Category Archives: culture

Who is to Blame for America’s Budgetary Woes?

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5 10 11bud f1 Who is to Blame for Americas Budgetary Woes?

Just two policies dating from the Bush Administration — tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — accounted for over $500 billion of the deficit in 2009 and will account for $7 trillion in deficits in 2009 through 2019, including the associated debt-service costs. [7] By 2019, we estimate that these two policies will account for almost half — nearly $10 trillion — of the $20 trillion in debt that will be owed under current policies.[8] (The Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in 2003 also will substantially increase deficits and debt, but we are unable to quantify these impacts due to data limitations.) These impacts easily dwarf the stimulus and financial rescues, which will account for less than $2 trillion (less than 10 percent) of the debt at that time. Furthermore, unlike those temporary costs, these inherited policies (especially the tax cuts and the drug benefit) do not fade away as the economy recovers.

Posted via email from Subversive Soapbox

What are you doing to save Oakland’s libraries?

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Ms Brunner:

I would like to know what your office is doing to stop the closure of FOURTEEN of Oakland's 18 libraries. If the state of California has reached the point where we can't even have libraries, what is sacred? Surely they cost much less than schools, and are an equally necessary resource to our youth. Can you deny this? 

Is there nothing sacred? Honestly, I would rather give up mandatory schooling than libraries. They are the sort of thing that is expected in a functioning democracy. Do we no longer have a functioning democracy? If I were in your position, and the governor put forth such a ludicrous idea, I would demand that the budget be posted publicly so that we could see for ourselves why this is truly necessary. I understand that we are facing hard times (due to the tremendous money hole in Iraq, let's not pretend spending sixty percent of the budget on defense is not an issue here!) but if we can't even afford to have LIBRARIES what is the point? What have we come to? Are we on the absolute precipice of disaster? It would seem so to me if we cannot afford to keep a few librarians and a security guard around so that thousands of people can have access to books. 

Moreover, what nonsense is this, that among the 14/18 libraries slated for closure, among them is the Tool Lending library?! When I am speaking of the greatness of California and telling my friends why they should move here, the Tool Library is just such an example that I share with them. If we destroy everything that makes us great, why will people want to move here? Imagine how many projects every single year will be thwarted by the loss of this amazing community resource. Think of all the homes that won't be renovated, decreasing the value of Oakland's properties. All the school parks that won't get new benches built. All the amazing large-scale art projects–something Oakland is known for!–that will live only in the artists minds.

I urge you to do everything within your power to fight the closure of these libraries. I am not a politician, and I do not feel powerful, but I will do everything in my power to stop this.

By the way, I will be posting this email on my blogs. I hope your response will quell not only my own wrath, but that of my readers.

Sincerely,

KB
Oakland, CA

Posted via email from Paperback Pusher

Why Reclaim the Word “Queer”?

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cool chicks pride 2009.jpg.scaled.500 Why Reclaim the Word “Queer”?
As a woman, the word “gay” does not describe me. I’m told gay is meant to be all-encompassing but if that were so, why do we say “gays and lesbians”? Wouldn’t that be redundant? It is similar to how women are told the word “man” is meant to apply to all of *mankind, yet I still get surprised looks when I walk into the men’s room.
The next solution offered in opposition to queer is “LGBT.” First, let’s admit that “LGBT” is hella awkward. It’s hardly the catchy marketing hook you’d expect from a people known for being fashion-forward. More importantly the acronym LGBT goes to the heart of why there is a need for “queer.” We need a word that summarizes all the gender and sexuality misfits and tacking together a long string of letters is hardly the best way to do this. “Queer” does not state someone’s sexual preference or gender identity. It doesn’t say which letter they are to be categorized under. It merely asserts that one doesn’t fit into the norm.

Bay to Breakers II: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco

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If you like to see sweaty people wearing costumes and running shoes, boy are you in luck: here’s my second batch of photos from San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers race. There’s even more photos in this batch.

Here we have Towely, Elvis, Carmen Sandiego, Tellytubbies, Ghostbusters, (more)  Marios (and carts, actually saw a much better set of Mario Carts but didn’t get a picture), three Divo heads (the fourth was crossing the street), bathroom boy and girl,a boyscout, Jesus Christ and his two wenches, and a magic lamp that wins any contest for “most phallic costume.” And some other stuff…you can look at the pictures faster than I can list them.

Which ones are running to raise money for charity and which ones are just looking for an excuse to get very drunk early on a Sunday morning? I’ll leave that to you.

Bay to Breakers 5 15 2009 8 52 58 AM.JPG.scaled500 Bay to Breakers II: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco
Bay to Breakers 5 15 2009 8 31 11 AM.JPG.scaled500 Bay to Breakers II: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco
Bay to Breakers 5 15 2009 8 35 37 AM.JPG.scaled500 Bay to Breakers II: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco
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RIP Gil Scott-Heron

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gil scott heron.jpg.scaled500 RIP Gil Scott Heron

There was a time in my life when I only wanted to listen to political music. It was then that someone passed along to me a cassette of Gil Scott-Heron. This was around 1999; tape players were already hard to come by. But I managed to wear out that tape in several months.

He was more than a musician, he was a poet that happened to be a multi-instrumentalist. He was a radical agitator with piano and bongo to sweeten his message. He was a visionary, but then again, in some ways he wasn’t: It wasn’t his intention to foster the forthcoming genre of rap. He created poetry set to music, in the tradition of Bob Dylan. He created poetry infused with Jazz in the tradition of Amiri Baraka. His style was never pretensious but always bold. I couldn’t believe that this amazing and diverse poet was undiscovered by most of the people in my social circle. I tried to impose it on everyone with the fervor of a newfound love.

Well, time passes and new loves come to you.  I just found out that Gil died this week. I don’t know what to tell you except that I hope you can take some time out of your day to listen to some of his work.

I know he recently released an album but I want to share with you some of the songs that inspired me when I was a teenager. I’ve also included one of the recent songs that Kanye West sampled him on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mp3 RIP Gil Scott Heron
Gil_Scott_Heron_-_Whitey_on_the_Moon.mp3 Listen on Posterous

mp3 RIP Gil Scott Heron
Gil_Scott_Heron_-_Whitey_on_the_Moon.mp3 Listen on Posterous

mp3 RIP Gil Scott Heron
Kanye_West_-_lost_in_the_woods.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Posted via email from Like Dancing About Architecture