crystallyn.com

May 01, 2006

I'm confused...

What on earth were they thinking, letting Colbert speak at the White House Correspondents dinner? Didn't they EXPECT to be roasted royally? And with such panache as only Colbert can do?

I would have killed to be a fly on the interior wall of the limo as Bushey rode away...

To view the clips and to find out more, check out:
http://www.thankyoustephencolbert.org/

Also, of note, over the weekend, was an article in the Boston Globe, showing how Bush really feels that he is above and beyond the law.

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution. Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

All hail the King!

Posted by crystallyn at 08:17 PM | TrackBack

April 20, 2006

while jogging

This morning, in a quiet neighborhood just a couple of blocks away from my house, I came across the Pig Mobile (and no, this picture was not taken by me, near my house...it was taken in Tampa Bay, FL a couple years ago):

I did some checking into it and an old True Majority Press Release describes it best:

The “Pig Mobile,” conceived of by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, consists of three different-sized piggy banks strung together to illustrate just how big a financial disaster the Iraq war has turned out to be.

The largest pig (by far) shows the financial cost ($200 billion)[1] of America’s attack on Iraq, including the projected minimum cost of reconstruction. The smaller pig illustrates how much the federal government spends on K-12 education ($34 billion)[2]. And the third pig, which is a wee little pig, shows America’s dedication to lessening world hunger and poverty ($10 billion).[3]

Except those figures were two years ago so the numbers on the piggy have changed. And its belly is packed full of dollar bills.

It was so so quiet, not a soul around, just me, the birds, the squirrels and the pink piggy mobile. It made me feel very very sad.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 10, 2006

Perfect

Posted by crystallyn at 07:31 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 10, 2006

bits of random-ness

I realize that I haven't blogged lately. I've been busy. Or lazy. Maybe a bit of both. But I'm always interested...

Some of the random things that have caught my interest:

* Zillow, a very cool way to research real-estate
* EQ2 and all of the enjoyable time-suck that it is
* How long it will be before they indict Cheney
* CB2 has a new catalog! But when are they going to open up a store in Boston?
* When you wash clothes and oil gets all over them, it means that your seal around the agitator is cracked and that basically a new washer is on your agenda. And new clothes. Argh.
* I hope to soon have the courage to join this club.
* Apparently up in Canada they aren't just fond of poutine (BLECH), but also eating pig's tails.
* Hanging out in the wonderfully clever Kingdom of Loathing

Posted by crystallyn at 07:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 13, 2006

this is just too rich...

RE: Reuters

Posted by crystallyn at 07:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 10, 2005

NBA or NFL??

So I haven't fact-checked this but sadly it sounds pretty plausible. Paulette sent this along to me.

NBA????? NFL?????

36 have been accused of spousal abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad checks
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71, repeat 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 currently are defendants in lawsuits. and
84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group of Idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Hmm.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:56 PM | TrackBack

November 13, 2005

so much for walking 10 miles in snow each way...

New England is known for having particularly hard winters. And in truth, last year's was a doozy and so was the year before. But several new studies are showing that New England winters are just not what they used to be. The U.S. Geological Survey shows that for one, New England Rivers are melting sooner in the spring.

The total winter days of ice-affected flow decreased by 20 days from 1936 to 2000 for the average of the nine rivers with records that long, with most of the decrease occurring since the 1960's.

Of the 16 rivers studied, 12 had significantly earlier spring melts, called "ice-outs," the study found. On average, the ice-out dates became earlier by 11 days from 1936 to 2000, again with most of the change occurring since the 1960's.

"The changes in spring river ice-outs in northern New England are consistent with previous studies," said USGS hydrologist Glenn Hodgkins, the lead author. "The overall evidence of changes is strong and is consistent with warming temperatures in the late-winter and spring in New England in the last 30 to 40 years."

We've certainly had our share of weird weather this year. The whole year has been a mess. Hard snowfall in the early part of the year, followed by one of the rainiest springs on record (I think May only had 2-3 rain-free days), a super-hot dry summer and now, this fall has been so freakishly warm that it's the second week of November and although most of the trees have lost their leaves, there are still quite a few that are just now starting to change colors. The bright red maples, usually one of the first to turn, were one of the last to change over because we didn't have any frost until just a week or two ago. The weather is just plain freakish this year. We even had a quarter inch of snow the Saturday before Halloween. And yet today is supposed to be in the lower 60s.

A recent article in the Bangor Daily News talked about the devastating effects that global warming can have on New England's environment which in turn, directly affects our tourist dollars.

Because of global warming, widespread and costly impacts could hit the region hard. According to researchers at the University of New Hampshire, New England could experience a 10-30 percent increase in precipitation and an overall temperature increase of 6-10 degrees by 2090 - a greater climate variation than any the region has seen over the past 10,000 years.

In this drastically different climate of tomorrow, maples would fade from our hillsides as oak and hickory trees became the dominant species. The pride of farmers for generations, New England pure maple syrup could become a memory if global warming remains unchecked. And like the sugar maples, seasonal leaf peepers would also increasingly migrate north to Canada as the fall frosts so vital in creating the fiery hillsides immortalized by Kipling, Thoreau and others become a thing of the past.

Although a few might miss the traditional winds and snows that have made New England winters so famous, New Englanders surely would miss the annual tourist dollars. Not counting the adverse economic impact of climate change on New England's agriculture, conservative estimates show that a 50 percent drop in fall tourism could cost the region nearly 20,000 jobs alone. Unfortunately, though, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Indeed, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, global warming over the coming century could cost local cities like Boston as much as $94 billion. Through increased flooding and changes in seasonal weather patterns, researchers in the five-year study found that climate change will impose increased demands on building upkeep, emergency services and energy consumption throughout the region. Luckily, however, New Englanders have never been inclined to sit and wait while danger mounts. The gathering threat of global warming is no different.

I think the thing that bothers me most is that people only start to care when there is money to be made or drastic amounts of money to be lost. Protecting the environment simply to protect it makes no sense unless some sort of government or big business is going to profit. It just makes me sick. Case-in-point, Fox News' special that will be airing tonight on global warming. Yes, you read that right--Fox News. They realized that the public is very concerned about this issue (in fact, a recent Fox poll showed that 77% of Americans believe that global warming is happening) and so as a result, they decided to cash in. Not because, IMHO, they really believe in the issue, but because there are ratings to be had. There is nothing fair and balanced about it at all.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:35 AM | TrackBack

September 30, 2005

what on earth is this world coming to?

that an organization needs to put up posters to warn tourists about this awful horrendous new law in Florida? More and more and more I'm thinking that vacationing there is really not on my agenda. This is just more icing on the cake. Please go sign the petition.

Posted by crystallyn at 01:40 PM | TrackBack

September 17, 2005

double-standard for romney

I'm not very fond of our govenor, Mitt Romney. He just gets more smarmy and horrid all the time. Recently, he made a comment at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, about how he thinks we should be wiretapping mosques "that may be teaching doctrines of hate and terror."

"Are we monitoring that? Are we wiretapping?" he asked. "Are we following what's going on? Are we seeing who's coming in, who's coming out? Are we eavesdropping, carrying out surveillance on those individuals from places that sponsor domestic terror?" and

Authorities "should be watching what's being taught in a mosque more closely than what's being taught at the local 4-H Club," Romney said.

I find this curious. Romney is advocating the wiretapping of mosques, which to my albeit limited knowledge are not considered places of secrecy and the exclusion of others . And yet, Romney himself belongs to a religion which is shrouded in secrecy, high ritual and forbids even much of its own members to participate fully in the upper echelons of the religion. I'm pretty sure that I could walk into any mosque and be allowed to watch and talk to members about their services and practices. However, I can't just walk into the temple (with the angel of macaroni) on the top and be welcome. In fact, I'm pretty sure they would kick me out, call the cops, or whatever it took to prevent me from entering.

So what in the heck goes on in there? (Well I know that they have baptized most of our dead ancestors--I have friends who have gone through those temple rituals). But do we "officially" know that? What if they are plotting terror? We don't know--those doors are locked; we are prevented from entering, knowing, participating, asking questions.

If Romney is advocating the wiretapping of mosques, he should acknowldege some of the stranger, secretive actions of his own faith. If we can tap mosques and find out what goes on inside, we should be able to tap other religious houses of worship, including the Mormon temples.

Posted by crystallyn at 02:29 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 08, 2005

anger wrath dismay

The reports just seem to become more and more horrifying. I heard today on the news that rescue workers are being treated for infectious bacterial skin problems as a result of all the contact with the water. With 10,000 people refusing to leave, that's potentially 10,000 more deaths on the way.

I spoke to my father last night and mentioned how the National Response Plan completely and utterly failed. He gave me the massively weak argument about how state officials didn't ask for help in time.

And so, here it is, the timeline: KATRINA TIMELINE
It should make you sick to your stomach. And another Timeline that is starting to get underway.

To make you even more sick to your stomach, check out Boing Boing for a blog account from a FEMA "detention camp", and correspondence with Jacob Appelbaum. At least it sounds like Austin has their shit together.

I suppose that this is an excellent time for more staged photo-ops. That's right, put your arms around a few poor black people and give us your smarmy cocky smile and everything will be just fine. Or wait, Firemen!!! That's an excellent photo-op!

"But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas."

Yes, yes, it's time to Sell The Damn Ranch.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:06 AM | TrackBack

August 25, 2005

shop wisely

if you don't want to be funding companies and owners of companies who are big supporters of the right wing agenda. The Boston Phoenix has an excellent story on who is who when it comes to contributions by brand names you may currently support.

Some of the brand names are familiar--Curves, for example, whose owner Gary Heavin is a huge pro-lifer (pretty hypocritical for a man who runs a health chain for women), Walmart and Home Depot, long known for supporting the Bush agenda.

Others are a bit interesting: Vick's Vapor Rub, Starz!, Band-Aid, Charmin, Domino's Pizza, Proctor & Gamble, Pfizer, Activision games (makers of Tony Hawk's Underground), the owners of Applebee's, Best Buy, Michael Dell from Dell Computers, Pepsi, Target, Urban Outfitters(!!), Pier 1, Kellogg's...and on and on.

Maybe Joe's best friend Tony will have extra incentive to stop the chew when he finds out that the owner of the company that makes Skoal and Copenhagen are also on the list.

And as the author of the article said--no, you aren't going to stop any of these companies in their tracks by not buying their products, but still, you should know where your money is going.

Shop At Your Own Risk (make sure you read pages 1 & 2, the links are easy to miss)

Also included are links to places where you can find out more about where your money is going:
Buy Blue
Sourcewatch
Media Transparency
Stealth Pacs

Okay, I'll get off my high-horse now. No more political posts for awhile. Or at least not until gas hits $3.00 a gallon (that probably will be next week...)

Posted by crystallyn at 06:46 PM | Comments (4)

August 24, 2005

WWJA?

(Who Would Jesus Assassinate?)

Posted by crystallyn at 07:11 AM | Comments (1)

August 22, 2005

"the price of gas...

keeps on rising
nothing comes for free..." ~Bloc Party

The song is terribly apropos these days. It's like a strange sort of sickness; driving around and comparing the prices at the various stations around town. When we see one that is only $2.81 we say woohooo it's better than the one that we saw that is $2.89, or $2.99...we haven't seen over $3.00 for premium yet but I'll bet we see it this week.

Stupid us bought a turbo earlier this year. Sigh. If only we had known!

We went to a wedding this weekend and one of the wedding party is in the Air Force. We were bitching about the price of gas and he said, "I can't talk bad about my boss, so I won't say anything." Well we'll say plenty about Mr. 5 Weeks of Vacation (319 days of his presidency) on his behalf. Argh.

So I've been far more concerned about conserving gas and have been really looking into what I need to do to help save a few dollars here and there.

Here are some gas-saving tips from the experts at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence:

• Monitor tires. Under inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing the engine to work harder (let the tires cool down before checking air pressure). Out-of-line wheels, as evidenced by uneven tread wear, should be aligned by a professional.

• Remove excess weight. Remove unnecessary items from the vehicle. Store only essentials in the trunk. Less weight means better mileage.

• Consolidate trips and errands. Some trips may be unnecessary. Also, try to travel when traffic is light so you avoid the stop-and-go conditions that hinder fuel efficiency.

• Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends or family.

• Observe speed limits. Speeding decreases the miles-per-gallon average of your vehicle.

• Drive gently. Sudden accelerations guzzle gas. Try to anticipate traffic patterns ahead and adjust your speed gradually.

• Keep your engine tuned up. A well maintained engine operates at peak efficiency, maximizing gas mileage. Follow service schedules listed in the owners manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended. Have engine performance problems such as rough idling and poor acceleration corrected at a repair facility.

Additional tips from Fine Living:

* Reduce air conditioning.Running the air conditioning burns up fuel, so do your best to limit your use of it. Roll down your windows for some fresh air, or use your air conditioner's economy setting.

* Try a light colored car. When renting a vehicle in the summer months, opt for a light colored exterior and interior and cloth seats, as this will keep you feeling cooler and allow you to use the air conditioning less frequently.

And even more from About.com:

* Purchase only gas that is the correct octane as specified by your car's manufacturer.

* Fill up in the morning--cooler gasoline is more compact, so you'll get more drops of the precious fluid for your dollars.

* Obey posted speed limits; fuel economy decreases substantially at speeds above 55 miles per hour.

* Set your cruise control to maintain a constant speed, which can also improve fuel economy.

* If your car has overdrive, use it. It reduces fuel consumption during highway driving.

* Try to avoid extreme acceleration.

* Don't tailgate. It leads to unnecessary braking and acceleration.

* Don't let your car sit and idle. Start it only when everything is packed in the truck, the kids are strapped in, and you're ready to go.

* Because running a car's air conditioner may increase gas consumption in some cases, opt for open windows, particularly at speeds under 40 miles per hour. Check your owner's manual for specific information about your own vehicle's fuel efficiency when operating the AC.

* Be sure to park in the shade.

* Try not to make single-purpose trips. Bring your beach gear along so that you can go straight there after a morning of sightseeing.

And from the American International Auto Dealers:

* It's all about the oil. Proper oil maintenance and viscosity will help your car to operate at maximum efficiency. Heavy oil will cause the engine to work harder. Use the lightest grade oil for hot climates. Check the chart in the owner's manual to find out what grade is best suited to your vehicle.

* Let your engine coolant be cool, but not too cool. Improperly mixed engine coolant can cause your engine to run too hot or too cool and can hamper fuel economy. The right temperature makes the car run more efficiently, so make sure your engine has fresh coolant.

* Replace the dirty air filter. An air filter works hard on freeways and roads and collects dust, dirt and debris. A new and functioning air filter will provide better gas mileage.

* Fire up the spark plugs. A tune-up is a misnomer in this day in age. Computer-driven coil packs replaced the points, condensor and distributor in most vehicles a long time ago. However, spark plugs must fire properly for the engine to run smoothly. Replace the spark plugs on time, according to your owner's manual.

* Don't ride around on big, big tires (besides you look like an redneck idiot). For those who bought bigger tires and fancy wheels for SUV's and mini-vans, it's more than likely that fuel economy has significantly decreased. If you still have the original tires, switch them back. Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the correct pressure.

* Tires. Tires. Tires. Maintaining your vehicle's tires is crucial to fuel economy. Every other fill-up, walk around the vehicle and check tires for uneven or excessive tread wear as well as proper inflation. Refer to the vehicle's doorjamb, fuel filler flap, or glove box for original equipment specifications or the manufacturer of the replacement tire for proper tire pressure inflation, he added. Check your owner's manual for your specific vehicle's service recommendations.

* Service engine light. If the engine light is on, one or more systems in the vehicle aren't working properly and can hamper fuel economy. Take the car into a reputable repair facility to be evaluated. Get a written estimate, if work is to be diagnosed.

* Keep it not so cool. Use your air conditioner sparingly.

* Don't stomp on the accelerator. How hard you depress the throttle will greatly affect fuel economy. Accelerate less aggressively, brake gently and stop speeding. Instead of driving defensively, go on the offense and adopt a more fuel-efficient driving style. If you're not already driving defensively, now's the time to adopt a more laid-back and fuel-efficient driving style.

~~
Sad though that it is going to take an energy crisis for us to start doing all of these things...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:43 AM | Comments (2)

July 07, 2005

little things today

like standing in the shower (before I knew Joe had turned the TV on) and thinking that something big/lifechanging/tragic is happening. Toweling off and just realizing that the TV is on...and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is "breaking news" even though I have no clue what it might be about. And then the sick freaked out shock that I was right. I didn't know how to tell anyone. It sounds too weird.

Standing in the elevator today after I was leaving a PR meeting. A man in the elevator with me had a television camera. I realized that he had just come from the British Consulate, who was in the same building. When I left the parking garage...another news crew was set up on the lawn.

Finding out that our friend Phil was safe, but not sure how on earth he was going to get home from work downtown without any buses or subways running. His girlfriend expressed her relief to me today--it sounded like how running through a sheet of water on a hot day must feel. I don't know how to explain--the waves of fear rolling away from her as she explained he was okay.

Wondering why some stupid kids movie (with Paul Giamatti making a monkey of himself) was on channel five instead of Reign of Fire (not that it was a particularly stellar flick but I rather liked it). I mean, why is a futuristic apocalpytic movie about dragons toasting up the earth a big deal? Then I saw that it was set in London.

Thinking about how it is when 37 people die (and 700 wounded) in a big, modern city that it sends waves of shock through the world but we don't really seem to bat an eye at the 25,000 civilians dead in the Iraq War, the 3.4 million people that died of AIDS in Africa in 2004 or even last month when 36 people died and hundreds were wounded in Ethiopia during protests of the country's allegedly rigged elections...I could just go on and on about other losses of life in tragic ways in places out of the way. The well-developed countries are outraged when something tragic happens to them but we are sort of immune, blind, unwilling to see...when it comes to human life in places that aren't on the same "level" as those same developed countries. Note that I am NOT minimalizing what happened in London--only that the media perspective skews things so wildly. Those other tragedies seem so minimal in comparison even though the loss of human life is in many cases far far greater. Why is one life worth more than any other? I find myself very saddened by it all.

Posted by crystallyn at 11:15 PM | Comments (2)

March 27, 2005

give me dignity

If there is anything that the Teri Schiavo case has shown us...it's that we need to be very clear in our wishes as to how we would want medical treatment to be given or not given to us in the case of being mentally or physically unable to do so ourselves.

Get your living will in order. They're very popular these days as a result of the endless media circus!

As for me, let me state clearly, if I became vegetative, massively disfigured or unable to function on my own over the long haul--put me out of my misery. Please. There is no way on earth I would ever want to be sustained unnaturally and indefinitely. I figure that if I could only live hooked up to some crazy machine then God probably wouldn't want me living anyway--it's man playing God then, not the natural forces of the world that brought me into them.

I look at it this way--if it were me in a vegetative state for 15 years--my soul would be going bonkers trying to get out and to move on to bigger and better things (heaven, reincarnation, whatever may be in store!). It would be the most awful thing ever to be trapped, watching my family go through terrible sadness and pain; wondering when I would ever just get back up and move forward; wondering why natural forces hadn't just taken the course they were supposed to.

The thing that saddens me most about the whole Schiavo case is that the poor woman is now, in the last days of her life, the center of the world's attention...in a way that I'm sure she would never ever have wanted. It's sick and disgusting and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. We're all waiting with baited breath to find out if she finally passed on. I'm sure I'm not the only one who checks the news first thing in the AM with the primary goal of finding out--did she make it one more day? Or finally, did the end of this horrible media nightmare arrive? I just want her to be at peace.

And reading about people who want to kill to help her--I just don't understand. I don't understand how the religious right seems to decide to throw the teachings of Christ right out the window when it suits them. I mean really, an eye for an eye was SO Old Testament. Christ taught us to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to love our neighbors, and to live by example. He was a pacifist--the most pure and true of them all. So much so that he, with all the power within him, didn't lift a finger against his oppressors, dying on the cross at the hands of people who in the end, he FORGAVE. Isn't that the whole point of Easter? Sometimes it seems so strange to me, how I, bordering on agnostic that I am, know so much more about the Bible than the people who profess to it being their favorite book.

It really really saddens me. The older I get, the more crazy the world seems to be.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:58 AM | Comments (3)

March 25, 2005

diagnose me too!

Found originally on Boing Boing, Michael Bassik of the Personal Democracy Forum has come up with an excellent idea--sending pictures to Bill Frist for his professional diagnosis!

I added one of my scabbed lip (3 stitches, face bruised and swollen...it's not one of the worst pics) after our car accident.

Wonder what he would say it is? Nasty case of herpes? Cold sores gone wild? Maybe even AIDS?

Posted by crystallyn at 09:17 PM | Comments (1)

January 26, 2005

$80 billion here, $80 billion there...

The White House estimated on January 25, 2005 that the U.S. budget deficit for 2005, including an extra $80 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan operations, will total $427 billion. (Reuters Graphic)

In Yahoo News, the full story.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:21 AM | TrackBack

January 08, 2005

Not a Damn Dime Day

I received this as an email and its a darn interesting premise...easy enough for me to do (especially since it's not a weekend). However, it would only have impact if the masses respond.

Not One Damn Dime Day (or how to protest the inaguration)

Dear all,

I think this is an important idea that could have an impact if we all promote it, and forward it widely. It is easy enough to implement with a little advance planning. And it's an action that's an inaction -- instead of taking your time it will give you time. And a breather from spending. Just leave your money at home that day. And ask everyone you know to do the same.

Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.

During "Not One Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one dime for gasoline. Not one dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one dime for anything for 24 hours.

On "Not One Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.

Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter).

For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down.

The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it.

"Not One Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way.

Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan -- a way to come > home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing.

You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.

For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.

Please share this email with as many people as possible.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:03 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

November 01, 2004

the rest of the world? ahh they don't matter

Dubya's view of the world, courtesy of my dear friend John:

Let's wrangle us up some tacos!!

Posted by crystallyn at 06:24 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

October 31, 2004

the cost of war

As you go to vote on November 2 (and you ARE registered, aren't you??), think about these startling facts (from costofwar.com):

At the time of this post,
The War in Iraq Cost the United States: $142,820,449,583

In my COUNTY alone, the war has cost us: $1,023,311,487. In my in-law's hometown of Pittsfield, the war has cost them $19,994,938. In Idaho where my family lives, the war has cost the state $493,785,172.

For the cost of the war thus far, we could have ensured that every child in the world was given basic immunizations for 47 years.

We could have provided 6,923,654 students four-year scholarships at public universities.

We could have fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 5 years.

We could have paid for 18,916,720 children to attend a year of Head Start.

We could have insured 85,521,720 children for one year.

We could have hired 2,475,110 additional public school teachers for one year.

We could have fully funded world-wide AIDS programs for 14 years.

We could have built 1,285,972 additional public housing units.

Posted by crystallyn at 02:17 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 26, 2004

No Free Elections in Ukraine

I'm a faithful AGNI reader and this email came in today, with the reminder that we have an amazing right to free elections while many countries are fighting to achieve the same. Please read this letter and help build much needed worldwide awareness to the plight of Ukraine, a country that is not in the direct scope of our media's light.

Dear Friends,

I just received this e-mail from my dear friend Oksana Zabuzhko, one of Ukraine's leading intellectuals whom many of you met when she was a Fullbright fellow here more than ten years ago. A poet, philosopher, translator of Sylvia Plath (as well as of Lucie Brock-Broido, Sue Standing, and Marie Howe), vice-chair of Ukraine's PEN club, and a contributing editor to Agni for nearly fifteen years, Oksana describes a terrifying turn of events in Ukraine, including a violent public assault by organized thugs on a peaceful gathering in Kyiv a couple of nights ago.

The immediate aim of the assaults is to create a climate of fear in the country and to prevent free elections from taking place in Ukraine as scheduled next Sunday (October 31). The violence is closely linked to Putin's efforts to bring Ukraine into Russia's sphere of influence--by force, if necessary.

The Western media has not been following or publicizing events surrounding the elections at all in the last months. I have heard many explanations for this. When I was in Ukraine last August there was already a climate of high anxiety that far exceeded even the fears surrounding our own elections.

The primary reason for this, in a nutshell, is that Prime Minister Yanukhovych, poised to steal the elections with Putin's help, already has a criminal recorded and has widely documented ties with criminal organizations. In addition, he is prepared to roll back many independence reforms in order to realign Ukraine more closelty to Russia.

The consequences for ordinary people and intellectuals are likely to be extreme.

The kind of intervention I believe in involves shining the light of reason on violent actions. In our time this light takes the form of a free press which will not allow criminal behavior to go unaccounted for, neither in this country nor abroad.

Just as our own press is finally waking up to the importance of publicizing through images the consequences of our violence abroad, so should it be prepared to forestall violence by making sure governments know their actions are being scrutinized and observed and that they will be held accountable for them.

This situation seems to be on the edge of emergency. All your efforts to bring the world's attention to this matter will contribute to the growth of peace and justice. If the world turns its back on Ukraine now, we risk creating another unstable region at a time when the global situation is already precarious. Without sounding alarmist, the nineteen thirties are around the corner. We move toward them blindly at our own risk.

Sincerely,

Askold Melnyczuk
Founding Editor
AGNI

~~
Kiev, October 24 2004

Dear friends,

I'm writing you this from the country, now haunted with the gory prospect of being forcefully turned, in a week, into one of the most terrible thugocratic dictatorships that Europe has witnessed since Hitler and Stalin. You may find this an exaggeration, yet it's not. It's usually so human, to refuse to believe the worst - until it's too late. Besides, from my recent conversations with my friends and journalists from EU, I know how little information can be found in the European media on the situation in Ukraine -and, as a result, how little understanding there is of what is really at stake here this fall.

Last night the first blood was spilled on the Kiev pavement. The autocratic post-Soviet regime, which since the late 1990s has been smothering the budding Ukrainian democracy, and is by now wholeheartedly hated by the vast majority of population (from 67% to 85%, according to the polls!), has given us its final proof, that there'll be NO - however heavily falsified -"free elections" on October 31. There'll be a WAR - an open war, launched against the people of Ukraine by the handful of gangsters now at power, whose only goal is to stay at power after the 31st - at ANY price.

Until last night they've been using the "cold-war" methods (to skip the case of an attempted poisoning of the oppositional candidate, Victor Yushchenko, whose chances to win the elections in an honest game are undeniable). There's been a disgusting and overwhelming campaign of lies in the media (most of them, with very few exceptions, controlled by the power), there've been all the dirty, illegal tricks used (payments, threats, repressions etc.), as well as cheating with the voting lists (with, say, tens of thousands of the dead included on them, etc). Nothing of these, though, proved efficient enough to guarantee next Sunday the smooth and peaceful victory to the "candidate of the power" - the present-day Prime Minister (appointed by the president), a former (?) criminal, back in his youth twice convicted for robbery (no kidding!).

Yesterday, the grand "orange" manifestation (orange being the colour of the oppositional candidate) of some 150000-200000 people filled the square in front of the Central Election Committee, under the slogan "For honest and transparent elections". It's been a warm, tranquil sunny day (do you know how beautiful is Kiev in the fall?), and the 3-million city was all celebration - of joy, and hope, and solidarity. It's been a long time since I've seen so many happy, smiling faces in the streets - in fact, since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet then, in 1991, as the past 13 years have proved, our celebration was definitely premature. With no change of the political elite, with just very small burgeons of civil society, with - well, why don't I put it plainly - no REAL revolution, Ukraine, after a while, started sliding back into the dark shadow of Sovietization. It's only now, that the dragon of Soviet totalitarianism - in the meantime considerably shrunken, losing one part of his body after another (Eastern Europe - the Baltics - then, last fall, Georgia...), all rotten up to the marrow of his bones (its true - criminal - skeleton now fully exposed!) - is REALLY agonizing. And the convulsions of the dragon could be terrible - isn't the case of Russia conspicuous enough?

Vladimir Putin, who's so shortly turned his country back into a concentration camp, fully browbeaten with the fear of terrorism, now serves as the major support for the Ukrainian thugs. Small wonder, as criminals and the KGB officers used to belong together since good old Gulag times. The whole presidential campaign of our "candidate of the power", Victor Yanukovich, is a brainchild of Moscow professionals. Politically and intellectually, Kiev now more and more looks like the city under Russian occupation.And what exactly have they plotted to ensure "the succession of power" in Ukraine, has become visible last night.

About 23:00, after the singing "orange" crowd in front of the Central Election Committee dispersed, and only some 150 people - among them women, and senior citizens - stayed to wait for the results of the session (which was hold inside) to be announced (on the agenda was an attempt to falsify some 2 million voices, due to the machinations with the voting lists!) - the dragon has bared his teeth for the first time. Some 50 black-leathered men appeared out of the darkness, and attacked people, who were waiting on the park benches, with clubs and knives. There was no police around (!), but three of the attackers - when the parlamentarians and the bodyguards ran out of the building - were caught and handicuffed. According to their IDs, they all appeared to be disguised policemen - of the specially trained "killers' detachments".

Yes, there've been rumours circulating before - of some "special detachments" arriving from all over the country and concentrating around the city. Of some strange, and highly suspicious manoeuvres noted by the city-dwellers in some areas. Now, next morning after the "night of the long knives" (as a result of which, 11 peaceful demonstrators were taken to the hospital, some of them seriously wounded), there's no doubt left: the war has been announced. The gangsters at power aren't going to leave in any case. They are going to fight - most probably, after the voting-booths will be closed.

Could any, however "specially trained", groups of murderers REALLY work against hundreds of thousands of people? (For people ARE going to go into the streets on the election night, and Ukrainian internet is now boiling with the discussions on how and where to meet, how to protect oneself against the attacks, etc.). Well, maybe they couldn't. And Ukrainian army will hardly agree to turn its guns against its own people, either. But on October 28 - three days before the elections - there'll be a military parade (!) in Kiev (nothing like this was ever held before on this date!). And Russian president Vladimir Putin is coming to Kiev - allegedly, to take part in the parade (?). And to stay in Kiev for 5 (?) days more. Again, there're rumours - oh, these rumours! - that he'll be bodyguarded by some bayonets. More precisely - with two divisions being particularly famous of their operations in the Caucasus...

Maybe Ukraine has only one week left. One last week of the electrifying autumn of free political discussions in the cafes and clubs, of gatherings, manifestations, and - well, of hope. For, despite everything, there's an extremely strong, and growing hope, I even daresay, an upsurging belief, that the Ukrainian part of the dragon will be killed next Sunday with the free will of the people. Today the anchorman on the last Ukrainian free TV channel yet unclosed (Channel 5) was smiling the same way people were yesterday in the streets. (For quite a while persecuted, now sued, Channel 5 is under the threat of being closed tomorrow night - but the anchorman was smiling like a winner.) Now covering no more than 30% of the country's territory, Channel 5 was the only one which gave a full report on the events of the last night. Characteristically, none of the beaten witnesses sounded "victimized" - they all talked indignantly, but righteously: that is, like people aware of their rights, and ready to protect them.

It's a totally irrational, yet overwhelming feeling: that "we", the people, are stronger than "them", the corrupted power. And that it's "them", not "us", who is scared.

On the night of the elections I'll be in the streets, too. I don't know what is going to happen there. That is, what forces will be turned against us, and what will be the final result. Yet, even if the worst happens, and the Putin's bayonets help to turn my country, for God-knows-how-long, into a criminal-presided reservation of the degraded Stalinist type, we'll be in the streets - if only to be able to say, that THIS IS NOT OUR CHOICE.

Knowing how easily (and, more than once, eagerly!) does Western press buy the "made-in-Russia" political myths on the current Ukrainian situation (on Ukraine being allegedly "split" into East and West, "pro-Russian" and "pro-Western", Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking parts, each of them allegedly delegating its own candidate for the presidency), I just wanted to let you know how the things look and feel here in the reality. By spreading the truth further, you'll make your own contribution into killing the dragon. For, as we all know from this old guy Orwell (WHO on earth has ever been so careless to have claimed him outdated?) - what the dragon needs most badly for its survival, is precisely the fake, artificially constructed mental picture. And - needless to say that - the agony of the dragon should by no means be lightheartedly taken as a local process only...

It's not a farewell letter - it's a letter of hope.

Please keep your fingers for us this week!

With warmest regards,

Oksana Zabuzhko

Posted by crystallyn at 07:15 PM | TrackBack

October 20, 2004

Bush Describes Tribal Sovereignty

Really...a must see. Safe for work; contains audio.

Reference material:
In the United States, tribal sovereignty refers to the status of federally recognized tribes and pueblos, for which court decisions since the ratification of the United States Constitution have established legal doctrines that presume them to be sovereign "domestic dependent nations".

It's nearly as good as Bush telling about how we won't have an all-volunteer army. Direct quote.

New favorite site these days, I think. OneGoodMove.org.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:07 PM | TrackBack

October 15, 2004

Like Father...No Wait, He's Worse!!

Reuters-Oct. 14, 2004-The U.S. budget gap expanded to $412.55 billion in fiscal 2004, the Treasury Department said on October 14, 2004, marking the Bush administration's second-straight record deficit. Though the final 2004 figure was the largest budget deficit in U.S. history, it was smaller than the White House's most recent forecast of a $445 billion shortfall given in July and well below the $521 billion it foresaw early this year. (Reuters Graphic)

Explain to me why this is okay?

Posted by crystallyn at 07:26 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 07, 2004

and more

I honestly don't understand why on earth ANYONE thinks that AK47s and Uzis should be available to anyone other than military personnel. Absolutely boggles my mind.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:18 PM | TrackBack

i find this exceptionally disturbing

Out of all the asinine things...

"On Monday, September 13th, at midnight, the national ban on military-style assault weapons will expire, allowing these murderous weapons back on our streets.

Congress is feeling the heat and is prepared to renew the ban, if the president will only ask -- but President Bush is letting the ban expire, on behalf of the gun lobby.

In 2000, President Bush campaigned on a promise to renew the ban. Yet today, after we've endured mass murders like Columbine and terrorists have bought assault weapons on American soil, President Bush is letting the ban expire.

Bush is jeopardizing our safety for the sake of an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. As reported in the newspaper The Hill, "The National Rifle Association's (NRA) endorsement of Bush is on hold until after the ban expires."[1]

Since 1994, the assault weapons ban has taken the deadliest military- style weapons off our streets, dramatically cutting their use in crimes by 66 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, and reducing the murder rates of police officers and the public.

This is not a partisan issue -- the assault weapons ban was supported by Presidents Reagan, Ford, Carter, and Clinton, and by Republicans Tom Ridge and Rudy Giuliani. The ban is supported by 74 percent of American voters, by Republicans and Democrats on the committees that investigated 9/11, and by virtually every police officers' association including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, International Brotherhood of Police Officers , National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Black Police Association, and Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association.

Yet President Bush is letting the ban expire, as he refuses to call on Congress to send him the ban renewal for his signature.

If he lets it expire, beginning Tuesday the 14th of September, an 18-year-old will once again be able to buy an AK-47 assault rifle in most states..."

Footnote:
[1] The Hill, "Gun makers get ready for big demand," September 2, 2004. Full excerpt from MoveOn.org.

There is an additional article that was published in the NY Times reposted here because the NY Times is a subscription only site (albeit a free one).

We need to do something about this...guns are out of control in this country. Just this weekend three youths died in Boston as a result of gun violence. Our schools and communities are no longer safe. Again Bush-hole is just plain WRONG.

Please make your case NOW.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:55 PM | TrackBack

September 01, 2004

!!!

A quip from the RNC, which has made my stomach churn so I haven't been watching, but I couldn't ignore this wonderful comment:

"I think Laura Bush is the most elegant first lady we've ever had," said Trudi Dickert, a delegate from Virginia. "She is ... a Southern lady in many ways. She knows her place."

Knows her place?!!!! And what is that?!!!

Oh, oh, I'll just keep my mouth shut. I'm just too pissed off. I guess I don't know my place, do I?

Posted by crystallyn at 06:28 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

June 18, 2004

I'm SO Mad, Sick and Angry

That our country is in such a place that for most of us living in America, we probably won't escape the fear of terrorism and retaliation in our lifetime. Thank you Mr. Bush. Thank you.

May Paul Johnson find peace.

That said, there are 20 Things You Have to Believe To Be A Republican Today, stolen from Steve Gilliard, who I think stole them from someone else...

1. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

3. Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness.

4. "Standing Tall for America"; means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India.

5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

6. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

7. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

8. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.

9. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

10. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies,then demand their cooperation and money.

11. HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of the public at heart.

12. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

13. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

17. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

18. You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have a right to adopt.

19. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

20. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 26, 2004

a picture is worth a thousand words

A Shell gas station owner put up this sign again in Menlo Park, Calif., Monday, May 17, 2004 as gas prices raise in the area. The owner put up the sign last year when prices climbed. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

This goes back to the question...are you better off now than you were four years ago? Let's see:

1. Gas prices are outrageous.
2. Jobs are extremely hard to come by (and I've spent half of the last four years without a permanent job in my career, i.e. I've temped, consulted, prayed). Friends and family have nearly all been affected like this. Salaries are lower than before.
3. My tuition has gone up every year.
4. I have relatives who may potentially end up going to Iraq.
5. Health insurance is costing me more and my prescription drug costs have gone up.
6. Housing prices are insane (Median home price in Boston is $450k).
7. I feel a general unsafeness and unrest...I'm concerned about ongoing hatred and retaliation by angry angry Arabs...that may affect myself or people I know around the world (Madrid, Japan, England, US).
8. My taxes have increased.
9. I have lost money in my 401k.
10. I'm more determined now not to have children than ever...I don't want them to have to pay for the mistakes of our present.

In many ways though, things ARE better...but because I have chosen to look toward the bright spots where I can.

1. I met the man of my dreams and married him.
2. I am healthier now than I was four years ago and becoming healthier than ever before.
3. I am writing on a more consistent basis. My poetry has been published.
4. I have made a conscious effort to build up my social circle and to stay in better touch with my family and friends.
5. I launched Plum Ruby Review with one of my oldest friends.
6. I have three adorable nephews who enrich my life, even if I'm far away.
7. I went back for my M.A. which I will have by the end of the year, with, cross your fingers, a book contract by graduation this fall.
8. I reunited with a very close friend that I had had a stupid falling out with.
9. I have learned and grown as a marketer, using my learnings in CCT and my need to become creative in a tough economy.
10. I'm happier inside than I have ever been before.

The thing is, none of those ten things have to do with the world at large. I just wish that the world could feel as much peace and love as I do in my little sphere of things.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

May 23, 2004

weapons of...

mass seduction.

Now these are some savvy women!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:10 PM | TrackBack

critical thinking supressed in new mexico

One of my favorite blogs, Bookslut, recently posted a link to a shocking story about a pyscho New Mexico principal who fired one of his teachers for not "censoring" a student's poetry. The girl's mother, who is also a teacher, was asked to tear up the poetry and she has refused and may also lose her job.

The poetry in question had no obscenities. It was a poem that was critical of the Bush administration. She was told that she was anti-American--for evoking the first amendment, one of the most fundamental rights that we have as citizens of this country.

The article goes on to say:

After firing Nevins and terminating the teaching and reading of poetry in the school, the principal and the military liaison read a poem of their own as they raised the flag outside the school. When the principal had the flag at full staff, he applauded the action he'd taken in concert with the military liaison.

Then to all students and faculty who did not share his political opinions, the principal shouted: "Shut your faces." What a wonderful lesson he gave those 3,000 students at the largest public high school in New Mexico. In his mind, only certain opinions are to be allowed.

Absolutely amazing. Sounds a bit like some Nazi thinking...doesn't it.

And our regime leader...well he seems to think the same, as the article suggests:

Writers and editors who have spent years translating essays, films, poems, scientific articles and books by Iranian, North Korean and Sudanese authors have been warned not to do so by the U.S. Treasury Department under penalty of fine and imprisonment. Publishers and film producers are not allowed to edit works authored by writers in those nations. The Bush administration contends doing so has the effect of trading with the enemy, despite a 1988 law that exempts published materials from sanction under trade rules.

Flat out makes me sick to my stomach.

We can be Italian citizens because of Joe's mother...and I'm thinking that if things turn for the worse this fall, we're going to figure out how the hell to get out. Maybe we'll turn all Dean Allen and put Joe's years and years of wine expertise to good use and find a winery and settle in. ;-)

Posted by crystallyn at 07:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 02, 2004

spring fever

I haven't been writing much...and in some ways I'm not sure why. I can think of all sorts of things to post, but then I haven't been coming here to post them. So what has been happening with me?

I've been out walking nearly every day...along the Charles in the morning and/or lunch and often around Fresh Pond some evenings and on the weekend. I live about 3 blocks from Fresh Pond so it's a great place to head to...lots of doggies along that walk. Everytime I go I see some funky breed of dog that I haven't seen before. I walk it enough now that I see some of the same people when I go. My landlords told me that they used to walk it every day when they were younger. One trip around the pond is 2.25 miles and when I tack on the distance to and from our house, it is around 3.25 miles total. Yesterday morning was so warm and humid, despite the clouds. It was such a beautiful walk, with the wind in my hair, cooling my skin. I feel torn...I want a good MP3 player to walk with but at the same time, I like just hearing the birds, the waves lapping the trees lining the pond, the dogs barking and panting as I walk by them. Add that to the fact that IPods are still $300 and that there isn't any good knock-off yet (which I fail to understand).

Trying to get geared up for the Cystic Fibrosis walk that I'm doing in a couple of weekends. Six miles to raise money for a good cause. If you are interested in donating, send me an email at poetess AT crystallyn.com and I'll send you a link to my online donation site. I wish I could just link it here but they have a funny set up where it generates a unique URL for people to donate at otherwise it just comes in like I have been the one to donate. You can also PayPal me money at that same email address as well.

Finishing up this semester at school as well. I can't wait for it to be finished. I've been so frustrated with my current class. I dread Mondays and sitting in that classroom for 2.5 hours. My motivation is lacking so much this semester...I know a lot of it is attributed to how I feel about that class. My project is one that will carry me through my last few classes, so it's annoying that because I'm so frustrated with this class that my excitement for my project has dropped off. It's amazing how much teacher/managers can motivate or demotivate a person, even about something they are passionate about.

And I am frustrated by the world climate these days. The job market isn't any better, really, and the numbers become more skewed as more and more people drop off of unemployment. More and more people are dying the longer we stay in Iraq (and to top it off we have a few renegade soldiers over there humiliating prisoners and embarassing the US even further). More and more lies and contradictions unfold every day (our little fiery friend hangs in our living room, btw...excellent gift options for your friends!). Don't even get me going on the whole gay marriage thing, or our environment falling to pieces around us or how my tuition seems to raise everytime I turn around. Sigh. More and more...

I think mostly I just want a few things...

* School to be over.
* Politicians to be dissolved by aliens.
* To win the lottery.

Well of course! This month will be busy though, even once school lets out. Need to get the next issue of Plum Ruby Review ready for its June 1 launch date. Going to help my dad get his Website up and running for his business. And somewhere in there we need to go to Brimfield again. And I need to do spring cleaning on the house!

But mostly, despite all those need-to-do's...I just feel this incredible need to vege out these days...

Posted by crystallyn at 06:15 PM | TrackBack

February 25, 2004

found

on Yahoo news...a clear depiction of how other nations think of us...

This is a German carnival float:

From Yahoo/Reuters:

A carnival float carries a large papier mache figure of U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) with a long nose, upon which is written 'Iraq (news - web sites) has weapons of mass destruction,' during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade, in Duesseldorf February 23, 2004. The annual six-day carnival, which peaks on Rose Monday when millions of people watch processions in major cities, is famous for its tradition of crude political satire, beer-guzzling crowds and symbolic castrations. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

Posted by crystallyn at 06:52 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 24, 2004

in one day I am

shocked to the core...

that the leader of our country should suggest making a constitutional change to flat out discriminate and repress many Americans. Then again, why am I surprised? This is monkey man we're talking about. The only thing that I suppose I am happy about is that this drastic of a move by him will probably be very politically damaging--many republicans who were wavering will probably change their minds about voting for him. He's flat out pandering to the religious right--the far right.

And worse, that he is so concerned about "terror" that a crucial Pentagon report, commissioned by Andrew Marsall (who has been an advisor for the defense department for decades, and apparently the author of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's plans for a major transformation of the US military), was covered up. This report talks about the catastrophic changes that will take place within the next 20 years as a result of global warming.

According to a Yahoo article picked up from the Observer:

Some examples given of probable scenarios in the dramatic report include:

-- Britain will have winters similar to those in current-day Siberia as European temperatures drop off radically by 2020.

-- by 2007 violent storms will make large parts of the Netherlands uninhabitable and lead to a breach in the acqueduct system in California that supplies all water to densely populated southern California

-- Europe and the United States become "virtual fortresses" trying to keep out millions of migrants whose homelands have been wiped out by rising sea levels or made unfarmable by drought.

-- "catastrophic" shortages of potable water and energy will lead to widespread war by 2020.

It makes me feel absolutely sick. The Union of Concerned Scientists, which includes 20 Nobel laureates spoke out against Bush this week and how his adminstration distorted scientific findings for political reasonings. "On global warming alone, the administration belittled, misrepresented, altered or quashed multiple reports suggesting a clear link between greenhouse gas emissions and the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. A study detailing the impact of mercury emissions from power plants was sanitized to industry specifications. Another study suggesting that a Congressional clean-air bill would achieve greater pollution reductions than Mr. Bush's own plan, at approximately the same cost, was withheld."

It honestly makes me feel ill. That he cares more about money, power and politics than the air we breathe, the sky above our heads, the earth beneath our feet.

Maybe I will think of a job at Disney after all. I met a recruiter today from DisneyWorld. I worked at Disneyland before, and so I went to talk to her. The woman is from my hometown, Nine Mile Falls, WA (population 150, although I would imagine in the widespread community of an area about 25-30 miles around it would be a few thousand or so). How random is that?! We figured out she went to school with my brother. She said the weather in Florida is much nicer than she thought, not humid except for one month a year. Florida sounds pretty damn nice right now, but I have this feeling that if the global warming report is correct, that the whole peninsula will probably fall into the ocean. Maybe we could get a good 20 years out of it first?

I thought I hated Bush before. Now I really really loathe him.

Posted by crystallyn at 10:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 17, 2004

If You Value Your Privacy

read the following press release and sign the petition. Then follow the links and send your congressmen a letter.

Book, Library Groups Launch Petition Drive to Restore Privacy Safeguards to USA PATRIOT Act

(NEW YORK - Feb. 17, 2004) Groups representing booksellers, librarians and writers today launched a nationwide effort to obtain one million signatures in support of legislation to amend Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The groups hope to persuade Congress to restore safeguards for the privacy of bookstore and library records that were eliminated by the Act.

The Campaign for Reader Privacy - sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association and PEN American Center - will gather signatures in bookstores, libraries and on a new Web site, www.readerprivacy.org. Over the last year, Republicans, Democrats and Independents have joined to sponsor a number of bills to amend Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, including the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) and the Security and Freedom Ensured (SAFE) Act, S. 1709.

"Booksellers are deeply concerned about the chilling effect of Section 215 and President Bush's stated intent to seek blanket reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act," said ABA Chief Operating Officer Oren Teicher.

Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to give the FBI vastly expanded authority to search business records, including the records of bookstores and libraries: the FBI may request the records secretly; it is not required to prove that there is "probable cause" to believe the person whose records are being sought has committed a crime; and the bookseller or librarian who receives an order is prohibited from revealing it to anyone except those whose help is needed to produce the records.

Read the full press release and sign the petition here.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 10, 2004

explain this to me

According to a Seattle Times article today:

Last year's Economic Report of the President predicted that 1.7 million jobs would be created in 2003. Instead, the nation lost 53,000 jobs. In Bush's three years in office, 2.2 million jobs have disappeared.

Since the Great Depression, it has never taken this long for the economy to begin creating jobs after emerging from a recession. After the last recession ended in 1991, it took 14 months for employment to begin expanding. Current problems with the economy have gone on nearly twice as long, 26 months.

Okay, so given that...how do we understand this:

The embrace of foreign outsourcing, an accelerating trend that has contributed to U.S. job losses in recent years and has become an issue in the 2004 elections, is contained in the president's annual report to Congress on the health of the economy.

"Outsourcing is just a new way of doing international trade," said N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of Bush's Council of Economic Advisors, which prepared the report. "More things are tradable than were tradable in the past. And that's a good thing." (LA Times 2.9.04)

I don't know about you but I know SEVERAL people who have been out of work long enough that they have lost their unemployment--my husband being one of them. I know people who were directly affected by outsourcing...and are still looking for jobs. One of my counterparts at my previous company lost her job because they outsourced the handling of the company Web site to a firm in India (let me tell you...a 13.5 hour difference in time is NOT conducive to fast marketing!) I just plain don't get it. I DO NOT GET HOW OUTSOURCING AMERICAN JOBS to foreigners helps our economy.

Now don't get me wrong--I have no problem with the foreigners themselves. I know some very cool people that are consulting from overseas. However, I do have big problems with American companies eliminating full departments of people and outsourcing massive chunks of work overseas to save money and increase profit margins.

And why do they do this? Because our economy is in such a hole that they can't afford to spend money...so they look for the quick fix, the cheap solution. Who cares about the people that work for the company--it's all about the bottom line. Those people will just have to find other jobs.

Which would be nice, IF there were other jobs to find. Instead we have huge companies in India, China and South America doing our work for us. Hell, Levis...the all American brand, doesn't even make any of their jeans in our country any more.

Outsourcing creates a whole host of other problems--Indians can't say they are in India because Americans don't want to be talking to people in India--they want to talk to people in America. They cover up accents, they pretend to live in New York.

I think that it's great that all those Indians have jobs...but when it comes at the cost of jobs of my friends and neighbors...whose own lives are now in the midst of frustration...as unemployment runs out and they are no longer a jobless "statistic" but instead, an invisible number that is trying to figure out how to recover not only a pay-check but their self-esteem...well, I have a problem with it.

My problem isn't with India--it's with our government giving the green light on this. It's with big business sending work their direction. My problem is about greed and the fact that corporate America has their head up their ass.

Okay, /rant off.

Posted by crystallyn at 06:34 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

December 30, 2003

It's been 833 days

since President George W. Bush promised to catch Usama bin Laden "dead or alive". Needless to say, Usama has not yet been caught. From Warblogging.com.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 02, 2003

grumble grumble

I don't have health insurance. Neither does my husband. We can't afford it on our unemployment. LOTS of people can't afford insurance, even if they are working...small businesses have high premiums and self-employed individuals have the same hurdles in obtaining something affordable. Don't get me started about how messed up the health insurance is in our country. My pills cost me $39 a month since I don't have insurance...

I know someone who recently had to have a mammogram (she is worried about a lump) and couldn't afford to do it because the medical insurance through her company costs too much money. She had to rely on the goodness of foundations such as The American Cancer Society and the Susan G Komen Foundation. They helped pay for her tests, which she couldn't have done alone. The good news is, we can help. Go to the following link and click through...your click helps bring in funding from sponsors and helps thousands of women to be able to have early detection if there is something amiss.

Help Support Mammogram Funding

Click once a day. Pretty easy way to give this season, in my opinion.

Posted by crystallyn at 10:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 17, 2003

Georgie Porgie

Here is an interesting warning about Iraq invasion from none other
than George H.W. Bush in his book A World Transformed (Alfred A.
Knopf, NY, 1998): on page 489:

Trying to eliminate Saddam, extending the ground war into an
occupation of Iraq, would have violated our guideline about not
changing objectives in midstream, engaging in "mission creep" and
would have incurred incalculable human and political costs.
Apprehending him was probably impossible. We had been unable to find
Noriega in Panama which we knew intimately. We would have been forced
to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would
instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting it in anger and other
allies pulling out as well. Under those circumstances, there was no
viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our
principles. Further more, we had been self-consciously trying to set
a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going
in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United
Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international
response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the
invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an
occupying power in bitterly hostile land. It would have been a
dramatically different -- and perhaps barren -- outcome.

-- George H.W. Bush in A World Transformed

Posted by crystallyn at 09:01 AM | TrackBack

July 25, 2003

i found an interesting quote

by one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson:

Every constitution�, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19 years [a generation]. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force, and not of right.

Posted by crystallyn at 08:16 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack