It's amazing, but it seems that Paul Ryan's "fuck the poor, feed the rich" budget has caused the Democrats in Congress to find their backbones, and made the President remember how to speak up.

Obama "did not realize the mike was on" and finally spoke clearly and as if he's engaged in a political battle, not a consensus based meeting.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/15/967264/-In-open-mic-moment,-Oba...

The Democrats ALL voted NO on the budget
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll277.xml

Harry Reid is talking tough
http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=332524

Even Democratic Party officials are speaking out
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/dccc-chair-steve-isra...
Good Job Paul! The nation thanks you.

It just keeps getting more insane. Now the GOP wants to "keep the government from over regulating the internet." Seriously, they want to hand control over the once level playing field of the internet over to the giant media corporations that have everything to gain by destroying that fairness.

I usually would not promote a web based petition, but this one is important. Call your Senators, demand that the FCC be given the "right" to preserve the level playing field on the internet; demand that government act to prevent the destruction of Network Neutrality. If we don't, the big corporations will be able to easily prevent any competition; the innovative culture of the internet will grind to a halt.

http://act2.freepress.net/sign/resolution_of_disapproval/?source=fb
Defend Free Speech on the Internet

The House recently passed a “Resolution of Disapproval” that would strip the FCC of its authority to protect our right to free speech online. The resolution would not just bar the FCC from enforcing its already weak Net Neutrality rule, but also from acting in any way to protect Internet users against corporate abuses.

We can kill the resolution in the Senate by getting 51 members to stand up for online freedom. Sign this letter to demand that your senators protect our right to an open Internet, and we will deliver it to their offices in Washington.
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Ikea is the target of racial discrimination complaints, a heated union-organizing battle and turnover from disgruntled employees.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ikea-union-20110410,0,5341610.story

Bernie Sanders' Guide to Corporate Freeloaders
http://lastwordblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/bernie-sanders-guide-to-corpora...

Bolivia Set to Pass 'Law of Mother Earth'
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/bolivia_set_to_pass_the_law_...
Bolivia is set to pass the world’s first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans. The Law of Mother Earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, redefines the country’s rich mineral deposits as “blessings” and is expected to lead to radical new conservation and social measures to reduce pollution and control industry.

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Number 9, yes, folks... the 9th NYC DrupalCamp is happening at the end of the month. Once again, we're using the unconference format. Everyone that shows up will have a voice in how the day is organized. While there are folks that don't get it, using the term "camp" in most free software communities is synonymous with unconference -- that's what is so special about these events.

The unconference format reflects the ideals and community-centric nature of the software being discussed.

Registration will open on thursday, keep your eyes on http://groups.drupal.org/node/141719 the nyc drupal group for more details (and for what might turn into an interesting debate about the gentrification of the drupal community and those that feel the right to appropriate terms and change their meaning to make themselves feel better).

I'll expand on this theme soon, but for now I'm just too tired.

A few weeks ago, about the time I came down with whatever illness it is that has so totally knocked me on my ass, I went in for a battery of blood tests for my yearly physical.

I've pretty much been in a panic ever since. Partly fueled by my father's death; partly by my friend Andrew's recent diagnosis; and partly by my own nature to always imagine the worst, it's been 3 weeks of mental hell.

For the past few weeks I've been imagining myself as Schrödinger's Cat. Stuck in my box, both alive and dead, waiting for the doctor to open the envelope and observe the situation and let me know which reality is mine.

Today, Dr. Gilbert opened the box, and I'm very happy to say that the cat is alive and well.

Now if I could just kick the last remnants of this illness and get back to feeling as healthy as I am, all would be great.

 
 

you know it's spring when the sidewalk berries are in bloom