Marginalia

Star Trek and miniskirts

Mon, 18 May 2009 05:53:18 GMT

I haven't seen the new Star Trek movie yet, but I am an avid review reader, so I am aware of some details. Specifically, about the costumes and the main relationship. I've heard a few reviewers complain about this, but my feelings are mixed.

On the one hand, miniskirts as a quasi-military uniform. Because that makes perfect sense.

On the other hand, I once read an article (by a woman, for the record) which pointed out that there was a sense in which that miniskirt was utopian. They were in a climate controlled environment. Why shouldn't they wear miniskirts?

The women of the Enterprise wore miniskirts in the absolute confidence that they could have all the sex appeal of the "man in uniform" and be completely, obviously feminine, without the slightest fear. No fear of rape - their crewmates could admire without doing anything inappropriate. No fear of repercussions - they could show off their legs, and sleep with cute guys, and still keep their jobs or get the promotion, and if they were attacked, the crew would come down on their attackers, not on them.

And this is why the idea of Spock/Uhura doesn't bother me. They can be involved despite a teacher/student relationship, because in this future, the idea that either of them would abuse that trust is as impossible as the idea that a miniskirt would tempt a man into rape.

My fail

Fri, 08 May 2009 20:53:12 GMT

*headdesk*

I managed to misinterpret a blogger's statements, thus getting into an argument that didn't actually have to do with what she was talking about, and wasting her time. Ugh. Plus accidentally insulting her once. Double ugh. Someone, remind me not to respond to posts unless I have the time to really attend to what I'm saying and to read the other person closely?

(Mind you, I still think she's wrong, and that she did her own fair share of backtracking, misinterpretating (is that even a word?), and insulting, but I can hardly complain about something I'm guilty of. But am I the only person who finds it harder to apologize to someone who does the same thing, even if you know you were wrong?)

*headdesk*

Why is Hillary Clinton Still an Issue?

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:08:10 GMT

Apparently a President Hillary Clinton would have saved us from evil Wall St. by now, and everyone who voted for President Obama did so because they were misogynistic, 'voting black', and/or had a crush on him.

Okay then.

I mean, I can see wanting a woman president. I do too. I can understand criticizing the sitting president. I have plenty of things that I wish he would do: pushing the Democratic members of the House and Senate a bit more - I'd like to see no Democrats using insulting language, opponents or not, and no Democrats adding pork to bills - and being firmer on issues his Administration supports - legalized marijuana, choice, and the economy - among them.

But Sec. of State Clinton was no saint. As she used her time as First Lady as part of her campaign, I think I am justified in pointing out that President Bill Clinton didn't exactly reign in Wall St., although some of the warning signs already existed, including over-consolidation, a widening wage gap, and reckless speculation and bubbles. Neither did they make nearly a strong enough stand on environmental, trade, and media issues. The effort to pass Universal Health care (under her aegis) failed miserably (the descriptions of that failure being part of the reason I didn't vote for her - bullying legislation through is a qualification for President only if you succeed). She was downright poor on corporate campaign contributions.

And as the previous First Lady and a sitting Senator, shouldn't she have known that President Bush' claims about Iraq were wrong? Oh, right. She did. Her speech on the Iraq War Resolution, as I recall, more or less involved her acknowledging that the case for Iraq was incorrect or misleading on almost every count, and yet she voted in support of it anyway. Granted, so did almost everyone else. Granted, it would likely have hurt her for years following. But one of the few places the President has true power is the U.S. military. And I think, wanting a president who has not already approved sending that military into combat based on peer pressure is not - was not - unreasonable. And every last one of those points, plus inevitable "Stand by her man" jokes, would have been made by the RNC if they paid any attention at all to the campaign.

In the meanwhile, Sen. Obama had spoken eloquently against war in 2004, conveyed a sense of civility that has been lacking for 20-plus years, demonstrated familiarity with modern technology, was funded largely by individual donations, and managed to present himself not as someone who had all the answers, but as someone who knew how to do the research.

So, no, I don't think that a President Hillary Clinton would have made everything all better. Nor do I think President Obama will - it's a fine line between civility and concession at times, and difficult to break out of the years of intensive neo-conservative propaganda. But I do think that most of the people who voted for him did so for perfectly logical reasons that had nothing to do with race or gender.

(And the Hitler comparison? Cheap shot. Very cheap shot.)

Good News Day

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:21:04 GMT

I have health care again!

Sadly, it does not cover me as completely as my previous health care did, but for right now, I don't have to deal with the local Department of Human Services. Who are incompetent and rude to a degree that astonishes me - the state department seems excellent, and I've never had any trouble dealing with the federal government. But these people . . . I'm fairly certain responding to a telephone message is still standard procedure for any office, you know?

***
Also, the wonderful saleswoman at my eyeglass store figured out a way to replace my broken eyeglasses for free, even though a) it was past the 90 day warranty, and b) that frame was no longer in stock.

A Vision Beyond the February Recall, an open letter from Dick Ramsdell and Dean Yeotis

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:06:15 GMT

Flint faces a mayoral recall election on February 24th. There are many of us who oppose recalls. They can be divisive, confrontational and personal. However, given the current situation in Flint, with this mayor, at this time, a successful recall of Don Williamson trumps all reservations.

The discussion surrounding this election should focus, not on what happens to Williamson, but on what Flint needs and is capable of achieving as a community. Much has been made of the mayor's personality. He is vulgar, he is bombastic, and he is vindictive. Many people in the city are afraid of him. None of these qualities is desirable in a responsible public official. But they are not the issue.

The issues are [the] serious and on-going mismanagement of city finances; misguided administrative appointments; and the obstruction of almost every project moving our city forward.

Despite the national economy, the Michigan economy, and the demise of the local auto industry, positive things are happening in Flint. And make no mistake about it, they are happening in spite of our current mayor. The downtown "revival," which has most recently added the renovation of the Durant to its "can do" list; the fuel cell research at Kettering and the prospect of the growth of a national bio-fuel industry with Flint as an epicenter; and UM's vibrant embrace of student housing and the continued success of Mott College and Baker College all demonstrate that we may be down, but we're far from out.

These exciting developments are evidence that a strong spirit of hope and a desire for change have been alive in our town long before they became a 'call to arms' in our recent national election. Unfortunately, our city administration has not led the charge, or even cooperated as a willing partner. Rather, despite the mayor's false claims of credit for these ventures, Flint City Hall has been an ongoing hindrance to progress.

Some are understandably concerned that a negative, mudslinging recall campaign could set our city back. We suggest, however, that the act of recalling Mr. Williamson need not be a negative, vindictive act, but rather a positive first step toward the emergence of a coherent, productive vision of our city's future. Flint should recall Mayor Williamson and elect someone who will draw us together to pursue a vision which will once again make us proud of our community. We simply can't afford to waste three precious years.

Imagine with us, what Flint can aspire to in 2010:

A PRODUCTIVE CITY: We have known for many years that our city needs to diversify its economic base. Whether the work is in green industry, health care, or higher education, any candidate for mayor must be willing to cooperate with local, state and federal government and our universities, and be aggressive in pursuing state and federal grant opportunities. Our current mayor has been long on promises, and short on delivery. He has no idea of funding possibilities through state and federal channels, and has caused millions of federal dollars to be forfeited to Washington because he had no plan for their use. With his lay-off of city employees, including massive police cuts, he has created a net negative employment rate during his term.

AN EDUCATED CITY: Our higher educational institutions are leaders in Flint's current revival: Kettering with fuel cell research and leadership in the bio-fuel initiative; UM with its enthusiastic commitment to downtown; and Mott and Baker with their development of affordable programs tailored to the needs of individual students. These institutions and our struggling public school system need to know that City Hall is there to cooperate with them as they strive to fulfill their mission, not to ignore them or act as obstacles in their attempts to grow.

A SAFE CITY: Flint ranks as one of the most violent cities in the nation. Sadly, the determination of the current mayor to place his cronies in key positions, including a now criminally charged Police Chief and appoint his father to "Super Chief," while laying off almost 50 patrol officers, does nothing to make our citizens safer. Gimmicks like the saggy pants crackdown are all too common with this administration and fail to address the grave seriousness of Flint's crime problem.

A HEALTHY CITY: Flint is blessed with a superior medical community and excellent hospitals. But our rates of obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy, and infant mortality are numbing. A mayor is not responsible for these issues, but as we establish a vision for our community, wouldn't it be exciting to have a leader joining as a partner with the medical community in raising awareness on these issues? This would be a welcome alternative to the mayor's well-publicized fights with our local leader in public health care – Hurley Hospital.

A FIT CITY: Flint prides itself on being the home of many famous athletes. Today, expansive plans for the Crim and a beautifully renovated Atwood Stadium offer very positive images for our city. Beyond the Crim and Atwood, plans are being made for biking and walking trails, and a possible river kayaking course. The mayor's office should assist these efforts rather than calling press conferences on inner city drag strips.

A GREEN CITY: From President Obama to Governor Granholm, leaders around the nation are urging that our nation's future lies in changing our patterns of energy production and consumption. Flint can be a leader, whether in green building, the introduction of new solar and wind industries, the new bio-fuel plant, or the transformation of Land Bank property into productive sources for food and energy. Unfortunately, our current mayor does not even support recycling, much less understand the potential of attracting innovative green pioneers to Flint.

AN ARTISTIC CITY: The artistic creativity in this community is amazing. Our Cultural Center is the showcase, but whether in theatre, music or the arts, Flint continues to produce exceptional talent. While not necessarily tied to City Hall, no vision of our city's future would be complete without identifying the arts as a major contributor to an urban culture which is much richer than Flint's image would suggest.

We offer these ideas as a starting point for the citizens of Flint to imagine what our city can become. Many groups and institutions are already hard at work advancing their own parts of Flint's future. But City Hall is AWOL. The citizens of Flint deserve a mayor capable of articulating a viable plan for our future and offering the city's services cooperatively to partner with those who can help us realize it. Our current mayor is incapable or unwilling to do either. If the citizens of Flint want to support the creativity and vitality of those who truly believe in our community, then we need to recall Don Williamson on February 24, 2009, knowing that our vote will lead not to dysfunction and instability, but to a brighter future for the city we love.

Sincerely,

Dick Ramsdell
Dean Yeotis

Dean Yeotis, attorney, and Dick Ramsdell, manager of the Flint Farmers' Market, are leaders of the political action committee Flint Michigan United.

2009 "Social Justice Now" Symposium

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:34:25 GMT

For those in the Flint, MI area:

The 2009 "Social Justice Now" Symposium, "Focus: Closing the Achievement Gap: Reshaping Education for the Benefit of All" will be held on Friday, February, 06, 2009 at the University of Michigan-Flint's Harding Mott University Center from 8am to 5pm. The Guest Keynote Speaker is Pedro Noguera, Ph.D.

Dr. Pedro Noguera, an urban sociologist, is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New
York University. He is also the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education and the co-Director of the Institute for
the study of Globalization and Education in Metropolitan Settings (IGEMS). Dr. Noguera is also the author of City Schools and the
American Dream: Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education

Registration is free. A Continental Breakfast and Lunch is included- Limited Capacity. Pre-Registration is strongly encouraged. For more information or to register visit http://umflint.edu/eoi/sjn.htm or call Dawn Demps at 810-701-2820.

Sponsored by: University of Michigan-Flint Diversity Council; University of Michigan-Flint Center for Civic Engagement; Leadership Development In Interethnic Relations (LDIR) with support from the C.S. Mott Foundation; LINK Community Arts; Urban League of Flint; The Shariki Group

To a Really Bad Writer

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:07:25 GMT

Okay, look, I know you said you didn't get women, and I have to admit, that definitely appears to be true. And I can certainly appreciate why you don't want to just walk up to a woman and ask her lots of personal details.

But, here's the thing. I know you use LiveJournal. So do a lot of women, myself obviously included. Why don't you try friending some of them and just reading what they have to say? You know, all the boring personal stories about classes, annoying bosses, shopping with friends, and family get-togethers, as well as any fiction? Try following links and friends until you get something interesting, or type in an interest you think your character would have. If you feel weird friending someone you don't know, write to them and tell them you're doing a writing excercise, and ask if they mind.

Just, please, do something to make her more than a freaking Disney princess.

Local Business: Health Care Reform

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:09:52 GMT

For anyone in the Flint, MI area:

Two discussions on Health Care Reform are being hosted by Healthcare - Now! of Genesee County. The first will be on Saturday, December 27 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 4805 N. Saginaw. The second will be on Monday, December 29 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2474 S. Ballenger Highway.

Local business

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:08:50 GMT

For anyone in the local area (Flint, MI):

Ernestine Tune has taped the League of Women Voters programs on "National Popular Vote" and "Net Neutrality." They will be broadcast on Sun, 12/21/2008, Channel 17 at 9:30 pm.

There will be a Flint City Charter Meeting featuring Jim Ananich on Mon, 1/5/2009 at 9:30 am in the Flint Public Library, Main Branch (FPL: M) Rm 205, 1026 E Kearsley, Flint, unless they are snowed out. Another meeting will be held Mon, 1/12/2009, same time, same place.

Vote!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:12:39 GMT

So, I just finished voting. We got there at 7:00 am, and I voted at 9:45 am. While precinct 42 pretty much always has high turnout, most of the wait was thanks to some slow workers and several spoiled ballots. Ah well. I voted. And now I have the rest of the day off.

Control and Superstition

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:37:01 GMT

While reading my bulletins from the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), I ran across this very interesting piece:

"Why do people form superstitions, create conspiracy theories, and see patterns where none exist? In a Report in the 3 Oct 2008 Science, Whitson and Galinsky suggest that the answer may be because people are in situations where they do not have control. That is, when individuals are unable to gain a sense of control objectively, they will try to gain it perceptually. In a series of experiments that used multiple methods to induce a lack of control in participants, the team found that subjects in the lack-of-control condition were more likely to perceive a variety of illusory patterns, including seeing images in static, forming illusory correlations in stock market information, perceiving conspiracies, and developing superstitions. . . . Interestingly, when these participants first did a self-affirmation exercise designed to make them feel more psychologically secure, they were less prone to seeing illusory patterns. . . . Lead author Jennifer Whitson discussed the work in a related podcast interview." (Science Roundup, October 31, 2008)

If the conclusions are true, might it be possible to track how secure Americans felt in earlier periods by seeing when superstitions and conspiracy theories were on the rise? For instance, there was a high amount of belief and interest in the paranormal during Victorian/Edwardian times, a wave of conspiracy theories in the 1990s and early 2000s, an increase in superstitious behaviors among farmers in the Dust Bowl. For that matter, in the antebellum American South, slaveholders saw conspiracies among slaves and abolitionist Northerners constantly, and believed some highly questionable racial science (drawing patterns where they didn't exist?).

Article Information:

Lacking Control Increases Illusory Pattern Perception (link to AAAS website, purchase article there or find it in the following journal)
Whitson and Galinsky
Science 3 October 2008: 115-117
DOI: 10.1126/science.1159845

Election 2008

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:20:00 GMT

So, Senator McCain wants to postpone the presidential debate because he needs to be in Washington to help the "stalled" debate on the bailout?

Uh-huh.

You know, some of the most important debates in U.S. history were held in 1858. A senator had been beaten to a bloody pulp on the Senate floor, Southern states were threatening secession, and still the candidates for the Illinois Senate seat talked (and talked). Even the sitting senator, Stephen Douglas, took time out of his busy schedule to discuss issues. And in 1860, both Mr. Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Stephen Douglas went on speaking tours, with the country falling to pieces around their ears. In 1932, three years after the Great Crash on 1929, with every person in this country dealing with the Great Depression, the sitting President, Herbert Hoover, and the Governor of New York, Franklin Roosevelt, both intimately involved with the vital relief efforts, managed to continue their campaign.

Because, amazingly, it turns out that the business of America, our single most exportable good, is democracy. And the first rule of democracy is that the public must make an informed choice. Yes, the Senate's work is important. It was important last week, and last month, and in 2003. But democratic discourse matters too, and it should not carry on, or cease, at the whim of any one candidate.

Books

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:30:28 GMT

People keep throwing book memes around lately, so I suppose I should return the favor.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Strike out the books you have no intention of ever reading, or were forced to read at school and hated.
I've put in small the ones I'd never previously heard of, or wasn't aware of as a book.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (Loved bits, but have gone slightly off on it since.)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (Loved books 1-3, was persistently annoyed at the last four.)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible (Read most of it, should read it again, loved parts, hated most.)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (Loved the first book, but was less than fond of books two and three.)
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (One of my least favorites of her books. I like Eight Cousins much better.)
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (Started, and got quite far in. I'll never finish it, though.)
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (Read most of it, should read rest, loved most of the comedies, hated most of the tragedies.)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adam (Loved the book, radio transcripts, and movie. Hated the series.)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Yeah, I know, I loved this book, but I hated the series.)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce (I read the Odyssey, that will have to suffice.)
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Verdict?: I should probably only read the first half of most epic fantasy series. Also, I have seriously mixed feelings about a lot of classics.

I'd Love to See This

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:13:25 GMT

http://xkcd.com/285/

Sources on the 2008 Election

Sat, 31 May 2008 05:20:34 GMT

Some of you may get this twice, since I also sent an e-mail.

I am certain that you have been inundated with news about the 2008 election campaign, just as I have, so I'll beg your forgiveness for adding more. However, in the past few months, I have heard several people complain that none of the candidates had "said anything about the issues" and either ask how I picked a candidate and/or party (a trifle unusual) or flatly announce that I couldn't be picking a candidate based on the issues. Since I know many of you are likely to come in for serious political debates and/or similar queries, I thought I'd pass along some of my favorite online sources for your use.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science offers a website devoted to "Science and Technology in the 2008 Presidential Election," including a full comparison of the candidates on science and technology issues here: http://election2008.aaas.org/

The Council on Foreign Relations offers a guide to the 2008 election, including candidate positions, full workups on their "brain trusts" and links to candidate essays written for the respected journal Foreign Affairs here: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2008/index.html

In National Public Radio's guide to the 2008 election (http://www.npr.org/templates/topics/topic.php?topicId=1102), they include a candidate position guide here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18437398

The Seattle Times offers a series (and searchable database) on earmarks here (this is not the easiest website to search, but if you stick with it, it will tell you who asked, who donated, and where the money went, usually by name): http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/favorfactory/

I'll admit to a fondness for the stories on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, which runs a number of stories on the election and on political issues in general. I believe they're the ones who ran a story on the earmarks project above. Videos and full transcripts of previous shows can be found in the archives and transcripts sections, here: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

And finally, my favorite source for fact checking, PolitiFact, which is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly, here: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ . Check for the "pants-on-fire" rating for a laugh. (And then cry as you realize people believe some of it.)

If you have favorite websites relating to the election, please send them my way - I'm always looking for good info.

Various

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:50:25 GMT

This semester is finally over. I won't find my grades out for another couple of weeks, but I think I did well. I did find out I got an A on my paper for American Institutions: Theatre, which involved the memorable experience of not receiving my interlibrary loan books for several weeks longer than it normally takes and having to change my topic for a 20 page paper a week before it was due. Please, never again.

***

I am so utterly sick of this discussion over the Michigan and Florida Democratic primary delegates. To the best of my knowledge, the DNC announced the rules sometime in, oh, August. Michigan and Florida broke the rules without consulting party members or the voters in general, and everyone, from the candidates (including Sen. Clinton, who is showing a disturbing tendency to revise the past now) to the voters, acted as though the rules were going to be followed. What New Hampshire or Iowa did is irrelevant, since by all accounts, they received permission from the DNC to schedule their primaries first. There is no good reason to seat the delegates now, except to pander to the same Michigan reps that made the incredibly ill-thought decision in the first place, and all they are doing is damaging the party's image right before a fairly important national election.

There are several Michigan politicians that I like, but will probably never vote for again because of this. They put their pride (because that is the only reason to move to the front of the primary sequence, as opposed to, say, second) ahead of the welfare of their constituents, and I will not forgive that.

***

Also, I'm given to understand Sen. Clinton is counting the votes from Michigan and Florida as evidence she has more popular votes. *eyeroll* She might want to try running a full campaign with names other than hers on the ballot before she says that.

***

Those people claiming that Rev. Wright should have kept his defense of his own reputation until after the election is over? Should probably try listening to the whole thing first. And I do include our spectacularly incompetent news media in this. I've heard a couple of criticisms from commentators I generally like that sounded, quite honestly, as though they were recorded when they heard there was going to be a defense and just played alongside a couple of clips from Bill Moyer's Journal. I understand there's a rush to come out with a response first, but I think they could wait long enough to actually check out the story first.

***

Finally, my doctor has recommended that I wear an engraved alert bracelet; unfortunately, I have no idea of where to go for one, and I forgot to ask. Anyone have an idea?

Self Test

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:39:56 GMT

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/rd/50651/color/index.jsp?testname=colorogt&resultid=F

Random Question

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:05:25 GMT

Do lesbians write m/m slash?

PolitiFact

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:14:11 GMT

Check it out:

PolitiFact
"PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate." - PolitiFact's website

Evaluated claims are organized by story, candidate or attacker, party, issue, source type, or accuracy rating, and include an moderately in-depth analysis, including links to source material and mitigating factors.

Overall: Accuracy levels somewhere below that expected of your average college student on a term paper. Not exactly a surprise.

Interesting Question

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:40:56 GMT

Apparently CBS news anchor Katie Couric recently asked the U.S. presidential candidates what one book they would wish to bring along. The answers are quite informative:

See their answers here

Ah, don't take Mr. Huckabee's word for it; you should probably look Whatever Happened to the Human Race up yourself to see what it's about.

Bill Moyers is asking people for their choices at his website and blog:

Bill Moyers Journal

If I were to pick my candidates on the basis of these answers alone, this is how it would fall:

1) Mr. B. Obama
2) Mr. M. Romney
3) Ms. H. Clinton
4) Mr. J. McCain/Mr. J. Edwards
5) Mr. R. Giulani
6) Mr. M. Huckabee

Oh, yeah

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:58:04 GMT

Just realized, with all the other stuff going on, I'd forgotten to mention that I finally received by Bachelor's degree (History, with University Honors, minors in Political Science and International & Global Studies).

And my prof has suggested that I rework my paper on the role of scientists in modern science fiction television and submit it to a journal (it needs lengthening to fit the requirements).

Thesis Update

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:46:11 GMT

Dr. Houbeck finished the revisions. All I have to do now is locate a few page numbers I forgot to put in.

***

Now I have to go finish my finals.

Thesis Update

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:28:35 GMT

Dr. Ellis approved the content! Now I just have to wait for Dr. Houbeck and Dr. Thum to finish editing it, and I'll be done, done, done!

***

I also got an extension on a paper that has been driving me crazy, which is good, because I am really tired.

Christmas

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 23:14:00 GMT

Spent the afternoon at the League of Women Voters of the Flint Area's Christmas party, mostly playing carols on the piano. I did well, the piano and the singers struggled a bit.

We're having dinner with Gramma Margret on Thursday. Fortunately, I remember to get her a gift this time. It's a small light blue-green bowl from the Empty Bowls sale.

Coolness

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:49:41 GMT

This is strangely entertaining:

Regender

Regender "translates" English-language pages from masculine to feminine, essentially. Names, pronouns, all get flipped. (I strongly recommend reading Genesis.)

Unfortunately, it doesn't (yet?) quite live up to it's front page: no genderless pronouns (which would be all kinda cool to see), none of the "what if races were verbally identified the way gender is" (which I think would be very enlightening), and some of the translation is a bit disjointed (words for genitalia, clothing, and other gender identifiers - like having a clean-shaven face - don't get switched, so reading romance stories is a pretty good recipe for confusion). Also, it has trouble with foreign words and names (so Barack Obama is a very oddly named woman).