This Woman's Work

Friday Random Something. Dedicated to the loss of liberty every woman in this country is staring at, in light of Alito's nomination as autocrat du juris, and South Dakota's immediate creation of a ban on all forms of abortion. Intended, of course, as a challenge to the medical and personal rights guaranteed by Row v Wade. Just As us civil libertarians have been saying for years.

That's right, originalists. Roe did not create any rights; it merely guaranteed a right to privacy, and a right to make personal medical decisions, to the person it directly affects, a woman; it did this using the logic developed in decades of prior case law. Nothing was fabricated out of whole cloth; existing and original concepts of freedom and personal liberties were interpreted in view of the specific conditions of the case. It is the part of the lawmaking process that requires, yo know , judgement, so maybe judges are a good place to vest this power rather than the clenched bungholes who tend to push for this kind of legislation.

Like this assmaster:



And this douchebag:



Pandagon and Feministe have had some very interesting discussions and rants about this of late (of course ranting; I can't imagine what it must feel like as a woman watching the grandstanding of politicians and moral scolds as they circumscribe my freedoms and tell me it's for my own good, because, they, naturally and as designated by the Bible, are better suited to make decisions regarding my own life and health) In one, it is talked about at length how much of the framing of the debate is intended to magnify the impact of a man's contribution to the propagation of life, and minimize the effort involved by the woman. Because if it is ever acknowledged that a man could be replaced by a turkey baster, and the real effort in creating a child is on the part of the woman, then the logic would rest the decision on the person more totally affected.

And, of course, the tactics of the argument are couched so that part of the logic, although never openly acknowledged, is that Woman Must Be Punished. For having Teh Sexx (like the sluts they are!) but also because this big old book says that every bad thing that happened to humanity throughout time is their fault.

It is also pointed out that many of the More Moral Than You Crew have a tendency for blatant and ironic hypocrisy. While crying about the Sanctity of All Life, hye are all too happy to support the war in Iraq (killing), the Death Penalty (more killing), and in-vitro fertilization (wholesale discard of blastocysts, which they claim are fully vested humans).

Ultimately, it seems to me, that people like Beavis and Butthead up there are more concerned with making sure nobody is ever having or enjoying sex, ever again.

Although Planned Parenthood and NARAL apparently have their collective heads up their asses and are still thanking That Asshole Lieberman, At least it seems that NOW-CT understands this quite well. That's it: no more $$$ for PP or NARAL, it all goes to NOW. Guys, for the sake of those women you love, or hope to love, and for your right to make love, this is vital. Don't believe for a second that if Roe is overturned that they're not coming for contraception next.


So. Well, it's been that kind of a week. At least it seems that King George and his minions are having it worse. So, I've loaded some new stuff on the LuxoMac, but it's all pretty embarrassing, so let's see how vindictive this software can get:

1 Everything Is Not Enough from the album “Mirror Mirror” by 10cc Alright, let's just start with a guilty pleasure. At least it's obscure stuff, it's not like I've got a secret stash of Bryan Adams or anything.

2. You Don't Get Much from the album “Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst” by BoDeans They recorded this album one of the few times we didn't see them. One of my roomates was the first huge fan of this band, and I mean the first: when he dragged me to see them the first time, it was at the Landing on the corner of Humbolt and Kane (now the Tasting Room) and they still didn't have a bass player. They were 'Da Bodeans' and played for about twenty people. We would have bought them beers, but we were as poor as they were.

3. Only Happy When It Rains from the album “Garbage” by Garbage Ah, Garbage. Masterminded by Madison's wunderkind, Butch Vig.

4. Taking Off from the album “The Cure” by The Cure Latter Day Cure. Good Music for A Gloomy Day.

5. Yahweh from the album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” by U2 'Stone Him! Stone Him!'

6. Like It Or Not from the album “Abacab” by Genesis As if we weren't just talking about it.

7. Driveby from the album “Sleeps With Angels” by Neil Young Great under appreciated Neil Young Album. Understated work with Crazy Horse, so there's all kinds of power underlying the relatively muted songs. Written in response to Kurt Cobain's suicide.

8. Blood Makes Noise from the album “99.9 F˚” by Suzanne Vega Erstwhile folkie gets techno and semi-industrial.

9. Stop - Get A Ticket from the album “Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, Vol. 4” by Clefs Of Lavender Hill

10. Meanest Man from the album “Mermaid Avenue Volume 2” by Billy Bragg & Wilco

Bonus 11. Friday I'm In Love from the album “Show” by The Cure More cure.



well, another week with no mortifying tracks showing up. Pretty fair set, all told.

Now get back to work, Dick.