Rebecca Traister | Stowaway Travel Writing & Editorial Services

Food for Thought

Not a proper GBS, but here are a couple neat things I’ve found on the Internets lately:

Two easy-to-read infographics on why health care in the US costs more than any other developed nation. I think my favorite part is the angel halos around the “Truth!” bullets in that second one, and also the fact that they say outright that lack of regulation is what allows providers and insurance to charge more here than they would be able to in countries that keep that kind of thing in check.

The ever-brilliant Rebecca Traister has been watching and commenting on the last week of Oprah’s network talk show. This article is a great reminder of why Oprah matters so much — she started out with just about nothing and now is one of the most powerful women in the country. (Funny how she’s not often held up as the example of the American Dream by politicians and media pundits. I’m sure her gender and race have nothing to do with that.) Her departure will remind Americans of just how white and male the rest of the media landscape is, and what a loss that is for all of us.

Personal Notes

Also, thanks to all who have made suggestions for where the twins and I should vacation this fall! We’ve never had a sisters-only vacation before and we’re pretty psyched. I’ll keep you updated on what we choose.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, who is inviting me to their Memorial Day BBQ this Monday?? It promises to be a hot and sunny day, and I promise to bring tasty beverages. Let’s do it.

Some of these are from last week, since I meant to post a GBS on Friday but flew to Boston instead. Like ya do. Enjoy, and as ever, put your own links in comments!

The Good

Daley has decided to step down as mayor of Chicago. I’m joining the 65% of Chicagoans who think this is either a good move or one that won’t make a difference — he’s done some really awful things while in office, but the Chicago political system is so rife with corruption that I can’t see his successor being much of an improvement. [EDIT: Bad word choice. He’s not stepping down, he’s simply not running again come the next election.]

Peter and Paul say hell no to the National Organization for Marriage using the Peter, Paul and Mary version of “This Land is Your Land” at NOM rallies. There’s a long history of political candidates pissing off musicians by using their songs without permission, but my favorites are when the musicians respond not just to copyright violation but to their seeming endorsement of a candidate they find reprehensible — like Springsteen telling Reagan “Born in the U.S.A.” wasn’t exactly a celebratory song, or Heart telling Sarah Palin she ain’t no “Barracuda.”

The Ginsburgs sound like they were a fantastic couple, and Ruth is such a winner. (Via.)

The Bad

This is terrifying news from June that I just read about. As post author Problem Chylde says, “The line between a conscientious dissenter and a terrorist is becoming blurrier, and citizens of all nations are treading a fine line between acting under a moral imperative and obeying the law. What is the use of having freedoms one cannot exercise?”

Traister and Holmes lay it out for us: It’s a disgrace that Sarah Palin is heralded as the face of feminism in politics. Where is that face for the Democrats?

The Silly

“If Historical Events Had Facebook Statuses“… apparently it’d all still be 15-year-old boys. Yikes! But still funny.

Two words: Hipster dinosaurs (thanks to Mlle. O’Leary for the tip)