Rowhouse Logic - Breathtaking Inanity

I haven’t done much playing around with the Google satellite maps until now. But I figured I’d show you a slightly greener view from the sky. I grew up in York PA. The pink dot in this picture (hopefully, if I can get it to show up) shows my parent’s house. The large river running through the image is the Susquehanna River, which separates York and Lancaster Counties. If you look north, near the top of the picture, you can see an island with buildings on it. That island, my friends, is the famed Three Mile Island.

Yes, I grew up within the 15 mile radius. The day of the accident, my friends and I sat around in our junior high school cafeteria, laughing about the possible irradiation of our green pistachio pudding. It was a strange day, but I don’t recall being particularly scared. I think at that point, we just knew that the core of the reactor hadn’t melted down, so it just didn’t seem like that big of a deal. I don’t even recall any of my friend’s families evacuating. Different mindset in Central Pennsylvania, I think. Interesting place.

The group of bloggers participating in the Online Day of Action For Seth Williams has gotten big enough that I need to make a bulleted list.

• Young
  Philly Politics
• Above
  Average Jane
• Karl and Matt from Philly
  Future

• A
  Smoke Filled Room
• Alex Urevick from Music
  For America
• Dragonballyee
• Philadelphia:
  America’s Hometown
• Suburban
  Guerrilla
• Chris Bowers from
  MyDD
• The
  West End
• Swing
  State Project

When I was writing my own post at around one this morning, I added a sentence including all of the known participants, who at that point included only Young Philly Politics and Above Average Jane. Being a pessimist, I was bit concerned about the possibility that the list might not grow beyond those two and myself. Let’s just say I love being wrong. Danielua from Young Philly Politics really did a terrific job of organizing the whole adventure, and it was great to watch it grow throughout the day even though I couldn’t really participate due to work constraints. There are still a few more hours left and I imagine this list will grow some more. Let’s hope it amounts to something. This election is very tough but very winnable. It would be oh so nice to see this one come out our way.

In Philadelphia, as in any city or region dominated by one party, the primaries are the only place where a citizen really gets the chance to vote for change and not have that vote burried in some brutal landslide. That’s why this primary matters, because we have the opportunity to vote for signifigant change and signifigant reform, and we have a candidate who can win. No doubt it’s a tough climb because the party’s apparatus is geared up to protect and promote the incumbant, and insurgencies ussualy die an meak and unglorious death.

Read what some of the people I linked to above had to write about Seth Williams and visit his site to read about him and his proposals for reforming the D.A’s office, and I think you will walk away impressed. If you aren’t, take the time to visit with him at one of his campaign functions, and I know you will walk away impressed. There is a great deal of work to do, and little time in which to do it. Get to work.

The Liberal Avenger doing what he does so well:

Fortunately for the rest of us who keep up with our sanity medication, the big business greed interests that keep the coffers of Senators from both parties flush with cash don’t give a shit about Bolton or the UN or Voinovich or how effectively Frist wields his cock. This stuff is a sideshow to keep the ideologues busy and distracted while the genuine, wholesale pillaging of the American people go on. Bush signed the “Bankruptcy Reform” bill into law yesterday with a smirk on his face. Wouldn’t it have been nice if that anti-consumer, anti-American bit of legislation were opposed with anything approaching the conviction of the unflagging winger support for an angry, ham-handed stooge like Bolton?

Go read the whole thing.

“It’s of no interest to me. It’s not even a consideration. Whatever it costs is worth it.”

-Lynne Abraham on the Death Penalty and its costs.

I suppose that quote (The New York Times Sunday Magazine, July 16, 1995), and others just like it, illustrates why I first became interested in the 2005 Democratic Primary for Philadelphia’s District Attorney. I don’t believe that a person who boasts of such callousness with regards to the most serious, costly, and morally troublesome penalty in our criminal justice system is even remotely fit to serve as District Attorney. It’s really that cut and dry for me.

The results of Lynne Abraham’s tenure in office have been less than stellar; already this year over 100 people have been murdered in Philadelphia. If trends hold, nearly 400 human beings will have been destroyed by the time we ring in the new year, taking with them forever all the potential that they may have held. To add insult to injury, over 50% of all criminal prosecutions in Philadelphia are dismissed prior to trial, simply because the District Attorney’s office is not ready. There is a better way.

Unlike so many elections where voters find themselves strategically voting against somebody, rather voting for a candidate or idea; this election boasts one of the most exciting candidates to emerge in Philadelphia politics in a generation. That candidate is Seth Williams. Aside from the fact that Williams is superbly qualified, having served 10 years as an assistant district attorney, he is a man with ideas and vision. He brings to the table a plan to implement community based prosecution, which would assign assistant district attorneys to geographic regions of the city, allowing them to better understand the particular community they serve and its particular problems. It would also assign the same assistant district attorneys to a case from arraignment to trial, which would keep cases from falling through the cracks, and help to bring down the number of cases which are dismissed due to poor preparation. Amazing that something like this isn’t already in place.

I’ve heard Mr. Williams speak and found him to be a remarkably talented and compelling candidate, with a gift for communicating clearly and bluntly the needs of the city and his proposals for addressing them. This is precisely the sort of person this city desperately needs in public office if we are to overcome our adversities and become a more just and equitable city. As Democrats, Seth Williams is the sort of strong, idea driven, natural candidate and advocate for reform that we should all be backing.

Since I began with the death penalty, I should note that Mr. Williams has stated that he will pursue the death penalty in cases he and his assistants deem appropriate. He has made clear that he intends to pursue it less frequently, with more care, and less enthusiasm than the incumbent. While this, in the mind of a death penalty opponent such as myself, is not perfect, it is certainly a change for the better. When I last heard Lynne Abraham she indicated that death penalty opponents shouldn’t really be troubled by her because only one person in Philadelphia was sentenced to die last year. Abraham, a seasoned politician who knew she was addressing a progressive audience, didn’t bother to mention that the death penalty was pursued in all cases where it was even a remote possibility (hundreds?) but was only sought successfully once. There is a better way.

All that aside, let me tell you the main reason I’m voting for Seth Williams on May 17; several people I’ve cared for in my life have been the victims of violent crime in Philadelphia and I’ll never have the opportunity to speak to some of them ever again - We must do better. We must find a way to end the bloodbath. There is no justice in a bloodbath. There is a better way and there is a better choice for District Attorney; his name is Seth Williams.

Volunteer, Donate, and Vote.

This post is part of the Online Day of Action For Seth Williams during which several Philadelphia bloggers (and hopefully not just the little guys like me) will be writing about why we will be voting for Seth Williams on May 17. I will post links to those who participate. So far we have posts from Young Philly Politics , Above Average Jane, Philly Future, Karl and Matt of Philly Future, A Smoke Filled Room, Alex Urevick of Music For America, Philadelphia: America’s Hometown, Suburban Guerrilla, Dragonballyee, MyDD, Swing State Project, and The West End (Wow! Keep them coming). I’ve written several previous posts on Seth Williams and the primary. You can view most of them here (some unrelated stuff, sorry).

Maybe goddess isn’t exactly the right word, that conjures images of Wicca and that’s probably a discussion for another day. Let’s just say that I’m getting in tune with my inner seductress. (Chris, stop laughing…now)

I went to my first belly dancing class tonight. I’ve known lots of people who’ve taken classes as part of an adult education program, but I’m embarking on this as a part of a fitness program. This might sound ridiculous, but tonight I learned that belly dancing is one hell of a workout. Some of the movements are familiar, the hip shimmy, for instance, but in this type of dance, you learn to isolate very specific groups of muscles and move them in defined ways to achieve a certain type of motion and appearance.

And if you’ve ever actually watched a belly dancer, you know they wear scarves tied around their hips. Even we amateurs get to wear scarves. In addition to looking great, they are a big help in learning how to perfect your movements. You can tell whether you’re moving correctly by watching the motion of the scarf.

Lots of exercise classes cater to women, particularly younger women, but this class is excellent for women of all ages and fitness levels. There are breaks in the action, so you don’t need to be in perfect shape. No running or jumping happens, so this can be classified as an absolutely no-impact workout. And the body movements you will learn by isolating various groups of muscles are ideal for toning and shaping a woman’s body.

I rarely get excited about exercise, but as you can probably tell, I’m pretty damn stoked about belly dancing. Maybe it’s because it feels more like fun than exercise. I’ve always been a dancing fool, so I’m hoping that maybe I’ve finally found the perfect workout.

As always, I’ll keep you guys posted. If anybody wants more information about classes, just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.

I find myself fascinated by all the discussion of Pope Benedict’s rather conservative posture on the usual litany of items including: abortion, euthanasia, and death penalty. So, while I was browsing the discussion at Talk Left, I stumbled across this very amusing comment by Conscious Angel…

“I am a little disappointed that they have selected a Catholic again. I think a Unitarian would have shaken things up a bit.

If you want a more conservative era, go with a Southern Baptist, but no the Cardinals did it again, another Catholic. How many is that now in a row?

Has anyone explained diversity to the folks at Vatican City?

At least a Latin American would have been familiar with the language. What does a German guy know about Latin?”

I don’t have anything new and interesting to say about the discussion, but I thought the comment was worthy of a mention.

Go have a look at this whole paper by Elizabeth A. Linehan, the focus is of which is not solely Lynne Abraham, but which uses her, and her department’s practices, to argue against the death penalty. Quite something really.

I live in a city (Philadelphia, PA) whose District Attorney seeks the death penalty more often, and with greater success, than any other D.A. in the United States. In Philadelphia, as elsewhere in the U.S., the majority of defendants in capital trials are poor, and rely on court appointed defense lawyers paid by the local jurisdiction. It is no coincidence that a city which sends large numbers of convicted murderers to death row has “an unusually impoverished system” for representing indigent defendants. According to Tina Rosenberg, where private attorneys “routinely” charge $50,000 to defend a capital case, Philadelphia pays court-appointed lawyers a $1700 flat fee for preparation and $400 for each day in court. The executive administrator of Philadelphia’s courts reckons that this averages $3519 a case.

Those numbers help to explain why District Attorney Lynn Abraham’s department has such a high percentage of homicide defendants sentenced to death. They also suggest that Philadelphia runs an especially great risk of sending to death row some persons who are innocent of the crime for which they were convicted. But why does Philadelphia ask for the death penalty so often—in Rosenberg’s words, “virtually as often as the law will allow”? D.A. Abraham says that she considers herself the representative of the victim and the victim’s family, and that the death penalty is the right thing to do for them. This is essentially a retributive rationale for capital punishment.

Via UpyerNoz

Dragonballyee has a nice recap of meeting Seth Williams at Drinking Liberally, as well as some photos of Mr. Williams at the event. Go have a peak.

Still on a mini break (yes, again). Move along now.

Nothing from me today, but, I wanted to point out that Will Bunch has caught some Pope Madness and is updating fiendishly, The Washington Note has gone John Bolton crazy, and the Liberal Avenger is still on his twisted Geek Crack bender. All well worth the trip.

Oh, and by the way, you can go have a beer with Seth Williams tonight.

May happy rhino’s leave golden eggs in your stocking and may cute little koalas crap rainbows in your brain, because I’m either too beat or too burnt to say much of any worth (How long has this been so? Too long, way too long). But before you proclaim me a total loser, a funky blemish on an otherwise worthy cause, let me ask you this; where else but here are you going to get random missives on weight loss, beer, and politicians you’ve probably never even heard of and couldn’t care less about? Well, probably about 200,000 other places, but we all live in rectangular structures made of brick - real urban folk damnit - so that must count for something. Good night.

Well, the first week of my Weight Watchers venture has ended on a happy note. I went away this weekend and didn’t get weighed on Saturday, so I stepped on the scale this morning. Down 6 lbs.!!! Of course, this is great news and I’m thrilled. I’m especially happy because I went out to dinner 5 times and still lost 6 lbs.

I’m no expert and I’d encourage everyone to take my advice with a grain of salt. That being said, this website has the Weight Watcher’s point counts of various items at tons of national chain restaurants. They even have Wawa on their list, which I thought was particularly handy.

I like eating lots of ethnic food and I think some of it is actually pretty diet friendly. 4 pieces of nigiri sushi (just fish with rice) is 2 points. 4 pieces of maki sushi (fish and veggies, rolled in rice and seaweed) is the same. Be cautious with tempura rolls or anything with sauces. The vegetarian and chicken menu items in Ethiopian food are also good. The lentils and peas are filling and their fiber probably offsets the fat in the sauces. I’m not so sure of that wonderful spongy bread; it’s delicious and addictive and probably not so good for dieters, but for now I’m eating it anyway.

Anyway, I guess I should do a little work today, so I’ll be back with an update on Saturday.

Above Average Jane has a terrific post on Seth Williams tonight. Go read it and enjoy. I’d disagree with her just a little, and say that we are indeed a city overburdened with good men. The mass majority of those good men, however, are not running for office and never will. That said, I more than agree that we desperately need people like Mr. Williams in office and each and every one of us who gives a damn should do whatever we can to help him become Philadelphia’s next District Attorney. I bored the piss out of any number of friends and luckless souls who had the misfortune of grabbing the barstool next to mine, by talking up Seth Williams and getting them committed to vote for him in what we all must admit is still a low interest primary. If you can’t contribute or volunteer, do the same - bore the snot out of everybody who is willing to listen until they are interested. In this kind of low turnout election, every single vote counts and you really can make a difference.

The Liberal Avenger is the midst of a very serious and completely twisted map geek bender. Baring the introduction of masive quantities of Hadlol into his blood steam, I doubt he will ever recover. I encourage the map geek in all of you to participate - here here here & here.

Just for the hell of it, and because I wanted a drink.

La Chouffe Artisanal Belgian Golden Ale Brewed With Spices

Just a reminder that if you want to vote in the May Philadelphia District Attorney’s primary (for Seth Williams I hope), you must get yourself registered as a Democrat by the end of the day tomorrow (Hi Jeff - you can always switch back - it’s not like getting married and nobody will tell your dad). Why wait? It’s a beautiful day, so take a walk over to your local post office today, pick up a registration form, fill it out and get it in the mail. If for some odd reason you decide to wait until tomorrow, you will need to mail your form from the 30th street post office prior to midnight. This will be a very low turnout election so every vote will be important and your vote really can make a difference. Additionally, if you happen to know somebody who isn’t, or may not be, registered, give them a call or go pick up a form yourself and drag their lazy butt out of bed to fill it out. Get to work.

Ny Times Editorial Board:

It is one thing when private groups foment this kind of intolerance. It is another thing entirely when it’s done by the highest-ranking member of the United States Senate, who swore on the Bible to uphold a Constitution that forbids the imposition of religious views on Americans. Unfortunately, Senator Frist and his allies are willing to break down the rules to push through their agenda - in this case, by creating what the senator knows is a false connection between religion and the debate about judges.

The springtime view from my front stoop - looking straight up.

Bad picture, I know, but I have a thing for flowering trees and rowhouses. I posted a number of autumnal pictures, sans rowhouses, a while back if you care to have a gawk. Same crap photographer I’m afraid, so don’t get excited.

Rabbi David Saperstein:

The news that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plans to join a telecast whose organizing theme is that those who oppose some of President Bush’s judicial nominees are engaged in an assault on “people of faith� is more than troubling; it is disingenuous, dangerous, and demagogic. We call on him to reconsider his decision to appear on the telecast and to forcefully disassociate himself from this outrageous claim.

Senator Frist must not give legitimacy to those who claim they hold a monopoly on faith. They do not. They assert, in the words of Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and organizer of the telecast, that there is a vast conspiracy by the courts “to rob us of our Christian heritage and our religious freedoms.� There is no such conspiracy. They have been unable to ram through the most extreme of the President’s nominees, and now they are spinning new claims out of thin air.

Alas, this is not an isolated incident. This past week, the Christian Coalition convened a conference in Washington entitled, “Confronting the Judicial War on Faith.” Their special guest speaker was the House Majority Leader, Rep. Tom Delay. When leaders of the Republican Party lend their imprimatur to such outrageous claims, including, at the conference, calls for mass impeachment of Federal Judges, it should be of deep concern to all who care about religion. It should also be of concern to President Bush whose silence, in the wake of the claims made both at the conference in Washington and in the upcoming telecast, is alarming.

The telecast is scheduled to take place on the second night of the Passover holiday, when Jews around the world gather together to celebrate our religious freedom. It was in part for exactly such freedom that we fled Egypt. It was in part for exactly such freedom that so many of us came to this great land. And it is in very large part because of exactly such freedom that we and our neighbors here have built a nation uniquely welcoming to people of faith – of all faiths. We believe Senator Frist knows these things as well. His association with the scheduled telecast is, in a word, shameful. We call upon to him to disassociate himself from the claim that the Senate is participating in a filibuster against faith, and to withdraw his participation from the April 24th event.

Via just about everybody.

I’m a sucker for beers in peculiarly shaped bottles.

St. Peter’s Cream Stout by St Peter’s Brewery.

I think I may need to clean my desk.