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Here's my (political) dream
Oct. 6th, 2012 01:43 pmI didn't watch the first Presidential debate and have no big plans to watch any of the others pretty much because I'm in one of those 47%s that wasn't ever going to vote any other way than the way I'm going to vote. However, I still have a dream with respect to any level of political debates: don't discuss with me the miraculous ways you're going to save the world; tell me how you're going to pay for it. Or, more to the point, who ya gonna screw, dude? Rich, poor, middle class, future generation? Don't leave it to the opposition to tell me with their opposition spin on it; own that you're going to get the money from somewhere and tell me where that is. Everyone has to play, so no one gets the Giant Shaft of Truth Telling through their campaign alone.
Who's with me?
Who's with me?
If you are any variety of American political conservative, I suggest you watch with the sound off. If you're any kind of homophobe, I suggest you not watch this at all.
( It's like that picture of the firemen where no one sees the dog, y'know? )
Note 1: Actually, watching it with the sound off provides anyone with a surreal surfeit of sexy.
Note 2: I may be functionally addicted to that standing flip into the pool.
( It's like that picture of the firemen where no one sees the dog, y'know? )
Note 1: Actually, watching it with the sound off provides anyone with a surreal surfeit of sexy.
Note 2: I may be functionally addicted to that standing flip into the pool.
Okay, I've missed something
Sep. 4th, 2012 08:46 amWhat's the deal with Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair? The political cartoons at gocomics.com are all over it, and my curiosity is piqued.
edited to add: Accidentally came across this item on a Chicago Sun-Times blog, linked from a tv post at afterelton.com. Am now more interested in Thomas's new love interest on Downton Abbey and Sherlock as manga? Really? Still, I agree it takes hanging, clanking balls of brass to ad lib for 12 MINUTES on live TV in front of tens of millions of viewers. I haven't seen the vid, and will likely take umbrage at a great deal that is said at the RNC, but my hat's off to Mr. Eastwood for going big.
edited to add: Accidentally came across this item on a Chicago Sun-Times blog, linked from a tv post at afterelton.com. Am now more interested in Thomas's new love interest on Downton Abbey and Sherlock as manga? Really? Still, I agree it takes hanging, clanking balls of brass to ad lib for 12 MINUTES on live TV in front of tens of millions of viewers. I haven't seen the vid, and will likely take umbrage at a great deal that is said at the RNC, but my hat's off to Mr. Eastwood for going big.
Voter ID laws
Aug. 19th, 2012 02:00 pmGeorgia has one. I've read the page behind that link and am having a little trouble seeing the issue. Understandable, as the .gov site is no doubt designed to make this appear a non-issue. What's the fuss about disenfranchisement and poll taxes if the State of Georgia is willing to issue free Voter ID Cards?
( A perfect storm of events has brought all of this to my attention: )
TL:DR version: There's an outstanding chance I'll have a valid passport in hand to renew my GA driver's lisence in time to use it to vote this November, thus obviating the need for a free voter ID card issued by the State of Georgia. My curiosity remained piqued, however and I kept reading the Secretary of State site for what ID is necessary to get the free ID.
( First, any ONE of the following is acceptable ID for voting. )
TL:DR version: Oh. So, I can actually vote this November using only an expired GA driver's lisence. Interesting. No info on how long it can have been expired. I know I have my old FL driver's liscense around here, last used just prior to its expiration to get the resident discount at Disney World even though I'd been in Georgia for, like, nine months by then. I wonder if Florida allows expired DL as ID for voting? If they did and I gave a rat's toot in a hurricane what was up in Broward County (12 years without any nationally publicized voting irregularities!) these days...man, these laws totally protect us from voter fraud!.
But I digress. I was originally looking for super sekret evidence of poll taxing in the ID requirements, superficially circumvented by the State of Georgia's willingness to issue its citizens free voter ID cards. So, what do I need for one of those again?
( All of this: )
Or an expired GA driver's lisence. I can sleep soundly at night knowing that no fraudulent votes will be cast by people who lived in Georgia long enough to get a driver's lisence sometime in the past however long!
The original pique to my interest (before discovering that expiration does not invalidate a driver's lisence for voting in the State of Georgia) was:
-A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes full legal name and date of birth
-Documentation showing the voter's date of birth
It appears that one's birth certificate can stand in for photo ID and is required. Since the document including full name and date of birth isn't specified to be a birth certificate in the Secretary of State's verbiage, I'm assuming my adoption papers (wherever they are) or my marriage lisence would suffice, except for the part where I've been cheerfully single my entire life. (Disclaimer: That's all inference from the site failing to specify "birth certificate" as the document including full name and DOB, btw. I'm not a member of the legal profession and I don't think the Georgia Secretary of State's webmaster/mistress is, either. )
Next pique:
-Evidence that the applicant is a registered voter
Well, if I'm 18, it's with 32 years of practice, but if I were and just coming in to register, how would I meet this requirement? OMG THEY'RE DISENFRANCHISING THE YOUTH. Like failing a loan application because you can't prove you don't need one, now you can't register to vote unless you're registered?
At this rate, when my driver's lisence expires, I'm totally putting it in a safety deposit box and carrying my passport (assuming the Federal Department of State has no objection to my birth certificate's pitifully unembossed state) as ID.
Anyway, since the Bank of Mom and Dad obtained and houses my birth certificate when I or the State Department don't have it, I have no idea what it costs to obtain one normally, let alone through the personal good offices of a County Clerk due to past history of record burning. Wouldn't fees associated with obtaining an original or certified birth certificate for the purposes of voter ID count as a poll tax? Even though GA natives can get one for free by heading to their home County courthouse, what does the time and trouble of doing that count as?
And why on any sane planet would an expired state driver's lisence be valid proof of ID? I mean, clearly on the insane, racist and classicist planets, it lets anyone who's had the resources to obtain a driver's lisence off the hook for proving who they are for a free ....oh.
Yeah.
Never mind.
edited to add: replying to a reply has brought it to my attention that I misspelled the word "licence" throughout this entire post. For some reason, there doesn't appear to be a search & replace function to fix. Please be aware that spell check has finally schooled me.
( A perfect storm of events has brought all of this to my attention: )
TL:DR version: There's an outstanding chance I'll have a valid passport in hand to renew my GA driver's lisence in time to use it to vote this November, thus obviating the need for a free voter ID card issued by the State of Georgia. My curiosity remained piqued, however and I kept reading the Secretary of State site for what ID is necessary to get the free ID.
( First, any ONE of the following is acceptable ID for voting. )
TL:DR version: Oh. So, I can actually vote this November using only an expired GA driver's lisence. Interesting. No info on how long it can have been expired. I know I have my old FL driver's liscense around here, last used just prior to its expiration to get the resident discount at Disney World even though I'd been in Georgia for, like, nine months by then. I wonder if Florida allows expired DL as ID for voting? If they did and I gave a rat's toot in a hurricane what was up in Broward County (12 years without any nationally publicized voting irregularities!) these days...man, these laws totally protect us from voter fraud!.
But I digress. I was originally looking for super sekret evidence of poll taxing in the ID requirements, superficially circumvented by the State of Georgia's willingness to issue its citizens free voter ID cards. So, what do I need for one of those again?
( All of this: )
Or an expired GA driver's lisence. I can sleep soundly at night knowing that no fraudulent votes will be cast by people who lived in Georgia long enough to get a driver's lisence sometime in the past however long!
The original pique to my interest (before discovering that expiration does not invalidate a driver's lisence for voting in the State of Georgia) was:
-A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes full legal name and date of birth
-Documentation showing the voter's date of birth
It appears that one's birth certificate can stand in for photo ID and is required. Since the document including full name and date of birth isn't specified to be a birth certificate in the Secretary of State's verbiage, I'm assuming my adoption papers (wherever they are) or my marriage lisence would suffice, except for the part where I've been cheerfully single my entire life. (Disclaimer: That's all inference from the site failing to specify "birth certificate" as the document including full name and DOB, btw. I'm not a member of the legal profession and I don't think the Georgia Secretary of State's webmaster/mistress is, either. )
Next pique:
-Evidence that the applicant is a registered voter
Well, if I'm 18, it's with 32 years of practice, but if I were and just coming in to register, how would I meet this requirement? OMG THEY'RE DISENFRANCHISING THE YOUTH. Like failing a loan application because you can't prove you don't need one, now you can't register to vote unless you're registered?
At this rate, when my driver's lisence expires, I'm totally putting it in a safety deposit box and carrying my passport (assuming the Federal Department of State has no objection to my birth certificate's pitifully unembossed state) as ID.
Anyway, since the Bank of Mom and Dad obtained and houses my birth certificate when I or the State Department don't have it, I have no idea what it costs to obtain one normally, let alone through the personal good offices of a County Clerk due to past history of record burning. Wouldn't fees associated with obtaining an original or certified birth certificate for the purposes of voter ID count as a poll tax? Even though GA natives can get one for free by heading to their home County courthouse, what does the time and trouble of doing that count as?
And why on any sane planet would an expired state driver's lisence be valid proof of ID? I mean, clearly on the insane, racist and classicist planets, it lets anyone who's had the resources to obtain a driver's lisence off the hook for proving who they are for a free ....oh.
Yeah.
Never mind.
edited to add: replying to a reply has brought it to my attention that I misspelled the word "licence" throughout this entire post. For some reason, there doesn't appear to be a search & replace function to fix. Please be aware that spell check has finally schooled me.
Further thoughts on Facebook
Apr. 4th, 2012 10:24 amSo, many friends and at least one unexpected family member clicked "Like" on my Facebook post about Facebook privacy. Two friends actually replied.
Secret College Crush said he admired the ethical sentiment, but was pretty sure the Fourth Amendment applied to government entities, not private ones. In other words, a prospective employer has no constitutional bar to nosiness.
Best High School Friend, one of a very few still allowed to address me by the juvenile version of my name, said she thought even friend requests from prospective employers would become illegal, as the answers to all those questions they're not supposed to ask in an interview are right there waiting to prejudice the hiring process on a Facebook wall.
This is the Atlantic article that got me All Stirred Up. I especially like the comparison of a social media password to a house key.
Also, I wonder how jazzed non-Facebook social media sites are not that all of this free publicity, implicit in which is the supposition there's only one password worth ganking, is going to Facebook.
edited to add Beneath the cut is the text of the article (sans links to other Atlantic content) in case the Atlantic site is being a PITA for anyone:
( Read more... )
Secret College Crush said he admired the ethical sentiment, but was pretty sure the Fourth Amendment applied to government entities, not private ones. In other words, a prospective employer has no constitutional bar to nosiness.
Best High School Friend, one of a very few still allowed to address me by the juvenile version of my name, said she thought even friend requests from prospective employers would become illegal, as the answers to all those questions they're not supposed to ask in an interview are right there waiting to prejudice the hiring process on a Facebook wall.
This is the Atlantic article that got me All Stirred Up. I especially like the comparison of a social media password to a house key.
Also, I wonder how jazzed non-Facebook social media sites are not that all of this free publicity, implicit in which is the supposition there's only one password worth ganking, is going to Facebook.
edited to add Beneath the cut is the text of the article (sans links to other Atlantic content) in case the Atlantic site is being a PITA for anyone:
( Read more... )
If it needs saying:
Apr. 3rd, 2012 10:01 pmIf a prospective employer asks you for your Facebook (or other social media site) passcode, please remember that you are not just giving up your own 4th Amendment protections, but those of all of your Facebook (or other social media site) friends, which presumably include some people you actually like. Frankly, I don't understand why any organization would want to hire someone willing to violate the privacy of their nearest and dearest (what's a trade secret worth after that? Oh yeah...actual money) for their personal convenience, but if it needs saying...I do not consent for anyone with view to this Facebook (or other social media site) account to violate my Fourth Amendment privileges without the appropriate court order authorizing it.
This is a Very Serious Issue
Mar. 10th, 2012 06:07 pmActually, given that some men scarf down ID drugs like candy, it really is a serious issue. The Senator's letter in search of a co-sponsor (quoted in the story) has an amazing and heart-warming level of snark, though. :D
Sen. Nina Turner introduces bill to protect men from dangers of Viagra
Sen. Nina Turner introduces bill to protect men from dangers of Viagra
I was going to be dignified
Nov. 11th, 2011 07:47 amAnd indeed, still wish the best of everything to all of our veterans.
However, the political cartoon under the cut made me laugh too hard even to fake dignity:
( Mentoring in the GOP )
I grew up moderate, but in case it needs to be said, general political trends from the late 70's on have left me looking pretty liberal (yes, pun intended.) Anyway, if political trends have left you looking pretty conservative OR if for some reason you are actually taking the current GOP crop of candidates seriously, you may want to leave that cut alone.
Not for nothing, but why do all the Texans gotta show their asses? I miss Ann Richards and Molly Ivins so, so much.
However, the political cartoon under the cut made me laugh too hard even to fake dignity:
( Mentoring in the GOP )
I grew up moderate, but in case it needs to be said, general political trends from the late 70's on have left me looking pretty liberal (yes, pun intended.) Anyway, if political trends have left you looking pretty conservative OR if for some reason you are actually taking the current GOP crop of candidates seriously, you may want to leave that cut alone.
Not for nothing, but why do all the Texans gotta show their asses? I miss Ann Richards and Molly Ivins so, so much.
I miss the Cold War
Oct. 17th, 2011 12:27 pm
www.gocomics.com reruns several classic strips like Peanuts, Cathy, Boondocks and Bloom County. The one above took me back in ways I didn't expect. As a Cold War Era International Relations major at UC Davis, an unbelievable portion of my graduating 3.0 GPA depended on being able to write thousands of words worthy of essay that boiled down to "USA good, USSR bad." I had exactly one professor in 4 years + two summer school sessions who alluded to a post-Cold War era, and lost the crowd to hilarity in the middle of a sentence that began with "the world will no longer be bi-polar," and ended with "multi-polar," because Huntington hadn't written Clash of Civilizations yet. How they would have howled if the prof had even speculated that religion would form the basis of most conflict, foreign and domestic.
I wish more Cold War Era IR majors had gone into tech support rather than the State Department. We might have a better chance at the mental flexibility today's political environment requires.
Let's get political
Nov. 1st, 2008 03:43 pmMirror of the most recent post on my ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
orange852 lj, which also contains details of my eye surgery drama, which is pretty much the reason no one's seen me online for awhile.
By the time my mom sends these to me, they've usually made the rounds of the 'net. Just in case there's anyone else out there who (a) hasn't seen Hockey Mom for Obama and (b) cares, check behind the cut for an imbedded Youtube vid:
( Hockey Mom for Obama )
Don't care for embedded links? Go straight to it on Youtube.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh9BmNuqeiQ
orange852 lj, which also contains details of my eye surgery drama, which is pretty much the reason no one's seen me online for awhile.By the time my mom sends these to me, they've usually made the rounds of the 'net. Just in case there's anyone else out there who (a) hasn't seen Hockey Mom for Obama and (b) cares, check behind the cut for an imbedded Youtube vid:
( Hockey Mom for Obama )
Don't care for embedded links? Go straight to it on Youtube.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh9BmNuqeiQ
