Filed by Trevor at 2:05 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics
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This is an impulse post if there ever was one, and if you haven’t watched the video on Bil’s earlier one, do so now.

I spend a fair bit of time worrying about the state of things, especially as world leaders gather more and more power into their claws with the deft use of fear and intimidation. Thus, the video below gives me hope — a sign that there are some politicians yet that still have the grapes to stand up for themselves and the sovereignty of their nation. Plus it’s kind of funny.

Some background info first, though, as best as I understand things. Herman van Rompuy recently was unilaterally appointed “President of Europe”, an office I found to be little disturbing, but the appointment fitting enough as Belgium was one of the founding members of the EU. And now, what someone who knows far more than I has to say on the subject:

Filed by Bil at 10:20 pm under Fightin' Words, Homophobia, Politics, The Media
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Well this is just incredible:

For 5 days, 5 Journalists will only source news from Twitter and Facebook to test quality of news.

This is bound to be a fascinating little experiment, and I am eager to read the results.

>> Update: you can follow the journalists here.

Speaking of breaking news via Twitter, I’ve been sitting at my computer for like half an hour now just watching the real-time tweet feed come in on the Prop 8 trial in California. For all of you on Twitter, just search #prop8 (or click this link) and sit still for ten seconds. You’ll see. They won’t stop coming.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 1:25 pm under Damn Hippies, Love, Social Issues
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This World AIDS Day, I called in sick to the office. I don’t have AIDS, I just happen to be under the weather.

While I can’t do much about the syndrome itself, seeing as how I am not a research scientist, I can at least raise awareness and encourage prevention education.

Here’s how I do that:

Please read this article on World Aids Day 2009 from NPR’s news blog, The Two-Way. The article contains a brilliant summation of the current world AIDS situation from UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe.

If you’re too lazy to read the article, I’ll reprint the summation here, with some parts in bold (courtesy of me, because I like them):

On this World AIDS Day we are filled with both hope and concern.

Hope because significant progress has been made towards universal access. New HIV infections have dropped. Fewer children are born with HIV. And more than 4 million people are on treatment.

Concern because 28 years into the epidemic the virus continues to make inroads into new populations; stigma and discrimination continue to undermine efforts to turn back the epidemic. The violation of human rights of people living with HIV, women and girls, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users and sex workers must end.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 10:12 pm under Politics
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More Americans Believe In UFOs Than Oppose A Public Option

What’s it gonna be, GOP? More NASA funding, or a public option for health care? Gotta give us one.

Filed by Bil at 10:54 pm under Damn Hippies, Fightin' Words, GOP, Politics
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http://benonymous.tumblr.com/post/198803171/divorce

Please, everybody go and read this blog post. It is a divorce of right and left proposed by the right, and a supremely clever response from the left. I’m enamored with the reply, it sums up just about everything about the strife we find ourselves with these days, and while it stands firm, it is not a mean-spirited reply. The wink comes with open arms; or, the open arms come with a wink. One of the two.

While you’re at it, check out the rest of the blog. This is one interesting mind.

Filed by Bil at 10:54 am under Politics, Pop Culture, Shameless Plugs
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I have recently had my head forced out of the sand, where evidently it’s been for some time now. It’s what happens when you intentionally ignore both politics and pop music.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 2:27 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics, Social Issues
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Now that “Reading Rainbow” is done, what does the future look like? I’m worried because it wasn’t one of those things that fulfilled a specific basic human need. It’s not like it was the only pizza delivery company around; but if it was, you know damn well somebody else would pick up the torch. If there’s one thing that binds us all, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, it’s the same — we all want our pizza brought right to our front door.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 11:22 pm under Homophobia, Politics
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Who is this guy and where did he come from?

Congressman Patrick J. Murphy - Rep. Patrick Murphy, Veterans Announce Efforts to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

I’m appalled by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but I am neither gay nor in the military, so it’s easy not to listen to me. Here’s a congressman who, while not gay, actually was in the military and, in fact, was in Iraq and earned a Bronze Star for being awesome. He’s an elected official from some blue-collar district in Pennsylvania. These facts – because he’s a decorated Iraq vet, because he’s from a socially conservative district, and because he’s NOT gay – make him perhaps the least likely and the best advocate for getting rid of a stupid, small-minded policy that directly affects our national security.

And don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those guys who goes around worrying about national security. It’s a political potato, and something I find boring after two seconds. But seriously, what’s a bigger threat: having gays in the military or having a military with 13,000 fewer individuals? Think about that one.

And keep your eye on Pat Murphy. He’s a mover and a shaker.

Filed by Bil at 4:21 pm under Environmentality, Fightin' Words, Politics
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I know Michael Moore is a polarizing figure, and there are probably more folks on the side of “I can’t stand that guy” than on the side of “this guy knows what he’s talking about.” However, I do strongly encourage anyone and everyone, even if you despise the man, to read his article from today’s Huffington Post.

Michael Moore: Goodbye, GM

Moore talks about the idea of repurposing GM factories not just for GM cars, which we need to let go of, but for other modes of clean, energy-efficient transportation, like cross-country bullet trains and clean buses for rural areas. Read up.

** Later that day…

I found this photo in an article from the Boston Globe:

I can’t tell if it’s on purpose or if it’s a telling sign of some kind, but the three vehicles we see here driving in front of the GM headquarters in Detroit are all made by Ford.

Hm.

Filed by Bil at 10:06 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics
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I hate to talk about the economy – we all know it’s crappy, and I’m sure I don’t have much to say about it that hasn’t already been said five million times – and I wasn’t even worried about my own day job…until I read this news story:

GM to force more than 1,000 dealers to close (April 28, 2009)
(Keep reading…)