With the end of classes, whatever force of will or nature or whatever was keeping me on sort of a normal schedule just snapped right out of existence, and now I'm back on my natural sleep schedule.  This is particularly frustrating, as I'm between the devil and the deep blue sea, in a lot of ways - I feel great, right now, at 4:30 in the morning, because I slept until three this afternoon; there's some unconscious switch that flips on and off that lets me live not quite on this schedule, but I get to be miserable when that happens.  I'm dreading, a little, the conversation I have to have with my summer employer* about the Abnormal Circadean Rhythm of Doom, and I'm reading up a little on disability to help me out.  Posts I'm terribly grateful for this evening are here, here, and here; found at least one of them through troubleinchina.

*Badass feminist international comparative constitutional law professor - old girls' club, here I come.

Gay marriage in CA!

(Via)

ETA:  Nobody cried like a baby watching this video.  Nope.  (Via)

From now on, because I, like Senator Obama, am committed to Hope(TM) and Change(C) in America(Patent Pending), I am instituting a new rule in my political commentary.  For too long, I have pandered to false even-handedness.  I have been guilty of the sins of old politics, doing my damndest to pay due respect to everyone.  Those who behave in this way must be held accountable, and in my journey across the 60 states of our glorious country, I have learned a very important lesson.

My rock bottom of respect for political candidates isn't going to be the rock bottom respect I have for everyone because they are human.  Instead, I'm going to speak about them with the same level of respect with which they discuss their opponents and speak to their constituents. 
I'm going to feel free to make shit up about candidates who knowingly and shamelessly lie about their opponents.

I'm going to feel free to speak in belittling, patronizing, mean-spirited ways about candidates who do so about their opponents. 

Will I do those things?  Dunno.  Probably not.  Because I hope I couldn't live with myself if I acted that way.  But it's going to be an exercise in thought, for sure - how would I feel about this comment if the tables were turned? 

Things that are important to NARAL Pro-Choice America:

1.  Ensuring that women make prayerful decisions about abortions. 
2.  Stark and pronounced disrespect for LGBTQ voters.
3.  Support for parental consent laws.  (Yes, really.)
4.  A puerile, vicious propensity to make period jokes.
5.  A public, bad-for-women man-crush on John Roberts.

Things that are not important to NARAL Pro-Choice America:

1.  Plan B OTC.
2.  Title X Funding.
3.  A public pledge to pass legislation which would protect abortion rights even if Roe were overturned.
4.  The Prevention First Act.
5.  The ability to speak to and about women like we are, you know, people.

Good job, assholes.  I can't fucking wait until you call me begging for money.

ETA a comment I left with the Apostate's succinct and apt post about the issue:  What just crushes me with the irony is the statement that “every day that passes, Sen. McCain gets a free ride on the issue of choice. That free ride ends today.” They’re the ones giving him the free ride. They are a pro-choice advocacy group, and giving McCain hell is their job. Instead of issuing a press release about McCain, they decided to beat up on Clinton. Why? Because beating up on Clinton gets you more attention than actually advocating for your issues. Shame.

ONE MORE. 

In twelve hours, I will be walking into my LAST EXAM OF THIS HELLISH YEAR.  Three hours after that, it's all over except the drinking.  I plan on an (at least) two-day bender during which I will celebrate my 24th birthday, as well as a hard but fascinating year's experience, with friends so new I feel I have known them almost my whole life.  Then I shall be a 2L and, as is the way of my people, have my ego fanned with interesting doctrine and fed the grapes of wit and insouciance which informs the brain of the legal scholar. 

Then, of course, back to your regularly scheduled ranting. 

Another funny, funny, FUNNY Fatal Attraction quip.  (H/t)

This time from an ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE.  A DEMOCRAT. 

"When asked about whether Clinton should drop out of the race on Fox 13's "Good Morning Memphis" program today, [U. S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis)] said: "Glenn Close should have stayed in that tub."

Haaaaahahahaha, because that bitch wouldn't die, she should have just drowned so we don't have to shoot her!  See, how funny that is?  Don't you just feel inspired?!  FEEL THE UNITY, ASSHOLES!

Fuck him, fuck everyone who laughs at that joke, and fuck the DCCC when they give his ridiculous ass funding to run for re-election.

Yes, Virginia, this is about me too, and you too.

By "jerk," I mean "anyone fool enough to think that anything short of full representation of Florida and Michigan is in any way a good idea, and in the same breath lecture me for supporting my candidate."   It's shorter than the acronym (AHBADSMoFo, for the uninitiated). 

Anything short of full representation for Florida and Michigan is in NO WAY a good idea.

To:  The Estate of Eleanor Stegeberg
From:  pocochina
Re:  Your Asshole Husband

I feel it is my personal and professional duty to inform you that decedent's husband is a sexist piece of crap, who should just shut the fuck up, for the good of the country and party.  Of course, I will hold him, and decedent, in my heart for all of my days as one inseparable unit, a two-headed anti-my-candidate monster, if you will, but that doesn't mean he has any right to be speaking in public like he was people and shit.  I mean, really, next they will be wanting the vote and everything. 

You're probably wondering, why am I writing this letter to you?  I mean, you're not him, you're a whole other person.  This estate may have had some influence over his decision, maybe, maybe not, but we don't know, so I'm going to talk to you.  As George has just taught me, you're not just responsible for his decisions, you are the appropriate person to whom to take my concerns. 

You might also be wondering, why have I chosen to write this in a public forum, on my livejournal, rather than appealing privately, by phone or letter, to either the estate or to Mr McGovern himself.  This could, after all, potentially be embarrassing to the party.  The press meme, after all, has been that the Democrats are eating each other alive, and a public betrayal which throws red meat to this idiotic meme can only increase this problem that the press and DNC have dreamed up.  It kind of looks like all I really want is attention and feedback from people who I am sure will agree with me, rather than something which could be beneficial to any actual convictions I may or may not be espousing.  Also, of course, the fact that all over the internet, people have been saying the exact same thing I am saying is in no way indicative of a skewed perception that my statements are Way More Important than theirs, which is why it's very important that I have this conversation with you.  Rather than him.  The person involved.  In a public forum.  However, my clear desire for attention is far, far less important than the fact that this guy needs to stop doing his freaking job the way he sees fit, and start doing it the way I see fit, which is not to do it at all.  Seriously.  Just make him shut up already.  Please. 

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123.
3. Find the first five sentences.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people your beloved f-list.

(stolen from the RQ of our hearts)

Uncle Kracker makes you smile!

I miss blogging.  I have so many thoughts and then they get drowned by the UCC.  So sad.

You guys.

I have done nothing but study and stare at my laptop for days.  I'm in the law library and the only sounds are keyboard clacking, and people softly weeping.  (Or maybe it's allergies.  But it sounds suspiciously like weeping, or souls dying.)  This is insane.  This is mass insanity.  And you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.  Oh my God, another 9 days of this.  Holy shit.  And on the day of the Guam caucus!  Have you no decency, Bad-Ass Big Name Law Center?  Have you no decency?!

Y'all, I'm not linking to Fox, but HRC laughed in Bill O'Reilly's fucking face.  IN. HIS. FUCKING. FACE.  Obama, of course, sold us out to the Republicans.  Hillary laughed in their fucking face. 

That's my girl, y'all.

ETA:  the ever-fabulous Donna has vids!

Cut, and trigger warning:  discussion of really sad history

 

Three times in the last six days, some asshole has, on national television, joked about the murder of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.  That's less than a week.  None of these fuckers have been fired or suspended.  Olbermann has grudgingly offered a half an apology.  That's all you have to do if you suggest killing someone, if that someone dares to walk and talk and go out in public while in possession of a vagina.  If anyone stumbles on a reporter, journalist, or Lefty Dood blogger who gives a raving shit whether or not a US Senator lives or is violently murdered, please let me know; in the meantime, I'm going to consider them all useless fucking hypocrites. 

Shame.  Shame.  Shame. 

Oh.  And also via Shakes, the people charged with protecting her from the lunatics who are hearing these jokes?  Are busy planting fucking nooses all over training centers.  They're also supposed to be protecting Barack Obama.  I don't have to be a supporter to point out that he absolutely deserves - and clearly needs - better protection than this. 

Shame. 

I'll be actually thinking and posting after my international law exam.  On which I want to do really well now, so I can have the option to get the fuck out of here.  Because if they're coming for Hillary, they're coming for me too.

ETA (bumping this up from comments, thanks celiloquy for prodding me to refine my thoughts):  If some brown foreign person publicly laughed at the idea the murder of a senator, we would call it terrorism. But since it's white Americans talking about HRC, it's a joke.

I wrote the RJ entry  days ago, thinking I'd have so much time to polish and flesh out ideas, and it didn't happen.  So basically, I've written one rant-y post and then wandered off.  But I need a break from the takings clause, so I'm going to do a quick link round-up.  I read Feministe's Shameless Self Promotion Sundays today, because I've lost track of what day it is.  I kinda hate exams.  So in the interests of getting all of us a break, and my browser cleared out, I give you a link round-up/hypothetical to-do list.

Kyriarchy - a must read for all my feminist theory buddies, by Sudy

Via Shakes, Slog, and probably everywhere else, Hannah Montana photo shoot.  Y'know, it's her goddamn business what she does with her body.  There's a whole commentary in there about how we expect actresses to perform both sides of the virgin/whore complex at the exact same time and this should point out the absurdity of the whole thing to everyone, but we're too busy screaming WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDRENZ to notice that at least one in eight of those children has just had her potentially deadly disease exacerbated by the fact that you can see every lump on that poor girl's spinal column and we're supposed to think that's sexy.  Fuck that. 

ANOTHER queer teenager about to be sent from the UK to face certain death.  The Scottish ruling party has vowed to stand up for him - go to SaveJojo if you're in a position to make your displeasure known to a representative.  Y'all, what this article says about the extradition not being legal is, to the best of my understanding, absolutely true.  This is about racism and homophobia, full stop.  And there's some interesting age, class, and gender stuff going on - we seem to be paying a lot more attention to the young gay men than to the older lesbian (her name is Pegah Embakesh).  All of these people deserve asylum, and there's got to be a better way than just hoping some MP gets clued in to some specific story.

And, via Feministe, a fabulous new womanist blog! 

I'm sure there's more.  Leave 'em in comments, y'all!  I'll be back when I understand the fifth amendment......

Via Feministing, it's the National Week for Reproductive Justice!  (Or it was, when I started this post, I'm not sure if it's over or not.)

I must have come of age in the feminist movement at an unusual time.  My introduction to the concept of reproductive justice was at a student group meeting, deciding whether to change our name from "choice" to "reproductive justice."  And the discussion would kind of go:

"But we don't just care about abortion!  Pro-choice refers to abortion and we care about birth control too!" 

And either I or my friend A. would yell "But that IS pro-choice!"

And then a few rounds later, someone would go, "But we're not just about choice!   Reproductive justice a movement that seeks to actively include health care, and issues specific to women of color!"

And A or I would go "But that IS pro-choice!  You can't be pro-choice and not care about WOC!  Who are you people?!"

So either the whole world has a skewed concept of what pro-choice is, or A. and I were pro-reproductive justice all along, and we'd had no idea.  I'd never known a pro-choice movement that wasn't pro-universal health care, affordable health care, and not just pro-Roe, but supportive of Medicade support for poor women who need abortions, or funding for and access to reproductive health care beyond pregnancy protection. 

As I understand it, the current framing is that the "pro-choice" line of thought isn't disparaged among reproductive justice advocates, it just represents a specific line of reproductive justice work.  Pro-choice activists work on the actual legal status of abortion and birth control and reproductive health issues.  Again, this is where my strong bias towards a "law is policy" philosophy bleeds in, because to my mind, that includes both access to elective sterilization and vasectomy, and the stringent legal controls against forced sterilization.  Reproductive justice refers to an umbrella movement which includes funding for reproductive health care, dealing with inequities in research, acknowledging without victim-blaming that often women of color are more likely to suffer from illnesses which affect the reproductive health system.  So I am both a pro-choice activist (as someone who hopes to use the law to protect reproductive justice for all) and also a reproductive health advocate.  That's the best I can do, I think, but I'm going to keep thinking about the relationships between these issues.

So last night on my study break (a half an hour before I got kicked out of the library, natch) I read this post  by Vanessa at Feministing about some douchebag at the NYT who thinks it's so sad that the ladies can wear bloomers and trousers these days and walk around like they was people, becausee he prefers to leer at his sex objects in dresses.  Vanessa, unsurprisingly, does an excellent takedown, so I won't repeat it here.  But it felt, interestingly, really applicable to me yesterday.  I only left the campus buildings once yesterday (SO SAD) in everyday study gear:  hoodie, gaucho pants, imitation Adidas sandals, iPod and fuck-off face both turned up - and the fucking public safety officer ran across the street to flag me down.  Now, something you have to understand about my campus, it's tiny, there aren't a lot of public safety officers, and they know us all by the end of our first years.   So I felt pretty comfortable saying hi when he caught up with me.  And then he subjected me to a seriously, three and a half minute talk about "there was someone on the crosswalk yesterday, you know?  When you were walking by?  You know?  And you looked good, real good, yeah?"  And here he looked for my....I don't know.  Slavering gratitude, I suppose?  And I said, thanks, I had an interview, and walked faster, and the asshole runs to catch up with me.  "I just want you to know, people notice, you know, and you looked real good and I just want you to know blah blah blah," and then when I'm practically at the library door he wishes me luck with my studies.  Now, I know he was trying to be nice. 

If it's me specifically, I don't know what it is about me that makes men think I "need" compliments, so much that they have to chase me around campus to make sure that the message gets through.  I knew I looked hot in my suit. 

But y'see, it sucks enough to do interviews.  And the suit aspect of it particularly sucks for me.  I'm about the exact size of the average American woman, which is a little bigger than most of us in our 20's, with a high but distinct waist and huge hips, shoulders, and boobs.  Suit-wearing doesn't hide my femaleness, it highlights it, and my only nice shoes are very high heels.  So professional dress for me is not easy.  I know women of all shapes and sizes have trouble with "professional" dress and the game is rigged against all of us.  But it's my one suit.  And my only nice shoes.  So that's what I'll be thinking about next time I have to look professional. 

Anyway, I might have been able to say something, but then again, he's the public safety officer, so if God forbid something awful does happen to me on or near campus, I might need his help.  So consider this my hollaback, asshole.  Don't tell the fucking students how much fun it was to leer at us.

ETA:  Apperantly, the same thing happened to my friend Y.  Y is also curvy and dark haired, like myself, but she is also a creature of supernatural beauty.  Christ.  How many students is this asshole doing this too?

Also, this is mushy, but there's no such thing as thread derail here, if chatting about our bodies helps us move around  in the world in them a little better...derail away, y'know?

I wrote my first two posts on April 25, 2007.  Since then I've been backpacking in Europe, started law school, and fallen totally in love.  (Platonically.   We're just friends, you guys.)  Also, I've learned a lot about sorting through and expressing my thoughts.  I've written 105 posts on feminism in the last year - that means I've written about feminism roughly every three days.  This is a sorely-needed lifeline for me right now.  Other sorely needed lifelines are Shakespeare's Sister, Pizza Diavola, Red Queen, Donna and Red at Hillary1000, and my lovely and talented f-list.  This coming year, I'm going to be a better ally, and I'm going to keep learning, and I'm going to do more to spread the link love, and I'm going to keep my eyedropper in one hand and my teaspoon in the other.  Also, I'm going to better balance blogging and law school, and not suddenly get lots of ideas for posts when I have some important shit due.  I'm starting right now.  It's all property outlines over here, there's certainly no half-finished post on reproductive justice terminology open in my browser.   No ma'am.

Inspired by Cripchick and her Carnival of Disability.  I'm not sure if I'll submit this, if it's any sort of appropriate or if it will even be any good, but it's something I've been thinking about. 

Cripchick is so kind.  She doesn't just give you a due date and turn you loose.  There's a whole long list of possible topics.  And the first question is What is disability identity? If you are disabled, do you feel disability is a part of you and your experience?  And I don't know how to answer that question.  A year or so ago, I would have said, I am normatively able-bodied, but I am and always will be an ally.

Maybe that's still true.

Maybe it's not, though.

"She got a reprieve from the governor for two weeks..."

"Are we now talking about the talk of retribution to get her out of the race?"

"Somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out."

Actively espousing violent terminology.  ALSO GIRLZ CAN BE SUPERDELEGATES NOW TOO KEITH YOU FUCKING MORON.  Actually, I'm pretty sure he knows that, he's just choosing the image of a man actually killing a powerful woman because he is a useless asshole. 

THANKS KO.  For proving Anglachel's point.

(Thank you Taylor Marsh, for watching MSNBC so the rest of us don't have to.)