I Changed A Teen's Life Today

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Tuesday October 17, 2006 · 9:15 AM PDT

2006/10/17 · 09:15

Hi all, a few weeks back I was invited by my local high school to do a presentation on "First Amendment Day." A student found me because of my blog Smart Mass, Dumb Mass: Commentary on Massachusetts Politics Though I hardly post there anymore (instead I post here and at Blue Mass Group, this student found my blog and invited me to speak.

The instructions were simple. I would have one hour, two time slots (8-9, 9-10AM), about 30 to 45 students per session, and I would have to talk about the First Amendment. A pretty broad subject as it turns out.

Of course, I was never a "government" student or a poly Sci major (I'm an engineer) so I learned a lot - and I think my students learned more...
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Kill the Banner Ad (Meta W/POLL)

durrenm

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Tuesday September 26, 2006 · 5:26 AM PDT

2006/09/26 · 05:26

Dear Mr. Moulitas,

Please eliminate the banner ad above the Daily Kos Page Header.

Sincerely,
Mark D (aka Durrenm)

More below the fold... Read More

IRAN - Ellsberg Calls for Patriotism [UPDATE]

durrenm

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Wednesday September 20, 2006 · 9:04 AM PDT

2006/09/20 · 09:04

Daniel Ellsberg, famous for leaking the Pentagon Papers to the press during the Vietnam War is featured in This month's Harpers Magazine's Notebook (not online). The piece, titled The Next War is a compelling call to Bush administrative and military officials to commit treason and prevent the next war, Iran. Quotes below the fold... Read More

Arrgh, It's Talk Like a Pirate Day

durrenm

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Tuesday September 19, 2006 · 3:29 AM PDT

2006/09/19 · 03:29

Yes folks, it's the official Talk like a Pirate Day. Time to freak out your friends and co-workers by talking strange...

Want to learn more about Talk Like A Pirate Day?

Here are just a few sites

Talk Like a Pirate
Talk Like a Pirate Day

And I'm sure there are hundreds more. Add yours to the comments and post your favorite pirates and jokes there too...

My favorite pirate: Jack Sparrow

Pirate Joke:
A pirate is walking down the street with a steering wheel in his pocket. I walked up to him and said, "hey did you know there is a steering wheel in your pocket?"

He says, "Yarrgh, and it's driv'n me nuts."

Arrgh, there be more Pirate chatting below the fold, Savvy? Read More

An Inconvenient Index

durrenm

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Friday September 15, 2006 · 5:13 AM PDT

2006/09/15 · 05:13

Whenever global warming comes up in our house, my wife chuckles a bit. However, it is not her "that's ridiculous" chuckle. Instead, it is that uncomfortable chuckle. The kind you might exhibit if you saw the bumper sticker, "You toucha my car, I puncha you face," funny in a scary, uncomfortable way.

I am a long-time reader of Harpers Magazine. The first thing I read every month is the Harpers Index, a collection of telling statistics on just about everthing. Sometimes these statistics make you laugh, sometimes they make you angry, but they always make you think.

In the spirit of the Harpers Index, I present to you a collection of global warming facts. I hope they make you chuckle in a scary, uncomfortable way or make you angry.

More below the fold:
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Kos, Stick to Politics? (Steve Irwin)

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 04, 2006 · 7:08 PM PDT

2006/09/04 · 19:08

Well Markos, You stepped in it this time. Yup. Your comment,

I'll never understand parents who put themselves in such positions of danger knowing that a misstep can leave their children without a parent.

generated 700 (and counting) comments and most of them disagree with you.

More... Read More

Global Warming, It's Not Funny

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday September 03, 2006 · 11:07 AM PDT

2006/09/03 · 11:07

Whenever global warming comes up in our house, my wife chuckles a bit. It is not her "that's ridiculous" laugh. Instead it is that uncomfortable laugh. The kind you might exhibit if you saw the bumper sticker, "You toucha my car, I puncha you face," funny in a scary, uncomfortable way.

Since I am a "natural" teacher, anything I read is fair game for the dinner table so she and my children have become my students on the subject of global warming. As I read, I pass on what I learn. Now, she and my 13-year-old triplets know more about global warming than George Bush, Dick Cheney, and all the oil executives combined.

In the spirit of my dinner table, I have compiled some facts on global warming from my reading and web surfing and presented them in a Harpers Index format. I hope they make you laugh in a scary, uncomfortable way.

More below the fold:
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Investigative Journalism At its Best

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 29, 2006 · 2:48 PM PDT

2006/08/29 · 14:48

Fear not. There are still a few good journalist out there.

Case in Point: Ken Silverstein of Harpers Magazine.

Ken has a nose for corruption and his latest discovery is further testimony. If you are trying to hide something, Silverstein is the last person you want snooping around.

Ken's Latest investigation focuses on Congresman Jeb Bradley (R-NH)

More below the fold... Read More

Cheney Stay Away

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday August 24, 2006 · 6:25 PM PDT

2006/08/24 · 18:25

The Boston Globe reports that Dick Cheney is coming to Massachusetts in September.

He's coming to say some nice words about the former ambassador to Ireland and EMC Co-founder Richard Egan. Egan is also a Bush "Ranger" meaning he raised more than $200,000 for the 2004 Bush campaign.

It would appear that the ambassadorship was not enough to balance the $200,000 so Bush is evening the scale by sending Dick to town.

Is there a way we can keep him out of the state? Read More

Breaking: Election in Connecticut!

durrenm

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Tuesday August 08, 2006 · 7:34 AM PDT

2006/08/08 · 07:34

I do not know if anyone here has been following the news but there is an important election in Connecticut. It seems that long time Senator Joe Lieberman is in a primary battle with upstart Ned Lamont.

Being from Connecticut but living just over the border in Massachusetts, I was truly surprised to learn that such an important event was taking place. How did I miss it? How did anybody miss it?

Sadly (for you) there is more below the fold... Read More

Connecticut "Insurgents" Newt is a Nutcase

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday August 06, 2006 · 9:25 AM PDT

2006/08/06 · 09:25

Thanks to Think Progress, we have Newt Gingrich sharing his infinite wisdom...

Third, you have what I think is a legitimate insurgency in Connecticut, which needs to be met head on and debated head on, which is people who say this is so hard, it is so frightening, it's so painful, can't we come home and hide? And I think if Lamont wins next Tuesday, it will be the beginning of extraordinarily important period in American politics, and in American history. For all of us to have this debate. How dangerous are the terrorists? How dangerous are the dictatorships? And what does America have to do in that kind of a dangerous world?

Mild Ranting to follow... Read More

DINOsaur [With POLL]

durrenm

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday August 04, 2006 · 7:28 AM PDT

2006/08/04 · 07:28

The Lieberman Lamont diaries are fascinating. I love reading Kos and Dem from CT's posts, their analysis, and explanations of what it means if Lamont wins the primary. Yet, with all the words written on the topic, no one has come out and directly stated our core reason for wanting Lieberman gone. Read More

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