Sunday Updates -Tax Cuts, #Wikileaks, #Payback/#Leakspin, & #DADT

Ok, now that I've had a bit of time to process some of what's been going on lately (among other things), I think it's about time I get back to the weekly updates (and once the holidays are over, I'll finally be able to work on real posts again! Yay!)

• Crazy weather all over the world, from massive blizzards in the Midwestern US, to torrential rain in the Middle East... This winter is going to be brutal. I hate winter. Stupid global warming/climate change... [grumbles]
• Haiti was tormented this weekend by the arrival of yet another disaster in their country, decked in cargo pants and giant designer sunglasses. Can't catch a break, can they? [sigh] Ms. Palin's "humanitarian" trip was marked by the quizzical stares of perplexed Haitians (None of the people interviewed had any idea who she was. They're so lucky... I wish America could say the same. Damn you, McCain staffers!!!)-- who promptly decided that any publicity was good publicity, amongst the cholera outbreak and continued post-earthquake rebuild.
• Anyway... In LGBT related news- 
• The Prop 8 trial is back in court for the appeal! And is certainly looking good for our side.
• Illinois passed a civil unions bill. Progress is progress.
• DADT repeal is currently somewhat stalled. While we're hoping for Obama to step up and sign an executive order (a move he has stated he does not want to take), the fight isn't quite over yet. The stand-alone bill has been introduced in the Senate, however odds are, we aren't going to see a successful vote on it (or the DREAM Act) until this tax-cut issue is resolved.
• Speaking of tax cuts... Obama's deal with the GOP. Wow. Um, no, no, that's not a good idea, Mr. President. Since this is a huge story overall, I'll break it up into parts:
• Backstory: GOP threatens to block everything (yea, what else is new) unless they get to continue or expand tax cuts for the uber-wealthy. Obama, in what I'm sure was supposed to initially be a friendly gesture to keep things moving, met with McConnell, and made a deal, and then announced it to everyone - Democrats would get their wish of 1 more year of unemployment benefits and tax cuts for the middle class, and Republicans would get... everything else. Tax cuts for the top 2%, including a reduced estate tax.
• Here's why it's a bad idea - it actually raises the tax burden on the lower and middle classes (primarily by replacing a current tax cut with a payroll tax cut. For anyone making less than $20,000, and $40,000 for families, the payroll tax cut is smaller, and will basically leave us with smaller paychecks... Trust me, $80-100 LESS a month adds up fast when you're poor. A day after I shared this info with Care2, I discovered that the White House admitted it was true. So yea, guys, apparently it is actually true.) while giving the upper classes (especially those making over $5million a year) a bunch of very huge breaks that last for 2 years-- while unemployment benefits will only get 13 months of extension. We know that the continued tax cuts have been estimated to add a staggering $700+ billion to the deficit, but the CBO recently announced that this plan will actually add $858 billion. It will cost almost $100 BILLION more than the stimulus plan, and we actually got something positive out of that. This, not so much. So, yea, dreadful idea. I mean, I have nothing against compromise, but dude, it's not a compromise when it's a sneaky, back-door deal in which the other side gets everything and you get the wimpy consolation prize. Totally lame. Create jobs? I fail to see how continuing the same tax cuts that failed to create this magical trickle-down job thing will somehow work now that the rich can continue get richer without doing a damn thing-- well, nothing but screwing over the rest of us. So you're going to have to explain this one to me. I've tried, and tried, but nothing. Supply-side simply doesn't work.
• So what's happened since? - Democrats in Congress have basically revolted. 54 Dems in the House signed a letter, rejecting the deal. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders staged an 8.5-hour-long filibuster explaining why he did not agree with the President's decision. (Mixed feelings. Awesome, epic speech, but I really hate filibusters. Total waste of time, which we are seriously running out of. In just 3 weeks, the so-called "Teabaggers" take over, remember? And that's not even taking into account the holiday recess. Then again, maybe wasting time is in our best interests here-- waste enough, and ALL of the tax cuts will expire. Which will suck for us, yes, but will probably do a lot more good for the budget than this deal ever could.) Speaking of the TP, this is one thing we SHOULD actually agree on, though apparently they're split on this. TP "Patriots" says no, FreedomWorks (you know, the corporate leaders of the TP) says yes.
•  As a result of all of this, there are rumors of a possible rival in the 2012 Democratic Primary... Good idea, or bad idea? I personally think it depends on who it is... but overall, probably a bad idea. I don't know if there are enough of us to get a strong progressive in the White House, nor do I want the GOP to have the satisfaction of having their dreams of a "one-term Obama presidency" come true. (Ok, that one might be a little petty, but c'mon!)
• I think now I should get around to the whole Wikileaks issue. I won't/can't talk about my own opinions of it all right now, or any involvement I may or may not have in anything other than blogging about it ;-), but if you know my past or what I stand for, you should know where I stand.
•  Well, we know now how the world feels. Less than 2 weeks later, we have this long, lovely list of the government leaders' reactions. Some are negative, some positive, some indifferent. Will it spark an international war? Other than what's already been started, it's unlikely, for the time being.
• The "sex by surprise" charges brought against Assange in Sweden might be dropped if the US decides to go ahead with the new plan-- charging him with espionage. I'm not even going to go into how silly that is, (or how ignorant a certain someone sounds when she calls him un-American-- lady, he's AUSTRALIAN, not American.) or how strange consensual "sex-by-surprise" sounds when in the US or the UK, it wouldn't even qualify as sexual harassment, let alone rape. I'm all for women's rights of course, and I do believe that rape allegations should always be taken very seriously; but based on what information I have right now, I think that in this case it's likely it's a specious argument. Well, very suspect, to say the least. (Btw, if you want someone to get tested for STDs, wouldn't it make far more sense to do that BEFORE you sleep with them? And then not try to sell the story to tabloids & get "caught" via text messages? Just sayin... It sounds a little weird. But maybe that's just how things go down in Sweden. I don't know.)
• Over the past few weeks, the gathering known as Anonymous has been launching cyberattacks on opponents of Wikileaks-- primarily against the companies that have been censoring information or trying to shut down or block aid to the whistle-blower organization: Mastercard, Visa, Paypal, etc. They will be switching tactics away from the DDoS attacks of Operation Payback to a flood of information known as Operation Leakspin. The media--well, one half of it, anyway-- is very wrong about the group, though-- they're not cyberterrorists. Most of them aren't even hackers and were not involved in the DDoSing attacks. Their objective, as they state, is not about damaging or destroying anything, but getting noticed, and getting a message out, which is why the tactics have been changed. So again, I'm still not "officially" announcing my position on any of this, but tonight, I'll recruit for them. If you're interested in getting involved, or just finding out more information, email me or find me on IRC, Care2, or AIM. I know they need hosts, writers, editors and graphic designers. (Official Info & sites are somewhat hidden and change frequently due to government/corporate intervention plus various attacks from "enemies," so unless you're already involved, it might be difficult to keep up with them. I've been trying to keep an eye on all sides of things, to say the very least, and it sometimes proves to be a challenge... There's a lot going on.)
• I love Love LOVE Dennis Kucinich. "Wikileaks ... gave us 92,000 reasons to end the wars. Pick one!"
• There are rumors of a new Patriot Act for the internet. I'm hoping it's just related to that horrific, supposed law that gives the President the power to effectively shut down the entire internet (good luck with that...), and it's not the new horrific supposed law that allows them to tap into our IMs and emails and webcams, and is a continuation/expansion of this crusade against the P2P community... Call us paranoid, but this is a netizen's worst nightmare.
• I finally found a much better organized database of all of the cables and their contents, at the Guardian. (Yea, trust the British media to do it right!) Or you could just find one of the mirrors at this point. Either way, seriously, go check it out. You'll find out some pretty wacky things.
• Like how Iran is hiring ninjas to take part in political assassinations. Yes, NINJAS. (Let the ninja-pirate wars begin!!) So if you're unemployed and have wicked nun-chuck skillz, I'd get on that. Probably your best bet at a job nowadays...
• Or how Sarkozy chased a dog chasing a rabbit chasing a... well, I don't remember what, but diplomats share some damn weird gossip...

And most importantly... this past week saw the passing of Elizabeth Edwards, a woman of great grace and courage who fought for our rights to proper, affordable healthcare. RIP.

And I thought 2010 was bad. 2011 is looking to be a whole new level of Hell...

Statement to America's Youth-- a Call to Progressive Action

 The definition of insanity- doing the same old shit over and over again and expecting different results.

"Our answer is the world's hope; it is to rely on youth. The cruelties and obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. It cannot be moved by those who cling to a present which is already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement of danger. It demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease." - Robert F. Kennedy 

After the last disaster of an election, many of us have been wondering where we should go from here. Do we stand by the progressive policies and ideals we've held on to for so long, pushing our President and Congress for the reforms we so desperately desire? Or do we give in to compromise and moderate thought, realizing that the fight has just grown that much more difficult, & that the only way to even get minor changes accomplished may be to attempt to find a bipartisan agreement (by pandering to extremists who believe that refusing to work/compromise is the ultimate form of patriotism)?

After the Rally to Restore Sanity, I had expressed my disappointment in Stewart's message to America... And as I, and other critics, continued to discuss and reflect on that weekend, and the state of our "Union," I realized that the answer I was looking for was very clear.

It may very well be time for a "revolution" stretching far beyond the ordinary realm of "sanity." Our generation has already faced so much adversity, and if things continue on this path, it is possible that we can and will find ourselves in an America even more hostile to our worldview-- at which point, "sanity" is an illusion. Or rather, a delusion. I'm not saying that we have to give up on civility. Quite the contrary-- I'm saying that in order to restore civility on a national level, we as progressives need to rethink how we participate in the political/democratic process, and that includes how we respond to our bullies. I hereby propose that we should find a way to restore youth to democracy. Literally.

We grew up during the September 11th attacks; amongst never-ending war and global conflict; with a society that continues to deny both human and constitutionally protected rights to minorities purely on the basis of hatred, fear and religion; and with an economy in shambles. We as a generation are overwhelmingly more progressive and accepting than our parents and our grandparents-- just like every generation tends to be. Yet we see the same mistakes played over every time—older generations ignore us. And we are growing increasingly frustrated with the complete lack of progress on issues that matter to us. We were promised so much, and have gotten so little. Unemployment among our age group alone is actually the highest it has ever been, holding steady at almost 20%. However, most of us do not have enough experience to get the few jobs that have been available. Nor do we even qualify to get unemployment benefits, despite the fact that, like our parents, we do have bills and responsibilities as well. We were tossed out from college into the harshest job market faced since the Great Depression, with little to look forward to. We are voters, we are citizens, yet for the vast majority of law passed in this country, we are simply caught in the crossfire between our warring parents. Our rights as citizens are ignored in favor of maintaining the status quo, or bashing the other side's bad politics. It's frustrating to see that we as a generation are already so much more mature than these so-called "change-makers" in Congress. Grow up already!

 I don't want to get too far into this, because there is a very special message from Storyteller Knight to follow and I want to let it speak for itself; but this is a massive problem we face-- we need to mobilize as a demographic. We are a very powerful group I've had quite enough of the "adults" in this country acting like children and ignoring the fact that . We are old enough to think for ourselves now, and it's about time we have someone to actually represent us in Congress. So this is a call to peaceful arms. I'm sick and tired of them saying it's "their country" and "their future." This is OUR time. The future belongs to us, their children. Yet too often we are pushed aside and forgotten, treated as mere "children."

We as a collective group have been grossly underestimated. Have they forgotten already? We are the ones who elected Obama by a landslide, the majority of the voices that cried for change. We had a few victories... And then, just as quickly, we were forgotten by every single person in Washington. I guess we thought it was enough to just get the guy into office, and everything we were promised would just fall into place. It might be slow, but it would happen if we were patient. We thought we could just let all the "grown-ups" take over the dirty work from there. We were wrong. They told us they could handle it, that our future would be in good hands.

To all of those who continually tell us-- "We know what's good for you." NO YOU FUCKING DON'T. Or you would have listened to us by now. Why haven't you learned from your parents? We are the ones getting hurt because of the asinine policies of YOUR generation. We are the ones who want a better life for ourselves and our posterity, because our parents are too busy screaming and arguing to notice that we are the ones who have to live with their mistakes. Therefore, WE are the ones who are going to have to fight for it.

Being the Change isn’t enough when they’re not paying attention, when they're not actually taking to heart what we feel and what we say. We have to make them pay attention.

So here's the deal- DC doesn't listen to us now because we're "just a bunch of kids." It's time we take charge and demand to be recognized. We need young, loud, Progressive voices to represent our generation in Washington. Not just as activists, but as lawmakers, as governors (ages 18+ in most states) and state senators, as lobbyists, and as Representatives in the House (25+). It's time to tell them-- Enough is Enough. We the Young People of the United States have had enough of this pathetic bickering between the Right and the Barely-Left-of-Center. We want action. We want results, and we want this "bright and shiny future" that we have been promised.

I will personally volunteer to launch a campaign for anyone willing to stand up for us. It will be a difficult battle before we get there, and then the real war begins. We need to spread the message far and wide, which is why we need to start now. We have seen what we can do when enough of us get involved—in the past few months alone, we have raised awareness about bullying in schools, especially against LGBT students; we have raised awareness about corporate corruption, and the need for environmental protection, problems in our education system, and inequalities in our society-- and our concern for our own futures as America's workforce-in-training. And sometimes, yes, Washington eventually heard us. And said they would do something... Maybe. Eventually. Clearly, our government officials have lost sight of what truly matters, in favor of "winning" against the other team. We need to make them care. We need to make them take action, NOW. It may be too late to redo this election, but we can be ready for what’s coming next. As I stated early, we are a very powerful demographic and a force to be reckoned with, if we can come together to work for progress. If they could do it in the 60s, fighting against an idiotic war and demanding social change, we can certainly do it now. We can demand equality. We can demand freedom. We can demand social justice. We just need to organize, the way we did in 2008. To do this, and to win, we will need strong, smart leaders who are able and willing to stand up to the Tea Party, and to the weak Democrats in congress. We need REAL change we can believe in, and clearly if it's going to get done right, we just have to do it ourselves. We need someone on the inside, to remind them that we are here. (Also, we totes need to get the PCCC in on this. I’m working on it, but it would be great if a bunch of us could convince them. K thnx.)

If you are interested, I urge you, I implore you-- let your voice be heard. We have Facebook, and Twitter, and other social networking sites at our disposal, and we know just how incredible the power of the internet can be. We need to transfer that power back to IRL. Let's be real-- the MSM occasionally pays attention to us because it makes for a good story; because we are original, and different, and because we . But now, more than anything, we need to drum up that kind of attention in Washington. Let your voice be heard! Let's let them watch and learn how it's done.

In the meantime, we have 2 months to mobilize and convince Congress to get a move on it before the TPers arrive. This may be our last chance for awhile... Let's make it count.

DADT is..???

So... DADT is....? Unconstitutional, but possibly not ending?? Everyone's still trying to figure out what exactly will be going on, but to make a long story short, the DOJ will be appealing it. They've asked for a stay on the ruling... (will update this tomorrow when my brain works.)

Obama's twitter account posted an update a few hours ago - "Anybody who wants to serve in our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf should be able to. DADT will end & it will end on my watch."

So...  yea. If he has any hope for reelection, it will end before the year is out. And our hopes are for a strong, permanent (well, as permanent as laws can be...), legislative solution, it seems, else we take to the streets... We shall see... Fingers, toes, & eyes are crossed... We shall see...

Sunday Updates!

Sorry they're late! Ok, so apparently my wifi is relatively stable today, & almost as fast as usual, so let's give this a shot.

• Obligatory Sunday Anti-Tea-Party comments: I really REALLY have to insist you check out #teapartymovietitles on Twitter (yes, I know, Twitter is infinitely stupid & a huge waste of time. But this is so worth it. Especially when TP members jump in with their own suggestions, & the whole thing just goes right over their heads...)
• Environmental News: Stop BP's Next Drilling Disaster. Petition via Greenpeace, regarding BP's plan to drill a new well in the Arctic, off the coast of Alaska.
• What's Happening in Washington?
• Tax Cuts: TAKE ACTION -Sign a petition with Credo Action: Don't Extend Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy.
• Caribou Barbie: Does anyone care? I still don't.
• Can't we All Just Get Along? Peace & Unity In the US: Check out One Nation Working Together. This weekend's the big event!!
• Immigration Reform: Still no word on the DREAM Act. It's on hold until after the elections. If you missed my earlier posts on it, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act provides a conditional path to citizenship for undocumented minors who arrived in the US under the age of 16, provided they are accepted into college or join the military for at least 2 years.
• Stewart/Colbert: Huge rally on 10/30 in DC!!! Wish I could be there :-(
• Miss Colbert's testimony on immigration & jobs? Check it out here.
• Coffee Party USA: Big convention was this past weekend, but due to internet issues, I missed it all...
• LGBT rights: Did I share this last week? No? Ok - NYT: Despite Setback, Gay Rights Move Forward. Even if the DADT repeal was filibustered, there's still the federal court decisions on DADT & the ban on adoption by same-sex parents-- both were declared unconstituaional! In fact, a court even ordered that the Air Force reinstate Major Margaret Witt, who was fired under DADT. So change is coming... Fingers crossed.
• Need your fix of anger today? Check this out: Why Gay Marriage is Dangerous. So let's all raise our fingers high in the air in unison - Fuck you very much. That being said, now's the time to donate to organizations like HRC & Marriage Equality USA!

State of the Union in 100 words or less!

Wow... Today's a pretty big day. First off, happy Sexual Freedom Day everyone! And a very special happy Celebrate Bisexuality Day!

So here's what's been going on in 100 words or less (& in no particular order):

The Defense Authorization Act was filibustered, the DREAM Act & DADT were put on hold. The ban on gay adoption was declared unconstitutional yesterday in FL. Major points of healthcare law, including Patients' Bill of Rights, go into effect TODAY! Sharron Angle wants to get rid of medical care for autism. I don't like her. Obama renews Middle East peace talks. FB founder Mark Zuckerberg plans to donate $100 milliion to struggling Newark school system. Chris Christie is pleased. It takes some heat away from his $400 million mistake. Caribou Barbie Palin announces her plan to plan to announce her run for president.



Only 86 words? Sweet. Stay tuned for Sunday updates (although my internet is shaky, so they may have to wait until Monday...)

Sunday Updates - What's going on out there?

Ok, let's try this. I still haven't finished that special post, because I've barely been home this weekend & haven't really been in the mood either. But I'm in such a great mood now, I figured hell why not see what's going on in the world. I'm going to try to make this a weekly Sunday thing. This way, we can recap last week and prepare for the new week all at the same time... Well, it sounded like a good idea before I said it :-D

Alright, here we go:

• Obligatory Sunday Anti-Tea-Party Op-Ed: Tea Party Talking Points, Translated Ok, enough silly fringe talk, let's get back to reality.
• Environmental News
• Gulf Oil Spill Update: BP well has officially been declared dead. Now if only we could get a proper cleanup going... The oil's still there, & the dispersants...
• Well this is just ridiculous - a Care2 blogger has issued a challenge, it seems. Wear only 6 items of clothing for an entire month. Buying less clothes is one thing, but simply wearing less is far more difficult for those of us who work, especially when we get dirty at work or have other obligations that require specific attire. And I DO pretty much wear the same outfit every day! (Uniform at work, though I do alternate between shirts & pants, & wash it all every few days or as needed.) Yes, life is easier when you don't have to think about what to wear in the morning, but for the majority of us, it's just not that practical or viable. I can only say that constantly doing tiny loads of laundry in order to have clean clothes & underwear for work is a bigger waste of energy than it's worth.
• Food & Diet: It seems that science continues to support what I've been saying about HFCS. (Which I guess makes sense, since my opinion is based on that science to begin with... I had this whole long rant on myspace regarding this, & myths surrounding soy...) Research regarding its effects on metabolism has been utterly inconclusive. As of right now, independent research it really is no worse for you than regular sugar. Sugar is sugar is sugar (though I would really suggest you go with more natural sugars, like beet or stevia or honey. Not because they're "better or you" or anything like that. Less random chemicals added, less refining, etc. But again, sugar is sugar. They're all pretty high in fructose, including honey and agave nectar, so seriously, just limit your sugar intake and you'll be fine.) It's not particularly good for you, like any other refined sugar product, but it's not going to kill you any faster than that other crap you're eating. It's the amount you're eating, not the product itself. But of course, it is in no way, shape, or form a "natural" product. Sorry, but it really pisses me off when items are marked "all natural" when they contain loads of artificial preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, or colors. I'm so sick of green-washing -_-" but I'm also sick of the holier-than-thou attitudes of the Whole Foods/Trader Joes shoppers who snap at me for drinking a non-organic soda from Pathmark every once in a while. To each her own, ok? I may be a nature-loving eco-geek who screams at her mother for attempting to throw out an uncut 6-pack holder (that stupid plastic ring thing) on her birthday ("You're going to kill a dolphin !!!") & then fishes it out of the garbage & chops it up & then hides it with the recycling so it doesn't end up in the ocean, but jeez, lighten up a bit! :-P
• Also, you can check out this: Food Myths Busted. (most of it seems like old news, but still interesting.)
• What's Happening in Washington?
• w00t!! Elizabeth Warren has been appointed to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau! Sort of. We did it! (or rather, Obama realized that she really is the best candidate for some sort of advisory position regarding the bureau, & our incessant urging probably helped somewhat... maybe.) As the case may be, Warren is now a presidential economic advisor regarding the Bureau, and will be assisting the president in choosing a director... So... Looks like the job may not be hers. Harsh, man... Chins up, fellow liberals & progressives. It's not over yet.
• I'm starting to think that all politicians from Alaska are a little loopy. Unemployment benefits are unconstitutional?? I'm not even going to touch that, read it for yourself.
• It seems the GOP doesn't know what to do about the healthcare law. How about leave it alone. Or help us make it better.
• Between Palin & Angle & this O'Donnell character, I just really don't want to know. I don't care if she's dabbled in witchcraft or whatever she thinks she did (since Wicca has nothing to do with Satanism or Satanic altars...). So have I. I still have my Book of Shadows. (I wrote this really long spell/poem in calligraphy, I can't bear to throw it out!) Really, I just can't get past this whole "masturbation is adultery" thing. Last I checked, you had to be married to commit adultery. And she was a teenager when she said that, talking about other teenagers... who were probably not married. So what she's saying is you can't have sex with yourself, or someone of your own gender, or someone you're not married to, or allow yourself to ever feel or express any of your own 100% natural sexual urges even if you're not married because God gets angry & throws a tantrum when you're cheating on your non-existent spouse with your hand? And somehow it appears to make her feel like less of a person because her boyfriend doesn't need her in order to have an orgasm? And somehow that means she doesn't matter at all and might as well not be there? Hmm... Methinks her 1999 logic is a wee bit flawed, yes? News flash, honey: you can do it too, and I'm sure your boyfriend, or invisible husband, won't mind. Hopefully you've learned that by now. Plus I'm pretty sure the Monty Python gang had a go [video] at something like this too XD.
• P.S. - this woman is so damn annoying as a teen [video]. Typical nonsensical & religious crap. And the fact that she still seems to stand by a lot of it is pretty sad IMO. But Eddie Izzard was awesome, as he still is now.
• Tax Cuts: According to CNN, some economists believe we should extend the Bush Tax Cuts for everyone. I respectfully disagree. Middle class & lower class, fine, I've come to accept that as a necessary action, but the wealthy? Don't ever ask me to agree with you on that. I may not be a financial expert, but I'm not bad at math. Or logic. The government needs money to do good things for the country. The rich people have lots of money. Poor people don't. The poor people are great at spending money (because they have to in order to survive), and the rich people are great at saving money (because they have that luxury, among many others). Therefore, if you're going to take desperately needed money anyway, take it from the people who actually have it while either reducing or maintaining the burden on those who don't. Duh? We already know that "trickle-down" theory is complete and utter bullshit, so don't bother. Like I said, the rich are great at saving money. There's no reason why they should invest it in society voluntarily if they don't have to (other than the few altruists in the bunch). The top 2% will be just fine. A person doesn't need a $10 billion bonus in order to survive, but trust me, a $400 paycheck every few weeks is desperately needed if that's all you can get.
• Caribou Barbie: Does anyone care? I don't.
• Can't we All Just Get Along? Peace & Unity In the US: Check out One Nation Working Together.
• Immigration Reform: It would seem that we'll finally get a proper vote on the DREAM Act this week!!! If you missed my earlier posts on it, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act provides a conditional path to citizenship for undocumented minors who arrived in the US under the age of 16, provided they are accepted into college or join the military for at least 2 years.
• Stewart/Colbert: Huge rally on 10/30 in DC!!! Wish I could be there :-(
• Coffee Part USA: This upcoming Friday begins the Convention in Kentucky. If you can't make it (like me...), you can check out www.democracymeetup.com for information about what's going on, or watch the live stream of the conference here [video].
• LGBT rights: Well of course we'll always have bigots & homophobes who want to make homosexuality illegal, but those of us who actually give a fuck about equal rights for all can...
• TAKE ACTION: Via Care2 & the Human Rights Campaign, a Petition to pass ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. Federal laws currently only prohibit discrimination based on age, ethnicity, religion, nationality, & gender (not including transsexuals/transgender people, however.) Though my lovely state has a pretty decent anti-discrimination policy, if I do say so myself... at least, compared to the federal laws. We all still have a long way to go regarding marriage rights, however. (We recognize same-sex domestic parnerships, or a civil union with almost all of the same exact rights as a marriage, but thanks to DOMA, well... "Nevermind." Now's the time when we should miss Corzine (as if there ever were a time when we shouldn't. I had nothing against the guy except his smear campaign during the election & the fact that not much major happened during his term, which is why I preferred the Independent...) If it had ever been put before him, he would've signed same-sex marriage into law... & our current moron said he'd veto it. But enough about us, let's get on with the rest of the country...
• DADT: In addition to the DREAM Act, Harry Reid has included a repeal of DADT in the Defense Authorization Bill (which authorizes more military spending -_-" A worthy trade off? I hope so.) With the recent court ruling that DADT is unconstitutional (!!!), there has been a significant push for repeal now. Let's hope it goes through! (Haha, though I have to say I'm a little disappointed that I no longer have a surefire excuse to get out of military service should I ever be drafted. But if it keeps soldiers safe within their own ranks, and protects them from unfair abuse and discrimination, I'd gladly give that up!)

So, look at that! I got through the whole week's news without getting depressed too! Not bad. Anyway, I'm off to tell yet another "I want a threesome with a black girl!" bastard to fuck off. Don't ask, I don't want to tell. Well, ok, it sounds like a nice policy at face value, in some areas. You know, when someone's job or safety isn't on the line. No one should ever be forced to reveal information about their private lives. However, as that isn't the case...

I read a story of this one woman... She was a sergeant, I believe, and several of the men under her found out that she was a lesbian. They raped her, repeatedly, over the course of a year, and forced her to do other kinds of demeaning, violent sexual acts, under threat of telling the commanders her secret and getting her fired . And then they told them anyway. She was discharged from the army. The men never received any sort of punishment whatsoever. This woman lost everything because of this horrible law... her privacy, her safety, her rights, her peace of mind, her body, her career, her life. And thousands of men and women are abused everyday and can't say a word for fear of losing the careers they've spend their entire lives working towards-- a career in which they have literally put their lives on the line for their fellow soldiers and citizens. Because of who they love. Because of hate and fear and bigotry and religious zealots forcing their misguided beliefs on others. Tell me how that's just.

If my fucking state can promise that no one will ever have to be subjected this kind of treatment because of their orientation, why can't my government? Why can't the military?!?!?  

REPEAL DADT NOW!

I guess I wanted to be upset tonight.

It's Not Over Yet -- What's Next for the Prop 8 Case?

[Don't forget to check out the links!]

Apparently, it did post (the second time). Anyway, so I just wanted to elaborate on this really fast. Not to put a damper on that last post (the guest post), but this is far from over...

There are still 2 more trials (well, appeal & then trial) to go regarding the California case, and many politicians are reluctant to make this the big issue we need it to be. We haven't heard all that much from proponents of Prop 8 since the first trial ended. Why? Speculators suggest that issues such as the economy and immigration are enough of a distraction for conservative voters. (In which case, maybe it'd be a good idea to get DOMA & DADT repealed now ;-) Quick, before they pay attention again!) All I've personally seen are comments from reporters and pundits that the judge is biased because he is gay. I don't know if that's true, and frankly, I don't know if we should care. I think it's probably just a The question is, does it matter if a gay judge rules on a gay rights trial? Does it make a difference? [EDIT: Turns out it is possibly true. but not proven (SFGate. Very Questionable source), but was considered a non-issue. We shall have to see if it matters in the appeal... supposedly the lawyers have not yet decided (HuffPost) whether it will be of concern.]

I don't believe that his orientation should have any bearing whatsoever on his ability to give an impartial ruling, especially if you were to consider it as any other characteristic - gender, ethnicity/race, age, etc. It's just another trait at the end of the day. (By that same logic, "people of color" (as we have been called, much to my dismay) shouldn't be allowed to rule on issues of "race." Since that's just as much of a bullshit argument as orientation, I think it's safe to say that this will play out in our favor...) And I do believe his record (what little I've read of it, I'll admit) does indeed show that he keeps his personal ideology outside of the courtroom. The "smear campaign" against him is pretty weak... However, we do have to consider that it's very possible that no matter how "liberal" the 9th Circuit court is assumed to be, they could very well throw out the ruling on the grounds of a (at this point assumed) conflict of interest or other bias. For all we know, it could all be true. Should it matter? Of course not. Will it? We don't know. And for that reason alone, perhaps we should keep this in the back of our minds...

All of that aside, I've seen some evidence that the Supreme Court is already reluctant to take on this case. If the appellate court somehow rules to overturn the verdict, then the case will never make it to the Supreme Court... And even if the court also deems it unconstitutional, the Supreme Court can refuse to take the case, regarding it as a "state problem" or simply a California issue.

In terms of the case itself-- it was a seriously crappy defense, & based on that alone, yes, the ruling makes sense. And Judge Walker did an amazing job-- to make a long story short, he went above and beyond the requirements. It is highly unlikely that new evidence will be admissible during the appeal. It's possible, but very rare. (There's a lot of legal jargon that I don't feel like trying to rewrite, but basically, I believe the defense will have to prove that they were unable to provide the evidence because of some unforeseeable circumstance.) Based on that alone, I think the ruling will likely hold, at least in California. That was a court case based on the California Constitution, if I'm not mistaken. What about the rest of the country? Again, that's just California, & it's not the only case regarding same-sex marriage. I think it's vital that this case get to the Supreme Court, if only in the hopes of setting some sort of legal precedent that trumps any state laws. We already know that most of the justices on the supreme court already think that a ban is constitutional, by their own "research," including Ms. Kagan. They argue that it's a "state thing." At least 30 states have already banned same-sex marriage, whether by statute or constitution (& several have had multiple court rulings that upheld the ban). So it's have the Supreme Court interpret the Constitution to mean that the ban is itself unconstitutional, and/or push ahead to try to get an amendment passed. (Scholars argue there isn't much of a difference. Either the interpretation changes, or we change the document itself...) And to change the federal Constitution itself with an amendment takes 2/3 of the states - 35 out of 50 need to agree, and as only 5 out of 50 so far have agreed... This case is just a first step towards equality. It's nowhere near over... whether or not that ruling will be considered/applied universally, or if it will be argued that the ruling can only be based on that particular defense and applied only to that particular state... or thrown out altogether. It can still be overturned before it gets to the Supreme Court... & then the Supreme never has to get involved. (Though I have no doubt whatsoever that we'll keep fighting until we've achieved equal rights for everyone, no matter how long it takes.)


Still celebrating, in my own way. (I'll be waiting for that wedding invite someday!!!)

The appeal has yet to be scheduled. In the meantime, let's whisper amongst ourselves... :-D

• Mother Jones - Does Prop 8 Judge's Personal Life Matter?
  
• Yahoo News-What's Next for the Prop 8 Case?
  
• Media Matters-Another Prop 8 case smear: Plaintiffs' experts are dubious because "many or most are in same-sex relationships"
• This was also shared with me: Autostraddle.com - How the Gays Beat Prop 8
  

Updates! Current State of the Union...?

Ok, so maybe it's been quite a while since I've finished a post. And there's just so much going on all over the place that I haven't been able to just stop for a moment to sort my thoughts and get them down. Between my vacation time this weekend, weird dreams, & attempting to read a book (when I really don't have the time to get past a chapter, speed reading and all, since I kept stopping to "argue" with the author...), & now I'm here trying to finish this post and a private one before I leave (for who knows where...). I'm sure you get my point. So I need to play catch-up with what's going on again. (Like when I took a week off to play video games & regain my composure after a total mental breakdown, & totally missed that whole Scott Brown thing... lol... Oh well, not like it turned out to be that bad overall.) Brief comments about the state of the country:

Single Payer Healthcare
-- Vermont is attempting to push through a single-payer program, but might be stopped by the federal law... The plan, championed by a grassroots organization and based on the idea of healthcare as an undeniable human right, advocates the abolition of all for-profit health plans in favor of a state-run non-profit system.However, the healthcare legislation passed this year has provisions for state programs that specifies that a state program cannot interfere with the insurance provided by large employers. (Kucinich attempted to get a waiver included in the legislation, but as usual, progressive ideas were quashed...) Story Available Here.

Arizona Immigration Law
--As far as I've seen, most of the Arizona law SB1070 is still blocked. Good news indeed... (Wondering if Hollywood/music scene is really against the law because it's become the "in" thing to do, or if they're seriously into it... Either way, works for me, I guess. We're humans first. Nationality second (though I can think of a ton of other things that matter more too). To add some weird news, Ms. Palin has decided she had to talk about our President's "family jewels" (to be polite here...) in relation to this law... Way to take the debate back to high school. (Not to mention it's kinda sexist -_-" C'mon, really? Yea, Democrats are wusses. But this phrase that basically means that only men have what it takes to get shit done? Bull. Though to quote the great Leopold "Butters" Stotch, girls just keep 'em on the inside :-D)

BP Oil Spill
-- The MSM continues to hide the fact that there's still oil all over the gulf and in Michigan too. (Article 1, Article 2). No, the microbes couldn't possibly have cleaned it all up already. Yes, normally oil would float, & perhaps it's not as visible in some areas, but you're forgetting that a) dispersants break it up into smaller & smaller pieces that spread out all over the place; b) those dispersants are HIGHLY TOXIC, not to mention the fact that crude oil is also HIGHLY TOXIC; c) oil can sink. Someone commented on a news article & told another person that they should "go back to science class. oil can't be on the ocean floor because it floats on water!" I think that had this commenter actually thought about science class, perhaps they would have remembered that the reason that oil floats is because it is less dense than water, however should the oil mix with something (say, a dispersant, or particles in the water like salt or debris...), it could easily become more dense than the water and sink to a lower level. Different oils have different densities. Crude oil on it's own is actually quite dense. When it's exposed to air, water, or bacteria, it gets denser-- the lighter parts evaporate away, leaving behind heavy sediment. (Look up Heavy Crude Oil.) So let's focus on cleanup & stop pretending the problem's gone just because we might not be able to see it.

Congressman Anthony Weiner's 9/11 Healthcare Rant
-- My favorite congressman Anthony Weiner went on another passionate rant recently over the 9/11 workers' healthcare. It was epic. (And I can't believe I missed it & had to find it on youtube on my phone at like 1 am Saturday morning... Luckily, his office sent me a link later, too.) It's one thing to be a passionate ranting lunatic when you're spouting lies and conspiracy theories and you do it all the time (*cough*glennbeck*cough), but Weiner is one of the few who actually sticks to facts and I love that he shows how he really feels... (If he's faking it, he should consider Hollywood; he really seems legit.) Democrats have to learn to get angry when they should be. Occasionally, sometimes it's good to lose your temper when people are being ridiculous. Sometimes, it's absolutely justified. When people's lives and livelihoods are at stake, have at it. I'll expect similar reactions once this BP mess is finally cleaned up...

Political Celebrity News
-- Ok, everyone's talking about it, so I'll just mention it really fast and get the "celebrity" gossip out of the way- Chelsea Clinton's dress was GORGEOUS. (And I don't usually like Vera Wang. Or excessively ruffly dresses. And omg Bill looks eerily thin... I think he looked a bit healthier before...) ^^"

Bush's Tax Cuts
-- Cute how Republicans want to extend tax cuts without paying for them, & add to the deficit, but anything Democrats propose has to be paid for and then some. Really, watching them bicker, from the outside, is just so amusing. Like hell should they keep the cuts. This is money the gov't should've had, so yea, time for the free pass to expire. We need revenue in order to fix a deficit, and Mitch McConnell's argument (that the tax cuts help the economy) doesn't really work here. If he were talking about people living below the poverty line, then yes, absolutely. If he were talking about the middle class, then yes, his argument would make sense. But the wealthy? Yea, no. This may be a bit obvious, but rich people tend to save money, & poor people spend. Every good economist knows that if you want to stimulate the economy, you give money to poor people, not to the wealthy. (Trickle-down theory doesn't work. It would be nice if certain people stopped "pretending" it does.) And tell me again how it's fair for the people who don't have money to pay taxes that ultimately benefit the wealthy, but the wealthy don't have to pay a dime? Seems a little backwards to me. So I'm with Greenspan on this one.

Petitions for Elizabeth Warren as Head of Consumer Protection Agency
--We're still trying to get Obama to pick Elizabeth Warren for the new consumer protection agency. The first time I heard about her, I thought she would be a shoe-in for the position (this was just before the bill was passed). But hopefully, with enough of an "outburst" so to speak, we'll be able to influence Obama to appoint her... Petitions:
CredoAction
Change.org (also for Credo)
Petition from Senator Bernie Sanders (D,VT)
Bold Progressives/Credo (Credo's really into this one, huh...)
Public Citizen

In the end, it seems pretty likely that she will be nominated. She's perfect for the job. Plus it was her idea in the first place, wasn't it? So, best of luck, Ms. Warren, we're fighting for you!

I'm off to find more ice for my knee. (I haven't a clue what happened the first time, but it was already bruised pretty badly before I smashed it into the corner of my nightstand... Ow...) Back to work tomorrow... And eventually I'll get back to a regular post.

And Now, for Something Completely Different... But not really. Pictures!

Every week I like to check out this gallery of the top political cartoons. Some are eh, but others... hilarious. Thought today maybe I'd share a few, maybe comment every now and then, just to mix things up. (And if I'm not horribly mistaken, clicking on the picture should enlarge it... maybe.)

Remember way back when I was joking about splitting the US down the middle and we each take a side? If you haven't noticed yet, in the bottom corner it says "I didn't notice anyone trying to sneak across." And you wouldn't! Maybe we'd be sitting on the fence, as I would from time to time... Mostly to see what's going on on the other side, I suppose. But just think how different each side would be... And yet, how similar. We're all human. We're all Americans. We do what we do because we love our country despite it's problems, and we want to see it flourish. We all have the same problems, just different ways of solving them.... And I see a social experiment coming on... Think the APA review board would let me get away with it??? I'm totally serious :-D
And obviously this whole border with Mexico thing too has people pretty divided (regarding immigrants crossing over it, I mean... Though frankly, and I know this wouldn't sit well with many Mexicans, I wonder if we could work out some sort of deal that kind of combines us in some way... After all, technically speaking the we're the ones who invaded Mexico by annexing Texas. Texas had claimed independence from Mexico, but they were the only ones who believed that... [Texans had an annoying habit of seceding from whatever country they belonged to. So I say let's just let them be independent & see how that works out. Good luck.] Then the Texans decided they didn't like the boundaries, & claimed that the borders included land & a river that they absolutely did not, including huge parts of (what became) 3 other states. (There's all this junk about saving Texas from a Mexican invasion, but it's not invading when it's yours, so...) Polk was an idiot who thought it would be a good idea to steal Texas, thereby declaring war on Mexico (even though Mexico flat out told him to butt out), stealing the land, killing everyone in the area. Somewhere in this Cali declared independence from Mexico, The Americas forced whoever was alive to sign a treaty (somehow I don't think gunpoint counts...) giving them and called it a day. To put it simply, the US invaded Mexico, stole their land, and made them give us more. All the future war heroes were there - Grant, Lee (another idiot... He didn't like them, but I miss the old Radical Republicans, back when Republicans stood for civil/human rights... So much nicer than our modern ones, IMO...), Stonewall... We eventually gave Mexico a few million dollars to shut them up (despite the fact that the land they gave up was worth far more than that - Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Cali, New Mexico, Texas-- and we shoved them back to the Rio Grande. The southern border of the US is all stolen property... I couldn't blame them if they started shouting "Take Our Country Back!" like those silly tea party signs. At least then it'd make some sense. Speaking of which...

Even though we've seen a drop in private hiring, and a surge in government hiring due to the census, we're still in a MUCH better situation than we were before... And I've seen recent evidence that this was not due to the "natural" ebb and flow of the market, but had a huge boost from the stimulus bills-- and as a result (as most provisions are about to expire), we're going to see a drop this summer... Housing is down, construction is down, wages went up a smidge but private sales aren't going up anymore, so... There's a bit of a hiring freeze. Unemployment will take a hit once the census people are done (though I'm thinking a lot of them are probably around my age, since that's a huge hiring target group for that type of job). Teachers are going to see a plunge as well, I'm sure. But despite all of this hardship, and the fact that the country is breaking down on the political front so to speak, things are still better than they used to be... We are still progressing, as slow as the process may be.

This one's a bit older, I believe... And kind of creeps me out, because I was in some forum a few weeks ago and a few cops were there talking about this exact thing and how they do actually have a scale (these particular cops, not all cops in general)...(Granted, in November I had spent a little too much time following related conversations on Stormfront -- a "white nationalist/supremacist & neo-Nazi/KKK" site-- & the Nation of Islam - a "black supremacist/separatist/nationalist" website for a Social Theory paper on hate groups. Scariest 3 hours of my life. I'd like to not run into these kinds of people IRL. One group from one of the sites would call me names & try to kill me, the other would call me names & probably let me live but kill someone while dragging me around with them, & I'd really rather not ever get involved... Ack. Instead of writing my paper, I instead wrote a list/article about why both were absolutely insane. [One group had 2,000 members join immediately after Obama won, which crashed the server. They panicked that the "white rule" was going to end - their words, not mine. Even Fox's "Papa Bear O'Reilly" called them out on their hateful spamming of his polls. The other group is basically the same, except they're also much more homophobic, & most of their hateful speech is offline and their skin tone is a bit darker. Both groups pretty much worship Hitler and blame the Jews for ruining the world... so... ye-a... Fucked up.] That part was fun, but writing my paper at 5 am before class wasn't so much...)

"100% Natural, for that Naturalized U.S. Citizen Look. Protects Against Police Harassment"-- Someone needs to give this to Boehner, 'cuz he doesn't even look human anymore... Most humans aren't naturally orange.

Hmm... Lesser of 2 evils?

Now this one is just too true...

Someone on FB/Care2 suggested plugging the leak with Beck & Palin so they'd be useful for something other than humor, but Limbaugh's mouth is just too big... (Plus I think that probably counts as physical violence, so I can't condone it...) But the good news is, recent attempts have been working to at least lessen the flow and contain some of the oil... Once we get it stopped, we can get to cleaning up (trying to see if somehow GP or Environment America would sponsor a trip down there... I think I could take off from work, I just don't know about plane tickets, HAZMAT suits or sleeping arrangements...) Also, while it's wonderful that so many organizations and businesses are chipping in hundreds of thousands of dollars towards cleanup costs, BP MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY DAMN PENNY!!! ^^" Sorry for yelling. (Poor Australia, too, lol. They keep looking forward to Obama's visit, & he keeps canceling at the last minute to fix massive problems here and get shit done...)

Another friend was talking about how other countries and indigenous peoples are forced to abide by the boundaries set by European invaders. (Reminds me of that whole "might makes right" argument. Right and wrong are determined by whoever is currently in power, the strongest and loudest are the ones who will make the rules, etc... The strongest bully determines the legitimacy of everything...) I really want to quote this all, but if my ping.fm post ever shows up you can read it all for yourself... (But until then, here's the link to the article - Arizona One-Ups Itself: Public School Has Black, Hispanic Faces On Mural Changed to White « SpeakEasy. Look for BulletProofAir's comments. Article is sad, but the comments are lovely if you ignore the stuff about old people. I think they meant our grandparents, whatever category they fall into and not Baby Boomers (our parents) or even Gen X (today's young parents). Funny though that kids born after mid-1990s are Generation Z, the "New Silent Generation." We're breeding media-obsessed introverts... How weird is that? P.S. - What happens after them anyway --after generation Z??... Oh... Wikipedia says our kids will probably called Alpha.) What was I talking about again? lol...

[UPDATE- Principal apologizes, admits mistake, plans to go back to how it was. ]

So... let's try one last pic, cuz I'm getting bored...

I assume most people have heard about what's happening to text books...again. This happens every once in a while. I can't remember exactly when the last time was, but I remember talking about it in school when I was about 11 or 12... and again in high school. California is boycotting the textbooks. I believe every state should. Private schools can do what they want-- that's their prerogative. Christianity and it's "family values" have had a massive effect on history, but this is just overstepping boundaries. History is always rewritten to suit society, but a small minority should not dictate everything.

You should see what Fox wrote on this. (I'm not going to show you, it's just too embarrassing... for them. At least, it should be. I also just skimmed the list of articles on the page... So sad, really. I think some of their writers are in denial...) Though I trust PBS and college students  far more then I'll ever trust Fox again. I know that HuffPost may have wildly exaggerated some claims, but I found one blogger's play by play of the radio broadcast of the meeting, and a neutral college student's list of the biggest changes, as well as several other neutral sources including Politifact (which claims that some of the really-liberal sites' extreme accusations are half-true). (Even found a conservative Texas education site that refutes Fox's ludicrous claims... What a nice find... Though Fox wasn't entirely off on one point - these textbooks could verily end up anywhere in the country. It does depend on individual states, as the agency says, but that doesn't invalidate Fox's claim. So hey, Fox finally got something right!) While I think some of the changes could be great if the publishers could manage to be non-partisan about it ( for example, discussing the pros and cons of government regulation), others are so blatantly biased that it's actually offensive. Like how publishers now have to stress how awesome capitalism is compared to socialism/communism (which, btw, are NOT the same thing). Like taking out how race/ethnicities, religions, and genders have shaped society and history-- right there you're already taking out the history of music, which is HUGELY tied into so much of history... Women's rights, including suffrage, careers, and marriage... Gay rights, the Civil Rights Movement... Hell, we can even go waaay back to the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening which led to the abolitionist movement! The Quakers too! How can you downplay that or cut it out? Also, I fail to see how they plan to take religion out while promoting "Christian values and the influence of Christianity on our Founding Fathers"? We as a "nation" (for lack of a better word at the moment) began as a group of settlers seeking religious freedom. Granted the whole witch hunt thing kind of fucked that up, and the pushy religious people who insisted on converting everyone to "save them from hell" kind of fucked that up a bit too, but the whole point was that the ideology of certain religious groups was not supposed to be forced on anyone, and a person should be allowed to believe in whatever he or she wants. Again, I'm not saying that religion isn't a huge part of our history, and that Christianity hasn't had an effect. But it's not the only religion that's influenced us, and I believe it's modern ideology and corresponding political agenda do not even remotely resemble the influences or teachings of our Deist Founding Fathers. In fact, Deism conflicts with most of Christian teachings... (google it.) Plus back then, the vast majority of those religious movements served as a progressive, liberal force for good, helping to free cultural groups from unfair social restraints. (Remember, the current group is only considered "conservative" in present times because it seeks to maintain or preserve how things were...) I also love how anti-miscegenation laws for "Caucasians and Mongolians," and the Oriental Exclusion Law, etc are being written off as not being racist towards Japanese people during the internment camp period of WWII... Because "Italians and Germans were there too!" Yes, that should absolutely be mentioned. It's not something we really learned much about in school growing up. I'm learning more about it as I type this and research... But I wouldn't exactly market it as proof that internment had nothing to do with racism. The Japanese were the first to go, for the aforementioned reasons. FDR and the newspapers said some pretty nasty things about Japanese-Americans, but I can't find anything about the Italians from that period... The German-Americans had a bad rep of course, and apparently 10-15% had a Nazi affiliation so it's hard to be surprised that people were freaked out and angry. But for the most part, they and the Italian-Americans were just "enemy aliens." (Not to mention the fact that even with anti-Italian sentiment back then, a lot of people regarded Italians and Germans as Caucasian and not a minority "race" as they are of European descent, so...) The Japanese were the only ones to have racial epithets added to the "war crime" of being of the same ethnicity as the enemy.

And now for something completely different. Since I sort of changed topic. On a completely hilarious note, apparently some extremist conservatives started freaking out that Christmas and the Constitution were going to be written out of textbooks... Best April Fool's joke ever? lol... (Followed by some crap about how liberals hate America and the Constitution -_-" Seriously, what the hell are these people on??) And guess who started those rumors? Turns out to be the very same Fox anchor from above ^, Gretchen Carlson-- the one with the ludicrous claims. Turns out those claims weren't even the crazy ones... And like a true Fox-er, she didn't bother to say anything when someone proved that she was wrong.

From Politifact.org -
Addressing Jason Moore, a Texas parent who planned to speak at Wednesday's hearing, Carlson said: "So, one of the proposed changes, Jason, is actually to start history class in the year 1877, which would be a big problem for a lot of people, would it not? And eliminate references to certain holidays, Founding Fathers, the Constitution! I mean, no surprise that Christmas, they want to get rid of that because they've been doing that for the last couple of years, but c'mon, the Constitution?"

Which brings us to today's moral - it's not technically a lie if you really believe it's true when you say it, but if you're going to stick with your story when you're proven to be wrong... (Speaking of which, great news - a lot of alarm bells can go away now, we finally have evidence that it was a huge misunderstanding that wasn't immediately rectified... If you don't know what I'm talking about, good for you.)

Alright, I'm sure if you're still reading you really must be bored today... (I was. I'm sure I've infected enough people today, so spent the rest of the day in my room alone, writing and playing video games... I have yet to see a doctor, but I know I have strep -_-" Ugh. There are some things sisters should never share, and an infection is certainly one of them.)

(All cartoons copyright of their respective artist and/or publication. I'm just using them here for "educational purposes," under Fair Use law or whatever it's called ^^")

A Letter from Senator Lautenberg (D, NJ)

I think it's rare that I should actually receive a response from Sen. Lautenberg other than "I received your message. Thank you, have a nice day :-)", but I thought I would share this little form letter anyway... It's something I can relate to, and something I care about... 

(Just occurred to me - the word I've been looking for is "undocumented."  They're not "illegal" they're "undocumented"...)

Dear Ms. [you don't need to know that...]:

Thank you for contacting me about comprehensive immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As the son of immigrant parents, I know the United States is often a refuge for those who long for freedom and opportunity. Most immigrants have worked hard to become contributing members of our communities, and the United States has always prided itself as a country that welcomes people seeking better lives for themselves and their families. In the 110^th Congress, I voted to advance comprehensive immigration reform legislation; unfortunately, this legislation failed to pass the Senate.

In April, I joined fifteen of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama expressing my support for passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year. The letter states that comprehensive immigration reform legislation must improve our border security, help reunite families, modernize our existing immigration programs, and ensure that all workers and business pay their fair share of taxes. Please be assured I will continue to support meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that is practical and fair.

Thank you again for contacting me.


Sincerely,

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
 (image died. grr...)


I also had (& secretly recorded, lol) a talk with my mother a few weeks ago about what it was like to immigrate to the US. (She knows I was asking for my blog, and that I wanted an interview... I don't think she'll mind too much anymore ^^") She said that it was really popular at the time to marry people just for citizenship, and she knew a lot of people who did it. This was 1973. My mom was only 13 at the time, and her parents had taken care of all of the paperwork. It was a lot easier back then. Standards for citizenship weren't as strict... or expensive. She told me about life back home in Guyana (in South America), before she came here. She's from one of the wealthier families in the capital, so she apparently lived in a nice area. Her family owned a lot of land- a plantation (which she still owns a part of today, apparently...) with servants... (She said they were paid well...)  But Guyana was a relatively poor place, owned by Britain until it gained independence in 1966 and became a republic in 1970... And as things happen in a lot of poor formerly British colonies, there was a period of sharp economic decline in the early 70s, violence broke out (likely including a few crazy people from Jonestown & the People's Temple), and it was no longer safe for her to stay there. (Things have declined rapidly since... My mother says things have changed so much there... Ut's basically become like a third world country in some parts. Guyana has the highest suicide rates in ALL of South America...) Both of her parents were already in the US. Her father was a doctor, her mother worked as a nurse. They had been here at least a year or so before my mother joined them, and her siblings followed much later later. Her parents were not citizens when she arrived, but she told me that if they had been, she would have automatically become a citizen-- however, the government changed the laws at that time anyway. "Then I became a citizen before my parents did. My dad never did it, but my mom did, eventually." Her father died just after I was born... I don't know the details, because she doesn't talk about it. I was supposed to visit him in Guyana when I was about 6 months old, but there were complications with baggage (as in, diapers and things had to be shipped there 6 months in advance, so mom went alone...) She sometimes says that she misses Guyana and wants to visit again someday, but she doesn't regret coming here. They came here for the safety, to be with their family, to have a chance at a better life.


If someday I ever leave this country, I would hope my new home would welcome me with open arms, regardless of whether or not ... and not brand me a moocher and a nuisance, as the citizens here have been doing for the past few centuries... (I'm assuming this post will be part of my "what it means to be American" train of thought...) I think it's interesting that Canada requires you to prove your worth before you can apply for citizenship. Kind of sucks, because they look for specific professions and skills (none of which I have. I'm not a brain surgeon or an architect... and I have no desire to try either.) It kind of doesn't leave room for entrepreneurship, but I guess that's more of an American thing (there are tons of government grants and tax credits and things for people who try to start businesses and stuff... Oh, capitalism. How I loathe thee, yet have little choice but to accept thee -- for now. Someday, Corporate America, I swear I will take you down, piece by piece, from the inside out. My father says I have to wait until he retires though... That's like 10-15 years from now! I can't wait that long... I'm still working on that whole patience thing. It's not working out.)

Just Thinking...

I'm reading through my blog right now, just thinking about things. Other than a few obvious grammar errors I somehow missed, I kind of like rereading what I wrote. It's like seeing yourself in another light, if only for a moment (though I do have to say, that's one of my few real skills. I can look at things objectively, including my own thoughts and actions... ^^" See, I was made to be a psychologist...) Though I guess it's quite obvious that I've gotten lazy lately. Work really is exhausting, but some miraculous accident, I don't have a schedule for this week (I'll call about it if nothing changes by tomorrow... I deserve today off for the last few days though!) so I get to play catch-up with life. Things have been quiet on the healthcare front, as well as that stupid FB group advocating the death of Obama... even Arizona talk has died down (though I have something new to add to that later, maybe tomorrow...)

A co-worker yesterday said something rather surprising. Now first, let me say that the place I work for has a longstanding reputation as a "family company," plays country music almost nonstop, and is covered in "American" things & memorabilia. Most of the employees I work with are avid NASCAR fans (I kid you not...) with many grand-kids, terrible grammar, and no college diplomas. (Talk about stereotypes... -_-" This place is pretty bad about that too. They not only stick to them, but promote them. Very sexist, often racist... Sad. I'm looking to move soon...) Anyway, my co-workers and I have very, very little in common, including age and politics. I also recently began working with another group (of mostly immigrants) within the company. When I met them, apparently it was assumed that I was a Spanish-speaking Dominican woman. (How they reached that conclusion, I don't have a clue. I'm not Dominican, or Hispanic, & I don't speak a word of Spanish either... People are actually closer when they assume I'm African-American than Hispanic.) Clearly, there is some sort of hierarchy and serious racial tension here (despite the fact that the highest-ranking manager is Hispanic, and there really is a lot of diversity overall. It just seems like sometimes certain departments are grouped by ethnicity...). Anyway, back to the co-worker from Group A (the NASCAR-loving grannies, and also from group Smug). While working, we run into Group B (Spanish-speaking cleaning people... Again, way to be stereotypical, Unnamed Company.). Co-Worker sees Group B workers, hears them speaking Spanish with each other as they begin to walk away, and says "We're in America, we speak English. They should go back to their own country..." in a nasty tone. Clearly she must have seen the expression on my face, because she suddenly stopped mid sneer, covered her mouth and went back to work.

What is it with the anti-immigrant sentiment in this country? Like somehow those who move here are lesser people, or less-than American, because we were born here (and speak a language that isn't even native, but we pretend it's better that every other language). Isn't that what America truly means? A nation of immigrants, working hard for a happy, fruitful life of peace and prosperity.

And on another note - we finally have an official nomination for the Supreme Court... Congratulations to the nominee, Elena Kagan... She has a decent chance of making it past the GOP without a filibuster (because she appears to be fairly conservative enough, which I'm thinking in this case will be a really bad thing...), and she's certainly well educated and acquainted with law. Personally, I think there was a much better option for a myriad of reasons, instead of the safe, moderate (and quite inexperienced) choice, especially to replace Justice Stevens; but nonetheless, congratulations Ms. Kagan.

(It would seem that Bold Progressive is now "following" me on Twitter. Normally, I wouldn't care, but somehow they found me, so... This either means I'm seen as a Progressive, or I sent a "tweet"  about one of their petitions & totally forgot about it... Though considering my own list includes TrueMajority, Maddow, Olbermann, Greenpeace, Change.org & Bill Maher... ^^" Not a hard conclusion to come to I suppose.)

For those AGAINST Healthcare Reform LAW...

<Rant> (lol... stupid html is thinking rant is some sort of real tag... whoops. need a quick brush-up on html, never had to post code before... there we go...)

Modern America . It's like the "Know Nothing" party never died -_-" (though I suppose it just got sucked into the hardcore conservative movement... Technically Know-Nothings were the beginning of the modern Republican party. And if you don't know what I'm referring to, look it up.)
For those against the healthcare LAW for whatever reason--
"American Indians don’t have to buy insurance. Those with religious objections or a financial hardship can also avoid the requirement. And if you would pay more than 8 percent of your income for the cheapest available plan, you will not be penalized for failing to buy coverage. Those who are exempt, or under 30, can buy a policy that only pays for catastrophic medical costs. It must allow for three primary care visits a year as well."

Here, play with this: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/us/health-care-reform.html

So fine, there you go, a way out. Leave this to those of us who actually want to care for and about people other than ourselves. There's no reason to be scared of healthcare reform. Yea, it sounds harsh, but it's stupid to do nothing just because some people are afraid of the negatives. The positives far outweigh the negatives. And for those of of us who want it to be stronger - it's a decent start.

To show you just how ridiculous some of the arguments I've heard are:
To be fair:
- To those who argue that each person is individually responsible for their own life, that each person is individually responsible for ensuring they have what they need, that each person is individually responsible for what they contribute to society -- that's exactly what the mandate is for. Each person is responsible for their own health insurance, so that they have what they need and do not take away from the rest of society.

* - To those complaining about paying for other people or having the government "control" something-- don't ever use a road, post office, hospital (which is supposedly one of the problems in the first place! Seriously, you can't possibly argue that it's fair for you to be treated at emergency room at a public hospital, because that in itself runs contrary to the argument that you shouldn't have to pay for anyone else -- because you're making everyone else pay for you. Part of the point of the law is that having 95% of Americans insured will reduce the amount of people who go to the emergency room and can't pay, which ultimately shifts those costs to taxpayers. So you not being insured may likely just hurt everyone else.), public school, school loans, FDIC approved banks, FDA approved medication, parks, clean water, (clean air!), trains, buses, fire departments, police stations, some AM radio stations, etc.

There's a reason these things went from private to public. Mostly greed. That's what you get with our economic system - a society based on perpetual need for greed, in order for a person or family to even survive. Seriously, when you're getting an anarchist to actually fight FOR government to exist, you know our country is really fucked up. In a perfect world, hell even a real socialist utopia, we wouldn't need a central government. I suppose I associate anarchism with socialism. (Hi. We call it social anarchism, FYI. But I like some private property. My laptop is MINE. In my little utopia, you each get your own just like mine, and you can do whatever you want with them as long as it doesn't negatively affect anyone else, & they're all equal no matter how much cooler mine is, k? Lol^^") I've said before that a formal government system generally does more harm than good. (Mostly because I believe that 1. no one should be able to tell anyone else how to live; & 2. because certain groups tend to control said government and do exactly that [#1]. We are NOT a Christian country, so will you please stop quoting the Bible every time someone suggests a modification to current law? Geeze... Letting gay people get married is one of those things. The only "real" argument against it is solely religious nowadays. And somehow, that gets translated into laws like Prop 8, and shows that government is as flawed as the money that controls it. Which is why we need to change it, make sure it actually helps people, and get the damn corporate money out. If it's going to exist, it's going to fucking work properly, dammit! Though it occurred to me sometime just after high school that I've never seen a government actually work the way it was supposed to, due to a myriad of issues including personal and corporate greed, therefore my thinking might have been biased and/or somewhat flawed... Hypothetically speaking, a political system, or lack thereof, often looks wonderful on paper, but neglects to account for unknown variables, especially human nature. Maturity is a funny thing... Now I sort see why people become more conservative as they grow older... I won't, at least not in terms of social policy, but I digress.) This is America, a country full of delusional, ignorant, stupid, and selfish people. (Interestingly enough, that's why we have an electoral college. The founding fathers apparently thought the populous was too stupid and easily swayed to make an educated judgment.) Until the basic flaws of our nature are dealt with, fear of the unknown/different, and our reliance on greed and financial gain as a measure of success, I don't think we could trust this country, or any group really, to run without some form of definitive leadership. Even democracy has a fatal flaw in allowing complete control by the majority, as Adams wrote about so often (stupid Federalists -_-" American Capitalism is all their fault...we could've had clean, family owned farms and fair market trade!!! Think of how little pollution, how little financial disparity! I can't say much in terms of race or gender relations, of course, but I know that women are at least more equal in agrarian societies... Come on, instead of the Garden State we'd be the Garden Country! World leader in organic produce! ... No takers? Oh alright...). Perhaps that's why so many associate anarchy with chaos. In America's case, it very well could be. Jefferson knew capitalism and the "free market" was a disaster waiting to happen. Stupid Hamilton & the Federalists... He created the national debt (literally, & called it a "national blessing." I mean, I suppose it's better than individual states going bankrupt because of the Revolutionary War, but if there's anyone you want to "blame" for government unnecessarily getting involved in the economy, it's Hamilton... However, he's dead, so let's just get over it and move on.)

And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE for the love of God/YHWH/Allah/Mohammed/Jesus/Invisible-Pink-Unicorn/FSM/Great Mother/Mother Nature/Whatever/Whomever, get your news from someplace other than Fox, Newsmax, or Washington Times. I'm not saying run to CNN or MSNBC, just stay away from MSM altogether and find a nice middle-of-the-road news station that doesn't completely distort the facts. And if you insist on using one of the aforementioned sources, just cross-check with something less biased. Like ABC or the NYT (why people think that's liberal is beyond me. I suppose it's extreme left compared to Fox... But then again, what isn't? Other than Newsmax. I swear to FSM, if I get one more damn email from them (after blocking them yet again)... This is what I get for trying to even out one of their blasted "Palin for President! [insert annoying folksy giggle and wink]" polls a few months ago. So thanks fellow progressive Care2 member for that... Still worth it though ^^" 88% NO. Since it's apparently "no" is the only word some people seem to know about the rest of the country, but never when it comes to them and their ideas). What was I saying again? O yea, ABC & NYT. Still pretty conservative, but far more balanced, and more accurate, as far as I've seen. Sydney Morning Herald is pretty awesome. They even picked up on Greenpeace's anti-Nestle campaign.

</Rant> (sorry, trying to tone down the geek/nerd factor... not working ^^")

*Note: I do want everyone who needs health care to get it. That's why I decided to support this bill in the first place... It's a start. We need to support doctors, and other staff, as well. But if everyone is only in this for themselves, if we're not going to change a corrupt system to actually address our needs and those of the people who need help the most, we're no better than . America is not a hunk of land ruled by a piece of paper called Constitution and a striped cloth we call a flag. America is a group of over 300 million PEOPLE. Making our nation strong is about making US strong. You know, "we the people" and all that jazz.



P.S. - a government "for the people, by the people" is as literally socialist as you get, lol... That's what democratic socialism is... [sigh] Irony...