Water as a Human Right
In a recent article in my local paper, Peter Shawn Taylor says that anyone who wants to stop Nestle from draining aquifers doesn’t understand economics and is hostile to capitalism.…
Marie Snyder
Is This the Sixth Estate?
The “Fourth Estate” is an antiquated term for unofficial social and political forces, primarily the media. Use of the term recognized, over two centuries ago, that the media affect social…
Back to Work Boobless
I’m really glad I decided to go back to work part time for a week. I highly recommend that path for anyone getting this surgery. I thought I’d be completely…
Charles Taylor on the Crises of Democracy
Charles Taylor gave a lecture on the “Crises of Democracy” two years ago, as part of a “Civic Freedom in an Age of Diversity” program where he explores the very…
A Genius Kvetching Ring
An article, three years old, was in my facebook feed today. But it was insanely timely. It’s a little lifestyle piece about how to talk to people who are sick…
On Being Useful: a Necessary Shift in Radicalism
“Oh, what can we do in a case like that? Nothing to do but sit on your hat, or your toothbrush, or your grandmother, or anything else that’s useless.“ Those…
Pie and Goldblum on Trump’s Win
Two videos for a Saturday: Jonathan Pie argues that the left is responsible for this result because they’ve given up putting up any argument at all: “Clinton…a candidate who’s been…
On Missing the Girls
“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen (Everyone’s using that bit today,…
HyperNormalisation or Welcome to The Age of Absurdity
I added the subtitle above because this is one trippy film, but it’s important to see (or read this summary in about 15 minutes) after last night. It actually helps…
On the Nature of Gifts and Help
Being helped so much by so many has led me to thinking about the idea of help and of gifts and Derrida’s idea that gifts are impossible in that, in…
On Character
Now that I’ve sufficiently survived surgery physically, the psychological stuff is creeping in. Creeping is apropos. People keep telling me I’m so brave or so strong to go through it…
Preventing Ovarian Cancer Program Logistics
I went down the road to genetic testing all because of a link I noticed on facebook in early May 2015 – just before my 50th birthday, from the POCP.…
Sorry, but You’ve Been Duped into Denial
In the U.S., about 70% believe climate change is real, 35% believe it’s caused by humans, and 16% are worried about it. The 30-minute film, “The Doubt Machine: Inside the…
Before the Flood
First of all, I love that this Leo DiCaprio film, directed by Fisher Stevens, is free to watch everywhere on the National Geographic Channel. (Or was free – I’m not…
Now I’m Trendy, Dammit
The NY Times published a piece last night:“‘Going flat’ after breast cancer,” about the nascent movement towards openly having a boobless chest. And here I thought I was doing something…
Just a Flesh Wound
This is a figuring kind of post wherein I try to make sense of it all. I have all sorts of thoughts about breasts now. I had to get the…
How to Let Go of the World
I was really looking forward to seeing the latest Josh Fox film on fracking. I liked Gasland, and then Chris Hedges gave this film a nod, which means a lot…
One of the Lucky Few?
I’ve been reading other blogs about mastectomies, and the level of pain described makes me feel like someone’s made a huge mistake, and they’ll take off all the bandages to…
And on Recovery in All its Glory
I walked into the O.R. for a three-hour surgery just yesterday, and I feel fine. I’m taking half the pain meds that I’m allowed to take because the pain is…
On Justified Worry
I’m going to be writing more personally for a bit. I have a lot to get off my chest. Literally. I’m getting a double mastectomy today and an oophorectomy for…