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There Can Only Be One

A Feminist Who Isn't a Hillary Supporter

That's me.  That's also, apparently, Queen Alice, who wrote this fantastic piece at DailyKos:

"After reading the latest in a series of condescending editorials by women accusing others of their gender of betrayal or ignorance because we aren't all supporting Hillary Clinton, I finally feel like I have to speak out. 

I have held my peace out of respect for feminists, especially older feminists, to whom Clinton represents not just a female candidacy, but the triumph of women over the many hurdles and obstacles they've overcome throughout years of discrimination and frustration in a male-dominated world. I don't share the disappointment they feel, but I understand it. And so I've been respectful and said nothing.

But as the newest of these articles trickles out and encourages a certain segment of women to disregard and disdain party unity in the name of feminism--well, I have to say something now. The bitter pill these women are trying to peddle as feminism is not the feminism that I was taught by my mother and the wonderful women-and men--in my life. It is not positive. It is a negative force that needs to be addressed and challenged."

[click here to read the rest of the article]

 

The Leslie Show ... still available in China!

Well, it's official.  I'm still available in China.  I've found a very cool site, greatfirewallofchina.org,  that lets you check and see if any web site is banned in China.  Wild rebel that I am, with posts such as this, this, and this (daring stuff, man), I thought perhaps they were going to finally shut me down in the hopes of keeping the inexorable march of democracy at bay.  But no, freedom still rings. 

FREE TIBET!  DEMOCRACY IN CHINA NOW!

(You know if I ever actually did cause enough trouble to draw the attention of the Chinese government I'd probably crap myself, right?)

Gimme my money back.

R.E. my previous post: When Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the president to the Congress last night, I burst into tears. I didn't expect it, but to see a woman in such an important role after over a century of struggle for women to have a voice...well, it just moved me. I thought of all the women (and men) who struggled and didn't live to see the day.

But enough of that sentimental stuff. In today's news, Senator John Kerry has decided to not seek the Democratic Presidential Nomination for 2008. Good. Glad to hear it. I think he botched it last time, and I had high hopes in the guy. Now, there's the little matter of the $1800 I donated to his campaign. I wouldn't be so mad except for the fact that he kept $16 million of his 2004 campaign money in reserve after the election. Hey, bitch, I didn't give you that money for anything other than beating George Bush! SPEND IT ALL. But he didn't. That dude owes me some money.

State of the Union

What's he gonna say Tuesday night?  I mean, I always watch it, and every year the president says "The State of our Union is strong."  I've always thought "What would the country do if the President said 'The State of our Union is disjointed and anemic'?" (Probably rush for their dictionaries.)  I'm expecting it to be depressing and to make me want to throw bricks at my TV.

But you know what WILL be cool?  For the first time in the history of our country, there will be a woman sitting up there behind the president.

Chinese Ant Hills

A few weeks ago I made a somewhat cryptic post about China and Democracy.  My test is over (I think) and I think I should probably explain it.

The explanation, really, lies in this post here.  And then, in this post here.  In short, I wrote a piece about travels in China and censorship, and the site was viewed shortly afterward by the "Information Office of the State Council" from Beijing, China.  I fancied myself a political rabble-rouser at that point and was alternately rattled and thrilled (hmmm, isnt' that a U2 album?)

So, a few weeks ago, being quite bored and yet curious (two states I inhabit frequently and that constantly overlap) I decided to post another something about Chinese Democracy and see how long it took for them to come looking.

It's been almost 4 weeks.  No hits from China.  Perhaps I'm not nearly as powerful as I thought. 

Off to look for some literal ant hills.

A test

People's Republic of China

Democracy

(A few weeks ago,my father accused me of always "kicking ant hills".  Maybe he was right.)

Holy Authoritarian Regime, Batman!

I kid you not, there was a hit today on this web site by the "Information Office of the State Council" from Beijing, China.

I assume they were drawn to the site by the previous piece I posted here.

Don't think I'm not a wee bit rattled.  Maybe I should stick to cocktail recipes, eh?

Rebel Without a Clue

This story at CNN.com reminded me of something really interesting I encountered last summer on my trip to China: government censorship.

We stayed at The White Swan Hotel, which is an absolutely lovely 5-star hotel located right on the Pearl River and right near the American consulate.  It's where virtually all of the American families who are adopting babies stay, and one of the (many) nice things about it is the Internet access.  When you're on your 10th day in steamy Guangzhou thinking "If I eat one more noodle I'm going to die" it's nice to be able to see with family and see what's happening in the rest of the world via Internet. 

I was using my new iBook G4, and every once in a while I would encounter a site I couldn't access.  A message popped up saying the site wasn't available.  No biggie.  They weren't sites I frequented often and I thought nothing of it.  But then, a few days into it, it hit me:  were these sites not available not available, or were they just not available to people in China?

I did a quick Google on "Tibet".  Plenty of sites came up.  But when I tried to click on them:  [tight close-up and cue the orchestral suspense music] THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE!!!! I gasped at the shock of it all.  BBC news.  Free Tibet.org.  Whitehouse.com (I'm not making that one clickable, do the work yourself).  They had all been blocked.

I have to admit, I got a little paranoid, then.  I had been in China for several days at this point, and had been on my best behavior.  I had "moved along" when the authorites told me to "move along".  I hadn't raised a fist or even made any sudden movements in Tiananmen Square (it's amazing how 110 degree heat and dead-eyed soliders can suck the bravura right out of you).  I was due.  Surely the authorities were monitoring my behavior in The White Swan Hotel and would come knocking on the door any minute to whisk me away to a Chinese prison while my mother, sister, and newly-adopted niece wept dolefully (then stole my precious American toilet paper stash when I was gone).  But... it didn't happen. 

I got away with it.

Ha!  Suckers!  Up yours, China!  FREE TIBET!  POWER TO THE PEOPLE!