More fuel for more fires

New.

Parties.

Now.

( Torture States Love Using Spy Satellites On Their Own Country )

The Democratic Party is handling their knife-edge majority in the Senate in the worst way possible, not just from a political standpoint - where they continue jumping up and down on the fractured remnants of the dust of their credibility with crap like this - but from a standpoint of duty-to-country-and-Consitution. They have no such excuse in the House, where the majority is slim, but not so slim as that. By appeasing the Liebermans who enable the authoritarian Republican Party, they actively enable that party's authoritarian agenda.

In my opinion, the Democratic Party should call Lieberman's bluff, and if they lose the Senate for another year and a half, that's - well, it's not fine, but it's better having the Senate and still losing, particularly in a chamber where you can stop anything with 40 votes. Then actually fight this crap in the House, really fight, really stop approving more of this crap, and maybe they could start earning back a reputation as a party that either cares about... anything, while - just maybe - being a little more effective. The alternative - the one they are pursuing now - makes them as damaging on these fronts as the GOP, as they stop nothing, and, by stopping nothing, help institute the Republican torture-and-surveilence state as the new normal. Perhaps Karl Rove actually resigned because, really, there wasn't anything left for him to do. Does the "permanent majority" really have to refer to the GOP by name, or can it include the enablers?

But, of course, I am a fool, unable to see that the Democratic Party is Our Only Hope, and that it will, someday, eventually, later, when it's safe, do the Right Thing.

little things for a big vacation

Like annathepiper and spazzkat, I'm getting ready for the Worldcon in Yokohama. One of the things to do is make tiny trading photo stickers, 17x24mm, to swap with other fans. (This is very popular currently, I am told. It's like photo club. You have booklets and collect-and-trade.) To wit:



That's my favourite of the designs I've made. I tried to make one with the super-cool Zapatopi flag instead, but it just doesn't work very well when made that tiny and with other bits added on. Sadness! Because it's a great flag. But I think the Fir Flag works 'way better for this purpose.

I also tried a colour version of my icon, but the sketchiness that works well in tinted B&W fails when coloured. If I get time, maybe I'll redraw it in proper tones and then it'll colour correctly.

Godt dammit I have a lot to do before I leave.

I haven't posted one of these in a while, either

Come to me, Cover me, Hold me