good bureaucratic news

After some bad news regarding Helsinki yesterday - the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences moved and UPS was unable to deliver my application - some good news came today: UPS tracked down the new address, and the person responsible for giving me a letter affirming that the University wants me is planning to have that sent out before her month-long vacation begins next week. In ordinary circumstances there is a four-week processing time. Her willingness to rush this is pretty unusual, culturally speaking - having been contacted directly by the person I want to work with probably helped matters quite a bit. This means I will have no trouble getting a residence permit in time. I thanked her profusely and wished her a happy midsummer.

Now, the only catch is to secure rent money!

I kind of hate my state now

The birth control ban passed the Assembly.

It now moves to the state Senate. Doyle has said he will veto it, which is reassuring, but I would prefer it not come to that - I don't want our Democratic governor to have to spend political capital on this; it will only make the situation worse.

Two things are unclear:

1) Whether this ban could be interpreted to deny standard birth control pills to UW students as well - my reading says "probably not," but I am wary nonetheless, because one never knows with this sort of thing
2) Whether the ban applies to private healthcare providers contracted by UW to provide care for graduate students - my reading says "yes," actually

This really is part of the culture war - the stated reason for this bill is to express disapproval at student promiscuity. Even if I agreed that it was the Legislature's place to approve or disapprove in this fashion (and I don't), I strongly disagree that this is a useful way of doing it. Many of the students that will be affected by this are not promiscuous drunks on spring break; many are students in long-term relationships or marriages. That the State of Wisconsin lumps me in with vacuous frat girls carrying twelve credits of Home Ec and five strangers' semen offends me more than I can say.