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"Sometimes I wish I had never met you, because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there." Good Will Hunting
"Pleasure of love lasts but a moment, Pain of love lasts a lifetime."
Bette Davis
"How can you simply be friends with someone when every time you look at them, you're thinking about how much more you really want?" Dawson's Creek
"The love that lasts the longest is the love that can never be." S. Maugh
"Loving you is like trying to touch a star, I know I can never reach you, but I can't help but try." Unknown
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| 2008-10-20 19:16 |
| Election Already Stolen |
| Public |
 pissed off |
| politics |
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Investigation by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., & Greg Palast
courtesy of Rolling Stone
"I don't think the Democrats get it. All these new rules and games … could flip the vote to the GOP in half a dozen states."
Republican Secretaries of State of swing-state Colorado have quietly purged one in six names from their voter rolls. Over several months, the GOP politicos in Colorado stonewalled every attempt by Rolling Stone to get an answer to the massive purge - ten times the average state's rate of removal.
While Obama dreams of riding to the White House on a wave of new voters, more then 2.7 million have had their registrations REJECTED under new procedures signed into law by George Bush. Kennedy, a voting rights lawyer, charges this is a resurgence of 'Jim Crow' tactics to wrongly block Black and Hispanic voters.
A fired US prosecutor levels new charges - accusing leaders of his own party, Republicans, with criminal acts in an attempt to block legal voters as "fraudulent."
Digging through government records, the Kennedy-Palast team discovered that, in 2004, a GOP scheme called "caging" ultimately took away the rights of 1.1 million voters. The Rolling Stone duo predict that, this November 4, it will be far worse.
Since the last presidential race, "States used dubious 'list management' rules to scrub at least 10 million voters from their rolls." Among those was Paul Maez of Las Vegas, New Mexico - a victim of an unreported but devastating purge of voters in that state that left as many as one in nine Democrats without a vote. For Maez, the state's purging his registration was particularly shocking - he's the county elections supervisor.
The Kennedy-Palast revelations go far beyond the sum of questionably purged voters recently reported by the New York Times. "Republican operatives - the party's elite commandos of bare-knuckle politics," report Kennedy and Palast, under the cover of fighting fraudulent voting, are "systematically disenfranchis[ing] Democrats."
"If Democrats are to win the 2008 election, they must not simply beat McCain at the polls - they must beat him by a margin that exceeds the level of GOP vote tampering."
Block the Vote by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Greg Palast in the current issue (#1064) of Rolling Stone. [Media enquiries - Dave Falkenstein, Sunshine Sachs & Assoc, via interviews@gregpalast.com.]
Note - Kennedy and Palast are releasing, simultaneously with the Rolling Stone investigative report what they call, the vote-theft 'antidote': a 24-page full-color comic book, Steal Back Your Vote, which can be downloaded or obtained in print from their non-partisan website, StealBackYourVote.org
For updates and video reports, go to http://www.GregPalast.com and http://www.StealBackYourVote.org.
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So, got some progress on the thesis. (Yay!) Long way to go, but still. I think I have my medieval paper topic - gonna trot out my old buddy Foucault again, and talk about the medieval ideal of courtly love as discourse. BUT: that's way too easy, and it's been done to death. SO I am going to look at it as discursive towards men! (Because, of course, can't do the easy thing....) LOL
Also spoke to my grad advisor, who shook her head and told me I had to make things complicated. "What do you mean?" I asked, eyes wide and aghast. "Just because I am taking an accelerated degree, a minor, an honors thesis, and a graduate certificate?" Well, OK, maybe she has a point... But I am good to go for spring, and on track with the certificate as well as my MA requirements. Boo-frikkin'-ya!
( 21 questions meme under here )
Not gonna tag anyone, but I would be nifty to see other folks' responses.... [hint, hint]
...back to work...
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Interesting movie, and, frankly, a little hard to watch. It's hard to put into words just *why* it was hard to watch, though. I suppose it's because while in 10 years or so, when the Bush legacy is (hopefully) a cringe-worthy memory, this will be a blisteringly funny movie. However, it's not funny at all now. That was the thing, even in the theater, there was very little laughter; a few nervous chuckles, but that was it. By the end, no one was laughing, and the crowd left the film looking like they'd just come from a funeral. It should have been funny - it's a brilliant film, and the filmmakers had no need of adding anything to Bush's own story to make a point - the point was made, loud and clear. Had it been a scathing parody, it would have been deliciously funny. It wasn't funny only because it is true, it is real.
From a purely critical standpoint, I will say the movie is very well done. The casting is inspired! Just brilliant. I would never have said that Brolin looks one whit like Bush, but he captures him perfectly. There were moments I wondered if the dialog had been lip-synced, he captured Dubya's inflection so well. Nor would I ever have equated Dreyfuss with Cheney, but he, too was spot on, (although he still sounded like Dreyfuss.) Rove was more Rove-like than the original, if you can imagine that; picture Rove morphed with he creepy little German with the round glasses from Raider of the Lost Ark, and you've almost got it. *shudder* And Condi had all the tense, plastic charm of a stepford wife with way to many Botox treatments in her past. She was always slightly twisted - her posture, her expression, as if she were wincing full-time. I don't know if it was intentional, but it made her distinctly uncomfortable to watch. If it was planned, it was genius.
Scott Glenn as Rumsfeld didn't have the same visual likeness, but the on-screen Rumsfeld most definitely had the same oiliness as his namesake. So too with Powell's air of long-suffering frustration - he's not a ringer like some of the others, but he captured the essence of Powell so well you never once had to wonder who was who. The only one who didn't have that almost eerie shroud of the figure he portrayed was Bush Sr. I didn't mind though, because Cromwell, despite his familiar face as an actor, carried the role adroitly. I got the feeling we were meant to see Herbert Walker though W's eyes anyway, and that came off very well, so it seemed appropriate that we saw him looking different in this context than he did during his term in the White House.
My only gripes? Iain Gruffudd as Blair didn't work at all for me. Regardless of the other things I have seen him in, it was Reed Richards with a bad English accent talking to Bush. Kinda surreal; I kept waiting for him to stretch his arm way out for something... I don't know that I blame him, the part was a cameo, and he didn't have much to do - given more screentime I think he might have done better. And Noah Wylie popped up in a minor role that I don't think suited him, which I found jarring, but that may have been only me.
Overall, I think this was excellently handled, very well made, and superbly acted. As I sat waiting for it to start, and watching the trailers for two other strongly political films coming up, I wondered why "W" was released now with Bush still in office. Wouldn't the filmmakers have more leeway with the project with Bush out of office? Now, however, I get it. This film is a pointed reminder of what, exactly, we have dealt with for the past eight years, and a sobering reminder that we have the chance to change all that. It's a pre-election wake-up call, and given the way the election is looking, it's perfectly timed.
(and now back to the thesis.... argh!)
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| 2008-10-18 13:26 |
| Quiz - |
| Public |
 melancholy |
| quiz/meme |
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I have taken this two different times, and gotten two results. I think they BOTH fit really well. So maybe I'm schizo, or maybe they're just silly quiz results....
| Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz... |
You Are an Ingrid!
You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"
Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive. |
You Are a Marilyn!
You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."
Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative. |
How to Get Along with Me
- Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.
- Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.
- Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.
- Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.
- Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!
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How to Get Along with Me
- Be direct and clear
- Listen to me carefully
- Don't judge me for my anxiety
- Work things through with me
- Reassure me that everything is OK between us
- Laugh and make jokes with me
- Gently push me toward new experiences
- Try not to overreact to my overreacting.
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What I Like About Being an Ingrid
- my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level
- my ability to establish warm connections with people
- admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life
- my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor
- being unique and being seen as unique by others
- having aesthetic sensibilities
- being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me
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What I Like About Being a Marilyn
- being committed and faithful to family and friends
- being responsible and hardworking
- being compassionate toward others
- having intellect and wit
- being a nonconformist
- confronting danger bravely
- being direct and assertive
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What's Hard About Being an Ingrid
- experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair
- feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved
- feeling guilty when I disappoint people
- feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me
- expecting too much from myself and life
- fearing being abandoned
- obsessing over resentments
- longing for what I don't have
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What's Hard About Being a Marilyn
- the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
- procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
- fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
- exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
- wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
- being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations
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Ingrids as Children Often
- have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games
- are very sensitive
- feel that they don't fit in
- believe they are missing something that other people have
- attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.
- become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood
- feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)
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Marilyns as Children Often
- are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
- are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
- form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
- look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
- are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent
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Ingrids as Parents
- help their children become who they really are
- support their children's creativity and originality
- are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings
- are sometimes overly critical or overly protective
- are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed
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Marilyns as Parents
- are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
- are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
- worry more than most that their children will get hurt
- sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries
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| Take the Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy |
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 | You preferred Obama's statements 100% of the time Voting purely on the issues you should vote ObamaWho would you vote for if you voted on the issues? Find out now! |
Back from a whirlwind weekend in Milwaukee (Sorry, ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) pollcat, if we'd have had more time before or during the trip, I would love to have gotten together. Next time, for sure!). We got to see the Museum, some of downtown, and I took the niblet to my old schools and neighborhoods. I also got to visit and photograph some old family grave sites. I have been to some of them before, but I wanted to get shots of them for the genealogy I am doing. I had not, however, ever visited my grandfather and grandmother's graves, and it was pretty emotional for me. Not in a bad way, entirely, but... I don't know if I have processed it all yet. I also found that Milwaukee has changed a lot! I am not sure I have processed that yet either... Came back to lots of stuff going on here as well. I have gotten my degree check back, and i am good to go, which is always nice to see in print! I met with my thesis advisor, and I am making some good progress there, too. Now it's all fleshing it out, and adjusting the flow a little. I feel good about the changes we discussed, though, and I think it will make it easier to move forward. That's a good thing, since it's due to my committee by the 3rd. EEEK! Nah, I think it will be fine... I have another paper due that day, though. I may go ahead and ask now for an extension on that one, just so I have it if I need it. And I need to decide on a topic for yet another paper.... *headdesk* Oh, and I have to do a critical review of a book I haven't even touched yet. Ack!!!! Plus, German test tomorrow. Oi. Off to work....
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I had something happen today that I have never had happen before. Someone left class in a huff, 25 minutes before class was due to be over. Not so weird, you say? It is if it's the professor! He kept asking questions about the reading, and no one had a clue. After a short while of this, he said "OK. Well, I've already read the damned thing. Did anyone read any of it at all?" Only a handful raised their hands, and he said "Well, that's pretty sad for a 500 level class." And he left. 0_o I have never seen a group of roughly 30 people that still for that long - there wan't a movement for a full minute.
Now, I get his frustration - seniors and grad students should not be expecting the proff to do all the work, and should know enough to come to class prepared to discuss the material. So I am quite sympathetic, really. BUT - it was the first class after a rather exhaustive midterm exam, it IS midterms, after all, and Monday & Tuesday are fall break, or "get caught up with everything you dropped like a hot potato in order to prepare for exams" days. So I am a little surprised he did not see this coming. Of all days to be particularly rigorous in expecting preparation, this might not have been the most ideal.....
I don't feel too bad personally (although I hadn't read either) since I am typically one of the few who almost always have answers. Then again, having taken the de facto role of "if no one else answers, look to Raven because she will," I kind of feel like I dropped the ball or let him down. (Was I imagining it, or was he looking to me specifically?) OK, I know, that's neurotic, but I'm funny that way.
I felt possibly worse for the classmate who had an appointment with him after class to discuss her paper topic..... I'd have rescheduled!
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Like today. I was asked to an invitation only 'meet and greet' with Harvey Cox, a professor of religion at Harvard, who is lecturing at the uni this evening. (I was also asked to that, and am heading there soon.) It was interesting talking with him. He discussed a course he is teaching on Funadamentaism in the US, and I was able to engage him with several questions and comments, and (no arrogance intended) I was the only student who did so. He remembered my name. (I have an unusual name, so this may have been easier or harder than otherwise).
He asked the students there what our areas of interest were, and he seemed very impressed with my thesis topic. He said it was something he never thought of, but found fascinating. So...a Harvard religion professor likes my idea. Nifty.
Oh, and my Heresy prof raved about my proposed paper topic, and I felt pretty good about the exam I took today. It was funny, he came in, and said that 701 years ago, on this day*, the agents of the crown kicked in the doors of the hiding Templars, arresting hundreds in a single day, in one of the largest such endeavors in history. "And now I will pass out the exams." Heehee. I love a prof with a truly dark sense of humor....
(I am confused about one thing; I always thought it was October 13th, but it was still funny...)
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OK,
- One Aquinas paper on Thomistic hylomorphism and the question of substantial form of elements*: done!
- One (very rough) thesis handed over to advisor: done!
- One appointment scheduled (and rescheduled) with secondary committee member: done!
- One new mattress delivery arranged: done!
- One Heresy essay and list of terms for tomorrow's exam prepared: done...? OH SHIT!
Guess what I'll be doing this evening? (even got my chanting monks to set an inquisitorial mood. Maybe I need to watch Name of the Rose...) (*It's a real page-turner, I can assure you!)
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OK, up to my a$$ in alligators, well metaphysical ones anyway, in the form of a paper covering both sides of a debate over a specific point of Thomistic metaphysics. No clue how I am gonna turn out 10 pages on what strikes me as mental masturbation from the get-go. I think I am far more suited to being a physicist than a metaphysicist...
BUT... I have finally got some good momentum on the thesis, I have an enthusiastic committee member from the biology department, with whom I will be meeting next week, so that's good. I'm actually getting excited about this project again! I do, however continue to be intimidated. Why? Well, in months of researching this within multiple disciplines, I continue to find not one trace of anyone ever having this thought - ever. Not in religious or political studies, not gender & women's studies, not science or biology disciplines. I even have (stacks of) books like "Philosophical Perspectives on the Fight Against Evolution" and there is not the slightest whiff of my idea....
While I know that originality is sort of the holy grail of academia, I keep thinking I am overlooking some HUGE logical problem, which is why everyone else knew right off this was a stupid idea, not even worth the paper it would take to refute, it's so flawed. OK, paranoid much? But in a way, it's intimidating to think that I came up with something *that* original....
(I won't even go into shades of A Beautiful Mind....) But hey, I'm liking it, and everyone else seems to as well, so hey - damn the torpedos, full speed ahead! Well, as soon as I finish this Aquinas garbage... *sigh*
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| 2008-09-30 10:01 |
| OK, shameless attention seeking.... |
| Public |
| Ekstrom |
 depressed |
| el diablo by lycia |
| depression, rant |
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This has been a shitty morning, and, barring the lovely weekend, a shitty month. I do not sleep well, I have bad dreams more often than not, and I have felt really tired an awful lot lately. On the whole, most of my schoolwork is going fine (though I'm not really into paper-writing time yet) but this goddamn thesis is kicking my ass.
Then I had a really good dream last night, and instead of making me feel better, as one might suppose, I woke up and just wanted to cry. (Why do really wonderful dreams sometimes leave one feeling SO empty when you wake up, and other times they can lift your spirits for the whole day if not more?)
Ack! I am not a weepy person, and I am not a whiner normally, but today is just one of those awful 'tearing up at the drop of a hat' days. Pooh. I'd go home, crawl into bed, pull up the covers and not stick my nose out again until it's time to get the boy from school, but I can't miss my one class today, and I am stranded here at the uni because my husband has the car because his hunk of junk is in the shop. So I am in a foul mood, I am tired, cold, cranky, and stuck in this frakking library, where I can't even find a place to stay put and try to work because none of the freakin' outlets work, and I am about out of battery. Grrr.
OK, I think I'm all ranted out for now. I'd better be, because I am down to about 5 minutes on my battery. *whine* Gonne go try and find some hot chocolate. Chocolate makes things better, right?
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...was with a charming young man, who took me to LaserBlaze, where he arranged to have tokens and game passes ready in a locker, and after a few games of Laser Tag and a few turns round the arcade, he took me out for coffee. Yes, my date was the niblet! He was so sweet!
After that, my husband met us, and we all went to dinner, and my son got his first taste of ehtiopian food. He loved it! After dinner, we managed to catch a fireworks show. It was a gorgeous evening, and my son had never seen fireworks, so it was perfect! One last stop at the Sweet Surrender Café, for some sinfully wonderful dessert (I opted for the Grand Marnier Brand Chocolate torte... guh!)
It was a wonderful birthday! My boys are so good to me! The rest of the weekend was spent trying to get some progress on my thesis, draft a proposal for my Heresy & Inquisition research paper, and get laundry caught up after a week of no power. (It's not like I'm altogether on top of laundry under the best of circumstances...)
So off we go into a new week. I have my OK on the minor, I am meeting with my MA advisor on Friday, my thesis advisor on Wednesday. Oh, and scored my second A on a German test! I guess I do remember this stuff! LOL
P.S. Don't forget banned books week - read a banned book!
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| 2008-09-27 18:28 |
| Writer's Block: R.E.A.D. in America Day |
| Public |
 busy |
| academia |
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[Error: unknown template 'qotd']The current list if what I'm reading includes Aquinas' Metaphysics, Contesting Christendom: readings in Medieval Religion and Culture, Heresy & Authority in the Middle Ages, The Cathars: Dualist Heretics in the Languedoc in the Middle Ages, Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics, Religious Fundamentalisms and the Rights of Women. ...I think that's all, unless you count my German textbook....
How important is reading to me? Well, if I wasn't a student required to read more or less full-time, I'd be reading more or less full-time anyway. (Though I might lighten the fare *just* a tad from time to time...)
What would I recommend to others? Depends on the situation, I suppose. There are classics I think everyone should read, and read again when they are old enough to get something out of it. (Like 1984, The Trial, The Iliad, Beowulf, at least one of the Divine Comedy, a good mix of Shakespeare, a solid assortment of Dead European White Guys, a handful of quasi-modern & post modern etc, etc.) I think everyone should make an earnest effort to be well read on a few topics that have nothing to do with their jobs, and on topics of social and cultural importance, like politics, environment, etc. Beyond that, I couldn't tell someone what to read without some frame of reference....
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| 2008-09-26 22:22 |
| The Controversial Survey? Well, not so much... |
| Public |
 thoughtful |
| the presidential debates |
| musing, quiz/meme |
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[01] Do you have the guts to answer these questions and re-post as The Controversial Survey? - Well, since you're reading this, obviously yes.
[02] Would you do meth if it were legal? - No. Legal or not, that shit is bad news - it's fucking toxic, period. I happen to like my body in it's relativelt healthy condition, thanks.
[03] Abortion: for or against it? - For the availability of choice, hell yes! I am for any woman's right to have one if she decides it is what is best. I am also for aggressive implementation of comprehensive, realistic sex education, and open availability of birth control for all women.
[04] Do you think the world would fail with a female president? - The world will take damage with a stupid president, regardless of race or gender.
[05] Do you believe in the death penalty? - I think that I have to agree with Obama in saying that I do not favor it, but I think it is appropriate in cases in which "the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage." We need to be damned sure we are applying it fairly and with the absolute minimum chance of error.
[06] Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already? - I don't give a rat's ass, personally, but we do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on it, so I wish we could get the heck over it one way or the other.
[07] Are you for or against premarital sex? - What a silly question! Do I think it should be outlawed? Hell no! Should everyone be sexually active? If they want to yes, if not, cool.
[08] Do you believe in God? - No.
[09] Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized? - Yes, why are we even asking this?
[10] Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are illegally moving to the USA? - Wrong, not exactly. I think undocumented immigrants are at risk of all manner of abuse, and that our reliance on illegal workers is risky economically. I think we should be open to immigration, but I don't see any reason not to make sure that immigrants are able to enter legally.
[11] A twelve year old girl has a baby, should she keep it? - If she has the support to do so, I think at that age it is a choice for her together with her family, since she clearly cannot support herself. However, I think in the case of a girl that young, abortion would be the most responsible choice. I also think proper sex education and a less oppressive attitude towards sex would make such pregnancies less likely.
[12] Should the alcohol age be lowered to eighteen? - If accompanied by more aggressive education, stiffer penalties for both drunk driving and underage drinking, I see no reason why someone old enough to join the military, get married, and vote should not be allowed to have a beer.
[13] Should the war in Iraq be called off? - Yes. We should never have been there, we are doing no good there, and we cannot win. The consequences will be dire, but there is no way to avoid that now.
[14] Assisted suicide is illegal: do you agree? - No, I do not. It is every person's right to choose to end their life rather than endure pointless suffering, and I think anyone has the right to seek assistance in doing so if they are too ill or debilitated to do so unaided.
[15] Do you believe in spanking your children? - No. Trying to teach a child not to do wrong by hitting them is pointless, and only instills fear, not any real sense of right and wrong.
[16] Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars? - I'd do it for nothing if it were an appropriate form of protest in a given situation.
[17] Who do you think would make a better president? McCain or Obama? - Obama, hands down, no question. McCain would be a disaster, and don't even get me started on where we would be if McCain were to keel over in office....
[18] Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers? - I suppose some might, but I've never pulled punches here before, so I don't imagine anyone will be surprised.
[19] A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case...what do you think? - I think she likely is insane, because no one could do such a thing sane. However, I would certainly not deem her innocent, and I would want her prevented from doing harm to anyone else.
[20] It's between you and a person who is being kept alive by life support machines..one has to die? - WTF kind of question is that? Will my life let them live normally, as with some kind of organ donation? Or is this pulling the plug just to save my own life? Badly worded question...
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(Quotes taken from All Things Considered, Sep 24, NPR)
In a piece on NPR about the Pulpit Initiative, the movement by pastors and preachers to defy the laws prohibiting the endorsement of political candidates from the pulpit, Pastor Gus Booth said: "Bottom line is, I'm a spiritual leader in this community, and spiritual leaders need to make decisions. We need to lead spiritually, and we need to be able to speak about the moral issues of the day. And right now, the moral issues of today are also the political issues of today."
However, a few minutes later, Alliance Defense Fund (a conservative Christian group masquerading as a protector of freedom of speech) Attorney Erik Stanley said "What's been happening is that the government has been able to go into the pulpits of America, look over the pastor's shoulder, and parse the content of their sermon. And that's unconstitutional" Stanley said. "No government official should entangle itself with religion in that way."
So let me get this straight: Religion has the right to entangle itself in government as much as it pleases, working actively to influence electoral outcomes, but government should not entangle itself in religion? Is anyone else seeing the irony here?
(x-posted)
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"According to the Army Times, beginning in October, the Army plans to station an active unit inside the United States for the first time to serve as an on-call federal response in times of emergency. The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent thirty-five of the last sixty months in Iraq, but now the unit is training for domestic operations. The unit will soon be under the day-to-day control of US Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command. The Army Times reports this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to Northern Command. The paper says the Army unit may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control. The soldiers are learning to use so-called nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals and crowds." Not to be overly alarmist, but this move, together with Bush's 'emergency powers' executive orders strike me as a potentially Very Bad Thing. Thoughts? [EDIT: Link to the article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/] [EDIT 2: Thanks to lucretiasheart for pointing this out...
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| 2008-09-24 12:31 |
| Thoughts on reproductive rights |
| Public |
| determined |
| musing, politics |
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I was inspired to post this as a comment to virginia_fell's excellent post regarding reproductive rights and recent legislation, so I thought I would post it here as well. Please, read, and discuss!
Why abortion MUST remain legal, and why we, as a society, have NO legal precedent to outlaw or limit access to it or to any form of birth control.
In this country, we do not mandate organ donation, we do not even mandate blood donation. Even in the case of a family member asked to donate life saving bone marrow, we do not, as a society, find it appropriate to make this compulsory, even when we can sit and talk to the person whose life hangs in the balance. Even after death, our wishes with regard to our own physical bodies determine whether our organs may or may not be used to save the lives of other human beings. And it is right that we should not. If the government tried to make these things mandatory under law, I am confident at least as many Christians and religious persons as non-religious would be having fits, and for once I would agree, though doubtless for different reasons. Do these measures save lives? Of course. Is this a good thing? Naturally, no question. But mandatory, to be legislated and enforced by the law of the land. Absolutely not. But to remove or restrict the right to abortion & birth control is to remove the control of one human over their body in order to sustain the life of another, something we clearly do not find appropriate. Even if you assume a fetus IS a human being from conception/implantation, if the law of the land cannot help itself to my kidneys when I am dead, nor to my blood or tissue while alive, in order to support the life of another human being, why is it that the law should be able to mandate the use of my body, against my wishes, for a period of nine months, to support the life of another human being? The answer is that it cannot, any more than it can compel organ, tissue or blood donation. Is it better to avoid the necessity of abortion? Of course. (Better still not make sure that all women have full, complete and informed access to birth control, which will drastically remove the demand for abortion in the first place.) But to make full term carriage mandatory, to be legislated and enforced by the law of the land? Absolutely not.
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Well, we finally have power again! Yay! The problem with not having power, as I see it, is not in not having power per se. It's that we just aren't set up to do things without electricity anymore. I haven't got an oven I can light a fire in, have you? Same for a cauldron to heat water for bath or laundry, or even a clothesline! With the right configuration, I think I would manage quite nicely without power, although the computer/internet problem is a big one. Still, though, it's harder to do it in our daily lives because we have become to dependent on having the technology. It's been an illuminating week - pun intended!
I have also regained the power of transportation! No, the Bloody Boat has not been fixed; in fact it has gone on to a new home, where they will no doubt fix it up and sell it to some old lady who will cherish it. No, we bought a new car! This is a very good thing, in so many ways, and I am very happy with my new baby, whom I am calling Nightshade. She's a Hyundai Accent, 4-door, 5-speed and she's a deep sparkly metallic blue. (Clicky for piccies!). We are most happy! Driving is fun again! (Automatic transmission in a boat = no fun. Manual in a nimble little thing = FUN!) Huzzah!
Only one downside. The moving news which I had not anted to get into yet (anticipating a snag just such as this) is that we were looking to buy a house. We got financing approved and had started looking and everything. But with a car payment now, I don't think we will be able to do it. So, we will be trying to pay off the new girl early, and planning on moving the summer after next. Heck, we got much better financing than we expected this time, hopefully the economy won't totally screw us in 18 months or so... I am a little bummed about this, as owning a house would be SUCH a good move for us, but really, we would have been living on borrowed time in terms of one or both of the cars giving out, (as we have now proven!) and we really didn't need to be dealing with closing and moving in the middle of the semester. So, regroup, plan, and look forward!
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| 2008-09-17 10:43 |
| Things that could only happen to me... |
| Public |
 WTF? |
| life update |
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OK, so still no power. They are saying a few days to two weeks. Yay. At least I do have hot water! Let's here is for gas water heaters! Schools are out all week, so I have the niblet in school with me, because MY school - no, we don't close. Yay. (Although he has been an absolute champ so far!) And in between time at the uni, I have him at home with no gadgets to help keep him occupied, nor any way for me to work on any of the things I need to be doing. (Thesis?)
On the way home yesterday we decided to stop for some food (gotta eat out all the time these days!) We come out and the car won't start. This is JUST what I need! OK, we have awesome insurance, so I call for the tow. Driver gets there, fiddles with the BB (stands for anything from Beige Buick to Bloody Bitch, as the occasion demands). After about 40 minutes of this, we determine we need to tow it, as it's not gonna go. So he goes to his truck to back up to my car so he can tow it. We are on a very busy street, and it's now about 4:30. so there is a lot of traffic. It's one of the huge platform trucks, not just the usual 'pick up the front end' variety.
Suddenly, from nowhere this blue-hair goes to make a left into the ally which is half blocked by my car, (with its hood up.) Never mind that a) she could not have gotten through with my car there in any case, b) the hood was up, and a GIGANTIC tow truck with lights flashing everywhere is right in front of my car and c) said truck is BACKING UP. She goes between my car and the truck. You see what's coming, don't you? Oh, yes. The tow truck hits the other car.
I sat there in suspended animation as I watched this moron put herself between the truck and my car, knowing full well she would get hit. The truck driver had no chance at all of stopping, and possibly not even of seeing her. So there we sat for ANOTHER hour, as the police report was filled out, blah-blah.
So it looks like I am, in fact, buying another car. Yay. However, the reason we were not going to buy a car is that we were going to buy a house. Which, had the BB not picked now to have a systemic failure, would have been a much bigger yay. But now that gets shelved for another year or so, and I am looking for a car. *sigh* And still no power.
Plz to kill me nao?
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The wind I was romanticizing about has turned into one of the biggest messes this city has seen since it got 2 feet of snow overnight. Trees are down absolutely everywhere, and 250,000 homes are without power. Yes, you read that right, a quarter of as million homes dark.
Now we are looking at anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks (!!!) without power. Apparently, the city decided it would be a brilliant idea to send the bulk of our emergency crews to Texas, completely ignoring the likelihood of the storm coming right for us... And public schools are closed for a few days anyway, so I have my son, not only in classes with me, but knocking around the house driving me insane!
We lost almost all of our food in both the fridge and our basement freezer. We cannot cook, and we have no hot water, no showers, no laundry. Now I know that there was a time when everyone lived just like this. But I also know that then, lives and homes were geared towards these realities. Every home had fireplaces, iceboxes, cellars to store food, and many had gardens or animals to provide fresh vegetables and dairy. What do we have now that we do not need to keep cold? Homes were built to take advantage of prevailing winds to stay cool in summer. Now they are not. We have no stove or fireplace where we can boil water, make coffee, or cook. Our windows are all painted shut, so we cannot catch the night breezes to stay comfortable. (Last time I tried to pry one open, I broke the glass right out, so I won't be trying that again!) At least I possess a dozen times more candles than the average person, so I do not need to fight the crowds to acquire the means to have some light.
There are many stores in the area that cannot sell what they have, because they can't even take money without an electronic device. Gas stations cannot sell gas, because the pumps are electronic. Many grocery stores are closed, or have had to get rid of vast portions of inventory because of the outage. And there is not so much as a cube of ice for sale anywhere. It's a sobering event in terms of our dependence on this technology monster to which we have given birth...
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Our weather here today: "High wind warning in effect until 5 pm this afternoon. Wind advisory now in effect from 5 pm this afternoon to 8 pm edt this evening. As the remnant of hurricane Ike moves quickly northeast across Indiana strong and gusty winds will occur over the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected with wind gusts to 65 mph possible. Expect tress and powerlines to blow over as well as some structural damage to roofs homes and buildings. Stay away from downed powerlines and watch for falling trees. Small fires may also be possible. Caution should be used if driving a high profile vehicle today, especially if you are driving in an east or west direction as dangerous cross winds can make driving hazardous.
OK, yes, it's destructive, I know that. I can see the evidence littering the streets of my neighborhood, which looks like some sort of entish war zone. But it's exhilarating! I can't help but recall a scene in Serpent's Kiss, where Meneer stands forlorn in the wind blasted havoc of his once immaculately manicured garden, and then, surrenders to the thrill of nature, and spins around whooping like a banshee himself. It's a turning point, a liberation of significant proportions. Standing on my lawn today, I felt the same initial distress - would the roof be damaged? Would a huge limb come crashing down on one of the cars? But then, the wind caught my hair, caught my breath, and I, too found myself throwing my arms wide, raising my face to the rough kiss of the wind, and giving a yell of liberation.
I suppose in life the turning points are more frequent, and perhaps not always quite so definitive as in film, but I think they are no less significant. So I wonder, what will this chapter bring? Whatever it is, as I stand with leaves and dust swirling around me, I think I am ready!
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| 2008-09-12 23:54 |
| Movie Love! |
| Public |
 impressed |
| film, review |
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I just watched The Serpent's Kiss. OK, yes, I'm on a certain Scottish actor kick, I'll admit it. But this was a really wonderful movie! I read several reviews that pretty much trashed it as being too slow, or boring, but I loved it!
It had a wonderfully bizarre sort of tension. The look of it was perfect - cinematography just off-beat enough to go well with the strangeness of it, but never jarring for a period piece. Beautifully costumed, and I tend to be pretty ruthless about costuming - I've spent too long knowing the difference between a martingale and a farthingale; costume gaffes REALLY bug me in a period film. But this was very well done. I have a few minor quibble with the wigs, but that's only now as I look back; it didn't bother me while watching it at all.
Fitzmaurice was deliciously evil while keeping a nice balance between becoming a parody of himself and going just far enough over-the-top to keep up the surreal tension. Tom Smithers (where have I seen this actor before? Both of them seemed SO familiar!) is just clueless enough to be credible, but earnest enough to be likable; you don't want him to come to ruin, even as you know for a certainty he will. I can't say I liked Ann, exactly, but she carried a quietly desperate sort of eccentricity reasonably well. Her character lived most through the others, I think, and I'd say that worked well in this film.
And of course, Meneer Chrome - we never learn his real name, something that I would have thought would irritate me (I get bugged by details like this) but I didn't actually notice until now - is played subtly; some might say too subtly, but I would have to disagree. He shares a kindred sort of quiet desperation, but it's of an altogether different sort.
The moments of understated erotic tension are a delight to watch (well, particularly if you are fond of McGregor), and they do keep you guessing as to how things will end up, even as you keep thinking "No, that can't be right..." But there is a definite sexual undertone lurking beneath the period clothes, and it's powerful without being blatant. I don't want to spoil it, so I will only say that it will be some time before I extinguish a candle without a smirk....
Yes, it's likely more of a girl flick than a guy flick, but perhaps not irretrievably so...I say, go, rent and enjoy!
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Funny thing happened on the way to the crusade... no, really. So, Albigensian Crusade, late 1100's, 'preached' by Pope Innocent, who maybe (as with most popes) didn't live up to his name so much. Laid waste the Langedoc, cities in smoldering ruin, Cathars subdued, but not destroyed. Quite a disaster. The only real beneficiary? Surprisingly, not the church. After all, they lost fortunes in income from not only the rich territories of the south of France, which took decades to recover, to say nothing of the support (fiscal and otherwise) of the nobles who died and whose lands were lost. Nope, the real victor was the French Crown. All in the name of subduing a group who had a different idea of religion. What a waste. Funny to be studying this stuff now, with all the religious debate going on...
Something else that's funny is how elements of ancient tradition and religion that end up getting drafted into Christianity are presented. (Like halos in art from many Mesopotamian and other ancient civilizations, such as the ones in the Mithraeum which prompted this train of thought) It's always "they used existing symbols to express their on ideas." But they didn't really. More like this:
Pagan: What's so special about your God? Ours died and went into the underworld where he battled death, and then he rose up to bring new life to the world. What have you got?"
First Early Christian: "Er... well, oh yeah? Our God did that too! In fact, he kicked your god's butt in the underworld! And then he rose again..."
Second Early Christian: (whispers) "No, he didn't! What are you doing?"
First Early Christian: (whispers) "Shhh! I'm trying to get some converts here. Just go with it!" (to the Pagan:) "Yeah, he rose again and brought life to the world, and um... we uh... drink wine as his blood to get life from him!"
Pagan: "Wierd..."
...and so on... The point is, they didn't borrow symbols to express their own ideas, they outright co-opted the existing ideas, and mashed them onto an otherwise unremarkable Judeo-political movement that had a very narrow scope to begin with, and lost what relevance it had with the execution of its leader. Funny how we grant Christianity some sort of retro-active consistency solely because they managed to adapt sufficiently to survive... (No, wait, that might be suspiciously close to evolution! *gasp*) Nothing new here, it just surprises me sometimes to hear it in a scholarly setting, although I see professors gentle the impact of their lectures to avoid offending the 'widdle Christians' with tragic frequency...
And in other news... well, I'm not gonna go into details, because it's all new and strange, but we might be moving in a while. So, looking around at places to live... Maybe a good thing - I adore this house, but it's like trying to heat a tent, and I am still certain the rotted floor joists will give way and leave me and the bathtub in the basement atop my wash machine any day now. On the other hand, I think I hate moving with the burning passion of a thousand suns. Besides, 3 grad classes + thesis = I SO do not need to f*ck around with moving right now.... So, more on that as things develop.
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Was that a sensationalistic subject? OK, yes it was. But it pales in comparison to McCain's latest crap.
Let me clarify this for you. The program which Obama supports, and McCain is slamming here does NOT offer explicit sex ed for kindergartners. What it DOES do is teach very young children the difference between 'good touches' and 'bad touches.' In other words, it enables children to recognize contact that is inappropriate, and empowers them to report it to a parent or teacher. Yes, McCain is slamming Obama for helping to protect kids from pedophiles.
As the parent of a young child, who has been a recipient of the afore mentioned educational program, I cannot tell you how happy I am that we have this kind of education in schools. For schools to support the message we as parents give our kids about what it and is not appropriate, and that it's OK to tell an adult if someone does something inappropriate, is absolutely invaluable in empowering and protecting kids. I can also tell you that McCain's claims that this is "explicit sex-ed" are both ludicrous and deeply offensive to me as a parent, as they should be to any parent.
So, what kind of sicko would twist a program which protects kids from abuse and make it look like Obama is handing out condoms and The Joy of Sex to five-year-olds? McCain, that's what kind of sicko.
Who would be depraved enough to throw educational measures that protect children from predators and help law enforcement catch and prosecute predators under the bus solely to garner a few more votes from a sensationalism-hungry batch of ultra-religious alarmists? McCain, that's who.
Not good for my family? I'll tell you what's not good for my family - the reintroduction of a sexually repressive era, where victims suffer in silence, and any mention of the possibility that someone may abuse a child is swept under a frakking conservative rug. That's what's not good for MY family, you geriatric, pandering asshat!
And I thought I couldn't be MORE disgusted with McCain... silly me.
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So, my to do list:
- Thesis
- Convince my minor adviser that a research paper on Jewish cataclysmic narratives and their cultural and scriptural foundations qualifies as "Jewish Studies." (this will not be as easy as it might appear....)
- Thesis!
- Meet with my MA adviser to determine which grad courses I will transfer to my MA, and then coordinate those with the courses required for the Med/Ren Studies certificate.
- Determine if any courses I take now for grad credit and do NOT transfer will still qualify for the certificate....
- A chapter of Aquinas by 4:00 today (ack!)
- Thesis, dammit!
- Begin to consider a topic for my 30-page opus in Heresy & Inquisition
- Begin to consider topic for the first paper on Aquinas, due Oct 3rd.
- Have I mentioned my thesis?
Yup, same old same old here. *headdesk*
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You will now see the above banner is also in my sidebar, above my links list. That's because I am now a proud member of the Atheist Blogroll. The Atheist blogroll is a community building service provided free of charge to Atheist bloggers from around the world, and it is comprised of (to date) over 700 blogs. They are not all strictly about atheism, many are personal blogs like this one. However, all share a common thread of atheist thought and interest. Please click on over and visit, and if you share my atheist views, please consider joining!
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The Good: My Uni has just inaugurated a new certificate program in Medieval & Renaissance Studies! It is earned concurrently with a graduate degree, and has a wide range of courses which qualify. As it falls out for me, I will essentially be earning it by default, given the courses I have already accrued at the grad level, and those I plan on taking in Spring. In essence, then, I have an extra certificate credential more or less free for the asking! How cool is that! (Bonus: it's apparently being administered by my heresy prof, who is very wonderful! So extra professorial contact with him! Huzzah!)
Plus, it gets me membership in a snooty research library, including invites to conferences and seminars (with pay for travel) at said library. SWEET! (Now if I can get my minor advisor to give me just one more *little* concession allowing me to use a certain course for my last slot, so I still *have* the minor, I will be in super-duper shape!)
The Irritating: After contact with an old friend and planning lunch, I have been 'rescheduled.' I'm not surprised, it's been rather the norm the last several times I have seen (or not seen) this person. It's something family related, so hardly his fault, but still. Phooey. Well, the ball's with him now - I'm not going to make the next call.
The Confusing: Aquinas. Get this: "The aim is not the cause of what the efficient cause is, but it does cause the efficient cause to become operative in action. The aim therefore is the cause of the efficient cause's causality, since it causes the efficient cause to take action."
All together now: HUH? I get to decipher stuff like this for a semester.... yay. Hopefully, once we get past the metaphysics it will begin to make a somewhat more immediately apparent kind of sense....
::EDIT:: I have been accepted as the *second* official applicant to the Med/Ren Studies Certificate program! **SQUEE!!!** Thanks Dr. B!
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Oh, come on, we know this is the way of it. There are only two reasons McCain has for this nomination:
1) He has had his balls in a vice for months over his outrageous policy statements regarding women's health issues (when he can manage to actually utter one, instead of fumbling and gaffing even the most basic questions on issues of birth control, sex ed, and insurance coverage for Viagra vs. the pill). N.O.W., Planned Parenthood and other women's groups have been getting a lot of (justified) mileage from this. So McCain plunks in a woman running mate to attempt to recover ground with women after the disaster he created with his ineptitude.
2) We have all heard the controversy over Hillary supporters supposedly defecting to McCain over Hillary's loss to Obama. This is an utterly transparent effort to secure the votes of those who are disaffected not by Obama's stand on the issues, but simply because the woman lost. (Or at the very least, the voters who are perceived as rejecting McCain for this reason). I am sad to say that from what I have heard of Hillary's rhetoric, (which I will admit openly is far from comprehensive - as I have been reminded below!) her lack of a clear call for her supporters to rally to Obama has made this tactic possible.
Nevertheless, these tactics are so crass, so predictable, and so obvious as to be offensive to this woman voter at least. I can only hope that both the groups targeted by this blatant, 'cover-your-ass' pandering will see it for what it is, and refuse to be manipulated in such a fashion. And frankly, were I Palin, I would have refused to accept McCain as my pimp.
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| 2008-08-28 20:21 |
| LJ strikes out again! |
| Public |
| irritated |
| Just the niblet playing |
| lj issues |
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Wow! Has LJ actually have done something right? Can it be?
Well, maybe. Kinda. OK, I sort of hate that the post window now has this ugly, bitty typeface - what is this, 9 point Arial? Where, oh where, is my lovely Lucida Grande? And the rich text mode disables the spelling auto-correct pop-up I have come to love and rely on, so that makes it a no-go!
Well, looks like LJ did NOT do something right, once again! Naturally, this disaster is the default, requiring the user to have to go the extra step to opt OUT of the *improvement.* Now I wonder if there is somewhere I can set this defaul, or will I have to manually switch every time? Will they never learn?
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OK, so it took me a while to feel fully in the groove... I thunk I am there now. I have a buttload of papers this time - One 25 pg, one 20 pg, one book review, and three 10 pg. Plus my thesis which (inexplicably) did not write itself over summer break....
But I am getting psyched about it, and have a few time slots set aside just to work on it every week.
I already have a rough idea for a couple of my papers; the 20 page in Medieval Culture, and at least a notion on the 25-30 page in Inquisition. It's the Aquinas papers I am concerned about - sources in a foreign language?!?!?! EEEP! Then again, having Medieval Culture and Inquisition (which is AWESOME, by the by - the prof is just amazing!) flanking it should give me plenty of fodder for good topics, since Aquinas will come up in both of those classes as well. The first one is due Oct 3rd, though, so that's REALLY soon....
But this week, I really need to focus on putting all the reading I did this summer into a draft of the thesis... Oh, and relearning German, of course. *head-desk*
Ach, who am I kidding, I love it. Some people seek thrills on roller coasters, motorcycles (wink wink, you know who you are) and some jumping from airplanes. I get my adreneline from huge mountains of academic work. Meh. I've always been odd, right?
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OK, so first day back. It's finally seeming real - this morning, not so much. I had this very wierd feeling of unreality. I'm not sure why, unless it's advanced Senioritis...
I'm a little intimidated by German, but the professor assures me I'll do fine. Why he thinks so when he doesn't know me from Adam (or Eve, in my case) I have no idea.... Medieval Cultures will be fine, she's a great professor, (I had her for Masterpeices of the Middle Ages) and the material is not exactly unfamiliar. I'm looking forward to Acquinas this afternoon, and will report my first impressions of that later. And of course, Heresy & Inquisition will be tomorrow.
Friday saw hubby and me escorting the niblet's 2nd grade class to the State Fair. It was quite fun, and nowhere near the Ibuprofen-necessitating event I expected it to be. I will say that the livestock area was pretty horrific, and made me wonder anew at the complete and utter disconnect most people manage to attain between the fluffy lambs, gentle cows, and pretty pink pigs and their dinners! *shakes head* I suppose I did it as a child, but I don't recall ever seeing any livestock as an adult, or I am sure I'd have turned vegetarian much sooner! Still, overall, a good time was had. (Am I vain to suspect I was the only parent who was bouncing about in the jumpy houses with the kids?)
Car shopping is still on hold, pending some other financial wheelings and dealings. You will most definitely hear about it when developments occur. Oh, and the closing thought: my second grader, disconsolate that he was being teased by the girls, and his romantic overtures essentially ignored. (With some advice from me, he presented the object of his young affections with some flowers the second day of school, and told her that they reminded him of her, because she looked so pretty that day... If I was a second grade girl, I'd swoon on the spot, but apparently this bunch has no taste.) At any rate, his lament to me the last week while getting ready for school? "Mom, I'm never gonna get a date!" Gods, I love that kid.
Oh, he also waxed philosophical the other evening when I was putting some lotion on his back, saying "Wow! I hope I'll know how to do this for my wife!" LOL
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| 2008-08-17 22:01 |
| And now for a real post! |
| Public |
| pleased |
| The Silver Circle by Faith & the Muse |
| life update |
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OK. So the niblet is back in school, and we are all excited because he has two teachers team-teaching this year! One of them is very sweet, though new to the school. The other is a fellow who has been around the school for years (his now-college age kids went there, and he's worked as an assistant for years.) Best of all, he is involved with stuff like sustainable systems and Sierra Club, so he kind of speaks our language. Plus, I think my son will really respond to a male teacher. I've been a little worried about him focusing this year, so I think that will help. So good stuff all round there.
On the second day of school, I awoke to hear all sorts of clattering and banging about in the kitchen. Hubby got up to see what was going on, and there was my son, making me breakfast and coffee, which he oh-so carefully brought in to me on a tray! Breakfast in bed on the second day of school! I so have the coolest kid evah! LOL
Today he got a rare opportunity to have a friend over to play for the better part of the day, and he seemed to really love it. And old friend of ours has a boy his age, and they had a blast. The went through every Star Wars toy in the house (and that's saying something) and then it was on to Star Wars Battlefront on the X-box! They were both in 7th heaven! It was wonderful to see, as he doesn't get to hang out with other kids at home like, ever. We are planning to meet up at the pool after school soon, so perhaps this will be a recurring event instead of a rare treat!
And B and I got to catch up with your friend, too, so I suppose you could say the grown-ups got a playdate, too!
So as of tomorrow, it's one week 'til classes. Ack! Got to do some nerdy academic chit chat today, which has me a little more in the academic mindset, but I just don't want this summer to be over, dammit! But, once I get going, I know I will be loving it - just watch this space!
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The following is a question posed in the community 0hyourgod, by the intrepid doctoreon. I was sufficiently pleased with my own answer to think it worth posting here.
The Question:In many ancient religions, everyone, including the gods, were held to a certain standard of laws and ethics. There was no one set of ethics for Man and another for the Divine. The Egyptians called this Ma'at, and it was sometimes even personified as a Goddess. Other pantheons and cultures had similar concepts, e.g., rt in India.
To me, this idea that gods and men are beholden to the same laws is appealing, but it seems to me that fanha believes that reality, as described by Christianity, disagrees. So, what I'd like to know is what everyone else thinks. Should the laws governing the universe apply equally to gods and men, kings and subjects, creators and created, parents and children, or should there be different rules for the divine and the mortal (assuming, for the sake of argument, that such a dichotomy exists in reality)?
My Answer Should the laws governing the universe apply equally to gods and men, kings and subjects, creators and created, parents and children
Like gravity? Certainly. ;) Ethics? That's a different question. I think we can say that the same standards of basic ethics should govern humans, since we all share certain basic characteristics. One person killing another person for trivial reasons - we can pretty much say that's not cool, and in most any cultural context we put it it will still not be cool. Still, one has to agree on what reasons are 'trivial' and what are not. However, those 'standards' which are shared are not as broad as one might think, any more than the shared characteristics.
For example (believe it or not, I was discussing this with my son the other day - we talk about weird things) there are few taboos as deeply ingrained in human culture than the consumption of human flesh. Go back to the Greeks, the Mesopotamians, they all share that taboo. But there are tribes where it is an act of reverence to a deceased relative to consume their flesh and thereby always have that person with them. Is this immoral or unethical? (forget the possible health ramifications - that's another issue) Well, now you are dealing with context, and the answers aren't clear anymore.
I think, in the end, our ethics and our morality are far more culturally based, and therefore more relative, than many of us would like to think.
Ignore for a moment the notion of a god/man dichotomy, but allow for a life form to exist that is wholly unlike our own. (It's a big universe, who knows what might be out there? Who said only carbon matter based beings qualify as life forms? And if there is such a being, who says that makes it a deity?)
To discuss human ethics in terms of a being or beings so entirely unlike ourselves as to be virtually impossible to define is vastly more difficult. One may be able to go so far as to say that causing harm or suffering to any other being for trivial reasons is wrong, even for beings whose nature we cannot apprehend, but that is about as far as one could go in such a case. Even then, who is to say? To posit a being wholly non-human, or (as in the christian god) infinitely more [vast, perfect, powerful, any/everything] than humans, and then attempt to discuss human ethical standards for such a being? Seems at best, hubris, and at worst mental masturbation.
Minor side point about ethical standards for beings of different natures. There is a wonderful essay (by Colin McGinn, in Moral Literacy: How to Do the Right Thing, I think) proposing that an alien race arrives at our planet. They are so advanced that they consider us mere animals, and promptly begin corralling us as a food source. From their perspective, we are far too primitive to have the emotions, knowledge, or understanding which they possess, and therefore, there is no ethical dilemma with their doing so. Naturally, we as humans find this abhorrent, and would point out that while we may be primitive from their perspective, we are not from our own, and therefore, it is ethically wrong to imprison, slaughter and consume humans as food.
However, we do not hesitate to do this very thing to cows, pigs, chickens and other creatures whom we deem primitive enough that there is no moral dilemma for us in doing so. We, as humans, are quite happy to practice relative ethics when we inflict them upon being we consider lesser. I suspect it is only our arrogance that prompts us to attempt to reflect our ethics on beings we consider greater. I find no logical reason, however to assume that should any such beings exist, that they would adhere to our ethics, any more than we adhere to the cows'.
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| 2008-07-21 02:55 |
| My Drama initiation, of sorts. |
| Public |
|
It sucks when a friend, even if not a close one, gets it in her head to start saying all kinds of vindictive crap about you to your face. It's quite a bit worse when she decides that her opinions are the latest news, and it gets back to you over several channels (all of whom thankfully, seem to have recognized such crap for what it is).
So I calmly, politely told her that her comments were out of line, and that sharing them around was worse. I told her I had wanted to discuss it with her in person rather than e-mail, but since I may not see her for a bit, I felt I should say something now rather than wait any longer. I made it clear I knew she hadn't meant any harm, and that I wasn't going to hold a grudge, but I felt I had to address it.
Her response? Posting catty, cryptic one-liners about karma, and how 'people' suck, and going into bitch overdrive about unrelated issues. *sigh*
No, we weren't close fiends, we didn't see each other often, but still, what a bummer. Or maybe I shouldn't have said anything? I really think she was out of line though, and it wasn't just me she slammed, it was my husband, even more than me, really. Well, lesson learned: gossips are to be avoided, never get into a professional situation with people you know personally if you can help it, and if you decide to stand up for yourself, get asbestos underwear first.
Yes, I removed her from my f-list. Maybe that was childish, but I didn't really need to see the crypto-snark every day, ya know? Needless to say, I was likewise removed in under an hour. So I suppose this is my first LJ Drama. Do people do this sort of thing all the time? What silliness.
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| 2008-07-21 02:52 |
| What's next, chastity belts? |
| Public |
| furious |
|
The Department of Health and Human Services is crafting a proposal that, among other things would:
- Require than health care providers who receive any federal funds be unable to hire/fire based upon an employee's unwillingness to provide health care services based on religious objections. This includes things such as abortion, but also emergency contraceptives, and even common hormone-based birth control pills. ( NY Times article)
- Redefine contraception itself as abortion. (See articles here and here.)
John McCain seems in favor of insurance companies not covering basic birth control/contraception (although he is in favor of them covering things like Viagra) and has no clear stance on (or possibly understanding of) issues of sex education vs. abstinence only education, or even whether or not condom stop the spread of STDs. (See articles here, here and here. Obama has said he is against abortion, and while he seems at present unwilling to move against Roe v. Wade, he does seem to be in favor of imposing further limitation on access to abortion. Increased protection for health care provider who refuse care or services for religious reasons not only protect their rights to practice even when not doing part of the job they supposedly practice, protect their status under Medicare, but in some areas, even shield them from liability in cases where their refusal to treat on religious grounds results in injury or death. The worst part of this is that those affected will be the most in need of quality health care, reliable contraceptive information, and reproductive options - low income women, already struggling with poor availability of insurance and health care, rising costs of living, and lack of readily available education on health issues. How can anyone kid themselves that these measures will do anything but raise infant mortality, send public health care costs through the roof, increase teen pregnancy, occurrences of STDs like AIDS, and overburden an already faltering public assistance system? Ultimately, the highest price will be paid by the very children the right-wing claims to be trying to protect - those born to parents who would otherwise choose to control their fertility, rather than being denied the option to do so. Are we trying to return to the dark ages, where women live short, brutal lives, endlessly pregnant and deeply impoverished? Are we that desperate to control the population that we must sink ourselves into overpopulated squalor, with no control over our own reproduction? It certainly looks that way to me...
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| 2008-07-18 14:01 |
| What's next, chastity belts? |
| Public |
| furious |
| politics, rant |
|
The Department of Health and Human Services is crafting a proposal that, among other things would:
- Require than health care providers who receive any federal funds be unable to hire/fire based upon an employee's unwillingness to provide health care services based on religious objections. This includes things such as abortion, but also emergency contraceptives, and even common hormone-based birth control pills. ( NY Times article)
- Redefine contraception itself as abortion. (See articles here and here.)
John McCain seems in favor of insurance companies not covering basic birth control/contraception (although he is in favor of them covering things like Viagra) and has no clear stance on (or possibly understanding of) issues of sex education vs. abstinence only education, or even whether or not condom stop the spread of STDs. (See articles here, here and here. Obama has said he is against abortion, and while he seems at present unwilling to move against Roe v. Wade, he does seem to be in favor of imposing further limitation on access to abortion. Increased protection for health care provider who refuse care or services for religious reasons not only protect their rights to practice even when not doing part of the job they supposedly practice, protect their status under Medicare, but in some areas, even shield them from liability in cases where their refusal to treat on religious grounds results in injury or death. The worst part of this is that those affected will be the most in need of quality health care, reliable contraceptive information, and reproductive options - low income women, already struggling with poor availability of insurance and health care, rising costs of living, and lack of readily available education on health issues. How can anyone kid themselves that these measures will do anything but raise infant mortality, send public health care costs through the roof, increase teen pregnancy, occurrences of STDs like AIDS, and overburden an already faltering public assistance system? Ultimately, the highest price will be paid by the very children the right-wing claims to be trying to protect - those born to parents who would otherwise choose to control their fertility, rather than being denied the option to do so. Are we trying to return to the dark ages, where women live short, brutal lives, endlessly pregnant and deeply impoverished? Are we that desperate to control the population that we must sink ourselves into overpopulated squalor, with no control over our own reproduction? It certainly looks that way to me...
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creative
bemused
quixotic
Oh, fuck no!
disgusted
cranky