This week is the Towards Carfree Cities conference in Portland, and Kent & Christine and Beth both have lovely things to say about life without a car. So many lovely things to say that they’ve said everything I could imagine saying! My favorite line: As Peter once told Kent, “I don’t ride my bike because […]
Category Archives: Politics
101 in 1001 #49: Bike advocacy volunteering: BTWD 2008
So Thursday was Bike to Work Day, for which I was determined to do something more than just biking to work. After all, every day is already bike to work day in that sense. So I decided to volunteer to help out as an Outreach Host for SVBC at an Energizer Station, to provide information […]
Why I bother
Michael Pollan has an article in the New York Times magazine this week called “Why bother?” It’s essentially a long apology (in the old rhetorical sense) for personal action, personal virtue, in the cause of reducing our carbon emissions. One of the last entries I wrote in my old journal before I switched over was […]
Speechless
Not sure there’s anything to say about this except, what the fucking fuck? This is worse than the Orange County Register article where an SFPD officer described letting other officers (and any other confidential plate holders, some of whom are things like museum staff) run red lights without penalty as a “professional courtesy” — and […]
Finally, some decent news on wiretapping
House Democrats have some vertebrae left in their spine, at least, having refused to rubber-stamp telecom immunity. Good for them, even if the whole issue of warrantless wiretapping in general is still a mess. If you’re less lazy than me, you could write to your House rep congratulating or reproving them, but I’m going to […]
&*<(*%^#(*^%
Ralph Nader disgusts me. That is all.
Evocation of a falling empire
Greenwald writes: That has become Congress’ only role, its only power: to endorse what the President decrees. Like the sad, impotent Roman Senate which existed only to lend its imprimatur to the Emperor’s conduct, the Congress’ only choices are — as it did yesterday — to plead for “re-consideration,” and then, when it’s not forthcoming, […]
Prudence and public input
I’m loving the Dear Prudence column in Slate, which I discovered by accident. She’s got at least as much sense as Sars and a good dose of snark too, but with a bit more “Miss Manners” style and a touch of the “old-fashioned politeness” Ann Landers/Dear Abby tone. I find it funny and realistic that […]
Dodd against immunity
The man himself speaks. Keep emailing or calling your Senators. From Glenn Greenwald, after the Judiciary committee version (no immunity) was tabled: The pro-immunity, pro-warrantless eavesdropping Democrats: Rockefeller, Pryor, Inouye, McCaskill, Landrieu, Salazar, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Mikulski, Carper, Bayh, and Johnson. Neither Clinton nor Obama bothered to show up for any of this. And […]
Dear People Walking in The Road
This is The Road. The Road is where cars and other vehicles travel. You are pedestrians, you’re walking in beautiful, safe Menlo Park. We have sidewalks here. On both sides of the road. Nice and smooth. Please use them. Please do not act like I’m in your way when I’m traveling legally on the road. […]