Sunday Roundup
I was wrong about the rightness of military action in Libya. Military action simply can’t remain defensive. Gaddafi’s son and three grandchildren were killed by a Nato strike. We are killing children. I get that Gaddafi has to be persuaded to release his powerful hold on Libya’s politics. The military approach only knows one way….
Second Life, Dexter Morph, and the Peace Movement
Second Life is a 3d virtual world in which players control virtual selves called “avatars.”    You can choose the gender and looks (body shape, hair, etc) of your avatar, and you can select the clothes your avatar wears. Once in the world, you can chat, dance, fly through the sky, build houses, teleport, and visit…
The Invisible Hand — A case study in stripping American citizens of their rights
New questions on election transparency have surfaced in New Hampshire, where the powerful First-In-The-Nation presidential primary will take place in 2012. If New Hampshire is to have its thumb on the scale in presidential politics, transparency needs to be an absolute requirement. In a bizarre chain of events, nontransparency was entered surreptitiously into a New…
Summary of bills to eliminate tax loopholes
A cluster of bills introduced into the Washington State House and Senate would raise revenue for vital human needs by eliminating tax exemptions. The main obstacle to eliminating exemptions is Tim Eyman’s (unconstitutional) I-1053 and its 2/3 super-majority requirement on legislative votes to raise revenue. The House bills, HB-2078, HB-2087, and HB-2102, overlap. HB-2078 would…
Seattle NWroots Conference July 9th
July 9th, there will be a one day Seattle conference for grass roots activists, public policy junkies, politicians, and other liberally minded individuals. The event, which will be held in Pioneer Square, will feature keynote speaker Ujjal Dosanjh. Mr. Dosanjh currently represents Vancouver-South in Parliament, is a former premier and attorney general of British Columbia,…
Latest Draft of Current Video Project – Washington Uprising
Still being edited, but wanted to share in current format:
Health Care – East and West
Vermont Governor Shumlin was on Diane Rehm on April 27 talking about the universal health care system bill he is going to sign into law. Cato Institute sent a talking head to spew disinformation on behalf of health care capitalism and insurance CEO salaries. To understand these folks you really have to watch Thank You…
300 years of fossil fuel history in 300 seconds
I think this covers the situation pretty well: Questions?
Tim DeChristopher Key Note at Power Shift
Mary at The Left Coaster is right about the methane hydrate feedback loop. Mary posted about that on Tuesday, April 26th if you are searching back. I have been talking about methane release from thawing permafrost and icesheet melting for several years. Â The release of methane is a deadly tipping point that we are…