Giving Everyday - Giving to good causes

Today is called by some Giving Tuesday, a counter to the consumerism, and just a reminder to invest in bettering the world around you. There are many places you can give money. Or time. Or moral support.

One such choice is the Salvation Army, a Christian organization. They spread out earlier and earlier each year. Ringing bells. Giving you expectant looks. And they do some good work. They can and do help people. And, people out there ringing away, are people that get hired for the season for a small wage.

But they are also not friendly to gay people. It's part of their religious tenets. Workers have been turned away for being gay. And there are stories of gay people being refused shelter. It isn't a representation of the whole group. But there are question marks in their policy. They say they are trying to do better, but how much is yet to be seen.

They have also run into other issues. Past treatment of union families. A large number of child abuse cases in Australia. And questions of mismanagement in some areas.

And, as it is, I would prefer to give to organizations that will not be funding religious efforts or antigay efforts. I like to find groups that are apart from that messiness.

So, as an alternative, let me suggest some of the numerous organizations out there that are more secularly focused, and not limiting where or how they aid.

Groups to support:

• Amnesty International - They campaign for the human rights of people around the world.
• Direct Relief - This organization works to improve health and lives of people affected by poverty, or emergency situations.
• Doctors Without Borders - Made up primarily of health care facilitators, they operate in 60 countries, helping people dealing with disasters and violence. 
• Engineers Without Borders - Support local efforts to work on development projects.They work on projects including, drinking water access, sanitation, and roads.
• Feed America - The organization works to help feed those in need of food. They do this with food banks. (And with the cuts to SNAP, they are in desperate need.)
• Goodwill - This organization works to give job training, employment, and other services for the disabled.
• Humanist Charities - Tied to the American Humanist Association, it offers aid in matters of health and welfare via a humanist approach.
• Madre - An international women's human rights group that addresses the wide range of issues affecting women in local communities.
• Planned Parenthood - Health care providers, educators, and advocates for health care access and knowledge. They work to guarantee a right to make one's own informed reproductive decisions. Also, to ensure those in poverty to have access to support. They also are at work on a global level.
• Red Cross - A well known organization, it does good work on disaster relief, producing almost half of the United States' blood supply, and offering training on health.
• UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - They focus on children's interest around the globe. They work in many areas, including immunization, education, and emergency relief.

Not as direct, but important, the fighters for free speech and privacy.

More groups:

• American Civil Liberties Union - The organization works to preserve First Amendment rights.
• Electronic Frontiers Foundation - An organization that works to preserve digital rights. Among it's focuses are privacy, free speech, and consumer rights.
• Comic Book Legal Defense Fund - An organization focused on preserving First Amendment rights in the comic field, for artists to produce and readers to access.

Banned Book Week is closing, and some books are left unopened. ^UPDATED*

Mark Twain

 Today is the end of Banned Book Week, supported by the American Library Association. The idea of this week is to make yourself and others aware of all the literature which is kept out of people's hands. In schools and libraries books are pulled from the shelves and denied to students and patrons.

Sometimes their can be a valid concern about where the book is placed, like more adult themed material being placed in with children's books. But much of the time it is a matter of someone not caring for ideas being presented, or social and sexual imagery and concepts being presented. The books are dangerous! What an idea. Books are generally dangerous in the most wonderful of ways. As are ideas.

Margaret Atwood

For so long powerful and evocative books, sometimes with complicated views of society and history have been deemed better forgotten. Fahrenheit 451. The Grapes of Wrath. Howl. Leaves of Grass. Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison). The Great Gatsby. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Our Bodies, Our Selves. The Jungle. The Scarlet Letter. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. To Kill A Mockingbird. Gone With The Wind. The Call Of The Wild. The Red Badge of Courage. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Where The Wild Things Are.

George Orwell

Honestly I look at this list, and the rest at the link and think, "I have a lot of books to reread. And plenty to pick up for the first time.

And now we live in an age where kids books are written about someone having two moms. Or kids dealing with serious real world issues. And for some people this is terrifying. As terrifying as once a book about an island full of boys unsupervised running a muck was to people. Or a book about fighting back against a society that burns books. Or a book about a totalitarian regime against who there can be no victory. Or a book about a boy wizard with a destiny.

Here's a listing for many books that have faced bans over the last 100 years. You can see it continues to this day with books like the Hunger Games and The Perks of Being A Wallflower facing ban challenges. This is a fight to preserve access that will continue for years to come.

Neil Gaiman -
MPR Photo/Steve Mullis

Here's a piece talking to Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, about the bans and conflicts she faced.

Here's a list of some of the week's heroes, working against bans. Let them inspire you.

Here's an article from CNN looking at the week and the struggle many books and libraries continue to face. It also lists books heavily attacked last year, like And Tango Makes Three (about two male penguins who hatched an egg), Kite Runner, Beloved, and Captain Underpants. 

Ray Bradbury

That CNN list also shows 50 Shades of Grey, a book many of us I know aren't fond of seeing. But that's the point of opposing banning. It's not whether we care for or respect a book. It's the fact people have a right to access all sorts of literature.

Below are some additional notes on more titles that have faced hostility when made available.

• The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
• Lord of the Flies - William Golding
• More
• More, with a Judy Blume quote

And here's some comics that have faced being banned. And as you may note are some amazing award winning works. This includes Spider-Man books, Maus, Persepolis, Sandman, and Tank Girl. And also Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again. A really lousy and loathsome piece, in my mind. But I don't care for people to be denied the right to access and read it themselves and come to hate it just as I did.

J. K. Rowling

Perhaps that's the hidden benefit of this fear of some for some books.

It reminds up how amazing and powerful literature is. And that we should never take it for granted, or loose our love for it.

Literature and literacy. Help it spread.

And for "fun", here's a quiz on some banned books.

__________
UPDATED:

NPR found a nice library display looking at famous banned books, and why they were banned.

CISPA: Bad law on bad.

In considering CISPA in the last piece I mentioned SOPA, the last iteration of these efforts to broaden government access and control of personal information. It managed to scare and anger many. And with numerous powerful online and tech interest opposed, it was given a lot of unwanted attention that helped lead to its demise in Congress. 

It was overly broad law. It was bad law. It was unpopular law, with the industrial deep pockets elected figures like to please.

So the lesson the lobbyist and Congressional supporters took away from that fight was to make it more palatable to industry. Nothing else really changed. Bad bill language stayed. Broad powers stayed. It just shows an interesting level of cluelessness.

Now, it was politician smart. They don't want to have to get yelled at by the businesses they rely on for fundraising. So it's a no lose fight to their reelection campaigns.

But this cluelessness does have impact. SOPA would have been bad law, like CISPA before it, and now. But other like law are already on the books. Like CFAA, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This law is outdated 80's law against computer hacking (Hey. Remember all those bad 80's hacking movies? It's that old a law.). But it is badly worded and outdated law. This is the law that was used all too recently to hound a rather young and brilliant civil liberties advocate (and vocal opponent of SOPA) Aaron Schwartz for relatively benign activity. But under this law the DA was trying to put him in prison for decades (Because it was the law...kinda.). (And those efforts sadly led to his suicide.) It was punitive action through bad law.

CFAA is exactly an example about why we do need legislation, new legislation, for cybersecurity. Things do need to change. And PIPA, SOPA, and CISPA are examples of why it has to be GOOD law, SOUND law, and INTELLIGENT law; all things these bills are not. We need change, but these laws based more on paranoia and control will not do the job. Our law crafters have to do better.

CISPA is just too vague in how it will be applied, much like CFAA. It will inevitably be used poorly and people will be made to unfairly suffer. And now before it is law is the time to act. Congress needs to do a better job. Looking at CFAA, even many changes suggested for it focus more on increasing punishments and making the violations of the act a more vague and unclear matter. The legislators making the decisions here are not doing a good. job. They have to do better. We have to make them do better, particularly as all the loud voices with the deep pockets are walking away from the fray. It is up to us.

Get informed. Get involved.

I also wanted to note that in passing CISPA through the House of Representatives, even some good Democratic representatives supported it (like Duckworth). The backers of CISPA are spending a lot and schmoozing a lot to ensure it gets supported. This includes overselling it's national security value. So, I think, it would be a good idea to reach out to your representative in Congress (and contact your senators to) and let them know what you think about CISPA and why you don't want it to pass. We to can make them informed voters (in Congress).

It is likely it won't pass the senate. And the president has said he would veto it. But, as I've pointed out, it will be back. And our representatives need to be ready and understand our concerns when it does. They may even, if informed, be able to amend it to be good law. But it starts with us.

CISPA, And Why People Are Pissed and Scared

CISPA, or Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, is a bill that broadly expands the power government and business to share and use information, your information. It is an annoying bill, to say the least. Not in particular because it is one that refuses to stay down. A number of attempts have been made to pass it or similar bill in the last few years. Remember SOPA and PIPA? It's proving worse than a bad movie slasher. Not even a Son of CISPA. (But it is a curse.)

So. It is back, like a bad slasher movie remake (Don't worry. I'm killing these comparisons now.). And like before the idea is to sell it as a beneficent new law meant to help us, and keep us safe. Trouble comes in how it opens up the citizenry to new levels of privacy invasions. If the government says the words "national security", POP!, you're privacy rights and agreements online are no longer valid. (Lifehacker, Verge, and here look some more at the  CISPA bill and it's troubles.)

Here's the bill language.

 What this means is that when the government sees a threat, or deems one is rising, it can request an online provider hand over certain persons data. The provider can then just hand over all of the persons information. And under the new law the provider is protected from any lawsuits for violating promises about protecting personal data. It is all a quick and legal transaction between business and government.

And that is the key to CISPA now. SOPA got industrial opposition (the major business interests) because they were stuck in the middle and open to being held accountable. But now they will be made immune, while the law will still be able to screw the users over. But Twitter, Facebook  etc. will be fine (Phew!). The key thing is that this means these players aren't backing us now. For instance, AT&T and Verizon, along with the Telecom lobbyists, have come out in eager support now of CISPA.

And this is troubling. Troubling for peoples ability to speak freely. Troubling for privacy. Troubling for being able to feel confident in out constitutional rights.

CISPA is a very broadly defined law. It will make it extremely easy to bypass your legal rights. In my previous post I mentioned the Public Safety exemption to the Miranda rights. That currently just bends your constitutional rights. But it creates a future risk. With CISPA, as it is right now, it sets out a way to just disregard parts of the constitution, a constitutional bypass.

No warrants. No courts. No oversight. The American Library Association noted with the last attempt to pass this:

... 

The ALA is concerned that all private electronic communications could be obtained by the government and used for many purposes–and not just for cybersecurity activities. H.R. 3523 would permit, and sometimes even require, Internet service providers and other entities to monitor all electronic communications and share personal information with the government without effective oversight by claiming the sharing is for “cybersecurity purposes.” 

...

It isn't directly meant to be a new spy tool. But it is built so it can be instantly re-purposed as one. And when government is given a tool like this, it tends to find a reason to make use of it, like with the RICO law.

Now we should remember that laws need to be changed and updated. And cyber laws do need to move with the times. But their is a difference between what we need on the books to reasonably protect and serve society and what is just a means to easily control. When is it overreach? Miranda is an inconvenience to law enforcement. But it is a good one. It helps some people get the aid they need to not be abused. The need to get warrants before scouring your personal data is another important protection. This law leaves us vulnerable, while doing to little to actual protect us.


More from the Electronic Frontier Foundation on this.

Fight for the Future - CISPA is Back


Right now. Many people are planning to use today as a CISPA blackout, where they will have no presence online, in protest to the effect this law could have on online activity. I am still deciding whether to do this to (Yes. Based on my clock, I am over the deadline a little already. But time is relative, and it's still Sunday in some of the US still.) I am tempted to. But I am also tempted to see if I can write anything of use tomorrow, focused o this. We'll see.

Still, whether blacked out or not, CISPA is back. And it's passed the House of Representatives. President Obama has indicated he'd VETO it's current form if it passed the Senate. But if he's pressured to do otherwise... Or, if enough support is bought in the Senate, how close would they be to being able to override a veto?


As EFF above asks. Contact your senator now. Be sure they know where you stand, and why you stand there.

Be informed. Be involved. These are your rights.

Standing up to the Religious Right: Katelyn Campbell

We can loose sight of the people who are putting up the hard fights. People who stand up to authority and peer pressure in places where there is just not much cover, and standing out can mean your life will be made hell.

But once in a while we see someone stand up, and refuse to sit back down and be silent. One such person is Katelyn Campbell of West Virginia. She is standing up to abstinence education with blatant religious content.

A religious spurred speaker came in and began to spout to students. Condoms are bad, and don't work. If you have sex, you will get a disease. If you take birth control, your mom hates you. And that the speaker could tell if you would be promiscuous.

Campbell opted out of the event, but was given a recording of it. Hearing it she was outraged and spoke out, and sought those who would listen.

For speaking out, and talking to the media and the ACLU, the principal threatened her. He told her that he may contact the university that she was going to in the fall, and tell them she was of bad character.

In response, she's called for him to resign.

So there she was, taking a stand, having her future threatened, and she did not back down. Good for her. Thank you. Thank you for standing up and trying to make a difference. For science. For education. For the separation of church and state.

And her future university had some thoughts to.

Smart move Wellesley College. Smarter than that principal.

And, again, thank you Katelyn Campbell. People like you can make a difference, and help make the world a better place. We should all try as hard.

This year Easter is on...Roll 1d4?

I have been tempted to talk about the, what to my surprise exists, War of Easter. But it is too silly (You can see it tore apart here and here.).

And I have talked about the similarly ridiculous War on Christmas here already. Just switch over to magic rabbits, baskets of eggs, chocolate, pastel colors, and baked ham. If your argument is that your religious celebration of Easter is in peril...

YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. 

Okay? It is all silly.

And to emphasize that, you can see that Google has a picture of Cesar Chavez up on it's main page.

Google often changes it's main page to acknowledge various people and events (from Star Trek to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Christmas to famous artist). It's a fun little thing. Today is Cesar Chavez birthday. It's also Easter (this year -- What is with the rolling holiday? Was Jesus hedging his bets on how long he'd take to get out hell?). So Christians, again, are pissed about not getting special coverage...on a little picture on the front page of Google. I'm guessing these people missed church and didn't know their was a big deal there today.

Honestly! Their are devout Christians spending Easter online writing and complaining about people not celebrating Easter. Welcome to Conservative Christiandom.

So silly. As Jim Gaffigan has told us...


For his full bit on holidays:


I think I'll just have some turkey and MST3K. It is feeling like a Turkey Day.

Jokes, cinema, and guys not getting stuff.

Well, it's been awhile since Oscar Night '13, and I could have just not said anything and not completed that old saying about the fool successfully confirming the standing hypothesis...but what's the point of being a fool then?

Yes. Comedy! I've been meaning to say something on it for awhile now. It is hard to talk about. So I've avoided and procrastinated writing. Still, it is worthwhile to discuss.

Comedy can be many things, and be legit. It can be tame. It can be kind. It can be kid friendly. It can be edgy. It can be dark. It can be cruel. It can be horrible. It can true. It can be lies. It can be uncomfortable.

And as I see controversy arise from comedic events, comic sets, and jokes not well received, I keep seeing comics exasperatedly shrug (Not all, but many comics.). The comics see upset people and get upset back. They don't care the least for people not being able to "take a joke". And I can sympathize some. They are in a profession where they put themselves out, rely on being allowed to try out ideas, and challenge convention. So when they see alum getting booed or jeered for what they say, they can get uncomfortable.

And I do feel unsure when people say, "You can't joke about..." Because, I don't think so. You can joke about pretty much anything. You can do it badly, fail at it, turn an audience against you, but it's done. Worse, you can go into nasty areas that will sell. And there are many profitable areas that comics rely on that are just garbage. The go into generic mocking of women, gays, people of other races and ethnicity, etc. There is a treasure trove of crap that many subpar comedians rely on. So many club are full of this crap, and it males audience laughs... It's garbage, but it sells. And that does make me sad. Because it is shit, that helps support and affirm the worst slurs and views of whole groups. It's weak humor. Anemic.

Decent comedians should be embarrassed protecting this crude. And, frankly, if you want to do comedy that causes offense, or is controversial...You don't get to complain when people take offense or it's seen as controversial.

As well, if you want to say things that are controversial, don't be shit at it. People like George Carlin and Louis C.K. have gone to those places, and shown that they've thought about it, have something to say, and then share ideas. If you are not going to be putting that effort in, you're just going to point and mock. You are just going to be an ass.

And speaking of asses, let's suddenly pivot to the Oscars. WOOOOOOO!!!

Oh, god. I couldn't watch the whole show (How many hours are required?), but, from the half I saw and the clips later, that was horrible.

So what did Seth MacFarlane go with?

• A song that broke down the careers of several respected actresses to their breast. (This included examples of rape scenes and one that comes from private photos being stolen and spread around.)
• The idea that women who come to these events may throw up and do other unhealthy things to "look good" is a joke to throw out.
• Using a 9 year old girl to make a weak joke about George Clooney's sex life. (And then he apologized...to Clooney.)
• Broke down the concept of Zero Dark Thirty to the story of a nagging woman.
• Breaking down Django Unchained to a Chris Brown/Rhianna joke.
• Saying women like Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz are around to look beautful. (Cause you can't understand them with their weird foreign accents. Don't worry, he also mocked Javier Bardem for his accent to.)
• Saying that Jennifer Aniston was once a stripper, mocking her and women who strip. And, just a random mean joke...

...But really they all were. It's the weak random crap we get in the Family Guys these days...Or maybe it's always been like this. But it was just shit.

Now, some have tried to say that this was all subversion. He just said nasty thing about women, and others, to make a point about...stuff. Yeah. He talks about women baring their bodies in movies, women vomiting to look thin, because he care. And then went on to judge all the women their based on their looks and sexual value to him and other men. Remember what I said above? Theirs smart and then theirs being an ass. He wasn't saying nasty things about groups because he has something to say about misogyny or racism, but because, with his main audience, it gets a laugh. He's a real Jeff Dunham.

But that was the point. The point of all of this was to make the Oscars a Guys Event. Why? ...I don't know. Why are they doing a Wizard of Oz movie about one of the nonheroes of the books? Cause guys are more important than women...As MacFarlane tried to explain with his hosting duties.

And as we all know, media and society is so unfair and leveled against us guys. Am I right?

Starting off the new year with positive memories of the last.

Last year had it's definite ups and downs. Your own monthage may vary. Still, at all times it is important to draw the positives that can from any event or time (Then start addressing the negatives, fill out the critique, etc.). So I want to end/start the year going over some of things I'm thankful for this last year. ...Gods! Another list, Jaded Skeptic? ...Well, yeah. I didn't get this done by Thanksgiving, or by Christmas! So here we are. Likewise, resolutions only go so far and often are just ways to verbalize regret. (I'll get to a plan of action for 2013 tomorrow, or today, depending on how long it takes me to finish this post.) Rather, let's talk what helped carry us through to year's end, and what we can call back next year to buoy us at dark times, or share with others to shore them up.

So! Let's talk about the good that came from the last year.

Why don’t we begin in politics, which brings out my cynicism and sarcasm, but has had certain moments and vistas to appreciate.

First, I’m thankful that President Obama has been reelected. I know there are issues with positions he’s taking and orders he's given for many liberals/progressives, but I can’t afford to be blind to what else has happened. The Affordable Care Act will continue, and health care access will expand. No global gag order reinstated. Supreme Court nominees for the next four years will not be in the frame of Anthony Scalia. An interest (at least) in green energy, green jobs, and environmental protection. And, restating, the basic point, NO NUTTERS in the White House. No folk who thinks they are prophesied leaders. No Ayn Rand acolytes. No pizza merchants. No sweater vest wearing internet sex jokes. That is something we should be thankful for. (And, yes, then we can get into what can and should move on to what can be done better.)

Also in this year's election, we saw the likes of Allen West and Scott Brown booted out. I can only hope we won’t see them on the news or as pundits this coming year. But at least they aren't voting in Congress.

Source

In 2012 we also had a lot of good and important work being done by groups not in government. These groups have and will continue to strive to make a positive impact on the world. Planned Parenthood is fighting the good fight to try and guarantee women have access to reproductive knowledge and medicine, along with aiding women with getting cancer screenings. It has been a back and forth struggle, where some states have taken large strides towards driving them from their borders. But PP fights on, and saves the lives of so many woman, and makes certain many families have a brighter future. Likewise the ACLU continues to work to be sure we all have our 1^st Amendment rights. I may not always agree with every fight they take on, but I applaud the principle they work towards. And we also can’t miss out on appreciating what the Occupy Movement has done. This year, among other efforts, they've been working to keep people in their homes, or getting people into one. Also they've done amazing work in the wake of the hurricane that struck the east coast. If you don’t know what they've been accomplishing, you ought to read up on it. There are plenty more groups acting as well, feel free to note and praise them in the comments so others (like me) can learn.

But now, let’s get into some of the more recreational pleasures of the last year.

In particular let’s get into the more merry and jolly…and things that end in -olly. 

What has helped me through some of my dark moments, something that has lifted my mood. Terry Pratchett and Discworld. I do love it. I already mentioned Hog Father on my list of great thing to watch at Christmas. But I also enjoy that miniseries anytime of the year. In fact, as I was feeling low today, I put it on, on my phone, as I worked. It does lighten one's mood. This also stands for the other series that have been produced recently (Colour of Magic and Going Postal) and the older animated work. Also, obviously, the actual written works of Terry Pratchett covering the various people and events of the Discworld (from the Unseen University to the witches to Death to the City Watch to the Post Office and so on).  There is something special in the mad logic and humor of the Discworld. It just connects with my often lost sense of whimsy and wonder. I know it’s not for everyone, but it is worth trying out and getting lost in.

Dark Knight Rises

ParaNorman

Movies are another fun escape. There have been some more serious and sober pieces that are worth talking about, but…I’m in more an escapist mood now. So let’s look at some of the movies that came out this year which gave took me to my happy place. The Avengers. I have noted before that I have some issues with the movie. But as pure superhero team up, with escalating danger and Whedon snark, it's hard to beat. Better, to my mind, was The Dark Knight Rises (I know, a controversial opinion.). The end of the Nolan Batman trilogy hit all the right marks and will be a movie I go back to for years to come. And Hathaway's work as Catwoman was everything I've hoped to see in a rendition of that character. Now, just as we end the year, The Hobbit has come out, and it was a treat (Many disagree.). Glad to be able to look forward to this new trilogy of films (I plan to soak in all the details from the book or added by Jackson over the next two years. I may be alone in that.  Dredd, was also fun. Not for everyone, this violent post-apocalyptic scifi cop adventure hits many of the fun aspects of 2000 AD. Much of this was missed in the last attempt at a Judge Dredd movie. ParaNorman was another enjoyable film to catch. It went way to quick from the theaters, and unlike Dredd, I didn't get to see it until the disc for it came out. Spooky and humorous, I am glad I saw it. For me, this makes a good double feature with the animated movie, Monster House. Wreck-It Ralph was another animated pleasure. It offered a fun story and characters, and plenty of arcade nostalgia. Brave, also an animated affair, gave us another great adventure with a daughter and mother at its core. We need more of this. Heck we need more of all of this stuff.

Once Upon A Time -
Emma Swan

Leverage

On TV, I have also gotten so needed escape (what a shocker). Sherlock has proven a fun translation of the old characters. And while it only gives a handful of mysteries each series, they've been pitch perfect, as far as I’m concerned. Also this year, I've finally started watching Once Upon a Time. It’s been a very palatable surprise. Fairy Tale characters trapped in our reality is proving a joy. I look forward to watching the second season this month. Community, while coming to an end, has also been a good laugh. It will be missed. As will Leverage, a great bad guys gone good heist show, which has been cancelled. Futurama, though, keeps coming back and still something that knows how to woo me. Doctor Who, as played by Matt Smith (being controversial again) has not lead me wrong yet. The adventures of the mad man with a box, the girl who waited, and the last centurion have kept me enthralled. And I look forward to what comes next with the new travelling companion, Oswin. Red Dwarf is another show that has risen again, and it’s proven in the latest series to still have the old charm, like their time traveling run in with Jesus. We also have had at least one new series of The Thick Of It. The political machinations continued wittily. If this is the end, they end on a strong bastardy note.

QI with host Stephen Fry

Also have to give some praise to all the British Comedy Panel and Quiz shows I watch, all helping to keep me sane and laughing. QI to Have I Got News For You to Mock the Week, thanks. Here's some of the QI to be found on YouTube.

Penny Dreadful and her cohorts

While it's more online these days, my favorite Horror Host shows have helped keep a smile on my face (whenever one appears). From Elvira to Penny Dreadful to Midnite Mausoleum, the snarky hosts dealing with horror and bad movies keep me coming back to join in the B-Movie mayhem.

Also online, largely, we have the movie riffing masters. From the great live shows of Cinematic Titanic (some available for download or ordering) , with part of the old MST3K team, to RiffTrax, with part of the old MST3K team. From the early MST3K on to today, these guys have helped me learn to laugh at the ridiculousness in life around me.

Captain Marvel - Art by
 Terry
and Rachel Dodson

Comics are also a great respite through the year. And, yes, their have been problems from many quarters, from bad ideas made manifest to editor meddling, good results have occurred. Captain Marvel (starring Carol Danvers) is proving a great read. Ed Brubaker, as always, has been a joy to read. His work with Captain America and Winter Soldier, have given me, and will continue to give me, great joy and satisfaction. Batman has been a good book though it's fight between the Bat Family and the Court of the Owls. Also at DC Comics, Demon Knights has proven to be a very enjoyable medieval romp, and Justice League Dark has proven to be far more engaging and interesting than the main Justice League book. Working somewhat in concordance at DC, Animal Man and Swamp Thing have kept me drawn in to the battle with The Rot. Along with these DC books, Smallville Season 11 has proven to be one of the better and more engaging reads now being released. I'm quite happy supporting these books.

Captain Britain and
MI13

As far as the creators behind these books. I really want to applaud and be so thrilled I get to enjoy the style and work of people like: Gail Simone (who's now back again with DC Comics after being fired for a short period). Ed Brubaker, now leaving Captain America, and taking my heart with him. His work on Gotham Central (a police drama book set in Gotham City and Catwoman has been amazing. Greg Rucka, someone who did amazing and interesting things in writing Superman and Wonder Woman, in their books, is also a favorite. He's also currently writing a new detective (P.I.) series, Stumptown (Worth a read.). And Paul Cornell. His work on Knight and Squire, Captain Britain, MI13, Doctor Who, Demon Knights, and more has been just a joy to read. 

Zack!

Ah, LEGO. I know, I should grow up. But there is something to putting the pieces together to build some place or thing. Or to come with a redesign. Or just do your own thing. It’s an accomplishment (Ages, 4 and Up.). And still I build, and it makes me happy.

I also want to remember those who are not doing well right now, and hope are on the mend next year. Hillary Clinton’s in the hospital right now, being treated, I hope things improve for her quickly. Also, a wonderful writer, Peter David, has just had a stroke. I can only hope he’s recuperating and will be better soon.

Also, want to be thankful for social media. From twitter to this blog to Tumblr to, yes, FaceBook, social media has helped keep me active, communicative, and engaged. I can only imagine what would become of me in a less techy world. I also am appreciative of those that FOLLOW or FRIEND me, or that I FOLLOW or LIKE. It is appreciated. Those people I do get to converse with and share ideas and jokes with are invaluable to me.

I also want to be thankful for my continued skepticism in life. For some, questioning, or not just accepting accepted wisdom or faith is a sad thing. But for me it means I'm trying to get a clear view of what is and isn't real. The world, humanity, and the universe are amazing. They don't need lies or tall tales to be staggering. The world is a wonder unto itself. And as a skeptic, I can take it in quite happily.

Which takes me to my ever persisting optimism. I am a grump. I am a pessimist at times. But, damn it, I do maintain some level of optimism. An odd sense that better results could still occur, that success could still be grabbed. And that is something that still amazes me. Even as dire as I can get, as lost as I can, I still see some way forward.

Many things help keeo me going. I hope you to have some sense of what helps propel you on, and appreciate it all.

Get better Conservatives. We need you.

I enjoyed this piece talking about my we Liberals need Conservatives out there.

Overall, I feel Liberals carry forward the better ideas, the better arguments, and the better philosophy. But that doesn't mean we don't require feedback. It doesn't mean we don't need a sounding board. And it doesn't mean we don't need a counter argument to test the strength of our ideas, or to fine tune our thinking. And some ideas of Conservatism are worth debating, and/or broken down to show the serious flaws.

The funny thing about being a good Liberal. We love a good argument. We want to move things. We want to make things better.

And to do that, we need you. We need you sane. We need Conservatism functioning right, so we can work out or show the serious flaws or horribly outdated philosophies. So we need the opposition.

And that is not what you are now. You are a ridiculous caricature now. Instead of a counterpoint, you are a wall. You choose to block all ideas we support. And then you respond with ridiculousness. You're side discusses the validity of rape. You're side thinks evolution is a satanic trick. You're side warns that all the scientists are lying. You're side suggest President Obama is a socialist Muslim. It's ridiculous.

I CAN'T TAKE YOU SERIOUS!

There was a time when you were a serious party. Or, at least, you could put forward arguments that weren't patently ridiculous. But in a reach for power, you seem to have decided real arguments are for wusses. And you go to hyperbole, lies, or misdirection. You seem to have embraced the worse of what you are and have amplified and celebrated it.

And this is not what you have to be. You can fight for traditions, for small government, without all this...crap. And, yes, some of you aren't like this. Some think the president is an American. Some of you think evolution is fact. Some of you think rape is rape. Great. But that is not where your party is. It is not where Conservatism is. Look at the media voices. Look at their massive audiences. Look at the political leaders. They all believe or sell these bad ideas, or are beholden to those that embrace this thinking.

If you can see through it, it is up to you to lead the way.

So, one last time, see if you can shift away from this,

okay?

Romney's Su-PEER-iors PRESSURE: Mitt's CEO's *UPDATED*

Are we as a country feeling particularly comfortable with bosses and executives dropping none to subtle hints that voting wrong will lead to people getting laid off? Are we fine when the boss lays on the pressure to try and scare employees into subverting their own thinking and interests to fulfill those of corporate masters?

Because that is what we are dealing with today. It has always existed to some extent, but today, it is bold as brass. A number of businesses...No. Let us be clear here. A number of business owners are talking and mailing their workforces with scary notices (And, I want to be clear this is the act of owner. Because this is not the thinking and concern focused on matters of the business itself, but on the personal sensibilities of the owner.).

The Koch Brothers (You may have heard of them.) have been putting the pressure on their massive collection of workers. Mailers have been sent out to 45,000 of their employees at Georgia Pacific saying:

... 

If we elect candidates who want to spend hundreds of billions in borrowed money on costly new subsidies for a few favored cronies, put unprecedented regulatory burdens on businesses, prevent or delay important new construction projects, and excessively hinder free trade, then many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills.

They want to push their BS agenda, and we've seen the impact in campaign dollars coming from these brothers. But they want to make it clear, some of their thousands of workers will be likely fired...If the wrong man wins the presidential election.

And as part of the information sent to workers was also a list of approved candidates (all Republicans) for states offices and editorials from the Kochs on the various governmental evils as they see them. All part of the effort to lay into these people just trying to make a living. Pressure and more pressure.

It is yet another front in the continuing bullying of the nation by billionaire businessmen. They are rich. They are powerful. They are privileged  And nothing we are doing will change that. But society itself changes on them, and they look to roll over and crush society.

Regulations. Tax law. Environmental protection  Equal pay. Gay marriage. Abortion rights. They all blur together as topics for people like the Kochs. It is stuff that bugs them. It won't end their lives of ease. But it all offends their sensibilities. And if it does that, it will not be tolerated. Long haired teens. Opinionated skirts. Unions. Barack Obama. All the same. All unacceptable.

So. Who is working to rally employers to pressure employees to vote for Romney? Romney, obviously. And he is caught on record talking about this.

Newly-discovered audio from a conference call in June captures Mitt Romney asking business owners to urge their employees to vote for him. 

Romney, speaking on a call to the very conservative National Federation of Independent Business, tells a group of business owners that they should “make it very clear” how they feel about the candidates. ...

From those tapes:

I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. ...

Oh, we know what that means. Don't we?

______________
ADDENDUM:

More from Chris Hayes and his team (via Mediaite) on another of the companies involved in pressuring it's employees to vote from Mitt Romney.

On Saturday, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes delved deeper into a series of emails written by ASG Software Solutions President and CEO Arthur Allen to his employees on the topic of Mitt Romney. 

Specifically, Allen encouraged those who worked for him to support the Republican candidate with donations to his website, urging them to contribute to the Romney campaign “up to the maximum of $2,500 per person.” In addition, he encouraged his employees to contact their own friends and relatives and urge them to support Romney as well. 

“ASG,” Allen wrote, “like many other companies, is still struggling, even after four years. We need to elect a fiscally conservative president and vice-president and stop this ridiculous government spending.” The letter concludes by asking employees to please “help ASG and yourself” by contributing to the Romney/Ryan campaign. 

In another email, Allen had asked his employees to defer “some of all” of their salaries until December in order to help the company make a 15 million dollar interest payment. This provides a contrast to earlier comments Allen had made regarding use of a private jet costing something around 50 million dollars. 

...

Again we see the pressure and spreading of fear that jobs could be lost, based on dubious argument. Also, like in too many companies, cuts are being demanded of the workforce, where management continues to get "invested" in. I would be left doubting this guys fiscal insight, if I worked there.


Also, it has been noted that Herman Cain, remember him, is going around the country working to get and help employers pressure employees. How nice of him.

The Boys Scouts are a PRIVATE organization, led by dicks.

Let us talk about the Boy Scouts of America. They wave around the American flag. They have a America in their full name. They often operate out of schools.

But, they are a private organization. A Title 36 corporation, like the American Legion and Girl Scouts of the USA, they partnered with a number of organization, including the Mormon Church, Catholic Church, and United Methodist Church. They take donations, dues, and sponsorship to fund their nonprofit operations.

As a private organization they are able to operate outside of the expectations placed on public organization. So while they offer the idea of teaching responsibility  honor, and self-reliance, they also present a strong pro-religion (Christian) and clearly anti gay worldview to kids. And that is their right.

And I don't want to tar all Boy Scouts, Scout Masters, and BSA authorities as embracing these negative aspects. They don't universally. Many scouts don't agree. Many scout masters do not go after atheist and gay kids in their troops. And some BSA board members want to change things. But they are all part of an organization that is openly and unapologetically hostile to atheists and gays. Hard to get passed that.

But some kids see value in this group. See that it looks good on transcripts. See that it can help them in their lives. See that it is a way to connect with others in their community. And, I can respect those needs.

Still, your dedication is irrelevant to the BSA. See Ryan Andresen. He is a scout going back to when he was 6 years old. And he has been dedicated to the scouts for years. And this lead to the recent success he had rising to the highest levels of being a Boy Scout. He is on the cusp of earning the Eagle Award, which is apparently the final awarded rank for a scout. It is a great honor, immensely hard to achieve. But he worked all these years to get here, and he made it.

But there is something wrong at the Jamboree. Ryan is gay (I have also heard he may be an atheist, or nonbeliever.). And, as I noted above, the BSA is not friendly or tolerant of gays. They are in particular not too friendly when they rise through their ranks and achieve the highest accolades they can offer. But, the scouts demand honor and truthfulness of scouts. So, he admitted to being gay. So he was honest. And for that he has been spurned by and organization he has loyally followed and supported for more than a decade. That is how far out the BSA will go for its scouts. It is the final lesson the BSA has to share with its boys and the communities they inhabit.

Maybe if Ryan had lied it would have made the BSA feel better, and made it easier to just let it slide. But Ryan was a kid who had faced YEARS of bullying and abuse at school and when he was with his fellow scouts. So, as a project to complete his Eagle Award, he created a tolerance wall, to discuss the bullying he and other kids face. He faced years of abuse, stayed with the scouts as they looked the other way, and tried to make something from it to help other kids. And everyone in the scouts seems to have turned on him. I don't know, so many dubious lessons that the BSA has to share with us.

This is what the BSA does, this is what it promotes. Intolerance. It can wrap it in a kerchief, put a uniform on it, and have it salute, but it is still an antiquated bigoted philosophy hiding amongst traditions. They have a right to be and exist, but the BSA deserves no respect because of what they chose to continue to be. I see little difference between them and a whites only country club.

Here is a piece ABC News ran on Ryan Andresen:

 

Religious Law is Blasphemous

Among the varying laws meant to protect or push religion are the blasphemy laws. It might sound quaint to you, but these are ever present in our world.

You may not know this, but in the United Kingdom these laws were on the books up to 2008. And there was wailing and teeth gnashing at the effort to end them. So, no, this was not some old forgotten law on the book. Back in the day, these laws were held over the heads of iconoclasts, like Monty Python. So, again, this was considered vital law. But, as of 2007, when a British teacher in Sudan mistaken let kids name a teddy bear Mohammed and was arrested, suddenly the importance of blasphemy in the U.K. went down. It was hard for them to complain about someone else's stupid laws, when they were still using similar laws.

Moohammad - Atheist Experience

But there has been change. Positive change. So it is easier to turn now and look at how these laws are maintained and applied around the world without that stench of hypocrisy.

So let's see a close example, in Turkey. A Turkish pianist made the mistake of having a twitter account where he made jokes (Twitter is only for sober dialogue.), including about the government and about Islamic beliefs.

... 

Say, 42, who is also a composer, is accused of ''publicly insulting religious values that are adopted by a part of the nation'', the semi-official Anatolian news agency said. 

...

He will be tried in the Fall, and could go to prison for up to a year and a half. FOR RETWEETING jokes on twitter. Not even iffy  @FrankConniff  or @JimGaffigan material. And Turkey is one of the more balanced Islamic nations, between religion and secularism. But also it is trying to garner trust among fellow European nations. Turkey, this isn't helping your case.

In Afghanistan, back in 2008, Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh was tried for blasphemy for writing an online article about the treatment of women in the Quran. He was convicted and sentenced to death. Then that was commuted to 20 years in prison (and appeals process followed that's proved to be a joke.). And he's the one of a number that have faced prison time or death in Afghanistan, for ideas.

In Pakistan, the most powerful governor in the nation, and longtime critic of religious extremist, Salman Taseer, was gunned down for calling for an end to blasphemy laws, in Pakistan.

For the Saudi, it has been an intense and sometimes unternational effort, having a Hamza Kashgari, a journalist who tweeted a joke (Tweeting does seem to be more dangerous than I thought.) was grabbed in Malaysia for the Saudi government. At present he is back in Saudi Arabia. And it is being said, he has gone through some repentance process to be freed from prison. But the facts of this, or if it has happen is not clear for me yet. We can only hope he will be freed.

An Australian man was only partially that lucky in Saudi Arabia. While on a Hajj (pilgramage) to Medina, Mansor Almaribe, was arrested for:

... Family members told Australian media that Saudi officials accused him of insulting the companions of the prophet Muhammad, a violation of Saudi Arabia's blasphemy laws. ...

He was convicted and sentenced to 500 lashes (whipping) and a 2 year in jail (Not to worry, the jail time was reduced.). After fighting over his health issues, it was decided to just whip him 75 times, then send him home. Happy ending? ...He is still alive, at least.

Just so you don't think Turkey is alone in Europe, we have Ireland. In 2009 they passed new blasphemy laws. Old ideas made new again. Hallelujah!

That's right Father Ted is now a crime.


...


But there is talk of a constitutional action. And, last year, a new government promised action.


...


But this belies further continuation of blasphemy laws in Europe. To be honest, it's not that rare.



Other European Nations with blasphemy, or similar (like Religious Insult), laws:

• Andorra
• Austria
• Cyprus
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Italy
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway (on books, but defunct)
• Poland
• Portugal
• Russia
• San Marino
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Ukraine

Things may have changed this information was first compiled. But it is worth learning about countries of interest. Their is also some merit in debating the line between blasphemy, hate speech, incitement, and the free speech.

I always appreciate the line:

"Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man's nose begins."

Tweeting a joke about your vision of a god lands NO WHERE NEAR your nose. Does it?

Nor, does a satirical play, or an expressed negative opinion.

The opinion may be horrible, the play may be "obscene," and the joke may fall flat. You may see, read, or hear of any of them, and be offended. You may say they are blasphemous.


But that shouldn't make them crimes.

Oz is gonna blacklist you

AMERICAblog notes the changes to access that are coming to Australia.

The government's $128.8 million Cyber Safety policy includes forcing internet service providers to block access to a secret blacklist of website pages...

A new policy to enact a listing that all providers must use. A secret list? Why secret? So people won't complain, or know the focus?

...

Web pages will be nominated for blacklisting by Australian internet users who come across illegal or ''unacceptable'' websites.

...

Great so people will nominate. Almost Athenian. So a site that gets a complaint is all it takes to be wiped from the Aussie net? Wow. How is this considered good?

Telecom attack on Net Neutrality

An interesting look from ThinkProgress to the plans of the telecoms to react to moves to defend access to the internet.

Unsurprising, it involves getting you scared.

Did you know we are going down the road of China to control your access to knowledge? (The corps will save you though. They're great like that.)

Did you know the Man is out to get you? (The corps don't like the Man. They want to fight the Man. Put this suit on, put this tie on, and join the fight against the Man.)

Christopher Maloney is a quack

Maloney is a naturopath in Maine that PZ Myers has noted.

Seems he is spouting a lot of crap, as a good quack will do.  When he was criticized by a blogger on Wordpress, the blogger was shut down following complaint.  No criticism is wanted...

So, FYI, Christopher Maloney is a quack.

Canadian hospitality

You may have heard of what happen with Amy Goodman, of Democracy Now, at the Canadian border. As she tried to cross over to Canada to speak at an event, she was detained. Why? Well, they have the right and responsibility to defend against threats. But, why? They searched her car, went through her private papers, and her computer. Why? The main question they seemed to have for her was this, "Are you here to talk about the upcoming Canadian Olympics?" Huh? No, Really. They were scared of a journalist from the US coming to Canada and possibly talking negatively about the Winter Olympics. That is just pathetic.

Crooks and Liars has the video of her discussing what happened. Which means the Canadians really got a boffo result, hmm?

Democracy Now looks at it here and here.

So it is okay for Limbaugh to say this stuff?

Limbaugh loves the inflammatory comments. Like his latest, quipping that soldiers at West Point could detain Obama when he goes to speak next week. Charming. But he keeps making these comments.

As a matter of free speech he can say what he wants and be the desiccated shriveled bit he is deep down inside. But isn't he still carried on Armed Forces Radio to this day? How are his constant attacks, denouncements, and now suggestions of a Seven Days in May type coup acceptable? (And it is hard to see if he, Beck, or Palin see themselves in the Burt Lancaster role.)

Is he still on that radio service? If he is, he needs to be off it now.