Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Rachel's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, February 10th, 2005
10:26 am	Never let it be said that individuals cannot impact government policy-making... You remember a couple weeks ago I contacted a bunch of Virginia delegates about HB 2868 (a bill that seems designed to hurt GSAs and groups that talk about safer sex), urging them to oppose it both because GSAs are good and because it was poorly written and would have affected abstinence-'til-marriage groups? Well, the house passed it with an amemdment that shows that they took the later issue and, actually, the GSA issue, seriously. I read the revision and literally burst out laughing... So, basically, it looks like the Virginia house doesn't like condoms but is cool with support groups... Articles Saudi Arabia holds its first nationwide vote. A conservative reporter resigned yesterday after liberal bloggers uncovered his real name and raised questions about his background. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 9th, 2005
2:16 pm	Interesting articles: Tonight's Wife Swap episode will have a conservative, religious, mother of three from Texas (in an interacial couple) switch places with an Arizona woman in a committed lesbian relationship. (goinked from Olga) Virginia's House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday authorizing a $50 fine for anyone who displays his or her underpants in a "lewd or indecent manner." (goinked from Olga) ( The Russian military raided college dormitories in Moscow, in many cases rousing male students from their beds, in a surprise move to collect fresh conscripts following the end to deferments from mandatory service ) Last night I went to Chris' mardi gras thing. He had king cake. Guess who got the baby Jesus (and who was the only Jew there)? I shouldn't have commented that it would be ironic if I got it - that must've jinxed it. I need to work on not being obviously annoyed by my math professor. She's actually not bad, but some aspects of her teaching irk me and it shows. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 7th, 2005
8:04 pm	I know that soldiers stationed abroad sometimes miss seemingly strange aspects of home, but...mud wrestling? Would tort reform have prevented this (Colorado Teens Fined for Giving Cookies to Neighbor)? I'm finally almost over my cold. Unfortunantely, a cough that makes it hard to sleep through the night seems to be the last things to leave. Ahwell. ( This weekend contained a number of enjoyable activities. ) ( Summer Stuff ) ( Current Events (bitterness) ) ( Other ) I hope that you all have a wonderful day! Take care of yourselves. (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 3rd, 2005
11:38 am	This event seems really cool. Schools Official Assails 'Gay Lifestyle' Link courtesy of Lindsey. I'd like to remind ya'll that Fairfax County School Board members are elected. Update: The other schoolboard members (and many Fairfax county residents) rebuked the guy. More recent addition: A statement signed recently by more than 1,000 clergy and congregational leaders in about 35 states expresses frustration with the Bush administration's environmental polices. Mm...most of me is pleased by this, but I'm a bit concerned that it's a symptom of the increasing interaction between church and state in this country. So the pendulum swings... <--- sorry about the lack of coherency, I've got that sick-and-spacey feeling in my head right now... Apparently even some evangelical Jesusfolk are getting in on the action. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005
5:10 pm	I appear to have contracted the plague afflicting campus...Wrote a whiny post, but ya'll don't need to read that...So I'm gonna go back to the dorm and get some rest and/or chug more liquid. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 1st, 2005
9:41 am	I tend to read the Washington Post for the comics and editorials but am a sucker for articles on TJ (mostly to see the most recent example of incompetent journalism) Decoding Why Few Girls Choose Science, Math (if you're registered with the post)... ( Here's the article text if you're not registered ) (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 31st, 2005
10:24 am	Germany appears to be giving the world in a lesson in what not to do if/when legalizing prostituin - women are being told, "If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits." I spent Shabbat in Norfolk this weekend. Between my Norfolking and our schedules before and since then, my roommate and I haven't spent more than 10 waking minutes in the same room since Thursday night. The Meridian shift with Mary and Jason last night went pretty well (especially given that the coffeemaker is broken and we used the sketcheriffic microwave to heat water to be poured over the filter). ( schedule stuff for my own purposes ) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 26th, 2005
5:41 pm	First, a question: do you think this is a serious article? VA HB 2868 seeks to ban clubs that are "focused on supporting, assisting, or justifying any lifestyle involving sexual behavior" from VA public schools. If/when the education committee (to which it was refered) votes on it, I'll let ya'll know. 'til then....( I sent the following letter to all sponsors and all members of the education committee. ) Now, I've gotten a few replies back already... One was from the delegate who I accidentally e-mailed twice (the second time the message was intended for and the header was to another delegate but I copied in this guy's wrong email address). I can understand him being a bit pissy given my careless screw-up. However, ( this was our exchange ) ( Another interesting response (and if you have ideas of how to respond, please share) was... ) The other responses are fairly uninteresting (they're all either form letteresque or positive). If you're curious they're ( here ) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 25th, 2005
9:51 am	Not that Jews haven't been fleeing persecution in Russia for over a century, but this gives yet another reason to do so. Now, granted, the lawmakers in question are on the crazy, right-wing fringe and this is extraordinarily unlikely to pass, but it's still disturbing that members of said fringe got into office and are proposing this *deleted*. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 20th, 2005
12:36 pm	( Horribly offensive, biased/political, and just generally not PG, but extremely funny. ) (Comment on this)
12:19 pm	( Another VA action alert - urge your representative on the VA house's courts of justice committee to repeal last year's Affirmation of Marriage Act (HB 751). The chairs are Albo, a Fairfax County rep. and McDonnell, a VA Beach rep. ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 19th, 2005
2:05 pm	Michelle called the other day and we talked for quite a while. It was nice, especially since I'd been meaning to call her. ( Today was my first day of class. ) ( I've gotten all but one of my textbooks (read: guess who was a successful bargain-hunter). ) ( VA's house Counties, Cities and Towns committee is expected to vote to let Fairfax county add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy. If you vote in Fairfax or if any of the committee members represent you, please contact the commitee members. ) ( During break I read... ) ( During break I watched... ) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 16th, 2005
7:33 pm	I'm back on campus. ( The year in review - that meme for which you take the first sentence of the first entry of every month ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, December 27th, 2004
10:31 am	FYI: I'm in Williamsburg, staying with my former Smith roommate and her family. I've been here since leaving W&M; on the 15th and will be here through early January. After that I'll either be in NoVA doing bookwork/staying in Alexandria or visiting my sister in Delaware (or some combination thereof). I'm sorry that I didn't make this post earlier...Breaks always seem to be a pain for me to figure out and I dislike having to go into my often unusual plans to the point of just not telling anyone where I am... ( To those I'll likely miss seeing (Michelle especially), ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, December 13th, 2004
3:37 pm	meteor shower tonight The geminid meteor shower is tonight and, since the new moon was just a couple of days ago, it's supposed to be a good year for it. Expected rate of meteorites for 10 U.S. cities Sorry for the late notice - I just found out about this today. Marriage Rites and Wrongs (Washington Post editorial, link courtesy of Emily) Resident Thinker Given Free Rein In White House - seems like a cool job if you don't mind working for somone selfish and arrogant ( Bad math joke (from Tex) ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
11:31 am	( fluff ) Just finished the math final, which went fairly well, I think. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, December 10th, 2004
11:06 am	'Chrismukkah is...the 'state of mind' interfaith families find themselves in this time of year.' Oy. An Alabama legislator is trying to prevent 'purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.' And he has President Bush's ear NY Times editorial (requiring a free subscription) on Bush's proposed privitization of social security: 'There is, by the way, a precedent for Bush-style privatization. One major reason for Argentina's rapid debt buildup in the 1990's was a pension reform involving a switch to individual accounts - a switch that President Carlos Menem, like President Bush, decided to finance with borrowing rather than taxes.' List of Positives * The Williamsburg city council voted unanimously to add sexual orientation to its equal employment opportunity policy. * I made latkes and they came out well (this is a 1st). * I have a B in IA, meaning that I got above the class average. * Hanging out with Chris Browne yesterday was fun. * Orwoll liked the rock candy enough to have the story put in the chemistry newsletter for alumni. * 5 day break between finals * Michelle's "You know you're in Utah when..." list * Jason got a movie about Caligulua that's rated NC-17 but decided to watch it in his room rather than in the Russian house lounge when the opening showed that is was produced by Playboy. * Had helpful conversations with both Chancey and Laura S. yesterday. * Laura W. (my roommate) rocks. * It's been really warm. ( Yesterday's quote of the day (including the mini-conversation that followed it) - not appropriate for children/those with a low tolerance for offensive stuff: ) (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 3rd, 2004
3:54 pm	How To Kill a Mockingbird It takes a while to load and is very silly, strange, and funny. Chancey informs me that I should include a techno. warning, too, since it contains, "near-lethal levels of techno". Academics: Classes are over. I have a final Monday, a final Tuesday, and a final a week from Monday. Last night's IA test seems to have gone probably went well, but we'll see if my impression of it is accurate (since I appear to be a poor judge of these things). Should be doing chem. labs... Winter break: I had my second interview at Books-a-million today. Hopefully that'll work out. If not, Wythe's candy has offered me a job, but they won't guarantee a set number of hours per week and January is their slow season (and they don't have lots of books) so I'm hoping for the other. More Randomness: Kay and I gave Dr. Orwoll rock candy wrapped in a solid-liquid phase diagram for water and sugar. He liked it and mentioned it in class today. :) The Russian House did "thankukah" (basically secret santa with a p.c. gloss), and I gave Matt (the organizer of nerf gun fights on campus who once taped a tack to a dart so he could use it to pop ballons) candy inside ballons (thanks go out to Thaddeus who doesn't actually read this for buying said balloons and saving me the trouble of doing so). It was hilarious to watch the gears turn in his head. Matt: There are balloons. Me: They have your name on them. Matt: looks at them more closely They have... *looks excited I'll wait 'til after the house dinner to pop them so that noone gets hurt. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 1st, 2004
11:36 am	( A Christmas Carol by Tom Lehrer ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
11:22 am	Philosophical Clashes Cited as Chief Quits Gay Rights Group The longest winning streak in television game show history ended on Tuesday when "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings lost after he collected more than $2.5 million in 74 victories/a> (Comment on this)