Category: Politics
be3n is now completely carbon neutral thanks to offsets!*
Thank you Jon Oliver for putting the dream of carbon neutrality only $1 away. https://www.oliversoffsets.org/
*We think. Given the uncertainties of carbon math, this claim cannot be guaranteed.
I hope everyone is having a Super Tuesday!
I got out to vote a little later than i hoped and encountered a longer line than i have ever before (at least from voting). Only 55 minutes, nothing like some lines i have heard about. I got to play with the new electronic voting system. “It’s not connected to the internet” was the response that i received when inquiring into the device security. I have high confidence of the paper trail on these units, but I imagine that these machines do some sort of tabulation. Unless we actually count the paper ballets, it is those tabulations that we are expected to trust. These tabulation are trivial to manipulate if the devices are tampered with. “Don’t worry, it’s offline” dissuades none of these fears. Here are some pictures i took. Not pictured are the 2 broken units that were taped off at my precinct. Also, i was told that they should not have allowed me to take these pictures. i don’t know if that is true, but they did not seem to mind at the time. (i wasn’t wearing that shirt at the time)
Last days of the #dailyshowlibrary!
This small exhibit includes audio/video recordings from the Daily Show cast as well as Trump Survivors. Even a set with a golden toilet and props to pose with. (i had to grab a tie, but it wasn’t long enough for me). We were given name tags upon our arrival complete with nickname (mine was “Buzzkill be3n”). you can see the whole exhibit in under an hour. well worth the visit!
Sunday June 17th is the last day in LA. 631 N Robertson Blvd. 12pm-10pm.
Ken Calvert’s Town Hall, he phoned it in…
I tried to participate in Ken Calvert’s telephone town hall tonight, even recorded some of it. Unfortunately, they never took my question or even my promised recorded voicemail.
Many of my comments were addressed by others and most were deflected by Representative Calvert. I am certainly no expert on this stuff, but here are the points i would have brought up.
- CRA bill – Representative Calvert seems to have missed the distinction between internet service providers that offer services like Google, Facebook, or Snapchat and telecommunications providers that provide the very lines on witch those services depend. This is a critical distinction. Unlike service providers, it is not so easy to just find a telecommunications provider who’s policy you agree with. In most of America, they are practically monopolies.
- Russians!! – Lifting sanctions preventing Russian intelligence agency from purchasing surveillance technology? Why now? Representative Calvert talked about apposing foreign manipulation of our elections, but what about foreign money buying influence? Citizens united says money is speech, but what about foreign money?
- Obamacare Vs Trumpcare – Preexisting conditions? Failing program? It is certainly not perfect (don’t get me started), but my family would be destitute if it weren’t for the Affordable Care Act. The current offering as a replacement looks terrible and doesn’t include amendments for preexisting conditions. What will next year bring?