Henkimaa » video

Japan’s earthquake heard from Alaska

Mel — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:18:10 +0000

The VENTS Program of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has released sound files and a YouTube video of hyrdophone recordings of the March 11 earthquake.

Sound was sped sped up 16 times. Text in the video explains that the first roar of noise is “earthquake sounds propagating through the earth’s crust” (per the web page, from a hydrophone located in the central north Pacific); the second roar of noise is “earthquake sounds propagating through the ocean” (from a hydrophone located near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska).

For more detailed info, see the VENT Program’s web page about the recordings.

It’s a roar, & then another roar. But impossible to listen to — at least for me — without seeing in my mind’s eye the devastation wrought by the event that produced those roars.

A prayer for the people of Japan. A good time too, if you have the ability, to send some money their way via whatever aid agencies you feel will do the most good.

h/t Talking Points Memo

“Totally like whatever, you know?” by Taylor Mali

Mel Green — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:15:05 +0000

Taylor Mali. Photo by Emil Brikha via Wikimedia Commons.

The payoff lines of Taylor Mali‘s poem “Totally like whatever, you know?”

Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too.

But like, y’know, you gotta hear the whole poem, yeah? And watch the words, too, come to life in this typography animation of the poem by Ronnie Bruce:

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Mali writes on his website,

This video entitled “Typography” is an animated version of a poem of mine by student Ronnie Bruce. I have no idea who he is (and he didn’t ask for permission), but what would you do when the result is so good?

Here’s a live performance of the same poem by Taylor Mali.

About the poet

Taylor Mali is an American slam poet, humorist, teacher, and voiceover artist. And he’s one of the only people who actually makes a living at being a poet!

Tip o’ the nib to Barbara Armstrong, who showed this to me this morning.

The Daily Tweets 2011-03-22: How Anakin became a Jedi

Mel Green — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Good jokes, bad jokes… who cares? So long as they gain a good laugh or a good groan, I’m happy.

Tweet 1:

Stay tuned for my Star Wars Episode 1 joke, coming up next: #fb #

For Tweet 2, you’ll need to know what a midichlorian is.

How do parents in the Galactic Republic increase their chances of having Jedi offspring? They midichlorinate their gene pools. #fb #

Imagine my pleasure when a friend on the list where I first posted this joke replied,

“That’s truly awful — I must pass it along. My son also groaned.”

As will we, when we watch the full movie again sometime early next year. Yes, there are plans afoot for a Twitter livesnark of Star Wars Episode 1 in… er… honor? celebration?… uh… of next February’s release of Phantom Menace 3-D. My co-snarker-in-chief pronounced that 2D was sufficient for a good livesnark, so we’ll be doing it in advance of the release, just to remind people why they might not want to spend their precious dollars to see Jar Jar Binks in 3D. )

Meantime, for your listening pleasure: the Midichlorian Rhapsody.

See previous livesnarks:

“The Running Man” with Arnold Schwarzenegger (11 Oct 2009)
“Riverworld,” a SyFy Original Movie adapted from the classic SF series by Philip José Farmer (19 Apr 2010)

Rollins trial, day 12: Jury hears closing arguments

Mel Green — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:45:00 +0000

The trial in Case No. 3AN-09-07868CR, State of Alaska v. Rollins, is being heard before Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip R. Volland. Today, closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense were heard, and the case went to the jury.

My tweets today were a mix of Rollins trial & Valentine’s Day. Today in Anchorage Superior Court, closing arguments were heard in the case, and then it went to the jury. We might hear a verdict as early as Tuesday. As has been the case through most of the trial, Grace Jang and photographer Ken Fankhauser of KTVA Channel 11 were in the courtroom livetweeting. (Eventually KTVA’s Twitter feed even got Fankhauser’s Twitter name spelled correctly.) See their Twitter feeds for a full account of the day’s events, or read/watch media coverage (links posted at the bottom of the post). Casey Grove of the Anchorage Daily News has also been doing some find reporting on this case.

Closing arguments were made for the state by Deputy District Attorney Sharon Marshall, for the defense by Fairbanks attorney Susan Carney. An excerpt from Casey Grove’s ADN piece on today’s events:

Marshall [for the state] at one point focused on Rollins’ position of authority.

She said one of the women, in her statement, spoke for all of the alleged victims regarding their feelings toward the officer.

” ‘He has so much power, he could cause problems for me,’ ” said Marshall, reading the woman’s words projected on a screen in court.

“When somebody stands in front of you with a badge and a gun, you’re supposed to respect that,” Marshall said. “He’s on official duty every time this happens.”

Turning to face Rollins later, Marshall raised her voice almost to a shout, saying he was so arrogant he thought his alleged victim wouldn’t go to police.

“This was all soft, subtle power abuse, situational force,” Marshall said.

Carney [defense attorney] said Rollins loved being an officer.

“He was handsome, a dashing figure in his uniform,” Carney said.

Carney implored the jurors to look at each case separately.

“It’s a credibility contest,” Carney said. “It is literally a ‘she said, he said’ situation.”

Which drew this comment from ADN reader Just_Sayin2011:

No, that statement is wrong. The correct statement is:

“It is literally a ‘she said, she said, she said, she said, she said, AND she said vs he said’ situation.”

(I made a similar comment in my tweets.)

Late in the day, Matthew Felling of KTVA tweeted,

Attn, Anchorage – Keep an eye out for @GraceJangKTVA for Rollins verdict info. She is *the* point of contact with Anchorage court.

That’s where I’ll be looking.

My tweets

Closing arguments in Anthony Rollins trial: ex-APD officer accused serial rapist. @GraceJangKTVA & @photogfank in court livetweeting. #fb #
Anthony Rollins trial: @RebeccaPalsha of KTUU also in courtroom. #fb #
RT: @KTVA: Closing Arguments happening now in Anthony Rollins Trial. Follow @GraceJangKTVA and @photogfrank / Hey KTVA it’s @photogfank no R #
Photo from @NASA shows the Moon wishing us all a Happy Valentine’s Day! http://go.nasa.gov/hf7cNp #
Note to Valentine celebrators: candy/chocolate is not a gift that says “I love you” to me — it says you want me to become diabetic. #
Rollins trial — RT: @GraceJangKTVA: Defense: It’s a “he said, she said” situation, so need to look at evidence #
(but actually it’s a “she independently said x 6″ / “he said” situation, and all 6 of the “she saids” say much the same thing) #
Colbert Report’s Most Golden Standard Ron Paul Moments: In honor of Paul’s v. meaningful victory at CPAC http://bit.ly/giaVF5 #
RT: @GraceJangKTVA: Rollins case now goes to jury #fb #
RT: @shannynmoore: Happy Single Awareness Day, Tweethearts! #VD // gee, I don’t want VD whether I’m single or not! #
RT: @adndotcom: The sexual-assault case of ex-APD officer Anthony Rollins is now in the hands of the jury. http://bit.ly/eM4Nxy #fb #
RT: @richarddoetsch: ♞The writer you wish to be like the most? // A cross between Ursula K. Leguin & C.J. Cherryh. #
@Scallywag195 Write another one, of course! in reply to Scallywag195 #
RT: @matthewfelling: Attn, Anchorage Keep eye out for @GraceJangKTVA for Rollins verdict. She is *the* point of contact with ANC court. #fb #

Media coverage

14 Feb 2011. “Rollins’ jury hears closing arguments on sexual assaults: CLOSING: Deputy DA says alleged sex acts all about ‘power abuse’” by Casey Grove (Anchorage Daily News).
14 Feb 2011. “Jury Hears Closing Arguments in Rollins Sexual Assault Case” by Rebecca Palsha (KTUU Channel 2 News).
14 Feb 2011. “Rollins Day 12: Defense Says He ‘Sinned,’ Committed No Crime” by Grace Jang (KTVA Channel 11 News).

Here’s Grace Jang’s story broadcast on KTVA. KTVA summarized the defense and prosecution arguments on what kind of man Anthony Rollins is: “A God-fearing man or wolf in sheep’s clothing?”

Rollins trial, day 10: Rollins takes the stand

Mel Green — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:45:00 +0000

The trial in Case No. 3AN-09-07868CR, State of Alaska v. Rollins, is being heard before Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip R. Volland in the Nesbett Courthouse at 4th & I in Anchorage.

Wednesday, February 9 at the trial of Anthony Rollins: before a packed courtroom, the ex-Anchorage Police Department officer accused of serial rape while on-duty took the stand in his own defense.

Cross-examination by the prosecution is expected to resume on Thursday morning. Yesterday I created a Twitter list of people who are in the courtroom livetweeting the trial: go to http://twitter.com/#!/list/yksin/rollins to follow. So far, the list includes @GraceJangKTVA & @photogfank of KTVA Channel 11 News and @CarolynHallKTUU & @RebeccaPalsha of KTUU Channel 2 News.

Also Wednesday, my blog post of February 2, “Why I’m following the trial of alleged serial rapist Anthony Rollins”was crossposted as a “Voices from the Flats” feature at The Mudflats. The Mudflats gets a good deal more traffic & discussion than Henkimaa does, and there was some good discussion there yesterday. I made some comments there too, including my summary of Rollins’ defense strategy:

Rollins’ defense goes like this: “I had sexual relations with other women outside my marriage, which was wrong, & I did so while on duty, which was wrong, but I didn’t sexually assault any of the women: they came on to me, at least two of them told me I was ‘cute’ [he testified that this morning about victims 1 & 2], & sex that we had was consensual. So while guilty of betraying my marital vows and of doing so while on the clock, I am not guilty of these crimes I’m charged with.”

Per the tweets from KTVA & KTUU journos in the courtroom, Rollins’ victims & their family members hearing his testimony are very agitated about his testimony — shaking heads, rolling eyes, tears, anger, upset. APD officers in courtroom near one journo also agitated. Analysis: they believe he’s lying. Well, so do I.

My later summary as the trial recessed:

Trial recessed just before 1:00 PM Alaska time & will continue tomorrow. The D.A. questioned Rollins about three so far of his accusers. I tell you that it’s pretty hard just to read the tweets; I can’t imagine how much harder it must have been for victims & their family members to sit in court & listen to Rollins claim that he took a 24-year-old DUI suspect in pajamas in handcuffs to a police substation, calling her mother to let her know where he was, & then proceeding to have sex with her from behind — where he was the one to pull down her pants — was “consensual” & was “invited” by her.

That’s the kind of stuff people have been hearing him say today.

D.A. also questioned him about how many women he’s had sex with outside marriage since he married his wife (also an APD officer) in 1987. “I don’t know. More than once.” He apparently regards his contacts with these young women who were under his police authority as being “affairs.”

One’s gorge rises.

For the full comments, go to The Mudflats. Further down this post, links to media coverage of today’s proceeding. But first,

My tweets

RT: @adndotcom: Ex-officer Rollins expected to testify in own defense today in sex assault trial. http://bit.ly/fCmDym #
Featured today on The Mudflats: my 2/2 post on why I’m following trial of alleged serial rapist Anthony Rollins http://bit.ly/exEPff #fb #
In court: @GraceJangKTVA & @photogfank again livetweeting. Rollins to take stand; courtroom packed incl. Rollins’ wife & APD cops. #fb #
Also livetweeting Rollins trial: @CarolynHallKTUU & @RebeccaPalsha. #fb #
Anthony Rollins trial: follow http://twitter.com/#!/list/yksin/rollins to see KTVA & KTUU livetweets. #fb #
Rollins claims: all 4 victims he testified about so far flirted w/ him, 2 said he was “cute”. Serial rapist/serial liar both. #fb #
Anthony Rollins trial: State now cross-examining Rollins. See http://twitter.com/#!/list/yksin/rollins to follow tweets of KTVA/KTUU. #fb #
RT: @NathanFillion: Orbis book & Spidey are dead on, but what’s Amazon trying to say with this other “suggestion”? http://yfrog.com/h46wysmj #
Rollins: RT: @GraceJangKTVA: Trial in recess until tomorrow. Attys expected to finish evidence tomorrow. Closing statements Fri or Mon #fb #
RT: @GraceJangKTVA: Side note: Do not ever get on Chief Asst. District Attorney Sharon Marshall’s bad side #fb #
@celticdiva Thanks! in reply to celticdiva #

Media accounts of today’s testimony

9 Feb 2011. “Former APD Officer Accused of Sexual Assaults Testifies” by Rebecca Palsha (KTUU Channel 2 News).
9 Feb 2011. “Ex-officer Rollins testifies sex acts were consensual — ON THE STAND: Former cop admits to some encounters, denies others” by Casey Grove (Anchorage Daily News).
9 Feb 2011.“Was it Rape or Consensual? Anthony Rollins Takes the Stand” by Grace Jang (KTVA Channel 11 News). (Video below.)

Rollins trial, day 5: 2 women testify (& other daily tweets)

Mel Green — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:45:00 +0000

The trial in Case No. 3AN-09-07868CR, State of Alaska v. Rollins, is being heard before Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip R. Volland in the Nesbett Courthouse at 4th & I in Anchorage. Two witnesses testified to being sexually victimized by Rollins.

The Andrew Rollins trials was again livetweeted by Grace Jang of KTVA Channel 11 News. See her Twitter feed for details, as I did not retweet. But, I did embed her report from tonight’s KTVA broadcast below; the video from yesterday’s broadcast is embedded in yesterday’s Daily Tweets post.

Day 5 of Anthony Rollins trial – ex-APD cop accused of multiple sexual assaults while on duty. @GraceJangKTVA is again livetweeting. #fb #
Also, @GraceJangKTVA‘s report last night on @KTVA : Details of Texts, Condoms Emerge in Day 4 of Rollins Trial http://bit.ly/etMgUJ #fb #

See also the story now posted overnight at the Anchorage Daily News website:

1 Feb 2011. “Witnesses describe encounters with Rollins in substation — SUBSTATION: 2 women tell jurors of unwanted sexual experiences with officer” by Lisa Demer (Anchorage Daily News).

Choosy bloggers choose GIF

RT: @haronno: Settle a debate: is .gif pronounced “gif” or “jif”? // GIF (hard G). Avoids confusion w a really crappy brand of PB (Jiffy). #
@haronno: I mean Jif (brand of crappy peanut butter). But the real truth is: choosy bloggers chose GIF. #

And then, (mostly) writing….

RT: @jodotha: Tonight is #writeclub! Meeting at Sugarspoon at the usual time. Yay! // Looking forward to it – after I get my teeth cleaned. #
Best hopes & prayers for Queenslanders as they brace for Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Stay safe. http://bit.ly/fLwTKv #fb #
Heading out to get my teeth cleaned… I mean, beyond normal post-meal toothbrushing. Tonight my teeth will sparkle. Don’t get blinded. #fb #
@exart Fever much better to have than super depression, most def. Take care, hope you feel better soon. #
@sandykidd Buncha us in Anchorage #amwriting too — #nanowrimo types at regular Tues #writeclub gathering. Good luck unblanking that novel! #
Reorging 4 years worth of @NaNoWriMo writing using @ScrivenerApp – best writing software I could ever have hoped to find. #
@basiaak You did it! (replied to tweet). No worries, there will be other days my laptop comes to work w/ me. #
@sandykidd That’s what a lot of us do! Well, except when we have to go to & from work. #
Writing Raven @ Alaska Real nails it on religious bigotry from right re: Carlos Gonzales’ blessing for Giffords http://bit.ly/hY9GWe #fb #

Rollins trial, day 4: Internal Affairs found condoms, APSIN records in Rollins’ patrol car

Mel Green — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:45:00 +0000

The trial in Case No. 3AN-09-07868CR, State of Alaska v. Rollins, is being heard before Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip R. Volland in the Nesbett Courthouse at 4th & I in Anchorage.

Again the trial was livetweeted by Grace Jang of KTVA Channel 11 News, also by photographer Ken Fankhauser. See their Twitter feeds for details, as I only retweeted a very very tiny minority of their tweets.

I’ve embedded Grace Jang’s report on tonight’s KTVA broadcast below.

Day 4 of Anthony Rollins trial ex-APD officer accused of sexually assault on 6 women while on duty. @GraceJangKTVA livetweeting. #fb #
Rollins trial: @photogfank also is there tweeting. Thanks for keeping us informed! #fb #
@GraceJangKTVA What does his DNA being “excluded” mean exactly? They didn’t test for it? Or they could scientifically say it wasn’t his? in reply to GraceJangKTVA #
@GraceJangKTVA Thanks! in reply to GraceJangKTVA #
My friends in Brisbane & Ipswich, Queensland, now uncomfortably close to path of Cyclone Yasi. OzMud updates: http://bit.ly/hjWcRo #fb #
RT: @GraceJangKTVA: IA found APSIN records in Rollins’ car; records IA says should have been shredded // I wonder: records regarding whom? #
RT: @GraceJangKTVA: Rollins clad, head to toe, in gold today: gold suit, gold shoes. // they match gold-packaged condoms in his patrol car. #

RT @TheJusticeDept We strongly disagree w/ court’s ruling & continue to believe Affordable Care Act constitutional http://go.usa.gov/Ynb #
RT: @LarsonRichard: I have story coming out tomorrow in @crossedgenres about aliens, Katie Couric, death, & break-ups. All in 2000 words. #

The Daily Tweets 2011-01-12: Brisbane floods 2

Mel Green — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:45:00 +0000

12 Dec 2010: Kayaker on the Brisbane River (before the floods)

The above photo I took on a sunny Brisbane day in December, about a week into my visit to Australia, from just outside the State Library of Queensland on the South Bank.

In contrast, this video of kayakers in the flooded West End, not far from where the photo above was taken.

Today’s tweets are, like yesterday’s, mostly retweets of Australian sources on the flooding in Brisbane (& to some extent Queensland at large). While this post is dates January 134, in Brisbane it was January 14, a day during which the Brisbane River peaked at 4:00 AM local time at 4.6 meters, about a meter less than originally feared.

But still bad enough. It will take some time for the floodwaters to subside, and even longer for Brisbane to clean up and recover. And there’s the rest of Queensland to consider as well: there was large-scale flooding in other portions of the state for weeks before it hit Brisbane, and more is going on as I write. Other parts of Australia are also experiencing flooding.

The Queensland Government has launched the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal whereby funds can be donated online to assist families & communities who in some cases have lost everything to the flooding. There’s a number of ways to donate, including online using major credit cards.

RT @couriermail: BRISBANE’S City Cat service cd be offline for several months as ferry terminals will need rebuilding #bnefloods #qldfloods #
RT @alydenisof Please RT! Call 1800 219 028 in Oz or donate at http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html to Queensland flood victims #QLDfloods #
RT @brisbanecityqld: Thanks to all Brisbane residents for outstanding support for each other…Your overwhelming offer of help is amazing. #
RT @couriermail: No.of ppl emergency services hold grave fears for is down to 9 and no. of missing now at 51 #qldfloods // better news #
RT @couriermail: CBD dodges bullet – river reloads http://bit.ly/h8HBLP #
RT @couriermail: Interactive guide to the Brisbane floods http://bit.ly/fEsj3Q #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT @couriermail: New Farm’s floating Riverwalk will be dismantled for public safety, Bris City Council decided. #bnefloods #qldfloods / #
RT @couriermail: BOM: Bris River rises will continue to peak ~5.2m with 4am high tide. Just below ’74 peak of 5.45m #bnefloods #qldfloods #
RT @QPSmedia: Our thoughts and prayers are with all Queenslanders affected by #qldfloods on this sad night #thebigwet #
RT @couriermail: No. of those missing in floods revised to 43, with 13 confirmed dead http://ow.ly/3CohF #bnefloods #qldfloods #
RT: @couriermail: 300m of Riverwalk breaks off http://bit.ly/hLurin // (Was going to be destroyed but broke off before they could.) #
RT: @couriermail: 300m walkway headed for bridge http://bit.ly/ham8PS #
RT: @QPSmedia: Gateway Bridge open again. Two large sections of riverwalk passed safely under bridge now floating out to sea. // good news #
RT: @QPSmedia: Brisbane City Council would like to THANK all volunteers for their efforts with sandbagging over past few days. #
RT: @couriermail: Riverwalk threat to bridge passes http://bit.ly/eDVeS9 / (Sad to see Riverwalk gone, but glad it went w/out causing harm) #
RT: @QPSmedia: Brisbane flood situation for City at 1am #qldfloods #thebigwet http://fb.me/IaPFJyRb / (6 AM Alaska time) #
RT: @couriermail: Flood peak revised down further http://bit.ly/e8qbXy // (May only go to 4.6m, well below 1974 level of 5.45m. good news.) #
RT: @couriermail: Norman Park, West End, Sinnamon Park evacuated by police tonight #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Emergency services are rushing fresh drinking water to the Lockyer Valley as they run out. #qldfloods #
RT: @QPSmedia: Water in Brisbane will be peaking over the next hour or so. Please stay safe everyone. // Here’s an Alaskan wishing the same. #
RT: @QPSmedia: Gateway Bridge is shut again. More debris is heading downriver. It is being closed as a precaution only at this stage. #
RT: @QPSmedia: Brisbane City Council Media release – flood peak revised down #thebigwet #qldfloods http://fb.me/OFNOS7DZ #
RT: @QPSmedia: Gateway bridge is once again open. #
RT: @couriermail: Man swept away by flood at Loganholme – rescued and safe http://bit.ly/gviuI2 #
RT: @QPSmedia: The Gateway Bridge has closed for the third time tonight, as more significant debris is in the water. #
RT: @couriermail: Flood peaked at 4.6m, almost metre less than originally feared #brisfloods #qldfloods // Will be @ that level several hrs #
RT: @couriermail: Broken section of Riverwalk colliding with commercial craft at Doboy Creek, near rivermouth. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Second part of Riverwalk damming rubbish at Portside on northside of river. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Weather outlook: isolated showers today and rest of week but no heavy rain in sight. #qldfloods #bnefloods // V good news. #
RT: @couriermail: Brisbane Airport Corporation confident airport will stay open. Terminals, carparks roads waterfree. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: rt @scottemersonmp Surf lifesavers heading down flooded Oxley Creek to rescue woman from balcony. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Three cheers to the tugboat team guiding 200metre section of Riverwalk Bridge to the rivermouth. #brisfloods #qldfloods #
Adventures of Brisbane Riverwalk – section @ “speed roughly equivalent to the speed a CityCat would normally travel” http://bit.ly/dS8y93 #
RT: @couriermail: Met Bureau says timing of water releases from Wivenhoe Dam kept flood peak below levels forecast. #
RT: @brisbanecityqld: Morning update on floods, road closures, transport & major related issues as of 5am. http://on.fb.me/eMTyLM Please RT. #
RT: @couriermail: Lord Mayor Newman inspecting CBD, thankful damage less than expected but city will need to rally. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Lord Mayor Newman calls on people w/ nonessential work stay home because of strains on road network #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Riverwalk becomes 300m floating missile #qldfloods http://bit.ly/hAPHPc #
RT: @brisbanetimes: ‘I’ve lost a lot but I’ve kept my life’: Brisbane battles on #qldfloods http://bit.ly/hxFzQQ #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Man’s body found in submerged Ipswich car #qldfloods http://bit.ly/eaDaur #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Photos: Brisbane residents watch the floodwaters peak this morning #qldfloods http://bit.ly/hgvHvP #
RT: @couriermail: AMA president says gastro and mosquitoes next risk from flooding. Doctors flying in from interstate #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Campbell Newman reiterates risks from raw sewage in flood waters. But drinking water is safe. #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT @reuters: Scientists see climate change link to Australian floods http://reut.rs/hvN0LY #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Some Bris residents may not be able to move back into flood-affected homes for months #qldfloods http://bit.ly/eE9MyT #
RT: @couriermail: Looting threat makes evacuations tough during #QLDfloods #bnefloods http://ow.ly/3CQbm #
RT: @couriermail: Brisbane suburbs waking to a war zone http://bit.ly/egdwmT #
RT: @QPSmedia: Kudos to our water police officers doing a great job shepherding debris down the Brisbane River #thebigwet #qldfloods #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Tugboat pilots steered 300m section of Riverwalk down Bris River hailed for amazing work #qldfloods http://bit.ly/hAPHPc #
RT: @couriermail: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says reconstruction of Queensland will be of postwar proportions. #qldflood #bnefloods #
RT: @QPSmedia: The death toll rises to 13 after another body located in Lockyear Valley #thebigwet #qldfloods #
Anna Bligh: “This weather may break our hearts, but it will not break our will.” @qldflood #bnefloods #
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh lauds “local heroes” throughout Queensland responding to floods. Admirable tough people. @qldflood #bnefloods #
Anna Bligh: 70 towns & cities across Queensland affected by floods (over past several weeks). #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @lonepinekoala: Thank you everyone for your support. The koalas are safe and so are all of the other animals! #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Incredible photos of Brisbane in flood today #qldfloods http://bit.ly/gXdSr6 #
RT: @QPSmedia: A child who went missing earlier in West End has been found, safe and well #qldfloods #thebigwet #
RT: @QPSmedia: Flood death toll is now 14 after a 24 year-old man was found dead at Durack in Brisbane #QldFloods #TheBigWet in reply to QPSmedia #
RT: @QPSmedia: It appears “The Island” party boat can be secured. The Moggill ferry is also stable. #QldFloods #TheBigWet // Good news. #
@lonepinekoala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket reports “The koalas are safe and so are all of the other animals!” #qldfloods #bnefloods #
RT: @couriermail: Brisbane flood levels dropping http://bit.ly/iaqTC4 #
RT: @couriermail: Brisbane man killed when sucked into storm water drain http://bit.ly/ftOvDo // (14th flood fatality) #
RT: @QuestNewspapers: Frontline photographs of flood-affected Indooroopilly and surrounding suburbs http://t.co/ugmfaSx #qldfloods #
RT: @couriermail: QLD Premier’s Flood Appeal stands at $35.9m. Even Queen chipping in! But need more. Dig deep #qldfloods http://ow.ly/3CUzn #
RT: @couriermail: Only restaurant open in Queen Street Mall is drawing big crowds of emergency workers and gawkers #bnefloods #qldfloods #
RT: @QPSmedia: Police rescue man from Logan River #thebigwet #qldfloods http://fb.me/QGCvXU2o #
RT: @couriermail: Video: Kayak tour of Brisbane’s West End http://ow.ly/3CUIC #bnefloods #qldfloods #
RT: @brisbanetimes: Clive Palmer private helicopter saves 60 from floods near his horse stud #qld floods http://bit.ly/i2A0AP #

Murkowski: “I will not oppose the Defense Authorization bill if DADT repeal is part of it”

Mel Green — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:29:02 +0000

Crossposted at Bent Alaska

A friend who has spoken with Sen. Lisa Murkowski told me that she’d directly said to him, “We’re going to fight for your issues.”

But as shown in comments broadcast last night on Anchorage’s CBS affiliate, KTVA Channel 11 ( previewed at the Think Progress’s The Wonk Room earlier in the day [Ref #1]), the closest she’s able to come in public to saying what she said privately to my friend is more along the lines of, “I’m not going to fight you on your issues.”

And clearly she sees them as “our issues” — not her own. Equality under the law for the homosexual community (the term she uses; transfolk are not mentioned) does not seem, in her eyes, to be the same as plain and simple equality under the law for all citizens.

So I caution people not to characterize Sen. Murkowski’s comments last night to KTVA Channel 11′s Matt Felling as “support” for repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Her actual words were, “I would not oppose the Defense Authorization bill because Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the repeal of it, is included within it.” It’s not just semantics: to not oppose is not the same as to support. A person can not oppose, for example, by abstaining.

But when it comes to votes in Congress… well, I suppose that’s better than a “no” vote.

Below is the video from KTVA Channel 11 News. Matthew Felling introduced the segment referring to the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is “thinking about bringing to a vote.” Repeal of DADT is part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Senate authorization of NDAA was halted on September 21 by a Republican filibuster led by antigay former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. [Ref #2] Sen. Murwkowski was not present at the vote — the only senator not present — because she was campaigning in Alaska. [Ref #3] Sen. Murkowski has previously indicated that her decision on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was partially dependent on results of the Pentagon’s comprehensive report on DADT. The Pentagon review is due for release in early December, but portions have already been leaked to the press.

A transcript of Sen. Murkowski’s comments (corrected from the somewhat loose transcript at KTVA’s site) are below the video. [Ref #4]

Video: “Murkowski “I Would Not Oppose… DADT Repeal”

Matthew Felling:

You have been waiting to hear from them, and they have said — at least according to the polls that are out there, that have been leaked — they’re okay with it. Procedural behind the scenes things [notwithstanding]… are you more likely to vote for a bill saying “I hear them. And if they’re okay with it, I’m okay with it?”

Sen. Murkowski:

And I have said that I would work to make sure that as long as it is supported by the troops, as long as it doesn’t hurt the performance or the morale, or the recruitment — these are all things that we want to take into consideration — I think we will see that play out in this report. If in fact Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is included in the Defense Authorization and we get to the point where we can move that bill through — I would not oppose the Defense Authorization bill because Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the repeal of it, is included within it. I have made the statement to others, that we are at a different point in time, if you will. There is, more clearly, a level of acceptance in our communities, at all levels of supporting and providing for that level of equality to the homosexual community. And I think that’s important to recognize that.

Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut (an independent, formerly a Democrat) announced yesterday during a press conference flanked by 12 Democrats that he was confident there were enough votes to repeal DADT, and named Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Richard Lugar of Indiana as “yes” votes on NDAA and repeal of DADT. [Ref #5] The Washington Blade reported that another Republican, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, would also vote to repeal DADT. [Ref #6] So if Sen. Murkowski is good on her word, it seems that there are at least four Republican senators willing to cross party lines to repeal DADT… if only, in Murkowski’s case, because “a level of acceptance in our communities… for that level of equality” has been reached.

Make sure to let her know that equality under the law for LGBT citizens, including LGBT servicemembers, is important to you:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski
202-224-6665 (DC)
877-829-6030 (toll free)

or write:

The Honorable Lisa Murkowski
709 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

And be sure to also call Sen. Mark Begich to thank him and encourage him in his ongoing support for equality:

Sen. Mark Begich
202-224-3004 (DC)
877-501-6275 (toll free)

One good source of recent news on repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Support LGBT servicemembers. Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Recent DADT posts

I have recently become an ongoing contributor to Alaska’s most important LGBT blog, Bent Alaska. Here’s a list of recent stories on DADT both on Bent Alaska and my own blog, Henkimaa:

11/4/10. “President Obama on DADT” (Henkimaa). Crossposted on Bent Alaska.
11/11/10. “Honoring LGBT veterans, and a Veteran’s Day message from Alaskans Together” (Bent Alaska).
11/11/10. “LGBT veterans and DADT: True stories from I’m from Driftwood (Bent Alaska).
11/15/10. “URGENT: Call Sens. Begich and Murkowski on DADT now!” (Bent Alaska).
11/15/10. “Murkowski & DADT: Turn up the heat” (Henkimaa).
11/19/10. “DADT: Murkowski, update from HRC, and Maddow & the Daily Show take down McCain” (Bent Alaska).

References

11/18/10. “Sen. Lisa Murkowski Tells Local TV She Will Vote For Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal” by Igor Volsky (The Wonk Room, Think Progress).
9/22/10. “Senate halts ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal” by Ted Barrett and Dana Bash (CNN).
9/21/10. “Murkowski misses vote on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’” by Joshua Saul (Alaska Dispatch).
11/18/10. “Murkowski “I Would Not Oppose… DADT Repeal” by Matt Felling (KTVA Channel 11 News).
11/18/10. “Lieberman on DADT: We Have 60″ by Kerry Eleveld (The Advocate).
11/18/10. “Sen. Ensign to support ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal: source” by Chris Johnson (Washington Blade).

Four days after the Oscars, & I still don’t know who won

Mel Green — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:02:11 +0000

But that’s all right. Because I can see all of the winners in this one exceptional grand masterpiece epic generic Academy Award Winning Movie trailer. It’s even got a lesbo kiss!

(But beware! it uses the R-word.)

Update: unfortunately the video is no longer available on YouTube due to a terms of use violation. Probably a violation of copyright. But you can view it on the Cracked website. It can’t be embedded, but it’s well worth a visit to Cracked to see it.

h/t Kelley Eskridge