Book Review: Edge of Disaster

I recently finished the book Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation by Stephen Flynn. Flynn is a national security specialist who started out in counterterrorism. Watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina convinced him that there were many serious risks to the country and terrorism, while important, wasn’t at the top of the list. The [...]

Reason 13 to Vote Obama: He Understands Technology!

My “Baker’s Dozenth” reason for you to vote for Barack Obama on November 4th is because America needs a President (and a Congress!) that really understands technology and the internet. We need informed policy on the internet and other technology from people who are comfortable with it. Senator Obama understands both the risks and benefits [...]

Register to Vote if not already!

By now, especially if you’re reading MY blog, you should be a registered voter so you can have your say on November 4th about whether this country continues to be governed on fear and division or whether we move into hope and inclusion. It’s up to you, but you have to be registered to vote [...]

drug addiction

A search engine phrase that doesn’t really have one answer is “drug addiction.” I’m not sure why, but it was the 5th most popular search term over the course of the past year, so that makes it worth writing about.
First, if you’re looking for quick answers about drug addiction, officially called substance abuse, I’d try [...]

Passport Not Required

Without addressing anyone in particular, I’d like to suggest that not holding a US passport is NOT the same thing as being unversed in foreign policy matters. I strongly believe that the right kind of person could do well in foreign affairs or even as VP without a passport. What counts are knowledge and curiosity.
Let’s [...]

Thank God He’s Not Popular!

It’s a lucky thing for this country that President Bush has a 28% approval rating and is widely distrusted by all but diehard Republicans. Otherwise his prime-time assertion of:
More banks could fail, including some in your community. The stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account. [...]

Bernie Sanders (VT) Anti-Bailout Petition

My friend James Jacobs pointed me to another alternative bailout plan that makes sense to me. It might even be a little too tilted towards Main Street, but is FAR, FAR, preferable to the options currently under discussion:
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Below is the letter I just sent. Feel free to copy/paste or edit as you see fit.

You can [...]

My Message to Congress: No Blank Check

The current bailout proposal as I saw it Tuesday afternoon is not acceptable. It gives money without requiring a change in the behaviors that required the bailout. And it allows one man to dole out $700B. Not even John McCain likes this deal.
Here’s the message I just sent to all three members of the Alaska [...]

Finding Candidate Voting Records

Some of the people who reach my blog via search engines are looking for Obama’s voting record on various issues – health care, defense, veterans etc. This prompted me to think it would be good write about how to find the voting record of anyone in Congress. Here are some of the resources I use:

Project [...]

Reason 12 to Vote Obama: Help Rural America

I live in Juneau, Alaska. The population is a little over 30,000. As a native of Los Angeles, Juneau feels kinda of rural to me every once in awhile, even after ten years. But the truth is that Juneau is the third largest city in Alaska. Many, many towns and villages in Alaska have populations [...]