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May 12
'Elitist' Tag Knocks Education
I think this article is right on.  The country has enough real challenges without Fox News (and, until recently, the Clintons) perpetuating the old lie that education is for nerds and out-of-touch people.
May 11
(via roseann) This is true.  I had an Obama pin on while canvassing.  It was one of the last out there.  Most people only had stickers.  One guy offered to buy the pin from me for $10 and I turned him down. 

(via roseann)

This is true.  I had an Obama pin on while canvassing.  It was one of the last out there.  Most people only had stickers.  One guy offered to buy the pin from me for $10 and I turned him down. 

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OpenOffice just changed “naive” to “naïve” for me.  Then its spellcheck objected to “naïve” and asked if I had perhaps meant to write “naive.”
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Hillary Clinton’s message top the superdelegates, according to Saturday Night Live.
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“ Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Moses, to God in Numbers 11:11-15 

Today is Pentacost.  In the spirit of tongues and flames and other things that catch us by surprise, I thought I’d share this passage.  Moses’s distressed deathwish typically doesn’t make it into Bible Stories for the Kids.  Still, I think this is an important passage because a lot of people assume that faith requires either having all the answers or not caring about the questions.  Christianity is often viewed (both by those within the church and those without) as inconsistent with doubt and inquiry.  Yet here is Moses having a horrible time of it and shouting at God.  God answers—though the full answer raises some other questions.

May 10
“ How did everyone all of a sudden become an armchair political enthusiast?”

Another Unreliable Witness: on democracy

I’ll post more on this later—but the short answer is that a lot of young people finally saw a candidate they could be excited about. A lot of politics has involved alienating whomever you need to alienate to get past 50% of the votes.  Obama seems to genuinely respect people across the political spectrum who disagree with him.  These people in turn respect him—and for the first time a lot of us feel we have an opportunity to have a meaningful political voice.  We have a candidate who isn’t the lesser of two evils.

The amazing thing is that it’s not “armchair political enthusiasm.”  People are actually getting involved in tangible ways.  For some that means blogging.  This is, perhaps, not the most effective way to get involved in a campaign—but it’s still a way to exercise political muscle.  For others, it means donating money.  Obama’s campaign has passed its 1.5 millionth donor.  (And it’s primary season.)  Many are traveling, organizing, knocking on doors.  The entire political landscape in the country is changing.
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What is the most erotic word in the English language?

bunnynico: abscond (with friends and relatives offering smock, viral, and aplomb)

johnbrissenden:  unbutton

Carolyn offers susurration.

I’ll suggest toussled. 

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“ 4”

# of Superdelegates whose support the Obama has announced today.

Add that to the three added yesterday. This thing is finally coming to a close.

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Mills on Madness
Mills writes eloquently that the claim that mental illness is a social or governmental construct to stiffle originality or enforce a social order results in untreated mental illness that leads to people mentally crippled or dead.  “Mad Pride” sounds pretty—but the cost in lives is too high for an attractive bit of rhetoric.
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Is It Time to Invade Burma? - TIME

What do you think? Good idea? Bad Idea?

I think it’s a bad idea right now—but I would’t categorically rule out military support of humanitarian relief. (John, I’ll put you down for “categorically bad idea.”)