By Frank Moraes I know it's not global warming. Weather is not global warming. But here is the seven day forecast for my hometown of Santa Rosa, California: 106, 106, 106, 106, 95, 97, 91. Three days ago it was in the 60s and pouring rain. This is not typical weather for this place at any time. The truth is that in the last decade, this area hasn't been getting as much rainfall as it normally did. I suspect that's global warming. I suspect that we will be seeing more and worse heat waves because of global warming. That's the thing about climate...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
By Michael J.W. Stickings Germany's Der Spiegel is reporting, based on documents obtained by Edward Snowden (whom that publication calls a whistleblower, in stark contrast to the way he's being treated by the corporate U.S. media), that the NSA spied on the European Union, apparently bugging its offices in Washington and even breaking into its computer network: The attacks on EU institutions show yet another level in the broad scope of the NSA's spying activities. For weeks now, new details about Prism and other surveillance programs have been...
Saturday, June 29, 2013
By Michael J.W. Stickings Now would be a good time to post a clip of the wonderful Vienna Teng performing "City Hall," a pre-Prop 8 celebration of same-sex marriage. It's off Vienna's 2006 album Dreaming Through the Noise (her best, in my view), and here she is performing the song at the famous Sun Studio in Nashville.Some of the lyrics:Outside, they're handing out Donuts and pizza pies For the folks in pairs in the folding chairs My baby's lookin' so damned pretty With those anxious eyes Rain-speckled hair And my ring to wearTen years waiting...
By Michael J.W. Stickings UPDATE: Fail. ********** From the L.A. Times:ProtectMarriage, the sponsors of Proposition 8, filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday to stop same-sex marriages from continuing in California. The petition says the decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to permit weddings starting Friday afternoon was "premature." It's Justice Kennedy, who of course wrote the majority opinion that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, who will rule on this petition, as he is responsible for...
By Mustang BobbySen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) responded to the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA by standing up against bullying... of bigots.My hope is that those of us who believe in the sanctity and uniqueness of traditional marriage will continue to argue for its protection in a way that is respectful to the millions of American sons and daughters who are gay. It is also my hope that those who argue for the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex marriage will refrain from assailing the millions of Americans who disagree with them as bigots.So...
By Mustang BobbyEither the Family Research Council really has no idea what goes on outside of their nice little 1950s cocoon, or someone in their marketing department is a genius at coming up with not-so-subtle Freudian slips.Here's their new logo for their anti-gay rally:Seriously? "On our knees" and "I'm in"? Well, whatever gets you off, buddy.On the other hand, they could have gone with "I'm coming." [Or maybe something about the second...
By Frank Moraes The primary difference between Fox News and MSNBC is not ideology; it is that Fox pretends to be objective. Yes, in general, MSNBC does a better job of reporting actual facts and doesn't go out of its way to mislead. But they are both advocacy groups: one for the Republican Party and the other for the Democratic Party. But no one ever claims that MSNBC provides the Truth that the other networks don't want the people to know.Other...
By Michael J.W. StickingsIn case you missed it, make sure to read "The Criminal N.S.A.," an op-ed in Thursday's Times by Jennifer Stisa Granick and Christopher Jon Sprigman. Their argument is essentially this:The Fourth Amendment obliges the government to demonstrate probable cause before conducting invasive surveillance. There is simply no precedent under the Constitution for the government's seizing such vast amounts of revealing data on innocent Americans' communications.The government has made a mockery of that protection by relying on ...
Friday, June 28, 2013
By Michael J.W. Stickings Here's a beautiful video with some stunningly gorgeous images from photographer Randy Halverson, who describes it as follows: If you have ever been in a wide open landscape the most interesting thing isn't necessarily the landscape itself, but what you see coming over the horizon. Growing up in South Dakota the landscape itself can be beautiful at times, but that doesn't compare to what the sky can do, especially at night. Combine that with the landscape, and it makes for great photo opportunities... Bear McCreary...
By Frank Moraes (Ed. note: Well, good for the Senate, or at least for the Democratic majority along with a handful of Republicans. But now it goes to the House, where crazy-ass Republican extremism prevails, where the Republican leadership is divided, with Speaker Boehner barely clinging to power, and where it will likely die. Maybe there's enough establishment Republican support to give Boehner cover, and so maybe the bill can pass with Democratic votes and a few Republicans on board, but it's awfully hard to move anything forward when the...
By Mustang Bobby Florida Gov. Rick Scott on the repeal of DOMA:Look, I've been married since I was 19. I believe in traditional marriage.This was, in his lizard-brain reaction, his way of saying that the repeal has no impact on the laws of Florida and its constitutional amendment passed in 2008 banning same-sex marriage.But Mr. Scott is predicting the next battle for marriage equality. The fact that he is (we assume) happily married doesn't mean anything other than there is connubial bliss in the Scott household, and his marriage doesn't...
By Frank Moraes As you all know, I have major problems with real libertarians -- to a large extent because most of them have a good understanding of the problems of governing and I don't see why they don't recognize their very clear blind spots. But people who claim to be libertarians who don't understand the philosophy and just throw the word around because it sounds cooler than "conservative" are another matter. I hate them. The most...
By Michael J.W. Stickings As you may have heard, sometime Republican superstar Chris Christie, the bullying blowhard (and media-friendly) governor of New Jersey, isn't terribly impressed with the Supreme Court for striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The ruling is an "example of judicial supremacy," he said yesterday. "I don't think the ruling was appropriate," he opined. "I think it was wrong." He criticized the justices, or at least...
(Dallas Morning News): "Gov. Rick Perry uses Sen. Wendy Davis' personal story to question her abortion stance, prompting backlash"(New York Times): "Chief Justice Roberts plays a long game on Supreme Court"(NBC News): "Does immigration reform stand a chance?"(Boston Globe): "Coakley may enter the race for governor"(USA Today): "Pelosi: Dems are coalescing behind Hillary for 20...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
By Mustang Bobby It's easy to say that the Defense of Marriage Act was doomed from the outset and that its demise yesterday was inevitable. Passed in the heat of the election campaign of 1996 and foisted as a knee-jerk reaction to the possibility that Hawaii was about to legalize same-sex marriage (this was before the Aloha State was considered an "exotic" place to be from), it had a relatively short life span; a little under 17 years.For a while it looked like it was carved in stone. The full weight of the federal government, in all...
(Baltimore Sun): "Senate approves landmark immigration bill"(New York Times): "Both sides on same-sex marriage issue focus on the next state battlegrounds"(ABC News): "White House unsure what files Edward Snowden has"(Wall Street Journal): "White House assembles list of potential Bernanke successors at Fed"(Sun Journal): LePage hints he may not seek a second te...
By Carl I mean, Jeez, they’ve earned the right to be as miserable as the rest of us! With the expected addition of California’s citizens after Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling, some 30 percent of Americans will live in states offering same-sex marriage. Now the two sides of the marriage wars are gearing up to resume the costly state-by-state battles that could, in the hopes of each, spread marriage equality to several more states in the next few years, or reveal a brick wall of traditional values that cannot be breached. There is wide agreement...
By Frank Moraes I'm glad to see that Obama made his big speech and that he is now going to take executive action on climate change. I do, however, wonder why it took so long. The standard answer is that the president can only do so many things at once. While that is certainly true of me, I don't think it applies to him. He has an enormous staff. He could hire more people if he needed. Why didn't he, on day one, tell some people, "Put together...
By Frank Moraes It looks like a couple of newspapers are interested in Glenn Greenwald's past. In particular, they want to know about his history as a pornographer. This is the kind of thing that makes me want to say, "You can't make this stuff up." But that's not true. This is exactly the kind of thing that I write: the intrepid journalist breaks a major story and all anyone cares about is the fact that he once was co-owner of a business...
By Michael J.W. Stickings(photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)Wednesday, June 26, 2013 was quite the day:Well, a really good, and potentially historic, day for gay rights, equality, and the ideals to which America professes to aspire.— Michael Stickings (@mjwstickings) June 26, 2013No, not a perfect day in these terms:-- SCOTUS's Prop 8 ruling was based on standing, not on the merits of the case, and so not in and of itself a validation of same-sex...
(Politico): "Chris Christie blasts gay-marriage ruling"(National Journal): "Scalia: 'High-handed' Kennedy has declared us 'enemies of the human race'"(Roll Call): "GOP leaders look to states to oppose gay marriage"(Reuters): "Kerry resumes tough Israeli-Palestinian peace drive"(Fox News): "Texts, video cited in murder charges against Hernand...
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
(Time): "Change in American society: Rolling back DOMA and the Voting Rights Act"(USA Today): "Analysis: After the court ruling, more battles loom"(CBS News): "Texas Gov. Rick Perry calls 2nd special session to pass abortion bill"(Bloomberg): "This is not about Edward Snowden"(Reuters): "Can Paul Ryan sell immigration reform to conservative...
By Michael J.W. StickingsIf you care about democracy, and equality, and fairness, and justice, if you're just a good and decent person who cares about your fellow human beings and think that they, like you, should be treated with respect and dignity, that their voice, like yours, matters and should be heard, then this is one of the scariest political headlines you'll ever encounter:Republicans Across The South Promise Quick Action After SCOTUS RulingAnd what Republicans are planning, along the lines of what they've been doing, is pretty scary shit...
By Carl It ain’t working.That's the way you do it:Helped by a marathon speech, Texas Democrats have managed to block a bill that would shut most of the abortion clinics in the state.Democratic state Senator Wendy Davis spoke for more than 10 hours, in a stalling speech known as a filibuster, at the state capitol in Austin.Republicans then scrambled to pass the bill, but the vote was ruled too late for a midnight deadline.The bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.You probably thought it was quaint when Rand Paul stood up and...
By Capt. Fogg Not to go on all-fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men? - H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau - I'd hate to make anyone think I'm an optimist. I'm not even sure I care too much about the human race aside from a few individuals, but that's what pessimism is about -- a cosmic frame of reference that sees no permanence, that sees everything that is on the way up as inevitably on the way down. Perhaps not caring gives a clearer vision. If it doesn't matter in the end that voting rights are in peril, or at least under continuing...
(The Columbus Dispatch): "Justices ax portion of voting law"(TPM): "Justice Ginsburg slams Supreme Court's 'hubris' in fiery dissent on voting rights act"(Wall Street Journal): "Supreme Court set to rule on gay marriage"(ABC News): "Ed Markey beats Gabriel Gomez in Massachusetts Senate race"(New York Times): "Texas vote passing abortion bill is rendered mo...
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
By Michael J.W. StickingsLet's not make too much of this.Snowden may very well be in a transit zone at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport that lies beyond Russian sovereignty, and so it's not clear what Putin could do.But let's face it, he's an authoritarian with little respect for the rule of law, other than his own law, and so he could no doubt make things difficult for Snowden, not least by bowing to American pressure to send him back home to face "justice" (i.e., injustice).But that's not Putin, giving in to such demands -- not when he can take...
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