The Rules According to Madam Mim

the meatrix...

2007-07-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

So Sad...

2007-07-12T19:26:00.000-04:00

Horrible.

I don't understnd how an enire culure can hate women and fear female sexualiy so much.

I have a friend who thinks human behavior is driven by sex. I think he's wrong; I think it's driven by a desire for power and control. And, religion becomes a perfect way to disguise this drive...

Partners

2007-05-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

The following is a segmented memoir I wrote about my little brother and me for a composition class in 2001. I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I have always loved this piece - probably because it reminds me of the good ol' days when we were kids. The stories described in this memoir are all basially true.

Circle Software

Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t hated computers as I child. But I did; I loathed them. They never did what I told them too. I would play nicely, as always, but the stupid things just wouldn’t work right. It was almost as frustrating as loosing at Nintendo. Yet, I was too smart to be outwitted by a piece of machinery, and so a power struggle usually ensued. Keys were slammed and beaten in anger; a spanking typically followed this destructive outburst, and someone always ended up crying.

My little brother Sam, on the other hand, never had these computer difficulties; in fact, he loved the exasperating contraptions. Sam was about nine when we got out first PC, and by the time he was eleven, he had made his first program. It was your basic, mad-lib game and had, according to my expert assessment, definite marketing potential. Yes, I personally had no clue about computer technology, but I did posses certain charismatic abilities. Some would say that I was the motivating force, the mastermind, if you will, behind the Coles sibling enterprise. A visionary and a leader, I motivated and inspired my fellow business partner to great heights; and, if he didn’t like it, I could always beat him into submission (a definite benefit of being the oldest.) So, I wrote the detective story, he did his little computer thing, and there it was -our future computer empire. We called it Circle Software. Sales ended up being pretty low, but hey, it was our first venture into the computer industry. It’s such a volatile market, you know, and I, being the flexible business strategist, managed to find more productive and monetarily rewarding avenues for our talents.

Operation Dipsy Dumpster

The fact that there wasn’t a recycling bin anywhere near Long Beach, North Carolina never fazed us. Mere geographic infeasibility could not hinder the mission. While sneaking into our next-door neighbor’s strawberry patch one afternoon, to “borrow,” if you will, a few ripe berries, I overheard our back-door neighbor, Mr. Barlow, talking about how recycling centers paid up to five cents a piece for aluminum cans and seven cents for glass bottles. And I figured Mr. Barlow knew what he was talking about - the man had at least ten trash bags filled with beer cans in his yard at all times. (I think he was trying to do is part to save the environment.)

Later in the day, I ran my newly designed, enterprising scheme by the lower ranked business associate.
“But, we don’t have any cans,” Sammy pointed out in his feeble, shortsighted way. Had he no vision? True, there were never any beer cans in our trash, or even coke cans for that matter, and turning our parents into alcoholic, soda drinkers didn’t seem like a feasible option; although, I hadn’t crossed it off my list of innovative solutions. Despite this setback, we had options, I told him. The streets were filled with trash! Bottles and cans, ripe for the harvest, lined the roads, screaming out to be gathered and taken to the recycling place - wherever that might be - and transformed into cold, hard cash. I don’t think Sam was really into the idea at first, but with my persuasive abilities and a few good thuds, he eagerly joined in my enthusiasm.

So every afternoon, we rode our bikes up and down the streets of Long Beach, collecting every discarded bottle and can we could find. Once we’d collected a fairly large and profitable amount, we’d store them in big, black trash bags and hide the bags behind the wooden shed in the backyard. (There was really no need for the regulating, parental force to know about our economic activities.) By the time a week had passed, we’d filled a whole box of bags and had pretty much cleaned the entire town from top to bottom. Adapt -A-Highway had nothing on us.
Sweat streamed down our dirty faces as we brought in load after load in the sizzling summer heat.

“Miriam, there aren’t any cans left! Can’t we go inside, I’m all sweaty and my face is burning.”
He was whining again. What did I have to do to get good help around here?! I rolled my eyes and glared at him. Okay, so his face did look red (almost reminded me of a dewy, ripe tomato). But sacrifices had to be made! And besides, he needed a little toughening up. Excuses were not acceptable. There would be no quitting, not while I was in charge of this operation.
And then, as I stood there devising ways to discipline my disgruntled work-force, it hit me: trashcans were full of trash – wonderful, pre-collected, easy to find trash! All we had to do was salvage the cans and bottles out of other people’s dumpsters! Brilliant!

“Are you crazy? We can’t go through people’s trash! That’s gross.”
Despite his feeble protests and cowardly attempts at abandoning the mission, ‘Operation Dipsy Dumpster’ was put into effect. No, he didn’t want to do it; yes, I pounded him; and yes, he cried. Did you know that if you make a fist with your hand and bring it down right between someone’s shoulder blades it makes a wonderfully hollow ‘thud’ sound? Sam knows this; he knows this well.

I must admit, it was a little gross. Trash just smells funny, and it gets grimy and rotten sitting out in stagnant, plastic containers in the sweltering, July sun. Logistically, because I had the best mind for reconnaissance work, I would post lookout while Sam rummaged through the dumpster, removing all cans and bottles. After a while, we began to retrieve other items as well.

It’s really amazing what people will throw away. In one dumpster we found a perfectly good hat, only thing we had to do was clean off the splatterings of spaghetti sauce and unbend the rim. Another dumpster contained a bunch of magazines from the late seventies about home decorating. (Why anyone would throw away decorating tips from such a fashion savvy era is beyond me.) But, the best find was a gigantically enormous, partially eaten pack of individually wrapped Kit Kat bars. (We’re not talking Food Lion king-size here; we’re talking B.J.’s Discount Warehouse blowout, king-size extravaganza!) We were baffled; what could possibly cause someone to throw away such a treasure? After a short deliberation, we decided that although the original mission statement did not include chocolate, given the extraordinary nature of this particular find, we should keep them. I mean, with starving children in Africa there was really no reason to waste perfectly good Kit Kat bars.

Later that night, after our hard day’s work, Sam and I sat down to watch TV and eat our much deserved candy reward. Sure, they were a little melted and had been squished under something heavy in the dumpster, but if you could get past that and the slight garbage smell, they were delectable. Ah, the life of a business mogul.

Unfortunately for the Kit Kat bars, we ran into a slight problem when homeland security spotted us and demanded to know “where we’d gotten candy” because she “certainly hadn’t allowed it.” Amazingly, she refused to believe the answer which poured forth from our chocolate covered mouths: “I don’t know; we just found them.” Apparently, this was considered an inadequate response and subsequent attempts to amend our rely proved unsuccessful. Punishments promptly ensued, as was customary in our dealings with homeland security. Often, the great financial minds fall prey to the overreaching claws of the powers that be. I was not alone – Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, Enron - they too felt the pangs of tyranny.

‘Operation Dipsy Dumpster’ met an untimely end not much later. Being chased out of Mr. Peterson’s yard by his overly friendly rotwiler didn’t slow us down too much. But, when some strange old man on 34th street ran us out of his yard wearing nothing more than thread-bare tighty-whities and waving a blue fly-swatter in the air while calling out obscenities and threatening to call animal control, we decided maybe the garbage industry wasn’t for us. I never realized people were so serious about their trash.

Seashells by the Seashore

Tourists are consumer sheep. Every summer, without fail, they rush their pale Yankee bodies to our tiny, white-trash, tourist-trap beach in flocks. Once in paradise, these strange and often fiercely hated creatures bake themselves to a crisp and congest the roads (probably in search of sunscreen) driving two times slower than the posted speed limit so they can take in all the exotic sights: “Look Mom, that trailer’s pink.” Not only that, but tourists (whose good sense has been permanently damaged by solar radiation, beer and sun-in,) will buy absolutely anything (the only reason why most of them haven’t been murdered in their beach-house beds by hostile locals.) Sam and I had observed this consumer craze on many occasions, incredulous at the number of inflatable plastic tubes, airbrushed tee-shirts, and corny “Long Beach” logo-ed visors were sported by our out-of-town guests. So, not wanting such a market to go to waste, we too decided to enter the world of tourism sales.

But, resources were limited. Sam looked under all the couch cushions and only found seventy-five cents and a broken, paint-by-number paintbrush. I managed to rummage through the cabinet drawers one afternoon while mom was taking a nap and found about four bottles of stencil paint. Jackpot! Business was on. All we needed now was something to paint.
After a little thought, I came up with something perfect: something small, completely worthless, and adored by tourists of all ages – Seashells! With this new inspiration, we rode our bikes to the beach and filled several plastic Food Lion bags with whatever whole seashells we could find. They didn’t have to be perfect; heck, they didn’t even have to be pretty. Tourists don’t know the difference.

Sammy, whose fair, freckled face and strawberry blonde hair never took well to the heat, gripped the whole time, as always. But once we got back to the house and started decorating our goods, he seemed to get into the spirit of things. We painted them blue, olive green and yellow (perfect beach colors.) On a few of the big scalloped shaped ones we tried to spell out the name of the island, but it didn’t really fit. Oh well, tourists were too stupid to notice. Granted, we probably should have waited for the paint to dry before setting up sales, but profit margins would not to be hindered by trivial details. The market was booming and seashells were in great demand.

Somewhere, we managed to find a huge wooden spool that had once been coiled in rope, and we set it on its side to make a table. Sam pointed out that a well trafficked area would be best, so we put it at the base of our yard, in-between the mailbox and the dumpster. Then, we sat back, relaxed, and waited for the on-slot of greedy tourists to come, begging to buy our beautiful merchandise.

“Miriam, we’ve been sitting here for hours and no one’s even passed us.”
His lack of confidence grated on my last, sun-scorched nerve and I wanted to beat him into a million pieces just for daring to speak pessimistic thoughts after we had sat there, diligently, all afternoon. Now was not the time to test my good nature.
“Shut up,” I hissed wickedly.
“You know you’re not supposed to say that. I’m gonna go tell mom.” He jumped to his feet, ready to run for his life.
“Sit down, butt-face! You just wanna go back in the air conditioning!”
“Don’t call me butt-face. I’m telling!” We were both running, ready to break into a fight as soon as I wrapped my hands around his scrawny little neck, when all of a sudden Sam caught him out of the corner of his eye and stopped.
“Hey, it’s a person,” He shouted. I scoffed; did he really think I was stupid enough to fall for such a trick? A deep ‘thud’ echoed through the streets as he curled up into a pathetic, little ball. Weakling. As I reared back for another blow, I glanced toward the road just in time to see a middle-aged man walking right past our unattended stand. Hmmm… Maybe we needed to invest in a bigger sign.

The Good Kid

At Seventeen, I embodied the perfect, college-bound, career-minded student. Not only was I a diligent academic, but I was also president of the 4-H club and captain of the district Bible Quiz team. I studied SAT vocabulary words everyday and directed children’s plays in my spare time, doing everything I could to be the well-rounded, successful person I knew I was destined to be. You see, I was the good kid.

Sammy, on the other hand, never seemed up to the challenge of matching my high standard. He didn’t belong to a single club and participated in only the few activities to which mom managed to drag him, kicking and screaming. Instead of studying, he’d hide away in his room and do “God knows what,” as mother would say, on that stupid computer - playing silly games, looking at dirty pictures, who knows? It was a shame, I thought, as I readied myself for success and careerdom. He was such a slacker and would never be a success. If only he had my motivation.

Partners

You know, it’s pretty amazing that in this great country of ours, you can have a full-time job as a computer programmer while still not being old enough to buy cigarettes or watch rated R movies. Sammy is constantly griping about the injustice of age-discrimination. I just roll my eyes and remind him he’ll be 18 in a few months and then he can finance his own furniture (right now, he has a five-piece stereo and yet no furniture in his lavish Raleigh apartment.)

Meanwhile, I, the college Junior, make 5.15 an hour for work-study in the Wellness center (basically, they pay me to work off that pesky freshman fifteen.) To my parents, who never call me anymore, I am no longer seen as the good kid, but as the last of the money-sucking leaches. Sammy on the other hand, is a paradigm of virtue and success, particularly now that he has achieved financial independence.

I don’t really talk to Sam much these days. He’s busy working in some cubical making lots of money, which he won’t be spending on me, and I’m focusing on making it to every late-night bash without sleeping through class the next day. (We Coles kids sure do have our priorities straight.)

But even though life has taken us in very different directions, the idea of our great partnership is not forgotten. We’ve always been partners and friends, even if we never realized it. Some bonds are too strong for even time or distance to severer. In all honesty, there are only a few special people in this world that I would be willing to crawl through the trash for, and Sam is one of those people. Over the Christmas holiday we both decided that if and when he ever goes into the computer business for himself, I can run the whole operation, just like in the good ol’ days (Okay, maybe he never said I could run the whole operation, but I’m sure that’s what he meant by ‘administrative assistant.’) With my leadership and Sammy’s ability to handle trivial details, the financial world could be ours once again. Only this time, beating my fellow employees into submission probably won’t be an option.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish.....

2007-05-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

If, as the deceased Jerry Faldwell stated, "the 9/11 attacks were America's punishment for "throwing God out of the public square," then Jerry Faldwell's death is liberal America's reward for rejecting the "moral majority."

Westboro Baptist Church's tribute to VT

2007-04-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

From the same people who brought you anti-gay protests at military funerals, comes a heartwarming message of Jesus' love and compassion in the wake of the VT tragedy:

Godhatesamerica.com

At first I just couldn't get over how much I hate these people. And then, I began to realize that they don't deserve the satisfaction of getting me all riled up. Honestly, I feel sorry for them. How horrible to be so consumed with unexplainable hatred towards others...to blindly follow teachings that contradict rational notions of equality, justice and compassion.....and to fail to understand how such cruel words and actions could hurt others....

I pity these people.

"On Becoming A Woman..."

2007-04-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

On Becoming A Woman.... a guide to fulfilling your dreams of becoming a housewife and mother, in addition to helpful advice on sex, masturbation, and female circumcision...

a Special thanks to Heather for pointing this one out....

Things I want to rant about but don't have time...

2007-03-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

1.) Apparently, some kids/teens are being given Aderall for weightloss. I just don't know where to begin on this one....

2.) The Supreme Court recently heard the "Bong Hits for Jesus" case... This is a free speech case involving a high school student. God, this is why I love high school kids so much... I miss the good ol' days at North Meck, protesting Operation Save America and stirring up trouble with the student newspaper.....

3.) I think what disturbs me most is the story of the city manager who was terminated because of his plans to get a sex change. This person has been severely wronged by the community he served diligently for some thirteen years. I think he has a sex discrimination case. Generally, the courts hold that "gender" discrimination is not protected under Title VII. This means that it is perfectly fine for an employer to fire a guy who is acting feminine or has an earring. BUT, in this case, the guy is being discriminated against because if his desire and intent to actually change sexes. He is not just identifying as a woman (gender), he is becoming a woman (sex). I think he has a case, and even if the courts reject that theory, it will be worth the fight. If he needs a lawyer, he should call me in a year....

Superhero

2007-03-16T19:28:00.001-04:00

Your results:
You are Catwoman

Catwoman		70%
Iron Man		65%
Supergirl		62%
The Flash		60%
Wonder Woman		57%
Superman		50%
Spider-Man		50%
Hulk		50%
Robin		47%
Batman		40%
Green Lantern		40%

You have had a tough childhood,
you know how to be a thief and exploit others
but you stand up for society's cast-offs.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Hook up Culture Hurting Women?

2007-03-10T10:04:00.000-05:00

This morning I read this article about today’s “hook up” culture. My reaction was mixed – I agree in part that hooking up can be hurtful to some women, sometimes. But other parts of the article annoyed me – sentences like this: “’Men have always hooked up,’” says Sawyer. What you are seeing now is a desire of women to act in a masculine way, without being judged a whore.’”

Why is hooking up accepted as “masculine” behavior? Why shouldn’t women enjoy sexual freedom without being viewed as whores? Why do women have to be the moral police of the world? Why do we have to be all concerned about poor little girls and how their behavior will hurt them, but act as though men have always done it and it ain’t no thang for them. Bullshit. Either it’s hurtful to young people – both male and female – or it isn’t.

How is the hook up culture good for men? At one part in the article, the author says that hooking up is like thanksgiving for men – men get sex and they don’t have to do anything. But why is sex always framed in a way where men are trying to get it and women are supposed to refuse them? Why isn’t it hurtful to men too? The article says that one of the reasons hooking up is damaging to women is because it “denies their emotional needs. But at least they have emotional needs to begin with. If we treat this culture as acceptable for men and not women, then we say it is ok for men to be completely void of emotion in the sexual context. Why do we act as though it is acceptable and normal for men to be void of emotion with regards to sex, but women are supposed to be emotional? I mean seriously, one group (men or women) kind of has to change their thinking if we frame it this way or people are never going to get together. If we say it is ok for men to be void of emotions and just want to hook up, but women are all supposed to be emotional and hold out for real relationships, then I fear there is going to be a problem. Someone is going to have to give in and compromise. IS the author suggesting that the men are the ones that have to compromise? I don’t know. She doesn’t say. She just makes gender stereotypes and broad judgments about what men and women want and are capable of handling.

If we think hooking up is a problem, then we need to be concerned on behalf of women and MEN. Women are not delicate, fragile creatures who need people to take care of them any more than men are.

Lady justice not blind when it comes to age and/or gender?

2007-02-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

People who rape children are probably the vilest creatures on this planet (if you ask me.) Sometimes, I question their very humanity. In fact, in my opinion, the only people deserving of the death penalty are those who hurt kids. Fry those sons-of-bitches up (yes, that’s probably my conservative roots talking, but I’m sorry, dear liberal friends, I’m not going to apologize for my views on the death penalty.)

But, like many, I wonder if perhaps our society doesn’t view the rape of men and women, or boys and girls, differently. Is it worse to rape a girl than it is to rape a boy? And, does it matter the gender of the rapist? For example, is it worse for a priest to rape a thirteen year old boy than for a thirty-something female teacher to rape him? Psychologically, is it more traumatic for the victim? Should that play a role in sentencing?

What prompted this post you may ask? I ran across an article this morning, about an 84 year old woman who raped an 11 year old boy. Her sentence? 36 month in prison. The really sick part of this story is that she was the child’s foster parent. I can’t help but wonder if the sentence would not have been greater if this was an 84 year old man who raped an 11 year old girl? In ohio, for example, a 33 year old man received a 15 year sentence for raping an 11 year old girl. Or, would it have been worse if an 84 year old man had raped an 11 year old boy? In another case, a man recieved a 20 year sentence for raping a boy under the age of 16.

Clearly, the sentencing guidelines for statutory rape crimes vary different in each state, and judges are often allowed discretion in sentencing, unless there is a statutory minimum sentence. For example, in this case, the court sentenced grandma to 36 months because she was old and had no prior criminal conviction. But I wonder -would the court’s benevolence have been extended if grandma was a man? Maybe. There was another case in which a judge sentenced a man to 60 days in jail for repeatedly raping a seven year old girl. However, after a tremendous outcry of public disapproval, the judge changed the sentence to 3 to 10 years.

Do women get off easier than men? For example, in Georgia, there have been several cases in the last few years where teenage boys were getting 10 year sentences for sleeping with their fourteen or fifteen year old girlfriends. How much more perverse is grandma’s crime, and yet she is only getting 36 months in jail?

One study has suggested that the difference between male and female sex crime sentencing is that generally the male crimes are more violent and are typically with younger victims. However, I wonder if there could be some other reasons. Do we still have paternalistic concerns about girls? Is it “worse” for a girl to lose her virginity or to be taken advantage of? Is the act of penetration worse in our minds? While we sometimes think that women and even sexualized teenage girls “asked for it,” do we also think, in the back of our minds, that men and boys can’t be raped by women? When we read articles about female teachers sleeping with thirteen year old boys do we view that differently than stories about male teachers sleeping with thirteen your old girls? Is the sexual double standard seeping into criminal sentencing? I don’t know… I’m really just asking here… Maybe the answer is no… Mary Kay Laterno, after all, received a seven year sentence….

Ok, so if it isn’t gender inequality, what’s the deal? Do we have a soft spot for older ladies? After all, surely grandma isn’t a violent criminal. Should she have to go to jail? This incident reminds me of a shocking case from criminal law, involving a 50 year old, female 7-11 clerk who shot a 15 year old girl in the back for allegedly trying to steal a bottle of orange juice. She got 5 years probation. The judge in that case stated that the light sentence was adequate because the woman was unlikely to commit another crime. The judge stated that “now was not the time for revenge.” Tell that to the little girl’s family.

Ultimately, proper sentencing in cases like this may come down to your theory on punishment – do we send people to jail to punish them or to deter future crime? If grandma is never going to commit another crime, does she need to go to jail? Or, does the very act she committed deserve punishment in and of itself? The deterrence/utilitarian model may be a more objective method of administering criminal sentences. If we take the retributive approach and decide that someone needs to go to jail solely to be punished for their actions, then the courts and legislatures will have to make value judgments about what is “bad” and what is “worse.” This could lead to teenagers going to jail for 10 years for consensual sex and grandma getting 36 months for willfully raping her foster kid. On the other hand, the deterrence model may lead to the very same result.

My theory – people should only be punished for hurting other people. Use a deterrence/utilitarian type model for victimless crimes (drug use, shoplifting, etc.) But, when a person is hurt by another’s actions, deterrence should not play a role in limiting sentencing. I don’t care if grandma or the 7-11 clerk are kind old ladies who will never commit another crime. They deserve to be punished for what they did to their victims. Victim should have a right to be vindicated, and when the state allows criminals to walk because of some deterrence rationalization, it fails those who have been hurt. And, when the state fails the innocent, it fails us all.

Let's Do IT! But first, sign here....

2007-02-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

Below is a Consensual Sex Contract prepared by the National Center for Men, a New York organization dedicated to the "fight for men's equal rights." It is intended, according to the organization, to provide "proof of a couple's intent to have sex and may protect a man against a woman's false accusations..."
AGREEMENT BEFORE LOVEMAKING entered into by ________________ and ______________, this _____ day of ______, 199_.
WHEREAS, the parties to this agreement want to be sexually intimate, but also want to avoid misunderstandings that sometimes occur after sex,
Now, THEREFORE, the parties enter into the following agreements (check one declaration from each pair):
___ We want to have a relationship that may lead to sexual intercourse.___ We want to have sex without intercourse.
___ We want to have sex as a way of expressing an emotional commitment that may eventually lead to marriage.____ We want to have a sexual relationship but we're not ready for marriage.
___ We want our relationship to be monogamous.___ We both want the freedom to see other people.
___ We want to have sex in order to conceive a child.___ We're not ready to be parents now. If an unplanned pregnancy occurs, neither one of us will try to force the other into parenthood.
___ We want our sexual encounter to be discreet.____ We want the whole world to know about our love for each other.
Neither of us may claim to be the victim of sexual harassment or assault as a result of the acts which are the subject of this agreement. By signing this contract, we acknowledge that the anticipated sexual experience will be of mutual consent.

I came across this after reading an interesting article in Times about when rape occurs and whether or not a woman can legally say "no" after intercourse begins. Apparently, in some states, the crime of rape occurs at penetration; therefore, once a woman has given her consent for that act, it is no longer rape, even if she says no later on. A one court stated: “The initial de-flowering of the woman is the real harm.” Hmmm… if that’s true then only virgins can be raped? The court went on to state that "It was the act of penetration that was the essence of the crime of rape . . . . any further injury was considered to be less consequential. The damage was done."

Haggard is Healed...

2007-02-07T09:07:00.000-05:00

WOW. It only takes 3 sessions of counseling to turn meth addict ministers who cheat on their wives with male prostitutes "completely heterosexual"! Amazing what modern religion can do.

Jesus Camp

2007-01-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

My Childhood...

explains a lot about me, doesn't it?

I havn't seen the documentary yet, but just the trailer gives me the creeps.

Also, check out these great reminders of Jesus' love and compassion as expressed through the Christian church....

The Nuremberg Files; Abortion Dr. Hit List

Westboro Baptist Church's Godhatesfags.com

Operation Save America

2007-01-14T20:08:00.000-05:00

Disgusting.

I'm a monster

2007-01-09T19:53:00.000-05:00

I have a law school friend with whom I always get in these deep, angry debates. It doesn’t matter what we talk about - the importance of sports announcers, racial profiling, who can pay for what, universal truths, the appropriate use of state constitutions – it always ends in a raging fight. No matter what the subject, I can’t let it go. He always has to be right and I hate that. I can’t let him get away with it. I have to be right. When the fights are over I feel angry and frustrated and weak. Why am I such a bitch? Why do I get so argumentative every time we were together? Eventually, I came to realize that my friend and I are really very alike, and as such, we seem to inadvertently bring out the worst in each other.

It’s the same way when I go home to see my family. We constantly fight. I find myself attacking and arguing for no apparent reason. Is it a preemptive strike? An old habit? A strange family dynamic? I don’t know. I just know that I become a monster – 10x worse than normal. When the fights are over I feel horrible for intentionally hurting the people I love. I just don’t know how to control myself.

I just hate that certain people and situations bring out the things I hate the most about myself. I guess the solution is to turn it into a mechanism for personal growth. I should focus on being calm, rational, non-combative and non-confrontational. Maybe if I can learn to repress my ugly side around those who bring it out the most, I’ll practically be cured of myself.

Fucking Typical....

2006-11-17T16:20:00.000-05:00

It look's like Baby Jesus' presidential pick is up to his old tricks again.....Bush has appointed as head of the Office of Population Affairs, a man who not only opposes abortion, but get this, opposes birth control!

Good job, jackass.... good job.

By the way.... Do you know what they call a man who lives by the pull-out method?

daddy.

haha!

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate fundies?

Thank You, Captain Obvious.....

2006-11-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

Bill Gates announces on CNN.com that America's public schools need work and are not adaquatly educating our young people.

Is this really freekin' news?

I mean, no Shit, Sherlock.

You see, a problem just isn't really that big of a deal until Bill Gates says so.

A round of applause for the super rich philanthropist who has told us what we already know!!!

What, if Bill Gates says it, it must be true?

Shouldn't we get him working on something more controversial like global warming or evolution....

Put down the fork.....

2006-11-11T17:50:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's easier for us not to think about where our meat comes from or the incredibly cruel and brutal ways in which animals are treated. I mean, hey, meat tastes good, right? I certainly think it does, anyway. I guess I could refuse to think about where meat comes from and close my eyes to what takes places so that I could continue to eat it, guilt free. But I can't. I think that information is power and that everyone's decisions should be based on the truth, no matter how hard or inconvenient that may be. One should not shut it out in order to continue living life in the same ignorant, comfortable way.

I challenge everyone to watch this. If it doesn't bother you, then great. Continue living life the way you always have. But, if it does bother you, then I challenge you to do something about, even if that something is just spending a little bit more at the grocery store to buy free range. I don't care what your politics are or what you think about the nature of man or the proper order of the universe. I am not even saying that animals should never be killed for food. BUT, I am saying that humans have no right to treat any other living being the way that we treat the animals we eat. It is cruel and it is wrong. But you know what, nothing will change unless we make it change. And who knows, maybe we don't have the heart to put aside our own gluttonous desires, put down the fork, and make it change, I don't know. I would certainly like to believe that we are all capable of more compassion than to just sit back and accept the torture of other innocent life forms because we Americans like the taste of meat and can't be bothered to ensure that animals are treated with just a little bit of compassion.

I want everyone to know that even though I am a vegetarian, I am talking to myself, too. I cheat sometimes because I am selfish and I like the taste of meat. And I eat fish, too. So, even though I know the truth, I still have trouble acting on it. I know it's hard to change how you live and It's hard to exercise self-control. But that doesn't mean that we should never try. Trying is better than just accepting the status quo! And just because it may be impossible for all of us to become full-fledged vegans tomorrow, it doesn't mean that we can't take little steps to make the world a better place.

Sobering Political Reality...

2006-11-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

"It's amazing what a mere $2.6 billion can buy in a democracy. That's what the two parties will have spent in their campaigns leading up to these midterm elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And most of that money for Democrats and Republicans alike comes from corporate America. So what will be the outcome of this election? The only certainty is that corporate America will get what it's paid for, and that's more of the same."

from Dobbs: US is best Democracy $$ can Buy...

Far Right = Ignorant Assholes?

2006-10-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

In the wake of the Mark Foley scandal, many conservatives have blamed Foley’s behavior on his homosexual orientation. Pat Buchanan suggested that once the Republicans knew Foley was gay they should have removed him as chairman of the Committee on Missing and Exploited Children, after repeatedly calling him a “flamer” on MSNBC. Gingrich has suggested that the Republicans could not investigate Foley’s inappropriate conduct towards minors because they might be accused of gay bashing. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council stated that “when we hold up tolerance and diversity as a guidepost for public life, this is what you end up getting, congressmen chasing 16 year old boys up and down the halls of congress.” Pat Robertson insists that Foley is just doing what gay people do. The right insists that gay men are all preoccupied with sex and that being gay is the same as being a pedophile.

These accusations are absolutely ridiculous. How can we blame Foley’s pedophilia on homosexuality and not blame the molestation of little girls on heterosexuality? If being attracted to men = want to molest little boys, then being attracted to women = want to molest little girls. Obviously, this does not compute. If a straight congressman had solicited female pages for sex, no one would be blaming his sexual orientation. Did the nation lash out at straight men when John Couey sexually battered and killed Jessica Lunsford? Did conservatives rally agasint heterosexuals when the Amish gunman wanted to molest and then killed those little Amish school girls? Of course not. Did conservatives lash out agasint all males because the overwhelming majority of violent, sexual predators are men? No. The idea of blaming an entire class of people for the individual choices and behaviors of a few individuals is generally not acceptable. At least, not unless you are doing it for political reasons to attack a group of people that, for some ridiculous and intolerant reason, you hate.

Being sexually attracted to children, and acting on that attraction, has nothing to so with one’s sexual orientation. It is perversion. When will the right stop demonizing homosexuals?

Keep fightin' the law, Mr. Dependable...

2006-10-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

From a recent CNN article: The Supreme Court also refused to consider whether a Texas law making it a crime to promote sex toys shaped like sexual organs is unconstitutional. An adult bookstore employee in El Paso, Texas, sued the state after his arrest for showing two undercover officers a device shaped like a penis and telling the female officer the device would arouse and gratify her. The employee argued the law violates the right to sexual privacy.

Now, several questions emerge in my mind:

1) A man was seriously ARRESTED for promoting a vibrator?!?!?! Thank goodness I live in the state of FLorida where I can poudly encourage every woman who reads this to go buy The Rabbit. I can promise that you will be aroused and gratified. Repeatedly.

2) Are we supposed to be offended that he told the female officer that the device would arouse and gratify her? Dude was tryin' to help a girl out. God forbid we talk about female sexuality. God forbit we promote female sexual gratification.

3) Were the police really staking out a bookstore to catch dude promoting a sex toy shaped like a penis?!?!?! I am so glad that the police have eradicated El Paso of crime to the extent that the cops have nothing to do but bust people selling vibrators. Citizens of Texas, your tax dollars at work....

4) sex toys are ok as long as they are not shaped like sex organs? I mean, sure, the penis is not that attractive, I'll admit, but this seems ridiculous. So, would it be ok to promote a green sex toy that is shaped like a gint, vibrating cucumber or a baseball bat? Is that less offensive?

I m truly in shock, America. In shock.

ROcK yOu LikE A HuRRicAnE

2006-09-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

My dreams have FINALLY come true!!!

Miriam Rebekkah - today is your day:

Tropical Depression MIRIAM!!!!

YES!!! Now granted, it's not the awe-inspiring, category 5 storm I was hoping for, but it'll do. Finally, the national weather service got it right!!! Just think, Yesterday I was just this sad little white girl from the south with this wierd, strangely Jewish sounding, grandma name, who could never find a tacky key chain with her name on it.... and now, I am a tropical depression. Where do I go from here?!?!?! I mean I really think the presidency is the only thing that could top this one.... :)

Heart-warming story of the year

2006-09-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

Feshman Clemson football player, Ray Ray, is raising his 11 year old brother. Ray Ray plays football on schollarship and washes cars or mows lawns for extra money. If this doesn't restore your faith in humanity, try Zanex.

CNN strikes again....

2006-08-29T18:48:00.000-04:00

a two-year old girl whose legs were accidentlly severed in a lwnmower accident received new legs today.

CNN headline reads - Girl gets a leg up

Dude.

Not funny.

Who proof-reads this shit?

Gloria, where did you put the keys to the Uhaul?

2006-08-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, Tara (the roommate) and I moved all of our shit (pardon the expletive, but after packing, moving and unloading everything I own, I am so sick of it all that shit seemed like the most fitting description) from the old apartment to the new one (about a quarter of a mile distance.)

I am never moving again.

Seriously.

Feminism was the order of the day. At 9am I picked up the 14 foot Uhaul. Had I ever driven anything that gigantic before? No. Was I sure that I could handle it? Hell fuckin’ yeah. The older lady who worked the counter at the Uhaul place took me outside to show me some things about the truck, since this my first time. She showed me the latch contraption in the back and said, “Don’t worry about this, honey; I am sure you’re husband or boyfriend will know how it works.” I just looked at her. Lady, if I had a husband and/or boyfriend overseeing this operation, do you think he would have sent the little woman to go pick up the freakin’ Uhaul? What about my lesbian lover? Will she know how it works? I was irritated, but not daunted. Today, feminism would win out. Today, we women would prove that we do not need men to unlatch our Uhauls. Period.

I did do a great job driving the Uhaul, if I don’t mind saying so myself. By about noon I had pretty much perfected the art of backing it up into a parking space perfectly straight. I am very proud of this little accomplishment, if you can’t tell. One comment about Uhauls – the mirrors are worthless. I’m not exactly sure what they are supposed to be used for, but you can’t see anything. Eh, I never really use the mirrors anyway. But ultimately, I felt very empowered by the whole experience.

For the most part, Tara and I did the move ourselves. Our friend Jordan came over and helped us in the morning with the three or four pieces of furniture that physically could not be moved without a third person. But then, for the next few hours Tara and I worked alone, loading box after box after random piece of furniture on the U-haul. We were soldiers. We were proving that we didn’t need men. We were independent and self-reliant. We were women, hear us roar. We were fucking exhausted.

By about 2pm, we had one last load of the u-haul to unload at the new apartment. By this time, morale was low. My feet hurt (flip flops = bad moving shoes). My back hurt. The roommates were getting on each others nerves. It was a thousand degrees outside. All we had the strength to carry was a toaster here and a throw pillow there. And then – our salvation. Out of nowhere swooped in two middle-aged gentlemen from across the street. Immediately, they began picking up bookcases and boxes and filing cabinets. At this point, the feminist in me was too tired to protest. We were saved. Thank goodness for men – big, strong, strapping men who can unload the entire contents of a U-haul in less than fifteen minutes.

It was an important lesson. As much as I wish to be free from the aid of men, I have to admit that there are times when they are needed. (Moving day, when the batteries in Mr. Dependable are dead, etc.) A friend of mine once told me that there is no “battle of the sexes.” There is no war. We are all on the same team and need to learn to work together. I am not sure if I buy this touchy-feely take on gender relations, but I see his point.

As for my feminist notions, I don’t feel they were compromised at all by allowing men to rescue us in our hour of need. We put in a valiant effort and managed to do about 75% of the work on our own. 75% is totally a passing grade. A bad grade, but passing nonetheless.

Goal for Fall....

2006-08-04T12:05:00.000-04:00

Summer is almost over and as I sit here thinking about things that have happened to me in the past year, I realize that I need to set a few new goals for this year - goals that apply to every area of my life.

1) I will stop chasing after that which is unattainable.

2) I will be the best I am capable of being in everythng.

3) I will be content with my best.

Too Soon.

2006-08-03T08:13:00.000-04:00

I keep seeing the previews for World Trade Center, and am continually disgusted. I don’t know; it just seems wrong to me. Honestly, for artists/movie producers, it’s cheating. It’s one thing to take an older historical event like WW2 or the Civil War about which most of us do not have strong emotional feelings, or to take a story most people are unfamiliar with and cause us to feel emotions about that event. That is art – a true accomplishment. But to just play off of the emotions already present in the national conscience surrounding a devastating event like 9-11 to sell your movie seems cheap. The movie won’t have to work to get us to feel – we already do. The wounds are still that deep and permeating. If World Trade Center were to come out in 50 years and cause audiences to cry and feel emotions that they didn’t have before, then it would be an accomplishment.

Your thoughts?

Nostalgia and Rantings about Free Speech...

2006-08-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

*looking back over MySpace this morning, I ran across some of my first blog entries and decided to trasfer them to this blog. A sort of house-keeping chore, if you will. The following blog entries were the first three I wrote. This one was the first, written last June. Awww..... :)

Dare I blog after all the crap I've talked about bloggers? I think the CNN blog coverage initially turned me off to the whole notion. I mean why do we need cute, 20-something women searching the internet for normal people’s opinions about world events instead of actually covering real news? Perhaps journalists have just gotten that lazy...

On the other hand, Blogging is the epitome of free speech. Here I am, a virtual nobody who, through the wonders of modern technology, can have my views posted for all the world to see. Will anyone read this? No. But that’s not the point. The point is, I can bitch about whatever global injustice I desire and feel like I have been heard. If nothing else, free speech may prove therapeutic. The sad part is that there is no spell-check on this program so I’m forced to type this in word and then copy-paste it, or else look like a total idiot... and since I’m hopeful that at least one person will read my deranged rantings, I guess it’s worth the effort. Hmmm.... It apppears rantings is not a word... damn spellcheck....

Note: I should point out that I realize this is not what the founding fathers meant by free speech. They invisioned free speach for rich, white males not poor, white women.. or anyone else, for that matter. But fortunately, the founding fathers are all dead, and what's more, it doesnt matter what they intended. The miracle of the constitution is that somehow a group of somewhat well-meaning men, despite their intolorance, racism, sexism, and any other ism we can think of, managed to capture truths beyond themselves. Hopefully, in 200 years, people will be able to say the same of today's leaders...

Gloria - Let's work on mastering power tools. As for the bra burning, I'm rather fond of mine...

2006-08-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

*origionally posted on My Space last summer.

I consider myself an intelligent woman. My new roommate, Tara, is also brilliant and independent. In this modern age, we have managed to carve out an existence, attend school, work, and take care of out basic, Maslow-ian needs without actually needing the help of a man. Gloria Steinem would be proud. Yet despite our seeming self-reliance, yesterday evening we found ourselves helplessly lost when it came to figuring out how to use the cordless drill. Surely it can’t be that complicated. Why is it that I, a liberated, lip-stick feminist who has tried and tried to shatter gender roles and stereotypes since my adolescence, was unable to figure out where to put the bits or comprehend the function of the little, round, hollow, silvery pieces. Do my twenty-something male counterparts call their daddies and little brothers when they need to hang curtains or when something goes wrong with their cars? I seriously doubt it. So then, why do women end up having to rely on men in their adulthood?

Maybe the problem lies in childhood. Looking back, I do not remember being taught how to use an electric drill. My father, probably one of the least sexist men I know, did, however, involve me in “manly” projects around the house. I helped drain the brake fluid once, rotate tires, and build the screened-in porch. But these were special occasions and ones in which I did not play a major role. Maybe I just didn’t receive the same kind of experiences as a child that boys do. Maybe the toys I played with as a child, unlike my brother’s, failed to develop in me a love for electronics and power tools. Or maybe just the fact that my father was the only person in our family who tended to matters involving drills and tools and automotives led me to develop a mental set of duties for female that did not include such items. Perhaps many women are simply disadvantaged by well-intentioned family members who do not understand the psychological impact of their actions.

However, it has occurred to me that this explanation, while likely true to some extent, is an over-played copout. I have also considered the possibility that we women do this to ourselves because we are lazy. Case in point: instead of actually mowing the lawn, I would rather pay the neighbor boy 20 bucks to do it. Is it that I am incapable? No. As a teacher, I never did any heavy lifting and instead would ask some helpful, male student to do it for me. Was I too weak to do it myself? No. Why learn to mount my own curtain rods when I can just bat my eyelashes, play the helpless maiden and get some man to do it for me? We all know the dirty little trick men play – when asked to do something they deem unpleasant they intentionally fuck it up so as to never be asked again. This way, we deem them too incompetent to take care of menial tasks such as cooking, grocery shopping, packing the kids’ lunches, and folding laundry. But perhaps we, ladies, do the same detestable thing when we play too frail or too silly to work the drill, use a hammer, or lift a box, and too ditzy to learn how to change our own oil or to understand an automobile manual. Sure, it’s easier to let someone do it for us. But in the end, we are the ones who lose out. We throw away what could be true independence and equality because we are too lazy to fend for ourselves.

What am I going to do about this? I don’t know. The first thing I am going to do is sit back and enjoy the curtain rods I mounted, despite their many imperfections, reveling in the facts that I did it myself and that next time I won’t have to call my dad to figure out how to get the drywall anchor actually into the hole I just drilled in the wall. Then, I’m going to check out a book from the library on cars so that the next time I hear a funny noise, I can have a basic idea of what might be wrong instead of being at the total mercy of my mechanic. In the end, making the effort itself is half the battle.

The Truth Will Set You Free....

2006-08-02T08:48:00.000-04:00

*this entry was origionally posted on MySpace last summer....

Prerequisite for this entry:

Bloggers Learn the Price of Telling Too Much

The above article is an interesting piece I found today on CNN. For those of you too lazy to actually read it, the overall message is that young people are irresponsibly fond of the truth, god forbid, and are shamelessly posting things about their personal lives online, for all to see, instead of being secretive and ashamed of everything they do. For example, Alan Keyes’ daughter dared to disclose her sexual orientation on her blog during her father’s political campaign! Gasp! Didn’t she realize that her right to be open about her sexuality was going to bite her conservative, homophobic father in the ass? These young people today… Not wanting to lie and hide the truth about themselves and what they think in order to save face and gain political power… how selfish…

"I would bet that in the 2016 election, somebody's Facebook entry will come back to bite them," the article quotes. Hmmm… that’s right. People talk about drinking and drugs and sexuality on their blogs. Gasp! And we all know that all politicians have the highest of moral standards. I mean I bet none of them have ever done anything like use drugs or have premarital sex or cheat on a spouse or have internet sex with an underage boy. Of course not.
Now obviously, posting your phone number or address or making libelous accusations about your ex-best friend is probably not a good idea. But when did honesty cease to be the best policy? Let’s take Bill Clinton as a case study (clearly an example of someone who was afraid to tell the truth.) Had he just come clean in the first place about his little White House romp, I think a lot of trouble could have been averted. Or better yet, what would have happened if he had come out in the beginning and said “So, me and Hil have an open marriage based on our work and political partnership. I schlep around with any young thing in a skirt I can get my hands on and she’s fine with it.”

Why couldn’t he have told the truth about smoking pot? I mean seriously, does anyone actually believe he didn’t inhale? What a gianourmous crock of shit. Even if that were true he should be lambasted for wasting weed! I hear that is a major party fowl. Why couldn’t he have said, “Yeah, like millions of other Americans I smoked pot during the sixties and seventies? This is what I did then and why. This is what I do now and why.”

My question is: do Americans truly expect each other to maintain the standards that we are all lying to uphold? Would we have voted for (insert favorite politician here) if they hadn’t lied about whatever it is they lied about in order to get elected. Do we need the lie in order to give ourselves an out, to continue the facade we’ve created? I don’t think we truly believe that everyone lives the cookie-cutter life they pretend to live, and yet, maybe we can’t bare the truth of it all, and so we need them to lie.

My other, less complex theory is that the politicians do it to themselves. If they would just be honest from the beginning, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I mean, I think most Americans are sensible enough to realize that people are all the same and they should be straightforward. Perhaps they would even respect it. No one could blackmail you or expose your dirty secrets to the tabloids if you were honest about it in the first place. Maybe all the lying and covering up sensationalizes the issue, kind of like real-estate inflation. At first, the “indiscretion” would have cost around $80,000, a reasonable price considering… but because of all the hype and secrecy and attention, the public begins to think it’s worth more and more and more and then next thing you know your piece of shit “indiscretion” in the middle of nowhere is gonna cost you half a million dollars. If only you’d just paid the price in the beginning before letting things get out of hand. Get my point?

The rest of the world needs to stop telling us that who we are and what we do is wrong and shameful and unique to us and should be hidden from society. I refuse to lie about anything that I have done. It doesn’t define me. It won’t control me. Will I have to answer lots of questions about why my car was frequently parked at Pamela’s lingerie and porn shop between the years of 2003 and 2005 when I run for president? Probably. But when the American people hear the amazing deal I was getting on indoor tanning, I really think they will understand. The truth, after all, will set you free.

No Day But Today

2006-07-29T18:25:00.000-04:00

There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment
As my last

There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
or Life is yours to miss

No other road
no other way
No day but today

I love this song. I love RENT. A big thanks to Heather for sharing her love for it with me....

Mo - You Rocca My World!

2006-07-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

Sigh.....

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we met Mo Rocca. Granted, it was quite an ordeal, but we met him. Sigh. You wouldn't believe how out of place two crazed twenty-somethings wearing homemade t-shirts stick out in the up-tight, yuppie NPR crowd.

Mo, Rocca Me All Night!

2006-07-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

At last, a moment to tirade about the state of the world….

1) CNN Headline – “Bat Attacker Sentenced to 15 years for Hate Crime”….

So… I think YAY for animal rights! It is about time the courts start recognizing the fact that animals should be protected. No one should be able to attack bats just because they hate them. Sure, they are creepy looking creatures, but still….. They should have rights too…. Turns out the article is about a guy who attacked a black man WITH a BASEBALL BAT… come-on CNN…. You’re killin’ me here…..

2) The SHIT heard round the world…. Ok, as you have probably figured out by now, I am not the biggest W fan in the world…. In fact, I pretty much hate the dude. “I’m the decider. I decide.” …“We’re workin’ hard….workin’ weekends….” … “Misunderestimate…” … But seriously folks, he said shit. What’s the big deal? Now granted, his entire sentence was pretty stupid: "See the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over." Riiiiiight…. Amazing grasp you have on the complexities of Middle Eastern relations, W…. That degree from Yale has really paid off. What was your major again? Oh, that’s right, you were too busy getting drunk and snorting cocaine to actually go to class… I forgot… While you're at it, why don't you just ask Iran and N.Korea to please stop making nuclear weapons. I mean, surely if you just ask nicely they will stop and it's over. That's the irony, right? While you're at it, why don't you clap your hands while chanting "I believe in faries" and sprinkling pixie dust over Darfur. It’s fucking amazing you and Condi haven’t been able to negotiate total world peace by now…. ANYWAY, where was I???? Oh yes, What I was trying to say is that despite W’s total lack of understanding on the issue, is the fact that he was overheard saying “shit” really that big of a deal? I mean, dude, when was the last time you went to the movies? Hell, I curse like a fucking sailor…and I don’t intend on toning it down when I become president of the United States of America. I doubt this guy would either....

3) Would it be possible to get a little bit more objectivity in the media on the situation in the Middle East? First of all, yes, Hezbollah is bad. They are way radical. They kill innocent people. Bad. But, last time I checked, the Israeli army was doing the same thing. Note the death count in Lebanon is nearly 200 and the death count in Israel is 24. In fact, anyone who has been following the situation for the last decade or so can tell you that the number of Palestinian women and children killed has been much higher than the number of Israelis killed in bombings and suicide bomber attacks. Apparently, as long as it is a military engaging in bulldozing people’s houses and attacking “suspected terror targets” then an indefinite amount of “collateral damage” is ok. But back to my original point – could we get some objectivity? Hezbollah is bad, yes, but when you explain that Hezbollah wants to destroy Israel and the West, could you explain WHY? I mean, yes, Hezbollah and Hamas are both terrorist organizations with agendas that are probably too radical to be effective, but they are at least fighting for some kind of tangible, understandable reason. They aren’t AL Qaeda. I suggest anyone unfamiliar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict research the issue from some unbiased source. This article looks pretty good http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_primer/toc-pal-isr-primer.html

Ok, I totally wrote this last bit in hopes that the US government, which I am sure spies on my blog, will try to arrest me for being a terrorist lover.

4.) Iraq is now being overrun by Islamic fundamentalists.... good job, W.... oust the secular dude (Saddam) and allow him to be replaced by radical Islam. These radical muslims that are terrorizing schools, gays, and women throughout the country have a lot more in common with Osama then Saddam ever did. Way to go.

5.) Speaking of gays, I finally saw Brokeback mountain. Can I just say, I loved it. LOVED IT! What a sadly depressing and yet beautiful love story. Also, for anyone who just wants to get fucking pissed off at bible-beaters, check out www.godhatesfags.com. This cite is such a refreshing reminder of the love of Jesus and the compassion expressed by the christian church. If you ever wonder why I hate fundies, take a look.... and, I have said it once, I will say it again: Christian fundamentalists and Islamic fundamentalists are the same thing. They want to establish religious theocracies, they want everyone to believe like they do and they consider this a god-driven war agasint sinners/infadels. The only difference I would say is that secularization/westernization/prosperity in the West has deflated the fundies to some degree. But, put them in the same political and social enviornment that you find in the Middle East and they would do the same things. Bottom line: Religion kills.

6.) OK, on thursday, Heather, T-Nat and I are going to the live recording of NPR's Wait, Wait Don't Tell ME. And, Mo Rocca is going to be a panalist!!!! OHMYGOD! How excited am I???? Heather and I made t-shirts.... hers says "Mo you Rocca my world," and mine says "Mo, Rocca me all night!" Who wouldnt pick us to be contestants on a current events game show?

7.) Government Conspiracy Alert!!!! Not sure if I remembered to post this, but I came across this article several months ago. In case it never made it onto my blog, here it is: US Military Planned Terrorist Attacks Agasint Its Own People to Povoke War With Cuba. Folks, this is all true - straight out of the national archives! ENJOY! :)

8.) Funny.

9.) Who would have thought - not only do I actually agree with the man for a change, but, for once, Lou Dobbs isn's harping about illegal immigration! This article provides a short, but interesting commentary on US and the Middle East....

Please sir, can I have some more?

2006-06-17T15:43:00.000-04:00

Announcer quote of the day:

“Security is very tight here for the US…there are 32 teams competing in this World Cup tournament and the United States is the only team whose name doesn’t appear on the side of the team bus…”

Thanks for the heads up, you moron….

Also, YAY GHANA...... never have I seen so many beautiful black men in one place.... god, I love soccer.... :)

Speaking of..... you just gotta love those Angolian short-shorts..... :)

My hope/prediction for Group E: USA and Ghana all the way!! :)

I just can't get enough of this futbal...

Testing, 1 2 3...

2006-06-17T00:23:00.000-04:00

Q: What two things do H. H. Goddard, Francis Galton, Lewis Terman and Carl Brighan (father of the SAT) have in common?
A: 1) they were all members of the eugenics movement (made famous by Adolph Hitler)...and….
2) They all were all pioneers of the standardized testing industry that our society is so very fond of today!

Yes, the prominent developers of the IQ and other standardized tests advocated the selective breeding of “high grade” persons, believed that intelligence was genetically predetermined, and that it, along with characteristics like mental illness and criminality, are correlated with race. Hmmmm……

Meanwhile, standardized testing has become a multi-billion dollar a year industry. The state of Florida, for example, spends at least 27 million a year contracting its standardized test the FCAT, to a p rivate company, McGraw-Hill to make and grade. Who knows how much all the test prep materials cost in addition to that “meager” fee (the test prep package you see to the left cost $300.). The SAT costs 41 dollars a person to take, not counting the study aids, test score reports, and PSATs etc. AP tests are pricy as well, and each school gets additional funds for every student they have enrolled in an AP class. Then there are the GREs, SAT and GRE subject tests, the MCAT and the LSAT.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I can personally speak for the amount of money I dumped into the LSAT. First there was the 200 bucks to join the LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service)…this was not optional. Plus, it cost about $114 each time I took it. Then, there was the $12 score report sent to each school to which I applied. Plus study aids. This is not to mention the many, many very expensive test prep courses that are out there, the cheapest ones around $500.

My point? This is all a huge, money-making racket, with a sinister past and an inequitable result. I for one am a strong believer that a person’s ability cannot be determined by their performance on a standardized test. There is a lot to be said for hard-work and determination. What’s more, as a former educator, I am convinced that learning cannot be adequately assessed by some generic, timed, bubble-sheet test that contains tricky questions and unfamiliar language. Children today are over-tested and have lost their appreciation for learning. Education has become another chore, another forced performance in which they are judged, ranked and labeled beginning at very young ages. I am convinced that nothing psychologically harms young people more than labels.

Standardized testing will not solve educational problems, nor is it, in my humble opinion, an adequate measure of future academic performance, despite what the industry-funded studies might say. How many teary-eyed straight-A students, did I console during my time as a teacher who came to me crying about their mediocre SAT scores? Would those same students go on to make fine grades in college? Yes. How sad am I that after their SAT scores came in, their perception of their own intelligence was forever changed. They were now officially average. Mediocre. The test had spoken. This number would now follow them, and define them and their potential forever. Certain opportunities would not be available to them because of this number. Doors would close, either actually or in the child’s mind. How much of standardized testings’ “predictive ability” is merely just a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Today, many teachers have no choice but to teach tests instead of passing on a love for learning. Instead of teaching young people HOW to learn and HOW to truly THINK, analyze, and process ideas for themselves, we teach them to memorize the facts the system says are important so they can pass a test, boost school scores and then forget the information a few weeks later. We stifle creativity and independent thought because it doesn’t fit into our state-mandated curriculum guide. We reject the idea that not every kind of “smart” can be measured in an hour and a half with a number two pencil. We are failing our children.

GOL!

2006-06-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

Although I am not a huge sports fan (mostly I like to watch American football), I must admit that I too have been swept away in World Cup mania. At this point, I have seen almost every game, I know that Ranoldo is “fat”, what off-sides means, and I watch on Univision because the Spanish announcers have more passion (GOL! GOL! GOL! GOL!) Aside from the fact that soccer is an awesome sport to watch, there is just something chilling about the whole World Cup thing. Each nation is represented by its team of citizens. Each team embodies our notions about the history, culture and political climate of that country. There is so much baggage and political turmoil surrounding some of the teams.…. Iran and its nuclear weapons and tensions with Israel. Mexico with its illegal immigrants. The Ivory Coast with its civil war between the Muslims and Christians. America and its war on terror. And yet despite all of the political and ideological differences, the human emotions exhibited by the players are all the same. It’s like the game surpasses everything else and we completely identify with those who are so seemingly different from us... It’s a beautiful reminder that the human condition should transcend what divides us because deep down, we are really all the same…..

(We are the world…we are the children…we are the ones who make a better place, so lets start livin….)

Ok, Ok…. Here’s the real reason I love soccer -

We all got needs....

2006-05-22T18:39:00.000-04:00

I love the way the church makes an ass of itself. Dude. The Da Vinci Code is fiction. They sell it in the fiction department. It is for fun. No one is saying you should worhsip the Da Vinci Code or listen to Satan or try to venture outside the box or learn think for yourself. Sure, it's fun to play with history and myth. I love a good conspiracy theory, as you all know, and there are elements of the whole Mary-Magdaline-was-the-real-head-of-the-church theory that I like. Sex, lies, murder, cover-up, girl power... It would explain a lot of the persecution women endured from the church with the witch hunts and what-not. What more could I ask for in a conspiracy theory?? But dude, it isn't any closer to being true than any of the other crazy, unverified bullshit in the Bible. (ohhh.... burn).... Besides, I dont see what the big deal is. What if Jesus was gettin' some? He was 33. I'm guessin' he was gettin in on with one of the Marys or Martha or dude was gay. Let's be real here. We all got needs.

Speaking of needs, how about this case I learned about in Constitutional Law. Apparently, the state of Alabama outlawed the sale of "sexually stimulating contraband"... aka sex toys. For real. The state argued that it had a legitimate interest in prohibiting the detrimental effects that persuing orgasms for the sake of orgams would have on the health and morality of the citizens of Alabama. AND, the 11th circuit upheld the decision (because, as you probably know, the states of Georgia, Florida and Alabama are located in the fucking twillight zone.) !!!!! Personally, I see this as a flagant attack on female sexuality, and I cannot believe that states, even Alabama, would be allowed to do something this ridiculous. For shame. Does Alabama not know that the 70's brought us sexual liberation, complete with free love, the birth control pill, and sex toys??? Dude. This is a travesty!!!!!!!! To think that Alabama would try to destroy the beautiful, sweet love that Mr. Dependable and I share..... for shame, Alabama...for shame...

P.S. Is it wrong to have a picture of the last supper and a giant pink dildo in the same post??

And so it goes....

2006-05-09T23:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I should be updating with some new political rant. But, alas, I am too exausted. Finals wore me out. We finished exams on thursday and then summer school started monday. I must admit, I am feeling a bit burnt out. But, so it goes.... I just wanted all of my faithful readers to know that I am alive and well, and that I have not completely forgotten about my blog. Sadly, I just don't have any thoughts on anything at present.

My roommate and I did get an abused puppy. Really, it is hers, but it hates us both. By puppy, I mean he is two and hates everyone. I think he wants to die, he is literally that depressed. I feel bad for the little guy. Sometimes I just want to lash out at the cold, cruel world too. Feel free to check out the whole story on Tara's blog
(here we are celebrating after exams.)

Random Rants and Legal Humor...

2006-03-31T20:07:00.000-05:00

Newsflash: CNN's headline this evening reveals sensational news!!! On his deathbed, Pope John Paul asked people to read him the Bible!!! Shocking! I am so glad CNN covered this groundbreaking story!!! The Bible...who would have thought.... I was figuring he'd ask for strippers or 12 year old boys or something.....

ummm... and on a side note, what is going on in this picture? Is he striking a pose, or what? The photographer was like, "Ok, John, I just want to catch a glimpse of the real you...just act natural.... "

This reminds me of the Law Review articles I had to read yesterday. One, by a law professor was entitled "Man and his 5000 year old relationship with the cannibus plant." Can I just say AWSOME???? One section dicussed the merits of weed as a treatment for anorexia.... I mean, that makes so much sense... being a pothead is way less dangerous than being anorexic... If CNN wanted to do something worthwhile they'd investigate that....

another article was entitled "aliens with guns" and was about letting illegal aliens serve in the military and own weapons. The article then went on to say how no federal court had ever even discussed this issue....and some concluded the author was an idiot. My theory is that this author also wrote the cannibus article. He was just sitting around one evening and the idea came to him...."aliens with guns, man....woah... that's heavy...."

another article about the clergy sex abuse litigation of the 80's stated: "they [church officials] failed to warn parishioners of his "tendency to rape children." Hmmm.... his tendency? Like, I have a tendency to get drunk and boottie dance? Don't be alarmed, ladies and genteman, it's only a tendency....

Disturbing...

2006-03-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

As a law student, I hear many, many, many disturbing cases. However, this is one of the most disturbing stories I have heard in awhile. Apparently, a mother let a man molest her 7 year old son in exchange for money. People are fucking scum.

This gets me thinking about the death penalty. I may be a bleeding heart liberal when it comes to a lot of things, but punishing scum-bags is not one of them. My theory is that victimless crimes (drugs, theft, etc.) do not warrent outrageous sentences. Here, utilitarian principles of deterrence and societal benefit should drive punishmen. But when someone hurts another person, particularly a child, then all bets are off. Retributive, eye for an eye, the avenging arm of the law kind of reasoning kicks in. Someone rapes and kills a child? Fry that sorry ass son of a bitch up. In fact, as far as I am concerned, the death penalty is too humane for people like that. Too bad torture has been deemed unconstitutional becasue I think a person deserves to have whatever they perpetrated committed agasint them. Why should the guilty be afforded more rights and better treatment than their victims? Life is about conseqences. If you choose to hurt others, then you should deal with the consequences. And in my book, the consequences should be severe.

Oh, and my cure for the legal system when it comes to executing the innocent? Create a higher evidentiary standard for cases in which the prosecuter is seeking the death penalty.

Give you something to cry about....

2006-03-29T19:54:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am posting when I should be writing the most important paper of my academic career - my appellate brief on RLUIPA....sigh.....

Apparently, a California lawyer is suing e-harmony for discrimination because the site will not allow him to register and get a date until his divorce is final. He says this violates a California status that prohibits discrimination based on marital status. Did I mention that he is suing for like 12,000 dollars? He was apparently very upset by this whole traumatic ordeal.... Personally, I think he needs to find something real to complain about. How about the fact that when you go to the e-Harmony starter webpage, you can only choose man seeking woman or woman seeking man. This sounds like discrimination based on sexual orientation and I for one have a much bigger problem with this kind of discrimination than with the website trying to respect both parties in a marriage. I wonder if dude's marital problems originated with him screwing around on his wife in the first place??? Men.... *rolling my eyes*.... Worse yet, male lawyers..... Why don't you find some real discrimination to bitch about....

Time to get your head out of your ass, America...

2006-03-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

I recently read several very alarming articles on CNN and in The New Yorker (courtesy of Mr. Romanic) about global warming that I urge everyone to read, particularly those of you who are still down-playing the seriousness of the global warming problem.

My only other tyrade for the week: the David and Goliath brand shirt I saw in the mall that said "I'm too pretty to do math." Yes, this is a perfect message to be sending our young girls, who are already bombarded with images of what they should be (dumb, pretty, over-sexed and thin) on television and in magazines. What's more, this isn't like some kid made it herself as an expression of who she is. This is a corporate machine feeding bullshit to our children - selling them an image, giving them a blueprint for who they need to be. You aren't a rebel or a non-conformist if you are just buying your identity from some corporation. The corporate man is telling you who you should be, and you should feel insulted. And, corporate man.... for shame. Filling impressionale teenage minds with garbage just so you can make a buck. I hope you have a teenage daughter one day, who turns out just as slutty and stupid as your t-shirts sound.

Shall We Dance??

2006-03-04T13:54:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it's the Sudafed....

But, does this not look like a scene straight out of Bride and Prejudice, or some other fantastic Bolly-wood musical??? They're just about to start the big dance number, I can feel it... spirit fingers!!!!!

"The truth, the truth, there is no truth! These men just make it up as they go along."

2006-03-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, I watched an amazing documentary about 9/11 called Loose Change that I challenge everyone to watch. Personally, I find it very interesting, if nothing else. Please, watch and give me your impression....

On that note, I will let it be known that I am a conspiracy theorist.

"The truth is out there."

"Trust no one."

Fox Molder is my freekin' fantasy/hero.

I don't trust people with lots of money and I don't trust people with lots of power. I don't trust corporations and, I certainly don't trust the govornment. (generally speaking, I don't trust men either, but that's a totally differnt topic. :) )

Think I have trust issues? watch the documentary...

Other facinating conspiracy theories that I half-way think could be plausible:

1) The Man-Made Origin of AIDS ; congress appropriations bill for biological warfare

2) The Best Democracy Moeny Can Buy ; Buy it on Amazon - it's a good read :)

Gloria, in case you wondered, I am strong! I am invincible! I am WOMAN!!!!

2006-02-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

I find that once law school gets going, I can’t keep up with my postings. It’s not that I am just too busy to post, but I have trouble keeping abreast with what’s going on in the world and so I lack inspiration…. But for your sake, dear reader, I will persevere…:)

Why do (we) women let men determine how we feel about ourselves??? Compare the number of crying drunk girls you’ve seen to crying drunk guys. I blame society, television, our mothers and our peers. Ladies, we spend too much time worrying over men, wondering why they don’t like us, trying to be beautiful so they will want us, crying because we feel rejected, getting back together with men who cheat on us because we need to feel wanted, trying to get their attention so we can feel pretty and wallowing because we feel lonely. If we took all that energy and focused it on kickin’ ass in our academic and professional pursuits, imagine how much more we could accomplish. Children’s fairy tales and Hollywood romance movies have told us that we can’t live happily ever after until we find our prince charming. Bullshit. There is no prince charming, and in the real world, marriage/finding your true love is not the end of the story. Have you ever wonder what happened to Cinderella and Snow White and Sleeping Beauty after they found their dream prince? Well, everything is honky dory for a few weeks and then life resumes as usual. Prince Charming drinks too much, he goes out with the boys and expected dinner on the table when he came home every night. He forgets Valentines Day and their anniversary. He forgets what the word foreplay means. Eventually, our “happy” heroine gets knocked up and while she’s fat and pregnant, Charming cheats on her with some bleach-blond, 18 year old undergrad. Acquiring the perfect man is not the end all be all. In fact, I am willing to go out on a limb and say that in the end, it won’t make you happy or make you feel complete. Those are things that you must do for yourself.

The moral of this story? We must stop allowing men to dictate how we feel about ourselves!!!! They should not have the power to make us feel pretty, or happy or sad.

Ladies, we have to concentrate on us. We have to look out for number one. A little egocentrism might not be such a bad thing after all… Guard your hearts, focus on your careers, goals, hopes and dreams…. Don’t let men hurt you – they aren’t worth your time or energy. Take care of yourself above all others and don’t worry about being nice or liked. Who fucking cares what someone else thinks about you. All that matters is what YOU think about YOU.

Eugenics - the science of better breading...(my favorite blog post ever!)

2006-01-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am completely obsessed with researching the Eugenics Movement in America. The more I learn, the more amazed I am that this often ignored aspect of American history ever took place...Hitler set about to complete what American Scientists, policy makers and elites started..... Thought I'd share a little bit of my historical passion with you....

The rest of the board reads:

"America needs less of these..."

- Every 48 seconds a person is born in the US who will never grow up mentally beyond that of a normal 8 year old boy or girl."

-Every 50 seconds a person is committed to jail in the US. Very few normal persons ever go to jail.

"America needs more of these..."

- Every 7and 1/2 minutes a HIGH GRADE person is born in the US who will have the ability to do creative work and be fit for leadership. About 4 percent of Americans come within this class.

Notice the similarity between the Nazi poster and the American display board.....

These guys are protesting for marriage laws and sterilization....

One of many books on Eugenics published during this time... Other not-so-subtle titles include: The Jukes: A Study in Crime, Disease, Pauperism, and Heredity; The Tribe of Ishmael: A Study of Social Degeneration; The Passing of the Great Race; The Rising Tide of Color Against White World Supremicy; Constructive Eugenics, The Task of Social Hygiene; The Right to be Well Born; and Eugenics: A Journal of Race Betterment.

The family above won a "Fitter Family" Contest at the State Fair!....

While many were dubbed "feeble-minded" and placed in institutions or sterilized, there was never a real, scientific definition of or method for determining "feeble-mindedness." Interestingly, the IQ test was developed by Eugenicists...

Honorary degree given by a German University in 1936 to Harry Laughlin one of America's leading Eugenisits. He managed to get laws against "racial mixing," laws allowing forces sterilization of the "unfit," and laws restricting the immigration of non-nordics passed. The Germans applauded his efforts of behalf of Eugenics.....

More info on Eugenics and cool primary source documents like these can be found at:

http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/

The same thing we do every night, Pinky -Try and take over the world!!!!

2006-01-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

(another entry from my old blog...)

Pinky: What are we gonna do tonight?
Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try and take over the world!!!

So last night I saw The Island, which is actually a pretty decent futuristic tale of Eugenics. I think the movie raises a few questions that, while a little different from real cloning dilemmas, are along the same ethical lines....

When I got home from the movie I began reading and ran across an article (apparently I'd missed this in the news) that said scientists are going to create a mouse that has a 100 percent human celled brain. While I may not be able to understand the scientific ins and outs of this, and have been told that the human brain is more complicated than its parts, it does lead me to wonder what makes something human. Is it our human form? Our brain? Our ability to love, feel compassion, and make decisions? What do we do that animals don’t that makes us superior to them? And when does a life become sacred?

If we answer love, compassion, and rational thought, then I feel this is all encompassed in the human mind. Love, after all, is mainly biological. Animals also feel love and devotion, just ask anyone who has ever had a beloved pet or who saw the Jane Goodall documentary that featured the pubescent chimp that died of a broken heart after its mother was killed. But humans would die for one another. This is solely human. Well, not really. Some birds, when the flock is under attack, will fly away from the fleeing flock and distract the predator, usually resulting in its death and the safety of the other birds. This, according to the sociobiological perspective is because biology compels all creatures to not only fight for our survival but for the survival of our species, our genes. All of these functions are a product of evolution and are controlled by the brain.

If then, it is the human brain that makes some one or thing human, then is a person, void of the human mind, nonhuman? If a person has an IQ below 70 does that make them less of a person? If a child is born with a mental handicap that leaves them with the brain function of a dog or chimp, is that child less than human?

If we say the human form makes us human, then would a person, void of legs or arms be considered less than human? When would a physical handicap or deformity be enough to render someone a creature and not a human being?

If an animal with a human brain was created, would it be human? At what point would such a hybrid become human, if ever? And if we cannot easily answer the question of what makes a human life sacred, then perhaps we should be a bit hesitant before turning other creatures into dinner or scientific experiments.

Perhaps we are special because we are more highly evolved. We have thumbs, after all. We are strong and fast and can dominate the world. Therefore everything is here for us to conquer and exploit, simply because we can. Might makes right, doesn’t it? If something is defenseless or less intelligent then you have the right to decide if it should live or die, and what quality of life it deserves. Right? I mean, just ask Hitler….

Note: For my religious viewers, who likely feel that this is an easy question because humans have souls which differentiate them from other animals, I’m gonna have to roll my eyes… What is a soul exactly? Where is it located? Who decided who/what gets a soul anyway? Wasn’t there a time when the Southern church decided that slaves didn’t have souls? Would a half mouse half human hybrid have a soul? How about a clone? Why or why not? There has to be something that all humanity can agree upon that does not bring one group’s specific religious beliefs into play when determining what makes a living thing human, and that human life sacred

Further reading on the real 'Brain' and how scientists are causing me to ask all these silly questions....

Pat Robertson - biggest dick ever. period.

2006-01-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

(Pictured above: Pat takes a dump on American democracy)

And while I'm thinking about right-winged fundamentalists, here is a shout-out to the biggest dick of them all - Pat Robertson. Most recently, Pat has been in the spotlight for saying that God smote Ariel Sharon for "dividing his land" and pulling Isreal out of Gaza. You see, in addition to hating communists and muslims, Pat LOVES the nation of Isreal, even though they don't believe in Jesus either. And, he'd rather see Isrealis and Palistinians killing each other than trying to establish peace. What's more, Pat loves to attribute everything that goes wrong in life to god's punishment. Just curious, Mr. Robertson, but when you got cancer in 2003 and had to have your prostate removed, what was God punishing you for?

My favorite little "god's punishment" theory is Pat's assertion that Hurricaine Katrina was god's punishment for Ellen Degenerates hosting the Emmys. Therfore, becasue she is openly gay, god decided to destroy her hometown and kill lots of poor black people who probly don't even watch the emmys, let alone have anything to do with who is selected to host the damn thing. However, other fundamentalists are taking credit for Katrina too, so were not real sure why god smote New Orleans. It appears that AL- Zarqawi is claiming that god sent Katrina to smite the US for its unholy occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Hmmm.... maybe god was running a two-for one special on hurricane smitings.... You know, now that I think about it, Zarqawi and Robertson have a lot in common. They are both crazed fundamentalists who advocate violence agasint god's enemies (Recall when Robertson advocated the assasination of Venezuela's

President) and they both like to indoctrinate the ignorant masses through television. Maybe they should do a show together!!! I bet they could make a shit-load... Sure, they have some theological differences of opinion, but they could just focus on the things they have in common - like total hate and loathing for women, gays, infidels and the seperation of church and state.

In addition, Pat and his buddy Falwell blame gays, the removal of prayer from schools, and immorality in general for 911.

More irony from Pat - he says that Islam is a religion of hatred and that the Koran incites its followers to kill people of other faiths.... Ummm... have you ever read the fucking Bible, jackass???!!??? If you want to talk about a book that advocates hatred, intolorance and killing people who don't believe like you do, then the Bible is your best bet.

Ok, I am done bitching about Pat Robertson.

ramblings of an insomniac...

2006-01-04T05:26:00.000-05:00

1.) So last night while watching the first half of the FSU v. Penn State game, I was deeply amuzed by the commentators. Maybe I just have a dirty mind, but I found it extremely funny when they said that Penn State was "having its way with" the FSU defense, and then later that Penn State was "working up a good rythem." heh, good times...

2.) VW has is now marketing the most expensive sports car which can go up to like 290 mph and goes from 0 to 62 in 2.5 seconds. Here is the ultimate toy for the man in your life with an itty-bitty, teeny-tiny penis. Honestly, I can't think of any other reason why someone would need a car like that....

3.) The administration sounds like a big, spoiled baby when it comes to its sorry-ass excuses for not going along with International efforts to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Excuse number 1 – “It might hurt the US economy.” Well cry me a fuckin’ river. Just because something may be a little bit painful doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. Is getting a flue shot uncomfortable? Yes. Would I rather have the flu? NO. Suck it up and do what needs to be done before we get ourselves into a mess that cannot be fixed…. Excuse 2 – When Bush rejected Kyoto, he complained that China, India and other major industrializing countries were not bound by its emission controls.” God, I bet George was a whinny brat of a kid…. Just because others do not do what they should doesn’t mean you shouldn’t step up and do the right thing. Lead by example, George. I bet he employs this same rationale when dealing with US torture policy… “Well everyone else is torturing their victims… why can’t we??.... Billy’s mom doesn’t make him eat his broccoli…” All I have to say is – pathetic, George.

4.) Along the same lines, Don't tell the Bush Administration, but polar bears may become a thing of the past, thanks to global warming. Accorording to scientists, Polar Bears are drowning due to melting ice caps. Wow, for a hoax, global warming seems to be causing some real problems...

5.) I am growing sick and tired of the "choose life" bumper stickers and license plates. Dude, no one is suggesting anyone "choose death." I DO, however, have a suggestion for making the entire abortion debate almost completly moot - "CHOOSE BIRTH CONTROL!!!!" It's simple. Oh wait, I forgot the crazy fundies don't like birth control. I think they would rather continue pushing their shitty abstinence-only education which results in uneducated, knocked-up teenage girls who go get abortions. You see, this gives the fundies something to bitch about, helps the republicans get their religious fan-base to the polls on election day, and allows the ultra-pious, bible-beaters to feel like they are better than everyone else.

6.) The "Happy Holidays" debate has really made me think about what bothers me about fundamentalists - an extreme lack of EMPATHY (Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives). I really and truly believe this world would be a better place if we all just thought about what it would be like if we were in the others' shoes. Unfortunately, some people so completly surround themselves with people who are exactly like them and vilify everyone else that they are incapable of empathy. I'm not saying I am an expert at empathy. Often, my tyrades agasint conservative christians sound a bit harsh and I know that in my day to day life I do not always consider the feelings of those around me. All I'm saying is that a little empathy and a lot of the golden rule would make this world a much better place. Sure, it sounds corney and I can see you now, reader, rolling your eyes at my naivety. But if everyone seriously and honestly treated others as they would want to be treated, this world would be remarkably different. Maybe that's why every religion and/or philosophy includes a "golden rule" or a teaching about the ethics of reciprocity. Unfortunately, it seems that people only like to apply the golden rule to fellow believers and not to all peoples.... But, I choose to believe it is possible and a global ethics of reciprocity can be achieved....

7.) The other day I had a profound revelation about the nature of man. First of all, no matter what you learned in sunday school or what you were shamed into believing by the caring adults in your life, there are no GOOD or BAD decisions when it comes to sex, drugs, and other SINS one commits agasint him/herself. You are not a bad person if you use drugs or screw the entire football team in one night. Instead, there are physical and emotional consequences that you must be prepared to deal with as a result of your actions. The action itself is neutral - now, are you prepared to deal with the consequences of your behavior?

Maybe it's easier for parents, teachers, and religions to tell kids that sex is bad and abstinence is good. However, I think we cheat them, insult their intelligences, and leave them with psychological baggage. In addition, I feel like we are shifting the locus of control. If sex is "bad" because my dad or god says so, then I have no control; that decision is already made for me. All I can do is violate that decision and do the "bad" thing or not violate it and be "good." But if sex is neutral, then I have the power to determine if, based on the possible physical and emotional consequences, the decision is going to be worth it and if I am prepared to deal with the possible results of my actions. Here, I have complete control over the decision and the decision-making process. And, there is no guilt or shame when I make a decision. Instead, there are only the resulting consequences.

x-mas is stupid

2005-12-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

I hate the holidays. They are made for couples. Dating couples or cute old married people or families with little kids. Everything has that warm cuddly feeling – which is great if you have a significant other…or a puppy. Sadly, I have neither. As I was reveling in my sorrows in the Publix checkout line, it occurred to me that instead of being a depressed poopy-head, I should think about and truly appreciate the things that I do have. So, I decided to make a list…

1. Two parents that love me (though sometimes begrudgingly)
2. A brilliant younger brother who always keeps in touch
3. An amazing best friend who, though far away, is always there for me
4. Great new friends who listen to me over-analyze and help me scheme
5. Malibu Bay Breezes
6. Enough money to put food on the table and a roof over my head
7. A great rack and three beautiful new Victoria’s Secrets bra and panty sets
8. I’m in law school and 1 semester closer to making my dreams come true!
9. A brain that works (most of the time)
10. A wonderful roommate who can put up with my mess!
11. I haven’t gotten sick yet this year (knock on wood)
12. “Cold” in Florida = 60 degrees!!!
13. A car that works
14. Mr. Dependable
15. AA batteries

Feel free to help me think of more things I should be thankful for!!!

What keeps men and women from being equal: the choice...

2005-11-13T01:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, during a discussion on women’s issues and equality, someone asked me if knowing what I did, I would have rather been born a man. And for the first time, although I didn’t actually say it, my answer to that question was yes. It’s not the monthly menstruation that bothers me or the fact that I will always be (on average) physically weaker than a man. It’s not even the long history of discrimination. I don’t think that it will be impossible for me to accomplish my goals and dreams because I am a woman. I’m not angry because of the sexual double standard or the fact that society places a much heavier burden on me to be physically attractive then it does on men. None of this is really that bothersome….

But, the one aspect of being a woman that truly tortures me is - the choice. The choice that I’ve dreaded since I was a little girl. The choice that I know will follow me throughout my adult life. The choice that no man will ever really understand. As a woman, I will have to choose between being a mother and being a professional. Career over family. I will have to think about it, struggle with it, agonize over it… Even if I decide to do both, that decision process is inevitable. And, no matter what I choose, I will probably end up one day looking back on my life, wondering if I made the right choice…

Men do not have to make that decision. The world assumes that men can have a career and a family without sacrificing either. I envy that so much.

Even other women contribute to the pressure we feel to make “the choice.” The other day I was discussing this with some of my female, law school friends. They both stated that they were going to take several years off and stay at home to raise their children because that was the best thing you could do if you were going to have a child. They didn’t want someone else raising their kids. They assured me that it was a choice and that each woman had to decide for herself, but the implication was evident – good mothers stay home and raise their kids. Good mothers put themselves and their careers on hold. Good mothers make the right choice.

I don’t want to make the choice. I want career and family to come to me as easily as they come to men. I don’t want to hear about biology or my nature or my maternal instincts. I don’t want to be here, at 2am wondering if in 20 years I am going to look back on my life and question whether or not I made the right choice.

I don’t care how far women have come. As long as “the choice” haunts us, we will never be truly equal.

"But who will protect the corporations???"

2005-11-13T01:25:00.000-05:00

Chickens are to birds as I am to:

Consumers

Corporations

OK, so maybe it’s a week analogy, but you get the point. More than likely you, my fellow American, have more in common with the average consumer than the average fortune 500 corporation. I would think most people realize this. So why is it that in my contracts class, all of the crazy republicans support corporations like Gateway when they rip off consumers? Scenario: When P opens his new gateway computer, in the box he finds a long, technical list of terms and conditions. One of the terms is an arbitration clause that says if there is a problem and he wants to file suit he can’t. He has to arbitrate the case in NY (by the time P travels to NY and pays arbitration costs, he has spent more than the value of the computer. Thus, Gateway has, in effect, deprived P of any meaningful access to recovery.) What’s more, P has 5 days to return the computer if he does not accept these terms. The court ruled that this was not a valid. One would think that all potential computer purchasers would be glad. But nooooooo…. Heated debate ensued…

One very bright student (*wink*) suggested that even providing prior notice was not enough because all the computer companies would just include the arbitration clause in their contracts, making the market driven solution (buying elsewhere) moot. Instead, consumer protection legislation was needed to make sure that companies did not take away consumer’s access to a legitimate forum/remedy. You would think that future computer buyers would support this idea… but amazingly many did not. Outcries of “but who will protect the corporations” could be heard throughout the room. Somehow, making sure that companies do not take advantage of consumers was “taking away the rights of corporations.” Who knew ripping the average, working class American off was a right. One person even said that we don’t need any more legislation regulating corporations. Yeah! Corporations don’t need to be regulated!! I mean, historically, companies have always considered the best interests of the consumers. Those child labor laws, minimum wage and overtime requirements, discrimination rules, EPA standards, FDA regulations, etc. were totally unnecessary! Dude!! If companies had their way, 12 year old would still be working in factories for 10 cents an hour and no one would have health insurance!!!! Corporations will do whatever they can get away with. This is why we need government to step in and keep them in line. Corporations already run the friggin’ country!! And somehow these delusional, middle class republicans have been brain-washed by corporate loving American into believing that corporations are in danger and their rights are being taken away!! HELLO!!!! Have you been paying attention for the last 150 years??? But don't you worry so much, Republicans, (I know all this silly consumer protection nonsense is making your widdle head hurt), with out President the oil tychoon and his vice-president in the International arms business, I have a sneaking suspicion that somehow the corporation will manage just fine...

It's the Supreme Court, honey, not the club...

2005-10-16T13:04:00.000-04:00

OK, now, I'm sure I could comment on Ms. Miers' inexperience and the fact that she is just another Bush henchman - well, henchperson really... but I will save it. Im sure you've already heard that... I could also point out the sheer audacity of our president in appointing yet another unqualified boob to an incredibly important position after the whole FEMA/Michael Brown incident and the criticism he recieved over that appointment... But I think I will stick with something more basic, more important for American society - dude, that eye-liner has got to go. I mean, sure I like cheap liquid eye-liner as much as the next girl/60 year old Supreme Court nominee, but jeez, woman, is that realy appropriate day wear? Perhaps a lighter, fresher, more serious day-time look would be more appropriate. Sometimes less is more (like less judicial experience, for example)

But maybe she is trying to get a little somethin' - somethin' with those bedroom eyes... is it just me or is she flashing George a sausy "take me now" look... hmmm... maybe that's how she got the nomination - she's more "experienced" than we think...

Ok, Ok... enough hatin' on the lady... honestly, she gives me hope... if she can become a Supreme Court justice maybe there's hope for me. I mean her allma mater, Southern Methodist, is only ranked 52.... FSU is 56... what-what!! Here I come, yo... now I just need to get in tight with the Bush dynasty... and Tally should be a great place to make that happen...I hear they just let Jeb's son back out on perole...

Actually, in all seriousness, Im glad that a real person from a real school is being nominated, even though she isnt my first pick... (ok, I wouldnt have picked her, ever) but It's about time that wealth and educational pedigree stopped being such a determiner for our political leaders. I'm sure Yale and Harvard are great schools but their students aren't the only ones in the country getting a good education... and they aren't necessarily the smartest kids in the land... maybe the most well-connected... but I'm not sure how well they represent the average, regular Joe Blow american... (this is where I throw in my little campaign ad - Miriam for president, 2032: free health care, fair wages, enviornmental protection and legal marijuana for everyone!! :)

But I digress... and now I am just procrastinating...

Bridget jones: an oldie but a goodie...:)

2005-10-15T19:34:00.000-04:00

In my experience, the journey toward self-acceptance has been much like that of religion - everyone tells you how wonderful it is, and how much you're missing out, but no one really tells you how you can attain it. So you end up spending years of your life searching and reaching for that nebulous "thing" that will make you happy, and just when you think you've got it, you wake up one morning feeling as empty and alone as you did when the journey began
Self-acceptance, inner beauty, whatever it is you want to call it, has become a social pressure as important as being skinny in our society. So now, we can feel self-conscious and ashamed about the fact that we are self-conscious and haven't worked hard enough to become a better person. People tell you things like "No one can love you unless you learn to love yourself." Talk about putting pressure on a girl! Now in addition to the pressures of loosing weight, having a successful career, stop biting my nails, learning to be clean and organized and giving back to my community, I have to worry about learning to love myself and develop inner beauty or else no one will want to be around me? Is it me or this all just a little bit too much to ask?
Maybe thats why many of us imperfect women love Bridget Jones. Shes fat, she smokes, she is a horrible public speaker, she is self-conscious and self-doubting, and she never seems to be fully at peace with who she is. Basically, she is real. She wears granny panties to suck in her fat rolls. She is constantly paranoid that her boyfriend is cheating on her with someone better looking. She is afraid to get naked in front of a man because he might notice her wobbly bits. How many women out there can identify with at least some aspect of who she is.
Bridget is not the typical fairy tale style heroine. She doesnt start off an ugly ducking at the beginning of the movie and then *ta-da* become magically transformed by a makeover or new outlook on life into a new and improved person who lives happily ever after. I mean, in life, how many people actually have some type of miraculous transformation like that? Dont get me wrong, Bridget, just like most women, tries to be a better person, and sometimes she manages to gain control over parts of her life. Sometimes she feels sexy and self-confident. Sometimes she loses weight or manages to kick the smoking habit for a few weeks. But ultimately, life happens and the self-acceptance fades away and she returns to her normal, imperfect state, just like the rest of us
And you know what? Mark Darsey loves her, just the way she is. No matter how often she fucks up or embarrasses herself, he stays. He doesn't need her to have some type of transformation and develop a constant state of self-acceptance and inner beauty. She doesnt have to do anything or be anyone else to gain his love and acceptance. That is why we love the story of Bridget Jones. She makes us feel like we can be happy, just the way we are. Someone out there will love us despite our slightly overweight frames, our self-doubt, our nail biting, and our lack of inner beauty. Being loved is not contingent upon working toward some intangible transformation that always seems just a little bit out of reach.Instead. it's something that all human beings deserve, no matter how imperfect. And maybe somehow this understanding that we deserve to be loved and accepted dispite our flaws, will allow us to relax, enjoy the journey, and eventually stumble upon a little bit of that inner-beauty, on our own time, after-all....
Bridget Jones is the best fairy tale ever!

The gevernator is a big ol' chode...

2005-09-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

Ok, two short rants and then it’s off to bed for me.

1.) Plan B – the FDA claims they will not allow Plan B, the morning after pill, to be sold over the counter because then minors might buy it. Hmmm…. Gonna call a big bullshit on that one. Alcohol is sold over the counter and no one seems to think regulating it is a problem. You take your plan B to the register, it’s scanned, it beeps and you have to show your ID. Could it be that W’s ultra-religious, fundamentalist cronies have bought out the FDA? I mean, I for one am a pretty moderate liberal when it comes to abortion…. I think it should be severely limited, but even I can see the benefits of the morning after pill. The need for later term abortions would dramatically decrease, and isn’t that what the pro-lifers are after??? I mean, baby steps, people… But you know what I really think is driving this?? The pharmaceutical and medical industry. Plan B is basically a whole pack of birth control taken at once. This means, if it’s safe enough to sell Plan B over the counter, then logically, we could sell birth control pills over the counter. And damn, would pharmaceutical companies and doctor’s offices be out a shitload of money. So, my theory is the medical-industrial complex bought the FDA off. That’s my story, and I’m stickin to it…. J

2.) There is no such thing as activist judges. What we do have is both courts and legislatures who are so afraid to make an unpopular decision that they continually hand the responsibility off to each other. This way, when the shit hits the political fan, they can point their fingers and cry “outrage!!!... Look what those awful, liberal/conservative judges/politicians have done now!!”

Example: The California legislature has just passed a bill allowing gay marriage. What does the governator have to say about this? He thinks the issue of gay marriage should be decided in the courts. Am I hearing this right?! Just months after the Terri Shivo fiasco, a conservative republic says an issue like gay marriage should be decided by “activist judges”?! I think the governator is a big ol’ chode*…. He doesn’t want to get stuck with the backlash from either side of this issue. So, he wants to hand-off to the courts… that way, when they decide the law should be upheld, he and all his conservative colleagues can cry “outrage!!!”

Let us not think that the legislature is alone in this. Having only been in law school a few weeks, I have already read a number of judicial opinions in which the court hands-off to the legislature. My question is, if no one is willing to step up to the plate, for fear they will be dubbed “activists” or something worse, who is going to step up and implement change???

*in protest to the usage of the term “pussy” which is a derogatory, and sexist insult to women (notice it is the only slur that is a female term used by males to insult other males, insinuating that they are weak like women) I have decided to replace this term with “chode” – the skin between a man’s balls and asshole. Every time the term “pussy” could be used, I will inset this more fitting, gender appropriate term. If we all ban together on this, we could start a linguistic revolution….

John Roberts the 40 year old virgin?

2005-09-13T19:21:00.000-04:00

John Roberts the 40 year old virgin??? haha...