All ~ma for Niki.

Oh, {{{{bonny}}}}.

Thinking of you and Niki.

ma~~~ for Niki

erika - sounds like a great project. I can see where it would feel un-empowering, though. But at least it's going to be a great record of how things both have, and have not, changed. That can only make activism easier. And this week a friend and I have been dealing with the nay-sayers and their "disability isn't an issue anymore" stuff. (A parallel to women who say they hate "those feminists who shout about sexism when everyone knows we're equal by now, aren't we?" and simiar.) And it's so depressing when you know (and are constantly reminded of) how little progress has been made towards real inclusion in society. But at the same time - well, things are improving, if only slowly. I may be fighting battles to get my PhD application considered on the same terms as that of non-disabled students, but at least the law supports me there (if I can just get the university to follow it). But - yeah. I can see how the project would be both hopeful and depressing. Where's the archive going to be, by the way? I'd love to get access to that sometime, if it's online!

This podcast in particular made me think of you, with features on disability and art and gay marriage. [link]

Ooh, all my favourite things in one place! I read Bitch Magazine sometimes, but I need to subscribe so I don't miss this stuff. Thanks for the tip!

{{{bonny}}}

/this post brought to you by "I'm too tired to sit upright, but dude do I want to hang out here with you people anyway," and the subsequent explanation of my writing making no sense. And the letter Q.

~ma for you, bonny.

Argh. Put neurologists appointment in my calendar at 10am. To make sure I'd get here in time for 10:40 appointment. Got here at 9:55. Said "here for my 10 appt!" and they clued me in I was almosdt an hour early. Doh! And battery is running out and no book. Aaagh!

Hairpats for Seska.

And erika, I hope that project doesn't eat you from your bottom.

Eh, it's easy...sometimes boring(gov't documents, anyone?) but important, and more important for me right now, it's a thing with a beginning, a middle, and an end...which I don't often have since I've been doing the ink-stained wretch thing.Some of these documents look like hot buttered ass, though, cause they've been copied into so many different formats...somebody's gonna have to be a real wizard to make that website look good(not me...I'm thrilled when all my copying and pasting works!) Seska, it should all be online sometimes this summer...will definitely link. It's weird...I appear to be the whole Arizona team. Which, partially, I don't want, but brings out all my Virgo conviction that that is one way to be sure it's done properly. But, yes, I absolutely wish more of the stories felt like stuff from The bad Old Days, but mostly, those are public accomodation stories(and I almost wrote "pubic accomodations" which we all know can't be legislated.(smirk) It kind of reminds me of my short volunteering stint with ACLU, reading letters from prisoners. Because some of them tell every sad thing that happened to them in their whole life(and, like the prisoners, there are a LOT,) and they don't know what to say, and think they need special writin' words, but what they really want is someone to *listen*, god damn it, and resist all impulses to fix their mistakes. Although I'm a Buffista, so I bet I get a rash.

It's specifically the toxoplamosis microbe. It's contagious in cat poo during a certain stage of its lifecycle as a parasite in the cat. As the cat is the optimal host for this parasite, it may not complete the cycle in other species such as homo sapiens. They certainly don't get all het up about pregnant women who already have a diaper-wearing kid cleaning up the dirty ones, but whooo boy do people hear about giving up their cats (or at least not cleaning the litter boxes).

Toxoplasmosis causes birth defects in developing fetuses. Diaper wearing kids are not going to be carriers--cats can be. Your vet can run a test for Toxoplasmosis. If the cat's not carrying it, a pregnant woman could very well keep changing the litter. But she should certainly wear gloves when gardening just in case stray cats are doing their business in the dirt.

Full grown humans can defend against the parasite--developing ones, not so much. DH had a cousin who was born blind, with CP and was mentally retarded as the result of exposure to TP. He died when he was 11.

IIRC from what I've read, if the cat is strictly an indoor cat and does NOT and has NOT ever been outside to hunt and/or eat birds (where the cats get the microbe, I think), then the litter is ok to change if the pregnant woman has to. A chance I was willing to take with my indoor cats while I was pregnant? No. But if it had come to it and I needed to do it once or twice, then I more than likely would have been alright.