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March 31, 2003
Today Is Cesar Chavez Day
Si, se puede!
Posted by pogo at 03:49 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 29, 2003
The State I Am In
A small report:
*On our block there are something like 23 houses and in at least 10 of those yards are “Austin Against War” signs.
*I got an email from my grandfather that’s still got me grinning. Seems I made him happy by writing him a short note, mostly about turnip greens. He’s glad to know I’m eating my greens and cornbread, and so am I.
*I have spied the first peaches of the season in the market. Now, sadly these are not splitting-flesh fresh, juice dribbling everywhere, Fredericksburg peaches (available at only the finest central Texas roadside stands). It’s still too early for that. These came all the way from Chile, and were a little overpriced, but they’re ripe and sweet and delicious, and that makes them worth it. I’m going to make peach salsa with them, tart and sweet and hot and so, so good.
*Later on there will be a birthday party for our beloved Mo-mo (that’s Miss Maureen, for those of you not in the know, yo) and I will take said salsa over. There will be much eating, drinking, rejoicing and celebrating of young Moe. Y’all come. You can call me for directions.
Posted by pogo at 01:30 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
March 27, 2003
Why Should I Care About Posterity? What’s Posterity Ever Done For Me?
The other day I was looking for some Groucho Marx quotes and Google headed me toward someone’s personal Marx Brothers page. They had taken everything down and written, “This is not the time for jokes,” and then had a list of worthwhile places to send money, such as Oxfam.
Well, now. Yes, Oxfam and UNICEF and the Red Cross/Crescent are wonderful organizations and can always use your money, double especially now. And of course it’s a really good thing that so many people have the power of the internet to use in conveying their political voice and incite action. However, I don’t believe for one second that people need to stop laughing right now. I don’t think that any one person is any less concerned about the state of things just for looking up some funny man words. I don’t think it’s possible to forget just how fucked up things are, and in light of this, I think it’s very important to laugh, to watch “Duck Soup” just one more time, to spin around in the front yard until you fall down dizzy. You must giggle in times like these. That doesn’t make this time any less dire or mean that you are any less concerned and angry about it; it just helps keep you sane. And a little silly. And that’s good.
Some silly things I have enjoyed in the last week include:
*This Groucho Marx random quote generator.
*Buying sumac to cook with. Even though it’s not the poisonous stuff, it still seems strange.
*Watching Jacob play Zelda.
*Reading Krazy Kat comics for the millionth time.
*Making a felt-y France monster.
*Giving a pint of blood and then proceeding to drink a million beers on the front porch (I don’t know if this qualifies as silly, or just plain dumb, but I sure did giggle a lot. At first.)
*Playing Buck Owens records and singing along at the top of my lungs.
Posted by pogo at 04:46 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
March 25, 2003
What’s Going Down? Well, I’ll Tell You One Thing That Did — The Sun!
My Animal Crossing buddies have started to write me letters in French.
Posted by pogo at 11:41 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 20, 2003
Tears, Idle Tears
Though I have a really great family, composed of really amazing people, I didn’t have the most stable upbringing. We moved, and then my mother moved in and out a handful of times before she finally left for good and my brother and I gasped, left in the whirlwind of it all, supposed to come and go between our parents, which he did much more faithfully and willingly than me.
The night the first Gulf War began was a strange time. I was a junior, settled down a bit from my rough and rowdy first few years of high school, and my brother was staying with us around that time (which seems unusual, looking back.) I was watching the news that night, already knowing what was going to happen, but full of disbelief and hope in the way that only an idealistic 16 year-old can be. Of course it began, the war, with missiles and indiscernible footage and sand and green streaks across the black night sky and words I’d never heard before like “scud” and “tomahawk missile.” I had been on the verge of tears before, but not in an uncontrollable way. It all just seemed so distant and impossible and not romantic at all. It didn’t seem like it could happen in my lifetime.
My sweet baby brother came over to comfort me. It’s the last memory I have of him being “young.” He hugged me and said, “It’ll be alright, Tam.” And then I lost it, all at once tear-faced, runny nose and heaving sobs. I wanted to believe what he said, and he wanted me to as well, but I knew better.
I can’t believe this is happening now, again. Everything is different now, the world and I are very much changed, and I’m still feeling like a shaky high schooler who will collapse in a heap at any moment. And I’ve used up all my words and arguments, as well as much of the anger that helped sustain me when I was younger, and have nothing left but sadness.
Posted by pogo at 11:21 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
March 17, 2003
A Drinking Song
William Butler Yeats
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
Posted by pogo at 12:46 PM | TrackBack
March 16, 2003
I’m So Confused
I wrote a few letters to some Texas Representatives last week concerning some anti-abortion bills that are going to be considered on Monday. I just received the most baffling response from Representative Jerry Madden, and truly I’m at a loss.
This is the letter I wrote, verbatim, minus name and address:
Dear Representative:
I am writing to register my opposition to HB 15 and HB 246.
I oppose HB 15 because I think it is designed to convince women that
abortion is always the wrong decision. It will erect barriers to women’s
health care and will cause unnecessary delays. I trust doctors to provide
unbiased information to women facing difficult choices about childbearing
and I trust women to make informed decisions.
I oppose HB 246 because I think that solutions to the problem of violence
against women should be real and not political. I support solutions that
focus on the loss and harm to a pregnant woman. It is not necessary to
create a new definition of individual in order to address this very serious
problem.
Thank you for your time.
And this is the response I just received:
Tamara
Maybe you have not seen the suffering caused by the loss of a child due to a traffic crash but I have and believe that the destruction of that woman’s choice is indefensible.
That’s it, in its entirety. Not even a closing or signature. Jesus F-ing Christ.
Posted by pogo at 04:51 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
March 10, 2003
Down by the Riverside
Yesterday was a goofed up day, but a nice one, and the radio was on my side all the way through it.
I woke up today super early and made it to the train station, but a quick phone call let me know that I should wait until tomrorrow to get on the train. So I told my dad and he suggested breakfast, which makes sense as we think alike on most things. We went to Cowan’s Cafe, a local little place just one block away from my first apartment. Everyone goes to Cowan’s. The merengue on the pie is six inches high. Reasonably fortified, mainly with coffee, we got back in his truck where the radio was tuned to the community radio station. They were broadcasting a show known as “Ireland in America.”
We headed across the river, back home to change into more comfy duds and figure out our day. We opted to go to a winery. Yes, yes, we think alike. Into the truck. “Greaser’s Lunchbox” is on the air, and we sang along to a hundred rockabilly songs as we drove into the hills, looking at wintery, barren vineyards and anticipating delicious local wine, bread and cheese.
We got everything we’d hoped for, and I had the bonus of running into a girl I went to high school with who now works at Mount Pleasant Winery.
When we got in the car to go home, “Afternoon Delight” was on the air, a psych/glam show. For the rest of the day there was laziness, visiting, music and all good things. Now I’m ready to get on the train for real and after a million hours I will finally be home in Texas.
Posted by pogo at 05:33 PM | TrackBack
March 06, 2003
Mean Woman Blues
International Women’s Day is coming up, March 8. Now, I don’t put too much faith in observing particular days having much power to actually change things (with the exception of, you know, Pie Day) but I think it is important to be mindful of these things at the very least. So this is a day set aside to honor all of the progress that has been made for women’s rights around the world, and that’s notable, important. It’s also very important to be aware of all the shitty, shitty things the current administration is up to, especially with regards to women’s reproductive health.
Let’s have a little run-down.
The Global Gag Rule has been reinstated, cutting off US aid to international family planning organizations whose services included— but did not use US funds for— informing women of legal abortion options, providing safe and legal abortion options, or lobbying for abortion law reform.
The United Nations Population Fund has had $34 million in family planning aid withheld.
Support for the Senate ratification of CEDAW (the International Women’s Treaty) has been withdrawn. The treaty stands to require nations to remove barriers of discrimination against women in areas like legal rights and health care.
In my opinion, one of the biggest failings of the Bush administration is in regards to sex education. They have changed federal funding to only support “abstinence-only sex ed” wherein there can be no mention of contraceptives, and only the directive to abstain until marriage can be taught. Any fool can see how effective that should turn out to be.
The Feminist Majority Foundation is an excellent resource and it’s where I gleaned all of this information. They urge you to write some letters, and I do, too.
Posted by pogo at 01:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 01, 2003
Play One More for My Radio Sweetheart
When you’re driving anywhere and the radio is on your side, it can redeem even the shittiest night. Last night coming home from a very silly show at Emo’s, replete with Mardi Gras revellers in ball caps sporting their frat letters and 21 year-olds in mohawks stricken with Mosh Pit Fever, I couldn’t fix on any one thing to listen to in the car. I let the radio do the work. I heard “Brand New Cadillac” by the Clash which segued nicely into “See No Evil” by Television, one of the greatest driving songs ever. It ended just as I pulled into the driveway. A serendipitous smile.