I actually don't think women's issues have gone backward (but it fucking sure feels like it), but I do think that there is a great deal of publicity around gains that we thought we'd made but hadn't.

That's the depressing part.

I hate hate hate this undercurrent of punishment in current politics.

Yeah, I think someone should be punished for that.

It's remarkably Darwinian of them, this "successful people get good things" thing. And wouldn't they all pop their tops if this was pointed out to them.

I really just want to go on Facebook and make inflammatory statements about how, for example, if you believe that a woman can't get pregnant from "real rape", you are a HORRIBLE PERSON.

In non-political news, I swam, and then walked home in, the most thunderless thunderstorm ever. There was even hail. And it is still going. It's dark out there.

Oh wait, climate change. Sorry!

It's remarkably Darwinian of them, this "successful people get good things" thing.

It's far worse than Darwinian (since the theory of natural selection is way more nuanced than that), it's actually medieval. The medieval Church believed that even giving a woman medical care during childbirth was an arrogation of God's will.

Or am I thinking of Calvinism? My theology is suspect.

I'm reminded of that wonderful quote from Babylon 5: WTTE of "I have to believe life is unfair, because think how horrible it would be to believe you deserved everything that happened to you."

I am terrified that the power will go out. The Derecho totally left me spooked! (and I would totally lose my shit if power went out for any amount of time tonight. I have hours left of work to do. Bob is out of town. When I am finished my work I want to watch some of my stories I've been saving for Bob being out of town!)

I'm looking forward to it getting out that Akin used to be a union rep. Let's just say that his bio no longer mentions when he used to be a teacher in the Mehlville school district, and served as a representative for the teacher's union. I'd love to see his handlers try to spin that one for the Tea Party crowd.

I need to look up new knots.

Modified Windsor, all the way. My dandy-ish father taught me, noting "It's a symmetrical knot that creates a perfect dimple."

It requires an extra loop-over compared to a three-in-hand so you need to leave yourself more tie to work with.

Here's a demo.

Take some time to get the "V" correct before you do the last loop and draw the tie through. Once you draw the tie tightly (if the "V" is taut) it will come perfectly into shape and create the dimple.

I don't leave as much on the short side as they do in this video.

Cash and I were talking today about what constitutes "real" cock-punching.