Feb 02 2008
I am all for running everywhere, and the 50 state strategy.
But neither we nor the Republicans are running everywhere (at least not yet!) In this series, I will look at where we are not running (I am not going to look at where Republicans are not running, as I have no desire to help Republicans, however modestly)
This diary is partly inspired by the great work done by BENAWU.
crossposted to dailyKos
Feb 02 2008
I am all for running everywhere, and the 50 state strategy.
But neither we nor the Republicans are running everywhere (at least not yet!) In this series, I will look at where we are not running (I am not going to look at where Republicans are not running, as I have no desire to help Republicans, however modestly)
This diary is partly inspired by the great work done by BENAWU.
crossposted to dailyKos
Feb 02 2008
In Can You Help? NOLA’s 9th Ward Needs Us! the excellent ikrisarus starts the big challenge:
A group of bloggers over at Docudharma have been actively writing about NOLA after Hurricane Katrina and we have decided to do a week-end marathon fund-raiser for the 9th Wards’ NENA (Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association)
The Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) was established in the aftermath of Katrina to play a lead role in rebuilding New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.
Organized and controlled by residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, NENA addresses not only the immediate recovery needs created by the storm’s destruction, but also the institutional neglect and disinvestment that plagued the neighborhood long before Katrina. NENA works with current Lower Ninth Ward residents, displaced residents living in other parts of New Orleans, and the broader diaspora who want to return to the neighborhood.
Feb 02 2008
It was an audacious project: 7500 saffron-orange gates covering 23 miles of footpaths in Central Park. A work of art some 25 years in the making, with an estimated total cost of $21 million, paid for by the artist. And it had the whole city talking.
Feb 02 2008
On Thursday night students, faculty and staff at Bloomfield College gathered for a discussion of the issues and the candidates in the current campaign. I have to admit I missed it. I was in the midst of becoming rather ill and in need of horizontal collapse.
I do have to admit that Edwards and Giulliani dropping out on Wednesday ticked off the students who were preparing the event for Thursday. Students always hate it when work they’ve done becomes irrelevant. But at least those students were able to participate in the issues discussion.
This event and other events are the brainchildren of a collaboration between the political science, history disciplines and women’s studies disciplines and Student Government. The candidate event kicks off Black History month for us.
Feb 02 2008
A sample below:
Feb 02 2008
Nasa will broadcast the song, Across the Universe, through the transmitters of its deep space communications network on Monday – the 40th anniversary of its recording at London's Abbey Road studios. The music will be converted into digital data and sent on a 431 light year-journey towards Polaris, the North Star, in a stunt that also commemorates the space agency's 50th anniversary. February 4 has also been declared Across the Universe Day by Beatles fans across the world, who are urged to play their own recording of the song at the same time as Nasa begins its own broadcast, 7pm in the US, midnight in the UK and 1am Tuesday in Spain. "I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe," said Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, who has given her backing to the project. story Here is the original version, with space imagery, one of several Beatles versions. Fiona Apple's version is nice, and Rufus Wainwright has a beautiful version but he has disabled embedding. Then there is the movie version which I wrote about after seeing it in the theater and liked enough to recommend renting. _________________________________________________________________________________________
Feb 02 2008
Well, fuck, I guess he got bored dancing exclusively on the graves of New Yorkers. Time to deface New Orleans once more before he goes!
–Yours truly, reacting to Bush’s SOTU announcement to hold this year’s North American Summit in New Orleans
Normally, I’m not the kind to start a diary of any sort out this way, especially with an lead quote from myself. But when Meteor Blades tells you to start a diary with it you don’t ask questions. You just do it. So I did.
This State of the Union is perhaps the most valuable of Bush’s reign. Why? Well, they’ve all been so entirely worthless, that the fact that this one has had a single lone happy side effect makes it by default the best.
It got people talking about what I thought they’d forgotten: the crime against humanity committed in New Orleans in the last days of August and first days of September 2005.
I’m not claiming any moral superiority. I had moved on in my own thoughts as well. Sure, when it would come up, I would feel disgust and outrage. But between the business of living and the neverending tidal wave of horrors that have come since, it hasn’t been in the forefront of my thoughts.
I was, perhaps, just ahead of the curve. I had what happened to New Orleans brought home to me not long ago. And I wanted to share the experience with all of you.
Feb 02 2008
It was an audacious display: thousands of saffron-orange banners in a gray, February Central Park, a work of public art that took decades to complete.
Billowing in the wind, clouds scudding across the sun so that when they passed, the banners glowed.
The reviews may have been mixed, but the project had the whole city talking, and art lovers flew in from all over to see it.
Feb 02 2008
Here is a tip that will come in handy for just HUGE chunks of the Gen Pop…..if you love to blog, don’t become a Blogmaster, it sucks!
Art by Robyn
Now upon reading that, ones first thought may be that this is a pathetic selfish whine……..and one would be correct!
(for newer folks and those with damaged short term memories, Dispatches from the Abyss is the banner that warns people that this piece is personal meta and has no socially redeeming value, when you see it….flee!
Feb 02 2008
‘Round here the locals are known as “woodchucks” by some downstate. It is an apt description as the majority of us are scruffy and prefer the woods to town. So I thought it would be appropriate to share some life lessons I’ve learned by attending various woodchuck parties with you all in case you ever have the opportunity to go to one.
1. “We have a stage and everything” – this means someone laid down a piece of plywood on some tires.
2. “Weekend Festival” – usually means swatting flies in the hot sun or trying to stay dry under a tarp for several hours at a clip.
3. Showing up early means being recruited into the beer runs and setting up the “stage”.
4. Showing up late means having to park at the bottom of the hill and hiking up the treacherous 4WD road.
5. Bringing a propane stove and setting up coffee in the morning will make you everyone’s best friend for the day.
(10 more below the fold..can ya stand it?!)
Feb 02 2008
Does anybody NOT like penguins? Come on I dare ya. These ones are South Africa and the keep mentioned that the weather yesterday ( high 30’s to 40 ) was about the lower limit of what they tolerate.
They have a little “keeper chat” everyday at 15:00 and the penguins know they will also get fed. A Cormorant also from South America and South Africa hangs out in their pool. I wouldn’t say he hung out with them but he did get fed.
This gentleman used to be a normal sized catfish but he took steroids hoping to get a bigger contract…
Pretty fish….
A skink….
