(no subject)

* I dreamed about a huge library, where people were turning in department heads to the Committee (Mccarthy type thing) in hopes of getting their jobs. Then it was a Rome never fell alternate reality where they were having a World's Fair. The Vigeles were all moonlighting at the fair as it paid well, and napping on their Watches, which lead to wide scale anarchy in the neighboring city.

* More interesting Let Me In discussion (spoilers) here: http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/910834.html?style=mine#cutid1

* Peacock cake: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2010/10/sunday-sweets-ostentation-of-peacock.html

* Venture Bros: Wow! That makes so much more sense!

* "Mummy tattoos hint at ancient Andean acupuncture:" http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/mummy-tattoos-hint-at-ancient-andean-acupuncture/1

* What's playing on my brain radio?

(no subject)

* I dreamed about a huge library, where people were turning in department heads to the Committee (Mccarthy type thing) in hopes of getting their jobs. Then it was a Rome never fell alternate reality where they were having a World's Fair. The Vigeles were all moonlighting at the fair as it paid well, and napping on their Watches, which lead to wide scale anarchy in the neighboring city.

* More interesting Let Me In discussion (spoilers) here: http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/910834.html?style=mine#cutid1

* Peacock cake: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2010/10/sunday-sweets-ostentation-of-peacock.html

* Venture Bros: Wow! That makes so much more sense!

* "Mummy tattoos hint at ancient Andean acupuncture:" http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/mummy-tattoos-hint-at-ancient-andean-acupuncture/1

* What's playing on my brain radio?

(no subject)

* Happy Birthday, RM!

* Today I'm back in swimming. Tomorrow is flu shot. The construction just to the north of me has expanded to the point it;'s nearly impossible to get home from Trader Joe's etc.. They have torn down that weird triangular diner to make a turn lane. The wind came in hard off the Bay, bringing the rains back. Proper fall weather reasserts itself. I got all the errands done today, but settled the cats so late phone calls got put off. I wore the rifle coat for the first time this season.

* (RM found, "Teacher Reassigned For Coming Out": http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/10/04/Teacher_Reassigned_For_Coming_Out_to_Student/

Kids ask personal questions all the time. They want to know if you have kids, if you are married/dating/etc., what your religion is, who you voted for. Kids noticed which car was mine and saw my bumper stickers. This plus my not letting them use gay to mean stupid lead to a general assumption about my sexuality by the middle schoolers, but they generally did not ask outright. Instead, they simply stopped asking if I was married, though they still asked about kids and religion. I answered direct questions about religion and party affiliation with an explanation of my ethical reasons not to tell them. I answered questions about children with a thing on how expensive children are and how I could not afford them. (They did not need to know the other equally true reasons.) I answered the vegetarian question with the environmental reasons and not the equally true religious ones. I did not lie to the kids, but I didn't always give them the whole truth. Each teacher has to make the "How much information about my personal life am I willing to share?" decision on their own. There are too many factors: ethical, professional, personal for there ever to be one right answer. Everyone draws their own boundary lines. My feeling is, that if a straight teacher wouldn't be punished for answering a question like that, then neither should a gay teacher. I see nothing wrong with his answer. The answer looked honest and age appropriate to ,me, with no TMI.

Having me around meant the LGBT kids felt safer. (Yes, we had a few trans middle schoolers). It meant kids knew there was one place in their day they weren't going to be hassled for sure. I could not discuss the rather more complicated things going on with me, because it was way too much to drag in, but letting them make their assumptions meant they still had a queer adult they liked and respected whatever their gender or orientations. I figure that was good for all of them, even if they were reading my particular flavor of queer wrong. I knew damned well the union wouldn't protect me if parents came with bullhorns and picket signs and i was barely subsisting as it was. Not the bravest, I know, but if I had been what the kids thought I was and had union protection, I'm pretty sure I would have chosen differently.

* Re: Privatizing fire departments. They are letting houses and barns burn in for-profit areas. There's a reason fire departments need to be publicly funded. Other countries and other times have tried private fire companies. You get things like: 1. competing fire companies brawling over who puts out the fire for pay on site instead of putting out the fire. 2. fire departments working as protection rackets. 3. People who have a vested interest in your house burning down, arranging for that to happen for a fee for putting it out, 4. fires spreading dangerously because fire can spread to other buildings if not put out. Right now, they are just letting houses and barns burn with the inhabitants inside, which is bad enough, but it gets worse. Trust me. It's been done before.

* Re: privatizing Libraries. Libraries exist to give access to books for low income people. you stifle literacy if you limit access. Libraries are like schools: you need them if you want everyone to have a chance at college and/or better paying jobs.

* (RM found): "Imam’s Wife Tells of Death Threats:" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/nyregion/04daisy.html?_r=1

* I think this is brilliant, though it likely won't mean as much if you don't read the comic: http://www.otherpeoplesbusiness.net/comics/06pg24.gif

* O.o http://www.slowwave.com/Img/s10/sw100925pol.jpg

(no subject)

* Happy Birthday, RM!

* Today I'm back in swimming. Tomorrow is flu shot. The construction just to the north of me has expanded to the point it;'s nearly impossible to get home from Trader Joe's etc.. They have torn down that weird triangular diner to make a turn lane. The wind came in hard off the Bay, bringing the rains back. Proper fall weather reasserts itself. I got all the errands done today, but settled the cats so late phone calls got put off. I wore the rifle coat for the first time this season.

* (RM found, "Teacher Reassigned For Coming Out": http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/10/04/Teacher_Reassigned_For_Coming_Out_to_Student/

Kids ask personal questions all the time. They want to know if you have kids, if you are married/dating/etc., what your religion is, who you voted for. Kids noticed which car was mine and saw my bumper stickers. This plus my not letting them use gay to mean stupid lead to a general assumption about my sexuality by the middle schoolers, but they generally did not ask outright. Instead, they simply stopped asking if I was married, though they still asked about kids and religion. I answered direct questions about religion and party affiliation with an explanation of my ethical reasons not to tell them. I answered questions about children with a thing on how expensive children are and how I could not afford them. (They did not need to know the other equally true reasons.) I answered the vegetarian question with the environmental reasons and not the equally true religious ones. I did not lie to the kids, but I didn't always give them the whole truth. Each teacher has to make the "How much information about my personal life am I willing to share?" decision on their own. There are too many factors: ethical, professional, personal for there ever to be one right answer. Everyone draws their own boundary lines. My feeling is, that if a straight teacher wouldn't be punished for answering a question like that, then neither should a gay teacher. I see nothing wrong with his answer. The answer looked honest and age appropriate to ,me, with no TMI.

Having me around meant the LGBT kids felt safer. (Yes, we had a few trans middle schoolers). It meant kids knew there was one place in their day they weren't going to be hassled for sure. I could not discuss the rather more complicated things going on with me, because it was way too much to drag in, but letting them make their assumptions meant they still had a queer adult they liked and respected whatever their gender or orientations. I figure that was good for all of them, even if they were reading my particular flavor of queer wrong. I knew damned well the union wouldn't protect me if parents came with bullhorns and picket signs and i was barely subsisting as it was. Not the bravest, I know, but if I had been what the kids thought I was and had union protection, I'm pretty sure I would have chosen differently.

* Re: Privatizing fire departments. They are letting houses and barns burn in for-profit areas. There's a reason fire departments need to be publicly funded. Other countries and other times have tried private fire companies. You get things like: 1. competing fire companies brawling over who puts out the fire for pay on site instead of putting out the fire. 2. fire departments working as protection rackets. 3. People who have a vested interest in your house burning down, arranging for that to happen for a fee for putting it out, 4. fires spreading dangerously because fire can spread to other buildings if not put out. Right now, they are just letting houses and barns burn with the inhabitants inside, which is bad enough, but it gets worse. Trust me. It's been done before.

* Re: privatizing Libraries. Libraries exist to give access to books for low income people. you stifle literacy if you limit access. Libraries are like schools: you need them if you want everyone to have a chance at college and/or better paying jobs.

* (RM found): "Imam’s Wife Tells of Death Threats:" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/nyregion/04daisy.html?_r=1

* I think this is brilliant, though it likely won't mean as much if you don't read the comic: http://www.otherpeoplesbusiness.net/comics/06pg24.gif

* O.o http://www.slowwave.com/Img/s10/sw100925pol.jpg