Rob Delaney has his moments (and linking to TAL doesn't hurt).

Sounds like a good wintery meal: One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

At this family-tastic time of year, take a listen to the TAL episode, Nobody's Family Is Going To Change.

Image: source.

A beautiful short about the end of a very loved dogs life: Last Minutes with ODEN. Anyone who has loved a pet will relate (and cry).

From the Boston Globe: Led by the child who simply knew: "The twin boys were identical in every way but one. Wyatt was a girl to the core, and now lives as one, with the help of a brave, loving family and a path-breaking doctor’s care." (The start of the article rubbed me the wrong way - gender expression that is not in line with societal expectations, as in a boy liking tutus, doesn't neccesarily mean that a child is transgender, or gay. But, overall, a moving and well-done piece.)

Per my friend Brett's recommendation, listening to Mayer Hawthorne on World Cafe. And Mavis Staples and Win Butler cover "The Weight."

Gift Guide: Friends Friends Friends

Time for another gift guide - this one is things I would get my much beloved, and very wonderful friends, scattered around the country. xoxox

* Cribbage! Never heard of it? I grew up playing this card (and board) game with my dad and an honorary aunt of mine, Betty. This cribbage set, from Renegade Handmade, is all you need to get started. (And, ideally, a spot in front of a toasty fire.)

* For anyone looking to cozy up a new apartment or house, posters for the kitchen from The Victory Garden of Tomorrow!

* You can't go wrong with a gift certificate to Good Vibrations or Babeland - single or coupled or anywhere else on the spectrum, everyone can find something to make their new year extra satisfying.

* Buy Olympia is always a great place to look for gifts, including beautiful prints, calendars, and books by one of my favs, Nikki McClure. They also have a lot of cool books and zines: for the new dads I know, I'd choose Rad Dads; for the foodies, subscriptions to Remedy; for the fashionistas, subscriptions to Worn; and a book for all those badass urban farmers I know and love.

* Check out this unique silk wrap bracelet (left)! Love the grey bird one as well (of course).

* I rarely buy jewelry because of a traumatic past event where a bunch of my jewelry was stolen (and also I just tend to break stuff), but I bought myself this ring about a year ago and wear it almost every day. It's bold but practical, tough and seemingly unbreakable (fingers crossed), and it gets lots of compliments. If possible, I'd by one for all my ladies.

* Lots of my friends have waded into (or are considering wading into) the world of online dating. For those folks, or for any lovers of awesome comics, I would buy "So This Is What It's Come To... ," a comic zine about the trials and tribulations of ok cupid by artists Ramsey Beyer, Kettner, Leslie Perrine, and Liz Prince.

* Finally, if I was really dreaming big (and why not?), I would fly all my closest loves out here to spend a long weekend at Breitenbush Hot Springs, a calm, steamy oasis in quiet, snowy, Oregon. Sigh. Dare to dream....

Excellent, and true. I hadn't thought of it this way before: You Can’t Fight Child Abuse Without Fighting Ableism

Listening to: WBUR, Anatomy Of A Bad Confession (hard to listen to at times, but important)

Image: source.

They're making a movie out of Cloud Atlas (one of my all-time favorites)? I'm dubious, but definitely curious.

Awesome: posters from the Occupy movement.

Hillary Clinton Is Not Helping the Gay Civil Rights Movement: "Is the United States really in a position to make an international call for gay civil rights when the Obama administration, which Clinton represents, has failed to give any federal teeth to the gay marriage campaign? Gay people can marry in New York City, but if their partners are Russian, Canadian, or any other nationality, they do not quality for citizenship rights and are deported. Clinton discusses violence committed against gay people abroad, but what about the staggering rates of suicide among gay teens and the violence committed against them?"

Mmmm, I wanna try this: Sweet Potato Black Bean Crock Pot Chili

Awesome: Youth Demand Quality Alternatives to Incarceration in Chicago

"The New York Times... highlights what increasingly is a poorly kept secret but which is no less disturbing nonetheless: the hundreds of thousands of immigration detainees caught in the far-reaching web of the nation’s punitive and inhumane immigration detention system are at grave risk of being sexually assaulted and abused." source.

Image: Eartha Kitt, 1970

Watched some footage today from the Butch Trans Women Panel at the Butch Voices 2011 Conferences. It definitely brought to my attention some of my biases, assumptions, and general ignorance about transwoman (and how limited I still am in my understanding of gender expression generally).

I was talking to a friend of mine about Luther this morning. I finished the first season - it's only 6 episodes - and was pretty unimpressed with how they handled the plot and characters. It was like they jammed 3 seasons of 2 different shows into 6 episodes! But I'll still check out Season 2..... Anyways, I ended up ended up giving her an (unsolicited) list of my favorites from the BBC. Man, do they do tv right. I bet you wanted a run-down of BBC shows I love:

Classics: This is the only Poirot I consider legit. "Inspector Lynley" is great, as are "Inspector Lewis" and "Inspector Morse." I was way too excited when I checked out the Masterpiece Mystery site (sure) and saw that they are doing a prequel to Inspector Morse, which should be great. Also, a few years ago I got really into "Mi5," which I should return to (I can't remember if I finished the entire series or not....).

More recent: This year's "Zen" was ok, but not great (it's main strength was it's unusual lead, Rufus Sewell, but otherwise I didn't care for much). I liked "Case Histories" a little more, due in no small part to the hotness of the lead (might've also helped that I read the first book the series. I tried to do the same with "Zen" but couldn't get into it.) The "Song of Lunch" is an odd, one episode drama between two ex-lovers, Alan Rickman (Alan Rrrrrickman!) and Emma Thompson (perfect deo). Weird and sad, but excellent (and available to watch online). Finally, a favorite of both mine and my mom's (I even bought it for her one Christmas) is the drama/romance "Reckless." Oh, and last but not least, whoever had the idea of having Alan Cumming be the new Diana Rigg is a genius - thank you.

Gift Guide: Natasha

Despite my attempts at anti-consumerism (or, perhaps, because of them?) I felt like making a gift guide. The theme of this one is "Natasha." I know that might not mean much to you, but it's a list of gifts I would get one of my favorite people if I was loaded. And it might be a good place to find presents if you have a cat-loving, fashion-fearless, bad-ass radical in your life (you should be so lucky)! xoxo

* This Dreamcats 2012 calendar from Etsy seller fieldguided is gorgeous and funky, yet discrete enough to have in your office. Plus it ensures your friend thinks of you every day, which is very important.

* I love colorful little bags - you can always find a use for them (makeup, pens, hair ties, electronics cords, etc), and, I know it sounds lame, but just seeing a burst of color in my all-black, all-denim lifestyle does give me a little boost. I wish I could buy these cheap ones from F21 for all my ladies.

* This black garnet necklace is the perfect sorta punk, sorta classic accessory that both Natasha and I love to rock (or, ok, dream of rocking).

* This kitten awesome journal is hilarious (and the perfect place to rant about your frustrating days, if I'm not around to listen).

* I try to buy all my books used and/or from local booksellers (when I'm doing online shopping, I always get them from Powells). I'd love to buy Natasha and myself both copies of Manning Marable's new biography of Malcom X, to keep us inspired for the fight, and so we could have a mini bi-coastal book club.

* Spending more than, like, 10 cents on a hair tie seems ridiculous to me, but luckily this is just pretend, so I can say that these are super cute. They would be adorable worn as bracelets when you are letting your hair flow, and are perfect for ladies like me and Natasha, who like the long messy look but sometimes have to reign it in to be "lawyers."

* I'm a big fan of Yala, a company based here in Ashland, OR that sells insanely soft bamboo clothes and sheets. Having a comfortable bed is the best, and I would love to give my hard-working friend these luxurious sheets (and maybe also this shirt so we could be twins).

* This kitty sweater (left) from Need Supply might not be work-appropriate, but it's just perfect for weekend wear (with leggings, natch).

Happy 15th anniversary to my bff Lisette, my rock, and my inspiration. I love you, ELM - meeting you changed my life.

More great work by the NAACP LDF (and my incredible friend nk): "The findings of our research are gathered in this report, Defending Democrary: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America. The report reveals direct connections between the trend of increasing, unprecedented turnout among voters of color and the proliferation of restrictive measures across the country designed to thwart electoral strength among people of color—particularly those who are poor, young, or elderly."

Left: I just started reading "Blankets" by Craig Thompson. I was intimidated by it's size (over 500 pages!) but it is very absorbing. I would almost say it's a "quick" or "easy" read, but neither of these are quite true, since it's often (and pretty much immediately) heartbreaking, with powerful images and tales of an abusive childhood, religion, and first love.

I recently began listening to "Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations About Food and Money" by Geneen Roth. As with "Women Food God," I found Geneen Roth's voice pretty grating, but the content worth sticking it out for. With this book, Roth explores the the same connections between money & worth, control, mortality that she has previously explored with food. There are definitely a lot of moments of "I don't feel sorry for you, you're rich" and "Ugh, please stop talking about those glasses that you so badly want" - but then I realized a lot of the things she's saying are the same things I get sick of hearing in my very own head. Is listening to the truth of our unhealthy attachment to money and acquisition (and it's sometimes inexplicable relationship to food) enjoyable? Nope, but neither is living with it.

Also reading: "The Impossible Dead" by Ian Rankin (always gotta have a mystery), and "Let the Great World Spin" by Colum McCann.

Looking forward to listening to this (they do a great job of filming the talks to make them available online: Zinn Lectures: Immigration and Occupy: Aviva Chomsky, a history professor at Salem State University will be giving a talk on Wed. Dec 7 at 5pm at Occupy Boston. She will be discussing Immigration and Occupy.

Go SOU! So proud of my friends that are working to make SOU (and the whole of Southern Oregon) more progressive and supportive for everyone. SOU pushes measures for gender-neutral campus: "University continues to make changes to reduce gender differentiation, and students like it."

Left: from Liz Prince

I'm worried I'm getting sick so I'm taking a few days off working out. It totally sucks but I hope it prevents me from getting really ill (everyone seems to be sick right now - guess it's that time of year.)

Still watching and liking the BBC show Luther, although the 3rd and 4th episodes definitely get more violent and have a little much of the explicit violence against women. (There're also some great music choices: Muse's cover of "Feeling Good," and Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime")

My mom got me two of these shirts (thanks, Mom!) and they are perfect - nice fit, soft fabric, good colors, and the right length (not so long that they are tunics or awkward with pants, but not so short that they ride up or show skin, even with low riders). Recommended!

Bhopal Disaster Survivors Protest On Anniversary: "Thousands blocked trains through a central Indian city on Saturday to demand more compensation. In 1985, a Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked lethal gas in Bhopal, killing an estimated 15,000 people and maimed tens of thousands more." Help demand Justice for Bhopal survivors!

Excellent documentary "If A Tree Falls" is now available on Netflix Instant! Check it out if you haven't seen it.

A Glimpse of Death Row in China: "Pictures of women on death row in China, republished online this week, provide a rare but officially approved glimpse of capital punishment in a country that executes more people each year than the rest of the world combined."

Check out the trailer for The Invisible War, which looks like a very powerful movie about the incredible epidemic of rape in the military.

Image: source. Hibernation time.

From the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a guide for trans activists, and those who support trans activists, for staying safe in direct actions.

The Millions: "The Harry Ransom Center has scanned and uploaded the syllabus from David Foster Wallace‘s Fall 1994 section of English 102: Literary Analysis."

I realized I haven't talked about it much lately but I'm still doing (5-7 times per week) and loving CrossFit. I'm definitely gaining muscle and strength, and appreciating the daily variety and challenge.

Flavorwire: Sundance Unveils 2012 Competition Lineup

“Women who are fat are said to have ‘let themselves go.’ The very phrase connotes a loosening of restraints. Women in our society are bound. In generations past, the constriction was accomplished by corsets and girdles…. Women today are bound by fears, by oppression, and by stereotypes that depict large women as ungainly, unfeminine, and unworthy of appreciation…. Above all, women must control themselves, must be careful, for to relax might lead to the worst possible consequence: being fat.” - “Letting Ourselves Go: Making Room for the Fat Body in Feminist Scholarship,” by Cecilia Hartley

Image: Diana Nyad (62 years old!) bears welts from jellyfish stings days after swimming 90 miles in the ocean. source.

Interesting article in the NYTimes about gift giving, its historical intents and current incarnation.

Just started watching "Luther" this week. I don't know what took me so long, it has so many things I love - it's a BBC show, it's about detectives, and Idris Elba is the star!

Image: source.

Excellent: My Sluthood, Myself (thanks pc!)

I got my mom the Clean Food cookbook a while back and have been really impressed by what she's made from it (it helps that she's a great cook) - clean, simple, yummy recipes, arranged by season, with beautiful photos. I wanna try this one next: Carrot Ginger Soup.

The Awl staff’s list of “Top Longreads of 2011.“

KDRV Amateur Athlete of the Week: My bada** coworker, Jim Sims! When not representing people in social security & disability hearings, Jim is winning Ironman triathlons - and, oh yeah, he's almost 70.

"Today is the anniversary of Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her bus seat, resulting arrest and Montgomery boycott. The Grio discusses Park’s life and legacy, calling out her mischaracterization as 'a simple woman who chose not to stand because she had tired feet,' and recognizing her for who she was: 'a tireless advocate for justice.'"

An interview with Rebecca Solnit in The Believer. ("A lot of people think of political activism as some grim duty, and I think we do have an obligation to be citizens—to be informed and engaged—but it’s not just duty. Public life enlarges you, gives you purpose and context, saves you from drowning in the purely personal, as so many Americans seem to. I still think that walking down the middle of the street with several thousand people who share your deepest beliefs is one of the best ways to take a walk. I’ve also learned by firsthand experience and eyewitnessing that popular power matters—to recognize the power of citizens and grassroots efforts and not be so depressingly, disempoweringly focused on the power of the elected and elite, as so many Americans are. Alone, we’re powerless in many ways that we’re powerful together, and that power is one of the great pleasures and purposes of life we hardly have language for in this culture.")

Everything about this tiny house for one in Carrboro, NC makes my heart skip a beat.

Image: source.

"The Fresh Start program at Rikers Island gives participating inmates classes in parenting and cooking."

Listening to: World Cafe 20th Anniversary Concert (feat. Feist, Dawes, Mumford & Sons and Lucinda Williams), and, of course, Wild Flag.

"The moment we are living in is full of the groans and shrieks of a culture at sea with questions of love, sex, disease, and desire, how do we differentiate them and do we need to. The sirens we hear, women, homosexuals, and all the pioneers of our time, are calling for a culture big enough to contain or embrace or encompass the shapes and needs of all our bodily destinies. It demands an extravagant poetry." - Eileen Myles

It breaks my heart how many people who need serious psychiatric care are incarcerated in prisons, where their conditions only worsen and they are subject to even greater abuse and victimization than other prisoners. After closing psychiatric hospitals, Michigan incarcerates mentally ill. In Michigan, "more than 20% of the state's prisoners had severe mental disabilities -- and far more were mentally ill. The same study found that 65% of prisoners with several mental disabilities had received no treatment in the previous 12 months."

Image: source.

We made these twice baked sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving; super simple and super tasty - highly recommended.

"Commute the sentence of the only juvenile, first-time offender serving mandatory life sentence for nonviolent drug offense!"

"Finding Oregon is the compilation of six months of timelapse photography across the state of Oregon, punctuated by a 1600 mile road trip in September. We've filmed the Columbia River Gorge, Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson, the Southwestern Coast, the Alvord Desert, Leslie Gulch, Blue Mountains, Crater Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Deschutes River, and more."

“I think one of the primary goals of a feminist landscape architecture would be to work toward a public landscape in which we can roam the streets at midnight, in which every square is available for Virginia Woolf to make up her novels ” - Rebecca Solnit

"Student committs suicide, letters reveal he was worried immigration status"

"This is just another reason why we need real change. I hate how games are played when it comes to immigration and how some people are towards the undocumented community....The DREAM Act and CIR are not just about being able to fix our status and work legally or go to school. It's about not being afraid, not having those barriers anymore, and felling like you are someone..that you are worth something and are a human being just like everyone else." - a DREAMer

Artwork by Julio Salgado

ASK LESLEY: HOW DO I STOP HATING MY BODY? "Sometimes, loving your body is not an option. Sometimes, the best we can do is accept our bodies as the changeable, beautiful, frustrating vessels they are. That’s OK. Expecting yourself to have a full-on love affair with your body at all times is asking too much. Bodies are occasionally annoying. What we can do is know them, and decide for ourselves when they feel good, and when they feel less good, and what we might do to make them feel better again. Even if we can’t love our bodies, we can make sure we don’t hate them."

Image: source.

OR Governor Will Allow No More Executions: "Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber said this week that he will halt the execution of a death row inmate scheduled for next month and will allow no more executions in the state during his term. 'It is time for Oregon to consider a different approach,' Governor Kitzhaber told reporters. 'I refuse to be a part of this compromised and inequitable system any longer; and I will not allow further executions while I am governor.'"

A serious problem: Study Finds Foster Children Often Given Antipsychosis Drugs: "Powerful drugs intended for people with severe mental illness are prescribed for children in foster care at a disturbingly high rate."

The Jayhawks and Gillian Welch on World Cafe.

“Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.” - Susan Sontag

NYTimes: A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day

PBS' American Masters is airing a two-part documentary on Woody Allen this week.

Image: source.

An op-ed by Rebecca Solnit: Occupy Wall Street: Civil society's awakening: "Americans everywhere have realized that government and corporations depend on consumers, workers and ultimately citizens who may yet succeed in reining them in."

Never ever ever thought I would say this but - good for Newt Gingrich: Gingrich Risks Conservative Outrage on Immigration: “I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century . . . And I’m prepared to take the heat for saying let’s be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship, but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families.”

‎"Dorothy Day used to pray every day, before her Catholic Worker house opened to feed homeless strangers: Lord, I know you’ll be coming through the food line today. Don’t let me miss you when you come."

A short but on point video of Dean Spade on "trickle-down social justice."

Oops, started on page one of Kim Gee Comics and definitely spent a lot of time devouring every page....

Image: source. I like it.

Awesome comic artists unite to tackle everyone's favorite jackpot of good stories and harrowing tales, OK Cupid: So This Is What It's Come To.

This year’s New York Times Notable Books of the Year list is out.

Oh yep, who hasn't had this thought as they pass a roadside covered with used-once, thrown down cups of water: Are Marathons Bad for the Planet? "Sure, races are fun. But today's events also leave behind record-breaking environmental footprints."

This article from the NYTimes is getting a lot of discussion on legal blogs: What They Don’t Teach Law Students: Lawyering. I'd agree that the practical nuts and bolts of practicing law should be a larger part of legal education, which is one of the reasons I chose a school that places so much emphasis on the actual practice of law.

(thanks e.l.m.!)

Cruel and Unusual: A President's 'Pardon' as Dark Parody: "The White House turkey "pardon" is a distasteful reminder of the power we give politicians over death-row prisoners."

Image: source.

I've watched a few episodes of the BBC's adaptation of Kate Atkinson's mystery novel Case Histories - I like the adaptation (you'll never guess where you recognize the main actor from), and was impressed by the use of music. The main character, Jackson Brody, is a fan of American folk/blues/country music, and the tv adaptation does a great job of including this music. The only problem is they haven't released a soundtrack! Luckily I'm not the only one who liked their selections, and I found someone who put in the work to post a list of the tracks here. Great stuff, and I'm always thrilled to hear Lucinda Williams in any setting.

NPR: Mexican Deportees Strain Cities South Of The Border: "For many Mexican migrants who've just been deported from the United States, the border city Reynosa is where the American Dream dies...."

A powerful comic about abuse the power of friendship. Simple, short, but effective.

From Jezebel, Are Bisexual Women Getting The Short End Of The Emotional Stick?: "A new study found that bisexual women are more likely than bisexual men to suffer from depression and stress, and abuse alcohol. Researchers don't really know why bisexual women tend to fare worse than men, but they suspect feeling excluded from two communities may have something to do with it."

Inside Guantanamo, Detainees Live In Limbo: "NPR's Dina Temple-Raston has reported on prisons for years, but says Guantanamo is different. In this Reporter's Notebook, she visits the notorious prison and says it feels like a terrorist museum."