Ah, very funny, helpful, and true dialogue on understanding political terms and their relativity only in San Francisco.

A true champion for the PEOPLE has died. Very sad. She will be missed, especially in these times.

An update from that great Woman of the World Leslie upon her arrival as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya:

"Well I have now been in Kenya for about a week. It feels like I never left. Some one once told me that once you go to Africa you will never want to go anyplace else. I am beginning to think it is true. The minute I stepped off the plane and smelled the air I felt like I was home again. I feel safe and content, giddy as a school girl. My fellow PCv's are great and my home stay family is very kind. They think it is funny that I know Swahili already.
The town of naivasha is beatiful and the lake is amazing. We have already walked through a game park. We saw Giraffes and Zebra and other herbivores and some Hippos. No elephants yet;( soon though. It is such a different experience than before. I am so relaxed and content and the locals are all so kind and helpful and I haven't had anyone harass me yet. Things are good. I miss all of you very much but encourage you all to visit."

Ah, how nice. (Hover your cursor over my weblink.) Aaron, when are we getting together again?

Go, Go, GO!!!!!!!! Did I mention that one should definitely see "8 Women" if one actually wants to see something completely original? Go. Go now. Just go.

Hilarious article on the new, new days of dress codes: The survey showed that, if anything, workplace fashions across the country have gotten, well, scarier. In Atlanta, the offending party wore leopard skin spandex pants. In Boston, the boss walked in with Speedo swim trunks and a towel -- after swimming lessons.

Long Time No See

Ran into an old friend from Kansas City today. Ellen apparently moved to the City last year and she's getting acclimated to its wonder, wonderfulness, wackoes, and wackiness. She and I used to work for Planned Parenthood in Kansas City and are big-time left-wing liberals from the conservative enclave of the Midwest, and yet find ourselves Relative conservatives in the world of San Francisco. Actually, Ellen took over my job as I left for wider pastures (or, rather, smaller apartments) on the Coasts of the East and then the West.

Speaking of wider issues, she commented that I looked good "filled out" which took me aback for a second until I realized that she hasn't seen me since my 125lb days. Most people now say how much I look better now that I lost weight. I forget that some people haven't seen me throughout the whole up-n-down. Ah, history is alive with friends we forget to remember. And then it comes jumping back and becomes a new fuller history of life. Life is funny that weigh, er, way.

And the search goes on.... I feel the way you do when someone tells a joke and everyone laughs, but you don't get the punch line. Then you find out later that no one got it. They laughed because they were supposed to.

Very, very funny. The poor struggles of a fag hag dealing with her mother's desire for her to be married.

Finally, more Democrats are beginning to speak up against Bush and his partisan and dictatorial rants in the move towards war: here, here, here, here, here, and here. It's the power of the grass roots. The party leaders are beginning to discover it. Additionally, here's some sobering thoughts on where all of this is headed after we're done with Iraq.

For a guy who said that he would be a "unifer," Bush certainly has done everything he can to be the opposite. His version of "unifer" seems much more like a dictator telling everyone to fall in line with his thinking. Just check out the headlines today where Bush says, in reaction to all the Democrats crying foul, that "We will speak with one voice." That's not an understanding or a recognition of the concerns Democrats have, that's a call for getting in line. Scarier and scarier all the time.

Very cool site I just found, shyeyes.org. She seems really intelligent and I love her latest poem as well as the fact that she writes haiku on headaches. Plus she has HOT friends.

Amazing! Brilliant! Utter Perfection!!!!

What am I talking about? I caught the movie 8 Femmes (8 Women) tonight as it begins its American debut. It is simply the most original, fantastic, earth-shattering movie; it is undoubtably one of my all-time favorites and it's so out of this world that it's rather hard to rate among other movies.

This movie is simply perfection itself. There are no words. It is not perfect, mind you, but it is perfectly insane, perfectly imperfect, perfectly outrageous, perfectly ORIGINAL, perfectly perfect that it simply defies description. A complete masterpiece. Some may see it and not know what to think because it is so daring, and frankly it could have very easily been outright terrible because it took so many crazy off-the-wall chances with plot, character, story development, style, schemes, lighting, direction, sound, music, artistic vision. And, yet, it works brilliantly! Go, Go, GO see this movie. Even if you end up hating it, you will have to recognize its originality from start to finish. It's hilarious, gorgeous, luscious, vibrant, and downright entertaining. I must simply get a DVD player in the near future just so I can buy this DVD and watch it for hours on end. Go, Go, GO!

Rounding up peace activists in the name of security: What's scariest to me is that there could be this gross interruption of civil rights and nobody is really in charge....That's really 1984-ish.
Is your name on the List? Will you be marked with a red "S"? Who's next?

Congresswoman Barbara Lee takes on Bush, again.

Ahh, that David wit: Maybe that's why I'm so cynical now. I used up all my youthful gay enthusiasm in college...."It's funny," I say when he's done, "sometimes men like you, just coming out of the gate, go through this lesbian phase, always in a hurry to nest."...I'm so jealous of him, standing there like a gay Christopher Columbus just come to shore.

Anyone need a massage? Several years ago, after coming to terms with my OCD diagnosis and realizing I needed to relax, I found the wonderful world of massage. I never had had one before-- part fear, partly because I didn't think I deserved to treat myself well, part who knows. Massage unfortunately has this bad rap sometimes because it's often closely associated with another world I'll leave nameless for now, but massage is truly a very important and legitimate piece of one's well-being.

My very first massage ever was the most amazing experience. I was here in San Francisco on vacation (before having moved here) and I found Kealoha. I had no idea what to expect and was overwhelmed by how amazing it felt. I still go to see Kealoha every once in a while and it really helps, especially with my ongoing neck problems. Another great guy I found in the Bay Area is Mel who gave a tremendous massage to me about 2 years ago and then I lost track of him. I recently found him again and I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

Now, mind you, while these guys are both obviously HOT, they are legitimate masseurs (don't you be thinking nothing else), and both very, very nice and welcoming guys. So if you're in the Bay Area, I would encourage you to treat yourself, give yourself a break, and relax for an hour or two and let them help you unwind. They're webpages have contact info. Tell 'em Reese sent you. ;-)

A very detailed and thoughtful analysis on the coordination of the U.S. and Islamic Theocracies (who we supposedly oppose in everything) around the world at the United Nations to roll back human/women/gay rights and push a right-wing agenda. Steve, good work and thanks for writing the piece.

I love the fact that the term "blog" is becoming more used.

Oh, dearest Barbra, is there nothing you can't do? Is it any wonder why we all love you?

If the U.S. is going to denounce countries around the world for violating chemical and biological arms control treaties, it better make sure its own house is in order first.

I'm such a LOSER when it comes to technology. I'd probably be much happier in a cave, but then mostly I'd just rather have someone else take care of the tech needs of the home. Which leads me to the wonderfulness of Jessie and Chris. You see, for my birthday on last Sunday, I came home from my trip to find a new WEBCAM installed on my computer. And they even had a moving picture recording already on my screen with them dancing around. Isn't that sweet? That was all just perfect and nice. Now comes the LOSER part, I still haven't even tried to work the webcam. Everytime I pick up the manual (only 4 pages) I stare at it with this blank look, my eyes glaze over, and I start to fall asleep. (I often have this problem when trying to think about money or stocks.) So it's been over four days and I still haven't even touched it. The only thing I've done is turn it around so that, just in case it was accidentally on, it wouldn't record me 24/7 without my knowledge. I want to make it work, but I'm just so tech-phobic. And this is coming from someone who has their own website? Yeah, I know. Help, Calgon, take me away (and could you run the bath for me too?)

Finally!!!!! First Gore spoke up and now Daschle. It's about time someone stood up to Bush: This has got to end, Mr. President. We've got get on with the business of our country. We've got to rise to a higher level. Our founding fathers would be embarrassed by what they are seeing going on right now. We've got to do better than this.

I live for the day when our children will look back on the drug wars of today the way we now look back on Jim Crow and the Palmer raids after World War I, the Japanese American internment camps of World War II and the McCarthyite persecutions of the 1950s.

It goes to the question of what the goal is here. Is it regime change in Iraq or regime change in the Senate?

Is polling dead?

I know I mentioned this earlier, but Don is the BEST!

I love being fit again. I feel so much more alive, healthy, and excited about doing different things. I worked out hard today and it felt soooo good. I feel my blood pumping through my viens. I still have a lot to figure out in my mind still, but it's oh-so-much better. And the fitness just makes me feel like I have a new lease on life. Yesterday, I had the day off and ended up hiking around the cliffs out overlooking the ocean near Golden Gate Bridge. I hiked for many miles, resting occasionally to note the awesome views, and then kept on hiking around. It was such a lovely day. And I was fit enough to do it so I really enjoyed it.

A short history examination: What do Alexandrian Macedonia, Imperial Rome, the Mongols, the Aztecs, the Muslim Crusades, the Catholic Crusades, Napoleonic France, colonial Britain and fascist Italy, Japan and Germany all have in common?

It turns out affirmative action and immigration were just the warm-up. Now war is the GOP's ultimate wedge issue.

Why are the media, Bush, and Republicans making it all seem as if everyone is on board with invading Iraq?

Aides to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) counted 5,614 phone calls over the past six weeks, only 136 of which indicated support for unilateral military action, with letters reflecting about the same division. Phone calls to the office of Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) were running 8 to 1 against war, a Frist aide said. Rep. Charles W. Stenholm (D-Tex.), who represents a hawkish district, said calls and letters were running overwhelmingly against a unilateral strike...

Don is the MAN. We've known each other for almost 2 years now when he wrote me soon after my website began and said he liked it. We've been chatting online ever since, and recently over the phone. He and I have tried many times to meet in person but something always gets in the way, but we're not far: he's in Pasadena. Over the years he's sent me 2 cd's he made himself and now even a book for a birthday with the nicest card. It's amazing how the internet can bring friends together. Here's to you Don. And thanks for the mail.

Leslie, that great Woman of the World, has final words before heading to Kenya:
"Well tomorrow Is my last day in the good old US of A. I have been hanging out here in Georgetown, what a ritzy area for the Peace Corps to put us up in. I am very excited and have meet a lot of great people that will be traveling with me to Kenya. It is strange to be a seasoned Peace Corps member, I have become the person everyone asks when they are confused about something. It is a little strange to be put on such a pedestal when I don't really no what I am getting myself into. Non the less I know I will learn a lot and make some good friends, though none can compare to all of you. Thank you all for all the support you have given me. I couldn't have done it with out you. Next time I check in I will be in Kenya!!! Yahoo!!!"

After Sept. 11, we had enormous sympathy, goodwill and support around the world. We've squandered that, and in one year we've replaced that with fear, anxiety and uncertainty, not at what the terrorists are going to do but at what we are going to do.... From the outset, the administration has operated in a manner calculated to please the portion of its base that occupies the far right, at the expense of the solidarity among all of us as Americans and solidarity between our country and our allies.-- [President] Al Gore

This is not an America that I recognize

I love India.Arie, and let me just say that she did what she wished for on her first album for me, and I'm excited to feel the same way upon listening to her new album tomorrow night: "I want my album to be something that fills up a space with good love energy," she said about her goals now. "Or fills up a person that way — where they say, `Every time I listen to that album, I feel good.' I want that. That's my wish."

Really scary: Greenfeld did not mention that Henke, the principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs, was monitoring the phone interview without a reporter's knowledge, according to two other employees.

The hipocrisy of conservatives seeking Senate confirmation: THE Senate is where you go to disown your ideas. At least if you are awaiting confirmation for a judgeship or senior government position and your previous writings and positions, once rendered with gusto, are proving an awkward obstacle.

I'm baaaaack!

And guess what? It's my birthday. To celebrate, let me quote from one of my all-time favorite songs:

People, let me tell you, I work hard every day, I get up outta bed, put on my clothes, cuz I got bills to pay, and it ain't easy, but I don't need no help, I gotta strong will to survive, I call it PRIDE, a deeper love, PRIDE

Well, folks, there's a million things happening right now. And I want to keep updating and keep writing about it all. But I have to leave for the moment. I'm off on a work trip for the rest of the week and won't have time to even keep up with the news, let alone blog about it.

So, since I'm out, how about you guys update me? Let me know what I'm missing this week. Keep informed and read about the insane crises that our country is going through and actually doing here and around the world. It can seem overwhelming and depressing, but it can also be invigorating once you realize that you, yes YOU, can make a difference, effect some change, and bring something good to the world.

So keep the light on while I'm away this week and let me know how it goes.

Love, Reese

The present governor of Florida has had two shots at it now and he's not met either opportunity... As a private citizen, I want to do everything in my power to see that the people of the state of Florida have the right to vote, the right to vote in a timely way, the right to vote for the candidate of their choice, the right to have their vote counted in an accurate and timely fashion. I believe in this with all my heart, because it is at the foundation of our democracy, it is what we hold dear and we cannot take it for granted.-- Janet Reno
What a stateswoman!

Leslie, that great Woman of the World, is off again. Now she's headed for Kenya. I'll continue broadcasting updates from her periodically as she continues to travel the globe. Here's her latest:

"After my short stay in the Bay Area I am ready to finally rejoin the Peace Corps in Kenya. I enjoyed my brief 10 month experience so much in Jordan, minus the last month, that I decided to re-enroll and am leaving on Saturday the 21st to begin my second tour in Kenya. There is so much to see and learn out there that I have to keep exploring and living abroad.

It is hard to believe that I am going back to Kenya, I didn't even request to be sent there. Funny how fate works things out. This will be my fourth trip to East Africa, I have fallen in love with the place and am truly excited that I will be able to live and work there for the next few years. I am pretty sure it will be more peaceful than Jordan.

I will continue to update you all on whats going on. I am a business advisor but have not been assigned to an organization yet. I will be in training for the first 10 weeks in Naivasha and then I will be placed somewhere within the borders of Kenya. Hopefully near some elephants:) I have been practicing my Swahili, which is slowly coming back. It helps that I studied Arabic because there is so much Arabic in Swahili. It is amazing to study a language and be able to see the impact other languages have on the vocabulary. Not to mention the political/historical context of how the words entered into that vocabulary.

So now I am slowly getting ready to leave, saying goodbye to everyone, eating all my favorite foods and hiking a lot to prepare my self for walking everywhere. I still have not packed... how do you pack for two years? I will figure it out tomorrow. I am not to stressed yet, which is good, just a bit panic-y. I will miss all of you very much, everyone is always welcome to visit. Take care and keep in touch.
Love ya,
Leslie"

The burden in our system is not upon the voters to make flawed voting systems work. The burden is on public officials to put in the time and money to create systems that allow voters to express their will simply.

I believe that one of the tests of our nation is whether or not in times of great challenge, we will have the courage to be true to our deepest principles, to be true to what we are as Americans.
-- [President] Al Gore

You cannot create a link like this by accident... No way. It takes a lot of thought to create such a link. It cannot be inadvertent.

Tomorrow, September 17th, is the 215th anniversary of Constitution Day. Let's try and remember that we have one to celebrate.

Call it Pre- Election Depression Syndrome (PEDS), when the bipartisan rhetoric becomes so intellectually dishonest that your ordinary impulse to side with the team whose values are closest to yours gets drowned in rising nausea at what passes for "debate."

Why now? It's the elections, stupid.

It's absolutely clear that the administration has timed the Iraq public relations campaign to influence the midterm elections . . . and to distract the voting public from a failing economy and an unpopular Republican domestic agenda....
It was [Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser] who argued earlier this year that the war on terrorism should be part of Republicans' campaigns this year. Last week, White House political aides encouraged GOP candidates to emphasize national security. Also, Andrew H. Card Jr., Bush's chief of staff, said last week that the White House held back on promoting the Iraq policy in the summer because, "from a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August."....
"It only reinforces skepticism about the timing," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic operative who was Al Gore's campaign spokesman. "If Iraq truly is a threat -- and it may very well be -- Saddam is not constructing his weapons of mass destruction in accordance to our midterm calendar."

Anyone wonder where the corporate fraud, loss-of-pensions, recession, environmental, civil rights, and other domestic stories have gone? Funny they've disappeared now that's it's election time. Actually it's not funny at all.

When Republicans can't win votes on principle, ethics, morality, issues, or reality, they find a way to try to buy votes.

They're coming for your "All Things Considered," David.

White House censors may have made global warming disappear from this report, but that won't make it disappear as a serious threat to our environment.

I've had a really bizarre weekend. Yesterday I had this terrible migraine all day. It wouldn't go away at all, until it subsided partially later that night. I was kinda wired at that time so I went out and was totally bored. Then today I've been so sluggish-- I'm assuming because of the migraine yesterday, which I can still feel somewhat today. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

Why isn't my page working?

When did clubbing become so boooooorrrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg?

Oh yeah, I guess this means I'm old. Actually I turned old many years ago. And clubbing, I suppose, will never be the same. Used to be oh-so-fun. Now, it's just there, standing, waiting, longing, gagging, boring, boring, boring. In fact, everything Gay is boring now. Oh, wow, we are just as boring as straight people!

The fact that I turn another year old next week means that it will only become more so. Ugh, so then the question becomes, why stay up past 10pm? Oh, I am so old.....

The coiner (yes, it's a word) of the term "Asian American" died this week: Yuji Ichioka.

The right wing is targeting [Governor Davis'] office with phone calls and letters opposing AB 2651. If you have not done so already, please send your message to Governor Davis... to let him know how important this non-discrimination bill is.... This bill will provide crucial protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in the State’s foster care system.

This has got to be the scariest thing I have ever read. Frightening.

When the CD arrived in the mid-1980s, many industry voices said that the new format would be cheaper to produce than LPs and tape cassettes (and, indeed, it costs about 40 cents to make a CD, and the packaging adds 25 cents to that) and that the savings would be passed on to retailers and consumers once the new format was phased in. That, of course, never happened, and the industry had a historic windfall as fans replaced their vinyl collections.
Anyone see a comparison to the DVD/VHS continuum?

Civil liberties, R.I.P. This eerily reads just like a list of events I saw in the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Where are we heading?

Don't think I don't remember and feel the pain. Here's some haunting photos of last year.

Let us honor those who died on September 11th by recommitting ourselves to recapturing our government from those who would seize our inalienable, Constitutionally protected rights through a death by a thousand cuts. We cannot let the terrorists win. We cannot be manipulated into a state of perpetual fear, in which we helplessly turn to our "Big Brother" Government that is trying to convince us that war is peace and tyranny is freedom.

Aside from the political world: I love the fact that more and more people have been coming up to me lately and commenting on how they can tell I've lost weight, how great they say I look, and then asking me for advice on how to get there themselves. Hehe.

No Moment for Silence continued...

Now, take the next steps! Get involved for the November election.
1) Register to Vote (or re-register if you've moved). The prior link provides helpful information and also directs you to every state's elections department. Additionally, you can always simply call your city/county board of elections (in the blue pages of your phone book or find their webpage with registration information via any search engine, i.e. Google) and find out where you can register nearest you or what to do. ************It's important to do this sooner rather than later, as many states require registration a month in advance of an election. So make sure you're registered now, during this month of September.
2) Tell a friend. Make sure your friends, family members, and coworkers are registered to vote. Remind them of the importance. Feel free to forward this message, the links above or the information about voting to them.
3) Find Out Who & What You're Voting On In Your Area. There are also many other ways to find out this information. The best source is definitely the city/county election board and many of them have sample ballots on their websites or which can be mailed to you.
4) Learn about the issues and the candidates. The information is out there: in the newspaper, in the library, on the internet, via interested organizations, and so forth. You have almost two months to make these critical decisions on the direction of the country.

It may seem overwhelming, but you're taking part in your democracy. Think of all the people now and throughout the ages who never had the ability or the right to make any decisions about their government. Remember them and their sacrifices for democracy when you're claiming your right to vote.

September 11th-- NO MOMENT FOR SILENCE

It would seem that we should have a moment of silence or possibly a blogless day, but you know what, I feel exactly the opposite. As I look back on the last year and see what has been wrought from the terrible, disgusting violence of that day last year, what I must note is how angry and devastated and fearful I am about what our nation, our government, the Bush Administration, Ashcroft, and so forth has done throughout the last year. We are locking up people left and right, without basic defense capabilities or even the knowledge that they have been locked up; we are creating our own country's "missing;" we are becoming more and more divided across races and religions; we are presuming guilt before the trial and before the facts; we are curtailing hard-won rights of civil liberties because, "well, it's just this time and it's just because it's so important right now, and well, trust us cuz we know best;" we are destroying our ability to dissent; we are afraid to dissent against a "popular" Bush for fear that it will hurt our political race this fall; we are afraid to say anything against a "popular" Bush for fear that our neighbor might send the information to the Ashcroft Justice Department; and on and on and on. We have become what we have said that we were not. We, us, you, me, our neighbors and friends, our government, our society, our people, us.

It's in the news every freakin day, another story about our loss of rights or the ability of the Bush Administration to just do something because no one called them on it, or the fact that we're gonna suddenly go to war just because supposedly they tell us to trust them and they know best. Well, I say, now is NOT the time for a moment of silence, any moment of silence increases their power and strength in justifying the destruction of our democracy and we must not allow that to happen. Honor the victims, remember where you were, feel the anger and pain and devastation again, but DO NOT become complacent or quiet or allow the government or others to tell you what you know is absolutely wrong and false about who we are as a nation and as a people. Fight the power and fight who we are becoming. Because we only have ourselves to blame if we lose our freedoms we so care about.

So on September 11th, the anniversary, don't use it to just do some cliche flag-waving, but actually take the time to learn about what is happening all in the name of September 11th that you and I firmly disagree with; find out what you can do to fight against the encroachment of our civil liberties and rights; register, reregister, get involved, act up, talk it up with your friends, and VOTE VOTE VOTE this November and send a message to the federal government that this is an unacceptable direction for our country. Do it, get involved, speak up, remember, reflect, but NEVER, NEVER BE SILENT.

To slash away at liberty in order to defend it is not only illogical, it has proved to be a failure. Yet that is what has been happening.

One by one they fall....

If you've never heard a hate call, consider yourself lucky.... [T]o hear the ones sent to Mahmood is to hear the voice of a deranged "patriotism" that has surfaced in America since 9/11. What direction are we going as a nation?

Condi Rice and others and I [Bush's counsel, Alberto Gonzalez] are looking out for how the president will play in history. We don't want him to look like some monster who destroyed our freedom. Trust us.
No! No! No! We Don't, Won't, and you've given us absolutely no reason to do so. That's the whole point of the checks-and-balances of our democracy. The populace should never just acquiesce to the assurances of those in power. That's the day our freedoms truly die.

In one precinct in a predominantly black Miami neighborhood, voting didn't begin until 11:45 a.m., nearly five hours after polls opened. Officials estimated about 500 people left the precinct without voting.
The problems have not been solved, and it's clear that Governor Bush simply doesn't get it that he's the one in charge and needs to rectify this system. (i.e. "What is it with Democrats having a hard time voting? I don't know," Bush said.)
The problem is not the voters! The problem is that over the years there has been a systematic and inherent attitude from statewide government officials across this country towards voting in minority and lower-income jurisdictions. That attitude has led to lack of funding for capable machines or voting activities, lack of programs to provide for adequate poll workers, and lack of interest on the part of the beauracracy in just allowing people to vote. Do you think that this country has really just all of the sudden changed after the Jim Crow days or poll taxes or anything like that when it comes to limited voting rights? They didn't just turn around and say "ok, you're right, we'll let everyone vote." This has been a constant and blatant attempt to dissuade voters from certain communities to NOT vote and that is what disenfranchisement is all about. It is not just saying that people have the right, but making sure that they have the means necessary to fulfill that right. It is not the voter's responsibility to make sure the election runs smoothly. That is why we HIRE and elect these officials to make sure that these things occur flawlessly. When they don't, then it is the government's responsibility, and at the top of the state governments is the Governor, to make sure that everyone is able to enjoy their rights as citizens. I am sooooo angry right now!

[O]ur sadness is tempered by our belief in the strength of our democratic traditions and our nation's love of liberty. Now more than ever, we must have the courage of America’s convictions, and we must lead with our values rather than follow our fears.

Unbelievable! Hearing a one-sided argument and doing so in secret goes against the traditions of fairness and open government that have been the hallmark of our democracy.

Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me a match. TheraDate? How incredibly funny and bizarre.

No. 85 frightens me, yet No. 40 & No. 92 intrigue me.

Great new page I just found. Spinsanity.org takes media myths and spells out the truth-- albeit a little too run-on, but still helpful nonetheless. Here's a good excerpt from one of the exposes, although it could really apply to their cause in general:

In their rush to churn out content, many uncritically spread reports that later turn out to be distortions and lies. And when sober-minded people point out the truth, the myth mongers are rarely held accountable or forced to issue corrections. As a result, debunked stories are dredged back up and repeated all the time. Until we can correctly remember the past, it seems, we will be plagued with further distortions of it.

The next time the administration insists that chocolate is vanilla, much of the media — fearing accusations of liberal bias, trying to create the appearance of "balance" — won't report that the stuff is actually brown; at best they'll report that some Democrats claim that it's brown.

20. 20 pounds. I did it! My goal was only to lose 15, but I've now made it to 20 over the summer months. Yay for me! Now if I could only get a friendly blogger to take some updated photos of me so the blogging world could see. I wonder who could do that?

There's a million articles and news-stories about Sept. 11th right now, mostly lauding Bush for whatever reason, but here's an excerpt from an actually thoughtful one: The time is past when we can roll our eyes at political decisions and respond to new policies with dismissive jokes, as if the goings-on in Washington were a bad television show whose plot we only loosely followed. America is not some Them over there shaping the future. It is Us, right here, making a million individual, thoughtful decisions -- decisions to pay close attention to what our leaders are saying and doing, to consider consequences, to reason and question and examine.

The new difficulty with polling now that almost everyone has Caller-ID. I remember how upset I was back in the early 90's when they first became vogue and I began losing the ability to call-up cute guys and hear their voice and then hang up with no repercussions. Damn technology! (Also, here's another piece on the death of the VCR. Damn, damn new technology to hell!)

Well, I'm back. The weekend was great fun with the niece and so forth. She's a handful and I'm exhausted, but I can't wait to see her again. I believe the theme of the weekend can be summed up in the title of one of the many dance cd's we listened to together: "Shut Up and Dance." She and I would often yell that at each other and then make strange movements with our arms and legs. This also often came in handy when she was getting temperamental.

Another handy item was the purchase of a set of made-for-girls "spy walkie-talkies" which we purchased at Toys-R-Us. They actually worked pretty well so we'd often separate and chat. The best part of it was when she would get too far ahead (especially at the zoo) or running around without me and instead of yelling with my lungs, I would just hit the walkie-talkie and say "Get back over here!" It was also helpful when she went into the girls restrooms. Ah, why didn't I think of that invention years ago?

Again, a very fun-filled weekend, beautiful weather, and I only had to spend a million dollars on the little kid.

My niece is visiting me. She just arrived late last night. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post this weekend because she's a handful, but it's ok because she's soooooo much fun. I'll try and update you guys on the state of the world and the evils of the Bush Administration whenever I can. In the meantime, my niece is here!

Former President Carter takes on the Bush Administration in an op-ed entitled: The Troubling New Face of America
These actions are similar to those of abusive regimes that historically have been condemned by American presidents.
Finally, someone is speaking up.

The March to Justice. Sept. 13- Washington DC.
We march to have all votes counted. We march to open the closed door of the United States Department of Justice. We march for civil liberties to be protected by the federal government. We march for civilians to have the right of equal protection under the law......and many more reasons. Go Jesse!

Q: Did Florida officials faithfully execute the state's election laws? A: No. And it looks like it's not getting any better-- if a U.S. Congresswoman can't even vote in her local precinct, then there's still a major problem going on. Ugh.

Isn't this the kind of thing that the U.S. normally despises about communistic countries? Isn't this the kind of thing that we deplored following the McCarthy days? Just where are we going with this?
Blacklisting by the government is offensive and un-American. Obviously, (Attorney General John) Ashcroft wants to bring blacklisting back to the federal scene.

So much for Ashcroft's vow to uphold the laws, even if he disagrees. Can anyone say they are surprised?

Only 84 reasons? I say there's a lot more, but this is a good start.

Sometimes Legislatures get things done right; and sometimes they don't.

Never underestimate the women of the world.

P.S. Their efforts had been opposed by a coalition that includes the United States, the Vatican and conservative Islamic countries. Just whose side are we on?

Making a diamond out of Grandma's or Fluffy's body parts? You've got to be kidding.

In honor of the fact that I miss my Babycakes terribly, I post this article which I think he'd find an interesting read.

What Do You Mean 'Us,' Boss?

What is it with the media and their love-affair with Bush?!!! In 1994, when Republicans were on the attack and won control of Congress, President Clinton was blamed for his "failures" and for making Republicans popular. In 2002, the media and Republicans fearing that Democrats are on the attack and going to win complete control of Congress are already preparing some strange twist of logic that this actually is good for Bush. And this must be true because the media tells us so, just like they told us that the Lewinsky investigation was important to our nation. What are we going to do about this right-wing-conservative-Republican dominated media world?

On television last week, the big news stories were the threat of a baseball strike, the sentencing of a wealthy ne'er-do-well for a murder he committed 27 years ago (they interrupted regular broadcasting for that scoop!) and latest details on the kid snatching du jour. I don't mean to minimize the importance of a missing or murdered child, but such events get great coverage on TV these days not because of their importance but because of their emotional appeal. Would it be going too far to say the news media panders? Well, duh.

Jessie's favorite columnist keeps on truckin': Compared with the star chamber that runs our country now, the Inquisition was positively wishy-washy.

New website up detailing the differences between the Democrats and Republicans to point out that they are very different, unlike what the Green party people like to say. I'll hold my tongue for the moment on the Greens-- even though I hate them thoroughly and blame them for the dictatorship of the Bush Administration-- In the meantime, I happily give you the link to damnedbigdifference.org.

...Justice Department aides to General Ashcroft "have indicated that a 'high-level committee' will recommend which citizens are to be stripped of their constitutional rights and sent to Ashcroft's new camps."

The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.

I'm a few days late, but still wanted to mark the history of woman's suffrage via the August 26th holiday: Women's Equality Day. It's been such a short, short time since women had the right. My independent women out there, be sure to register and vote this fall.

While I'm away, here's a topic: They're going to war without legislation, they're eliminating attorney-client privilege without legislation, they're arresting people and holding them without charges without legislation. (via ylts)

Discuss.