Month: April 2005

Ecstasy is good for you

Ecstasy’s a good drug for treating anxiety and stuff: Just ask Marcela Gomez and Sue Stevens, two women who used MDMA in underground therapy. Gomez, 47, a rape victim, spent years suffering from panic attacks. Ecstasy, she says, helped her express her fears more openly. “MDMA lets you open a door and not be traumatized,” … Continue reading “Ecstasy is good for you”

Ecstasy’s a good drug for treating anxiety and stuff:

Just ask Marcela Gomez and Sue Stevens, two women who used MDMA in underground therapy. Gomez, 47, a rape victim, spent years suffering from panic attacks. Ecstasy, she says, helped her express her fears more openly. “MDMA lets you open a door and not be traumatized,” she says. In 1996, Stevens, now 36, and her dying husband, Shane, used MDMA illegally to explore why they were wasting their last months fighting or not talking at all. The couple were lucid through the experience, occasionally telephoning a therapist for guidance and calmly planning Shane’s funeral. “It wasn’t like after drinking, when you can’t remember what was said,” recalls Stevens. “It was all still there.”

Don’t ask you HMO to pay for it just yet, however – it’s kinda like experimental right now.

Portland Quits Anti-Terrorism Task Force

Little Green Footballs has discovered the Portland/JTTF story but he’s wrong about the local paper’s position on it. Portland’s full of crazies, Charles, but the Oregonian was right on this issue. Just to be clear, Portland didn’t withdraw from the JTTF because of any sensitivity to civil liberties or fear of the PATRIOT Act, Tom … Continue reading “Portland Quits Anti-Terrorism Task Force”

Little Green Footballs has discovered the Portland/JTTF story but he’s wrong about the local paper’s position on it. Portland’s full of crazies, Charles, but the Oregonian was right on this issue.

Just to be clear, Portland didn’t withdraw from the JTTF because of any sensitivity to civil liberties or fear of the PATRIOT Act, Tom DeLay, or Jesus. The mayor, Tom Potter, is a former police chief and over-the-top micromanager. The two cops assigned to the JTTF have Top Secret clearance, and Potter doesn’t, so there are certain things they know that he doesn’t. This drives him batty because it makes it impossible for him to micro-manage them. Potter insisted on Top Secret clearance for himself and the FBI said “no”.

So it was simply a matter of petty personal politics, nothing more.

A fable for every day

Once again, Washington’s state legislature has declined to extend their employment rights law to the categories of sexual orientation and sexual identity. This is apparently a legislative ritual – every year the bill is introduced, and every year it’s defeated. This time, the AFL-CIO blames Microsoft: Last month, Microsoft Corporation secretly revoked its support for … Continue reading “A fable for every day”

Once again, Washington’s state legislature has declined to extend their employment rights law to the categories of sexual orientation and sexual identity. This is apparently a legislative ritual – every year the bill is introduced, and every year it’s defeated. This time, the AFL-CIO blames Microsoft:

Last month, Microsoft Corporation secretly revoked its support for the Washington State non-discrimination bill. This Senate bill, H.B. 1515, would have barred discrimination on based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Defeated by one vote in the state Senate on April 21st, undoubtedly, Microsoft’s actions doomed the bill. Redmond, Washington based state senator Bill Finkbeiner voted against the bill; Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond. Pandering to anti-gay sentiment and the corporate bottom line, Microsoft betrayed their workers and worldwide customers.

Note that this is the official statement of “Pride at Work” an AFL-CIO affiliate. Note also the multiple factual errors: “HB” means House Bill, not Senate Bill; the bill’s ancestors have been defeated for several years running, with and without Microsoft support; Microsoft never supported this year’s bill, so there was nothing to withdraw; support and opposition are public, so there’s no such thing as “secretly withdrawing support”; the Gates lobbying firm testified in support of the bill.

The real beef is Microsoft support for free trade:

Also last month, Microsoft began lobbying for CAFTA – an extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement to six countries in Central America. Like NAFTA, CAFTA would eliminate thousands of US jobs. “The actions of Microsoft are further eroding the rights of its employees in the name of increased profit,” said Marcus Courtney, president of WashTech/CWA Local 37083. WashTech has been engaged in a multi-year campaign to organize workers at Microsoft.

…and this whole gay rights thing is a smokescreen.

Brought to you by the blond advice columnist (who else?)

Sullivan’s obsession

Andrew Sullivan seems a bit obsessed with ole Glenn Reynolds these days. The opening of this piece is weird given that Reynolds didn’t actually blog the event in question: INSTAPUNDIT: The president’s press conference last night was, I think, perhaps his best ever. He was confident, in command of the facts, moderate in his views, … Continue reading “Sullivan’s obsession”

Andrew Sullivan seems a bit obsessed with ole Glenn Reynolds these days. The opening of this piece is weird given that Reynolds didn’t actually blog the event in question:

INSTAPUNDIT: The president’s press conference last night was, I think, perhaps his best ever. He was confident, in command of the facts, moderate in his views, engaging and appealing. It was much better than anything we’ve seen in a very long time; and it makes me wonder why his handlers keep him in such hermetically-sealed partisan settings. He’s better than that; and it seems to me he keeps getting better in these contexts.

What’s his game?

Filbustering the filibuster

I don’t think there’s been a political issue lately that’s attracted more gas-baggery than the filibuster deal. A typical example would be the hard-edged rant of Michelle Malkin on who’s a bigger hypocrite. Hypocrisy in politics isn’t exactly news, and accusations of hypocrisy are rarely covered for that very reason. The issue with filibusters is … Continue reading “Filbustering the filibuster”

I don’t think there’s been a political issue lately that’s attracted more gas-baggery than the filibuster deal. A typical example would be the hard-edged rant of Michelle Malkin on who’s a bigger hypocrite.

Hypocrisy in politics isn’t exactly news, and accusations of hypocrisy are rarely covered for that very reason. The issue with filibusters is one of long-term effects. If the Republicans get their way right now and are able to confirm the judges they want, they’ll do so at the price of a tool that’s been used more frequently by their side than the other, and given the fact that they’re headed for minority status in the next election or two, I don’t think it’s wise of them to be so insistent on it.

And assuming that the judge deal turned out the way they plan and they got a Supreme Court that was willing to overturn Roe v. Wade, the abortion issue would simply return to state legislatures and we’d have an outbreak of federalism on the Supreme Court.

That doesn’t bode well for the party of Schiavo intervention, so it’s a case of “be careful what you wish for because you might get it.” If Frist and his colleagues have thought this through, they’re bluffing about the filibuster, and if the Dems have thought it through so are they.

This leads me to believe that a compromise is the most likely outcome.

Vanity

In the course of reviewing an LA Press Club event, Luke Ford made an uncomplimentary remark about John Patrick Frey, the LA blogger who goes by “Patterico:” Blogger Patterico had the misfortune of following Kaus, the model of an unpretentious intellectual, and said one-tenth as much as Mickey in ten times as much time (even … Continue reading “Vanity”

In the course of reviewing an LA Press Club event, Luke Ford made an uncomplimentary remark about John Patrick Frey, the LA blogger who goes by “Patterico:”

Blogger Patterico had the misfortune of following Kaus, the model of an unpretentious intellectual, and said one-tenth as much as Mickey in ten times as much time (even though he’d been told ahead of time he’d be a featured guest, which should have clued him that he’d be speaking).

But Ford spelled his handle right, so JP linked him. Clearly, this is devotion to truth.

The last sane man in Portland

Portland city commissioner Dan Saltzman hasn’t lost his mind. He’s going to vote against Mayor Tom Potter’s welcome mat for terrorists at tonight’s city council meeting: One can be concerned about the far reach of the USA Patriot Act and still support the Joint Terrorism Task Force. I authored last year’s City Council resolution expressing … Continue reading “The last sane man in Portland”

Portland city commissioner Dan Saltzman hasn’t lost his mind. He’s going to vote against Mayor Tom Potter’s welcome mat for terrorists at tonight’s city council meeting:

One can be concerned about the far reach of the USA Patriot Act and still support the Joint Terrorism Task Force. I authored last year’s City Council resolution expressing concern about the Patriot Act and calling on Congress to fix its most disturbing provisions. We must continue to work to ensure that the Patriot Act and the rest of our homeland security laws adequately safeguard the civil liberties that are at the core of our American values. But that effort should not sidetrack critical cooperation among our law enforcement agencies.

A recent trip I took to New York City included paying respect to the innocent victims of 9/11. It was an awkward silence at the 16-acre hole that was the World Trade Center. Among New Yorkers there is a silent, palpable sense of apprehension, a post-traumatic stress for many who were there. It’s difficult to imagine looking a New Yorker in the eye and explaining our rationale for withdrawing from the terror task force. It would feel disrespectful to even attempt to do so. They, more than anyone, understand that barriers to cooperation among law enforcement agencies anywhere place all of us at risk.

President Kennedy spoke in West Berlin during the Cold War and proudly boasted, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Meaning all free people, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. Wherever we may live, in our resolve to prevent terrorism, all Americans are citizens of New York. As such, we owe ourselves nothing less than to confront terrorism seriously and in collaboration with our partners.

That is what the Joint Terrorism Task Force is all about.

Unfortunately, Saltzman will be the only “no” vote on the mayor’s ill-considered move.

Potter’s opposition to the JTTF has little to do with the Patriot Act, and lots to do with his need to micro-manage every aspect of the police department. The man needs medical attention.

Outside Portland, Oregonians are worried about what Potter’s terrorist magnet will do to them:

But what a symbol this will be: If the vote goes as expected, Portland would become the first U.S. city to pull out of one of the FBI’s 100 or so task forces. The discussions have already drawn national attention, including a story in The New York Times and a recent editorial — opposing the city’s decision — in the Wall Street Journal.

“It sends a terrible message to federal officials, but also to the rest of the state,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican who represents Eastern Oregon. “And what message does it send to groups who might want to do us harm? Does it put out a welcome mat?”

“Welcome mat” Potter has a nice ring to it.

All things

To be successful in national politics, it’s necessary to be “all things to all people”, at least to some extent. And in the era of instant communication it’s hard to say one thing to one group and a different thing to another as politicians have traditionally done. So it’s become difficult to appeal to diverse … Continue reading “All things”

To be successful in national politics, it’s necessary to be “all things to all people”, at least to some extent. And in the era of instant communication it’s hard to say one thing to one group and a different thing to another as politicians have traditionally done. So it’s become difficult to appeal to diverse groups.

But technology gives us the means to solve this problem, as Karl Rove has divined. I think I’ve cracked the code on this as well, but I don’t want to go into detail just yet.

How would you package a politician so that he (or she) appealed to diverse constituencies? You might have a better idea.