Should I start a label for robot posts?

After a short (four month) break from gainful employment I find myself back on the payroll. That's right, I've sold out and I'm working for the man...at the YWCA. And my boss is a woman. But whatever. The important thing is that I'm drawing a paycheck, which is good since without my first check I wouldn't have enough money to feed myself or pay November's rent. After some other weird job things went the way of the buffalo I took this position working as an advocate in one of the shelters here in Portland. Basically I hang out with folks and make sure the shelter runs as it should. Pretty cool. I'm working the swing shift-3 p.m. to midnight-which should feel a lot like the Migrant Resource Center in Mexico. I'm excited, but I'd be lying if I said it's not weird to have to work eight hours a day again. That's like, 1/3 of my day! Just sayin'. I'm still in training right now, but I'll be on the beat starting November 4th. That date seems so familiar for some reason. Oh well, it can't possibly be important.

For today's musical interlude I bring you Keenon the robot dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah."
It's got all things that are good: a robot(s), the Japanese, a scientist, an oldschool boombox, Spoon...I'm not even sure why you're still reading and not watching the video. One final note: my mighty fine older sister introduced me to both this song and this band. For some reason I never checked them out. Maile for the win!

I Really Am A Sucker For Handclaps.

The people over at Chicago Public Radio put out a show called "This American Life," which I really don't know that much about to be honest with you. However, the last two weeks I listened to a couple of shows they have produced which tackle our current economic malaise in a way that is very enlightening. With the notable exception of Paul Krugman, I have yet to see, read, or hear anything that comes even remotely close to how well these guys have reported on this situation. The first episode, called "Giant Pool of Money," came out in May and focused on the sub-prime mortgage mess. Last week's episode, "Another Frightening Show About the Economy," zooms out to take a larger look at the financial crisis- and why we should all be very, very scared. Follow the links to stream the shows. They are each an hour long, but I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Also, new TV On the Radio is dancetastic. Yeah, I said it. I just never thought I'd say it about this band.

File it under "psychosexual political humor"...

just before Craig, Larry.

From Frank Rich's NYT column:

[When House GOP members complained about Nancy Pelosi's "partisan" bailout speech], "Barney Frank taunted his G.O.P. peers with pitch-perfect mockery: 'Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country!'
Talk about the world coming full circle. This is the same Democrat who had been slurred as 'Barney Fag' in the mid-1990s by Dick Armey, a House leader of the government-bashing Gingrich revolution that helped lower us into this debacle."

Dick Armey really turned another man's name into a homophobic slur? Dick Armey?

Speaking of Pork...

Warning: Links are NSFW.

I have many, many, many problems with PETA. I will never excuse the blatant sexism (and often racism) of their campaigns. However, I am highly sympathetic to their cause. I sort of stumbled upon this video today looking for stuff about the subprime mortgage extravaganza, and was reminded that becoming a vegetarian was a good choice. I am just going to throw this out there. It's pretty disturbing.

In Praise of Pork

In its coverage of the Senate passing the bailout bill Politico is reporting that "tucked away in the tax chapter is a virtual bill onto itself: landmark mental health parity legislation that bars group plans from imposing stricter limits on mental health patients than individuals under the same plans who suffer from physical illnesses demanding surgery and hospitalization." First of all: it's about time. I'm going to show my liberal bias here, but sometimes government really works. This legislation is good news for, well, everyone actually. More parity in coverage will lead to increased treatment, or at the very least better treatment, for individuals with a wide range of mental health disorders. Better treatment will lead to decreased suffering for individuals and families, which is clearly the most important effect of the bill. Of equal importance is the impact that it will have on productivity among members of the workforce. Take depression, a fairly common mental health condition that can be easily treated for many people. Employees who are currently under-insured now have access to medication and doctors that will allow boost their performance. The insurance companies will probably cry foul, and it might lead to higher premiums overall. However, since the entire system is insane anyways, it's not really fair to punish one demographic just because there are pre-existing flaws.

Shorter sarcastic post: It's this type of heinous earmark legislation that must be stopped. McCain '08!

On a side note, if I keep this up I might find myself blogging again. No promises.

Hat tip: Ezra

Quick thought on a Wednesday

Now that W. has hit a 70% disapproval rating he has stolen the mantle of the least beloved POTUS from Tricky Dick Nixon. Some might think that this proves what a national disgrace he has become. Well, most of you would think that I guess. That's why they call it disapproval. I myself admit to being less than thrilled with his handling of, well, the economy, "war on terror," protection of civil liberties, immigration, education...you get the picture. But overlooked by basically everyone has been the beautiful gift that Bush has given to this great nation.

Americans can't agree on Coke or Pepsi, college or pro, Nascar or arugula (wry smile). In case you haven't been paying attention, half of the country hates the other half. That's what I keep hearing on CNN. Apparently, we can't agree on anything. But those days are over my friends. Walk down the street and ask ten people whether Bush has been good for America or not. Seven of the ten will say no. Much like that great Republican Abraham Lincoln, Bush launched a war and united a country. Call it a pyrrhic victory if you must. But please call it a victory. It might be the only one he gets.

This will only appeal to a certain blog demographic

Best graph ever? (click to enlarge)

Dre Dre: "Forgot About Dre"
RIYL: West Coast Hip Hop, Siqqqqq Beats, Marshall Mathers, Profuse Swearing

VERY NSFW (Not Safe For Work, children, or easily shocked puppies)



Hat tip: Ezra

This city deserves a better class of criminal.

And I'm gonna give it to 'em.

So that's how the Times Call earns money.

Since Bryce is no longer able to regail us with amusing anecdotes from Longmont's finest, I'll do so in his stead.

From the "A Bit Odd" section in today's paper:

"Ads too violent for Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica -- The Burger King is safe, at least in Costa Rica. Government officials said Friday they have banned commercials for the hamburger chain that depict mothers trying to run over the company's plastic-headed signature character or hire a hit man to kill him because their kids prefer burgers to home-cooked meals. The vice minister of the interior, Ana Duran, said the commercials trivialized violence. Burger King is sensitive to cultural and geographic concerns wherever it operates (emphasis mine)."

Lord knows what kind of damage could have been done if the paper hadn't clarified how sensitive and culturally aware Burger King is.

Radiohead- Nude
RIYL- Radiohead. What else can you say? I'm seriously contemplating a trip to Lollapalooza just to see them headline. Well, I'm tempted in a daydream sort of way.

I have to embed this one because Thom just kills it live.

Oh No She Didn't

I was just reading some of Bryce's many recent (good!) posts and thinking about how both of us have sort of drifted into the same section of the blogosphere. For example, we are both big Andrew/Matthew/Ezra/Josh fans (too lazy to link, figure that one out fo yoself). As a result I often find myself reading something on a blog, thinking about commenting on it/linking to it/freaking out about it, and then...not doing any thing at all. Why? Many times I am thinking to myself that Bryce will probably end up doing it. Which is sort of one part laziness and one part competitiveness. Weird, I know.

I have also been thinking about needing to clean up the old blog roll as well, since I don't visit some of the stuff I have listed, while at the same time religiously visiting things that I don't even have linked. I'll do that later. More laziness.

These two thoughts sort of coalesced in my mind last night as I caught thirty seconds of Glenn Beck during a commercial break for the totally fantastic "Sex and the City" (funny "Sex and the City" story: when I first saw it many, many years ago with Maile in a hotel room I believed it to be a disturbing HBO show about high priced prostitutes). But I digress. My thought, as I watched Glenn in all his awkward "small business owner" glory, was "thank God for the internet." Because on the internet, unlike on my couch, there are many other people who find Glenn heinous and feel like discussing it at length. Usually while listening to good music! Watching Bryce evolve as a blogger and reflecting on how much I love blogs made me very thankful that I ever discovered blogs in the first place.

Like many of my best discoveries, the discovery of blogs was actually the result of my complex, intense, and sometimes sleazy relationship with radical feminism. In celebration of feminism, the internet, and feminist blogs, I give you my favorites:

1. Pandagon. Amanda is probably best known for her work with, and eventual dismissal from, the John Edwards campaign. What can I say, she has been known to swear like a sailor. And take on the Christian church. In an endearing sort of way. It's a shame that this is what made her (semi)famous. The truth is, she's probably the best at what she does. I haven't seen any stats, but I'd be surprised if this wasn't the largest feminist blog on the web. And rightfully so. Even when you disagree with her, Amanda always dishes out some of the best feminism has to offer: intellectual curiosity, a bs detector you can set your watch too, and a willingness to take on the hard stuff. Friend crush? You bet.

2. I Blame The Patriarchy. You just have too love Twisty. If Feministing is building a big tent, Twisty is undoubtedly the much more entertaining and dangerous sideshow. Twisty is feminism at its sharpest and most difficult. This stuff will change your life, unless it totally turns you off of the movement and you end up hating feminism forever. She scares me in a good way.

3. Feministing. Jessica and crew get points for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is her appearance on Stephen Colbert. Feministing, like Pandagon, is a big player. IMHO it has done a really good job of being both a mainstream feminist site and a multinational feminist site, which can be a tough line to walk. A good read.

4. Faux Real Tho. Lauren is possibly the mother of feminist blogging. Since leaving Feministe she has set up house over at Faux Real Tho. In feminism, the politcal is always personal. Unless the personal is political. Actually, we'll have to fight about that and get back to you. Lauren, better than any other person, weaves feminism into the narrative of her life. Blogging is much more an art than a science. It is part essay writing, part journalism, part diary, and part comics page. Like a good album, a blog must be balanced and engaging. Too much depth and it becomes inpenetrable, too much fluff and it's wasting your time. Lauren walks the line better than anyone else. And like many other young feminists, Lauren helped me to find my voice.

5. Feministe. It's just not the same since Lauren left. But Jill, Zuzu and company do a good job holding the place down. They have, without a doubt, one of the best graphics ever as their header. A little girl with a shotgun? I'm pretty sure that's how the define feminism in the Oxford. I'd like to see someone with a little more time step in over there, but it's still worth the read. Jill is going to make a great lawyer.

So there you have it. Let me know if you find something that makes you mad or catches your interest. And remember: play nice.

Feist- 1234. It's everywhere, I know. But it's proof that women can sell music without selling sex. And it's fantastic. And it makes me smile.
RIYL- Stars, Broken Social Scene, dream pop

Good News on Easter Morning: Global Warming is a Hoax, Nothing to Worry About Here*

It would be nice to find a job that offers me real insurance, the kind that John McCain has but doesn't want to offer to we pesky Americans who don't get government managed care courtesy of the U.S. Senate.

*I regret to inform you that global climate change is probably not an extremely elaborate hoax, but is instead a serious danger to future generations/the earth's poor/all of us. But the preacher who suggested that it is a hoax backed up his claim by commenting on how cold it's been in Yellowstone this year. Yeah, I almost walked out.

And not to forget the music. My sister, who has great taste in music/art/clothing/etc., and I were just talking about Los Campesinos! And they're fun. So you should check them out.

Los Campesinos- Death to Los Campesinos
RIYL- Broken Social Scene, Stars, British accents, people who are fans of indie rock and decide to start their own band.

A More Perfect Union

Obama's speech on race in America. Read it. Watch it. Whatever. This is a really impressive speech.

"This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election."


Ben Harper- Morning Yearning
RIYL- Guys with acoustic guitars, Amos Lee

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter Is Dead

Despite my several month absence fromt the borderlands it seems that things continue to be totally crazy. And all this time I thought it was just me.

Anywho, here's your border round-up:

- 33 people found dead in a mass grave in Ciudad Juarez. In a surprise twist that no one saw coming, the drug cartels are suspected to have some level of involvement.

- Both Colorado and Arizona are considering Bracero style state sponsored programs that would help to bring migrant workers from Mexico for agricultural work. Where do I even start? Arizona and Colorado are two states, perhaps THE two states at the forefront of anti-immigrant legislation. These places are just tremendously hostile, in comparison to the rest of the nation, to having "undocumented" workers living there. And neither of these states used to have shortages in the way that we are seeing now. Incomprehensibly, rather than loosening or eradicating some of the insane policies that have driven workers from the state, they are instead choosing to institute their own immigration laws to entice workers from Mexico. And not surprisingly, the programs are having a hard time getting off of the ground. I won't even get into the economics of paying people more to do farmwork and therefore making the risks associated more palatable...

- Michael Chertoff has come publicly accepted that the virtual fence is not on schedule, doesn't work, and might never be completed. I am, in all honesty, quite shocked. Not that it doesn't work, that was never in any doubt. What surprises me so much is that the system was clearly doomed from the start, they (cynically) threw money at it for years, and continued to claim until very recently that it was hugely successful. It is just stunning that the DHS has accepted any level of defeat here. Still, it's great news.

- On a final, and more personal note, I found out recently that a good friend of mine from the drug and alcohol treatment center died from an overdose. He had been doing very well. His death is just one more testament to the high price that Mexico has paid because of the drug trade. His humor, care, and leadership will be sorely missed.

Update: Oops. Forgot the music.

I have been spinning Built to Spill- Randy Described Eternity like it's my job. This is only a 30-sec clip. Sorry, it's the best I could do. There are a few decent quality videos on youtube if it peaks your interest.

RIYL- Older Modest Mouse, A harder Death Cab for Cutie, Prog-rockish guitar jamming.

No. Just...no

Ok, so this is going to be my second Andrew/Obama link in a row. I told you that I'm heating up.

A suggestion from Andrew for the hypothetically elected Barack Obama:

Talking out loud with Marc Ambinder yesterday, I realized that I hoped a president Obama would ask Bob Gates to stay on as defense secretary. Gates has been one of the real stars of the Bush second term, managing to guide the military between the rapids of Cheney and the rocks of reality. He's an immensely impressive, level-headed, pragmatic conservative, and he wouldn't, I think, be immune to outreach from an incoming Democratic administration faced with extreme challenges in the Middle East. No such arrangement could be made before the election, of course. But I figured it would be worth airing the possibility.

I'm going to go ahead and give Andrew points for trying to be both reasonable and optimistic. Gates has done a surprisingly good job with the cards that he was dealt. By all accounts he has taken a realistic approach to the war in Iraq, favoring strategies that will reduce violence towards civilians without needlessly endangering U.S. troops. So kudos to Gates for a job well done, and to Andrew for recognizing it.

That being said, this has got to be one of the worst ideas that Andrew has had this election season. If politics suddenly became, well, not in fact politics, but instead some sort of public policy meritocracy, then this would be a fantastic idea. Andrew is right, we should reward people, of all ideologies, for doing their jobs well. Good ideas, and the people behind them, should rise to the top.

Making a decision like this, in an ideal world, would be the sort of move that could build goodwill across the aisle and create a coalition for withdrawal. It would also send a bold statement to the American people that Obama is serious about creating a post-partisan Washington. This is, I think, where Andrew was going with this, and again, he does deserve credit for "being the change that we want to see in the world." It would certainly be unexpected, and in a different era might be a really good thing.

But we do not yet inhabit that world. In our world, Gates is a proxy for Bush's failed war. In the same way that Colin Powell provided cover for launching this disaster, Gates has become a screen of respectability that Rumsfeld clearly could not provide. Even as Cheney rattles the saber over Iran, pundits sleep better at night knowing that Gates is there to be a voice of reason. Gates' presence in the administration makes the entire organization seem much more sane. And this is precisely the problem.

Obama is running on change, especially foreign policy change, and especially foreign policy change in Iraq. To leave in place Gates as Secretary of Defense might be sound military strategy, but it is undoubtedly a political poison pill. To keep Gates in gives legitimacy to Bush and weakens Obama's narrative of change. Nine years later, the 2000 Nader fallacy that Bush and Gore were the same person actually becomes true in some strange sense. In addition, Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, The Corner, Brookings, etc., get to trumpet the greatness that was Bush while furthering the narrative that Democrats have no idea what they are doing when it comes to the military/defense. I cannot stress how important it is to fight this narrative.

So long as Republicans are seen as the party of the military, no matter how much they screw it up, Democrats will never be able to lead the country abroad, or make effective critiques of the Republican establishment. As it stands now, Republican military decisions are brave and patriotic, while Democratic decisions are weak and uninformed. This is such a strong narrative that Hillary Clinton has embraced it by moving to the right on defense, which not only leads her to vote for crazy things, but also gives Republicans an added boost of legitimacy. Many Democrats followed Bush into war when high profile people like Clionton did not speak out against it. Think she learned her lesson? See: Last week when she argued that John "100 Years in Iraq" McCain would make a better leader than Obama. Yeah. I will note that this is not to favor one party over the other, although I clearly do, just to say that a one party in charge of the military situation is a terrible thing for democracy. Do we need more evidence of that?

If Bob Gates were the only possible person who could do the job, clearly that would be a different matter. But he's not. So let's leave the Republican-in-the-administration appointment for something else, shall we? Clinton really does have Andrew rattled. He needs to get his head back in the game.


Sunset Rubdown- Us Ones In Between
RIYL- Wolf Parade, Modest Mouse, Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!, TV On the Radio

Ed. note: This is probably my favorite songwriter at the moment. I have been trying to get Wes into his stuff but he can't get past the vocals. What a shame.

Like writing my thesis all over again.

Andrew links to a moving speech by Barack Obama about his stance on abortion that touches on both his relationship to voters and the role of faith in public life. As someone who identifies deeply as both an Evangelical and a feminist, abortion gives me fits. How anyone does not struggle with this issue, perhaps above all others, is beyond me.

Happily, this is just one more reminder about what has already been made abundantly clear: we need more of this type of honesty, humility, and reflection in our leaders. As Bryce is slowing down on the politics blogging, I'm just about to heat up.

Broken Social Scene- Looks Just Like the Sun
RIYL: Stars, Indie/Dream Pop, The Shins

I embedded this one as an extra incentive to listen. Sounds like summer.

What might have been lost?

I tend to forget that I am one of the few people I know who is obsessive/compulsive about blogging. This may come as a shock to many of you since I also tend to be pretty sketchy when it comes to, you know, writing on my own blog. I often miss a few days, a week, even a month 'round these parts and consider that no big deal, but I'll be damned if I miss a Matthew Yglesias post when there is the internetz to be had.

The reason that I bring this up is that I was enjoying a new post over at one of the best blogs ever today when I realized that most of you probably don't even know that it exists. Mostly because many of you have lives, but whatev. The point is that as long as I am going to be ocd and not have a life, you might as well reap some of those benefits.

So without further ado I present to you Stuff White People Like. If you are white, know someone who is white, or see white people on the street sometimes, I can't recommend this blog highly enough. It is so hard to pick a favorite entry, so I suggest that you just read them all. I do have to confess that I myself am massively white. If this was a medical condition and not just a blog then I would have terminal whiteness. Organic whole grain pizza crust white. Vintage t-shirts wearing, corporation hating, sushi eating, indie rock listening, Barack Obama supporting white. White white white. Which of course makes me like the blog even more.

I hope you enjoy. I intend to share good finds more often. I kindly request that you do the same.

You know what? I'll start with Bon Iver:

Bon Iver- Skinny Love
RIYL- TV On the Radio acoustic, Iron & Wine, Dustin Kensrue with a falsetto

In addition to placing "now listening to" tags in all of my posts, I'm also committing to finding ways to make those tracks accessible to all of y'all. I will also be posting RIYL tags (rock if you like...) so that you have some idea what you're getting yourself into when you click on the link.

Paris Is Burning Anyone?

I'm headed out for a run and I was just lamenting the fact that I don't have Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" on my iPod:



Now THAT is a club track. It's an anthem, no doubt. I just had a little dance party.

I hope that everyone is having a good weekend.

Cheryl Lynn- Got To Be Real (obviously)

Best. Blog. Name. Ever.

Ezra Klein's got a great post up over at Momma Said Wonk You Out about why health insurers suck (his words, not mine). Not that I disagree with the sentiment. Definitely worth a read, especially if you are thinking of voting Democratic this year.

My biggest complaint so far about getting care has been the way in which buying into a plan is in no way friendly to consumers. Market pressures that force cell phone companies to explain what plan you are buying and how much it will cost do not seem to have impacted health insurers. Klein's explanation for why the market has failed when it comes to health makes a lot of sense.

From a policy perspective, Klein seems to favor Hillarycare over Obama's plan. As an Obama supporter, that bums me out. But his criticism seems legitimate. Obama really does seem to dislike mandates, but it's difficult to see how the system can be reformed without them. I'd love to hear a detailed criticism of mandates, but for the time being I'm content to trust Klein's judgment on this one. He is definitely a wonk, and health care policy is his area of expertise. I'll be interested to see whether Obama actually moves left on this one after he becomes president, or whether his resistance to Hillarycare is genuine.

Why So Serious?

Ladies and Gentlmen: The Dark Knight

I'm excited. Heath has some pretty awesome looking chemical burns there. It'll be interesting to see how he does crazy differently than Jack. This looks a little bit more "crazy with nothing to lose." I like that.

Blogging should be pretty light over the next, oh, month. Not that I don't have anything to say (I mean really, is that even a question?), just that I'm going to be moving around a lot.

Just a week or so more until I leave hear for good. Very sad. It's a tough place to leave. The other day I was walking down the street when a car went buy with a speaker on top. That's a pretty standard marketing tool around town. The unusual thing about this salesman was that he was pushing bundles of marijuana. By the kilo. No takers that I saw, but there are plenty of dealers standing on street corners in my neighborhood already. The competition is tough. Oh Mexico, you'll be missed.

Am I lame for wanting a "love wins" sticker?

This is pretty great. Rob Bell made it into Time Magazine, or at least the online version, and they actually did a pretty good job with the article. I really wish I had been there to see him bring a live goat on stage. I also wish that I knew what his band's name was. Guess I'll wiki it. I'm thinking Pavement style shoe-gaze. He's the right age for it. Weezer cover band maybe? I can only dream.

At any rate, it's encouraging to see two pretty sane depictions of Evangelical Christianity in less than a month. Audible sigh of relief. Especially with Mike Huckabee running around. Quick, someone get a time machine and stop him from opening his mouth between 1989 and 1994. Seriously.

While we're talking about Rob Bell, does anyone know where he stands on women in ministry? It's been a debate between some friends for a while. I'm on the "he's pro women in ministry side," but who's surprised by that? Thinking about it further, that little debate reminds me of another good reason to like Rob: Focus on the Family doesn't trust him.



update: He's been in several bands. The first one referenced in the article seems to be _ton bundle. And they sound(ed) like R.E.M. I guess. That could be good. This update has been brought to you by wikipedia. Wikipedia: Best friend to lazy bloggers around the globe.