homo superior blogs

• www.dcexaminer.com >> Politics

  This delay had nothing to do with sunlight — and everything to do with showmanship.

  tags: Obama, legislation, campaign promises, stimulus, financial crisis, reading list

• Straight Couples in France Are Choosing Civil Unions Meant for Gays – washingtonpost.com

  In passing the [civil unions] law without making it specific to gays, however, France distinguished itself from other European countries that have approved civil unions or even marriage for same-sex couples. As a result of that ambiguity, the PACS broadened into an increasingly popular third option for heterosexual couples, who readily cite its appeal: It has the air of social independence associated with the time-honored arrangement that the French call the “free union” but with major financial and other advantages. It is also far easier to get out of than marriage.

  tags: reading list, gay marriage, marriage equality, France, civil unions

• The lights are going out all over Twitter | Technology | guardian.co.uk

  [The new law] tells internet service providers that they “must adopt and reasonably implement a policy that provides for termination” of accounts used by anyone deemed a “repeat infringer” – regardless of whether the person has been convicted of a crime or not.

  tags: New Zealand, piracy, copyright, ISPs, protests, Internet life, reading list

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

• Mininova – One Million Torrents Strong | TorrentFreak

  For the first time in its four year existence, Mininova now has a million torrent files stored on its servers. These meta-data files are spread out over 10 categories on this BitTorrent giant, with movies and music representing more than half of all the torrents.

  tags: piracy, mininova, torrent, bittorrent, reading list

• Obama Stumps for Stimulus in a City Hit Hard by Downturn – NYTimes.com

  President Obama took his case for an $800 billion economic recovery package to one of the most distressed places in America on Monday as he opened a series of campaign-style events intended to press Congress to approve the plan by week’s end.

  tags: Obama, stimulus, economics, reading list

• How to Write for the Web (Full Paper)

  Studies of how users read on the Web found that they do not actually read: instead, they scan the text. A study of five different writing styles found that a sample Web site scored 58% higher in measured usability when it was written concisely, 47% higher when the text was scannable, and 27% higher when it was written in an objective style instead of the promotional style used in the control condition and many current Web pages. Combining these three changes into a single site that was concise, scannable, and objective at the same time resulted in 124% higher measured usability.

  tags: writing, usability, design, blogging, reading list

• Obama Has Upper Hand in Stimulus Fight

  The American public gives President Barack Obama a strong 67% approval rating for the way in which he is handling the government’s efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill, while the Democrats and, in particular, the Republicans in Congress receive much lower approval ratings of 48% and 31%, respectively.

  tags: stimulus, economics, Obama, Democrats, Republicans, Congress, Senate, American politics, reading list

• Commonweal – A review of religion, politics and culture

  Don’t expect triumphalists to recant or apologize. Yet their time has passed. The Age of Triumphalism has ended. The Age of Muddling Through has commenced. In this new era, over which Barack Obama will preside, grandiose ideas will take a back seat to figuring out what actually works and calculating how much we can afford. Instead of looking to transform the world, the imperative of this new age is to preserve what’s left and restore what’s been lost. The nattering about the United States as an almighty superpower has ceased. For this at least we should be grateful.

  tags: reading list, American dream, triumphalism, Obama, Bush, superpowers

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

I’d say all but the most criminally retarded know who this man is by now.

Dick Cheney is surely the most despicable American alive, no? The least likable, too. Since he doesn’t have any of Bush’s frat-boy smugness that inexplicably bewitched so much of the U.S. for the last 8 years, he has to stand only on what he’s said, and what he’s done. And what a legacy!

And now, thankfully, Cheney’s the most impotent of the last administration’s despicable anti-heroes.

In more ways than one, no doubt.

Jon Stewart changes the tone accordingly:

Via Integral Options.

ePalestine: [ePalestine] On the lighter side…George W Bush Presidential Library

Dear Fellow Constituent:

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages and accepting donations.

The Library will include:

1. The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.

2. The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won’t be able to remember anything.

3. The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don’t even have to show up.

4. The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don’t let you in.

5. The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don’t let you out.

6. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find.

7. The National Debt Room, which is huge and has no ceiling.

8. The Tax Cut Room, with entry only to the wealthy.

9. The Economy Room, which is in the toilet.

10. The Iraq War Room. (After you complete your first visit, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth visit.)

11. The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shooting gallery.

12. The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.

13. The Supreme Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.

14. The Airport Men’s Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.

15. The Decider Room, complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

Note: The library will feature an electron microscope to help you locate and view the President’s accomplishments.

I laughed at that last bit despite its obvious snark. A great blog, btw, certainly part of The HSB Get Smarter Project.

Says this video:

Trust, but confirm here.

• Obama’s new man calls time on US torture | Andrew Sullivan – Times Online

  With him in place and with Obama in the White House, we now have something very, very precious back in the government of America. It’s called trust and lawfulness. As they say in some of the most beleaguered places on the planet: know hope.

  tags: Obama, torture, reading list, Andrew Sullivan, Leon Panetta, CIA

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

According to Letterman:

Thanks, Slog.

Her Lesson on Flickr – Photo Sharing!