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  • Comment period on DHS HIV travel restrictions

    The GayCityNews has information on how to register a comment on proposed regulations concerning the entry of people who are HIV-positive into the United States (comments close December 6):

    Individuals who wish to protest the harsh new DHS regs on HIV-positive travel may submit comments online . . . — but to do so you must include the docket number of the proposed regs, USCBP-2007–0084.

    Select the pull-down for Department of Homeland Security-All, and at the bottom, select Docket ID and paste in the number. You can read the proposed regulation as well as previous comments (which include such sentiments as “i oppose giving any visas for aliens with hiv. none should be given. the law as it stands keeping them out is a good, sound, healthful one. there is no reason to change it.” and “I OPPOSE ANY CONSIDERATION OF CASE BY CASE BASIS. KEEP ALL WITH HIV OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.” Such are our fellow citizens.)

    (Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for keeping this before us.)

  • Quakers and privilege

    Via QuakerQuaker and Martin Kelley, I found Jeanne’s Social Class & Quakers blog and her blog game on class. As she says,

    It’s based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. . . . The exercise developers hold the copyright but have given me permission to post it here and ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

    Go on over to Jeanne’s blog for a link to the creators, in addition to wonderful comments and links (in the comments) to others who have done the exercise.

    Bold items are advantages I received.

    • Father went to college
    • Father finished college
    • Mother went to college
    • Mother finished college
    • Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
    • Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (my father owned a business)
    • Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
    • Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
    • Were read children’s books by a parent
    • Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 (oil painting)
    • Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
    • The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
    • Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
    • Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
    • Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs (to put it in context, I went to a land-grant institution with no tuition for in-state students)
    • Went to a private high school
    • Went to summer camp
    • Had a private tutor before you turned 18
    • Family vacations involved staying at hotels (the first family vacation we took was the summer before I started college)
    • Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
    • Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
    • There was original art in your house when you were a child (painted by my Grandma Sutton)
    • Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
    • You and your family lived in a single family house
    • Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
    • You had your own room as a child (eventually)
    • Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course (not to brag, but I was my class valedictorian; if I had needed such a prep course, I could and would have taken one)
    • Had your own TV in your room in High School
    • Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
    • Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 (my mother, sister, and I flew to the East Coast to visit D.C., Philadelphia, and my Aunt Martha in N.Y. state the summer I turned 13; and I flew to Europe for a FFA program the summer I turned 16)
    • Went on a cruise with your family
    • Went on more than one cruise with your family
    • Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
    • You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family (more to the point, I was unaware of cooling costs)

    Jeanne adds:

    To participate in this blog game, copy and paste the above list into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to post your responses in the comments. Once enough people participate in this little game, I’ll do a Part II post about what all this has to do with Friends. (And you can, in your blog post, ponder what it means to Friends).

    Go on over to Jeanne’s blog if you do this exercise, and let her know.

  • Neighborly pressure on Burma

    Al Jazeera reports Indonesia presses for Myanmar talks:

    Indonesia’s president is calling on Myanmar’s ruling military to speed up the process of democratisation and hold talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.

    Al Jazeera also have a report that Aung San Suu Kyi has met with members of the political party she leads.

  • Al Jazeera reports on meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi

    Article with photos: Al Jazeera English — News — Gambari Meets Aung San Suu Kyi

    The United Nations special envoy has met Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s detained opposition leader, in the city of Yangon, a government official has said.

  • And this is our ally?

    The Guardian reports ‘Desperate’ Musharraf declares martial law

    Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule last night, plunging the nuclear power into crisis and triggering condemnation from leaders around the world.

  • Watching Wikipedia

    Sometimes Andrew Sullivan links to the most amazing things: WikipediaVision (beta)

  • Burmese monks begin fresh protests

    Today’s headlines: Burmese monks begin fresh protests | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

    More than 100 Buddhist monks marched and chanted in Burma today in the first public demonstration since the military junta crushed last month’s anti-government protests, several monks said.

  • Protection and apostasy

    I’m a sucker for a great line and Peggy Parsons delivers today in A Silly Poor Gospel: Protection

    Then I noticed that this God was a pretty crummy wiseguy. He often appeared to blast good people anyway. A God less honorable than the Mob was not a God I wanted. Hence the apostasy.

    As always, her whole column is a rewarding read.

  • Rhinebeck

    I’m going on Sunday with my friend Karen: New York State Sheep and Wool Festival (popularly known as Rhinebeck, after the town it’s held in). I’ve been once before, and I’m looking forward to going back. I’ve recently been picking up my knitting needles again, so it doesn’t seem such an extravagance to consider buying yarn or patterns.

    Rhinebeck is comparable in size and variety, by the way, to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

  • Thank you President Bush

    As much as I despise almost everything he has done while in office, credit where credit is due: President Bush Attends Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring the Dalai Lama

    I congratulate His Holiness on this recognition. I’m so honored to be here with you, sir. Laura and I join all Americans in offering the people of Tibet our fervent prayer that they may find days of prosperity and peace.

    While Bush’s speech shares some of the inconsistencies of his presidency, it is worth noting that while several U.S. presidents have met with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, George Bush is the first to appear in public with him.