Ranting
Dear credit card company, bank, security-code-generating people,
I hope you are aware that when you ask me what my mother's maiden name is, you assume that my mother was a) married and b) chose to change her name. Neither seem to be a pre-requisite for reproducing. I wish you could find a better question that doesn't assume marriage is the normal state for child-rearing.
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When people call a political group a "third party" or "third party candidate," it seems as if it is assumed that this party or candidate is marginal, tertiary...not part of the usual routine. This annoys me because this language, though standard, promotes the commonplace-ness / the normalness of our "two-party" system.
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My brother murders small animals for fun. He does this as a hobby. He traps animals for their fur. He does things to animals that would most likely make him buddies with serial killers.
Eric (my brother) caught a badger today. My father marvelled at how beautiful and lush the badger's fur was. I think we can marvel at the beauty of a badger from a distance, and the badger can keep it's fur coat. My father relayed this story to me: Eric got a new toy which allows him to strangle-to-death (fun, fun, fun) the creatures he's trapped. Eric used to bludgeon to death the animals caught in his traps. Strangling is much more efficient. Badgers have short, stocky necks. Eric strangled this badger he'd caught, and thinking the animal was dead, put it in the back of his truck. The badger, apparently only having been stunned, awoke, and freed from the trap, was struggling to get out of the back of the truck. Eric had to shoot the badger in the head.
(I secretly hope that some day a rabbid badger chews off my brother's testicles.) I think there would be justice in this.
I've asked my father to never tell me about my brother's fur-trapping exploits, ever.
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A few days ago, my coworker told me a story about Zimbabwe. Because of the terrible inflation and turmoil in the country, people have to wait in long lines at banks, in hopes to withdraw money so they can buy a little bread or some corn for the day. Men and women formed segregating lines, while waiting their turn at the bank.
Why is this? The women were annoyed and frightened at the men who would pinch their breasts and butts. Men were known to rub their penises on women.
I like to think about how I would respond to certain uncomfortable situations: if a man were to rub his penis on me in a public place, uninvited, I think I would point at him, very obviously, and mock him. I might mock him for how tiny a penis he has, very loudly, so everyone in the area could hear. I hope everyone would see him, see his fly down, see his uncomfortable reaction to me pointing, see my seriousness.
A luxurily like this, though, is probably only available in a safe society, where women aren't marginalized, where it is safe to raise your voice. I'd bet women in Zimbabwe aren't feeling very safe or empowered at the moment............... not when you're worried if you'll be able to get your next meal.
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I consumed 1,900 calories today. I can't believe I pigged out so much. I had a glorious salad (though calorie dense) at the Flat Branch pub.
I burned 400 calories at the gym. So, I don't feel too ashamed with myself.
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I checked out the election map in ND. The places that went democrat were the counties with Native American Indian Reservations (Benson County, my home county, included), and the counties with major cities. My father and I talked about the election. I am really impressed that a Native made it onto the board of County Commissioners for Benson County. This is significant because this person beat the incumbant, who is friends with my grandfather, who is also a BC-CC. This is also neat because a significant portion of the community that hasn't previously had a direct voice on the board will now have a voice. It's a good thing.
But, I wonder if this is racist, that I feel this way, because I noted/noticed that this person was Native.
I suppose I notice when a female scientist gives a talk, or is visible in her field. But it's different, because I'm part of that minority community. I don't think that's sexist.
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I like that my father got California's proposition 8 and proposition 2 mixed around in his mind. It means he's trying to pay attention. :P I like to think that all the uncomfortable debates I had with my family when I was in my late teens / early 20s made some sort of impact. :P
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I said goodbye to a coworker today. She's off to start a post-doc ................. I've claimed two of her tube racks. Muahahahaha. They are mine, all mine!
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I had a great conversation with my semi-ex-mother-in-law tonight, over supper.