Phoneposts from a liberal attending the Freedom Walk; some of them are transcribed and some aren't.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/hyounpark/
Quote that probably sums up the entire experience the best: "It feels like a pep rally."
Ah, I've been saving these for an open thread.
Authors on the adaptation of their work:
Ursula K. LeGuin comments on the Earthsea television drama.
Philip Pullman on the brouhaha surrounding the upcoming Dark Materials films
PiscusFiche - Some folks at NCSU did a study comparing goats and chemicals as means of controlling kudzu, blackberry, and other suchlike plants.
Project site - with pictures! Goats are certainly efficient eaters.
Article in the Technician (student paper)
PDF file of a presentation on the results - This last includes a picture of a kudzu stem 8 inches in diameter, to which I say: yikes. The presentation looks like it was done by undergraduates, but I'm sure whoever was in charge will be writing it up eventually.
Ah, kudzu. I'm told you can make food products from the blossoms, but I'm not sure it's worth it. Googling kudzu for the heck of it, I found:
http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu/ - Page down to see a most unusual basket woven of kudzu vines.
That site links to:
http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/ - Definitely the most impressive collection of kudzu photos I've ever seen. I'm especially fond of the ones showing buildings being swallowed.
Wanted to point out sorryeverybody.com for those who haven't seen it yet. It's running pretty slow right now, but it's worth a glance.
The thing I probably love the most about LiveJournal is that paid accounts are allowed to add feeds to their friends page so they'll show up when someone updates. There's a lot of comic strips available, as well as blogs such as Atrios, dailykos, Dave Barry, Adam Felber, Making Light.... I highly recommend their FAQ page, which is comprehensive and comprehendible.
On the subject of using "friend" rather than "befriend": Just because someone's on your friends page doesn't mean you've actually made friends with them. This is especially true for popular fanfic writers, some of whom are "friended" by hundreds of people that they really couldn't ask to help them move. I've never seen or heard anyone use "friend" as a verb to mean anything other than "I have added this person to my friends list," so hopefully it won't make its way into the vernacular as a second meaning for "befriend." Given the vagaries of the language, though...
Oh, I don't even bother with the conservatives that surround me. I actually don't think that sort of thing is of much help. Or, at least, not as of much help as we need at the moment.
Alas, I am forced to agree. We just weren't always given a choice in the matter, you see - or sometimes we just snapped at the dinner table after hearing one too many comments about "them damn liberals that want France to run the country."
I like ginny's ideas a lot in ideological terms, but I do wonder if some folks wouldn't just associate it in with Democrats=big government. Even if it's all based on donations, there's those who'll see it as their tax dollars.
As Mr. Scalzi said above, the more work-related the program is, the better it would probably be received. In other words, if it's a program that helps people do their own work, with vocational training or something like that, they'll see it in a better light.
I think that's why so many of the people in my state don't think of farming subsidies as welfare - the *image* in their minds is of the "welfare queen," laying back and collecting checks while not even looking for a job, whereas they receive subsidies but still have to work pretty hard to make a living. This is, of course, bullshit, but it's hard to overcome that image.
Michael -
I think the kinds of things you can do to help us "trapped in the red staters" out are the same kinds of things you've been doing - namely, contribute money and/or time. A lot of people from all over poured into the swing states as volunteers at the polls, and a lot of people donated to Democratic campaigns in those states. (Which is great if you have the money and/or time, but doesn't really offer you much of a suggestion if you don't. Sorry.)
When I made my initial comment that what we needed was support, I wasn't really thinking that everyone should go "There, there, you poor suffering dears" or anything like that. I live in the most liberal section of my state; I am privileged and I know it.
It's just that I know a lot of people who spent the entire pre-election period sitting around arguing with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors, getting called ugly names and having their opinions dismissed outright, and now a lot of us feel like we're being attacked by the other side as well.
The biggest way you can help right now, for us, is to not tar us with the same brush as those who did vote for Bush, 'cause we're pissed at 'em too.
I guess I just want everybody to take a deep breath and stop yelling, including me.
So, I have a serious political history question that someone here might be able to answer. What is the big supposed insult (at least in some parts) about someone being a "Massachusetts liberal?" I'm pretty young and we never got past WWII in any American history class I was ever in - maybe that's something we should work on - so I feel like I'm missing some historical context.
bellatrys -
That's really interesting. I wish I knew as much about what caused the voting patterns in my state, which can't be explained by the standard rural/urban dichotomy. There's two counties that are bright blue because of the liberal arts universities, but those are the only ones I can pinpoint.
Debra -
That was a beautifully succinct summation of exactly my feelings. May I quote you? And did I spell succinct right?
shadowsong - Thanks! That map led me to an article at MSNBC, which led me to a county-by-county map. Interesting stuff, especially if you mentally map cities on top of that.
Ms. Nielsen-Hayden - I can't decide whether or not you were being sarcastic, so I'm just going to let it lie.
Ms. Nielsen-Hayden, as much as I love both you and Adam Felber, and as much as I normally agree with every word you both say, I respectfully find the first paragraph of the section you quote to be downright offensive.
I have heard the "blue state"/"red state" separation comment one too many times since the election, and it's starting to get to me. I live in a so-called "red state," and funnily enough, Kerry didn't lose by very much. In fact, you'll find close margins in the majority of the states, regardless of what color the media map decides to paint them. (Before someone jumps on this, I am aware that there are states where this is not true; I said "majority.")
I realize that the secession thing is supposed to be a joke, but today one of the professors I work for came up with a map wherein all the states that went to Kerry had become part of Canada, while all the states that went to Bush became "Jesusland." All I could think was, the last thing we need right now is people making generalizations about entire sections of the country.
We're frustrated too! We're all disheartened, and tired, and sad, and angry! Most of all, we live in states that are still dominated by reactionary thinkers. We need people who live in more liberal states to give encouragement, not abandon us, even in jest.
Believe it or not, I understand where you and Mr. Felber are coming from, especially with the second paragraph of the quote. I'm just getting tired of the supposed blue state/red state split - as though every person in the state of California voted for Kerry, and every person in the state of Illinois voted for Bush. I hope I don't come off as offensive, because I'm not trying to be. I'm just upset. And now, of course, I'm rambling, so I'll take myself off.
Voter Registration Fraud Clearing House - information and volunteer links
More on the author raided by feds:
Original links taken down
Dailykos post and discussion
In one of the dialects of my home continuum, "She means well" is right up there with "special" and "She's a real sweet spirit."
Or the perennial classic, "Bless her heart."
Of all things, this reminds me of a bit of Black Beauty that never made sense to me as a child, though I think I understand it a little better now. Ah, here's the quote:
"Only ignorance! only ignorance! how can you talk about only ignorance? Don’t you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness? — and which does the most mischief heaven only knows. If people can say, 'Oh! I did not know, I did not mean any harm,' they think it is all right..."
Speaking of Bush and religion, has anyone seen the online petition from some members of the United Methodist Church for Bush and Cheney to repent?
Obviously, this will have the same effect as all online petitions: none at all. Still, the language is really interesting, especially the conclusion. To quote:
We, the undersigned, are also very much disturbed by President Bush's many references to the significance of Christian faith in the decisions that he has made as President of the United States. George W. Bush has called Jesus his "favorite philosopher", said that Jesus changed his life, and that his decisions are often guided by prayer. In fact, we feel that most of his actions as president have directly contradicted the philosophy of Jesus. Jesus said to feed, clothe, and shelter the "least of these", not to starve, strip, and bomb them.
Points for excellent use of rhetoric, if nothing else.
Also, somebody tried to have John Kerry excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Every day I get a little more scared of what's going on in this country.
So I'm going to play the attribution game to cheer me up.
The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another. - anyone who's played an rpg
The block of granite which was an obstacle in the path of the weak, becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong - Stalin
It is a sad fact that regardless of effort or talent, second place really means you are first in a long line of losers. - I'm not attributing this one; I'm just including it to express my disbelief. This is a motivational poster? What's the picture of, a noose?
Finally, when I need inspiring I think of the following:
When all else fails, pour a pint of Guinness in the gas tank, advance the spark 20 degrees, cry "God save the Queen!" and pull the starter knob. (from the MG "Series MGA" workshop manual).
Every time I see motivational posters, I am irresistably reminded of despair.com, which sells the antithesis. I have several of these, and I usually have one up wherever I'm working, because regular motivational posters make me physically nauseous. Do people actually think those posters make a different in employee attitudes? The best thing you can say about them is that sometimes the picture's pretty!
As for President Bush, he makes me think of the study a while back that showed incompetent people don't know they're incompetent. I think you've hit the nail on the head; he's making decisions by the seat of his pants and refusing to acknowledge the possibility that he's wrong.
I completely worship the "nutbar conspiracy theory" shirt, but - well - does anyone else find it almost impossible to actually make out the words?
Bill -
Where to start with Brust? Well, that's a good question. Here's a list of his works so far, in both publishing order and chronological. I read them in the original published order, and I think that works just fine. Oh, and here's someone's list on Amazon, which includes all the collected editions.
Hope that helps!
CHip:
I think it's a generational thing. *I* wouldn't have heard of the song if it hadn't been for my parents; I was born in 1976. (Actually, I remember singing that song to myself in high school one day and completely offending a girl. The quote: "I'm Italian, and I don't hate Yugoslavians! I don't think that's funny!")
As for L'Engle - very, very few of my childhood peers read much at all. I read all of her fantasy, but not the Austin books, so I missed that myself. *makes mental note to go to library soon*
Jimcat -
You are the only person I have ever "met" outside of my immediate family who has even *heard* of the Merry Minuet! Wow! (I love that song. The Kingston Trio were my childhood heroes, which made all the other kids look at me kinda funny.)
The official title of the Tom Lehrer song you reference is "The Hunting Song," but your version is more memorable. I'm fond of that one as well. Also his brilliant rendition of Clementine, "a song with no recognizable merit whatsoever." Full lyrics, including patter for live versions, can be found here.
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