tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68646162011-08-16T22:09:11.958-05:00a semi-regular collection of thoughts on faith, politics and why being a feminist christian isn't an oxymoronDelia Christinanoreply@blogger.comBlogger8301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-70453035793999807022009-02-03T10:37:00.003-06:002009-02-03T10:48:40.473-06:00

let's see.i write for work.i'm writing for Screed and Bitch, PhD.i'm trying to finish my novel draft.i'm on twitter.ChurchGal needs a break. (i missed blog for choice day! i never miss blog for choice!)so i'm putting this blog on hiatus for a bit.if you'd still want to follow me, i'm still writing for my very first love/blog, Screed, and posting occasionally at Bitch, PhD. (only very occasionally

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-86584046970840124632009-01-29T17:25:00.000-06:002009-01-29T17:25:31.609-06:00

via a link on Twitter (thanks, shawna!) a cool (read: provocative) piece on reclaiming the term 'born again'.quote:"because we now tend to interpret "kingdom of G-d" to mean "heaven"we have interpreted this passage to mean"becoming born again is how you get to heaven".and,because we put accepting the atonement of Jesusat the absolute core of "becoming a Christian"and we equate "becoming a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-8126473003018497362009-01-26T09:26:00.002-06:002009-01-26T09:31:41.829-06:00

it's funny how, when you think you finally have life by the tail, things happen to muck it up. i'm sure this is the feeling Gov. Blagojevich has as he begins his round of PR/reputation recuperation interviews with major outlets this week (look for him on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Larry King.) i know i said that i wouldn't malign those with genuine mental illnesses by calling him

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-51030551810064473012009-01-23T09:06:00.000-06:002009-01-23T09:07:36.398-06:00

fantastic.inspiring.awesome.overwhelming.cold.freezing.exhausting.frakked.perfect.historic.a relief.glorious.emotional.hypothermia.grueling.torture.awe inspiring.once in a lifetime.hilarious. (road trips with friends are always the best.)OBAMA!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-71353114625478965962009-01-15T10:56:00.002-06:002009-01-15T11:04:23.226-06:00

i don't think i'm the only one who gets a little bit more skeeved out when the cops are around. it could be the loaded gun, the knowledge that they could flip out/have a flashback at any moment, my natural suspicion of state authority, or just my natural aversion to cold eyed dudes in uniform.but it's helpful to keep one's cool when in the presence of the law. one can't always rely on one's sweet

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-30514781506833924552009-01-13T13:01:00.003-06:002009-01-13T13:11:06.458-06:00

for that matter, we are Dymond Milburn and Michael Cho.sometimes a person gets tired of saying all the things that need to be said.it's horrific.it's sad.it's enraging.it's awful.something should be done about it.yes, something should....what I wrote to a Facebook friend who was trying to make sense of this shooting in the context of Obama's presidency and the upcoming inaugural celebrations:Race

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-75625329790317664662009-01-08T13:18:00.000-06:002009-01-08T13:18:31.101-06:00

Martin Marty’s response to Warren praying at the Inauguration » Shawna R. B. Atteberryno time to write, poppets.mama's got a deadline.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-3066242628400142882009-01-07T14:13:00.001-06:002009-01-07T14:13:33.415-06:00

(Note: Jesus' General is satire. It's like if Stephen Colbert's right-wing persona had a blog. Just had to clear that up before anyone gets all weird. But the church it links to? So not satire. And, Dad, if you know anyone from this congregation, please don't tell me. I'd be sorely, and angrily, disappointed.)homophobia has a janus face.on one side its face is affable, smiling and with only a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-25197619412933795842009-01-07T10:28:00.003-06:002009-01-07T10:34:24.222-06:00

A fight liberals are dying to have - Ta-Nehisi Coatesthis is what i love about ann coulter: she's such a coward.but first, an anecdote:i remember a little rich girl in 9th grade who was, no holds barred, a stone cold bitch in training. she was mean, cruel and liked to see the 7th graders (like me) miserable. one day during lunch she turned her eye on me. we were sitting at the edge of the quad

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-15485288995392429102009-01-06T14:31:00.000-06:002009-01-06T14:31:57.836-06:00

American Girl - The Atlantic (January/February 2009)it will be be fascinating to watch how our popular culture relates to michelle obama - and how she reacts to it. (or reacts against it or plays complicitly with it.)expecting our First Ladies to radically step away from their stubbornly retro image (an image we impose on them, btw) is too much but there is something worth watching as we observe

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-79569950620540111402009-01-05T16:30:00.000-06:002009-01-05T16:30:00.414-06:00

just when you've seen it all:remember when Spider Man and Planned Parenthood gave you the straight dope about teen pregnancy?no?neither do i, but this guy's found it:andrewfarago: The Lost Marvel Team-Up: Spider-Man and Planned Parenthood!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-14474788021717598492009-01-05T15:56:00.000-06:002009-01-05T15:56:34.631-06:00

no, not ChurchGal. (sigh. we're not big enough to be small, even.)the other blog i write for: Bitch Ph.D.go here and vote for us. (BitchPhD, remember!)then tell your friends, and your mama, too. and so on.forget that 'it's an honor just to be nominated' crap - we gotta win!(that's an appropriately american sensibility, right?)

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-48274379703976901112009-01-02T13:36:00.001-06:002009-01-02T13:46:22.197-06:00

happy new year, folks.this year-end was odd, wasn't it? it felt weird to me.maybe it was because coming back home from LA took some adjusting; maybe because the news in illinois is so very often bizarre and off putting. for whatever reason, wrapping up this year just felt a little anti-climactic.like, if the year had ended when we elected Obama, that would have been ok. you know, end on an up

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-90162693400994872042008-12-24T12:13:00.003-06:002008-12-24T12:23:36.285-06:00

1. check in for flight to LA tomorrow.2. make list of clothes to pack.3. mail holiday cards.4. comb/curl my hair.5. shopped for gifts for anyone other than my dad.6. laundry.7. wrap up last minute work stuff.8. recover from this horrible winter cold.9. pack.10. wish y'all a merry christmas, happy hanukah, merry festivus, happy kwanzaa and a happy new year!safe travels, everyone!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-3553473180867623352008-12-18T17:03:00.003-06:002008-12-19T10:41:40.518-06:00

Obama’s Selection of Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren for Inauguration Sparks Gay Outrage - US News and World Reporti have to admit, i'm puzzled over this one.(who would i have picked? Peter Gomes. he's black AND gay!)rick warren's disgust with the 'gay lifestyle' (like it's picking a tea cozy or deciding where to vacation) is just code for 'i am a raging homophobe.' and that's why it

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-91378386548714577052008-12-12T11:59:00.002-06:002008-12-12T12:02:03.597-06:00

Most Blessed of Women? Jael » Shawna R. B. Atteberryvia my Twitter (PrincessDing is my 'public' Twitter; if you'd like my personal, less bitchy Twitter, just email me) i came across this post, an interesting reading of Jael.Just as my current feminism was informed partly by my dislike of cooking vast amounts of food on Thanksgiving, it was also created in part by the stories I read of interesting

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-58119119163436295042008-12-10T10:45:00.000-06:002008-12-12T12:03:58.515-06:00

there is a pile of work on my desk and a list of to-dos at least 10 items deep but i'm still repelled/fascinated by the scandal whirling around our governor.everyone was talking about it yesterday. my two cabbies, my LTF (Long Term Frolic), my Roomie, my friends (even those from out of state), everyone on cable tv (including jon stewart who also had a righteous conversation with mike huckabee

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-50426702690846470032008-12-09T11:52:00.000-06:002008-12-09T11:53:10.841-06:00

so...Gov. Rod has been arrested. i'm listening to the press conference now. (and, can i say that patrick fitzgerald is awesome?)i was in an early morning meeting, standing in line for coffee when the guy next to me looked down at his blackberry and said, 'huh. the governor was just taken into custody by the feds.'a white-haired woman said, 'get out.'i said, 'you're kidding.'he said, 'no lie.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-85811168491182593702008-11-26T10:13:00.002-06:002008-11-26T10:16:39.428-06:00

When I was growing up, I lived with my family in a smallish apartment on Santa Rosalia in Los Angeles. Bouganvilla climbed the white stucco walls of the apartment building, there were hardwood floors in most rooms and linoleum in the tiny white kitchen, and when the windows were open we could either hear the constant zhoosh of Los Angeles traffic or the drunk single mother across the courtyard

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-59419680728363111342008-11-25T10:31:00.002-06:002008-11-25T16:07:28.470-06:00

Click here and vote for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago; the organization with the most votes wins $15,000. We help women, girls, children and rape victims, for jeebus' sake! We help eliminate racism!What to do:1- Pick Chicago, IL2- Click on YWCA Metropolitan ChicagoAnd that's it but you can only vote 1/day - so vote every day until December 10!Frakking kids. We were kicking their butts until

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-78065719271717320812008-11-20T12:22:00.003-06:002008-11-20T12:29:44.023-06:00

And so it begins, the legal arguments and decisions that will impact the everyday lives of gay and lesbian Californians.A brief digression: in my day job, I'm the government relations officer for a non profit and I basically see that role as one that explains to interested (or apathetic) parties why my organization matters and why the work we do is meaningful and how others can contribute to

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-27519673443133381602008-11-18T08:38:00.002-06:002008-11-18T08:41:44.664-06:00

From an Andrew Sullivan post:We are so often told by opponents of marriage equality that they do not oppose our right to have basic legal protections. What they do not understand, because they have never had to understand, is that without legal marriage, gay couples are always subject to the veto of family members who have more say over our spouses under the law than we do. and this:Until you

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-28826848601135432072008-11-11T11:22:00.000-06:002008-11-11T11:23:00.295-06:00

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-41811331319203204842008-11-06T16:19:00.004-06:002008-11-07T10:12:39.249-06:00

We'll take a brief break from the longest post-election party ever to turn a quiet, sober eye to California, my home state. There, among the raisins, peaches and lettuce, the people of California voted overwhelmingly to deny their fellow Californians basic equal rights while, at the same time, making it possible for Barack Obama to become President. Ironic, isn't it?Basically, Prop 8 tells every

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-10633403035444539102008-11-04T10:37:00.002-06:002008-11-04T10:47:37.534-06:00

I cannot say this with enough emphasis: Get in gear and go vote.Stand in line for a long time; take a little stool and wear comfortable shoes; pee in a can or wear Depends, I don't care.Double check your polling location.Bring two forms of ID (one with a photo and one that verifies your current mailing address, just in case there's an issue)Bring along the contact info for ACLU voter protection:

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-19230391718652436822008-11-01T10:34:00.003-05:002008-11-01T11:11:08.320-05:00

yesterday, i went to my pastor's funeral.the church was coldly austere and beautiful; the service emotional and wrenching. somberly dressed, clearly fighting tears, members of the church streamed in from all over the city, forming a line that rivaled one on Easter Sunday. a letter from the Mayor's office was read.i held it together through Barber's 'Adagio', through the opening prayers but then

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-90677917579786469232008-10-27T10:38:00.002-05:002008-10-27T10:43:32.579-05:00

i just got word that a pastor from my church died this morning. i'm in a mild state of shock.it's so sad. she was a tough, spiritual, smart woman. her husband had a position with another presbytery in the area and they had two children. she had been gravely ill a number of years ago, fought it, came back to ministry stronger than ever and then, about a month ago, an infection set in. doctors

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-30003761108171210162008-10-24T12:10:00.001-05:002008-10-24T15:19:08.966-05:00

A hypothetical scenario:Let's say I'm with my partner and, despite our best efforts, one of his swimmers gets through; let's also say that my right to control my fertility (either through consistent and regular access to birth control and/or abortion services) has been rendered illegal. The right to medical privacy, as well as the right to a safe and legal abortion, has been taken away from me

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-32788084428267467512008-10-17T08:57:00.003-05:002008-10-17T10:10:43.694-05:00

My head nearly exploded on debate night when the conversation turned to the Supreme Court. I was watching with a couple of friends, including my Roomie, and the comment was made that she was glad that Roberts was, at least, 'more judicious' than Justices Alito or Scalia. To my Roomie, that meant that she was glad that he seemed to be a justice who would hesitate to overturn previous Supreme

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-34742638859568815262008-10-15T20:54:00.001-05:002008-10-15T20:54:52.776-05:00

is giving me a headache.so far, apparently, economic issues trump every other domestic policy that matters to a significant portion of this population? 45 minutes of taxes, negative campaigning nonsense (where McCain thinks criticism of policy = personal attacks), vice presidential suitability and nothing about reproductive justice, women's particular vulnerability in this economic time, equal

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-91334990337808665422008-10-14T12:18:00.003-05:002008-10-14T12:24:12.301-05:00

Saturday morning, during the WLF breakfast, I said that I never thought I'd see the day a black man would be president. The woman next to me scrunched her nose and said, 'Really?'Uh, yeah, lady. Really. Are you kidding? With this country's history?I'm reading a book called The Color of Wealth which covers the racial disparities in wealth acquisition in this country. In detail, it shows how

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-47402772676356431792008-10-11T00:29:00.001-05:002008-10-11T00:31:27.858-05:00

hey, i'm blogging about the friday session of the WLIF over at Bitch, PhD. Come on by!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-36468925687575226472008-10-10T10:27:00.000-05:002008-10-10T10:28:26.732-05:00

Sometimes, unexpected opportunities just fall into your lap.It's been a stressful week at Large Metropolitan Non Profit, as well as with my other non profit board obligation, but all of that will have been worth it because of what's going to happen in a few hours. My CEO (a very generous woman) is giving me her credentials for the National Women's Leadership Issues conference, being held in

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-54481356106316024052008-10-08T16:02:00.003-05:002008-10-08T16:06:01.116-05:00

Wow.FiveThirtyEight.com: Electoral Projections Done Right: Today's Polls, 10/8

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-79428821843743801822008-10-07T21:56:00.002-05:002008-10-07T21:56:49.701-05:00

good lord, that was a boring debate.and tom didn't pick any questions about women's issues?what are we, chopped ovaries?

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-47638707209019085942008-10-02T09:09:00.002-05:002008-10-02T09:16:08.800-05:00

Speak correctly, or build a big bunker -- chicagotribune.comPoor conservative Kathleen Parker. She's shocked - absolutely shocked - that today's political discourse has devolved so much. Oh, the invective hurled at her for suggesting Palin isn't fit for the Republican ticket. Goodness! The insults. The ire! The death threats!Such extreme partisanship has a crippling effect on government,

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-16529965827037798802008-10-01T14:57:00.001-05:002008-10-01T14:58:18.150-05:00

I, myself, am a half-breed silk jacquard but who am I to judge?What We’re Up Against | RaceWire

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-90205444163600539742008-09-30T09:01:00.000-05:002008-09-30T09:02:03.909-05:00

Bitch Ph.D. has a good post up from her BritFriend, explaining our current fiscal crisis. I'd write about this more but, lately, my reaction has been to confusedly pray I don't lose my non profit job, begin brainstorming a move back to corporate for a bigger paycheck and more stability (yeah, right), begin looking for a sweet but not too bright Sugar Person.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-45301222348839274862008-09-29T13:56:00.001-05:002008-09-29T13:59:16.857-05:00

...And, stocks plunge.Niice.[House Rejects Bailout - NYTimes.com]

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-18502489557372918762008-09-29T10:45:00.002-05:002008-09-29T13:56:39.638-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged (among Republicans) that when the economic shit hits the fan the one holding the shovel is most likely a low-income person of color.So it is with this bailout mess. Now that the package has been approved, all eyes are looking for a scapegoat. Surprise, surprise, the luminaries on the Right have lit upon their various whipping persons: people of color,

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-20532757565593693142008-09-29T10:45:00.000-05:002008-09-29T10:46:12.758-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged (among Republicans) that when the economic shit hits the fan the one holding the shovel is most likely a low-income person of color.So it is with this bailout mess. Now that the package has been approved, all eyes are looking for a scapegoat. Surprise, surprise, the luminaries on the Right have lit upon their various whipping persons: people of color,

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-5181018868659016382008-09-26T20:23:00.001-05:002008-09-26T20:23:54.522-05:00

I'm sitting here, with my girls and amid a fab spread of cheeses, pate and chips/dips (as well as a hell of a lot of beer), watching the debate. And we're taking a drink everytime we hear the words: war, POW, Main Street, and hope. We won't get as plowed as watching the Orientalizing opening cermonies of the Olympics, but maybe we'll get a nice buzz on.Consider this your space to share your

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-26704792183204952152008-09-25T10:44:00.002-05:002008-09-25T10:47:19.884-05:00

Birthday resolutions:Birthday resolutions:Stop smoking. I had no idea the cigarette I had when I got home on Tuesday night, exhausted, would be my last. Now I know.Exercise more. Yes, I've internalized our culture's messages about age and beauty and I refuse to be the dumpy, cute, near-40 year old.Stop procrastinating. Feh, maybe tomorrow.Be mindful. Go to church more. (see Procrastinating)

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-76523023192613784192008-09-23T21:11:00.000-05:002008-09-23T21:12:52.931-05:00

[crossposted at Bitch, Ph.D.]So I'm at work, trying to put together communications for GOTV and I am realizing that there is a huge gap in my knowledge re: the voting process for students. I know the rules for early voting, absentee voting and registering and what to do if you're challenged at the polls here in Illinois, but what about for students?Everyone I've spoken to has drawn a blank when

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-28612443875810638402008-09-19T09:03:00.005-05:002008-09-19T09:54:36.429-05:00

good gracious!this week has been a little bit full.had a date on monday (went well), worked furiously to get ready to leave town for a conference meeting on tuesday, was in indianapolis on wednesday for my meeting, flew back, worked furiously on thursday to catch up and now - hey! more working furiously while also getting ready for a church retreat over the weekend, a birthday party and maybe a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-4389077552444377182008-09-15T09:17:00.002-05:002008-09-15T09:21:50.026-05:00

With my luck, all sorts of fascinating things will happen this week in the world of politics. Perhaps, if the universe has any sense of justice, the Palin non-interview with Charles Gibson will alert the electorate to how ignorant she is and unqualified for any higher office governing a populace larger than 900.But, alas, I'll be traveling for work this week and today is all about getting the

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-40920617429350565782008-09-10T23:56:00.000-05:002008-09-10T23:56:59.455-05:00

so you think Obama will raise your taxes under his plan?well, i don't want to call you misinformed but you might want to go here: ObamaTaxCut.comit's sort of neat.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-7116531129211465652008-09-10T18:46:00.000-05:002008-09-10T18:46:00.685-05:00

via pandagon.net:McCain/Palin announce truthiness squad to 'set the record straight' on 'attacks' on Palin.Uh, whatever, gramps. I'll believe your 'truth' as soon as y'all clear up that whole bridge thing and put her in front of some real journalists to answer questions....you know what the Republican campaign reminds me of?it's like when you played baseball in grade school and the person at bat

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-61164334744651802382008-09-09T16:16:00.002-05:002008-09-10T13:15:31.303-05:00

Remember this story from back in May?Well, the Washington Post has another story as follow up:Declaring that clergy have a constitutional right to endorse political candidates from their pulpits, the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund is recruiting several dozen pastors to do just that on Sept. 28, in defiance of Internal Revenue Service rules.More about that later.But first, this: I

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-75778826689279863612008-09-08T16:07:00.003-05:002008-09-10T12:45:50.704-05:00

I'm glad Glamour had this panel (h/t Racialicious.) Not to sound congratulatory, I've always had friends, close friends, of other ethnic backgrounds and I sincerely believe that most of this stuff about race and difference, white privilege and supremacy, would be addressed in a more thoughtful way if folks actually knew people of another ethnicity. (Like, KNEW them. Not knew OF them. You know

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-56151970883845560632008-09-04T13:21:00.000-05:002008-09-04T13:21:12.595-05:00

It's about McCain!!Dude. I totally need to have my own national column.At last, the Judgment and Leadership questions are being asked!!Who Will Be the Boss? | The American Prospect

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-47615134267203522202008-09-02T10:05:00.000-05:002008-09-02T10:06:14.943-05:00

Disclosures on Palin Raise Questions on Vetting Process - NYTimes.com (h/t Americablog)There are so many things wrong with this, where to begin? Well, let's begin with how this story is a perfect example of how Republicans say one thing and reality dictates something else, entirely. They say: McCain's campaign thoroughly checked Palin outReality: "A Republican with ties to the campaign said

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-12493237963890557612008-09-01T22:59:00.002-05:002008-09-01T23:17:10.357-05:00

La Chola has updates on her space on the arrests at the RNC convention.Oh, haven't heard about the arrests? Haven't heard about journalists, independent media and people being arrested, harassed, detained and whole neighborhoods being raided?Don't worry. That's exactly how the Republicans like it. Burn that platform they distributed. They crap on the idea of democracy in the name of national

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-26368717238707822502008-09-01T17:12:00.006-05:002008-09-01T18:09:49.928-05:00

My friends say I don't have enough empathy; they say that because I live a certain way (a way that makes logical sense to me) that I am confounded and impatient when others apparently don't.They have a point.I was reading this piece about a young woman's quest to buy Plan B contraception and I found myself becoming frustrated. In her piece, she's given the runaround by clueless pharmacists,

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-34592441556422671792008-09-01T02:41:00.002-05:002008-09-01T02:46:36.182-05:00

It pays to be the crazy lady who stays up waay past her bedtime to read.Around 2 am, I was getting ready for bed and saw orange flames coming from the alley across the way. I thought I was maybe seeing flames from a deck party so I ran to the windows in the living room.Shit! The trash behind one of the buildings was burning and the fire was slowly climbing higher. The houses are so close here,

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-3531804553715267992008-08-31T12:19:00.004-05:002008-08-31T12:29:56.287-05:00

Sometimes, I think people don't understand what 'maverick' means. It's to be a dissenter among ones associates, to be the one who breaks away from the pack.The narrative beginning to be spun about the McCain/Palin ticket as one of reform is laughable and inaccurate.Here is the GOP's draft of their 2008 platform. It's a marvel of cognitive dissonance and plain old spin. I'm sorry, NO mention of

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-89774376844477355902008-08-29T12:03:00.003-05:002008-08-29T12:11:34.624-05:00

It's a girl!ooh, way to trump the Friday news cycle, gramps (thus endangering any post convention bounce Obama's camp might receive)!Sarah Palin...what do we know about her?Background Information Gender: FemaleFamily: Husband, Todd5 Children: Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig.Birth Date: 02/11/1964Birthplace: Sandpoint, IDHome City: Wasilla, AKReligion: (huh? no religion?? why - that's

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-7767155598644071882008-08-25T19:48:00.002-05:002008-08-25T19:49:28.189-05:00

hey, folks. i'm live blogging the convention over at Screed. come on over for conversation and observations if you like!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-59619659507554746482008-08-25T09:46:00.003-05:002008-08-25T10:06:35.249-05:00

Hey, things are underway in Denver. My co-bloggers over at Bitch PhD are already there and so is, it seems, the rest of the blogosphere.(Sigh. Damn my having to choose between holidy travel to family and the DNC convention!!)If there are ChurchGal readers in Denver and you were at this panel, lemme know. I'd really love to know what this conversation was all about.For folks interested in brown

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-26709314624052407742008-08-24T00:08:00.004-05:002008-08-24T00:19:12.669-05:00

Whaddya know. Obama picked Biden.I am not bothered by this.I think it's brilliant, funny and totally expected. In fact, earlier this week, I had called it while emailing with some friends. Friends called it for Bayh, Schweitzer and Webb but I went for Biden.My reasoning: As evidenced by an ample Google record, Biden has a long history of saying problematic shit re: people of color. I will

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-84854682314460192282008-08-22T13:49:00.000-05:002008-08-22T13:50:39.494-05:00

Alpa Chino: That's the theme song for the Jeffersons! Kirk Lazarus: Just because it's a theme song doesn't make it any less true.- Tropic ThunderSay hello to the new Government Relations Officer at Large Metropolitan Chicago Non Profit.That almost makes up for not going to the convention next week.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-79929978124479636572008-08-18T09:05:00.000-05:002008-08-18T09:05:22.221-05:00

Jesse Jackson Sr Says Something Appropriate - Jack & Jill PoliticsProving that there is, indeed, something in the Kool Aid and all this talk about intergenerational conflict is on our minds, J&J have a post up that jibs pretty much with mine (not that it must but it's always nice to have ideas supported by others.)Useful: examples of young whippersnappers making a difference:So I disagree that

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-73701672579882839482008-08-15T12:52:00.000-05:002008-08-15T12:52:04.138-05:00

Chicago Black Leaders Call for School Boycott Draws Fire | RaceWireWhen I say 'old black dudes' I am not talking about specific old black dudes. (My dad is an old black dude!) I'm talking about the Old Black Dude (OBD, for short) Political Discourse, a system of old, tired and failed tactics to implement social change.I mean, come on! The way to address education funding inequity is to tell

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-77777719557953852022008-08-13T13:22:00.003-05:002008-08-13T13:49:57.768-05:00

The Front-Runner’s FallIf you haven't read the piece in The Atlantic about the internal workings of the Clinton campaign, you really should. Oh, not because it gives you a little thrill to have all your bad feelings against the Clinton campaign reaffirmed (if that was your wont) but because of what you can learn about basic lessons of organizational management.For me, especially if I remembered

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-71482646952150867412008-08-11T11:45:00.005-05:002008-08-11T12:44:37.685-05:00

I love the Olympics. Not for sports - I could care less, frankly, though I enjoy watching the more obscure things, like fencing. I like the Olympics because the nationalism is just so immensely wrong and amusing.Friday, my friends and I made up a drinking game during the Beijing opening ceremonies. For kicks, and because we are students of the problematic ways our media covers other countries

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-41598462851483855742008-08-07T16:01:00.000-05:002008-08-07T16:01:45.648-05:00

I was totally going to just keep on working but a pal sent me this: Sexual harrassment okay as it ensures humans breed, Russian judge rules - TelegraphWhat. The. Hell. There are no words to describe the frakked-up-ness of this news item.Choice bits:The unnamed executive, a 22-year-old from St Petersburg, had been hoping to become only the third woman in Russia's history to bring a successful

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-56038356205762653972008-08-07T13:57:00.000-05:002008-08-07T13:58:06.487-05:00

Sorry, poppets. Ding has a job and is workin' it this week. Hard.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-76511722818810419332008-08-04T12:10:00.002-05:002008-12-10T00:40:01.167-06:00

These are the dots I want people to connect:TailhookAberdeen Proving GroundsThe Air Force Academy scandal (the resulting report can be found here)The case of Pvt. Steven D. GreenThis NYTimes series on violent death among Iraq War vetsThis Feminist Law Professors postJamie Leigh Jones and the 'rape problem' with military contractorsTo that string of dots, add one more: LaVena JohnsonI think a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-36153971655406796492008-07-31T13:46:00.001-05:002008-07-31T13:49:57.017-05:00

i'm utterly dumbfounded:Sleeping man beheaded on Greyhound bus TV: Passenger killed by seatmate with 'Rambo knife' in Canada's prairiesMSNBC News Servicesupdated 10:47 a.m. CT, Thurs., July. 31, 2008WINNIPEG, Manitoba - A passenger sleeping on a Greyhound bus was killed and decapitated by his seatmate on Wednesday night as the vehicle rolled across the Canadian prairies, witnesses said."All of a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-42469599154057076282008-07-25T10:48:00.004-05:002008-07-25T11:47:45.287-05:00

I am an observer. Or voyeur. Whatever. I like watching. Pervy? Sure; I blame my mother. She would sit on the couch and watch our neighbors like she was getting paid to do so. She'd flip the blinds a little and say, "Hmph. Mrs. Jones is spending a lot of time at home.""So are you, mom.""Hmph."Anyway, my genetically inherited practice of keeping an eye out on the world kicked in yesterday

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-63550786689091840472008-07-24T10:57:00.000-05:002008-07-24T10:57:53.836-05:00

I have a new post up at Bitch Ph.D. about fat issues and progressive gaming issues.Check it out!

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-27068157178715937412008-07-21T13:44:00.001-05:002008-07-23T10:54:34.617-05:00

good, sweet lord.i wonder when games are going to get progressive? (remember the disaster that was Ghettopoly? ugh.)i mean, when are they going to make some attempt to stop reinforcing the current/past power structure and start doing some subversive work by offering a different narrative? from the Racialicious post:'It is reprehensible that colonists are so often portrayed as brave heroes

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-7323039799905069192008-07-17T10:20:00.003-05:002008-07-17T10:24:57.640-05:00

Writing is hard - especially when you write a lot for work, too. (As well as for two other blogs.) If I'm not careful, posts here will end up being about what I've eaten for breakfast.So, I'm throwing out a sincere plea to all 5 of my readers:Give me a topic you'd maybe like to see ChurchGal write about soon.That should at least give me material for a couple of weeks.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-49361686133754428802008-07-16T17:36:00.000-05:002008-07-16T17:39:51.592-05:00

Abortion Proposal Sets Condition on Aid - NYTimes.comThis is the proposed intent:The Bush administration wants to require all recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control. Under the draft of a proposed rule, hospitals, clinics, researchers and medical schools

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-71027259155265993702008-07-14T15:13:00.001-05:002008-07-14T15:41:31.021-05:00

This is the column in today's Trib from Dawn Turner Rice who's doing a series on race. I suppose we can credit the Year of Obama for being the catalyst for all this racial navel gazing. Whenever a paper or media outlet decides it's going to tackle race, I gird my loins for a discussion that will, inevitably, derail in seconds. My standards for having these conversations is high and I can't

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-58465516114495184052008-07-08T10:45:00.000-05:002008-07-08T10:45:50.351-05:00

Over at Bitch Ph.D. they had a really good discussion on Obama's recent statement removing mental health from consideration when a woman decides to have a late abortion. In other words, if I said to a doctor that I cannot be remain pregnant because the idea of being pregnant is so repugnant to me my mind will split, then my reason isn't 'enough' to justify having one, presumably because my '

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-39960814124985522482008-07-07T12:12:00.003-05:002008-07-07T12:42:56.119-05:00

so last week was exhausting, simply exhausting. raging PMS while fighting the governor is not restful. therefore, i have resolved to avoid straining my capacities too far.resolved, Ding will start playing tennis. Really.resolved, Ding will stop eating so much pasta; the Italy vacation is over! resolved, Ding will see all the comic book movies she can this month.resolved, Ding will take a

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-35379959266460353582008-07-02T10:04:00.005-05:002008-07-02T10:10:26.778-05:00

the illinois governor is nuts (along with mike madigan and the state assembly) so i'm stuck in the middle of budget crisis hell over here.but in a bit of good news, i may have just successfully lobbied for some federal 'pork'.(one man's pork is another woman's operating budget, is what i say.)and i'm trying to decide if i'm going to the Democratic convention in August. (denver, sleeping on the

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-61203195013389099902008-06-24T15:01:00.003-05:002008-12-10T00:40:01.446-06:00

So.Yesterday, Karl Rove called Obama 'cooly arrogant:'"Even if you never met him," Rove said, "You know this guy. He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."Clearly, if making snide comments was all that counted I guess that makes all of Gen X 'cooly arrogant.'But

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-75778494874378626152008-06-17T12:01:00.003-05:002008-06-17T12:26:07.898-05:00

Some of the photos I like most during this election season have been the ones showing Obama in the role of father. Images of him embracing his girls, evidently loving and caring for them - during the race of his life - make my little adamantine heart sort of clench, you know?I've written a lot about my dad here on ChurchGal. He reads this site and has been incredibly gracious about standing in as

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-63747452785938542332008-06-12T09:11:00.005-05:002008-06-12T09:23:58.780-05:00

"This is the happiest day of my life." Really? Are you sure? I mean, out of all your days on earth you're sure that this day, this particular day, is the one that gives you the best feeling of happiness (well-being, satisfaction, contentment and joy) you have ever experienced? Can you measure that happiness and back that up with some sort of empirical evidence - and can you be sure that this

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-45822366891353794712008-06-10T10:23:00.002-05:002008-06-10T10:36:10.635-05:00

ChurchGal: the other shoe drops: anti-choicers don't want you to have contraception!i'm bumping this thread up to the top because i think it's a conversation we should start having in public now that groups are starting to target our legal right to contraception.yes, our LEGAL right to use medically safe contraception and devices.i want people to start thinking about the frakking consequences of

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-20075076005981146852008-06-09T11:17:00.002-05:002008-06-09T11:25:02.279-05:00

i LOVED italy.the views, of course, were stunning and gorgeous. (even the rainy days were glorious. i mean they were the kind of days that made you want to throw open your windows, lean out and belt an aria. you don't get days like that in Chicago.)the wine, natch, was unbelievably good (even the cheap farmers' wine we guzzled at the villa. all 50 bottles of it.)the roads were treacherous and the

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-77961153645461822952008-05-27T13:44:00.000-05:002008-06-10T10:52:25.452-05:00

Emily Gould - Exposed - Blog-Post Confidential - Gawker - NYTimes.comi wish i had time to write about this today. often, i've thought about the random way i stumbled onto blogging. (yes, a boy was involved.) often, i wonder why i continue - some of my friends wonder why i say things here i've never said in conversation. the only thing i can do is shrug and say, 'It's different. I don't know.

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-46946091809757414992008-05-19T12:39:00.003-05:002008-05-19T13:00:21.143-05:00

Well, according to Kathleen Parker, it's all about the blood. From her column:It’s about blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values. And roots. Some run deeper than others and therein lies the truth of Fry’s political sense. In a country that is rapidly changing demographically — and where new neighbors may have arrived last year, not last century — there is a very real

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-59559862452729002332008-05-15T12:35:00.004-05:002008-05-15T12:52:22.886-05:00

when i was in college i turned up my nose at Woolf's A Room of Their Own. i thought it was classist, elitist and bourgeois.ah, youth. now i reread it and, yes, it's still so very British Public School, but the main point of Woolf's essay is still important: women require economic autonomy and fiscal stability to have the lives they want (and need) in order to support themselves, as well as

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-89400631503757290802008-05-15T10:59:00.001-05:002008-05-15T10:59:36.098-05:00

Too Sense: Black Pastor Says Obama, Oprah, and Wright are 'Trinity of Hell'so imagine the shudder of dread i experienced when i came across this post:Let's see, according to this guy: Oprah betrayed white women (who put herwhere she is today) by supporting Obama; Wright and Obama are closet gays, andObama stayed at Trinity United Methodist because he was having a gayrelationship with Wright;

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-74928859547141683022008-05-12T12:27:00.002-05:002008-05-12T12:48:05.610-05:00

via Jack & Jill, this article seems to posit that the Religious Right is cracking up and the flotsam are breaking for Obama.my first reaction was to go, Hmm. Really??a few months ago, we saw the Religious Right (R2) go slightly nuts with their rejection of Romney, their pragmatic shunning of true-blue, 'not electable' fundamentalist Huckabee and their reluctant embrace of McCain.but does that

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-28191201482581009692008-05-09T12:41:00.000-05:002008-06-10T10:52:36.889-05:00

As the interminable death march to the convention continues, we have to ask ourselves a question:Why is this happening to us? Where did we go wrong? Why has the spectre of political unity forsaken us?It's because Hillary Clinton didn't go to church enough.Everyone who goes to church knows you're supposed to turn the other cheek. Some of us are better at this than others. (Not me. Oh, I turn

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-85711606616303346892008-05-08T15:49:00.000-05:002008-06-10T10:52:57.173-05:00

The Initiative for the Prevention of Coerced and Unsafe Abortions (via Bitch Ph.D.)This is how I imagine a conversation to go if such a law was established in Illinois:Ding: I need an abortionNurse: Hm. Really. Why?Ding: Because I'm pregnant and don't want to be. (Ass)Nurse: Hm. I'm afraid that's not good enough. Are you being forced to get this abortion?Ding: Yes. I'm being forced by

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-90130403846948882612008-05-08T10:55:00.001-05:002008-06-10T10:53:26.639-05:00

What kind of world do we live in when a woman, who's in the middle of her own sexual assault, fights off her attacker (in a rather bad-ass way, too), then when she's calling out for help, a group of male bystanders then SEXUALLY ASSAULT her for defending herself??This is what we mean by rape culture. Rape culture says that women's bodies ought to be available. Rape culture says women's default

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-75409573374532263282008-05-07T10:45:00.001-05:002008-05-07T10:53:20.213-05:00

From The Revealer, I came across a little item pointing me to an interview between the Family Research Council and religious right activist Janet Folger about some electioneering activities the FRC has planned.The usual (non-tax status threatening) stuff: pre-packaged sermons on hot button conservative issues, candidate comparisons (hmm) and then comes this:"We're going," he said, "to prompt

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-36713248175067473072008-05-06T17:15:00.001-05:002008-05-07T10:47:27.754-05:00

Feministing has a story here about the campaign from the American Life League to stop folks (uh, women) from using the Pill. It's called The Pill Kills!Yeah, well. It DOESN'T. Basic science, people. Basic. But who cares about basic science when you can write frakked up stuff like this:The birth control pill does not reduce the number of abortions. The only difference is that you are killing the

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-25974069609170966882008-05-05T09:30:00.000-05:002008-06-10T10:54:00.587-05:00

Finally, A Feminism 101 BlogI really can't say enough about this blog; it's like a refresher course on feminism that I can go back to again and again. Even now, when my current thoughts on feminism and my place in it is sort of shaky.(Oh, Feminism. Never fear. I will never completely desert you. But I will be that annoying woman in the corner raising her hand and asking really annoying

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-76907068832813209932008-05-02T00:46:00.003-05:002008-12-10T00:40:02.022-06:00

oh. my. god.i don't care if you've never heard of Iron Man, never read a comic book (what are you, a philistine?), never even knew comic books existed and don't give a crap who Stan Lee is. i don't care if your boyfriend owns all these weird dolls (oh, action figures) and they're taking over your apartment and all you want to do is pile them in the backyard and set them on fire.this movie is teh

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-67521215856151029832008-05-01T14:47:00.002-05:002008-05-01T14:58:04.483-05:00

4 weeks.then i'm blowing this pop stand and lolling in the hot Tuscan countryside, drinking wine, eating pizza and saying things like 'Non sono Americana. Sono Canadian. Whatever.'4 weeks and i will leave this horrific primary season behind me (only to come right back to it); i will try to leave behind our nation's unexpiated racist past and present.(come on, sean bell's killers get off

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-84318743232729776622008-04-30T14:23:00.004-05:002008-05-07T10:47:40.258-05:00

if you haven't already dropped dead from Obama/Clinton/Longest Primary Season EVAR Fatigue, then perhaps you have some thoughts on Wright, more distancing, the black church (whatever that is) and racial politics.here's my thought about the whole thing:Church. State. Divided.why are we even discussing this?[if anyone needs it spelled out: it's like the chocolate and peanut butter thing. if you

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-51433466673032438712008-04-22T14:32:00.001-05:002008-04-22T14:53:45.399-05:00

Jack and Jill Politics: Rev. Michael Pfleger Holds It Down In Fox Interview On Wright, Farrakhan and "Hate"Remember what I said about Fr. Pfleger when this whole Wright thing happened?Well, now FOX News got the full on Pfleger experience - right in the face.The last 3 minutes are awesome. I had to jump up from my desk at work and wanted to yell out, 'Preach!'[and i'm really enjoying reading the

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-55812688794942972002008-04-22T12:23:00.000-05:002008-04-22T12:24:21.983-05:00

a scene from yesterday, a gorgeously sunny day in chicago with relatively mild traffic while Roomie and Ding left their offices earlyRoomie: so what's on your schedule this week? dates?Ding: nah. a work event and a board meeting. maybe a boy later on this week but nothing's confirmed.Roomie: what do you want to do? dinner?Ding: (sigh) but where will we go? what will we do? what will we

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864616.post-25410307568292202452008-04-21T13:30:00.000-05:002008-04-21T13:30:04.071-05:00

you know that wall you hit when there's so much going on in the news that you just want to hibernate and watch Battlestar Galactica and Dr. Who all weekend?well, i've hit it. i've crashed into it and it has given me a headache. i have no idea what's going on in pennsylvania, have almost lost all interest in our political shenanigans and, frankly, if someone told me the moon exploded and killed

Delia Christinanoreply@blogger.com3