Marginalization

The Stupak Amendment has, unsurprisingly, filled me with rage. Rage at the amendment itself, rage at the framing of the issue... just rage. I have no real analysis for you, commentary. But I do recommend these things to read:

• Jeffrey Toobin's piece "Not Covered" in the New Yorker - this is definitely one of the best things I've read on this.
• The Lawyers, Guns & Money people, particularly this piece about concession of middle ground. Amanda Marcotte has been banging on for months about the folly of "middle ground" and seeking a consensus when, as shown by the Stupak followers, there really is none. We should admit it and move on.
• Kate Harding's piece on the framing of the issue as "you little women don't understand the way the world works" is also ace.
  

Ceding the Day

Today is the day Dr. TOH and I celebrate as our anniversary.

But I realise that, in fact, there are other things celebrating anniversaries that might be viewed as a tad more important by some out there.



This is from a really, really beautiful blog called The Big Picture, that I highly recommend. It's utterly glorious - pictures from politics, science, and around the world - it's wonderful. They have a lovely post up about the twentieth anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, from both before and since.



And happy birthday to Sesame Street! Joy and education to millions of children, all over the world.

The Rules

Now, I know I swore off resolutions, etc. But some good friends of mine have instituted their "rules that make us happy," and, of course, I'm now desperately trying to work out what mine would be. Theirs include always ordering a pickle plate if it's on the menu, and no more than two martinis per person, per night. I like their style. So, here are mine so far:

1. Don't go out drinking on Wednesdays. Nothing good ever comes of it.
2. Always order hazelnut gelato if it's there.
3. Never eat tomatoes straight from the fridge.
4. Don't work in your dressing gown. It is not conducive to productivity.*
5. When stalled/mentally blocked/frustrated, put on the Fatboy Slim remix of Because I Got It Like That by the Jungle Brothers or Tribulations by LCD Soundsyste and just dance.
6. Make the bed every single day.
7. Always order a cocktail that lists cucumber or cucumber-flavoured liquor as an ingredient.
8. Always watch Coming to America, Trading Places, Airplane, Blackadder, or Ferris Bueller's Day Off if you happen to come across them on tv - at no matter what stage.

This is a work in progress, obviously, but it's shaping up nicely.

* Inspired by currently being in this position and about to go for a shower due to self-sabotage.

What You Put Your Name To

I've had a few moments of late in which I've really been taken aback at what people are prepared to sign in protest or support of when they haven't really learned the underlying facts. It's so easy in the age of internet petitions to sign things you don't believe, haven't researched. I am certainly guilty of doing so. But a couple of things have given me pause in the last couple of months, and I hope from now on I will be less likely to do so.

First, I read the wonderful Rapture Ready. It really is worth your money and time. There is an awful part where the author confronts some kids handing out pamphlets that call children who were conceived by assisted fertility "abominations," or words to that effect. The author and his wife were unable to conceive without artificial assistance. His devastation as he reads it soon turns to absolute fury when he realises that the teenager handing him the pamphlet has truly no idea what it means or the implications of what he's saying. It was a lesson in really thinking through what one is standing for - the kid had no idea, and attempted to dodge the issue. Either you believe it, or you don't, but don't be ignorant and say that you believe it when you have no idea what you are, in fact, saying what it is you believe.

Second, the Polanski petition. As I have blogged previously, I am enraged by those who signed it: either they really do not think he did anything wrong, which is horrendous in and of itself, or they have no idea to what they put their names but blindly did so in ignorance of the facts. But that is why Emma Thompson has rebuilt some of her esteem in my eyes - of course, I'm sure that was pressing on her mind. Ahem. Anyway, a young woman had an opportunity to meet with Emma Thompson recently, and questioned her on her support of Polanski and wondered why she justified signing the petition. It seems to have had an effect, as Thompson is apparently going to retract her signature. I am impressed with Thompson's willingness to be open-minded and admit she was wrong. That is impressive. But it just emphasizes how celebrities have lent their names to something about which they know nothing - see Janeane Garofalo for another example.

So, the plan is to be a bit more informed. Because these things have shown me that you really should stand up for what you believe, but only if you actually know what those things are, or the impact of your signature on that piece of paper. Which, I suppose, is what a good lawyer ought to advise and practice.

The 500

This is my 500th post. It is also the anniversary of the election of Barack Obama. It's so hard to believe a whole year has passed. Looking back on my post from the day after the night before last year, I think a lot of what I was thinking then is roughly what I think now. To whit: racism is this country should not be underestimated--and, in the past year has, frankly, been more than a little terrifying as well as disgusting; homophobia should not be underestimated (please Maine, please, show us your good side).

He's been in power only since January, of course. Since then, there have been great positives (the Lily Ledbetter Act, and the general pushing of women's rights to the forefront of foreign policy, as well as - FINALLY - the lifting of the ban on entering the U.S. with HIV/AIDS if you are a non-citizen, progressive judicial nominees), as well as negatives (the general stalling on DADT, the horrific continued bombing of Pakistan using the drones, and general assertions of executive privilege that displease me).

But there are always to be ups and downs, and often the details are forgotten underneath a general narrative. As always, I avidly listened to The News Quiz from Friday and got highly disgruntled when someone said Labour had ballsed up the country for the past twelve years. It's simply not true. They have made horrific errors. But I don't think the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's death, legalizing gay marriage, or the repealing of Section 28, are to be sniffed at.