December 2008
28 posts
ACLU of Arkansas sues over adoption restrictions... →
The group filed the lawsuit on behalf of 29 adults and children from more than a dozen families, including a grandmother who lives with her same-sex partner of nine years and is the only relative able and willing to adopt her grandchild, who is now in Arkansas state care.
Labor, business gird for battle over unions bill... →
The Employee Free Choice Act would make it easier to unionize. Obama says he’d sign the legislation, but the Senate may again reject it.
Broadband Stimulus Plan: How About Some Data... →
Given that the internet has grown into an indispensable tool for the economy, for people’s personal lives and for the nation’s political discourse, spending billions to keep it stable and expand its reach is simply common sense. But how do we make sure that the billions aren’t spent creating the 21st century equivalent of ditches to nowhere?
Shot Horse Gets New Life
From The Oregonian:
TUMALO — When Officer Fred Perl spotted the horse near Cache Mountain, southwest of Sisters, the swaybacked bay Arabian gelding looked battered, skinny and weak…
A solid bullet from a 9 mm handgun pierced the horse’s left eye and lodged in his head, says Schmotzer, the veterinarian. A second bullet was a hollow-point, designed to explode on impact....
WatchChristmas in Bear City.
Holiday Snowball Fight from PETA - Time to Play!
Play the game.
The World According to Cheney
From The New York Times editorial board:
Vice President Dick Cheney has a parting message for Americans: They should quit whining about all the things he and President Bush did to undermine the rule of law, erode the balance of powers between the White House and Congress, abuse prisoners and spy illegally on Americans. After all, he said, Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln did worse than...
The top ten media blunders of 2008 →
This Politico story reminded me of how many horrible media moments there were during the Presidential election.
A Real Auto Bailout: Escape Your Car →
Top notch personal finance advice from the Wall Street Journal: Whether you drive a hybrid or an SUV, your car is a cash-guzzler. Families trying to save real money should consider going without.
$17.4 Billion Of Our Money & This Guy Is Still...
Idiot chief of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, still has his job after driving GM off a cliff over the last decade and coming to you and me for a $17 billion handout.
President Bush, can I have $100K while you’re at it? I promise not to produce any new jobs and get my ass kicked by more innovative competitors.
Oregon State Professor Picked By Obama to Head...
From The Washington Post:
President-elect Barack Obama has tapped Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, one of the nation’s most prominent marine biologists, to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lubchenco, a conservationist who has devoted much of her career to encouraging scientists to become more engaged in public policy debates, is also a vocal...
Portlanders Drive Half As Much As Average...
A new Brookings Institute report covered in The Oregonian indicates:
In Portland, the average motorist drove 4,403 miles in 2006, the latest figures available. That compares with more than 9,000 for the rest of the nation.
Yet another reason why I love this city. Read the story.
President Bush's Going Away Present To Oregon &...
Here’s what happens to the economy when a President spends more federal money per week on tax cuts for the rich and a war in Iraq than he spends on an entire year of federal funding for higher education, energy independence, green jobs, and investigators at the S.E.C. combined:
The Oregonian—Oregon faces the bleakest job outlook since at least the 1980s recession, with an 8.1...
What a stupid system. →
Electoral College voters cast real ballots Monday… In Salem, seven presidential electors are expected to cast their ballots for the former junior senator from Illinois, who is in line to make history as the nation’s first African American president. Then, the election is official.
Obama Team Set on Environment
From The New York Times:
President-elect Barack Obama has selected his top energy and environmental advisers, including a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, presidential transition officials said Wednesday. The officials said Mr. Obama would name Steven Chu, the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as his energy...
“I think he has to move on.”
– Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) on CBS’s Face The Nation indicating that Rick Wagoner should step down as chief executive of General Motors as part of any government-supported restructuring process.
Oh Facebook...
That is Jon Favreau, Obama’s director of speechwriting, groping a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton. Will Clinton offer a full pardon or is Favreau done?
WatchJack Black’s “Jesus” part in the middle is definitely the highlight for me.
The Whole Foods boycott starts now
From Leslie Carlson at BlueOregon:
I’m spitting mad about Whole Foods’ latest, thuggish attempt to mess with Portland food retailer New Seasons. You may have read the Oregonian story or New Seasons’ CEO Brian Rohter’s post about the subpoena asking for proprietary and confidential business information.
[Whole Foods] on the other hand, appears to be a pretty...
Apple: Our Ads Don't Lie, But You're a Fool if You...
From Wired:
Apple doesn’t want you to believe what it says, even though the company claims it’s not lying.
That’s the gist of the Cupertino company’s legal response to a lawsuit regarding allegedly misleading advertising for the iPhone 3G.
Read the full story.
Bill Sizemore jailed for contempt of court
Bill Sizemore, infamous Oregon initiative circulator, is in jail.