January 2008 archive

Jan 20 2008

A Better Way

By NLinStPaul

Our local public libraries in this city are on the verge of hiring armed police officers and its not because they want them to have more reading time. These folks are scared of the young people who recently began spending more time in the libraries, primarily to get access to the internet. Our staff have been talking with folks at the libraries about alternatives to this plan, and I’m happy to tell you that the leadership is interested in hearing more.

We provided a training to some of the staff in the library across the street from us and it was well received. They report to us that after resorting to calling the cops at least once a week due to unruly behavior of kids in their library, since the training this summer, they have not called them once. They also told a wonderful story of just one of the changes they made. After the training they realized that many of the problems with young people began while they were waiting in line to get on a computer. With this information, they decided to place Sudoko puzzle books and a checkers set where kids were waiting in order to give them something to do. And, whala…problem solved.

Now maybe that’s just an interesting story in and of itself, but I think its also a metaphor about how we are making all the wrong choices in our fearful attempts to establish security in this world. Whether its a “lock ’em up” mentality to solve all social ills, a “build a wall” mentality in our immigration policy, or a “shoot ’em up” mentality in response to perceived international threats, we seem to keep playing the same old song, regardless of how ruinous the results.

29 comments

Jan 20 2008

A Gentle Reminder

By OPOL

This will probably step on a lot of toes around here but believe me, that is not my intent. I just want to point out, to remind you as it were, that much of the passion being expended on the Presidential campaign is wasted emotion. I want to tell you that the horse race, in which so many of you have invested so much, is really a rat race after all. For all their happy crap none of the establishment candidates will serve our interests.

democratic-debate_MINE

Jan 20 2008

Peace History – This Past Week

By jimstaro

Below you will find abit about the History of this Planet that makes for such a turbulent World to live in, from one of the many sites, found on the web and before that, and still, in the many history books written to supposedly help us humans remember and not repeat the failed policies and actions of the past.

These track the importance of what man does, the failures and the recognition, leading to the actions, or lack of, of many trying to right the wrongs to bring about a better World to exist in and leave a better World for those that follow.

We Fail Miserably in the study of the past, as we repeat the wrongs, more than the rights, over and over, while creating more wrongs!

Jan 20 2008

Remembering Dr. King’s True Legacy

By davidseth

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King recognized the importance and validity of direct action as a tactic in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail:

You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

In honor of Dr. King and in light of the past 7 years and the horrendous list of illegal, unconstitutional acts by the Government, a list that I will not bother to recount here, I think it’s time for us to reconsider the role that direct action can now play in restoring America to its most Democratic, humane, and decent principles.

Creating of constructive, nonviolent tension even in the face of threats of extremist violence is Dr. King’s true legacy. My hope is that in honor of his birth we will find the courage to do as he would have.

Jan 20 2008

Pony Party: Sunday music retrospective

By Turing Test

(Young) Rascals

It’s a Beautiful Morning

Jan 20 2008

Docudharma Times Sunday January 20

Filed under News

This Thread is Open: Never to be foreclosed

Sunday’s Headlines: Overseas Investors Buy U.S. Holdings at a Record Pace: Caucus training prepares participants to spread the love: Violence fear over Islam film: China hushes up Olympic deaths: Tijuana’s new chief knows the cartel’s killers are after him: Ex-child soldier’s literary bestseller is ‘factually flawed’

McCain Beats Huckabee in S. Carolina; Clinton and Romney Win in Nevada

Florida Now Looms as Key GOP Primary

Sunday, January 20, 2008; Page A01

COLUMBIA, S.C., Jan. 19 — Sen. John McCain conquered the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday, giving his once-embattled presidential campaign another significant boost and helping to wipe away bitter memories of his defeat here eight years ago.

McCain (Ariz.) opened his victory speech in Charleston by alluding to that loss. “It took us a while, but what’s eight years among friends?” he said, a big smile crossing his face.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, looking for a victory in the first Southern primary of the 2008 nomination battle, finished second to McCain, but not getting a victory in this conservative state is a blow to his underdog hopes of winning the GOP nomination.

Just one more year! Good riddance to George W Bush

But what kind of mess will the next president inherit, exactly 12 months from today? By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Arabia is the land of illusion and desert mirages. And as he jetted last week from kingdom to sheikdom, to be regaled with feasts and falcons, jewels and ornamental swords, George Bush might have imagined that all was well with his presidency. But this, his longest and most ambitious trip to the Middle East, will surely be remembered – if it is remembered at all – as a gaudy, irrelevant footnote to a presidency that has long since failed.

Today is a sombre milestone, marking the start of the last of Mr Bush’s eight years in the White House. This being a leap year, exactly 366 days remain until 20 January 2009, when his successor will be sworn into office. It is a time when incumbents look to their legacies. And for this President the view could scarcely be bleaker.

Jan 20 2008

Canada: Beware of Darkness

By Tigana

“Watch out now, take care

Beware of greedy leaders

They take you where you should not go

While weeping atlas cedars

They just want to grow, grow and grow

Beware of darkness (beware of darkness)”

Canada puts US, Israel on torture watch list, then retracts

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Arti…

http://www.reuters.com/article…

But, given swhat Canada allowed to happen to one of its own citizens, Maher Arar, perhaps Canada itself should be on the torture watch list.

The Horrors of Extraordinary Rendition:

http://www.commondreams.org/vi…

http://www.freedomsite.org/leg…

From the page: “TORONTO . January 15, 2007. Despite an Eastern Ontario snowfall that delayed the appearance of his counsel, Barbara Kulaszka , for an hour and a half. M arc Lemire walked out of Federal Court in Toronto today a happy man. By sheer persistence, he had wrung out of the Canadian Human Rights Commissions some amazing admissions. At least one investigator for the Canadian Human Rights Commission has adopted a false Internet persona and trolled the Internet engaging in conversations with prospective victims. In other words, the CHRC is spying on Canadians, not observing and investigating, but participating and instigating.”

Hate, brought to you by the Canadian government.

Thanks to Laukev7

http://laukev7.stumbleupon.com

and for his tireless work for truth at

http://www.gatecreepers.com/

6 comments

Jan 20 2008

Reference Desk: A Question and Some Funny Lines

By GreyHawk

I’ve got a question about a book title for folks, and then a request for folks to share their favorite odd or surreal sayings; I’ll cover the book question above the fold, then share an odd line related to the author and a relate a short experience with another “gotcha!” line afterward.

You’ll have full use of the comment section for replies to either or both.

First, the book related question:

There’s a 1958 book by Richard Matheson called “A Stir of Echoes” — it was eventually made into a Kevin Bacon flick, but that’s not important.

I’m interested in determining whether the title was ever a quote from a larger work of literature.

I’ve checked quote databases, but cannot locate it. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that it was taken from somewhere…anybody know for sure?

Jan 20 2008

Iglesia ……………………………………… Episode 26

By buhdydharma in Fiction

(Iglesia is a serialized novel, published on Tuesdays and Saturdays at midnight ET, you can read all of the episodes by clicking on the tag.)

Previous episode and previous pertinent episode

He woke again with the sweet and seductive smell of cedar in his nose….and the cry of a raven in his ears. His eyes opened again to the peaceful and wonder full sight of the immensely beautiful and magnificently orderly chaotic grain and texture and….taste….of the blond and tan wood. He, during his untimed sojourn here, had become so permeated and so ingrained on the wood and in the tree that he occupied, that he now experienced it on the level of an actual taste in his mouth, and not merely smell and sight. He could also tell now that the sound of water he had heard before was coming from some cataracts, or a small waterfall. He wondered how long he had been here, how long he had been sleeping. The feel of the soft leather of his strange new clothes on his skin felt wonderful and right and natural and….he just lay there…not moving…afraid to move….lest the feeling of peace and pleasure he felt right now, would flee.

Jan 20 2008

Saturday Night at the Pictures – The Hawaii Edition

By Mark Brooks

Well, some of you may have seen me talking about being sick. That is true. Here’s the damage:

Acute Sinusitis

Acute Asthmatic Bronchitis

Acute Laryngitis

This is probably why I am late posting tonight. I also haven’t been sleeping very much.

Anyway, on to the show. Tonight we visit the 50th state, Hawaii. I was last in Hawaii almost 4 years ago. I won’t tell the whole story here tonight, because it is is an odyssey all on it’s own. My cousin, whom I have know all my life, and who has been a millionaire twice over, is a true piece of work. He asked me if I would come with him to Hawaii for several weeks, and to Anchorage for several more weeks. I used to live in Alaska, and he wanted my help (but not really) on operating his roofing business more efficiently. he is also a long-distance bicycle rider. So I was to be the ‘chase car’, among other things (including psychiatrist).

These photos are from that trip in March and April of 2004, a few months after I started blogging in earnest and joined the giant orange psych ward.

I shouldn’t be too hard on people, but I honestly believe that if most of the ‘advocates’ went out and worked the streets and towns, they would know the difference between a blog and a Democratic Committee.

The photo at left is on the highway from Lahaina to Kihei. I am a compulsive vacation picture taker, the winner of all time in 200 , when Lisa and I took over 7,000 digital photos on our trip from Virginia to California to pick up the last of my belongings.

The next few pictures are from the Baldwin Sugar Museum, across the street from the cane processing plant. It was interesting, and also kind of like looking at a dying industry. I especially loved the ancient equipment on display.

~~join me for more~~