I am horrified by the hostile dissection of the American citizens of West Virginia on this site.
These are not animals at the zoo for your entertainment on a Monday night when you are bored, and can't find anything on cable.
These were my grandfather's people, and my grandmother's, though they couldn't stay, and chose to ride the rails out west to try and find a better life. Not inside a cozy boxcar, mind you, but down below on the rails. You try it.
If you can't hear the soul in their music, it is because you have none yourself. If you don't understand the nobility and the integrity required for their simple survival, it is you I pity, not them.
hundreds of sharks are being slaughtered daily for their fins in Ecuadorian waters. This is not a fishery. It is more like the mindless slaughter of the buffalo.
In a cynical political ploy, President Correa recently lifted the ban on the sale of shark fins. All that is required is for the fishermen to claim the sharks were caught accidentally.
A petition to President Correa asking him to reverse the decree is waiting for your signature here. So far it is being spread only on a couple divers' fora. How about a few thousand kossack signatures?
(Originally posted atTruth & Progress) In an amazing breakthrough, the Howard government and American officials have agreed to a deal that will rid both of inventory of a troublesome commodity with which both are oversupplied.
No, not carbon. That would be silly. And it might, um, hurt the economy or something.
This is an entirely different commodity: human beings. Refugees.
The first round of trading will include refugees from the chaos in Sri Lanka as well as a few Burmese, all being held in Australia's detention center on Nauru, one of the world's few close analogies to the refugee holding facilities at Guantanamo.
Mollie Passacantando, speaking on the occasion of Climate Crisis Action Day in Washington recently:
Let's face it people we all know polar bears can swim, but they can't swim forever.
She has taken it upon herself to gather together emails from children requesting that polar bears be recognized as endangered. She then forwards them to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mollie needs them all in hand by Friday, April 6th. If you know any children who would be interested in helping Mollie, the details are at her blog, Stop Global Warming and Save the Arctic.
When it comes to the climate crisis, Mollie has more skin in the game than most of us since she will have to endure more of it.
Every four days, a farmer commits suicide under the stress of failing crops, dying livestock and debt as the worst drought in 100 years bites deep into the nation's psyche and erodes economic growth.
"The current drought highlights how vulnerable we are to climate change," said farmer Mark Wootton. "We will never solve the drought if we don't solve climate change."
Australia's cities are also suffering, with every major centre imposing strict water usage restrictions as reservoir levels fall. Sydney, the largest city, is examining a desalination scheme to guarantee future water supplies.
Spoilers will be troll-rated. It's all over the news. This season's Runway is hit again with sleaze and accusations of cheating. That, unfortunately, may decide who leaves this evening.
(The photo from Some Like It Hot is included because, as rserven recently reminded me, it's all drag one way or another.)
Unable and unwilling to unite behind comprehensive immigration reform, Congress is set to fall back on the tried and true: let some juicy contracts with money it doesn't have and scream about Security so no one will notice that no problem is really being solved.
The Senate may vote on HR 6061 on Monday. (Funding? Eh, who cares?)
(I wrote this before realizing there would be no new episode tonight, and decided to put it up anyway. Use the thread to commiserate.)
Face it, you've got to wear something. But future generations may very well need something to wear too, not to mention something to eat and somewhere to live. How will they look back on us?
Below the eight dots, which thanks to you I have come to think of as two minimalist Angela fleurchons, a few links to the world of fair-trade, organic, and sustainable clothing. some of the companies mentioned donate a fraction of their profits to various progressive causes. Somewhere in this jumble of goods, along with the bamboo and soy fabrics, is the future.
And more importantly, who will be out an hour from now? It will be very surprising to this fan if it isn't either One Trick Uli or - forgive me - Kayne, Queen of All Things Tacky.
That is how much we must spend in the attempt to regain climate stability, according to John Ashton, the UK's special envoy for climate change, in the first of three articles on climate falling out of my tubes this morning. His new opinion piece World's most wanted: climate change is part of BBC News' ongoing Green Room series. (John Ashton's cv)
Ashton argues that global warming threatens the ability of governments to uphold their end of the social contract, and submits for our consideration Exhibit A: the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. If the US cannot deal with social upheaval caused by growing environmental disturbances, what hope for anyone else?
Not many weeks left for our frivolous little thread. In an attempt to redeem ourselves, a serious question you can answer or not: What makes a woman look good?
I'm no expert, but here's my suggestion: Being herself. Doing what she loves, whatever that may be. Now shouldn't clothes facilitate that, whatever else they do?
There are any number of examples, from everywhere and all life paths. I offer only one.
A friend of mine is dying. He may be gone by
the time you read this. We called each other brother, and meant it.
He is dying of the war in Viet Nam. After many missions, he had never been hit by any bullet. But then a water buffalo got him.
They were headed back to camp when it surprised them, and they pumped the creature full of lead. At the last moment, it came back to life and charged my friend, tossing him on its horns again and again and again.
Given up for dead, he got evacced and put back together by sheer chance.
(In response to criticism that clothes and fashion threads were too frivolous for this august forum, we have this week incorporated serious political commentary into our Project Runway diary. --- NOT!)
Condi -- We agree that accessories are an important part of the look. But we feel you spent far too much time and effort on this hat, which is frankly a distraction.
The Peter Goldmark campaign website will shortly be adding its Issues page. If the latest addition to the site is any example of what we can expect, WA-05 is well on its way to returning to its rightful blue condition. See below.
YearlyKos will be a target-rich environment for those who wish us ill. They are legion, they understand how this works as well as we do, and not everyone plays nice. I am particularly concerned about the opportunities for interviews and videos that will damage the progressive movement and DailyKos itself.
I say this as one who has seen himself misrepresented and misquoted in the past, by a reporter whom I don't believe even intended to do the damage she did. It was mere incompetence, but it taught me something.
A couple suggestions below the dots. But I'd really like to hear suggestions from others on this issue.
