most systems back on line, captain!

Wow! Well, I had a lovely long chat with the beautiful and entertaining vatoengland Sunday evening/night. Discovered even more crossed paths of acquaintance, pastimes we'd enjoy sharing, and books and movies we need to watch with each other. I am so lucky to know such nice people!

politically smart, but intellectually dishonest

"Let me be very clear. I support the Second Amendment. I've been a hunter all my life," Kerry said. "But I don't think we need to make the job of terrorists any easier."

from an article in the Washington Post
( Read more... )

why does this not surprise me?

Responding to a series of deadly terror attacks, President Vladimir Putin on Monday moved to significantly strengthen the Kremlin's grip on power, with new measures that include the naming of regional governors and an overhaul of the electoral system. ...

Announcing electoral changes that would give the already dominant pro-Kremlin faction in parliament even greater power, he proposed a purely proportional voting system that would eliminate the individual races that now fill half the seats in the State Duma. ...

Putin, who has already cut deeply into the powers of regional governors, also said he would introduce legislation that allows him to nominate the governors, who are currently elected. The move appeared to signal he was intent on eliminating any vestiges of the governors' autonomy.

from the Washington Post

and, in the "No Democracy Please, We're Chinese" department

"If too many legislators advocate democracy, I don't think it would be good for Hong Kong's business environment," said Dorothy Chow, 30, an office clerk who said she voted for a slate of candidates from the largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong.

from the Post

I'm sure they must have a People's Assembly for Empowering the Environment that fights against clean air and water standards and a Workers' Health and Safety Cooperative Movement that ensures that businesses don't have to actually pay to protect their workers from their manufacturing processes or give them health- or child care.