Violence Begets Violence, or the Other Way Around

Here's another one of those things that reveals a strange attitude in our media -- strange when you think about it, anyway, or when I think about it.The Huffington Post posted a story on the Occupy Wall Street protests, headlining the corporate media's favorite Catholic fascist and former Nixon toady, Pat Buchanan. For a supposed extremist, Buchanan has enjoyed a very comfortable ongoing

Violence Begets Violence, or the Other Way Around

Here's another one of those things that reveals a strange attitude in our media -- strange when you think about it, anyway, or when I think about it.The Huffington Post posted a story on the Occupy Wall Street protests, headlining the corporate media's favorite Catholic fascist and former Nixon toady, Pat Buchanan. For a supposed extremist, Buchanan has enjoyed a very comfortable ongoing

There's an Echo in Here!

Ah, I knew there was something else I'd been meaning to write about.Kim Brooks, whose reflections on the uselessness of high school English classes I discussed some time ago, returned to Salon last weekend with weeping and lamentation over ... erm, well, her own narrow-mindedness and intolerance on Facebook. The given title was "Is my Facebook page a liberal echo chamber?"She'd found herself in

There's an Echo in Here!

Ah, I knew there was something else I'd been meaning to write about.Kim Brooks, whose reflections on the uselessness of high school English classes I discussed some time ago, returned to Salon last weekend with weeping and lamentation over ... erm, well, her own narrow-mindedness and intolerance on Facebook. The given title was "Is my Facebook page a liberal echo chamber?"She'd found herself in

The Production of Ignorance

I'm almost caught up on topics I've wanted to write about, though some have just slid away and been forgotten. This one will almost bring me up to date. For this week.Last Sunday one Nathan Jurgenson published an article on Salon claiming that Noam Chomsky is "wrong about Twitter." His chief source was an interview Chomsky gave to a fanboy blogger last March, though he did link to a 1997

The Production of Ignorance

I'm almost caught up on topics I've wanted to write about, though some have just slid away and been forgotten. This one will almost bring me up to date. For this week.Last Sunday one Nathan Jurgenson published an article on Salon claiming that Noam Chomsky is "wrong about Twitter." His chief source was an interview Chomsky gave to a fanboy blogger last March, though he did link to a 1997

IRS nods towards surprising interpretation of civil union/domestic partnership...you may be "married" for tax law purposes

Pat Cain, tax law expert extraordinaire, shared an astonishing piece of news on her blog yesterday.  The IRS Office of Chief Counsel has written a  letter indicating that a different-sex couple in an Illinois civil union is considered married for purposes of filing a tax return at the federal level.  The letter says nothing about same-sex couples, presumably because DOMA blocks treating a

The Other 99 Percent

From today's Hankyoreh:Independent opposition candidate Park Won-soon won the Seoul mayoral election on October 26 handily, and he's already on the job -- he even took the subway to the office.This was an off-year election, with the big one coming up next year, and there's good reason to expect that the ruling Grand National Party will take a beating then. President Lee Myung-bak has been

The Other 99 Percent

From today's Hankyoreh:Independent opposition candidate Park Won-soon won the Seoul mayoral election on October 26 handily, and he's already on the job -- he even took the subway to the office.This was an off-year election, with the big one coming up next year, and there's good reason to expect that the ruling Grand National Party will take a beating then. President Lee Myung-bak has been

From the Original French

Oh yeah, that was what I wanted to write about tonight! Today I began reading Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex? by Dany Laferriere, published in 1994. The title had caught my eye, but alas, Laferriere doesn't have anything much to say on his subject. (The original French title was Cette grenade dans la main du jeune Negre est-elle ou un fruit?, which is even worse, I think; a better

From the Original French

Oh yeah, that was what I wanted to write about tonight! Today I began reading Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex? by Dany Laferriere, published in 1994. The title had caught my eye, but alas, Laferriere doesn't have anything much to say on his subject. (The original French title was Cette grenade dans la main du jeune Negre est-elle ou un fruit?, which is even worse, I think; a better

Application for social security card recognizes possibility of same-sex parents, but...

A same-sex couple will no longer have to puzzle over filling out an application for a child's social security card.  Where it used to call for "mother" and "father," it now asks about "mother/parent" and "father/parent."  But there is a catch.  The "mother/parent" space asks for name AT BIRTH, while the "father/parent" space does not.  Would it be so hard to ask for the name at birth of both

Occupy New Delhi

I just finished reading Arundhati Roy's Broken Republic: Three Essays (Hamish Hamilton / Penguin, 2011), about the uprisings in India's forests against government-corporate depredations. The highest-profile rebels are led by the Communist Party of India (Maoist), and though Roy discusses other groups, the Maoists are her focus in this new book. In the second essay she recounts a time she spent

Occupy New Delhi

I just finished reading Arundhati Roy's Broken Republic: Three Essays (Hamish Hamilton / Penguin, 2011), about the uprisings in India's forests against government-corporate depredations. The highest-profile rebels are led by the Communist Party of India (Maoist), and though Roy discusses other groups, the Maoists are her focus in this new book. In the second essay she recounts a time she spent

In Media Res

This was good to see, though I don't quite agree with Avedon that Hedges "gave better than he got." Why should he get flustered just because some corporate toady calls him a "left wing nutjob"? I'm not all that concerned about such labels, and I have the impression that most of the OWS people aren't either, but I don't feel defended when Hedges says that those who oppose the corporate state

In Media Res

This was good to see, though I don't quite agree with Avedon that Hedges "gave better than he got." Why should he get flustered just because some corporate toady calls him a "left wing nutjob"? I'm not all that concerned about such labels, and I have the impression that most of the OWS people aren't either, but I don't feel defended when Hedges says that those who oppose the corporate state

More and Better Opposition Candidates!

From the Hankyoreh:Merchants of a traditional market in Busan’s Saha District carry out a campaign to urge voting, Oct. 24, two days before the by-elections. They hold signboards reading, “You casting a vote is beautiful!!” “Make sure you urge others to vote!!” and “State your opinion through voting.”An editorial from the Hankyoreh:According to an analysis of social indicators released this

More and Better Opposition Candidates!

From the Hankyoreh:Merchants of a traditional market in Busan’s Saha District carry out a campaign to urge voting, Oct. 24, two days before the by-elections. They hold signboards reading, “You casting a vote is beautiful!!” “Make sure you urge others to vote!!” and “State your opinion through voting.”An editorial from the Hankyoreh:According to an analysis of social indicators released this

New report on LBGT families with children a must-read

Today the Movement Advancement Project, Center for American Progress, and Family Equality Council released the report, “All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families.” This is not just one more report on children of LGBT parents. It is, instead, the gold standard against which every other assessment of the needs of children of LGBT parents will be measured for well

Joker Toy Review (with my cute straight friend- Rich aka TheSuperboy)

Joker Toy Review (with my cute straight friend- Rich aka TheSuperboy)

Non-Corporate Media Stumble

Okay, see how this looks to you:The Obama administration has announced plans to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government. The United States had discussed keeping thousands of troops in Iraq, but had insisted their immunity be extended as a pre-condition. After the Iraqi government refused, the

Non-Corporate Media Stumble

Okay, see how this looks to you:The Obama administration has announced plans to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government. The United States had discussed keeping thousands of troops in Iraq, but had insisted their immunity be extended as a pre-condition. After the Iraqi government refused, the

Evan Donaldson Adoption Institute report identifies best practices in adoption...but supports same-sex marriage for the wrong reason

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute issued a new report this week on Research-Based Best Practices in Adoption by Gays and Lesbians.  It includes the results of a survey of 158 adoptive parents.  What the researchers learned from those parents, combined with information from other sources about LGBT adoption, produced a series of recommendations.  These includes creating an atmosphere

When Bad Presidents Happen to Good Democrats

Though I may be giving them too much benefit of the doubt there.Michael Tomasky has a piece on the Triumph of the Obama at the Daily Beast, celebrating not only the death of Qaddafi but how foolish the neocons look now. Obama, weak? Not in foreign policy, bitchez!It’s worth stopping to realize that this Libya operation is, so far, not only a big success, but also a historic accomplishment in

When Bad Presidents Happen to Good Democrats

Though I may be giving them too much benefit of the doubt there.Michael Tomasky has a piece on the Triumph of the Obama at the Daily Beast, celebrating not only the death of Qaddafi but how foolish the neocons look now. Obama, weak? Not in foreign policy, bitchez!It’s worth stopping to realize that this Libya operation is, so far, not only a big success, but also a historic accomplishment in

In the Latter Days There Shall Arise Many Anti-Obamas

There's another Facebook friend of mine, let's call him the Tabloid Friend because of his fondness for linking to stories of sensational crime stories and sex scandals. He's a devout Obamanian -- in fact a few weeks ago he urged me in evangelical terms to let Obama into my heart, it would change my life the way Obama had changed his -- so he also links to Obama apologetics and material that

In the Latter Days There Shall Arise Many Anti-Obamas

There's another Facebook friend of mine, let's call him the Tabloid Friend because of his fondness for linking to stories of sensational crime stories and sex scandals. He's a devout Obamanian -- in fact a few weeks ago he urged me in evangelical terms to let Obama into my heart, it would change my life the way Obama had changed his -- so he also links to Obama apologetics and material that

People Are Not Excess

I finally got a copy of Fred Barney Taylor's 2007 documentary The Polymath; or, The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman, and watched it tonight. TLA Video had it on clearance, so I snapped it up, but it can be ordered directly from the filmmaker. It's an odd sort of documentary, consisting largely of Delany talking over solarized footage of water, rivers, train tracks, and the like;

People Are Not Excess

I finally got a copy of Fred Barney Taylor's 2007 documentary The Polymath; or, The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman, and watched it tonight. TLA Video had it on clearance, so I snapped it up, but it can be ordered directly from the filmmaker. It's an odd sort of documentary, consisting largely of Delany talking over solarized footage of water, rivers, train tracks, and the like;

Gay rights lawyer Beth Robinson appointed to Vermont Supreme Court -- becomes 4th lesbian high court judge in the last 12 months

Yesterday, Vermont governor Peter Shumlin appointed gay rights lawyer and marriage equality advocate Beth Robinson to the Vermont Supreme Court. That brings to four the number of open lesbians appointed to state supreme courts in the last twelve months. The other three are, in chronological order, Monica Marquez, appointed December 2010 to the Colorado Supreme Court; Sabrina McKenna, appointed

American Interests?

Glenn Greenwald has a good, if by-the-numbers piece on Obama's hypocrisy in condemning Iran for hypocrisy. It's good to have the quotations, but there's nothing really new in it; anyone who hasn't noticed Obama's hypocrisy either isn't paying attention, or doesn't want to see it.Obligingly, an Obama apologist with the screen name JC Watts leapt into the fray. His rebuttal is also by-the-numbers

American Interests?

Glenn Greenwald has a good, if by-the-numbers piece on Obama's hypocrisy in condemning Iran for hypocrisy. It's good to have the quotations, but there's nothing really new in it; anyone who hasn't noticed Obama's hypocrisy either isn't paying attention, or doesn't want to see it.Obligingly, an Obama apologist with the screen name JC Watts leapt into the fray. His rebuttal is also by-the-numbers

"Anecdote" Is Not the Singular of "Data" ...

... but anecdotes can still be significant, and at the very least interesting. Here's an anecdote.I went to the public library today to get out of the house, do some work, see some friends. I set up my laptop on a table, near another table where a neatly dressed older (mid-60s, I guess) white man was working with his laptop and a scanner. He got my attention because his cell phone kept going

"Anecdote" Is Not the Singular of "Data" ...

... but anecdotes can still be significant, and at the very least interesting. Here's an anecdote.I went to the public library today to get out of the house, do some work, see some friends. I set up my laptop on a table, near another table where a neatly dressed older (mid-60s, I guess) white man was working with his laptop and a scanner. He got my attention because his cell phone kept going

Are You Or Have You Ever Been a Negro, Dr. King?

This (via) is fascinating. Thanks to FAIR for posting it on their blog.Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyThe full program is divided up into segments, so if you can, click on the second one where there is some very intelligent discussion. What particularly struck me about the excerpts from Meet the Press in 1960 and 1965 is that in a just world they'd put

Are You Or Have You Ever Been a Negro, Dr. King?

This (via) is fascinating. Thanks to FAIR for posting it on their blog.Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyThe full program is divided up into segments, so if you can, click on the second one where there is some very intelligent discussion. What particularly struck me about the excerpts from Meet the Press in 1960 and 1965 is that in a just world they'd put

The Guy in Blue

I considered writing about this yesterday, but I'm glad I waited until today.Yesterday Salon.com ran this photo that was making the rounds.It was accompanied by an article by Justin Elliott on "Occupy Wall Street's struggle for nonviolence." Apparently the right-wing media had jumped on the photo as proof of OWS's violent tendencies. Numerous commenters on Elliott's article pointed out how

The Guy in Blue

I considered writing about this yesterday, but I'm glad I waited until today.Yesterday Salon.com ran this photo that was making the rounds.It was accompanied by an article by Justin Elliott on "Occupy Wall Street's struggle for nonviolence." Apparently the right-wing media had jumped on the photo as proof of OWS's violent tendencies. Numerous commenters on Elliott's article pointed out how

Why Do They Hate Our Freedoms?

One of my right-wing classmates on Facebook posted a link to this article from the American Spectator, a charming little rag whose main function appears to be to make the National Review look moderate. My friend commented on the link:If we are so upset with our Government ... Why do 80 % of incumbents win re-election. ...... Read the article below "Breaking the Ruling Class"The link came via a

Why Do They Hate Our Freedoms?

One of my right-wing classmates on Facebook posted a link to this article from the American Spectator, a charming little rag whose main function appears to be to make the National Review look moderate. My friend commented on the link:If we are so upset with our Government ... Why do 80 % of incumbents win re-election. ...... Read the article below "Breaking the Ruling Class"The link came via a

Inappropriately Touched by E.T.

Someone shared this image on Facebook today, with the header "Seriously !! Still believe we are alone ?"It looks like you can see it, and the comments, without being logged into Facebook, which is handy. (It was posted by Milky Way Scientists, apparently affiliated with NASA, who also posted this smokin' beefcake photo of Albert Einstein. Maybe they should put out a calendar along those lines?)

Inappropriately Touched by E.T.

Someone shared this image on Facebook today, with the header "Seriously !! Still believe we are alone ?"It looks like you can see it, and the comments, without being logged into Facebook, which is handy. (It was posted by Milky Way Scientists, apparently affiliated with NASA, who also posted this smokin' beefcake photo of Albert Einstein. Maybe they should put out a calendar along those lines?)

Don't Have a Cow, Jane

There's a very strange article about Gertrude Stein on the BBC site by one Jane O'Brien, who announces at the outset that she started out not knowing who Stein was. Which isn't a crime, though maybe writing an article (and presumably getting paid for it) about someone of whom you're completely ignorant ought to be.But hey, maybe you don't know who Stein was either. Okay: born in Pennsylvania in

Don't Have a Cow, Jane

There's a very strange article about Gertrude Stein on the BBC site by one Jane O'Brien, who announces at the outset that she started out not knowing who Stein was. Which isn't a crime, though maybe writing an article (and presumably getting paid for it) about someone of whom you're completely ignorant ought to be.But hey, maybe you don't know who Stein was either. Okay: born in Pennsylvania in

To See Ourselves As Others See Us

What I was looking for when I found that previous story was the latest Dan Savage column (which I first read at the Onion AV Club). It contained a letter from a scared, gay college freshman:I'm still unable to admit my sexuality to my friends, teammates, classmates, and hallmates. I have thought about joining the LGBT organizations, but those guys are too "out" for me. Not that there's any

To See Ourselves As Others See Us

What I was looking for when I found that previous story was the latest Dan Savage column (which I first read at the Onion AV Club). It contained a letter from a scared, gay college freshman:I'm still unable to admit my sexuality to my friends, teammates, classmates, and hallmates. I have thought about joining the LGBT organizations, but those guys are too "out" for me. Not that there's any

One More High School Kid Victimized by Administrators

I was looking at The Stranger (Dan Savage's home ground) for something else, and found this. Another school administrator went looking for trouble, and seems to have found it.A male cheerleader said he was kicked off the squad and suspended after he was caught kissing another male student on campus. The young man spent countless hours practicing every day for years to make the varsity cheer

One More High School Kid Victimized by Administrators

I was looking at The Stranger (Dan Savage's home ground) for something else, and found this. Another school administrator went looking for trouble, and seems to have found it.A male cheerleader said he was kicked off the squad and suspended after he was caught kissing another male student on campus. The young man spent countless hours practicing every day for years to make the varsity cheer

That's Tellin' 'Em!

Max Udargo, a blogger at DailyKos wrote a response to the 53 Percent tumblr, which despite its slightly condescending tone is reasonably sound. (And certainly a fine young specimen of American manhood like the boy he's addressing will be respectful to his elders and welcome condescending advice from them, right?)One commenter, who billed himself a "conservative," had this to say in reply.Those

That's Tellin' 'Em!

Max Udargo, a blogger at DailyKos wrote a response to the 53 Percent tumblr, which despite its slightly condescending tone is reasonably sound. (And certainly a fine young specimen of American manhood like the boy he's addressing will be respectful to his elders and welcome condescending advice from them, right?)One commenter, who billed himself a "conservative," had this to say in reply.Those

I the People, You the People -- Them, I'm Not So Sure About

A right-wing blogger has started a site called "We Are the 53 Percent", to which people are encouraged to post their stories of hard work, and to denounce the Occupation movement as a bunch of lazy whiners. It looks like it's astroturf, like the Tea Party before it: started by a well-to-do right wing operative, working with right-wing foundations that probably enjoy corporate funding and a

I the People, You the People -- Them, I'm Not So Sure About

A right-wing blogger has started a site called "We Are the 53 Percent", to which people are encouraged to post their stories of hard work, and to denounce the Occupation movement as a bunch of lazy whiners. It looks like it's astroturf, like the Tea Party before it: started by a well-to-do right wing operative, working with right-wing foundations that probably enjoy corporate funding and a

Texas Supreme Court lets stand lower court order registering the parentage judgment of a gay male couple

On September 30, the Texas Supreme Court denied review in a case brought by the nonbiological father of a child born using his ex-partner's sperm to a California surrogate mother. The couple, Jerry Berwick and Richard Wagner, lived in Texas, and had a child in December 2005 pursuant to a gestational surrogacy contract in California. Berwick is the biological father. Pursuant to agreements filed

Say "Good Night," David

The good folks at FAIR found this exchange about Occupy Wall Street between Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and ABC news hack David Gregory:GREGORY: ... Is demonizing Wall Street the way to create an environment... EMANUEL: Well... GREGORY: ...to get the banks to hire? EMANUEL: The--it's not... GREGORY: Is this not a reverse tea party tactic?It doesn't get any more coherent from there. So high

Say "Good Night," David

The good folks at FAIR found this exchange about Occupy Wall Street between Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and ABC news hack David Gregory:GREGORY: ... Is demonizing Wall Street the way to create an environment... EMANUEL: Well... GREGORY: ...to get the banks to hire? EMANUEL: The--it's not... GREGORY: Is this not a reverse tea party tactic?It doesn't get any more coherent from there. So high

Keep Telling Yourself: It's Only a Cartoon ...

I very rarely disagree with XKCD's cartoons, but this one baffled me. The explanation here doesn't help.Yes, I know, it's a cartoon, not a philosophical or scientific argument. But the cartoonist is very serious about his math and his science. And so much here is wrong.I'm sure that gliding in a wingsuit like the one depicted is fun; I've fantasized about free flight myself, many times. But

Keep Telling Yourself: It's Only a Cartoon ...

I very rarely disagree with XKCD's cartoons, but this one baffled me. The explanation here doesn't help.Yes, I know, it's a cartoon, not a philosophical or scientific argument. But the cartoonist is very serious about his math and his science. And so much here is wrong.I'm sure that gliding in a wingsuit like the one depicted is fun; I've fantasized about free flight myself, many times. But

Supreme Court denies cert in Adar v. Smith, leaves child without accurate birth certificate

This morning the US Supreme Court declined to review Adar v. Smith, the ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (en banc) that Louisiana need not issue an amended birth certificate naming as the child's parents an unmarried couple who adopted the child in another state. A gay male couple had adopted the child in New York. I have written about the case extensively here, including the

And That's the Way It Is

What a day! Nothing very exciting happened, some frustrating things happened, but it was busier than I expected, so I wasn't able to get certain things done. For now, then: I recently bought the new Criterion DVD release of The Times of Harvey Milk, Rob Epstein and Richard Schmiechen's brilliant 1984 documentary about the martyred San Francisco politician. On the supplemental disc there's an

And That's the Way It Is

What a day! Nothing very exciting happened, some frustrating things happened, but it was busier than I expected, so I wasn't able to get certain things done. For now, then: I recently bought the new Criterion DVD release of The Times of Harvey Milk, Rob Epstein and Richard Schmiechen's brilliant 1984 documentary about the martyred San Francisco politician. On the supplemental disc there's an

Mikey Welsh In Memoriam

Mikey Welsh | Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh

The Present Is a Disputed Area

I've been putting off rereading Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time for the same reason anyone hesitates to return to a much-loved work from the past: for fear it wouldn't be as good as I remember. But if anything, it's better.I first read it in the fall of 1976, a few months after it was published. A friend had taken me to hear Piercy reading her poems, and then to hear her talking to a

The Present Is a Disputed Area

I've been putting off rereading Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time for the same reason anyone hesitates to return to a much-loved work from the past: for fear it wouldn't be as good as I remember. But if anything, it's better.I first read it in the fall of 1976, a few months after it was published. A friend had taken me to hear Piercy reading her poems, and then to hear her talking to a

Sawing Off the Limb You're Sitting On, and Other Tactics of Professional Politicians

The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on FacebookMaybe I'll get one of those Union soldier caps myself.Stewart has some good jokes there, at the expense of the right people. It has also occurred to me that Occupy Wall Street actually can claim to speak for a majority of Americans, while the Tea Party really only represents the lunatic

Sawing Off the Limb You're Sitting On, and Other Tactics of Professional Politicians

The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on FacebookMaybe I'll get one of those Union soldier caps myself.Stewart has some good jokes there, at the expense of the right people. It has also occurred to me that Occupy Wall Street actually can claim to speak for a majority of Americans, while the Tea Party really only represents the lunatic

Paula Ettelbrick dies after a life of service to LGBT rights; NY Times obit emphasizes her skepticism about marriage

After battling cancer for over a year, Paula Ettelbrick died this morning in New York. She was 56.I met Paula when she joined Lambda Legal in the 1980's. In the group of gay rights lawyers from around the country that met regularly at the time, we both opposed prioritizing marriage. She and I shared an expansive definition of family and a broad vision of social justice. I remember when she called

In My Back Yard

The above image makes a good point, but there are some problems with it. For one thing, while there is too much hunger in the world, 99% of the population don't look like the children in the lower half. The worldwide maldistribution of wealth has as much to do with relative standards of living as with catastrophic famine, but it is really not a good idea for everyone to use as much electricity

In My Back Yard

The above image makes a good point, but there are some problems with it. For one thing, while there is too much hunger in the world, 99% of the population don't look like the children in the lower half. The worldwide maldistribution of wealth has as much to do with relative standards of living as with catastrophic famine, but it is really not a good idea for everyone to use as much electricity

Also, Chocolate Rations Will Be Raised From Thirty to Twenty Grams

What a shameless liar he is.President Obama: "Today also begins a new chapter in the relationship between our two countries. Two years ago we saw a coup in Honduras that threatened to move the country away from democracy and, in part because of pressure from the international community, but also because of the strong commitment to democracy and leadership by President Lobo, what we have been

Also, Chocolate Rations Will Be Raised From Thirty to Twenty Grams

What a shameless liar he is.President Obama: "Today also begins a new chapter in the relationship between our two countries. Two years ago we saw a coup in Honduras that threatened to move the country away from democracy and, in part because of pressure from the international community, but also because of the strong commitment to democracy and leadership by President Lobo, what we have been

The Pitcher Cries for Water to Carry and a Person for Work That Is Real

I just finished reading John Holt's last book, Learning All the Time (Addison-Wesley, 1989), and while it's full of interesting ideas and stories, this especially caught my attention:Schools, top-rank or low-rank, have always operated under the wonderfully convenient rule that when learning takes place, the school deserves the credit ("If You Can Read, Thank a Teacher"); and that when it doesn't,

The Pitcher Cries for Water to Carry and a Person for Work That Is Real

I just finished reading John Holt's last book, Learning All the Time (Addison-Wesley, 1989), and while it's full of interesting ideas and stories, this especially caught my attention:Schools, top-rank or low-rank, have always operated under the wonderfully convenient rule that when learning takes place, the school deserves the credit ("If You Can Read, Thank a Teacher"); and that when it doesn't,

The Power of Barackamania

As I've written before, though they perpetrate more than their share of outright falsehood, a lot of what is wrong with corporate media is distortion, tone, and viewpoint. Even Noam Chomsky, a harsh media critic, insists that many journalists are serious, professional, and competent; what gets in their way is the structure of corporate media -- though that structure does include hiring many

The Power of Barackamania

As I've written before, though they perpetrate more than their share of outright falsehood, a lot of what is wrong with corporate media is distortion, tone, and viewpoint. Even Noam Chomsky, a harsh media critic, insists that many journalists are serious, professional, and competent; what gets in their way is the structure of corporate media -- though that structure does include hiring many

El Paso has inclusive definition of domestic partners; Mayor and council members face recall

I've got a special connection to El Paso, given that my partner and I have a residence across the New Mexico border in Las Cruces. El Paso is our local airport. It's also a city hard hit by the Mexican drug wars across the border in Juarez, something we were following as a local story for years before the national press picked up on it.Well El Paso has been in the news for another reason. The

A Nation of Laws, Not of Men

I saw this on the BBC site yesterday, but emptywheel has a lot more information.Raymond Davis is to make a second appearance in a Colorado courtroom today, as prosecutors have upgraded the assault charge against him from misdemeanor to felony level. The charge arises from an argument and fight over a parking space at a suburban Denver bagel shop on Saturday morning. You see, you can kill a

A Nation of Laws, Not of Men

I saw this on the BBC site yesterday, but emptywheel has a lot more information.Raymond Davis is to make a second appearance in a Colorado courtroom today, as prosecutors have upgraded the assault charge against him from misdemeanor to felony level. The charge arises from an argument and fight over a parking space at a suburban Denver bagel shop on Saturday morning. You see, you can kill a

What Do You Do With a Drunken Atheist?

A couple of weeks ago I upset a few Terry Pratchett fans in comments at another blog because I disrespected his much-reported remark that he'd rather be a rising ape than a fallen angel. Cults of personality are everywhere, so I guess that even someone like me who owns all his books (and the new one is due next week!) and has been recommending them to people for decades must tread softly, for I

What Do You Do With a Drunken Atheist?

A couple of weeks ago I upset a few Terry Pratchett fans in comments at another blog because I disrespected his much-reported remark that he'd rather be a rising ape than a fallen angel. Cults of personality are everywhere, so I guess that even someone like me who owns all his books (and the new one is due next week!) and has been recommending them to people for decades must tread softly, for I

How Do You Expect to Succeed Today Without a Good Education?

You just can't satisfy some people. Yesterday on NPR's comedy quiz program Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!, one of the panelists told host Peter Sagal she'd heard the Occupy Wall Street protesters "the most overeducated group of protesters that's ever assembled" (at 6:06 in the podcast), which I guess is a bad thing. She must have forgotten the students and teachers who opposed the Vietnam War,

How Do You Expect to Succeed Today Without a Good Education?

You just can't satisfy some people. Yesterday on NPR's comedy quiz program Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!, one of the panelists told host Peter Sagal she'd heard the Occupy Wall Street protesters "the most overeducated group of protesters that's ever assembled" (at 6:06 in the podcast), which I guess is a bad thing. She must have forgotten the students and teachers who opposed the Vietnam War,

Arkansas law on same-sex couples raising children is...complicated

Same-sex couples have a constitutional right to carry on a sexual relationship in their home. So do different-sex couples. That's what the Arkansas Supreme Court said in Cole v. Arkansas, the case striking down the ban on adoption and foster parenting by anyone living with a nonmarital partner. The court's ruling was based on the Arkansas constitution. (For more about the case, read here).So

But I Won't

I heard this song on one of the community radio station's Saturday "roots music" programs today. I'm surprised I hadn't heard it before; it goes back a ways.I don't think I've ever heard anything like this before. It's all the more surprising because it was also recorded by Iris DeMent, who's recorded whole albums of gospel songs, and this isn't typical gospel either. Compare it to this song,

But I Won't

I heard this song on one of the community radio station's Saturday "roots music" programs today. I'm surprised I hadn't heard it before; it goes back a ways.I don't think I've ever heard anything like this before. It's all the more surprising because it was also recorded by Iris DeMent, who's recorded whole albums of gospel songs, and this isn't typical gospel either. Compare it to this song,