Wyldraven's Scribblings

Now for something entirely different

2009-10-30T20:05:56Z

I've got three Google Voice invites available. Anyone interested? Leave your email address in comments (screened, of course.)

I've started using GV recently, and I love it. It's a great voice mail management application.

Originally posted at http://wyldraven.dreamwidth.org/542867.html

Somehow, life continues (to suck)

2009-10-25T15:04:49Z

lasarina's car blew the engine a couple of weeks ago. It's engine is being replaced next week. You will never guess what happened this morning.

Did you guess? My car died on the side of the freeway. Oil pressure suddenly dropped to zero, and the engine started knocking, hard. Want to know the odds that my engine is now blown as well? Roughly 100%. Got it towed home.

BTW: Sprint's Roadside Rescue? Not so great. 3 free miles. $8 per mile thereafter on the tow.

Yeah, life sucks. Hard.

Originally posted at http://wyldraven.dreamwidth.org/542553.html

Livejournal paid account

2009-10-16T15:54:08Z

I received my notification that my paid account was due for renewal in just under two weeks. At this time, I don't expect to renew that account. I am moving to Dreamwidth as my primary journalling home. Political stuff is on twitter. I'm letting LJ go. I'll still cross-post because DW makes that so easy.

If anyone is interested in joining me over at DW, I have several invite codes. Reply with an email address (all replies are screened). I'll send you an invite until I run out.

Originally posted at http://wyldraven.dreamwidth.org/542031.html

DBAD

2009-08-11T16:42:36Z

A newly-rephrased version of the Golden Rule. - Check it out.
With thanks to velvetpage

Originally posted at http://wyldraven.dreamwidth.org/539189.html

OK, this is change, but I can't say I believe in it

2009-07-08T15:55:08Z

The Obama justice system - Glenn Greenwald

Highlighting not mine.
[...] Spencer Ackerman yesterday attended a Senate hearing at which the DOD's General Counsel, Jeh Johnson, testified. As Ackerman highlighted, Johnson actually said that even for those detainees to whom the Obama administration deigns to give a real trial in a real court, the President has the power to continue to imprison them indefinitely even if they are acquitted at their trial. About this assertion of "presidential post-acquittal detention power" -- an Orwellian term (and a Kafka-esque concept) that should send shivers down the spine of anyone who cares at all about the most basic liberties -- Ackerman wrote, with some understatement, that it "moved the Obama administration into new territory from a civil liberties perspective."
Law professor Jonathan Turley was more blunt: "The Obama Administration continues its retention and expansion of abusive Bush policies — now clearly Obama policies on indefinite detention." [...]

I cannot express how disgusted I am. Read the entire thing, if you have the stomach for it.

Birthday wish - Donate to a good cause

2009-07-06T16:23:37Z

I just made a birthday wish for my 51st birthday! Click here (Facebook Causes) to find out what it is.

Right Wing nonsense, and this time it's not coming from Texas

2009-07-01T15:30:15Z

Morality and Economics « Texas Freedom Network

Texas clearly doesn’t have a monopoly on right-wing nonsense.
A group of Oklahoma lawmakers is issuing a proclamation that blames gays, abortion supporters and a host of other demons for the nation’s current economic crisis. Really.

You can check out the proclamation on the Web site of Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern. Kern has made news in the past for — among other things — claiming that homosexuality is a greater threat to national security than terrorism.
[...]

Well, isn't that special?

Tortured to death in U.S. custody: How many?

2009-06-30T19:25:16Z

The suppressed fact: deaths by U.S. torture - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

[...] Since August 2002, nearly 100 detainees have died while in the hands of U.S. officials in the global “war on terror.” According to the U.S. military’s own classifications, 34 of these cases are suspected or confirmed homicides; Human Rights First has identified another 11 in which the facts suggest death as a result of physical abuse or harsh conditions of detention. . . .

Despite these numbers, four years since the first known death in U.S. custody, only 12 detainee deaths have resulted in punishment of any kind for any U.S. official. [...]

This is a despicable situation, and one that demands immediate action. Where is that change we were promised? And no, not just on this issue.

Sirota says exactly what I have been thinking

2009-06-06T14:24:30Z

Obama's trail of broken promises

The prophet of hope now doesn't even bother with explanations when he reneges on his campaign pledges.

[...] We once respected democracy by at least demanding explanations -- however weak -- for unfulfilled promises. Then we became a country whose scorched-earth campaigns against flip-flopping desensitized us to reversals. Now, we don't flinch when our president appears tickled that a few poor souls still expect politicians to fulfill promises and justify broken ones. [...]

I am so disappointed in this man that I can't even express it. I'm glad David Sirota is there to do it for me.

Domestic terrorism

2009-06-01T13:10:56Z

In regards to the murder of Dr. George Tiller, apocalypsos responds much better than I could ever hope to do. So go read what she said, and know that I completely agree with her.

Allow me to add that if ever we reach the point where the "War on Terror" has any real meaning, then people like Scott P. Roeder will be treated as terrorists.

ETA: Abortion Doctor Murder Suspect: The Far-Right Connections | Mother Jones

Very interesting analysis of the dangers of Catholic fundamentalism

2009-05-18T14:11:20Z

Notre Dame's stand against Catholic fundamentalism | Salon

President Obama goes to the University of Notre Dame this Sunday to deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree, the ninth U.S. president to be so honored. The event has stirred up a hornet's nest of conservative Catholics, with more than 40 bishops objecting, and hundreds of thousands of Catholics signing petitions in protest. In the words of South Bend's Bishop John M. D'Arcy, the complaint boils down to President Obama's "long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred." Notre Dame, the bishop charged, has chosen "prestige over truth." [...]

Finally, we are hearing some truth from politicians...

2009-04-05T15:14:05Z

Drug-fueled madness! | Salon
Our nation's narcotics policy, that is. But there's good news as Hillary Clinton and Sen. Jim Webb take baby steps toward sanity.

[...] Though President Barack Obama childishly laughed at a question about legalization during his recent town hall meeting, his government implicitly admits that marijuana is safer than light beer. Indeed, as federal agencies acknowledge alcohol's key role in deadly illnesses and domestic violence, their latest anti-pot fear mongering is an ad campaign insisting -- I kid you not -- that marijuana is dangerous because it makes people zone out on their couches and diminishes video-gaming skills.

(This is your government on drugs: Cirrhosis and angry tank-topped lushes beating their wives are more acceptable risks than stoners sitting in their basements ineptly playing "Halo." ... Any questions?) [...]

The truth? Prohibition fails. Always. It creates a violent black market for that which is prohibited. Telling someone they can't have something, no matter what, simply makes that thing more desirable.

Marijuana is safer than tobacco or alcohol. It's long term effects are minor compared to either of those legal drugs. And legalization with taxation would create a huge new income stream for government, while at the same time decimating Mexican drug cartels. Kudos to Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va, who seems to get it.

Last week, this first-term lawmaker proposed creating a federal commission to examine potential changes to the prison system, including a relaxation of marijuana statutes. [...]

"The elephant in the bedroom in many discussions on the criminal justice system is the sharp increase in drug incarceration," he said in a speech, later telling the Huffington Post that pot legalization "should be on the table." [...]

Glenn Greenwald gets it right, almost.

2009-03-24T15:58:38Z

A major difference between conservatives and progressives

The Right marched in uncritical, creepy devotion to Bush for the first six years of his presidency. The Left has been leading the way in criticizing Obama when warranted.

I have been less than happy with a number of decisions to come out of the Obama administration. Glenn has a good laundry list of those very decisions, but the one he missed is the Obama approach to health care.

The Obama plan simply doesn't go far enough. What does? Ask Healthcare-NOW!. HR 676 (The United States National Health Care Act, H.R. 676) is the only real solution to the health care crisis in this nation. Apparently, though, the Obama administration lacks the political courage to even bring this one to the table. And why is that? Because the private insurance industry has so much to lose. Roughly 10% of the cost of all health care, to be specific. And they are using a lot of that money to lobby everyone (Democrats and Republicans alike) to keep HR 676 from ever becoming reality.

The total reduction in cost to the American public would be around 30% of all health care costs. How, you ask?

Administrative Savings
The General Accounting Office projects an administrative savings of 10 percent through the elimination of private insurance bills and administrative waste, or $150 billion in 2002. This savings would pay for providing medical care to those currently under served.

Cost Containment
The Congressional Budget Office projects that single payer would reduce overall health costs by $225 billion by 2004 despite the expansion of comprehensive care to all Americans. No other plan projects this kind of savings.
Source: What is single-Payer?

It's time to bring this to the table and seriously talk about it. Enough of the "it's not politically feasible" talk. If we the people demand it, anything can be "politically feasible".

Glenn Greenwald on public reaction to AIG bonuses

2009-03-22T16:37:03Z

The virtues of public anger and the need for more

We are not suffering from an excess of citizen outrage, but rather, from a lack of it

Greenwald makes a strong case for our need to be angry at the clear oligarchy our nation has become.

The public rage we're finally seeing is long, long overdue, and appears to be the only force with both the ability and will to impose meaningful checks on continued kleptocratic pillaging and deep-seated corruption in virtually every branch of our establishment institutions. [...]
In condemning Geithner's "bank rescue" plan, Paul Krugman notes that -- yet again -- it enables great benefits for the richest investors, with the public protecting them from the risk of losses (privatize gains; socialize losses), and concludes: "The Obama administration is now completely wedded to the idea that there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the financial system." When it comes to its primary challenge, the administration elected on a platform of "change" is, above all else, viciously devoted to preservation of the status quo. [emphasis mine]

It is high time we demand that our government put real controls on these people who daily steal from the rest of us. And responses to crises such as they have created should not simply continue to enrich the very people who made the mess in the first place. What to do? Here's my bottom line. Let the failing banks fail. Take the financial power from those who created this mess. Break the bonus contracts with the financial elites, the same way you break contracts with unions.

To close, let me quote Greenwald again:

A political establishment that can function without any fear of the citizenry will inevitably trample on its interests. That is what has been happening more than anything else. And it is why we need far more public outrage, and fear of that outrage more deeply implanted in the minds of our political and financial elites.

Help Me Change America

2009-01-15T17:18:04Z

I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's a movement of citizens inspired by the presidential campaign who are deciding the top 10 ideas for how they think the Obama administration should change America. It's called "Ideas for Change in America," and it's being run by Change.org.

One idea is titled: Free Single Payer Health Care. I thought you might be interested in getting involved and recommend you check it out. You can read more and vote for the idea by clicking the following link:

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/free_single_payer_health_care

The top 10 ideas are going to be presented to the Obama administration at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC next week and will be supported by a national lobbying campaign run by Change.org in partnership with leading nonprofits after the Presidential Inauguration. So each idea has a real chance at becoming policy.

Thanks for the help!

Is Bush the worst president ever? You decide.

2009-01-08T16:18:33Z

W. and the damage done

President Bush inherited a peaceful, prosperous America. As he exits, Salon consults experts in seven fields to try to assess the devastation.

LJ rumored to have massive layoff

2009-01-06T17:46:07Z

LiveJournal: The Russian Bear Slashes a Social Network

The bubble in social networking has burst, decisively. LiveJournal, the San Francisco-based arm of Sup, a Russian Internet startup, has cut about 20 of 28 employees — and offered them no severance, we're told.

Time to back up your LJ, if you have one. No seriously. Do it NOW! How do I backup my LJ, you ask? See this post by liz_marcs.

ETA: LiveJournal confirms layoffs, says rumored numbers exaggerated

Fallout from the Madoff scandal

2008-12-30T15:22:56Z

From MoveOn.Org:

You've probably heard about how Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff scammed investors out of at least $50 billion.

But you may not have heard that his victims included the foundations that support some really important progressive organizations. Groups that fight for human rights, fair elections and racial justice are getting hit hard—just in time for the holidays. [...]
Many organizations have been hit by this crisis. We're highlighting the four that MoveOn has worked closely with over the last few years. Here's a bit about each of the groups:

The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Their work ranges from voting rights to redistricting reform to checking presidential power in the fight against terrorism. MoveOn has worked with the Brennan Center closely in the fight for fair elections. Chip in to help them out here.

Human Rights Watch is one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, they give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Its rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. MoveOn has worked with Human Rights Watch on campaigns to preserve the constitution and protect human rights in America and abroad. Chip in to help them out here.

Advancement Project is a policy, communications and legal action group committed to racial justice founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1998. They have pursued critical litigation to protect voters and also support grassroots movements for universal opportunity and just democracy in the areas of education and immigrants' rights. MoveOn has worked with Advancement Project to stop vote suppression, especially among minority folks. Chip in to help them out here.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a nonprofit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. MoveOn has worked with CCR to hold President Bush accountable for his unconstitutional acts, from illegal wiretaps to Guantanamo. Chip in to help them out here.

2008 has been an extraordinary year. Together, MoveOn's 5 million members have done so much—and we have a new president and new hope to show for it. But we wouldn't be where we are as a country without a strong movement of interconnected progressive organizations. Let's come together one last time to keep that movement going strong.

It wasn't just individuals who can afford to invest who were hurt by Madoff's ponzi scheme. Many charitable organizations world-wide were seriously affected, and some were even forced to close their doors. $50 billion, with a "b". That's just incredible.

Health Care in The US? It's Broken

2008-12-23T21:10:58Z

At House Party on Health Care, the Diagnosis Is: It’s Broken

When a dozen consumers gathered over the weekend to discuss health care at the behest of President-elect Barack Obama, they quickly agreed on one point: they despise health insurance companies.

They also agreed that health care was a right; that insurance should cover “everything,” not just some services; and that coverage should be readily available from the government, as well as from employers. [...]

“I don’t believe health care should depend on people making money,” Mr. Chatman said. “The profit motive has to be tempered, especially on the administrative side of the health care business.”

Shiva S. Makki, an economist, complained that in many cases, insurers did not cover the costs of screening procedures and preventive care.

Dr. Lawrence M. Nelson, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health who emphasized that he was speaking as a private citizen, said: “The incentives in the current health insurance system are upside down. The less care you provide, the bigger your profits.” [...]

I couldn't agree more. We're staring down the barrel of a health care induced bankruptcy, just from lasarina's most recent hospitalization. That's just wrong. And what's even more wrong? She'll hit "lifetime maximum benefit" in a few years. Then what? We're still young people, with long lives ahead of us yet.

Um... Wow.

2008-11-16T04:50:07Z

My very first post to Daily Kos (which is a repost and slight reworking of a piece I debuted here) was picked up by "Diary Rescue". Here's what they had to say:

The Rangers have sifted and sorted through 296 diaries to bring you these 12 great examples of the excellent writing and breadth of subjects that The Orange has become known for. [...]

wyldraven, from all too personal experience, explains why it's access to healthcare not health insurance that matters, in Health Care Reform: My Number One Issue. [...]

I'm feeling just a bit overwhelmed by that. Seeing as how little impact it seemed to have on my journal, I didn't expect to be selected as one of the "12 great examples" for the day.

Once again, Keith says what is in my heart so much better than I can

2008-11-11T23:30:27Z

Olbermann: Gay marriage is a question of love

Finally tonight as promised, a Special Comment on the passage, last week, of Proposition Eight in California, which rescinded the right of same-sex couples to marry, and tilted the balance on this issue, from coast to coast. [...]

What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don't you, as human beings, have to embrace... that love? The world is barren enough.

It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.

And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do? [...]

Go read the entire piece. It's well worth your time. Or better yet, when you get to the page, click the link to launch the video, and listen to Keith directly. You won't be sorry.

If the Matrix were powered by Windows....

2008-11-11T17:28:04Z

The Matrix Runs on Windows

via sunfell

Honoring those who served

2008-11-11T17:18:55Z

To all veterans who may see this, know that I honor your service every day, not just on this the designated day to do so. Thank you.

Because I helped spread the myth...

2008-11-10T17:07:27Z

I feel obliged to help undo it as well.

Facts Belie the Scapegoating of Black People for Prop. 8

[...] Black people are to blame for the passage of Proposition 8 here in California. It is an idea grounded in utter myth, a complete lack of knowledge about anything related to Black people's presence in California, and just plain old scapegoating.

Hoepfully[sic], this diary will help put all that to rest, and we can get back to work trying to beat back the hateful results of Tuesday's vote. [...]

Consider this my mea culpa for the earlier post of this. I reacted to poorly researched "journalism", and let my generally higher level of trust for foreign news sources carry too much weight. For that, I sincerely apologize. I also suggest reading this from Kathryn Kolbert, President, People For the American Way Foundation.

[...] Before we give Religious Right leaders more reasons to rejoice by deepening the divisions they have worked so hard to create between African Americans and the broader progressive community, let’s be clear about who is responsible for gay couples in California losing the right to get married, and let’s think strategically about a way forward that broadens and strengthens support for equality. [...]

What Glenn said.

2008-11-10T16:06:55Z

Glenn Greenwald: Salon.Com: Orin Kerr and the responsibility of elites for the last eight years

[...] Over the last eight years (at least), we have not only crossed the line of what ought to be within the realm of reasonable, respectful debate, but we have crossed it repeatedly, severely, and with great harm to our political system and huge numbers of people. And one of the prime reasons that happened is because those with the most vocal platforms and with the greatest claims to expertise failed in their responsibility to oppose it passionately and to describe its extremism, and, instead, eagerly served as apologists for it. Those who seek now to depict their tepidness in the face of all of that as some elevated form of enlightened reason are merely illustrating one of the key mechanisms that enabled all of it to happen.