I like the Utne Reader. This issue’s features focused on the evolving ‘definition’ of love. The editor’s note was nicely written. Her observations that “a good [relationship] is based on self-respect, clear intent about priorities and purpose, and commitment to growth. But even with a relationship built on the best foundation, the fact remains that love is essentially risky. Our only safety lives in gratitude for the lives we share and for the miracle that we continue to love, against all odds” is not particularly original, but well said. We have to respect ourselves and our mates/friends/family members and communicate. COMMUNICATION. It’s so crucial. Why do we not know how to do this well? Such reminders are well warranted.

I learned, from the magazine, that $10 billion is spent per year by the UN, while $1.04 trillion is spent on military expenditures. Again, not too surprising, but the numbers are pretty insane.

This might be embarrassing to admit, as a feminist and leftist, but I never knew why people adorned their cars with those hateful Jane Fonda traitor bitch bumperstickers until I read this issue. I knew she participated in something anti war, but I didn’t understand why she was individually such a target of hatred; well, I guess it’s because she led that FTA (Fuck the War) tour during the Vietnam War. Hmm, so people hated on her, even though thousands of people, including GIs, attended? Typical. The woman’s got to take all the blame. Fucking unpatriotic heathen whore. So dumb.

This really set me off--A single person working a minimum wage job would have to put in 72 hours per week to earn $19, 223 a year. We all know min wage isn’t shit, but, again, to have it all laid out like that--that’s so scary and sad. Even if it were a married couple each working such a job, and they only worked 36 hrs per week, that ain’t shit, especially if they have children. This country makes me sick.

There’s a really cool sounding documentary called Desire that follows a group of teenage girls and highlights issues of class, race, gender, the usual stuff, but it sounds really interesting because apparently the girls and the filmmaker experience confrontations. I want to check it out and maybe show it to a class.

Billy Bragg is cool. I liked his comment, “The left just reacts to things as they turn up rather than having an overarching ideal for what society could be.” How apt and succinct. The left does need to get it together. The right has their skewed vision. We have to compromise, come together, and shape ours.

There’s a bunch of stuff about democracy in the iss I haven’t read yet, too. Very informative, articles aren’t too long. I used to diss the Utne for just being a compilation of previously published articles, but now I find it convenient. I don’t want to search all day on the internet trying to find digestible news. I want it to be presented to me.

Tangentially, an all white Milwaukee jury voted that the cops that beat the hell out of a biracial man last year were not guilty today. And the cops may have turned up the dead bodies of 2 young black kids who’ve been missing awhile. Someone probably will get shot tonight because the weather turned warm. This fucking city….