Showing posts with label Interwebs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interwebs. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2012

Very Cool: Response from Rep. Earl Blumenauer on SOPA

Dear Mr. Litt:

Thank you for contacting me in support of Internet freedom.  My apologies if you tried to access my website on Wednesday January 18, 2012--it was blacked out in solidarity with Oregonians like you who believe in Internet freedom and entrepreneurship.

I could not agree with you more regarding this flawed legislation.  The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is intended to protect the intellectual property of United States businesses by shutting down websites that traffick pirated material. There is widespread agreement that online piracy and the problem of "rogue" foreign sites can threaten the economic security of U.S. businesses. There is also widespread agreement that the Internet has revolutionized the way the world learns, interacts, and does business. 

Well intentioned though it may be, I have very strong concerns that SOPA would infringe on Internet freedom, stifle the innovation critical for Oregon's startup culture, and threaten Internet security.

Congress must be careful to protect intellectual property rights without jeopardizing what has made the Internet one of the biggest drivers of the economy. SOPA does not strike this balance and needs to go back to the drawing board. 

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. I will continue working to protect the integrity of the Internet.

Sincerely,

Earl Blumenauer

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

 

Related Posts

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Protest SOPA… Do it for the jet skis!

Note: Cross posted from Rubble.

Permalink

 

sopa

TheOatmeal.com blacked out in protest of SOPA / PIPA - The Oatmeal:

For the next 24 hours I am blacking out TheOatmeal.com in protest of SOPA and PIPA. If one of these bills were to pass, this page is what many sites on the internet would look like.


As someone who creates content for the web, earns a living from it, and has had his content pirated, I do feel that we need better legislation against online piracy.

I do not, however, think that SOPA or PIPA are the legislation we need.

Want to help in the fight against SOPA / PIPA? First, go learn about the bills. After that go contact your elected officials. Wikipedia has a handy-dandy page set up which allows you to locate your state representative.

Hugs and jet skis,
-The Oatmeal

P.S. Please pirate the shit out of this animated GIF.

 

 

Done.

Now go check out the link below… 

 

The awkward moment when you break the law you proposed  #Stop... on Twitpic

Friday, December 16, 2011

What is Anonymous? (It is not the Occupation…)

Some videos going around on Facebook and other places recently originate from Anonymous, and I am sure that many believe, because of their topical relevance, that they are from people within the Occupation Movement.

While I am sure that there are many members of Anonymous that are also participating in the Occupation Movement, it is a separate entity.

Both groups, however, like to don the Guy Fawkes masks…

I spotted this first clip via Mashable.

 

 

 

Related Posts

Friday, November 04, 2011

Will Anonymous Target Facebook on Nov. 5? (And a brief history of Guy Fawkes Day)



Heck, maybe a little break from the digital leviathan would do us all some good...

Will Anonymous Target Facebook on Nov. 5?:
Anonymous is probably good enough to take down the social network, if only for a brief while, if they felt like it. The good news — for Facebook fans — is that the group frequently uses threats and warnings as a way to get people thinking about their targets without actually diving in. Facebook is now a target for abusing user privacy.

There was a mild buzz around the Internet about Nov. 5 as a potential Facebook attack date. Nov. 5 corresponds to Guy Fawkes Day, a UK holiday celebrating the failed plot by a crew of conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, to blow up British Parliament in 1605 and kill King James I. The holiday is supposed to celebrate the saving of the King’s life, but in recent years, it seems the revelry now favors Guy Fawkes and the idea of speaking truth (or gunpowder) to power. Fawkes was later popularized in the graphic novel-turned-movie V for Vendetta, which introduced a highly stylized Fawkes mask worn by rebels and revelers.
'via Blog this'

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Occupy Portland: Thursday, October 6, 2011

From 2011-09 (Sep)

ABOUT OCCUPY PORTLAND, OR | Occupy Portland"A note from the Morale Team and Occupy Portland Organizers regarding posts on this page, the forum, the facebook group or any other gathering place virtual or otherwise in Occupy Portland’s name: Occupy Portland WILL NOT tolerate calls to violence, drugs or illegal activity (property destruction etc). Please find a different place to debate those topics, and if you become aware of any topics of this matter PLEASE let us know so we can take the proper actions against instigators. Thank you so much!"


'via Blog this'



The Occupy Portland Model | Occupy Together"As we have followed some of theses group’s efforts we’ve seen many different approaches to organizing. We’ve also fielded many questions on advice and how to information on effectively organizing. We wanted to feature Portland as an example for those of you would like a model to follow or to take from as they have done a great job joining and organizing efforts in a very short amount of time. Of course, each group dynamic is going to vary and what worked for Portland may not work for you, but at least this will give you an idea of how others are doing it.

A couple of members from Portland filled us in on their process:

Basically it all comes down to networking and extensive planning. The initial construction of the Occupy Portland Facebook group was backed by some pretty frequent tweeting. Once we started getting a huge following, there were more and more discussions popping up on the Facebook group. We were discussing where it should be, what Portland laws were regarding “urban camping”, as well as a number of other concerns. We then held a General Assembly to further organize where were all in consensus with our future actions and demonstration details. After we compiled notes from the GA, we discussed them further on the Facebook group. Once we had the frame work of what everyone wanted and expected we set up a Facebook page and web site to better organize and announce future details."




Occupy Seattle/Occupy Wall St.: Video from Seattle (10-2-2011)

Looks like the Seattle Police Department and the protesters are handling things a bit differently than they did on N30, over a decade ago.  Also looks like the crowd is smaller by several thousand people.  Video spotted by The Young Turks on Facebook.


Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Occupy Wall Street: A couple Facebook posts from Nicholas D. Kristof...


Thanks for your comments on my "Occupy Wall Street" column, and apologies to those like Christy and Jessica who thought I sounded condescending. And if you have trouble with the link, try this: http://nyti.ms/pM4oNd My basic take is that capitalism itself is an amazing system for raising living standards (hey, I lived under Communism, in China), but that banking needs better regulation to function properly -- and that we need plenty more accountability all around. Other suggestions for measures to recommend welcome as well.



My column looks at the "Occupy Wall Street" protests: Are they Tahrir on the Hudson? http://nyti.ms/pM4oNd More important, I offer some suggestions for specific reforms to address the protesters' concerns. Read the column and let me know what you think.



Sunday, October 02, 2011

Dangerous Minds | First ‘official’ statement from the Occupy Wall Street movement

A little strange seeing an ad for TGIFriday's at the top of the web page this lives on, but what the hell?  The revolution will need chicken wings.

Dangerous Minds | First ‘official’ statement from the Occupy Wall Street movement:



This was unanimously voted on by all members of Occupy Wall Street last night, around 8pm, Sept 29. It is our first official document for release. We have three more underway, that will likely be released in the upcoming days: 1) A declaration of demands. 2) Principles of Solidarity 3) Documentation on how to form your own Direct Democracy Occupation Group. This is a living document. you can receive an official press copy of the latest version by emailing c2anycga@gmail.com.
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
*These grievances are not all-inclusive.
Via reddit



'via Blog this'

Nice design: Occupy Wall Street

Organizations with good design sense have a short cut into my heart.  Isn't this true with most political movements?  "Yeah, those guys are scary, mean, and bad for the country, but they have great design, so what the hell?  Hand me a brown shirt."

But these Occupy Wall Street folks do have some legitimate points...


Occupy Wall Street on CNN iReport

Full disclosure:  I haven't had a chance to look through these yet



Occupy Wall Street protests continue: News & Videos about Occupy Wall Street protests continue - CNN iReport"The protests, dubbed "Occupy Wall Street," are a decentralized and leaderless movement begun by activist magazine AdBusters and modeled after social-media-driven demonstrations in the Middle East. The sit-in is planned to last for two months, or longer.

Are you attending or covering the protests in Wall Street? Have you witnessed the marches, sit-ins, and arrests taking place? Send us your photos and video."


'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street Demonstrations & A Virtual March on Wall Street: An email from Moveon.org

From 2011-09 (Sep)

More information, new to me, at least...  But I've been in an intentional media blackout for a few days.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

An email from Moveon.org:

Occupied Wall Street


Over the last two weeks, an amazing wave of protest against Wall Street and the big banks has erupted across the country.


In Seattle, San Francisco, Ohio, and Boston (where 3,000 people rallied),1 grassroots groups have shut down banks and held sit-ins to demand that giant banks pay their fair share of taxes, end the foreclosure crisis, and create jobs.
In financial centers like Chicago and Atlanta, hundreds of people have set up encampments in front of major financial institutions for round-the-clock demonstrations.
Outside Los Angeles, community members have been running a 24-hour vigil around the home of Rose Gudiel, who faces eviction after getting foreclosed on for being two weeks late on a mortgage payment after her younger brother was murdered.2
But the biggest protests are on Wall Street itself. "Occupy Wall Street," which began with a brave group of young people, has swelled to thousands of students, unemployed folks, union members, and others who have persevered through intense police harassment and mass arrests to sustain a rolling 24-hour-a-day protest against the bankers who've wrecked our economy and undermined our democracy.3
On Wednesday, MoveOn members will join labor and community groups in New York City for a huge march down to the protest site—the biggest yet.
And because we can't all be in New York, we're going to stage a massive "Virtual March on Wall Street" online with our friends at Rebuild the Dream. Together, we'll add hundreds of thousands of voices of solidarity from the American Dream Movement for the protests across the country and show just how widespread outrage at the Wall Street banks really is.
The protests on Wall Street have been running for two weeks straight and are only getting bigger every day. The signs, placards, and chants focus on standing up for what the protesters are calling "the 99%" of us who are suffering while Wall Street bankers grow richer by the day.
In a telling moment last week, a group of bankers even went so far as to mock the protests while sipping champagne from balconies overlooking thousands of people marching down Wall Street.4
But adding mockery to the callous disregard for our country that we've seen from the big banks isn't slowing down the Occupy Wall Street movement one bit. The protests on Wall Street are set to grow even more this week and solidarity actions are already planned in dozens more cities.
You can see what's planned in your area by visiting the solidarity site Occupy Together: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264645&id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=3
And you can sign up to add your voice to the national "Virtual March on Wall Street" online here: http://www.civic.moveon.org/joinvirtualwallstreet/?id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=4
Thanks for all you do.
–Justin, Robin, Peter, Elena, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "BofA's Boston Building Draws Protesters; 21 Arrests Are Made," bloomberg.com, September 30, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264642&id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=5
2. "La Puente Family Fights Eviction from Foreclosed Home," KTLA.com, September 29, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264643&id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=6
3. "Anti-Wall Street Protestors Vow to Keep Up Fight," Reuters, October 2, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264644&id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=7
4. "Occupy Wall Street Protestors Meet Champagne Sippers," abcnews.com, September 30, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=264649&id=31654-18091177-nlUwPWx&t=8  

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators, the police, and the New York Times


Spotted by Bryley on Facebook...


It is a small tweak, but it does shift the emphasis.  It changes the focus from the police to the demonstrators as the actors to whom the other party was responding to.

I really haven't been paying any attention to these demonstrations yet.  I plan on taking a closer look next week. But this did catch my eye and I wanted to share it.

Still, I do not think there was an intentional shift in the bias here.  Another reporter was also added to the by-line and I am assuming that the story was updated with more details here during the 20 minutes between one screen capture and the other.

However, these little sorts of tweaks, when done unintentionally, can have a small effect on the readers' interpretation of events.  When done somewhat intentionally, they can have a larger effect.

I would guess that the change might have come from information the second reporter had from the police that was unavailable to the first reporter, such as... "No, we didn't want to let them on the bridge, but we couldn't stop them in time."

Having not read the article, I do not know for sure.  But I suspect that this change is meant to be more innocent than it looks.  However, I do agree that the effect it has on the reader may be significant.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Some old images and a note on Labels/Tags...

If that cloud thing over on the right there looks like it was put together in 2004, well, that is because it was.  I am just adding these tags to the posts now, and tonight, working from the first post in November 2004, I've made it up to December 20, 2004.  Stopping for the night on my 32nd birthday.  If only...

For old times sake...





Google searching "democracy in distress"

Yes, this is how brain dead I have become this Sunday.  But it is interesting to me.  Only the Pearson Study Guide comes in higher on Google.

Here are some links that pop up other than my own...


Pearson American History Study Site...



From 2004...
Philip James: Democracy in distress | World news | guardian.co.uk:
If the US wants to restore confidence in its voting system it must learn lessons from the recent elections in Venezuela, writes Philip James
Philip James
guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 August 2004 12.18 EDT


A flikr photostream...

Our democracy is in Distress! by jarnocan

Our democracy is in Distress!, a photo by jarnocan on Flickr.

One from the rabid left wing...
democracy in distress – Oh!pinion: democracy in distress
Michigan replaces democracy with dictatorship
Apr 18th, 2011 by S.W. Anderson. 18 comments


"From the chambers of Congress to the legislatures of all the states, to various forms of county government down to the lowliest town council of the smallest hamlet, American government for more than 200 years has standardized on democracy, until now.

Under a radical-conservative, tea party governor and his legislative allies, Michigan has embarked on a path that replaces democratically elected local government with appointed managers — dictatorship at the least, potentially outright fascism at the worst."

Another one from the far side of the left...



Democracy In Distress"We the people have endured repeated abuses of power by the Executive Branch of our government, and the failure of Congress to stand up for what’s right.

  We’ve seen our nation led into war based on false premises and cynical half-truths. We’ve seen our good name disgraced by torture, secret prisons and profiteering. And we’ve seen our Constitution and laws ignored and violated.

  As a result our democracy has suffered at home, and our reputation has been tarnished abroad. America is less free and less secure. It is time to restore the core values of American democracy that made us a beacon of hope in a troubled world – freedom from tyranny, respect for individual liberty and human rights, and government based on the rule of law.

  It is time to right our country and reclaim our flag as the symbol of a democracy we can all be proud of.

  Today Common Cause launches Recapture the Flag, a campaign to unite us around the promise and hope of America. Please come to our website and sign the pledge below. "

One from 1998 and that whole flag burning amendment thing...
freedomforum.org: The flag amendment: A symbol of democracy in distress"...a long line of Supreme Court decisions affirming the First Amendment right of American citizens to burn the U.S. flag as a form of expression.
Most Americans disagree with the Supreme Court. So do most members of Congress. For several years now, members of Congress have been trying to secure passage of a constitutional amendment to circumvent the court and to allow the punishment of those who desecrate the American flag.
Each term, the passage of such an amendment becomes more of a possibility. Last year, the House passed a proposed amendment by an overwhelming margin. Now the Senate is ready to take it up with the introduction of a proposed amendment earlier this week. During the 104th Congress, this effort fell only three votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate after comfortably making it through the House. This year, that three-vote margin may not be there. If the proposed amendment is approved by the Senate, it goes to the state legislatures, where ratification is assured since 49 already have endorsed it.

If that happens, for the first time in its two centuries of existence, the Bill of Rights will have been amended. That is a terrible price to pay for the privilege of punishing those who believe the First Amendment means what it says."
Some Bengali political shenanigans...
Democracy in Distress : The Murder of Madan Tamang « Signpost : Siliguri" The brutal assassination of Madan Tamang, President of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) in broad daylight by an armed gang on 21st May is a body blow to democracy in the trouble-torn, three  mountainous sub-divisions of Darjeeling district in West Bengal.

Two days after the murder the police fear that the main accused, all members of Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s (GJM) frontal organizations, have taken shelter in neighbouring Sikkim.

Laxman Pradhan , General Secretary of ABGL has lodged an FIR accusing Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha Gurung and several other GJM central committee members including Roshan Giri, Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Binay Tamang  of criminal conspiracy.

It is now widely believed that Mr. Tamang’s fearless opposition to the fascist and corrupt leadership of GJM had infuriated them. GJM’s stranglehold on the hills was getting threatened by the coming together of several anti-GJM outfits including the influential Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) under the leadership of Mr. Tamang.
"

That's it for now.  I am a little surprised at the lack of Tea Party links on the first couple Google pages.  I guess, after eight years of Bush, they need more than three years of Obama to catch up on their hit counts.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Unemployment Is Fun…

Fear. That is really the best part of being unemployed, while uncertainty and self-doubt are close seconds…

There are some positive aspects; I have time to work on a monster blog. Or two. There is motivation for self-improvement… Specifically losing weight through poverty dieting (rationing the fridge and pantry contents, a complete ban on fast food) and smoking less (or quitting) since buying both cancer and gas at current prices is out of my budget and my son needs to be driven to school every day.

Nationally, in November the rate was 5.4%. In my state, Oregon, it was 6.4% in October (not seasonally adjusted). These rates are down from their recent high points of 6.3% nationally in June 2003 and, in Oregon, 8.9% in January 2004 (or 9.0% back in January 2003)…

Ouch, maybe January is not a good time to be job-hunting here.

Some friends and I have been wondering if the reason these rates are dropping is that people are being dropped from the rolls, even though they have not found jobs before their benefits ran out. I suppose I can look at the jobs numbers and figure this out. I have the time now. I am sure this is not the case because I am sure the media would be all over this story if this were true… Oh, wait. Scott Peterson verdict.

Now I did start these blogs before my current round of unemployment began, but I have found that they are a good way to stay focused and productive during this period of transition in my life. I am not the only one who has found this to be true, it appears…

I found this blog, Unemployed Kerry Staffer, a few days ago and book marked it as a potential subject for a Democracy in Distress post. I am not sure why. Probably because it combined three of my current interests: politics, blogging and unemployment…

Her site on this subject has received decent media attention. Mine has been read by myself and maybe one or two friends. I write about issues, she writes about “Switch[ing] to a bi-weekly shower schedule.” That is not entirely fair, she has started noodling around on the DNC Chair issue. She has 13 posts, I have more… Both of us suffer from typos and "inferior" web skills.

I suppose a part of my curiosity about this blog is that line in there about expecting to work in the West Wing and ending up working on just getting off of the couch. She is an early 20-something looking for a career in Public Relations, I am an early 30-something looking for a career… I don’t know. Sometimes during these life transition periods one finds one self getting a bit mopy about certain things.

UKS talks about seeing an “infamous, former Kerry coworker who - rumor has it - will soon have a job.” She adds, “I found myself wishing I could push her down and kick her. But there were people around, and I didn't have the energy.”

In another post she writes, “I've started reading the news again. Scanning the news really. And by news, I basically mean I'm looking for any mention that someone I know has gotten a job - so I can remind that employed person that I know them.”

I have a feeling that with her connections and with the media coverage of her site (15 seconds as opposed to minutes, I am sure, but anything helps) that things will probably work out all right for Clare Gannon.

This is probably why I am drawn to the UKS blog. It’s like picking at a scab. In my nervous, maudlin condition right now, I am pretty sure that my blogging efforts will do nothing for my career and I will end up back in some glorified copy clerk job; underemployed but relieved that I am able to cover my kids’ expenses. And I will probably have to give up on finishing my degree and I will probably have to abandon these blogs in order to accomplish this modest goal.

Forgive me, but I do have a bit of the unemployment bitter grumpies this morning.

Unemployed Kerry Staffer

Unemployed Kerry Staffer: Might Not Want to Put Web Skills on Resume

Paying dues in Iowa: Young campaign staffers get grass-roots experience

UPDATE: December 15, 2004 - 7:55 PM

Okay, I put up a post about UKS and she, or he, pops back up above the radar. There on my Wonkette feed on My Yahoo is an update about the identity of the Unemployed Kerry Staffer...

The American Prospect is hot on the trail of the Unemployed Kerry Staffer, even after former KE '04 online organizing boss Tom Matzzie figured out who was behind it.

Over on The American Prospect:

Turns out that you can't believe everything you read in source code. (Fancy that!) I have it on extremely good authority that the Unemployed Kerry Staffer blog, which has been amusing Washingtonians from Wonkette.com to The Hotline since launching in late November, is not a solo project by former Howard Dean and DNC communications pro Clare Gannon -- despite what internet whiz and former Kerry director of online organizing Tom Matzzie may have unearthed in the site's tech trail. Alas, though, I have been sworn to secrecy about what else I know, so that's all I can say.

Nearing the literal end of my day, all I can say is that from moment one, I believe that people were hoping that this was going to be a site put up by one of the bigger names in the Kerry/Edwards staff. Unfortunately for those fishing for some snarky dirt, I don't think it is going to work out for them like that.

And The Wonkette's fill-in this week thinks that the UKS is still not funny. I am here to say, unemployment is always funny... 'Cause if you ain't laughin' ya' must be cryin'.

Sob.

Portland Blogger Too Poor to Continue...

No, not me... Yet. Maybe check back next week just to make sure.

Local politics affect our day-to-day lives more than any other level of government, but for most people, issues affecting their hometowns are often the most overlooked and ignored. More people are likely to vote for President, Senator, or Governor than they are for City Council candidates or School Board members. Unfortunately, in most cases, the City Council and School Boards are the ones who are going to be making decisions that directly affect what you can or cannot do every day, or what your child can or cannot do every day.

In fact, local government is a major battleground of the Red v. Blue stand off. Look at what has happened to School Boards across the nation. We are living in the 21st Century and the Scopes trial could be a current event in many cities and towns. State Legislatures are falling across the country to the Republicans, even in the bluest of states, reflecting the fact that most geography in the Blue states is actually Red. These bodies have tremendous influence on the debate both up and down the food chain, influencing everything from your taxes to who gets to be President.

Quality local sources of news and information are very important, though, to my knowledge, fairly rare. Municipal and regional issues can often seem very dry, which means you won’t be seeing any in depth coverage on your local broadcast news, and in most parts of the country the quality of journalism on these broadcasts is atrocious. Daily newspapers vary greatly in their bias and competence and most cities these days only have one. It is never wise to rely on one source for information about news and politics. Many larger cities also have weekly alternative papers, but again, the quality varies greatly here too, and the anti-establishment biases may not always be conducive to fair reporting.

So, well researched and well written blogs focusing on local issues may be a niche that is waiting to be filled in most areas, and it may be one that needs to be filled again in Portland.

The Portland Communique, a blog that focuses on local issues in Portland, OR, is probably going the way of the mammoth in the next few weeks.

From what I have seen of this blog, it is a well-written, informative source of information about local issues in my hometown. While democracy is in distress all over the nation, and while it is doing much better in Oregon than it is in other parts of the country (I glance four miles to my left from where I sit now), it would still be a shame to see a resource like this disappear.

Death in the Blogosphere: Christopher Frankonis of the Portland Communique

Portland Communique

Monday, December 13, 2004

And Rumsfeld Gets to Keep His Job… A Green Light For Abuse?

The New York-based campaign group Human Rights Watch says it has uncovered evidence that three more prisoners have died in US detention in Afghanistan.

In a damning open letter to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, it says the US is continuing to fail to investigate abuses or punish the guilty.

And the beat goes on… I mean beatings. There is not even anything really left to say about this issue any more. It makes me proud to be an American.

What it calls the "government's failure to hold its personnel accountable for serious abuses has spawned a culture of impunity among some personnel".

Its letter to Donald Rumsfeld says there are fewer complaints now relating to the main US detention centre at Bagram airbase north of Kabul.

However, allegations of "abuse and arbitrary detention" continue to emerge from what are known as "forward operating bases" - smaller posts normally in frontline areas.

It does make it easy for me to come up with content for these pages. Just open up the BBC and link to a couple articles, add sarcastic comment, link to the Message Boards, and move on to the next item.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4092073.stm

And Rove Gets to Keep His Job… A Green Light For Abuse?

A former CIA officer is suing his employers for retaliating against him for his alleged refusal to falsify reports on weapons of mass destruction.

In a complaint published on Wednesday, the unnamed operative said he was warned by a colleague that management wanted to "get him" for his actions.
And the beat goes on… I mean the lies and deceit and fraud. There is not even anything really left to say about this issue any more. It makes me proud to be an American.

The plaintiff maintains that he had attempted to report intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in 2001 and 2002, but was thwarted by his superiors who then insisted on his falsifying his reports.

When he refused to do this, investigations were allegedly made against him into allegations that he had sex with a female informer and stole money used to pay informers.

It does make it easy for me to come up with content for these pages. Just open up the BBC and link to a couple articles, add sarcastic comment, link to the Message Boards, and move on to the next item.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4086361.stm

Seriously, though. Somehow after the last four years I find myself in a position where an anonymous plaintif in a case claiming that he was fired for refusing to claim that Iraq posessed WMD is more credible than the Bush Administration.

What has been going on over at the CIA is just plain scary, unfortunately it is barely covered by the mainstream media. And really, why should it be when there are real life, important issues like Scott Peterson and Jacko demanding attention?

If CNN reported this story this morning, I did not notice. But I could not help but to notice a large percentage of their air time this morning was spent on Michael Jackson’s porno mags. I wanted not to notice this. I wanted not to hear the debate on the fingerprints on these magazines. I did not want to hear someone on my TV saying that having Jacko’s prints and a 12 year old boys prints on the same magazine proves nothing, since it does not prove that they were looking at the magazine at the same time. Wrong on so many levels.

Oh MY GOSH-DARN! I just devoted nearly 50% of my air time to Jacko.

I am going to hell.

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Turn Me into a Liberal

I just had an odd idea for a website: turnmeintoaliberal.com.

Each week or so, we'd post a profile of a Bush Voter, from middle of the road swing voters to hardcore theorcratic conservatives, and their reasons for pulling the Elephant Lever in November and then we would use post comments using logic to try and change their mind.

Unfortunately, this would have been better before the election, but we do have the 2006 Congressional Elections coming up quicker than we can blink.

I am not putting this together yet, just sharing the idea. I think it would be good practice for taking the message to Red America.

This idea probably came around because I consider myself a centrist, but things are moving so far to the right in this country that I feel like I am turning into a Liberal myself.

I don't know... it would be amusing. I don't know which would be better, creating fictional Republican profiles or finding real people to submit to our assaults.

Today is Sunday. Douglas Adams wrote about an immortal being who went insane because of Sunday afternoons. But that is a better topic for my personal blog, Rubble.

Saturday, December 04, 2004

Election Day Hangovers

I've been meaning to write something about the election hangovers... Not in the literal sense, though I am sure there were many of those on November 3, but just the lingering let down feeling.

Many people I know went through a media blackout period where they did not want to hear about politics at all. Myself, I even had a hard time watching The Daily Show for a while. I got mad, set this site up, and then went into my slump and had little stomach for doing the research necessary to load the blog and the boards with content.

Anyway, I am slowly emerging from this, and today I found a USA Today article with the headline "Election Day hangovers remain across USA."

I wondered if I could get some good quotes, but then I noticed the sub-head, "Computer glitch, dead heat, recounts and court rulings play part in undecided races," and the lead...

It's been a month since America went to the polls, but in scattered places across the map, the election isn't over.

Maybe I will crawl back into my media blackout cave for a while.

Click here for the article.