lunadelcorvo | Entries tagged with rant

Again, more drama, I just wanted to keep a copy of this...for some reason. Less angsty posts soon, I promise. (I'm really not usually a drama-lama; my ex is just pulling out all the stops recently. :/ )

( angsty angry note; feel free to scroll past )

She is bitchy

What a week (and it's only Wednesday!) Tantrump's got Korea rattling its own sabers in response to his threats and swagger routine, he's authorized oil drilling on the Atlantic seacoast, he (or one of his muppets, DeVos - I'll do a whole post on her, soon), overturned protections for student load borrowers, and the nation's first female Muslim judge, Sheila Abdus-Salaam, was found floating in the Hudson River Wednesday afternoon after she was reported missing.

If it were less terrifying, it might be amusing to take bets on which way Tantrump and his GOP puppet show will get us all killed first..... *sigh*

I promise I won't go all doom (or politics) all the time, but there will be political posts (hopefully mostly more analytical than ranty, but...)

She is enraged

I don't want to be a drama-llama, but I think LJ has really screwed the pooch this time, and I'm done.

Read the lj_news posts here: http://news.livejournal.com/144003.html
and here: http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/79480.html

The upshot of this is: no matter what your layout is, you will now HAVE TO read your friends page in the default, ugly, LJ eye-wrenching blue and white site style. Had your layout customized for easy reading? Tough. Huge swatch of blank white space with dark type gives you a headache? Buy some fucking aspirin, sucker, 'cause we don't care. Spent hours laboring to get you layout just how you want it, so it makes you happy, is aesthetically pleasing to your soul? Too bad, aesthetics of for sissies; read it our way.

If that's not enough, LJ is also implementing a 'pay to promote' scheme, whereby you can pay to have your entries fasttracked to the top of your friends' reading pages. Oh, and if you've ever had your computer or browser lock up from one of those "infinite scrolling"sites like FB or tumblr? Get used to it, because LJ friends pages will now feature infinite scrolling.

If you think it sucks, comment on one of those pages, and/or fill out this poll: http://foxfirefey.livejournal.com/302406.html.

Be warned, however, that LJ will flatly ignore you, like it has flatly ignored user outrage (and exodus) over every other lame-brained "update" they've crammed down our throats over the years....

So yeah, if this is implemented, I think I am finally out, done, gone. DW full-time. (And damn, I wish I had never gotten a perm account!)

:::ETA::: I'm not honestly sure this isn't what they want; for US/European users to leave. Read this: http://www.dailydot.com/news/livejournal-shut-down-us-office/

End of an era of my life.... So, where can I find you all on Dreamwidth? I'm at http://lunadelcorvo.dreamwidth.org/. Come on over and visit. THey are still invite-free, so anyone can sign up. If you've been putting it off, I think now is the time.

She is enraged

1. GOProud - a GLBT group that says right on its home page that any of the GOP candidates are an improvement. Have you listened to a single word any of these yokels has said? Can't you get it through your heads that THEY HATE YOU! They want to limit you, enshrine the right to bully and mistreat you, marginalize if not criminalize you, blame you for the ills of the world present and past, and brainwash you by any means possible into being 'normal' e.g. straight. So tell me again why you support the GOP?

2. Anti-abortion activists that are also against contraception and sex ed. Do these people even know HOW pregnancies happen? It's a little like trying to prevent automotive fatalities by outlawing seat belts and driver's ed.

3. Low-income adults with no education railing against education, and in favor of kids leaving school at the first low-wage, menial job that comes along. Can you think of a better way to return to the days of a peasant class? Let's reinstitute the practice of apprenticeships too, and send our 10-year-olds to learn trades. (Oh, wait, Gingrich already proposed that.) Universal education is what brought us out of the 'dark ages,' and now you are not only rejecting it, you are fighting for the right to be ignorant?

4. The hue and cry over the abused sensitivities of Catholic institutions being forced to provide birth control as part of employee health insurance. But the majority of Catholics favor this. The only demographic that opposes offering birth control is evangelicals, who are apparently outraged over the mistreatment of Catholics who don't seem to feel mistreated. Many of these are doubtless the same evangelicals who think the Pope is the antiChrist, and the RC is the Whore of Babylon.....

I know none of this is new, and it's not the whole of it (or even, sadly, the worst of it) by a long shot. But tell me, when did we as a society, go completely batshit crazy?

She is frustrated

So tell me, if I sold you an item which failed within a few weeks of purchase, and I had shelves full of that same item, would it not be reasonable to expect that you could simply bring it back, and get a replacement? After all, it's not your fault the thing is defective. I, as the seller, should have the responsibility to repair it, or negotiate a replacement for my stock from the manufacturer. I mean I am the one who agreed to purchase these items from that manufacturer, or at least to sell their items. That transaction is between me and the manufacturer; your transaction is with me. Right?

Well, you'd think so, but no. T-mobile sells me a phone. Six weeks later, said phone prompts me to run an update. Said phone is now fried. Clearly, this is a manufacturer flaw. After all, I didn't use it to pound nails, I didn't drop it in the john, I didn't try to unlock, jailbreak, or otherwise hack it. So, what does T-mobile do?

They will exchange it for a refurbished phone (for my new one, which I haven't even paid for yet). When? Oh, about 10-12 days.

Mind you they have oodles of this exact device on their shelves right now. But they are not willing to handle the hassle of dealing with faulty devices with their supplier; they shift that onto the customer. Can you imagine if their stores had to issue replacements for every defective device? Wow! They'd never sell another defective phone! Think of the quality control! But because they know damned well they have you by the short n' curlies, they are free to force the consumer to contend with it.

On the upside? They can offer expedited shipping of my refurbished replacement! For only an extra $19.95, they can *maybe* get it to me this week! Aw, it's so good to see that they really care about the customer. Isn't that kind of like offering to let me buy some lube for my rape?

ETA:About that refurb replacement? Refurbished phones, when purchased from them, cost between 22-26% less than new. So, I am making payments on the price of a new phone, when I will be carrying a refurbished phone. This is a difference of $64, which they absolutely will not adjust on my account.

Best of all, they just got bought by AT&T, so they are bound to get nothing but worse. I love tech, I really do, but sometimes, I miss the days before cell phones. Then again, it's not like the 'Bells were much better. As a good buddy of mine used to say: "I didn't know he vas a Nazi; I thought he vorked for ze phone company!" The more things change....

She is infuriated

95 pages written, plus 5 bibliography, 171 footnotes. It's a f@cking thesis, dammit. AND I wrote an annotated bibliography and course syllabus to go with it. So wanna tell me again it's the "non-thesis option?"

Augh. Point is, it's done. Or it damn well better be. I'm going to go sleep for a week. Well, no, I have to take mom to the doc tomorrow. (Yes, we got her test results finally, and yes, the big C is back.... *sigh*)

Plz to shoot me nao?

She is exanimate

The entire Catholic Church sex business is altogether revolting from the word go, but it has taken on a new level of WTF. The idea that criticism of the pope, and the RCC as an institution is bigotry, because it collectivizes guilt. Well, I have two rather significant problems with that statement.

One, to be honest is related to the source. Do you mean to tell me that Donahue is going to stand up and cry foul when an institution is criticized because of what some of its members have done, and for some of its policies? Really? To that I say: Planned Parenthood. N.O.W. How about the Catholic social services that have closed their doors when told they had to employ fair hiring practices, or had to serve clients of all faiths and orientation? How many institutions or organizations have been blacklisted, lambasted, vilified and their associates branded collaborators by not only Donahue, but the other voices croaking out this same spiel? Sucks being painted with a big fat brush, doesn't it, you bigoted prick? The irony here goes so far beyond irony as to need a bigger vocabulary.

But more seriously, there is a disambiguation going on here between a body of Catholics worldwide and the institution of the Church. The difference is subtle, but vital. For one thing, to discuss the guilt of the Church is not the same thing as collectivizing 'guilt' with regard to a minority group. Saying all black people, or all Jews, or all gays, are guilty of X because some of that group did X - that IS collectivization of guilt. However, saying that a self-organized, institutional entity is guilty of thing X, which it did/sanctioned/contributed to is not. The institution is not its members. Which is why, when the media criticizes the RCC, is is not "Catholic bashing."

Furthermore, it isn't even 'priest-bashing,' any more than for example, media criticism of a police force for not taking action against corruption on a police force is 'cop-bashing.' If a department has a rash of cops going bad, it does serious damage to the image of the department as a whole. Police departments know this, and take swift, decisive, public action to remove those who abused their power from further access to that power. Why?

Because beyond the individual crimes (which themselves are worth appropriate sanction, regardless of who commits them - blind Justice, remember?) there stands a symbol, and the impact those crimes have upon it. If a uniform and a badge are to stand as symbols of trust, safety, respect, and protection, then abusers of that symbol MUST be swiftly dealt with. If any police officer is to be trusted, the symbol must be reclaimed.

Until the guilty are removed, we may know full well that not every police officer is a craven abuser, but we are simultaneously painfully aware that any officer *could* be. Who wants to play Russian roulette? This is the criticism of the Church, and it is entirely fair and deserved.

Until the Church, as an institution, acts swiftly, decisively, and publicly to remove those who abused their power from further access to that power, it matters not that we know not every priest is an abuser. We also know that any priest *could* be. We know this because we know abusers still wear the collar. It's not about Catholics, or even priests. It's about the symbol.

The attempt to muddy the waters by crying discrimination, bigotry and Catholic-bashing are just that - misdirection. And incidentally, if there was EVER an institution that should have its ass kicked around the Vatican walls for having the nuts to squeal "collectivization of guilt...' well you know. And don't even get me started on that Easter sermon "concentration camp" crap....

She is aggravated

[Error: unknown template qotd]Hell, yes. I can relate on a very casual, or very formal level (like co-workers, in-laws, etc.) with pro-Lifers, Right-wingers, and religio-conservatives when I have no choice. But I simply cannot maintain any kind of serious dialog with someone who is so fundamentally opposed to everything I hold to be the highest goods and most cherished human rights and responsibilities, and things which are blatantly evident to even the most basic of honest rationalism and critical thought.

I acknowledge that I am something of an elitist (which may, in itself, be an understatement, things at which I lately feel I excel), but I find I cannot hold these people in anything but contempt. If you think global warming denial (like holocaust denial, and the 'reclaiming of Senator McCarthy) should be taught in schools, you are an idiot and I want no further discussion with you. If you truly believe the universe revolves around the earth, and that early man put saddles on dinosaurs, you are a moron who has no business holding adult responsibilities, because you are clearly very far out of touch with reality. And if you think Obama is the antichrist, that it's perfectly OK for politicians to operate in secret, ostensibly Christian cabals, and the big business is honest and fair, kindly hand over your voter's registration card, your car keys, any college degrees you may, inexplicably, have acquired, and most of all your sense of righteous indignation, because you have not earned the right to use any of them.

Am I another shade of bigot for thinking people who voluntarily choose to suspend their intellect and instead worship unreason, illogic, and chicanery have no right to participate in the business of being a responsible citizen? Perhaps. But treating these people with kid-gloves and that most offensive of all tropes, 'toleration,' has gotten us where we are today, which is pretty much royally screwed in terms of things like health & healthcare, education, religious freedom, equal rights, environmental conditions, sustainable energy and all those frivolous things us liberals care so much about. I know this is a rather non-P.C. position. Fine. Polar bears will be extinct in my son's lifetime, thousands die annually in the richest nation on the globe for lack of affordable insurance or health care, and rights for women and gays are only slightly improved over the stone age. P.C. isn't working. F*&k P.C.

She is pissed off

I have known Blackwater (Oh, sorry, "XE," and I have no doubt there is some sooper seekrit Dominionist meaning behind that) was trouble for a looooong time. Now that they are getting outed as theocratic lunatics by their own members, I feel vindicated, if saddened. There are times, after all, when one desperately wants to be proven wrong!

It's not the case here, however. XE/Blackwater is proving to be every bit as connected to the domininist/theocratic movement as I have always thought them to be. Given the size and power of the group, and their very nature as a mercenary military, I find this deeply worrying. After all, we have seen how the money and influence runs a la C-street and its denizens, and it is alarmingly on the side of militaristic theocracy and reconstructionism. So clearly the Right is well funded. Now it seems there exists an entire army, as well or better equipped and trained as our own, already in ideological harmony with this dominionist tide. The possibilities are mind boggling.

I know we (myself included) want to say 'It could never happen, the constitution, democracy,' and so on. And I will personally craft and wear tinfoil my whole life long if it proves there is nothing to any of this. But yowza, if there is? Scary shit, folks, scary shit indeed.

(Geek moment: And to discover that they are actually using crusade references, invoking the Knights of Malta, the Templars? Insult to injury! And really, no matter how much our understanding of the crusades has changed, still not exactly a sterling recc.)

::EDIT:: Come to think of it, a bunch of end-times, rapture-ready, 'gotta rebuild the Temple' lunatics running around the Middle East fancying themselves Templars may be more than a geek moment; it might be the scariest aspect of all of it......

She is cynical

That was the sound of my head exploding. "Hitler gave good speeches, too?!?" Obama with a Hitler 'stache!?!? WTF? Are you fucking serious?!?

This health care nonsense has gotten to insane extremes. As the clip below notes, associating our president and the congress with Hitler and the Nazi regime goes beyond the pale. It is dangerous, as it is a blatant and clarion clear invitation to violence, just as the rhetoric connecting abortion providers to nazis provided, to those extreme enough to heed it, a sanction to violence, even murder. But it is also a travesty to the memory of those who truly were the victims of the Nazis, both civilian and military.

Rachel Maddow: Maddow: 'Nazism is not a metaphor'

(Click HERE if the embed fails.)

Rachel Maddow: 'Time to bring facts to the health care debate'

(Click HERE if the embed fails.)

I spent nearly an hour on the phone with a relative who called to 'warn' me of the 'true' content of the health care reform plan. She believes the euthanasia scare. She believes that senior citizens will be forced to die. WTF? How insane has this country gone when this kind of outrageous crap is bought, wholesale, swallowed hook, line and sinker? When lunatic fringe elements and panicked big business put out ideas that don't even *sound* reasonable, and people believe them? When they rise up in the thousands to fight against the phantoms of the paranoid?

HAS THIS ENTIRE FUCKING NATION LOST THE ABILITY TO THINK??????????

She is enraged

A-frakkin'-men!

I know a few women on campus who wear hijabs, and one who wears a burka, and I think it's tragic, barbaric, and utterly backward. One girl in particular, I would otherwise have tremendous respect for, but I see her in that damned headgear, and I want to shake her until her teeth rattle. WTF is WRONG with women who do this?

And he is SO right - it's NOT about modesty; there are better ways of being 'modest' than sticking out like an 'in your face,' sore thumb. Get real! And it's NOT about removing gender from the social equation, because hello? men don't wear this crap, and you're pretty quick to pretty it up, wear jewelry, high heels, and so on. So don't tell me it's because you are trying to be seen as a person, not as a sexual object - bullshit!

Of course, the burka is the most offensive (yes, I said offensive!) garment of all of them, and I fully agree it should be banned in Europe and in the US, and anywhere damn else it can be banned. Tolerance only goes so far folks!

She is determined

Why the frak is it that every time I do something as bleeding simple as changing a mood theme setting, LJ must rewrite MY ENTIRE FRAKKING USER LAYER????? Mood theme settings aren't even PART of the user layer! Ever since they slapped together that damnable 'customization wizard' I've had to replace my user layer every time I change the damn mood theme. Grrrrrrr!

It's fairly easy to do (assuming I haven't made any tweaks since the last time I saved of a copy of the code, of course), but I damn well shouldn't have to! It's like having your shoes vanish and put themselves away in the closet every time you brush your teeth. WTF?

She is irritated

Welcome to the joy of theory. Here is a sample of why I don't like theory.

"Unlike previous historical criticism, which limited itself to simply demonstrating how a work was reflective of its time, New Historicism evaluates how the work is influenced by the time in which it was produced."

Think about that for a minute. Go back, and read it again. Do you see? So you see why I am going frakkin' nuts!!!!! Augh!

And, still no refrigerator. *headdesk*

She is stressed

Saw this gem courtesy of the Planned Parenthood newsletter, but the article is from Feministing.

The Ex-Masturbator Campaign: Shaming idle hands since 2009

(quoted from the article) "You know...sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. (Not to mention an infinite number of jokes.)

Apparently the Passion for Christ Movement has a bunch of these "ex" shirts, and this is just the latest."

The author of the article quotes from another article on the campaign associated with the shirts, noting that the "shame" which these idiots associate with masturbation comes from just these sorts of tactics, like those in this article referring to "an illegal orgasm," apparently a common term among Passion for Christ members. He quotes that article:

Two things I've come to know about masturbation is this:
1. It brings shame, and...
2. It is addictive

Most people who have engaged in masturbation know that the culmination of this sexual act ends in shame. I don't have to share with you the thousands of emails of the admittance of this shame because you know all too well since you have experienced it yourself. Curled up in a fetal position, crying, because your bed is even more empty and you're lonelier than you did before you violated yourself.

What I find particularly tragic about this is that, let's face it, no one is *really* going to stop fiddling below the belt for life. (Heaven help us if they do, because they're all gonna go postal one day!) What they ARE going to do is take on, willingly, cheerfully, a boatload of guilt, shame, and psychological ass-f*cking over utterly harmless, purely natural and healthy behavior. This is psychological repression on a deeply inherent level, and it is toxic, and fer fucks sake, shouldn't we know better by now?

Once again, I am forced to ask if some of these people have noticed that it isn't 1600 anymore?

She is pissed off

OK, fair warning: this is going to be long, rambling, and likely really nerdish. You've been warned.

I have been in this theory class for half a semester now (egads! Half a semester - Ack! But I digress...) and I find that I have gone from enthused, to intimidated, to confused, to exasperated. I have two gripes here, and while this will make me few friends among Humanities folks, I know at least one prof who seems to agree with me. (And, no, it's not the one I am married to!)

( So here goes. )

(Edited with cut, because it got even longer than I expected!)

(Edited again to add This Article, which at least brings up much of what I am saying here... So I'm not alone in my frustration! Good to know!)

She is irritated

The fucker did it. He passed the legislation 'protecting' health care workers from OH NOES! having to do their frikkin' jobs, and prescribe or dispense not only abortion services, but IUDs, hormone based contraceptives, and emergency contraception as well. This is couched as a freedom of speech measure for the religious, supposedly forced into providing services they "find repugnant." What it is however, is a way to get legislation on the books which classifies any birth control which prevents implantation of a fertilized ovum (like the pill, Norplant, IUDs, etc.) as "abortion."

Like so many pieces of seemingly innocent (not that this is innocent - if you are going to be an OB/GYN and not prescribe birth control you have no damn business with a license) legislation snuck under the radar, the sole purpose of this is a wedge. A little inroad, hidden in the piles of verbiage, that has the potential to be picked up later, and assembled into a weapon. It's the little bit of plastic hidden in the soap sent to the prisoner; almost undetectable, but when later gathered and ordered, can be deadly. Goddammit!

Read the whole story HERE and more about the bill here and here.

Start writing letters to Obama now, and let's hope this crap gets overturned immediately with the new administration.

Also, see this post for more on my thoughts on this...

She is infuriated

I must say, in a way I have an additional reason to be happy when this thesis is done and over. Some of the crap I have been reading is really starting to get to me. The material I have been researching is distrubing, infuriating, and deeply scary. From Promise Keepers and other groups promoting "godly familes and marriages" to the insidious mix of 'cure and condemn' anti-gay rhetoric - its just sickening.

One of the things that has been especially disturbing is finding out just how horrendous the "abstinence-only" sex-ed programs really are. When I think of the numbers of young people fed this crap, and the damage it can and will do...

These 'abstinence-only' programs incorporate utter nonsense and blatant lies; things like misrepresenting the failure rates of birth control and condoms as protections against HIV/STDs, suggesting that birth control measures (or abortions) cause cancer, miscarriage, infertility, and so on. They also promote sexist stereotypes, by suggesting that since boys 'only want sex' and 'can't control themselves,' it is up to the girl (since girls don't like sex) to ensure that a couple does not have sex. (With the obvious implication that it's her fault if they do - hello, Eve!)

This is a report issued by the US government on such programs. Some specifics cited in the report are:

• A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person."
• HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears.
• No evidence demonstrates condoms’ effectiveness against HPV transmission.
• Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse.
• Touching another person’s genitals can result in pregnancy.
• Remaining a virgin all but eliminates the possibility of becoming pregnant. (Emphasis mine-WTF?)
• Five to ten percent of women will never again [be able to] be pregnant after having a legal abortion.
• A woman needs to feel a man’s devotion to her, and a man has a primary need to feel a woman’s admiration.
• A Bride price is actually an honor to the bride; it says she is valuable to the groom.
• Abstention from sexual activity eliminates depression, poverty, loneliness, substance abuse, and suicide.

I don't care what your religious beliefs are, or how you see sex in your personal morality. Lying to children and teens in the guise of education is WRONG. It's as wrong as giving them lies about how to cross the street safely, or how to get out of the house in case of a fire, or anything else that involves their personal safety. As a parent, I can't describe the depth of anger I feel when I see that this crap is being taught to young people in schools, with all the borrowed legitimacy that implies. Worse, it is federally funded, meaning my taxes and yours have paid people to write this garbage, and paid people to indoctrinate young people with it. I have no words for the wrongness of this.

She is enraged

I'd love to introduce this with something witty, but the stupid runs too deep for that. Stupid like this is just sad. And scary. I want to move to Finland, like NOW.

"Block African witchcraft curses against McCain and Palin NOW!
Jim Bramlett
Sep 28 2008 04:12PM

Dear friends:

THIS IS EXTREMELY SERIOUS.

Minutes ago I spoke with friend Dr. Norman G. Marvin, M.D. and he is so concerned at what he has learned about Barack Obama's family in Kenya that he is calling a special prayer meeting in his home to pray against the witchcraft curses attempted by them against John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Dr. Marvin sent me the below e-mail from Flo Ellers. Flo is credentialed with the International Fellowship of Ministries which is based in Washington State. She is also a member of EndTime Handmaidens and Servants of Jasper, Arkansas.

IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DO SPIRITUAL WARFARE, PLEASE PRAY TODAY AND CONTINUALLY THAT ALL SUCH CURSES BE BROKEN AND SATAN'S PLAN FOR AMERICA BE DEFEATED, IN JESUS' NAME. PRAY AND COVER MCCAIN AND PALIN WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO SPIRITUAL WARFARE, IT IS TIME YOU LEARN!!!"

and:

"Bree Keyton went and visited Obama's tribal people and she found out Obama is 75% Arab and his family are Muslims. Odinga is strill trying to become the President of Kenya. If he does, he will make a law forbidding all public preaching and institute Sharia Law. Bree K. said Odinga has made a pact with satan.

Bree K. also said when Obama visited his tribe in '06 and as late as Jan. '08 he went to every elder's home which has a "shrine" inside to worship the genie and asked for their blessing. She was told Obama and Odinga were both "destined" before they were born to be president/leader of their nation. They say "he is the chosen one". She said Obama's grandmother sacrificed a black and a white chicken to the "goddess of the river" so both whites and blacks will vote for Obama. All Islam loves and worships Obama. The world is mesmerized by him. Oprah's 200 million followers are out to elect Obama. Also, Dick Morris of Fox News was sent to Kenya to help Odinga run his campaign! I find that unbelievable.

The occultists are "weaving lazy 8's around McCain's mind to make him look confused and like an idiot". Bree K. said we need to break these curses off of him that are being sent from Kenya."

Source

OK, yes, these are the fringe, the nutters (obviously) and the minority (hopefully). But they are adults, citizens of this nation, members of our culture, fer fukksake! They use computers, and the internet, and they are spreading warnings about curses and sacrificed chickens and witchcraft!!!!! What's next, blaming Barack when milk goes sour, when the cat gets fleas, when it doesn't rain often enough? WTF? How? Somebody tell me how? How is any adult this colossally stupid? HOW? And why are we not locking these people up and forcing them to get psychological help?

She is frustrated

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.

She is pessimistic
Current Location: election hell

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...

She is furious

American Psychiatric Association Definition of "Delusion"

A delusion is an unshakable belief in something untrue. These irrational beliefs defy normal reasoning, and remain firm even when overwhelming proof is presented to dispute them. Delusions are often accompanied by hallucinations and/or feelings of paranoia, which act to strengthen confidence in the delusion. (*Key phrase deleted here. I'll come back to it in a minute*)

Wow. Am I the only one who sees that as a pretty spot-on definition of the kind of religiosity we see rampant today? I am referring here, to the Creationists (7 days? Talking snake? Really?) the Millenialists (Rapture? Dragons? Really?) and their ilk.
( read more on delusions here )

She is shocked

This morning on NPR, I heard a report on Morning Addition about independent voters in New Hampshire, and thier reactions to the most recent debates and appearances. Transcripts aren't up yet, and the crappy computers on campus will not let me play back the show, but I heard at least one person, but I think three refer to Huckabee as a 'solid candidate' as an 'alternative to the crazies.' (This is not verbatim by any means) Someone also said that they thought if he could avoid being mistaken for a right wing neocon bible-thumper, he stood a good chance.

Say what?????? Huckabee is not a sane alternative to anyone! I mean sure, Giuliani is a psycho, but at least he isn't going around recruiting "soldiers for God..." Oh, yes, he sure did.... And last I checked, Romney was an ass, but he isn't best buds with the jacka$$ Wiley Drake, VP of the the Southern Baptist Convention, who publicly endorsed the assasination of a doctor. by a member of an underground terror organization, who had been on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted List. Nor does he pal around with the likes of Steven Hotz and Rick Scarborough, both outspoken Christian Reconstructionists.(Recons are pushing for the replacement of civil law with literal biblical law.Stoning, anyone?)

Which brings me to point number two. Mistaken for a right wing neocon bible-thumper??? Um, hello? He IS a right wing neocon bible-thumper, and that is putting it mildly. You know for a while there, I actually thought it would be great if Huckabee won the Republlican primary, because it would guarantee a win for the Democratic candidate. Now? The fact that there are people (outside of Iowa; that wasn't much of a surprise, my apologies to any native here) that actually consider him a valid choice to be President? I cannot tell you how deeply this disturbs me, and how deeply it should disturn anyone who care even a little for freedom of others.

I have been ashamed of my country for 8 years. I have been disgusted with my country for nearly as long. I have been fearful of the consequences of events for the last 4 years, give or take. So far, I have not actually been afraid of my country. I certanly will be, if that lunatic is handed the reigns of the United States, to drive us into war and insanity in the name of Christian dominion.....

She is scared
Current Location: Honors computer lab

(Quoted from Austin Cline's Agnosticism / Atheism Blog, Austin Cline, http://atheism.about.com/b/a/259483.htm.)

Should more atheists become more comfortable with the fact that so many people in America are "god-fearing"? If it's true that these people cannot come up with any reason for being moral without their god and religion, perhaps we are better off that they remain theists — at least for the time being. We don't want them to become atheists unless and until they are able to develop a stronger sense of morality. We don't want people to become atheists unless and until they are able to divorce morality and moral behavior from their prior religious beliefs. I shudder to think what sorts of crimes some of them might commit if they just woke up one day and stop believing in gods

So, the next time someone tells you that there's no reason to be moral for atheists, maybe a good response would be: "That's why I don't want you to stop being a religious theist. If the only thing keeping you from raping and murdering is your belief in your god, then I'd prefer if you just held on to that for a while longer. I don't want you to become a secular atheist unless and until you develop enough morally and intellectually that you can behave in a positive, moral way simply out of concern for the well-being of others. I want you to refrain from hurting others because you actually care about what happens to them, not because you're under orders from some deity."

(More meaningful, personal content coming soon, especially for some of you; you know who you are... )

She is cynical
Current Location: taking a break from the paper what will not die
In the background you hear just the keys a-tappin...

( It should be obvious from the subject, but just in case, let me clarify. If you are religious, this may offend you. If so, don't read it. (against my initial impulse, I even cut it for you) If you read it and are offended, tough, you were warned. Un-friend me, make a mean face, burn me in effigy, whatever. Even better, if it offends you, ask yourself why, because if it does, it proves my point! )

She is irritated
Current Location: home, soon to be class
In the background you hear Cold by Lycia

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Things I need to remember:
• Asking for help is not, as it turns out, fatal.
• Laughing is easier than pulling your hair out, and doesn't have the unfortunate side effect of making you look like a plague victim.
• Even the biggest tasks can be defeated if taken a bit at a time.
• I can write a paper the night before it's due, but the results are not all they could be.
• Be thorough, but focused.
• Trust yourself.
• Honesty, always.

Historians are the Cassandras of the Humanities

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Entries tagged with rant

My note to the Jerk

Well, not every entry can be a happy one: Politics

I think I'm out. Seriously.

Things that utterly defy any and all logic.

Customer service? Doesn't mean what you think it means....

Not a thesis? Chyeah, right, whatever.

Bigotry? Seriously?

Writer's Block: Do (political) opposites attract?

And the hits just keep on rolling.....

kah-PWOOF

On the burka:

@$%&*#! LJ!

"Grrr" of the highest order.

OK, OK, this has gone too far!

About Humanities, Theory, Discipline, and lack thereof...

Sonofabitch shrubbery!

Abstinence-only = lies

It takes a LOT of stupid to surprise me lately....

McCain whores out an Alaska politician.

What's next, chastity belts?

From the Encyclopedia of Medicine:

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Polemic on Religion

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