On Geography...

For some reason, K was looking up maps of state/territory divisions in various countries tonight.

kayloulee: If there's one thing you can say for Americans, they're good at dividing up their country into decent sized chunks. *searches some more* And there's a lot of them!
me: Yeah, but ours are bigger. Our bits are bigger than their bits.
K gives me a *look*
me, in a singsong voice: Our bits are bigger than THEIR bits...
K: But theirs are more fertile!
me: Canada's bits are bigger still.
K: *smug look*
me: But, to be fair, all the biggest bits of Canada are frigid.
K goes back to the original *look*.
K: Oh, hey, you know how everyone goes on about Texas being really HUUUGE? Queensland is bigger than Texas!
me: mhm.
K: Funny how we're comparing bogan states...
me: Thing is, Queensland's probably got more Bit per head, too.
K: ... that sounds dirty.
me: *smug look*

WTF, America?

Lorri Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, told The Advocate some churches where polling places have been set up are refusing to allow No on 8 volunteers within 100 feet of the polling place, saying that the voting is on church property. No on 8’s attorney has the Secretary of State’s office checking into this, according to Jean, but the law seems to be unclear whether it specifically forbids churches to discriminate in this way when their facilities are used for voting. (No on 8 volunteers harrassed)

Will someone please explain to me why voting places are being set up in churches in the first place? I hear you folks have this thing called 'separation of church and state', yes/yes?

I've done my flailing elsewhere...

Because there are far more Americans on my fandomflist. And also because I couldn't be bothered changing accounts.

Some things I think:

1. John McCain's concession speech was excellent and commendable. Why is it that politicians often show their best side when they're losing?

2. American elections are all about money. The coverage kept going on about who had out-spent whom in which states. With campaign bills in the MILLIONS. I just don't get it. I don't know what our campaign budgets are like, but with the shorter campaign season they're undoubtedly much smaller. (I wonder what the $/per day ratio would break down to?) And the only time we TALK about them is to criticise them. Australians get *cross* with expensive political advertising.

3. The US had record voter turnout, apparently, although I haven't seen the actual percentage. I remain completely incapable of comprehending how you exist in a country where you have to campaign just to convince people to vote. It is completely burko, you guys.

4. Obama's speech just now is pretty. But, my GOD, between Obama and McCain's speeches, I have only one thing to say: MY GOD AMERICANS ARE ARROGANT. There are other countries out there, you know. They're pretty nice, too. A good deal of them are also trying to do the right thing, [interruption: OMG he's buying the kids a puppy!] trying to make their countries a better place and the world a better place.

5. So, Americans. The ENTIRE WORLD watches your elections. Because we know- even when we don't like it- that your country is nearly as powerful as you think it is. Because we know that the composition of your government affects international treaties, affects wars and truces, affects the global economy and god knows what else. Sometimes I'm a little weirded out by all the foreigners hyping out about Obama and telling you who to vote for, but I understand why.
My best friend said to me last night that she didn't think Australians or anyone else should try to tell Americans how to vote, and that we would get upset if Americans had been blogging and saying things like 'vote Kevin Rudd in 2007'. But, you know what? You should. We all should. We can't sit here on the internet and point and say "you, do this, because it's better for MY country", but we should actually care about what goes on in other countries. So yes, Australians were and should have been blogging their support for Obama (or, for that matter, McCain). And we should do the same when the next British election comes up. And for elections in Germany and Russian and god knows where else.
America: the world is invested in your politics. And there are a lot of you, and you are all over the intarwubs. In the two-and-a-bit-years before you have to start fussing with your next election, use your time to be a little concerned with the politics of the rest of the world. If your country prides itself on being the "leader of the free world" (blech), then you, as individuals, need to care about the rest of the free world. And about the un-"free" world too, for that matter.

6. Aaaand Barack Obama is preaching. These are preacher's techniques, folks. Very pretty, very emotive, and... not really saying very much. Makes me fond of Kevin Rudd and his boring businesslike speeches.

~

ETA: It seems I need to state that I am in fact pleased; 'tis a great day, etc etc. I did flail, I swear, even if it wasn't on this account.

Nor, regarding points 2 and 4-6, do I think all individual Americans are morons, or disinterested in the rest of the world. I'm concerned with the pervading spirit of American political discourse. And I'm concerned with the vast disparity between the number of non-Americans whose LJs show that they were deeply interested in this election, and the number of times I can recall reading posts by an American which show that they're deeply interested in any political activity not immediately affecting America. I'm not saying it doesn't happen; it's just evident that America's privileged economic position means America is of more interest to foreigners than other countries are to America. You can't just take that for granted: your *government* needs to earn it with their economic and foreign policy; and if you personally are going to take pride in your country's leading position in the world, then you need to return the interest of the world you purport to lead.

And, mea culpa, I have not until now been particularly interested in foreign politics. I can remember being disappointed when Bush got back in; I can vaguely remember the change of prime minister in Britain. I had the OPPORTUNITY and good reason to be interested in the French election- I was studying French; I had friends deeply interested in it- and I couldn't be bothered. I don't know who the President of Russia is or even the Prime Minister of Canada (I do remember that the more conservative bloke got in there). Hell, I think Helen Whatshername might not even be PM of New Zealand anymore, and I don't know who is.
That has to change.

(no subject)

Over on my other blog, I asked what the fly in the ointment is. It's one thing to have the leader you want, but have you got the division in the House? The Senate? Who's got the balance of power? Last year, our House of Reps went to the Labour Party, but the Senate was and remains a hung senate with power in the hands of Nick Xenophon, an anti-gambling campaigner in favour of internet censorship, and Stephen Fielding, the senator for Family First, our local religious whackjobs.

So tell me, Americans, because I don't understand how your system of government works: how's the election shaping up? What's the government of America going to look like next year?

~

And if you look over here there are a lot of topical issues on the ballots in different states. Thus far, it looks like Arizona has voted against gay marriage and the hiring of illegal immigrants; Arkansas voted against adoption rights for gay couples; the much-discussed Prop 8 is veering to the Yes side and California's proposal for abortion limits is running close; Colorado may end Affirmative Action but apparently have voted that human life does not start from the moment of conception; Florida's ban on gay marriage will probably go through; Maryland are permitting video lotteries (WTF? someone explain please?); Mass. have done something with income tax; Michigan are allowing medical marijuana and the vote on stem cell research has been wavering back and forth; Nebraska IS ending Affirmative Action; South Dakota are NOT limiting abortion and Washington ARE permitting doctor-assisted suicide.

These things matter. These things obviously matter IN the states, but they matter outside of them too. US laws on gay marriage, on abortion, even on taxes, get pulled out and discussed and held up as examples or warnings all over the place.

In honour of Arizona, California and Florida, I declare Vienna Teng:

"The White Stripes-Jolene" (Watch on YouTube)

(no subject)

Cheyette and Chickering, all the way through their mammoth paper 'Social Practice and Poetic Play', consistently refer to 'Yvain and Laudine', 'Laudine and Lunette', but 'Yvain/Gawain'. Amusingly, the first time they use this 'Yvain/Gawain' designation is when they declare that 'The lengthy Yvain/Gawian passage seems based on both the compettition and the friendship components of a male-to-male relationship, while 'love' in the rapid reconciliation between Yvain and Laudine seems familiar to us as erotic passion'. (p. 108)

But then they go on to argue that love between Yvain and Laudine is a formal social contract rather than a deep inner whatsit, and discuss how the Yvain/Gawain scene follows the same script of emotions.

I suspect I shouldn't be sniggering at this, but dammit, snigger I shall.