Here are a handful of minimal suggestions for avoiding being an asshole, each paired with a way to go above and beyond simply not being an asshole towards being an actual decent human being:
1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Even better, treat people as they request to be treated.
2. Don't just speak to be heard, but also listen. Even better, listen first.
3. Don't assume your experience and beliefs are universal. Even better, ask people about their experiences and beliefs.
4. Don't use terms for groups you don't belong to in a derogatory fashion. Even better, don't use derogatory terms or insulting language at all.

What do you think? What else should be added to this list?

...has no right to be this good. Although TJ's yucca chips are still better.

The New York Senate has voted to approve same-sex marriage. The governor plans to sign the bill. Blog posting of the events leading up to the vote here.

Heading for Seattle tomorrow for the Pacific Sociological Conference - there til Sunday. The forecast for the 4 days I'm there? Rain.

Shocking.

If you are interested in supporting the Wisconsin protestors by donating food, here's some information on how to do that reposted with permission from cabell:

PLEASE HELP US. You can donate food to protesters by calling Ian's Pizza at (608) 442-3535. They've completely shut down their storefront to focus on feeding us: http://www.facebook.com/IansPizzaOnState?ref=ts&sk=app_6009294086

Straight2YourDoor, a delivery service that coordinates with about 30 restaurants in the vicinity of the Capitol building alone, has kindly set something up to help people donate other food to protesters (we love Ian's, but some of us are pretty sick of pizza) via any of those restaurants, and provided a $3 off coupon code (killthebill). Instructions on how to use it here, at my other blog: http://cabellscrabble.blogspot.com/2011/02/donate-food-to-protesters-via.html

You can also send fruits and veggies from Madison Fresh Market (608-287-0000) or Capitol Centre Market (608-255-2616).

NON-FOOD DONATIONS: The Teaching Assistants Association is taking donations for Capitol clean-up/maintenance & rally organizing here: http://helpdefendwisconsin.org/

If you don't live in Wisconsin, this should still be of utmost concern to you. If Wisconsin falls, you're next.

Solidarity.

I'm trying out some new ways of moving towards cloud computing. If you're interested in backing up your files online, syncing files/ pictures/ music across multiple computers and/or with your smartphone, you might want to check out SugarSync. If you join using this invite we both get bonus storage space:
https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=b7xnnjeqviq0b

Happy New Year to all!

For finals week the front desk of the women's dorm in our building has decorated with a theme of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Heh.

...and record profits indicate a hostile investment climate.

Here's a link to an interesting blog post from Inside Higher Ed making the argument that the Tea Party valorizes a "white" culture of poverty while villainizing a culture of poverty in the implicit and explicit context of racial & ethnic minorities.

PS - A Daily Kos blogger asks why we talk about a work ethic but not a pay ethic.