Democracy Is Fragile

Funny [weird, not funny ha ha] that this chapter takes place in Texas.

The Twentieth Century Is Still Waiting for the Ambien to Work

Fidel Castro is retiring. Of his own free will, more or less. His brother may [or may not] succeed him and may [or may not] implement modest economic and democratic reforms.

Activist Judge Installed by Bush-Cheney Junta Attempts to Engage in Prior Restraint of the Press to Protect Money Launderers in the Caymen Islands

The popular web site Wikileaks has been permanently ordered off the internet by an apparently insane and corrupt judge in California. The sole effect of the judge's order can be seen here. Fortunately, the internet itself as well as the Wikileaks site were designed specifically to thwart attempts at censorship, and the insane judge was only able to shut off one specific URL for what will most certainly end up being a very temporary amount of time. The entire Wikileaks site, including all US- and Caymen Island-specific content can still be read here, here, and here. Without defense attorneys for Wikileaks present and and apparently satisfied that twenty-four hours' notice via email was sufficient, the judge, who was installed by the Bush-Cheney junta [go figure], signed the unconstitutional injunction that had been written by plaintiff's attorneys from a "bank" with branches only in Switzerland and the Caymen Islands. Read all the sordid details from Wikileaks yourself.

Artists to the Rescue

Today the Inky has a very thoughtful front page piece about Philly's growing arts community. Someone has to pay the bills since all the factories closed, and all the new, glittering towers in Center City have materialized only after being granted ten-year property tax abatements (much to the chagrin of us schmucks living in "existing" homes). Now for the hard part, moving into and helping to rehabilitate some very poor and physically dangerous neighborhoods surrounding Center City that have been decimated by over a century of economic and cultural injustices. Makes sense (and restores one's faith in humanity) that cutting edge artists would step in before the government.

Roy Blunt Is Very, Very, Very Angry

If you believe what this craven coward has to say, not absolving telecommunications megacorporations from illegally assisting the Bush-Cheney junta in its illegal spying on the supposedly private domestic communications of American citizens who were not even suspected of doing anything illegal would be treasonous. Of course, this would only be the case if you think it's better to be simply alive in a fascist dictatorship than it is to be living as a free person in a free country with one set of laws that apply to everyone and that are not amended retroactively to give special rights to corporations that chose to break them simply because a corrupt ruling junta (of questionable legal legitimacy itself) demanded so during a time in which the very same set of laws were under extreme threat from those whom would have us do away with them in favor of an alternative, more religiously extreme set of laws.

Bush Appointee at HUD Attempts to Extort the City of Brotherly Love

The Inky's lead story today informs us that the Bush-Cheney junta's man who is temporarily in charge of HUD attempted to extort Philadelphia's Housing Authority to give up valuable land intended for new public housing. The junta's guy, Alphonso Jackson, thought the land could be better used by a wealthy financial supporter of the Bush-Cheney junta. Considering the fact that Bush and Cheney are both still free men after committing dozens and dozens of high crimes and misdemeanors that include starting an illegal war in which over 80,000 innocent people have lost their lives, it is not anticipated that Jackson will be subject to any sort of justice in the this life.

Virginia Lives Up to Its Reputation

Christian extremists in Virginia Beach (home of Pat Robertson) have set their sights on Abercrombie & Fitch.