March 10, 2008 archive

Pony Party, Home-and-Home!!

Tuesday and Wednesday…Leafs/Flyers “home-and-home”.  If you dont know what that means….the 2 teams play back-to-back nights, tuesday in toronto, wednesday in philly.  These things get ugly anyway….but these 2 particular teams hate each other already….

I auto-publish, but as of this typing, the flyers are in the last playoff spot in the east by 4 teeny tiny points..and need to keep winning to stay ahead of buffalo (and staring down the barrel of nj as a first-round opponent…yikes).  I wont get into the specifics with toronto…lets just say theyre playing for pride right now  ðŸ˜‰

Docudharma Times Monday March 10



She seems to be stronger, but what they want her to be is weak

She could play pretend, she could join the game, boy

She could be another clone

Monday’s Headlines: Senate panel critiques prewar claims by White House: Surging costs of groceries hit home: Pope could face protests in Ireland over abuse cases: Climate change may spark conflict with Russia, EU told: Pakistan judges may be reinstated in coalition deal: Thirsty land sucked dry to irrigate Olympics: President Robert Mugabe accused of taking company cash to buy votes: Rare pygmy hippos caught on film: Toddler Returns to Iraq After Life-Saving Surgery: Studies: Iraq costs US $12B per month: New docs detail Colombian rebel ties

Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say

The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures may be far more difficult than previous research suggested, say scientists who have just published studies indicating that it would require the world to cease carbon emissions altogether within a matter of decades.

Their findings, published in separate journals over the past few weeks, suggest that both industrialized and developing nations must wean themselves off fossil fuels by as early as mid-century in order to prevent warming that could change precipitation patterns and dry up sources of water worldwide.

Congressional races round 2: Massachusetts and Michigan

Massachusetts has 10 representatives: All Democrats

Filing deadline is June 3, primary is Sept 16

Michigan has 15 representatives: 9 Republicans and 6 Democrats

Filing deadline is May 13, primary is Aug 5

earlier entries in this series are here

Muse in the Morning

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Muse in the Morning

The muses are ancient.  The inspirations for our stories were said to be born from them.  Muses of song and dance, or poetry and prose, of comedy and tragedy, of the inward and the outward.  In one version they are Calliope, Euterpe and Terpsichore, Erato and Clio, Thalia and Melpomene, Polyhymnia and Urania.

It has also been traditional to name a tenth muse.  Plato declared Sappho to be the tenth muse, the muse of women poets.  Others have been suggested throughout the centuries.  I don’t have a name for one, but I do think there should be a muse for the graphical arts.  And maybe there should be many more.

Please join us inside to celebrate our various muses…

Rain and Wind Batter English Coast

Cross-posted from THE ENVIRONMENTALIST

The British Met Office has issued flood alerts for the entire Devon and Cornwall coast amidst a storm that has reached the west of England and Wales and is expected to impact much of the U.K. over the next two days.

STORM WARNINGS

Storm warnings have been issued for the areas coloured in red on the map (map at this link).

Rain and fierce winds are hitting parts of the UK, as what could be winter’s worst storm moves in from the Atlantic.

Emergency services said trees had been uprooted and power lines brought down in south-west England, where winds have reached almost 80mph (130km/h). Severe flood warnings have been issued for the Devon and Cornwall coast. In St Brides, Newport, 170 people were told to evacuate a caravan park overnight.

Meanwhile, forecasters say central Scotland will see blizzards and snow.

The BBC has put together a satellite slide show of the approaching storm. Warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency to stay away from exposed coastline and to watch for floods in the effected areas…

Why Bush Defends Secret Torture Techniques

“Alternative procedures.” “Valuable tools in the war on terror.” “Specialized interrogation procedures.” “Safe and lawful techniques.” “Good policies.”

George W. Bush has more euphemisms for torture than his creepy Veep, Cheney, has expletives on supply.

On Saturday, in his weekly radio address, President Bush announced his veto of the Congressional Intelligence bill, which included a ban on CIA use of certain “enhanced” interrogation methods, like waterboarding. Bush defended the use of the so-called “alternative procedures” practiced by the CIA, as necessary for field intelligence officers interrogating “hardened terrorists.” The play upon the fear of Americans of terrorist attack in the aftermath of the horrific 9/11 events turns upon well-understood traumatic mechanisms in the human psyche.

Why Bush Defends Secret Torture Techniques

“Alternative procedures.” “Valuable tools in the war on terror.” “Specialized interrogation procedures.” “Safe and lawful techniques.” “Good policies.”

George W. Bush has more euphemisms for torture than his creepy Veep, Cheney, has expletives on supply.

On Saturday, in his weekly radio address, President Bush announced his veto of the Congressional Intelligence bill, which included a ban on CIA use of certain “enhanced” interrogation methods, like waterboarding. Bush defended the use of the so-called “alternative procedures” practiced by the CIA, as necessary for field intelligence officers interrogating “hardened terrorists.” The play upon the fear of Americans of terrorist attack in the aftermath of the horrific 9/11 events turns upon well-understood traumatic mechanisms in the human psyche.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

Feeling guilty about blogging yet?

Second Life avatars and Brazilians: the same carbon footprint

by Aurelia End, AFP

Thu Mar 6, 2:23 PM ET

HANOVER, Germany (AFP) – What do an avatar on Second Life and the average inhabitant of Brazil in the real world have in common? Incredibly, they both use the same amount of electricity.

It is perhaps not a fair example as the average virtual being in the online community is not active all the time, but the statistic does show that all that time the rich world spends online has an impact on the environment.

And how. Providing energy to work the Internet needs the equivalent of 14 power stations, which in turn cough out the same amount of harmful carbon dioxide emissions as the airline industry, research has estimated.

Sonic the Hedgehog, climate killer?

by Simon Sturdee, AFP

Fri Mar 7, 12:15 PM ET

HANOVER, Germany (AFP) – “I don’t care, we’re all going to die anyway,” says 17-year-old Christian, to laughs from his friends as they play video games at the CeBIT IT fair in Germany.

What he does not care about is the environmental impact of the games console he and his mates are playing in a giant exhibition hall crammed full of other teenagers playing the latest shoot-em-ups, driving games and the like.

Whereas many of the 5,500 exhibitors at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany like IBM and Deutsche Telekom have been at pains to trumpet their green credentials, in Hall 22 there is not a tree-hugger in sight.

The Republican National Convention of 1860

In 1856, the Republican Party met for the first time to put together a platform

http://alpha.furman.edu/~benso…

and ready itself for the first presidential run.  Chicago was chosen for the first convention.   The convention was held at the Wigwam,

Photobucket

a wooden structure built expressly for the convention.  The Republican Party appointed delegates at the state level.  These people were chosen to determine the best candidate to represent the party in the general election.

Photobucket

Cross posted at EENR

Arctic Is New Gold Rush, Ignoring Inuit Is Not New (Photo Edited)


…but the Arctic is the scene for a new kind of international gold rush…


Arctic a potential conflict zone, Europe warned

BRUSSELS, Belgium – European Union leaders will receive a stark warning next week of potential conflict with Russia over energy resources at the North Pole as global warning melts the ice cap and aggravates international security threats.

See video

Nuts, Bolts, and one of my hopes

Like some of you, I am not inclined to particularly bash a candidate or have my heart go fluttering either. I am agnostic and I have no problem with those who are passionate as long as my measured reluctance does not stir them into a frenzy of some attempt to intervene for my own good. I have many issues that need fixing and possibly intensive therapy, my refusal to invest in a particular person isn’t one of them.

Although the right has long positioned themselves as being champions for “family values” what they actually champion hegemony, social control, a strict definition of families as being strictly a self contained nuclear unit, and a return to good old fashioned patriarchy. I. Am. Not. Interested. In. That. So… just to annoy people I tell them I don’t care about family values. Did you know watching heads explode could be a sport or a hobby?

Families are blended, extended, made up of (gasp) unmarried people, gay, straight, and the undecided, adults are taking care of their kids, their grandkids, kids that they adopted, unofficially adopted, their own parents, friends, those with chronic illness, disabilities, those who fell on hard times, they are in short making up their own little communities quite in defiance of what the right thinks they should be doing. They might not even think of themselves as rebels. And. They are being squeezed by their obligations, their hopes, and wishes to be a community by a complete lack of legislative support. We constantly ask why ordinary Americans are not agitating and participating. Maybe they are numb, not from political fatigue or disaffection….. they don’t have time. They have no free time, their desire to help others in their families has dire financial consequences as well. They are going into work half asleep because they were up all night before caring or tending to another person. They are worried at work while they are half asleep that might might make an error and lose their job.

Many Americans are every day heroes in this effort. They might not have that self image or a wish to get the keys to the city for recognizing the paths they choose.

FMLA is not enough. Unpaid leave for workers who are lucky enough to be in place that has 50 or more employees is not enough. I am not a policy wonk, nor do I play one in bloggyland.

A few states have attempted to rectify this, New Jersey being the most recent. It will have to pass approval in the General Assembly but the Senate narrowly approved

paid leave for workers to meet the demands of caring for others. It is to be financed through payroll taxes although the article indicates it might also require the shifting of monies from that state’s temporary disability funds.

Those with bigger brains that I can read the actual legislation here.

Most of the objections centered on a perceived hostility to business interests. Six weeks seems barely adequate. Well, it isn’t. Who know if the General Assembly will even pass it. If it does, New Jersey will be the third state along with Washington, set to be implemented in 2009, and California.

Lead Up To Winter Soldier II – SOLDIER’S STORIES

On Sunday, 3-9-08, a fundraiser was held at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach for Iraq veterans eager to talk about the war they saw; a war rife with death, anger, courage and lies. The fundraisers intent was to help defray the costs needed to send the same vets to speak in Washington D.C. at Winter Soldier II, to be held from Thursday March 13 to Sunday March 16, prior to that  The District Weekly of Long Beach asked several of them to tell them their stories.

Below you will find some snips about each and what they had to say, with the link above taking you to the rest.

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