WHAT'S THE LATEST BUZZ? BRIDGES!I've been posting about Republicans lately.
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Julie Boler
MASLOW'S PEAKThanks for stopping by!
Maslow's Peak offers a liberal perspective on US politics, race, class, lgbt rights, election law, criminal justice, and public policy. Agree or disagree, let me hear your opinion! Write to me below, or join the discussion on my blog. |
5/5/2013 - ALLOW ME TO BE YOUR LINKMISTRESS
A little spring bouquet of excellent websites. That ought to keep you busy for a few days.)
A little spring bouquet of excellent websites. That ought to keep you busy for a few days.)
- TO TAX AND TO SPEND - Take in some full-on leftist economic theory by Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. Guy does not suffer supply-siders, and truly, evidence mounts in favor of his adamant theory that trickle-down doesn't work, never has, and never will. Here's his 4/25/13 column in the New York Times, laying to waste austerity policy. If you like that, the man blogs obsessively on his NYT.com blog.
- GOVERNMENT CHECKS AND GOVERNMENT BALANCES - Ever wonder how much dough folks on welfare actually get, and what's expected of them in return? What are the work requirements, really, and are there other responsibilities for recipients? Welfare in the US is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. Most requirements and guidelines are set at the federal level, and you can get the facts about them at the Health and Human Services official TANF website. Check the Wikipedia entry too - it summarizes the program in a reader-friendly way. Then you can put all that Mittinformation behind you.
- KIDDING! - Fans of political and social satire know the consistently hilarious "news source" The Onion. (A couple of sample headlines: "JCPenney CEO's Severance Package Includes 34,000 Pea Coats" and "Target Demographic Growing Up Right Before Advertiser's Wistful Eyes".) Well, a couple of competitors are gaining on The Onion - competition sure to keep all the jokesters on their toes. Good thing, because we count on top-notch comedy to help us keep the Era of the Insane Conservative in perspective. So check out The Daily Currant - these guys slipped onto the scene quietly, and their roguery has ruffled feathers as their stories get picked up by (careless?!) straight news outlets and reported as real stories. Daily Currant recent headlines: "Republican Bill Demands Immigrants 'Americanize' Their Names," and "Anthony Weiner: 'I Have A Hard-On For New York City." But whatever you do, don't miss The Borowitz Report. Another satirical news column, this one is written by comedian Andy Borowitz, and published online by The New Yorker. Borowitz, like the others, is mercilessly cynical and irreverant. He has conned his share of readers too, apparently to little consternation at The New Yorker, where they so far have allowed him to plow ahead fearlessly, lampooning the antics of our faithful leaders. A couple of recent stories: "Republicans: Obama Must Take Action In Syria So We Can Criticize Action He Took In Syria," and "Scalia Never Going To Another NBA Game."
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5/4/13 - from the desk of Julie Boler
Charles Krauthammer: who is that guy? Find out more about his sunny disposition and political fairness in my latest post from today. Hint: "Oh, it's raining today? I blame Obama." |
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2/08/13 - from the desk of Julie Boler
Hasn't there developed a growing swell of intolerance in the atheist movement? Without minimizing the harm that can be done in the name of religion, as a matter of social development and functionality, it is no more useful to put energy into disparaging and ridiculing someone's faith and beliefs than it is for people of faith to disparage and discriminate against a nonbeliever. Wouldn't such vehement energy be better spent working to maintain the separation of church and state? We have to be stalwart in our support of that wall, and right now it is under attack everywhere. We need all hands on deck! People of faith must be able to believe what they want without discrimination What they cannot do is use those beliefs to write school curriculum or set public policy. As long as that fundamental principle is upheld, the rest shouldn't matter. See today's post on this topic. |
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2/6/2013 - from the desk of Julie Boler
See today's post, in which we discuss
Republican tantrums,
scary drones,
and the future of
democracy in America.
Republican tantrums,
scary drones,
and the future of
democracy in America.
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12/2/2012 - from the desk of Julie Boler
As noted in today's journal entry, still not much happening at Maslow's Peak over the last couple of weeks. To keep things interesting, I'll share a very worthwhile link brought to my attention by my friend Dan. It's a long clip, but compelling - not a wasted word to be found. It's a Charlie Rose interview/discussion about the impact of justice system policies on American black men. Each of the guests would have made a fascinating interview alone; together they are a brain trust on the topic.
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from "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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11/14/2012 - from the desk of Julie Boler
Dear Readers,
As you may have noticed, I am on a little hiatus!
I am so relieved and excited about the outcome of the election, and couldn't be more optimistic about the future of the country. We have a smart, compassionate, dedicated, and visionary man in the White House for four more years. There is lots of work to be done, and I think the country is ready to do it.
I am also excited about the direction I plan to go in with this website, but I won't say a lot about it just yet. I need a chance to regroup from the hectic pace of the last few months, and on a personal level, with the holidays coming up, it's a little hard to focus on the big picture.
So from now to the end of the year I'm going to do some housekeeping-type work on the website, as well as some catching up on business-angle tasks. I will try to post a few times on current events. Then, as we move in to the first of the year, I will be unveiling the gist of my next couple of projects, and I humbly hope to capture your imagination, draw you to check in frequently, and engage you in a lively dialogue!
Thank you so much for all the feedback and comments throughout the election season - I will work hard in the new year to live up to any attention you have decided to give my work!
Happy Holidays!
Julie Boler
As you may have noticed, I am on a little hiatus!
I am so relieved and excited about the outcome of the election, and couldn't be more optimistic about the future of the country. We have a smart, compassionate, dedicated, and visionary man in the White House for four more years. There is lots of work to be done, and I think the country is ready to do it.
I am also excited about the direction I plan to go in with this website, but I won't say a lot about it just yet. I need a chance to regroup from the hectic pace of the last few months, and on a personal level, with the holidays coming up, it's a little hard to focus on the big picture.
So from now to the end of the year I'm going to do some housekeeping-type work on the website, as well as some catching up on business-angle tasks. I will try to post a few times on current events. Then, as we move in to the first of the year, I will be unveiling the gist of my next couple of projects, and I humbly hope to capture your imagination, draw you to check in frequently, and engage you in a lively dialogue!
Thank you so much for all the feedback and comments throughout the election season - I will work hard in the new year to live up to any attention you have decided to give my work!
Happy Holidays!
Julie Boler
Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA RE-ELECTED
AT LONG LAST, ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2012
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10/29/12 - from the desk of Julie Boler
Hurricane Sandy FROM FOLKS IN NORTH CAROLINA, TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATES: THIS IS A MESSAGE OF CONCERN AND SUPPORT FOR EVERYONE NOW SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE SANDY. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU. PLEASE KNOW THAT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IS BEHIND YOU 100%. YOU HAVE SOME ROUGH DAYS AHEAD AS YOU BEGIN TO DIG OUT, CLEAN UP, AND REBUILD. BE CAREFUL, STAY SAFE, AND BE STRONG. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. |
Winthrop, Mass., 10/29/12
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AMERICAN POLITICS - WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6th, 2012!
Are you registered to vote??
Get help now at RockTheVote.com! Read nonpartisan reporting at Reuters.com. Dissect claims at FactCheck.org. |
HOT TOPICS-PICK A BLOG SERIES-WEIGH IN!
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10/02/2012 - Harrisburg, PA
Pennsylvania voters without photo ID will be allowed to vote in this year's presidential election. Commonwealth Judge Robert E. Simpson ruled today that it was unlikely the State could ensure that every registered voter in the state would have the required ID in time to vote, so tight new restrictions could not go into effect until after this election season. The State has not said whether they plan to appeal. For more background leading up to today's decision, see my series on Voter ID. |
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9/18/2012 - Philadelphia, PA
An interesting response from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Instead of making a black-or-white decision in the Voter ID case before them, the PA Supreme Court sent the question back to the lower courts. The two judges that appeared during the trial to be against the law dissented, and it is a defeat in that the Court failed to strike down the law. But to me it's a relief that the law was not simply upheld. If they weren't going to strike it down altogether, this move can only help in this crisis situation. The lower court was given the burden of proving voters can get the ID they need to vote, rather than allowing the State to assume it will happen, or just claim it will. Huffington Post has a great article that includes a link to the full decision. See my series on Voter ID. |
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9/13/2012 -Philadelphia, PA
All eyes on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Oral arguments begin today, as the ACLU-PA heads up a challenge to the Pennsylvania Voter ID law, the strictest such law still standing in the country. Court convenes at 9:30 a.m. In order for the law to stand, the Pennsylvania Department of State must convince the Court that implementing strict new ID standards for voter identification, just before a Presidential election, is the right thing to do for voters in the state. Watch for updates here. For more background information, see my series on Voter ID laws. |
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8/30/2012 - Philadelphia, PA
Registered voters in Pennsylvania who don't possess a government-issued photo ID, now required to vote, are scrambling to get them in time for the November 6th election. Complicated procedures for obtaining the necessary documents are making that hard. The Committee of Seventy, a Philadelphia-based nonpartisan group for fair elections is working to inform assist voters in need of the new Voter ID. |
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False Advertising
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8/28/2012 - Raleigh, NC
Mitt Romney and his campaign continue to run a series of ads making claims about Obama's position on work requirements for welfare. These ads have been proven false. Read my post from today, which provides the evidence so you can judge for yourself. |
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8/22/2012 - Raleigh, NC
Changes in election law are happening at lightening speed right now. It can be hard to keep up, or even know how you feel about things like voter ID requirements, early voting hours, and the purging of voter rolls. It's easy to wonder why some are making such a big deal about the changes. In your effort to form an opinion, or persuade others of the one you have, try to answer these questions:
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Long voter lines in Ohio, election day 2004.
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On CBS, 60 Minutes, August 12, 2012
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8/12/2012 - Raleigh, NC
On 60 Minutes, Mitt Romney describes his process in selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate as a methodical decision that unfolded over a year. They reportedly have spent lots of time together discussing policy. Yet when asked about the differences in their budget proposal, Romney says he hasn't "gone over (Ryan's) plan point-by-point." Well, why haven't you?? This has become Romney's go-to response for tough questions. When asked about his taxes, this high-level financial manager says things like, "I can't remember for sure," My accountants did it; I just signed it," and of course, "I'll get back to you on that." His feigned innocence is not cute. |
Scranton city workers
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7/11/12 - Scranton, PA
Public employees in Scranton, PA are paying a harsh price for the radical private-sector-only philosophy of right-wing Republicans, who have made a fetish out of denigrating the use the of federal funds to solve domestic economic problems. When government budgets all the way down to local municipalities are bereft of funds for basic expenses, it is not the time to experiment with extremist policies. Republicans in the House and Senate recognize this country runs best on a balance of public and private resources. They should allow the mixed economy we have always relied upon to operate. they should allow some desperately needed stimulus funds to flow from the Capitol into the country, and use a more stable period to make their case for laissez-faire. |
Scranton Heavy Rescue truck
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7/10/12 - Fort Worth, Texas
The 2012 Texas Republican Party platform is made up of planks I don't agree with. That makes sense - I'm a Democrat. It has parts I find shockingly regressive. Still no surprise - I'm a lefty, and the Texas GOP is very conservative. What doesn't make sense, though, is a very peculiar statement the platform contains. In addition to their stated political ideology, there social and economic positions, their goals for the state, and their itemized priorities; in the section called "Educating Our Children", the Texas GOP comes out officially against critical thinking. Literally. The platform states: "We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority." I would invite my readers to use their critical thinking skills to evaluate the advisability of that policy. Update 7/24: Party Chair Steve Munisteri explains at length how this was simply a case of a poor choice of words. |
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6/22/12 - Sanford, FL
George Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara has released videotapes of Zimmerman's interviews with police from the day after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. O'Mara's team has set up a website dedicated to the case: George Zimmerman Legal Case, gzlegalcase.com. Audio and videotapes now in the public domain can be viewed there. |
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Paul Cameron, Family Research Institute
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MAY 16, 2012 - Colorado Springs, Colorado
I've never been a big proponent of the theory that all people who speak out against gay rights are closet cases. I think resistance to progress on this issue is more complicated than that. But... Listen to this fella, Paul Cameron, one of the meanest and most prolific homophobes out there, as he describes what he thinks of as the gay agenda; "...the long term goal of the homosexual movement is to get every little boy to grab his ankles and every little girl to give it a try..." Wow. Here is the radio interview. |
5/8/12 - Raleigh, NC
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Berean Baptist Church, Fayetteville NC
Pastor Sean Harris and wife Pam Harris
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5/2/12 - Fayetteville, NC
I don't understand this hate. I don't understand this level of delusion. I don't understand how someone can say these things in the name of God. I don't understand how someone can try to recruit others to join in this hate and violence. Am I referring to a group of terrorists, or members of a cult? No, just a homophobic preacher speaking this past Sunday to his congregation in Fayetteville, NC, telling his congregants to punch their young sons if they "act like a female" and "crack" their wrists if they're limp. I noticed there is a support group for parents of gay teens just 42 miles from this creep's church. I wish somehow he was forced to stand in front of them one day and say the exact same words, with the same tone and vehemence. How would he tell them to treat their kids? How would he justify the violence he proposes? Update 5/3: Read Harris's non-apology apology here. He says he never suggested punching children for acting gay. And he didn't. It wasn't a suggestion. It was a clear directive from the pulpit. Harris goes on to clarify that although he is not (legally responsible for) advocating child abuse, he also does NOT "apologize for the manner in which the Word of God articulates sexual immorality, including homosexuality and effeminacy, as a behavior that is an abomination to God." In some ways the retraction is worse than the sermon.
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5/2/12 - Raleigh, NC North Carolinians! It's less than a week until NC Primaries Election Day!! Watch campaign ads by the PRO-Amendment forces, check out a sample ballot, and find out how to get involved and speak out AGAINST the Amendment! |
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Don McLeroy, Texas creationist hero
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4/23/12 - Bryan, Texas
Behold! Former Texas Board of Education Chair Don McLeroy. I give you this Colbert Report interview without introduction; my description would not do it justice. Don McLeroy on The Colbert ReportAlso, be sure to take a look at McLeroy's highly polished, well-organized and professional website.
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4/11/12 - Sanford, FL
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN HAS JUST BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH 2ND DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN. |
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Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey
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4/11/12 - Sanford, FL
On Monday Florida state's attorney Angela Corey announced that the grand jury that was scheduled for set up this week in Sanford will not be convened. The jury was to determine whether George Zimmerman should be indicted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Instead, has decided to move forward without the grand jury, tasking herself and her staff with the responsibility of investigating the circumstances surrounding Martin's death, and making the decision on indictment herself. Describing her process in a press conference today, Corey displayed a remarkable level of accountability, something that has been sorely lacking in this case. We can only hope Corey is as determined and committed as she sounded, in the weeks and months ahead. |
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2/22/12 - Raleigh, NC
Rick Santorum wants you to know he is having a tough time with media coverage of his campaign. Week after week, he tires patiently, tirelessly to focus solely on issues Americans most want to discuss. His priorities, he will tell you, have to do with "energy, manufacturing jobs, cutting corporate taxes, the deficit, defense, and national security". It's really frustrating, he says, when reporters only ask questions that "fit their narrative" and keep harping on his comments he has made about "faith and social issues". That's gotta be tough. Santorum drives home this steely-eyed focus on critical national issues with long-winded explanation of why amniocentesis should not enjoy full medical coverage, and whether or not Barack Obama is a Christian. On the latter point, he has generously conceded several times now that our President probably does have a belief system that is marginally acceptable. (What a relief that must be to Mr. Obama.) And Santorum - the walking nerve-center of Republican fiscal policy - doesn't bring this question up to “question what the President believes in when it comes to his faith." As he pointed out recently to Sean Hannity, “Look, he went to Reverend Wright’s church for 20 years. I mean, now, you can question what kind of theology Reverend Wright has, but it’s a Christian church.” So that's settled. Clearly, the reason Rick Santorum takes the time to dissect the nuances of the President's perceived belief system, is to get across his own core beliefs about how we can bring down the deficit. |
An earnest candidate, burdened by the excesses of a dogmatic press.
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