Hey you, whatcha readin?

Inquiring minds wanna know.

I've been reading lots of stuff especially since the advent of grad school. Thus far I've read more on Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, etc., than I really care to but I completely understand why I'm supposed to. My favorite theorist tends to be Marx and then in extension of that, Marxist Feminist Theorists. But sadly, we only get to spend 1 whole 2 hour and 40 min class on that theory this semester and too much on the others. It's par for the sociological course I guess.

Anyway, the guy who is sitting next to me drives a pretty new beamer. It will be interesting to see his thought process during this class since; honestly, he appears to be mostly republican/conservative right now. The cool thing is because there are several different backgrounds coming into this course (beginner's sociological theory sort of), there will be a wide array of viewpoints and opinions expressed. I like that kind of "round" table discourse.

So on to what I've been reading already and a cessation of chattiness. (I can't entirely help it since it's exciting to be in grad school with the realization that hey, I'm really here and I'm going to be an MS in a few years!)

Barbara Ehrenreich has her own blog, did you know that? In this particular post titled Could You Afford to be Poor?, she discusses the cycle of poverty just as I sort of did in yesterday's rant.

As many of you may know, this week has been a sort of memorial/anniversary celebration for those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. So, in honor of the suckiness that is President Shrub, we've also been hearing about how bed things still are on the gulf coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. It should also be no surprise to you that women have started taking matters into their own hands. Hey, this kind of social work is what we've been doing since the beginning of time (mostly because that's where we've been relegated but that's another post) so we've gotten pretty good at it.

Wanna know something I'm really sick of hearing about and wish the fucking military would just get off their ass and do something about already? Especially since study after study keep coming back saying the same thing? I'm sure you'll never guess in a million years. Women's Rights Violations Still Pervasive in U.S. Military.

While the Department of Defense has pledged to crack down on violence against women in the armed forces, follow-up on that promise has been slow and piecemeal. Sexual assault survivors, their advocates, and their supporters in Congress continue to call loudly for systemic change that will provide for safe and confidential reporting, effective intervention, comprehensive prevention, and a concerted effort on the part of the Department of Defense to record and analyze incidents of violence against women in all branches of the armed forces, and punish the perpetrators.

Seriously, what's taking them so long? Are they awaiting a successful string of lawsuits that will force them into change?