Cutting up Afghanistan and Too Much TV

I haven't forgotten this thing altogether. It sucks though, because a lot of interesting stuff has been happening that I should be writing about, if only for my own benefit (let's be frank, it is pretty much only for my own benefit). But first, an appropriate song:



The Beatles - Long Long Long

I've always, always loved this song. Anyway, what's been going on? A whole lot. The air is turning colder (if only to tease us for one or two days at a time before bringing back the heat for several more weeks), my apartment is beginning to smell cinnamon-y, my job search is getting slightly more desperate, and I'm fighting the urge to put up all my Christmas lights ludicrously early.

One of the things I've found interesting recently is this article on BBC News, more specifically the map at the bottom of it. In fact, even if you don't feel like reading the whole article, I recommend you scroll to the bottom and take a look at that map. It's really very interesting; we know there are combat units from many different nations (more than 40, actually) hanging out in Afghanistan, but it's sort of surreal to see all of their flags spread out across a map of Afghanistan like that. Nothing says "quagmire" like this map.

I pointed this out to some people last week - Shirin Ebadi (oh snap, I met her) wrote a piece for the Guardian in which she very clearly spells out the basic ways in which women have de jure status as second-class citizens. If anyone was at all interested in where the women's rights movement in Iran is coming from, or where it's at currently, this is a really good, concise piece to start with.

Indexed (a blog that posts simple, funny, and often insightful illustrations on post cards) had a good one today; it hit home with me because even when I was in 3rd and 4th grade watching my evening TV lineup (Fresh Prince - Home Improvement - Simpsons - Home Improvement - Simpsons...wow, I can't believe I got away with watching that much TV every night), it used to piss me off how Tim Allen's character on Home Improvement was such an idiot and consistently screwed up in the same stupid ways every episode, and Jill had to pick up the pieces because she was the only capable one. You know it was bad when even my 3rd grade self picked up on it. My dad was nothing like that, so why did this negative stereotype have to be played out every weeknight on my TV?

Alright, that's all for now. I feel like there was something else I wanted to post, but it's slipped my mind. See you soon!