Sandstorm

Piano Stuns Massachusetts Police

In yet another instance of the need for constitutional separation of police and state, CNN is covering a caper in Cape Cod.  Summary: A fully functional piano has mysteriously appeared in the middle of a forest.  While this in no way endangers anyone, has no indication of being a clue to a crime, nor provides any useful knowledge, it is receiving national media attention.

What's next? A guitar in a beautiful wildflower meadow? A lute high in a California redwood?

My personal theory: Yet more evidence of a massive government cover up of UFO activity.

Looking Forward (Part 1)

Although polls leading up to the election assured us an Obama victory, few of us could release the breath we’d been holding for months until the incredible results began flowing in.

Obama’s win is the crest of a wave that has been building for a year and a half across the country.  The surge in enthusiasm for politics and a politician will subside as the cold realities of our economic downturn and the limits of what one administration can do settle in.  However, this democratic surge should not conceal the underlying changes in the American electorate that allowed Obama to gain the White House.

Youth To Power

Over half of registered young voters cast their ballot, nearing the historic record of 55% set in 1972.

Who did they vote for? Voters under 30 picked Barack Obama over John McCain by a 2-1 margin.  There has never been such a dramatic difference between the preferences of older voters and younger voters since such things were recorded.

There are some other great stats on youth turnout here, but one that caught my eye was that young voters in states with a high campaign presence turned out at a higher rate than voters who lived in “battleground” states that weren’t targeted.  This means that when you reach out to young voters, they respond.  Obama’s campaign had an unprecedented level of direct contact with young voters through their registration efforts, email and text message communication, and the traditional calls and knocks.

And guess what? Voting’s a habit, and there’s no better predictor of future voting than voting in the previous election.  Republicans, welcome to the new America.

A Voice For Cities

While Americans continue to collect in dense urban and suburban areas, fleeing collapsed rural economies to centers of new technology and growth, America’s presidency has not paralleled this shift. 

Campaigns at the national level continue to act as though there is a balance between urban and rural populations, and that suburbs consist of 1950’s style white picket fences and apple pies on the windowsill.  In reality, nearly 80% of Americans live in or very near an urban area. 

Presidents W. Bush and Clinton embraced their small town rural roots, no matter how tenuous, playing them to their advantage.  In Clinton’s case, his smooth drawl was a powerful weapon compared to George Senior’s patrician New England nasal twang.

But Barack Obama will be a voice for cities.  Although raised in Hawaii, he found a home in Chicago and New York’s jam-packed neighborhood furnaces that meld diverse cultures; the so-called “melting pot.” Barack Obama has taken subways in Manhattan, stood frozen on Chicago’s South Side El platforms, and no doubt knows the pain of cabs passing him by due to the color of his skin.

With less than 2% of Americans employed in the rural agricultural economy, it’s important for our President to understand the source of jobs and wealth: our cities.  Without investment in infrastructure, from roads and trains to high speed internet, our economy can not grow.  We’ve seen the effects of an administration that refuses to invest in our country over the last eight years- jobs bleeding overseas, the disintegration of urban infrastructure, and the plummeting quality of education and health care.

World Class Education

Obama broke down the doors of institutions that long served merely as conduits of power from one generation of the privileged class to the next.  George W. Bush was one of those “legacy” students, using his family’s name and fortune to secure a spot among the mediocre elite.  He has now secured a different legacy for himself in history, of which the pithy “Worst President Ever” provides an efficient summary.

Our next president will understand that education is a tool to achieve success, not just a sign of success.  This understanding will shape policy that directs more resources into the struggling communities that need it, not the affluent schools that succeed already.

Our nation is doomed to fail if we do not make the fundamentals of success available to all Americans- solid education, guaranteed health care, legal equality for all, and a sound structure for business both big and small.

I do not expect Barack Obama to fundamentally change the country or the world in his time as President- that’s up to us.  But I do expect that he will provide the strategic nudges in every policy area that will allow this country to head back towards the path that we’ve always hoped, always dreamed, that it was on.

Gordon Smith Hearts John McSame & George W.

This will probably be this month's only post, as the real world has claimed me once again.  In the meantime, please enjoy this video chronicling Gordon Smith's love affair with John "McSame" McCain, AKA Bush's Third Term Incarnate.  I certainly did.  Check it out:

Sarah Palin: Pro-Rape?

In a town of barely 7,000 people, it's hard to imagine that there's much that flies under the mayor's radar. It's equally hard to imagine that on a highly controversial issue, the mayor would be able to sit on the sidelines and not issue an opinion.

Yet this is one of the basic defenses that Republicans are offering in light of these damning facts: that Sarah Palin signed off on eliminating funding for rape kits for victims, and that she fired the police chief who hadn't charged for kits and hired one who actively defended charging victims, even in the face of unanimous state legislation requiring full funding for kits.  There's good coverage of the charges and reaction here.

Sarah Palin has not had to defend these charges yet, since she has refused to take more than one or two press questions, despite traveling with a horde of reporters wherever she goes.  But with the debates back on schedule, I hope that Joe Biden will unleash hell.  Biden, after all, drafted the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, that would withhold federal funds from states that charged victims for rape kits or otherwise didn't make them available. If you were wondering, McCain voted against that bill.  Birds of a feather...

John McCain picked Sarah Palin for one obvious reason: she's a woman who many suburban and rural women can identify with on a personal level.  Not that they agree with her politics, but identify with her family life.  Under Palin's Wasilla administration, rape victims could be charged literally thousands of dollars for their examinations, which offer clues as well as provide medical care.  It's hard to believe that in an election where equal pay for women for equal work is finally a topic of discussion, we are also talking about whether victims of sex crimes should have to pay for their exams.  As the Alaskan governor BEFORE Palin so bluntly put it:

“We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence,” said Alaska’s then-governor, Tony Knowles. “Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.”

Republicans are claiming that there is no evidence that Palin offered any official support or resistance to the issue.  But with such a heinous proposal with statewide attention, her lack of voiced support was not accidental.  She kept quiet because she knew her position was extremely unpopular, not because she missed the issue grabbing statewide headlines. 

In cases such as this, silence is consent.  Sarah Palin failed to stand up for the women of Wasilla and Alaska, a state with two and a half times the national average for rape.  She fired the former police chief, who believed victims should not pay.  She could have fired the police chief she hired, who said this:

Wasilla’s local paper reported that Ms. Palin’s handpicked police chief, Charlie Fannon, acknowledged the practice of billing to collect evidence for sexual-assault cases. He complained that the state was requiring the town to spend $5,000 to $14,000 a year to cover the costs. “I just don’t want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer,” the chief explained.

But she didn't fire him; after all, she had handpicked him, and I bet the interview process wasn't too different from judicial hirings in the Bush administration.

If anyone is still thinking of voting McCain-Palin because it would get a woman in the White House, please remember Sarah Palin's record in Alaska.  How much do you think rape victims should pay for medical and law enforcement services?  Or haven't they paid enough?

McCain: Afraid Of Letterman

"Runnin' scared" is a term used often by all politicians to describe their opponents, but I feel that it is particularly apt in the case of John McCain's latest skulduggery.  After years of having the worst attendance record in Senate by far, John McCain has had a sudden change of heart and decided to "suspend his campaign" in order speed back to Washington and work on our latest Republican-sponsored economic crisis.

Only thing is, McCain didn't go right back to Washington.  He went on the air with Katie Couric.  This, in itself, is not very surprising.  What's odd is that McCain chose to skip Letterman that same day, claiming that he had to hurry back to Washington.  Letterman blasted McCain and Palin for much of the show- here's a sample line:

“I’m more than a little disappointed by this behavior,” Letterman said. “We’re suspending the campaign. Suspending it because there’s an economic crisis, or because the poll numbers are sliding?"

Oh, snap! 

“This doesn’t smell right,” Letterman continued. “Because this is not the way a tested hero behaves. I think someone's put something in his Metamucil.”

Wow.  When Letterman gets pissed, he gets PISSED.  What other talk show host could get away with tearing into a valuable guest like that, present or not?  Somehow I don't picture bobblehead Leno keeping his show if he went on a rant like that.

The most interesting thing about this whole scenario is that McCain's handlers chose to put him on with Katie Couric instead of David Letterman.  What does this say about the "serious" news media? That they're safer than comedians? What a terrific example of a campaign being afraid of the jester's ability to speak truth to power, and the sad state of our news media, that they're relied on for the softballs. 

Check out the video- aside from the token sycophantic hero comments, it's priceless.

10^100

Google has just announced a $10 million social contest in honor of their 10th year called "Project 10¹⁰⁰." They're soliciting ideas for projects that could change the world, or at least make a noticeable difference in people's lives. A little cheesy maybe, but it will be interesting to see what ideas end up as finalists and the eventual winner.

Everyone should take some time to come up with ideas; I think we've all had some thoughts of inventions or changes that could be useful, we just have to remember what they were.  I'll let you know if I come up with anything.

In the meantime, check out their little video:

What's A Lake With No Water?

After years of working its way around the eight states and two Canadian provinces surrounding the Great Lakes, a piece of legislation banning non-local use of lake water has finally made its way to Congress, and looks like it will pass.

Diversion of Great Lakes' water has a long history that's gotten far worse in the past decade, with exurbs spreading like mold across the plains states.  All of them are very thirsty, with big lawns to keep green, big cars to wash, and even bigger McMansions.

The new bill is not perfect, with its exceptions for shipping bottled water from the lakes, and a grandfather clause for "straddling communities" located on the edge of the basin (read: exurbs- traditional cities are all near waterways). But it's clearly a big step in the right direction. 

Is this protective legislation isolationist or elitist or a power grab?  Not really.  But I suspect the critics who would label it such are the traditional enemies of conservation and the long term thinking that led to our world-class national parks, wildlife refuges, and the strong environmental laws that brought America out of the poisonous industrial deluge that developing countries such as China find themselves caught up in.

Water is a precious resource, theoretically renewable but far more easily conserved.  The Great Lakes are deep, but any container will run dry if you poke enough holes in it.  The Saudia Arabian, Venezuelan, and Russian oil wells will eventually spew their last crude, forcibly ending our addiction to oil, but for fresh water there is no substitute.  

There are already many studies theorizing the potential of water to transcend oil and other natural resources as a cause of major international conflict. Even the genocide in Darfur has been strongly linked to desertification and other water related issues.

I'm pleased to see states and countries working together on this issue, so often neglected in the face of political non-solutions for resource issues like offshore drilling and "clean coal." But this is where the real work gets done- advocates working for years and across administrations for solutions that are never perfect, but worthy of those three magic words: working on it.

Help Me End The Filibuster

In 1907, Oregon became the first state offering direct election of U.S. Senators.  101 years later, we the people of Oregon will once again exercise our right in order to elect Democrat Jeff Merkley and send Republican Gordon Smith home to his polluting, labor law violating frozen food factory.  But it's going to be damn close.

Unfortunately, Oregon is known nationally as "Portland," a liberal, environmental Democratic stronghold that treats visiting Republicans to riot-level protests.  Because of this, Oregon political races often don't get the attention they deserve from national media and blogs.

But this year we have a Senate race that's a dead heat between a proven progressive Democrat and a sitting Republican who voted nearly 90% of the time with George Bush and was known for his single-minded devotion to the Iraq War- until he changed his tune in 2006 when Democrats took back the Oregon legislature and dominated Republicans across the country.

It's easy to point out the obvious differences between having a Democrat and a Republican in the Senate.  Health care reform, ending the Iraq War, favoring workers over corporations, equality for women- the list goes on and on.  Jeff Merkley will deliver on all these fronts; just check out his issues page.

So what distinguishes this race from other close Senate races around the country? Probably the most important factor is longevity; lasting change.  Once we get a progressive Democrat in this seat, we're keeping it.  See, Oregon's been getting bluer and bluer in recent years as Republicans see what their "conservative" party has become- a corrupt inner circle of corporate welfare advocates. 

Before the primary, Oregon added 115,000 new Democrats, many of them party switchers, and the Obama volunteer army has continued their registration efforts relentlessly since then.  Democrats took back both the Oregon House and Senate in 2006, and we're down to only one Republican congressman.  We're ready to take, and to hold, this vital seat.

Also, Oregon is cheap.  Advertising is the most expensive part of large campaigns, so with only one major media market that really isn't all that major, advertising in Oregon is very inexpensive compared to other states.  Your donation to Jeff Merkley's campaign will provide more leverage than it would in other Senate races and definitely more than if you send it to Obama.  Remember, dollars spent on down ticket races support the top candidate, but not necessarily the other way around.

So help me create a filibuster-free Senate full of progressive Democrats focused on solving the problems facing America.  I just donated to Jeff Merkley over at ActBlue today, and you should too.  It's actually a contest for which candidate gets the most donors, so even $1 will be a big help (but $10 would be better).  Click here for the donation page; Jeff's three down from the top.

Run Up The Jolly Roger

Damn ye, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, I'm a better man than all of ye milksops put together.

-Blackbeard

International Talk Like A Pirate Day is upon us, and Portland will once again be overrun by swashbuckling hipsters and parrot groupies.  Portland is probably the only city in the U.S. to feature an entire weekend-long Pirate Festival, and if you think pirates will stay in the official festival area and not maraud throughout the city, you don't know pirates.

If you're not familiar with Talk Like A Pirate Day, or TLAPD, you best be startin' with the 5 A's:

E-Cycling: Not As Fun As Unicycling, But Better

I just got another reminder of why it meant so much to get the Oregon legislature back in Democratic control in 2007.  Once a forerunner in the environmental movement with the nation's first bottle bill, public beaches, and urban growth boundaries,Oregon fell behind the pack during a decade and a half of Republican rule.

But Oregon's back on track, and the rollout of a new e-waste recycling program is right on point.  From the Oregonian:

The majority of our e-waste ends up in dumps or landfills, where the components that make TVs and computers functional -- lead, mercury, and cadmium among them -- turn toxic when they break down and find their way into groundwater. Plus, some parts of old electronics can be reused, instead of virgin materials, to build the newer models we show no signs of giving up.

That's the situation that prompted Oregon legislators to adopt a "producer responsibility law" -- basically, a requirement that all TV and computer manufacturers selling their wares in Oregon pay to recycle the products they produce. For individuals, nonprofits and small businesses in Oregon, the law means that, starting Jan. 1, you can drop off old TVs and computers, at no charge, at recycling sites in all but the smallest towns in the state.

The new bill puts the onus of responsibility right where in belongs: on the manufacturer.  For too long, electronics manufacturers have gotten away with low costs through externalities, costs not acknowledged by retail prices.  An example is the cost of cleaning up all the toxic muck that e-waste generates- you pay for it through your taxes, not at the store, and the manufacturers essentially get a government subsidy.

As more states pass laws like this, and perhaps even the federal government, manufacturers will have more incentive to create products that are easier to recycle, and hopefully move away from the planned obsolescence model that has driven technology markets for so long.  I want to be able to upgrade my computer and repair my TV, not throw them out and buy new ones, and it looks like we may finally be headed in that direction.

This post wouldn't be complete without a shout-out to FreeGeek, a true e-cycling pioneer and a great example of a nonprofit fulfilling a need that the government was not addressing.