Category Archives: politics

watergate 50 years

On June 17, 1972 (I was finishing second grade) Frank Wills, a 22 year-old night security guard in a Washington office building, ripped off some tape that was holding a door latch open. On his next round he noticed it … Continue reading →

Posted on 3 June 2022 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in books bookhoard, news, politics, research, time, tv | Comments Off on watergate 50 years

when we celebrate

In discussing the place of Juneteenth in the US holiday calendar, it is worth looking at the whole yearly round. Europeans often express amazement at the short annual leave that is given to workers in the United States: the minimum … Continue reading →

Posted on 17 June 2020 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in holidays, linguistics, media, memory, policy, politics, research, time | Comments Off on when we celebrate

juneteenth: revisiting celebration

Space is a central focus in the #BlackLivesMatter protests working to dismantle racial orders, as well as the counterprotests. The protest actions are taking place in public spaces, already changed by the Covid pandemic. Material symbols of white supremacy such … Continue reading →

Posted on 16 June 2020 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in holidays, linguistics, media, memory, policy, politics, research, time | Comments Off on juneteenth: revisiting celebration

swearing, no screaming

Howard Dean had a Zoom call with Democrats Abroad today. There was self-redacted swearing but no screaming. Dean is now in charge of the Dem clearinghouse of voter data which aims to source information from different organizations to identify voters … Continue reading →

Posted on 15 June 2020 by Diana ben-Aaron
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no way out

Former Commerce Secretary Robert Reich on yesterday’s livestream from Democrats Abroad UK. Some notes: – Reich says we’re at a once in a hundred years crisis, a “triple barreled emergency” of “pandemic, econom[ic collapse], and racism and its consequences.”– Calls … Continue reading →

Posted on 29 May 2020 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in politics | Comments Off on no way out

fire drill friday

Posted on 27 December 2019 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in politics, travel | Comments Off on fire drill friday

choose death

Absolutely brought down to rock bottom by this election result. Sandy Martin being out as MP for Ipswich actually feels worse than the national outcome. We were too depressed even to rant on the radio show this morning. Train station, … Continue reading →

Posted on 13 December 2019 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in ipswich, media, policy, politics | Comments Off on choose death

million euro march: a review

Best symbolic clothing: Blue beret with yellow stars, which had the merits of being visible to the helicopters that were counting the crowd, jauntily continental, and in the tradition of politically inflected headgear (the Hats and the Caps). Runner-up: Flag worn … Continue reading →

Posted on 19 October 2019 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in media, politics | Comments Off on million euro march: a review

Eastercon: science and Brexit

Takeaways from Brexit and Science panel chaired by Nicholas Whyte, from memory and therefore fuzzy and consolidated. There were obvious concerns about EU projects, loss of personal freedom or movement, brain drain, possibility of closer relationship with US just as … Continue reading →

Posted on 16 April 2017 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in brexit, politics, science, sf | Comments Off on Eastercon: science and Brexit

Eastercon: a post work future

(a tough call against SF Engineering and Infrastructure) This panel started with a bit of the usual blue sky. Jobs have been changing since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, nobody cries for the blacksmiths. (Anymore. As I post this, they … Continue reading →

Posted on 15 April 2017 by Diana ben-Aaron
Posted in politics, sf, tech | Comments Off on Eastercon: a post work future