Diaries

Monday Open Thread January 4, 2016

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Mon, 01/04/2016 - 7:00am
4 is the second squared number
4 is the smallest squared prime
4 is the only even squared prime
4 is both 2 dooubled and 2 squared
A number is divisible by 4 if its last two digits are divisible by 4. For example 1632 is divisible by 4 because 32 is divisible by 4 (4 x 8 = 32)
A Tetrahedron has 4 sides and 4 vertices. It is the simplest Platonic solid.

Defining by example: Political Powerlessness

Submitted by Robyn on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 2:16pm

Researchers at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law published a new study in the December issue of the SAGE Journal Research and Politics. The study, Transgender inclusion in state non-discrimination policies: The democratic deficit and political powerlessness, was written by Andrew R. Flores, Jody Herman, and Christy Mallory.

Transgender people—people whose gender identity or expression is different from their assigned sex at birth—and their allies advocate for the inclusion of gender identity or transgender in state non-discrimination policies. These policies generally proscribe discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Courts and administrative agencies have determined discrimination against transgender people is a violation of existing statutes, but there remain efforts by advocates to seek policies that explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of transgender status, which are often the result of legislation going through the political process. A pluralist understanding of the political process theorizes that a majority coalition of minorities can offer social groups policies they support. This rests on the presumption that a majority coalition of minorities should rule. Any indication to the contrary may suggest a democratic deficit, whereby more than a majority is necessary for policy introduction. We find that there is a substantial democratic deficit regarding the inclusion of gender identity or transgender in employment non-discrimination policies. On average, state support for the policy must be 81% in order for the state to have a policy reflecting such sentiment. This leaves substantial implications for the political powerlessness of transgender people in the political process.

Hellraisers Journal: Ralph Chaplin on Joe Hill's Funeral from the International Socialist Review

Submitted by JayRaye on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 12:56pm
The murdering of martyrs has never yet made
a tyrant's place secure.
-Ralph Chaplin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday January 3, 1916
From the International Socialist Review: Ralph Chaplin on Joe Hill's Funeral

In the latest edition of the Review, Fellow Worker Ralph Chaplin offers this account of the funeral of our martyred rebel songwriter which was held in Chicago this past Thanksgiving Day, November 25th:

Joe Hill Funeral, West Side Auditorium, ISR Jan 1916.png

JOE HILLS FUNERAL

By RALPH CHAPLIN

Open Thread Sunday 01-03-16

Submitted by JtC on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 8:12am

Good morning 99percenters!
Morning news dump, December site stats and music by The Pretenders.

Outrage Follows Saudi Arabia's Execution of Nearly 50 Prisoners

Saudi Arabia—recently chosen to to head a key United Nations human rights panel—on Saturday executed 47 people convicted of "terrorism," including at least four convicted of offenses related to political protest.

Mummers Parade group pushes transphobia, attacks Jenner

Submitted by Robyn on Sat, 01/02/2016 - 2:54pm

photo Cereal_zps7rl7wvrn.jpgIncoming Mayor Jim Kenney has denounced the Mummers group Finnegan's Wake for its attack on the transgender community...and specifically Kaitlyn Jenner.

Kenney called the signs carried "bad" and "hurtful" and said that the Philadelphia transgender community did not deserve "that form of satire."

Hellraisers Journal: Ex-Governor Steunenberg of Idaho Murdered by Dynamite Bomb at Home in Caldwell

Submitted by JayRaye on Sat, 01/02/2016 - 12:55pm
There are no limits to which the powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday January 2, 1906
Caldwell, Idaho - Ex-Governor Steunenberg Assassinated

From the front page of The New York Times of December 31st comes this very grim news:

EX-GOVERNOR KILLED BY DYNAMITE BOMB
-----

Frank Steunenberg of Idaho Victim of an Assassin.
-----
GOVERNOR FROM 1897 TO 1901
-----
The Bomb Had Been Placed at His Gate at Caldwell,
and Exploded as He Entered.
-----

Gov Steunenberg, Idaho 1897-1901.png

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 30.-Frank Steunenberg, formerly Governor of Idaho, was killed to-night by a bomb at his home in Caldwell. A dynamite bomb had been placed at his front gate with a contrivance that exploded the bomb as he entered. Both legs were blown off and he lived but twenty minutes.

There is no known reason for the outrage, but it is charged to some members of the famous inner circle of the Coeur D'Alene dynamiters, whom he prosecuted relentlessly in 1899 while he was Governor.

Gov. Gooding is in communication with the police and is prepared to lend the full support of the State in running down the perpetrators of the crime. The State will offer a large reward.

Steunenberg was Governor of Idaho from 1897 to 1901, having been twice elected on the Populist ticket. He was born in Iowa forty-four years ago, and had been in Idaho since 1887. He leaves a widow and three children.

Pages