On Sotomayor

Obama's first choice SCOTUS nomination is not a big surprise -- people have been speculating Sotomayor since before he was elected. If she makes it through confirmation (which she should), her judgeship could have a massive effect on the course of US case law. If the baseball ruling is any indication, Sotomayor has an eye for the "little guy" (even when the little guy is huge athletes making millions of dollars annually), which bodes well for labor relations and the like. She's relatively young, only 54, combined with the fact that she's a woman suggests the likelihood of a long tenure, i.e. sustained influence.

What I find really fascinating about the coverage of the SCOTUS tapping, though, is the focus on Sotomayor's apparent assertion that a person's life experience, including but not limited to their race, gender, religion, social status and (duh) specific legal preparation will inevitably influence rulings. Conservatives are all up in arms about this fact, and this left me scratching my head for a while. How could anyone make judgment calls from anywhere but their own skin, their own experience? Then I remembered that conservative courts consist almost exclusively of straight wealthy white men. So the issue is really ruling from the body and history of a middle aged Latina from the Bronx.

The belief that one's experience is universal may be the crux of privilege -- all types -- male, white, hetero, cisgender, economic, and so on. In order to believe that a judge is impartial in an absolute sense, one must believe that he speaks from a place of absolute authority and a pure world view -- we wouldn't want our justice contaminated by particular compassion for oppressed groups, for example. If creative nonfiction classes have taught me one thing, it's that Americans need to think harder about our notions of objectivity, truth, fairness, and that whole universe of ideas. We need to become comfortable speaking from our own bodies and histories, and not subjugating the truths we live to a so-called universal norm. Sonia Sotomayor's experience reflects that of some part of America, and I'd wager, a much bigger percentage than just women of color -- the experience of any type of oppression changes world views, and in my opinion, changes them for the wiser.

And that is why I'm stoked about Sotomayor -- because we may, on a national level, get to have this discussion about universality and truth. Also because, as Blanca points out, she used to have a little now she has a lot and no matter where she goes she knows where she came from (the Bronx).

Oh hey

It would appear that I do not use this blog anymore. Mostly I have moved over to Tumblr, where the format makes me feel guilty for foisting too many thoughts on the faceless void, which can only be a good thing. Come say hey.

I, too, dislike it.

While we're at it, you can check out the group blog I just foolishly committed myself to for the month of April, aka National Poetry Month:
A Rose is a Rose is a Poem.

I may pick this puppy back up for longer posts, probably political posts, which require more breathing room to arrive at a point. Maybe not, though.

Thoughts that have nothing to do with the new year.

Check it out, The Weepies on the tv! Deb Talan continues to be the cutest. I know nothing about this Dirty Sexy show but it looks boring.


As much as the Obama transition team is making questionable and hurtful decisions *cough* Rick Warren and Sanjay Gupta *cough*, they bring us some very exciting news on equality as well: the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is going to be the first vote in the new Congress, along with another measure to protect those who disclose their earnings to encourage transparency. This puppy got filibustered in the Senate with the help of candidate McCain's ambivalent nastiness last year, it's enormously exciting that it's coming back and a strong showing out the gate for equal rights. You can tell your congressperson how you feel about the matter right here.

This is a really good argument against speed cameras. Leave it to over-privledged high school students to invent a more convincing argument for the fallibility of using machines as sole evidence of wrongdoing than law scholars in Texas, Maryland and Iowa.


I am thinking about getting myself a Tumblr. Getting back to school has made my brain kick back on all at once -- I'm excited about classes but I also want to be doing a bunch of other writing and sundry projects. I only worry that I am too verbose for the scrapbook format. Hm.

This is only a test -- got an ipod touch for hanukah and it might be the coolest thing on the planet.



-- Post From My iPhone

Last Day in E-town, what what

So, this song mixes Dolly Parton against Destiny's Child and some AWESOME DANCE BEATZ. I'd call that the epitome of music, wouldn't you?

You can be sure it'will be playing at the next party at Hogwartz.

I don't know where Finding Dulcinea falls on the spectrum of scientific reliability in internet sites, but I was less than impressed by the article I stumbled across today entitled "Males of All Species Are Becoming More Female". Even if it was accompanied by the best possible picture:

Synthetic hormones in the environment are, of course, a huge public and animal health issue. And the article is in the science section, so the specifics of the harm they're causing are important. But that title wants you to map the feminization to humans and think OH NO OH NO, don't let our men get less manly. There are health consequences for women too... increased risk of breast cancer, anyone? But that is less important than the FATE OF OUR MENZ AND THEIR BURLYHOOD. Wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to cash out on the evolutionary psych trend, or actually have our science talk about science or anything. Cute baby, though. Guard your testes well son.

I know the re-cutting innocuous movies to look like trailers for horror films thing has been done, but this one is real good. There are two tiny Lindsay Lohans, they are plotting to manipulate their parents, and they have swords. Beware.



I'm driving a million hours to get back East tomorrow. Thank goodness for Harry Potter books on tape and the fact that no one can hear me singing along to vintage Dido from the womb of my Alero. Send me safe driving thoughts.

DONE like your mom every friday night because it is a double mitzvah on shabbos.

First, allow me the indulgence of announcing that I am DONE. FINISHED. BRAIN OFFICIALLY ON HIATUS. It got pretty bad near the end. My text analysis final was basically a seething mass of words and nothing more. I wrote a cool memoir piece for Eula about raccoons and insanity, but my two page statement connecting it to her class essentially read "blah blah blah appropriation and accountability I want to Alison Bechdel's girlfriend."

Let me channel this manic done-with-school energy into some pretty things for you to look at!



That is what an echidna looks like, in case you were wondering. We could not remember over dinner last night. I would like to own one. Wikipedia says they are the closest living relatives of the platypus, have tiny mouths with toothless jaws, and also they LAY EGGS. Science is so cool! I'm enamored with their little Ausralian claw hands.

This is a page full of the coolest graffitti ever. Knitting! The street signs might be my favorite, although I do like the gesture of clothing the poor bare trees for the winter.




Additionally, I would like to attend this rally (wawwy!) while I'm home. Would you like to join me?



That's all I got for today except smug, smug self-satisfaction. YEAH YEAH YEAH.

NO FREAKING WAY, CHECK THIS OUT.



Fran Drescher is running for Congress! She wants Hilary's seat and she wants it now! This is incredible, what does our government need more than another mouthy Jewish woman? C-SPAN will become infinitely more enjoyable.