The Whole Foods Conundrum

So now I can't shop at Whole Foods?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, spouts off in the WSJ.

The recent ("activist") Heller decision to apply the 2nd amendment to individuals,shows how the definition of "rights" evolves - even for supposed strict constructionists. The majority's reasoning is based on "historical background" and not on a strict reading of the Constitution itself.

So when Mackey writes that

Health care is a service that we all need, but just like food and shelter it is best provided through voluntary and mutually beneficial market exchanges. A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That's because there isn't any. This "right" has never existed in America

- it just makes me want to scream.

Based on the "historical background" surrounding the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, would Mackey support repeal of every amendment that granted "new" rights... to Blacks? to women? etc.? Because by "historical background" the majority concluded

What Congress did in drafting the Amendment, the Court said, was “to codify a pre-existing right, rather than to fashion a new one.”

By that standard, all but a sliver of American society - white male landowners - have any legitimate Constitutional rights to be ascertained by Mackey's "careful reading" technique.

The mind reels. Back to law school assignments...

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi convicted; sentence commuted.

From the New York Times:

“The outcome of this trial has never been in doubt,” Jared Genser, her international counsel in Washington, said Tuesday after the verdict was announced. “The real question is how the international community will react — will it do more than simply condemn this latest injustice?”

The charge against Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi was prompted by a strange incident in early May when an American intruder swam across a lake in central Yangon, Myanmar’s main city, and spent two nights in her villa, saying he wanted to save her from assassins...

According to news agency reporters allowed inside the courtroom to hear the reading of the three-year sentence, a five-minute recess was called after the verdict was given, and the country’s home minister, Gen. Maung Oo, entered the court and read aloud an order of commutation issued by Senior Gen. Than Shwe, the leader of the junta.

The 18-month term will ensure that Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi will be confined during a parliamentary election due next year. Many analysts have said they believe the case against her was intended to keep her from participating in the election.

Gates-gate coda in the offing

Since this has been the main subject of my recent posts, I might as well relay the latest... by way of The Root, which links to the Post piece about Lucia Whalen, the 911 caller.

Reports of her actions - and supposed racist motives - are just wrong. Instead of catching a case of alarmism from the elderly woman who asked Whalen to call the police, she went and took a quick look at the situation before giving a an arguably careful report.

It's incredibly sad to know the situation devolved from her description of events to "disorderly conduct" and handcuffs.

Oh, well. It'll all be taken care of shortly...

Gates and Crowley will gather for a beer and chat with President Obama at a picnic table outside the Oval Office as the sun sets Thursday. The president has called the incident a "teachable moment," but the trio is no expected to discuss the details in their meeting.

Off the agenda: Gates's and Crowley's dueling accounts of the professor's arrest outside of his home on July 16, and the accusation that Crowley allegedly racially profiled Gates.

On the agenda: A tour of the White House with their extended families. Gates will be accompanied by his fiance, two daughters, father and brother. Crowley will travel with his three children and wife.

And, of course, both men will bring their lawyers.

(from same Post piece linked above)

All's well that ends well... or so I've heard.

More on Skip Gates

Nice piece by Yale Ph.D candidate Brandon M. Terry...

(h/t to Huffington Post)

Charges dropped against Skip Gates

I guess it was all just a misunderstanding...

(h/t to Huffington Post)

Skip Gates arrested in his own house

I heard this on Al Sharpton's radio show today. He was interviewing Professor Charles Ogletree. Of course, when I got home and did a quick search for this post, Ta-Nehisi Coates had already beat me to it...

Adam Yauch diagnosed with cancer

#iranelection

For those interested in the latest events in Iran, check out persiankiwi's Twitter feed.

May the Iranian people's voices be heard.
May the powers-that-be exercise restraint.
May peace return to the streets.
May democracy and justice prevail.

That's what's up!

Marta showed me this picture a while ago.

After reading the background (h/t Bossip) - that li'l man wanted to know if the President's hair felt like his own - my snarky, earlier impression and immediate comment on the historical practice of rubbing Negroes' heads for good luck seems, shall we say, to have slightly missed the point.

Point taken.

Introducing Judge Sonia Sotomayor

President Obama's message:

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Late-night, couchified thought: some people like Omelas just the way it is, thank you very much.

Am I really a PC?

Of all the wi-fi networks I've tried connecting to while waiting on Greta's door cable to get fixed, the "Apple Store" broadcast is the only one that actually works.

Go figure.

Mikiphone... portable phonograph

(h/t to Boing Boing)

Carlos on Tavis

for Carlos (haiku)

black magic shaman
eighteen inches mind to heart
journey of the soul

Haiku for a busy mind

white noise

pause white noise rewind

rules bending pulp to wood stand

wind filtering stone

Today in tech history...

From Wired:

1975: The pioneering computer-hobbyist group, The Homebrew Computer Club, holds its first meeting in a Silicon Valley garage. From its ranks will emerge industry pioneers like Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and hacker John Draper, aka Captain Crunch.

It started with a flyer just for geeks posted on bulletin boards (the cork kind). "Are you building your own computer? Terminal? TV Typewriter? I/O device? Or some other digital black-magic box? If so, you might like to come to a gathering."

Who knows - maybe some of this Facebook-friending or Twitter-following will revolutionize society years from now.

Guess I should update more often!

after commenting on PJ's blog...

...I really needed to check my memory against the video evidence.



Yep. Still holds up.

"Brand New Funk" is one of my suggestions for PJ's mixtape project. Go check out his post and leave suggestions in the comments.

Dr. King swats away 40-year prediction

We're ready now: BBC archive

It's been a long time...

An interesting article by Jay Rosen I stumbled upon while scrolling through Huff Post takes a look at journalism's soft underbelly.

Audience Atomization Overcome

It's helpful to see an alternate model to journalistic "objectivity" used to analyze the inherent politics of news-making.

(...I shouldn't have kept you)