this is wild. i love when people go crazy. i love freedom.

my dog, max, rules.

this shit is making me so upset. there has been so much work in making the blunt object of capitalism somewhat more conducive to a human's needs as a worker. but it's blind action like this that will doom all of us. not only will it not save the so-called socialists in british columbia from the alleged overbearing power of the labour movement, it will inevitably devalue the worker and standard of living for unreasonably short sighted goals. to pay for lower income taxes against those in washington state will only benefit the extremely wealthy. in fact, it will hardly benefit them, because the "low" taxes in the united states are not very low and their tax structure is far less beneficial than the myth would have you believe. the tax haven of the united states is not a haven at all. on an income-only basis (i.e. no deductions to claim), the tax burden for most of us are comprable. indeed, there is more variation among the provinces and territories. further, even in the higher brackets, the burden is still high in the united states. the tax cuts that provincial governments have been clamoring and cutting to pay for do little to increase competitiveness internationally. the tax structures have some inherent differences, that our current tax treaties do not assist in easing. it is upsetting to think that labour movement in BC is being decried and labeled criminals over this entire affair. not such a good way to treat your employees. I am also shocked that the labor relations board can dare call this illegal work action. all such action was "illegal" when we were fighting for these rights on the streets of winnipeg in 1919. the risk, of course, is by weakening the labour movement, we will start to accept scab workers in our unionized workplaces. this is exactly what northwest airlines is doing with their mechanics. the rest of the american labor movement has abandoned the mechanics, and northwest immediately had scabs ready to do the work. no one even batted an eye. if we allow governments to rob people of their labour rights, there will be nothing for us to lean on when those rights are at risk. or when the owners and managers are too uncreative to solve problems through means other than oppressing workers and using back-to-work legislation to impose unfair conditions. the BC government didn't even let the strike happen before legislating. gordon campbell, the drunk driving premier, has said "we do not get to obey the laws the we like, and disobey the the laws we don't like." the premier ought to consider what hard fought freedoms would not exist today if it were not for civil disobedience. breaking the law in a nonviolent manner has always been a legitimate form of political protest. laws passed specifically to deny workers employment conditions that are mutually agreeable is an offense to our sense of justice. canadians have long fought laws that were unjust. it is that time again.

on vacation in victoria, bc. anyone who tells you victoria gets less rain than vancouver still can't prepare an east coaster like myself for the rainy season out here. yesterday, truthfully, was absolutely gorgeous. melanie and i spent it wandering about victoria, including an extended stay looking over the juan de fuca straight at the olympic mountains. it was quite lovely. enough to make the prospect of returning to washington, dc far less appealing. but washington is a totally great and huge city: something victoria just doesn't offer. though it's not a fair trade; scenery for urbanity. remarkable, even, that i've constructed such a choice.

the mainstream press has stopped reporting, largely, the racism made evident by the fallout of hurricane katrina. it appears that the few accolades the Left acknowledged in those early days were enough to convince the mainstream that they had done a good enough job at exposing the glaring climate of oppression and classism today. So much so that it would be acceptable to return to the more promotional and consumer oriented bias that deflates inequality and amplifies purchasing power. i blame jon stewart. he let up for five minutes, and the media was all over the break.

a few things: to-day, as it is the second day of rosh hashanah, i've been doing some pensive reflection and low key celebration of the new year. woo hoo 5766! as a result, i watched (while ironing, see below) a film called chasing liberty. it was one of the worst films i've ever seen, yet, i didn't change the channel and watched it the whole time. i kept wanting to change the channel and repeatedly laughed at myself for watching it any further. oh boy. been hearing lots about this harriet miers nomination. I think W is fucked, because people will tear her a new asshole. this is kind of why. however, i don't think it will be enough on its own. further, liberals who think she's unqualified need to be wary as to how they will critique her and capitalize on the momentum of the conservative critics. that being said, it looks like the non-partisans have a great opportunity right now to steer debate. if it ends up that EVERYONE deems harriety miers unqualified, then W will the have started the 2008 campaign sooner than he may have liked, since it will cripple the productivity of congress. then W's fucked, and he might as well spend more time at the so-called western white house. that might be good for the rest of us; but for some reason, i won't write W off quite yet. earlier i mentioned i was ironing today. i hate ironing, but i was thinking while ironing how much time it takes. and then i wondered how i've been trying all day to get my shit done, and feel like time is slipping away. now i know that the more time you give something the more time it takes; it's like a gas. i just sometimes wonder why harriet miers or anything else can even begin to matter to most working people. we have shit to do, we have jobs. it's a little strange.

happy october and shana tova to all of you! to-day is the jewish new year, and although we don't take the rosh to be a moment of huge celebration, it is a sweet and festive time. so enjoy apples and honey, for my sake. life in washington, dc at this time of year is quite humorous (humourous). not having realized the size of the jewish community before i moved here, their competence is refreshing. that being said, i grew up in a city with one reform jewish synagogue, and then lived in sackville. where there were no jews at all. anyway, so although most of washington is officially still in full swing, a number of people have disappeared from their offices, and traffic to-day saw rush hour start at 2pm. high holiday tickets are there for the scalping. today i also learned what it was like for the WMATA to screw me. one bus was running so late, it was overtaken by the subsequent bus. that being said, it's impressive that it took them over two months to screw up on my watch. granted, i don't take public transit everyday, preferring to walk, so my frame of reference is skewed. but it failed today. tomorrow i'm relying on it for high holiday services. drove to ny this weekend. it was far more pleasant than other times i've done the wild ride. max came. also quite pleasant. he's a good dog. it was whirlwind, as my trips to new york have become. i'm noticing some serious changes in my relationship to this city. new york that is. i still enjoy her company, but why does she smell so bad?