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Nov. 24th, 2014 05:15 amI spent a weekend without a car and really appreciate my car all over again. This week I have to work my ass off to make canada possible. Almost certainly driving which makes the body shop's failure especially painful. I'll troll last minute flight deals - curiously all US flights are $400-500, air cannuck is $300.
Got a stupid levels hangover this weekend, also a cute stranger's hand in my mouth.
Walking everywhere I got a sad reminder that I'm not a girl. I walked up the sidewalk here in stupidly safe Arlington, and was behind a woman/girl who was on her phone. I walk fast. She noticed me behind her - pretty far behind - and started looking nervously behind her. I slowed my pace a little, she talked to her phone. She took a left and I returned to full speed - reminded that being a woman means having to constantly worry about being physically assaulted.
My conservative friend on facebook (sorry, the idiot, let me be frank) freaked out, by which I mean posted freaked out right-wing rants, about immigration actions by the prez. No statistic or perspective about the immigration status of non-natives, or the benefits of immigration, can affect them - it's all about their presumed entitlement and perceived threat of taking away their expectations (data be damned). I just saw a special on Cesar Milan, who reflected on how he came to this country as an illegal.
Ferguson, I hope they have a trial and it's one of those giant stupid trials I don't care about that the US idiots watch for 4 weeks on cnn and hear "analyzed" on FOX. I kinda don't give a fuck; there are cops who do absurd things, racial profiling is real, people being criminals and crying victim is real too. Angelification of dead people who suck is real (yes I made up a word). I think the racial perspective on this unarmed shooting is worth pushing the facts into the public eye and having a discussion. I am prejudiced, hopefully not on race but with an eye on that when you take on the airs of a criminal you can expect some of the treatment. Nearby they just convicted a black cop who shot a black man who was in handcuffs - much smaller outrage. He was, however, convicted. Hmm.
Barry died and boy do I not care, but even I will be annoyed at the crack mayor stories that will come out. I'm so thrilled there is a white crack mayor to show that disdain isn't just racist (but with Barry, it is kinda racist just like he and much of his support appears to be kinda racist). The thing is while I'm not a fan, I'm also aware of what he did do. I'm aware he organized fleets of vans to drive people from the poor parts of town to the polls - the turkey giveaway is still taking place. The man got a lot done for people, and yeah he hit the race card and flipped on gay issues, but before you dismiss him or just call the race issue I think you need to look at the disenfranchised people he supported. When white people whine about Barry and race, respond with Sarah fucking Palin on tv. I didn't like him when all was said and done, but I'd prefer a full view of him before writing him off. He attended his mistresses funeral.
UVA or some college banned frats after Rolling Stone published an article that they had a culture of rape. I've had many criticize me for referring to frats based on my experiences in the 90s and the stereotypes. However, I suspect the Rolling Stone article was dramatic and overblown, and so too is the reaction. If there is a horrible rape culture, then it's shameful it took a pop-culture article to inspire remedial action in response. At UMBC black frats and sororities hazed in the open, against the well known rules, because everyone was both physically scared of them (the black frats carried "canes" and swung them in step routines that looked martial arty) and of course for being labeled racist. A white guy from the radio station spoke out and was threatened, followed physically (but not assaulted), and of course called racist. He was a hippie - probably was prejudiced, as I was, against the spooky organizations, but not racist. I don't doubt he would have done the same if white groups did the same thing. He finally dropped the issue when the threats got more direct and personal and he received no support - he said it simply wasn't worth it.
Got a stupid levels hangover this weekend, also a cute stranger's hand in my mouth.
Walking everywhere I got a sad reminder that I'm not a girl. I walked up the sidewalk here in stupidly safe Arlington, and was behind a woman/girl who was on her phone. I walk fast. She noticed me behind her - pretty far behind - and started looking nervously behind her. I slowed my pace a little, she talked to her phone. She took a left and I returned to full speed - reminded that being a woman means having to constantly worry about being physically assaulted.
My conservative friend on facebook (sorry, the idiot, let me be frank) freaked out, by which I mean posted freaked out right-wing rants, about immigration actions by the prez. No statistic or perspective about the immigration status of non-natives, or the benefits of immigration, can affect them - it's all about their presumed entitlement and perceived threat of taking away their expectations (data be damned). I just saw a special on Cesar Milan, who reflected on how he came to this country as an illegal.
Ferguson, I hope they have a trial and it's one of those giant stupid trials I don't care about that the US idiots watch for 4 weeks on cnn and hear "analyzed" on FOX. I kinda don't give a fuck; there are cops who do absurd things, racial profiling is real, people being criminals and crying victim is real too. Angelification of dead people who suck is real (yes I made up a word). I think the racial perspective on this unarmed shooting is worth pushing the facts into the public eye and having a discussion. I am prejudiced, hopefully not on race but with an eye on that when you take on the airs of a criminal you can expect some of the treatment. Nearby they just convicted a black cop who shot a black man who was in handcuffs - much smaller outrage. He was, however, convicted. Hmm.
Barry died and boy do I not care, but even I will be annoyed at the crack mayor stories that will come out. I'm so thrilled there is a white crack mayor to show that disdain isn't just racist (but with Barry, it is kinda racist just like he and much of his support appears to be kinda racist). The thing is while I'm not a fan, I'm also aware of what he did do. I'm aware he organized fleets of vans to drive people from the poor parts of town to the polls - the turkey giveaway is still taking place. The man got a lot done for people, and yeah he hit the race card and flipped on gay issues, but before you dismiss him or just call the race issue I think you need to look at the disenfranchised people he supported. When white people whine about Barry and race, respond with Sarah fucking Palin on tv. I didn't like him when all was said and done, but I'd prefer a full view of him before writing him off. He attended his mistresses funeral.
UVA or some college banned frats after Rolling Stone published an article that they had a culture of rape. I've had many criticize me for referring to frats based on my experiences in the 90s and the stereotypes. However, I suspect the Rolling Stone article was dramatic and overblown, and so too is the reaction. If there is a horrible rape culture, then it's shameful it took a pop-culture article to inspire remedial action in response. At UMBC black frats and sororities hazed in the open, against the well known rules, because everyone was both physically scared of them (the black frats carried "canes" and swung them in step routines that looked martial arty) and of course for being labeled racist. A white guy from the radio station spoke out and was threatened, followed physically (but not assaulted), and of course called racist. He was a hippie - probably was prejudiced, as I was, against the spooky organizations, but not racist. I don't doubt he would have done the same if white groups did the same thing. He finally dropped the issue when the threats got more direct and personal and he received no support - he said it simply wasn't worth it.
