Harvey Milk is getting a Presidential Medal of Freedom 11 Aug 2009 This is a Very Good Thing: Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens to live their lives openly and believed coming out was the only way they could change society and achieve social equality. Milk, alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was shot and killed in 1978 by Dan White, a former city supervisor. Milk is revered nationally and globally as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement for his exceptional leadership and dedication to equal rights. Forget about that Hawking guy, or that Tutu fellow. They have had their recognition. Milk has been more important than most individuals in the struggle for universal human rights. There are some other interesting folk too: Joe Medicine Crow being one of them. A nice selection. Politics
Freedom So, how did we get here? 7 Nov 20247 Nov 2024 This is not my beautiful world Shit got real just now, but it took a long time and a lot of inattention and complacency, basically since the 1950s. It began with the unholy alliance of manufacturing and the military during the Cold War and the technowashing of German military engineers… Read More
Politics Commander in Chief 1 Jul 2008 This is me commenting on American politics again. Sorry. I am somewhat amazed at the furore over Wesley Clark’s comment that being a prisoner of war doesn’t automatically make one qualified as Commander in Chief of the armed services, a position that the President fulfills. Not only is that true,… Read More
General Science Journalists and scientists – an antimatter explosion? 20 Jun 2007 What happens when you put journalists in contact with scientists? To hear some people tell it, it results in an antimatter-matter explosion that destroys careers and causing black holes of ignorance in the general population, particularly when the density is already great, as in political circles. Tara, from the scientists’… Read More
“Forget about that Hawking guy . . .”? What will you say when someone wants to recognize “that Wilkins guy” for his contribution to the philosophy of biology? PS One of the librarians at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology (www.senecac.on.ca) has agreed to order _Species: A History of the Idea_ for the Markham campus library.
Would you prefer Commentessa? Or how about commentata and commentatum for members of the commentariat? (I stole commentariat from John Pieret who stole it from Dr. Isis!)
True enough, John, but I’m going to buy your book. What am I DOING in the blogverse. I can’t say @#2 I can’t call someone an $#$%^ I can’t even tell someone to light him or herself on fire. See you back on UseNet