Ron Paul Rloveution?

While back in my hometown for Thanksgiving, I noticed that the local tax preparer displays a Ron Paul 2008 sign in his window.

That is some commitment to ideals, considering that guy would likely be out of a job if Ron Paul had his way.

Don't tase me, bro

A 20-year-old Maryland man died yesterday after being tasered by police who were trying to break up a fight. (WP) A police department spokeswoman claims that "it is the first incident in the county in which the use of a Taser might have resulted in someone's death."

Really? Amnesty International counts more than 150 U.S. deaths since 2001 in which tasers were a contributing factor. The risks of tasers made the news in Canada just a few days ago, when a Polish immigrant who seemed to be distressed, but not dangerous, was killed by taser in the Vancouver airport. (National Post) In Canada, since 2003, 18 people have died after being tasered by law enforcement. (Chicago Tribune)

If you're going to encourage use of non-lethal weapons, you'd better be darn sure they really aren't lethal. Amnesty International's calling for more independent study of tasers' effects.

Food banks and the hunger problem

Here's an interesting column by a food bank founder, questioning the wisdom of food banks for addressing hunger and poverty long-term.

When Handouts Keep Coming, the Food Line Never Ends (WP)

I'd submit that even if you buy that handouts help perpetuate the poverty cycle, food banks can play an important role in organizing people around real solutions. The trick, as with environmental causes, is to use tangible, individual actions as a way to start moving people towards political action to address the root of the problem.

Philly Marathon report

It was a great day in Philly for our team. The conditions were pretty favorable; 40 degrees with intermittent showers and occasional (but strong) gusts of wind. And the course was relatively flat and fun, especially during miles 19-21, which pass through the quaint and very enthusiastic town of Manayunk, PA.

Ben ran a fantastic race, qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 3:07! This was especially impressive after an ankle injury that had put him down for nearly a week during the peak of training.

Sam also had a great day, running his second-best marathon ever. Lauren PR'd! (Also coming off of an injury during training. Way to go!)

I ran a solid 3:41:38, a PR, but also a heartbreaking, mere 39 seconds off of my Boston qualifying time.

Four people show at citywide hearing on Metro fare hike

Seriously. (WP)

Part of the reason, according to one rider, is that the hearing was held at "a conference center in Reston, that was not easily accessible by bus or rail. The rider said she could not even find it on MapQuest."

Brilliant.

Metro is proposing to increase parking fees by $1.15 a day, and fares by 30-80 cents per ride.

Your presidential match

This ABC News quiz will match you to presidential candidates based on your attitudes about the Iraq war, health care, and other issues.

My #1 match on the issues was Dennis Kucinich--our first vegan president!

Lesson for Ron Paul

The problem with historical resonance is historical baggage.

Presidential candidate Ron Paul has raised ungodly amounts of money through his website "ThisNovember5th.com." That's a heroic reference to Guy Fawkes' failed plot to blow up the British Parliament on November 5th, 1605, memorialized through a British holiday and referenced in V for Vendetta. Fortunately,

[A spokesman] clarified that Mr. Paul did not support blowing up government buildings. "He wants to demolish things like the Department of Education," Mr. Benton said, "but we can do that very peacefully, in a constructive manner."
(NYT)

Immunity from a corporate conscience

In an op-ed in today's NYT, former attorney general John Ashcroft argues that telecom companies that cooperated with the feds in illegal wiretapping of U.S. citizens should be immune from prosecution in a set of lawsuits filed against them. (The administration is currently trying to shake out a deal with the Senate Judiciary Committee to make this happen.)

The administration, and Ashcroft, argue that the companies should receive immunity

"in only two limited circumstances: if the carrier did not do what the plaintiffs claim; or if the carrier did do what the plaintiffs claim but based on explicit assurances from the highest levels of the government that the activities in question were authorized by the president and determined to be lawful."

Quoth Ashcroft,

"If the attorney general of the United States says that an intelligence-gathering operation has been determined to be lawful, a company should be able to rely on that determination."

Yeah, no shit. Except, we're talking about the Bush administration. Who can blame Qwest Communications for refusing to cooperate due to doubts about the legality of the administration request?

The frightening thing about this proposed immunity deal is the precedent it sets for a presidential administration to commandeer the power of American industries for shady purposes--with no checks from Congress, the Judiciary, or the common sense and legal acumen of those very industries until after the fact, if ever. If this type of immunity becomes common, companies would have little incentive to exercise their own legal due diligence when presented with a questionable request from the government.

That's especially frightening after Qwest's experience with biting the hand that feeds. The company allegedly lost a lucrative NSA contract after refusing to participate in the wiretapping program (Dow Jones Market Watch). Some economic disincentives for refusing + no legal incentives for refusing = no reason to refuse.

A different mechanism--the simple lack of any functional/functioning legal authority--allows Blackwater USA and other security firms to perform legally questionable actions in Iraq at the behest of the feds.

Funny how our free market America-defenders come out looking a little more fascist than democratic in the end.

Giant to start selling Metro SmarTrip cards

(WP) Wow. How convenient is that?

I am never shopping at Whole PaycheckFoods again. Except when I get that "grass-fed, free-range, Tibetan-virgin-massaged lamb stuffed with pine nuts and feta" craving, or need a new bag of organic 50-cents-apiece marshmallows. (Actual product, that second one)