Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk
I’m pretty strongly liberal — about as far left as one can go without falling into libertarianism. Posts collected under this tag will likely reflect that viewpoint.
It’s always amusing when a politician slips up and lets the truth come out…
See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.
— President George W. Bush, May 24, 2005
“Dubiliscious Groove” by Crystal Method, The from the album Trip Hop Test: Part I (1994, 6:21).
In science it often happens that scientists say, “You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,” and then they actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
— Carl Sagan, 1987 CSICOP keynote address
(via Atomic Playboy)
Rush Limbaugh yesterday, via Atrios:
LIMBAUGH: When does he start up this stupid little network? August? Yip yip yip yahoo. You know what Gore said about this? It’s going to be liberal. It’s going to reflect the point of view of young people.
What the hell is that, Al? What the hell is the point of view of young people? Blow jobs, that’s what they’re doing out there. They’re out there getting oral sex all day long, that’s what they’re talking about. That’s the point of view they can’t wait that your boss,
Al made sure that’s become the number one sport in high school today. So, I guess you’re going to have a BJ network out there, Al, is that what you’re going to do? You’re going to call your network the oral sex channel out there, start competing with MTV?
No, it’s not going to have any of this stuff out there, folks, it’s going to be talking about liberalism, no, no, no, that’s not what we’re about. Classic cannot even admit who he is.
(Anyone wanna bet on whether he gets slapped with a fine for violating broadcast decency standards…or for that matter, English grammar standards [oh, if only we could fine people for that particular infraction…{but then, I’d probably get busted for run-on sentences and needlessly nested paranthetical remarks (like this)}]? No? Yeah, me neither.)
Rush later (today?), via Wonkette:
I am going to apologize not for saying what I said, but I’m going to apologize if it offended anybody. I never apologize for what I say, but if some of you were offended by a graphic term involving actions committed by BILL CLINTON and MONICA LEWINSKY that have now spread to AMERICA’s high schools, I apologize. I meant to say ‘oral sex’ throughout, but the guttural term escaped my pouty lips in a moment of pure, unbridled passion. The staff was so stunned and so scared today they didn’t dare hit the delete button, the deedle button, and so it got out there…
Because, apparently, no teenager ever hit upon the idea of getting or giving a blowjob until Clinton introduced the idea to the world.
“Heavy Weather” by Caia from the album Isola D’Amore (2003, 5:06).
All stereotypes aside, not all teenagers are solely interested in video games and bad music. Some of them are interested in video games, bad music (I kid, I kid…) — and voting. Here in Washington, the local chapter of the National Youth Rights Association is working on lowering the state’s voting age to 16.
Our country is founded on the concept of no taxation without representation,” 17-year-old Heather Kelley told the House Government Operations and Accountability Committee. “Eighty percent of teens work, yet we have no say on how those taxes are being spent.”
For Olympia High School student Kelley, as well as fellow Olympia seniors Kehlen Sachet and Jason Puz, also 17, what began as a class project last fall has gained enough momentum to become a bill in the Legislature.
[…]
In Washington, the students’ arguments caught the attention of Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia. He ended up sponsoring the bill after the students visited his office a couple of months ago.
“They gave a reasoned, well-researched presentation on why they thought it was a good idea,” Hunt said.
The state constitution would have to be amended to change the voting age. Amending the constitution requires two-thirds approval from both houses of the Legislature before the issue heads to voters.
At the federal level, the U.S. Constitution originally defined the voting age as 21, among a slew of other qualifications. The passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971 lowered the age to 18.
States are prohibited from raising the age, but there are no restrictions on lowering it, according to the state’s Office of Program Research.
Nifty! I certainly don’t have any issues with this — if they’re actually interested enough to participate and vote, I see no reason why they shouldn’t be able to.
“Something Fast” by Sisters of Mercy, The from the album Vision Thing (1990, 4:37).
About a week ago, Mike Whybark attended a small event involving local performer Jason Webley), and subsequently posted a video of fellow accordionist Aaron Seeman leading the accordion class in a rousing rendition of the Dead Kennedys‘ ‘California Über Alles‘.
In an entertaining little bit of synchronicity, while driving around on Saturday afternoon Prairie and I happened to catch the last half of this week’s This American Life show on the local NPR station. The show (at least in this latter half) was a fascinating look at Michael Guarino, most notorious for being the prosecuting lawyer in the 1986 obscenity trial against Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys over their 
_Frankenchrist_ album and the H. R. Giger print included with it.
From the Alternative Tentacles website:
When a San Fernando Valley mother complained that her 13- year old daughter had purchased the record as a gift for her 11-year old brother (at a Wherehouse Records outlet in a large mall), the LA City Attorney’s Office decided to prosecute the case. Deputy city attorney Michael Guarino, the prosecutor in the case, admitted they chose to prosecute the DKs because it would be a “cost-effective” way to send a message to other musicians, record companies and fans. Guarino had been considering prosecuting several other groups when this case came along, and he thought he could win this one.
…
Charged in the case were Biafra, and four others, including the 67-year old man whose company pressed the Frankenchrist disc. Conspicuously not charged were Wherehouse Records which sold the offending album. They had agreed to stop selling Frankenchrist and all other Dead Kennedys albums when the controversy first surfaced.
Biafra and the others decided to fight the charges of distributing harmful matter to minors, and set up the No More Censorship Defense Fund…
Finally, after months of delay, during which Biafra’s time was taxed enough that he had no time to work on his music, the case went to trial. After a week-long trial in which witnesses such as Greil Marcus testified on the group’s behalf, and a respected art teacher attempted to show how the poster was an integral part of the Frankenchrist package, the jury came out deadlocked (7-5 in favor of acquittal), and the judge dismissed the case.
Jello has talked about this case many times over the years at spoken word performances, some of which have been recorded and released as albums. I first learned about the case from Jello’s spoken word album 
No More Cocoons, and have heard it referenced quite a few times over the years since.
Apparently, though, Mr. Guarino has come to see his zealous attack against the Dead Kennedys as a mistake — and has since come to gain an appreciation for the causes that Jello supports. From a 1997 Music News of the World article:
In fact, Guarino, whose son is a big fan of Biafra, said he now appreciates a lot of what the punk poet has to say in his spoken-word rants.
“In retrospect,” Guarino, the Director of Clinical Programs at JFK University in Orinda, Calif., told ATN last week, “I think it’s more important for (District Attorneys) offices and US Attorneys offices to focus on the tremendous amount of conflict of interest at the top, the accountants, the lawyers, the politicians, and get out of the area of freedom of expression.”
…
In one of life’s great ironies, Guarino said his teenage son “idolizes” Biafra and constantly listens to the punk poet’s CDs of spoken-word rants. “I keep trying to tell him that there’s much more to all of this than what Jello talks about, but he is definitely right about a lot of stuff,” Guarino said about Biafra’s conspiratorial rants. “He’s an interesting guy, but he only sees what he’s in a position to see and he can’t get beyond a quarter-inch or so of what’s going on. In some cases, it’s much worse than he could ever imagine.”
Towards the end of the This American Life segment, interviewer David Seagal (sp?) has called Jello and gotten the two men to talk. Not only do they end up talking about the nearly two-decade old case, but they go on from there, finding more common ground than might be expected and chatting like old friends.
It was an incredibly interesting bit of radio to randomly stumble across. The show (Know Your Enemy) isn’t available online yet, but according to the This American Life website, it should be downloadable in about a week or so. Consider it highly recommended listening.
“California Über Alles” by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, The from the album Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury (1992, 4:13).
“Goodbye Love” by Original Broadway Cast from the album Rent (1996, 5:57).
One night, George W. Bush is tossing restlessly in his White House bed. He awakens to see George Washington standing by him. Bush asks him, “George, what’s the best thing I can do to help the country?”
“Set an honest and honorable example, just as I did,” Washington advises, and then fades away.
The second night, Bush sees the ghost of Thomas Jefferson moving through the darkened bedroom. Bush calls out, “Tom, please! What is the best thing I can do to help the country?”
“Respect the Constitution, as I did,” Jefferson advises, and dims from sight.
The third night sleep is still not in the cards for Bush. He awakens to see the ghost of FDR hovering over his bed. Bush whispers, “Franklin, what is the best thing I can do to help the country?”
“Help the less fortunate, just as I did,” FDR replies and fades into the mist.
Bush isn’t sleeping well the fourth night when he sees another figure moving in the shadows. It is the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Bush pleads, “Abe, what is the best thing I can do right now to help the country?”
Lincoln replies, “Go see a play.”
(via Dad)
“Into the Trap” by London Symphony Orchestra, The/Williams, John from the album Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology (1983, 2:39).
You’re an Ashcroft! No, you’re the Ashcroft!
Imagine hearing that exchange in a movie — you’d think that Hollywood had come up with a crazy new insult. Well, it turns out that some airline passengers watching the Oscar-nominated film “Sideways” on foreign flights are, in fact, hearing “Ashcroft” as a substitute for a certain seven-letter epithet commonly used to denote a human orifice.
The Post’s Monte Reel, based in Buenos Aires, tells us he heard the former attorney general’s name substituted at least twice in “Sideways” dialogue when he watched the film earlier this week on an Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Lima, Peru. The movie was shown in English and the dubbing was done “in the actual voices of the actors,” Reel reports. Star Thomas Haden Church utters the A-word.
(via MeFi)
“Time for Me” by Fiction 8 from the album Cyberl@b (1998, 3:59).
This mess just keeps getting worse and worse. A local judge declared yesterday that the Republican suit to overturn the election will proceed, and might end up voiding the election — but he wouldn’t order a new election. Would that leave Washington without a Governor?
Bridges said in Chelan County Superior Court that allegations in the lawsuit filed by Republican candidate Dino Rossi and Republican voters, if proved at trial, would be sufficient to overturn the election. And he denied a Democratic motion to limit any challenge to issues of fraud and illegal votes, saying misconduct or neglect by election officials would also be sufficient grounds for setting aside the election.
“This case should go forward, at least at this point,”; Bridges said.
But the judge said even if Republicans prove their case, he won’t give Rossi what he has said he wants from the court: a new election.
Democrats argued he didn’t have that power, and Bridges agreed.
But Bridges dismissed the remedy requested by Rossi. Still remaining in the lawsuit is Rossi’s call to have the judge nullify the November election. That, Republicans say, would create a vacancy in the office that could be filled by a special election ordered by the Legislature.
Honestly, the whole thing is pretty confusing.
Who knows, though. If things continue in this vein, I might get to fire up my write-in campaign after all!
Update: More on this from the Seattle PI:
The only way to attain a legitimate election, Republicans have consistently argued, would be a revote — a new election between the two candidates. They specifically called for a revote in their lawsuit filed in court last month.
But with the judge’s ruling yesterday, that’s not going to happen — at least not one ordered by Bridges.
He cited state law and constitutional provisions saying that even if the election was tossed out and Gregoire removed from office, such a vacancy for governor could only be filled during the next general election in which voters are allowed to vote for the state’s executive office.
Because of special constitutional rules requiring the governor to be elected during the same election year as legislators, that could mean 2006.
“From Detroit to J.A. (full mix)” by Kleptones, The from the album From Detroit to J.A. (full mix) (2005, 1:00:02).
‘Liveblogging’ (though I won’t actually post this until afterwards) the State of the Union. I’m not sure why, all it’s going to do is annoy me. But still…
He’s introduced, standing ovation. Why the standing ovation? He hasn’t even fallen over yet.
He’s been placed in office by half the people he serves…details, details. And I have to wonder just how free and sovereign Iraq really is, we seem to have our fingers in a lot of pies over there.
“Our generation has been blessed…” Unfortunately, my generation is being quite nicely screwed, thankyouverymuch.
We’ve overcome the recession? Good to know, I’ll have to look into that. We’ve added 2.3 million new jobs…which is where compared to where his predictions said we would be?
“We will keep America the economic leader of the world.” As the dollar continues to fall.
He’s going to cut the deficit — which he created — in half by 2009. Okies. First thing, eliminate government programs that aren’t performing up to standard — what standards, and which programs?
From Prairie re: No Child Left Behind, because as a teacher she knows more about that than I do:
standards are lower, minorities aren’t being tested, high school diplomas don’t mean crap
and he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about
sure, you can increase the size of Pell grants if you don’t give them to as many people
(How many times did he have to practice saying “fruitless asbestos” without stumbling? He sure slurred that…)
Why can’t people give speeches without having to pause for applause breaks after every two sentences? Whatever happened to actually listening to what someone has to say, rather than just blindly applauding every talking point? (Of course, it does give me a few more moments to type my random comments here…)
He’s re-vamping the entire tax code? Apparently there weren’t enough loopholes in the current system for his big business friends.
So he’s advocating looser immigration standards for people who will take jobs that Americans “will not take”. Oh, give me a break. In other words, cheap labor for shit jobs. There shouldn’t be jobs that Americans “will not take”. Our sense of ego and pride — “I’m too good for that job” — is a serious modern problem that drives me up the wall.
Social Security has problems that “will grow worse with time.” A long, long, long time. There is no crisis. On a long enough timeline, we’re all dead, too.
Ooh — he’s getting booed on the Social Security bankruptcy claims!
Lots of namedropping — we’re looking at all these guys ideas because we can’t come up with any good ones. Or something like that.
So these Voluntary Personal Retirement Accounts are tied to the stock market. Gee, that’s encouraging.
And now we’re getting into “honor and values”, “;responsible and moral children”, etc. Marriage, of course. He’s still pushing for a constitutional amendment on marriage?
We’re also “building a culture of life”. Ugh. I can hardly listen to this. Anti-abortion (though he doesn’t come out and say it directly), embryos are sacred.
The emphasis on young men in this three-year program to keep kids out of gangs and such feels incredibly patriarchal and sexist to me. Young women aren’t worth saving? Or will saving the young men automatically bring their girlfriends/wives/sisters along with them?
No person should have to face prosecution for crimes they didn’t commit (unless they’re in Gitmo or have dark skin), so we’re focusing on DNA based defenses (and oh, by the way, don’t worry about the national database of everyone’s DNA that we’ll be building in the meantime). Not that DNA based defenses are a bad thing, but I worry about just what kind of privacy issues might be raised, and how they’re going to approach this.
At least now he’s admitting that Al-Quaida still exists.
Most of this section of the speech could be summed up with “DANGER! DANGER! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!” Yes, we’re still in danger, everyone still wants to kill us, and we should be sure to stay under our beds wrapped in tinfoil, we understand.
We know we should be giving the military the tools they need. That’s much of what we keep telling you. That $40M of inauguration money could have bought a lot of armor, weapons, and vehicles for our troops in Iraq.
Oh, crud, my ‘net connection just went down.
Just called Speakeasy and apparently Seattle’s network is having issues — it was described to me as being “up and down like a basketball”. I’ve still got access to my own server so I can post this, but who knows when it will actually be visible to the rest of the world.
At 6:55 pm PST our main Seattle network router went offline briefly. There are still problems with connectivity and routing for all circuits connecting through Seattle. We are working on the issue and hope to have full connectivity restored shortly.
Grrr.
“Flower of Sweet Strabane” by (unknown) from the album Songs of Ireland (1994, 2:20).