28 April 2010
27 April 2010
Driberally tonight
Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink and food specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I hope to see you there!
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: The Guardian (U.K.) appears to have found a smoking gun in the worldwide scandal of child sex abuse by the Catholic church: orders from the Vatican itself directing bishops and other officials to deny abuse, cover up evidence, and silence victims and their families by threatening excommunication. There's a reason why Mithras and others have been calling it an international pedophile ring for years.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: The Guardian (U.K.) appears to have found a smoking gun in the worldwide scandal of child sex abuse by the Catholic church: orders from the Vatican itself directing bishops and other officials to deny abuse, cover up evidence, and silence victims and their families by threatening excommunication. There's a reason why Mithras and others have been calling it an international pedophile ring for years.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
26 April 2010
Monday art house: D. Christie
"Fire Fire I Heard The Cry," by D. Christie -- animated linocuts by a self-taught artist whose blog I've been following for several months now.
23 April 2010
"Did you have permission?" -- informed consent for research on blood samples
“Did you have permission,” [Carletta Tilousi] asked during the question period, “to use Havasupai blood for your research?”Arizona State University didn't, and so they've settled with the Havasupai Indians to the tune of $700,000, a return of all remaining blood samples, and a banishment order that prevents all University employees from entering the reservation (NYT).
The blood sample donors had consented to tests on their biological material that would result in insights to a high prevalence of diabetes in the tribe. In exchange, they were supposed to receive nutrition classes and other assistance to help combat the disease among tribe members. The lead genetics researcher started using the blood for other, completely unrelated studies -- some two dozen of them. And several years later, a tribe member who was a student at Arizona State was casually invited to attend a dissertation that used blood samples that the school had stored away for years in a deep freeze. What does informed consent mean when your blood and DNA are spiritually infused with meaning? When the results of the research conflict with your tribe's origin stories, and the contradiction is seen as a hurtful insult to the tribe's storytellers?
Western scientists have disregarded Indian beliefs and traditions for years. The disconnect between how archaeologists and Indians seek to treat a body they've uncovered has been a huge, continual issue in North American archaeology. Until shockingly recently, there was no federal law that required archaeologists to treat an Indian grave any differently from, say, a Neanderthal burial or a Celtic bog body, despite Indian tradition that -- to generalize terribly -- holds the most distant and ancient ancestors as close as a living sibling. Though some archaeologists might have had more scruples than the law and the scientific method dictated, for most of the past few centuries there was little, if any, regard for the Indians' perspective in the human remains and artifacts that were removed from homelands and reservations in the name of scholarship and science.
It hasn't helped that the Peabody, Smithsonian, and other institutions still have literally drawers of unreturned Indian body parts collected from all over the continent, yet to be repatriated.
Nowadays, trained academic archaeologists do the right thing and immediately halt a dig and call in the Indians (er, at least, immediately after they call the police) if they find a human body at a North American site. It's the law, too: 25 U.S.C. 3001-3013 (NAGPRA). But my point, and I do have one, is that scholars and scientists aren't going to make themselves look too good to Indians if they can't be more culturally sensitive. The principles that led to NAGPRA don't suddenly end at burials and artifacts.
Even with NAGPRA, a lot of tribes won't allow archaeological digs on their territory, because of continued disrespect by scholars for boundaries, both physical and cultural. And lookit: the Havasupai Indians have done the same thing with Arizona State University now. And everybody loses! The tribe, and likely other tribes as well, lose the future benefits of medical research on their health. The school, because it couldn't be bothered to send a person and some paperwork to the tribe to expand the scope of their permission to use the samples, loses goodwill. The scientific community at large loses, because it will now find it more time-consuming and costly to try to do similar work with other tribes.
Remember Kennewick Man? A huge dust-up over a body that was scientifically too old to be a Pacific Northwest Indian, but geographically too close to five current tribes for them to culturally allow scholars to desecrate his bones with tests, or at least not without an expensive court battle. The court battles aren't going to get any less expensive until scientists show more respect to the tribes. If they want less of a fight today, then we -- as in, the non-Indian settlers of North America -- shouldn't have given out smallpox blankets back in the day. As it stands now, we -- as in, Western-thinking people -- just need to give Indians more time and more respect when it comes to working out these informed consent deals for what we consider chemical residue, and what Indians consider spiritually charged ancestor parts.
And taking time to work things out sensitively is OK. Kennewick Man isn't going anywhere.
22 April 2010
Challenge anti-woman religious fundamentalism -- for science!
Remember that krazy kleric who said that female immodesty causes earthquakes? "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes," says a senior Muslim cleric in Iran, where earthquakes have killed thousands upon thousands of people since the Islamic revolution.
It's woman hate and bad science all wrapped up in one ridiculous comment. So maybe my women readers would be interested in participating in a global event that will either bring on the seismological endtimes or teach a few people about the geology of earthquakes -- or maybe give all our male friends righteous hard-ons: Boobquake!
It's woman hate and bad science all wrapped up in one ridiculous comment. So maybe my women readers would be interested in participating in a global event that will either bring on the seismological endtimes or teach a few people about the geology of earthquakes -- or maybe give all our male friends righteous hard-ons: Boobquake!
On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. Or short shorts, if that's your preferred form of immodesty. With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake. If not, I'm sure [krazy kleric] Sedighi can come up with a rational explanation for why the ground didn't rumble. And if we really get through to him, maybe it'll be one involving plate tectonics.Three cheers to Jen McCreight!
21 April 2010
Your regularly scheduled white male privilege check: SCOTUS nominee edition
Ah, another otherwise lovely evening out with the white male liberals, marred by some ugly white male liberal privilege.
This week, it was the assertion that we don't need more liberal women on the Supreme Court, so long as we have liberal justices. The sex of the next few appointees doesn't matter, in other words -- they just have to be liberals.
Guys, guys, guys. You remember that the federal late-term abortion ban was upheld in 2007, right? It was only three years ago. And you remember why it was upheld? It was upheld because, so the argument went, the state has a substantial interest in protecting women from the emotional harm that a small minority of women may sometimes feel after they have an abortion. This interest, according to the Court, outweighs the woman's or her doctor's interest in terminating a pregnancy that endangers her health. In sum, a woman loses her right to constitutional due process once her pregnancy has advanced to the point where the usual termination procedure would be an intact D & E.
Next step to checking your privilege: how many American women get pregnant every year? Over six million pregnancies occur in the U.S. annually. About half are unintended. And the trend continues through American women's lifetimes: about half of all American women will unintentionally fall pregnant at some point during their childbearing years, at least one time (WSJ).
More: In America, about one third of all women will have at least one abortion during their childbearing years (Guttmacher.org). Still with me? This means that of all the American women you know, you know a woman, likely a few women, who've had an abortion.
Think about the women you met and spoke to at Drinking Liberally on Tuesday. One of us -- probably more -- has voluntarily terminated a pregnancy. And of all of us, we fall into one of two categories. Now, the categories aren't "women who've had abortions" and "women who haven't"; it's women who have had to decide whether to get an abortion, and women who haven't had to make the decision. Most women eventually get pregnant sometime between ages 15 and 44. Before they do, they're in the latter category. After they do, they're in the former category -- and a million of us choose an abortion every year in America.
Not done yet. The question here is why we need more women on the Supreme Court rather than settling for more male liberals. Pardon me from pointing out the obvious: men can never join either of those categories. But on average, most American women bring at least one child into the world before they leave it themselves (Census.gov PDF). Thus, most American women are now or will eventually be in that first category.
Abortion is an integral part of women's reproductive health care. The right to a safe, legal abortion at any time during a pregnancy should be solely in the hands of the woman and her doctor, just as any other aspect of an American's healthcare decisions should be.
When abortions are outlawed, women will still get abortions, because most women are now or will eventually be in that first category. When abortions are outlawed, no men will die in pools of their own blood on filthy motel room floors (graphic).
And this is why we need more women, not just more liberal men, on the Supreme Court.
This week, it was the assertion that we don't need more liberal women on the Supreme Court, so long as we have liberal justices. The sex of the next few appointees doesn't matter, in other words -- they just have to be liberals.
Guys, guys, guys. You remember that the federal late-term abortion ban was upheld in 2007, right? It was only three years ago. And you remember why it was upheld? It was upheld because, so the argument went, the state has a substantial interest in protecting women from the emotional harm that a small minority of women may sometimes feel after they have an abortion. This interest, according to the Court, outweighs the woman's or her doctor's interest in terminating a pregnancy that endangers her health. In sum, a woman loses her right to constitutional due process once her pregnancy has advanced to the point where the usual termination procedure would be an intact D & E.
Next step to checking your privilege: how many American women get pregnant every year? Over six million pregnancies occur in the U.S. annually. About half are unintended. And the trend continues through American women's lifetimes: about half of all American women will unintentionally fall pregnant at some point during their childbearing years, at least one time (WSJ).
More: In America, about one third of all women will have at least one abortion during their childbearing years (Guttmacher.org). Still with me? This means that of all the American women you know, you know a woman, likely a few women, who've had an abortion.
Think about the women you met and spoke to at Drinking Liberally on Tuesday. One of us -- probably more -- has voluntarily terminated a pregnancy. And of all of us, we fall into one of two categories. Now, the categories aren't "women who've had abortions" and "women who haven't"; it's women who have had to decide whether to get an abortion, and women who haven't had to make the decision. Most women eventually get pregnant sometime between ages 15 and 44. Before they do, they're in the latter category. After they do, they're in the former category -- and a million of us choose an abortion every year in America.
Not done yet. The question here is why we need more women on the Supreme Court rather than settling for more male liberals. Pardon me from pointing out the obvious: men can never join either of those categories. But on average, most American women bring at least one child into the world before they leave it themselves (Census.gov PDF). Thus, most American women are now or will eventually be in that first category.
Abortion is an integral part of women's reproductive health care. The right to a safe, legal abortion at any time during a pregnancy should be solely in the hands of the woman and her doctor, just as any other aspect of an American's healthcare decisions should be.
When abortions are outlawed, women will still get abortions, because most women are now or will eventually be in that first category. When abortions are outlawed, no men will die in pools of their own blood on filthy motel room floors (graphic).
And this is why we need more women, not just more liberal men, on the Supreme Court.
Gift registries for kids' birthdays?
Apparently the thing to do for children's birthdays is to register the birthday kid with a store, like a wedding registry, only for books or toys.
Call me a mean parent, but I've never registered my kid at a store for her birthday. (Or maybe call me behind the times: the author of that article says that she got her first registered-birthday invitation some five years ago, yet I've only just heard of the practice.) In fact, I kind of actively discourage birthday gifts from my daughter's little friends, or at least expensive gifts that would be out of my budget to duplicate dollar-for-dollar when my kid gets the inevitable, reciprocal invite to her invitees' birthday parties. Here's what I do. I host my daughter's birthday parties every other year -- trading off with her dad -- and on the invitations I write:
Here's the article author's conclusion on the issue:
Because more importantly, limiting what the invitees can choose from to buy for a child puts a minimum price point out there that not all of the invitees will necessarily be able to meet. This is inconsiderate; I can't imagine basically requiring that an invitee spend a certain amount of money in order to be admitted to my daughter's birthday party. I mean, is a person legally allowed to walk out of a Toys 'R' Us without having spent $50 or $100? Yes, this is selfishness on my part, since I've been at the lower end of the income spectrum in my kid's circle of friends and classmates for the past few years. But think about it. If all the families you know can afford to spend $25 or more on a birthday gift for a pre-teen or toddler, then either some of them are lying about their income (or are in denial about their credit cards), or you need to check the socioeconomic diversity of your circle of acquaintances.
And for the record, my daughter's never come away from a birthday party that I've hosted, disappointed with the number or type of presents she's received.
Call me a mean parent, but I've never registered my kid at a store for her birthday. (Or maybe call me behind the times: the author of that article says that she got her first registered-birthday invitation some five years ago, yet I've only just heard of the practice.) In fact, I kind of actively discourage birthday gifts from my daughter's little friends, or at least expensive gifts that would be out of my budget to duplicate dollar-for-dollar when my kid gets the inevitable, reciprocal invite to her invitees' birthday parties. Here's what I do. I host my daughter's birthday parties every other year -- trading off with her dad -- and on the invitations I write:
Your presence is your present! Glomarization, Jr., is blessed to have loving friends and family. If you choose to bring a gift, please do not spend more than $10. Thank you!I think this note does three things. First, I figure it puts the other parents on notice that I'm not going to spend much money at all on their kids when the time comes around. And also, I flatter myself that it contributes at least a little to taking the pressure off everybody in our circle of classmates and pals to escalate gift-giving as the kids get older. Finally, it gives an out to anybody on the guest list whose parent has been laid off, or is in grad school, or couldn't find much left over from their budget this month.
Here's the article author's conclusion on the issue:
Registries teach children that they deserve to get what they want, all the time. To me, registries seem to be just another way to protect our kids from pain or disappointment of any kind, including the traumatic experience of receiving an unwanted copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In my ideal world, kids need to learn to be grateful and show appreciation for what they receive, whether it's yet another set of Tinker Toys, an itchy pair of pajamas, or a donation to [charity].I agree with that. One does need to learn how to respond with grace and tact when one receives an unwanted, inappropriate gift. But this perspective focuses only on the birthday kid, not on the guests.
Because more importantly, limiting what the invitees can choose from to buy for a child puts a minimum price point out there that not all of the invitees will necessarily be able to meet. This is inconsiderate; I can't imagine basically requiring that an invitee spend a certain amount of money in order to be admitted to my daughter's birthday party. I mean, is a person legally allowed to walk out of a Toys 'R' Us without having spent $50 or $100? Yes, this is selfishness on my part, since I've been at the lower end of the income spectrum in my kid's circle of friends and classmates for the past few years. But think about it. If all the families you know can afford to spend $25 or more on a birthday gift for a pre-teen or toddler, then either some of them are lying about their income (or are in denial about their credit cards), or you need to check the socioeconomic diversity of your circle of acquaintances.
And for the record, my daughter's never come away from a birthday party that I've hosted, disappointed with the number or type of presents she's received.
20 April 2010
Driberally tonight
Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink and food specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I hope to see you there!
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes," says a senior Muslim cleric in Iran, where earthquakes have killed thousands upon thousands of people since the Islamic revolution (BBC). To ward off any heavenly punishment for the Drinking Liberally regulars, I promise not to wear open-toed shoes to our gatherings until after Memorial Day.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes," says a senior Muslim cleric in Iran, where earthquakes have killed thousands upon thousands of people since the Islamic revolution (BBC). To ward off any heavenly punishment for the Drinking Liberally regulars, I promise not to wear open-toed shoes to our gatherings until after Memorial Day.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
19 April 2010
A march in D.C. on the 15th anniversary of OKC bombing
Today is the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the biggest act of domestic terrorism in the history of the United States.
Also today, there's a rally in Washington, D.C., for the teabaggers and right-wing militia nutcases.
This is what the marchers are commemorating:
It's no coincidence that this "Second Amendment March" is happening today, just as it was no coincidence that domestic terrorist, mass murderer, and baby killer Timothy McVeigh chose 19 April to blow up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City: it's the anniversary of the 1993 Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas. McVeigh killed 168 people, including 3 pregnant women and 19 children. He parked the truck bomb under the building's daycare.
Teabaggers, Oath Keepers, and "Second Amendment Advocates" are not your friends, and they're not patriotic Americans. They think McVeigh is a hero, and their Fox News spokespeople drop McVeigh's name as if he were a political leader and inspirational figure, not a brutal killer (video: from 7:45). And their message today is a threat that Oklahoma City will happen again.
Brendan says it better.
Also today, there's a rally in Washington, D.C., for the teabaggers and right-wing militia nutcases.
This is what the marchers are commemorating:
It's no coincidence that this "Second Amendment March" is happening today, just as it was no coincidence that domestic terrorist, mass murderer, and baby killer Timothy McVeigh chose 19 April to blow up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City: it's the anniversary of the 1993 Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas. McVeigh killed 168 people, including 3 pregnant women and 19 children. He parked the truck bomb under the building's daycare.
Teabaggers, Oath Keepers, and "Second Amendment Advocates" are not your friends, and they're not patriotic Americans. They think McVeigh is a hero, and their Fox News spokespeople drop McVeigh's name as if he were a political leader and inspirational figure, not a brutal killer (video: from 7:45). And their message today is a threat that Oklahoma City will happen again.
Brendan says it better.
16 April 2010
"Bad" neighborhoods get (literally) bad produce
A team of researchers at Drexel University went around to a few neighborhoods in Philadelphia and sampled ready-to-eat produce, milk, and orange juice. They tested the samples for bacteria, yeasts, and molds. To probably no one's surprise, they found that the lower the socioeconomic status (SES) of the neighborhood where they bought the produce, the higher the concentration of undesirable microbes in the food:
I recognize the double bind here. There are few supermarkets in low-SES neighborhoods -- instead you get cheap fast food, some drugstores, and corner convenience stores -- and it can be problematic to come into Center City on a regular basis to the Reading Terminal Market or the produce stands at the Gallery to get fresh fruits and vegetables. And from the vendors' point of view, just because an apple has a bruise doesn't mean it should be thrown in the trash. So long as it isn't rotten and full of worms, it's not unreasonable to try to sell the imperfect apple at some kind of discount to a shop in a neighborhood where the supermarkets are scared to build.
I'd be happy to pay $.60/lb for a bruised apple over the $2.00/lb for "perfect" apples I saw in my neighborhood SuperFresh this morning.
The researchers conclude that
In general, microbial counts were high on raw produce sold at stores in both types of neighborhoods. This is not surprising because these are raw, perishable products; however, counts were almost uniformly higher in produce from stores in low-SES neighborhoods when compared to stores in high-SES neighborhoods.Why? Some suggested reasons:
Small retail facilities that serve populations in low-SES urban areas may lack the resources, time, or knowledge to focus on sanitation and proper refrigeration. Small urban retailers may also rely on nontraditional transportation methods that are not refrigerated if they are located in small, inner-city streets. They may also be a captive market for less quality products from suppliers who have strict quality standards to meet for large corporate retailers.In other words, they're selling the cast-off, blemished produce that SuperFresh and Whole Foods won't take. The vendors don't send it back as unsaleable to the growers; instead, they foist it on the shops in poor neighborhoods.
I recognize the double bind here. There are few supermarkets in low-SES neighborhoods -- instead you get cheap fast food, some drugstores, and corner convenience stores -- and it can be problematic to come into Center City on a regular basis to the Reading Terminal Market or the produce stands at the Gallery to get fresh fruits and vegetables. And from the vendors' point of view, just because an apple has a bruise doesn't mean it should be thrown in the trash. So long as it isn't rotten and full of worms, it's not unreasonable to try to sell the imperfect apple at some kind of discount to a shop in a neighborhood where the supermarkets are scared to build.
I'd be happy to pay $.60/lb for a bruised apple over the $2.00/lb for "perfect" apples I saw in my neighborhood SuperFresh this morning.
The researchers conclude that
[i]f low-SES populations consistently consume produce, dairy products, or meat and poultry that are of poorer microbial quality and therefore spoil quickly, it may negatively influence their willingness to purchase these products. It may also place them at increased risk of foodborne illness.The article is forthcoming in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (.cfm file can be opened as a PDF).
14 April 2010
13 April 2010
Driberally tonight
Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink and food specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I hope to see you there!
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named Philadelphia the nation's sixth-worst city for allergies (CNN). Oddly, the news article leaves out what seems to me the obvious solution: pave Fairmount Park. I mean, really, this is nothing that 9,000-odd acres of new concrete couldn't fix.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has named Philadelphia the nation's sixth-worst city for allergies (CNN). Oddly, the news article leaves out what seems to me the obvious solution: pave Fairmount Park. I mean, really, this is nothing that 9,000-odd acres of new concrete couldn't fix.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
10 April 2010
Best court summary so far this year: DUI case in Commonwealth Court
From The April 5, 2010, Pennsylvania Bar News:
Marone v. DOT, No. 826 C.D. 2009 (Jan. 5, 2010) -- Reasonable grounds to believe licensee operating vehicle under influence of controlled substance when officer finds him passed out in driver's seat, slumped over center console with head inside fast food bag on passenger seat, and, upon reviving licensee, finds him belligerent, violent, having trouble standing and exhibiting bloodshot eyes and badly slurred speech, with contents of three open pill bottles strewn about interior of vehicle.Since this is only a squib, I don't know the full story behind the result in this decision. But it looks to me like some truly zealous advocacy on the part of the licensee's lawyer.
09 April 2010
Ultimately, he's under arrest
The SMU Law grad who's suing the Supreme Court to stop all abortions in America forever and ever amen has been arrested on federal charges for the terroristic threatening of an abortion clinic in Dallas, Texas:
On Friday morning, [Erlyndon Joseph] Lo went to the Plano federal courthouse and filed a court document saying that at noon that day, he was planning to go to the Southwestern Women's Surgery Center in the 8600 block of Greenville Avenue in Dallas and "use deadly force to defend the innocent life of another human being," according to court documents.The court informed the FBI, who apparently decided that putting this guy in custody was a better plan than providing him an armed protective escort to assist him in blowing up the clinic.
Lo's filing specifically sought a restraining order against law enforcement, asking that officers not be allowed to harm him if he had to harm someone else.
07 April 2010
06 April 2010
Driberally tonight
Drinking Liberally is a weekly social gathering where progressives talk politics and get to know one another. In Center City Philadelphia, we meet on Tuesday nights at José Pistola's upstairs bar, where there are drink and food specials from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I hope to see you there!
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: R.I.P. Ed Roberts, inventor of the Altair home computer.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
José Pistola's is at 263 South 15th Street (15th and Spruce) in Center City, near the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. There's a parking garage across the street, but as filthy liberal hippies naturally we suggest public transit; both SEPTA and PATCO will get you there in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
This week's topic: R.I.P. Ed Roberts, inventor of the Altair home computer.
"Come for the beer, stay for the check"
03 April 2010
"Franklin & Marshall" fashion from Italy
An Italian fashion house has created a line of "Franklin & Marshall MCMIC" branded casualwear. It has nothing at all to do with the college in Lancaster (1787), though. The designers apparently just thought it looked nicer than and would compete favorably against Abercrombie & Fitch. According to the company's website, the clothes are "inspired by the American Vintage College spirit" found at literally old-school institutions like F&M.
I gotta get me one of their "DELAWARE BEACH PENNSYLVANIA Franklin and Marshall Swim Champ 87" t-shirts. I'd provide a link but the site is all Flash and I can't gank an image or even give you the URL to their catalog -- which they call a "workbook," keeping with the American university theme.
I gotta get me one of their "DELAWARE BEACH PENNSYLVANIA Franklin and Marshall Swim Champ 87" t-shirts. I'd provide a link but the site is all Flash and I can't gank an image or even give you the URL to their catalog -- which they call a "workbook," keeping with the American university theme.
02 April 2010
Mithras on recent news from the White House
Mithras, unlike a lot of the progressive/left-wing bloggers over the past couple of days, thoughtfully discusses President Obama's executive order on offshore drilling with calm, reason, facts, and a review of Obama's political strategy all along.
Also, a note about a real, concrete environmental win by the administration: a sharp reduction in the number of permits that will be issued for shaving Appalachian mountaintops for coal.
I'll add a comment about the health insurance reform bill as well. As President Obama mentioned in Iowa when he was heckled about the public option not being included in the bill, he "couldn't get it through Congress." So what we got was a lousy health reform bill, with minimal (but very tangible for a lot of people) advances for progressives. But understand: we got the changes; "progressive" means incremental change, not 180-degree turns; and a whole lot of Republicans are going to face their constituents come campaign time -- after people will have started to see a difference in their wallet -- having to explain why they voted against even these small changes.
And remember, the health insurance reforms aren't going to go away. They're only going to be improved on and expanded, though of course it'll be two steps forward, one step back. It's always been this way in the deliberately broken scheme of separation of powers we have.
Barack Obama has always been a politician. The executive order about federally funded abortions was meaningless. Read it. It merely points out to the various agencies where they need to look in the health insurance reform bill to follow the rules. The order was a piece of paper tossed at Republican obstructionists, showing that it's the other party in the debate that's willing to, well, debate and come to the table for a conversation.
I think it's been President Obama's strategy since the day he entered politics: be the person who's (seen as being) willing to talk, discuss, and compromise, while making the other party look like a completely unreasonable, uncompromising asshole. I don't know if it'll work in the long term, but it sure is hard to see from day to day. What else is sure is that a lot of instant WHARRGARBL from the left every time the Republicans get what will end up to be a fake win doesn't help.
Also, a note about a real, concrete environmental win by the administration: a sharp reduction in the number of permits that will be issued for shaving Appalachian mountaintops for coal.
I'll add a comment about the health insurance reform bill as well. As President Obama mentioned in Iowa when he was heckled about the public option not being included in the bill, he "couldn't get it through Congress." So what we got was a lousy health reform bill, with minimal (but very tangible for a lot of people) advances for progressives. But understand: we got the changes; "progressive" means incremental change, not 180-degree turns; and a whole lot of Republicans are going to face their constituents come campaign time -- after people will have started to see a difference in their wallet -- having to explain why they voted against even these small changes.
And remember, the health insurance reforms aren't going to go away. They're only going to be improved on and expanded, though of course it'll be two steps forward, one step back. It's always been this way in the deliberately broken scheme of separation of powers we have.
Barack Obama has always been a politician. The executive order about federally funded abortions was meaningless. Read it. It merely points out to the various agencies where they need to look in the health insurance reform bill to follow the rules. The order was a piece of paper tossed at Republican obstructionists, showing that it's the other party in the debate that's willing to, well, debate and come to the table for a conversation.
I think it's been President Obama's strategy since the day he entered politics: be the person who's (seen as being) willing to talk, discuss, and compromise, while making the other party look like a completely unreasonable, uncompromising asshole. I don't know if it'll work in the long term, but it sure is hard to see from day to day. What else is sure is that a lot of instant WHARRGARBL from the left every time the Republicans get what will end up to be a fake win doesn't help.
Wingnuts demand resignation of 30 governors
A wingnut group of tax protestors has sent letters to 30 governors demanding that they resign -- or that they will be removed. CNN doesn't say which states, but they mention Nevada. A quick Google news search identifies Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah as states where governors received a letter from the "Guardians of the Free Republics."
The FBI and DHS are downplaying the threats in the letters, and I haven't seen the text leaked online anywhere. But I'll call a spade a spade and assert that, when a group says that the governor of a state will be "removed" and they don't use the phrase voted out of office, what we're talking about is an organization of domestic terrorists.
Cf. "flesh and blood" defense and the "sovereign citizen" legal theory; tax protestor FAQ
The FBI and DHS are downplaying the threats in the letters, and I haven't seen the text leaked online anywhere. But I'll call a spade a spade and assert that, when a group says that the governor of a state will be "removed" and they don't use the phrase voted out of office, what we're talking about is an organization of domestic terrorists.
Cf. "flesh and blood" defense and the "sovereign citizen" legal theory; tax protestor FAQ
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