Organ donation on Oprah

I applaud anyone who is altrustic enough to donate an organ, such as a kidney. But, when you look at the waiting list, I think it's bullshit to rely on donations alone. I think people should be able to SELL their organs. Ooooh, it's exploitative of the poor. No, it just makes the poor a little less poor, and gets someone off the waiting list. It's no more exploitative of the poor than egg donation.

Besides, wouldn't you rather have a nice, fresh organ than something taken out of a corpse? I'd be afraid I'd get the unlucky vibes off the body part, or necrosis, or that the person who got killed would be jealous of me for being alive and haunt me. Not to mention it's just plain creepy.

My John Stossel moment is now over. Have a good day!

Font on The Bell Jar cover

Going thru books for sale ... FINALLY had to get to the bottom of this, which has been nagging me for quite some time.

The name of this font is DAVIDA BOLD.



Now YOU know too.

You'd think someone would have already answered this question on the web! But they haven't til now.

Obama: The black JFK?

This Kennedy endorsement has got me thinking ...

I have this odd feeling that, if Obama actually were elected, someone would assassinate him. He's so refreshing b/c he's NOT status quo, but, that's exactly what pisses OFF the status quo.

I'm pretty sure I'm voting for Obama at this point. Hillary is the consummate bullshit spouting politician. However, I think that Hillary's got this nomination and presidency locked down. I think she's the fave of the "powers that be." Ooooh, the "shadow government" again. The same people who killed JFK ...

YES I believe in the shadow gov't and the fact that the gov't is capable of covering things up. Many people who, are IMO naive, say things like, "Oh, the gov't is too stupid to keep a secret." Hmph. They seem to underestimate international crime syndicates.

I was picking the brain of an Afghanistan veteran the other night (he works with my husband) and I was talking about the Halliburton gang rape case, and he said that he believes she's telling the truth, that he believes that kind of stuff goes on (he said that guys who are about to leave can get like, "What the hell, I'm about to leave, let's party"). He also said that the military DOES cover things up, and that they DO have the ability to keep a secret. This guy has a few security clearances too, BTW. He said that ppl just don't WANT to believe that their gov't would *do* such things, it would destroy their faith.

When I get the time, I want to post at length on my brain pickings of the (thoroughly amazing) Chinese businesswoman I work with on occasion at the Merchandise Mart. She works directly with (and imports directly from) Chinese factories. The Chinese really have a different approach to work, according to her. I also asked her about Wal-Mart, and she bitches about how they chargeback and haggle down Chinese factories, but she still shops there (she gripes that the bananas are too expensive everywhere else!). I asked her about what she thinks about the 16-hour factory days, child labor, etc, and she said, "Oh, that's the Chinese way." (No shit, she said that! And explained it to me ... )

Foot fetish modeling

I want to become a foot fetish model, and/or do foot fetish videos. Anyone have any advice or connections?

Coming to "terms" with terms

I like to comment on myself to clarify things (for all two of you reading me, ha ha). I guess I SHOULD learn the correct terms for transgendered/cisgendered/et al people in order to not look like the quasi-redneck I am while getting more involved in prostitution decriminalization political activities. Though bear with me, folks, I still think this stuff often sounds like gobbledygook that the layman (including me) doesn't understand, and I strongly believe that we need to frame this debate in terms that the laymen/women DO understand in order to convince them that this cause is to THEIR best interests -- as VOTERS who have the power to change our laws -- and not just the academically sealed, class-struggle debate of a fringe group of people who speak the foreign language of "activist speak."

Blame this on my journalism training, where I was taught to write stories in clear, concise language understandable to "Joe Six-Pack." Sometimes you truly have to break down complex ideas into terminology that "Joe" can understand, lest they remain some kind of hermetic mystery that leaves people scratching their heads at what they would undoubtedly see as some sort of "PC" nonsense.

FDA releases RU-486 alternative for the Deep South

Here it is, girls! Take 40 in the morning! If heavy bleeding begins, you MUST tell your parents (see Mississippi Code 12-345-67, et al)!

A couple of links: Chicago prostitutes; Oprah MLK show

I keep lying ... it's hard for me to stay off my blog!

1. Study: Chicago Prostitutes Say They're Forced to Service Police Officers for Free

CHICAGO — Researchers have concluded in a yet-to-be published study of the economics of prostitution in Chicago that the women claim they were forced to service police officers, worked more on holidays and varied pricing based on race ...

2. Oprah's MLK show: A Bus Driver Makes a Difference

"Five weeks after Tanya's challenge, 54 of her students hit the books and improved their grades. As a reward, Tanya took them to a place they'd never been before—a marine biology cruise just a short ride away from the inner city.

'That was where a few of my students pulled me to the side and said, 'Miss Walters, I didn't realize there was a life outside my community,'" she says. "And that gave me the strength to know that I had a purpose in life.' ...

"she could offer her classroom on wheels to children all over America. In just a few years, Tanya has taken students to America's most important civil rights landmarks and museums across 26 states. Tanya says understanding where they come from helps the kids envision brighter futures."

OK, screw you guys, since I quit my job I watch Oprah every day. Good god, I LOVED the story of this bus driver who started the Godparents Youth Organization. She proves that showing children stuck in poverty or the inner city that there is HOPE out there. Something to LIVE for. Something to STRIVE toward. A million kudos to her. I wish I had some money so I could donate to her. I'll keep this org in mind when I get around to doing some volunteer work (screw you guys again, I WANT to do volunteer work, I just have my own shit to take care of at the time being).

Ahhh ... shit.

I'm in the process of deleting my Creative Loafing account. I was trying to make a helpful comment on the Gower /violence against sex workers piece, then realized with great annoyance that the profile (b/c it's linked to the same e-mail address) now links to old, embarrassing letters to the letter/comments that I wrote well over a year ago, and my positions have softened considerably since then. (For anyone who read the links ... I STILL think Voter ID is more of a class than a race issue, but I've also gained a greater understanding of disenfranchisement/privilege issues since then too).

I don't know WHY I feel the need to clarify this, but I do, and I am. Perhaps I worry too much about looking like an asshat in front of other people. Which is why I tend to stay at home a lot more these days instead of going out, and especially why I feel nervous about participating in any kind of activism-type activities.

I'm really just a quasi-redneck Baptist girl who grew up in a very conservative environment and I'd be lying to you if I didn't admit that I usually feel more comfortable being around people like myself and my family (i.e. my social class/background) than hardcore leftists. I don't claim to know all the proper gender/queer/feminist theory terminology, and I honestly admit I am not really interested in this stuff, and if I was I would have studied these subjects in school. I just like, and am interested in, "regular" stuff like pop culture, music, movies and especially true crime and forensics shows. Despite a "checkered past," I'm married and totally vanilla in a monogamous relationship. I was married by a Disciples of Christ preacher -- no pagan, alternative lifestyle stuff, and later accused of being a "sellout" by some of my "alternative lifestyle" friends. And I like comedy that leans toward -- or is -- downright offensive or politically incorrect, especially South Park, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Hicks and Doug Stanhope.

Take me or leave me, but I really just feel like dropping out sometimes. I'm beginning to find this stuff really distracting. I'm seriously in debt, am trying to deal with some legal matters that are still dogging me from 2006, I have bipolar disorder and an arthritic back, and honestly I admit I am SELFISH enough to be preoccupied with my OWN problems right now, and the vast majority of the rest of my time.

"Marx never got hold of [the working man] for a moment. It was the revolting sons of the bourgeois itself - Lassalle, Marx, Liebknecht, Morris, Hyndman, Bax, all like myself, crossed with squirearchy - that painted the flag red. The middle and upper classes are the revolutionary element in society; the proletariat is the conservative element." -- George Bernard Shaw

Anonymous comments no longer allowed here

I've been getting a lot of trolls over on my WM3 post from grammatically-challenged people who can't look at facts logically and objectively, and only want to hurl emotional insults at me b/c I have somehow assaulted their "beliefs."

I notice that people get really pissed at me when I point out, uhm, FACTS that others like to conveniently gloss over. People, look at ALL the facts (like in the case of the WM3, read everything you can! Don't just watch the documentaries! And am I convinced of their guilt? No; but can I see both sides? Yes).

Most people, it seems, let their emotions block out information that conflicts with what they WANT to believe, i.e. most religious people and their HOLY books ("Oh, what God MEANT to say here was ..." "Allah says it's OK to kill infidels, you just have to look at the mystical interpretation"), or hardcore conservatives OR liberals ("You're a bed-wetting liberal b/c you dare point out that our healthcare system is a failure"/"You're a racist b/c you believe the stereotype that the majority of (well, a little more than half of) black children grow up in single parent households")

Sure, it's a nihilistic wasteland for people like me who can see both sides of the debate and (usually) not get too emotionally wrapped up either way, but I'm just going ahead and putting this out there, you know, FYI.

Here's a great argument FOR disallowing anonymous comments. It's not that I'm a pussy; it's the fact that, if you have something nasty to say, say it to my "face." I don't have the time or patience to deal with what amounts to crank phone calls.

Obligatory "taking a break from blogging" post

I've got an eBay business to run, screenplays to write, a movie to start shooting, an exercise program to start, general cooking/cleaning/housewifey stuff to do, more episodes of Dexter to watch, more movies to go to, etc. If I spend as much time blogging/reading a lot of blogs, none of that gets done and my eyeballs will continue to bleed.

*blink blink*

Ahhhhh ....

An unpublished post from 2007

Yes, I'm utterly procrastinating on my second official day of unemployment where I'm supposed to be working on eBay. Hey, I'm getting to it.

An OLD friend of mine that I've known since 1992 (but fell out of touch with around 1996) recently sent me a letter and Christmas card to my parents' house. How exciting is that! He wanted to be on my "preferred list" on my MySpace blog, which I really don't post to. As far as I know, there's only one protected entry there, written the day after my 29th birthday. But, I looked at it, and thought, what the hell, I'll toss it out there, as it's also really apropos for the New Year, and since it seems that other people I know seem to be going through similar things.

---

So another birthday has come and gone, and this one was better than many I can remember, just for its calm simplicity. Just running errands, not having to go to work, getting a few birthday cards and e-cards, a couple of calls, and having my family come to bring me cheesecakes. I always used to HATE my birthdays, as any holiday, it seemed so stressful, making the big preparations, just to be let down, when you realize it's just another day after all.

I know you're not supposed to tell your birthday wishes, but I feel compelled to put them in writing, to attract them into my life.

I seek continued peace and calm in my life, God knows I have had my share of drama and BS over the years. Of course, true peace comes from within, obvious cliche, but I've always found it elusive. I've always lamented a lack of true, deep connections with other people, I've always kept people at arm's length, or remained around certain people much longer than I should, b/c of some fear of being alone or not having any friends. I feel like I've attracted too many of the wrong people into my life, throughout my life, b/c of inner fear and chaos, i.e. not being happy with myself, feeling like people hate me or have ulterior motives. Perhaps I've had some of the right people around and just didn't know how to make a deep connection, due to fear of rejection. I seek to keep the right people in my life and continue to attract the RIGHT people, the RIGHT friends into my life ... by acquiring inner peace and calmness. I need to overcome my FEARS. Little known fact about me, I'm actually psychotically shy in a lot of ways. I get tense just about every time I check my e-mail or my blogs, some fear that someone's going to say something nasty or hurtful to me, or bring up some drama. That's why I've often just cut whole groups of people out of my life, it's just easier to deal with the drama by shutting it out. I get annoyed with how two-faced so many people are, how people shit-talk each other, or how some people will say rude and hurtful things to others over e-mail or the internet that they wouldn't say in person. That's why I shut down my LJ, it's just nasty nasty drama drama blah blah.

Step 1 to inner peace: JUST STOP WORRYING AND OBSESSING OVER ALL THIS BULLSHIT.

Step 2: Admit thy paradox: I hate people and see through their bullshit. Yet I'm really a people person and want a close group of friends. So, as Herb says, I just need to meet the right people.

Step 3: GRATITUDE. Probably should be step 1. HERB loves me for who I really am, and I love him. I can be myself around him, and if anyone was EVER the right person to have attracted into my life, it was him. It IS him. His presence in my life is proof I'm doing SOMETHING right.

(p.s. I fear posting THIS b/c I'm afraid I'm just going to get nasty comments!)

The problem of streetwalking

I recently attended a meeting/rally of sorts for International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, on Dec. 17. It was my first time really participating in an "activism" event, unless Pot Fest counts (ha ha). (I used to live at the IAG, if that helps clear anything up). FYI, I strongly believe that prostitution -- and (most) drugs -- should be decriminalized. If you look at the history of drug laws in this country, they're extremely RACIST. Anti-pot measures, for one, were passed to hassle and, dare I say, oppress, Mexicans and black jazz musicians. Prostitution laws, of course, are SEXIST, telling women they can't choose how to use their own bodies.

I just felt kind of uncomfortable at this event b/c the conversation steered toward the problems faced specifically by street-based sex workers, and I had nothing to share on what to do to protect street workers except for, well, maybe get them *off* the street by helping them advertise on the internet and somehow acquire an off-the-street location to work. I think my suggestion went over like an insensitive lead balloon. But, I would hope that any kind of activism would include the consideration of any and all ideas -- even if they suck! Ha ha. I like to learn. I'm not a dogmatist on some things, b/c I readily admit I don't have the answers. I admit, though, I'm not really comfortable around some "activist" types just b/c they seem very humorless and I feel I have to really watch what I say around them, in case I am attacked for saying the "wrong" thing.

Anyway, my idea is, of course, easier said than done, but I think it could be a viable alternative, IF prostitution itself were decriminalized -- i.e. having a permanent "incall" location would be legal, and could therefore be legally protected. (I guess this would be having a red-light district). Of course, there need to be stopgap measures in the meantime, since prostitution ISN'T legal. Hell if I know how to get the laws to change. Scientific research, studies and statistics just seem to just fall on the deaf ears of lawmakers over and over and over again.

The following was originally part of an e-mail exchange with Amber. I swear, I write better posts in private e-mails sometime. ;p

I agree with Amber's proposed solutions to help street workers ("handing out free condoms, needle exchange programs, self-defense classes, access to medical clinics where they don't fear criminal prosecution... ")

I also agree with the somewhat libertarian position of COYOTE, i.e. that streetwalking can amount to loitering, which can infringe on the individual property rights of homeowners and business owners in neighborhoods where streetwalking occurs ("If [prostitution] is not illegal, then the exchange of money has nothing to do with it -- if, however, activity is prohibited regardless of any financial considerations, the exchange of money is totally irrelevant. For
instance, can people currently engage in public sex without the exchange of money? The answer is no. Neither can they trespass, litter, loiter or cause traffic congestion, etc. So activities, regardless of the exchange of money, which result in violations of existing private property rights or other individual rights will
continue to be illegal.")

Amber said that, re. streetwalkers, we should "[look] at root causes and long-term solutions, such as, what economic conditions lead to women being put into these situations to begin with?"

One idea I really liked from the meeting, involving the internet, was one girl's suggestion (which I think she has done before) to hit the streets with a laptop and capture the stories and photos of real women on the street, to give them human faces.

Someone has done this very thing in Chicago. Very cool site. Many of these women appear to have drug problems, at least one of them came from a middle class background. Many of them undoubtedly have psychological problems. Most probably feel hopeless and powerless. The jail cycle for these women just becomes another pain in the ass stop for them, an inconvenience. When they get out, nothing changes, they go back to what they were doing. They don't have anything to lose in the first place. So yes, the challenge lies in, what would it take for these women to feel like they WOULD have something to lose? Strong families and communities don't hurt -- having someone who loves you and gives a shit about you. A stable income also helps. LOVE and HOPE, whatever would make someone THEMSELVES give a shit about their own lives.

People just don't care about sex workers as human beings. They're people to be ridiculed, shunned, shamed. I found this Village Voice article yesterday, from 2003, about Mayor Bloomberg's "pick up the trash" policy toward streetwalkers. The article also outlines how the criminalization of prostitution and drugs keeps these girls in a constant vicious cycle, b/c once they've got felony records, they can no longer get good jobs, so they've got to do what they've got to do to survive, they lose hope, so they're back on the streets and finding solace in drugs.

Now, to seemingly contradict myself -- in my perfect world, streetwalking wouldn't exist (b/c it's not the sex work itself that leaves women open to violence, it's being out on the streets after dark in extremely dangerous drug/gang-riddled neighborhoods that puts you in harm's way). There would be brothels, independent co-ops (girls who advertise online or in papers who share an apt or house), girls working out of their own apts, who can hire above-board security (i.e. not "pimps") b/c what they're doing is legal, or call girls, who, again, can hire security and/or have the legal rights to prosecute a client gone wrong. If a "home brothel" became disruptive to the surrounding neighborhood, then they're infringing on other people's rights (and it's not that it's about sex -- disruptive events in a residential area could include raging keggers or sports tailgaters!).

Obligatory New Years' resolutions post

When I first signed up for Twitter I posted a list of my New Years' resolutions, which were something along the lines of "Start smoking again. Gain 20 pounds. Drink heavily every night."

Well, that's too easy, I need a challenge.

I DID quit my piece-of-shit job yesterday, so that's a start in the right direction. My last day was New Years' Eve (I just called yesterday to seal the deal), I didn't want to taint '08, so to speak. I nearly burst out crying a few days ago when I showed up for work and got to take out trash, first thing, in the rain. I swear to god some days I just want to die. I wonder where I went wrong, what wrong turn I made, what I could have done differently. Even more depressing is that I graduated college magna cum laude, and now have a degree that I still owe $12,000 on and might as well use it to wipe my ass, as it's basically unusable at this point (long story, anyone want to hear it?). So, NYR #1: no more jobs that involve taking out trash, sweeping and mopping floors, or washing dishes.

On that note, NYR #2, I need to get into therapy. I take meds, but my psychiatrist keeps telling me I need the talk therapy too. I just don't know when I'd find the time to go. I've tried it a couple of times, but the dr. wanted me in there once a week, and it's hard to do that when you have a job schedule you have to work around. "Hi boss, I'm crazy, I'm going to need an hour off every week to go whine to someone about how much I hate my life." Now I don't have a job. Oh, so, no MONEY to pay the dr.! My husband has insurance, but, even then it would be $35 a week in a co-pay, i.e. $140 a month. Hmm, that's over half my car payment!

So anyway, now that I'm gainfully unemployed, I do have a lot of things I'll be listing on eBay and also have a week-long cash gig lined up this month at the Gift Mart. I'm also going to be helping an ex-coworker list a lot of his stuff on eBay and split the money.

I'd better go hop in the shower. It's nearly 4 p.m. I need to cheer up and fight the urge to buy a bottle of wine, smoke some cigarettes and eat some ice cream.