Yay tiny grannies!

It's good to know that there are some in athletics who are as disturbed by the upcoming Focus on the Family Superbowl ad as I am. Thank you for speaking up, my good sirs.


And fuck you CBS.

Infinite infinitude.

Possibly a breakthrough for my thesis? I think so. Even if you're not planning on banging out dozens of pages about infinity, this is an incredibly fascinating look into the dangerous history of logical incertitude, and the importance of it today. Fitting, I think, for my thesis journey. Especially that danger bit... 'cause now I have myself a thesis on infinity in arts and sciences. Shit.

You'll Be Given Love, But You'll Have to Trust It.

Joss Whedon just got a whole lot more awesome in my eyes. I found this via Sociological Images and Feministing (best logo ever), which give women and men reason after depressing reason to join Joss and others in the fight for equality.

This hits on something I've felt over the past three years, and especially in the last couple months: It's only by shithouse luck (if you'll excuse the expression) that, from the beginning of my college experience, I've fallen in among friends and family whose attitudes are progressive, inclusive, and inherently loving and empowering. It goes beyond just having heroes that represent the unrepresented. It's the implantation of an entire culture that thinks I'm important, not just another pair of tits stuck to a vagina. I shudder to think what might have become of me if I had not stumbled upon these treasures: people who were willing to be patient with me as I groped and faltered my way through the darkness; people who trusted me with their true selves, whether gay, bisexual, transgender, cisgender, or straight; people who will stand with me against the flood of hate.

Whether they know it or not, these people have given me a power that I have never had before.

An enormous part of that power is the comfort of knowing. For instance, I know I will never have to spend my life silently hating the men around me for the unequal way they treat me. I know I will never have to worry how my husband will react if our child turns out to be gay or transgendered. I know I know that the people around me act only to bring more good into the world. These are good things to know.

Another part of that power is getting to have a richer range of experiences as a human being. Unlike generations of women before me (and even, unfortunately, many of the women of my own generation), I will have the pleasure of washing dishes, doing laundry, visiting Planned Parenthood, vacuuming, making decisions, and living alongside my husband, not for him. I hope to be there when Sara and Aly welcome their baby into the world with all the love, pride, and happiness that anyone would on such a momentous occasion. Someday I hope to watch as my transman friend walks down the aisle with his beautiful bride and my dear gays join each other at the altar. Some of it is sad: I will never see the media the same way, and I will spend hours questioning the equality or inequality of each part of Ian's and my wedding ceremony. But let me tell you: I'd rather spend my time loving and being loved than hating, fearing, and discouraging love.

Another cop-out post.

I'm sorry for making yet another "this is awesome and you should look at it" post, but, well, I am busy wrapping up my last paper of the semester, and this is awesome and you should look at it.



Via the ever-wonderful, Cthulu-supported Ectomoplasmosis!. While you're there, don't forget to check out this video, featuring Andrew Bird's song "Eugene" and the douchebag character Quimby the Mouse.

This is the most amazing thing that I've ever seen with my eyes

That shit gotta get posted, son.

Lying Down on the Job

"Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie, from the album The Opposite Side of the Sea


I've loved this song from the very first time I heard it. In addition to beautiful instrumental parts, the lyrics are everything that I wish I could write (but apparently can't. My fiction piece for Intro to Creative Writing last year seems to have been heavily influenced by this song, but I miserably failed capture what Israeli national Lavie spells out so simply). Although the video wasn't what I had imagined through all the times I listened to this song on repeat, I think any sane person would have to agree that it's spectacular in every way (after all, it does star a redhead [Shir Shomron], and we all know how I feel about those). I appreciate that they've put two grown people (the man is Lavie) on a bed without once making it sexual, that they've made it whimsical without being silly, and that they've made it voyeuristic without being prying. All of these serve to underscore the song's sense of love for the subject. Very impressive. The video changed my whole day when I stumbled across it this morning, and I hope it does something similar for you.

What is oozing out of our ground?

Not just around our sun and our moon anymore....

To go along with my earlier post about conspiracy theorists, here's this little ray of sunshine and scientific prowess. Notice the alternative camera angle, the use of "everyone knows" logic, and copiou's u'se of apo'strophe's. Completely infallible – a glittering pedestal of logical aptitude. As she says, "We as a nation have got to ask ourselves, 'What the hell is going on?'" I as a member of that nation do not know.

In defense of love.

I had never heard of Keith Olbermann before tonight when I was shown this video. It sums up all I believe on the subject. Thank you Mr. Olbermann for standing up; you give me hope.

I can't even begin to... no. No, there's nothing to be said.

"My law has just been violated"

Because being up at 12:30 in the morning after being up since 2 the previous morning is not weird enough without CERN breaking my mind. Happy end of the world, everyone!

Sit up, CIA, you're drooling.

William Lamson, what have you done? In the name of art, you have created new ways to, uh, put pressure on people. What terrorist could let this go on for long without confessing?

Perhaps it is not as it seems. Stroll around his site a bit and you'll find that Lamson is maybe not so much about torturing balloon lovers as he is about exploring the life cycles, behaviors, mating habits, and natural enemies of balloons. And bananas. It's a line of work that is almost entirely unappreciated by the scientific world. The wild balloon enjoys little scrutiny by scholars, and, excepting this cutting-edge study of the aquatic balloon species, very little documentation of this quiet and unassuming creature has been completed.



A young balloon performs a bizarre ritual of self-sacrifice, possibly to protect its young (not shown). Photo courtesy of William Lamson and Time Out New York.

Breakfast at Elks 1905.

I know I've been posting a lot of video/linkage content lately, but this one screams to be shared. It's a work of art in all its grungy, sweaty despair.