Political Correctness Is Not The Issue

CN: Donald Trump (because I’m giving him his own content note), political rant

I have NPR radio call-in outrage again.

It was a political story, and the caller didn’t say anything new. Maybe it was the way the host introduced the self-identified Republican by thanking him for his bravery for calling into public radio (WTF? – don’t encourage that tribalistic BS), maybe it was the verbal swagger of the guy as he ‘splained stuff to us “pretty leftish” listeners. Continue reading “Political Correctness Is Not The Issue”

Political Correctness Is Not The Issue
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Republicans Think Republicans Are Clueless

Earlier this week on TRMS, Rachel Maddow did a segment on how a few Republican politicians have been caught catering to the anti-science anti-vaccination position. Chris Christie and Rand Paul were the main offenders of this piece, but Rachel also drew a parallel between their anti-vax attitude and Michelle Bachmann’s 2012 post-Republican debate debacle in which MB shared an anecdote about a woman who said that her daughter developed mental retardation after getting the HPV vaccine. She got smacked down by everyone for that – even Rush Limbaugh! If you’re a right week nut and you can’t even get Rush Limbaugh on board, then maybe you should rethink your life position. Continue reading “Republicans Think Republicans Are Clueless”

Republicans Think Republicans Are Clueless

Dammit, Justice Scalia.

Last Wednesday WashingtonTimes.com reported on Justice Scalia’s recent speaking engagement at Colorado Christian University. And boy did he have a lot to say. From the Washington Times:

“I think the main fight is to dissuade Americans from what the secularists are trying to persuade them to be true: that the separation of church and state means that the government cannot favor religion over nonreligion,” Justice Scalia said.

“That’s a possible way to run a political system. The Europeans run it that way,” Justice Scalia said. “And if the American people want to do it, I suppose they can enact that by statute. But to say that’s what the Constitution requires is utterly absurd.”

Ascuze me?

Continue reading “Dammit, Justice Scalia.”

Dammit, Justice Scalia.

Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013

We’ve seen a lot – a LOT – of legislation introduced at the state and federal levels that have been designed to limit people’s access to safe, legal abortion. With Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme court disallowed many types of restrictions that would prohibit people from obtaining abortions. But as we have seen in the past several years, anti-abortion proselytizers have found and abused a major loophole: while still allowing legal abortion, it has been possible to limit access to abortion by closing down abortion clinics via regulatory technicalities. Their hope is that by making abortions harder to obtain, there will be fewer abortions. The laws in which these technicalities are housed are referred to by pro-choice advocates as Targeted Regulation of Abortion Clinics, or TRAP laws.

Continue reading “Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013”

Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013

Women's Health Protection Act of 2013

We’ve seen a lot – a LOT – of legislation introduced at the state and federal levels that have been designed to limit people’s access to safe, legal abortion. With Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme court disallowed many types of restrictions that would prohibit people from obtaining abortions. But as we have seen in the past several years, anti-abortion proselytizers have found and abused a major loophole: while still allowing legal abortion, it has been possible to limit access to abortion by closing down abortion clinics via regulatory technicalities. Their hope is that by making abortions harder to obtain, there will be fewer abortions. The laws in which these technicalities are housed are referred to by pro-choice advocates as Targeted Regulation of Abortion Clinics, or TRAP laws.

Continue reading “Women's Health Protection Act of 2013”

Women's Health Protection Act of 2013

Absentee Voting

This November 6th marks the first time that I will be out of my precinct during general elections. I freaked out a bit when I realized this yesterday; I have never done absentee voting. Since the election is less than two weeks away my first thought was that I’d be too late to turn around a mail-in ballot. But a Google search for “Absentee Voting Minneapolis” gave me all the information I needed to make a decision about how to cast my absentee vote.

I chose to vote in person at Minneapolis City Hall. The Hubby has the week off, so he agreed to drive me downtown today. I could have easily taken public transportation, but this helped save me a few precious minutes so I could get down there, vote, and get to work on time.

I walked into City Hall and was immediately helped by one of the election office clerks. She had me fill out a brief absentee ballot application, then gave me my ballot and a manila envelope. I went to the privacy booth, marked my choices, sealed the ballot in the envelope and returned to the desk. The clerk then placed the manila envelope containing my ballot into a second envelope that was marked with my absentee voter information and filed it away until it can be counted (I think she mentioned they start tabulating votes after 5pm on Friday 11/2/12).

For me, this was a super easy process. Don’t be afraid to vote absentee! You do not have to be pre-registered. If you need a non-traditional voting alternative, do check out your local options.

Seeing the ballot was a bit surreal. I was especially struck by the Constitutional Amendment sections. Seeing the language on the ballot that I have been speaking about with friends and family and strangers for the past several months made my heart skip. There it was – the moment when I was able to make my stand on issues that I feel so strongly about. It was all I could do to keep from driving my pen through the paper as I covered every millimeter of the NO circles with dark black ink.

It was moving. Even as an activist who works to dispel this myth, some days in the far back corner of my mind I hear a whisper that tells me I can’t make a difference. But today there was no whisper. I felt empowered and I felt that my voice would be heard. Because I know that there are a lot of our voices out there. I felt connected to all of you who will join me in voting against discrimination in the next week and a half. This election cycle we’re going to make history.

Absentee Voting

Stay Classy, Senator Dan Hall

Dan Hall is a Minnesota state senator representing District 40, which includes areas of Burnsville and Bloomington. He’s a Republican and was one of 38 senators to co-sponsor and support MN SF 1308, the constitutional amendment to recognize marriage solely between one man and one woman.

Attempting to restrict the rights of the people you represent  is gross. Thumbing your nose at them on Twitter using your professional account is just plain nasty:

Get that? If you plan on voting no on Senator Hall’s constitutional amendment you’re not a Real American™. Because implying that your constituents who disagree with you are anti-American is AWESOME. And professional. And a viewpoint I’m looking for in a government representative and civil servant.

And he hasn’t taken it down! A later tweet says “Everyone seems touchy when I give them my observation. U read into it what U want, but no one is calling anyone unpatriotic.”

You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course no elected official in this day and age would accuse another US citizen of being un-American, right?

Stay Classy, Senator Dan Hall

6 O'Clock BS – Carpooling

6 O’Clock BS – Today I learned about China.

I have a new carpool mate. I love carpools because I drive about 45 miles round-trip every day and sharing the ride (and the gas) is convenient. I hate carpools because you don’t always end up with the carpool mate you’d like. I like carpools because I get one to three additional cars off of the road, and that’s good for the environment and the roads. I hate carpools because I don’t get to listen to my atheist/skeptic/political podcasts.

My first carpool ever was with two young male professionals. One was laid back and casual, in that professional, don’t share too much way. The other lived for Jesus. He was young, hip, a bit of a goof and very friendly; we got along rather well all things considered. But he tried to get us to listen to bible readings (“It’s totally cool if you don’t want to, but it’s what I usually listen to during my drive and I think they make interesting stories and good conversation). He also believes in the whole “wife is to husband as husband is to god” family dynamic. His family believes that it is his wife’s place and responsibility to share her opinions and knowledge with her husband, but that ultimately it is his responsibility to make final decisions. He and his wife don’t use birth control; they believe that god will send them as many children as he sees fit. They’re up to four now. These are not ideas I can overlook in a friend, and when the carpool eventually ended it was a bit of a relief.

Continue reading “6 O'Clock BS – Carpooling”

6 O'Clock BS – Carpooling

6 O’Clock BS – Carpooling

6 O’Clock BS – Today I learned about China.

I have a new carpool mate. I love carpools because I drive about 45 miles round-trip every day and sharing the ride (and the gas) is convenient. I hate carpools because you don’t always end up with the carpool mate you’d like. I like carpools because I get one to three additional cars off of the road, and that’s good for the environment and the roads. I hate carpools because I don’t get to listen to my atheist/skeptic/political podcasts.

My first carpool ever was with two young male professionals. One was laid back and casual, in that professional, don’t share too much way. The other lived for Jesus. He was young, hip, a bit of a goof and very friendly; we got along rather well all things considered. But he tried to get us to listen to bible readings (“It’s totally cool if you don’t want to, but it’s what I usually listen to during my drive and I think they make interesting stories and good conversation). He also believes in the whole “wife is to husband as husband is to god” family dynamic. His family believes that it is his wife’s place and responsibility to share her opinions and knowledge with her husband, but that ultimately it is his responsibility to make final decisions. He and his wife don’t use birth control; they believe that god will send them as many children as he sees fit. They’re up to four now. These are not ideas I can overlook in a friend, and when the carpool eventually ended it was a bit of a relief.

Continue reading “6 O’Clock BS – Carpooling”

6 O’Clock BS – Carpooling

6 O'Clock BS – Work Silliness

Today’s 6 O’Clock BS centers around silly work stuff:

Another edition of “Scientists Know How To Have A Good Time”

I was reading an article from Clinical Chemistry (45: 616-618, 1999) and thought this was a funny sentence:

“We enjoyed reading the interesting article entitled, “False increase in C-reactive protein attributable to heterophilic antibodies in two renal transplant patients treated with rabbit antilymphocyte globulin”, by Benoist et al. (1) in this Journal.”

Because who wouldn’t enjoy reading that? Enjoyable and interesting. I looked it up; you guys don’t know what you’re missing. Boogie down y’all.

Another edition of “Things That Don’t Go Over Too Well” 

“There’s a little bit more of art than science to these things.” – HR guy trying to roll out a new performance review program to a room full of scientists.

Another edition of “I <3 Gary Trudeau So Freaking Much”

Okay, I couldn’t find a way to tie this one into the work theme…Oh wait – I read the comic during work and comics are silly = work silliness! We’re good to go. Except, this one isn’t funny or silly. This week Trudeau is running a series that points out how not-silly the beating up of a gay kid by a presidential candidate is, and how pathetic said candidate’s runaround with the press has been:

Visit the Doonesbury website for the rest of this week’s strips.

6 O'Clock BS – Work Silliness