Amp has been reading stuff lately

• Actually, a lot of what I’ve been reading hasn’t been online, which is one reason blogging from me has been slow lately. The best thing I’ve read this week? Box Office Poison, by Alex Robinson, a really likable 600-page comic book. Terrific writing and nice cartooning (very Dave Sim-influenced). I’ve also read the first four volumes of Powers, which were okay but not fantastic, and had exceptionally pretty artwork.
• I’ve also been watching a lot of Roseanne reruns – man, was that a good show! There are a couple of current sitcoms I watch (mainly Sunday night on FOX), but none of the current crop can even compare. Plus, we’ve been watching the DVD of Firefly (which is great). Oh, and the Sopranos season 4. Plus, I saw Return of the King, but I think that needs a post of its own later on….
• This isn’t a current piece, but hey, it’s new to me: A good EPI summary of the ways NAFTA has hurt Mexican workers.
• Another well-thought piece about gender-transitioning from Jasperboi, considering the question of hormones.
  So now I get to go through puberty again. With any luck, it will be more along the lines of what I was looking forward to the first time. If my brother is any indication I will be a bear; big, broad, hairy back, basso voice. My little brother is my big brother now, I sit here with my soprano still piping, my face still smooth, running along behind him, watching his every move with the slightest bit of awe, wondering how “man” will manifest in me by comparison. I learn how to grunt hello, how to let myself relax in the chair rather than poise on the edge, how to not make my voice slant up in search of approval.

  I don’t learn these things because I think that’s how men “should be.” I learn them for the same reason Max learned them: to get by, to survive, to live my life with enough peace to be productive and happy. Because I can only fight the battles that need to be fought if I am in good enough shape to stand up another day. Because it’s dangerous enough being transgendered and queer, and some skills come in handy as survival traits.

• Good post at Shock and Awe on Was Removing Saddam Hussein a Good Thing?
• Via The Decembrist, this electorial map of the United States, created by Commonwealth Magazine, is actually quite interesting. Rather than the usual redstate/bluestate map, Commonwealth has divided the US into ten broad regions based on voting patterns. Interesting stuff.
• Vermin’s Dental Manifesto – which includes a proposal for “gene splicing to create a race of winged monkeys to act as tooth fairies” – is just a small part of the Vermin Supreme! website, but it’s a pretty good place to start.
• The American Family Association started this poll on gay marriage saying they’d submit the results to congress. Now that the “pro” side is winning solidly, I somehow suspect they’ll forget that intention. Still, as Kip says, vote early, vote often.
• Hey, speaking of voting, I came in second place in my category in the Whizbang Blog awards, which is pretty darn good considering how utterly right-wing dominated those awards are. I beat out several right wing blogs, as well as many left-wing blogs that are lots better than Alas. Cool! Thanks, folks!
• Wages are stagnating, but at least profits are up!
• I’m very late linking to this, but if you haven’t read “Sitcom” at Whiskey Bar – responding to that whole “Reagan movie” controversy that is now sooo, like, last month – you really should. It’s very giggleworthy.
• Most disgusting story of the year: US-supported forces attack Iraqi labor movement. What the fuck is wrong with those people? Are they just evil? Nathan Newman has the appalling details.
• “The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion.” This article, by Joyce Arthur, explores the not-uncommon case of pro-lifers who are happy enough to take advantage of legal abortion when it’s their own life at stake.

Whoops! I was going to post a lot more links, but there are chores I have to do first. More later..