so, abortion rights are supposed to be about choice. i actually think what they're about is bodily autonomy, which is what morgantaler actually said, but we can go with it being about choice.

let's think about that for a second.

what are some other things that are about choice?

well, consent is about choice - they're synonymous concepts, really. and, we recognize that consent cannot be coerced. so, you can't consent when you're drunk, and you can't consent when you're underage and there are some open questions about what consent means when there's relationships of power. by extension, sex work is also about choice, and we don't accept concepts of coercion attached to that, either - we insist that these choices are truly free.

anarchists argue that labour ought to be about choice, while recognizing that the fundamental basis of capitalism is that it isn't. capitalism is the economic system in which we don't allow for meaningful choice in labour decisions. fighting for real choice in labour is what anarchism is all about.

yet, we don't seem to recognize these concepts of coercion when it comes to abortion, for some reason. when somebody gets pregnant, and aborts due to finances, we consider that a choice - while we wouldn't consider sex work to be a choice, in that situation. it's a bit of a contradiction.

we went through something similar to this in the gay movement. the idea that homosexuality was not a choice was so politically important that the actual science got completely ignored. we're slowly getting to the point where we can have a more mature conversation about this, and recognize that accepting that the actual science on this issue is unsettled doesn't mean gay people don't have rights, or that conversion therapy is somehow justified; it's ok to say that being gay is a choice, and that that choice should be accepted and respected for what it is. next gen, hopefully.

likewise, women have been so insistent on demanding that they have bodily autonomy, that they've maybe been less thoughtful than they should be about what that actually means.

so, when i hear a green candidate say things like "well, maybe if women had more options they wouldn't necessarily choose an abortion", i don't interpret that as anti-choice. rather, i interpret that as having a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of what a choice actually is, in context.

supporting the right of women to make this choice should mean ensuring that they have the material conditions to actually make a choice. abortion shouldn't be a hobson's choice, which is what it often is.

and, that's not a centrist position. it's not even a liberal position. this is socialism - and it's truly pro-choice. it's choicier, you could say. so, i would support these positions because i'm pro-choice, not in spite of it.

and, it makes me wonder exactly what mr. singh is thinking when he challenges statements such as this as anti-choice. does he think abortion should be a hobson's choice, as it so often is? or is he just talking out of his cock?

abortion's a gross thing, and most women don't take it lightly. i understand my biology. but, i'd expect that this more subtle approach to this topic would be well-received by most women that have uteri. there's a pro-abortion sub-culture that is kind of psychopathic, and that most people in politics should try to stay away from.

women need to have bodily autonomy, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that their bodies belong to them. but, let's make sure we have a good understanding of what that actually means before we speak.

ms. may should be ripping mr. singh apart for mansplaining this to her, and really just being a general asshole about it.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

so, let's say bernie drops tomorrow. who are his voters?

- the ethnic voters (blacks, latinos) will probably go to biden.
- the old-white-male preference voters (the viagra vote. and, it's real.) will probably go to biden.
- the kids are what's really up for grabs.

will the kids go for warren?

she's going to need them to...

warren needed bernie to drop to have a serious lane, but it's by no means obvious that the condition is sufficient.

the media may, in fact, find itself shocked to learn that bernie's imminent resignation just hands it to biden.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

well, that's unexpected.

guess we'll need to put that off a little later, then.

i might be able to drop off some of those #5 caps at the whole foods though. i'll have to call to ask them about it, first.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

and, what's my take on sitting at the back of the symphony hall?

well, i'm there to listen, and it's pretty loud anywhere in the building.

i think it's more of a status thing, really; if you really analyze it mathematically, the sound won't be measurably worse up there.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

there's still tickets, it's just that the website doesn't work with my version of firefox. i could see them when i logged into it via chrome, but i can't buy because i don't have a credit card, and it doesn't take pay pal.

i guess the best thing to do is go down tomorrow before the show....

and, actually, i should finally drop off some of the recycle stuff at the depot, too.

ok.

so, there's my day for tomorrow planned - i'll need to go down early and do some running around.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

it's the 5th...

i should have seen that coming.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

the symphony might be sold out :(.

i'll be by there early in the morning anyways, so i might get a quick cancellation, but i might have to find something else to do in the afternoon.

and, of course, i have to sit at the very top, where it's like $15. i can't spent $300 on symphony tickets.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

yeah, i'm doing this.


05/06: 
20:00-23:00 - prissy whip @ trumbullplex. $10
23:30-10:00 - marble show. $13.50 (if you get them soon, they've gone up twice).
11:00-13:00 - eat. $10
15:00-17:00 - beethoven's 5th @ dso. $15.
18:00-23:00 - post-rock show @ new dodge. $10.

that's a lighter night, actually - i'm starting off in the dance club, so i should have tons of energy.

i'll remind you that the last time i was at marble i'd already been out 24 hours before i got there, and i had those edibles, of unknown strength. even so, i wasn't drunk, so much as i was falling asleep.

i'm an empiricist. so, let's look at the data. for those that were eying me, is the following sequence of events not true?

- at a little after 2:00 am, before the vibert set started, i was out smoking in the back back near the portapotties, and somebody was like "vibert is playing", and i said "i want to finish my smoke", and then didn't actually finish it.
- during the set somebody mentioned that i looked "more than a little bit fucked up", which was no doubt true. i didn't have a mirror. i'll take them at their word. but o kept dancing.
- and i did try valiantly to dance, but i really was falling asleep.
- so, i went out back and enjoyed the ambient set, instead. and i did - it was a good set.
- several people gave me water, and i said no.

if i was black out drunk, or even just really shitfaced, i wouldn't have remembered any of that, would i? therefore, i actually wasn't that drunk. qed.

i was smashed. i don't deny it. but it was a lack of sleep combined with edibles. it wasn't the alcohol. i keep telling you i'm actually pretty good with the alcohol, and it's something else when i get spacey.

i should be back to my normal dancing self this week, and am actually going to be looking to make up for lost dancing during the vibert set.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

aaaaactually, i have to admit i'd never heard of the dj at marble.

i assumed it was a local house dj; it turns out it's an older british drum 'n' bass dj, which is more my cup of tea.

hrmmn.

the liberals are supposed to do better than this

i slept much of the day, guess i had to.

i am done the concert run through. there's some posts at the dtk blog on the side...

i should for real get a start on the court stuff after i get something to eat, enough that i can make a few calls in the afternoon. 

this is tentative. and, for the rest of the month, there are actually a lot of cheap shows in the corktown area, which is nice beause it means i can get over for quick shows in the week. the problem this summer has been that everything is in hamtramck or ferndale, so everything requires an overnight. pulling this stuff back into downtown is a big deal, for me.

i'm going to listen to all of this stuff more carefully. final decisions will likely be strongly weather-dependant, but being able to get home is also a major factor. for some of this stuff, i could see myself leaving my bike at the tunnel, even.

oct
04:   <-----likely
19:00-21:45 - sacri monti/earthless @ deluxx fluxx. $15.
22:30-01:30 -  bike thiefs @ phog. $5-10.

05:  <------iffy. dependent on trumbullplex show.
20:00-23:00 - prissy whip @ trumbullplex $10.
23:30-10:00 - marble show $10.
11:00-13:00 - eat $10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
06:     <-------------------------------likely
15:00-17:00 - beethoven's 5th @ dso. $15.
18:00-23:00 - post-rock show @ new dodge.  $10.

09:  <------------------highly unlikely
19:00-23:00: caravan palace @ garden theatre. $30.
23:30-02:00: ufo?

10:  <----------unlikely
19:00-23:00 trumbullplex

11:  <-----leaning towards likely
early: war on women @ loving touch
late: operator music band @ outer limits

12: <-----late show?
early: pleasure city @ ufo

13: <-------unlikely
early: meute @ el club
late: the bobby lees @ pj's

14:  <-----unlikely
goblin

the liberals are supposed to do better than this