incidents and accidents, hints and allegations

Everything is terrible, but people living in the US, or US citizens abroad, take a minute for this?

Support the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act (S. 200, H.R. 669) to require a, you know, declaration of war by Congress before the President can launch a first nuclear strike.

rydra_wong has links and context, and rachelmanija has phone numbers and a script. (Don't, however, spend your time contacting members of Congress outside your districts; save your energy.)

I believe it is wrong to prevent the entry into this country of legal residents, of incredibly-thoroughly-vetted refugees fleeing terrible conditions, of literal war heroes, and of people who have no ties to terrorism whatsoever, but are perceived to be easy targets for racist, Islamophobic hatred.

If you agree and are able, consider donating to the ACLU, the International Refugee Assistance Project, and/or the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

If you disagree, you are cordially invited to unfollow and uncircle me.

( politics talk )

Hugs and support to all.

From an American Scientist review of a book called Natural Security: A Darwinian Approach to a Dangerous World:

I mainly learned from this volume that evolutionary theory can have a strangely narcotic effect on the brains of otherwise intelligent people, leading them to take quite bizarre positions.

To which my reaction was, "True, but dude, you're only noticing this now?!"

Over in Electrolite's comments, Greg London explains why elections are like a game of Thing [*], making a point I've tried once or twice to express myself, only doing it much much better.

[*] How to play Thing is explained here at Making Light (also look for Teresa Nielsen Hayden's comments further down that thread, at October 11, 2004, 11:27 AM).

(Oh, and the people he was playing Thing and Mafia with, in the example he was giving? Are really smart. Just to clarify.)

( In which Kate is entirely uninteresting and self-involved )

I don't usually talk about politics here, because usually anything I think has been said better elsewhere. I wanted to note this down, though, more as a reminder to myself of my state of mind than anything.

Had a bad night last night, basically no sleep, so this may account for part of it—but when Chad told me, shortly after I woke up, that Hussein had reportedly been captured, my first reaction was, "Gee, I wonder how they're going to screw this up."

If it's true, I am glad. But it's a measure of my opinion of Our Nation's Leaders that "I'm glad" was not my first thought. The sad part is, I don't even feel like a nutbar conspiracy theorist for having this reaction. For wondering what kind of proof we'll see and noting the timing (other headline on Washington Post's website: "Iraq Car Bomb Kills 17"), yeah, but overall I just feel tiredly resigned to that they're going to botch this as badly as most other things.

I'm going to go play with the dog, now.

Last week did not start out on an auspicious note. Mostly I've been keeping informed about the major events in Iraq and then trying to put it aside, as something that I can do nothing about just now, but Monday I was unsuccessful. My body was refusing to cooperate with me, and I spent far too much time reading about the looting of museums and the burning of libraries: a veritable lack-of-control positive feedback loop. I know people with chronic illnesses (one with an illness edging toward acute, if one can call it that), and I admire their ability to cope more than ever, because I was doing a remarkably poor job of it last Monday.

As far as the looting of museums and the burning of libraries, multitudes have said it better than I could. Here's two: Teresa Nielsen Hayden at the always-excellent Making Light; and Melymbrosia, in "Sleep for Grief" (Sandman fanfic, though I don't think you need to have read the series to follow it).

Tuesday was better: my body started cooperating, and it was sunny and nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit (on April 15!). I sat outside and finished Lost in a Good Book over lunch, giggling madly to myself.

And then Wednesday came. With it came Chad's parents to drop off R.D. (for "Ron's Dog")—the cutest puppy ever (even cuter than in this picture) but also a little monster. ( Puppy Tales )

This week has basically been spent working on a case that's due Tuesday. Unfortunately, it's a case that's driving me nuts on several different levels, the most pertinent of which is that it's due Tuesday. So that's how I spent today, which was perfectly gorgeous: up in my office, working on the papers. (And laundry. Lots of laundry. [To be said in the same tone as, "Guns. Lots of guns." I am looking forward to that.])

To end on a positive note, on Friday Chad found out that he got a research grant. This was actually a re-application, so it was even more of a relief—both for the funding and for the hopefully-improved tenure prospects. We went out for a nice dinner last night to celebrate. And from Wednesday through Friday of this week I'm in New York City for a conference, and I'm looking forward to the meeting; hopefully I'll get to meet up with some friends, too—I've already contacted some, but that reminds me: pnh, tnh, redbird, are any of you around Thursday evening or maybe Thursday lunch? I'll be in the Penn Station area.

Right. Once these papers are off, a better week awaits. Which means I should get back to them . . .