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Jun. 10th, 2011 04:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* There are people now claiming that Anthony Weiner have consensual cyber sex is the worst thing any one has even done in Congress. Really? REALLY? I mean yes, it's sad for his wife, but I'm not seeing how it's worse than say, soliciting sex from underaged boys (Mark Foley), all the indictable waves of financial shenanigans that have happened repeatedly in my life time and stretching all the way back through the whole history of congress, or the folks that joined the confederacy, or.... yeah. I am confused about how dirty internet chat is worse than, than a variety of things happened in the last five years, let alone the whole history of Congress. I'm not convinced it's the worse thing that has happened in the last six months. Sigh. If people have such severe Altzhiemers that they can't remember the events of the last six months, they should likely be in care, not writing columns in news papers or serving in Congress.
For the record, I dislike lies. I have always disliked lies, but I am realist, and if everyone who ever lied about anything were kicked out of office, there would be no one left to govern. At least Anthony Wiener's lie only harmed one person. he didn't lie to start a war that has lead to the ongoing death and maiming of Americans and Iraqis, for example. His lie has not been in support of robbing women in poverty from cancer screening and life saving treatments, like has happened just recently. Anthony Wiener's lie was personal. I covered up no crime. It is extremely unlikely to kill anybody. I'm disappointed in him, I'm glad I'm not dating him, but it's so much less dangerous than a humungous list of policy related lies I've written about here.
I am now officially as bored with Antony's wiener as I am with Arnold's schlong and Tiger's wood.
* Sherman Alexie on the YA kerfluffle: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/
"Does Ms. Gurdon honestly believe that a sexually explicit YA novel might somehow traumatize a teen mother? Does she believe that a YA novel about murder and rape will somehow shock a teenager whose life has been damaged by murder and rape? Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?"
* More stuff I said on the YA kerfluffle BPAL thread:
I don't think publishers should be censoring this stuff. I do think adults (parents teachers, etc.), should talk to the young people reading if there is concern about the book or the maturity of the young person, but I was reading John Varley in third grade, and I do not think my reading a mix of adult, YA, theoretically age appropriate stuff did me any harm. My father tried to exercise some censorship, but i was way too bright for this to work. My Mother had an open door policy, and i could discuss anything that was of concern in my reading with her. When I read Fountainhead in 7th or 8th grade, Mom and I had a lot of conversations about the ideas in it. I thought things through, and you will note I am not a member of the Tea Party. Far from it.
My point is, young people take all kinds of things out of books. they don't automatically agree with things they read. They think about things. They talk about them. They work things through. Reading a book about a teenager with a drinking problem doesn't mean that kid will think it's a good idea to have one of their own and it could give them a heads up that a friend may be in trouble. Being exposed to Twilight doesn't mean a kid will want a scary stalker pedophile boyfriend of her own. She may look at that and think, "something's really wrong here." Individual human beings vary at any age. I think conversation and education are the answer, not hiding our heads in the sand.
Keep in mind the traditional stuff can get pretty dark. After all, my middle school taught Lord of the Flies. My high school taught Ethan Frome, Their Eyes Were Watching God, et al.. We had books with adultery, suicide, torture, domestic abuse, people surviving or failing to survive racism, war, grief, etc..
All this panic over what young people are reading fails to take into account that they 1. routinely read adult literature as well as YA or Middle school books and always have, 2. they watch stuff significantly hard core in movies or TV, 3. not only is it likely high school students already know people dealing with things like self harm, eating disorders, discrimination, substance use, sex, and sexuality, but we're finding kindergarteners with eating disorders and middle schoolers cutting, coming to school drunk or high, etc..
* A thing on cisgender privilege I'm mostly linking so I can find it tomorrow: http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Cisgender_privilege
* I know people are angry Anderson Cooper isn't more out, but he does excellent reporting of LGB issues and appears publicly with his partner at formal events. He is out, but he doesn't discuss his personal life, which I think is his right. Yes, it would be cool if he periodically referenced his sexuality or partner on the air where it has bearing, but very few news casters do. How private he wants the details of his personal life to be is his business.
* You know, I don't think Mr. Steel was a particularly good RNC chairman, and I usually disagree with him on policy, but I do respect him for standing up to the party when he thinks the group think is wrong, and I am consistently impressed by his willingness to talk to reporters outside the conservative propaganda bubble.
* I barely knew who Norm MacDonald was before he got that comedy Central Show, but now I hate him. Does he ever say anything that isn't racist or sexist? I ask because his commercials and the bits I see if I change the channel at the wrong time seem to indicate that he's a Daniel Tosh level waste of skin.
* A follow up on the intended closing of the incredible and unique Catherine Ferguson school in Detroit: Despite their high graduation rate and college admittance success, the dictatorial Emergency manager appointed by the governor to abolish the school board, is closing the school as part of his plan to "fix" Detroit schools. Presumably the Republican idea of "fixing" is to go back to the old staus quo where teenaged girls in poverty with children drop out of school. After all, you really have to keep these women in deep poverty and ignorance if you want to stop them from voting or succeeding.
They keep saying we shouldn't punish success, but that's exactly what they are doing here.
* box_in_box has found a good cause: http://box-in-the-box.livejournal.com/511873.html
* Only a short time left to break the hair cut tie: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1134141.html
* They are taking Hollowstone orders at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hollowstone-Dennis-R-Upkins-Jr/dp/1463504373/ref=lh_ni_t
* More Hollowstone virtual book tour: http://cypheroftyr.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/next-up-we-host-dennis-upkins-for-a-spell-on-his-hollowstone-book-tour/
* Snerk: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/361582.html
* I know I usually site the extreme anti-gay opinions when I'm asked why I hate Santorum so much, but there are other reasons he's a terrible human being. Mr. O'Donnell did a good job explaining one of the others: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43348296#43348296
* I know I mentioned that Mitt Romney's argument that his business experience downsizing people will magically do the opposite if he's elected is bizarre, but Colbert did a lovely in depth skewering of him because of this, so I'm linking it: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/389132/june-09-2011/the-word---the-business-end
For the record, I dislike lies. I have always disliked lies, but I am realist, and if everyone who ever lied about anything were kicked out of office, there would be no one left to govern. At least Anthony Wiener's lie only harmed one person. he didn't lie to start a war that has lead to the ongoing death and maiming of Americans and Iraqis, for example. His lie has not been in support of robbing women in poverty from cancer screening and life saving treatments, like has happened just recently. Anthony Wiener's lie was personal. I covered up no crime. It is extremely unlikely to kill anybody. I'm disappointed in him, I'm glad I'm not dating him, but it's so much less dangerous than a humungous list of policy related lies I've written about here.
I am now officially as bored with Antony's wiener as I am with Arnold's schlong and Tiger's wood.
* Sherman Alexie on the YA kerfluffle: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/
"Does Ms. Gurdon honestly believe that a sexually explicit YA novel might somehow traumatize a teen mother? Does she believe that a YA novel about murder and rape will somehow shock a teenager whose life has been damaged by murder and rape? Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?"
* More stuff I said on the YA kerfluffle BPAL thread:
I don't think publishers should be censoring this stuff. I do think adults (parents teachers, etc.), should talk to the young people reading if there is concern about the book or the maturity of the young person, but I was reading John Varley in third grade, and I do not think my reading a mix of adult, YA, theoretically age appropriate stuff did me any harm. My father tried to exercise some censorship, but i was way too bright for this to work. My Mother had an open door policy, and i could discuss anything that was of concern in my reading with her. When I read Fountainhead in 7th or 8th grade, Mom and I had a lot of conversations about the ideas in it. I thought things through, and you will note I am not a member of the Tea Party. Far from it.
My point is, young people take all kinds of things out of books. they don't automatically agree with things they read. They think about things. They talk about them. They work things through. Reading a book about a teenager with a drinking problem doesn't mean that kid will think it's a good idea to have one of their own and it could give them a heads up that a friend may be in trouble. Being exposed to Twilight doesn't mean a kid will want a scary stalker pedophile boyfriend of her own. She may look at that and think, "something's really wrong here." Individual human beings vary at any age. I think conversation and education are the answer, not hiding our heads in the sand.
Keep in mind the traditional stuff can get pretty dark. After all, my middle school taught Lord of the Flies. My high school taught Ethan Frome, Their Eyes Were Watching God, et al.. We had books with adultery, suicide, torture, domestic abuse, people surviving or failing to survive racism, war, grief, etc..
All this panic over what young people are reading fails to take into account that they 1. routinely read adult literature as well as YA or Middle school books and always have, 2. they watch stuff significantly hard core in movies or TV, 3. not only is it likely high school students already know people dealing with things like self harm, eating disorders, discrimination, substance use, sex, and sexuality, but we're finding kindergarteners with eating disorders and middle schoolers cutting, coming to school drunk or high, etc..
* A thing on cisgender privilege I'm mostly linking so I can find it tomorrow: http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Cisgender_privilege
* I know people are angry Anderson Cooper isn't more out, but he does excellent reporting of LGB issues and appears publicly with his partner at formal events. He is out, but he doesn't discuss his personal life, which I think is his right. Yes, it would be cool if he periodically referenced his sexuality or partner on the air where it has bearing, but very few news casters do. How private he wants the details of his personal life to be is his business.
* You know, I don't think Mr. Steel was a particularly good RNC chairman, and I usually disagree with him on policy, but I do respect him for standing up to the party when he thinks the group think is wrong, and I am consistently impressed by his willingness to talk to reporters outside the conservative propaganda bubble.
* I barely knew who Norm MacDonald was before he got that comedy Central Show, but now I hate him. Does he ever say anything that isn't racist or sexist? I ask because his commercials and the bits I see if I change the channel at the wrong time seem to indicate that he's a Daniel Tosh level waste of skin.
* A follow up on the intended closing of the incredible and unique Catherine Ferguson school in Detroit: Despite their high graduation rate and college admittance success, the dictatorial Emergency manager appointed by the governor to abolish the school board, is closing the school as part of his plan to "fix" Detroit schools. Presumably the Republican idea of "fixing" is to go back to the old staus quo where teenaged girls in poverty with children drop out of school. After all, you really have to keep these women in deep poverty and ignorance if you want to stop them from voting or succeeding.
They keep saying we shouldn't punish success, but that's exactly what they are doing here.
* box_in_box has found a good cause: http://box-in-the-box.livejournal.com/511873.html
* Only a short time left to break the hair cut tie: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1134141.html
* They are taking Hollowstone orders at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hollowstone-Dennis-R-Upkins-Jr/dp/1463504373/ref=lh_ni_t
* More Hollowstone virtual book tour: http://cypheroftyr.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/next-up-we-host-dennis-upkins-for-a-spell-on-his-hollowstone-book-tour/
* Snerk: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/361582.html
* I know I usually site the extreme anti-gay opinions when I'm asked why I hate Santorum so much, but there are other reasons he's a terrible human being. Mr. O'Donnell did a good job explaining one of the others: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43348296#43348296
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* I know I mentioned that Mitt Romney's argument that his business experience downsizing people will magically do the opposite if he's elected is bizarre, but Colbert did a lovely in depth skewering of him because of this, so I'm linking it: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/389132/june-09-2011/the-word---the-business-end