Zowch!
Music: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band :: Flyin’ High (In The Friendly Sky)
Amendment Song
As much as we’re all enjoying the endless Obama/McCain character assassination circus, there are other important things to think about before November 4.
Here in California, one of the most important propositions in state history is on the ballot — Proposition 8 — which aims to enshrine bigotry in our state constitution, so that it can never be challenged again. It was written by people who so cherish their bigotry, and who so fear fairness, that they want to be able to stop thinking about it.
In one corner, people who believe marriage is a contract between a man and a woman, who often intend to create a family.
In the other corner, people who believe marriage is a contract between two people, who often intend to create a family.
It all comes down to “a man and a woman,” and an irrational reluctance to accept that marriage can be anything but.
There are no non-religious arguments against gay marriage. And religion has no place in government. If you support Prop. 8, then you support the idea that tradition and religion — not reason — should be enshrined and enforced by government. Even though our Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and says nothing about tradition.
Let me be blunt: If you don’t think gay people should be allowed to marry, you’re a bigot. And your attempt to amend the Constitution is an attempt to inject religion into politics. Worse, it’s an attempt to make unfairness into law.
If you’re a Republican, you supposedly believe in small government. That means the government stays out of people’s business, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody. Gay marriage doesn’t hurt anybody. Therefore, if you’re a Republican, you should oppose Proposition 8.
If you’re a human, you probably believe government should be fair at the most basic levels. Not discriminating on sexual preference counts as “fair at the most basic level.” Therefore, if you’re a human, you should vote NO on Proposition 8.
If you don’t want to help set a precedent that government has a business in controlling individual freedoms that have no ill effect on society, then you should vote NO on Proposition 8.
Pretty simple, really.
Maybe this song from a long-ago Simpsons episode will help to illuminate:
I’m a Barack…
Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election
I, for one, will welcome our shadowy overlords no matter how they’re elected.
Music: Smog :: Cold Blooded Old Times
War Crimes
Four or five years ago, one would be branded a radical liberal even to suggest that Bush and his administration were acting illegally and committing war crimes, and that they should be held accountable in an international court of law. Now that the International Red Cross has delivered its report to the CIA stating categorically that the U.S. has conducted a program of torture and that torture is illegal, the remaining question is “Will these administrators be punished, or not? And if not, why not?” So many analysts pose the question as if it’s a close question… but it’s not.
It’s simple: Are we guided by rule of law, or aren’t we?
Pollywogs II – YouTube Takedown
Short version: YouTube has removed one of my videos from the service with no explanation. I suspect politics.
Long version: A couple of years ago, while digitizing old 8mm and Super 8 film for my family, came across footage my father had shot on board the Coast Guard Cutter Chautauqua in 1957 — footage of a hazing ritual that sailors have gone through for centuries on their first crossing of the International Date Line or Equator. I posted the video on YouTube, and it’s been viewed more than 25,000 times since then.
A few weeks ago, received a note from a reader saying that the YouTube video had been removed for “Violation of Terms of Service.” Since the video is 100% original and involves no copyright violation of any kind, I immediately contacted YouTube, asking for an explanation. I’ve sent two follow-up messages in the past two weeks, but have yet to receive a response from the service.
There was another possibility. E! Entertainment contacted me a year ago, saying that they were preparing a documentary feature on hazing rituals, and asked for permission to reproduce the footage on TV. With Dad’s permission, I signed and faxed them an agreement, allowing them to do so. Wondered whether fine print in the agreement had given E! any exclusive rights, so looked over the contract. Didn’t appear so, but called them to be sure; they assured me that they had had no involvement whatsoever in the YouTube takedown, and that I retained the rights to the footage.
So the likeliest explanation is that the video was flagged by a YouTube user as being inappropriate, and YouTube responded by removing the video without questioning/viewing/thinking. But what exactly is it about the video that violates their terms of service? Maybe it reflects poorly on the military. Maybe it shows how weird human beings can be to each other. But I doubt the YouTube EULA prohibits display of seamen having their faces smeared in used engine oil, crawling through troughs of garbage, and being sprayed down with fire hoses.
At this point it’s a mystery. I’ve given up waiting for YouTube to respond to my inquiries, and have re-posted the video on Vimeo (amazing UI!). Here it is:
Pollywogs from Scot Hacker on Vimeo.
Music: The Fall :: What About Us?
Contradictions
A gay friend writes:
In November, when we vote for the president, there will be a ballot initiative in California in which we will be able to vote on whether or not to amend the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. I think it’s ironic that on the same ballot I will be able to vote for the first black president of the United States, which represents an expansion of civil rights, as well as a ban on same-sex marriage, which represents a contraction of civil rights. Nonetheless, it is heartening to know that for at least 20 weeks I will be an equal resident in California.
I don’t quite agree that having a black presidential candidate represents “an expansion of civil rights” (that right has been present for decades, though the social fabric to make it a practical reality has not been), but I see what he’s saying, and it does underline the “two steps forward, one step back” pattern of social progress.
By the way, if anyone reading this can posit a rational (i.e. non-religious) argument against gay marriage, please post it here — I’d love to hear it.
Music: The Damned :: Neat Neat Neat
Straight Talk
Oops. The Straight Talk Express just got derailed:
For realsies? Is McCain really the best the ‘publicans could come up with?
Via sotrue
Signatures
Amazing/moving video from Amnesty International:
“Your signature is more powerful than you think.”
The Arabist
Birdhouse Hosting welcomes arabist.net:
The Arabist is dedicated to covering the politics and culture of the Arab world. It is published and maintained in Cairo, with contributions from journalists and researchers working in the region.
On the same hosting account are two additional popular blogs covering Arab culture and politics: Hatsheput, on women, society and academia; and 3arabawy, by Cairo-based journalist Hossam el-Hamalawy.
The Arabist came to Birdhouse looking for both WordPress expertise and bandwidth optimization assistance – we’ve been hard at work providing both.
Update: Five days after moving the sites over, many Egyptian ISPs are still pointing at the old host, which means the old “72 hours for global DNS updates” rule of thumb just ain’t true. The journalists are now trying to cover recent Egyptian riots, and many Egyptians aren’t able to see the updates. I’m getting hammered with requests to “do something,” but all I can do is to try and contact the Egyptian ISPs and ask them to please flush their DNS caches. No luck yet. Ah, the joys of running a hosting biz.