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Standard Operating Procedures For Worst Case Scenarios
The industries where catastrophic failure is most devastating are the least prepared. Watchdog groups have been saying this for years about coal ash reservoirs, deep-water oil exploration and drilling, and nuclear power and spent fuel-rod storage. Now, of course, we've seen just how unprepared these companies are. From the disturbing lack of ( Read more... ) -
Where's the Executive Order to counter Citizens United?
Citizen's United was a logical next step in the long journey toward total corporate godhood. Defining corporations as people and money as protected free speech, buying elections has become that much easier ( Read more... ) -
The problem with assasination
The Problem with Assassination, or, Why is it a Good Idea to Lead By Example Even When It Hurts ( Read more... ) -
Support Portland, Move Your Money, And Drink Free Beer!
You might think of this as somewhat exploitative, but... whatever ( Read more... ) -
The best unseen movies of the last decade
I haven't been a marathon movie watcher in a long time, so this can't possibly be an exhaustive list. I'm only on livejournal, after all. But there are some movies that have a transcendental greatness that are far too under-seen ( Read more... ) -
ideas vs force
This is probably the best exchange I've seen that demonstrates the range of opinion between the right and the left, from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/video-jon-meacham-a-gun-owner-on-restoring-the-assault-weapons-ban/6413/ConcernedForUSA 48 minutes ago ( Read more... ) -
Uhg, why do I love writing such hot garbage
Reagan and Gorbachev had signed a treaty allowing us to inspect and monitor each others nuclear stockpiles, what Reagan famously called "trust but verify." Our treaty with Russia expired in December. Republicans blocked voting to renew our treaty and said they wanted to wait until the midterm elections. Now they want to wait another year ( Read more... ) -
We can't agree on even the basic facts anymore
The liberal opinion machine is abuzz about the far right's enduring meme about the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, because Christine O'Donnell brought it up in a debate and seriously challenged her opponent to point out "where in the constitution does it say 'separation of church and state'?" This ties in to the classic right-side ( Read more... ) -
Forbes lists Oregon as #6 best place for business
Forbes lists Oregon as #6 best place for business. Part of their scoring metric is livability. Hughes, the former mayor of Hillsboro (that shining example of barely livable suburban sprawl) wants to be president of the Metro council (a multi-municipality regional government with land-use planning responsibilities). He's been endorsed by the unions ( Read more... ) -
How was your day at work today
I work in market research. It's awesome. Pretty much every day, I get to give people money in exchange for their opinions about random things. It's not always a lot of money and it isn't always fun, but it's usually at least a little interesting. Like jury duty, it's cool to do it once if only because you haven't done it before.
I've noticed some ( Read more... )