Posted in links, nerd, politics on May 24, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Paul Krugman has an interesting column in the NYT about this election and geek civilization– he uses the term “culture,” but in the context of the article, and considering the ways in which geeks commune, sharing information and identity on the internet, I think “civilization” more properly captures the contrast with anti-intellectuals who disdain individual [...]
Posted in Deep Thoughts, government, lawyer, links, politics on April 7, 2008 | 12 Comments »
There’s an interesting article in the NYT about former prisoners and the operation of what used to be termed “halfway houses.” Underlying the entire article is the assumption that we want our former prisoners to do well– to succeed upon release, to integrate back into the community– and that this is why these places [...]
Posted in bipolar, links, meds, politics on April 4, 2008 | 2 Comments »
It’s hard to be a historical figure and share any day with MLK, but here’s one worth noting, thanks to today’s Writer’s Almanac– Dorothea Dix, crusader for the humane treatment of the indigent mentally ill.
Posted in Deep Thoughts, government, links, politics on April 3, 2008 | 12 Comments »
Today is the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination. You can find a partial archive of his speeches and video and audio clips, here and here. Link to The King Center, here.
For the transcript and audio of Robert F. Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis about Dr. King’s death, click here.
For Nelson Mandela’s Acceptance Speech [...]
Posted in government, links, politics on April 1, 2008 | 8 Comments »
Lucky elitist member of the educated middle class that I am, I can’t imagine joining the military to pay for college. I know that I will earn enough, later on, to pay it off. I can’t imagine joining the military at all, peacenik beneficiary of prior solidiers’ deaths that I am. I’m lucky– I’m smart, [...]
Posted in bipolar, links, medicine, politics, science on March 31, 2008 | 7 Comments »
A detailed review of the Mental Health Parity movement, and the push to make health insurers cover mental illness on par with physical illness. No question where I fall on the larger question, but I’d be interested in reviewing any scientific discussion about the ways to show/prove/test for the existence of hormonal/biochemical mental illnesses such [...]
Posted in links, politics, science on March 31, 2008 | 2 Comments »
There’s an interesting Op-Ed piece in the NYT by a wildlife biologist about the impact of buying local on the fall of the sparrow.
Posted in links, politics on March 21, 2008 | 8 Comments »
What, a gal can’t hope? Yes, I can! Gov. Richardson spoke at my college commencement back during the Clinton administration, and even 40 rows back, he sparkled. I don’t know what it was that decided him, but I am so glad it did.
Posted in Deep Thoughts, memory, meta, poems, politics on March 14, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Four uniformed transit police,
one on a cell phone,
talking to payroll.
Strung out in a thick blue line, looking tough
hands shoved in jacket front pockets,
ready by their holsters .
They’re there to protect–
the kids from themselves,
and us from the kids–
the ones with nothing better to do
than to stab and shoot and beat
using weapons whose cost could have gone [...]
Posted in Deep Thoughts, links, politics on March 13, 2008 | 20 Comments »
Dina Matos McGreevey, the ex-wife of former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, has an interesting Op-Ed piece in the NYT about Silda Spitzer and the decision to stand by her betrayer in a public forum.
Every time this happens, and the longer I’m married, the more outraged I get. Kick the bastard out, I think. He’s dishonored [...]
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