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It's not too late to add yourself to the map!

The map of Deadline viewing parties
Originally uploaded by david.

You have two hours.

Why I am voting for John Kerry

John Kerry's stand on the death penalty – that there shouldn't be one – is now the Democratic Party's platform.

Alternet: Taking the Ultimate Penalty Off The Table. I wonder if John Kerry will watch Deadline on Friday night. (Al Gore has, and it inspired him to shave off his beard and get angry again).

Kerry, who is often accused by his Republican critics of flip-flopping, is made of firmer stuff than most politicians when it comes to the issue of capital punishment. He opposes executions in virtually all cases – making an exception only after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, when he said he would consider supporting capital punishment, in limited cases, for foreign terrorists.

On the domestic front, Kerry has earned high marks from death penalty critics. Last fall, when the Students Against the Death Penalty project of the American Civil Liberties Union rated the nine candidates who were then seeking the Democratic presidential nomination on a variety of death penalty-related issues, Kerry and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Dennis Kucinich were the only two who received perfect scores.

Kerry opposes the execution of juveniles, supports greater access to DNA testing for death row inmates and argues that studies "reveal serious questions, racial bias, and deep disparities in the way the death penalty is applied." Kerry was a cosponsor of the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act of 2001 and of the National Death Penalty Moratorium Act of 2003.

"I know something about killing," Kerry says, referencing his service in Vietnam as a swift-boat commander. "I don't like killing. That's just a personal belief I have."

Why I love Deadline

In Rare Union, Documentary Finds Itself on NBC:

Mr. Wright said in a statement: " `Deadline' is an exceptional, thought-provoking look at one man's struggle with controversial issues surrounding our criminal justice system. It's about life and death and the power of one decision."

David Corvo, the executive director of "Dateline NBC," said he and Neal Shapiro, president of NBC News, agreed that "Dateline" was the best place for the documentary. Mr. Corvo said he could not recall a broadcast network purchasing a documentary and presenting it in its entirety, although there have been cases on "Dateline" where portions of documentaries have been used in news stories.

Mr. Corvo said his staff saw independent documentary filmmakers not as competitors but as different voices for the program.

"Mr. Wright" is NBC president Bob Wright. I'm such a big fan of Deadline becuase it's the story of an unlikely individual changing his mind after being presented with facts. You'd like to think that all politicians make their mind this way, but of course they don't. It also blows away the myth that politicians are all the same and only act out of self interest - they are people too. This story, luckily, was well documented, and maybe it will inspire others to action.

Deadline airs Friday night at eight.

I have gay friends in the red state too!

Look at his ears. Adriana says "They're big! He listens!" Then she said "Holy shit! He's using Christian rhetoric!" She loves him, and so do I. I've got Obamamania. (Angela put me on first.)

Can he be our president next year?

Name This Plant

What are those plants?
Originally uploaded by Stewart.

What are those upside down bells? I have no idea.

Why Review Books?

Apropos to my participation in the Virtual Book Tour: Why Review Books? (via librarian.net)

Five questions with M.J. Rose, author of The Halo Effect

Author MJ Rose on the Virtual Book Tour:

By the time I'm done I will have written over 10,000 words for the 8 blogs on which I'm touring. That's a lot of writing in a short period of time. But the exciting part is that over 100k people will read about me and The Halo Effect this week - most of them on sites that attract readers that is great target marketing. Even if I had the money - I couldn't even figure out a print vehicle that would read that many readers in such an innovative and interactive and targeted way.

I'm participating in the Virtual Book Tour today. I asked M.J. Rose, author of The Halo Effect, five questions ranging in topics from the impact of technology on book distribution to good places to eat in Soho.

A new game on FlickR

The Door and the Orange Guy
Originally uploaded by david.

We're pretty sure we know what this is, but we're not 100% sure. And so I've created a new tag on flickR "Name This Plant." Hopefully it catches on.

Happy Birthday Kevin Finn

Kevin Finn's "Birthday Surprises" is the best thing I've read on the Internet in the past month.

His Band to Band Links program is about to become the hottest link on the Internet, although it would be infinitely more powerful if anyone could add bands to the database. And because it uses "post" instead of "get," I can't link directly to the amazing connection between Yes and Fugazi, although I can recommend you discover it for yourself.

Virtual Book Tour

Tomorrow I'll be participating in the latest installment of the Virtual Book Tour. We'll be hosting the author of The Halo Effect, M.J. Rose.

I'm beginning to warm up to FlickR

Finding fun pictures of "old times" is a pleasure.

He's the DJ, Alaina's the dancer. Originally uploaded by allaboutgeorge.

We Still have Twin Towers

"Manhattan From the Top of the Towers" by Undercity.

Tour De Jeopardy

As much as unpredictably and tension fuel humanity's obsession with contests and sport, I believe we're also comforted by those whose performance we expect. Just as we all have food, clothing and music that elicit feelings of instant nostalgia, I'm reassured that the universe is in order when an athlete performs exactly as expected. The consistency of Lance Armstrong dominating Le Tour, Serena Williams (Anna who? Serena represents the pinnacle of human physical potential) winning a grand slam, Michael Jordan hitting the big shot in his heyday, even Takeru Kobayashi shaking down four and a half hot dogs a minute. Even losing is comforting - after a long solitary walk and falafel dinner last night I found myself in a Bay Ridge bar guzzling Bass and watching the Mets. They lost, of course. If they start winning I'm not sure what I'll do with myself.

Anyway, I'm thinking about all of this because I googled Ken Jennings and Jason "Mr. Google" Kottke's entry The cult of Ken Jennings was the first result. Jason, I salute your continued dominance over the world's greatest information resource. It's quite a streak. (Other Ken Jennings pages: wikipedia: Ken Jennings, TV Game Shows: Ken Jennings, JeopardyJennings: Ken Jennings).

New iPods

Jason Kottke wonders what's "out-of-the-ordinary" about announcing the new iPods via Newsweek. What's "out-of-the-ordinary" is that Apple obviously "leaked" the "Newsweek announcement" via "macteens.com."

Summer Cleaning (the story of my life)

I've been on an eight hour cleaning rampage. I'm very good at reorganization, but not as good at reduction or prioritization.

Today's coffee was even better (first cup: 7pm), and the turntables are back in action (soundtrack: Mingus Plays Piano, Wee Bee Foolish).

One sad note: The Tribble is no more.

Drinking

That was a great cup of coffee.

Remember Manifesto?

On Monday O-dub posted a link to a Mos Def interview from 1998 on his blog Pop Life (not that Pop Life). A discussion about the role of white people in hip-hop ensued, and in his postscript O-dub says:

Now, if there's one thing I love, it's seeing white people bitch about black people bitching about white people

I love this too, and I'm white. Anyway, if it's not the most insightful discussion in the world, it's spirited. Hip-hop was a huge part of my life in 1998, and I identify with the sense of lost hope that O-dub is feeling. I must have played Manifesto 500 times; I literally burned through 4 copies of that vinyl. I definitely consider myself still a part of the culture, even though I'm mostly just a bedroom dj now.

Things I've been enjoying

Things I've been enjoying:

• Spending more time with friends.
• Anna's guest posts over the past few weeks - hopefully they'll continue sporadically, and don't forget to check in with her and her mom at the Small Planet Institute.
• Stencil Pirates, by my friend Josh MacPhee.
• Ari Moore: Giving Up the Ghost. Great post!
• Spider-man 2 for Gamecube. More on this soon at hello, nintendo.
• Time.com: The end of management: Together, you are buyers and sellers of your company's future. Through your trades, you determine what is going to happen and then decide how your company should respond. With employees in the trading pits betting on the future, who needs the manager in the corner office?
• Jumpcut 5.3 the best clipboard management tool for the Mac.
• Our film festival blog news page at work.
• Rakim and Common courtesy of O-dub's excellent Soul Sides, the only "mp3 blog" I subscribe too. (These two links will expire!)

Tragedy in Meatpacking

I had just finished reading Eric Schlosser's recent article about the struggles of union organizers at a Tyson meatpacking plant in Washington, when I read about the shooting death in Kansas of five at a ConAgra meatpacking plant. Hopefully this tragedy will help turn national attention to the crisis of the meatpacking industry in this country.

Tyson's Moral Anchor by Eric Schlosser
One of America's finest union leaders and her supporters are now under assault by one of the nation's meanest, toughest corporations. For years Maria Martinez, head of Teamsters Local 556 in Walla Walla, Washington, has been battling IBP, the meatpacking giant now owned by Tyson Foods. In 1999 Martinez helped launch a wildcat strike at IBP's beef slaughterhouse in Wallula, Washington, protesting safety hazards and excessive line speeds. In 2001 she helped workers there win a lawsuit against IBP for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, gaining as much as $7.3 million in back wages that the company still refuses to pay. She has fought not only for higher wages and better working conditions but also for food safety and animal welfare. With support from Teamsters for a Democratic Union (the progressive, reform-minded wing of the Teamsters), Martinez energized Local 556, reaching out to immigrant workers and linking them with college students, consumer activists and animal rights groups. In response, Tyson Foods has worked hard to get her kicked out of the plant, at one point prohibiting her from even setting foot on the premises. The type of immigrant/activist coalition that Martinez has built is crucial to the future success of the US labor movement--and that is one of the reasons Tyson is so eager to crush it.... To read the full article, click here.

After reading this article, if you'd like to contribute to the workers of Local 556, you can send a tax-deductible donation to "Safe Work/Safe Food," c/o Teamsters Local 556, 1750 Portland Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Every dollar counts and lets them know that people across the country support their courageous work.