LOVE this!

A judge cited my all-time favorite poem in the Guantamano case:

"The government insists that the statements made in the documents are reliable because the State and Defense Departments would not have put them in intelligence documents were that not the case," the court wrote. "This comes perilously close to suggesting that whatever the government says must be treated as true."

The judges compared the argument to the logic in Carroll's nonsense poem, in which a hapless crew hunts for a creature that is never quite defined. The Bellman, the ship's leader, led his men across the ocean, guided by a map that was just a blank piece of paper. He rallied and reassured his crew simply by repeating himself.

"I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true," the Bellman says in the poem.

"Lewis Carroll notwithstanding, the fact that the government has 'said it thrice' does not make an allegation true," the court wrote.

Read the whole story here.

Better yet, read "The Hunting of the Snark." I know I plan to re-read it when I get home!

I've changed my mind

(Thanks to The Boy for sending this on...)

In Memoriam: Tasha Tudor

I just received word that the incomparable Tasha Tudor died yesterday at the age of 92.

She is, of course, best known for her detailed and delicate illustrations in books for young people. My personal favorite is The Doll's House written by Rumer Godden. Yes, the story captivated me, but all these years later, I can still easily call to mind the face of Birdie, the sweet and flighty and doomed celluloid mother doll.

There is magic in the art of Tasha Tudor, and we are lucky she shared it with all of us.

Quote o' the day

"There's more to life than books you know, but not much more." (from "Handsome Devil" by the Smiths)

Finally!

I will *finally* read Pride and Prejudice! I will be reading it on-line at this too-clever-for words site.

no big shock here...

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm You're probably in the final stages of a Ph.D. or otherwise finding a way to make your living out of reading. You are one of the literati. Other people's grammatical mistakes make you insane.
Dedicated Reader
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Fight the Power

In a brilliantly proactive move, Barack Obama's team has set up a website specifically to combat false information being disseminated by those who would have him lose.

¡Sí se puede!

"There has never been anything false about hope." (Barack Obama)

My heart is overflowing right now. For the first time in too long to remember, I am truly hopeful about the future of our country.

As a people, we are *not* apathetic, letting others do unto us without asserting ourselves for what we believe to be true and right. Our votes *do* make a difference.

Science Boy laughed at me a little bit this morning. We were speaking about the nomination and suddenly, I said I wished Tupac was alive. SB gave me the "is my Babi crazy?" look, so I explained. Tupac's amazing hit, "Changes," is one of the songs I play when I am running. it carries me through. But lately, everytime I hear the lyrics, "And though it seems heaven sent / We ain't ready to see a Black president," I want to cry out, yes! Our world is changing! We *are* ready! I love that song, and I am so happy that it seems that maybe that lyric is wrong now...

I was moved to tears by the news of the nomination. It seems like this is a new world that, to quote my favorite high school valedictorian:

We will be teaching the next generation, spreading our ideas throughout the world, and providing a lasting legacy for humanity to come. Even though it may be a little scary, we will do our best to create a saner, more stable planet for our children, and will try to disprove ignorance, intolerance, and hatred.

The incomparable and tireless hero, Caesar Chavez, champion of a people who were marginalized by mainstream society, reminded those who would be trampled that they deserved better, that they could *make* it better, that "¡Sí se puede!"

Yes. *WE* can!

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." (Barack Obama)

My heart is so full. My hope shines so bright.