February 14, 2005
Amtrak
Bush proposes ending all federal subsidies of Amtrak. I love taking trains, and plan to in April when I go back to Chicago. For those that don't like to fly, and don't want to spend their time off driving, it's the only option.
Government subsidizes all transportation in this country, highways, streets, airports, airlines, etc. I don't know why Amtrak always gets crapped on.
Amtrak CEO talks about the 6 myths of Amtrak
(via Rick Klau)
January 05, 2005
December 11, 2004
John Barlow Fights the Law
John Barlow got busted with some weed while flying to NY and is fighting the search. Ok, I'm with him on the search but how stupid can you be to fly with drugs? They search your fucking bags man! Leave 'em behind.
Oh, and K? That's still around? How 90s.
August 02, 2004
July 22, 2004
July 18, 2004
Bobby Fischer
Poor Bobby Fischer, detained in Japan for playing a game in Yugoslavia in '92. His story keeps getting weirder and weirder.
July 14, 2004
A little Politics Before Bed
It's a sad day when you have to pick between two candidates, both of whom believe gay marriage should not be allowed. The only difference is that one believes in a constitutional amendment that for the first time will remove rights* and one who does not. I guess I'm supposed to believe Kerry is just trying to appease the "majority of Americans"** and he won't stand in the way of the courts. But do I really want to vote for someone who doesn't have the courage to stand by his convictions, and if they really are his convictions, can I vote for someone who doesn't believe in equality under the law?
It doesn't really matter, I'm going to vote for Kerry. I guess I'll just have to live with someone who doesn't agree but won't stand in the way. Apparently that's the best we can do. How far we've come.
I get more and more disappointed with the Democratic party each passing year.
*That's actually not true, The 18th amendment removed the "right" to drink.**I don't believe these numbers, I hope they' are push polls.
July 11, 2004
OutFoxed
OutFoxed is getting a lot of press these last few days. Lessig, NY Times. The trailer looks good, and the copyright issues it creates are interesting. Really, I just love anything that takes Fox News to task. If I was in San Fran, I would go to the screening next Friday, but I not, so I won't.
June 30, 2004
Bush allies helping Nader in Oregon
If this is true, then there really is something wrong with politics in America. What's happened to ethics, to doing the right thing, win or lose? I guess, to some people, having their man in office is more important then the principals of democracy. And by no means do I think the right has a monopoly on these sort of tactics.
June 27, 2004
RC Cola
I'm in the middle of reading Bill Clinton's My Life. In chapter eight, he mentions how much he liked RC cola and how he was disappointed when they stopped making it. This was in 1964. They still make it now, and it's the best soda by the way, but did they stop and bring it back more recently?
Apparently, RC owns 7up and Dr. Pepper now.
June 26, 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11
My bosses at WOW bought everyone tickets to see Fahrenheit 9/11 yesterday. I think 37 of us ended up attending. We saw it at the Arclight which is a really nice theater here in Hollywood.
The movie was really powerful, but it's hard not to be when you're showing the burned bodies of soldiers being dragged through the streets. There was a point that I thought I was going to have to leave, I was getting sick to my stomach.
As powerful as it was, I left the theater not completely convinced of Moore's point. I hate Bush, but showing him shaking the hands of Saudi leaders isn't really that big of a deal. If you look through archive footage, you can find the same thing with Clinton, really any president, they are considered Allies after all (even if they probably shouldn't be).
There are some really cheap shots in it too. I'm all for making Bush look like an idiot, but do you really need to show Bush staring into nowhere cut with scenes from 9/11? I'm not sure what he was supposed to be doing after the first plane hit.
Having said all that, I really liked it and I think it help energize the left. God knows we need it. What Fahrenheit 9/11 does best is track Bush's lies and cronyism. You know Bush is in the pocket of certain big business, but Moore really seals the deal here.
Also, on the way to the theater, there was women with a picket sign that read "Euthanize Arnold". We got stickers. I have no idea why she wants to euthanize him, but the stickers are neat. I really should watch the news.
May 26, 2004
May 03, 2004
Bush: Prosperity depends on election
Peace and freedom depend upon this election. Prosperity for the people depend upon this election
Yeah, that makes sense. The man who started the war, saying only he will bring peace? The man who oversaw the largest deficit in American history is the only one that can bring prosperity?
The balls on this guy.
Oh yeah, if he keeps bring up record homeownership rates as proof that he has made progress on the economy, I'm going to lose my mind. Why doesn't he talk about how this record has driven homeownership out of the reach of the middle class in large cities. How on 50k a year, the only place your buying a home in a large city is the ghetto or, if you're lucky, a hour drive from your job.
April 21, 2004
Don't worry, it's not terrorism
I just caught a few minutes of the local news. It seems that LAX has lost power a couple of times in the last week. The outages were not long, the last one was for 10 seconds. At the end of the story they made it clear that terrorism was not involved. That's like saying that a secret alian laser weapon wasn't involved. It kind of goes without saying. Every since 911, the news always has to let you know that it wasn't terrorism, no matter what it is.
Car broken down on the freeway? Don't worry, it wasn't terrorism.
Flooding in the low lands? Don't worry not an act of terrorism.
Fish not biting at the local pond? Don't worry, not terrorism.
April 20, 2004
Gun Found on Congressman
I'm pretty sure if I claimed to have forgotten that my loaded 9 mm Glock was in my bag as I tried to board a plane, I wouldn't have been allowed to leave. I suspect that a Green party member wouldn't have been either. Hell, they can't even fly at all.
If it is true that he forgot, which is likely, then the man is too stupid to be holding office. How in the hell do you forget that you're carrying a loaded weapon?
March 27, 2004
Homeownership
Bush has this to say on homeownership during a speech about the economy:
Rising home values have helped take the wealth of American households to a new record level.
Yeah, the astronomical rise in property values is good, about as good as getting hit by a bus.
I make over $40,000 per, putting me safely in the middle class, and there's no way I can buy a house in the city I live in (at least not in a safe neighborhood). I pay 20% of my income for a studio apartment for God's sake. There used to be a time in this country that if you worked hard you were able to buy a house. Now, unless you have family to help you, you can't buy a house until you're safely in the upper class. Things are probably different in small towns, most of my hometown friends own homes, but something needs to be done in the cities.
Kill the Smokers!
If you live in California, there's now one more place you can't smoke. The beach. It's not a state law, but most of the beaches here are on their way to banning it. The problem they say? Too many butts left on the beach. Smoking is such an easy target, but they're missing this one big time. Unless I'm an idiot, I'm pretty sure they already have a law to stop people from leaving their butts on the beach, it's called littering. This is why it's so hard for the government to get anything worthwhile done. They're too busy pandering to nonsense like this. Enforce the laws you have, don't make new ones just because you haven't spent any money enforcing the first one. But of course, the problem isn't really the litter, it's that people hate smoking, otherwise they would be banning soda and all the cans littering the beach.
March 26, 2004
March 15, 2004
Trends He Can Live Without
Tom Bridge has some trends he can live without. I have to say that I agree with all of them. In particular, the second. Bush is in fact the President, by rule of law. That's not to say, of course, that the rule of law shouldn't be changed.
I understand the original point of the Electoral College (though many people smarter than I disagree about what that point actually was), but I think it's well past the time of usefulness. In a country that preaches democracy, freedom, and self determination, one person's vote should not count more than any others. I had high hopes that after the 2000 election there would be a movement to replace the electoral college with a direct election.
Hillary Clinton made a quick statement against the electoral college soon after the Florida debacle, but just as quickly she started to pull away from that statement. People, of all parties, seem to me very unwilling to admit that the current election process is unfair. And if anything needs to be fair, it's elections.
February 22, 2004
Ralph Nader
Well my letter, all our letters, didn't work. At least he won't be on too many ballots. It just seems kind of selfish.
February 21, 2004
February 07, 2004
Dear Ralph Nader
Following is my letter to Ralph Nader, who is considering running again this year. Let him know what you think!
I beg you, do not run this year. your last campaign was honorable and raised important issues that were being over shadowed by a nominee who was letting himself be forced into the middle. Gore was following Bush's lead. Bush wants a tax refund, I'm for a refund too. America doesn't like a follower and it showed.This year, there are several good and strong Democratic candidates who I believe will set the tone and the issues for the next campaign. Bush will be following, trying to defend his abysmal track record here at home, and his failed attempt to change foreign policy. (I like to think of it as failed, we shall see).
It's a shame that America is a two party system, and it's a shame that not all voices are heard. But if you run, we will be listening to Bush for 4 more years. There is a difference between the parties, and we have seen it over the last couple of years. Let us have a clean fight. Don't come attacking from the left. Give the Democratic Party room to move there on its' own.
January 20, 2004
The State of the Union
I didn't know that the State of the Union was tonight until it was over. I'm not sure how that happened. It's usually something I don't miss. I have to start reading a newspaper or something. It's OK, I'm sure I didn't really missing anything anyway. It's not as if I like him, but I do like the renew interest in space exploration. Even if it's a thinly disguised attempt to bolster his poll numbers (really though, what isn't).
January 18, 2004
January 13, 2004
Anti Bush Ad
MoveOn has posted their ad that they are going to start running. Hopefully during the Superbowl.
January 01, 2004
Minimum Sentencing
Rehnquist slams Congress over reducing sentencing discretion.
It's not often that I agree with Rehnquist. For years Congress has been nipping away judge's ability to do just that, judge.
December 24, 2003
Dude, Where's My Country?
I just finished reading Dude, Where's My Country by Michael Moore. I bought it with Erica last weekend.
I thought it was pretty good. Certainly a quick read. He has some good ideas for winning the next election. At least about getting out and lending a hand to some good candidates. If I wasn't so lazy I might actually do that.
The most interesting thing in the book are the stats on where Americans stand politically. It's no surprise that most of us are more liberal than not. What he doesn't really talk about, or at least not directly, is the left's inability to get the vote out. That's the conservatives best weapon. They get their people to vote. If we could get more of the people to vote, would we ever have another Bush? I doubt it.
It's worth picking up if you lean his way, but of course, take everything with a grain of salt.
August 08, 2003
I Want My Porn
I really thought that our government was over its' whole anti-porn thing. I swear obscenity laws were passe.
Funny:
The industry has been bracing for a renewed crackdown since Ashcroft became attorney general in 2001. Film producers took note when the department spent $8,000 on curtains to cover two partly nude classical statues in its Washington offices.
You would think that the Justice Department would have better things to do.
(via In Apprehension...)
July 03, 2003
Howard Dean
I saw on Howard Dean's weblog that NPR has posted it's interview with him. It's a good read and gives a quick overview of his stance on some important issues. I especially like his position on gun control and where the regulation belongs. Dean is quickly becoming my candidate of choice, I'll have to make one of his meet ups.
June 18, 2003
Estate Tax
CNN.com - House votes to eliminate estate taxes
I actually watched some of the debate today on CSPAN. It wasn't too exciting. What I don't understand is why on earth is anyone trying to cut more taxes when we are running a huge deficeit?
The House voted 239-188 to reject a Democratic approach that would eliminate the tax for more than 99 percent of estates beginning next year by allowing individuals to exempt $3 million from estate taxes and married couples to exempt $6 million. It would have cost $28 billion over a decade.
Now why wouldn't this comprimise pass? Just one percent would have to pay...makes me sick. Well at least the Senate won't let it pass.
RAVE Act
Minorthird writes about the first use of the RAVE act by the DEA in Billings, Montana. Go to the post to read the press release by NORML.
The RAVE act has to be one of the stupidest laws passed in sometime. First off, it seems obvious that it was used this time to stop a rally for a valid political cause. That's scary.
Second, how can the government expect a promoter to stop all drug use at their events? Have they seen a hit of acid? You can't stop someone from bringing that in, no search will find it.
I don't even know what to say. It's just fucking stupid.
June 13, 2003
Millionaires
4 out 10 Senators are millionaires. I would have guessed it to be much higher than that.
Good old Herb Kohl keeping it alive at number 2. When I lived in Milwaukee he used to come into the George Webb's every morning for coffee. He didn't like to be bothered too much.
May 30, 2003
Smoking Laws
DISCLAIMER - I smoke.
At minorthird he writes about Massachusetts banning smoking in the workplace, specifically bars and restaurants. He seems to be taking the stand that this is a good thing and does not intrude on personal liberties. Well guess what, it does. I'll tell you how.
More - ()May 20, 2003
Taxes
Rich Klau is pointing out a good article by Warren Buffet about the tax breaks passed by the Senate last week.
His point can be summed up with this quote:
Putting $1,000 in the pockets of 310,000 families with urgent needs is going to provide far more stimulus to the economy than putting the same $310 million in my pockets.
I have no problems paying taxes when the burden is spread fairly. Tax breaks like this hurt the most vulnerable and help the least.
May 16, 2003
Public Domain
Lawrence Lessig is asking people write their Representative and Senator and ask them to sponsor a bill to help counter the effects of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.
Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about copyrights and the public domain, but this statue seems like a copout. I guess that it's better than nothing and will allow a lot of work to enter the public domain. I would also guess that it would be fairly easy to pass than revoking it all together.
Anyway take a look at his site and write you representatives either way. I try to send them something every week. I get a lot of form mail in response :-)
May 13, 2003
Time Slips
Scott Rosenberg mentions Henry Norr's recent firing from the S.F. Chronicle. I just hope it wasn't done because he participated in a protest.
The article reminded me of one of my first jobs.
More - ()May 03, 2003
April 27, 2003
Substantial Noninfringing Uses
kuro5hin.org || Judge demonstrates Sanity, Respect for Law
It seems like some of the courts are waking up from a long nap.
April 20, 2003
Be like us, be like us, be like us damnit
CNN.com - Lugar: U.S. 'ill-prepared' for postwar Iraq - Apr. 20, 2003
I have but a few comments.
More - ()April 19, 2003
Loitering
CNN.com - Pa. borough mulls law that might mean jail for loiterers or parents - Apr. 19, 2003
When I was 18 and still living in my hometown, I was arrested for loitering. At the time I was doing layouts for a small printing company and was heading back there after lunch. On my way I happened to pass the high-school (which I never attended) and saw a friend walking across the street. While stopped to talk to him, the school principal came over with the liaison officer and asked us our names. I didn't really feel that I should have to give it to a principal of a school I never attended....long story short...arrested for loitering, 203 dollar fine and all.
I guess my point is simply that loitering laws violate your rights. If I had been much older and stopped to talk to a friend, I never would have been arrested. Balance people, balance. You have to way the rights of people to the benefits to society. I don't think these laws balance out.
April 15, 2003
Iraq's Culture
Antipixel | Blog | And Now the Library
It is sad to hear of all the destruction going on in Iraq. Now that the majority of the battle has been won, it is time to start defending the country. I guess I should not be surprised that our government doesn't care about Iraq's Museums and their Library, it fits. One more thing that this administration should be ashamed of.
April 14, 2003
Drug ads
The new anti-drug commercials that have been making the rounds recently are so incredibly stupid. Who believes that these will work? Lying to people won't work.
More - ()April 05, 2003
Democrats
I received a "Democratic Presidential Strategy Poll" in the mail yesterday and spent the morning filling it out and adding my comments. My main point of concern was the lack of any Democrat standing up to the current administration and congress. Well it looks like Sen. John Kerry is a little. I say keep it up and maybe a couple more of your colleagues will gain some courage from your example.
April 02, 2003
Treason
Diary of a Madman: Treason by any other name
This guy needs to settle down. Yeah, just settle.
March 28, 2003
Day of Prayer
TooMuchSexy.blog and NSLog both have good entries on the latest in stupid national law. Just because a law doesn't mention or give preferential treatment to a particular religion doesn't mean it passes the constitutional test*. The right to choose no religion and no god is also protected, and this law obviously fails. How long do you think before they bring up moment of silence (i.e. prayer) in schools again? They are already trying to pass a partial birth abortion ban.
*Disclaimer - This is obviously my interpretation of the constitution and not necessarily the current Supreme Court's.
March 26, 2003
Fucked
Appellate Court Rules Media Can Legally Lie. - SierraTimes.Com
This is fucked. Maybe it's time for Congress to pass some laws.
March 23, 2003
The Oscars
They boo a man off stage for being critical of our President. They give best directory to a convicted child molester on the run in Europe. Does this make sense to anyone?
Libertarian
kuro5hin.org || Why I am not a Libertarian
They do have a good stand on smoking though :-)
A Joke?
Mike Wendland's E-Journal: Who REALLY is behind these anti-war demonstrations?
This has to be a joke right? He can't actually be saying that, can he? Hey Mike, could it be that some American's believe invading a country without international support is a bad idea? Maybe not everyone believes in America's divine right to rule the world? Accusing these protesters of being puppets of terrorists is just a way to illegitimize (is this a word?) their goals. It's a smokescreen. It reminds me of the ads run after 9/11. You know the ones, where they tried to associate drug usage with terrorism. It seems that anytime someone wants to stop you from doing something, all they have to do is some how associate it with terrorism. No matter how far fetched.
For the record, I in no way support violent protests. Singling out a few a mist thousands is missing the point though. There is a huge amount of people in this country that don't want this war. Not just "spoiled Oakland and Ann Arbor Socialist types" either.
March 21, 2003
Trackbacks and fun
I received a trackback (did I mention how much I love that) to blog out: pensée universelle and although most of it is in French I thought this was great.
March 20, 2003
Congress
I wonder if this is true. I would not be surprised if it was fairly accurate. (You should read the comments, there are couple of funny ones.)
As a sidetrack, nothing makes me more disgusted than spousal abuse. My mother spent years working for a women's shelter in our hometown and I grew up not just seeing the women, but also their children. Those kids were so scared and lonely. They left such an impression on me, to this day I still get sick to my stomach thinking about it.
Just one more thing
I don't want to keep posting about Iraq but I needed to add to this. Disagreeing with the government during a time of war has always been considered anti-american. Probably always will be. It is a sad truth that a lot Americans don't understand the point of our freedoms. They talk about freeing Iraq but try to stop anti-war speech by shaming the people speaking. Calling them traitors, enemies and anti-american. To me freedom of speech means a lot more than government allowing you to say what you want. To truly have free speech the citizens and media have to let you talk as well.
March 19, 2003
It has started
Bush tried to blame France for causing the war by threatening to use its veto. What hypocrisy: Since the United Nations creation, the United States has used its veto 76 times, and 41 of those vetoes in the last three decades concerned attempts by the United Nations to call Israel to account for its violations of multiple U.N. resolutions. Not just the Muslim world, but many outside it, find this record shockingly one-sided.
Al Gore has a job
Former Vice President Al Gore Joins Apple's Board of Directors
It is an interesting choice. As you can imagine, the Mac web is filed with a lot of "he invented the internet" jokes. This was old when it first made the rounds.
For the record, he said "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.". Or in other words, he was key in getting the funding for the researchers during his stay in the senate.
March 18, 2003
March 16, 2003
March 15, 2003
March 14, 2003
The French
I was going to write something about the whole "freedom fries" thing but this is better than what I would have said. I imagine the french are laughing at us. I'll have to ask my . She moved to france at the perfect time it seems.
February 27, 2003
Cheap cards
So about a month ago a joined the ACLU. Well I received my membership card, and it sucks. It is the cheapest, flimsiest piece of paper. I know that they have to conserve money, but how am I supposed to be a "card carrying member" if I can't carry the damn card without it falling apart? I have to find some place to laminate it.
I'm glad I joined though, and suggest that everyone do the same.
February 26, 2003
Warning, rash political rant ahead
It seems that you can't say anything negative about Israel without someone, whether they are Jewish or not, calling you anti-Semitic. There is an important difference in being anti a government's administration and anti a group of people being governed my that administration.
More - ()February 25, 2003
Bongs...Terror?
Yahoo! News - 55 Charged With Selling Drug Gear Online
You would think that the Justice Department would have better things to do right now. When is our government going to stop spending billions of dollars on a "war" that they can't possibly win?
February 24, 2003
February 15, 2003
Know when you die
kuro5hin.org || technology and culture, from the trenches
I want to know when I die. I don't want to go to work in the last few days of my life. Really, who does? When the government hides things from the populace, that is never good. This is just a recommendation, but they often tend to become policy.
February 14, 2003
HIV in Africa
Take Action: Send a Condom to Africa in the President's Name
Republican's idea of stopping the spread of HIV in Africa is to push abstinence. Refusing to spend a any money on condoms. Not only are they destroying are country, now they are helping to kill people in others.