extemporally

I've just finished the first five episodes of Borgen: it is such a good show. It's basically everything I care about - gender, indigenous people, quotas, and ruminations on the nature of democracy - and some things I didn't, but now do - politicking, power struggles, and corporate boards. I know zero about Danish politics but Borgen has it right on with the most odious Labour Party leader I've seen in a long time (Tony Blair anyone?). SO GREAT, YOU GUYS, IT'S SO GREAT. Also, full of terrifyingly competent people - I think the person I identify with the most is by default the hapless secretary (who isn't that hapless and has good instincts; just gets intimidated by the people she's surrounded by)???

Birgitte come to me.

Also, I read a book!

Rubyfruit Jungle, by Rita Mae Brown.

This is practically textbook for is known as 'the frustration of minor classics' - groundbreaking at the time for its explicit depiction of lesbian sex, sure, and we all owe a debt - but it really doesn't hold up well. This had some really good bits but there were just too many flaws, mostly to do with how it hangs together and how Rita Mae Brown can't quite decide if she's doing an expository monologue or classic first-person narration, and tends to err on the wrong side of show not tell. Agh.

That said, blah blah blah, depictions of adolescent sexuality, I feel like I'm going to jail for saying this, but the sex scene was really really hot:

After the show, we got into bed and pulled up the sheets. Leota's mother closed the door and shut off the lights because they were still watching t.v. That was fine with us. Soon as the door was shut we started kissing. We must have kissed for hours but I couldn't really tell because I didn't think about anything except kissing. We did hear her parents turn off the t.v. and go to bed. Then Leota decided we'd try lying on top of one another. We did that but it made my stomach feel terrible.

"Molly, let's take our pajamas off and do that."

"Okay, but we got to remember to put them back on before morning." It was much better without the pajamas. I could feel her cool skin all over my body. That really was a lot better. Leota started kissing me with her mouth open. Now my stomach was going to fall out on the floor. Great, I am found dead in the Bisland home with my stomach hanging outa my mouth. "Leota, that makes my stomach hurt a lot more but it's kinda good too."

"Mine too."

We kept on. If we were going to die from stomach trouble we were resolved to die together. She began to touch me all over and I knew I was really going to die. Leota was bold. She wasn't afraid to touch anything and where her knowledge came from was a secret but she knew what she was after. And soon I found out.

... so, yeah.