Eric S notapenguin's blog: "Politics and events, some not current"

Good idea to track Arizona Bill HB 2625 I think (or if it's passed, their other house's equivalent? Need to look into that more closely) which would allow Arizona employers to fire or otherwise penalize employees for using birth control (possibly female employees only) unless they have certain kinds of medical reasons, if I understand.

 

That's foolish and painful. My opinion of course...

all the evidence, lots of it, to the contrary, apparently. (For just starters, consider the models in classic paintings. No shrinking violets they...)

Where is the option to turn that blue "news" marquee off again? Grumble.

 

the new health care bill doesn't even enforce the mandate. What do I mean? 

I mean, that it says that is no enforcement - no enforcement - of any penalty for not buying mandated health insurance.

The penalty would only be a fine in any case, far as I know, but it's certainly interesting language to have a toothless penalty written into the language of the legislation.  I'm not sure that's a great idea myself, since it won't stop anyone from ignoring this and panicking about it anyway (this is happening already and won't stop), and there are reasons for the mandate... but what-are-you-going-to-do...

Worth having a look at an editorial in today (September 9)'s New York Times (available online at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/opinion/09tue3.html?_r=2&oref=slogin )

If you've looked into the issues and have an idea who's running (at all), go vote. (If you've no idea and would just be pulling levers, consider voting anyway because there might be a proposition you could read and give informed input to- for instance, Proposition 1 in our area was worth voting Yes on, in my honest opinion- but don't vote on an item just to vote. That is, if you not only say you don't but truly don't "think about politics", stay home. (As David Simpson says in an Ozy and Millie I agree with...) But otherwise, vote.)

You did know it was domestic violence awareness month this month as well as breast cancer awareness month I assume...

Since I mentioned, a few times recently, his play The Crucible (I found it relevant in part because of all the no-evidence Enemies Lists that people have been drawing up around here...) the recent news about Arthur Miller's unacknowledged son with Down's Syndrome is of some (tangential...) interest. (And I did know- yes, personally- someone whose son died very young of that... I was very young myself at the time.)

and to my mind strictly as writing- as plot, etc... - it's flawed, it's not only unsubtle but overdoes... but- more important is the fact that the relevance of The Crucible has grown rather than weakened. I have occasion to think of it often.

but worth noting it here too, really- Nation magazine book review - three books, one a personal memoir, two surveys of the use of child soldiers and teens in conflicts around the world. Horrifying, I think personally, but instead of letting me summarize what's just a three-page review, please go read - and maybe find one of the books at your library and read that, too? I'm going to go see later...