Bunch of articles from alternet and Buzzflash.

[conuly]

One on people's interests (which tend *not* to be Republican interests)
One on smoking-bans.
Another one on marijuana, this time involving becoming a refugee in Canada.
One on Republicans and blacks.
One on American media in Iraq.
One on welfare.
One on the economy. Can I say how this is another Gilded Age again? Please?
One on recruiting for the Armed Forces.
And another one, focusing on the shift towards convincing parents that it's all right if their kids sign up.
One, of course, on Iraq.
One on education and libertarianism.
One on Christianity.
And another one.
One on domestic partner benefits in Michigan.
One on the spread of infectious diseases via aviation.
One on political complaints against Pulitzer winners.
Sorry, make that two.

And that's it! Told you there was a lot. Hey, comment if you read any of these, 'k? I'd've posted them all separately, but... *glances up*

Comments

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I only really read the first one-- because it was so damned fascinating. He's right, too. People are so obsessed with the moral issues that they don't look at anything else these people stand on, or they just buy into what they're being told. "We'll pave the streets with gold."

And people believe they will, especially with money that's not theirs.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

*she. I went to look at the author and checked out Andrew, not Lillian, in another link.

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

I read the article about the smoking ban, and I am disappointed that it exempts bars and restaurants. There was a time (before my city passed a smoking ban that does include bars and restaurants) that I literally could not go to a public eating/drinking establishment due to smokers.

Now I just have a problem with establishments that flout the law, and the city not enforcing it.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I read or skimmed most of them, but they're making me sadder and grumpier than usual. I know the world is often a cruel and stupid place, but sometimes it gets to me.

As to the airline one, they'd have fewer infectious diseases if they gave passengers less of an incentive to fly with them. I needed to fly home a couple years ago, and realized I was sick. I had a mild fever that seemed to be progressing, was sneezing, and was afraid I might throw up if I flew. I was clearly contagious. So, I asked the airline if, given the cirucmstances, I could get a later flight when I wouldn't be sick and wouldn't risk throwing up on their plane or exposing the issue to others. I was told it'd cost about $100, and that's if I flew alone and let my lothario go on without me. So, I flew anyway and exposed other passengers and made a mental note that the airline didn't care about passenger safety.

That was also the time the airport took away my stick, so I was left unable to walk to the terminal and had to get my lothario to find someone with the little vehicle thing to take me. They just took my stick and shoved me along - sick and unable to walk.

I hate airlines.

[conuly]

Which airline was this? I want to avoid them.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure and it's really bugging me. But I think it's a fairly common practice among most airlines. I will try to find out. It was one that flies from Louisville Kentucky to OAK or SFO though. I really wish I remembered for sure. I'll look.

But the airport aspect does not relate to the airline. Different people. That's just what the Kentucky airport did. I don't have a problem anymore, now that I have a cane that looks more like a cane. But the problem was my old cane was non-standard, because I couldn't afford a "proper" cane.

My current cane is made from basically the same materials as a golf club, since the needs are similar - light but sturdy and strong. The handle even says something like Golf Pro or oh somesuch nonsense, it irritates me mildly, but whatever. It's heavy metal and folds up. If folded in half, it'd make a good bludgeoning weapon.

Now, you couldn't take over an airplane with it - not these days. The passengers would mob you and you'd be lucky if you even lived through the attempt. But you could smack someone really hard and hurt them. With enough smacking or a really lucky blow, you might be able to kill someone. I'm not sure, haven't tried. This gets through with no problems.

My old cane was an actual golf club with the head of the club removed. It got through on the way in, because the head was removed. Golf clubs are banned because the head can make a good weapon. The old cane was lighter and would have made an annoying weapon for swiping at someone, but it wasn't as heavy, so you couldn't do much with it. But they confiscated it, because they said it wasn't allowed. I tried to explain that I needed it, but they didn't listen and I was feverish, so I was less coherent. I did, however, make them put it on the plane to give it to me after the flight. They seem surprised that I was so insistent, but if they hadn't, how was I to get home safely? They didn't seem to grasp the concept that I used it to walk.

Since then, I've learned if anything like that happens again I am to ask for the CRO person. I think it stands for Conflict Resolution Officer. But it gets you someone who actually is trained in disability issues. But I didn't know that at the time and didn't expect to be stranged, sick, unable to walk, and without them even attempting to assist me.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I only really read the first one-- because it was so damned fascinating. He's right, too. People are so obsessed with the moral issues that they don't look at anything else these people stand on, or they just buy into what they're being told. "We'll pave the streets with gold."

And people believe they will, especially with money that's not theirs.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

*she. I went to look at the author and checked out Andrew, not Lillian, in another link.

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

I read the article about the smoking ban, and I am disappointed that it exempts bars and restaurants. There was a time (before my city passed a smoking ban that does include bars and restaurants) that I literally could not go to a public eating/drinking establishment due to smokers.

Now I just have a problem with establishments that flout the law, and the city not enforcing it.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I read or skimmed most of them, but they're making me sadder and grumpier than usual. I know the world is often a cruel and stupid place, but sometimes it gets to me.

As to the airline one, they'd have fewer infectious diseases if they gave passengers less of an incentive to fly with them. I needed to fly home a couple years ago, and realized I was sick. I had a mild fever that seemed to be progressing, was sneezing, and was afraid I might throw up if I flew. I was clearly contagious. So, I asked the airline if, given the cirucmstances, I could get a later flight when I wouldn't be sick and wouldn't risk throwing up on their plane or exposing the issue to others. I was told it'd cost about $100, and that's if I flew alone and let my lothario go on without me. So, I flew anyway and exposed other passengers and made a mental note that the airline didn't care about passenger safety.

That was also the time the airport took away my stick, so I was left unable to walk to the terminal and had to get my lothario to find someone with the little vehicle thing to take me. They just took my stick and shoved me along - sick and unable to walk.

I hate airlines.

[conuly]

Which airline was this? I want to avoid them.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure and it's really bugging me. But I think it's a fairly common practice among most airlines. I will try to find out. It was one that flies from Louisville Kentucky to OAK or SFO though. I really wish I remembered for sure. I'll look.

But the airport aspect does not relate to the airline. Different people. That's just what the Kentucky airport did. I don't have a problem anymore, now that I have a cane that looks more like a cane. But the problem was my old cane was non-standard, because I couldn't afford a "proper" cane.

My current cane is made from basically the same materials as a golf club, since the needs are similar - light but sturdy and strong. The handle even says something like Golf Pro or oh somesuch nonsense, it irritates me mildly, but whatever. It's heavy metal and folds up. If folded in half, it'd make a good bludgeoning weapon.

Now, you couldn't take over an airplane with it - not these days. The passengers would mob you and you'd be lucky if you even lived through the attempt. But you could smack someone really hard and hurt them. With enough smacking or a really lucky blow, you might be able to kill someone. I'm not sure, haven't tried. This gets through with no problems.

My old cane was an actual golf club with the head of the club removed. It got through on the way in, because the head was removed. Golf clubs are banned because the head can make a good weapon. The old cane was lighter and would have made an annoying weapon for swiping at someone, but it wasn't as heavy, so you couldn't do much with it. But they confiscated it, because they said it wasn't allowed. I tried to explain that I needed it, but they didn't listen and I was feverish, so I was less coherent. I did, however, make them put it on the plane to give it to me after the flight. They seem surprised that I was so insistent, but if they hadn't, how was I to get home safely? They didn't seem to grasp the concept that I used it to walk.

Since then, I've learned if anything like that happens again I am to ask for the CRO person. I think it stands for Conflict Resolution Officer. But it gets you someone who actually is trained in disability issues. But I didn't know that at the time and didn't expect to be stranged, sick, unable to walk, and without them even attempting to assist me.