Police State USA

From Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake and Glenn Greenwald of Salon, this amazing story:
Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them [...]

GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!

Hering:
Well, for the rest of us, the effect is only to remind us how fast time is moving along, faster with every passing year. But it also reminds us of something else: Much of industrial or technological development of recent decades, to say nothing of changes in music or entertainment, is of dubious merit. It [...]

One More Round of Palin

Why don’t reporters and legislators have a high opinion of the governor?
Gregg Erickson (Anchorage Daily News): It is clear that she has not paid much attention to the nitty-gritty unglamorous work of government, of gaining consensus, and making difficult compromises. She seems to be of the view that politics should be all rather simple. That [...]

Stunned Silence

Found here.
This is territory that needs traversed carefully. I predict that while Republicans will actually play the above card (not in so many words, I hope), Democrats and Obama supporters will question Palin’s qualifications based on her sex, even if unintentionally. Neither should be acceptable.
Also: Holy ****.

More Palin Fallout

Basically, read Atrios; that guy is f’in sharp:
Republican on MSNBC is arguing that Palin has much more experience than Joe Biden because all he did was run committees in the Senate.
By this logic Palin has much more experience than John McCain.
*****************
Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention was seen by more than 38 [...]

Sarah Palin????

UPDATE: From Dover Bitch at Hullabaloo: “McCain got what he wanted and needed the most: Nobody is talking about the magnificent speech Barack Obama gave last night.”
That’s very much true. However, I wonder if the whole “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” trope is going to hold true on this.
Cody (via email): [...]

DH News Story on CARES

From the DH:
LEBANON — Petitioners seeking the recall of two Lebanon School Board members have drawn criticism for what some call aggressive tactics.
In a separate development, the organization seeking the recall says it now has enough signatures to qualify the recall question for a special election.
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one [...]

"Corvallis showed its love"

Corvallis showed its loveBy DALYA IBRAHIMAs I see it
We all belong to God, and to Him we will return.
I have received the sudden death of my beloved husband Sheikh Imam Awad Elgarguri with full submission to God’s will and with absolute belief and trust in His Divine wisdom. Since he passed away last month, I [...]

OK, it’s not even a question anymore, and it’s not even protesting

Two more posts from Don’t Tase Me, Bro!:
Minneapolis Police Seize Journalists’ Notebooks, Cameras, Cell Phones, Money Without Warrant
And in case you read the story and decry “but they’re not real journalists,” this:
It’s Now Ilegal for Journalists To Photograph Politicians and Lobbyists on a Public Street
Yup – ABC News journalists, on a public street, were arrested [...]

Jaw-Droppage Has Commenced

From Rate Your Students…. ah, I can’t even begin to describe it.Go read.

Is Protest Now Illegal in Practice?

I’ve recently subscribed to “Don’t Tase Me, Bro,” a blog about the erosion of civil liberties. It’s as much horrifying as informative. From the last few days:
Denver Protesters Ordered to Disperse, Then Trapped and Prevented from Dispersing, Then Pepper Sprayed
State Department Plan to Smear First Amendment Protected Protest as “Eco-Terrorism”
Denver Police Bulletin: Protest [...]

Danah Boyd on lowering the drinking age

I think she’s got something interesting to say about the whole debate:
Anyone who tries to tell you that something magical happens for everyone at the age of 21 that makes youth brains capable of moderate consumption at that age is full of shit. The drinking age is not about psychology, no matter how many reports [...]

Tom Hayden: Obama Will Probably Lose

He says some interesting things, as usual:
There’s no need for so many police in Denver, Hayden says. “With Obama having opposed the war, there’s no real reason for demonstrations.” Hayden also feels that the “radicals of the 60s don’t get credit for what has happened for good in the Democratic Party.” He thinks there’s too [...]

Music & Aging

From Carrie Brownstein over at Monitor Mix, a post worth checking out:
Last week, I received an interesting suggestion for a post. I was asked to ponder whether one’s relationship to music — either strictly as a fan or as both a fan and a musician — keeps one in a delayed or perennial state of [...]

BRAIN HURT

Hering:
The governor makes $93,600 now, and for the chief executive of an enterprise with 50,000 or more workers, that’s low. But other states have nothing to do with it. What do we care what Arizona or Nevada pay?
Because the work is comparable? Because it’s really the only thing the governor’s job can be compared [...]