading this blog at work anyway? ha). I wish at least they didn't show the SAME commercial for every video, but oh well. The videos are great!

These may not necessarily be in the correct order of events. I'm also not sure if the musical guests are on any of these videos - I haven't watched them all yet! Anyway, ENJOY!

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

MythBusters - World’s Largest Sample Size

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sainty and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

4TROOPS - National Anthem

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Father Guido Sarducci - Rally Benediction

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Jon and Stephen - Stephen’s Fearful Entrance

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Sam Waterston - The Greatest Poem Ever Written

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Wyatt Cenac and Jason Jones - Two Perspectives

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

P.K. Winsome - An Important Message From a Friend

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Here is the music - Peace Train, Crazy Train, Love Train!

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Jon and Stephen - "I'm More American Than You"

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Jon and Stephen - Formidable Opponent

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

John Oliver - Will This Help?

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Tony Bennett - "America the Beautiful"

www.comedycentral.com

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

Rally to Restore Sanity!

2010-10-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

This was awesome.

So. Awesome.

Intro:

Crazy talk - Stewart thinks we are reasonable people who can say, "I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler"! :)

Colbert Brings the Fear!

Peace Train!! (or Crazy Train! Or wait... Love Train? :)

Final Speech:

"Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, Liberals or Conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often something they do not want to do. But they do it. Impossible things [are accomplished] every day that are only made possible through the little reasonable compromises we all make."

Rally to Restore and/or Fear Raises a Lot of Money - Who Gets It?

The Very Model of a Modern US President!

2010-10-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

View on YouTube

Fabulous!

Check the Sidebar -->
For more great links!

November 2010 Election Help

2010-10-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

A friend, voting for the first time and bewildered by the choices (and more than the choices - frustrated by all the obfuscation from the media), got me thinking about where to find good advice on how to vote. First of all - ads can't be trusted. Of course, if an ad is spreading fear and lies about the opponent, it makes me think much less of the candidate! So pay attention to ads, but look into their claims. News can't be trusted. Pick your channel to have opposing perspectives and get thoroughly confused. Of course, generally if it is being endorsed by the far right, the "tea party," wing nuts, I would seriously question it!

So, how do you get good information? Well, start with reading the ballot information, pros and cons, and then pay close attention to who is supporting or opposing various measures and candidates. And look beyond the name! Some groups have very misleading names. Follow the money - who is funding it, and what do they have to gain or lose?

A simpler solution, after you've read the basics, is to go to organizations you trust and review their recommendations. Choose several organizations, and read their reasoning behind the endorsements and opposition. Try to find opposing viewpoints among organizations whose values you also share. Weigh the ideas presented. As always, think for yourself! If you really don't know (or care) about an issue or candidate, maybe you should leave that one blank - it's legal to do that! :)

Here are some resources I've found to help with unraveling the ballot this November:

California Choices - this one is a new one to me - it shares a whole list of organizations' recommendations and endorsements all on one page! You can then make it easier to compare by checking only the organizations and/or the measures you want to see. Very useful.
Calvoter.org has information about the propositions including the top 5 donors for each. AND it has "The Proposition Song"! :)
Ballotopedia is another new-to-me resource, and it's especially useful to see the donors for the various propositions - follow the money! This site would also be useful if you want to study the measures and don't have your voter information booklet.
Smart Voter is another non-partisan resource you may find helpful.
I always check the California League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, NRDC, and other environmental groups' recommendations. Most all of these are represented in the California Choices page, but you can get more in depth rationale behind the recommendations at their individual websites.
League of Women Voters and NOW are good to check
Other organizations like the ACLU, Equality California, or any other groups you like and respect are also good to check.

Once you've rounded up the opinions of others, have fun making up your own mind!!

And don't forget to vote!

Immigration Problems

2010-10-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

From The Manitoba Herald

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The recent actions of the Tea Party are prompting an exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they’ll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Canadian border farmers say it’s not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, news paper writers, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

“I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn,” said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota . “The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?”

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. He then installed loudspeakers that blared Rush Limbaugh across the fields. “Not real effective,” he said. “The liberals still got through and Rush annoyed the cows.”

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Subarus and drive them across the border where they are simply left to fend for themselves.

“A lot of these people are not prepared for our rugged conditions,” an Ontario border patrolman said. “I found one carload without a single bottle of imported drinking water They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though.”

When liberals are caught, they’re sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about plans being made to build re-education camps where liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer, watch NASCAR, deny evolution, and act out drills preparing them for the Rapture.

In recent days, liberals have turned to ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have been disguised as senior citizens taking a bus trip to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half- dozen young vegans in powdered wig disguises, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizens about Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were alive in the ‘50s. “If they can’t identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we become very suspicious about their age,” an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and are renting all the Susan Sarandon movies. “I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can’t support them,” an Ottawa resident said. “How many art-history, women's studies and, English majors does one country need?”

(I first saw a version of this in 2004 - it's still funny. We'll see how far the "Tea Party" GOP faction gets next election - please stick around at least until after you vote!)

People For the American Way: Palin-Beck 2012: Vote on the Best Campaign Slogan!

2010-09-27T18:13:00.001-07:00

People For the American Way: Palin-Beck 2012: Vote on the Best Campaign Slogan!

Vote for the best Palin-Beck 2012 slogans! These are awesome! Which one do YOU like best?

Click the link and vote for your favorite, and you'll get a bumper sticker of the winner!

Stephen Colbert's Testimony Before Congress

2010-09-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

After spending a day as a migrant farmworker, through the Take Our Jobs campaign by United Farmworkers, as part of his series "Stephen Colbert's Fallback Position," Colbert testifies before congress. He does this in character, manages to be really funny, and yet make a powerful point at the same time. Watch it:

I found it on this blog post: Shit that Bugs Smart People: C-Span Entertainment (oh boy, a new blog to check out!)

Gross National Product

2010-09-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is wonderful:

Our gross national product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors, and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwoods, and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm, nuclear warheads, and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.

~ Robert F. Kennedy

(from this article: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/what-is-real-wealth)

Food for thought.

Nation Once Again Comes Under Sway Of Pink-Faced Half-Wit | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

2010-09-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

This is awesome: Nation Once Again Comes Under Sway Of Pink-Faced Half-Wit

HAHAHA - Frothing, Shouting Dim-Bulbs: An American Tradition

I can't tell you how much I love The Onion. How much I need to laugh about the complete circus politics has become in this country. I am so grateful for Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Bill Maher, Lewis Black... sometimes it seems like the comedians are the only ones who see the situation clearly!

Oh, as another example of this, CRACKED published an article about the "Ground Zero Mosque" that was the most reasoned, rational thing I've seen on it. Cracked. It's like Mad Magazine for the Internet. WTF? Can I go live in a comediocracy? Seriously! The comedians are the only ones that get it these days.

The media is out of control. Just the way we like it in a free country, of course, but where is their sense of responsibility? It's all about creating controversy, sensationalism, self-righteous anger, and utter bullshit. I had a conversation at a party this weekend about the "Ground Zero Mosque" with a woman who, quite naturally based on how it's being reported, thought the mosque was being proposed literally ON TOP OF ground zero. I told her it was 3 blocks away, which in lower Manhattan, may as well be three miles. There are porn shops closer. She immediately switched to, "oh, well that's different" and saw that the MEDIA was the problem here, not the mosque. Ugh. So nice when people, shown some simple facts, can be so reasonable. Most people are, in person, one on one. But when you get a Pink-Faced Half-Wit that just makes shit up to get them riled up and indignant, using words they are supposed to fear or revere, like communism, socialism, fascism, god, country, freedom, etc, to manipulate them into believing just about anything, people become stupid sheep.

It makes me start to wonder... what was so bad about voter apathy? Stupid people shouldn't vote. Or breed. But that's another rant! Enough for now - enjoy the article!

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Glen Beck has Nazi Tourettes!

2010-05-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a while - enjoy (god I love Lewis Black):

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

That Hopey Changey Stuff May Just Work Out After All...

2010-03-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Passing Health Care (Insurance, at least) Reform is a huge accomplishment. Yes, the bill is not perfect, and doesn't have as much as some of us would like, has many compromises... but just passing it at all in this political climate is a huge accomplishment. Huge.

Some thoughts after watching the voting last night...

Bart Stupak.

I'm pro-choice, but I'm not pro-abortion - I'm pro-reproductive freedom. I don't think anyone likes abortions and wants them to increase! I think we would all like the numbers to go down - Planned Parenthood's motto is "Every Child a Wanted Child" and I believe in that. Education and empowerment of women, full access to and stigma removed from taking charge of contraception, and viable alternatives made readily and easily available and again, stigma removed... all of these things together will make abortion truly a last resort. But the anti-reproductive freedom camp (yeah, they call themselves pro-life, but only if it's still in the womb, apparently) wants to take away the option, even as a last resort. I'm all for abortion reduction, but not to the point of legal action. Women should be in full charge of their own wombs, NOT the government! Talk about government takeovers... sheesh.

But I liked Bart Stupak last night. Not just because he voted for the bill, but because of what he said - if you care about the unborn, give mothers pre-natal health care! Give babies health care! Duh! I understand people not wanting tax money to go toward abortions - I'd prefer my tax money not to go toward war. It bothers me that something that is legal and a woman's right (to control her womb, to choose whether or not to reproduce) would not be covered. It is inequitable. But I understand people not wanting it and it is something I am willing to compromise on to get health care passed. That and abortions are not that expensive.

Stupak has values, he stood up for them, and actually meant it - I know that because he accepted compromise instead of just changing what he was opposed to like so many who were just using their supposed "values" politically.

Over the Top Rhetoric and Hyperbole

omg. Devin Nunes. Government Takeover. Blah blah blah.

There are rational objections conservatives have - these are mostly fiscal. The ideological ones are mostly just hot air. And then there is Nunez.

I don't know how they can stand up there and LIE like that! They must believe their own lies. Socialism, Communism, Marxism, Totalitarianism, Ghosts of the failed Soviet State...

Flip-Floppers

I can't tell you how much I hate that this is considered an insult. How the HELL can we ever move forward and get anything at all done if our representatives decide ahead of time where they stand on issues, and never change their mind, no matter what arguments or compromises are made? We can't! If you, as Colbert famously described George W. Bush, think the same thing on Tuesday as you did on Sunday, no matter WHAT happens on Monday, then you are an IDIOT.

New Year, New Hope?

2010-01-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Well, they say hope does spring eternal.

After my last post I read a few things that made me feel better, although not much. The best was Paul Krugman's Tidings of Comfort, about the health care bill:

And for all its flaws and limitations, it’s a great achievement. It will provide real, concrete help to tens of millions of Americans and greater security to everyone. And it establishes the principle — even if it falls somewhat short in practice — that all Americans are entitled to essential health care.

But the economy... ugh.

Disillusionment

2009-12-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

The Honeymoon is over, people.

I haven't posted on here for some time, because I've been taking a "wait and see" attitude, wanting to give the new administration a chance to fix the sins of the previous administration, to accomplish something on their own. Anything.

What we've seen is Wall Street bailouts, and rampant spending with no plan on how to pay for it, the health care reform so badly needed gutted to something that has all of the costs and few of the benefits we hoped for, a plan for a surge in troops to Afghanistan with no real end in sight to Iraq, little progress in other areas where we'd hoped for change... Ugh. All my favorite comedy commentators on politics have seemingly turned on Obama - Jon Stewart, as usual, has been spot on. SNL has lampooned the lack of actual accomplishments. Colbert, Bill Maher... And my favorite bloggers and writers have also "turned" - Krugman, even Rolling Stone and the Huffington Post! (see bookmarks in the sidebar -->)

Yet I've hesitated to write anything because, you know, if you can't say anything nice...

And we can't blame it ALL on "the other side"...

Although, the lunatic fringe is still out there being crazy - Palin and her supporters, still provides fodder for comedians - love the SNL 2012 parody. But it also scares the HELL out of me, with the state of things currently - there is so much discontent from left, right and center she might just win, which would really be an apocalypse, as far as I'm concerned. The Birthers are still crazy, the jerkwad conservatives who are only out to stop ANYTHING from being accomplished, at the cost of the American public still at it. The fillibustering and dysfunctionality of our government at an all--time high. The stupidity of people...

Sometimes I feel like the internet, while a great source of information and learning for those with the critical thinking skills to sort out the nuggets of truth from the hogwash, has become a Pandora's box for the illiterate and stupid sheep who forward any dire warning to everyone on their email contacts - these same morons are the true believers that Obama is Kenyan, that "Death Panels" were ever a part of the health care bill, that Obama is a Socialist/Communist/Terrorist whatever. These people believe anything the Fox News and other conservative nutjobs like Glen Beck, Laura Ingraham, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or Ann Coulter tell them to believe. And they are a pack of liars. And inciters of violence and hatred and fear. I wish them all to just disappear from the face of the earth. But honestly? I don't like Olbermann much better. I hate the snide, sneering attitudes and name-calling that has become the norm for TV politics "reporting" - it's horrible and is hurting our country. Rachel Maddow is slightly better since she seems to focus a bit more on news, but her little smirks when she reports negative things about conservative just annoy me at this point and only serve to keep people in their respective corners. This is one of the reasons I love Jon Stewart. Yeah, he's a comedian, but sometimes his reporting on the issues is far superior than real news stations! AND he makes us laugh. When we laugh, we can gain perspective, on ourselves, and on each other, which helps us get past our differences and move FORWARD.

I want people to start thinking for themselves. I want people to stop hating other points of view. I want people to start actually listening to each other. I want politicians to focus on getting things done for America and Americans, NOT on political games.

I WANT MY DAMN COUNTRY BACK!!

We've got problems, people! We need to WORK TOGETHER to fix them!!! Pretty speeches alone won't do the trick. Sorry Obama. I agree with Bill Maher when he said you need to "stand up for the 70% of Americans who aren't crazy." I like to think I'm one of them.

Shatner Does Palin

2009-07-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is truly wonderful!

I think that this part of her speech is one of the only parts that really made sense, and it makes even more sense as a poem - an ode to Alaska. Hat tip to Robert Service.

John Hodgman: Nerds vs. Jocks and Obama

2009-06-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Word Cloud of Inauguration Speech

2009-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Beautiful, Inspiring, and challenging words.

Inauguration Speech

2009-01-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

From Newsweek:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Inauguration Live Coverage

2009-01-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

Good Climate Change Video

2009-01-10T22:17:00.001-08:00

How It All Ends
Be sure to check out the "expansion pack" of support/detail videos to go with this - see the sidebar (More Info) on YouTube.

I'd say the risks associated with "column A" are much less, since it looks like they are already happening, and not related to any policy changes about climate change. In fact, those policy changes may be some of what SAVES our economy - investing in the future through alternative energy, reducing dependence on oil, especially imported oil, etc.

Me? Solar panels on the roof, "Victory Garden" in the backyard, increased efficiency, decreased consumption, focus on sustainability, and spreading the word. Oh, and we buy Terra Passes, too.

Thanks to Loren for this video - Science teachers rule!

Mini-Blog in the Sidebar

2009-01-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

In case you hadn't noticed, I've got a mini-blog of sorts going in the sidebar. My decrease in posting frequency doesn't mean I stopped paying attention - I have links to pertinent articles that have come my way with my commentary added in the bookmarks sidebar. I use Diigo to do this - it's a great social bookmarking tool that allows you to bookmark sites online, add notes, comments, highlights, etc. Very useful for research! You can also post your comments directly to a blog, or do what I did and link to the RSS feed for a particular topic. Enjoy!

More Retrospection

2009-01-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

2008 Reviewed in Song:

Uncle Jay Explains: 2008 in Review!

Looking Back...

2008-12-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

2020

More Economic Woes Predicted

2008-12-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Economists Warn Anti-Bush Merchandise Market Close To Collapse

Somehow I think no one will be too sad to see this market collapse, though...

Prop 8 - The Musical

2008-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

I've been collecting lots of links and thoughts about California's Proposition 8's passage... it was a dark shadow on"Obama Day" joy for me, and much worse for so many of my friends who are in the GLTB Community. I've been thinking about what to write, what to say about this... then I saw "Prop 8 - The Musical"! Ha! Say it with humor - that's the ticket!

What it comes down to, for me, are a few key points:

It's an issue of equality, not sexuality - equal rights under the law for all people

Most of the opposition to gay marriage comes from religion, and we have a separation of church and state in this country

Even if you feel it is wrong, based on your religion, you do NOT have the right to legislate your religion, to enforce YOUR religious beliefs on those who don't share them (or even on those who do)

Here is a collection of serious articles which emphasize these points, some of which I've shared before, but which bear sharing again:

Why churches fear gay marriage | Salon News
Richard Rodriguez' thought-provoking article -

"While conservative churches are busy trying to whip up another round of culture wars over same-sex marriage, Rodriguez says the real reason for their panic lies elsewhere: the breakdown of the traditional heterosexual family and the shifting role of women in society and the church itself. As the American family fractures and the majority of women choose to live without men, churches are losing their grip on power and scapegoating gays and lesbians for their failures."
tags: politics, religion
FiveThirtyEight.com: Electoral Projections Done Right: Prop 8 Myths
This is interesting - I trust Nate Silver's take on statistics, and it looks like prop 8's passage may be more generational than race/religion-related. I mean, of COURSE it's religion-related, but within same race/religion groups, voters over 65 voted more for and younger voters voted more against. That makes more sense to me. And is, in a way (as stated in the article), more hopeful for the future of equality.
tags: politics, religion, race
YouTube - The West Wing - bible
President Bartlet totally PWNS the "Dr. Laura" character, Jenna Jacobs, on Old Testament Biblical Law. Awesome. Homosexuality is an abomination, and also... death is the punishment for working on the sabbath, selling your children into slavery is condoned, the punishment for planting two different crops side by side is stoning, mixing two types of thread into one fabric is punishable by burning, etc, etc - just awesome.
tags: religion, thought, ideas, politics
Utah Legislators Call Mormon Leadership’s Bluff on LGBT Rights
This will be interesting. But even if they DO support "equal" rights in these areas - haven't we learned? Separate is NOT equal.
tags: politics, religion
Gay marriage is a question of love - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com
This is powerful, and I have to say that I like ~reading~ Olbermann much more than watching him. There is a link to a video, too, if you like watching/listening better. It's all about honoring LOVE. Honoring commitment. HONORING marriage for what it ~should~ be.
tags: politics, religion
Why Gay Marriage Was Defeated in California - TIME - Annotated
In this case, fear, unfounded fears fanned by propaganda of religion-based beliefs, won out over hope and fairness. So sad, and so ironic that African Americans, who voted in record numbers for a candidate that gave them hope, also voted against equal rights for another group, crushing ~their~ hope.
tags: politics, religion
- a remarkable story about Rick and Pam Patterson, a Mormon couple of modest means — he drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic, she raises their five boys — who had withdrawn $50,000 from their savings account and given it to the pro-8 campaign. "It was a decision we made very prayerfully," Pam Patterson, 48, told the Bee's Jennifer Garza. "Was it an easy decision? No. But it was a clear decision, one that had so much potential to benefit our children and their children."
  - It is my fervent hope that at least one of their children, who they think they are benefiting by taking away the rights of others, IS gay, and someday wants to marry their same-sex soul mate. Only then might people like this see the error of their ways through the blinding veil of their dogma. - post by naturegeek
- African Americans voted against marriage equality by a wide margin, 69% to 31%
  - So, African Americans, who finally have realized a dream with this election, vote for others to have their dreams deferred. This is painful. - post by naturegeek
  - The irony. Ugh. - post by naturegeek
- David Paterson, is one of the nation's most eloquent pro-marriage-equality representatives. He is also, by the way, African American. Perhaps he can help bridge the gap between gays and blacks that widened on Nov. 4
  - Let's hope so! - post by naturegeek

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Not Shopping For a Better Future

2008-12-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed celebrating Buy Nothing Day - I know I did. If you don't know, Buy Nothing Day is on what retailers call "Black Friday." Yeah, the day of the biggest sales of the year, the day we are all supposed to go out on massive shopping sprees and buy all sorts of crap we don't need or buy other people all sorts of crap THEY don't need in a grand celebration of American Consumption! No Thank You.

The worker trampled to death by bargain-frenzied crowds at a Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart? Come ON people - WTF?) and the shootout at the toy store are two horrible, ugly stories that came out of Black Friday, but they are not why I celebrate Buy Nothing Day. Buying more than we need, buying things for the wrong reasons, buying things we can't afford are all part of what's gotten us into the current economic mess - I don't think we're going to be able to shop our way out of it.

We need to make the shift from conspicuous consumption to conscious consumption. Yes, we need to buy things to live, but we must learn to separate need from want, function from fashion, and smart choices from marketing - we have been fed this idea that part of the "American Dream" is that if we want something, then by god, we should have it! "Mastercard, I'm bored" sums up the essence of this idea. Can't afford something? Nonsense! Buy on credit! Pay nothing until 2010! Living above our means has become the norm rather than the foolhardy object lesson it should be. We've been taught personal accounting based on Ponzi Scheme economics - as our homes' values ballooned ever higher, we went further into debt because we had these "assets" - not thinking that balloons burst when inflated too high, and assets based on those balloons evaporate just as surely.

Good people out there in organizations such as the Center for a New American Dream have for many years been advocating conscious consumption, and other groups, such as the Compact, advocate for as little consumption as possible. It turns out that not only is reining in our consumptive culture better for our personal finances, the environment, and our health, people find they enjoy life more when the focus is less on things and more on what matters to them.

Living in under 250 square feet of space for almost two years now has certainly had an impact on my personal relationship with stuff. It's very easy to be overwhelmed with too much stuff in a small space, and also very easy to see how little we actually need. We do have a storage unit, and we are shopping for a house - one we can afford, and I wonder how I'll feel when we unpack that storage unit and see all the things we have not needed for two years? I'm thinking some things are going directly to Freecycle. I hope we can retain the lessons of living small when our quarters expand, but I know how easy it is to accumulate stuff when you have room for it. At least, maybe, it will be sustainable stuff - eco-friendly, healthy, stuff that is built to last and not throw away, stuff we use, stuff within or below our means not purchased on credit. That's ~my~ "American Dream."

Here is some more reading from my bookmarked websites on the topic - enjoy!

'Buy Nothing Day' a sign of the times? | Crave - CNET
This article is a good synopsis of Buy Nothing Day and other ways to fight rampant, senseless consumerism
tags: politics, economy, consumer
Op-Ed Contributor - Dying of Consumption - NYTimes.com
"...there is a deeper, potentially positive, meaning to all this: Consumers are now abandoning the asset-dependent spending and saving strategies they embraced during the bubbles of the past dozen years and moving back to more prudent income-based lifestyles."
tags: politics, economy
The Worst Is Yet To Come: Anonymous Banker Weighs In On The Coming Credit Card Debacle - Executive Suite Blog - NYTimes.com
This is right on! The "MasterCard, I'm Bored!" mentality has got to change - we have come to believe that we are entitled to anything we want, even if we can't afford it. That is NOT the "American Way" as some people seem to think.
tags: politics, economy
Zakaria: A More Disciplined America | Newsweek Business | Newsweek.com
Excellent article by the brilliant Fareed Zakaria - serious and yet very hopeful at the same time. We have the chance to go back to being ourselves - our best selves, and that is a good thing.
tags: economy, politics, inspiration
Forget commercialism! The new realities of consumption and the economy.
"Spending our way to prosperity? Not this time around.

As a “New Dream” economist, I am asked all the time: won’t consuming less hurt the economy? When there’s less spending, people get laid off, their incomes fall and businesses, especially small ones, go bankrupt. This question is especially urgent today, given that the recession is deepening and spreading. George Bush was widely (and rightly) criticized for suggesting shopping as the patriotic response to 9/11. Would Barack Obama be wrong if he suggested the same?

Short answer: Yes. But with this topic, there’s rarely a short answer. So here’s the longer one."
tags: consumer, economy, politics
- Let’s remember, first, that the economic crisis wasn’t caused by a decline in consumer spending. It was triggered by the bursting of the housing bubble, Wall Street excesses, and some other factors. Consumers are cutting back now, but the decline in spending is one of a series of falling dominos—more an effect of recession than a cause.
New Dream Blog » Blog Archive » Holiday shopping–just don’t
"We can find better ways to support one another than funneling our money through giant multinationals in hopes that some trickles down to its employees."
tags: economy, consumer, politics, environment
- For the last two decades, the U.S. has been a consumer-driven economy. Bursts of spending have lifted us out of a series of short, not-too-painful recessions. And consumers are well aware of their “heroic” role. They’ve been told over and over that their spending is the basis for our economy. (Less discussed is how the consumer binge led to our gaping trade deficit.)
- While some consumers have been on a debt-fueled binge for quite awhile, apparently they haven’t forgotten how to sober up. And fast. They’re acting smart and cautious. That’s a good thing. Scaling back on gifts and holiday spending this year suddenly seems like the socially acceptable thing to do. Spending liberally can feel unseemly.
- Roughly a quarter of annual spending, garbage and ecological impact occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
- We can find better ways to support one another than funneling our money through giant multinationals in hopes that some trickles down to its employees.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Obama's Thanksgiving Day Message

2008-11-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

Link to this video on YouTube

Transcript:

Good morning.

Nearly 150 years ago, in one of the darkest years of our nation's history, President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving. America was split by Civil War. But Lincoln said in his first Thanksgiving decree that difficult times made it even more appropriate for our blessings to be - and I quote - "gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people."

This week, the American people came together with families and friends to carry on this distinctly American tradition. We gave thanks for loved ones and for our lasting pride in our communities and our country. We took comfort in good memories while looking forward to the promise of change.

But this Thanksgiving also takes place at a time of great trial for our people.

Across the country, there were empty seats at the table, as brave Americans continue to serve in harm's way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. We honor and give thanks for their sacrifice, and stand by the families who endure their absence with such dignity and resolve.

At home, we face an economic crisis of historic proportions. More and more Americans are worried about losing a job or making their mortgage payment. Workers are wondering if next month's paycheck will pay next month's bills. Retirees are watching their savings disappear, and students are struggling with the cost of tuition.

It's going to take bold and immediate action to confront this crisis. That's why I'm committed to forging a new beginning from the moment I take office as President of the United States. Earlier this week, I announced my economic team. This talented and dedicated group is already hard at work crafting an Economic Recovery Plan that will create or save 2.5 million new jobs, while making the investments we need to fuel long-term economic growth and stability.

But this Thanksgiving, we are reminded that the renewal of our economy won't come from policies and plans alone - it will take the hard work, innovation, service, and strength of the American people.

I have seen this strength firsthand over many months - in workers who are ready to power new industries, and farmers and scientists who can tap new sources of energy; in teachers who stay late after school, and parents who put in that extra hour reading to their kids; in young Americans enlisting in a time of war, seniors who volunteer their time, and service programs that bring hope to the hopeless.

It is a testament to our national character that so many Americans took time out this Thanksgiving to help feed the hungry and care for the needy. On Wednesday, I visited a food bank at Saint Columbanus Parish in Chicago. There - as in so many communities across America - folks pitched in time and resources to give a lift to their neighbors in need. It is this spirit that binds us together as one American family - the belief that we rise and fall as one people; that we want that American Dream not just for ourselves, but for each other.

That's the spirit we must summon as we make a new beginning for our nation. Times are tough. There are difficult months ahead. But we can renew our nation the same way that we have in the many years since Lincoln's first Thanksgiving: by coming together to overcome adversity; by reaching for - and working for - new horizons of opportunity for all Americans.

So this weekend - with one heart, and one voice, the American people can give thanks that a new and brighter day is yet to come.

Yes. We Can. And We Will.

Obama Family Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

President-Elect Barack Obama & Family Honors Our Country

Link to YouTube if embedded video won't play for you

From the YouTube page sidebar:

The Obama family went to work at a food bank on the day before Thanksgiving, to exemplify the meaning of the holiday, especially when so many people are struggling.

This is Barack Obama's 4th year visiting to show support. Malia and Sasha joined their parents to give holiday wishes to hundreds of people who had been lined up for hours at the food bank on Chicago's south side.

The family handed out wrapped chickens to the needy in the chilly outdoor courtyard of the St. Columbanus Church. People in line also received boxes with potatoes, oranges, fresh bread, peanut butter, canned goods, oatmeal, spaghetti and coffee.

The president-elect told reporters that he wants the girls "to learn the importance of how fortunate they are, and to make sure they're giving back" and have "an understanding of what giving and Thanksgiving is all about."

Truly a community organizer thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things to be thankful for

2008-11-25T11:44:00.001-08:00

Here's a little video to give you some Thanksgiving cheer, and remind you of something we all are very thankful about.I am so thankful that this is not our VP-elect!

I'm also thankful I'm not a turkey. :)

Being an omnivore, I'm not at all grossed out by turkeys being slaughtered, but it's pretty humorous that someone set this interview shot up with that happening in the background.

Be sure to also check out the funny humor piece from the Borowitz Report, Palin Offers Thankfulnesses!

Happy Turkey Day!

Sarah Palin Turkey Incident: Does TV Interview While Turkeys Are Slaughtered In The Background (VIDEO)
Oh, poor Sarah, can't catch a break! What TV person set up this shot? After she did a fun publicity visit to a local turkey farm to officially "pardon" a Thanksgiving turkey, sparing its life, she did this interview, where turkeys are being slaughtered in the background! Oh the irony. Actually, the turkey slaughtering is the most interesting part of the video...
Palin Offers Thankfulnesses
This is so funny! :)

So many things to be thankful for!
Top 10 Sarah Palin Excuses For Turkey Slaughter (VIDEO)
Yay - here's follow up to the turkey slaughtering interview - several of Letterman's top 10 excuses made me laugh out loud :)

tags: politics, humor

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Post-Election Thoughts: On Race

2008-11-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Anita asked:

"So I was reading some stuff in your blog earlier...and I was just wondering what your opinion is about a question I have. Do you think educated people like yourself in ANY way, shape or form vote Obama because he is partly black? And if so, to what degree?"

My Answer:

Interesting that you asked that, because I was thinking of writing a post-election analysis type blog about that.

It’s complicated, but yes, I do think there is a little of that – only as in “the icing on the cake” or “cherry on top” kind of thing, though. Because I know what it would mean for so many African Americans in this country – how the simple fact of electing a black president shows the best of American democracy in action, and of the power of redemption for our society’s past sins. But by no means was it a primary reason – electing a woman would have had a similar power, but then, women aren’t minorities. Many countries in the world ~have~ elected women leaders, but would not be able to elect a member of a minority as a leader, so that made me proud of my country that we could and did.

But I know I still would have voted for him if he were white. Because of the issues, because of his campaign and his temperament during the campaign, because of Sarah Palin being so clueless and scary and extreme in her views as the VP choice of an older president. I used to like McCain, and at the beginning of the election felt that I’d be happy if either won, but during the campaign that changed quite a bit, and especially after Palin. McCain started “playing to the base” of the GOP and that is a huge turn-off, because they are the antithesis of what I stand for.

So, yes, race was important, but not more important than the candidates’ stands on the issues and on my perception of their ability to be good leaders and bring the country together. With McCain/Palin, I saw more disenfranchisement of those who disagreed with him, like Bush saying you are either for us or for the terrorists. Stupid. With Obama, I saw someone who can actually listen to the other side and even find common ground (like all those times in the debates where he said he agreed with McCain) which is the sign of a strong and fair leader in my mind.

Obama’s tax plan, his health care plan, his focus on investing in technology and support of good science, his energy plan (ahem – not “drill, baby, drill”!), and all of it I liked better than McCain’s. I think McCain’s health care plan would have been disastrous. And all the anti-science crap that kept coming out of the McCain campaign pissed me off!

In other words, if their races were switched, I DEFINITELY, no question, would still have voted for Obama. I just think it’s nice, for the country, that he also happens to be black.

And more thoughts:

The fact of Obama's race is obviously important - but ESPECIALLY to African-Americans, and also to all minorities in America. There have been so many wonderful, touching stories that have come out because of his election, and so much hope welling up, that it feels the transformation has already begun. (see the links below for just a few of those stories) Parents honestly able to tell their children they can be ANYTHING they want when they grow up, even president, is one "side-effect" that we will feel the effects of for years to come, as the "Obama Generation" grows up. A young child of a Twitter friend said, on election night, "We've never had an African American president? That doesn't make any sense.… I hope Obama wins." That's "the Obama generation." Kids that will grow up and know a new "normal."

I don't think Obama's race helped him win, as some conservatives say. I think Obama's race, along with an incredible amount of groundwork by dedicated volunteers, helped a lot of people in this country put aside any lingering racism when they cast their ballot. And THAT, my friends... that is a victory worthy of celebration by everyone.

New Yorker Cover Commemorating Obama's Election

2008-11-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

"I've been fortunate enough to do a number of New Yorker covers, but being chosen to create the cover that commemorates Barack Obama's historic election as the first African-American President of the United States is not only flattering, it's beyond humbling."

-- Bob Staake, Illustrator

Order a Print of this Cover

Obama - the Aftermath

2008-11-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

HAHAHAHAHAAHA!

hahaha ha ha sigh... HAHAHAHAA ha ha giggle... HAHAHA *snort* haha ha ha

I can't stop laughing at this!

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

44 Presidents

2008-11-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

Changing the face of the American Presidency - finally.

HAPPY OBAMA DAY!!

2008-11-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am filled with "unyielding hope" for a better future. But at the same time, sad about California's prop 8 apparently passing. It's a mixed up world, when we can elect one minority for president and take away the rights of another minority group on the same day.

I would rather have both, but if I was forced to choose one, I would have chosen the Obama win. No... that doesn't make the passage of prop 8 any less bitter? Well I thought I'd give it a try. Still, the Obama victory, and not just by a slim margin, is sweet, so sweet!

There is much work to be done! Time to roll up our sleeves and get busy.

YES WE CAN!!!

What Now?

2008-11-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

President-Elect Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech

2008-11-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Transcript:

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton, and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady, Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod, who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics. You made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change.

And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people.

Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

THAT WON!!!

2008-11-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!

2008-11-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

WE. MADE. HISTORY.

Election News for the Obsessive Compulsive

2008-11-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

Five Thirty Eight dot com: Electoral Projections Done Right. Nate Silver Rocks. Quoting @vmarinelli, who I follow on Twitter, "When Obama wins, I will stop compulsively refreshing http://fivethirtyeight.com."

Check the sidebar - the Daily KOS Electoral Map should update automatically as electoral results come in. Click the orange "enlarge" button at the top to open it full size in a new window! Here it is a little bigger:

Google has a mashup 2008 Elections Map, too. Oddly, since Blogger is owned by Google, I couldn't get it to scale properly for embedding, so you'll have to go there by clicking the link.

I found the last one from this article: Where to Get Election Day results from C|net with links to several good resources.

Okay, gotta go hit refresh on fivethirtyeight... and check the maps... OCD FTW!

Voting Stories

2008-11-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

The start of a collection of inspirational stories from my favorite American experience - Democracy In Action in the voting booth:

A story connecting this election to the future:
I Didn't Vote for Obama Today
This one made me cry (in a good way)

And a story connecting it to the past:
109 year old daughter of a slave votes for Obama
Talk about "living history"! Truly amazing.

And some campaign stories:

Barack Obama is a Muslim
Wonderful story about truth overcoming fear fed by lies and misinformation on the campaign trail

We are perhaps better than we thought.

I hope to add more stories as I find them - send me yours, or others you found inspirational!

Life Imitates Art - or is it the other way around?

2008-11-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

Update: Life Imitates "The West Wing"
If you notice some uncanny similarities between the 2008 presidential campaign and the final seasons of "The West Wing," there's a good reason. Torie Bosch explains.

Beautiful Obama Photos

2008-11-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Digital Journalist - Callie Shell's Obama photos

I really liked this image in particular, about which the photographer said,

"Senator Obama was doing press interviews by telephone in a holding room between events. Sometime later as he was getting ready to begin his event, he asked me if I was photographing his shoes. When I said yes, he told me that he had already had them resoled once since he entered the race a year earlier. Providence, R.I., 3/1/2008."

Be sure to click the "Show More Images" at the bottom each time - there are many wonderful, inspiring, beautiful photos that give insight into the kind of man our next president (barring a miracle or a crime) is.
Digital Journalist - Callie Shell's Obama photos

ROFLMAO-CGU*

2008-11-04T09:34:00.001-08:00

I dedicate this song to YOU, my Liberal Friends!

Link: To Be A Liberal (in case embedded video doesn't work for you - issues reported)

I love Roy Zimmerman.

Don't bruise your nose hugging a tree on the way to the polls today, Liberal Friends!! :)

*rolling on the floor laughing my ass off - can't get up!

VOTING DAY!!! You can vote however you like...

2008-11-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Helen for sending this out!! Fills my eyes with tears of joy - I LOVE DEMOCRACY!!

You Can Vote However You Like

The kids from the Ron Clark Academy performing live "You Can Vote However You Like," a parody to TI's "Whatever You Like". Atlanta Georgia Ron Clark Academy.

Lyrics:

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain is the man
Fought for us in Vietnam
You know if anyone can
Help our country he can
Taxes droppin low
Dont you know oils gonna flow
Drill it low
I'll show our economy will grow
McCain's the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They'll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama's new, he's younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He'll bring a change, he's got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq's a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes - you know Obama Won't
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS - You know McCain won't!
Have enough experience - you know that they don't
STOP GLOBAL WARMING - you know that you won't

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you're going to have some drama
We need it
HE'LL BRING IT
He'll be it
YOU'LL SEE IT
We'll do it
GET TO IT
Let's move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I'm talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gonna have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN'T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Interview with the students - wow, what a GREAT bunch of kids!!

Why Vote for Barack Obama?

2008-11-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

Election Eve... and I'm thinking I should post reasons why we are voting for Obama, following Obama's own example in the "Obamamercial" which focused on what he will do as president, on where we will go as a country, and in which there was no mention of McCain/Palin. It was refreshing and inspiring, and if you haven't seen it, definitely take the time to watch it.

One interesting thing about Obama's speeches in general, is that they are not easily reduced to sound bites and talking points, and, as this Newsweek article from way back in April points out, that is deliberate.

As much as the opposition tries to paint Obama as a radical, extremist, socialist, Marxist, and even terrorist sympathizer, he is winning because he is not any of those things, and in fact, he's a centrist. Of course, when you are looking into the middle from the extreme fringe, like many that try to paint him with those labels, it looks like the opposite extreme. It's all about your perspective.

People in the Middle recognize Obama for what he is, though: http://www.peopleinthemiddleforobama.org/
I think the real strength of his candidacy is that he does speak for the middle – which is to say, the bulk of Americans. Some of us are more left than he is, more green than he is, etc, but I think we feel he will listen to our side, AND he’ll listen to the other side, and he’ll likely make some compromise. I HATE the idea of “clean coal” for example. But I love the idea of investing for the future in clean tech, and really supporting moving in cleaner, greener, more energy independent directions. So there are going to be some things that I disagree with Obama on, but I still think he will make the best decisions as a leader for the whole country, not just the left or right, but all of us.

Not only is Obama the best choice for the bulk of Americans in the middle, he's also favored by the bulk of the rest of the world:
Why Obama is better for the US – and the World

Here is an excellent (and longer) Time article on why Obama is winning. The part about Obama's meeting with General Petraeus was especially telling. He is a leader, and a decision-maker, but also a respectful listener and one who not only knows strategy from tactics, but is a strategic, big picture thinker, which we sorely need in charge. Very good article, with excellent insights into Obama's character and leadership qualities:
Why Barack Obama Is Winning

I’m sure you’ve heard that along with most major newspapers in the nation, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s largest newspaper, has endorsed Barack Obama!
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/567867.html

And other reasons we are voting for Obama...

What Bill Clinton said:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/bill_clintons_speech_at_obamas.html

And... what Colin Powell said:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/

And... what The Economist said:
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12516666&source=features_box_main

And... what Ronald Reagan said (and a former Reagan ad maker):
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/are_you_better_off_rev_2.php

And... what Tim O'Reilly said:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/10/why-i-support-barack-obama.html

And... what Linus Torvalds said: (yeah, that Linus - the Linux guy)
http://torvalds-family.blogspot.com/2008/11/black-and-white.html

(the last two are examples of why techies favor Obama by a very large margin)

Lots of great, clearly spelled out, thoughtful reasons why people support Obama. If he's so extreme, why would so many moderate Conservatives endorse him? He has taken the high road, again and again, telling his crowds they don't need to boo McCain, they just need to vote, for example. Not rising to the various bait that McCain's campaign has dangled repeatedly in front of him, accusing him of first this, then that - he has remained respectful, thoughtful, intelligent, careful yet strong, cool and calm, unflappable, implacable, "no drama Obama" and that, "my friends," is presidential.

Now Get Out And VOTE!

(The nerdy guy in the shirt and tie is my hero, Roy Zimmerman, backing up Laura Love on her song, "Yes We Can.")

Anti-Intellectualism and Anti-Science in America

2008-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Anti-Intellectualism

We have seen ample evidence of the McCain/Palin campaign being "anti-science" and I am going to share just a few here. But first, the idea of anti-intellectualism. It's apparent in the language used by conservatives - Obama isn't well-educated and smart, he's "elite" which translates in people's minds as "elitist." I've never understood why you'd want your drinking buddy instead of the smartest guy in school to be leader of the free world, and apparently, neither does the rest of the world:
How these gibbering numbskulls came to dominate Washington
The degradation of intelligence and learning in American politics results from a series of interlocking tragedies

Way back in August, before I started blogging about this, I read a great op-ed by Charles Krugman, Know Nothing Politics Recall, this is before Palin. Also before Krugman won a Nobel Prize in Economics. Yeah, take that you anti-intellectuals! My favorite Op-Ed writer for the New York Times is also a Nobel Prize winner. In Economics. Yeah, that thing that nobody else seems to understand these days. AND he's a liberal! Touche! Okay, enough gloating (for the moment). Here's a quote from the article, and since adding Palin to the ticket, it's only gotten worse, as you may have noticed!

"...know-nothingism — the insistence that there are simple, brute-force, instant-gratification answers to every problem, and that there’s something effeminate and weak about anyone who suggests otherwise — has become the core of Republican policy and political strategy. The party’s de facto slogan has become: “Real men don’t think things through.”

Or, in other words, it can all be boiled down into talking points and slogans.

When searching for that article, I came across two others on the same topic with slightly different perspectives, but both compare the current state of the G.O.P. to the Know-Nothing Party:
How the Republicans went from a party of dissident intellectuals to a party that disdains the educated class as a whole: The Class War Before Palin

And this one with a historical perspective from the Daily KOS, comparing modern-day Republicans to the "Know-Nothings" of Lincoln's era: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/11/152556/66/710/622713

I think, I hope, that people are starting to wake up to this. Intelligent and decent Republicans have been crossing party lines quite publicly to endorse Obama, from Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley and (former) editor of the National Review, to Colin Powell, to one of McCain's campaign advisors.

Anti-Science

The Anti-Science crowd are a sub-group of the anti-intellectual crowd. As a science educator, I am embarrassed by them, and the failure in science education that they represent. They don't understand the process of science, the very basics of testable hypotheses, and complain that "scientists are always 'changing their minds'" anyway. That's because science is NOT dogma, people! Science is constantly examining itself - peer review, reproducible results, and testing with new and better tools all the time. Here are a few examples of the anti-science sentiments from McCain and Palin:

Famous "Overhead Projector":

This:

Not This:

McCain and his earmarks obsession: we've gone over this before, but all of the examples of bad spending bills that McCain has brought up have been science-related!

Planetaria as "foolishness"

Before this one, McCain criticized another earmark that was studying Grizzly Bear DNA. Okay, just about ANY DNA study can provide benefit - we share a lot of the same genes, even with bears. And this is to help wildlife managers study the habits and ranges of grizzlies they have to manage in National Parks and other areas like Yellowstone, where understanding behavior and territory of these magnificent beasts is essential to people's health and welfare who visit, live, work and ranch in the areas where they live.

And Palin... oh wow. There is just TOO much material here!

Most recently, though, is her failure to understand High School Biology. Memo To Palin: Fruit Fly Research Has Led To Advances In Understanding Autism
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/24/palin-fruit-flies/

And a whole lot more about that same thing:

In Case You Weren't Scared Enough: Palin on "Fruit Fly Research"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-palmer-and-rob-pringle/in-case-you-werent-scared_b_138089.html

Beyond the Palin:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/25/beyond-the-palin/

Sarah Palin: Ignorant and anti-science
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/10/sarah_palin_ignorant_and_antis.php

Of course, her belief that The Flintstones is based on fact (seriously - she thinks dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together - is a young earth creationist), her opposition to scientists' findings on listing polar bears and beluga whales as endangered, and her denial of the huge amount of scientific evidence for human-caused global warming all add to this picture.

I can't help but feel that if we elected McCain/Palin, we would be starting (or continuing what the Bush administration started) down the path of a new dark age of scientific reason.

UPDATE: an even better article about the anti-science positions of the McCain/Palin ticket - this article goes into more detail about the Grizzly DNA study as well:
The GOP ticket's appalling contempt for science and learning. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine

Accusations, Smears, Misinformation, and the Politics of Language

2008-10-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

The McCain campaign and the right wing have been engaging in a lot of loose talk lately, as you may have noticed. Accusations of socialism, Marxism, communism, voter fraud that "threatens democracy," terrorist pals, are over the top and ridiculous, but the sad thing is, people believe this crap. Critical thinking is our most precious endangered species in this nation, though reason seems to be winning out this time - barely.

Here is a very insightful look at the language used in the campaign, specifically by Palin, while throwing out these outrageous accusations and smears: What Sarah Palin is Saying. He makes thought-provoking points about Palin’s choice of language and its danger. The “code-switching” argument makes SO much sense, and it has made me start to think that Palin isn't as dumb as she sometimes acts, but far more dangerous. Excellent post!!

On "Socialism"

Conservatives have been raising the specter of socialism for many decades - any time anyone comes up with a good health insurance plan, for example, it's "Socialized Medicine" - oooooh. Scary. And why is it scary? Hard to say, actually. Especially since most plans have been a pretty far cry from actual socialism. But people are not very bright, and they equate socialism, a type of economy, with communism, a type of government. They forget there are lots of very successful social democracies, and that socialism doesn't threaten democracy. And they forget there are many gradations of hybrid systems between pure free market capitalism and socialism, and our current brand of capitalism is one. Here are some more thoughts on this...

THIS is rich:

"We're set up, unlike other states in the union, where it's collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs."

- Gov. Sarah Palin, quoted by the New Yorker, a few weeks before she was nominated for vice president.

Wow. Just wow. That sounds a LOT more like “socialism” than any mundane progressive tax plan by a democrat. The Collective owns the resources and shares the wealth. Yeah....

(and, I’m not sayin’ I think that’s a BAD thing, I'd like it if I lived in Alaska, I’m just sayin’, you know, Palin is pretty ballsy to talk about Obama wanting to “share the wealth” and “sounds like socialism” for his TAX plan – sheesh.)

And, comparing tax plans, there’s not a whole lot of difference, except McCain’s HUGE tax breaks for the wealthy, and Obama’s bigger (yet still moderate) tax breaks for the middle and lower income folks:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/index.htm

And even Alan Greenspan has lost faith in pure free market economics (and also realized Ayn Rand is dead... and a novelist):
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/24/BUI513N8QM.DTL

On "Voter Fraud"

Everyone heard John McCain say in the last debate that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." This is a pretty ridiculous statement, considering all ACORN is doing is registering people to vote. There are much greater threats to the "fabric of democracy" which result in actual votes being uncounted, such as voter suppression, faulty machines, not to mention the dreaded "hanging chads" type of issue. Thousands of registrations that don't quite match up to identity information may be discarded - because of things like one using a middle initial, and the other not, or transpositions, etc. Disenfranchisement, to my mind, is a much greater threat to democracy that some poor schmuck who wanted to make a few extra bucks off of registering voters turning in registrations for entire football teams and the like. ACORN itself flags suspicious registrations, but is required to turn them in. Because it is helping by turning in large numbers of flagged registrations, it is now a threat to democracy? I think not.

On the other hand, anonymous fliers posted in poor neighborhoods, warning people not to vote "for their own protection" (because they might be arrested for unpaid parking tickets, etc), constitutes voter suppression, and that IS a threat to democracy. Using foreclosure lists to deny those with a foreclosed home listed as their address the right to vote is also voter suppression, and was rightly discarded as a tactic recently. Who do you think those foreclosed upon homeowners and poor people in blighted neighborhoods are likely to vote for? The guy who wants to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy? I think not. None of them ever saw any good from "trickle down" economics before, and they don't expect to this time, either.

Donna Brazile again, on ACORN:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/27/brazile-acorn-issue-a-republican-hype/

Speaking of language used, McCain calling ACORN a "threat to democracy" is so over the top and ridiculous - a cynical tactic to enflame right wing fear, in my opinion. See my previous post on ACORN and how they, themselves, flag all suspicious registrations but are required to submit them. These so-called "fraudulent" registrations do not represent actual voters that will turn up at the polls - who's going to risk a 10 year jail sentence for a vote? Most are mistakes (people not sure they are registered, so they registered more than once), many are from over-zealous people registering voters - some just encouraging multiple registration (to be sure), and some trying to make extra money by turning in more registrations.

Slate has a great article from 2 weeks ago about this: Nuts About ACORN. They get to the heart of the matter in the second paragraph when they say,

"Evidence of voter-registration wrongdoing is no more a sign of widespread, Obama-sanctioned vote fraud than evidence of minorities being misled and intimidated on Election Day is a sign of official, McCain-sanctioned vote suppression. What's the real point of turning voter-registration shenanigans into "one of the greatest frauds in voter history"? The object here is not criminal indictments. It's to undermine voter confidence in the elections system as a whole. John McCain wants to build a better bogeyman, and he needs your help to do it."

I heard Jonah Goldman, of the non-partisan voting group National Campaign for Fair Elections, talking about this on NPR/Fresh Air yesterday – it was great to hear it being discussed rationally. There have been accusations of voter fraud on both sides, with the right wing targeting ACORN, a community activist voter registration organization, and the left shouting about voting machine conspiracies and voter suppression. Being on the left, I'm more worried about the latter, but they do have a voter hotline set up to help secure voters' rights on Nov. 4: 866 Our Vote.

And TerroristS

If you haven't read it yet, READ the article on Palin's language mentioned above, What Sarah Palin is Saying - it is very good. Notice she always says "terroristS," plural, when they are only talking about one guy, William Ayers (college professor, education reformer, on charitable boards funded by the conservative Annenberg with conservatives on the board, but Obama's "pallin' around" with him is equivalent to consorting with terrorists). And she also doesn't use the word "domestic" with terrorist - which heightens that sense of "other" and risk she wants to promulgate among her supporters. Her language is treachery, and I can only hope it does not lead people to take what they see as the law into their own hands at our country's great expense.

So, we know about Ayers, and we know about Palin and the Alaskan Secessionist party, and McCain and G. Gordon Liddy, who he is proud to call a friend, but what about those domestic terrorists near and dear to Ms. Palin's conservative fundamentalist anti-choice heart? Yes, I'm talking about those who bomb medical establishments where, among other things, abortions are performed, and kill or maim doctors, nurses, patients and bystanders in the process. What does Ms "Pallin' Around With Terrorists" think of them? Well, she sure couldn't bring herself to call them domestic terrorists:
Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under this definition?
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say-anymore.html

There are good comments on this post as well! Two of my favorites:

A couple of things immediately come to mind...mainly from bumper stickers..."How can you be Pro-Life and Pro-War?" and "Against Abortion? Don't have one!" I still don't understand how the Republican party consistently, not only blends but, flaunts the overlap of church and state in everything they do. I think that it should be mandatory to read and understand the constitution and the bill of rights before being allowed to cast any votes for anyone on any issue or to run for office.

and, on another topic:

RE: mouse's comment about the media asking Palin tough questions about conservative issues...etc

1. She's totally unknown, so more questions are asked. And she's been in hiding from the media, so every interview is highly scrutinized.

2. The questions are asked because SHE goes there, and the natural follow up is "More information please?" I.e. "Oh, I get my world view from books and other media" the natural follow up would be "well, what specifically,"....It's her problem if she can't answer with ONE name of a newspaper. When SHE makes the claim that Obama is palling around with terrorists, it makes sense for a reporter to say "well, let's revisit the definition of a terrorist when you're talking about domestic bombings."

3. She's way more conservative than McCain, and she's unapologetically vocal about it, so the questions go there. Especially roe v. wade questions, something people want to know in light of the stats that a large majority of American do NOT want roe overturned.

Which brings me to another "-ism": Sexism

Conservatives are crying foul and sexism when the media asks Palin "tough questions" (like what magazines do you read - huh?). I think this is the opposite of sexism - a good candidate, male or female, should be able to answer tough questions, should be able to state their position clearly, should be able to back up their claims, and should be informed on the issues. That is the least we should expect! Palin is asked questions about ridiculous claims she's made, like she has foreign policy experience because Alaska is across the Bering Strait from Russia (huh?), and that she has stronger experience than Obama as mayor of a tiny town and governor for less than 2 years., and that Obama "pals around with terrorists," among others.

I also don't think it's sexist to talk about the $150,000 wardrobe budget, even though I do agree there IS a double standard when it comes to what is considered acceptable for men's and women's clothing. I don't care too much about it, but it's just a little inconsistent with the "Hockey Mom" and "Joe Six Pack" image she promotes, besides being 3 years' salary for many middle class voters. I mean, they could have found better deals, ya know? But, dang, she looks good, doesn't she? Yeah... um, conservatives with "I'm voting for the hot chick" buttons aren't sexist, though.

You know what I think is sexism? The cynical way the McCain campaign picked her for VP - it did a disservice to much better qualified women everywhere and smacks of tokenism and mere political strategy, hardly the "country first" rhetoric of the campaign. But don't take my word for it - I have links in previous posts from Gloria Steinem, NOW, and many other feminists who feel the same, some of them conservatives.

Satire: Great Moments in Election Year Blogging

I'd like to end with another kind of language: satire.

Warning: Satire worthy of his namesake!!
http://jonswift.blogspot.com/2008/10/great-moments-in-election-year-blogging.html
(for those who may not know, Jonathan Swift was a great satirist, wrote Gulliver’s Travels as political satire, and also “A Modest Proposal” about how the solution to the Irish problem is to have them eat their young... He was the Stephen Colbert of his day. Jon Swift, the author of this blog, follows closely in those footsteps. As an example, I give you the author's first paragraph:

No matter what happens in this year’s election, the conservative blogosphere deserves to win a collective Pulitzer Prize for its election-year coverage. While the mainstream media has given Americans a very distorted picture of Barack Obama, portraying him as a thoughtful, intelligent, unflappable, decent family man who has the temperament and judgment to be President, the conservative blogosphere has been the only place where you can get the real story. Hampered by quaint, old-fashioned rules of journalism that require citing evidence and reputable sources, the mainstream media has failed to report a number of important stories about Obama and the conservative blogosphere has had to step up and do the media’s job for them. As a public service I have collected some of the most important of these stories in one place. Pulitzer Prize judges, take note!

Guffaw! But really, reading this is not for the faint of heart, or the high of blood pressure, or the easily outraged. In fact, I didn't read it all myself. I couldn't stand it. See if you can do better!

Race and Politics Redux

2008-10-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

In spite of recent disturbing events, there have been a number of wonderful articles lately examining current issues with cool heads and thoughtful perspectives, and I'd like to share a few today.

First, the sad case of Ashley Todd, the McCain campaign volunteer who is so afraid of an Obama presidency that she faked a mugging and scratched a backwards "B" into her own face. Lots has been said about her, but I don't think I've seen anything as thoughtful and constructive in terms of perspective on the event as this post from The Kitchen Table. This is an excellent article, and ends with a positive note. Two Princeton professors who are African American women started this blog as a conversation with each other about race, politics, religion, popular culture – not surprisingly, they have some great insights:
http://princetonprofs.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-supporter-lies-about-attack.html

Next, a different perspective, from a former southerner, who examines the racism with which he grew up in light of some recent events surrounding Obama's candidacy. It is a wonderful, thoughtful article on racial attitudes in this country, from a personal point of view:
http://beyond-school.org/2008/10/28/race-and-voting/

Wonkette, on the other hand, wasn't so gentle! Here's her post, "A Children’s Treasury of Wingnut Reactions to Cut-Nut Ashley Todd Confessing Her Racist Fantasy" making fun of the right wing reaction to the story. If you're tired of all the thoughtfulness of the previous two posts, enjoy! http://wonkette.com/403804/a-childrens-treasury-of-wingnut-reactions-to-cut-nut-ashley-todd-confessing-her-racist-fantasy

And of course, the Twitterati, Twitterverse, Tweeple, whatever - folks on Twitter, were merciless. That's why I love them. Tweets Give Race-Baiting Hoaxster a 'B' for Effort

Maggie's Got a Brand New Blog

2008-10-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

The 2008 presidential election has me glued to the media, and by media, I mean the "liberal elite media," the "regular liberal media" and the "mainstream gotcha media"! I've been getting so much good material from various sources, I just had to start sharing them with people. I started a "Liberal Friends" email list, and then realized I have so much good material there, I should be posting it to a blog. So here it is,: my brand new blog on politics, which I will start with my last 20 emails to my "Liberal Friends" list, dated when I sent them out. And any new emails I send out, I'll go ahead and post here. I hope you find it entertaining, informative, and helpful!

Maggie

Acorn, Gay Marriage, Anti-Americanism, Socialism, the Real America, and more!

2008-10-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

I haven’t sent anything out in a while, and you all have sent several good things my way – thanks! I’ve been saving up... So this is a long one. Take your time! Put your feet up! Enjoy... :)

Acorn!!!

I just watched this video/read this blog post on Acorn, and it’s awesome. PLEASE help educate people and spread the word!
http://beyond-school.org/2008/10/23/educating-about-acorn/
What Republicans are calling voter fraud is a massive voter registration drive among poor, minorities, students, and other eligible voters the GOP would just as soon have NOT vote. VERY good video.

Yes – Acorn is not a “threat to democracy” as McCain stated, but rather the very basis of democracy, that every citizen has the right, the opportunity, and the duty to vote.

Prop 8/Equal Rights to Marry

For those of you in California, Proposition 8 is the one aiming to take away the equal right to marry for gay couples. No matter how you feel about homosexuality, when you look at it as a civil rights issue, the decision is easy. I think those supporting it are on the wrong side of history, just as those opposing equal rights for “coloreds” and women and others seeking to discriminate under whatever guise in the past. I never understood how anyone else’s marriage would threaten yours, anyone else’s religious beliefs would threaten yours, anyone else’s choice of partners would threaten yours... I strongly believe in equality, and as Brown vs. the Board of Education taught us over 50 years ago, separate is NOT equal. (hehe – I can name more Supreme Court cases than Sarah Palin!)

I happen to have numerous gay friends who are all wonderful people (of course – they’re MY friends, aren’t they? :), but even if you don’t, don’t fall victim to the homophobic propaganda that the pro-proposition 8 crowd has been putting out there – churches will NOT lose their tax-exempt status if they refuse to perform same-sex marriages. “Gay education” will not be required. Read on...

Here are some moving, convincing, and humorous arguments in support of the equal right to marry – and if you support equal rights, vote NO on proposition 8!

If you haven’t seen this, the Republican Mayor of San Diego made this very moving speech in support of gay marriage over a year ago – it’s very worth watching, and he makes an eloquent civil rights argument. It’s hard to watch without choking up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAOkwjQdm6Q

"The concept of a 'separate but equal' institution is not something I can support."
"In the end, I could not look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships -- their very lives -- were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife, Rana."

This is a courageous, honorable man, and he’s a Republican! I wish there were a LOT more like him.

Equality California and noonprop8.com for some antidote to the spin that’s out there:
http://www.eqca.org/
California Teachers oppose prop 8, and despite what the supporters of prop 8 say, teachers (and many others) say it will not change what is taught in schools:
http://www.noonprop8.com/
Here are more facts vs. fiction (and fear-mongering) about prop 8:
http://www.noonprop8.com/about/fact-vs-fiction

And a little humor:
Roy Zimmerman, one of my favorite comedian/songwriters (he’s a latter day Tom Lehrer! http://www.youtube.com/user/RoyZimmerman or http://www.royzimmerman.com/) has this wonderful song, Defenders of Marriage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bja2ttzGOFM

(we must protect marriage... From people who want to... GET MARRIED!!)

Anti-Americanism

You all probably know about this, too – it seems foolish for McPalin to attack Obama for serving on two educational boards with former Weather Underground/current college professor/education reformer Bill Ayers, when Palin was “pallin’ around with true anti-Americans, the Alaskan Secessionist party, and McCain was pallin’ around with the likes of G. Gordon Liddy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniG9l_7its
The idea that you would restrict your associations to only those who think like you is the antithesis of real thinking, but supporting a group that wants your state to secede from the union by speaking to their convention while you are governor of that state seems.. A bit... Off.

Letterman and McCain – G. Gordon Liddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpGdL1K46Hc

Socialism

The other Anti-American charge being made against Obama is that he’s “experimenting with socialism.”
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008294130_webcampsocialism21.html
And besides, I wondered to myself, with capitalism taking a nose dive with the stock market, maybe now IS a good time to experiment with socialism! Ha. I think the world is a smaller place, and socialism isn’t seen as the evil it once was, back in the 50’s and 60’s, so I don’t think this campaign tactic will have much effect. That and the fact that, as the article above states, it’s NOT socialism, it’s just typical progressive taxation. Duh.

What the Attack Ads really show – in John McCain’s own words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsX2Gx9jl_o
Yep. No vision.

Real America

Daily Show in Real America: Wasilla – I can’t send one of these out without something from the Daily Show!! This is awesome:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=188638&title=understanding-real-america-in

Two Americas vs Real America (ie, “pro-America parts of America”) - good article:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/21/real-america-two-americas/

The good news is that these divisive tactics are NOT working – in fact they are backfiring! You’ve all probably heard Michelle Bachman on Hardball saying not only that she thought Obama was anti-American, but that there should be an inquiry into the anti-Americanism in the liberal democrats in the Senate – omg. Can you say, “McCarthyism”? Her opponent, who no one had heard of much before, suddenly got huge amounts of donations in the next few days after that, and her re-election is now in danger.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/17/gop-rep-channels-mccarthy_n_135735.html

These things give me faith in my fellow Americans – finally! And here’s one more:

Religious Discrimination and standing up for freedom (Republicans!)

It was very heartening to see McCain supporters in Virginia (or West Virginia?) chase off the anti-Muslim propagandists outside a McCain campaign event. There were Muslims and Christians alike challenging the guy. It was great. And the guy from McCain’s campaign was very clear in his statements about it – sadly, more clear than what is coming from the top of their ticket, but at least it shows that there is hope for Republicans!

Video of anti-Muslim propagandist being confronted by McCain supporters at a rally:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1463341016?bctid=1866657225
(sadly, when I searched for this video, which I saw on TV, I found more links from extreme right wing groups than links to this video – but it’s still heartening to see the video)

I was also pleased to hear what Colin Powell said about how people aren’t asking the next question after “Is Obama a Muslim” (which, of course, he isn’t, but it shouldn’t matter!). Devin and I have Muslim friends – we went to their wedding earlier this year. They are good people, no more extremists than most Baptists are abortion clinic bombers. Extremism, fundamentalism, and hate can occur in any religion, even – gasp – Buddhism. Equating one religion with its extremes does freedom no good.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27265369/
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/10/powell_rejects_islamophobia.html

And of course you must know Powell isn’t the only prominent conservative jumping ship for Obama:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/10/christopher_buckley_leaves_nat.html
http://www.barack-obama-now.com/blog/?p=274

Women’s Issues and Palin

The best candidate FOR women isn’t necessarily the one that has the ovaries. Just sayin’. I already sent the Gloria Steinem Op-Ed from the LA Times a while back – this is nothing new. Here’s Palin trying to make the case she is better for women:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/21/1577943.aspx
Some of you already got this from Shaun earlier – NOW (National Organization for Women) supports Obama:
http://www.nowpacs.org/2008/obama/
And when I got that email, I happened to be watching this video, appropriately:
“Please Sarah”
http://perezhilton.com/tv/index.php?ptvid=2b951320ddf71

And a little Palin humor – I’m pretty sure you’ve all seen this one, as several of you have sent it to me as well, but it’s fun to play with:
http://www.palinaspresident.us/

More Humor

I hope you ALL saw McCain and Obama at the 63rd Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, but in case you missed it, it was wonderful, refreshing, funny, and still respectful – I laughed so hard – McCain was actually hysterical! I thought, oh no, Obama can’t compete with the stand up routine! But he did good, too. Laughter is healing – enjoy:
UPDATE:
I heard that some of these were taken down (network stuff often gets taken down from YouTube, depending on the network) so I found some others that are still up. Here they are:
John McCain Part I
John McCain Part II
Barack Obama Part I
Barack Obama Part II
(there may be better versions available as well - if any of these don't work for you or have been taken down, just do a YouTube search for "Alfred E. Smith McCain Obama" and I'm sure you'll find several)
Enjoy!

Great PSA on “Talking to your Parents about McCain”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxvHkFLmqRk

And here are a few pithy quotes from Rednecks for Obama!!

http://www.rednecks4obama.com/page3.php

"I don't care about his beer, I care about his intelligence."
"We've had many democratic presidents, and we will still have our guns."
"He is brilliant. And he's not an elitist, though he has the education to be."
-Tony Viessman, Co-Founder - Rednecks for Obama

"We need to build the economy from the bottom up, none of this trickle down business. Just because you're white and southern don't mean you have to vote Republican."
- Les Spencer, Co-Founder - Rednecks for Obama

"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."
- President William Jefferson Clinton (08/27/08)

"How many times do you have to get hit over the head before you figure out who's hitting you?"
- Harry S. Truman (talking to farmers about why they shouldn't vote Republican anymore) sent to us by Jonny in California

"A poor man voting for a Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."
- Sent to us by Adam, in North Carolina

"There's a line from a Stephen King book: 'Country don't mean dumb.' You'd have to be dumb not to see that Obama is the right choice. I'm proud to be a Redneck for Obama."

And last, but not least, I leave you with the wonderful David Sedaris – who ARE these undecided voters?
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/10/27/081027sh_shouts_sedaris?currentPage=all

Opie, Andy, and The Fonz Speak Out

2008-10-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t seen this, check it out.
It really made me smile :) (see!)
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d

Humorous follow up (finally, some lightening up!)

2008-10-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is SO funny – it’s the actual minutes of a 1996 Town Meeting in Wasilla, Alaska, that Sarah Palin presided over as mayor, presented as a “dramatic reading”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMocEINn-E8
It’s wonderful. All by itself it’s wonderful, but as an excellent example of the kind of governing experience Palin has, it’s priceless!

And some visuals – if the candidates were trains:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13802473@N08/2927933478/

And Craig Ferguson, or as I like to call him, Crrrrrrraig Ferrrrrrrrguson, had one of McCain’s speechwriters on his show – I wasn’t surprised about the carrier pigeons, but some of the other inside information – wow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2P76NbY0_c&feature=related

I think the Town Meeting Wins. :)

Updates on racism and violent rhetoric - some good reads

2008-10-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

I started this earlier and news has overtaken it! Comedy to follow this tragedy shortly, I promise!

This one is heroic – and if I had seen it before sending, I would have included it in the Race section of the last email:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95591135

“A top U.S. labor leader is making an unusually blunt pitch to working-class white voters in key battleground states. Longtime United Mine Workers President Richard Trumka, who is now secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, is making the case for Sen. Barack Obama.”

And this is an excellent letter to McCain, from a Republican and former supporter, in the Baltimore Sun, regarding his dangerous campaign that encourages hatred and potentially violence:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.mccain10oct10,0,7557571.story

And it looks like McCain’s campaign is completely unapologetic. Unbelievable. I hope Obama wins a landslide as people desert his sinking campaign!
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/10/1529529.aspx

UPDATE: McCain is now, too little, too late, attempting to put the genie back into the bottle:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/10/mccain-defends-his-rabid_n_133710.html

At least he is finally speaking up. I don’t think McCain is evil, but I think great evil could be done by people who take campaign rhetoric literally, and that is frightening. I hope McCain realizes what he has done, or has allowed to be done in his name, and is genuinely horrified. He was booed by his own supporters when he tried to tell them Obama was not an Arab terrorist, but a decent man with whom he had fundamental differences.

Irrationality, Anti-Science, Dangerous Tactics, and Race in the race

2008-10-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, so I’ve been waiting for a coherent theme to develop before sending, but it’s getting more incoherent all the time. Maybe that’s the theme.

So here’s some random tidbits, after which a theme should emerge:

Responding to the “Palling around with Terrorists” accusation, some of Palin’s un-American activities:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/

And this is not a joke:
http://www.observer.com/2008/media/hugh-hewitts-how-sarah-palin-won-election-and-saved-america-does-not-yet-have-publisher

Neither is this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_el_pr/palin_troopergate_15
But we’ll find out the results of that probe soon. Either way it turns out, exonerating yourself is a little silly.

A little bit on McCain’s claim of a three million dollar earmark for an “overhead projector” for the Adler Planetarium. That one’s gotten a lot of science and education folks’ hackles up! McCain is seeming pretty anti-science for his comments. This is a great blog post by “The Bad Astronomer” Phil Plait (he exposes “Bad Astronomy” in various places, debunks hoaxes, etc.)
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/08/

Dangerous Tactics
The McCain Campaign is getting truly dangerous and also irrelevant – lets hope their new tactic (or, wait, is it a strategy?) causes moderates and thinking Republicans (and yes, I still believe in them – I leave Obama buttons under my pillow at night hoping to wake up and find donations...) to leave the McCain/Palin camp in droves.

A Seattle blogger said it very well here:
http://weskimcom.tumblr.com/post/53894436/an-open-plea-to-all-american-voters

And Andrew Sullivan names the fear out loud:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/the-dangerous-p.html

Some thoughts on race as a factor:

Dear White Voter:
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/10/10/an-open-letter-to-white-voters-or-what-mccain-really-thinks-of-you/

These are older, and I may have sent them before, and I’m sure most of you have seen them, but they are good food for thought about racism. I love that the Obama campaign is downplaying this, and focusing on the issues. But racism is no doubt a factor in this vote as it influences our thinking in subtle, invisible ways:

White Privilege:
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1755

How Racism Works:
http://seriouslythough.tumblr.com/post/50281935/what-if-john-mccain-were-a-former-president-of-the

Donna Brazile, also rising above, but at the same time not mincing words. I really like this woman!
http://jezebel.com/5059945/donna-brazile-is-not-going-to-the-back-of-the-bus

And a hopeful, positive note about race:
Obama’s Race is Receding:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/09/obamas-race-is-receding/

“We are witnessing something remarkable here: Obama’s race is receding as he becomes more familiar. His steadiness has trumped his skin color; he is being judged on the content of his character.”

That is the America in which I want to live. It’s a good short post that goes on to say what we need from Obama, and I agree.

And it’s looking good:
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html

But we cannot become complacent – we need a “landslide” - and it would be great if it were not only an electoral landslide.

Why?

The Bradley Effect: if you haven’t heard of this, it’s when former LA Mayor Tom Bradley ran for governor, and the polls showed him winning by a large margin. He lost, though. People did not want to admit they would not vote for him in polls, but in the privacy of the voting booth, their true nature showed. It’s been many years since then, and I hope we, as a people, have moved beyond that.

Voter Registration Challenges:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/politics/09voting.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

“Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.
The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other, nor do they appear to be the result of election officials intentionally breaking rules, but are apparently the result of mistakes in the handling of the registrations and voter files as the states tried to comply with a 2002 federal law, intended to overhaul the way elections are run.
Still, because Democrats have been more aggressive at registering new voters this year, according to state election officials, any heightened screening of new applications may affect their party’s supporters disproportionately.”

Voter Intimidation: Hear about the anonymous fliers in the poor areas of Pennsylvania warning people not to vote, “for their own protection”? False warnings that if they had any outstanding warrants, parking tickets, etc, there would be undercover police there to arrest them.

So we need a substantial margin to feel confident of victory. Keep doing good work out there people!!

Also, I believe today is the last day before the election to register to vote, so if you aren’t registered yet, get your butt in gear!!
http://justvote.org/

(**Great Quote: “Voting is the best way to avoid feeling like an asshole when someone asks you, ‘did you vote?’”)

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/im52?source=pm-info-t-web

Moron Politics

2008-10-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry – that joke just never ceases to amuse me. I’m easily entertained.

MORE on politics...

A bunch of great New York Times editorials:

Cheney as a role model for VP:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04sat1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Palin’s Alternate Universe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04herbert.html?em

Interesting Linguistic Analysis of Palin in the debate:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04pinker.html?em

Pallin' Around
I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that Obama “pals around with terrorists” - sheesh. There is a conservative blog post about the economy that blames the democrats called “Do Facts Matter?” and I guess we know the answer to that one. (btw, if you haven’t heard the accusation – CNN’s “Truth Squad” calls it False, as does everyone else who has a clue, but in our current climate of anyone with a brain being “elitist,” all you have to do is to make the accusation to start a firestorm)

The GOP’s STRONGEST arguments for it are so weak, it practically rebuts its own charges:
http://www.gop.com/News/NewsRead.aspx?Guid=768aa784-72f3-4b43-acb6-c5fe81d901cd
Wow – they served on two academic panels together, one in 1997 and one in 2001, really? Obama said nice things about Ayers’ book, "A Kind And Just Parent: The Children Of Juvenile Court”? My that’s incriminating. That book sounds un-American, for sure.
Ayers is a school reformer who spoke to Humboldt State’s Credential Candidates recently, among others.

This guy isn’t a terrorist, idiots. He’s a college professor and on the board of charitable school reform organizations. Any “ties” Obama has with Ayers are as a reformer, not as the violent anti-war activist Ayers was in the 60’s, when Obama was 8. So even if there were “ties” -and they are extremely loose associations at best, not strong connections, but even if they WERE strong, what the guy is NOW is nothing to be ashamed of associating with. What happened to Palin’s debate tactic of claiming Obama’s campaign is always “lookin’ at the past and not the future”? Yeah, right. I certainly see Obama as much more forward thinking, much more representative of the future ~I~ would like to see than McCain (aka, McSame) is. I see McCain as the past, Obama as the future. And Palin as a court jester along the way.

Mavericks
Who’re you callin’ a Maverick? The REAL Mavericks speak out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/weekinreview/05schwartz.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin

Techies for Obama!
http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=362

The second presidential debate is tomorrow... Less than 30 days to the election... Not sure if I can stand it.

VP Debate analyses, Palin, and, oh yeah, McCain and Obama!

2008-10-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

I just realized today that I’m a little bit thankful for Sarah Palin – she’s provided so much comic relief in this election... But I’ll be even more relieved if that “relief” ends after the election!!

Of course, if you missed Saturday Night Live, you have to see Tina Fey as Sarah Palin in the debate (she’s perfect!):
http://www.hulu.com/watch/37730/saturday-night-live-vp-debate-open-palin--biden

Here is Carl Bernstein’s take on the debate:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/03/what-the-palin-biden-debate-really-told-us/

Roger Ebert’s take on the theatrical nature of the debate – this is pretty good, insightful, and is in his area of expertise:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/10/you_didnt_ask_me_about_the_deb.html

The “Pit Bull” is back (thank goodness, but she’s still wrong for America):
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/02/rosen.debate/index.html

Why Some Women Hate Palin:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1846832,00.html
This is a funny article, but I think there are more and better reasons to loathe Palin, such as, oh, science that doesn't go beyond “The Flintstones,” her being against reproductive freedom paired with the whole rape kit thing, abstinence only education paired with pregnant teen daughter and not seeing how totally ridiculously stupid that makes you and more importantly, your position about it, look, foreign policy “expertise” based on “keepin’ an eye on Putin when he rears his head,” the apparent desire to ban books, the firing of people who disagree with her – oh I could go on and on, but I think I don’t have to. Then again, maybe I just hate her because she’s too pretty. Yeah, that’s it. Sarah “don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” Palin, the biatch!

And a “lovely” song about Sarah Palin:
http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2008/10/03/hey-sarah-palin/
(warning: maybe NSFW – has the F word in it twice, but otherwise quite pretty :)
(to the tune of “Hey There Delilah” if you recognize it but can’t think of it and it’s driving you crazy!)

And, back to the actual main candidates (maybe Palin is just to make everyone not focus on McCain...):

Republican Charles Krauthammer analyzes why Obama will win:
“he's got both a first-class intellect and a first-class temperament. That will likely be enough to make him president.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100203043_pf.html
He also criticizes him and raises questions and doubts, but explains why McCain is losing: one too many “Hail Mary passes.”
He uses party-line comments like the idea that Obama, after his “mocking retort that presidential candidates should be able to do "more than one thing at once," that “McCain might have pointed out that while he was trying to do two things, Obama was sitting on the sidelines doing one thing only: campaigning.” These people ignore the fact that we have telecommunications. Oh, yeah, that’s probably because McCain doesn’t know how to use email (I’ve heard he has an elaborate system of cans and strings, though).

All in all, coming from a staunch Republican, it’s encouraging!

Three Alarming Facts about John McCain Every Voter Should Know:
http://www.johnmccainrecord.com/
You can just scroll through to see all the sets of three (there are three facts each about Economy, Education, Energy & Environment, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Iraq, Jobs, Lobbyists, Rural Issues, Seniors & Social Security, Taxes, and Women)

For those of you with grandparents in Florida (you know who you are) - if you aren’t going to take the Great Schlep as Sarah Silverman suggests, at least show this video to Nana and Buby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2VFRt5W4FM
(Israelis for Obama – it’s well made and inspiring – and a strong reminder that the world is watching, and most of the world is hoping for Obama to win: http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/ )

Let’s keep helping that electoral map turn blue!
http://my.barackobama.com/

Palin Debate Flowchart

2008-10-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is SO perfect!!
Thanks to my friend Jenny for sending this to me!

I Googled it, and it started here:
http://adennak.com/blog/wordpress/?p=92
And has exploded – you can even get CafePress stuff with the flowchart on it:
http://www.cafepress.com/adennak
You may have seen the flowchart on any number of other web pages or blogs, but this is the original – stroke of genius!

That’s all for now – except to note that the npr.org politial map is turning blue!!
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html

YAY – let’s keep it that way!

Sign up at http://www.barackobama.com/ to find out about ways you can volunteer locally – you can be on phone banks (we even have two phone bank parties the next two weekends here in Bishop!) to call undecided voters in battleground states, help register voters, etc.

GObama! GOBAMA! GOBAMA!

This is Going to Be Fun! (I hope)

2008-10-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

The VP debate – wow. So, on Twitter, lots of people had drinking games going on during the debate – like lehrershot, which was every time Jim Lehrer had to say “Senator, Senator, time...” or just different buzzwords. It sure made the debate more interesting watching it with the peanut gallery of Twitter comments floating in in real time in the background! I think a good drinking game (if you wanted to get really drunk, and seriously, who wouldn’t while watching Palin, right?) would be to take a drink any time a candidate ends a gerund (-ing word) with an “n” instead of a “g.” As in, “America needs fixin’!”

Now, here’s another way to make the next debate interactive: Let’s play Palin Bingo!!
http://gedblog.com/2008/09/29/lets-play-palin-vp-bingo/

Here’s some Fact Checking in advance:

Fact Checking Sarah Palin – from Rolling Stone:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23140513/the_truth_about_sarah_palin/

And a cool way to help fact check the debate tonight – npr.org's Vox Politics blog is using Twitter (I get a LOT of my links from the people I follow on there) and getting the Twitterverse to help them fact check:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/10/help_us_factcheck_tonights_deb.html

A couple of one-liners:

Palindrones (n.pl.) A politician's run-on pronouncements, making almost as little sense forward as they would if repeated backward.

Palintology (n.) the study of dinosaur and human co-existence on the 6,000 year old planet earth.

Are we too cruel? Nah...

After watching all these painful “high cringe factor” videos of her clearly being out of her league, it’s easy to start to feel sorry for her, but don’t. She is a savvy politician, a governor of a state, and she knew what she was getting into – or at least she should have known that she didn’t know enough (as evidenced by her saying she didn’t really know what the VP did all day):
Stop the Palin Pity Party!
http://thanksbutnothanks.com/informed/the-sarah-palin-pity-party.shtml

It was nice to see Clinton out actually campaigning for Obama, and telling it like it is about the VP – this time, it’s more important than ever, since the president will be busy at home dealing with the economic crisis, for the VP to have a good solid understanding and experience with foreign policy, and Joe Biden is that person.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/bill_clinton_lays_out_strong_c.php

I leave you with an image of Putin rearing his head over Alaska – then we might value Palin’s foreign policy experience as the Pitbull (with lipstick) watchdog of America’s northern borders!
http://www.michaelberube.com/images/uploads/zzzputin.jpg

And... Okay, I was just kidding about “leaving you” - here’s a whole lot more besides the VP debate:

The other debate:

Roger Ebert crosses McCain off his dinner party list:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/COMMENTARY/809289997
(I don’t think I’d want to go to a dinner party with Roger Ebert, anyway, but he makes some good points!)

The Economy:
Dilbert, from 2002 – deja vu all over again?
http://www.dilbert.com/fast/2002-07-24/

How to ask for $700 billion:
http://wondermark.blogspot.com/2008/09/447-wrong-way-to-ask-for-700-billion.html

Pelosi’s speech and at least one honest Republican:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/220911.php

Here’s what George Soros says about it:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d68e10cc-8f45-11dd-946c-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

And Warren Buffet calls this an “economic Pearl Harbor” - I wonder who we bomb this time?
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/02/warren-buffett-on-the-bailout-plan-and-our-future/

Maggie’s random thoughts and opinions on the economy:
(Full disclosure: I have no idea what I’m talking about. But I’m not alone in that.)

This whole thing is very unsettling – I’m mostly pure liberal, but have enough of a Libertarian sympathizer side (yeah, I read Ayn Rand – so what? Ha) to hate the idea of too much government intervention, but I’m also enough of a realist to believe that we do need regulation and can’t “let the fox watch the henhouse” as the saying goes. I think a completely free market is way too idealistic, and the idea that we have a “free market economy” is as much a myth as the agrarian ideal or suburban utopia – we have a capitalist economy, which is different.

Here’s an interesting perspective I found in a forum from September 10th after the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac thing (the author is British history professor and author, John Simkin):

“Karl Marx argued that the inherent contradictions in free-market capitalism would eventually result in a collapse in the economic system and would be replaced with a more rational system of socialism.

In the late 1920s the economist John Maynard Keynes pointed out that Marx’s predictions would not come true as the inherent contradictions in capitalism could be dealt with by sensible government intervention in the economy.

In the 1930s two very different politicians dealt with the economic depression by the use of Keynes’ economic ideas: Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hitler was rightly described as a fascist whose main intention was to save the capitalist system. Roosevelt was incorrectly called a socialist. In fact, he did more than anyone to save capitalism from socialism.”

So maybe now, we have to figure out what is “sensible” in order to "save capitalism from socialism" (and our economy from the crapper, I might add).

Here is a really interesting discussion about it started by the same author:
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=13510&st=0&p=155337&#entry155337

He states, at the end of his post:

“The current crisis in the US does not mean the end of capitalism. However, it is the end of one type of capitalism, the financial laissez-faire system developed by right-wing forces in the western world. What we are seeing at the moment in the US is an attempt to move towards a government interventionist capitalism. This is a difficult process when you have to rely on ideologically driven politicians who do not have a basic understanding of how the economic system works.

The new super-power will be China. It has developed a state capitalist model that overcomes the economic contradictions highlighted by Karl Marx. This state capitalist model will survive for many years. In time, the western world will try to adopt this model. However, it is unlikely to be successful because of the resistance of its people. It will be the resistance of the masses in China and those in its empire that will finally bring down the state capitalist model. Then, hopefully, we will progress to a fully democratic socialist economic system.”

This is all very thought-provoking stuff! With systems so large and complex, it is very difficult to operate from ideology, as we are seeing with the sudden surge of Republicans now for regulation instead of against it on principle.

Personally, I think I like the idea of social democracy (oops, my “libertarian side” just died, I think - ha)... [NOTE: that is ME, not Obama, talking - Obama's plan is basic, traditional, progressive taxation, NOT socialism in any way, shape or form, so shut up any right wing nut-jobs that might read something into this on my personal opinion blog!]

So, what do YOU think? (Does anyone who isn’t paid to do so actually have the time to think about something this complex? I mean, even the people who ARE getting paid to think about it seem to resort to sound bites like “Wall Street Fat Cats” to talk about it.)

Have fun watchin’ the debates about fixin’ America!

Maggie

More On Palin, Debates, and Science

2008-09-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Moron, er, I mean, More On Palin:

So I watched Fareed Zakaria interview the Premier of China on CNN-GPS today – it was an amazing interview. I had not been familiar with Fareed Zakaria before – he is the guy who wrote the cover story in October 2001 called “Why They Hate Us” in Newsweek. He is a really smart guy, to say the least - http://fareedzakaria.com/about.html

He has an article in Newsweek now, entitled “Palin Is Ready? Please.”
http://www.newsweek.com/id/161204/page/1
And a previous article on the differing world views of McCain and Obama, called, “The World Isn't So Dark”:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/158764?tid=relatedcl (Zakaria again)

You know when there are so many stories like these about Palin in mainstream media, like the LA Times and Newsweek, and especially the National Review, that Palin is in trouble. I mean, I love the Huffington Post and Daily KOS and all that, but, hey, those ARE the “liberal media”! :)

And more on the Debate topics:

McCain’s Bizarre Earmark Obsession:
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9908

I think all the drummed up outrage against earmarks is just a distraction. Earmarks are the way states and local governments can currently fund things that aren’t big enough for an entire bill all their own – it’s just how things are done in Washington these days. Reform, making it easier to have smaller funding requests not stuck in larger bills in earmarks, sounds like a good idea, because no one is saying the earmark system is a ~good~ system, but it IS the system that is in use now, and it works to get funding for things like research (McCain’s Grizzly Bear DNA example – that was NPS and I know a guy who participated in the study, collecting Griz scat! It was an important tool for wildlife managers to know how many grizzlies they had and what their territories were, etc.) and Planetariums (another one that McCain railed against Obama for – I happen to agree with Phil Plait, the “Bad Astronomer,” that planetariums are pretty darn important for public education and research and their benefits spread far beyond their local areas: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/09/15/john-mccain-literally-antiscience/ )

Speaking of Science:

“61 Nobel Laureates have officially endorsed Obama for President. That’s more than have ever endorsed a candidate before. I don’t know if it’s Obama’s pro-science stance or the fact that McCain’s VP pick is so antiscience, wanting to teach creationism in the classroom and denying human-induced global warming (even when McCain admits as much). Either way, it’s remarkable.”

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/09/27/obama-nasa-and-nobels/

I’m becoming a serious news junkie. I’ll really try to limit my group emails to one a day from now on, if I can help myself! I don’t want to be a spammer!

Maggie

This Just In...

2008-09-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

McCain's campaign may self-destruct all on its own... And more comments on the debate

2008-09-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t seen it, in addition to George Will, other conservatives are highly critical of McCain, mainly his choice of Palin, and they seem to be smart enough to see that she is completely out of her league and realize that would be a BAD thing for the country.

It’s so easy to get blinded by your own ideals – by the things we ~want~ to be true, that I have admiration for people who can see the truth about their own candidates.

LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-palin28-2008sep28,0,3440078.story

The National Review (that bastion of the liberal media – ha): “Palin Problem: She’s out of her league.”
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDZiMDhjYTU1NmI5Y2MwZjg2MWNiMWMyYTUxZDkwNTE=

And of course, omg, SNL!!! Tina Fey was brilliant, and she DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT PALIN SAID!!!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/36863/saturday-night-live-couric--palin-open

(You can pick your own video of Palin to compare: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=palin+couric&search_type=&aq=f )

Debatable Thoughts:

A lot of liberals I know are commenting that they wish Obama hadn’t said so much how he agreed with McCain, or how McCain was absolutely right on certain points, but I think that was a very smart move, and a good sign, for a couple reasons:

Obama was playing to the undecided voters and those who weren’t comfortable with him. He showed, by giving credit and agreeing, that he can work with Republicans, that he is not some outrageous scary guy with nothing in common with other politicians (though, I know some of us would like to think he doesn’t have much in common with them – ha). By playing to the undecideds I believe Obama gained votes, or lessened fears, both steps in a positive direction. McCain, on the other hand, was playing to his base, and so probably didn’t gain any votes from the debate that weren’t already in the bag.

I think it also shows what Clinton spoke about this morning – that he is intelligent, adaptable, and can listen to other people’s ideas and incorporate them. Clinton commented that Obama’s proposed policies have gotten better and better as his campaign has gone on, which to me is a very strong positive – especially after 8 years of a president who, in the immortal words of Stephen Colbert, “thinks the same thing on Tuesday as he did on Sunday no matter WHAT happened on Monday”! One party, and especially one person, doesn’t have a corner on the good idea market, so it’s wonderful to have someone as a presidential candidate who can actually listen and recognize good ideas from his opponents.

What I think of when I think of what Obama’s presidency might look like is Lincoln’s “Team of Rivals” - some of the best and brightest who may also challenge Obama’s ideas and help him become even better.

That’s all for now...

Except:

Thanks for giving me an outlet to share my thoughts and news/humor bits I find enlightening, thought-provoking and entertaining. Most folks have replied saying “keep it coming” - but if it’s too much or you already see enough political stuff, please let me know and I’ll take you off my “liberal friends” mailing list! :) Conversely, if you know of other friends who’d like to be included, let me know – I tried to only put people on the list who I was pretty sure would enjoy/appreciate/have time for the emails, but I could easily have missed some!

Keep up all the good work out there people. I know some of you have been on the phones for Obama – here’s a funny blog post from a guy who did that and his experience – I call it “A Democratic Angel gets his wings” :)
http://tj.tntluoma.com/tales/sporadic-democrats

On a more serious note - bailouts, economy, debates, oh my!

2008-09-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

James K. Gailbraith with an interesting take on what we could do instead of a bail-out:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/24/AR2008092403033.html

The Devolution of McCain:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/26/the-palin-pick-the-devolution-of-mccain/
A thoughtful piece by a journalist who used to respect him: Carl Bernstein

And a great article on Energy Security:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/26/in-the-new-century-energy-security-is-national-security/
This is inspiring!

“Today, we are at a crossroads. We face a choice: our young men and women can either wear green fatigues overseas, or they can wear green hard hats at home. They can pick up weapons to destroy other countries, or they can pick up tools to rebuild and repower this one.”

The Debate:
Later – okay, I just watched the debate, and I have to say it:
OBAMA WINS!!!!!

(because he has a bracelet, too, dammit!)

Here is my take on the debates:
McCain:

McCain = the Past
Comforting, at times – experienced, yes, but as CBS reporter David Axelrod said, the debate was about the conflicts we have now, not the conflicts we had 20 years ago. Yeah!!
McCain evoked the avuncular warmth of Reagan, but it felt fake. Comforting, but fake.
McCain would freeze spending. Is that like “Suspending the Economy”?

Obama:

Obama = the Future
Real Change, Hope, and even Dreams.
Obama would INVEST in the future. Smart choice.
Obama can be challenging, but that is growth. We need to GROW and move forward as a nation, not backward.

The Economy:
So who’s to blame for the economy? A heck of a lot of people. Move on. What to do about it is the question.
Good, thoughtful series of posts on this:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2008/09/who_can_i_blame.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2008/09/really_everyone_is_to_blame.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2008/09/blame_bush.html

Foreign Policy:
And what about Talking with Iran? (and McCain’s “close personal friend” Henry Kissinger):
http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/09/talking_to_iran.html

And Health Care?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

“Talk about a shock to the system. Has anyone bothered to notice the radical changes that John McCain and Sarah Palin are planning for the nation’s health insurance system?

These are changes that will set in motion nothing less than the dismantling of the employer-based coverage that protects most American families.

A study coming out Tuesday from scholars at Columbia, Harvard, Purdue and Michigan projects that 20 million Americans who have employment-based health insurance would lose it under the McCain plan.”

Patriotism:

I’m feeling patriotic, now, people! Join me for a rousing rendition of our national anthem!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er8qSz0RuRg

(ps – did anyone notice that McCain wasn’t wearing a flag lapel pin? WHY must he poop on our patriotism?!)

I thought of it first!

2008-09-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I wasn’t the only one that noticed the similarities!! Hahaha
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhVGDy-ZXc

Sarah Palin in the hot seat, George Will, suspension of democracy, and sh*t cake...

2008-09-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Wow – doesn’t she sound like someone who has been faking it successfully for a while and suddenly realizes she’s way over her head?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbg6hF0nShQ

And this one with transcripts: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/25/palin-takes-questions-from-press-corps-for-first-time/
She reminds me of Miss Teen USA 2007 South Carolina here...
(In case you missed that one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww)

Here’s what George Will is saying about McCain – George Will is a conservative with a brain. I wish there were more conservatives I could “respectfully disagree” with rather than just be amazed at the stupidity or hubris of their positions! I can count them on one hand, and most aren’t considered truly conservative any more in the days of the neo cons.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583_pf.html

McCain suspends democracy:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/25/mccain-suspends-democracy/

And the BEST ever Jon Stewart, oh how I love that man!
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Daily_Show_Bush_failures_could_make_0924.html
It’s all about the legacy...

And... Just for more fun, a McCain ad (from their official website) targeting wrestling fans!! Omg...
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Multimedia/Player.aspx?guid=fa6ef3fa-d912-461d-af6b-945581f0acb8

There’s just too much material here, and it keeps pouring in...

The 12 Lies of Sarah Palin ... Plus Chris Rock :)

2008-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-twelve-odd.html

By Andrew Sullivan
(Author of The Conservative Soul: How We’ve Lost It, How to Get it Back)

And some insightful commentary from... Chris Rock!

http://gawker.com/5053486/chris-rock-to-bill-clinton-hillary-lost

I like the quote about Alaska - “It’s like the Road Warrior with snow”! It kind of is, too – ha!

Also, am I the only one who thinks we need Hillary to get out there and fervently, loudly, and visibly campaign for Obama? To talk to her supporters who are now supporting Palin and tell them they are idiots? How could anyone who supported Hillary Clinton now support Palin? What are you, voting for genitals? Hilary needs to tell her supporters that Obama is a better candidate for women – by FAR.

Yes, it would be nice to have a woman in the white house, but as Gloria Steinem said very well, this is the Wrong Woman, Wrong Message!
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story

What President Bartlet would say to Obama

2008-09-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is awesome – I never watched West Wing (I think I saw one or two episodes, but not enough to remember), but this is what West Wing creator, Aaron Sorkin, wrote about a fictional meeting between his show’s president and Obama:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21dowd-sorkin.html

Here’s the RSS feed (not as fancy, but I think you can see it without having to sign up, if you don’t want to have to do that):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21dowd-sorkin.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&partner=rssuserland&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

I have several favorite parts – what are yours?

Obama and The Palin Effect (Deepak Chopra)

2008-09-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps – I just started sending out some choice bits to y’all as I come across them – if you are getting too much political email already, or aren’t interested, just let me know and I’ll take you off my “liberal friends” list (but not off my list of friends!) :) I don’t usually forward too much, but this is the second one today, so I thought I should add this disclaimer!

Obama and The Palin Effect From: Deepak Chopra | Posted: Friday, September 5th, 2008
http://www.chopra.com/node/1064
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/obama-and-the-palin-effec_b_123943.html

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent [negligible?] parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.)

I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.

Look at what she stands for:

Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.
Family values --a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.
Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.
"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal- radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism , however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

McCain and the Lying Game

2008-09-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

This needs to be spread – it’s very good.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1842030,00.html

AND... Obama is now ahead in the polls by 3 points, according to CNN – w00t!!!!!

OBAMA!! OBAMA!! GObama!!!!

Annie Lamott on Palin

2008-09-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/16/anne_lamott/

I’d be Smoke Strapon Palin. I couldn’t make that up.

:)

I'm a little confused

2008-09-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a little confused.

Let me see if I have this straight... If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.'

Grow up in Alaska killing and eating moose, you're a quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

But if you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with fewer than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive (and according to the actuarial tables, you have a greater than 30% chance of succeeding the president during your first term).

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, left your severely handicapped wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school systems while your un-wed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family values don't represent America's.

If your husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now! Whew!!! ........I was worried there for a minute.

Palin the Book Banner?

2008-09-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded me an email with a long list of books "Palin had tried to have banned." I wanted to believe it, but it looked a little too "good" to be true, so I checked it out, and, sure enough, it was a hoax. Here is the letter I wrote back to my friend. In a nutshell, we don't need hoaxes or exaggerations - the truth is powerful enough to make our case.

Sorry – this is not true:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/sarahpalin/a/banned_books.htm

Here’s an article – she did ask the librarian if she would remove objectionable books if asked, but didn’t ask for specific books to be banned. The librarian said absolutely not. Later Palin tried to fire the librarian. That’s enough, in my mind, along with the other “loyalty tests” - ick. She’s evil. EEEEEEEEEEvil.

I hate her stupid anti-science creationist anti-reproductive freedom guts, but don’t want to pass on false info about her – I think there are plenty of true things that are against her already.

Of course you’ve read the Anne Kilkenny letter, who some Republicans are now trying to say is not even a real person. Looks like she is. And more power to her!!
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_anne_kilkenny_on_palin.htm

I love this Gloria Steinem op-ed piece in the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story
There were a couple others on latimes – let me see if I can find them...
Here’s a good one, about her “independent spirit” - as an Alaskan Secessionist!
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks4-2008sep04,0,3731150.column

And, Andrew Sullivan, one of the conservatives I still have respect for, wrote this:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/email-of-the--1.html

And this is a good article about her speech:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=09&year=2008&base_name=palins_speech
Good comments, too.

And I love this science article that quickly becomes an anti-Palin piece:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=362

And of course, omg, Jon Stewart, HOW I love thee!!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card
(and he has so much more – maybe I’ll change my Facebook religion to Stewartist – he is god!!)
Here’s another:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vm0P4LmHHM&NR=1

Maggie

Update - It turns out that while she did not try to get any specific books banned as mayor, she may have while on the city council.

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The Truth About the Economy - in 2 minutes

Bill Maher Rules

Obama's Post-Election Speech

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear - full videos!

Rally to Restore Sanity!

The Very Model of a Modern US President!

November 2010 Election Help

Immigration Problems

From The Manitoba Herald

People For the American Way: Palin-Beck 2012: Vote on the Best Campaign Slogan!

Stephen Colbert's Testimony Before Congress

Gross National Product

Nation Once Again Comes Under Sway Of Pink-Faced Half-Wit | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Glen Beck has Nazi Tourettes!

That Hopey Changey Stuff May Just Work Out After All...

New Year, New Hope?

Disillusionment

Shatner Does Palin

John Hodgman: Nerds vs. Jocks and Obama

Word Cloud of Inauguration Speech

Inauguration Speech

Inauguration Live Coverage

Good Climate Change Video

Mini-Blog in the Sidebar

More Retrospection

Looking Back...

More Economic Woes Predicted

Prop 8 - The Musical

Not Shopping For a Better Future

Obama's Thanksgiving Day Message

Transcript:

Yes. We Can. And We Will.

Obama Family Thanksgiving

Things to be thankful for

Post-Election Thoughts: On Race

My Answer:

And more thoughts:

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HAPPY OBAMA DAY!!

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Transcript:

THAT WON!!!

WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!

WE. MADE. HISTORY.

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Voting Stories

Life Imitates Art - or is it the other way around?

Beautiful Obama Photos

ROFLMAO-CGU*

VOTING DAY!!! You can vote however you like...

You Can Vote However You Like

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Anti-Intellectualism and Anti-Science in America

Anti-Intellectualism

Anti-Science

Accusations, Smears, Misinformation, and the Politics of Language

On "Socialism"

On "Voter Fraud"

And TerroristS

Which brings me to another "-ism": Sexism

Satire: Great Moments in Election Year Blogging

Race and Politics Redux

Maggie's Got a Brand New Blog

Acorn, Gay Marriage, Anti-Americanism, Socialism, the Real America, and more!

Acorn!!!

Prop 8/Equal Rights to Marry

Anti-Americanism

Socialism

What the Attack Ads really show – in John McCain’s own words:

Real America