FRIDAY FUN

Best of RHF: Computer, Science and Math Jokes
Emotional Eric (scroll left sidebar)
Halloween Costumes
YES (Find out the name of that song you just heard on the radio.)
Hover Bump (game)
National Mole Day
Ex-wife's Beanie Babies (comments at bottom are hilarious)
Postcards from Disneyland (A stroll down Nostalgia Boulevard)

Don't Lose the Focus on Abortion Rights

As Bush gets ready to sign the partial birth abortion bill, NDOL tries to get the facts straight. Snippet:

The simple truth is that the "partial-birth" ban has never been designed to reduce the number of abortions performed in America. From the very beginning, it's always been a torturously contrived effort by right-to-lifers and their Republican allies to force an abortion-related vote in Congress and in state legislatures on a proposal that would command a comfortable majority in public opinion polls and identify Democrats with something that sounds horrible. But the right-to-life strategy on "partial-birth" abortions has another element that's important to recognize right now: an effort to convince the public that pro-choicers simply can't bring themselves to accept any restrictions at all on abortion, in any circumstances or at any stage of pregnancy before full-term live birth. And unfortunately, many pro-choice advocacy groups have risen to the bait, acting as though a "partial-birth" ban is functionally the same as a revocation of basic abortion rights. That's a mistake, and confuses Kabuki Theater with the real issue and the real drama on abortion: the determination of George W. Bush and the GOP leadership to obtain enough Supreme Court appointments to accomplish their real goal, which is to overturn Roe v. Wade and re-criminalize abortion generally.

"Who's Afraid of Dennis Kucinich?"

If you haven't read this Nation article about Dennis Kucinich, go read it now. Snippet:

The politics of Dennis Kucinich are easy to see but hard to describe, which is why conventional journalism, comfortable only with crass idiocies, has settled on calling him a leftist and burying him in the thirteenth paragraph. But to me the best way to describe Kucinich is to say that he seems to be the only candidate who responds as an intellectually ambitious human being would to the problem of the presidency. When you think about it--and few people do--no great thinker or leader, no Thoreau or Bertrand Russell or Martin Luther King Jr., would look at the vastly complex problem of the human condition and see as the most urgent solutions incremental numerical adjustments of the type espoused by most candidates. It is hard to imagine a Gandhi feeling passionate about a 30 percent tax credit for investment in renewable energy (Gephardt), or $66 billion for Iraq instead of $87 billion (Edwards), or a Community Oriented Policing Program ("COPS," a Kerry creature) that puts a few more cops on the streets. No, the great leader would see vast sicknesses to tend to, gross misapplications of human effort, problems rooted not in numbers but in society's emotional priorities. And his solutions upon taking a great office would be of commensurate greatness: the elimination of war, the conquest of greed, the restoration of community. I'm not saying Kucinich is a great man. But he does think in these terms. He is clearly an intellectual who is measuring himself against history, not the other candidates. And it is this disdain for the other kind of ambition that has led observers to describe him as unserious.

As Expected: Bush Heckled by Aussies

From Reuters (snippets):

Bush Heckled in Australia as Defends Iraq War Thu October 23, 2003 12:07 PM ET - By Belinda Goldsmith CANBERRA (Reuters) - Heckled inside and outside Australia's parliament, President Bush Thursday defended the invasion of Iraq during a symbolic visit to thank Australia for its staunch support in the war on terror. Bush, wrapping up a six-nation Asian tour focused on security and trade, said the allies who had fought alongside each other in two world wars and Vietnam had a "special responsibility throughout the Pacific" to help keep peace. "In the war on terror, once again, we are at each other's side," Bush said, recalling the nightclub bombings in Bali last October that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. He told a special joint sitting of parliament in Canberra the war in Iraq was justified, but "with decisive victories behind us, we still have decisive days ahead." "America, Australia and other nations acted in Iraq to remove a grave and gathering danger, instead of wishing and waiting while tragedy drew closer," Bush said. "Who can possibly think that the world would be better off with Saddam Hussein still in power?" The U.S. president was on a whirlwind visit to Australia to reward conservative Prime Minister John Howard, whom he dubbed "a man of steel" for sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, despite public protests. His 20-hour visit triggered a massive security operation in the usually sleepy capital with armed air force jets escorting Bush into Canberra late Wednesday night and patrolling the city's skies until he flew out Thursday evening. Authorities took the unprecedented step of barring the public from the parliament where Bush spoke Thursday, backing a special security role for Australia in the Asia-Pacific region that has raised concerns among Asian neighbors. ...... But his tagging of Australia as a regional "sheriff" and staunch defense of the Iraq war angered left-leaning Green politicians whose heckling twice stopped the president's speech. "We are not a sheriff," shouted Greens leader Bob Brown who ignored an order to leave the house. The heckling did not rattle Bush, who is on his first trip to Australia. The last U.S. president to visit Australia was Bill Clinton in 1996 -- who was also heckled by Brown. "I love free speech," quipped Bush, to cheers from the house, having been warned he could face politicians' protests. ......

CONTRIBUTE - IT'S MONEY WELL SPENT

MoveOn is starting a drive to raise $$ for airing ads attacking Bush. Contribute now.

The MoveOn.org Voter Fund is a new 527 fund affiliated with MoveOn.org, the pre-eminent online advocacy group in the United States. The Voter Fund will create and run powerful political ads in swing states to challenge President Bush's policies and his administration. The Voter Fund will also house other projects which will expose the gap between President Bush's carefully constructed image and his failed policies.

The West Wing Flies South

What happened to The West Wing? It once was one of the finest shows on TV. The acting was first-rate, and it never succumbed to compromise when touching politically and socially hot topics. Now it dances around tough issues like Tinkerbell on ecstasy. Rather than challenging us viewers to decipher the complexities of the issues, it now bludgeons us repeatedly until we scream, "Okay, we got it!" What a pity. Did Aaron Sorkin really make that much of a difference?

This Bush fights hard for the environment. (L.A. Times article. One-time registration required - it's worth it.)

Smuggling in The Dead

From the Washington Post (snippet):

Curtains Ordered for Media Coverage of Returning Coffins By Dana Milbank - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Page A23 Since the end of the Vietnam War, presidents have worried that their military actions would lose support once the public glimpsed the remains of U.S. soldiers arriving at air bases in flag-draped caskets. To this problem, the Bush administration has found a simple solution: It has ended the public dissemination of such images by banning news coverage and photography of dead soldiers' homecomings on all military bases. In March, on the eve of the Iraq war, a directive arrived from the Pentagon at U.S. military bases. "There will be no arrival ceremonies for, or media coverage of, deceased military personnel returning to or departing from Ramstein [Germany] airbase or Dover [Del.] base, to include interim stops," the Defense Department said, referring to the major ports for the returning remains.

Is the end of conservatism near? (Original post. Scroll down to "The coming failure of conservatism".) Or read it HERE.

Wal-Mart: Where Satan Shops

Contra Costa Times has an excellent, in-depth article comparing the health care benefit costs of Wal-Mart employees to those of other food chains such as Costco and those currently locking out their employees or "suffering" through the strike. Good reading if you want a better understanding of the current chaos in Southern California. Snippets:

But Wal-Mart's health insurance strategy is acquiring a growing number of critics. A San Jose assemblywoman claims health benefits are so unaffordable that workers instead sign up for government health care at the urging of the retailer. And perhaps the most visable opponents are the 70,000 striking Southern California grocery workers, who blame the retail giant for forcing their traditional grocery employers to phase out one of the best health benefits packages in the retail industry. Research shows that Wal-Mart spends less money on health care coverage than retailers and non-competitors. Wal-Mart spent an average of $3,500 per worker for health benefits in 2002. That's compared with $5,646 per worker for all employers and $4,834 per worker in the wholesale and retail industries, according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Nearly 80 percent of Wal-Mart workers in California have coverage through an HMO. On average, they pay $106 per month for the insurance premium. That relatively high cost becomes even more expensive considering that Wal-Mart's hourly wage is at the low end of the industry. Wal-Mart will not give exact wage figures, but workers at Bay Area stores say the starting salary ranges from about $8 to $8.25 per hour, although it can go higher if a worker has special skills or experience. By comparison, the lowest paying job at Safeway, Albertson's and other unionized traditional grocer chains starts at $8.39, and Costco starts workers at about $10 per hour. Most importantly, workers at those stores move up the pay scale more quickly than Wal-Mart employees. Wal-Mart officials say it's unfair to compare Safeway Inc. and Albertson's Inc. store workers to Wal-Mart workers ("associates" in Wal-Mart's parlance) because the retail giant isn't a direct competitor with the traditional grocers. But the only significant difference in the work forces is that Safeway and Albertson's workers are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which gives them more leverage to maintain their pay and benefits. At Costco, which is partially unionized, workers pay for 8 percent of their total health care costs, while Wal-Mart store workers chip in about one-third of the cost. A new full-time Costco worker can sign up for benefits in half the time that a comparable Wal-Mart worker can. For part-time workers, Costco employees get their benefits in one-fourth the time. Wal-Mart does offer health insurance with a monthly premium as low as $26 per month for an individual plan. But under that coverage, the worker pays up to $1,000 per year before the plan starts paying for part of any medical charges.

After learning how Wal-Mart treats its employees, how can anyone in good conscience shop there? Not only is the corporation mistreating its employees, but the other food chains are using Wal-Mart as an excuse to abuse their own employees.

It's so easy for you to make a huge impact on the outcome of these events:

Don't cross the picket lines at Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons!

Don't shop at Wal-Mart! (UPDATE: Strikers march on Oxnard Wal-Mart)

Shop at stores that treat their employees with the same respect that you want from your employer. It's that simple.

We're Blushing

Veralynne at ACT gave Left is Right a glowing review. Much appreciated!

Vote on $87 Billion

How did your Congressmen/women vote on Bush's $87 billion appropriations bill? Click HERE for your Senators and HERE for your representative. You may want to send an e-mail to your "YEA" congressman/woman and let him/her know exactly how you feel about their vote. (UPDATE: Link for representatives votes corrected 10/23/03)

Planning on Becoming Famous? Don't Forget to Join The NRA's "List"

The NRA has a list of prominent individuals and organizations who support anti-gun policies or gun control legislation. Are you a prominent individual? Are you anti-gun? See if you're on the list.

"On a personal note -- and I hate to be an old fuddy duddy, which of course describes anyone who uses the term fuddy duddy -- this has to be reported: Once the Kobe case is over, I could go the rest of my life without hearing the words sperm or panties in a newscast." --- Bret Lewis

The "Recall Arnold?" poll was a lot of fun, but I think it was significantly increasing page loading times for all faithful Left is Right fans. Thus, I've decided to stop it. Here are the results:

Question: Should Arnold Schwarzenegger be recalled as soon as he is eligible?

Number... Percent... Choice
9..............18%.........No, it's time to stop the madness.
10............20%.........Yes, the Republican Ultra-Right must be stopped.
11............22%.........No, Californians deserve what they wanted.
10............20%.........No, let the next three years destroy Arnold's political career.
3..............6%...........Yes, it's time to start fighting back using Republican tactics.
7..............14%.........Yes, but only if Martin Sheen runs.
50............100%.......TOTAL

The equity of responses was very profound, with no clear preference. This implies that the readership is varied in political choices and opinions. This is typical of the Left. That is a good thing, something you expect in a liberal, progressively-oriented group. You would never see such diversity of responses in a Republican poll, as people on the Right go out of their way to conform to the most popular conservative opinion. The problem that might arise next year would be the failure of liberals to modify their independent behavior and jointly back one candidate in order to defeat Bush. I was also a bit surprised by the small number (6%) wanting to take revenge using Republican tactics, an example of the general moral difference between Left and Right.

Eye-Popping Fact of the Day

Seventy-three percent of black fourth-graders are enrolled in schools where more than half of the students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. (Source: Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (10/14/03) http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003034)

Wow.

Feinstein Looking for Spine Donor

I received this letter today from my U.S. Senator (edited for personal data):

October 21, 2003 Mr. [Left is Right] [Progressive] Street [Somewhere], California 9[8765-4321] Dear Mr. [Left is Right]: Thank you for writing me regarding the future of Iraq. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. Throughout the majority of Iraq, the regime of Saddam Hussein has been defeated and removed from power. Despite our success in freeing the Iraqi people, our military continues to encounter resistance throughout the country and must maintain a presence until an interim authority can be established to restore order and begin helping the Iraqi people reconstitute their basic social services. So, as the fighting stops and as the remnants of the regime are removed, we must take the lead in rebuilding the Iraqi nation, in stabilizing its new government, in providing interim security to prevent the emergence of tribal hostilities and to see that Iraq is no longer a producer of weapons of mass destruction. I am hopeful that all Iraqis of every ethnic and faith group, large and small, will be engaged in the process to establish a new Iraq. I firmly believe that the U.S. should work closely with the United Nations and our allies in the reconstruction of Iraq. It is essential to demonstrate to Muslims everywhere that the United States, while a powerful nation, is motivated by a sincere desire to one day see the entire world safe, prosperous, and free. Again, thank you for writing. I hope you will continue to keep me informed of your views and concerns. If you should have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202) 224-3841. Best Regards. Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein United States Senator

This is my "Democratic" Senator, yet is sounds as Republican as anything I've read from the Right. Senator Feinstein refers to many incorrect items, such as the assumption that OUR military must remain until the establishment of an interim authority, "as the fighting stops" (sorry, but that's not happening), the WMD thing (they aren't and they haven't for a long time!), and the reference to "tribal" hostilities (makes it sound primitive/uncivilized). The biggest contradiction is the comment on our (i.e. current administration's) desire to "see the entire world safe, prosperous and free" (right - Iraq is a good example of that).

This letter reaffirms my belief that our current representatives in Congress, with very few exceptions, are spineless puppets of the Bush Administration and of corporate campaign contributors. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Cheaper Textbooks

In case you didn't know, if you're a college student, you're getting royally ripped off. From the NY Times (snippets):

Students Find $100 Textbooks Cost $50, Purchased Overseas - By TAMAR LEWIN - Published: October 21, 2003 Richard Sarkis and David Kinsley were juniors at Williams College, surfing the net for a cheap source for their economics textbook, when they discovered a little known economic fact: the very same college textbooks used in the United States sell for half price — or less — in England. Just like prescription drugs, textbooks cost far less overseas than they do in the United States. The publishing industry defends its pricing policies, saying that foreign sales would be impossible if book prices were not pegged to local market conditions. But many Americans do not see it that way. The National Association of College Stores has written to all the leading publishers asking them to end a practice they see as an unfair to American students. "We think it's frightening, and it's wrong, that the same American textbooks our stores buy here for $100 can be shipped in from some other country for $50," said Laura Nakoneczny, a spokeswoman for the association. "It represents price-gouging of the American public generally and college students in particular." But thanks to the Internet, more and more individual students and college bookstores are starting to order textbooks from abroad — and a few entrepreneurs, including Mr. Sarkis and his friends, have begun what are essentially arbitrage businesses to exploit the price differentials. "We couldn't understand why what costs $120 here should cost $50-something there," said Mr. Sarkis, who, with Mr. Kinsley and another classmate, has spent three years building a Web-based company, BookCentral.com, selling textbooks from abroad to students in the United States. "It seemed so sleazy of the publishers. We were sure that college students would be shocked and outraged if they knew about the foreign prices. But it's been this big secret." That is changing, though. To the despair of the textbook publishers who are still trying to block such sales, the reimporting of American texts from overseas has become far easier in recent years, thanks both to Internet sites that offer instant access to foreign book prices, and to a 1998 Supreme Court ruling that federal copyright law does not protect American manufacturers from having the products they arranged to sell overseas at a discount shipped back for sale in the United States. Before the Supreme Court decision, Americans could not take advantage of the discounts abroad without violating the copyright law. Now, however, "gray market" sales are taking off on campuses. Many students, individually, have begun to compare the textbook prices posted on American sites like Amazon.com, with the lower prices for the same books on foreign sites like Amazon.co.uk. The differences are often significant: "Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Third Edition," for example, lists for $146.15 on the American Amazon site, but can be had for $63.48, plus $8.05 shipping, from the British one. And "Linear System Theory and Design, Third Edition" is $110 in the United States, but $41.76, or $49.81 with shipping, in Britain. Many college bookstores, meanwhile, have taken matters into their own hands, arranging their own overseas purchases. "I buy from Amazon.co.uk and from sources in the Far East, and I knew more and more students were doing the same thing, individually," said Tom Frey, owner of the University Bookstore at Purdue University, who sells the new books from overseas at the same price as a used American book. "Then this fall, for the first time, the Fed Ex man told me that the students at the Indian Association here at Purdue had just gotten a delivery of 14 skids of books, about 50 books each, from India. I think I'm losing about 10 percent of my sales to overseas books." Relations between textbook publishers and college booksellers have been seriously roiled by the issue. "This has become a very hot issue since last year, when it just seemed to explode all of a sudden," said Ms. Nakoneczny, of the college store association. The association's letter to the publishers warned that the pricing structure might be an antitrust violation. "The sale of identical books to foreign buyers at prices significantly lower than to domestic buyers, while publicly stating that domestic prices are due to high costs, could constitute an unfair or deceptive act," the letter said. While there is no longer protection in the federal copyright law for the pricing differentials, the major publishers are still trying to stop the reimporting of texts priced for foreign markets, mostly through contract language forbidding foreign wholesalers to sell to American distributors. Some have placed stickers on covers, saying "International Edition RESTRICTED Not for Sale in North America" or added the cover line "International Student Edition." None of the three major textbook publishers — Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Thomson — would discuss why overseas prices are so much lower than domestic ones, referring all questions to Allen Adler, the lawyer for the American Association of Publishers. "This is a season when textbook publishers get kicked around a lot, and they're feeling vulnerable," Mr. Adler said. "The practice of selling U.S. products abroad at prices keyed to the local market is longstanding. It's not unusual, it doesn't violate public policy and it's certainly not illegal. But publishers are still coming to terms with the dramatic change in the law." Mr. Adler contends that foreign textbook prices are pegged to the per capita income and economic conditions of the destination countries — and that foreign sales are a boon to America's standing in the world, to foreign students seeking an American-quality education, and even to American consumers, since each extra copy sold overseas, even at a low price, helps to spread the high costs of putting out a new textbook. Disgruntlement over textbook costs has been growing in the United States as prices have risen. Last month, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, announced that the average New York college freshman and sophomore spends more than $900 a year on texts — 41 percent more than in 1998 — and proposed a plan to make $1,000 of textbook costs tax deductible. The same week, University of Wisconsin students demonstrated against high textbook prices and in favor of creating a textbook rental system. To be sure, textbook costs, however high, are only the final straw for American college students, whose tuition costs and fees have been rising rapidly. At Williams and other elite universities, for example, tuition, room and board now tops $35,000 a year. In Britain, though, the cost of tuition is largely borne by the government and students pay much less.