Another American Tragedy

Another "compassionate" week for the GOP. The Republicans in the Senate rejected Senator Kennedy's proposal to raise the federal minimum wage by a vote of 52-46. These "compassionate" Republicans decided to keep the minimum wage at the same poverty-inducing rate it has been at for the last nine years.

If you do the math the numbers are $5.15 per hour times 40 hours per week times 52 weeks a year... with no vacation and no holidays you get the grand total of $10,712 per year or $206 per week. Note that this is before the income, social security and medicare taxes are taken out which will reduce it by at least a third.

Just for the record, just this month, Congress agreed to keep their automatic salary increase for cost of living.

This is a very partisan issue. Every Democrat present voted for the minimum wage increase. The only Republicans that seem to have some concern for the fate of the American worker and to join Democrats were Senators Chafee, Collins, DeWine, Lugar, Snowe, Specter, and Warner ( Jeffords too).

I suppose the Republicans are counting on the typical American amnesia to kick in before the November elections. They assume by that time all the poor bastards they just screwed one more time will have forgotten this new insult. The tragedy is they may be right. It is amazing how often the folks that have the most to lose vote for the party that will surely ignore their needs and do nothing for them.

I captured the 2004 Poverty chart from HHS below. You can readily see that even two years ago, if you consider taxes, not even a single person makes the grade. I am really trying to understand how the folks that voted against the Kennedy bill sleep at night. There wasn't even a counter proposal to meet Kennedy half way. It is just another American tragedy under this Republican misadministration.

2004 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Size of Family Unit	48 Contiguous States and D.C.	Alaska	Hawaii
1	$ 9,310	$11,630	$10,700
2	12,490	15,610	14,360
3	15,670	19,590	18,020
4	18,850	23,570	21,680
5	22,030	27,550	25,340
6	25,210	31,530	29,000
7	28,390	35,510	32,660
8	31,570	39,490	36,320
For each additional person, add	3,180	3,980	3,660

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 69, No. 30, February 13, 2004, pp. 7336-7338

Home in Atlanta

Welcomed back with righteous thunderstorms...quite the contrast to the deserts I have been traveling in the last few days. All in all a good but short holiday and a chance to see a part of the country I have been remiss in visiting. Should have done it sooner.
The impositions of modern life are here and waiting...e-bills, e-mail, e-harassment, e-penis enlargement, e-anything.
I am woefully behind in my world picture since I have been avoiding the news(or vice versa) for a week. I detect that Bush and company are about to be punked by their handpicked team in Iraq which ought to make for some interesting backstepping and hemming and hawing on tomorrow's shows.
I was saddened to hear that Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake lost her mother last week and our love goes out to her. I haven't had time to read all the comments but the support from all the "firepups" on the sad news is impressive and moving.
I will try and catch up with the world tomorrow and add something to the discourse and maybe even a picture.
It is now time for a little sleep.

All Over

Ok vacation is history. Got to see a major chunk of Arizona and the bottom bit of Utah and all in all it was a very busy and full week. Back in Phoenix and catching a plane back to Atlanta early this afternoon. Should begin to see some regular posts here as I can pretty much count on Internet in the places I go. I had no real cell phone/Blackberry service/Internet in the Grand Canyon, Page, or Monument Valley. I did see a glimpse of service from some company called Smith Bagley while on the Navajo reservation in a place called Kayenta which is famous for its Navajo Code Talker exhibit in the Burger King.

I am glad I toolk the time to visit Monument Valley. It is a National Monument but is contained completely within the Navajo reservation and they pretty much have it under their control. You can (for 5$) drive around a 17 mile unpaved road that loops through some of the monument and past most of the major rocks. The best way to see the whole thing is to go to Goulding's Lodge and do the package that includes the all day tour. You get a Navajo guide and go to places in the valley that are restricted to guided tours only. These are only accessible via 4 wheel drive and way, way off the beaten path but you get to see Anasazi ruins, pertroglyphs and rock formations that you can't see on the self tour. With the package an all day tour cost $80.00 per person and includes a lunch of burgers cooked by the guide. Good value.

It is also quite eye opening to spend the day in the desert with a native guide and ask questions. Because of the extended drought over the last 10 - 15 years the Navajo have not been able to make a living like they traditionally have. They are now dependent on hauling in water from some of the deep wells that are around the valley as well as hay to support their tiny flocks of sheep and cattle. The drought is forcing them to abandon many of their traditional methods of living in the desert. this is most likely the same set of circumstances that forced the Anasazi to abandon the valley so long ago. Because of global climate change this the may be the fate of the majority of us in the not so distant future.

See you from Atlanta tonight or tomorrow.

Back to the real world...

Bryce Canyon

Like I said earlier Bryce Canyon is worth seeing. We saw pronghorn antelope, deer and even caught a good look at a pair of pinion jays. At nearly 9000 ft there is also quite the view from Rainbow point.

Through the Desert

We had a fun day yesterday that was totally unplanned. We did go to Bryce Canyon but getting there was the best part. On our way from Page to Bryce we stopped at the BLM Visitors Center for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We had a great talk with the resident paleontologist and he showed us some of their latest discoveries. Evidently the area was the last part of the U.S. to be mapped and the first dinosaur bones weren't dicovered until 1999 or so but since then hundreds have been uncovered. Anyhow, he told us we should go directly across the monument instead of circle it to get to Bryce. Taking the unimproved road through the monument saves nearly a hundred miles and he said it was really the best way to see the monument.
We took the 55 miles of dirt road and it was truly impressive we only passed a couple of others on the way and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. The picture is just one of a hundred I took on the trip. I can highly recommend taking Cottonwood Road from U.S. 89 west of Page to Hwy 12. The rental is an Chevy Equinox with some ground clearance and all wheel drive but I think you could make it easily in a regular one if you were careful.
Bryce is worth the visit as well. Not as grand as the Grand Canyon but cool in its own way.
Off to Monument Valley this morning and Goulding's Lodge which is supposed to be the best place to stay in the area. Tomorrow we have a day long archealogical tour scheduled with a Navaho guide that will get us behind the scenes...as it were.

Fires

Big fire burning over on the North Rim today and therefore we are changing direction and going to Utah and Bryce Canyon instead. It was already starting to get hazy yesterday and today it is pretty bad according to reports. Only 12 miles further to Bryce than to the North Rim from here in Page. this little town at the bottom of Lake Powell is pretty central to a lot of good stuff and you can make day trips to the Grand Canyon North and South Rim (130 miles), Bryce Canyon NP (150 mile), Monument Valley (160 miles) and a bunch more. I promise a couple of pictures tonight.

Still Out West

Having a good time. No access to the internet for a few days though. Millions of pictures to post and stuff. If you haven't seen the Grand Canyon in person it is a must do. Pictures just don't do it justice. Awesome...I can't believe Iv'e waited this many years to see it.

Made the drive from the canyon to Page, Az this morning. Very scenic as well. It is actually through the Painted Desert so it is pretty special. I will catch up more a little later this evening. I will also try and post a few pics.

I have been going without internet since Thursday last week and didn't know I could go so long without it. I be back later. I have to see what bills are due for payment and check the email.

Canyon Bound

Ok all the work in Phoenix is done, madam has arrived and we are off to see the wonders of Northern Arizona. We have a whole lost of places to see between here and the Canyon and between the canyon and Monument Valley. Should be a lot cooler at that altitude.
Everyone says the drive between Phoenix and Sedona and the Grand Canyon is beautiful so I intend on taking a lot of pictures.
Don't know what the Internet access will be like so don't know how much you'll hear from me over the next few days.

Have fun. Don't shoot anybody in the face. Don't mock any blind folks over their dark glasses and ignore Ann or arrest her.

AIG Loses Records on 1M People

Ok, I'm a firm believer in the value of computers and how they can make out lives better in many ways. Computers eliminate a lot of human drudgery and enable a lot of great things like the Internet and it's how I make my living. There is, however, a certain level of responsibility required if you are going to use computers to collect sensitive information on people. We are seeing entirely too many instances of negligence connected with stored personal information.

WASHINGTON - A thief recently stole a computer server belonging to a major U.S. insurance company, and company officials now fear that the personal data of nearly 1 million people could be at risk, insurance industry sources tell NBC News.

The computer server contains personal electronic data for 930,000 Americans, including names, Social Security numbers and tens of thousands of medical records. The server was stolen on March 31, along with a camcorder and other office equipment, during a break-in at a Midwest office of American Insurance Group (AIG), company officials confirm.

I'm trying to understand how somebody could walk into the computer center of a major corporation and walk off with a whole server. Did they keep their server arrays on the back porch?
This is one area in which the Democrats have failed miserably to take the lead on. The government needs to get some serious requirements and penalties in place for companies and individuals that violate the their responsibilities to make a diligent effort to protect personal information. The companies argue that it cost too much but there have been several studies that show that the cost of losing this kind of information costs more in the long run than properly protecting it.

It's Campaign Time

Now that the midterms are getting closer the GOP and Rove are getting their campaign game on. Yesterday's stunt to Iraq was pure political theatre and the well oiled machine didn't disappoint. Secrecy, middle of the night helicopter rides, cheering troops, it was all in place and they are carrying it through again this morning in the rose garden. Disgusting.

Still in Phoenix and still having trouble doing anything but working and sleeping. Just crashed after dinner last night and slept right on through until the alarm. Nice walk this morning but it was already 90 at 5am and before the sun came up. Due for another scortcher again today.

Madam said it was a nice cool day in Atlanta yesterday as they enjoyed some of the coolness from Alberto but we didn't get any rain and we need it badly.

Later and have a good one.

Lots'a Trust

Watching CNN HL this morning while rushing to get ready and they are reporting that Bush has made a surprise visit(desperate atttmept to revive numbers) to Bagdhad this morning. Guess they just decided to pop in a see what's going on in person since they are trying to figure out how to un fuck up Iraq this week. Evidently, there is not a lot of trust of the new Iraqi PM since he wasn't told of Bush's visit until 5 minutes before Bush walked into the room. That would sure make me warm and fuzzy if it happened to me.
Bush is also supposed to visit with some of the troops while he is there for 5 hours...wonder if he brought his plastic turkey?

On a side note they are also saying that Rove's attorney Luskin is saying that Fitzgerald has informed him that he will not seek charges against Karl. I would expect that Rove has made some kind of deal to hoist Libby who knows else from the petard in trade.

Off to breakfast and the client...going to be a scortcher in Phoenix today as they are predicting 112...but it's a dry heat.

Chat among yourselves and have a great day. Maybe I will be able to stay awake tonight and do some real work here.

Off Again

I've decided that the thing to do is to go back to work. Mom has made remarkable progress in just two days and she doesn't need my help right now. IF the progress continues she will need my help when she is released and at home. Just two days ago there wasn't, apparently, a chance that she would be able to once again live unassissted but that outlook is now in question.
I will head back to Phoenix tomorrow for the last week of this gig and then it is behind me.
Madam will fly out the end of the week and we will take a few days off and see the Grand Canyon and then I can come back do what I need to do. The good thing is that my next client engagement will be in Greensboro, NC which is just a couple of hours away from my mom's place so I will be close enough to respond quickly if needed.
Reports from my youngest brother are that she is rapidly improving and is beginning to give everyone in the hospital hell which is more like her old self.
So anyway, off to Phoenix for the last week of this gig in the early morning. Minimal blogging until the evening tomorrow assuming I can do anything but fall into bed and sleep. The first day of work and the three hour time change makes for a long one and I am usually too exhausted to do anything but crash but we shall see. See you tomorrow.

The Downward Spiral

Ntodd has an excellent piece up on the importance of weakness in a conflict such as we are experiencing in Iraq. Stop by.

This is part of reason why Zarqawi's death means nothing. He represents the weaker side of this asymmetric warfare, so already naturally gains from our arrogance of power. What's more, our early mythmaking only enhanced his position in Iraq--both alive, and now as a martyr to the cause--and our later mockery undermined any positive domestic impact.

The only thing that Zarqawi's death really accomplishes is in the minds of the deluded, which merely solidifed our defeat and decline. And in the long run, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Still, the coming storm isn't going to be pleasant...

An we are really glad he has decided to keep blogging.

No End in Sight

You just lost some more of your rights to privacy in case you didn't notice.

Companies that provide Web-based telecommunications services must allow wiretapping by law enforcement officials, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday.

The ruling upholds a Federal Communications Commission decision that companies such as Vonage Holdings Corp., the country's largest provider of Internet phone service, are under the same legal obligation as telephone companies. The requirement for a wiretap-compatible system could mean higher expenses for broadband service companies, and it marks the further spread of regulation into Internet phone services.

A Human Answers

Soledad O’Brien CNN interviewed father of Nick Berg father, Michael Berg by telephone looking for a "glad he's dead, too bad he didn't suffer more" reaction and was truly astonished that a man at peace with himself and connected to the universal truth was on the other end of the line.

O’BRIEN: Mr. Berg, thank you for talking with us again. It’s nice to have an opportunity to talk to you. Of course, I’m curious to know your reaction, as it is now confirmed that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the man who is widely credited and blamed for killing your son, Nicholas, is dead.

MICHAEL BERG: Well, my reaction is I’m sorry whenever any human being dies. Zarqawi is a human being. He has a family who are reacting just as my family reacted when Nick was killed, and I feel bad for that.

I feel doubly bad, though, because Zarqawi is also a political figure, and his death will re-ignite yet another wave of revenge, and revenge is something that I do not follow, that I do want ask for, that I do not wish for against anybody. And it can’t end the cycle. As long as people use violence to combat violence, we will always have violence.

O’BRIEN: I have to say, sir, I’m surprised. I know how devastated you and your family were, frankly, when Nick was killed in such a horrible, and brutal and public way.

BERG: Well, you shouldn’t be surprised, because I have never indicated anything but forgiveness and peace in any interview on the air.

O’BRIEN: No, no. And we have spoken before, and I’m well aware of that. But at some point, one would think, is there a moment when you say, ‘I’m glad he’s dead, the man who killed my son’?

BERG: No. How can a human being be glad that another human being is dead?

I feel better knowing that people like Michael Berg are out there.

Thanks to The Heretik for the link

Bad Day for Net Neutrality

Net neutrality took a big hit yesterday. The big telcos won this battle and are close to winning the war as the bill goes to the GOP Senate. We know that Big Business owns the Senate and the chance of getting a bill that so favors the telcos shot down in the public interest is slim to none. I expect this kind of vote from the GOP but 58 Democrats joined with 211 Rethugs to kill the amendment.

If there is not a sea change in attitude somewhere we are about to see an end to the Internet as we know it. Take I look at the list of Dems who voted No and if one of them is yours you might consider an email or telephone call to let them know you are not pleased.

Happy Jesus Day!

Shakespeare's Sister reminds us that today has been proclaimed Jesus Day in Texas by the former Governor of the great state and our current resident of the Whitehouse.

Jesus is so embarrassed!

Another Passage Upcoming

UPDATED BELOW.

Okay, I'm back for a while. If your curious as to the family crisis...it was my mother. She had been having some trouble with digestion etc. for about a month and when she finally shared her all of her symptoms with her doctor he immediately put her in the hospital. A gastroenterologist had a look and after all the x-rays and cat scans decided he could only be sure of what was what by doing a little exploratory surgery. To make a long story short what started out as a minor procedure to assess turned into a 10 hour major surgery. Ten hours of surgery is not kind to a 78 year old woman and at some point during or after the surgery she had a stroke on the left side of her brain and some damage as well to the right. She is now on a respirator and will have to have a tracheotomy and feeding tube inserted. Very bad.

The current plan is to wait and see what happens over the next 3 - 4 weeks and see if there is any improvement from the stroke and at least get some healing from the surgery. If we are very lucky she may make some good progress though the doctor warned us that she will probably never be able to live alone again unassissted. The very real possibility is that she will be unable to make it without breathing assisstance or the feeding tube. Very, very bad.

My two younger brothers and I are probably going to have to make some very hard decisions in the next month or so.

Saturday Morning Update: Things are much better this morning. Respirator removed and no need for a feeding tube. Talking some and taking liquids and Jello. Some movement in the right arm so evidently the stroke wasn't too severe. Overall an astounding improvement over even yesterday. Encouraging and most welcome.

Long Silence

Quiet here because of a family emergency. Back now but a long day of travel and much stress. Some very tough decisions in the near future. I'll be back to full strength tomorrow.

Pleasant Surprise

Stepped out of the hotel room this morning about 5am for my morning walk and lo and behold it was raining. Rained enough to get my tee shirt wet and wet all the pavement but stopped quickly and in 20 minutes you could see no sign that it had rained at all. Everything nice and dry only a little more humid than normal. That's after yesterday afternoon when there were dust storms over Phoenix that had people pulling off the freeways because they couldn't see. Paradise it is not.