BCOO: The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Loved it! I'd forgotten what a great writer Kurt Vonnegut is. I'm going to have to go back and re-read some of his other stuff.

Though The Sirens of Titan is deeply rooted in science fiction, like all Vonnegut novels, it includes intelligent commentary on society that still resonates today. Vonnegut addresses religion, capitalism, philosophy, temptation, and guilt. For an ostensibly simple, short novel that plays with time, that's pretty damn good.

Next: Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich. I loved Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich's novel about her undercover stint as a blue collar worker. In Bait and Switch she does the same for white collar workers. Her writing style is entertaining and her social commentary is thought-provoking. Sounds good to me.

BCOO preempted for bizarro abortion world

I spent last week with no internet, so I'm a little late and rushed in my posting. Sorry.

Women can't be trusted to make their own decisions. On the 18th, the Supreme Court voted to uphold the federal abortion ban passed by Congress in 2003. It will criminalize abortions in the second trimester (called partial birth abortion by anti-choice groups). There is no exception for the health and safety of the mother. No exceptions, period. The ban if on a procedure called dilation and extraction or D & X. D & X is one of the least common late-term abortion procedures.

Even so, this sets a ridiculously dangerous precedent. The government had taken away one of the options for pregnant women. The fact that it's a federal ban is even more terrifying. It takes away state's rights to decide whether abortion should be legal. Yikes. If you're upset about this, there are many ways to help. Planned Parenthood has a petition you can sign here And you can donate money to them here.

Wal-Mart, on the other hand, has changed their policy regarding emergency contraception. EC must now be dispensed without discrimination or delay. It makes me feel better for shopping their when it's absolutely necessary. Target has no such policy. What's the problem, Target? You're supposed to be the good guys.

All the Names, by Jose Saramago, was very good. Not as good as Blindness, but still wonderful.

Wallstrip: Kellogg Co.

I'm a little late on this one. They posted it Thursday.



Again, head to wallstrip.com for more great shows.

BCOO: The Cider House Rules, John Irving

Sometimes I long for the days when I loved Irving. I threw myself into his long, meandering stories and enjoyed almost every page.

I didn't hate The Cider House Rules, but I didn't love it either. Anyone who knows the story can probably guess that I was happy with the politics. One of the main characters in the story is an abortionist before legal abortion.

The more I read Irving, the more I feel like he doesn't trust me to make the connections, to really read his work. He lays things out too plainly and it gets on my nerves. It feels condescending, patronizing. I like the modern feel of his stories, the modern sentiment and politics, but I hate feeling like he thinks I'm stupid.

I think that's all I want to say. I wish I could enjoy him more.

Next: All the Names, Jose Saramago

Feminists Make Rape Inevitable

Everyone knows that! Well, maybe not everyone. But Orlando Sentinel's Kathleen Parker sure does. In her article, The Fog of Rape, Parker dances around the word rape and blurs the lines between sexual harassment and "harmless sport."

Her piece searches out (in five paragraphs) the answer to why there is so much sexual aggression (the word "rape" disappears in the middle of the article). Is it horny misogynists who believe they're dominant and entitled? Well, yeah. That's pretty much what Parker says. Just not in so many words. In her world, the REASON men rape...oops...sorry..."target women" is because of the Pentagon.
Yes, the Pentagon "and others who have capitulated to feminist pressures to insert women into combat." These poor men are forced to treat women as equals when they KNOW they're not (seriously, it's in the article). "The lie breeds contempt, which leads to a simmering rage that sometimes finds expression in aggression toward those deemed responsible."

Parker's solution? Segregate! We all know how well that's worked in the past! AND, "as a bonus, segregation also would reduce the plague of divorces caused by men and women fraternizing away from spouses." Whew! Good thing we can solve that problem too. Things are so much easier when we don't have to test our will-power.

For more snarky commentary, read Broadsheet's response to this sad article.

Absolutely, Positively Wallstrip

My latest wallstrip script - FedEx:


I couldn't resist a chance to poke fun at Mr. Spears.

A big thanks to my girls for helping/listening/putting up with a bitchy roomate while I wrote this.