MetaFilter posts by amberglow.
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The Allen Plan --a very interesting alternative to the possible coming draft. Makes perfect sense to me.
posted on Jun-14-04 at 5:57 PM
Pray For Reason is a call to Americans of all religions and belief systems who want to see their country's policies at home and abroad based on facts, history, and reasonable thought processes.
My favorite: Dear God (in all your forms), protect us from those humans among us who wish to direct the destiny of the world for their own gain. Bring them humility, compassion and enlightenment, and allow them to see the interconnection of all beings. (Or bring down upon them a rain of burning rocks, whichever strikes your fancy.) Amen
posted on Jun-11-04 at 3:38 PM
Terrorist incidents actually ROSE in 2003, but the State Department's "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, issued April 29 (see Appendix G for an easy chart), said the exact opposite. Senior Bush administration officials immediately hailed it as objective proof that they were winning the war on terrorism. The report is considered the authoritative yardstick of the prevalence of terrorist activity around the world. Reports like this one were all over the news in April--will the fact that it was a lie be reported as widely? And can we trust anything this administration says anymore?
posted on Jun-9-04 at 6:37 PM
Voice of a Superpower --Foreign Policy magazine puts together an interview with John & Jane Q. Public on us, the world, terror, and stuff--based on our responses to public-opinion polls from a wide variety of sources.
posted on Jun-7-04 at 7:15 PM
Hiring a private criminal defense lawyer --the legal implications and ramifications of our President's (and veep's) move--by John Dean
posted on Jun-5-04 at 8:42 AM
The truth, hard as it is to accept, is that Bush is an Iranian agent.
Time to ask where our president's loyalties lie? (taking a page from our Republican friends, of course) And The Logan Act--who does it apply to?
posted on Jun-2-04 at 1:53 PM
National Security Letters and John Doe --once only issued against suspected terrorists and spies, NSLs now can be used, thanks to the Patriot Act, against all and any of us. John Doe, the currently gagged owner of a small ISP was targeted for the political speech of his customers and is fighting, along with the ACLU and others. More here (and more inside)
posted on May-30-04 at 8:26 PM
"But they don't know about us, and they've never heard of love..." A Million Love Songs--a new mp3 blog hoping to list them all. Songs stay active for a week, and you can contribute too! So far, they're ranging from Tracey Ullman to Britney to Take That to Eddie Fisher to the Supremes and Abba (send your contributions to: amillionlovesongs@hotmail.com)
posted on May-28-04 at 5:59 AM
Thought June 30th was a real handover of power to the Iraqis? In a series of edicts issued earlier this spring, Mr. Bremer's Coalition Provisional Authority created new commissions that effectively take away virtually all of the powers once held by several ministries. ... The new Iraqi government will have little control over its armed forces, lack the ability to make or change laws and be unable to make major decisions within specific ministries without tacit U.S. approval, say U.S. officials and others familiar with the plan.
posted on May-26-04 at 9:15 PM
US demands war crimes immunity But human rights campaigners said the Iraq prison abuse scandal proves that the US needs to be held to account. "Given the recent revelations... the US has picked one hell of a moment to ask for special treatment," said Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch. -- the annual renewal of US protection from international prosecution for war crimes when serving under UN auspices comes to a vote on Monday.
posted on May-22-04 at 6:58 AM
Choose Your Own New York You're in town to visit your wealthy and eccentric Aunt Ginny, who is spending the day having her blood replaced with Botox on the Upper East Side. Now you have the entire day to yourself to explore the most exciting city in the world! -- A Choose Your Own Adventure story, updated.
posted on May-18-04 at 4:55 PM
Leaving Iraq -- William Lind, the Director for the Center for Cultural Conservatism for the Free Congress Foundation, writes of contingency planning, and our coming escape from Iraq, while keeping as many troops alive as possible. The Wash. Post weighs in as well with "How the US can get out" listing the not-too-pleasant options.
posted on May-15-04 at 7:53 PM
The pen is mightier than...? Remember Afghanistan? Terry, former Nitpicker, is now a public affairs specialist in Kandahar. He's learned that the children of Afghanistan want nothing more than they want a pen. Maybe we can help them out by sending some?
posted on May-12-04 at 7:55 PM
Have You Prayed Today?*
Today is the National Day of Prayer in the US (I had never heard of it). Oliver North!?! is the honorary chairman this year. Here are the President's remarks today. Meanwhile, Larry Flynt is calling for a different sort of prayer today.
*Muslims and Mormons need not apply.
"We're in an election year, and we believe God cares who's in those positions of authority," said Mark Fried, spokesman for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. "But we're not endorsing a candidate, just praying that God's hand will be on the election." The private task force, which operates from the Colorado headquarters of the Christian organization Focus on the Family ....
... since the mid-1980s the ceremony has been organized by the nonprofit task force headed by two prominent evangelical women: Vonette Bright, widow of Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, and Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. She also made no apologies about the task force's exclusion of Muslims and others outside of the "Judeo-Christian tradition" from ceremonies planned by the task force on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the country. "They are free to have their own national day of prayer if they want to," she said. "We are a Christian task force."
posted on May-6-04 at 1:32 PM
50 moments that shaped popular musical history in the last 50 years --from Elvis walking into Sun Studios 50 years ago to last fall's entirely non-white Billboard Top Ten for the first time ever. Anything missing?
posted on May-3-04 at 9:12 PM
Aid world rethinks role in Iraq -- As aid agencies continue to evaluate their work in Iraq, many are coming to the uncomfortable conclusion that their decision to deploy was driven more by politics than local needs.
posted on Apr-25-04 at 7:38 PM
Designs on the White House -- an online design contest, judged by designers, celebrities, and activists. Winning designs will be available for resale on T-shirts and other products, and all proceeds after expenses will benefit the John Kerry Presidential campaign. Impressive list of judges, including (so far) Milton Glaser, Chip Kidd, Ed Schlossberg, Atrios, and Tom Tomorrow. Designs will be online throughout May, with your votes determining the finalists. (Kerry's official shirts are lacking, imho) Maybe campaign memorabilia always has been?
posted on Apr-22-04 at 8:02 PM
The September Project -- On 9/11, libraries big and small will host events where citizens can participate collectively and think creatively about our country, our government, our community, and encourage and support the well-informed voice of the American citizenry. A Day of and for Democracy.
posted on Apr-21-04 at 4:38 PM
The Pentagon as Global Slumlord -- by Urban Theorist Mike Davis (author of City of Quartz and Ecology of Fear):
The battle of Fallujah, together with the conflicts unfolding in Shiia cities and Baghdad slums, are high-stakes tests, not just of U.S. policy in Iraq, but of Washington's ability to dominate what Pentagon planners consider the "key battlespace of the future" -- the Third World city.
His recent essay, Planet of Slums provides more on the ever-growing living- (and battle-?)spaces for hundreds of millions.
posted on Apr-19-04 at 5:27 PM
Watching Justice -- a new blog keeping an eye on the Dept. of Justice, drawing on the research and insight of a vast list of organizations, from the ABA to the Violence Policy Center, and brought to us by Soros' Open Society Institute.
posted on Apr-18-04 at 9:40 AM
Sharpeworld is back! From the scopitones to that creepy bald head and fascinating linky goodness, and now--Radio Sharpeworld too!
posted on Apr-14-04 at 4:51 PM
Mike Disfarmer had a photo studio in the resort town of Heber Springs, Arkansas throughout the 30s and 40s, creating images with an amazing blunt, unvarnished beauty and strength. Nothing speaks more eloquently about Disfarmer's artistry than the photographs themselves. His genius was the ability to capture without judgment, the essence of a people and a time.
posted on Apr-11-04 at 12:32 PM
Hourly Cruft -- created triptychs from images found on the NYTimes home page. At 15 minutes after each hour, a new one is generated. From Robert Spahr, who also makes premise cruft, which takes images and headlines from CNN once every 8 hours. see here for more
posted on Apr-9-04 at 12:53 PM
What America Can Learn From Its Atheists -- by Leon Wieseltier. Taking the Supreme Court case being decided on the "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, he wonders what happens to God and religion when it's pressed into service and has all meaning bleached away. For the argument that a reference to God is not a reference to God is a sign that American religion is forgetting its reasons. The need of so many American believers to have government endorse their belief is thoroughly abject. How strong, and how wise, is a faith that needs to see God's name wherever it looks?
posted on Apr-6-04 at 4:37 PM
DOJ Asked FBI Translator To Change Pre 9-11 Intercepts --- FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, was offered a substantial raise and a full time job in order to not go public that she had been asked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to retranslate and adjust the translations of [terrorist] subject intercepts that had been received before September 11, 2001 by the FBI and CIA. "My translations of the pre 9-11 intercepts included [terrorist] money laundering, detailed and date specific information enough to alert the American people, and other issues dating back to 1999 which I won't go into right now." Incredibly, Edmonds said "The senate Judiciary Committee, and the 911 Commission have heard me testify for lengthy periods of time time (3 hours) about very specific plots, dates, airplanes used as weopons, and specific idividuals and activities." Is this true? and OMFG
posted on Mar-24-04 at 6:07 PM
How We Got Homeland Security Wrong -- If all the federal homeland-security grants from last year are added together, Wyoming received $61 a person while California got just $14, according to data gathered at TIME's request by the Public Policy Institute of California, an independent, nonprofit research organization. Alaska received an impressive $58 a resident, while New York got less than $25. On and on goes the upside-down math of the new homeland-security funding. The TIME article uses AIR Worldwide Corp.'s Terrorism Loss Estimation Model.
posted on Mar-22-04 at 5:25 PM
Daring Planet --retrofuturistic online space serial (most of it to come, but a teaser, and tons of clickable cool), by Paul Corrigan.
posted on Mar-19-04 at 6:52 PM
Every gay and lesbian federal employee has just lost their protection from discrimination. Gay and lesbians in the entire federal workforce have had their job protections officially removed by the office of Special Counsel. The new Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, says his interpretation of a 1978 law intended to protect employees and job applicants from adverse personnel actions is that gay and lesbian workers are not covered. Bloch said that the while a gay employee would have no recourse for being fired or demoted for being gay, that same worker could not be fired for attending a gay Pride event.
posted on Mar-17-04 at 7:25 PM
They only way they could get the care their child needed. "Nobody should have to make this decision"
posted on Mar-15-04 at 8:38 PM
Private kibbutzim? The kibbutz, unique and successful socialist experiments in communal living, helped build a country. Has their time passed? Different wages for different jobs, deeding property to individual members, and privatization of production are being instituted at 100 of them, out of an estimated 270 total. In a world where selfishness and capitalism seem to rule, is there hope for communal living?
posted on Mar-12-04 at 9:24 PM
reBlog -- A web site republishing the best blog posts on art, technology and culture from around the web. Brought to you by Eyebeam, a multimedia atelier here in NYC, and run by a rotating cast of reBloggers.
posted on Feb-29-04 at 12:34 PM
Putting Campaign Tech and Dollars to Good Use -- It seems the Bush reelection campaign's letter to the editor form is being used for anti-Bush letters too. Just put in your zipcode, select which newspapers you want your letter to go to, and type away! But of course, then they'll have your personal info and a record of what you wrote, should Ashcroft be bored one day. Worth it or no?
posted on Feb-25-04 at 6:26 PM
RumorFilter: Gov. Perry of Texas in bed with his Sec. of State --for real! More on this brewing scandal here, here, here, here, and here. Perry in 2002 called Texas' then-existing/now-illegal sodomy laws "appropriate." And here's a rundown on the rumor and non-response (from the kos link)
posted on Feb-21-04 at 10:07 AM
Uncle Patrick’s Advice to Children -- a collection of rules to live by. Some highlights: Wear the condom. No, for the love of Pete, not the mint-flavored one. Jesus, that thing burns. and Here’s a helpful tip for job interviews: try not to stab your future boss in the arm with a freshly sharpened pencil. If you must stab someone with a pencil, have the common sense to dull the point to a state where you can be sure it won’t easily break the skin. (via boingboing)
posted on Jan-31-04 at 9:34 PM
Media for Democracy -- a non-partisan citizens' initiative to monitor mainstream news coverage of the 2004 elections and advocate fair, democratic and issue-oriented standards of reporting. The project links voters with more than 100 independent media reform groups in a targeted campaign to prevent the types of media mistakes -- such as early, erroneous and politically biased projections -- that plagued the 2000 election. Brought to you by Mediachannel.org, who recently called primary coverage "Electotainment."
posted on Jan-30-04 at 9:24 PM
Cryptographever -- a secret message discoverer. Just type or paste in text from anywhere and the hidden messages are revealed...When I pasted in all of today's posts, it gave me: BUY NOW SHARE, but yesterday's reveals JOHN DREAMS. hmmmm....
posted on Jan-28-04 at 8:35 PM
Hate Bush? Love to Shop? Putting affiliate programs to good use, this site takes the standard affiliate commissions and donates it toward groups working to replace Bush in 2004. To stay within F.E.C. guidelines, none of the money will go directly to our candidate. Rather, the money will be sent to democratic/progressive/liberal groups such as moveon.org. Quite a range of online stores represented, too.
posted on Jan-20-04 at 3:39 PM
I love Karl Rove -- an "erotomaniacal diary” : Few things get my Blubblenumpkin's whities tighter than the texture of a musty Vellux blanket on his bare tushie while he's gripping a Gideon bible in one paw, and a moist lump of mushed-up vending machine Nutter Butters in the other. Especially if the TV is wired for basic cable so I can tweezer-tend his lower back tufts to the background dulcet tones of Lou Dobbs. Ahhhh…heaven. created by Kat Kinsman (more about her and the Secret Service here
posted on Jan-17-04 at 5:01 PM
On the fast track to the Supremes --In a recess appointment, Bush put Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans today. The American Life League is thrilled, but NARAL not so much.
posted on Jan-16-04 at 4:37 PM
Laura's Girls Jenna and Barbara have not campaigned or reined in their adolescent rebellions. They have not appeared engaged in any of the pressing issues their generation will inherit, nor shown empathy for the struggles facing their mother and their father, the president of the United States. They have not treated with respect their Secret Service details, those highly trained men and women who literally would take a bullet for them. They don't show their faces at the White House often. So far, they have shown little inclination to embrace the life of public service modeled by their parents, uncle and grandparents. They are girls born rich, blessed with intelligence, good looks, trust funds, loving parents, boundless opportunities, freedom from many of life's daily vexing challenges. Yet they persist in seeing themselves as victims of daddy's job. In this attitude, they have been subtly encouraged by their mother.
posted on Jan-7-04 at 10:24 AM
Hey, that was my getaway car!!! Ever wonder where property seized from criminals and crime scenes ends up? Steal It Back/The Property Room brings police auctions online, and New York City is now participating too, guaranteeing an large influx of interesting stuff. Part eBay and part "Cops" episode, the Web site is alternatively cheery ("Hot Pursuit Specials!") and puzzling. How did the police end up with that collectible "I Love Lucy" plate anyway? Where did those eight candlesticks and a Bible come from? Are they really selling that hydroponic grow light — that staple of dorm-room marijuana cultivation? How long before they show up to seize it back?
posted on Jan-4-04 at 8:14 AM
A better 2004? A mixed look at what Indian and Chinese astrologers see for the new year. We're soon to move into the Chinese year of the monkey, a symbol of revolution, movement and changes... a year of more conflict and disharmony in international relationship but there are good chances of seeing new light and brighter future after struggles.
But on the brighter(ish) side, Stargazers agree that the coming 12 months cannot fare much worse than the seesaw ride that the world went through in 2003, dogged by war in Iraq, fluctuating financial markets and mysterious diseases.
posted on Jan-1-04 at 9:35 AM
Welcome to this, the 23rd Annual Xmas Quiz, a holiday tradition in the Bay Area for 23 years. No. 12 is probably too obscure, and No. 14 will inspire rampant pedantry. 16 questions on a wide range of subjects, and answers are here
posted on Dec-26-03 at 3:37 PM
"It's good policy and good business." NYC's Employees Retirement System (5 funds managing $78.6 billion in holdings) is targeting Fortune 500 companies to adopt policies that specifically bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. One of them, CSX Corp., didn't even wait for their shareholder meeting, but immediately amended their policy in response. These funds recently had great success after a decade-long battle with Cracker Barrel Restaurants--infamous for firing gay and lesbian employees because they don't “demonstrate normal heterosexual values." Here's wishing an especially happy holiday to employees of those companies that have stopped discriminating and hopes for many more to join in. More info on this "shareholder activism" at The Equality Project.
posted on Dec-24-03 at 1:41 PM
Robert "Moose" Cobb's new job --Under fire for its handling of postwar contracts in Iraq, the Bush administration plans to appoint NASA's inspector general to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad to oversee investigations of any alleged abuses. Cobb was Associate Presidential Counsel for Bush and before that spent nine years as a career attorney with the Office of Government Ethics. His appointment was seen as a bid by the administration to counter criticism -- mostly from Democrats in Congress -- that oversight of multibillion-dollar contracts has been lax. So can a guy who worked in the Bush White House actually be trusted to objectively investigate abuses? And if the Pentagon is auditing all of this, why use this guy? (and can the Pentagon objectively investigate this stuff either?)
posted on Dec-15-03 at 8:22 PM
Walk A Mile project brings policymakers and people on assistance together. One of their programs is Living on Food Stamps, where policymakers try to eat for a month on the same amount of food stamps regular people receive. Here's how it went in Oregon, and some lessons learned by legislators.
posted on Dec-10-03 at 7:45 AM
Now children, time for spelling--B is for: Bechtel? Schools have been highlighted as an under-reported success story of the new Iraq: “We want young Iraqis to learn skills and to grow and hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and hatred," says the pres, but...."The first time they came here, they went from classroom to classroom with guns dangling over their shoulders, asking the terrified children whom they loved more, Saddam Hussein or George Bush," says a principal. (more inside)
posted on Dec-3-03 at 5:00 PM
Mr. and Mr. Claus -- Harvey Fierstein, fabulous star of Hairspray and three-time Tony winner, is planning an homage to that happy couple--the Clauses--in tomorrow's Thanksgiving Parade. His NYT op-ed (reg.reqd) today says it all: In the end all I can say is this: If I really was Santa's life partner, you can believe that he would ask and I would tell about who has been naughty or nice on this issue. Still, as we approach the holiday season I'd like to imagine that fear and bigotry will not prevail in this land. Maybe this holiday season we can toss out some of the intolerance that nests in our hearts and make room for more love and acceptance.
posted on Nov-26-03 at 3:22 PM
Perle speaks (the truth)! International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal. I can't decide if this is really stupid or really shrewd. And can legal action be taken?
posted on Nov-19-03 at 8:24 PM
"DEAR MR PRESIDENT, WE WE THINK YOUR WAR IS STUPID, AND WE SAY NO WAY!" Thus the Radical Cheerleaders arrive on the protest scene, taking the outfits and chants usually found on the football field to protests and demonstrations all over the world. Some chants here, and more coverage here. hey, it beats giant puppets!
posted on Nov-15-03 at 11:37 AM
posted on Jun-14-04 at 5:57 PM
Pray For Reason is a call to Americans of all religions and belief systems who want to see their country's policies at home and abroad based on facts, history, and reasonable thought processes.
My favorite: Dear God (in all your forms), protect us from those humans among us who wish to direct the destiny of the world for their own gain. Bring them humility, compassion and enlightenment, and allow them to see the interconnection of all beings. (Or bring down upon them a rain of burning rocks, whichever strikes your fancy.) Amen
posted on Jun-11-04 at 3:38 PM
Terrorist incidents actually ROSE in 2003, but the State Department's "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, issued April 29 (see Appendix G for an easy chart), said the exact opposite. Senior Bush administration officials immediately hailed it as objective proof that they were winning the war on terrorism. The report is considered the authoritative yardstick of the prevalence of terrorist activity around the world. Reports like this one were all over the news in April--will the fact that it was a lie be reported as widely? And can we trust anything this administration says anymore?
posted on Jun-9-04 at 6:37 PM
Voice of a Superpower --Foreign Policy magazine puts together an interview with John & Jane Q. Public on us, the world, terror, and stuff--based on our responses to public-opinion polls from a wide variety of sources.
posted on Jun-7-04 at 7:15 PM
Hiring a private criminal defense lawyer --the legal implications and ramifications of our President's (and veep's) move--by John Dean
posted on Jun-5-04 at 8:42 AM
The truth, hard as it is to accept, is that Bush is an Iranian agent.
Time to ask where our president's loyalties lie? (taking a page from our Republican friends, of course) And The Logan Act--who does it apply to?
posted on Jun-2-04 at 1:53 PM
National Security Letters and John Doe --once only issued against suspected terrorists and spies, NSLs now can be used, thanks to the Patriot Act, against all and any of us. John Doe, the currently gagged owner of a small ISP was targeted for the political speech of his customers and is fighting, along with the ACLU and others. More here (and more inside)
posted on May-30-04 at 8:26 PM
"But they don't know about us, and they've never heard of love..." A Million Love Songs--a new mp3 blog hoping to list them all. Songs stay active for a week, and you can contribute too! So far, they're ranging from Tracey Ullman to Britney to Take That to Eddie Fisher to the Supremes and Abba (send your contributions to: amillionlovesongs@hotmail.com)
posted on May-28-04 at 5:59 AM
Thought June 30th was a real handover of power to the Iraqis? In a series of edicts issued earlier this spring, Mr. Bremer's Coalition Provisional Authority created new commissions that effectively take away virtually all of the powers once held by several ministries. ... The new Iraqi government will have little control over its armed forces, lack the ability to make or change laws and be unable to make major decisions within specific ministries without tacit U.S. approval, say U.S. officials and others familiar with the plan.
posted on May-26-04 at 9:15 PM
US demands war crimes immunity But human rights campaigners said the Iraq prison abuse scandal proves that the US needs to be held to account. "Given the recent revelations... the US has picked one hell of a moment to ask for special treatment," said Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch. -- the annual renewal of US protection from international prosecution for war crimes when serving under UN auspices comes to a vote on Monday.
posted on May-22-04 at 6:58 AM
Choose Your Own New York You're in town to visit your wealthy and eccentric Aunt Ginny, who is spending the day having her blood replaced with Botox on the Upper East Side. Now you have the entire day to yourself to explore the most exciting city in the world! -- A Choose Your Own Adventure story, updated.
posted on May-18-04 at 4:55 PM
Leaving Iraq -- William Lind, the Director for the Center for Cultural Conservatism for the Free Congress Foundation, writes of contingency planning, and our coming escape from Iraq, while keeping as many troops alive as possible. The Wash. Post weighs in as well with "How the US can get out" listing the not-too-pleasant options.
posted on May-15-04 at 7:53 PM
The pen is mightier than...? Remember Afghanistan? Terry, former Nitpicker, is now a public affairs specialist in Kandahar. He's learned that the children of Afghanistan want nothing more than they want a pen. Maybe we can help them out by sending some?
posted on May-12-04 at 7:55 PM
Have You Prayed Today?*
Today is the National Day of Prayer in the US (I had never heard of it). Oliver North!?! is the honorary chairman this year. Here are the President's remarks today. Meanwhile, Larry Flynt is calling for a different sort of prayer today.
*Muslims and Mormons need not apply.
"We're in an election year, and we believe God cares who's in those positions of authority," said Mark Fried, spokesman for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. "But we're not endorsing a candidate, just praying that God's hand will be on the election." The private task force, which operates from the Colorado headquarters of the Christian organization Focus on the Family ....
... since the mid-1980s the ceremony has been organized by the nonprofit task force headed by two prominent evangelical women: Vonette Bright, widow of Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, and Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. She also made no apologies about the task force's exclusion of Muslims and others outside of the "Judeo-Christian tradition" from ceremonies planned by the task force on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the country. "They are free to have their own national day of prayer if they want to," she said. "We are a Christian task force."
posted on May-6-04 at 1:32 PM
50 moments that shaped popular musical history in the last 50 years --from Elvis walking into Sun Studios 50 years ago to last fall's entirely non-white Billboard Top Ten for the first time ever. Anything missing?
posted on May-3-04 at 9:12 PM
Aid world rethinks role in Iraq -- As aid agencies continue to evaluate their work in Iraq, many are coming to the uncomfortable conclusion that their decision to deploy was driven more by politics than local needs.
posted on Apr-25-04 at 7:38 PM
Designs on the White House -- an online design contest, judged by designers, celebrities, and activists. Winning designs will be available for resale on T-shirts and other products, and all proceeds after expenses will benefit the John Kerry Presidential campaign. Impressive list of judges, including (so far) Milton Glaser, Chip Kidd, Ed Schlossberg, Atrios, and Tom Tomorrow. Designs will be online throughout May, with your votes determining the finalists. (Kerry's official shirts are lacking, imho) Maybe campaign memorabilia always has been?
posted on Apr-22-04 at 8:02 PM
The September Project -- On 9/11, libraries big and small will host events where citizens can participate collectively and think creatively about our country, our government, our community, and encourage and support the well-informed voice of the American citizenry. A Day of and for Democracy.
posted on Apr-21-04 at 4:38 PM
The Pentagon as Global Slumlord -- by Urban Theorist Mike Davis (author of City of Quartz and Ecology of Fear):
The battle of Fallujah, together with the conflicts unfolding in Shiia cities and Baghdad slums, are high-stakes tests, not just of U.S. policy in Iraq, but of Washington's ability to dominate what Pentagon planners consider the "key battlespace of the future" -- the Third World city.
His recent essay, Planet of Slums provides more on the ever-growing living- (and battle-?)spaces for hundreds of millions.
posted on Apr-19-04 at 5:27 PM
Watching Justice -- a new blog keeping an eye on the Dept. of Justice, drawing on the research and insight of a vast list of organizations, from the ABA to the Violence Policy Center, and brought to us by Soros' Open Society Institute.
posted on Apr-18-04 at 9:40 AM
Sharpeworld is back! From the scopitones to that creepy bald head and fascinating linky goodness, and now--Radio Sharpeworld too!
posted on Apr-14-04 at 4:51 PM
Mike Disfarmer had a photo studio in the resort town of Heber Springs, Arkansas throughout the 30s and 40s, creating images with an amazing blunt, unvarnished beauty and strength. Nothing speaks more eloquently about Disfarmer's artistry than the photographs themselves. His genius was the ability to capture without judgment, the essence of a people and a time.
posted on Apr-11-04 at 12:32 PM
Hourly Cruft -- created triptychs from images found on the NYTimes home page. At 15 minutes after each hour, a new one is generated. From Robert Spahr, who also makes premise cruft, which takes images and headlines from CNN once every 8 hours. see here for more
posted on Apr-9-04 at 12:53 PM
What America Can Learn From Its Atheists -- by Leon Wieseltier. Taking the Supreme Court case being decided on the "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, he wonders what happens to God and religion when it's pressed into service and has all meaning bleached away. For the argument that a reference to God is not a reference to God is a sign that American religion is forgetting its reasons. The need of so many American believers to have government endorse their belief is thoroughly abject. How strong, and how wise, is a faith that needs to see God's name wherever it looks?
posted on Apr-6-04 at 4:37 PM
DOJ Asked FBI Translator To Change Pre 9-11 Intercepts --- FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, was offered a substantial raise and a full time job in order to not go public that she had been asked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to retranslate and adjust the translations of [terrorist] subject intercepts that had been received before September 11, 2001 by the FBI and CIA. "My translations of the pre 9-11 intercepts included [terrorist] money laundering, detailed and date specific information enough to alert the American people, and other issues dating back to 1999 which I won't go into right now." Incredibly, Edmonds said "The senate Judiciary Committee, and the 911 Commission have heard me testify for lengthy periods of time time (3 hours) about very specific plots, dates, airplanes used as weopons, and specific idividuals and activities." Is this true? and OMFG
posted on Mar-24-04 at 6:07 PM
How We Got Homeland Security Wrong -- If all the federal homeland-security grants from last year are added together, Wyoming received $61 a person while California got just $14, according to data gathered at TIME's request by the Public Policy Institute of California, an independent, nonprofit research organization. Alaska received an impressive $58 a resident, while New York got less than $25. On and on goes the upside-down math of the new homeland-security funding. The TIME article uses AIR Worldwide Corp.'s Terrorism Loss Estimation Model.
posted on Mar-22-04 at 5:25 PM
Daring Planet --retrofuturistic online space serial (most of it to come, but a teaser, and tons of clickable cool), by Paul Corrigan.
posted on Mar-19-04 at 6:52 PM
Every gay and lesbian federal employee has just lost their protection from discrimination. Gay and lesbians in the entire federal workforce have had their job protections officially removed by the office of Special Counsel. The new Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, says his interpretation of a 1978 law intended to protect employees and job applicants from adverse personnel actions is that gay and lesbian workers are not covered. Bloch said that the while a gay employee would have no recourse for being fired or demoted for being gay, that same worker could not be fired for attending a gay Pride event.
posted on Mar-17-04 at 7:25 PM
They only way they could get the care their child needed. "Nobody should have to make this decision"
posted on Mar-15-04 at 8:38 PM
Private kibbutzim? The kibbutz, unique and successful socialist experiments in communal living, helped build a country. Has their time passed? Different wages for different jobs, deeding property to individual members, and privatization of production are being instituted at 100 of them, out of an estimated 270 total. In a world where selfishness and capitalism seem to rule, is there hope for communal living?
posted on Mar-12-04 at 9:24 PM
reBlog -- A web site republishing the best blog posts on art, technology and culture from around the web. Brought to you by Eyebeam, a multimedia atelier here in NYC, and run by a rotating cast of reBloggers.
posted on Feb-29-04 at 12:34 PM
Putting Campaign Tech and Dollars to Good Use -- It seems the Bush reelection campaign's letter to the editor form is being used for anti-Bush letters too. Just put in your zipcode, select which newspapers you want your letter to go to, and type away! But of course, then they'll have your personal info and a record of what you wrote, should Ashcroft be bored one day. Worth it or no?
posted on Feb-25-04 at 6:26 PM
RumorFilter: Gov. Perry of Texas in bed with his Sec. of State --for real! More on this brewing scandal here, here, here, here, and here. Perry in 2002 called Texas' then-existing/now-illegal sodomy laws "appropriate." And here's a rundown on the rumor and non-response (from the kos link)
posted on Feb-21-04 at 10:07 AM
Uncle Patrick’s Advice to Children -- a collection of rules to live by. Some highlights: Wear the condom. No, for the love of Pete, not the mint-flavored one. Jesus, that thing burns. and Here’s a helpful tip for job interviews: try not to stab your future boss in the arm with a freshly sharpened pencil. If you must stab someone with a pencil, have the common sense to dull the point to a state where you can be sure it won’t easily break the skin. (via boingboing)
posted on Jan-31-04 at 9:34 PM
Media for Democracy -- a non-partisan citizens' initiative to monitor mainstream news coverage of the 2004 elections and advocate fair, democratic and issue-oriented standards of reporting. The project links voters with more than 100 independent media reform groups in a targeted campaign to prevent the types of media mistakes -- such as early, erroneous and politically biased projections -- that plagued the 2000 election. Brought to you by Mediachannel.org, who recently called primary coverage "Electotainment."
posted on Jan-30-04 at 9:24 PM
Cryptographever -- a secret message discoverer. Just type or paste in text from anywhere and the hidden messages are revealed...When I pasted in all of today's posts, it gave me: BUY NOW SHARE, but yesterday's reveals JOHN DREAMS. hmmmm....
posted on Jan-28-04 at 8:35 PM
Hate Bush? Love to Shop? Putting affiliate programs to good use, this site takes the standard affiliate commissions and donates it toward groups working to replace Bush in 2004. To stay within F.E.C. guidelines, none of the money will go directly to our candidate. Rather, the money will be sent to democratic/progressive/liberal groups such as moveon.org. Quite a range of online stores represented, too.
posted on Jan-20-04 at 3:39 PM
I love Karl Rove -- an "erotomaniacal diary” : Few things get my Blubblenumpkin's whities tighter than the texture of a musty Vellux blanket on his bare tushie while he's gripping a Gideon bible in one paw, and a moist lump of mushed-up vending machine Nutter Butters in the other. Especially if the TV is wired for basic cable so I can tweezer-tend his lower back tufts to the background dulcet tones of Lou Dobbs. Ahhhh…heaven. created by Kat Kinsman (more about her and the Secret Service here
posted on Jan-17-04 at 5:01 PM
On the fast track to the Supremes --In a recess appointment, Bush put Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans today. The American Life League is thrilled, but NARAL not so much.
posted on Jan-16-04 at 4:37 PM
Laura's Girls Jenna and Barbara have not campaigned or reined in their adolescent rebellions. They have not appeared engaged in any of the pressing issues their generation will inherit, nor shown empathy for the struggles facing their mother and their father, the president of the United States. They have not treated with respect their Secret Service details, those highly trained men and women who literally would take a bullet for them. They don't show their faces at the White House often. So far, they have shown little inclination to embrace the life of public service modeled by their parents, uncle and grandparents. They are girls born rich, blessed with intelligence, good looks, trust funds, loving parents, boundless opportunities, freedom from many of life's daily vexing challenges. Yet they persist in seeing themselves as victims of daddy's job. In this attitude, they have been subtly encouraged by their mother.
posted on Jan-7-04 at 10:24 AM
Hey, that was my getaway car!!! Ever wonder where property seized from criminals and crime scenes ends up? Steal It Back/The Property Room brings police auctions online, and New York City is now participating too, guaranteeing an large influx of interesting stuff. Part eBay and part "Cops" episode, the Web site is alternatively cheery ("Hot Pursuit Specials!") and puzzling. How did the police end up with that collectible "I Love Lucy" plate anyway? Where did those eight candlesticks and a Bible come from? Are they really selling that hydroponic grow light — that staple of dorm-room marijuana cultivation? How long before they show up to seize it back?
posted on Jan-4-04 at 8:14 AM
A better 2004? A mixed look at what Indian and Chinese astrologers see for the new year. We're soon to move into the Chinese year of the monkey, a symbol of revolution, movement and changes... a year of more conflict and disharmony in international relationship but there are good chances of seeing new light and brighter future after struggles.
But on the brighter(ish) side, Stargazers agree that the coming 12 months cannot fare much worse than the seesaw ride that the world went through in 2003, dogged by war in Iraq, fluctuating financial markets and mysterious diseases.
posted on Jan-1-04 at 9:35 AM
Welcome to this, the 23rd Annual Xmas Quiz, a holiday tradition in the Bay Area for 23 years. No. 12 is probably too obscure, and No. 14 will inspire rampant pedantry. 16 questions on a wide range of subjects, and answers are here
posted on Dec-26-03 at 3:37 PM
"It's good policy and good business." NYC's Employees Retirement System (5 funds managing $78.6 billion in holdings) is targeting Fortune 500 companies to adopt policies that specifically bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. One of them, CSX Corp., didn't even wait for their shareholder meeting, but immediately amended their policy in response. These funds recently had great success after a decade-long battle with Cracker Barrel Restaurants--infamous for firing gay and lesbian employees because they don't “demonstrate normal heterosexual values." Here's wishing an especially happy holiday to employees of those companies that have stopped discriminating and hopes for many more to join in. More info on this "shareholder activism" at The Equality Project.
posted on Dec-24-03 at 1:41 PM
Robert "Moose" Cobb's new job --Under fire for its handling of postwar contracts in Iraq, the Bush administration plans to appoint NASA's inspector general to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad to oversee investigations of any alleged abuses. Cobb was Associate Presidential Counsel for Bush and before that spent nine years as a career attorney with the Office of Government Ethics. His appointment was seen as a bid by the administration to counter criticism -- mostly from Democrats in Congress -- that oversight of multibillion-dollar contracts has been lax. So can a guy who worked in the Bush White House actually be trusted to objectively investigate abuses? And if the Pentagon is auditing all of this, why use this guy? (and can the Pentagon objectively investigate this stuff either?)
posted on Dec-15-03 at 8:22 PM
Walk A Mile project brings policymakers and people on assistance together. One of their programs is Living on Food Stamps, where policymakers try to eat for a month on the same amount of food stamps regular people receive. Here's how it went in Oregon, and some lessons learned by legislators.
posted on Dec-10-03 at 7:45 AM
Now children, time for spelling--B is for: Bechtel? Schools have been highlighted as an under-reported success story of the new Iraq: “We want young Iraqis to learn skills and to grow and hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and hatred," says the pres, but...."The first time they came here, they went from classroom to classroom with guns dangling over their shoulders, asking the terrified children whom they loved more, Saddam Hussein or George Bush," says a principal. (more inside)
posted on Dec-3-03 at 5:00 PM
Mr. and Mr. Claus -- Harvey Fierstein, fabulous star of Hairspray and three-time Tony winner, is planning an homage to that happy couple--the Clauses--in tomorrow's Thanksgiving Parade. His NYT op-ed (reg.reqd) today says it all: In the end all I can say is this: If I really was Santa's life partner, you can believe that he would ask and I would tell about who has been naughty or nice on this issue. Still, as we approach the holiday season I'd like to imagine that fear and bigotry will not prevail in this land. Maybe this holiday season we can toss out some of the intolerance that nests in our hearts and make room for more love and acceptance.
posted on Nov-26-03 at 3:22 PM
Perle speaks (the truth)! International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal. I can't decide if this is really stupid or really shrewd. And can legal action be taken?
posted on Nov-19-03 at 8:24 PM
"DEAR MR PRESIDENT, WE WE THINK YOUR WAR IS STUPID, AND WE SAY NO WAY!" Thus the Radical Cheerleaders arrive on the protest scene, taking the outfits and chants usually found on the football field to protests and demonstrations all over the world. Some chants here, and more coverage here. hey, it beats giant puppets!
posted on Nov-15-03 at 11:37 AM
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