jinian | Entries tagged with politics

Now that it's over and I am tremendously relieved and happy, here are two nifty graphical presentations regarding the recent American election.

The Guardian's "America: Elect!" is a comic that animates as you scroll down. Interesting effect, worked okay in the latest Firefox, but doesn't seem to have much provision for screen size.

NPR presents maps by state scaled with ad spending. Poor shrunken Alaska! I wonder how they scaled the states while still maintaining important features of shape; it seems like there must be some intriguing algorithm behind it. Wonder if I have that in FIJI somewhere.

[ETA: Also? Patty Murray fucking rules.]

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/540059.html

We passed it. Solidly. Same-sex marriage is a go in Washington State, by popular vote.

So fucking proud right now.

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/539156.html

My student organization at home sent me email yesterday saying they had information about "differential tuition" -- but it was entirely in video form. The Youtube page had a link to a web page, which had about two additional sentences on it... and then the same video. So I responded:

You guys really need to include full transcripts of all videos. This is an accessibility issue.

The magic buzzword was received, and today I got email back from the communications guy.

... I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for bringing this to our attention. We were unaware of the issue and in the future we will include full transcripts of our videos through YouTube.

We strive to make information accessible to all students and we really apologize for not providing this right away. If there is anything else we can do, please let us know.

We'll see if it actually happens, and really? it never occurred to them that this might be a problem? But I am feeling like a pretty good ally right now.

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/535516.html

With the signing, Washington also becomes the first state in the country to strike down state law that specifically limits marriage to one man and one woman.

Fuck yeah Washington!

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/491994.html

The Washington State Senate has voted 28-21 to pass SB 6239, our marriage equality bill, and I am crying a little. The legislature is the easy part (though the Senate was thought to be the harder half of that), and it's likely to get pretty awful next election. Just the same, this means respect for our human rights, which is a big deal.

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/491466.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/sopa-bill-sent-back-to-the-drawing-board-in-wake-of-internet-protests.html

Go us. However: eternal vigilance!

Crossposts: http://jinian.livejournal.com/489625.html

Because (1) House republicans are ten years old: "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act" is really your idea of an appropriate name for an official government action?

And (2) Rick Santorum is an evil, disgusting man. (Not a surprise at all, sadly, though his sheer brazenness is.)

Headline today: Dicks suddenly in line to lead powerful panel

I had two main interpretations:

(1) An unintentionally hilarious visual. Really, the paper needs to keep a twelve-year-old on staff to determine whether at least the front-page above-fold headlines pass the snicker test. (It had been hastily changed by the time I looked at their web site.)

And (2), a little more figuratively, an illustration of patriarchy as usual. In actuality, of course, it referred to local politician Norm Dicks.

It reminded me of another recent instance of patriarchy as usual that also involved Dick's. I hesitated to post about this one, because I wasn't sure I could convey the menace through the funny, and it's definitely funny. But I'll give it a try.

( Street harassment )
So here's what I was not: Young. Dressed in sexualized, or even really gendered, clothing. In any kind of social situation. And it still happened, and it was still threatening even through the humor. FYI.

(Hi! I disappeared halfway through IBARW! I am still alive, and here are the links I've been squirrelling away.)

1. On being literal, which I am (sometimes to the point of problems):
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200811/joe-and-the-mega-sized-smoothie-language-and-aspergers
(from supergee, I think)

2. On government-organized health care:
http://libertango.livejournal.com/357829.html
from ?

3. Katamari goodness at Boingboing
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/29/katamari-damacy-wedd.html
(needs more cowbear)

4. The stereotype of the fat woman speaks:
http://clawfoot.livejournal.com/896283.html

5. Privilege quiz result:
Y .................................................................................. (+35)
N ...............................................
Some interesting comments at link.

6. Dear NSF,
Learn to do a mail merge already. (m_pig can help!) I do not need to apply for the GRFP again this year because I AM ALREADY AWESOME KTHX.
Love,
K.

7. http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/08/06/the-new-cover/
YAY.

8. http://contexts.org/socimages/2008/05/21/human-interaction-as-chemistry/
Wonderful science-promotion video from the EU.

9. http://notesfromthegeekshow.blogspot.com/2009/08/open-letter-to-john-c-wright.html
A little overwritten, perhaps, which is what I thought of Vellum, but it picks up partway through, which is not.

10. New favorite nonsensical/menacing web command (from Picasa): Sign in to like this photo.

Iowa Supreme Court holds gay marriage ban unconstitutional. The article mentions other ways in which Iowa has led the way in human rights issues, which I didn't know about. Go Iowa go!

reannon has a great roundup of Obama's first 100 hours. People kept coming into classes and labs just grinning, for the whole week. (And it's not all because of the hilarious Fox clip.)

Sure, I already disagree with some of what he said, but YAY for successfully inaugurated President Obama. Now let's all keep kicking ass.

;

I think we got their attention. This was the biggest march I've ever been in. We couldn't all fit outside Westlake Center -- I have no idea how many other people went indoors to get lunch and bathroom breaks like we did, but it was lots. I talked to one of my students, and we kept meeting other people

marzipan_pig knew, who had been at the rally at Volunteer Park, too, and we hadn't run into them at all. By the time we reached Westlake, I could barely see the end of the march up on the hill -- maybe six blocks away -- and we were maybe a third of the way back from the front. Couldn't hear a bit of the speeches, but it was tremendous. The cops estimate 3000 people marched, and there were a whole lot of sympathizers on the sidelines too. (Well, we did go through Capitol Hill for the most part.) So great!

(like a baby stoat)

No wait, even in the busy 5:30 time slot, but so many people are mailing them in now that's not surprising, and it was nearly full. They still had stickers, one of which now lives on my computer -- "farewell to polls I voted 2008".

Now I am home resisting the OBSESSIVE REFRESHING urge. I am so hopeful yet still anxious!

A hectic week has been survived. I got my research proposal draft in to my co-workshoppers on time, and my lab meeting went very well (except that I forgot one thing I shouldn't have). Teaching is going well so far -- one student got really snippy about taking her own sample of some limited material, but I had enough else to do that I was able to just leave her alone the rest of the section.

The U Bookstore finally called me to say Half a Crown was in last night. Acquired at 6pm, finished by 11, made of awesome. I've also now read McKinley's new Chalice, perhaps even more wonderful, and I have the new Gaiman and Cecil Castellucci's Beige as well as the 2008 Best American Science and Nature Writing. Orgy of reading, your time is here!

There's stuff I need to do in the lab this weekend, but I don't feel terribly compelled to do it right this minute. Time emough to sit around with cats and heating pad, and enjoy the high winds sweeping by outside. It's true that our curtains ought not to move when the winds are on the other side of the glass, but I've got blankets.

Recommended reading: "Hey There, Joe Six-Pack" by

copperwise.

It's amazing how productive and domestic one can become when faced with an unrelated deadline, especially when writing this particular grant last year produced vast amounts of frustration. I even post to LJ and answer email!

So are we all just fucking appalled at the terrorism in Ohio, or have people not heard about it? I haven't seen much comment, and I know I am just fucking appalled. How do we get through to these people?

Interesting music videos from

rushthatspeaks may distract you somewhat from previous item.

Slow progress is being made on civilizing the home, with some help from Tom Swift and His Custom Book-Shelves. This is good because soon it will be cold. I'm not at all sure how winter is going to go in this house, considering how cold it's been in here when outside hasn't been that bad.

Bandwagon (via

serenejournal): I'll buy Plan B for women under 18 if asked.

misia points out that thanking the FDA would be a fine thing to do, too. I'm also writing to my senator, Patty Murray, who kicked some extortionate ass in the matter.

From

jeliza: Was the 2004 Election Stolen? in Rolling Stone. I'm glad a more solid media outlet, such as it is, is involved, but I'm feeling awfully disenfranchised (ha fucking ha) about the whole mess.