War on Civilians in the Dem. Rep. of the Congo

The most devastating piece of news that I heard last week was a report filed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Woman Tells of Congo Murders (RealAudio file)

Fifty people from this woman’s village were captured by the Interahamwe, armed Hutu militia from Rwanda who were involved in the genocide in that country. The woman was the only survivor of that attack.

Excerpt from interview:

After they killed the members of my family, 19 members of the Interahamwe raped me. And then they killed two of my children in front of me. And then they took the baby off my back, and they tied a rope around its neck, and they forced me to pull the rope and kill my own baby.

Also check out the BBC news article “DR Congo’s Unending War” for some background on the situation there.

“Global Warming Needs Our Help”

Favorite line: “Fact: Global warming will cause the dead to reanimate and roam the Earth as zombies once again. But don’t be afraid. They’re going to be, like, fun zombies.” -A Very Convenient Truth, Sarah Silverman

Politics and Play

Whenever I’m feeling low, I just repeat these words to myself:

Fantasy Bundestag
Which of the German parliament‘s 613 seats will you choose? How well will your political party do as the current legislative session advances? (Thanks to Sean and Vin for the awesome concept.)

I also get my kicks from the Prime Minister’s Questions.

If you’re in New York the weekend of Sept. 22, check out the Come Out and Play Festival.

Who Should Pay for Healthcare?

Tuesday’s Brian Lehrer Show will be a discussion of who pays for healthcare in the United States. Visit this Web site to download a copy of the Wal-Mart memo leaked last month. The memo includes possible strategies for reducing the company’s healthcare costs.

Threat of Transit Strike in NYC

There’s the possibility that a strike by New York City transit workers will take place Dec. 15. The Gotham Gazette provides some background on the situation here.

I wasn’t aware that a transit strike had occurred in New York City in 1980. For a city so dependent upon public transportation, it boggles my mind to imagine how people would move about without it. There are taxis and car services — though I heard a taxi driver say on public radio that he and other drivers would support the strike by refusing to make multiple pickups — but that would mean spending more money when I already have an MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) pass. And because I travel between Brooklyn to Manhattan, I’d be even more concerned about the cost of using private transportation.

I’ll refrain from making any judgments about the strike threat until I’ve learned more. In the meantime, you might want to check out the transit workers’ union’s Web site at http://twulocal100.org. The MTA does not seem to have released an official statement on the negotiations, but the agency’s Web site is http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us.

Well, my commute is only 5.5 miles. Maybe it’s time to break out ye olde running shoes.