Building a Better World

In The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers, a “sticky, oily, sour-smelling green gunk” lies pooling around a creature’s head. Ember’s gloved palm smeared in green, Sissix asks her if this is one of the ketlings she was talking about.

In Mistress of Lies, the King’s claws are revealed to be simple, functional steel things. The King himself has a sense of vitality, untouched by age, with harsh, striking features. Shan’s social calendar is everything. She, however, feels more comfortable controlling things from the shadows.

Samuel thinks that a murderer would have to be foolish to attack in the middle of a ball. Also, he’s not sure that he wants the attention of the Blood Worker who had come to his place of work the day he was fired, and he’s not sure he’ll be able to remember any of the many conversations he’s been a part of come morning.

Everyone but the nobles are worried, talking, and planning about the murderer who only seems to killed Unblooded workers. Shan dons a disguise, partly because of that and because of what Lord Dunn is planning, and with her brother and Samuel keeping the nobles busy, she freely interacts in her Sparrow persona, a name she would rather answer to, than the one her parents gave her.

When another body turns up, the Guard meticulously leaves everything as they had found it; however, neither Shan nor the Guard identify anything suspicious nor any reason to suggest why this particular victim was chosen.

Samuel had planned to tell Shan and Isaac that he has given up any hope of ever having a family. Not so Shan and Isaac. When he hears that they have not given up, Samuel suspects Shan of using him as a way to get to the throne.

Later, we find Samuel hesitating at the door to the King’s Laboratory. Samuel, Isaac, and Shan have been working tirelessly to piece together clues to find the killer before Isaac is put at risk in a pointless ceremony.

In An Unkindness of Ghosts, by Solomon Rivers, Aster asks Giselle if she wants any medicine to calm her thoughts. Giselle responds by throwing the glass spray bottle used for sensitive seedlings across the cabin. Aster doesn’t startle at the outburst because she’s always braced for contact with Giselle, and calmly instructs her to sweep up the mess she created.

When she finds herself at the mercy of a potentially hostile guard, the rhythm of rubbing a guard’s shoes allows Aster to think. As the guard yanks her up by her hair, she uncaps a syringe and lifts it slowly out of her pocket. After stabbing the guard in the hip and attempting to flee, the guard yanks her backwards by her trousers, nearly pulling them off.

I would like to note that both of these last two books have trans characters in them.

In More Stars the Grains of Sand, Al Forsyth reminds us that only one out of every billion bones becomes a fossil. There is an estimate that for every 120,000 species, only one has made it into the fossil record. If you gathered together all the fossilized remains of prehistoric humans, they would scarcely fit into the bed in the back of a pickup truck.

Last week, my friend and I attended the Margarita Ball, an annual event put on by the Utah Hispanic Caucus to celebrate accomplishments of the Utah Democratic Hispanic and Latinx Community. The honorees were Senator Escamilla and Representative Romero, both women minority leaders in the Utah State Legislature. We mourned the passing of Robert Comstock and Senator Mayne, and we thanked Representative Wheatley for his twenty years of service in the legislature who is resigning this year. Also recognized were all the Latinx elected officials and candidates for public office.

Saturday, the plan was to go out and do some kayaking. The weather was perfect for it, sunny, but not too hot, and light winds. Meanwhile, I also prepared a batch of German Sausages with Peppers and Onions. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the Kayaking a day.

I had a thoroughly exhausting and fun weekend for Labor Day Weekend. Saturday, my friend and I went to see the penultimate and ultimate matinee performances of Legally Blonde and West Valley Performing Arts Center in West Valley City. Both it and the final performances were almost completely sold out. This is a great the way to keep local cultural icons in business, by supporting our local theater and arts. After that, we drove up to Ogden to support and watch some of the local string teachers perform in a string quartet. The music was incredibly beautiful.

Sunday found our group kayaking at Little Dell Reservoir. The water was a bit lower, and the mud slimy and deep, but we were still able to paddle clear up to the North East end of the reservoir and back enjoying the sunshine on the water. Our first attempt had us traveling back to the launch site, because I didn’t put quite enough air in our kayak. I resisted at first, because I wanted to settle for good enough, but my friend correctly insisted on safety first, and I eventually acquiesced. She was right, and I am grateful for her insistence. Labor Day Monday, my back was telling me that’s enough.—I’m not quite ready for two days in a row of kayaking!

Labor Day reminds us that we owe a lot of our current work/life balance rights to people who organized, created labor unions, and fought against worker exploitation by wealthy, elite capitalists, who got their wealth via that exploitation, claiming they were building a better world. But it was not a better world for most. It mimicked the aristocratic exploitation of the serfs on which it was based. Early labor organizers put their bodies and lives at risk to ensure workplace safety, fair pay, health benefits, the forty-hour work week, an end to child labor, and more. And very rarely were they thanked for it. In fact, one particular party wants to end organized labor, because they believe it is harmful to businesses—the same way they oppose a living wage. The believe that greater wealth among the upper echelon trickles down to the masses. The only thing that trickles down to the masses might as we be yellow and smell like ammonia.

In reality, a rising tide floats all boats. A truly great society and economy knows that the people at the front line, not the people on top, are critical to the bottom line. The vast majority of the labor is performed by them, and if they treated as valuable human beings and their needs are met, they are far more productive, more energized, and do a better job with better quality, forging more positive relations with the people they do business with. The opposite can be said for companies that stingily squeeze out every last drop from their workers to keep shareholders happy. Only truly synergistic companies stand the test of time, and are fondly remembered. Cruel taskmasters have their graves spat upon. Thanks to our unions, our country is strong when we are union strong. Let no one take away our right to organize for better treatment and working conditions.

I received a letter from an ob/gyn that is concerned that religiously backed organizations are denying medically necessary care to trans people if they feel that the procedure is in any way gender affirming. I had heard a similar policy was in effect with the VA hospitals under a previous administration. I don’t know if they have shifted their policies since then, but I haven’t heard any more since then; so I’m hoping they adjusted their policies. If a medical organization normally provides a treatment under other circumstances, they should not be allowed to deny that procedure based on someone’s real or perceived gender identity—especially if it is medically necessary.

Forcing someone to suffer because you disagree with their identity is just cruel and immoral, despite what your religious leadership says. Between providers who refuse to provide, and insurance companies that refuse to pay, I propose that we introduce legislation to hold them accountable: in order to do business in Utah, if they otherwise provide for treatment, that treatment must not be denied when it is deemed medically necessary by a competent authority, despite whether it may in the end actually be a gender confirming procedure.

This issue and new laws around reproductive freedom are tempting ob/gyns to leave Utah for other states where they can continue to practice with empathy and without fear of repercussions. A shortage of medically certified gynecologists in this state combined with reduced reproductive freedom will put more women and girls at a greater risk of death or permanent sterilization when giving childbirth.

The Second Vice Chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party has resigned for a position with the a union in Washington, DC, an incredible opportunity. I wish him all the best. Filing for the position opens on September 9.

It is pretty creepy and incredibly disrespectful to deadname a person on an unsolicited offer letter to buy their home. My home is not for sale, and if I were considering it, it would not be to anyone who puts forward that kind of an offer letter. They either did a piss poor job of research or are a creep. The name they used was one I have not used since I legally changed my name in February, 2010, and before I moved to Utah and bought the house I now live in. Needless to say, I shredded the offer and the envelope it came in.

Please remember to honor people the way they are now. It is simple to do and goes a long way toward building bridges to a better world.