Cleaning House

Part of the end of the year is cleaning up so you feel fresh jumping into the new. I'm not going to be perfectly clean by then but I can at least share a few of the things cluttering up my Starred Items file.

In Gert's end-of-year meme she uses a brilliant phrase. It's the question about hating someone which, by the by, I've never heard anyone answer. There's always a "that's too strong a word" disclaimer. Anyway, Gert takes it one better and says, "There are a few people I am glad I am not." As with so many things I wish I'd thought of that first.

Back when I lived with some guy we broke up in December (9 days before Christmas, yee haw!) but our lease wasn't up until March. So we lived together in total ridiculousness for 4 months until we could safely move elsewhere because neither of us could afford to live in our apartment alone. At the time I thought that was a thing peculiar to New York City but I know now that's not true. It seems, especially these days, that I should be glad we didn't own property together. Apparently there are infinite ways to make divorce suck harder for all parties.

I read today that Bristol Palin had her baby boy. A few days ago I read yet another account of a study showing that abstinence pledges don't work. I'm convinced. Are you? For the record, though, the abstinence pledges don't burn my butt as much as the anti-birth control crap people try to stuff into young, impressionable minds.

A young member of the internet feminist community commited suicide this month. Her name was Emma Bee Bernstein and she was a driving force for women's issues, for people's issues. From what I read she was loved, enjoyed and supported by masses of people. We may never know what overbalanced that so strongly that she felt she needed to die. Her friends and family have shared some wonderful photos of her and her book is being published very soon so, in some respects, she will live on. Unfortunately in others, she will not.

JDG over at Sweet Juniper wrote a post that seemed to be about the Solstice but ended up being about his beloved dog. No surprise, I'm sure, that it spoke to me. Of course, I've been thinking about Emily and her overwhelming presence in my life but I've also been thinking about the (somewhat elderly) kittens. When I get their food together Miss Anna sits on the thin strip of counter in front of the sink to remind me to hurry. Even her gentle nudges are predictable in their regularity and strength. She is, of all three of the pets, the least demanding. That's not to say that she doesn't require very specific things of me and won't punish me if she doesn't get them. I was thinking, though, as I fended her off with angled elbow that when she is gone, as she will have to be some time, I will miss her solidity. She is a an anchor in my little boat adrift at high tide and she probably doesn't get enough credit for it.

Ladies and Germs, did you know that Lysol used to be recommended for douching! Good god! FYI, the vagina is a self-cleaning organ. Sure, there may be times that douching is necessary but with a product you also use to disinfect your garbage can? Oh, I think not.

Zelda wrote some important things around Christmas and I wanted to bring your attention to them. I can't summarize them and give them the proper respect at the same time so I urge you to read them. If you've ever had a family and you've ever celebrated a major holiday and it's ever been a little stressful these are words you should absorb.

Oh how I want an armful of these rings. Oh how I don't think I could pay that price for even one. Oh for money to be no object.

Feministing wrote about a scary breakthrough in HIV research. As with so many things, women are getting fucked while being fucked. Even our healthy tissue can and will betray us. Those of you paying close attention will see that this is also related to my thing about birth control and abstinence pledges.

A band here in Brooklyn is headed to the inauguration next month. They're raising all their own money. Just maybe we could give them a tiny boost. I'm going to try to send them my boost before the weekend is out.

OK, I'm exhausted, my episode of Band of Brothers is ending, the dogs need to go out and I've only gotten to mid-December. Looks like I'll have to do some more housecleaning soon. This is plenty for you to digest now, though, isn't it?