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News, culture, and politics. Not necessarily in that order.

 

Entries Tagged as 'Activism'

Condi Must Go

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 16th, 2008 at 11:12 am

I’ll say this for Condoleeza Rice — she does an outstanding job of making the case against herself.
Watch her effectively prosecute herself on video:

 
Read this diary for context.
Visit CondiMustGo.com for more info and to sign the online petition.
 

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Tags: Politics · George W. Bush · Activism · Torture · Human Rights · Video · Law · Justice System

Torch

Posted by Ocelopotamus on April 8th, 2008 at 4:05 am

I’ve said this many times in the past, and I’m sure I’ll say it again in the future:
God bless Peter Tatchell.
Towleroad:
Gay activist Peter Tatchell was one of dozens detained in various protests over the weekend surrounding the transit of the Olympic flame through London, including one dramatic moment in which the torch was nearly snatched […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · LGBT · Activism · Human Rights · China

CIGNA Decides to Commit Murder by Spreadsheet — “Day of Rage” Organized

Posted by Ocelopotamus on December 20th, 2007 at 11:12 am

See update #3 at the bottom of this post: after an emotional roller coaster of a day, Nataline Sarkisyan has passed away.
The fine, caring folks at CIGNA health insurance have made the warm-hearted decision to let a 17-year-old girl die because they don’t want to pay for a liver transplant. And they’re trying to justify […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Blogs · Activism · Human Rights · Healthcare Crisis

Best. Protest. Ever.

Posted by Ocelopotamus on November 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 am

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Watch Abu Gonzales get completely pwned by some students.

 
Today I’m thankful that, despite the best efforts of Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, and the rest of their horde, there are still young people in the world who are able to pierce the veil of truthiness and do stuff like this. […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Alberto Gonzales · Activism · TV · Torture · Human Rights · Video · Civil Rights · Justice System · Keith Olbermann

Support the Writers Guild Strike

Posted by Ocelopotamus on November 7th, 2007 at 1:09 pm

Here’s a snappy little video explaining why.

 
As Miss Laura notes, the writers have even tried relaxing their demand for that luxurious extra 4 cents per DVD. They said they’d be willing to settle for the measly 4 cents they’re already getting, if they can just please be paid for their work on Internet downloads. And […]

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Tags: News · Culture · Comedy · Activism · Film · TV · Science Fiction · Heroes · History · Video · Labor

Roundup: Monkey in the Bathroom Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on November 6th, 2007 at 3:39 pm

I can’t scrape together enough time at the moment to do OcPot’s usual painstakingly well-rounded roundup — I’m seeing The Waterboys at the Park West tonight, woo-hoo! — but I wanted to get some of these links up before they fossilized. So here’s a charmingly slapdash, quick-and-dirty roundup. In ripped fishnet and high heels.

The always-eloquent […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Music · Tech · Food · Blogs · LGBT · George W. Bush · New Wave · Activism · TV · Democrats · Apple · Barack Obama · Comics · Science Fiction · Heroes · Animals & Environment · History · Torture · Human Rights · Nature · Labor · Civil Rights · 2008 Election · Religion · Spirituality · Journalism · Macintosh · Elections · Terrorism · Mitt Romney · Vegetarian & Vegan · Roundup · Essays

On My Reading List: Naomi Klein’s New Book, The Shock Doctrine

Posted by Ocelopotamus on October 16th, 2007 at 4:32 am

Daily Kos has a review up of Naomi Klein’s new book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Harper’s ran an excerpt from The Shock Doctrine in the October issue which was, as the DKos review says, riveting, and immediately put the book on my must-read list. I’m planning to pick up a copy […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Activism · Film · TV · Climate Change · Books · Corporations · Iraq · Human Rights · Harper's · Foreign Policy · Video · Journalism · Documentaries · Infrastructure

On The Christians and The Gays, and Keeping the Flock Together

Posted by Ocelopotamus on October 15th, 2007 at 3:27 am

So there was a new study written up this past week, supplying evidence that young people in America are rejecting Christianity because they see it as “hypocritical, judgmental, and anti-gay.”
The vast majority of non-Christians — 91% — said Christianity had an anti-gay image, followed by 87% who said it was judgmental and 85% who said […]

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Tags: Politics · Culture · Music · Blogs · Journal · LGBT · Activism · Folk · Folk-Rock · Civil Rights · Religion · Spirituality · U.S. Congress · 60s Pop · Joan Baez

Roundup: Swiftly Tilting Planet Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 17th, 2007 at 2:05 am

Eric Alterman has an outstanding column in The Nation on how the media’s mean girls (of all genders) develop the narratives they use to bring down the presidential candidates they take a dislike to. With examples of what they did to Gore in 2000, and what they’re doing to Obama and Edwards right now.
Two of […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Science · Tech · Chicago · LGBT · Media · Activism · Film · Climate Change · Democrats · Barack Obama · Books · Comics · HIV · Lit · Science Fiction · AIDS · Peace · Health · Iraq · Animals & Environment · History · Al Gore · U.S. Senate · Foreign Policy · Nature · John Edwards · 2008 Election · Hate Crimes · Fantasy · Cancer · Astronomy · U.S. Congress · Journalism · Elections · Roundup · Jamaica · Middle East · Infrastructure · Public Transportation

The Bright Side of Death

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 15th, 2007 at 11:49 pm

This week’s smash-hit viral video is a cheery little mash-up in which a Monty Python classic gets its peanut butter in the chocolate of the modern-day healthcare crisis.

 
… and here’s the handy action link.
If William Jennings Bryan were alive today, he might say something about not crucifying mankind upon a Cross of Blue.
… while we’re […]

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Tags: Politics · Culture · Comedy · Activism · Health · History · Human Rights · Video · Healthcare Crisis · The Economy, Stupid · Animation

Roundup: Pink Elephant Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

General Petraeus says that “victory” in Iraq will require 9-10 more years. I’m trying to imagine how ten more years of bloody occupation can possibly work out to a victory. More on that subject here.

A bill has been introduced in Venezuela to restrict baby names to a list of 100 approved choices. “The bill’s ambition, […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Music · Science · Tech · LGBT · Media · Activism · Film · Climate Change · Internet · Language · Books · Theater · Comics · Performance · HIV · AIDS · Cardy Pop · Peace · Health · Iraq · Animals & Environment · History · Human Rights · U.S. Senate · Foreign Policy · Solar Power · Energy · Nature · Darfur · 2008 Election · U.S. Congress · Journalism · Europe · Roundup · Middle East · Racism · San Francisco

Good Morning, Day 51

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 6th, 2007 at 11:21 am

1,850 U.S. citizens were recently killed in an entirely preventable disaster.
It’s been a while since I’ve updated this record — 37 days, to be exact. On July 18 I started keeping count of the 50 U.S. citizens who die every day because they can’t afford health care, according to this statistic.
So in a little […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Media · Activism · Film · Health · UK/England · Human Rights · U.S. Congress · Europe · France · Documentaries · Healthcare Crisis · Michael Moore · The Economy, Stupid · Canada · HCC-DDT

“Lord Have Mercy, I Think It’s the Cops”: Larry Craig and Madame George

Posted by Ocelopotamus on September 4th, 2007 at 12:58 am

Forgive me for posting twice in a row about Larry Craig. After the past week, surely it’s time for him to begin shrinking in the collective rear-view mirror of our culture.
But I can’t help it. On Sunday, someone who goes by the nom de net Blueness posted an absolutely beautiful diary on Daily Kos, called […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Music · LGBT · Activism · Theater · Ireland · History · Human Rights · U.S. Senate · Civil Rights · Journalism · Conservatives · 60s Pop · Essays

Roundup: Dinosaur Corsage Edition

Posted by Ocelopotamus on August 31st, 2007 at 11:01 am

Scary stuff: There’s a lot of buzz and speculation that starting just after Labor Day, the Bush administration is going to be rolling out a major PR campaign to pave the way for war with Iran. See here and here for starters. Grand Moff Texan at DKos says the Bushies will be using the same […]

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Tags: News · Politics · Culture · Science · LGBT · Media · George W. Bush · Activism · Film · TV · Democrats · Comics · Karl Rove · Doctor Who · Peace · Health · Advertising · Iraq · Animals & Environment · UK/England · Ireland · History · Human Rights · Russell T. Davies · Foreign Policy · Energy · Nature · John Edwards · Cancer · Pets · Europe · France · Healthcare Crisis · Law · Justice System · Roundup