The risks of stock footage... 2008

Read this 2008

Thank you, Congressman Reyes.

Washington, DC - Congressman Silvestre Reyes, D-TX, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent the following letter to President George W. Bush today regarding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The text of the letter is below:

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The Preamble to our Constitution states that one of our highest duties as public officials is to "provide for the common defence." As an elected Member of Congress, a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I work everyday to ensure that our defense and intelligence capabilities remain strong in the face of serious threats to our national security.

Because I care so deeply about protecting our country, I take strong offense to your suggestion in recent days that the country will be vulnerable to terrorist attack unless Congress immediately enacts legislation giving you broader powers to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans' communications and provides legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the Administration's warrantless surveillance program.

Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) has authority to conduct surveillance in at least three different ways, all of which provide strong capability to monitor the communications of possible terrorists.

First, NSA can use its authority under Executive Order 12333 to conduct surveillance abroad of any known or suspected terrorist. There is no requirement for a warrant. There is no requirement for probable cause. Most of NSA's collection occurs under this authority.

Second, NSA can use its authority under the Protect America Act, enacted last August, to conduct surveillance here in the U.S of any foreign target. This authority does not "expire" on Saturday, as you have stated. Under the PAA, orders authorizing surveillance may last for one year - until at least August 2008. These orders may cover every terrorist group without limitation. If a new member of the group is identified, or if a new phone number or email address is identified, the NSA may add it to the existing orders, and surveillance can begin immediately. We will not "go dark."

Third, in the remote possibility that a new terrorist organization emerges that we have never previously identified, the NSA could use existing authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to monitor those communications. Since its establishment nearly 30 years ago, the FISA Court has approved nearly every application for a warrant from the Department of Justice. In an emergency, NSA or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may begin surveillance immediately, and a FISA Court order does not have to be obtained for three days. The former head of FISA operations for the Department of Justice has testified publicly that emergency authorization may be granted in a matter of minutes.

As you know, the 1978 FISA law, which has been modernized and updated numerous times since 9/11, was instrumental in disrupting the terrorist plot in Germany last summer. Those who say that FISA is outdated do not understand the strength of this important tool.

If our nation is left vulnerable in the coming months, it will not be because we don't have enough domestic spying powers. It will be because your Administration has not done enough to defeat terrorist organizations - including al Qaeda -- that have gained strength since 9/11. We do not have nearly enough linguists to translate the reams of information we currently collect. We do not have enough intelligence officers who can penetrate the hardest targets, such as al Qaeda. We have surged so many intelligence resources into Iraq that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result, you have allowed al Qaeda to reconstitute itself on your watch.

You have also suggested that Congress must grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies. As someone who has been briefed on our most sensitive intelligence programs, I can see no argument why the future security of our country depends on whether past actions of telecommunications companies are immunized.

The issue of telecom liability should be carefully considered based on a full review of the documents that your Administration withheld from Congress for eight months. However, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people to say that we will be vulnerable unless we grant immunity for actions that happened years ago.

Congress has not been sitting on its hands. Last November, the House passed responsible legislation to authorize the NSA to conduct surveillance of foreign terrorists and to provide clarity and legal protection to our private sector partners who assist in that surveillance.

The proper course is now to conference the House bill with the Senate bill that was passed on Tuesday. There are significant differences between these two bills and a conference, in regular order, is the appropriate mechanism to resolve the differences between these two bills. I urge you, Mr. President, to put partisanship aside and allow Republicans in Congress to arrive at a compromise that will protect America and protect our Constitution.

I, for one, do not intend to back down - not to the terrorists and not to anyone, including a President, who wants Americans to cower in fear.

We are a strong nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be scared into suspending the Constitution. If we do that, we might as well call the terrorists and tell them that they have won.

Sincerely,

Silvestre Reyes
Member of Congress
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Narrow Doors and Transitions Ahead 2008

Excellent essay by Jinx McCombs: "The Narrow Door"

So why does the real-life situation look so far from the 50-50 gender population distribution? And why are minorities also still represented at far below their demographic numbers?

My thesis, developed over decades of observation, is this: in a choice between a white male and any other, the "other" will be held to much stricter limits of personal characteristics, qualifications, and behavior. This is the Narrow Door.

The Narrow Door operates in two ways. First, the range of "acceptable" behavior is narrowed, usually at both ends of a scale. For example, a personal style which is seen positively in a white male as strong and authoritative is likely to be seen negatively in a woman as bossy and controlling. A man's "good support and coaching of staff" may be seen in a woman as "coddling and micro-managing."

Second, the Narrow Door often means that negative charges against a candidate --- especially if they fit previous stereotypes --- are accepted as true with little examination or evidence.

The Narrow Door works outside conscious awareness. (Common usage would be "subconsciously" but the term "outside conscious awareness" emphasizes that we can become aware of the influence and mitigate it.) But in highly competitive arenas such as national politics, some will exploit Narrow Door assumptions to damage opponents.

======

A more politically-anchored piece by Robin Morgan - Goodbye To All That #2 - makes similar points but ties them to anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton sentiments.

Goodbye to the toxic  viciousness  . . .

Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary’s “thick ankles.”  Nixon-trickster Roger Stone’s new Hillary-hating 527 group, “Citizens United Not Timid” (check the capital letters). John McCain answering “How do we beat the bitch?" with “Excellent question!” Would he have dared reply similarly to “How do we beat the black bastard?” For  shame.

Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between  splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged—and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.

I have to agree that the level of sexism in criticisms of her and her campaign have been frequently revolting and the list which Robin Morgan describes - of which the few above are just the beginning - make the case strongly that Clinton is not being treated fairly in the media.

However, as much of a feminist as I am, I find myself more personally inspired by Obama's movement. Would I be happy with Hillary Rodham Clinton as president? Absolutely. Would I work hard for her campaign if she won the nomination? Yes, definitely. People I like and trust have worked intimately with her and her experience and skill cannot be denied.

But would I support her over Barack Obama for the nomination? No. Our choice of president must represent to the country and the world that we reject the international policies of George W. Bush.

I don't think you should vote for Hillary because you're both women or for Obama because you're both African-American. Vote for the candidate that represents the world you want to live in and whose policies will bring you closer to it.

To take Bill Clinton's famous sign about the economy, it's about the war, stupid.

I'm supporting Obama because peace matters more than what's in our pants or the color of our skin.

======

Or, put more succinctly:

Many thanks to Randall for permitting hotlinking and for the excellent comics!

Vote. 2008

Sad news from Kenya 2008

It can be easy to forget events taking place far away when you don't know anyone there, but that's changing for me and plenty of other people living in comfortable, safe places. I've now made Kiva loans to people in 15 countries around the world and there's a face behind news of war or turmoil.

My thoughts are with Samwel Kagotho of Nakuru and Florence Olango of Kisumu and I hope they're safe.

The news from Ebony Foundation, the local partner for Kiva, is grim:

Dear Kiva Lenders,

I wish to thank you for your continued concern and support during this very difficult moment in Kenya’s history. We have been a peaceful Country in a generally troubled region and people sort of took the peace for granted.

The country is now battered almost to a pulp and blood spilt with vengeance, senseless killings and wanton destruction. Markets, food stores and shops have been looted. Hospitals are dysfunctional and health centers incapacitated by riots and barricades. The violence, death and destruction witnessed in the Country for the last couple weeks has jolted the Nation into conscience and every body is now craving normalcy.

While peace is slowly returning to all affected parts of the Country, the impact of the riots has been devastating. Hundreds of people have been killed turning thousands of innocent children into helpless orphans and over one million people have been displaced, becoming internal refugees over night.

The impact of the riots is most felt in the micro and small business sector. Over 1 million small businesses were looted and or burnt down destroying the only source of income to millions of Kenyans. Most of the fighting and destruction occurred in slum areas in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kericho in Rift Valley. These regions are home to over 70% of Ebony Foundation’s clients and as you can imagine almost all of our clients in these regions have been affected by the riots. Only one region- (Mount Kenya) which is home to about 20% of EbF’s clients was spared the violence. The economy in this safe region is now getting stretched as the residents have to now house the displaced population.

We have recently completed auditing the riot’s impact on our clients and as of yesterday about 4,900 of our clients had been badly affected by the riots:

-- About 1,532 of our clients were displaced and both their homes and business premises burnt down. This population is currently housed in church compounds and police stations.

-- Another 2,479 clients had their business premises burnt down or looted leaving them with no source of income at all.

-- 833 clients had their homes looted or burnt down and about 56 clients are missing and feared dead or critically injured.

The outpouring of support and willingness to forgive current loans and loan again in the region once it stabilizes in the comment thread on Kiva brought me to tears.

War and other violence are so horribly destructive. Never believe that war is good for any economy, even the American one. (Read more about that particular misguided notion in H.A. Scott Trask's Ten Recurring Economic Fallacies, 1774–2004 to which Jason Kottke recently provided a timely link).

I fervently hope that serious things like microfinance and wonderful silly little things like Flickr comments can continue to help to build the connections which break down the kind of mental distance that allows war and violence.

Stupidity 2007

How exactly is it that some people think running up debt like a fool is better for America than even the most well-thought-out taxes? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost the average American family of four over $20,000! That's just nuts - and what the hell has it gained us?

"Charge it" is not a fiscal policy, it's a recipe for disaster.

My choices for the San Francisco Nov '07 ballot 2007

Gavin Newsom for mayor. No 2nd & 3rd choices to illustrate my disgustipation with the actual alternative candidates. (Wish I could write in Tom Ammiano for 2nd choice, but he's not on the Certified Write-In list).

Harris & Hennessey for DA & Sheriff. Give 'em time to make changes; no quick fixes here and I think we haven't seen their real influence yet.

Yes on A. It will be good for transit and climate.

Yes on B. Clears up an unclear aspect in the current charter.

Yes on C. Doesn't make a radical change in process but does provide for more public comment.

Yes on D. Libraries provide substantial economic benefits to their communities. Money invested in libraries returns manyfold.

No on E. At least as long as the ever-grandstanding Chris Daly is on the board I view this one as counter-productive. The mayor is highly accessible to the board; there is no need to require him to appear before the board.

Yes on F. Simple flexibility for retirement fund management for cops.

No on G. The stables in Golden Gate Park certainly do no harm, but there are more important places to spend this money. Wavered over this one, since I do think there's a value in humans encountering large animals in their daily lives, but it seems this should be supportable through private funds. Also I think other larger benefits could come from other use of this space in the park. Imagine something like the east bay's Alexander Lindsey Junior Museum with rescued wildlife, etc. for instance.

No on H. No, actually we DON'T need more parking. Tough titty, people. We have too many cars for the city as is. Public transit won't kill you; get out of the damn car.

Yes on I. So, if you're not driving off to the big box stores, that makes more market and more need for thriving small businesses providing to the very local neighborhood. Yes to a Small Business Assistance Center.

Undecided on J. Want to talk this one over with Joe.

Yes on K. I've lived in Honolulu. Less public advertising = more beautiful city.

By the way, the interstitial information in the ballot booklet is pretty cool. Check out the "Did You Know" feature on page 59, the "Voter Bill of Rights" on page 70, and the "Be Coyote Aware" feature on page 94.

Numbers? Faces. 2007

Lest we forget just what kind of scale of damage happens in wars, here's Tom Engelhardt on the measurement of "success" in military undertakings.

Worst. President. Ever. 2007

or if not, he's sure giving the title a run for its money.

It's not just that his policies are bad, it's the terrifying realization that he doesn't even understand them.

Do check out the whole New York Times piece on Bush & his biographer; it's short and worth reading.

"Where you decide to put your time and attention says a lot about who you are." 2007

That's what Merlin Mann said in a great recent lecture at Google which he's kindly made available as part of his Inbox Zero series of posts.

So I was thinking about that, as well as the good practical email management advice from his talk, and I realized that one thing I really care about is science. But I have not been investing a proportional amount of my time into science compared to my interest in it.

I thought "Where do I have room in my day to fit in some science without pushing out something else that also matters to me or which I choose to make important in order to pay my bills and have some sort of career?"

Hello, commute!

And hello again, cute pink 4gb iPod which was a present from my friends Edmond & Shannon a few years back when they shared my place while escrow on their place cleared. I'd been neglecting it and only remembering about it when I was on the bus next to some incredibly banal and annoying conversation - usually one side of a cellphone conversation at that.

I'm now subscribing to a whopping 10 new podcasts in addition to the lovely 60-Second Science which I had already been enjoying on my laptop. And boy do I listen to them! Somehow even though my brain is sick of email and articles by the end of the workday (or in anticipation of it), listening to even fairly complex discourse is thoroughly enjoyable.

I've signed up for
- NOVA scienceNOW
- Ockham's Razor (the August 5th piece on Abolishing Weapons of Terror was very good)
- Point of Inquiry
- Science @ NASA Feature Stories
- Science & the City (from which I particularly enjoyed last Friday's episode with Alan Walker on The Search for "The Missing Link", a really top-notch ramble through physical anthropology. Highly recommended!)
- Science Friday
- Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American (and now I will out myself as a new huge admirer of Steve Mirsky's writing/delivery, both when he's seriously sharing knowledge and when he's barely restraining his sarcasm on, for example, people who play the lottery & their understanding of probability </fangirl>)
- Science Times
- Science Update Podcast weekly edition
and
- This Week In Science

You can get all these, as well as Merlin Manns 43 Folders podcast and They Might Be Giants podcast (my other subscriptions) most easily through iTunes, but you can also download them from some website somewhere, no doubt. Google is your friend in need for that.

What do you love? Go fit a little more of it into your otherwise idle moments and get reconnected.

And if you love science too, and have recommendations for more good podcasts, please share them in the comments.

Yum! Science!

The "tragic" story of the very very rich, continued? 2007

My uncle Larry pointed me to this Kevin Drum column about wealth and tax rates from the Washington Post from April 2005. In it he presents the figures to show that "Their incomes have tripled in the past couple of decades and at the same time their tax rates have decreased by 9 percentage points. That's a pretty sweet deal in anybody's book."

Anyone seen any more updated figures? I can't imagine it's gotten any more fair (by which I mean fairer to society as a whole instead of the current bias toward the fattest of fat cats) since then.

Belatedly, Keith Olbermann's fine speech in response to the Libby commutation 2007

Bush would have had to piss on the flag to be more insulting to our democracy. He and Cheney have got to go.

The MetaGrrrl Slate 2006

Here's how I've marked up my sample ballot, barring any additional research before Tuesday morning.

Governor: Phil Angelides
Angelides seems to be more aligned with my goals for the state and I can't endorse the campaigning Schwarzenegger has done for the Republicans or its implications for commitment to true traditional American values as expressed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Lieutenant Governor: John Garamendi
No brainer here. I like Garamendi's work.

Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Her strong stance against election manipulation makes me more than happy to vote Democratic party lines here.
[Side note for this one: did anyone else think the Libertarian candidate Gail K. Lightfoot's statement in the voter information guide was a hoot? It is, in its entirety, "FULLY INFORM VOTERS." Lip service with no followthrough and delivered in an overbearing fashion; seems pretty accurate for many of my encounters with Libertarians.]

Controller: John Chiang
Very good endorsements from people I respect.

Treasurer: Bill Lockyer
Haven't heard anything to make me decide not to vote Democratic here. I recall voting for him in past elections with no subsequent wincing.

Attorney General: Jerry Brown
With pleasure. I'm a lifelong Californian and I respect the man.

Insurance Commissioner: Tom Condit
Bustamante's suspect relationship with special interest donors to his campaign sent me looking for an alternative. I think Condit's an optimist, but his goals are commendable.

Member, Board of Equalization, District 1: Betty T. Yee
Doing a fine job, from all I hear and I love her statement in the voter information booklet.

United States Senator: Dianne Feinstein (with some reluctance)
I am very unhappy about some of the choices she's made in the last half decade or so - such as supporting this horrible, unjustified war -  but she is a strong force and she's closer to the person I'd want in the position than the opposition.

United States Representative: Nancy Pelosi
Possibly the most powerful elected official in the country with whom I share more goals for the country than not.

Member State Assembly: Mark Leno
Yaaaay! Mark Leno! I really like what he does.

The whole judicial section always weirds me out a bit. It seems like a popularity contest. Sound jurisprudence, that's a reason to keep someone on the bench. Not knowing any reason to remove or applaud them, I will be skipping over this part of the ballot.

Member, Board of Education: Jane Kim (because her statement is impressive and my friend MJ is a long-time campaigner for Jane),  Kim-Shree Maufas (particularly for advocating small-by-design), and Hydra Mendoza (because this is one place where I think political ties will be useful to get resources allocated better & faster).

Member, Community College Board: Lawrence Wong, Bruce Wolfe, John Rizzo.
Seems like it's hard to go wrong with picking three from this list of candidates.
[Well, after 2 automated phone calls today - AFTER I had voted - for Bruce Wolfe, I'm really regretting that particular choice. Jeez, back the hell off, dude.]

State Measures
1A - No
This was a tough decision, but I think we need to have some flexibility to resolve state budgets and I firmly believe that schools trump freeways.

1B - Yes
Something does have to be done to address pollution and seismic safety issues. I wish it was less for roads & more for transit, but it will help.

1C - Yes
I support Habitat for Humanity and the Emergency Housing Consortium and they support 1C.

1D - Yes
We've got to do something to start making up for the damage Prop 13 did. I would rather restore the property taxes, particularly on corporate property, but bonds apparently is the best way to get the money approved in this "charge it" culture. At least this is once case where it isn't completely ridiculous to pass the costs on to the next generation...

1E - Yes
You'd have to be an idiot not to see that safe drinking water is absolutely critical and that it's in significant danger in the event of a major earthquake. Yes, this is something that we should be getting federal money for, but the current administration is blowing it all on a war they had to lie to get us into. This may be too little too late, but it may save some lives and some homes.

83 - No
Completely impractical. How about spending the money this would take instead on efforts to reduce the kind of dysfunctional situations that lead to sex crimes?

84 - Yes
Another important one; it's all about the water.

85 - No
I do so wish the bloody conservatives would put a tenth the interest into the well-being of the born as they do the unborn.

86 - Yes
Tax the shit out of the damn coffin nails. If the only way to get people to quit ruining their health and that of people around them is to make them outrageously expensive, then fine. The whining about the "tax on the poor" arguments carry no weight with me - cigarettes do no one any good and have a significant health care cost impact for the state. It's the addiction to smoking itself which is the real unnecessary "tax".

87 - Hell yes!
About time; it should have been done 30 years ago. This is a good investment. Yes, it will probably wind up making some folks rich off new alternative fuel sources. So be it. We don't have time not to solve this problem and if they're at least rich off something domestically available that'd be a fine start.

88 - Yes
Property tax is an appropriate way to fund schools. As usual, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a good indication for me that I want to vote the opposite way they recommend.

89 - leaning to No
This is a tough one. Right intentions, but potentially very bad implementation.

90 - No
And this one was easy. Have you seen the lineup of organizations & individuals opposing this? Most impressive.

Local Propositions
A - Yes
A good companion to 1D

B - Yes
No brainer. Just catching up with technology.

C - Yes
This is a fair wage increase.

D - No
People I respect say this is a badly constructed proposition and could do more harm than good. Jennifer Granick's slate said:

The intent of this proposition is to stop the City from disclosing or selling personal information. Like most propositions, it is half-assedly drafted. Media law experts believe it has the potential to conflict with the Sunshine Ordinance and could be interpreted to bar the public disclosure of information that ought to be public. Protecting private information is important, but it has to properly define what is protected.

E - Yes
Cars have an enormous impact on a city and should pay disproportionately to pedestrian and transit users.

F - No
Places an unreasonable demand on small businesses

G - No
Inappropriate government interference in free trade and neighborhood decision making.

H - No
Places a completely unreasonable demand on landlords. People would be trying to get evicted with this one in place!

I - No
What a waste of paper and an example of bad government relationships!

J - Yes
I do believe that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have criminally violated their oaths of office. Does a city statement make a difference? Maybe, maybe not, but someone's got to stand up and say what they have done is wrong.

K - Yes
This statement, on the other hand, implies an action being taken when in fact it doesn't put anything binding in place. I think it shouldn't have been on the ballot, but it's not a bad statement.

Assessor-Recorder: Phil Ting
Seems to be doing fine and has good endorsements.

Public Defender: Jeff Adachi
Sounds like he's doing a very good job and should be given time to continue his projects.

Member, Board of Supervisors: Bevan Dufty
I like Bevan Dufty; I think he does a very good job. I've been increasingly put off by Alix Rosenthal's campaign and even more so by her machinations over the Halloween hullabaloo. First she was slamming Dufty for trying to end the party early and control it, then after the shooting incident she flipped to slamming him for not doing enough. I have no faith that she cares about the neighborhood. Dufty obviously does, deeply.

Giving gifts that really matter 2005

Haven't done your holiday shopping yet? Or feeling gloomy over putting out money for things that someone might not really like or need? Do something better with your money and make a real difference in someone's life.

Loan someone some money - as little as $25! - to help start a business using Kiva, a site supporting microcredit in the developing world. These are peer-to-peer loans, which I love partly because of the "small scale making a big difference" factor but especially for the recognition that people in less wealthy countries are our peers.
- Kiva.org site
--- Read about Unity Grocery, one of the businesses currently repaying a loan through Kiva
- Alternet story about Kiva
- Daily Kos mention of Kiva along with lots of other microcredit opportunities

Sponsor a child to provide funding for education, health care and nutritious food.
- My family has done this for as long as I can remember through Christian Children's Fund

Give a family the gift of independence with farm animals and training from Heifer Project International. They have projects in agroecology, animal management, disaster rehabilitation, gender equity, HIV-AIDS, microenterprise and urban agriculture.
- Try giving animals as gifts in someone's name. Some family gets a huge boost in their household economy and your friend gets a goat with none of the bother of the actual goat!
- Contribute to my dropcash campaign and help me raise $1000 for Women in Livestock Development

Help someone get into their own home by supporting Habitat for Humanity. They help get people into their own home through building projects around the world.
- Donate money and/or volunteer your time to help a project

And don't forget the small things you can do every day of the year to make a difference:
- shop in locally owned businesses
- eat locally grown food
- boycott products produced with sweatshop labor
- support fair trade products
and please tip your waitress.

More ideas? Please add them in the comments!

The Tyranny of Structurelessness 2005

One of the interesting posts over in that thar LiveJournal I've been reading was one from 2002 in which Gordon ranted engagingly about the pleasure of good honest sarcasm and pointed comments when compared with the "passive aggressive, new age, pseudo-therapeutic, bullshit masquerading as 'communication'" found in some hippie groups.

My frustration with this zine [Communities Journal of Cooperative Living] is that I agree with the importance of communication and process (I work and live collectively myself), but this issue mostly presents issues of power and language in a way that would make any sane person run for their lives. Words and phrases like "having a clearing", "checking out a fantasy" (not as titillating as it sounds), "non-violent communication" and "pushing my own buttons" do damage to the language and, in my humble opinion, hide the power of skilled manipulators by creating a new set of rules in the name of clarity and process. Unintentionally funny at times, but mostly useful as a flashing neon sign saying "DANGER! If you’re not a hippie, new-ager, or needy process queen STAY AWAY!"

Go read the subsequent example if this kind of stuff entertains you as much as it does me.

In fact, the answers to most of the problems posed in these pages are all about looking within for answers. Introspection and self-examination have their place of course, but inward looking thought combined with a paranoid obsession with process and "non-violent communication" always leaves me looking for who’s really in control. Tools for "democracy" can become tools of manipulation rather easily, especially as language is rarefied into more and more esoteric constructions. In these situations, it’s usually the most skilled at word games who can keep deflecting issues away from their own actions and towards their feelings.

"When you got mad at me for partying and waking you up, it made me feel that you don’t appreciate all the work I do to make Commune X a wonderful place. It makes me feel like you think I’m a bad person. Do you think I’m a bad person?"

As for process, read "The Tyranny of Structurelessness"  and move on. Even if the author is some reform Democrat these days, It’s the best thing ever written about collective process.

So I did go off and read that fascinating 1970 contemplation of the influence of group structure (or lack of it) on the women's movement. I thought this was a particularly interesting insight and a suggestion as to how the internet may enable the kind of individual communication which promotes philosophical change, but not necessarily political change:

The more unstructured a movement is, the less control it has over the directions in which it develops and the political actions in which it engages. This does not mean that its ideas do not spread. Given a certain amount of interest by the media and the appropriateness of social conditions, the ideas will still be diffused widely. But diffusion of ideas does not mean they are implemented; it only means they are talked about. Insofar as they can be applied individually they may be acted upon; insofar as they require co-ordinated political power to be implemented, they will not be.

This ability to apply ideas individually is certainly a big part of the success of projects like MoveOn.org and its counterparts elsewhere in the political spectrum, but I don't think the internet solves all problems and allows informally structured groups to apply tremendous and sustainable power.

Consider this:

As long as the women's liberation movement stays dedicated to a form of organisation which stresses small, inactive discussion groups among friends, the worst problems of unstructuredness will not be felt. But this style of organisation has its limits; it is politically inefficacious, exclusive and discriminatory against those women who are not or cannot be tied into the friendship networks. Those who do not fit into what already exists because of class, race, occupation, parental or marital status, or personality will inevitably be discouraged from trying to participate. Those who do not fit in will develop vested interests in maintaining things as they are.

Is that like or unlike what we find on the Web?

This I Believe 2005

Like Penn Jillette, I believe there is no God.

Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.

Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.

No excuses. No secret plan. No divine will. No sin. No damnation. No salvation. This is it, folks. It is what we make it.

Bloggers Without Borders, lessons learned 2005

Those of you who visited Bloggers without Borders back in December and January who have visited it in the last month or so have no doubt noticed a change; it got real quiet. This is not because Sean, Jonas and I suddenly decided it was a bad idea. It's just that it was Sean, Jonas and I doing most everything when it was hopping and we are some of the worst people you could choose for a site to depend on our full attention. We are just too busy to give it all it deserves.

Here are the lessons I've learned in taking on a major project like this:

1. You need at least one person who can devote at least 20 hours a week to it, week after week.

2. You need more than one person who knows how to make all the backend technical stuff work.

3. You need to make time for a weekly meeting - in person, chat session, on the phone, whatever - between the key people on the site where you talk about not the project of the moment or crisis du jour, but about where you're going with the site, whether you're meeting your goals (or if they've changed), and what needs to happen in the next week.

4. You need to keep a list of stuff that needs doing and the kind of person who could do it AND who can supervise the project. This will allow you to put interested volunteers to work so you can both find out if they are a good fit for the project. If they work out well, then give them more from the list or let them evolve to a more responsible position.

5. Each of the key people should have two more lists: "Things I'd like to be able to delegate" and "Things I'd like to be able to spend more time on".  This feeds into making good use of those more responsible & involved people when they come along and provides a safety valve to keep your key people from burning out.

6. You should also keep a big list of finite tasks which you can give to those people who don't have much time but do have major skill or clout. Find a way to make use of them instead of having an "all or nothing" approach to involvement.

Why are half my points lists? Yes, okay, I do like lists, but it's not just that; key people will get busy and need to drop out. They get new projects, have babies, change jobs, fall in love, get sick, or just plain need time off. It's important to get ideas out of their heads and into the group's knowledge before they fade out of the project.

Does all this mean that Bloggers without Borders will stay quiet? Not necessarily. Does it mean I may not be very involved in the next few months? Yeah, probably. Does it mean you shouldn't take on your big wild idea? Hell no. If nothing else we promoted the idea, tested the technology and, incidently, raised a pile of money for tsunami relief. I'm mighty happy about all that.

Acceptable risk? Apparently not, according to the folks who make risk assessment their business. 2005

Just came across this clause while reading my renter's insurance documentation*:

"Discharge of a nuclear weapon will be deemed a warlike act even if accidental."

Gee, even my insurance company thinks the dang things are too risky to have around at all. Maybe we could save social security AND let the fat cats keep their tax cuts if we stopped wasting all this money on nukes it's dangerous just to build? I mean, come on; it's like investing in expensive venomous snakes to defend your home. Sooner or later someone's gonna get bit.

*Yes, I actually read the policy details. Give me a frickin' medal or at least a bunch of dark chocolate.

A reminder 2005

I, an American woman, am still not considered equal under the law to any male citizen.

Eighty-five years ago, in 1920, when my grandmother was four years old, women in the United States received the right to vote, seventy-two years after that basic right had been declared by Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the first convention on woman's rights.

In 1923, and every year since, an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution has been fought for - and against - in Congress, but remains three states short of ratification. The states in which it has not been approved are:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia

I don't know how people in those states can even look themselves in the mirror.  How can you say your mother, your sister, your daughter, is not the equal under the law of any man in the state?  Because, really, that's what you're saying and that's all you're saying.

The complete text of the Equal Rights Amendment is

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

That's it. The ERA does not invalidate state abortion laws. The ERA does not provide the right to same-sex marriages. The ERA does not make single-sex institutions illegal. It says that what's between your legs shouldn't entitle you to more or less protection under the law.

Yes, I have freedom and some legal precedent and no manifest threat against my liberty, but that is not enough. I want my basic equality declared by the country of my birth and the home of democracy.

Frederick Douglass said at that convention for the rights of woman in 1848, "All that distinguishes man as an intelligent and accountable being is equally true of woman. ... Our doctrine is that right is of no sex."

Spend in accordance with your values 2005

MetaGrrrl is anti-sweatshop. I just bought a bunch of great shirts and some nice plain cotton thermal underwear (which seems to have gotten oddly hard to find elsewhere) from American Apparel. I encourage you to visit one of their stores. The people are nice, the colors are beautiful and the retail outlets often have stuff that's not in the online catalog yet. (Unfortunately, that includes the thermal pants, so my quest for pink ones in my size continues...)

Watching the presidential debate in St. Louis from St. Louis 2004

A few observations:

The town hall format is a better one in which to learn about the candidates positions. Average people asked better questions than the moderator of the first debate.

Though Bush did much better and Kerry flubbed at least one answer this time, I think Kerry was still definitely the winner of this debate as well.

I have to wonder if the local channel 5 news team sent the guy they did to the Bush rally after the debate so there'd be some person of color on the screen. The homogeniety of the Bush supporters was truly alarming when compared to the range of ethnic backgrounds and clothing styles of the Kerry supporters in the shots panning over the crowds at their respective rallys.

Though I could have been at the Kerry rally, I'm kinda glad I stayed away from the hoopla and watched the debate in a quieter environment.

Bonus observation from watching t.v. for the first time in a long time:
Neither Jay Leno nor David Letterman has a better chance of making me laugh in five minutes than 10 seconds of surfing through my friends' websites.

I pledge... 2004

... to have sex with voters.
And nobody else.

Democracy is sexy.

This year it REALLY matters. 2004

Register to vote and remember to vote and help others to vote.

And, by the way, maybe win $100,000 for being a voter.

Don't forget: if you don't vote, you can't complain.
(And if you don't vote this time, you'll probably have plenty to complain about...)

CSS, reputation and gender 2004

In response to conversations happening at Doug and Molly's sites among others, I have to say I agree most with Angie's comments.

As someone who studied history, I do understand that to effect change you sometimes need to stir things up. G.B. Shaw said "The reasonable man is content with things as they are, therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." Substitute woman and we've got a good argument for not taking whatever bias or oppression we get handed.

However...

I don't see bias or oppression as pervasive among the top thinkers on CSS or even in web design in general. In my experience, these are people who do not care what's in your pants when it comes to judging your work. How do you "make the list"? Not by nepotism ("bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit")

You make the list by doing great work and/or enabling others to do great work; by being a muse and a teacher. And you don't do great work or teach because you're looking forward to the glory; you do it because good design matters. It matters.

You do it even before you're good. You do project after project after project, paid and unpaid. You continuously learn about design, actively and unconsciously through observation. You talk about it with other people who are passionate about it. That's how you get good.

If you are really exceptionally good; your work will probably get you noticed, but there are role models and there are muses. Muses are catalysts. It's not just that Doug does good work; it's that he talks about his work in a way which makes us understand and appreciate good design more. He plants the seeds for us to do better design.

This is what I think someone (Molly, I think, but I'm getting lost in too many threads) was getting at in commentary on this when talking about how weblogging can help improve diversity. Yes, you let the work speak for itself in terms of whether or not it's good, but you do speak for yourself as the creator to inform about the process of its creation. Doug's recent series about the header images in the redesign of his site is a great example.

Add to that more personal and subtle form of teaching attendence at conferences, participation on panels, writing of books, teaching of classes, and, providing you're good at it, you become respected.

It's not about stridency, about fighting for respect; it's about getting good and then sharing your strengths. If you think you can be the female Doug Bowman by getting in people's faces, then you haven't learned much about him or his design sense.

So, here we are with a short list of the most respected people in a field and there are more men than women on the list. Don't blame these men or women for that. I didn't choose to respect Doug or Eric or Dave or Molly because of their genitalia. To the best of my knowledge it plays no significant role in CSS. I respect them because not only do they do good work, they've contributed to the community so that the quality of everyone's work can be better.

What I think has come out of all these conversations is that in some, probably many, places young girls will be discouraged by adults or their peers or pop culture from being technically savvy. If you're bothered by the lack of women on that list, get out there and start visiting schools. And your message will mean a whole lot more if you don't just go in saying "I'm a woman and I want to get girls interested in technology." If the whole feminist point is that gender doesn't matter, then women need to stop giving the "even though you're a girl" part of the "you can do this" message. If a woman designer visits a class and inspires kids to become designers or even just to care about good design, that's what counts. It really doesn't matter if the ones inspired are boys or girls.

"Patriot" Act 2004

Simply put, anything that so terrifies and angers librarians that they destroy records, vow to impede federal searches, and post warnings to their patrons is probably Your Basic Bad Idea." - Dallas Morning News book critic and syndicated columnist Jerome Weeks, May 26, 2003

We're gonna be f... 2004

Run, do not walk, run to watch this clip on electronic voting from Wednesday's Daily Show with my hero, Jon Stewart. It's a lovely summary of what you need to know before casting your next ballot.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 2004

At about 5pm tonight I went down and joined the impromptu protest of the halting of marriages for people of the same-sex. People were sad, but not disheartened and the march was optimistic, peaceful and very determined. Between Market & Castro and the courthouse steps it swelled from 50 to what one of the friendly cops helping everyone get there safely estimated was about 300 people. Mark Leno, Carole Migden and Mabel Tang all spoke. We heard from couples who had gotten married and those who had just missed their chance when things were stopped today. One of the men who had gotten married last month is the son of an interracial couple (Chinese/Anglo, I think he said) and he talked about how important it was for California to legalize that marriage. He said "Now my mom wants her son to stay married!"

Mabel Tang said that she'd worked late tonight making sure everything was correctly recorded and announced that they had completed 4008 marriages of same-sex couples. She said she was confident that the courts would uphold these marriages and that they'd be able to carry on with number 4009.

I am so proud to be part of this great city.

(Oh, I carried a sign I made that reads "What if they had stopped your wedding?" If you find any pictures or video of me or of Mabel Tang's speech, snag a copy for me. Thanks! I found some video of me at KTVU's site but its teensy and I can't figure out how to save it even if it wasn't).

Another lovely wedding 2004

I was so pleased to see a picture of kind and friendly Donald Bird, who I volunteered with back on February 20th, performing a ceremony for this happy couple:

(Copyright San Francisco Chronicle, photo by Liz Hafalia)

There's a sweet article about the wedding by Ilene Lelchuk which I encourage you to read. They're getting a lot of attention because the groom on the left is the estranged son of the man who authored the anti-same-sex marriage law in California. It's so sad that he won't share in his son's happiness. I mean, look at that sweet husband he's found for himself; how can you deny the love in that face? And their lovely boutonnieres are a gift from his mother-in-law. Awwww!

I was also delighted to read a quote from my friend Joe Pambianco in the Chronicle's article on the decision in San Jose to extend spousal benefits to married same-sex couples:

"You make me proud to be from San Jose today. There is a quiet majority out here who will support you in passing this measure."

Right on, Joe. So glad to hear you took time to attend the meeting and voice your support for civil rights.

At that meeting, local attorney Margaret Leonard summed it all up with this question:

I ask you very simply: if the federal Constitution did not support same-sex marriage, then why does our president want to amend it?

Recommended Reading 2004

I was reading the comments following an excellent post from Wil Wheaton (whose current and forthcoming books, Dancing Barefoot and Just A Geek, I must remember to buy) and saw the following recommendation from someone named Jim:

As an attorney, I would encourage everyone to read Loving v. Virginia, 1967 Supreme Court case. (Just Google it.) It is a short but enlightening read.

Jim's right. It's brief and highly worth reading. I even found the link for you.

Love, love, love... 2004

 	 	 	 	 	 
Marriage is love.

Go buy this great poster Derek made and help support the fight against a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Read about my day volunteering at City Hall and check out more good links in the comments.

Preparing to vote 2004

*whew* It's a big ballot when you're carefully choosing your party central committee members. I re-registered from Green to Democrat so I could vote in the primary. As I mentioned before, I'm still voting for Dean because I want to see his delegates helping set the party platform. I support the ideals of the Dean campaign and want to see them as the ideals of the Democratic Party. However, as I also said before, after the primary I will be supporting the strongest candidate against Bush, who will almost certainly be the Democratic candidate, who is likely to be Kerry.

In case you're wrestling your way through the ballot this weekend and are also in California District 13, here's what I decided on. Maybe you'll agree, maybe you won't, but if you've been reading here a while you know my politics and this may help you decide on anything you're still sitting on the fence about.

President - Dean
Senator - Boxer (though I wish she'd fully support Newsom)
Representative - Pelosi
State Senator - Migden
State Assembly - Leno
Prop 55 - Yes
Prop 56 - Yes!
Prop 57 - No
Prop 58 - No
Measure 2 - Yes!
Yes on all city measures except:
Measure G - No
Measure J - No, no, no. I support Newsom on some things, but most definitely not on this pandering to developers.

Democratic Central Committee members:
Roger Gordon
David Serrano Sewell
Owen P. Stephens
Gerry Crowley
Holli Thier
Robert J. Haaland
Rick Hauptman
Rafael Mandelman
Ryan Clary
Tracy Baxter
Bill Barnes
Sue Bierman

Not this time. 2004

I've just sent this letter to Ralph Nader:

Dear Mr. Nader,

I supported you four years ago. I wanted to vote my conscience. By the time November rolled around, I was scared to do so. I convinced a friend in a state we were already confident would go to Gore to vote for you and I, a Californian, voted for Gore.

As we now know, it was just too close a thing for Democrats and Greens not to be more strategic with our votes. We didn't realize just how bad Bush would be. We should have known better.

This time we do. Please, don't run. Do what you can to help change the agenda, promote awareness, protect civil liberties and advance progressive thinking. The most important thing you can do is convince progressives that Bush must go. The first step is to get his administration out of power. The democratic candidate is our best hope of that.

Believe me, I am very sorry not to get to vote my conscience this time. I've been working hard on Howard Dean's campaign. I think he's done more for democracy and political participation in this country that anyone in the last 4 years, probably the last decade. I supported Matt Gonzalez for mayor of San Francisco and was so sorry to see him lose and by such a close margin. But we've learned in the past week that sometimes a less liberal candidate can surprise you. Gavin Newsom has done a wonderful thing in supporting same-sex marriage and human dignity. I don't expect to have my opinion turned around as dramatically by Kerry or Edwards, but I do know this: either leading democratic candidate would be vastly preferable to another four years of Bush and I will absolutely not tolerate another election like the last one.

What do I want you to do instead of run? Save our votes. Put your skill and credibility to work on the issue of fair voting. We know there are major issues with electronic voting mechanisms. People trust you on technical issues. Give us safer voting booths the way you gave us safer cars.

Please, Ralph, don't run.

Maybe next time, okay?

cheers,
Dinah Sanders
San Francisco, California

Dean's contribution to democracy doesn't stop here 2004

I stand with Dr. Howard Dean when he says:

First, keep active in the primary. Sending delegates to the convention only continues to energize our party. Fight on in the caucuses. We are on the ballots. Use your network to send progressive delegates to the convention in Boston. We are not going away. We are staying together, unified -- all of us.

Secondly, Dean for America will be converted into a new grassroots organization. We need everybody to stay involved. We are -- as we always have -- going to look at what you had to say about which directions we ought to be going in, and what we ought to continue to do together.

We are determined to keep this entire organization as vibrant as it has been through this campaign. There are a lot of ways to make change. We are leaving one track, but we are going on another track that will take back America for ordinary people again.

Third, there have been a lot of people who have decided to run for office locally as a result of this campaign.

We want to encourage you out there in the grassroots effort, run for office, support candidates like you who run for office, and we will use this enormous organization to support you as you run so we will change the face of democracy so that it represents ordinary Americans once again; government that will not be bought and sold.

Let me be clear, I will not run as an independent or third party candidate and I urge my supporters not to be tempted to support any effort by another candidate.

The bottom line is that we must beat George W. Bush in November whatever it takes.

I will support the nominee of our party. I will do everything I can to beat George W. Bush. I urge you to do the same.

What is so complicated about this? 2004

I really do not get the flap over gay marriage. A marriage performed by the church is not approved by the state until you file the forms. Why shouldn't the opposite be true? Why aren't the religious people who oppose same-sex unions saying "Marriage isn't REAL unless its with a church."? Then if you believe what that church believes, you follow their rules and if you don't then your wishes are known by the state for the purpose of legal authority (e.g. who can decide things on your behalf when you're in a coma) and inheritance.

I do not believe state marriage should provide benefits beyond that. I don't think the tax rate should be different for single & married people. The ability to claim deductions for dependents should be the same.

I believe profoundly in the separation of church and state. Which is just one more reason the Bush-Cheney administration is not representing the America I want to live in.

Oh, okay, I know why the religious people are causing a flap. They want to use the state to dictate their brand of morality. They want a theocracy.

And why do their protests all sound so much like the arguments against emancipating the slaves or giving the vote to women or ensuring civil rights regardless of race? The whole idea of a single, unchanging document thousands of years old which is supposed to dictate right and wrong for eternity is so strange. It's just alien to me that educated adults believe that simplistic view of the universe with a big father figure who knows all and will make everything right.

If I didn't love this beautiful place where I was born so much, if most of my friends and family weren't here, I'd move somewhere less overbearingly theist.

Not Over, Not Even Close To It 2004

Over the last week or two I've been hearing otherwise intelligent people saying "oh well, that's it for Dean". They seem to be swallowing the major news media's annointment of Kerry as having already won the Democratic primary nomination (despite less than 25% of that vote having been cast). Why are they accepting this version of reality without question? It doesn't make sense to do so.

There's a lot more voting to come - including, in most cases I've encountered, the doubters' own opportunity to have a say - and Dean is in second place. I think he may already have more delegates than Clinton did at this point 12 years ago (sorry I didn't have time this morning to look up where Clinton stood after Virginia & Tennessee) and is still picking up hundreds of campaign volunteers a day.

Even if for some other reason than having read in a major media source (owned by a big corporation with a keen interest in getting an anti-special interest candidate knocked out of the race) you are convinced that Dean won't win the nomination, it is more important than ever to keep his campaign rolling. Dr. Howard Dean has done more to revitalize the Democratic party than anyone in the last four years. The issues being discussed by the other leading candidates have been raised by Dean since he declared his candidacy. If these issues matter to you, keep (or start) supporting Dean. If we want the current administration out of the White House, we cannot make it happen with the kind of 'roll over & take whatever agenda they set' approach the Democrats have been taking under this presidency.

I found this great quote from Chris Cooper in the comments on the Dean campaign blog and I want you to bear it in mind when the criticisms of Kerry & Edwards start flying around and you're thinking about who will really be the best candidate against George W. Bush in November:

For 6 months the RNC, the media, and the other Democratic contenders sifted through Dean's record and the best they could come up with is that he is "angry." That's all they got folks.

Well, I gotta tell ya. I'm angry too. Bush and his cronies have got to go before we lose any more of our freedoms, what little goodwill this country has in the world, any more jobs, or any chance of recovering from the staggering debt they are running up.

Delegate selection caucus 2004

I'm at Kezar Stadium, waiting to choose the Dean delegates which my congressional district will send to the Democratic National Convention in Bostonh

and then the bloody treo ate my post

***

Ahem. What I was trying to say yesterday was,

in Boston. I think the last time I was on a basketball court, I was voting. Democracy is forever associated with re-purposed spaces.

And then, after helping count the vote, I tried adding the winning delegates about a minute after they were announced and my post got messed up. The mobile blogging lesson? Compose in memo, paste in the web form, and don't edit existing posts without backing them up onto a memo first. From memory, so don't hold me to either the names or the order, I think these were among the 8 selected or the two backups:

Women:
Avery McGinn
Stephanie Linder
Jan Cadoret (the alternate, I think)
(and the fourth might have been Sally Pina)

Men:
Daniel Kilduff (a 20 year old endorsed by 75 out of 124 people voting!)
Will Easton
John Borgonovo
Chris Zychowski

I know who's got my vote. 2004

I put my heart on my sleeve. I let people know who I am. I want this country changed. This country is owned and controlled now, by the government and corporations. That's not good for ordinary people, and I don't think it's good for ordinary people, and I've stood up and said so.

- Dr. Howard Dean (from an interview with Diane Sawyer)

The biggest threat to democracy is not terrorism. It is unchecked corporate power.

A Great Try 2003

I'm sorry Matt isn't mayor. Very sorry, but not disheartened. Not at all. One quarter of this fair city came out to support Gonzalez's vision of a progressive, inclusive, creative, vital and compassionate community. Just because he isn't our mayor (yet!) doesn't mean we can't work towards that vision.

We have his clear statements of specific actions to take to make this city a better place. Let's act on them. Let's do what we can in our neighborhoods to effect the kind of change we want. We don't need the mayor's office to tell us what San Francisco needs. We know.

How the vote tilts 2003

I'm supporting Matt Gonzalez for mayor of San Francisco. Mostly because I agree with his politics in general, but also because I believe that real positive change takes time and Matt will stick around long enough to make it happen. I do not think Gavin Newsom would be satisfied with his career if he were still mayor of San Francisco in 12 years. I think Matt loves this city deeply and will continue to work to make it the kind of place I want to live for many years to come whether he wins the election or not.

But in the runoff for District Attorney, I was much less committed to a particular candidate. I didn't know much about Terence Hallinan other than that those who lived here longer than I seemed to have strong opinions both pro & con. I met Kamala Harris very briefly while volunteering at the Castro Street Fair and thought she seemed nice and committed to communicating with the electorate (and she accepted a Dean for President sticker from me). I voted for her in the election. Since then, I noticed that Gonzalez is endorsing Hallinan and that Harris has endorsements from Willie Brown and Dianne Feinstein. Hmm, not looking so attractive now. This morning I was thinking of maybe voting for Hallinan in the runoff, but was still undecided.

Tonight I have been bothered with two pre-recorded calls endorsing Harris. Plus we got another piece of mail from her campaign.

I don't recall getting a single piece of mail from Hallinan and his campaign certainly hasn't called.

At this point, I've changed my vote. Anyone want to try to swing me back to Harris?

The other approach to the problem 2003

The U.S. is at it again. Trying to solve problems the only way this administration (and indeed most U.S. administrations) know how, with a hammer. That's not the only way.

Explosions, shortages, instability: In Baghdad, it's back to the future

While there is trouble in central and northern Iraq, Basra and its hinterland in the south of the country is in relative peace, with the beginnings of a civic society, and tolerance towards the British occupiers.

In the daily reports of conflict, the British have become the forgotten army. And news of the Americans unleashing their ferocious firepower on the cities is greeted with raised eyebrows. Washington, twice, asked for British soldiers, paratroopers to be sent to Baghdad, and twice has been refused.

One young British soldier said yesterday: " Look, we are not here to fight a war now, I thought that was finished. The Yanks are fighting a war again, but we should not go down that path. I am very, very sorry for the kids getting killed, but we don't have to get involved."

Now I realize the circumstances in Baghdad make it much harder to effect peace, but not that much harder.

The fundamental problem is that our government and the powerful in this country (corporations and the media) profit from fear, uncertainty and doubt. War is good for business.

We have to change that. We have to make it too costly and we have to make clearer the profitability of peace. It's time to replace the constant barrage of FUD with curiousity, respect and trust.

Why you should be very afraid of the current crop of electronic voting machines 2003

Anyone in a democracy (or a country which claims to be a democracy) should read this column by Andrew Gumbel about the real and present threat to fair elections in the United States.

Alarmed and suspicious, a group of Georgia citizens began to look into last November's election to see whether there was any chance the results might have been deliberately or accidentally manipulated. Their research proved unexpectedly, and disturbingly, fruitful.

First, they wanted to know if the software had undergone adequate checking. Under state and federal law, all voting machinery and component parts must be certified before use in an election.

[No. And worse than that,]

...when the machines were about to be shipped to Georgia polling stations in the summer of 2002, they performed so erratically that their software had to be amended with a last-minute "patch". Instead of being transmitted via disk - a potentially time-consuming process, especially since its author was in Canada, not Georgia - the patch was posted, along with the entire election software package, on an open-access FTP, or file transfer protocol site, on the internet.

...

But Ms Jekot was not the only one to examine the Diebold software and find it lacking. In July, a group of researchers from the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore discovered what they called "stunning flaws". These included putting the password in the source code, a basic security no-no; manipulating the voter smart-card function so one person could cast more than one vote; and other loopholes that could theoretically allow voters' ballot choices to be altered without their knowledge, either on the spot or by remote access.

Diebold issued a detailed response, saying that the Johns Hopkins report was riddled with false assumptions, inadequate information and "a multitude of false conclusions". Substantially similar findings, however, were made in a follow-up study on behalf of the state of Maryland, in which a group of computer security experts catalogued 328 software flaws, 26 of them critical, putting the whole system "at high risk of compromise". "If these vulnerabilities are exploited, significant impact could occur on the accuracy, integrity, and availability of election results," their report says.

...

If much of the worry about vote-tampering is directed at the Republicans, it is largely because the big three touchscreen companies are all big Republican donors, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into party coffers in the past few years. The ownership issue is, of course, compounded by the lack of transparency. Or, as Dr Mercuri puts it: "If the machines were independently verifiable, who would give a crap who owns them?" As it is, fears that US democracy is being hijacked by corporate interests are being fuelled by links between the big three and broader business interests, as well as extremist organisations. Two of the early backers of American Information Systems, a company later merged into ES&S, are also prominent supporters of the Chalcedon Foundation, an organisation that espouses theocratic governance according to a literal reading of the Bible and advocates capital punishment for blasphemy and homosexuality.

Jesus H. Christ! Dip me in honey and throw me to the lesbians if that ain't enough to stand your hair on end.

Please, demand that if you vote via one of these flaky, hackable systems that they be required to be able to give you a printed receipt of your vote.

And then hope that some benevolent organization establish an independent, open-source, internationally-monitored website where you can put in your vote (with the unique identifier which ought to appear on said printed receipt) and see just what tabulation that system comes up with.

Well, here we are. 2003

So the man with no experience in governing won.

I'm not happy about that. Not at all. However, I think he won fairly according to the laws of this state. I don't think the election was rigged and I am very pleased to see how much better a turnout this election got than past ones. Let's keep that trend going and spend our energy now not on grieving or denial or, please!, another recall, but on education.

Now that people who didn't vote before know they can have an effect on things and it's worth their time to vote, let's work on educating them to understand the difference between good acting & scripts and substantive experience and solid plans.

It's the day after the election, but I am still saying no to a recall.

It ain't over 'til it's over... 2003

...but the early results are not making me happy.

So I'm listening to Tool ("It's a bull shit three ring circus side show of freaks..."), hitting refresh every 10 minutes on those results, and wondering what will happen next in this crazy, stupid state.

On the bright side, it looks like both faulty propositions might fail.

Vote. 2003

If you have the legal right to vote, do it. People fought and died for that right. People marched in the street, were beaten, harrassed and hounded to get us the right. Don't waste it.

Use it, or lose it.

I'm serious. The head of Diebold, a major manufacturer of voting machines, promised to "deliver" the next presidential election to the Republicans. If they can't win fairly, they'll cheat. You did notice Florida last time around, didn't you?

Our civil liberties are at stake. I know it sounds hokey and sensationalistic, but we are losing our freedoms. Yes, it's work to think about this stuff. Yes, it's depressing. Yes, even when we try hard sometimes we don't win. Too bad, so sad. We've got to try anyway. It's not a done deal; your vote does count.

As Winston Churchill said, "When you're going through Hell, keep going." It ain't gonna get any better if we sit down and hope the icky people go away, folks.

It gets worse. 2003

He's not just sexist, elitist, and inexperienced in governing; he might also be in on the big energy ripoff. Greg Palast's latest column raises some very pointed questions:

It's not what Arnold Schwarzenegger did to the girls a decade back that should raise an eyebrow. [With that statement I strongly disagree, partly because it does matter and partly because I don't think his behavior is all that much different in the last year, but Palast probably had to write this column before the latest round of accounts of Schwarzenegger's habit of sexual harrassment] According to a series of memoranda our office obtained today, it's his dalliance with the boys in a hotel room just two years ago that's the real scandal.

The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.

Now, thirty-four pages of internal Enron memoranda have just come through this reporter's fax machine tell all about the tryst between Maria's husband and the corporate con men. It turns out that Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.

Here's the story Arnold doesn't want you to hear. The biggest single threat to Ken Lay and the electricity lords is a private lawsuit filed last year under California's unique Civil Code provision 17200, the "Unfair Business Practices Act." This litigation, heading to trial now in Los Angeles, would make the power companies return the $9 billion they filched from California electricity and gas customers.

It takes real cojones to bring such a suit. Who's the plaintiff taking on the bad guys? Cruz Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor and reluctant leading candidate against Schwarzenegger. (read on)

[Thanks to Fil for the link]

Elect Respect. 2003

Thinking about the gross indecency of Bush's cabinet of millionaires, of Schwarzenegger's vile attitude towards (at least) half of humankind, of the engines of disenfranchisement turning in California as they did in Florida, I become angry. I burn. And I don't think I'm alone in that.

It is time to change things. It is time to act. It is time to educate. It is time to stop the dulling of our senses and the stealing of our power.

It is time to elect people we respect. It is time to elect people who respect us.

If you feel the same, please help me turn this little new site I've created, Elect Respect, into something much bigger, which can do much more good than I can alone.

I need help creating and linking to the content which exposes evil and greed, which inspires action, which teaches effective techniques to preserve and extend individual power and dignity. Please let me know if you want to help.

Elect Respect 2003

Suppose your company was in trouble - layoffs, power going out sometimes, benefits cut - and you wanted to replace the CEO. Do you really think you'd pick the buff airhead from shipping who always tries to grab your ass?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a rich white prick. Don't we already have enough of those in power?

Elect someone who knows how to govern and who cares about ALL the people of California.

I can support this guy. 2003

I just listened to Governor Dean's Housecall from earlier tonight. It was the largest conference call ever with people dialed in from house parties around the country.

The questions covered a nice range of what makes Dean distinctive and is a good introduction to the issues and style of his campaign. If you're curious to hear what he's about, it's a good place to start. (The slightly gushing introduction from Melissa Etheridge is very brief, don't worry).

If you like what you hear, read more about his stance on the issues, consider donating to his campaign, and stop by the booth at the Castro Street Fair this Sunday and pick up a window sign.

And, no, I don't just like him because he's a fellow blogger.

A General in the White House? 2003

Michael Moore is requesting General Wesley Clark run for president. Seems a trifle surprising on the face of it for him to endorse a general, but I don't think it's that out of line from his worldview and Clark does sound like an atypical military man.

But he's still a military man. I'd rather have a doctor, thanks all the same. Maybe Clark could be Dean's VP?

I Think the Recall is Bullshit 2003

If you agree, join me in signing a "Recall No! Democracy Yes!" pledge to defeat the California recall. This pledge is a national effort to mobilize one million California voters in the recall election. Please sign the pledge no matter where you live and please ask friends and family in California to sign the pledge and to remember to vote October 7.

If the recall succeeds, it will set a dangerous precedent for the whole country. A far-right businessman spent 1.7 million dollars to bring us the recall campaign, and has thrown California into chaos. GOP leaders who should have condemned the recall instead cheered it on, hoping they could gain from the unraveling of our democracy.

Even if you think the recall is a good idea, please please please don't elect some stupid actor with no experience of governing to try run this state (or to stand & grin while someone else we didn't choose uses the power). Are you and your community really better off now than you were 3 years ago? Do you really think Arnie could turn the fifth largest economy in the world around?

If you aren't registered to vote, please do! There's still time and it will make a difference! The candidates may make you think this election is a joke, but your paycheck may depend on its outcome.

I'll be voting for Cruz Bustamante; he's been doing a decent job, knows the current issues, already has the working relationships, and is (like me) a native Californian. Plus I think it would be very good to have a Latino governor; our population is projected to be one third Latino by 2005 and we need a governor who can maintain a good working relationship with our neighbor, Mexico.

How exactly is love & commitment a threat to public morals? 2003

If you agree with this statement

I do support the right of every American to marry, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples. I believe that marriage and other civil rights protections are essential to making all families safer and more secure.

please sign the Million for Marriage petition.

Especially if you know a couple who are being told by the President and the Pope that they aren't allowed this basic social rite*.

*and this basic social right too.

Why I like Howard Dean and support his presidential campaign 2003

I agree with more of his statements than any other politician I've ever encountered. For example:

"Facts are a better basis for decisions than ideology." - Gov. Howard Dean, July 15, 2003

Signs of the times 2003

The meek don't want it.

- graffitti in Macarthur BART station spotted April 8, 2003

This time, let the people choose the president 2003

I encourage U.S. citizens to start participating now in changing our government for the better. Visit MoveOn.org for more information and actions.

If you go there today and join, you can vote in their MoveOn primary to begin creating grassroots support behind a Democratic candidate for the next presidential election. I voted for Howard Dean because I believe he has the best combination of electability and position on the issues I care about.

Even if you don't join, do visit and read the candidate's statements. One thing I particularly like about MoveOn is that the questions the candidates responded to were proposed and the best ones selected by MoveOn members. I love what MoveOn is doing to revitalize democracy using the internet.

MetaGrrrl is pro-fun. 2003

Neal's right. The trend against dancing, sex, getting a little bit buzzed and, in general, having fun is alarming.

Apparently, the only vice acceptable to conservative political leaders is gambling.

I say joke 'em if they can't take a fuck. Enough of this anti-pleasure bullshit. Get politically active, send some money and/or donate some time to a worthy organization working for civil liberties, then have a cocktail, crank up the stereo and go commit acts of sodomy (remember, kids, that includes oral sex!) Just make sure you don't share any of that fun with those who claim to support this new prohibition.

It's time to get this party party started. Kick it!!!

Welcome to Pride Month! 2003

Here are a few links to help celebrate sex & gender diversity:

The Commercial Closet, the self-described worldest largest collection of gay advertising.

Rent the wonderful film The Celluloid Closet and get some insight into the influence of homosexuals on 20th century cinematic storytelling and vice versa.

Hang out with your queer friends, or at least go visit The Bradlands - with 8 years experience crafting his sweet snarky site, you know Brad's only getting better all the time. Happy anniversary, darling, you know you don't look a day over 5.

Read a book about some wonderful outsider or have one read to you. Click "More Stories..." down there on the left and enjoy Sean Astin reading a lovely children's book called A Bad Case of the Stripes. It has nothing to do with sex, but everything to do with being yourself.

Right on. 2003

Anita Roddick: In the end, I want to go to my grave hop, skipping, and jumping saying I did the best I damn well could.

Citizens of Earth: 2003

I encourage you to sign this petition urging the United Nations Security Council to support tough inspections, not war in Iraq.

Inspections can work. War will not improve things there or here.

How Our Government Works 2003

The British newspaper, The Observer, has a very interesting story today "Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war" which describes the efforts by the present administration to spy on members of the United Nations Security Council through monitoring their supposedly private conversations in email and on the telephone. The full text of the memo providing these instructions is also available. I encourage you to read both. I found this particularly interesting:

The memo is directed at senior NSA officials and advises them that the agency is 'mounting a surge' aimed at gleaning information not only on how delegations on the Security Council will vote on any second resolution on Iraq, but also 'policies', 'negotiating positions', 'alliances' and 'dependencies' - the 'whole gamut of information that could give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favourable to US goals or to head off surprises'.

Dated 31 January 2003, the memo was circulated four days after the UN's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix produced his interim report on Iraqi compliance with UN resolution 1441.

It was sent by Frank Koza, chief of staff in the 'Regional Targets' section of the NSA, which spies on countries that are viewed as strategically important for United States interests.

Koza specifies that the information will be used for the US's 'QRC' - Quick Response Capability - 'against' the key delegations.

Suggesting the levels of surveillance of both the office and home phones of UN delegation members, Koza also asks regional managers to make sure that their staff also 'pay attention to existing non-UN Security Council Member UN-related and domestic comms [office and home telephones] for anything useful related to Security Council deliberations'.

Koza also addresses himself to the foreign agency, saying: 'We'd appreciate your support in getting the word to your analysts who might have similar more indirect access to valuable information from accesses in your product lines [ie, intelligence sources].' Koza makes clear it is an informal request at this juncture, but adds: 'I suspect that you'll be hearing more along these lines in formal channels.'

The business language is unsettling. I can't say I find hearing intelligence sources referred to as "product lines" at all comfortable. Then again, it does make more explicit the fact that political and historical truth is something which is produced rather than found.

This is not okay. 2002

Hundreds of Muslim Immigrants Rounded Up in Calif.

Hundreds of Iranian and other Middle East citizens were in southern California jails on Wednesday after coming forward to comply with a new rule to register with immigration authorities only to wind up handcuffed and behind bars.

Shocked and frustrated Islamic and immigrant groups estimate that more than 500 people have been arrested in Los Angeles, neighboring Orange County and San Diego in the past three days under a new nationwide anti-terrorism program. Some unconfirmed reports put the figure as high as 1,000.

What the hell is being done in the name of American citizens?!

And why can't I find this Reuters story on CNN?

Exposure 2002

I'm thinking a lot about privacy today. I had a conversation with someone this morning which left me in an internal debate. We were talking about holiday shopping that he needs to do soon so that he can mail presents and I suggested he just buy stuff at Amazon and have it shipped already wrapped. He said he doesn't want to have his every activity tracked by the new Homeland Security database and so uses cash now. It's not that he's sending people uranium for Xmas; he just believes that consumer tracking is America's form of totalitarianism.

My first thought was that he was being a little extreme, but on further explication his reasoning seems sound. It goes like this:
If all your consumer activity can be tracked, a profile can be developed and you can be more effectively marketed to.
The more you can be convinced that you have needs, the more you will spend your time and money meeting those needs, and the less of your time and money will be available to activities which corporations or government would consider undesirable, such as self-sufficiency or activism.
Further, if all your online reading can be tracked, the profile can be expanded to associate the consumer profile with an intellectual profile thus permitting easier identification of those whom the government finds to be intellectually of concern.

So. Where does that leave me?
I like the technological and design challenge of making these networks of connections.
I enjoy the convenience of my Amazon wishlist and my Netflix rental queue.
I've spent the last 4 years exposing my life in great detail on the web and it's all captured in Google's cache.
Anyone reading that could easily associate my entertainment habits with my liberalism.
And if I ever got off my ass and upgraded my installation of Movable Type, TrackBack would help in identifying similar individuals.

So now what?
Should I change my habits? Stop using credit cards? Stop buying online? Encrypt my email? Encrypt my site? Should I attempt to vanish?
Or should I keep it up? Increase it even?

There's a risk there, definitely. If "potential enemies of the state" can be identified, and they can, believe me, then how hard would it be to convince the government's corporate partners to start making life hard for them? Nothing too obvious, just excruciatingly slow processing of DSL installation requests, erroneous charges on credit cards that require wasting hours on the phone with customer service, anything small and annoying and time-eating to pull their energy away from building opposition to the present administration's goals (a big oil grab in Iraq and Afghanistan and lots of corporate handouts to ensure the current rich stay rich, in case you forgot).

It's an interesting conundrum. Vanity makes me reluctant to abandon the site (and believe me, I'd make a ridiculous number of backup copies of all this work). However, realism is bringing it home to me that I'm sticking my neck way out. Should I consider it activism? Am I providing a useful service in being visably opposed to the Bush administration? In publically stating that I'm a woman who has no intention or need to bear children? In reminding the world that not everyone believes in God? In saying that my life and personality would change very very little if I was suddenly male instead of female? In being, in short, a stinkin' liberal freak?

Plenty to think about...

Enough. The party has failed me. 2002

Yesterday's passage of the Homeland Security bill by the senate without the removal of all the unsavory corporation benefits tacked onto it was the last straw. My senators, both Democrats, voted for it and I'm thoroughly disgusted with them.

For most of my adult life I have been registered as a Democrat. There were a few forays into the Green party, but the desire to have more influence in the primaries lured me back to the donkey. It's been a lukewarm commitment born of expedience not inspiration. I voted for Gray Davis so that Simon wouldn't win, for Gore trying to stop Bush Jr. from taking office.

Enough.

It's time to vote my conscience and to try to convince others too disgusted to vote to register and vote theirs. Disapproval without actively supporting alternatives is a waste of time. I'm registering Green.

If you agree, do the same. Do it now.