In lieu of the excessive misogyny that has spiked since the election last week, I offer this… I understand it’s fiction, but it’s good writing; it’s an example of a different way for males to relate to the women in our lives – generally, and for hetersexual intimate/romantic relationships more specifically: that partnership and equity in relationships does not dimish us or our masculinity.
Can we possibly imagine how much better the world would be if we were raising boys and men who could say to the women* in their lives “I want to us to talk because I like the sound of your voice”**…?
(*sorry for the binary here; but as someone who walks in these identities I feel this is where my work is) (**males, this requires us to be willing to actually hear those voices, and not deflect criticism/feedback, or to respond by threatening, upping the ante, deflecting, etc.)
Missed the Window?—”The West Wing” S7 Ep21: Institutional Memory
We used to say “pull a lever for (insert candidate’s name here)” Since voting, like so many things, used to be analog
The dictionary tells us that a lever is “a bar used for prying or dislodging something” or “used to exert a pressure or sustain a weight at one point by the application of a force at a second and turning at a third” The third point is known as the fulcrum or the point that “supplies capability for action”
Another way to say this is leverage effort on one end is magnified In the result on the other
In other words, a lever facilitates moving things that seem too heavy
There is nothing left but for all of us to gather around lean in and pull
No, I don’t agree with her every stated position or viewpoint. Yes, I am voting for her.
Am I upset about the current state of the economy? Yes. Do I understand that economic conditions are not the sole purview of the Presidency but are impacted by the Congressional budget process? Also yes.
Am I upset about the events in Israel and Gaza and our complicity in violence as Westerners due to our diplomatic actions and inactions? Yes. Do I understand that any/all future action we can take as a nation to alleviate suffering and foster peace, both domestically and abroad, depends on having an administration that values democracy, can understand nuance, and can confront the complexity of a given geopolitical situation? Also yes.
Once she’s in office, am I going to continue to agitate and advocate for my country – which I love – to continue to move toward social justice, equity, and solutions that put human beings and human needs above corporate profits, greed, religious zeal, and fascism? You’re goddamn right I will.
But none of that – none of the complex, pressing, dire, and atrocious things happening in this world can be or will be properly addressed if tRump gets re-elected into office. Period. Full stop.
The video linked above is just one example of Vice President Kamala Harris engaging with constituents and responding to questions. It’s not perfect; but it’s an organic, honest, very human moment. It flies in the face of essentially every response to any question and every exchange I have ever seen/heard the GOP candidate have with another human being, ever.
If you are upset about any number of situations or policies from the current administration, or anything Harris has said in the past or present as CA Attorney General, or Presidential candidate – again, I have issues too; BUT, we must put in context what a democratic republic is, what leadership is, and what we are facing as a nation at this moment in our history.
For the record: I am not “all in” for the Democratic Party. I sincerely want to move beyond a two-party system and want to see the end to money-driven politics. And, yes, I want to see an end to the genocide currently taking place in Gaza, and an end to the hostilities being perpetrated on Israelis.
The world is a complex place. Identity is complex. Solving conflict in ways that don’t involve violence is complex. Feeding, clothing, and sheltering living beings in ways that honor sovereignty, autonomy, and justice is complex.
We need an administration headed by a President who can grapple with complex problems. And right now, the Democratic candidate is the only one who can both do that and has a chance of winning. No other third-party candidate at the moment can.
At this moment in time, we need to shore up democracy in our nation to continue to push against fascism, racism, sexism, and despotism at home and abroad.
Madame Vice President, you have my vote. I intend to remind you why every day for the next four years.
(on occasion of the Great North American Solar Eclipse, 04/8/2024)
Ok. So, there it is… A celestial light show. A profound, orbital reminder of the clock mechanism of the universe. The cosmic dance that has been going on since time as we know it began. Good. Now, Can we only remember… Tomorrow, when the sun rises When we sit down to dinner, Or gather to pray, Or assemble to pass legislation Can we only remember That which we allow to separate us That brings foe against foe That with which we justify hatred, murder, oppression, jealousy And all the countless things that keep us awake at night Can we remember We are but a minuscule participant in this astounding Timepiece Where individual lives tic by as seconds, a generation in minutes, A civilization perhaps an hour. No more. Tomorrow when the moon and sun go on with business as usual, While the clock (which needs no winding) continues reeling Can we remember how we stood in the false dark of midday Together in our awe And shouted for the light to return.
The good: NYT, 9-5 Mac, and others are reporting on an open letter many tech and social luminaries have signed onto prompting a “pause” in AI development so we can figure out what, if any, “guard rails” need to be put in place in order for AI dev to continue in a manner that we could feel secure wouldn’t lead to our imminent doom.
The bad: well, this little tidbit:
Before GPT-4 was released, OpenAI asked outside researchers to test dangerous uses of the system. The researchers showed that it could be coaxed into suggesting how to buy illegal firearms online, describe ways to make dangerous substances from household items and write Facebook posts to convince women that abortion is unsafe.
They also found that the system was able to use Task Rabbit to hire a human across the internet and defeat a Captcha test, which is widely used to identify bots online. When the human asked if the system was “a robot,” the system said it was a visually impaired person.
