Good Reads July 13 2009

Haven’t been blogging of late, but here’s some good reads to tide over folks who still travel here:
WriteChic: Man Murdered by Health Insurance Companies (Obama should read this EVERY DAY until Health Care Reform passes).
DailyKos: Health Care – If you think you’ll always be insurable, Think Again.
Crooks and Liars: Hard Hitting Advertising on Health Care [...]

Brief Update and Two Recommended Posts

Shortly (I hope) I’ll be announcing a new education blog related to my nonprofit.  In the meantime I’d like to recommend two exceptionally insightful posts…

Israel vs Palestine: Trust

A huge problem I have negotiating the very rough waters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is trust.
Both sides have such a problem seeing and understanding the other that the views pouring out of that miasma are convoluted and stained with assumption.  The pro-Palestine side seems to think a rain of rockets is a mild annoyance, and [...]

Inauguration 2009: We Have a New President!

The inauguration was incredible.  I left with a feeling of real optimism, not the kind you fake to yourself to keep your spirits up in the face of false promises.  There is a lot of work to be done, and Obama is far from perfect, but we made a great choice.  This country feels united.
Below [...]

Inauguration Photos and Videos

I’ll have  a writeup later tonight (and more videos!).
In the meantime, please enjoy my new flickr account and youtube channel!

Choosing A Content Management System

I’ve shied away from tech blogging.  Even though its how I make ends meet, it isn’t really my passion in life.  Nor is it something I’ve considered terribly relevant to the purpose of this blog.  This post by Pam Spaulding finally convinced me to post this.
I think that an understanding of how corporations work (and [...]

Thousands of Israelis Protest War in Gaza

Via my friend Helene (Israel Social TV):

A contrast to the misconception in the media that all Israeli leftists support the war on Gaza.

Will I Am: CNN Episode 1

What the hell CNN?
At the victory party in Arlington, a bunch of us where wondering why there was a hologram talking to Anderson Cooper.  Glad to see we weren’t the only ones:

“Will I Am, I want to thank you for being with us via hologram tonight.”
How do these decisions get made? Was there really no [...]

The New Taliban

What’s keeping me up at night?  Via Majikthise, an article in Rolling Stone by the incredibly brave Nir Rosen.  I couldn’t stop reading it.
At one point, I got the distinct impression our leaders are acting like irresponsible doctors prescribing anti-biotics, sending more and more troops.  Amid the same signs of hope for negotiation Rosen picks [...]

What is it about Political Thugs and Animals?

Is the press required to report on everything a political leader does?  Is there something of extra special news worthiness about a political thug like Putin playing with a lil’ tiger cub?  (Associated Press, emphasis mine):
As president and now prime minister, Putin is known for his tough talk and macho image. But children and animals [...]

Amy Goodman Arrested: RNC Police State Follow Up

My very politically astute friend Jeff sent me this (it isn’t hard to see why):

That’s Amy Goodman of Democracy Now being arrested on obviously bullshit charges.  I think Jeff’s reaction captures my own in better words:
On Democracy Now today (Monday morning), Amy Goodman reported that 2 Democracy Now producers (along with [...]

Good Reads and Curiosities

Richard Dawkins reading his hate mail:

Check out The Daily Show’s RNC Convention Billboard.
This looks fascinating (race as a theological problem).
One rich Republican is behind most of the negative campaigning in 2004 (“Swift Boat Veterans for Truth”) and to come in 2008.
Nancy Pelosi waxes wicked awesome.
Drop in and have a read: Nezua [...]

Will Musharraf Nixon Out?

The party of assasinated leader Bhutto is preparing articles of impeachment against former coup leader President Musharraf:

Speculation has been mounting that former army chief and firm U.S. ally Musharraf would quit after the coalition government, led by the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said last week it planned to impeach him.
The president’s [...]

Manhunt vs Abramoff: The Money McCain Keeps

John McCain decided to return the $2,300 personal donation from Johnathan Crutchley, founder of gay cruising service manhunt (Pamela at Pandagon).
McCain has decided to continue working with criminal lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s co-conspirator Ralph Reed (Lindsay at Majikthise).
I’m having trouble running down a dollar amount for the latter, but I’m guessing a Reed run fundraiser will [...]

Good Things to Read

Some people in the state of Georgia are concerned about Russian tanks.
Anti-choicers who call themselves liberal are strange people.
As a man, it really pisses me the fuck off that pharmaceuticals aren’t doing a damn thing with promising medical research that could lead to oral male contraception.  Because some schmuck thinks men can’t be bothered to [...]