Why?

Why are drunk people so fucking loud? I'm including myself in this, of course, as I'm loud when I'm sober... But seriously? Do we just forget all rules of propriety and social kindness after imbibing a bit too much? In those lovely 18th and 19th century novels, being "too much in our cups" doesn't sound so bad for the innocents around us... but when I'm sitting on my couch watching a movie on a Saturday night and the people around me have partaken in too much sauce, I don't find it quite as amusing... Well, I guess others have said the same for me at one point or another, so I should stop being so reactionary. For now, at least... Cheers!

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Unsettled

... and unsure why.

Saddam Hussein was just executed. Listen, I'm not someone who thinks that the man is innocent or shouldn't be punished--he was an awful dictator who kept his people in constant fear through mass kilings and torture. Iraq wasn't more peaceful before the US invasion because of some goodwill on his part, but because it was a police state. I don't agree with what the United States has done by going into Iraq, but that's not because I think the Iraqis were better off under Hussein. I just don't think what they have now is any better.

But something about a hanging (or pictures of a man about to be hanged) unsettles me. I have a gut reaction to it--an emotional, visceral, negative reaction. I don't see how hanging someone, even a mass murderer, makes anything better. Is the world composed of living energies and now that his evil is dead, we're all fine and balanced now? I don't believe that or any other argument for executions... I think that capitol punishment is simply our base need for revenge and violence institutionalized in order to make it seem rational and logical... not to mention legal.

But then I think about the scope of someone like Hitler or Pol Pot's crimes... or someone who were to hurt my family... and a blazing anger rises up. I clench my fists and think about how I can hurt them. Or if someone were to attack me, how I would fight back so that they would never hurt again... Is that anger the same feeling that justifies (and would one day lead me to condone) a hanging or lethal injection?

I don't know, I guess that a situation like Hussein's brings gut reactions out of all of us and our individual natures move us towards one view or the other. I wholeheartedly believe that people feel what they feel sans thought. We use words and rational to create "reasons" that help us feel above our nature and justify our "illogical" emotions. So which is more telling to my true feelings: my small moment of rage at the thought of someone hurting my family or my complete disgust when looking at the picture of someone (even as detestable as Hussein) hanging? I'd like to think the latter and that my life-long reasons for being anti-capitol punishment and war are justifications for my innate aversion to the taking of any life for any reason.*

I just hope that I never have a situation where my family is hurt and I have to test this theory. And that we can change our society and world enough where we stop allowing dictators like Hussein to prosper... then we won't have to justify hanging them later for crimes we tacitly allowed them to commit.

*I know, I know, I'm pro-choice... doesn't that throw a wrench in this whole thing, you ask? Personally I'd rather leave that argument for another day, k? I'm being a little too philosophical and introspective for noon on a Saturday as it is.

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P.S.S.

My husband is aghast at the cloning thing and randomly pulled some factoid out of his head about how this will lead to the demise of food as we know it because of disease (you know, if all animals are genetically identical, they are genetically susceptible to the same disease) and gave the example of the Michel Banana as proof. I thought he was making it up as some knee-jerk reaction, but in fact, he's right. See this Science article and judge for yourself.

I know we totally sound like paranoid natural food health nuts, but we're really not. I had Chex Mix and Diet Coke for dinner... I just have a hard time trusting "scientific" rulings on food these days. Remember, not that long ago scientists and the FDA all swore that margarine was going to save us all from butter. And we all know how well that turned out. Trans fat, anyone?

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P.S.

Why is it ethical and not "against God" for us to eat an artifically created (nay, CLONED) animal, but not for women to have easy access to the morning after pill? Huh, FDA, why is that? Guess the anti-cloning lobbyists don't have as much pull as the Religious ant-choice ones... You know, like the President.

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My Husband Made a Good Move and Other Truths About My Bum

My Holiday is officially over... I have bronchitis, feel like death, didn't even comb my hair today for work and still managed to be objectified by a stranger...

"Ma'am, do you have a light?"
"No, I don't smoke"
"Oh. Well, do you have a boyfriend?"
"No, I have a husband."
"Oh. Well, that was a good move... Tell him he did a good job."

Yes, sir, I will, as soon as he gets home. And maybe I'll take up smoking too, just to complete your day, luvah boy.

In other news, I'm not sure which of these things gives me more of the heevey-bajeveeys:

One day eating these cloned cows


or

the thought of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld young and in neutral-toned polyester...


Yeah, you're right. A young and virile looking Cheney does invoke much more fear than something as silly as cloned food. I mean, imagine how many more Americans he could have killed before his 7 heart attacks? Cloned cows don't carry any of the ill-tasting karma that man does... Mmmmm, good karma hamburger.

Finally, I would like to take this time to gives thanks for one of the few perks of working for the man: I have a four day weekend thanks to President Ford's passing. I guess that's a fair trade for him introducing the world to the ills of Rumsfeld and Cheney, right? Mmmmm, day of mourning for man who pardoned Nixon and ushered in the era of the New Right. Yum Yum.



*Photos captured from CNN and Wonkette...*

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XMAS is the new Christmas

1) Since when is there a "new" blogger? Gah, it's a been a long time since I've logged in. Not to mention the fact that as a 25ish year old, I sign in as an "old" blogger... Google is ruining my life.

2) We got exhibition approval! Coming soon (well, 2008) to an important global health site near you (7 to be exact)-- all my free time!

3) It's the Holiday Season! I get three days off! To go to Arkansas_ ... or is it "!"?

4) I love Dawson's Creek. And DVR recorders that enable me to watch Dawson's Creek. And the fact that Tom Cruise has only sorta ruined Joey for me, but only when with Dawson. Pacey is still sacred to me. And that's all the Christmas I need.

5) My local was robbed during trivia. Notice that the comments are more focused on the fact that the City Desk called it a hipster bar when it is no way obscure and cool enough to be called hipster anymore like that's a bad thing. That is, that being a hipster bar is a good thing. Wait, I'm confused... Do I like hipsters? Regardless, at least the Wonderland does have its "I live in a marginally safe neighborhood which means I'm not racist like you people who choose not to live where you might get mugged every day so there" cool factor back.

6) I am not only a lame blogger, I am also full of bad blog clichés.

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