Author: slithers

This blog is a creative writing outlet for me, intended for explaining different ideas I have or telling [non-fiction] stories. Generally speaking, I wish to talk about my ideas on politics (especially how I would run the world if/when I rule it), art/absurdity, gender diversity and compassion/vegan-ism.
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Smarter Eating: Micro vs. Macro

This was a blog entry I posted in a work community forum (Smarter Eating), and I thought it was worth sharing on my regular, public blog:

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Many of us tend to conceive of issues like health at the microscopic level, that is, what effects do particular substances have on us, specifically on our cells and tissues?  For example, how does a diet high in cholesterol affect our blood vessels (answer: atherosclerosis) or why do we need Vitamin A (answer: eyesight/immune function)?   These are certainly valid considerations and a good understanding of nutrition has led many to conclude that most of us humans need a diet primarily sourced from plants, including a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and grains.

However, if you consider “health” from a macroscopic level, expanding our consideration outside of our bodies and immediate circle of friends and family, to include the well-being of human beings across the globe, plants, animals and the environment, the case for a plant-based diet is even more compelling.

1. Plant agriculture is much more efficient than animal agriculture.  Most farmed animals simply convert plant energy into their own energy (for moving or reproduction), just as humans do when they eat plants. After significant quantities of plants are eaten, to then convert the animals (or their reproductive fluids) into human food products, requires a lot more energy and resources (to grow the plants, to store and transport the plants, not to mention the significantly larger quantity of plants & plant energy compared to the relatively little animal energy available for animal agriculture).  This wasn’t such a problem 100 years ago, but with 7 billion humans on the planet (and expected to keep growing), animal agriculture is completely unsustainable. Continue reading “Smarter Eating: Micro vs. Macro”

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LuQ for Prez

Since I turned 35 (last year), I like to fantasize about what I’d do if I were elected Supreme Leader of the United States of America. My fantasies are exaggerations of possibility, of course, but I like to think they’re reasonable exaggerations, which are technically feasible and almost socially & legally possible, as opposed to god-like changes.  Here are a few of my bigger ideas / fantasy campaign promises:

Mandatory Sterilization for All

This is less about population control than it is about addressing the problems of abortion and unwanted children.  There’s such heated debate about whether abortion should be allowed, wouldn’t it be better to stop the root cause of this, which is unwanted pregnancy?  Here’s the concept:

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The Social Knotwork

Oh, dearest Facebook, how I do verily loathe thee, let me count the ways…

While I was an early adopter of internet-based functionality (at least the widely available versions in mid-90s), I was more in love with extensive sharing, such as novella-length emails and home-made websites with HTML-based picture albums. I was never such a fan of text snippits & rapid replies, as expected in instant messaging, cellphone texting and what is now known as social networking. I was rather slow to join Friendster, despite the badgering of friends, only joining it towards the end, when Myspace was starting to become rather popular.  Eventually, I joined Myspace, which “everyone” was on, but I never quite understood the point of such things.  I mean, I’d had my own website since 1999, so I had no need for the easy-bake self-promotion on such sites.

During the heyday of Myspace, I had been aware of  Facebook and had a grudging respect for its students only format, which required validated enrolled student “real” users. Don’t get me wrong, I am a great fan of imagination and the internet’s facility for self-invention, but if you’re trying to connect with real people, some of the misleading nonsense that went on in Friendster and Myspace, such as fake accounts for a pet or other fictions could be hugely annoying.   I suppose the high percentage of “real” people on Facebook when it initially became available to the public (and not just students) was key in its rise to the top, though I understand that it now has plenty of musical acts, businesses and other non-individuals (or fake individuals). Continue reading “The Social Knotwork”

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Gap Analysis

They say the U.S.A. has become polarized, but I don’t see it that way. Polarization implies balance of extremes, and we are anything but balanced.  There is a significant vocal minority at the right extreme (e.g., Tea Party), trying to dominate the traditional right-wing moderates and the so-called “left” (who are really centrists, per 20th century definitions).

The Affordable Care act is a centrist, highly compromised health plan for a nation dealing with a healthcare crisis.  As others have said, a more helpful solution would’ve been a single-payer plan where everyone pays in taxes (as they can afford) and then all citizens get health care, rather than filtering (and diluting) everyone’s money through for-profit insurance carriers.  However, it’s better than nothing and it restricts the most egregious profiteering (e.g., dropping or refusing sick patients from coverage). Continue reading “Gap Analysis”

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Cruel Mother Russia: Pinko Pogrom

pinkoSome of you may recall the halcyon days (ha) of the 20th century Soviet Union, where we in the USA had a clear and substantial enemy, the McCarthy hearings had teeth and any hint of Communism could result in blacklisting.  “Pinko” was a very real and harsh anti-Communist slur.  What cruel irony that Communism has retired only to give birth to the worst kind of proto-Nazism in the Russian fight against the “pink menace” – outlawing any/all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender people or ideals.

I usually don’t see the point in any sort of country-hating; all our governments are deeply flawed in my opinion, usually with some ridiculous or outrageously unfair laws and far too many greed-based policies & unnecessary military actions.  However, on very rare occasions, some individual country goes so far beyond the pale (e.g., Nazi-era Germany, Apartheid-era South Africa) that it merits a special kind of loathing.

I feel terrible for [most] of the Russian people, lacking free and fair elections, living under extreme government corruption and a new anti-LGBT pogrom.  They are literally beating & murdering gay people.  It is abhorrent.

There’s not too much we can do from afar, but we can boycott some of the most iconic Russian products, especially Stoli vodka.  For more about the Russian anti-LGBT pogrom and explanation of the boycott, see:

Boycotts 101: Why the gay boycott of Russian vodka is already working

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Mixed vegetables VERSUS Mushrooms

11954239761336971637Machovka_Shoes.svg.medAs a pedantic, mushroom-hating former scientist, it drives me crazy when some restaurant has a “mixed vegetables”dish that contains mushrooms.

This is like referring to group of “motor vehicles” and meaning it to contain some cars and running shoes.  SHOES ! ! !
Not only are they not motorized, they’re not a vehicle!

Mushrooms are not only not a vegetable, they’re not even a member of the same life kingdom (plants vs. fungi, for anyone with a base understanding of biology).  They’re no more a plant than is a bacteria or an insect.   The only similarity between vegetables and mushrooms is that they’re both [theoretically] edible, like how motor vehicles and running shoes are both [loosely] enablers of transportation.

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Full-Frontal Marriage: Here & Queer

Last week, the Supreme Court of the USA struck down a key provision of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (the provision which prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by certain states and districts) in United States vs. Windsor and denied the proponents of California’s anti-same-sex marriage amendment standing to defend their proposition (which a lower court had made an injunction against) Hollingsworth vs. Perry.

This is indeed good news for same-sex couples, who can now marry in California, the most populous state, and will have federal recognition of their legal state marriages (in those 10+ states/districts where it is currently legal), receiving all the previously witheld federal benefits.  Moreover, married same-sex couples previously endured second class marriages, in which they were recognized by states, but considered “unmarried” by the federal government. Now, having the “second class” stigma removed reframes those same-sex marriages as completely legitimate relationships, which is an important cultural signifier that will help us move towards full equality.

Also, although, unlike Lesbian and Gay folks, some Bisexual and Trans folks were previously able to take advantage of full marriage benefits (depending on their partner and current legal sex), this helps to removes any gender bias that might restrict their choices (at least, in those 10+ states/districts in which it is legal). I believe this will help us move towards more open same-sex relationships and [trans/queer]gender expression, which is definitely a good thing for me.  🙂

However, while I totally support same-sex marriage (because marriage benefits shouldn’t be exclusive to opposite-sex couples and for reasons stated above and elsewhere in this blog), I wonder that we’re missing a few significant points: Continue reading “Full-Frontal Marriage: Here & Queer”

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Holey Matrimony

With May comes “wedding season,” but even though I’m fortunate enough to be in a successful long-term relationship with a highly compatible partner, I don’t plan to marry.  Why not?

Although I support and am happy for my family and friends who have chosen (or will chose) to get married, for me personally, the institution of marriage is holey [sic].  In brief, traditional marriage seems to:

  • Privilege “normal” romantic relationships over all  other kinds of relationships, including close friendships and kinships.
  • Be gender-essentialist and (generally) reinforce gender role stereotypes.
  • Represent a “unity” of two people which is incompatible with my fierce independence and my current (excellent) relationship.
  • Be an out-dated tradition that creeps out a rebel like me (as so many traditions do).

Continue reading “Holey Matrimony”

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We Are One Boston (Bomb-Busters pt 2)

Following the hellacious Marathon Monday last week, I wrote up about my reaction to the news coverage and politicos (see Boston Bomb-Buster post here), unaware that suspects had been identified and that a terror-filled Friday (April 19th) awaited me.

That Friday morning, I awoke as usual in April, a bit groggy from the pollen seeping through my leaky window (allergies), and pulled myself together for work, only to receive a phone call as I was about to leave. It was my boss calling to inform me that our office was closed, due a “shelter in place” order covering various towns, including Waltham (my office location) while there was a man-hunt on.

I was utterly shocked. I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me that the perpetrators of the bombing would’ve stuck around in the area, nor that they would be identified so quickly.  I certainly would never have guessed that their capture would’ve involved multiple gunfights, a car-jacking, improvised explosives, nor shelter-in-place orders for multiple nearby towns.  I kept wondering, “Is this real?” Continue reading “We Are One Boston (Bomb-Busters pt 2)”

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Boston Bomb-Buster

For the sake of posterity, on Monday, April 15th, Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts and the day I needed to resubmit my tax payment (for the largest tax I’ve ever owed, which bounced on first attempt due to lack of funds in my checking account), 2 maybe 3 “explosions” occurred in downtown Boston near the Boston Marathon finishing line, injuring a bunch of people and killing a few.  That’s all I knew on Monday, but of course further investigation has uncovered that these explosions were Improvised Explosive Devices, i.e., home-made bombs, and that more than 170 people were injured and 3 (so far) have died from the numerous sharp metal bits included with the bombs.

This Boston bombing and the news handling of it has elicited a complex mix of emotions and reactions from me. It is tragic and it happened in my adopted hometown, so it feels very sad and in a way personal, even though I didn’t know any of the victims. My heart goes out to those who were hurt and their family and friends.  On the other hand, I am feeling a lot of anger at the news people and politicians, many of whom seem to be pumping fists and fears, trying to make this into another “9/11” style world-changing tragedy. And I feel proud of my city, proud of my friends and fellow Bostonians who aren’t going to let that happen.

To all those directly impacted by these violent and unprovoked attacks, I send my sympathy and support.

To those who are not directly impacted, I want to say, OK, it was sad for a few days, please continue to support the victims, but otherwise move on. Let the justice department do their job and find the perpetrators, let the hospitals care for the injured  – nothing is needed from you, there are other things going on, just move on. Continue reading “Boston Bomb-Buster”