In Which I Go Crazy With the Links

It's true that I'm just about the furthest thing from a news junkie. I tend to live in my own little bubble of work, family, friends, books, personal triumphs and anxieties, and let the news of the larger world filter in like the wa-wa-wa of the grownups in Charlie Brown cartoons. Even our move to Canada, which from one angle might seem like the most dramatic of political statements, was in some ways an anti-political strategy: now that we're legally married, and not second-class citizens any more, we've lost that essential outsider perspective that keeps so many queers politicized; now we can be as apathetic and middle-of-the-road as anyone else, and in many ways we are.

Even I, however, have noticed that there is a great deal of eventage taking place these days. And that lots of people are writing about such eventage.

An election, for one thing. Actually, two elections. Did you know there's a big federal election coming up in Canada, too? The CBC did a story last week where they interviewed a bunch of Americans coming off a cruise ship in Halifax, and not one of them knew who the Canadian Prime Minister was. Frankly, I don't think I could've identified Stephen Harper by name either, when we moved up here last year. But now I have progressed and we even have our very own lawn sign (NDP! Woohoo!).

Of course, I can't actually VOTE in the Canadian election, not being a citizen. I can, and will, vote absentee in the U.S. election. And if you are a United States citizen, so can you. No matter where you live, and even if you've never ever lived in the States. This handy link will take you through the process of registering. (If you know someone who's a US citizen but lives abroad and might not be registered, would you mind telling them? Kthxbai.)

If you are a sentient adult living within range of either a television or a computer you have already seen Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin on SNL, but I will link here anyway just in case. Also, here is the follow-up bit from last week's show, in which she has fun being adorable under pressure from Katie Couric as portrayed blinkingly by Amy Poehler. RW and I had never seen Tina Fey in action, not having a TV, but now we are all over it and are waiting for our library copies of 30 Rock so we can see more more more.

Also, did you read Aaron Sorkin's write up of the meetup between Barack Obama and President Jed Bartlet? (What? You say Jed Bartlet was never really president? Sorry, he is in my world.)

And you know how gay people can get married in California now? And the anti-gay-marriage folks have (predicatably) put up a proposition on the next ballot that would nullify said marriages? Lesbiandad is writing a great series of posts on why fighting Proposition 8 is a crucial issue for all Americans (and, frankly, everyone who cares about equality). Also, she put up a video that made me cry.

Last, but emphatically not least, Arwen has finally explained the financial crisis so that normal people can understand it, and I will never be able to read or hear about said crisis again without hearing the phrase "OOBLYBOOBILLION DOLLARS" in my head. Me, I've been wandering around in a similar way to what Rosie Bonner describes, wondering if this is like "one of those dreams I sometimes have in which the end of the world has somehow been announced, but for the moment all is eerie, sunny normalcy."

L'Shana Tova if this is a new year for you; and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.