Another Daily Kos diary on O'Reilly

This is getting interesting - and pathetic.

O'Reilly is picking on random posts by random Daily Kos users to "prove" his point that it is a hate site. Meanwhile, vile hatred continues unchecked on O'Reilly's own website.

Daily Kos

In the meantime, I've given BMW three days, and so far there is no answer. And the world knows what I think of foreign corporations taking partisan stands in American politics (including Toyota and Samsung).

Never again.

Given that Bill O'Reilly wants a great American city, San Francisco, destroyed, and given that BMW is cheerleading around O'Reilly in the most enthusiastic way possible, I have come to one conclusion.

You will never see this scene again. I will never return to the Bay Area with my BMW - my conscience won't allow it. My next visit will most likely be made with a beat-up Honda Accord.

And honestly, I hate to own a car that makes me worry about where I can take it, and where I can't. I'm starting to lean toward getting rid of my BMW, while it is still worth something. A low-mileage 3-year-old luxury car has a lot of appeal in the used car market; it won't when it's a 7-year-old high-miler.

If this were only about O'Reilly, it's one thing. But BMW is also notorious for refusing to advertise to specific demographics (or in any minority language of a given country), while its competitors love to target specific demographics. Moreover, BMW is a huge corporate supporter of Pope Benedict XVI, and is the only European car company in America to refuse benefits to domestic partners of employees (unless Renault-owned Nissan is also counted). Surely, my car looks out of place in front of San Francisco City Hall, where gay couples were getting hitched in 2004.

Given the track record, I just don't see BMW as the kind of company that will pull advertising from O'Reilly, unlike, say, Lowe's Home Improvement, a minor advertiser who found O'Reilly not conforming to its standards.

Surely, the 3-series is still the greatest car to have - if I race, or otherwise put it to the limit often. But I rarely drive a car at the limit - and certainly never do with my own car. Until now, I've dismissed a worthy competitor, the Audi A4, as an inferior wannabe, knowing that it's not as good at the limit; but given that Audi commits none of the transgressions of BMW, has a better interior, and is more than acceptable in everyday driving, I'm very interested now. It's also cheaper and more fuel-efficient. Sure, the Audi is lower on the German Autobahn pecking order than BMW, but so what? And if I want to go higher on the order, there is always the Mercedes-Benz C-class, a brand-new version of which will be available next month. And while Mercedes was a minor O'Reilly advertiser, I see it as being more receptive to the customers' concerns than BMW ever will.

(And yes, I am a sucker for German cars still!)

O'Reilly vs. Daily Kos - and BMW

Daily Kos and other liberal blogs are taking off - to a point where the traditional right-wing media is feeling threatened.

In the last week, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News described the bloggers of Daily Kos, and their convention YearlyKos, as hatemongers, being the equivalent of the KKK or the Nazis. Never mind that O'Reilly's own website features even more hate speech, including threats to bomb San Francisco and threats against Democratic congressional officials.

NewsHounds has been tracking the advertisers of O'Reilly's show - in effect, supporters of the hate speech and partisan propaganda. The most prolific advertiser last week was BMW.

I've fired off a letter to BMW's corporate communications, telling them that as much as I love my 3-series, I will look elsewhere for my next car (and many more subsequent ones) unless BMW pulls its advertising from O'Reilly (or at least, advertise on his target Daily Kos). I'm already fed up with BMW's support of Pope Benedict, and refusal to offer domestic partner benefits to US employees. I'll see what kind of response I get. In the meantime, the likes of Audi A4 and Mercedes C-class are starting to look better and better.

More information on CA-42

Daily Kos led me to some other interesting information on my congressional district, represented by the crook Gary Miller and to be challenged by Ron Shepston and DCCC.

It appears that Shepston and DCCC will go heavily after the growing Asian population in Rowland Heights, and the Latino population in Chino. In fact, Rowland Heights is plurality Democratic, thanks to the heavy Chinese population. Only in the Orange County portion, particularly Mission Viejo, do the Republicans enjoy a crushing advantage.

I wish them the best of luck, and will find ways to help.

Daily Kos's description of CA-42

There is also a blog dedicated to the dirty deeds of Gary Miller.

Trash Dirty Gary

Photos from the Southwest

More travel pictures - this time, from the Desert Southwest:

Monument Valley - no photo will ever do this place justice. These buttes must be seen and felt to be believed. The only reason it is not a national park is because it is within Navajo lands - it is a tribal park instead.

But the 17-mile dirt road through the landscape took a toll on my shoulders. (While it was well-maintained, I was the only one insane enough to drive it in a German luxury car.)

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, just outside Moab, Utah.
This is a familiar sight from some Utah license plates.
I had to hike 1 1/2 miles of steep terrain to get here, but it was worth it.

Landscape Arch, also within Arches National Park.
It was an easier 0.8-mile hike.

This was as close as I could get though, because of a partial collapse in 1991.

Again, not too many pictures worth sharing...

Pictures from Chicago, last May

I promised these, but never delivered - until now.

One of the more unusual sculptures found at Millennium Park, which is a re-developed section of Grant Park. (May 26)

Field Museum of Natural History features the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex in existence - Sue. Nobody knows if Sue is indeed a she, though... (May 26)

The ever-glorious Chicago skyline, as seen from Shedd Aquarium. (May 27)

A newly hatched chick at the Museum of Science and Industry's famous incubator. (May 28)

Streetside chess masters offering $2 games, Michigan Avenue along Grant Park. (May 28)

Not too many photo opportunities in Chicago, as I did too much museums and too little of everything else. Maybe next time will be more diverse!

DCCC targets CA-42

My Congressional district, CA-42, is, on paper, a lot like many suburban districts nationwide - affluent and Republican.

There are more moderate districts, such as IL-10 (well covered by Ellen Beth Gill's blog, and also home to Marianne Wood), where Congressman Mark Kirk has to play himself as a moderate in order to keep the votes; CA-42 is not one of those, however. Congressman Gary Miller (not to be confused with pro-labor Democrat George Miller, from Northern California) is a crook who rewards his business partners first, the W regime second, and his constituents last. His enforcement-only immigration stance puts him at odds with the numerous Chinese, Korean, and Asian Indian nouveaux-riches who make up the bulk of his district, but nobody has capitalized on this conflict yet. Otherwise, this district is so conservative - very anti-choice, anti-gay, and pro-school prayer - that the Democrats did not bother to even field a candidate in 2006, one of only 12 such districts nationwide.

But now, I've just learned that DCCC is targeting this district, seeing some vulnerabilities in Miller's armor. They have recruited a strong candidate, Ron Shepston, who is a middle-class aerospace engineer and Vietnam veteran; on those fronts, he is a lot like the average Republican in the district. Nevertheless, his platform of accountability, support of science, and sound foreign and domestic policy clearly identify him as a modern-day Democrat who will also serve his constituents first.

Given the reactionary politics of my area, where I was the only one on my block to not have a Bush-Cheney '04 yard sign out, Shepston will face an uphill battle. But the involvement by DCCC will surely make things interesting - and the Republicans will have to counter by pumping money and resources in to defend Miller's "safe" seat. This will leave other Republican districts - such as, say, IL-10 - vulnerable.

Shepston's another edge is his online activism, having been a regular both at Daily Kos and at Facebook. This will enable him to amass support from both within and outside the district easily.

Shepston's campaign must particularly use immigration as a wedge issue to pry Miller's Asian supporters away; in this conservative district, it's the only wedge issue that matters. A good immigration platform, combining security with economics, will surely work wonders.

I intend to leave for another district well before the 2008 elections. However, I will be glad to support the Shepston campaign in any way I can.

Ron Shepston for Congress
Daily Kos discussion on Shepston

A personal anniversary

Ten years ago today, I packed my bags and headed for New York's Pennsylvania Station, hopping on a train called Lake Shore Limited, early evening.

Thus started my month-long adventure on the Amtrak system, which allowed me to experience Chicago, San Francisco, and the state of Texas for the first time, as well as visiting Los Angeles, before returning to New York City. The only requirement of my ticket was to visit a maximum of three cities, and return to New York City within 30 days; San Antonio, Los Angeles, and San Francisco became my three cities, and Chicago was a long layover.

I was in no mood to fly that summer, after being double-charged for a ticket change fee by United Airlines the previous Christmas (even though United apologized, and refunded both charges).

This was the only time I crossed North America by land, both ways. I later drove from New York City to Los Angeles after finishing college, but that was one-way. In addition, having driven to Montreal and Quebec City a few weeks earlier, I was covering a lot of ground, requiring me to deal with three languages depending on the location (English, French, Spanish).

There were many picturesque memories from that trip, and I still have the photos somewhere. The various landscapes in different parts of the US were, indeed, awe-inspiring, whether they were the night lighting of St. Louis's Gateway Arch, the series of ten Colorado River canyons (seven of which are accessible only by rail), or the rugged beauty of California coast. Both Chicago and San Francisco captured my heart - leading me to live in the Bay Area for a bit, and to visit Chicago again this past May.

Amtrak's notorious delays, however, mean that I am in no mood to attempt a similar trip, anytime soon. (The Sunset Limited from San Antonio to Los Angeles left 8 hours late, and arrived 12 hours late!) If I get truly in a train trip mood, I would rather use the punctual European trains, and explore a whole other continent that way.

Party Affiliation Change

I am still fed up with the California Democratic Party leaving my district out in the cold, and passing ideological legislations that have little to do with my everyday life. I am especially fed up with its utter disregard for issues that affect businesses, suburbanites, motorists, and sportsmen.

These were the reasons that had driven me to independent status.

I am about to reverse the decision, however. While Hillary will make a better president than any Republican candidate out there, her wishy-washy poll-watching politics, reminiscent of disgraced former California governor Gray Davis, say nothing about her character, and she's as unelectable as ever. To ensure that Hillary will not be the Democratic nominee, I will return to the Democratic fold, if only to support another candidate in the presidential primary.

I will submit my re-registration when I move to a different neighborhood later this year. Besides, I expect the Dems to be actually relevant in my new area.

The Democrats still have lots of problems. I am offering my support - with my nose plugged, an expression fellow blogger DiAnne Grieser of Seattle likes to use often (to describe her sometimes reluctant support of Democrats). However, I would like to ensure that neither Giuliani, Romney, nor McCain will succeed the disaster that was the W presidency.

It's also easier meeting people within a partisan framework, such as Progressive Democrats of America and Daily Kos, even as I continue to work with nonpartisan progressive organizations such as Democracy Cell Project and CodePink (even these nonpartisan venues are mostly Democratic in makeup, anyway). The new friendships I will make are something I look forward to.

Facebook

I have recently joined Facebook, on invitation from Karen Bradley of Democracy Cell Project.

I haven't figured out how to link to my profile though, so no links for now.

This will, nevertheless, be one more outlet with which to meet like-minded people...

Boxer wants to impeach W and Cheney

After Downing Street reports.

Granted, much of her state disagrees (especially the south and the inland areas), but Boxer is a woman of courage and will speak for what's right for her state and the nation.

It's people like Boxer who make living in California bearable.

After Downing Street

Presidential Debate on LGBT issues

Yes, it's happening.

A fellow blogger informed me of the Variety article below, which says that at least four Democratic presidential candidates - Obama, Hillary, Edwards, and Dodd - will participate in a first-ever live televised debate solely dedicated to LGBT issues. It will air on the cable channel Logo, Viacom's LGBT-themed channel.

Questions will be posed by a number of LGBT activists, including my idol Melissa Etheridge.

There are chances that others, like Kucinich, may jump in as well, as Kucinich has been, at least on paper, the most pro-LGBT of all candidates.

The Republicans have refused to answer, or outright declined, figuring that they would rather win on Christian votes than on gay ones. Good luck.

Variety

I've been tagged by...

... none other than my writing mentor and CodePink activist Gayle Brandeis. Time to share 8 random facts about myself. Here are the rules:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

And here are eight things people know - or don't know - about me:

1. I was a huge fan of the show Ally McBeal. My online nicknames have been variations of that name. This was apt because when the show was running, I used to be almost as skinny as Calista Flockhart (I've since ballooned). I even wore Ally's trademark miniskirt suits, and a pink J. Crew example has become infamous at certain political groups.

2. Ever since a trip to New York City at age 15, I've been bitten by the travel bug, having visited 33 states, three Canadian provinces, and ten other countries. I'm also a frequent flier mileage junkie, with 125,000+ miles on United Airlines, despite flying only once or twice a year. My favorite destinations are London and Vancouver, and my weirdest was the Korean DMZ.

3. In 2001, I was a Mary Kay beauty consultant. How I survived, as a transgender woman, in a very conservative religious setting of fellow saleswomen, I still don't know. And no, I was nowhere near driving a pink Cadillac.

4. I've been a Republican, a Democrat, AND an independent - in that order. My Democratic phase was very exciting, as I was able to meet with both Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

5. Speaking of Al Gore, he has met me both as Rachel and as my former identity. Mariah Carey is another celebrity who can claim to have done the same.

6. I've been known to be able to read by age 2. At least that's what my folks claim. I was a notorious bookworm in childhood, but much less so in high school, when reading English literature as an ESL student proved to be too much (and discouraging).

7. I taught myself how to drive a stick shift, by renting a car in England. Being in a foreign setting, on the wrong side of the road, added to the challenge. But I lived to tell about it - and visit Stonehenge.

8. I was a competitive chess player in high school. My official rating never went above 1,000, however (in other words, thorough novice).

I am tagging the following people. Get ready to share your secrets!

Rossiann's Retreat
Nancy Ann Ceballos
DiAnne Grieser
Karen Bradley
Ellen Beth Gill
Christy Cole
Damian McNicholl
Freeway Blogger

Comparison of Healthcare Systems

Here is a comparison posted at a blog I frequent, comparing socialized medicine, single-payer, multi-payer, and American-style corporate healthcare systems:

Silenced Majority