Does this mean the old blogger blog is dead?
Souns likely to me.  Let’s see where this one goes…

…the goal is to import as much of the old blog here as possible. hopefully you’re already seeing it…

When google recently announced their new “My Maps” feature I knew I had to try it out, the only question was, what map do I want to build?

I tried mapping my Flickr snapshots. But Flickr had already done that. Not too interesting.

Then it occured to me that I get a daily Ingleside Police Station Crime Report email that lists all of the police activity for that day that includes the address of the incident. Bingo. So I started mapping crime reports. This is what I came up with. It currently covers the four days from April 2nd through April 5th, listing the arrests and criminal incidents. No, I will not maintain this map. I just used it as a way to learn about this feature. But it does offer an interesting view on the crime in our hood…

View full size

Give some time and some cell minutes to help put some checks and balances back in our government My friend here in Bernal is hosting at least one more call party for MoveOn.org Get a list, a script, some background info on the race, and start dialing. It comes down to person to person (and lots of answering machines) connections that can make a difference.

The way to connect is to visit MoveOn and look for a place to search for a call party by entering your zip code. Once he has his party registered, voila! See you there. And if his party doesn’t show up, others will. Wherever you are.

With the gorgeous weather we’ve been having around here, it would be a great way to donate to the cause.

This is not the first time Riverbend, my favorite Iraqi blogger, has taken a hiatus. But this was a really long break. And with the news coming out of Baghdad being what it is, it’s hard not to worry when a voice like hers falls silent. So it was a great relief, of sorts, to read her latest post

This has been the longest time I have been away from blogging. There were several reasons for my disappearance the major one being the fact that every time I felt the urge to write about Iraq, about the situation, I’d be filled with a certain hopelessness that can’t be put into words and that I suspect other Iraqis feel also.

Run Ned Run
Originally uploaded by BernalKC.

Pretty quiet around here, eh?

I’ve been vacationing in New England and San Diego, and not spending much time thinking about blogging. Thinking about many things, like what to do with this blog, why I blog, how this blog has evolved in my mind. But obviously, not spending any time writing new stuff for this blog.

I am happy to report that I spent the better part of a week at ground zero of the netroots story of the year: Ned Lamont’s drive to oust Senator Lieberman. Best of all, we stayed at with my sister-n-law whose husband’s politics are very close to my own. Not that politics was the centerpiece of our trip, but it was nice to be there.

Disturbing, but interesting in a rubbernecking kind of way…

I’ve always described myself as a small-l libertarian, and I’ve spoken up regularly on the core importance of liberty—here, here, and here

So I’m thrilled to see DKos articulating this idea so well: The Libertarian Dem:

So in practical terms, what does a Libertarian Dem look like? A Libertarian Dem rejects government efforts to intrude in our bedrooms and churches. A Libertarian Dem rejects government ‘Big Brother’ efforts, such as the NSA spying of tens of millions of Americans. A Libertarian Dem rejects efforts to strip away rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights — from the First Amendment to the 10th. And yes, that includes the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms.

So far, this isn’t much different than what a traditional libertarian believes. Here is where it begins to differ (and it shouldn’t).

A Libertarian Dem believes that true liberty requires freedom of movement — we need roads and public transportation to give people freedom to travel wherever they might want. A Libertarian Dem believes that we should have the freedom to enjoy the outdoor without getting poisoned; that corporate polluters infringe on our rights and should be checked. A Libertarian Dem believes that people should have the freedom to make a living without being unduly exploited by employers. A Libertarian Dem understands that no one enjoys true liberty if they constantly fear for their lives, so strong crime and poverty prevention programs can create a safe environment for the pursuit of happiness. A Libertarian Dem gets that no one is truly free if they fear for their health, so social net programs are important to allow individuals to continue to live happily into their old age. Same with health care. And so on.

The core Democratic values of fairness, opportunity, and investing in our nation and people very much speak to the concept of personal liberties — an open society where success is predicated on the merit of our ideas and efforts, unduly burdened by the government, corporate America, or other individuals. And rather than always get in the way, government can facilitate this

And I’m equally pleased that this post has caused a big splash, and that he’s planning a book on the same subject. Maybe its time to change my moniker from small-l libertarian to Libertarian Democrat. I like that.

Hopeful words from TPM’s Josh Marshall on the decline and fall of conservatism:

But as it was with Communism, so with conservatism. When all the people who call themselves conservatives get together and run the government, they’re on the line for it. Conservative president. Conservative House. Conservative Senate.

What we appear to be in for now is the emergence of this phantom conservatism existing out in the ether, wholly cut loose from any connection to the actual people who are universally identified as the conservatives and who claim the label for themselves.

It’s not just Bush either. Decades of failed conservative regimes, at home and abroad.

Time for something else. Like DKoz’s libertarian democrat?

Jon Stewart jokingly cited this Goering quote as a Bush administration inspiration:

“‘Of course the people don’t want war. But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.’”

Hat tip to Snopes for the exact quote.

Another famous fascist quote that fits Bush to a T comes from Stalin:

“Those who cast the vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.”

When will this fascist nightmare end?

There are many chilling reports of atrocities committed by US forces coming from Iraq in the wake of Haditha. Much of it may be dubiously sourced, but enough of it is reliable and corroborated to paint a dark and disturbing picture. Check out these reports, for instance:

Guardian Unlimited | US confronts brutal culture among its finest sons

American veterans of the war in Iraq have described a culture of casual violence, revenge and prejudice against Iraqi civilians that has made the killing of innocent bystanders a common occurrence.

Capitol Hill Blue’s The Rant: Field commanders tell Pentagon Iraq war ‘is lost’

Military commanders in the field in Iraq admit in private reports to the Pentagon the war ‘is lost’ and that the U.S. military is unable to stem the mounting violence killing 1,000 Iraqi civilians a month.

Even worse, they report the massacre of Iraqi civilians at Haditha is ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ with overstressed, out-of-control Americans soldiers pushed beyond the breaking point both physically and mentally.

Rush thinks we on the left are ‘ecstatic’ over Haditha. What an ass. Nothing could make me sadder. It’s not just the breakdown of the chain of command, the indiscriminate killing, that makes me greieve, it’s the enduring legacy this will have on the military and on this generation. This is a war that should never have been fought. Not Iraq, not while Afghanistan was unfinished, not while Bin Laden roamed free, not while Al Qaeda was still on the run. Now look what a horrible mess, what an unfolding tragedy we must live with.

What a totally cool idea. What totally cool maps. I can’t wait for this idea to spread around the world, or at least to the Bay Area!

Travel-time Maps and their Uses

Using colours and contour lines they show how long it takes to travel between one particular place and every other place in the area, using public transport.

Hat tip to Boing Boing and WorldChanging