GRABBINGSAND

I’m guessing that most of you know whether or not you’re registered to vote.

But for your sake and mine, think again. If you moved recently, have you voted since then? If not, then your voting precinct might still be over in your old neighborhood. An inconvenience if you moved across town. A tragedy if you left city or state entirely.

So click on the corner tag and check. Project Vote-Smart has pertinent information about the hows and whys of registering for your state. Some states — Georgia included — will even allow you to check your registration status and precinct designation online.

And if you want to add the corner tag to your own blog, here’s a right-click-and-save link for the image and here is the code:

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write('<div style="position: absolute; left: 100%; top: 0px; overflow: visible; height: 150px; width: 150px; margin: 0 0 0 -150px; padding: 0; z-index: 9999; border: none; float: none;"><img src="http://[your local image URL here]/votething.png" width="150" height="150" border="0" usemap="#rc"></div><map name="rc"><area shape="poly" coords="0,0,150,0,150,150" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/"></map>’);
// –>
</script>

Where to put it? Right in the bottom of your index page, just above the closing HTML and BODY tags.

(And no, I’m not that good with my javascripting. The code is based primarilly on Brian Alvey’s Post-Katrina Red Cross flag.)

The other day, I heard Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) (and his fabulous mustache) attempt to justify his support for H.R. 6166. In doing so, he said that the detainees were less deserving of due process (and more deserving of interrogations “that fall short of” torture) because of how wicked they were. The exact quote eludes my Google-fu, but it involved something about how the suspected terrorists weren’t just throwing spitballs in class. Their crimes were serious. “These are bad guys!”

Of course, Gingrey voted Yes. Like he wouldn’t. But something about the incredibly dismissive spitball comment stuck with me and has motivated me to send him a post-vote letter. Maybe he’ll read it. Maybe he won’t. But I feel a little bit better for having done so.

Representative Gingrey –

I understand that you voted in favor of H.R. 6166 on September 27, 2006.

Here is what you said, hoping to encourage your fellow Congressmen to vote as you did:

“If tough, aggressive interrogation techniques that fall short of torture are necessary to extract the information we need to prevent future attacks, we should absolutely preserve those techniques.”

Read your own words again. And be prepared to hear those words as they echo in your ears for months and years to come. By actively supporting H.R. 6166, you have allowed the reputation of our country to slip ever closer to the brink of something unseemly.

Quite often, President Ronald Reagan would refer to the United States of America as a Shining City on a Hill. It is a beautiful sentiment that encompasses all of the promise and optimism a good nation should make available to not only its own people, but to hopeful citizens of in other cities. Those other cities might not shine so bright. Some might be lost in shadow. And so, the United States of America should always remain a beacon of hope for those trapped in darkness.

But ask yourself what will happen when whispers of state-allowed prisoner abuse grow louder. Now, I know that you do not support torture outright. You suppose methods that “fall short” of that unsavory term. But do they really? According to ABC News, there are six “allowed” CIA techniques that you seek to maintain. Here is a list:

1. The Attention Grab
2. Attention Slap
3. The Belly Slap
4. Long Time Standing
5. The Cold Cell
6. Water Boarding

Ignoring the rest, the last method alone should be enough to give us pause.

Were you aware that water boarding was one of the preferred means of torture for Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge? Just as the CIA describes, the victim was bound hand and foot to a wooden board that sloped at about a 40 degree angle. The victim’s head was at the bottom, blindfolded or covered with a cloth. The Khmer Rouge didn’t employ cellophane, but they did maintain a constant stream of water over the victim’s face. Naturally, his nose would fill first. To breathe, he would have to open his mouth, allowing water to enter there as well. And while he might not be drowning truly, something primitive in the human brain will take this very situation and cause the body to behave as if it were actually drowning. The situation is undeniably torturous.

And did you know that water boarding was employed by the Japanese on captured Allied Troops during World War II? After the war was over, the leaders of Japan were found guilty of multiple war crimes. One of those cited war crimes was the “water treatment.” Call it by any name you wish, the basic technique is the same. In some cases, perhaps when an actual water board was not available, the Japanese employed a ladder and a large tub of water to hold a prisoner under until they actually did lose consciousness, but that same primal fear of drowning was the goal. The water treatment was torture.

Your vote has been passed. You can do little more than consider the eventual consequences of your actions. But at the very least, I urge you to educate yourself on the severity of these methods you have allowed. Perhaps then, when HR 6166 returns to the House — as it hopefully should after judicial review and a possible rejection by The Supreme Court — you can stand up again and know that what you have allowed and advocated does not truly fall short of torture.

Perhaps then, you will stand up for this Shining City on a Hill and say that torture has no place within her gates.

Thank you for your time,

Thomas L. Strickland
Fulton County
Georgia

Two things, both related.

First, we’ve another podcast posted for North Fulton Drama Club on the Georgia Podcast Network. This is podcast number five and I think we’re getting the hang of it. We have groovy intro music and everything, so go check it out.

Second, the always entertaining Mostly ITP podcast (also on the Georgia Podcast Network) has been voted Atlanta’s Best Locally Produced Podcast for 2006 by readers of Creative Loafing. Congratulations Rusty & Amber! Or Amber & Rusty! Both of you, quite equally!

(Of course, CL’s reader picks for best local bloggers leave a little to be desired. I can think of at least ten or fifteen locals I’d much rather read than another radio post from the AJC’s Rodney Ho.)

The Declaration of Peace, signed Sept. 21, is described as a call for nonviolent action to end the war in Iraq. The Washington event was one of 350 that will be staged nationwide to promote the peace initiative. The declaration calls for people to “engage in peaceful protests” if there is not a plan for troop withdrawal established and begun by Sept. 21, days before Congress adjourns for the fall elections.*

So what agitating entity is endorsing this organized movement to bring an end to our nation’s involvement in Iraq? None other than my very own congregational alma mater, The United Methodist Church. And I couldn’t be prouder.

Already, folks are running with the idea that President Bush’s “own church” is taking a stand against him. Interesting thought, but … how do I say this? He might attend his own local UMC in DC and down in Texas, but there is a big difference between warming a pew on Sunday and walking the line all week. I’m not saying, you know … I’m just saying.

Sadly, however, there is not a single Declaration Of Peace event occuring within 250 miles of downtown Atlanta.

But all is not lost. After all, the new UMC ad campaign is incredibly good. Very positive. You might’ve seen the spots on your local cable channel. If not, you can watch it here.

Do You Like to Blog?
Originally uploaded by grabbingsand.

Why yes, I do. Thanks.

But who are these people? Apparently, they are North Atlanta Bloggers.

I’ve not had time to delve too far into their site, but I’ve dug deep enough to feel justified in pushing some unrequested advice toward their general direction.

Three points to keep in mind when establishing any kind of presence on the web, particularly if you wish to call a sizable amount of attention to your efforts:

One. Edit yourself. Or better yet, allow someone else to edit. This might be the hardest lesson to learn, as it involves no small amount of ego and pride. But honestly, the only way to ensure that your written ideas can be understood by others is to have someone else attempt to understand them. Rarely do the resultant changes alter the stylistic core of the piece, so there is no need to fret over the loss of voice or personality. Instead, your editor will be paying attention to the little things that get lost or ignored in the rush to express an opinion or share an ideal. Tell them to be completely honest and assure them that you will not be offended by their assessment, because this editing is not about you. It’s about the text, a “black-and-white” representation of your ideas.

And if nobody else is available, you can always copy and paste the text into MS Word (or similar), run spell/grammar check, then copy the body back. Of course, keep in mind that spellcheck will not save you from using “there” instead of “their” or “they’re.”

Two. Think about what you’re promoting or presenting when you select a URL. Many years ago, when we were all experimenting with our initial webpages, the URL didn’t matter. Hosting was prohibitively expensive and domain name registration seemed like too much of a commitment for a hobbyist. So we’d practice our craft on the “tilde” sites that came free with our ISP contract (whatever shall I do with 5 whole megabytes?!?) or with ad-based sites like GeoCities or Tripod. But these days, hosting is incredibly inexpensive and domain names are perfectly affordable. So if you want to promote your new line of iguana fur handbags, just go register www.iguanafurhandbags.com. Simple.

(Yes. Iguanas do not have fur. I know.)

So I just don’t understand why this relatively new site for North Atlanta blogging operates under the www.ballotdebate.com URL. Perhaps it had an earlier use that remained popular afterward for a select group of people, but if your subject matter is North Atlanta and blogging, then the best practice is to select a URL that indicates such.

Three. Organize your content. It might be too early. Perhaps tagging or categorization will come later, but it is difficult at this point to determine which entries are personal observations or general political aspersions or informative posts about local events. While I’m happy to see more folks blogging about the burgeoning micropolis of Johns Creek, it is difficult to distinguish the impartial announcements from the editorials.

This might seem petty and it probably is, but if I am to support and encourage an enterprise, then I will have to do so honestly. I wish good things for the North Atlanta Bloggers, but that wishing will only go so far without a fair amount of constructive criticism.

09-24-06_1730.jpg
Originally uploaded by grabbingsand.

Tasty tall beer at The Brick Store Pub in Decatur.

Apropos of nothing, I’m making a post. And it’s another YouTube post, at that.

Nikki’s favorite song is “Wild Horses.” Famously (but not originally*) performed by The Rolling Stones (Sticky Fingers, 1971), she appreciates the more recent live version featuring Dave Matthews. The other day, we got to hear Alicia Keyes’s take. It’s on her Unplugged album. With Maroon 5’s Adam Levine sharing vocal responsibilities, her cover is quite good. I mean, it’s Alicia Keyes. Even Bob Dylan digs her. But in the listening, I can’t shake the notion that young Ms Keyes just doesn’t fully grasp how much longing is loaded into these lyrics.

My favorite rendition? The Sundays. Yes, it was in that Wahlberg movie, but the track was so good long before then. Four years, at least.

The Sundays haven’t produced anything new since 1997’s Static & Silence, the album that featured another hit called “Summertime.” It was shortly thereafter that lead singer Harriet Wheeler and bandmate/husband David Gavurin decided to move into the countryside and raise a family.

Just about everybody has heard the studio cut of “Here’s Where The Story Ends,” but I’ve found a live version makes the song worth a second or third listen.

The Sundays - “Here’s Where The Story Ends (Live)”
[audio:sundays_hereswherelive.mp3]

Other renditions of same: Garbage, Guns & Roses (actually just Gilby Clarke & Slash).

* - Yep. Mick and Keith wrote “Wild Horses” in 1969, Sticky Fingers came out in 1971, but the song saw first light on a Gram Parsons album in 1970.

Literal Sleeper Cars, II
Originally uploaded by grabbingsand.

Lack of Internet be damned, I’ve managed to upload, tag and label all of our photos from this past weekend’s adventure in Chattanooga — including Rock City, Lake Winnepesaukah and that damnable flat tire. Take a look and enjoy.

Sing along, won’t you?

That’s the sound of the line (line)
Connecting on the mo (mo) mo-o-dem!

Yep. We’re on dial-up tonight. Well, I am. If the DSL won’t cooperate — and it still won’t — then we’ve got to check the Drama Club email somehow, even if it means reaching back through the ages of connectivity.

Nikki’s on the phone. She picked up where I left off after scaling the tiers of power on the Earthlink technical service chain. I made it all the way to from the remote technical supporter to the stateside supervisor, but when he repeated the dreaded part I’d already heard, I had to call for backup.

Looks like the issue isn’t with us or with Bellsouth (Earthlink’s DSL backbone), but with my four-year old modem. I need a new one. Sure. But what’s that? $24.95 for 3-day shipping? And if I don’t renew my contract for a year, the modem itself will cost me another $49.95?

Call me entitled, but I don’t recall ever paying for a replacement DSL modem at any point in my Mindspring/Earthlink career. Before this Speedstream model, I had two others. Perhaps three. They just came with the service. After all, if there’s no modem, there’s no DSL and nothing to warrant my monthly bill.

So when it looked like nobody cared about my pleas of loyalty and ten years of service and remembering back when Mindspring was just a little rebel company … I handed Nikki the phone.

Time passed. Things were said.

We’re somewhere near the one-full-hour point on this call. Nikki was on hold just a few moments ago. She said that the customer service supervisor might’ve shed a tear. Now, the conversation is sounding more and more positive. I heard something about credit and shipping and no contract renewal.

A miracle worker, she is. And she wonders why I think she’s awesome.

Green_Lantern_v2_076
Originally uploaded by dlanod.

Another entry in a Flickr set entitled “The Hal Jordan Head Injury Project.”