31 March 2005

RIP Schiavo...and RIP states' rights

RIP to Terry Schiavo and condolences to her family. This is the day that should have come a long time ago. Not to be crass, but her husband, her legal guardian, has stated time and again that her request was to not live in the vegetative state she's been in for the past however so many years. While it's easily understandable that the Schindlers did not want to let go of their daughter, it's turned into a political ploy from, if not the Schindlers themselves, people in the immediate inner-circle of the Schindlers. In recent days, stories have emerged regarding the sale of contributor information to the Schindlers' cause. The lists are being sold to right-wing groups (anti-abortion, etc.) without the contributors acknowledgement. Aside from privacy violations, it's simply a sad state of affairs that something like this would occur. Granted, this issue has clearly become something larger than just Teri Schiavo, but the transparently political-ness of the situation is both sad and sickening. Memos from Republicans saying that this would rally their base and make the re-election campaign of Florida Senator Bill Nelson swing their way show the right wing's lack of integrity.

As a sidenote, what happened to the states' rights tenets of republicans and conservatives? Suddenly we have the federal government involving itself in these traditional states' rights issues, from NCLB to something like this. Instead of focusing on Teri Schiavo and passing legislation in the middle of the night that affects one person, why not work on fixing the health care system at large? Encourage living wills. Strengthen the qualifications of the doctors that work on people such as Teri Schiavo, so accidents like the one that occurred to her don't transpire as often.

Crazy baby lady gives birth to baby with umbilical cord before faking throwing him out of her car with her pants down.

So a woman gives birth to her child on her own at a gas station. Then, naked from the waste down and with the umbilical cord still attached, she drives off to the hospital. Cops are alerted to a mistaken report of a woman trying to throw a baby out of her car, pull the woman over, she goes, 'no i cant throw the baby out if it's umbilical cord is still attached, and besides, i have no pants on' (i'm paraphrasing of course), the cops let her go, and the baby is in ICU. Wow. I hope my wife knows how to deliver her baby at a gas station too.

Crazy baby lady gives birth to baby with umbilical cord before faking throwing him out of her car with her pants down.

30 March 2005


And to finish off my trio of pictures, here's another one from SD. This is on the ranch where they filmed Dances with Wolves. In July, before the 90 hour work weeks (we were probably mid-60s at that point) we had a staff retreat. At the ranch we ate buffalo (incredible) and wandered around acres of open land in search of their buffalo. Luckily, we didn't run into them. Posted by Hello


Oh and here's me in South Dakota standing in front of the Corn Palace. If you've ever been there, you'll understand the confused look on my face. Posted by Hello


Anyone find this offensive? It's from my recent trip to Vegas...damn was that shit fun. Posted by Hello

28 March 2005

Chaos Theory

Well, at least I now know what Justice at Stake is. Seems decent. Position pretty good - basically a researcher/media person...could be interesting. Not entirely sure I'm interested in the subject matter, but then again don't really know what I'm interested in anyway.

Sidenote - just watched Butterfly Effect. Now aside from the homosexual factor of watching a movie with Ashton Kutcher (Amy Smart makes up for it...she's good), this movie is a mind fuck. Who would have thought a teen movie with the Punk'd star would be as philosophical as anything I've seen since Matrix.

Basically, revolves around the Chaos theory, where the movie gets its name - a butterfly flapping its wings here can cause an earthquake somewhere else in the world. They added a fucked up story that involved pedophilia, killing dogs and children, fraternities and prison blow jobs, but the basic idea is really interesting...every action we take can have monumental effects on the future. For example, had I been more charismatic, friendlier, and more attractive during my interview today...or with the AFT...or with CAP...I could have a job and be on my way to my first million...fine some things are impossible regardless of choices, but seriously, that kinda shit fucks with my mind...is every decision the most important of your life? If so...don't fuck it up.

Job interview

And so begins my spate of four job interviews in 24 hours. First up - Justice At Stake

Sounds like a decent research position...tomorrow, I'll be at MSHC Direct, a Dem direct mail firm looking for a database analyst (which I apparently am at least marginally qualified for, shockingly), a field mobilization organizer for the SEIU which pays really well and would be a good chance to get in with a growing union, and Street Law, which I don't really know much about, but must have sounded good when I applied for it so I'll interview anyway...

Off to Justice at Stake.

Indonesia

Apparently another tsunami may be hitting...
8.2 earthquake hit off the southwest coast of Indonesia - experts fear "[t]here is a potential for some wave activity," said Julie Martinez, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center, in Golden, Colorado.



Update 3:35 PM

Fifty people died on the island of Nias, near the epicenter of a massive earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, a government official there told CNN. The U.S. Geological Survey has raised the magnitude of Monday's earthquake that shook Southeast Asia today to 8.7.


8.7 is an incredibly strong earthquake. Luckily it looks like the threat of another tsunami has passed.

Update 8:45 PM
1,000-2,000 people dead in the same country devastated by the tsunami 3 months ago. No tsunami coming, but shit man...you gotta wonder.

22 March 2005

(an)employed democrat?

Well...only kinda. Temping at the Assoc of Trial Lawyers of America - may as well be working for the Dem party the way they're looked at. Pays pretty well, get to work with two friends, sit in an office of my own...and copy edit. Great times...

Some progress on the real job front though. Had an interview with the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, one with the National Association of Letter Carriers (not to be a letter carrier, but to represent them) tomorrow, and one with the SEIU on Tuesday. However, still no offers...I'm getting antsy.

It's kinda cool working in Georgetown, basically on M Street right by Mr. Smith's, but it's one hell of a bitch to get to from Woodley Park. Not complaining though, as I said, pays well.

16 March 2005

Wolfie

I was just thinking how I don't blog enough, and then I run into this.

Wolfowitz tapped for World Bank.

Who the fuck is kidding who???

President Bush outlined the reasons he chose Wolfowitz in a news conference Wednesday, calling him "a man of good experience."


A man of good experience getting us into unjustified wars should be the President of the World Bank, an organization that's supposed to give money to poor countries. Of course, this was prior to reading, and remembering, this:

Radelet said McNamara was accused of channeling aid to nations based not on need but on their support of U.S. policy.


So the former Pres of the World Bank was accused of cahnneling money based on support of US policy, then we put in a neo-conservative who was one of the integral architects of the Iraq war, a war in which, those that "weren't with us, were against us," and where we wouldn't give rebuilding contracts to those countries that didn't support the war militarily.

This is all a little bit troubling...Good thing the World Bank is at least relatively useless already. We wouldn't want to ruin an important institution with a bad choice for US representation...oh....wait...the UN. Right.

14 March 2005

In Other News

Anybody else have trouble untying those twistie tie things on bread loaf bags and other assorted grocery products? Or is it just a lack of manual dexterity on my part?

10 March 2005

More DeLay ethics issues

From the Post:

A delegation of Republican House members including Majority Leader Tom DeLay accepted an expense-paid trip to South Korea in 2001 from a registered foreign agent despite House rules that bar the acceptance of travel expenses from foreign agents, according to government documents and travel reports filed by the House members.


They just can't seem to keep out of the ethics committee.

What's with DeLay? The guy has the rules changed on his behalf, and still can't manage to keep himself nor his staff out of the limelight.

It continues to boggle the mind as to how the 'family values,' 'moral values,' holier than though coalition manages to evade more negative press for their ethics issues.

Terps

Terps sweep Duke yet lose three to Clemson, including today, when they get knocked out in the first round of the ACC. Go figure. Stupid Turtles.

I eagerly await the day that American University is a basketball powerhouse. So in 40 years or so, watch out.

09 March 2005

NY Gov race

Sure, it's not for another 19 or so months, but I'm looking forward to my douchebag governor Pataki going down. Acording to The New York Newsday a Siena poll shows:
The Siena College Research Institute poll had Spitzer leading Pataki, 53 percent to 30 percent, up from a 51 percent-to-35 percent lead for the attorney general in a Siena poll last month.
...
In the new Siena poll, just a quarter of voters said the state was on the right track, down from 32 percent in Siena's February poll.


While I'm clearly unhappy that for the next 19 months, we have to continue to be on the wrong track, I'm pumped for Spitzer to take over. I volunteered at an event of his in January, heard him speak, and met his deputy campaign director - good guy. Unfortunately they aren't hiring in the immediate future, or else I might still be in NY working for him. Nonetheless, this is good news. It'll hopefully start with the defeat of Bloomberg by Ferrer (the likely candidate) or someone else sneaking in (Weiner? But who could really vote for a Mayor named Weiner...)

07 March 2005

I'm back baby - DC

To all of my dedicated readers (note sarcasm), sorry for the extended break. While I still am an unemployed democrat, I've actually been getting some interviews, taking up some of my waking hours. This does not explain my complete absence, as I know many of you depend on me as a source for hard-hitting news, but what can I say. It's DC - there are things to do around here, even if you're unemployed. Ever visit a back-alley in SE? Yea, me neither, but I bet it'd be fun...

So far, I've received calls from the
American Federation of Teachers,
The National Association of Letter Carriers,
Factcheck.org
and American Progress

Not a bad combination.

It's way different being down here and actually being able to make it to an interview the next day or in two days, than having to traverse several states from my former HQ up in New York. It's nice to be back - definitely happy to not be stranded in my home with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Still would make me happy to have a job/income/sense of purpose at some point soon at the least. I'm headed in the right direction. Stay tuned for some actual news-related postings.