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f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

May 10, 2006

more than dandelions

Filed under: pre-06-2006 — David Giacalone @ 5:50 pm

You can never have enough Morden haiku.  Your daily dose
can be found at Morden Haiku, and more are waiting to be un-
covered by browsing the f/k/a archives page for Matt Morden.
tiny check Here are a few samples from this week’s
Morden Haiku:
midday sun
a man gathers
dandelions
from a roadside verge

“tulipsMorden” larger/ in color

sudden storm
the tulips
brim over

(May 8, 2006)

dune slack
a dandelion clock
fades before orchids

dandelionClock
tiny check Here are a few more dandelion haiku from
our Honored Guests:
spring morning
my dog marks
a clump of dandelions
a dandelion field
today…wisps
beneath this moon

breezy afternoon–
dandelion ghosts
float past the daisies
dandelion

my eyes blur —
dandelion clocks
become sidewalk clouds                
                                   

potluck
We know that representing yourself often makes good sense in civil
legal matters. [An ABA study showed pro se litigants being more
satisfied with their results than those who had lawyers.]  Well, The
Baltimore Sun reports on an interesting new study about pro se
criminal defendants: 
“Erica Hashimoto, a professor at the University of Georgia
School of Law, recently set out to determine whether empirical
data supported the assumption most lawyers make: that pro se
defendants, as they are technically called, are “either mentally
ill or stupid.”
jailbird neg
“In the study, which is scheduled to be published in the North
Carolina Law Review, Hashimoto found that pro se felony defendants
in state courts were as likely as defendants with counsel to win
complete acquittal. In addition, they were more likely to be convicted
of lesser offenses – misdemeanors rather than felonies.”
The newspaper article has more details.  [via Mark Godsey at CrimLawProf]
dandelionClock

pretty face/ party face/ pouty face

Filed under: pre-06-2006 — David Giacalone @ 11:34 am

It’s hard to say which is more annoying: the kneejerk accusation of sexism by women in politics, or their refusal to take responsibility for such a claim, after hurling implications at an opponent. Since the weekend, newspapers (e.g., AP/Daily Freeman, May 9, 2006) have reported that:

Rep. John Sweeney

“The former chairwoman of the [NY] state Democratic Party attacked Rep. John Sweeney [R – Clifton, Park] Tuesday for referring to a woman challenger as ‘a pretty face,’ saying such remarks are inappropriate.

“Sweeney . . . was criticized by Judith Hope for remarks he made over the weekend about his main Democratic challenger, Kirsten Gillibrand.

“You can’t take a resume and a pretty face from New York City and say to people this is good for you simply because we can spend a lot of money and raise a lot of money,” Sweeney told the Troy Record. [The Troy Record, May 7, 2006]

Ms. Hope opined that “Someone should tell John Sweeney that it’s 2006, not 1906.” However, per the Daily Freeman:

“Asked if she thought the comment was sexist, Hope said: ‘That’s for voters to decide’.”

Kirsten Rutnik Gillibrand

Hope continued, nevertheless, saying, “The remarks jumped out at me because I think it’s so inappropriate for the congressman to use. … As a woman in politics, I call on Mr. Sweeney to represent the district and address the issues and provide accountability and some answers.”

Hope also charged the congressman’s behavior has embarrassed himself and his constituents, apparently referring to Sweeney’s much-publicized recent visit to a frat party at Union College in Schenectady.  I’m with her on the frat party issue — but, I’ve never liked drunken frat boys! [And, note: If I lived in their district, I would surely vote for Gillibrand over Sweeney.]

The f/k/a Gang wants to point a few things out (and/or ask a question or two):

1] Sweeney never said Gillibrand was “just a pretty face,” and he surely could not do so, given her experience in both private and public sector law. She is currently a partner with Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP. Read her firm bio here. (now taken down) [update (Jan.23, 2009): Gov. David Paterson must think very highly of now-Congresswoman Gillibrand, as he has chosen her to fill Hillary Clinton’s vacated seat in the U.S. Senate.]

2] For many persons, especially those past a certain age, being called “a pretty face” is a compliment — politics or no politics.

3] Kirsten Gillibrand is pretty, and being attractive is often a criteria used by political bosses, and the electorate, in choosing candidates.

4] If Gillibrand’s campaign wanted to play down her good looks, they should not be highlighting this photo, which surely shows her to great advantage over a popular New York politician:

K. Gillibrand & E. Spitzer

5] Men have also been called “a pretty face” — for example, Sen. John Edwards (D – NC), during his run for the vice presidency in 2004. See this PBS NewsHour piece, where John McCain and John Cheney poke fun at Cheney — and indirectly at his VP opponent Edwards:

KWAME HOLMAN: In Missouri, Arizona Sen. John McCain introduced the vice president with a jibe at the youthful-looking Edwards.

SEN. JOHN McCAIN: In short, my friends, Vice President Cheney is not just another pretty face.

KWAME HOLMAN: Cheney followed up on the comparison of vice presidential candidates.

VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: Somebody said to me the other day that Sen. Edwards got picked because he’s sexy, good looking, charming. I said, “How do you think I got this job?”

You may recall, in addition, that Pres. George W. Bush mentioned back in Jan.2004 that Scott Reid, the senior strategist to Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, has “a pretty face.”

boxer smf

6] In general, unless something really important is at stake, a sense of humor is always a better reaction than a sense of outrage in the battle for gender equality. Next time Kirsten Gillibrand is called a “pretty face”, her supporters should consider lightening up, and singing Shania Twain’s rebuttal, “Not Just a Pretty Face” (lyrics).

7] In passing, we note this article from the Chicago Tribune, “Daddy material, it takes just 1 look” (May 9, 2006), which begins:

“Just from looking at a man’s face, women can sense how much he likes children, gauge his testosterone level and decide whether he would be more suitable as a one-night stand or as a husband, new research published Tuesday suggests.”

Of course, you the voter will have to decide its relevance to the rest of this posting and to charges of sexism.

p.s. Looks like it’s time to link once again to one of my very favorite comic strips by John Callahan. Go here.

afterwords: Click for more thoughts on what is or isn’t sexism and when playing the sexism card is appropriate (May 20, 2008).

on the bus
the teenager pulls out a mirror
and adjusts her pout

the son who
argues everything
I study his face in a puddle

droping stone after stone .ooh.
into the lake I keep
reappearing

on the face
that last night called me names
morning sunbeam

through a hole
in the fog billboard girl’s
radiant face

A sigh from her
then one from me—
two pages turn

……………….. by George SwedeAlmost Unseen (2000)

Peering into
the deep well, two boys
talk about girls

……………………. by george swedeThe Heron’s Nest (Dec. 2005) femaleSym maleSym

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