Viva Cuba

While waiting for the roofers to arrive this morning, I read an interesting article about a recently proposed bill in Cuba which would provide free sex change operations and hormonal treatment for transsexuals! Wow. According to Mariela Castro (Fidel's niece), the bill is receiving positive support. Here's the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/06/29/cuba.sex.reut/index.html

Anyway, for all those intellectuals who often dismiss/discount communism/socialism/Marxism on the grounds that gender/sexuality are ignored, I would suggest they look to Cuba for an alternative example. Although Castro notes in the article that homophobic attitudes persist, there have been remarkable changes around gender issues over the past several years. For evidence of this, read about the Cuban Women's Federation -- a real model of progress that the US women's movement should examine. It's fascinating to think queers were forced into work camps in the 1960s, but by 1979 the country reversed this position and outlawed the crime of sodomy. Tell that to Texas and all the other stupid states/cities in the US that still have sodomy listed as a criminal act--not to mention sex stores or purchasing dildos. Democracy? What democracy? Oh, today US-style democracy is managing to expedite missiles to Israel while the 9th ward in New Orleans remains untouched almost a year after Katrina hit. Bullshit.

Today Washington upheld their gay marriage ban, joining a long list of other states (including NY) who refuse to acknowledge gay unions. I hope Cuba passes this bill which many believe would make it the most liberal country in Latin America. And, I hope the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela continues to inspire and spread like wildfire . . . Cindy Sheehan (whom Bitch Face Coulter called the Dennis Rodman of the anti-war movement) has visited Chavez twice and has been publicly ridiculed in the US media for her decision to spend time with him. As she said, Chavez can speak unscripted, for hours, about most any topic, while our commander in chief is lucky if he can read the back of a cereal box.

Summertime Rolls

I knew once family members arrived in town the blog would go straight to hell. Not that anyone really reads this damn thing. Oh well. I suppose writing about my rather boring life in upstate keeps me sane, and enables me to talk about myself in ways that I typically don't in public. Who really cares about strawberries growing in the yard? My ongoing lawn mower woes? My old hound dog? Creeps at the park? Sigh. In spite of the fact that this blog has no regular readership (which I completely understand) it does provide me with a window into my first year living in the village. Friday July 21, Js birthday, also marks the occasion of our first year living in the old house, in the old village, on the very old street. Reflecting on the past year, I'd have to say our move and decision to take a new job was a very good one.

I'm hot in this room, though, so I'll keep my blog short this afternoon.

Here are some summer resolutions J and I recently made:
1. No TV! Ok, always exceptions for sports, and The Closer. Sorry, still have Sedgewick on the mind.
2. FILM/SERIES ONLY. We are finishing up Six Feet Under, and are two episodes into the second season of Deadwood. I can't believe Calamity Jane has staggered back to camp.
3. READ. Read novels or essays for writing journal articles or book chapters. Lay off the gossip online!! Help. This will be hard since Gayle and Oprah have recently declared they aren't gay. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
4. GO TO LIBRARY 4-5 times a week. This won't be so hard since it is one place around here that has air conditioning pumping all day long.
5. Use my own body for summer transportation. Since we do live in a village, walking and biking are really all you need to get around for basic errands.
6. Drink lots of wine.
7. Avoid the news broadcasts at all costs. Not only did our dipshit commander in chief act like a frat boy during the final lunch of the G8 summit, but he also groped the chancellor of Germany, and acted like an all around idiot.
Plus, he vetoed (his first of the administration) the stem cell research bill because it "crossed moral boundaries". I suppose letting Israel run roughshod over Lebanon (because "Israel has a right to defend itself" with our weaponry of course), and continuing to kill hundreds of Iraqi civilians and US soldiers in a greedy, selfish war is perfectly moral, right?

I'm sure there's more to my list that I cannot recall, but that will have to suffice for now. In the meantime, check out this link:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kk4O6B0CML4&search=bush%20groping%20chancellor