Sad

So in my class the other day my professor was looking up a report on women's rights on a website. She used the "google" search bar on the site, and to pick up the most hits, just typed women. You know those Google sponsored links and advertisements? They were all porn.

So I tried it with a plain Google Search:

What a sorry society we live in when you "Google" women and the sponsored links are:

• Sex Search Free Personals: Real People Real Sex
• Girls Go Wild - Foxfire: Powerful new pheromone fragrance produces insane sexual response
• See Photos of Hot Women
• Women for sale: Check out the deals now! www.eBay.com
• Sexy Adult Personals
• Women: pictures & chat
• Love Is In The Air
• Date someone's wife today: Meet married women in your area

While there were some similar links when I Googled "Men" it wasn't nearly as bad:

• Meet hot local Gay Men in Personals & our live Gay Chat
• Caution Tape Men Working Safety Tape
• X-Men Legends (GC)Action and Adventure
• Find a guy. Free to join. Personals with pictures.
• Men for sale. Check out the deals now! www.eBay.com
• Men: Chat & Flirt With Great Singles
• Men Info: Get Relevant Info for Menfrom 14 Search Engines

Can we just nuke ourselves and get it over with?

Score one for the sane

I find it funny that the court used the Supreme Court argument which allowed Boy Scouts to bar gay troop leaders - talk about taking conservative ideology and turning it on its end!

Court halts penalty for barring recruiters
Law allows government to withhold funds to colleges
From Terry Frieden
CNN Washington Bureau
Monday, November 29, 2004 Posted: 11:16 PM EST (0416 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal appeals court barred the government Monday from blocking funds to colleges and universities that deny access to military recruiters because of the Pentagon's policy banning openly gay men and women.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said a 10-year-old federal law that allows the government to block such funds violates the schools' First Amendment right to prohibit on-campus recruiting in response to the Pentagon policy.

The Justice Department promptly criticized the ruling, but it did not immediately announce plans to appeal.

The case challenging the law known as the Solomon Amendment was brought by more than a dozen law schools but applies to all institutions of higher learning.

The two-judge majority said the law abridged free speech rights under the First Amendment.

"The Solomon Amendment requires law schools to express a message that is incompatible with their educational objectives," the decision said.

Judge Ruggero John Aldisert issued a sharp dissent.

"We cannot conclude that the mere presence of a uniformed military recruiter permits or compels the inference that a law school's anti-discrimination policy is violated," Aldisert said.

In Washington, the Justice Department agreed and issued a statement saying officials were "examining the opinion and reviewing our options."

"The United States continues to believe the Solomon Amendment is constitutional," the statement said.

"As we argued in our brief, we believe Congress may deny federal funds to universities which discriminate, and may act to protect the men and women of our armed forces in their ability to recruit Americans who wish to join them in serving our country."

The ruling reversed a lower court ruling that said those who challenged the law probably would not succeed in a trial, The Associated Press reported.

It was the first time a court has barred the government from enforcing the law, the AP said.

The majority based its ruling partly on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed the Boy Scouts of America to prohibit gays from being troop leaders or scouts, the AP reported.

The judges argued that if the Boy Scouts could disallow homosexuals based on a core belief that their behavior is illegitimate, then other groups could enforce an opposite restriction if they believed it is wrong to discriminate because of sexual orientation, the AP reported.

First Slop

No not the mashed potatoes. First Slop refers to my term for Chicago's first snow. Everyone else gets a first snow, we get first slop. It's always a cold, wet, grey, ugly mess that soaks you through. Sure it eventually turns to snow and is pretty for about an hour before it turns to grey slop again.

Today is no better - constant rain. Time to up the dosage for wintertime.

Thanksgiving was fun this year. Just me, John, my P's, sis, aunt and cousins. Pretty low key, and I didn't stuff myself till I was ill. Unfortunately, now that thanksgiving is over, the buffer between normalcy and CHRISTMAS CHEER (or else) is gone. I was in the grocery store today and they were playing really bad christmas opera or some shit. The girl at the checkout laughed when I said "I could NOT handle this ALL day". Lights and decorations abound.

I like lights actually, and I like trees, and some evergreen trim. It's the armies of toy soldiers, Santa and his 89 reindeer and lawn nativities that drive me nuts. Is it just me or does Christmas get tackier every year? Clark Griswold was a pussy compared to people down the street from us.

I would like to have a tree, it's the one symbol of the holidays that spans both Christmas and pagan traditions. We have no space for one, and I really don't want to find out how the dog and cats will react to having the pets' equivalent to a rock-climbing wall in our house. Also, John hates christmas trees. I don't blame him. He's told me his mom went overboard every christmas and they had 3 christmas trees and were forced to help decorate them every year. I suppose I would hate them too. Maybe I'll get one of those potted Rosemary plants that looks like a tiny evergreen - at least it's useful right?

We also took our "family photo" for our holiday card and it should be arriving shortly. Keep an eye on your mailboxes!

For those of you that don't know the backstory: One of John's brothers insists every year on sending a family photo with a little family newsletter - you know the kind "little timmy scored 3 goals in soccer camp this summer and Jane only wets her pants occasionally now. We're so proud." Plus they're thumpers, so it's usually got some crap about how Jesus loves us and they'll pray for us. Anyway, we decided to make our own this year in retaliation. It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I won't ruin the surprise. Make sure I've got your address!

The semester ends when?

So this was an interesting weekend. I get home Friday only to find that the jumpdrive I've been using for all my research has corrupted (DOH!). I know I should have backed it up more frequently- so don't say it!

After a fit of rage and throwing my jumpdrive somewhere in the kitchen, I find that the WiFi connection on my laptop at home wasn't working. So I had to go BACK to work to get the office laptop so I could do half of my LexisNexis research all over again.

When I get back, John tells me he might be able to retrieve the data on the jumpdrive bit by bit. Problem is - I think it landed underneath the washer when I threw it (@$#%@&!). Besides, I didn't lose that much, thankfully I updated my bibliography so I knew which articles to go find. I finished my outline and finished putting together my presentation for one class and started my thesis proposal for the other.

The up-side is I work well under pressure, and the added pressure of having to re-do a week's worth of research in one night was that the lightbulb went off in my head and I now have a narrow enough focus for my thesis. The topic could easily be a book, so for the purposes of a thesis, I had to narrow it WAAY down. I knew I wanted to research how the long-existing tribal culture of Afghanistan has affected attempts at social reforms, but that's still huge. So now I've narrowed to girls' access to education - since you can't have women take an active role in government and public affairs if they can't read, right? The problem is in areas where Pashtun tribal customs prevail over "law," girls are still prohibited from going to school...

On the downside, I received this story in an email, and find it very scary: We always criticize the "third world" for their lack of separation of public and private spheres. That's what Western philosophy is all about. How can we do that when half of our population wants creationism taught in schools?

I agree with George Carlin on this one... Religion is the single biggest marketing ploy in the history of the world... people are actually convinced that there is an invisible man in the sky, he has a list of 10 things he doesn't want you to do - ever. If you do them, he sends you to a place full of fire and pain, for all eternity. But he loves you!

What do the psychologists think? Religion = external locus of control? Take the easy way out, everything happens for a reason, fate, yada yada. I personally think Marx had it right - religion is a way to control the minds of the masses for the benefit of the ruling class. Seems to be working out that way this election, huh?

Let me clarify also, that I see a big difference between Religion (the institutionalization of a system of beliefs) and Spirituality (the personal, private connection between a person and their beliefs).

Temprarily Out of Service

Though the events of the past week have been mind-numbingly scary and I have wanted to curl under my desk in the fetal position, sucking my thumb to the tune of CNN, I have been too busy to comment on any of this.

Classes are gearing up - I have a final project outline due in one class, and a thesis proposal due in the other, both on Monday.

I still have to get my hands on several sources for my research. Roosevelt's library is seriously lacking when it comes to journals.

Work is still busy - the fall rush for data has not quite ended yet.

On a positive note:

• My boss will be out of the office for three days, so I'll have plenty of "me" time at work to get cracking on some projects I've been neglecting.
• My hideous christmas sweater I won on ebay has arrived - now all we need is John's and we'll be ready to take our family christmas photos... Look for it in a mailbox near you.

Attorney General Torquemada?

I didn't think Bush could appoint anyone worse than John Ashcroft as Attorney General, but I guess I was wrong. I'm all for opening the door to more minorities and women, but only if they espouse the qualities of public servants.


Alberto Gonzales is not one of those people. I really hope the public, and especially the Democrats and moderate Republicans in congress realize that diversity is about a lot more than race. Sure he would be the first Hispanic to lead the Justice Department. But do we want the Justice Department run by Torquemada?

• Gonzoales was one of the approvers of the August 2002 memo authorizing the torture of prisoners. The memo states that the interrogation of "enemy combatants," a term already too vaugue to define, is exempt from rules prohibiting torture. It also sets a more conservative interpretation of "torture": "injury such as death [death is an injury?], organ failure, or serious impariment of bodily functions". This definition is in conflict with the Geneva Conventions which prohibits "degrading and humiliating" treatment. It is also in conflict with the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumanor Degrading Treatment or Punishment, of which the United States is a signatory: "For the purposes of this Convention, the term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."
  
• Gonzales believes many Geneva Conventions provisions are obsolete. He believes Al Qaeda and othe prisoners from the 'war on terror' should be exempt from rules regulating the treatment of prisoners. That's the way to win the hearts and minds of the people... not treat them as human beings. Way to help Osama's recruitment effort!
  
• Gonzales admitted his views could endanger the U.S. Military. The United States has maintained a military that has ahered to the highest of standards. Some of you may find that hard to believe, but it is true. To undermine this code of conduct would not only allow more Abu Grhaib-like incidents, but would also encourage other militaries to treat any U.S. prisoners in the same way. As Sen. Joe Biden said to Ashcroft, the Geneva Conventions are there to protect all prisoners of war, including Americans.
  
• Gonzales showed negligence as the chief legal counself for Gov. Bush in Texas. He summarized death penalty cases for Bush (because we all know Bush can't read) and Bush decided the fate of each inmate based on these memos. He repeatedly left out crucial issues from many memos, including evidence of innocence. Gonzales also advised Gov. Bush that he could ignore international laws regarding the legal fate of foreign nationals in the United States who were accused of crimes. Bush executed a Mexican citizen in 1997 without following proper legal protocol.
  
• Gonzales helped keep Cheney's Energy Task Force under wraps. Enron was one of his biggest contributors when he was a Supreme Court justice of Texas. After being brought to Washington, he worked to ensure Cheney would not have to disclose the participants of his Energy Task Force.
  
• Gonzales accepted donations from litigants. There are at least two documented cases of Gonzales taking "donations" from corporate defendants in cases appearing before the Texas Supreme Court.

Source: Center for American Progress

Hispanic or not, this man does not possess the qualities I want in a person charged with upholding the laws of the United States. Write your Congressional representatives and tell them not to back Gonzales.

Fine Lines

So I read an article in The Nation about Evangelism in the workplace and it really frightenend me. First off, at work I don't care what religion someone adheres to, if any. I care that they do their job to the best of their abilities. If, for some people, this means saying three Hail Mary's before emailing the final report to the boss, then fine. However, where is the line drawn? For me it is the moment this affects the person's ability to do their job or infringes on the rights of others in the office.


"Though the law is unclear, the troubling consequences are not. Religious-discrimination complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased by 84 percent since 1992 and 30 percent since 2000. "Protecting religion and religious expression is one hallmark of American society," Shorto writes. "Another is protecting minorities. And there is probably no more insidious form of bullying than religion. "

I completely agree here, being a religious minority beyond the scope most Americans consider. Though this concerns those of other or no faith, it particularly concerns those of us who adhere to a religious philosophy which is demonized by evangelical Christianity. Of course, I'm talking about Paganism. Paganism is a general term inclusive of anyone that believes in more than one deity/entity. This ranges from certain forms of Hinduism and Buddhism to Wicca, Celtic and some tribal cultures.

Thankfully, I work in a very liberal academic environment and the christians I know here are intelligent, insightful and accepting.

I just wonder if these people realize how similar they are becoming to the theocratic regimes of the Middle East they love to demonize? Theocracy is theocracy, no matter which prophet you believe in. I also wonder if these people posessed the ability to put themselves in another's position, how they would feel having Islam or Hinduism (etc.) pushed on them?

I am all favor of discussing religion. My undergraduate minor was comparative religion. Again, I am talking about the fine line between discussion and pushing your personal faith on others, whic is the most intolerable form of ignorance in my opinion.

Reality TV

After all the political stuff, I felt I needed to post something fun.

I just saw the greatest show in the world of reality TV. It's called My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss. It's an apprentice-like ripoff except that the "boss" is an actor paid to be as obnoxious as he can (including grabbing women's butts and encouraging selfish business practices). It's hilariously funny to watch these schleps who think they're in the running for a job at a multi-billion dollar company.

The first day, they're greeted with "expensive" champagne and food (rotgut from the local convenient store and spam). They buy it hook, line and sinker.

Thier first assignment is to panhandle in Chicago's financial district and whoever makes the most money wins. The winners get to sleep on matresses stuffed with money and the losers have to sleep in tents underneath the Englewood (Green Line East 63rd) el line. The "boss" encourages cheating, lying and bad business practices, it's hilarious.

And since they can't use certain words like "apprentice," "board room," or "You're fired" so he says at the end of each episode "Get the hell out of my office".

It's so much fun to watch selfish, greedy, people humiliate themselves for money. It's even more fun when you know that they're humiliating themselves for nothing. I think there is a prize at the end, but it's a great gag.

One lesson we all should learn: If you are approached for a reality show and find out it's on Fox, say NO.

The Liberal Vow

This is my objective for the next 2-4 years:

• Stop letting the "Right" use the word Liberal as some sort of obscenity. Liberal is a good thing. It means open-minded, adaptable, accepting, progressive. Liberal is not some evil that is going to destroy our country. The evil that is going to destroy our country is that which is turning it into a conservative theocracy not unlike the Taliban. It doesn't matter what you call 'god', if 'it' is the basis of your government it makes you no different than any other theocratic regime.
  
• Get more involved with the system. We have midterm elections in 2 years. Lets do everything we can to help balance out congress and keep our local governments in the blue, so to speak. There's no shortage of things you can do. Start going to meetups for your local candidates, write your representatives about issues that concern you.

Also, for those of you who don't know this yet:

Not only has the Dept of Defense been requesting lists of all students enrolled in colleges and universities between the ages of 18-35 and thanks to an obscure clause in a recently passed bill, the feds can refuse federal funding for certain programs if schools do not comply. The "Official" reason for this is that the government wants schools to allow military recruiters on campuses. However, it sounds like a good way to start lists for educational deferments in case of a draft.

Now the feds want to try and implement a data reporting system that would collect data on the individual student record level. Everything from SSN to where they've ever been enrolled from kindergarted to college, financial data. Right now all data is reported in aggregate form. The uses for individual-level data could be used for many 'interesting' purposes. In fact, in our meeting today when our state representative told us many school reps wanted to know who would have access to this data and no one had a definitive answer. One person in the room shouted "homeland security" everyone laughed, but I wouldn't be surprised. It also might be useful draft information. Thankfully our state rep also said she would be very surprised if this initiative passed, given the opposition to it by educational institutions.

Scary times folks.

A bad dream?

As I sit here waiting for New Mexico, Ohio and Iowa to finish counting I feel like I can't breathe. Maybe I'm being overly dramatic, but I can't help thinking about what's at stake here:

1) International community - what does it say to the rest of the world if the American people validate everything Bush has done by re-electing him?

2) Social reforms - I am not a Christian, nor do I want to be subjected to moralistic social reforms based on a narrow interpretation of an ancient text that has been edited, translated and mis-translated over the past thousand years. I'm not just talking the obvious stuff like abortion. Bush inforoms his social policies with his view that everyone should believe what he believes and that is wrong. Funding for medical research, funding for family planning clinics in developing countries, international aid contingent on agencies never even mentioning family planning as an option for women in developing nations. FCC and 'obscenity' laws. Not to mention that his environmental policies are based on his interpretation that the world will end soon so we may as well use what God gave us, and quick...

3) The environment - Bush is the worst Environmental president ever. He panders to the special interests that pollute our air and water. Does not adequately fund initiatives to create fuel efficiency and alternative energy sources.

4) There is nothing stopping Bush from instituting some of his more radical policy ideas that would throw this country back to the 1950s. He doesn't have to worry about re-election, Cheney isn't running for Prez, both houses of congress are Republican controlled. There's no buffer between Bush and his whackjob policies.

I hope the people who voted for this asshole get a taste of what it's like being on the business end of bad policy. I am so angry right now.

I'm tired - this list could go on. But I have to get back to work.

Incidentally the Obama victory party at the Hyatt Chicago was kick-ass. That man is so inspiring, he actually made Donna cry (again). It was so refreshing to see a room full of people so diverse. Young, old, white, black, latino, immigrant, suits & ties, jeans & t-shirts, white wine vs. beer. He is going to do some very good things, so I should be happy about that. We got Obama if nothing else.

Let the games begin!

Yesterday I stood out in the rain for an hour and a half under the State & Lake el stop handing out Kerry-Edwards stickers and information cards. I got soaked. Most people were polite. Even those who refused, just politely said "no thanks" or "not a chance". There was one guy who took the stuff, I guess he didn't realize what I was handing out, walked about three steps and yelled "oh NO WAY" and threw it on the ground. Another man said "that's not very nice" and I smiled and said "He has a right to his opinion" loud enough so mr. jerkyman could hear. I wanted to call him names, but that would just be stooping to his level. So I was as nice as I could be, since that tends to piss people off more because they can't retaliate niceness without looking like even more of a dick.

Speaking of jerks - why is it that the republicans are sending out "challengers" to the polls. They're the one's trying to repress voters, and intimidate people. Isn't that unpatriotic? I mean, as much as I disagree with Bush supporters I would NEVER deny them their right to vote - that is just ignorant and wrong. But it just goes to show you the lengths closed-minded people will go when they feel threatened...

My voting experience was uneventful. I didn't have to wait long. There was one guy who got challenged because he moved. I was kinda listening in - he moved to Missouri 6 months ago but never changed his registration and he came back to Chicago to vote. I'm thinking - dude - Missouri is in play right now why the hell didn't you register there. But of course, 6 months is a long time and he wasn't able to vote. I don't know how that works, I remember in a previous election I didn't re-register at my new address and got challenged. They knew I still lived in Chicago, but since they couldn't verify the precinct, I was able to vote Federal Only (Prez & Senate).

There was a couple with their kids there too - as much as I hate kids I thought it was cool that they brought them. My folks never really talked politics or did anything like that. I wish more people would do that - maybe there would be less apathy about voting. The little girl said something about Bush and her mom said "no, no, we don't want Bush honey". It was funny.

Let the games begin!

Are we there yet?

I really just want this all to be over. Obviously i want Bush out of office, but I'm just so drained from all this. Can we fast-forward to tomorrow? Then fast-forward through all the challenges, recounts and lawsuits?