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December 29, 2005
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Weekend Reading
Both of us will be away for the weekend, so in the meantime, here's a fantastic paper, entitled "What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong With It?". It's long, but has some great historical perspective on conservatism. At the end, it has some great ideas for how to combat it. Hopefully it'll tide you over until Monday.
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Friday, December 03, 2004
Friday's Links
Activism
Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, Democracy for America is a political action committee dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. By going to their web page, you can find out how to get involved in your city, with everything from meetings to candidates to events. This is one you'll want to bookmark and check often!
News
In what seems to be a running theme, the ignorance (or perhaps the blatant disregard) of science continues. A congressional staff analysis has discovered that much of what is taught in abstinence-only education (across the country) is "false, misleading, or distorted information." Legislation was recently approved to give $170 million for abstinence-only education next year.
U.S. acknowledges bin Laden is not a top priority. Not only is capturing him not a top priority for the U.S., it's not even the highest priority of the troops in Afghanistan. Why isn't the media making a bigger deal out of the fact that it's been three years, and we're still no closer to catching him?
Your Tax Dollars at Work. The "separation" of church and state becomes narrower. As taxpayers, we understand that sometimes our money is not spent well. But for our taxes to be used to rebuild churches with live congregations is a pretty absurd notion. Utilizing a loophole of law, churches in California and elsewhere receive monies to rebuild/restore. Currently, Secretary of Interior Gale A. Norton is being sued by the "Americans United for Separation of Church and State."
Editorials
Ted McClelland may be a little arrogant, but his message rings true - we have a conservative government, a liberal culture, and all is not lost. Just look at Hollywood.
The 9/11 Bubble. Much like the administration gave John Snow, Thomas L. Friedman gives us a reality check. Among other things, he reminds us that over the next ten years, $5 trillion we be added to the national cumulative debt. And you thought Starbucks coffee was expensive!
Remember the January 28, 2003 State of the Union address? Remember the impassioned plea for Africans suffering from HIV/AIDS, and Bush's pledge to confront the disease both abroad and overseas? Turns out it's too expensive of a promise to keep.
Humor
To bring you some Friday afternoon humor, we present The Dubya Movie. You'll need sound, and about five minutes.
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Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Tuesday's Links
Activism
Since the Washington Post published its controversial propaganda "advertising supplement" two weeks ago, we've been staying away from linking to their news and editorials. Would you like to see us go back to linking their stories, or keeping the ban in place? Please use the comments to let us know! Additionally, we're still soliciting ideas for activism - please help us out! Otherwise, we'll have to resort to stuff like Help America Recount. Worthwhile? Sure. Gonna change the election? Probably not.
News
United We Stand. The Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal against Massachusetts's allowance of same-sex marriage. Good in the short term, but does it open up the door for more problems with other states down the road?
And Divided We Fall. A new poll shows that the majority of Americans do not want Roe vs. Wade to be overturned. 59% of those polled say that they don't want a new Supreme Court member who will overturn the ruling.
Alberto Gonzales is facing some tough criticism from civil rights groups across the country. Seems Gonzales wrote a memo in January 2002 warning the Bush administration that they could be held accountable for "war crimes" if they did not agree with the conclusion of Justice Department attorneys that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to al Qaeda and Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Editorials
Howard Dean is wondering the same thing the rest of us are - with all the talk of cuts in budget, and asking for line-item veto, why, in the newest spending bill, is there $2 million dedicated to buying back the presidential yacht? His concise, common sense messages are exactly what the DNC could use...
With the way Social Security is set up, benefits could be paid through 2042. It's not in dire straits, and, honestly, Bush's targeting of it makes very little sense. Go here to see a graphical representation of the relative health of Social Security now, and what President Bush's plan would do to it.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., explains why, for the first time since 1971, total foreign enrollment at the university level fell, and why you should be concerned.
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Monday, November 29, 2004
Monday's Links
Activism
The biggest change to come out of the U.S. Department of Education in the last year is the change to the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. You can go here to read a summary of the changes, and see how you can help the National Education Association (NEA) improve upon the bill. There are two choices of letters to write to your congresspeople, along with draft suggestions on what to write. It's going to be tough for Education this year, as they will receive only a 2% raise in their overall budget.
News
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy. Even though these aren't the "controversial" kinds of stem cells, as they're from umbilical cord blood, we believe the important thing here is that it's pretty clear this technology has a lot of potential. It's tough to understand how investigating this technology to its fullest is somehow not part of a "culture of life".
Audit: Halliburton Lost Track of Property. It's kind of tough to win a war when the people you pay to manage your property involved in that war lose track of over a third of it.
Taliban attack aid group, 3 killed. The Taliban? Didn't we get rid of them, fix Afghanistan, and capture bin Laden like years ago?
Editorials
Eleanor Clift of MSNBC wonders Can Howard Dean Save the Democrats? We certainly hope so, although we're not quite sure they need "saving" just yet. She has a good analysis of some of Dean's positions, and then she rambles on a bit about Kerry for some reason.
A good summary of the midterm election possibilities for the Dems. If you're thinking of waiting to get involved until 2008, well, don't wait!
Rove Unleashed. It's pretty clear that Rove's ambitions extend beyond just his results so far. We think he's probably not going to stop until America has become an entirely corporate-owned theocracy. But we know who can stop him: You.
|
December 29, 2005
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Weekend Reading
Both of us will be away for the weekend, so in the meantime, here's a fantastic paper, entitled "What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong With It?". It's long, but has some great historical perspective on conservatism. At the end, it has some great ideas for how to combat it. Hopefully it'll tide you over until Monday.
|
Friday, December 03, 2004
Friday's Links
Activism
Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, Democracy for America is a political action committee dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. By going to their web page, you can find out how to get involved in your city, with everything from meetings to candidates to events. This is one you'll want to bookmark and check often!
News
In what seems to be a running theme, the ignorance (or perhaps the blatant disregard) of science continues. A congressional staff analysis has discovered that much of what is taught in abstinence-only education (across the country) is "false, misleading, or distorted information." Legislation was recently approved to give $170 million for abstinence-only education next year.
U.S. acknowledges bin Laden is not a top priority. Not only is capturing him not a top priority for the U.S., it's not even the highest priority of the troops in Afghanistan. Why isn't the media making a bigger deal out of the fact that it's been three years, and we're still no closer to catching him?
Your Tax Dollars at Work. The "separation" of church and state becomes narrower. As taxpayers, we understand that sometimes our money is not spent well. But for our taxes to be used to rebuild churches with live congregations is a pretty absurd notion. Utilizing a loophole of law, churches in California and elsewhere receive monies to rebuild/restore. Currently, Secretary of Interior Gale A. Norton is being sued by the "Americans United for Separation of Church and State."
Editorials
Ted McClelland may be a little arrogant, but his message rings true - we have a conservative government, a liberal culture, and all is not lost. Just look at Hollywood.
The 9/11 Bubble. Much like the administration gave John Snow, Thomas L. Friedman gives us a reality check. Among other things, he reminds us that over the next ten years, $5 trillion we be added to the national cumulative debt. And you thought Starbucks coffee was expensive!
Remember the January 28, 2003 State of the Union address? Remember the impassioned plea for Africans suffering from HIV/AIDS, and Bush's pledge to confront the disease both abroad and overseas? Turns out it's too expensive of a promise to keep.
Humor
To bring you some Friday afternoon humor, we present The Dubya Movie. You'll need sound, and about five minutes.
|
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Tuesday's Links
Activism
Since the Washington Post published its controversial propaganda "advertising supplement" two weeks ago, we've been staying away from linking to their news and editorials. Would you like to see us go back to linking their stories, or keeping the ban in place? Please use the comments to let us know! Additionally, we're still soliciting ideas for activism - please help us out! Otherwise, we'll have to resort to stuff like Help America Recount. Worthwhile? Sure. Gonna change the election? Probably not.
News
United We Stand. The Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal against Massachusetts's allowance of same-sex marriage. Good in the short term, but does it open up the door for more problems with other states down the road?
And Divided We Fall. A new poll shows that the majority of Americans do not want Roe vs. Wade to be overturned. 59% of those polled say that they don't want a new Supreme Court member who will overturn the ruling.
Alberto Gonzales is facing some tough criticism from civil rights groups across the country. Seems Gonzales wrote a memo in January 2002 warning the Bush administration that they could be held accountable for "war crimes" if they did not agree with the conclusion of Justice Department attorneys that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to al Qaeda and Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Editorials
Howard Dean is wondering the same thing the rest of us are - with all the talk of cuts in budget, and asking for line-item veto, why, in the newest spending bill, is there $2 million dedicated to buying back the presidential yacht? His concise, common sense messages are exactly what the DNC could use...
With the way Social Security is set up, benefits could be paid through 2042. It's not in dire straits, and, honestly, Bush's targeting of it makes very little sense. Go here to see a graphical representation of the relative health of Social Security now, and what President Bush's plan would do to it.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., explains why, for the first time since 1971, total foreign enrollment at the university level fell, and why you should be concerned.
|
Monday, November 29, 2004
Monday's Links
Activism
The biggest change to come out of the U.S. Department of Education in the last year is the change to the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. You can go here to read a summary of the changes, and see how you can help the National Education Association (NEA) improve upon the bill. There are two choices of letters to write to your congresspeople, along with draft suggestions on what to write. It's going to be tough for Education this year, as they will receive only a 2% raise in their overall budget.
News
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy. Even though these aren't the "controversial" kinds of stem cells, as they're from umbilical cord blood, we believe the important thing here is that it's pretty clear this technology has a lot of potential. It's tough to understand how investigating this technology to its fullest is somehow not part of a "culture of life".
Audit: Halliburton Lost Track of Property. It's kind of tough to win a war when the people you pay to manage your property involved in that war lose track of over a third of it.
Taliban attack aid group, 3 killed. The Taliban? Didn't we get rid of them, fix Afghanistan, and capture bin Laden like years ago?
Editorials
Eleanor Clift of MSNBC wonders Can Howard Dean Save the Democrats? We certainly hope so, although we're not quite sure they need "saving" just yet. She has a good analysis of some of Dean's positions, and then she rambles on a bit about Kerry for some reason.
A good summary of the midterm election possibilities for the Dems. If you're thinking of waiting to get involved until 2008, well, don't wait!
Rove Unleashed. It's pretty clear that Rove's ambitions extend beyond just his results so far. We think he's probably not going to stop until America has become an entirely corporate-owned theocracy. But we know who can stop him: You.
|
December 29, 2005
Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, Democracy for America is a political action committee dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. By going to their web page, you can find out how to get involved in your city, with everything from meetings to candidates to events. This is one you'll want to bookmark and check often!
News
In what seems to be a running theme, the ignorance (or perhaps the blatant disregard) of science continues. A congressional staff analysis has discovered that much of what is taught in abstinence-only education (across the country) is "false, misleading, or distorted information." Legislation was recently approved to give $170 million for abstinence-only education next year.
U.S. acknowledges bin Laden is not a top priority. Not only is capturing him not a top priority for the U.S., it's not even the highest priority of the troops in Afghanistan. Why isn't the media making a bigger deal out of the fact that it's been three years, and we're still no closer to catching him?
Your Tax Dollars at Work. The "separation" of church and state becomes narrower. As taxpayers, we understand that sometimes our money is not spent well. But for our taxes to be used to rebuild churches with live congregations is a pretty absurd notion. Utilizing a loophole of law, churches in California and elsewhere receive monies to rebuild/restore. Currently, Secretary of Interior Gale A. Norton is being sued by the "Americans United for Separation of Church and State."
Editorials
Ted McClelland may be a little arrogant, but his message rings true - we have a conservative government, a liberal culture, and all is not lost. Just look at Hollywood.
The 9/11 Bubble. Much like the administration gave John Snow, Thomas L. Friedman gives us a reality check. Among other things, he reminds us that over the next ten years, $5 trillion we be added to the national cumulative debt. And you thought Starbucks coffee was expensive!
Remember the January 28, 2003 State of the Union address? Remember the impassioned plea for Africans suffering from HIV/AIDS, and Bush's pledge to confront the disease both abroad and overseas? Turns out it's too expensive of a promise to keep.
Humor
To bring you some Friday afternoon humor, we present The Dubya Movie. You'll need sound, and about five minutes.
Since the Washington Post published its controversial propaganda "advertising supplement" two weeks ago, we've been staying away from linking to their news and editorials. Would you like to see us go back to linking their stories, or keeping the ban in place? Please use the comments to let us know! Additionally, we're still soliciting ideas for activism - please help us out! Otherwise, we'll have to resort to stuff like Help America Recount. Worthwhile? Sure. Gonna change the election? Probably not.
News
United We Stand. The Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal against Massachusetts's allowance of same-sex marriage. Good in the short term, but does it open up the door for more problems with other states down the road?
And Divided We Fall. A new poll shows that the majority of Americans do not want Roe vs. Wade to be overturned. 59% of those polled say that they don't want a new Supreme Court member who will overturn the ruling.
Alberto Gonzales is facing some tough criticism from civil rights groups across the country. Seems Gonzales wrote a memo in January 2002 warning the Bush administration that they could be held accountable for "war crimes" if they did not agree with the conclusion of Justice Department attorneys that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to al Qaeda and Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Editorials
Howard Dean is wondering the same thing the rest of us are - with all the talk of cuts in budget, and asking for line-item veto, why, in the newest spending bill, is there $2 million dedicated to buying back the presidential yacht? His concise, common sense messages are exactly what the DNC could use...
With the way Social Security is set up, benefits could be paid through 2042. It's not in dire straits, and, honestly, Bush's targeting of it makes very little sense. Go here to see a graphical representation of the relative health of Social Security now, and what President Bush's plan would do to it.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., explains why, for the first time since 1971, total foreign enrollment at the university level fell, and why you should be concerned.
The biggest change to come out of the U.S. Department of Education in the last year is the change to the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. You can go here to read a summary of the changes, and see how you can help the National Education Association (NEA) improve upon the bill. There are two choices of letters to write to your congresspeople, along with draft suggestions on what to write. It's going to be tough for Education this year, as they will receive only a 2% raise in their overall budget.
News
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy. Even though these aren't the "controversial" kinds of stem cells, as they're from umbilical cord blood, we believe the important thing here is that it's pretty clear this technology has a lot of potential. It's tough to understand how investigating this technology to its fullest is somehow not part of a "culture of life".
Audit: Halliburton Lost Track of Property. It's kind of tough to win a war when the people you pay to manage your property involved in that war lose track of over a third of it.
Taliban attack aid group, 3 killed. The Taliban? Didn't we get rid of them, fix Afghanistan, and capture bin Laden like years ago?
Editorials
Eleanor Clift of MSNBC wonders Can Howard Dean Save the Democrats? We certainly hope so, although we're not quite sure they need "saving" just yet. She has a good analysis of some of Dean's positions, and then she rambles on a bit about Kerry for some reason.
A good summary of the midterm election possibilities for the Dems. If you're thinking of waiting to get involved until 2008, well, don't wait!
Rove Unleashed. It's pretty clear that Rove's ambitions extend beyond just his results so far. We think he's probably not going to stop until America has become an entirely corporate-owned theocracy. But we know who can stop him: You.
