The Gay Marriage Controversy In Iowa

As Iowa's Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a gay marriage case, the Iowa Independent offers an extensive look into the ongoing legal and political struggle over gay rights in the state:

Because of the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, Iowans are no strangers to national media attention, power struggles of special interest groups and hot-button debates. In nearly any diner throughout the state, conversations on ethanol subsidies, the decline of Main Street and foreign policy are more commonplace than not.

The state’s next turn in the national spotlight begins on Tuesday, Dec. 9, when the state Supreme Court hears arguments on same-sex marriage.

The legal drama has been three years in the making. In December 2005, the gay rights group Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of six same-sex couples who sought the right to marry in Iowa. The suit was later amended to include three children whose parents were plaintiffs. The lawsuit argued that it would be unlawful to ban same-sex couples from marriage based on the equal protection and due process guarantees of the Iowa constitution. The state’s Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1998 by a 40-9 margin in the Senate and an 89-10 margin in the House, defines marriage as being solely between a man and a woman.

Continue reading.

The DI will be offering the state Supreme Court advice on how to rule in next Monday's paper. Exactly what our editorial will advocate might surprise you--so stay tuned.

Dare to be Smart

Unlike Mr. Whitney, I am a native Iowan. However, that doesn't mean that my blood pressure stays any lower when I am out driving during the winter and desperately trying not to succumb to my urge of installing a guided missile system for my Passat - because if anything can make that happen, it's German engineering. Sniffling aside, the Floridian does makes a good point; most people are dumbasses when they get behind the wheel. Add some precipitation to the mix and you have full-fledged morons racing to be hazards on the streets. Let's be honest, driving in snowy or icy conditions does afford some measure of patience and understanding when it comes to assclownery behind the wheel. The same cannot, however, be said for another seasonal event: the hibernation of basic parking skills.

I cannot stand it when cars are parked poorly. January through December. Every one hates the pricks that take up two stalls, especially in a parking ramp where the d-bags understand that taking up two spots is going to throw off the count and cause some poor schmuck to drive around until a spot opens. Those are the type of people that we should keep Gitmo open for; think just because you drive a truck, SUV, or tricked out clown car, you deserve two stalls? You are a threat to public health; to Cuba with you, and I'm sure we'll get a lawyer to see you really soon. Meanwhile, back in the continental 48, nine less people die of aneurysms each week. Osama bin Laden's driver is nothing compared to the threat these d-bags pose to my well-being.

Why is it that the moment the first dusting of snow touches the ground people feel it is justifiable to park however they want? All of the sudden it's kosher to just get your car in the general four stall vicinity of a parking spot. Hell, park it at 180 degrees even if all the other spots are at 90 degrees. There are flurries on the ground, people will understand. How could the rest of us not appreciate that you couldn't see that you are perpendicular to all the other stalls?

The more common asshat is the driver that parks downtown at a meter, except they park about 2 feet off-kilter; thereby, throwing the entire row of parking spots off. Once one driver does it, everyone else decides it's a license to excuse their own mindless parking job. Of course, it's only really noticeable when a responsible driver parks correctly and provides empirical evidence that indeed an plague of asshat-itis is in the area. Just because the lines aren't pristine doesn't mean that you can just swing your car in at any angle or park it in the general vicinity of the meter. It's not hard people. The DOT doesn't move the lines during a cold night in December just before the first snowfall and then move them back before the thaw. I promise you that the spot you have parked in all year is still the same dimensions.

It's cold, it's miserable. Try to be a smart and courteous parker to ease the pain. Otherwise Santa might bring you a crowbar-sized dent in your hood and broken taillights for Christmas. Besides, taking more than you deserve makes Baby Jesus cry.

BCS Crisis Resolved

I just figured out how the BCS (Bowl Championship Series, for the lays) conundrum can be vanquished once and for all. To be honest, I can't imagine how no one else has come up with this idea yet. I'll outline my thoughts, and if we're lucky, this post will reach the ears of one President-Elect Barack Obama, and he can finalize this thing with an executive order.
I know how to resolve this issue and keep both sides happy. As it is now, there are certain schools who always feel cheated because they have stellar seasons, yet their standing prevents them from participating in a high-end BCS game. Undefeated teams like Boise State and Ball State will end up at the Humanitarian Bowl when many advocates feel they deserve at least a shot at the National Title, even if that shot comes in an early round of post-season playoffs. It seems like a pretty good idea. We all know how popular March Madness is for basketball season, and let's face it: football is fast becoming America's favorite pasttime. We need some madness for college football too.
Some like the system how it is now. Lots of different teams get the chance to end their season with a win. The bowls represent a great tradition and are certainly representative of college football. So how can we possibly reconcile the sides? How can we possibly find a compromise between the excitement of bowl games and the necessity for playoffs?
It's really quite simple. We combine the two! Get this: the first round of playoffs will be the bowl games with which we are so familiar. Can you imagine the possibilities? Folks will still be pumped about Outback and Rose berths, but then imagine when the winners of the Outback and the Rose go head-t0-head in the second round. This system will create a whole new dynamic. Friends will debate about and bet on the possibility of the Orange Bowl victor beating the Fiesta champ. This new system will take everything we already love about bowl games and multiply it threefold (perhaps even sevenfold, depending on the number of subsequent playoff rounds).
Now to be sure there will definitely be a need for some kind of ranking/seeding process, but we pretty much already have that anyways. Certain bowls are always better than others, so that issue will basically solve itself.
We've got it figured out. Now is the time for hope and change. Now is the time for playoffs in college football. We can keep the bowls, but they don't need to be the be-all, end-all. There is a new realm of excitement and hope that exists beyond those bowl games. Ball State will have the chance to emerge as Motor City champ, and then a chance to go even further and vie for that national championship. There are capable and worthy teams that exist outside of the flawed BCS race, so let's give them the chance they deserve, a chance to have a run-off for the title.
Mr. President, I hope you're listening. You want to get rid of old, corrupt systems, and this is your first (and arguably, most important) chance to do so. Let's draw up a motion and get this thing passed.
Playoffs in college football with the bowls we know and love representing the first round. Together we can. Together we will.

Disgusting Commercial Of The Day

(Via Slog.)

Just because I'm a libertarian and think people should be able to air gross ads like this doesn't mean I have to like them. My solution: don't eat at Arby's. Although it's not like that's too hard for me anyway.

But, after having viewed that disturbing video, you can easily repair the brain damage it caused by checking out this characteristically brilliant Bill Hicks commentary on pornography, advertising, and sex (contains explicit language and gestures--which is, of course, why it's funny):

Doctor Amputates via Text Message Instructions

From CNN:

Suspended for a Poor Choice of Words

Sean Avery, a hockey player for the Dallas Stars was suspended indefinitely after calling his Hollywood ex "sloppy seconds." Avery has earned himself a meeting with the NHL commish too.

Hockey is known for fights, dead octopi, and a complete lack of ratings. So let me get this straight: it's okay to punch a man in the face for doing his job and defending the net, but if you give a disparaging comment about an ex-girlfriend after finding out another player is dating her, you get suspended? What kind of message is the NHL trying to send? Violence is fine, just don't bad mouth women? The latter is noble, if they are going to ban trash talking on the ice or ban coaches from berating their players, because I am certain worse is said that "sloppy seconds".

Duped by CNN

I was recently on CNN's homepage. Under the "Other News" section was a link titled "Ticker: Obama "disappointed" in Richardson. I clicked on link wondering what had happened since I heard he was added to Obama's Cabinet. Damn YOU CNN!! The title of the actual blurb is "Obama 'deeply disappointed' Richard shaved beard". (I concur, btw)

As my rage subsided and I decided to write this post, the ticker now discusses a Florida congresswoman that hung up on President elect Obama twice.

Prohibition: Still A Bad Idea

As long as I'm heaping praise on Reason, I might as well link to this excellent article by Radley Balko:

This Friday, Dec. 5, is the 75th anniversary of Repeal Day, the day America repealed its disastrous alcohol prohibition.

Prohibition was the pièce de résistance of the early 20th-century progressives' grand social engineering agenda. It failed, of course. Miserably.

It did reduce overall consumption of alcohol in the U.S., but that reduction came largely among those who consumed alcohol responsibly. The actual harm caused by alcohol abuse was made worse, thanks to the economics of prohibitions.

Continue reading.

The Real Origins Of The Ongoing Economic Crisis

Michael Flynn reports for Reason:

It was not an absence of federal intervention that produced the Great Financial Panic of 2008. Contrary to the assertions of those clamoring for new regulations (see "Is Deregulation to Blame?," page 36), the liquidity shortage and credit freeze that triggered Washington's biggest intrusion into the economy since Richard Nixon's wage and price controls were caused by bad government policy and worse crisis management.

As the housing bubble inflated from 1997 to 2006, banks, fueled by the Federal Reserve, prodded by activists, and egged on by Wall Street, created ever more exotic mortgage loans that pushed up housing prices and extended mortgage debt to families vulnerable to economic downturns. Several layers of financial products were tied to these mortgages. As some of the derivative instruments and underlying mortgages collapsed, collateral damage raced through the entire system.

Continue reading.

If only more voices in the mainstream media made this much sense.

All About Second Life

(http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html)

Yet More Discussion Of The Internet's Power

Facebook reports on its corporate blog:

We've talked before about the massive amount of data running through Facebook's systems. We have Lexicon to help visualize what people are talking about on the site, but we don't yet have any similar, graphics-driven way to show the site's constant activity and connections. Taking a break from my normal job (if dealing with Facebook's massive scalability challenges counts as normal) at the most recent hackathon, I decided to brush off my graphics abilities and work on something more visual.

I focused on a project known as Palantir. We're still experimenting with it, but the idea is to show Facebook in action, with people's interactions speeding across a computer model of the earth, as if friend requests, messages or photo-sharing exchanges were bursts of light or airplanes flying to their destinations.

Continue reading.

You can also check out this video they've posted, which you can watch even without a Facebook account:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=37403547074

This scale of interaction is radically unprecedented. The relevancy of physical location to social interaction is rapidly decreasing. And we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

Fuck Everyone: A Candid and Fanciful E-mail Exchange

My friend "Paul Sawyer" e-mailed me the following message this morning:

I'm frankly losing my patience with the insane conventional wisdom plaguing our consciousness. Last year, when I was an unabashed Ron Paul supporter (before the whole racist cracker shit came to light), the only guy who seemed to possess anything approaching a grip on reality, at least when it came to the economy, was Paul's economic adviser Peter Schiff. Of course, he was ridiculed, marginalized, and laughed at by pretty much everyone. Which, at the time, was pretty annoying. But now going back and hearing/reading what he said in '06 and and '07, the "chicken little" accusations spewed unthinkingly in his direction is nothing short of infuriating. (Though "infuriating" probably isn't a strong enough word).

Ah, but I'm reminded of an Arthur Schopenhauer quote:

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

In other words, it's not as if this is anything new. So I should probably calm the fuck down.

Anyway, this assemblage of clips is pretty effective in conveying this phenomenon:



Jesus, people are fucking stupid.

I responded:

Fuck everyone, indeed. Because everyone is fucked.

Read these two blog posts:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/the-gagdets-of.html
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/mumbai-terroris.html

And then check out all the recent posts on this blog:

http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/

It's only going to get easier and easier to create this kind of chaos. I hope I'm wrong, but I think an attack very much like the one in Mumbai is likely to occur in the US within the next decade. Our entire security bureaucracy is an enormous waste of money. Nothing that the US government has done after 9/11 would help at all in dealing with a situation like this. All it's done is waste trillions of dollars and significantly erode our core civil liberties. Based on what we've seen thus far, there's little reason to hope nation states will start reacting smarter anytime soon. Instead they'll continue to flail and waste money as they become increasing authoritarian. And when they finally collapse? Who the hell knows. But we're probably all fucked.

I then added:

And then there's this:

http://www.theagitator.com/2008/12/01/posse-commitatus-rip/

Jesus.

And this:

And I would also like to point out that this deployment will do virtually nothing to help protect against the kind of attack recently seen in Mumbai.

To which he responded:

Maybe we're just being crazy/paranoid. Imaginations run amok. I sure hope so.
It's not like we're in danger of being rounded up en masse and put in concentration camps or some kind of weird gulag. Other than the docile majority, no one would stand for it. And it's logistically impossible. I mean, where the fuck would they put us? Oh. Right. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_84

But let's be real here: it's unlikely that the leaders of the American Shadow Government and their hired guns (the CIA) are that evil. They're people, too. With families and dogs and mortgages. It's doubtful they'd seriously consider killing/detaining their own citizens to retain a power-strangle. There's simply no historic precedent for that kind of thinking. Not within our government, anyway. Except maybe this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods

Ah, but all this is bullshit. The CIA is answerable to the president (he is, after all, the commander in chief) and must keep Congress afoot of their goings on. And we have a new, and by all accounts constitutionally-friendly sheriff in town in Obama. A Shadow Government is impossible to maintain with citizen-elected oversight in place.

Wait. What's that? The CIA stopped answering to the president and briefing Congress in 2004? Why didn't I read about this at the time? Why isn't this in history books? Well, sheesh, ain't that a bitch?!

"Previously, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) oversaw the Intelligence Community, serving as the president's principal intelligence advisor, additionally serving as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The DCI's title now is "Director of the Central Intelligence Agency" (DCIA), serving as head of the CIA.

Currently, the Central Intelligence Agency reports to the Director of National Intelligence. Prior to the establishment of the DNI, the CIA reported to the President, with informational briefings to U.S. Congressional committees. The National Security Advisor is a permanent member of the National Security Council, responsible for briefing the President with pertinent information collected by all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration, et cetera; all sixteen Intelligence Community agencies are under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence."

[cribbed from Wikipedia]

Of course, I don't necessarily actually hold all of the views I expressed in that exchange. My friend and I like to play rhetorical games and engage in fierce philosophical jousting, where each of us enjoys playing devil's advocate. But these are all ideas bouncing around in my head and I deemed them worth sharing.

More On Internet-enabled Social Organization

YouTube reports on its corporate blog:

Starting today, musicians around the world can submit audition videos to www.youtube.com/symphony for a chance to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra and summit, the world's first collaborative online orchestra connecting aspiring musicians with leaders and stars in the classical world. The first YouTube program of its kind, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra will transform individual performances into a global symphony and change the way musicians connect over the Internet. This is your opportunity to perform alongside world-renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, learn from composer Tan Dun and many members of the London Symphony Orchestra, consult with pianist Lang Lang, and collaborate with YouTube users from around the globe. Selected musicians will have the honor of participating in an April 2009 summit where you'll learn from today's classical masters before stepping out at New York City's Carnegie Hall for a performance.

Continue reading.

They also, unsurprisingly, embedded two videos in their post--this is one of them:



Anyway, I don't care about this particular contest--only the method of recruitment and organization enabled by YouTube's existence. Such a contest wouldn't have been possible just a few years ago. So what else will such technology enable? What will the long-term social, economic, and political effects be? Good questions.

Change France Can Believe In

(Via Andrew Sullivan.)

This just goes to show how quickly memes travel now. The potential for major political changes on a global scale is increasing as the information revolution continues to transform the world. And with all this financial and security chaos... Might there be a willingness to accept new authority in exchange for stability and safety?

It's not as though our current nation state system has existed for all that long in historical terms. Who's to say it's going to last the next century? But what would replace it? Good questions.

Sirens

Is Iowa City a little gun shy since the April 2006 tornado or is there an actual reason to be testing tornado sirens in December? Isn't there a rule written down somewhere that tornado sirens don't need to be tested once there is snow on the ground? Welcome back from break; we're testing the tornado sirens, and the severe thunderstorm sirens, and the woozy, drunken-sounding sirens that have never been explained, but seem strangely appropriate for Iowa City. 

And then my cell phone explodes and for a moment I think I may have to eat my words. The UI might be texting me to explain what terrible event triggers the woozy siren: chemical spill, biological attack, zombie apocalypse? Alas, it is just my roommate asking what's up with the sirens and whether of not we need to worry. I reassure her that it is simply the first Monday of the month and the sirens are just being tested. "Good," she replies, "I really didn't want to get out of my bed." I look outside my slightly frosted window at the dusting of snow on the ground. Tornado siren testing in December--arg!

This is where the coffee gets to work. I'm less cranky and more objective. My knee-jerk Monday morning response to tornado sirens crumbles under the weight of logical reasoning, a little research, and a caffeine buzz. You should know I have this thing about tornados. As a kid I wanted to be a tornado chaser (I can assure you this had nothing to do with Twister, the wonderful movie it is). I job shadowed a local meteorologist and piled into my station wagon at the fist sign of inclement weather to, I don't know, see a tornado up close. I gave up my dream of tornado chasing long ago, but I still find myself fascinated by tornados. That being said, 2008 may end up being one of the deadliest tornado seasons on record. It is difficult to look back at the beginning of this year and see it as anything recognizable. Iowa had just carried out its caucus. Less than a week later on January 7, 70 tornados were reported throughout the Midwest.  About a month later, on Super Tuesday (February 5th) there was another outbreak of severe weather. 87 tornados were reported over a two-day period. Of course, there was a terrible tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa on May 24th and a June 11th tornado hit a Scout camp in Little Sioux, Iowa near Omaha. 

The point is, this very year there were tornados in January and February. During the winter. As much as I love sleeping in, especially on cloudy, snowy Mondays, I also believe in preparing for the worst. If this year's tornado season is the beginning of a trend, those of us living in tornado alley may need to be prepared for a longer, more severe season. If that means dealing with the woozy, zombie apocalypse siren on the first Monday of every month, I think I can grit my teeth and get over it.