"Undermining my electoral viability since 2001."

Tsunami Relief

Since I posted that Phelps thing, I feel I aught to troll for humanitarian relief as well. Today's the last day to chip in an get it to count towards your 2004 taxes, and small donations of $35 add up when a few hundred people give.

I chiped in my ducats to Oxfam, mainly because I met someone who worked for them at MFA's concert during the DNC, and she was pretty cool. Plus they pledge to use 90% of funds for aid (as opposed to some nonprofits that manage to spend a lot of their money raising more money).

There are a lot of places to give too, and I think they're pretty much all good. If you can, you might want to think about kicking down a few denero. Consumeristic as it may be, it's really the only way many of us have to participate in helping out our fellow humans in need.

Speaking of which, for those of you in NYC, my man Sam Tressler is organizing a relief party at the Allegator Lounge tomorrow night (the 1st) in Bilzburg from 8pm to 3am. It's off the corner of Lorimer and Metropolitan, and you get $1 off all your drinks (and of course free pizza). Suggested donation is $20, and will go to the International Red Cross. Stop in, drop the cashola on Sam, hang out with fellow go-gooders and nurse your hangover away. It's social capital and humanitarian goodness all rolled into one big headache-relieving evening. And did I mention free pizza?

Read More

Tags: 

Fred Phelps Stikes Again!

Phelps' take on SwedenThe legendary Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps is at it again, with a press release celebrating the Tsunami because, they alledge, it killed some 2,000 Sweeds. Who they assume were gay. And this is somehow a good thing. That guy is totally crazy.

And homo-fascist? To be honest, I find the sign amusing. Maybe someone turned Phelps on to Turbonegro and he took it a little too seriously...

Read More

Tags: 

Gone Phishin'

Hey, hepcats. This is a public service announcement. If you get a strangely formatted/worded and/or unexpected email from the likes of PayPal, be careful. I just got a bona-fide phishing email. Subject: Notification of PayPal Limited Account Access. It actually links through to a site based out of Taiwan.

Phishing is the natural confluence of Spam and Scam: 1000s of emails go out which are formatted to appear to be legitimate communications from a company which you may be getting some service from. They link through to painstaking mockups of what the legit site actually looks like, but their only purpose is to get you to devulge your logins, passwords, credit card info, etc.

If you want to get smart about this sort of thing, here's a good online quiz which will show you some things to look for.

Remember: watch the URLs. If you click a link and see you're being redirected to something phishy like a numerical IP address or a domain you don't recognize, don't give up your info and contact the legit customer support center to let them know what's up. If you experience this w/paypal, you can forward the scammy email to spoof (at) paypal.com

Read More

Tags: 

Oh There It Is...

Gettingit.com: Sometimes Winners Do Use Drugs

Political humor (now so much funnier from a distance) from a pre-blogger-era blog that shut down in 1999. Closes with a dig on then candidate Bush and what he'd do for anti-drug messaging:

I envision the candidate sitting his kids down and going into a folksy, Yale-y lecture:


"Even though I don't know the difference between Slovakia and Slovenia and think Greeks are called 'Grecians,' and even though I mock the people I execute in the great state of Texas, and even though I'm a genetically dumb frat boy who used to snort coke through $100 bills and drink till I puked, I want you to know that you little punks will do nothing to dim my chances of seizing national power. No Marilyn Manson, no marijuana, no Kennedy-compound antics, no heroin, no meth, no nothing. Just because I survived drugs doesn't mean you will."

Fine cheese... It's that much better with age.

UPDATE: And there's more! Look at this brilliant anthropological satire which carries great message and is still getting comments after four years. Really intriguing shit!

Read More

Tags: 

Reading Material?

So seriously, are there many good "fun" websites that I'm missing? I'm pretty burnt out on politics for entertainment, and I already know homestar. I don't really want to turn to the Tube (because lord knows TV is a big disappointment a lot of the time) but I really have an urge to adjust my information input/output balance for a little while. Any good media I'm missing? Any great writing? Any movies? Should I get netflix? Should I look for bittorrents of good TV and video content?

I haven't been much of a consumer, and I'm out of touch. Turn me on to the good shit!

Read More

Tags: 

Savages

Some bastards tried to steal my bike seat. They couldn't cut the cable-lock (meaning they must have had just a knife and not a serious pair of clippers) but they did manage to break the bold that holds the seat in place, and damage my rear break cable. Nice. Cost me $30 to fix everything, and the theves got zero return. Way to create entropy, guys.

I also read Alex Garland's The Beach which was apparently a crappy movie, but which was an entertaining read for a couple days. Its about a pirate utopia that goes wrong essentially because its constituants are unable to communicate; sort of a more grown-up Lord of the Flies.

Almost done with Polyani and The Great Transformation also. I started discussing it last night with Luke and Nick, but Nick hadn't read it so we didn't get too specific and we also drank a bunch of beer really quickly, followed (with Nick's exception) by getting Way Too High, which pretty much killed meaningful conversation. I communed with the the linoleum (supports my head, gives me something to believe) and we all fell asleep before midnight. It was Luke's 26th birthday. We're not kids anymore. But that's allright.

But it is interesting to think... I feel a little bit of pressure as the days and weeks tick on. I'll be 26 this summer. I still reflexively think of myself as 23 or 24. I suppose its because I really haven't re-evaluated myself since just after turning 24. Pretty much auto-pilot as far as internal affairs have been concerned. The questions of who I was, what I wanted to do, where I was going were all sublimated under bigger inquiries into other people, the country, the world. Again, not that there's anything wrong with that. It' s just that I feel a little navel-gazing coming on.

Back in January/February 2003 I wrote a document for myself trying to outline my purpose in life. Maybe it's time to revisit.

Read More

Tags: 

Steal This Message

Social Security: A Little History

What is Social Security?

Social Security is a government-guaranteed retirement program. It insures that when people grow old and can no longer work, they will be able to provide for themselves. It also provides assistance for children who's wage-earning parents die, and for people who have been productive members of society but who become disabled through disease or injury.

How Did It Get Started?

After the collapse of the stock market in 1929 triggered the Great Depression, a number of programs were started up to help with mass unemployment and hunger. Able-bodied people were put to work by the Public Works Administration. For people in need who were too old, too young, or physically incapable of working, Social Security was created.

Why Do People Get Benefits?

Originally it was believed that in such a great nation as the United States, no one should be left destitute. Results showed that having more citizens able to contribute to society, even if they could not work a wage-earning job, improved overall life from both a community and economic standpoint. Today it is one of the most popular government programs of all time.

Where Does The Money Come From?

All Social Security funding comes from "payroll taxes." Employee wages and salaries up to $76,000 a year are taxed at 6.2%. Additionally, employers contribute another 6.2% above the wages they pay, for a total of 12.4% of all wages going into the Social Security trust. Unlike income taxes, payroll taxes are taken directly from paychecks and are not refundable.

When Will The Money Run Out?

It won't. Based on long-term economic projections, the Social Security trust should be fine for 50 years or so. At that point, some experts project that the number of people retiring will demand more money than payroll taxes can provide. Depending on birthrates, immigration and wages, that may or may not be the case. A lot can change in 50 years.

What Happens If There Is A Problem?

Should an actual shortfall in benefits show up on the 20-year outlook, the quickest solution is to raise the cap on payroll taxes. Many Americans earn more than $76,000 a year in salaries and wages, but earnings above that amount are not considered when funding the Social Security trust. Other easy solutions include raising the retirement age a couple of years, and starting a "means testing" program designed to scale benefits down for people with other significant sources of retirement income.

What's This "Crisis" I've Been Hearing About

It's a made up problem designed to hustle public support for the privatization of social security. It's a deception. There's really no other way to put it, unless your idea of a "crisis" is something that might or might not be a problem that's not very hard to solve in any case, and is fifty years off in the future. Sounds like someone's trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Why Do People Want To Privatize Social Security?

There are two main reasons people are backing privatization:

1) Greed
Privatizing Social Security means allowing individuals to place some or all of their payroll taxes in the stock market or other investments. That would result in trillions of dollars flowing through Wall Street brokerages. Since they make their money by taking commissions on the money they broker, this is very good news for them.

2) Ideology
Many conservatives, especially the new-wave of conservatism associated with President Bush, do not trust the United States government to do anything. They want as much of life as possible privatized. This is because they believe that "market forces" are better at governing than representative government. They've already enacted legislation to begin privatizing our schools, prisons, national parks, even the military! Social security is just the next logical step.

Why Is Privatizing Social Security A Bad Idea?

Privatizing Social Security defeats the purpose of keeping it safe from the ups and downs of the market. It began almost 80 years ago as a way for Americans to protect themselves from the economic disaster triggered by a stock market crash. Now Wall Street and Conservative Ideologues want to tie it back to the stock market. Does that make any sense?

Social Security is good because it is what it says: secure. Which is more likely to be there for you in tough times: the US Government, or a winning stock portfolio? Which is a more secure place to put your trust?

Free enterprise is a brilliant thing, and it's a big part of what has made this country great. Many people get wealthy by investing in the market, by starting their own businesses, by being entrepreneurs. But free enterprise is also risky. If your nest egg is tied up in the market, and you find yourself old or disabled in a down market, you may find yourself without any nest egg.

The bottom line: Social Security should remain independent from the ups and downs of stock markets and corporate America.

What's So Good About Social Security?

There's only one way that we can actually ensure a decent retirement for every American, and that is to make our economy more efficient. Historically, this has happened through both market innovation and strong government investment in national infrastructure. For instance, government research led to the creation of the internet, an invention that has dramatically improved worker productivity.

We need to make sure that a high level of government and private investment continues to go into health care, research, basic science, energy independence, and education. By ensuring a more productive society with entrepreneurs who aren't scared to start companies for fear of their families losing health care, we will easily be able to tackle long-term problems like this one.

Read More

Tags: 

Steal This Message

Social Security: A Little History

What is Social Security?

Social Security is a government-guaranteed retirement program. It insures that when people grow old and can no longer work, they will be able to provide for themselves. It also provides assistance for children who's wage-earning parents die, and for people who have been productive members of society but who become disabled through disease or injury.

How Did It Get Started?

After the collapse of the stock market in 1929 triggered the Great Depression, a number of programs were started up to help with mass unemployment and hunger. Able-bodied people were put to work by the Public Works Administration. For people in need who were too old, too young, or physically incapable of working, Social Security was created.

Why Do People Get Benefits?

Originally it was believed that in such a great nation as the United States, no one should be left destitute. Results showed that having more citizens able to contribute to society, even if they could not work a wage-earning job, improved overall life from both a community and economic standpoint. Today it is one of the most popular government programs of all time.

Where Does The Money Come From?

All Social Security funding comes from "payroll taxes." Employee wages and salaries up to $76,000 a year are taxed at 6.2%. Additionally, employers contribute another 6.2% above the wages they pay, for a total of 12.4% of all wages going into the Social Security trust. Unlike income taxes, payroll taxes are taken directly from paychecks and are not refundable.

When Will The Money Run Out?

It won't. Based on long-term economic projections, the Social Security trust should be fine for 50 years or so. At that point, some experts project that the number of people retiring will demand more money than payroll taxes can provide. Depending on birthrates, immigration and wages, that may or may not be the case. A lot can change in 50 years.

What Happens If There Is A Problem?

Should an actual shortfall in benefits show up on the 20-year outlook, the quickest solution is to raise the cap on payroll taxes. Many Americans earn more than $76,000 a year in salaries and wages, but earnings above that amount are not considered when funding the Social Security trust. Other easy solutions include raising the retirement age a couple of years, and starting a "means testing" program designed to scale benefits down for people with other significant sources of retirement income.

What's This "Crisis" I've Been Hearing About

It's a made up problem designed to hustle public support for the privatization of social security. It's a deception. There's really no other way to put it, unless your idea of a "crisis" is something that might or might not be a problem that's not very hard to solve in any case, and is fifty years off in the future. Sounds like someone's trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Why Do People Want To Privatize Social Security?

There are two main reasons people are backing privatization:

1) Greed
Privatizing Social Security means allowing individuals to place some or all of their payroll taxes in the stock market or other investments. That would result in trillions of dollars flowing through Wall Street brokerages. Since they make their money by taking commissions on the money they broker, this is very good news for them.

2) Ideology
Many conservatives, especially the new-wave of conservatism associated with President Bush, do not trust the United States government to do anything. They want as much of life as possible privatized. This is because they believe that "market forces" are better at governing than representative government. They've already enacted legislation to begin privatizing our schools, prisons, national parks, even the military! Social security is just the next logical step.

Why Is Privatizing Social Security A Bad Idea?

Privatizing Social Security defeats the purpose of keeping it safe from the ups and downs of the market. It began almost 80 years ago as a way for Americans to protect themselves from the economic disaster triggered by a stock market crash. Now Wall Street and Conservative Ideologues want to tie it back to the stock market. Does that make any sense?

Social Security is good because it is what it says: secure. Which is more likely to be there for you in tough times: the US Government, or a winning stock portfolio? Which is a more secure place to put your trust?

Free enterprise is a brilliant thing, and it's a big part of what has made this country great. Many people get wealthy by investing in the market, by starting their own businesses, by being entrepreneurs. But free enterprise is also risky. If your nest egg is tied up in the market, and you find yourself old or disabled in a down market, you may find yourself without any nest egg.

The bottom line: Social Security should remain independent from the ups and downs of stock markets and corporate America.

What's So Good About Social Security?

There's only one way that we can actually ensure a decent retirement for every American, and that is to make our economy more efficient. Historically, this has happened through both market innovation and strong government investment in national infrastructure. For instance, government research led to the creation of the internet, an invention that has dramatically improved worker productivity.

We need to make sure that a high level of government and private investment continues to go into health care, research, basic science, energy independence, and education. By ensuring a more productive society with entrepreneurs who aren't scared to start companies for fear of their families losing health care, we will easily be able to tackle long-term problems like this one.

Read More

Tags: 

Hate crime? Hate Crime!

Jessie at Pandagon is sparking some interest in the rising tide of bias-motivated crime against homosexuals, citing Florida statistics. My tangent has to do with hate crime legislation, which I have mixed feelings about for philosophical reasons.

I understand the emotional rationale behind hate crimes legislation. I was in the midst of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts when Matthew Shepherd was brutally murdered in Laramie Wyoming, the first time in my memory that the notion of "hate crime" really took the national stage.

Typical consternation over this type of legislation has to do with increasing the penalty for a crime based on its motive. That's the right-wing way to spin it, and if that's what hate crime legislation actually were -- a kind of vengence legislation based on what motivated the criminal -- it wouldn't be something to support. However, the point of increasing punishment is not to avenge a morally repugnant motive, but to additionally punish a socially malignant intent or effect.

To get a sense of this, back up off of violent crime and think about graffitti. If someone sprays up their tag on a bug stop, that's one thing. If someone sprays up some upside-down pentagrams on a church (or a swastika on a synogogue), that's something else. What is going on is not simply defacing property, it's the intimidation and harassment of an entire community of people. Now think about what that means in the context of assault or worse. Someone who beats someone else in the context of a robbery has a different impact on society compared to someone who beats someone else as a means of inflicting fear and terror on a wider group of people.

The interesting thing about this philosophical underpinning, and the source of my uncertainty, is that because this notion of social impact is relatively divorced from the social power differential involved, there's no prerequisite of minority status in the victim for the rubric to apply. Gays beating straights or blacks beating whites -- assuming the same intent/effect obtained -- would be just as much a crime. I don't know if many of my lefty comrades would go with me on that, but it seems to be the logical conclusion.

You might reclassify hate crimes as terrorism, really. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Read More

Tags: 

The Flourescent Light People

The New York Times Habitats: A Fashion Foursome's Silver Cage

Frank lived for a while next door to these people, subletting a room in a great loft near Chinatown. I stayed with him right after getting out of school. We'd drink french press coffee in the morning and wonder what the people whose apartment we could see into were doing with all their silver walls, flourescent lights and plastic curtains.

Now we know. They were fashion weirdos. I think we realized this at the time; there was some concept that they had gotten recognition in the indie/underground fashion press, but this was at the tail end of When It Was All Changing in New York, the decade when the isle of Manhattan's gentrification was more or less completed. There's so little room now for weirdos without trust funds to do anything, it's hard to get a critical mass together. That's why Brooklyn is so hot. It's where all the boho talent when when it was priced off the island.

Can't wait to get back!

Read More

Tags: 

Pages