Working in the heat
DC's a bit of a ghost-town right now, I know that lots of people are on vacation, but beyond that there's a significant majority that's choosing to be outside as little as possible. It is pretty damn...
View ArticleRomney knows what's best for black people
Granted, picking apart Romney's speech to the NAACP is like shooting fish in a barrel, especially since he clearly was playing the audience in order to boost his bonafides with his audience, at least...
View ArticleRomney 2012 is over. We're fighting for the future.
This is not to say that we can slack and coast through the presidential election, particularly given all the voter disenfranchisement initiatives coming from the right - this is going to be a...
View Article"Go ahead, make my day"...very very strange
Clint Eastwood's speech was pretty amazing, not so much for what he said, but for how enthusiastically he was cheered for it. His speech combined a sad, offensive half of a ventriloquist act with...
View ArticleA preview of Obama's Convention Speech
There's lots of speculation about what will be the core narrative for the Obama campaign, in the buildup to his convention speech. Today, the "Are you better off today...?" meme is running pretty hard...
View ArticleIf Romney was worth voting for...
-Romney would be fighting for freedom of speech for Pussy Riot in Russia. He'd be standing up for brave people and groups who risked their safety and future to stand up for what they believed in -...
View ArticleObama didn't lose, and this isn't over
Granted, Romney came across a lot stronger than I'd expected, and Obama's body language needs some work. He acted like he was off-camera when Romney was speaking, and he didn't make much eye contact...
View ArticleClimbing Jamaica's Blue Mountain as a child
What I remember first is driving through a rocky, flooded river in an open jeep. I remember a long period of waiting through a long discussion before we started across, and then a profoundly...
View ArticleSupporting the NRA through opposition
I haven't engaged much in the Sandy Hook discussion. Naturally, I find this attack very upsetting. On a personal level, I work with a number of schools, and don't always go through the front door. If...
View ArticleIt's easier to make enemies than allies
I have, as likely many among us, always been committed to the cause of justice. I have stood up for others, I have spoken up when others didn't, I have chosen a life path that is for me more morally...
View ArticleThe Maroons - Jamaica's Freedom Fighters
Imagine an alternative history for America, where slaves brought from Africa escaped the plantations, built strongholds and villages in the mountains, sowed terror among slaveholders through periodic...
View ArticleBeing with deer in Nature
Thinking Fella's excellent diary about getting close to a deer, and the discussion in the comments, got me thinking about my experiences with deer. I live in the DC area, where deer have thrived...
View ArticleRenting Energy Inefficiency
I just moved, in many ways to a better place. The move was a surprise to me, but I found a good new place, thanks to my social network. Now I'm in a place that's less treed, and farther out from the...
View ArticleAn Albertan's view of Keystone and the Tar Sands
Well, not exactly an Albertan's - I've been living in the States for so long that when I go back, my accent, my driving style, my attitude all give me away as a "Yank". As in Yankee. But that's where...
View ArticleWhy Oppose Keystone XL? To those who think it's pointless
this started as a comment, but got so long I decided to make it a diary.The starting point for me is basically, you have to start somewhere. I've been involved in several long-term campaigns against...
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Best Protest Poster Ever! Pics and thoughts on today's Keystone rally in DC
(For those looking for the best protest poster ever, it's down at the bottom of this diary...). The weather was cold today, but the mood was very warm - there was a big crowd of all ages - families...
View ArticleThoughts on leaving anonymity on DK?
I've been on DK for awhile now, and am thinking about "going public". I've enjoyed participating in the DK community anonymously, and have kept diaries of real world experiences vague enough to make it...
View ArticleWhat was your last most beautiful moment?
It's been awhile since I've done one of these, so here's the background - what was the last most beautiful moment that you experienced? It's easy to get caught up in the grind and slog of all the...
View ArticleWhy Chechnya matters
You may have clicked on this diary expecting a detailed, insightful discussion of Chechnya's history, culture and politics, and how the relatively recent First and Second Chechen wars, connected with...
View ArticleMartinique - A moment in time
It must be wonderful to walk down the same street every day, and greet people as you go, to have the same conversations year after year, slight variations on a familiar timetable, a regular path worn...
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