The ABA Journal (the American Bar Association Journal) brightens my day with this item:

The Christian law firm Liberty Counsel is selling “Adopt a Liberal” playing cards designed to harness the power of prayer to restore “poor leaders to right thinking.”

For $20, liberal detractors can buy the playing cards, featuring 51 liberals and an “unknown” liberal card that can represent their liberal of choice, the Washington Post reports. The cards come with instructions that say: “We encourage you to seek the Lord’s guidance on how to pray for your liberal(s), always allowing God to temper your prayer with his love and mercy.”

A press release on the playing cards features a trademark designation after the “Adopt a Liberal” name.

I am respectfully soliciting designation as the “‘unknown’ liberal” in everyone’s deck.  Obviously I’m not famous enough (yet) to have my own card.  According to the WaPo, those who are famous enough to be on the cards include Barbara Boxer, DiFi, Ahnold, Pelosi, Oprah, Hillary, and Michael Bloomberg.  Also, Al Gore (surprise!), Arianna, Bill Maher.  And Arlan Spector.  Sadly, I’m just not that famous, but, and this is a very, very important but, I am far, far more liberal than most all of those listed.

Here’s how to order.

Place your hands upon that keyboard and send those prayers my way.  I will appreciate them.  I promise.

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simulposted at The Dream Antilles and daiyKos

This seems to be progress. The Senate measure is an initial, timid step in the right direction.  But it doesn’t end a decade’s long, offensive, racially based inequality in federal drug sentencing.  It just makes it a fifth as bad as it was.

The United States at this moment imprisons more than 2 million people.  7 million additional people are under supervision of some sort.  Seventy percent of US prisoners are non-white.  Approximately one-quarter of all those held in US prisons or jails have been convicted of a drug offense. “The United States incarcerates more people for drug offenses than any other country. With an estimated 6.8 million Americans struggling with drug abuse or dependence, the growth of the prison population continues to be driven largely by incarceration for drug offenses.”  Forget the statistics for a second.  US prisons are disproportionately jammed with non-white people who have been convicted of drug crimes, and non-whites serve longer sentences than whites for possession of drugs.  

Clarence Thomas may not have spoken in oral arguments at the Supreme Court in more than four years, but this morning Linda Greenhouse writes in the New York Times about Thomas’s consistent, twice repeated argument that the Eighth Amendment does not proscribe “harsh treatment”, including beatings of prisoners.  You read that correctly.  Prison beatings, according to Justice Thomas, aren’t forbidden by the Eighth Amendment. And presumably, neither are stress positions, sleep deprivation and other forms of torture.  And as if that position were not repulsive enough, Thomas apparently wants it to be adopted by the new majority of the Supreme Court.

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

Henry VI, Part 2; Act 4, Scene2

The New York Times editorial gets it right.  The Right is attacking DoJ lawyers who once represented Gitmo detainees.  The Times correctly points out that this is a smear for political gain that undercuts justice in this country.

In the McCarthy era, demagogues on the right smeared loyal Americans as disloyal and charged that the government was being undermined from within.

In this era, demagogues on the right are smearing loyal Americans as disloyal and charging that the government is being undermined from within.

Yesterday, Brazil, who have to be the favorite to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, played an international friendly match against Ireland.  Ireland has a very good team.  You might recall that Ireland was robbed of a chance to play in South Africa because Thierry Henry of France put the ball in the goal after touching it his hand (twice) while a referee slept nearby.

Yesterday Brazil beat Ireland 2-0.  And, of course, you can see the two goals in the following video.  The first goal is an own goal: the ball went into the net off the body of the Irish defender (who shall remain nameless).  The second goal is an example of the magic of Brazilian futbol: Goal by Robinho, wonderful assist by Grafite, who led the German Bundesliga in scoring last year.  Yeah, Brazilian football stars ofter are like Cher, having only one name.  Watch the Brazilian video.  Turn the audio up.  Feel the energy of this game.

Why’d I put this up at docuDharma?  This is the world game.  And the World Cup is the pinnacle of the world game.  The US will play in it, but really, the US isn’t a futbol power.  Far, far from it.  Teams that are powers are Brazil, Argentina who beat Germany today, Spain and England.  And Mexico. Teams that might be powers but today are not doing so great include Germany, Ivory Coast, Italy, Egypt, and Nigeria.

Sometimes I think that if more people in the US understood futbol, maybe they’d understand our neighbors in the world a little better.  What interests them.  What games they play.  How they feel about strategy, art, athletics, aesthetics, competition.  Understanding can only make us all closer.  And being closer in this might even make us less likely to fight with each other.  So I offer this essay as a simple, first step toward cultivating your checking out this sport.

If you like this simple essay, I’ll do a few more futbol essays before the World Cup begins in June.  Just to get you ready and in sync with the rest of the planet.  And I won’t cross-post them.

Chile’s Earthquake

The New York Times is reporting that yesterday’s Chile’s government, having recognized the far ranging extent of the national catastrophe, was at last calling for international assistance.  The Times reports:

The New York Times reports:

A strong aftershock struck Chile on Sunday, a day after a destructive 8.8-magnitude earthquake left hundreds of people dead and a long swath of the country in smoky rubble.

The death toll was expected to rise, particularly around Concepción, Chile’s second-largest metropolitan area, which is roughly 70 miles from the quake’s center. The aftershock was reported around 8:30 local time Sunday morning from the capital of Santiago, where it shook buildings, according to Reuters.

More than 1.5 million people have displaced by the quake, according to local news services that quoted the director of Chile’s emergency management office. In Concepción, which appeared to be especially hard hit, the mayor said Sunday morning that 100 people were trapped under the rubble of a building that had collapsed, according to Reuters.

Elsewhere in Concepción, cars lay mangled and upended on streets littered with telephone wires and power cables. A new 14-story apartment building fell, while an older, biochemical lab at the University of Concepción caught fire.

In other words, what Chilean President Michele Bachelet called a “catastrophe.”

Time, again, to get out the checkbook. Please remember that this is the internet.  Heroics aren’t required, all that’s needed are large amounts of people giving small amounts of money.

The Nation let’s us know how to help:

Save The Children — Save The Children is sending an emergency assessment team to Chile, and is asking for contributions to its Children’s Emergency Fund to aid these efforts.

World Vision — The international development, relief and advocacy organization has already sent its first relief flight, from Bolivia this afternoon, with supplies like tarps, blankets, plastic sheeting, and collapsible water containers for survivors. Support these efforts with earmarked gifts to families that need them.

AmeriCares — Vice President of Emergency Response, Christoph Gorder, says AmeriCares is sending medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Chile. Make a direct contribution to AmeriCares’ Chilean earthquake fund.

Habitat for Humanity — Habitat for Humanity has a continual presence in Chile, where the group has constructed more than 1,300 homes. Habitat will be essential in reconstruction efforts, especially in hard-hit rural areas.

International Medical Corps — IMC has a presence in dozens of countries around the globe, providing immediate medical care to those affected by natural disasters. Contribute to its emergency response fund.

ShelterBox — International disaster relief agency ShelterBox has mobilized a team to bring aid to Concepcion, Chile’s second largest city, which saw the worse damage.

There are other groups I like to support I have not listed here.  I will update this later to add them.  Also, I have some antipathy to some of the groups here, particularly World Vision, because of their proselytizing activities to indigenous people in the high Andes, but right now I think the primary idea is to get aid on the ground. There doesn’t seem to me to be time to apply litmus tests to the groups that can help right now.

Update: 2/28/10, 1:15 pm ET:  Please add to groups that can help the following:

Oxfam America and

Doctors Without Borders

Update: 2/28/10, 1:30 pm ET: You can also donate via text message as follows:

   * Text CHILE to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross

   * Text CHILE to 23583 to donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity

   * Text CHILE to 20222 to donate $10 to World Vision

   * Text CHILE to 50555 to donate $10 to the Friends of World Food Program

   * Text CHILE to 52000 to donate $10 to the Salvation Army

   * Text REBUILD to 50555 to donate $10 to Operation USA

   * Text 4CHILE to 50555 to donate $10 to Convoy of Hope

Update: 2/28/10, 1:35 pm ET: google is supporting donations to UNICEF and Direct Relief International.

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simulposted at dailyKos and The Dream Antilles.  Feel free to copy and post elsewhere.

Church In Santiago, Chile

This will be quick and linky.

CNN reports:

A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile early Saturday, killing at least 122 people and triggering tsunami warnings for the entire Pacific basin.

Numerous tsunami waves have been reported in the Pacific, with one reaching as high as 7.7 feet in the central Chile coastal town of Talcahuano, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Sirens sounded at 6 a.m. Friday across Hawaii, warning people of a possible tsunami and telling people in coastal areas to evacuate.

“They’re going to sound the sirens to air on the side of caution and make sure there’s enough time to get people out of the evacuation zones, which are the coastal areas that may be affected,” Brian Shiro of the Pacific Tsuanmi Warning Center said.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said she expected the death toll in her country to rise.

You can get streaming Chile TV here.  News and pictures, updates.  Death toll now more than 120 people.

Live coverage from Hawaii via MSNBC is here.  Threat of tsunami has caused evacuation of beach fronts.

The planet is doing what it is capable of doing.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all in Chile and the Pacific.

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Updates (2/27/10, 12:45 pm ET): New photos from WaPo.

Large FP diary by Darksyde at GOS.  Also, first person recc’d diary.