Meet Zach Wahls. He spoke before the body a few days ago. As the product of a two mother upbring, the guy quite frankly makes an argument for a lot more kids to be raised by same-sex couples. It is a profoundly moving and impressive thing to see.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Zach Wahls Tells It Like It Is
Feb 4th, 2011
In November, conservative Tea Party-driven Iowans voted out three members of the State Supreme Court for having the audacity to read the Constitution correctly and provide a clear opinion favoring marriage equality. The state legislature has moved forward with plans to amend their constitution in order to reverse the decision and deny LGBT citizens their rights. The measure passed their House and may be dead in the senate, although it's clear the fight is not over.
Meet Zach Wahls. He spoke before the body a few days ago. As the product of a two mother upbring, the guy quite frankly makes an argument for a lot more kids to be raised by same-sex couples. It is a profoundly moving and impressive thing to see.
Meet Zach Wahls. He spoke before the body a few days ago. As the product of a two mother upbring, the guy quite frankly makes an argument for a lot more kids to be raised by same-sex couples. It is a profoundly moving and impressive thing to see.
It's Different When It's OUR Guys
Feb 4th, 2011
Reaching a genuine new low yesterday, Rush Limbaugh made light of the illegal detention and violence against American journalists. "I don't feel any outrage." Really.
Then something happened and Rush suddenly decided it wasn't funny anymore. Why? Because a FOXNews team was "severely beaten." WELL. That changes everything. "We were kidding before..." Yeah. Right.
Reaching a genuine new low yesterday, Rush Limbaugh made light of the illegal detention and violence against American journalists. "I don't feel any outrage." Really.
Then something happened and Rush suddenly decided it wasn't funny anymore. Why? Because a FOXNews team was "severely beaten." WELL. That changes everything. "We were kidding before..." Yeah. Right.
Worth 1,000 Words
Quote Of The Day
Feb 4th, 2011
"When the conspiracy of lies surrounding me demands of me to silence the one word of truth given to me, that word becomes the one word I wish to utter above all others." -- Andre P. Brink
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Worth 1,000 Words
Feb 3rd, 2011
UPDATE: THE DEEPLY MOVING PHOTO I CELEBRATE HERE WAS TAKEN BY NEVINE ZAKI
As we all watch the ongoing Egyptian struggle, which continues to provoke both hope and terrible fear here in The West, I proudly pass along this photo. Perhaps out of solidarity with the Muslims who formed human shields to protect Copts in December and very early January from continued extremist violence... perhaps out of simple decency... Egyptian Christians joined Muslims in Tahrir square earlier and made a barrier to protect afternoon prayers to Mecca from the violence and tyranny of the Mubarak Regime.
نحن أبناء الله جميع
Hat tip to Jan.UPDATE: THE DEEPLY MOVING PHOTO I CELEBRATE HERE WAS TAKEN BY NEVINE ZAKI
As we all watch the ongoing Egyptian struggle, which continues to provoke both hope and terrible fear here in The West, I proudly pass along this photo. Perhaps out of solidarity with the Muslims who formed human shields to protect Copts in December and very early January from continued extremist violence... perhaps out of simple decency... Egyptian Christians joined Muslims in Tahrir square earlier and made a barrier to protect afternoon prayers to Mecca from the violence and tyranny of the Mubarak Regime.
Amanpour Takes It To The Strongman
Feb 3rd, 2011
FULL VIDEO OF TONIGHT'S ABC NEWS REPORT FROM CHRITIANE AMANPOUR IS BELOW.
I have two observation about the reporting today by Christiane Amanpour from Cairo. First, she is to commended for her profound bravery in journeying through a terribly dangerous situation to get her story. Second, she really didn't get much out of Pres. Hosni Mubarak other than confirmation that he is a delusional, besieged thug.
From ABC:
"We had to take a route that ran through a neighborhood where there were pro-Mubarak supporters in the streets were setting up their own check points.
When we got stuck in a crush of traffic, we were surrounded by an angry mob.
Vodafone - Official Tool Of Repressive Dictators
Feb 3rd, 2011
Things are just this ugly. So you want to operate a telecom network in some countries? Be prepared to actively assist in fomenting violence on behalf of those country's strong-men. An official statement from the international communications company Vodafone:
"Thursday 3 February 2011
Under the emergency powers provisions of the Telecoms Act, the Egyptian authorities can instruct the mobile networks of Mobinil, Etisalat and Vodafone to send messages to the people of Egypt. They have used this since the start of the protests. These messages are not scripted by any of the mobile network operators and we do not have the ability to respond to the authorities on their content.
Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable. We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator.
Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable. We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator.
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Vodafone is pleased to confirm that it has been able to reinstate data services in Egypt this morning, enabling our customers to access all internet sites. We are actively lobbying to reactivate SMS services as quickly as possible for our customers."
The cost of doing business with the iron-fisted continues to mount...
Mubarak's Heavies
Feb 3rd, 2011
A short time ago, Egypt's new Mubarak-appointed VP, Omar Suleiman, made a statement in which he apologized for the violence in Tahrir Sqaure while simultaneously blaming it on "outsiders" and "foreign" agitators. Suleiman's history as one of Mubarak's torturers is widely documented.
The following is an account of yesterday's clashes.
David D. Kirkpatrick and Kareem Fahim report:
"President Hosni Mubarak struck back at his opponents on Wednesday, unleashing waves of his supporters armed with clubs, rocks, knives and firebombs in a concerted assault on thousands of antigovernment protesters in Tahrir Square calling for an end to his authoritarian rule."
"The deployment of plainclothes forces paid by Mr. Mubarak’s ruling party — men known here as baltageya — has been a hallmark of the Mubarak government, and there were many signs that the violence was carefully choreographed.
The Mubarak supporters emerged from buses. They carried the same flags and the same printed signs, and they all escalated their actions, from shouting to violence, at exactly the same moment: 2:15 p.m. The protesters showed journalists police and ruling party identification cards that they said had been taken from Mubarak supporters who had been caught infiltrating Tahrir Square, also known as Liberation Square, and detained in a holding pen.
The preparations for a confrontation began Wednesday morning, a day after Mr. Mubarak pledged to step down in September while insisting that he would die on Egyptian soil. The president’s supporters waved flags as though they were headed to a protest, but armed themselves as though they were itching for a fight."
Quote Of The Day
Feb 3rd, 2010
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Great Storm Of 2011
Feb 2nd, 2011
This shot of vehicles abandoned in the Northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, IL. looks more like a shot from a Romero movie than a weather update.
This shot of vehicles abandoned in the Northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, IL. looks more like a shot from a Romero movie than a weather update.
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| © Copyright 2011 Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune |
The End Of A Paradigm
Feb 2nd, 2011
Thomas Friedman is in Israel. From the NY Times:
"I'm meeting with a retired general at a Tel Aviv hotel. As I take my seat, he begins the conversation with: “Well, everything we thought for the last 30 years is no longer relevant."
That pretty much sums up the disorienting sense of shock and awe that the popular uprising in Egypt has inflicted on the psyche of Israel’s establishment. The peace treaty with a stable Egypt was the unspoken foundation for every geopolitical and economic policy in Israel for the last 35 years, and now it’s gone. It’s as if Americans suddenly woke up and found both Mexico and Canada plunged into turmoil on the same day.
"Everything that once anchored our world is now unmoored," remarked Mark Heller, a Tel Aviv University strategist. "And it is happening right at a moment when nuclearization of the region hangs in the air."
Quote Of The Day 2
Feb 2nd, 2011
"Common tyrants, and public oppressors, are not entitled to obedience from their subjects." -- Jonathan Mayhew
Clashes In Cairo
Feb 2nd, 2011 7:25am CST
Clashes have begun between pro-Mubarak and anti-government forces in Cairo's Tahrir Square. A short time ago, pro-government partisans charged into the square on horseback. So far, the army and police have continued to exercise restraint. It is possible that Mubarak is attempting to engineer violence to reassert authority. There is strong on the scene coverage here at The Times of India as well as Al-Jazeera.
Clashes have begun between pro-Mubarak and anti-government forces in Cairo's Tahrir Square. A short time ago, pro-government partisans charged into the square on horseback. So far, the army and police have continued to exercise restraint. It is possible that Mubarak is attempting to engineer violence to reassert authority. There is strong on the scene coverage here at The Times of India as well as Al-Jazeera.
Disgusting Fox Comment Of The Week Award
Feb 2nd, 2011
Once again, it's time to thank the good people over at Fox News Comments for keeping a watchful eye on the very questionable lack of moderation at Murdoch's website. This DFCOTW was for a story under the banner headline:
"Not Known to Be Diet Food, Michelle Obama Hails ‘Great Barbecue’ in N.C."
Quote Of The Day
Feb 2nd, 2011
"In America today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the cops." -- Paul Brooks
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Beckwatch - All In One Show Edition
Feb 1st, 2011
Jumpin' cats, kids! Grab the popcorn and the soda! All in one show today, The Beckinator taught us that the Egyptian people DON'T want freedom...
Jumpin' cats, kids! Grab the popcorn and the soda! All in one show today, The Beckinator taught us that the Egyptian people DON'T want freedom...
And We Can't Say ANYTHING
Feb 31st, 2011
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| Abuse by U.S. Forces Abu Ghraib 2003 |
There was a time when reportage like this from Raw Story about a puppet-state could legitimately be met very differently by the U.S. Government. Not anymore. Now that we have become what we beheld, what can we say?
"BAGHDAD — Security forces linked to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are operating a "secret detention site" and elite teams are torturing detainees at a separate facility, Human Rights Watch charged on Tuesday.
The New York-based watchdog's claims come a week after the Los Angeles Times reported some detainees at a prison in the Iraqi capital's heavily fortified Green Zone had been abused and held without charge for up to two years, charges Baghdad denies."
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