September 11
My friend writes that she has no interest in keeping “deathaversaries”, it being a “ghoulish, masochistic and punishing habit”. She is right, of course. I don’t keep them intentionally. Yet sometimes death has it’s way of tapping you on the shoulder, reminding you that the life you are so immersed in [...]
This is Amina Filali. She was sixteen years old. She is dead. She is dead because she ate rat poison. She ate rat poison because her life had become intolerable. Her life had become intolerable because she was forced to marry her rapist, and he starved her and beat her regularly.
Quite possibly he did [...]
I am not generally in favor of censorship. In fact, I am deeply committed both to freedom of expression and access to information. Especially in literature! But if there is one author that makes me question this, it is Ayn Rand. I recently donated some books to a local school. They had been gifted to [...]
Originally published at http://handthatfeedsyou.blogspot.com
Welcome to Kochistan part 2. The Women of Kochistan.
The other day my daughter came in from the back porch to tell me there were two ladies outside—and she had no idea what they wanted. Having some idea, I wiped my hands on my apron and came out onto the [...]
So. This debt ceiling business. The stakes are very high. Not that the republicans will let the US government default on our debt. They won’t. Because the rich people that have bought and paid for this congress will not allow us to default. It would be bad for them. The real risk is that they [...]
When I was a little girl, my family lived in Washington DC. Most of the people we knew were in some way involved in the government. So the idea of government was never some giant amorphous “other” to me. It was a meta- being comprised of people very like those in my immediate circle. Smart, [...]
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Gift From The Taliban
The very worst things that happen to us may well hold the keys to our destiny. Life is often a difficult teacher. The pain of our crises might feel unbearable, especially if we are wronged and see ourselves as victims of injustice. Of course the pain of recognizing our own responsibility in our personal dramas can be devastating too. Yet an unflinc ...Looking to Biology for Good Ideas
Here’s a thought. Let’s look at the miracles around us–the functional biological system–for ideas on how to organize energy use, economies, and other–dare I say it?–living systems we are imbeded in. 00
Reason for Hope?
Thank you, Tara Lohan for some reasons to hope. Heaven knows we need them. 00
Taking Back Our Delusional Democracy: part 2
So I finally finished Joel Hirschhorn’s Delusional Democracy a few weeks ago. Been trying to synthesize it. Essentially his plan for returning democracy to the United States involves launching a third party into existence—with a platform of returning government to the people. This, in his view, has the potential of uniting the underreprese ...
The True Cost of Minimum Wages: $49/year?
You know the argument that if big companies like Wal Mart paid good wages or paid taxes that everyone would suffer rising prices and there would be inevitable job losses? A new study shows this argument is crap. 00
Can you light your tap water on fire? Gasland, the movie.
Not long ago, a friend asked me if I had seen Gasland by Josh Fox—wondered what I thought of it. So I watched it. Amazing—beautiful film. Disturbing, of course. It is a documentary about the natural gas ind ustry and what happens when they take the gas out of the ground. The process is called hydraulic fracture, or fracking. Basically ...
UK Uncut Provides Model for Action
Well. This might be a good model for “open source protest”. We need some kind of map. UK Uncut Article on Alternet.org 00
Raise. Taxes. Dammit.
Thank you Grey–this, exactly is what we need to be saying. Over and over and over. http://handthatfeedsyou.blogspot.com/2011/04/raise-taxes-dammit.html 00
The Mortgage Crisis Dwarfs Almost Everything
Just in case you had forgotten this, or have become distracted by wars and nuclear accidents and such, this is still really happening. And we are framing it THE WRONG WAY. Wake up, people. The GOP is NOT being fiscally responsible. They are stealing. From us. Big. http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011031331/time-you-read-why-mortgag ...
When Facts Are Not Enough–Treating Mass Psychosis
Useful thoughts on the limited value of facts when trying to persuade or inspire…. http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/when-facts-are-not-enough-treating-mass-psychosis 00
