Throwing Spaghetti Against the Wall

The value of work

2011-09-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Recently, I defriended someone because after tolerating years of their right wing rants, they went over the edge and started harassing people who didn't agree with them. In the same week, I limited access to my wall to someone else who was bashing immigrants, and was proud of it. This week I was appalled when someone thought it okay to criticize day care workers who might want to organize. They were surprised when I disagreed with them. Let me be clear about a few things, so I don't have to continually argue the same points over and over again on my wall.

I believe that our faltering economy was caused by corporate greed and is now being balanced on the backs of workers. The GOP is driving the car over the cliff and the Democrats are too afraid of their shadows to truly challenge them. The American public is inexplicably unable to discern the truth.

Our nation depends on the low wages of undocumented workers. Anyone who eats fruit; eats at a restaurant; lives in a new home; hires a gardener; etc., etc. has probably reaped the benefits of an undocumented worker.

Most of us descend from immigrants, yet this nation has persecuted immigrants almost as long as there have been immigrants. If you don't believe this, ask the Welsh, Irish, Germans, Italians, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, etc. This doesn't include forced immigrants from Africa. Demonizing immigrants isn't the answer, to any of our nation's problems.

Anyone who doesn't believe in organized labor, or the value of unions, hasn't been paying attention to the assault on workers orchestrated by the corporate class. Worker protection laws exist only as long as people care. If you look at what happened in Wisconsin earlier this year you'll see that the GOP stripped workers if their rights as soon as they thought no one was looking. Today is different. People have forgotten the struggles that won the protections for the workers. I invite you to sit with me for day here at the Department of Labor and answer some of the heartbreaking calls we get from people who people who need help. Many of them could use a Union.

Someone has to pick up the garbage, pick the fruit, take care of small children, etc. Not everyone can be a surgeon or an investment banker - but everyone deserves a chance to make a living with dignity and the ability to have a better life.

I’m fed up with the b.s. of people arguing on my FB wall. So, today I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Please, find a way to disagree with this: Proverbs 14:23 “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” If you do disagree, how would you work to make things better?

My 9/11 Story

2011-09-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago at this time, I was driving west on the Schuylkill Expressway and was near the Conshohocken Curve when news of the first airplane crashing into the World Trade Center was reported on WHYY. Like most people, I wondered what was going on. Could it have been an accident like the plane that hit the Empire State Building in the 40’s? That thought was quickly dispelled when I heard about the second plane striking.

I pulled over to call my office and was told that they were being told to evacuate the federal building I worked in. I called home to check on my wife and my two week old son. After talking with my wife, I decided to continue driving to Scranton to meet with the company officials for my onsite inspection. They were going to be there working so I thought I should be there too. I made my inspection and went to find some road crews working in the Pocono Mountains that had been told I would be there to interview them. We all talked about what was happening, but the events in New York and Washington seemed very far away. I drove home from the mountains having made my appointed rounds listening to the news all the way, but I was stunned by what I saw on the television.

To this day, I regret not going home and being with my wife and son. I felt I had a commitment to be were I said I would, and nothing seemed to be happening in Pennsylvania.What I saw that day was people working, and trying to get their jobs done. I went out the next day to finish the inspection and I saw those same people, but the look in their eyes was the different: some how the world had changed.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost their lives that day, and to the first responders. I pray for the families that lost loved ones. I pray for all of us that the world is a better place. I hope that some good comes from this tragedy that we all shared.

Public & Private in the Blogosphere

2007-07-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Someone's research project

Public & Private in the Blogosphere

you can contribute here:

Bloggers, stand up and be counted! Take the “Public and Private in the Blogosphere” Survey!

Wal-Mart and its treatment of Pennsylvania workers on trial in Philadelphia.

2006-09-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today, in a completely random situation, I heard that there is a class action suit against Wal-Mart going on here in Pennsylvania claiming that the company failed to pay hourly wages for all time worked. The case, Michelle Braun & Delores Hummel v. Wal-Mart Stores, went to trial at the beginning of the month in the Court of Common Pleas. There appears to be more than 70 similar lawsuits filed nation-wide in both federal and state courts.

In California, employees won, a $172 million verdict last December, and in New Jersey the employees lost and the case is on appeal. The Bloomberg news service reports that the next trial is in Massachusetts in October.

There has been no local press about this! According to a Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. boosted profit at the expense of employees by pressuring store managers to cut payroll costs, a lawyer for two former workers said at the start of a trial in Philadelphia.

Hourly workers at Wal-Mart’s Pennsylvania stores were forced to skip more than 33 million breaks and 2 million meal periods between 1998 and 2001 because of the focus on cost cuts, attorney Michael Donovan said Friday in state court. His clients are suing Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, on behalf of about 186,000 current and former employees in Pennsylvania.

The missed breaks and meals, mandated by Pennsylvania labor laws, added up to about 9 million hours of employee time, he said.

Michelle Braun and Dolores Hummel are seeking $ 300 million in damages in the lawsuit, one of more than 70 filed in federal and state courts that claim Wal-Mart failed to pay hourly wages for all time worked.

Why aren’t we hearing about this in Philadelphia?

Blog Day 2006

2006-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Blog Day 2006 also check out http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2006

Here are my five:

Lawmummy- tales of modern motherhood

http://www.lawmummy.com

Jeffster83- snarky, yet hopeful

http://tabulas.com/~jeffster83

Jim Weyrauch - tales from the labor front

http://ncfll644.blogspot.com

Scoats - Publican * Writer * Artist

http://scoats.com

Mari Margil - Blue Oregon

http://www.blueoregon.com/mari_margil

Honorable Mention

Blinq - The 'official' blogger of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

http://blogs.philly.com/blinq

Vote for me!

2006-08-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

My Candidate Statement

So, today I took a leap and submitted my name for the board of directors of the WikiMedia Foundation. Yikes! Sounds like a challenge, but one I'm up to.

This is a summary of the candidate statement I submitted ...

I am continually amazed by the things I see at wikipedia and its sister projects. My first experience with computers was programming simple games using punch tape, and the on an Apple_II_Plus. I got my first email account in 1986 and started poking around on newsgroups, MUDs and the Internet shortly after. I see the wikis as a great example of the possibilities of the Internet to disseminate knowledge and to build civil society.

As a board member, the issues I would focus on issues in three broad areas:

1. Building community

Peer review is what makes wikipedia great. Petty infighting is aggravating and drives people away. I would work on ways to prevent conflicts
Admins and sysops are a great group of people. We need to promote their work by improving the ways they are selected
Promote communities of individuals with interest and expertise in specific topics. This in turn will improve article quality.

2. Promoting articles that expand knowledge, are accurate and fair

Promoting interlanguage coordination Â reducing the difference between articles in different languages and strengthening the projects with a smaller number of articles by making translations easier.
Building partnerships with verified resources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) to improve the accuracy of articles and improving the reliability the information
Promoting groups of technical experts in key areas (like copyright issues). Improving the brain trust involved in key issues will help with reducing conflicts between contributors.

3. Building a strong financial base for the foundation

Increase the financial stability by expanding the donor base of the foundation. This includes promotion of an endowment.
Work to recruit volunteers and donors to the foundation and acknowledgement of those donors.
Explore ways that we can use technology to improve how information is delivered.
Build our technical infrastructure

I have the experience in non-profit management and the technical knowledge to contribute to the wikimedia foundation.

Vote early, vote often and let your friends know!

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Forty-three

2006-07-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

As I predicted earlier in the month, this has not been a good several weeks for bicycling. Day before yesterday I ended up taking a cab six blocks because of the incredible heat. Jeff was mocking me yesterday because I haven't been posting to the blog, but that is a direct reflection of my ability to ride! I refuse to ride to work in a suit. It just ain't gonna happen! Next week, the weather looks cooler, so I think I will ride.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Thirty-nine

2006-07-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I wish I were a better teacher. Today, we took the training wheels off my son's bike because we wasn't learning to ride as much as he was learning to lean. I want to teach him that it's okay to take a risk, and that he needs to keep peddling if he wants to stay up. As I am sitting here, I am googling, "How to teach to ride a bike."

It is frustrating because he keeps giving up before he even starts, and I don't teach well when I frustrated. My wife interceded and began to work with him. She gave up after ten minutes because she realized after running back and forth for ten minutes that she was just a replacement for the training wheels .

I am going to have to sit down with him before we try this again because I want to reassure him. Yes, he's going to fall, and yes he's going to get bumped and bruised, but the sooner he gets over his fear and actually pedals, the sooner he'll be a real bicyclist. He ands I will be able to ride together.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Twenty-nine

2006-07-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the opening night for Neighborhood Bike Works 4th Annual Art Show. We want to go!

It runs until July 21 at the NEXUS/foundation for today's art, 137 north second street · Philadelphia, PA 19134. 215 629 1103

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Twenty-four

2006-07-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Uurrg. Well, I have lost five pounds since this blog started, but the flat and the rain have slowed me down. This month looks busy too, and I don't know if riding is going to fit into my work schedule.

Today is my daughter's birthday. I was going to give her a bicycle helmet, because she doesn't have one. That however seems like a lousy gift. She rides to school each morning (or many mornings) in Tejas, so before she returns she'll be getting one.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Twenty

2006-06-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Saw Billy on the elevator this morning. We both agreed that the recent deluge was a good reason not to ride.

I've been feeling guilty because I feel like I should be taking the bike, even in the rain. I mean, rain isn't as bad as snow, right? On the trolley home today, I saw the Dave the Triathlete taking the trolley, and I didn't feel so bad.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Sixteen

2006-06-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

This week my work schedule has kept me from bicycling. I did however make it to work today on my two wheels. On the way home, I got a flat as I was approaching the South Street Bridge. I ended up walking the last mile and a half. Time to buy a pump.

Total Estimated Mileage: 5.5 miles on bike, 1.5 on foot

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Ten

2006-06-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

One thing I like about having a bike is ability to run quick errands. This week I was able to make a quick trip on my bike to Old City to pick up my anniversary gift to my wife, get some coffee at Old City Coffee and then run by Neon Video to get a movie.

The gift was a commissioned picture by Ted Slampyak. The image is copyrighted, so don't go stealing it! It is supposed to reflect our time here in Philly. Anyone recognize the statue? Coffee is our lifeblood, and the Free Library Philadelphia has not been able to help us with the second disk of season five of our favorite cable show. I was able to do this all in a fraction of the time that it would have on foot.

Total Estimated Mileage: 10 miles

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Nine

2006-06-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

I think I'm supposed to be posting some thought over at
http://forums.bicycling.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/674104717

I don't see a lot of activity. Maybe I'll post something referring people here. This comic encapsulates my wife's thinking about my online journal.

I met the third bicyclist in the building, Jefferson, who works for NARA. He clued me in that the is a shower in the building, in Room B30. With the summer heat coming up, both Billy and I were pleased with this.

Total Estimated Mileage: 7 miles

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Eight

2006-06-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to set milestones in my mind. I can tell you that it's fifteen minutes to the Schuylkill River at the South Street Bridge travelling either way.

It was a pretty good ride today. I'm going to have to weigh myself to see if I've lost weight this week. That would be nice. Someone said that this was a good time of year to ride. As we approach the solstice, I won't need a light - yet.

My daughter was feeling housebound, so I asked her to walk the bike around the corner to a neighbor and get the back tire filled. She was disapointed when I told here she couldn't ride it ... a tire pump is on the shopping list.

Total Estimated Mileage: 7 miles

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Seven

2006-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

No bike today. I can't get everywhere I need to go on my bike. I was stopped by my landlord yesterday on the way to work. He rides to work in Center City all the time. He gave a me a list of equipment that I should get if I wanted to survive in the city. How come this free bike is costing me so much? ;-)

I had lunch with a Cedar Park neighbor and fellow Center City building tenant, Bill. He and I were trading bicycle war stories. I wasn't actually comforted by his belief that one should prepare for their first accident, because it was bound to happen.

The last time I owned a bike that I rode regularly was in the late eighties, so it's been more than sixteen years. I used to ride with my friend Katrine, or one of several assorted friends. My friend Jeff and I rode down to the beach a couple of times from Irvine just for the fun of it. Well, actually Jeff was training to ride across China in 1986.

One reason I stopped riding was because I got taken out by a Winnebago on PCH while riding through Laguna Beach. I think we were heading to the Sawdust Festival. I got knocked by the passenger side mirror of the Winnebago. I ended up landing on the trunk of a sedan, and my bike was never the same.

The thought that I'm going to get hit again isn't comforting. I told this to Leland and he doesn't agree that someone should expect to get into an accident. Billy also rides from my neighborhood, so it’s interesting to hear his perspective – we also agree that having near death experiences while exercising causes one to react differently than if they were in a zen state. I’m definitely going to try and keep the testosterone down and the eyes open.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Six

2006-06-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

This morning, I saw the article about Ben Roethlisberger’s helmetless crash. It makes you think – what a fool.

blinq had a bunch of great quotes. One of them was by PB’ers Chiefsalsa. Normally, Harry is FOS, but I had to agree with him on this one!

You have a gift. You can make a fantastic living and gain financial security for your grandchildren by playing a game. You are adored by millions. You can use your celebrity for great things. Drive a BMW and do not speed up on yellow lights.

What resonates about this whole thing for me is the number of BMoD's (Bike Messengers of Death) I see without helmets. I can't believe that anyone would ride a bike in the city and not where one. Now, don't get me wrong, I never wore one as a kid, but we weren't expected to.

That darn tire seems to keep losing air. I've had the bike less than a week I guess I’m going to have to fix a flat. Today it was down Baltimore to 42nd, turned north to Spruce, down Spruce to 22nd, turned north to pine and down Pine. I like this route, though with all the trolley tacks at 42nd and Baltimore I think I will avoid turning there again. That’s an accident waiting to happen.

Total Estimated Mileage: 7 miles

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Five

2006-06-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day riding to work. I just realized that I’ll need to add a bicycle pump onto my list of purchases. The back tire was riding a little low, I suspect that the house monkeys may have had something to do with it. The only gas station on my route is at 45th & Baltimore. Unfortunately I didn’t have any quarters, so I headed off to work and hoped for the best.

One of challenges I have been facing is trying to find the best route – and everyone has an opinion. For the morning commute I rode up 45th Street, hung a left on Chestnut and rode until I reached 9th Street. I don’t think this route is going to work for me. Not only was the traffic heavy, but I didn’t catch a single green light and had to stop at every other block.

Going down Chestnut also places me right in the carpool lane, supposedly sharing it only with the buses, hah. I got honked at several times. I noticed that the taxi drivers steered clear of me, and that the people who whizzed by the fastest were the divers from Joizy. I’m trying to enjoy the view as I cycle, but am concerned that while sight seeing I’m going to be taken out by one of the drivers. I did see my friends Carmen and Jon walking to work this morning (I think they have a mile-long stroll.

Outside my building, someone from the bike shop that built my bike called out, “Hey Biketown!” He then told me that my back tire was flat. :- When I got to my office, I was told by the guards that I had to take the bike down to the rack in the basement. There is a building policy that forbids us bringing the bikes up to our office, but since the only elevator to the basement was out of order, I had to ride around to the side of the building and be escorted by the building manager down the service elevator.

It took me thirty minutes to ride to work d2d, and ten minutes to secure the bike in the building. The heat wasn’t too bad today; I wonder what the ride will be like during the heat of the summer.

On the way back home I rode up Spruce Street, over the South Street Bridge. When I got to 38th, I cut south and went west on Chester. I avoided the killer hill at 43rd. Maybe because I wasn’t overloaded, but there were no stops today to catch my breath (I forgot to mention that last Thursday I was praying for stop lights on the last third of my trip).

This morning, I place my bike outside our door while my wife was in the shower. She didn't realize I was biking to work - and is still afraid that I’m going to get myself killed on the Streets of Philadelphia. She looked genuinely relieved to see me get home in one piece.
Total Estimated Mileage: 7 miles

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Four

2006-06-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

My bicycle is great, however small children seem not to be entirely cooperative in my effort to ride. This was a busy weekend, and I spent a lot of time with the boys and their bikes – that takes a lot of effort!

There was a flea market at Clark Park, where I saw a child carrier available for $50. It would have been great, but my recently installed baskets were placed right where the clamp for the carrier would go.

I did take some time to look over the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual. It makes some interesting reading. I don’t feel quite as chafed.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day Two

2006-06-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

After my near misses yesterday, I am checking out the Urban Cycling Course at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

My Bicycle Diaries - Day One

2006-06-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

Got the bike!

**Today's Scoreboard**
Bad Weather	ü
Equipment Issue	ü
Good Fun	ü
Lifestyle Change	ü
Near Misses	ü
Weakness of the Flesh	ü
Money Spent	$75
Total estimated mileage	4.5 miles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19892061@N00/163615668

Today was the day to pick up my new bike. Pretty darn exciting. Fortunately, I was able to go over to City Hall during my lunchtime to attend the ceremonies. I contacted Neighborhood Bike Works earlier in the week. I told them that I would wear their shirt and make sure it got as much exposure as I could give it. As you can see from the picture above, I look like a moving billboard. My new bike is an orange and white Fuji Charleston, three speed.

The ceremony itself was pretty simple and straightforward. They had some speakers, then let us line up to get our helmets, bags of goodies, locks and bikes. Lipton is a major sponsor, so they were giving out free samples, and Subaru was there as well. Subaru was also promoting the City to Shore MS fundraiser. If I can build my stamina up to 75 miles, I might want to take them up on the offer to ride with them. There was a lot of local press, I wonder if I got on anywhere? I don't think I'll be using the spandex shirt they gave me.

Anyway, there is no real place to park the bike at my office, I've heard that some people store them in the basement, and that no one uses the outside racks. We'll just have to see what happens when I start bringing the bike on a regular basis. After work,, I went over to the bike shop that built the bikes for the event. I realized that if I didn't want to kill myself I would have to get a rack and some sidebags. The bike shop was pleased to see me, and they could tell who built the bike by the way the been had been placed - so much for everyone getting the same bike!

As I was riding up Walnut Street a young woman passed me by on a
Raleigh ten-speed. The same model and color of my father's bike from 35 years ago. Hers was in mint condition, and she said that someone had just given it to her. Looking at it, I realized that all things I hated about it as a kid (fenders, handlebars, etc) are what I was looking for as an adult in a bike. I guess my dad had some good insight!

My wife is worried about me being an urban cyclist, and doesn't want to become a widow - with good reason. Getting my newly purchased equipment home was a challenge. Kind of ironic - but I thought about taking a cab home just so I wouldn't kill myself on the way home. I also was introduced to that very special brand of person - the Philly Driver. I had one person yell at me because he was stuck behind me on a street with slow moving traffic. He zoomed past me at one point, and then we kept seeing each other for the next five blocks. Around Rittenhouse Square, I had some jerkwad in a beat up old Pontiac cut me off as he made a right-hand turn from the second lane, all the while laughing about what he was doing with his wife and kids. One of the kids gave me the bird as they passed. Philly, the city that loves you back.

My new bike is a three speed, and this became an issue as I crossed the South Street bridge. Well, maybe it's my lack of conditioning. Never let anyone tell you Philadelphia is flat. I made it home in one piece. There is some disagreement in my family about the color, is it orange, is it bronze ... I might have to call Fuji. I spent the better part of the evening installing the new equipment, and now it looks like a much tougher bike. My kids are really curious about it, and have knocked it over a couple of times. I need to find a better place to store it. I'll think about that tomorrow.

When I was younger, I used to have a 50 mile butt. I have to fine tune the seat, because after four miles my body to seat interface is feeling rather chafed. I was going to ride the bike in to work tomorrow, but there are afternoon storms predicted. I'm taking the trolley!

My Bicycle Diaries

2006-06-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

My Bicycle Diaries

So, tomorrow I go to pick up my new bicycle. I'm pretty excited by the opportunity. When I left California in 1993, I left behind my car and my bicycle. I always meant to get a new bike, but somehow my transient lifestyle, proximity to mass transit and frequent moves never led me in that direction. I have never missed not owning a car, but have always missed my bicycle.

My eldest son just got his first bicycle, something I may have to write about another time. I almost picked up a brand new bike at a garage sale, something I may have to write about another time. It seems that bikes keep crossing my path.

My neighbor Leland is a big bicycle advocate. Actually, he's more than an advocate, he's more of a evangelist. Leland is the president of the non-profit Neighborhood Bike Works. He and I have several conversations over the last five years about why I should get a bicycle, and while I agreed with him, there was just too many other things that commanded my money.

Recently, he clued me into a promotion being held by Bicycling Magazine. The promotion is called Biketown, and I had to write a fifty word essay about how a bike would change my life. I got word last week that I had been selected to receive a new Fuji Charleston.

One of the requirements is that I track my usage of the bike, so for the next couple of months I will log some of my thoughts here. I think I will also have to make a contribution to NBW to keep the good karma flowing.

Blog Day 2006

2006-06-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do it ...

Blog Day 2006

... because link whoring by yourself looks tacky.

Cornelia Valentine Murphy, A life too brief

2006-05-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

Cornelia Valentine Murphy

A life too brief

June 29, 1965 - May 13, 2006

Today, I got word that someone I knew had passed away at age 40, Cornelia Murphy. I briefly knew Cornelia (Corn or Corny to her friends) from 1994 to 1998 when we both lived in Washington D.C. Living and working in DC is transitional, and so I never knew Cornelia that well, (she was the friend of a friend), but I always thought she was a warm and funny person. She was also very loyal to her friends.

The last time I saw her was on the 32 bus headed south on Wisconsin Ave NE. I got on across from the National Cathedral with my daughter. We were headed to the Jelleff Branch of the Boys and Girls Club. The ride wasn't that long, but I remember her laughing with me about sometimes having to rush just to get to work on time using the bus. She also took an interest in my daughter, asking her about what she was doing and how she liked Washington.

That was eight years ago, and while I never thought I would see her again on a regular basis, hearing today that she died was like a thunderclap. Cornelia's illness took her quickly, she succumbed to an aggressive and rare form of ovarian cancer. I don't think we ever parted on bad terms. I wish I would have heard that she was sick before she passed because I would have wanted to say thanks to her for making my daughter feel special that day on the bus.

I took some time today to read her section at carepages.com, and it was heartbreaking. Cornelia dedicated herself to AFSCME, and she will be missed by those who knew her. Somewhere, in a box of stuff, I have a picture of her from that time that I will post if I get the opportunity.

Doing a simple Google search brings up a lot about her passing.

My condolences to her friends and family.

bga

P.S. Donations are being taken by Take A Swing At Cancer, a non-profit organization that passes 100 percent of all donations to the family. Murphy and her family had previously announced that should there be any leftover funds, they will be donated to the Scleroderma
Foundation; Murphy’s mother suffered from scleroderma.

Cornelia Murphy Fund
c/o
Take A Swing At Cancer
P.O. Box 5245
Framingham, MA 01701

Common Wisdom

2005-10-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Some Wisdom on Phillyblog

The less I drive the happier I am. - Mike "Scoats" Scotese

Blog Day 2005

2005-08-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Blog Day 2005 and in accordance with the rules, I’m posting links or recommendation to 5 new and interesting blogs, that I’ve either recently discovered or not shared in the past.

Two Important Links

http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2005

http://www.blogday.org

Okay ... here we go ...

Audra Kirsten
http://www.audrakirsten.com/blog

This was recommended to me by a friend because of the tag, "*heart* in San Francisco, *body* in Philadelphia."

Blinq
http://blogs.philly.com/blinq/

The 'official blogger of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Geeky Mom
http://geekymom.blogspot.com

Raising Children on Nothing but Brains and Gadgets

Librarygrrrl
http://www.librarygrrrl.net/index.php

One of my neighbors

and finally ...

The Red State
http://theredstate.typepad.com/

Living Liberal and Progressive in a Red State

an honorable mention...

Eschaton
http://atrios.blogspot.com

Philly's most famous blogger ...

Berger's Rules for White House Work

2005-08-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Though Sandy Berger has had a few bumps in the road since 2000, I keep this posted at my desk. It reminds me what public service, especially at the highest levels is supposed to be about.

I don’t know where it was originally written, and Google hasn’t helped. My copy is a third generation fax I got while serving at the WH. Any help would be appreciated.

Berger's Rules for White House Work

Sandy Berger, President Clinton’s new national security adviser, was about to address his staff last month, so he grabbed an envelope and scribbled down “Berger’s Rules” for serving in the White House. This week he shared them with a reporter.

Never forget where you work – the White House – and for whom – the President. If you lose your sense of awe about that, it’s time to think about moving on.
Don’t let it fester. Get it off your chest, and then move on.
Think big and write short
Wear your beeper.
Take responsibility. Give credit.
Be honest – with yourself, with your colleagues and with me – although you don’t have to be brutal about it.
Set your goals high and then go home at night and think about three things you’ve accomplished, not the seven you didn’t.
If you don’t want to read about it in the Washington Post, don’t do it because you probably will.
This can be a tough place to work; watch out for one another.
Be proud of what you’re doing for our country.

A Work in Progress

2005-07-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

"Illegal alien" is a racist term

Racism is prejudice or discrimination based on the belief that race is the primary factor determining human traits and abilities. Racism includes the belief that genetic or inherited differences produce the inherent superiority or inferiority of one race over another. In the name of protecting their race from "contamination," some racists justify the domination and destruction of races they consider to be either superior or inferior. Institutional racism is racial prejudice supported by institutional power and authority used to the advantage of one race over others.

http://www.adl.org/children_holocau...e_resources.asp

I wanted to start with the above definition of racism because while not wholly applicable it serves as a touchstone for my argument. The term ‘illegal immigrant’ is at best an insensitive term, and worst it is racist. Where it falls on the scale depends on the user and the context. A lot of what I write here is taken from what I know and what I feel. I am not going to claim this as my original thought, nor is it an academic piece. If it was, I would have to take some time and look for references to substantiate it (which I can do).

Why racism?
The United States was founded primarily by subjects of the English Crown. Others who immigrated to the 13 colonies prior to the founding of the country tended to be Northern European. In any case the emigrants were Caucasian. The notable exception to this is the black population of slaves, and the Native Americans.

The United States, as a nation of immigrants has had a horrible history of accommodating each new wave of immigration – the Germans, Irish, Italians, etc. The worst treatment happened to the Chinese and the Mexicans primarily because these people looked different – they were of different races. Chinese people are clearly Asian, and Mexican immigrants tend to be those with more Native American heritage. In either case these people are not Caucasian.

As commented on before many undocumented workers in the country today are not Latino. They may cross the Mexican or Canadian border without permission, overstay or violate their visa; however, academic studies, and some of the comments made previously, have shown that when people here the term ‘illegal immigrant’ or ‘illegal alien’ they think of Mexicans. Therefore, while the terms ‘illegal immigrant’ or ‘illegal alien’ are facially neutral terms, but in reality there is a disparate impact and a strong correlation to the race of the person being referenced.

To be straight with the difference between meanings of words and beliefs and connotations, the poor treatment of some immigrants has its roots in economics and racism. Acknowledging this increases the value of all legitimate claims of real racism. Some of this was addressed by President Clinton’s Initiative on Race. You can download the final report here http://clinton4.nara.gov/media/pdf/PIR.pdf

What is illegal?
Illegality is a legal construct. It exists solely because we as a nation have defined legality. This definition reflects the desires of the resident population to keep others out. While this may be a laudable or necessary goal, history has shown that the people who have born the brunt of exclusion have been people of races not Caucasian.

The etymology of the phrase "illegal alien" is problematic and has only negative connotations. "Illegal" is well, not legal, and "alien," is foreigner. Legality is particularly problematic because it is subject and has changed over the years. Using the Mexican example, in the western United States they went from being peoples of a sovereign nation, to foreign nationals, to territorial citizens, to U.S. citizens. Lines were drawn in the sand that did not reflect the reality of the peoples who lived there.

The Chinese laborers imported in the middle of the 19th century to build the railroads became targets of abuse and exclusion. During the Depression in California, many people who looked Mexican were rounded up and deported without due process simply based on the way they looked – because they were ‘illegals.’ Anyone who knows the history of the Bracero Program (1942 – 1963) knows that the definition of who was legal has changed when it benefited the United States. The end result is that the borders have gone from being a convenient divide to a militarized zone - and the workers are the ones who suffer in this war. While I have spoken about the Chinese and the Mexicans – it would be unfair not to mention the internment of the Japanese or the occupation of the Philippines in the 20th Century - both of these are related.

It’s the economy stupid
The United States is a nation built by immigrants. While the term "illegal alien" may be in common usage, it is inherently a pejorative term. It is meant to dehumanize those people, mainly economic immigrants, who don't have the documentation needed to work here legally. This population is already persecuted and underprivileged. A lot of citizens have the misconception that undocumented workers come to this country to steal jobs, or take advantage of social services provided for the legal residents. This is not true.

There is a clear disparity between these workers and their legal counterparts. Many of them pay taxes, but they live on the fringe of society. In fact the benefits that an undocumented immigrant can receive are limited (on the federal level I think its Medicaid and Food Stamps). They do not use many of the services offered to their legal counterparts for fear of being turned in. It is false that they hurt our nation economically.

Contrary to some of what has said immigrants do not destroy the free market … but they are victims of it. As an example, farmers in this country can’t compete with the farmers in other countries, so the U.S. has given them all sorts of protections. Rather than make them compete in the free market, it turns a blind eye so they can illegally import workers that would make them more competitive. Our nation has always needed cheap labor. At first there were indentured workers and slaves – then sharecroppers. Undocumented workers harvest fruits and vegetables, wash cars, work in restaurants, clean buildings, and take care of people's children. These are jobs that the majority of people who can work here legally don’t want to do for the wages offered. If rlc doesn’t agree with me then I’d like him to swear off vegetables for a while …

Undocumented workers aspire to live the "American Dream." It is the intentional marginalization of these immigrants that has bad consequences (lack of health care, job protections, victimization by criminals, etc). Our economy needs these workers, but we as a nation won’t recognize this need and grant them the status or the protections they needs.

In summary
In the name of protecting the country from illegal immigrants some people can justify the domination and destruction of other people they consider inferior. Institutional racism exists in this country because of racial prejudice supported by the government.

I agree with seand when he said, I am not sure that everyone who uses the term is necessarily waving "the banner of intolerance." Knowing that this will one day be googled by someone, what amazes me is the level of indifference, ignorance, xenophobia or outright hostility I’ve seen posted here. The lack of charity and compassion is amazing. Whatever you say about immigrants, I hope you think twice before you use the term illegal immigrant again.

Just my 2¢.

Credit Card Republican - Redux

2005-03-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

I find myself agreeing with the Inquirer's editorial board, alot. In this case, it's about the hypocrisy of the GOP. I wrote last year about Credit Card Republicans. I think Satullo's words resonate with the inner core of what I know to be true.

Center Square | Reckless GOP spending is the height of hypocrisy, cynicism
Posted on Sun, Feb. 27, 2005
By Chris Satullo

Issues on which the GOP are hypocrites:

Balanced Budget

Congressional Pork
*Smaller Government

Unfunded mandates

Term limits

Rules reform

Personal Privacy (free from Gov’t interference)

This makes a good read ...

Pledge for Those Who Want to Limit Legal Immigration

2005-02-23T00:26:00.000-08:00

Pledge for Those Who Want to Limit Legal Immigration

I [insert name here] believe:

that “illegal immigrants” are holding down wages for the least skilled of
our workforce
that the “illegal aliens” in this country are causing enormous harm; they
are like a plague of locusts or African killer bees.
that patronizing businesses that employ undocumented workers supports criminal behavior; and therefore is also a criminal act.

I pledge that I will:

not buy any produce (fruits and vegetables) unless they are certified to
have been harvested buy U.S. citizens or documented workers.
not have my car washed unless I know for a certainty that all the workers
are U.S. citizens or documented workers.
not patronize any business unless they certify that their maintenance
crews are U.S. citizens or documented workers.
not eat at any restaurant unless they certify that all their workers are
U.S. citizens or documented workers.
pay all applicable taxes for workers that provide services to my family
and children as required by law.

[Signed]

Rueben Martinez

2004-09-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

I am so delighted that someone I know just received a great honor. I
have to tell someone! Rueben Martinez was just named a MacArthur
Fellow. Rueben was my barber when I lived in California
and was a friend and mentor.

How serendipitous! Congratulations Rueben!

Rueben Martinez
Bookseller
Owner and Founder
Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery
Santa Ana, California
Age: 64

Rueben Martinez has elevated bookselling from a business to a campaign in support of underserved populations in California and throughout America. His Santa Ana bookstore, Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery, was originally a barbershop and is now among the largest commercial sellers of Spanish-language books in the country, serving as the cornerstone of cultural events and community activities that promote the benefits of reading to Hispanic-Americans and Spanish-speaking immigrants. A co-founder of the Latino Book Festival (which now tours nationally), Martinez motivates Spanish-speaking people to value literature, to read for themselves, and to read to their children. The record number of enthusiastic adults and children drawn to Libreria Martinez makes the store a destination for leading bilingual and Latino authors. Acclaimed by educators and librarians throughout the country, Martinez’ unique brand of entrepreneurship and advocacy is an important complement to institutional and program efforts to enrich and anchor the lives of a large and growing population in America.

Rueben Martinez has been a professional barber and entrepreneur for more than forty years. In 1993, he founded Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery, a small business operating out of his barbershop. By 1999, the bookstore had expanded and moved into its own location, and, in 2001, he launched a second venue dedicated to children’s literature. Martinez is a founding member of Santa Ana’s Reading City Committee. In 1997, he helped develop the multi-city Latino Book Festival.

From his website:

Librería Martínez Books
and Art Gallery
1110 N. Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 973-7900

The mission of Librería Martínez Books and Art Gallery is to promote Latino literature and art. At the heart of our mission is the commitment to inspire in schools and communities a greater appreciation for education, art and culture.

By showcasing top-notch regional, national and international Latino authors and artists, we are building a business which provides educational value to our society and fosters long-term relationships with customers and friends.

Here are two more links:

http://uk.fc.yahoo.com/040929/46/f3kra.html

http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2004/10/20041005_b_main.asp

Credit Card Republican

2004-08-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

About ten years ago, I tried to coin the term, "Credit Card Republican." It didn't catch on. Howard Dean was using Credit-card conservative, and I've heard the term Red Ink Republicans being used. I think we should all incorporate this in to our language. It's much better than the tax and spend conservative, err liberal.

While Democrats may have spent and taxed, the Republicans (like Reagan) are the ones who really blew the deficit up. Also, you have to compare the scale of the spending and deficits. Compare the policies of Clinton and GW Bush.

Clinton - Smaller gov't, balanced budgets and smaller deficits

Bush - Larger gov't, unbalanced budgets and larger deficits

But it's really about the hypcrisy, isn't it?

Day in the Life of Joe, Middle-Class Republican
by John Gray
Cincinnati, OH
July - 2004

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; his bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It's noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below- market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dad's; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification (those rural Republicans would still be sitting in the dark). He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show, and the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I'm a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have".

by John Gray Cincinnati, Ohio - jgray7@cinci.rr.com - Published July - 2004

A Quote I Like

2004-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

[Alan Cranston] understood power not as a reflection of status but as a tool with a purpose.
- Sen. Joseph Biden (December 31, 2000)

I was bored one day

2003-08-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I was just curious where I showed up on the web when I googled myself ... this was the list in August 2003.

clinton3.nara.gov/WH/New/HHM/appointees.html

clinton4.nara.gov/media/pdf/ppreport.pdf

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~evrik/ritchey.html

members.aol.com/bgandersen/civ_war

members.aol.com/bgandersen/ucisfb

members.aol.com/evrik

www.alumni.uci.edu/alumni_chapters/area_liaisons.html

www.bu.edu/alumni/classnotes/2001/04/1994-2000.html

www.geocities.com/crew_152/index2.html

www.geocities.com/phillyvball/roster.htm

www.geocities.com/sdf1779/richgilb.html

www.geocities.com/troop_152/index2.html

www.germansociety.org/Summer%202003.pdf

www.ksg.harvard.edu/california

www.ksg.harvard.edu/itbspp/webcasting

www.kuci.uci.edu/djpages.shtml

www.ncfll.org/dec2000.pdf

www.philadelphiacontroller.org/tax_test_quotes.pdf

http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/rowing

http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/california/Bylaws.html

The importance of volunteering

2003-07-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

I volunteer because I learned from the example of my family and neighbors. My parents both volunteered at church and at school. They helped when their friends needed help. They were both active in the political process.

My grandmother, born in 1910, and who raised three children in the Depression once told me, “You always try to help those in need, because you don’t know if next week you’re going to be the one in need.” When my father passed away, thirty years ago today my brothers and I were the recipients of the efforts many hours of volunteerism from our friends and family.

My neighbors participated in the Lions, and the Boy Scouts. My principal and pediatrician were both Rotarians. The community I was raised in exemplified the example put forth by de Tocqueville in “Democracy in America” they were all individuals who took responsibility for the health and integrity society.

People often speak of their rights as citizens, but not often about their responsibilities. Volunteering in the community is the responsibility of a citizen. I volunteer because I find it more satisfying to work to build my community than to complain about its problems. I volunteer because I enjoy making a difference. I volunteer because it helps me to learn and to grow.

I volunteer because I want to teach my children, by example, the values I was taught as a child.

Things I believe - an addition

1997-06-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Life is too short not to be engaged

I believe in the value of the individual, and the worth of every person

Forgiveness of others, humility and the strength to admit one's mistakes are critical for personal growth

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself

Things I believe

1993-04-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I believe in the dignity of all work.

I believe in the value of community.

I believe that the most important unit in our society is the family.

I believe in the value and power of friendship.

I believe that all people deserve healthcare.

I believe that every child is entitled to safe and healthy day care.

I believe in assistance for the elderly.

I believe that every one should work up to their abilities.

I believe that everyone should be taxed according to their ability to pay.

I believe that as we look to the future we should protect our heritage, honor those who came before us, and study the past.

I believe that you should live your faith everyday. Your life should be an example of your faith and your beliefs.

“Do your best” is the motto of the Cub Scouts. That changes when the boys become old enough to be Scouts. It changes to “Be Prepared.” One doesn’t have to win at everything, but what is important is that you try. You have to try.

I believe in family rituals and the rituals of life. Children learn and remember what they see done by example. As adults it’s what we remember about our childhood.

Teaching children that there are rules of society that should be obeyed is important. Respect for elders being one of the most important. It’s only by learning the rules, structures and rituals of life that we can begin to think about what is new, innovative and outside the box.