Not sure what this means, but V-Bunny had it on her blog. It’s funny because it says I am Head Chef.

Finally, someone is showing some sense. A judge in San Francisco has ruled the ‘Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act’ unconstitutional. From what I have read, they used scare tactics and misinformation to get this law passed when it should not have been allowed. The judge objected to the vague language, the burden it placed on women seeking abortions, and the lack of an exception to the law. It is a bad law, one that should be removed. And hopefully this is a sign that they will get rid of it.

So I haven’t exactly been the posting queen lately I realize (amusing quizzes don’t count as real posts I guess). Its mainly because May has been extremely busy for me, with tons of doctors appointments and weekend trips. And so I actually have to get my work done so I can do all of this. Which cuts into my blogging time of course. But I want to put down some thoughts on Queen of the South, which is due out on June 3rd. And I want to comment on some other stuff I have been reading. So I am going to try to do this over the next few nights. And I mean it this time, I swear. Besides, there are many more interesting things to read if you check some of the sites I have listed to the left. (One that is not listed but is a guilty pleasure is grouphug–you will find yourself endlessly fascinated and sometimes repelled.)

Ernest Hemingway penned your novel. Go you
studlyman, you.

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I find one of my cats like this:

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Charles J. Ogletree Jr. wrote a great editorial today about how this landmark decision affected our country.

We are right to question the significance of Brown and to acknowledge that much of its promise has not been fulfilled. Yet, we understate its significance if we fail to appreciate its role in eliminating overt forms of discrimination — “white only” schools, drinking fountains, hotels, restaurants, parks, beaches, and transportation — and creating a country where the potential for social justice might one day be achieved.

There seems to be a spate of editorials today written about Brown, in the Globe and in the NYT and papers across the country today. Brown seems to have failed though as more and more schools are becoming resegregated. A Supreme Court decision cannot alter the minds of American women and men obviously. But Brown did pave the way for a dream—a yet to be realized dream—but also an attainable dream. Perhaps one day everyone will receive an equal education and status will not be determined by how much is in your bank account. Maybe that’s just a dream too.
But today gives me a small bit of hope, as Massachusetts allows the first legal gay marriage this morning. To not be allowed to marry your chosen life partner is tragic. And I can only hope that no politician finds a way to reverse the marriages today. That would be a slap in the face to everyone, especially since today does mark the anniversary of Brown. I am not making any comparisons between the struggles here, but Brown v. Board of Eductation did realize that segregation was unequal and unconstitutional. I think the same applies to gay marriage. Not allowing it makes some people second-class citizens. And that is just wrong.

Going all girly on y’all, but I could not resist once I read this article in the NYT on a new brand of feminine hygiene products. The woman who started this company, which is called Dittie, realized that women were treated like they were sick when they got their periods.

“It’s no surprise women feel cursed. Take a look at the feminine protection aisle in your local drugstore; it looks like a hospital! Women are being treated like they’re sick when they’re not. They just have their periods,” said Barbara Carey, president and founder of Dittie, which launched today in retail outlets throughout California. “I created Dittie because I realized there was an overwhelming need for a new brand of feminine protection that did not approach a woman’s monthly cycle as an ailment. That’s why Dittie looks like something you’d find at the cosmetic counter, not in the pharmaceutical aisle.”

Huh. I am not sure what to make of this. I applaud her efforts to de-stigmatize menstruation, but I fear she is making this a little too cutesy for my taste. Check out the website. They have a flash tampon bowling game. Sigh. The other companies, Tampax (owned by Proctor & Gamble), Playtex, Johnson & Johnson sure don’t seem as exciting as this brand. Their commericials are terrible! They are embarassing. So we will see if this new upstart company survives. If their guerilla marketing tactics will work.

I am off to Maine for the weekend in a few hours. I am behind in the book reporting I realize. I promised comments on Cloud Atlas and have not delivered. I have even read a book that I didn’t mention anywhere—Recollections of My Life as a Woman by Diane Di Prima. Very intriguing book. I know less than I would like about the Beat poets, but regardless, she lived a very fascintating life. She knew LeRoi Jones, Allen Ginsberg, Frank O’Hara, Audre Lourde, etc. And she broke boundaries, which is the best part of the book. Anyway, maybe I will comment more of this some other time. If you want to read a book about someone who has done more things than you can contemplate, read this book.
As I said earlier, I am going to Ogunquit, Maine today for the weekend. I am excited as I have never really been there before. And one of the things I am most excited about, and I am embarassed to admit this, is the cool new toy I got for my iPod. Its called the iTrip and it lets you play your iPod through FM radio. Its a little white tube that you plug into the top and it transmits the music to your car stereo or what have you. Yes, I am as nerdy as you think. I am part of Team Discovery channel after all and now I think B is going to call me the nerdiest one. That’s okay.
And as for this week’s ‘revelation’ about the torture and abuse of the Iraqi prisoners, I have not chimed in because everyone sane knows that its bad to mistreat other people. You know. I know. Its one of the first things you learn as a kid. Don’t hit your the other kids. Why these idiots thought they could do this and get away with it (pictures?! C’mon people, you are not only some of the more crueler people around, but fucking dumb people as well.) I do not know. None of the explanations coming out are making me feel better. I think the only thing that would make this better is for Rumsfeld to resign, but, alas, we all know that is going to happen. The whole thing is disgusting and sheds light finally on how hypocritical our nation can be. That is my two cents for now. Off to Maine to relax.

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Thanks TEV.

I am sure you are aware of the damage the so-called ‘Patriot’ Act has done to our rights. Pat Holt sent an email broadcast today about Section 215, which “allows FBI agents to search records in bookstores and libraries of anyone they believe may have information relevant to their investigations, including people who are not suspected of committing a crime”. The request for obtaining one of these search warrants is held in secret. Ashcroft assures us that they have not used it, but as Holt points out, then why does it exist. And how are we supposed to know if the whole thing is kept quiet. So I went and signed a petition against this bad bad policy. Really, one of the things we should be fighting for today is to rid our country of this Patriot Act. No good can come of it. I have put the button below so others can go sign it.