Archive for March, 2008

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Biden

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by August J. Pollak

I’m rehashing the comment I left at Yglesias’ blog here, but based on the current political climate, I can’t imagine how Obama’s running mate won’t be one of two choices. Neither of them are my first choice personally, but every sense of logic indicates how necessary either of them would be.

Given that carrying Virginia will be a necessity for Obama, you have to go down all the available options there for one of Obama’s possible running mates. His first is Mark Warner, who is soundly a better choice for Obama than the equally-new Jim Webb or the “who the flying blue hell is Tim Kaine” Tim Kaine. The “problem” is Warner’s running for the open Virginia senate seat, to which I say, so what? Warner’s going to win that seat by a hoopatajillion points, and like Joe Lieberman in 2000 it’s so guaranteed for him that he can easily run for Veep at the same time and not lose a lot of face for it. Plus, if he wins, then Tim Kaine can appoint his Democratic replacement… given Kaine can’t run for a second term as governor, he’ll most likely appoint himself. Everyone wins, and we get a Vice-President in the guy who everyone expected two years ago to be the nominee in the first place.

The second choice is Joe Biden. And I’m honestly struggling to figure out why he wouldn’t be a perfect fit. Biden ties all the loose ends that hinder Obama’s campaign: he’s white. He’s a DC insider. He has more foreign policy experience than almost anyone in Washington. And fulfilling the standard role of the running mate, he’s the nasty attack dog who can levy attacks on the opposing ticket while Saint Barack stays high and dry.

But even more important, there’s another old issue at hand here. Biden, as you may recall, was the guy who got into a lot of trouble earlier on in the campaign for what were considered racially disparaging remarks about Obama. In what would almost be serendipitous irony, this is actually a major advantage on the PR level. Obama asking a man who previously took flak for offensive statements, and declaring that he is willing to see past that and work with him- I don’t think the significance of that needs to be explained at this point.

Posted in Some Guy With a Website | Comment

Open Thread: Ice Rain Aftermath

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Barry Deutsch

Use this thread to discuss whatever you’d like, or post whatever links you want. Self-linking is encouraged.

These photos, part of a series on Damn Cool Pics, show the aftermath of an ice rain in Southern China.

ice_storm_aftermath.jpg

ice_storm_aftermath_2.jpg

Posted in Ampersand | Comment

Tormented Audience — comic for 3/28

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Stephanie McMillan

For those interested in webcomics, print comics, business models for the web that can be applied any number of ways, there are some wide-ranging threads on these topics at the Daily Cartoonist and Fleen.

I’m following the discussions with great interest. Though I have my long-time hopes and dreams invested in a print syndication deal, clearly I have a lot to learn from the web comic artists as well. I’m getting some ideas for a new project.

Meanwhile, in Friday’s Minimum Security comic, a new story starts in which Javier will express himself in a unique way. Click on the fragment below for the full cartoon at comics.com:

The more you click on my cartoons at comics.com, the better the chances they’ll appear in daily city papers, possibly starting in the fall of 2008. If you like Minimum Security, please see a new cartoon each weekday!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comment

Deep Down — comic for 3/27

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Stephanie McMillan

In Thursday’s comic, Chip is even more enamored. Click on the fragment below for the full cartoon at comics.com:

The more you click on my cartoons at comics.com, the better the chances they’ll appear in daily city papers, possibly starting in the fall of 2008. If you like Minimum Security, please see a new cartoon each weekday!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comment

China & Tibet cont.

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Abell Smith

NPR is reporting that Buddhist monks in Tibet have effectively become prisoners in their own monasteries, and are being forced to denounce the Dalai Lama as a “terrorist.” Meanwhile, one monk has died from starvation due to a Chinese blockade of food and water to major monasteries in Lhasa.

I think it’s safe to say that most Buddhist monks are, almost by definition, people who have devoted their entire lives to peace and understanding.

Nancy Pelosi, supposedly an enlightened voice on the subject, says we should continue to reward this kind of behavior by the Chinese government:

She said in a statement that while the Chinese government has failed to live up to its commitments to improve human rights conditions in China and Tibet, “I believe a boycott of the Beijing Olympics would unfairly harm our athletes who have worked so hard to prepare for the competition.”

I’m as rabid a sports fan as you will find… baseball, football, golf, the NBA before David Stern destroyed the league… and, yes, even the Olympics. But can’t we all acknowledge that there are some things that are more important than sports, and that this is one of them? I think quite a few Olympic atheletes would recognize this…

Posted in Fighting Words | Comment

“Heartstrung,� feminist-themed fiction by Mandolin, On Pseudopod!

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Barry Deutsch

Pseudopod, the biggest podcast of horror fiction, is currently featuring “Heartstrung,” a short story by Rachel Swirsky — who “Alas” readers know better as Mandolin. (Mandolin’s fiction appears regularly in professional venues, but this is the first time one of her stories has been podcasted.)

If you had asked me, I would have said that “Heartstrung” was fantasy, not horror — but I can see why a horror magazine bought it. It’s not traditional horror, but it is pretty horrifying. It’s also really good, and (in my opinion, at least) contains strong feminist themes. And it’s free! Give it a listen.

P.S. Mandolin is also editing a new podcast of fantasy fiction. More about that next week.

P.P.S. You can read a review of some of Mandolin’s other fiction here.

Posted in Ampersand | Comment

Match It for Pratchett

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Kevin Moore

Cross-posted from mooretoons.

I just donated a humble ten bucks toward the Match It for Pratchett charity drive, an effort by fans of author Terry Pratchett to match his donation of half a million pounds (about a million U.S. dollars) to research to treat and cure Alzheimer’s Disease. Specifically, the money goes to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. I have also put a donation button on the right column of my blog.

I had considered offering up original artwork for sale – a move launched by Shaenon Garrity of Narbonics fame (or many other avenues to glory; woman be bizzy!) – and I may still do that. But the quickest and easiest route for now is just direct donation. If you have a PayPal account – or wish to use your online bank account – the donation process shouldn’t take more than three clicks. Any donation amount is acceptable and, in fact, encouraged. The Match It for Pratchett fund-raisers strive to get at least 500,000 people to donate a pound (or $2.00 U.S.) toward Alzheimer’s research.

For those needing a little more background, Terry Pratchett is best known for the 35 novels in the Discworld series, stand-alone novels set in a comical and magical universe and featuring a wide assortment of mythical creatures. Call it fantasy, sci-fi, satire, parody, what-have-you. Pratchett is an excellent humorist and, as time goes on, a much needed humanist observer of war, money, belief, crime, equality and so on. I have not read all of them, but I’m getting pretty close; and when I finish, I’ll move on to his other novels he has written outside of the Discworld series. The guy is crazy prolific, highly inventive and demonstrates a sharp wit. So the irony of his affliction escapes no one of his fans.

That said, he’s quite well and flourishing. He “atetn’t dead yet,” and I hope our efforts will contribute to keeping his mind alert and fertile for many years to come. Moreover, the benefits he might derive from the products of Alzheimer’s research and development should help others who share his affliction, if not his wealth and fame.

Posted in In Contempt | Comment

No Maternity Leave For You!

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Barry Deutsch

From Tapped, Dana advises pregnant workers to give written notice… of pregnancy:

That’s one of the lessons in Sue Shellenbarger’s latest Wall Street Journal column, which reports that pregnancy bias complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rose 14 percent last year to 5,587, a 40 percent increase from a decade ago. One woman in the publishing industry was fired while she was pregnant, supposedly for poor performance, yet those issues had never come up prior to her pregnancy. She wanted legal redress, but couldn’t prove in writing that her bosses actually knew she was expecting. So consider sharing your big news over email.

Shallenbarger also writes that many American women, until they get pregnant, have no idea that they are entitled to no paid leave under current law. Indeed, a study from Harvard University last year found that of 168 nations worldwide, the United States is one of only four whose government doesn’t require employers to provide paid maternity leave. The others are Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland.

Posted in Ampersand | Comment

No Maternity Leave For You!

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Barry Deutsch

From Tapped, Dana advises pregnant workers to give written notice… of pregnancy:

That’s one of the lessons in Sue Shellenbarger’s latest Wall Street Journal column, which reports that pregnancy bias complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rose 14 percent last year to 5,587, a 40 percent increase from a decade ago. One woman in the publishing industry was fired while she was pregnant, supposedly for poor performance, yet those issues had never come up prior to her pregnancy. She wanted legal redress, but couldn’t prove in writing that her bosses actually knew she was expecting. So consider sharing your big news over email.

Shallenbarger also writes that many American women, until they get pregnant, have no idea that they are entitled to no paid leave under current law. Indeed, a study from Harvard University last year found that of 168 nations worldwide, the United States is one of only four whose government doesn’t require employers to provide paid maternity leave. The others are Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland.

Posted in Ampersand | Comment

Friday, March 28th, 2008 by Ted Rall

Upcoming NYC Book Signings

I’ll be doing a joint book signing, with “Minimum Security” cartoonist Stephanie McMillan twice next month: April 14th and 21st.

The first event will be at Bluestockings on Monday, April 14, at 7 pm:

$1 to $3 Suggested
Resistance Through Ridicule
with Stephanie McMillan and Ted Rall
Kickin’ ass and taking names, political cartoonists Ted Rall and Stephanie McMillan show their newest comics and lead a discussion about politics, ecocide, the evil-in-the-system, and resistance. Ted Rall’s editorial cartoons are published each week in our nation’s papers, and “America Gone Wild” is his newest book. Stephanie McMillan is the creator of the strip “Minimum Security,” and co-authored the graphic novel “As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay In Denial” with Derrick Jensen.

The second event will be Monday, April 21, also at 7 pm:
Idlewild Books
12 W. 19th St.
between Fifth and Sixth Avenues). It will be sponsored by
Revolution Books, which is across the street.

Posted in Ted Rall | Comment

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