Reformed Patriarchy-Whore

Moving

2010-01-11T08:14:00.003-05:00

Attention!

As of today, January 11th, 2010, I am officially not writing at this blog anymore. Instead, I will be writing a blog called Reasonably Angry. The reasons for this change are threefold:

1) I was no longer comfortable or happy with the RPW name (and, more inconveniently, the URL) of this blog.

2) I didn’t want to break all the links I’d ever made by using Blogger’s domain-switching feature.

3) WordPress is easier for me to use.

I am leaving RPW up so that a) no one’s links or blogrolls (I have actually seen my blog in a few blogrolls!) are broken and b) so I don’t lose all my writing, which I’m still mostly happy with.

Please update your RSS feeds if you use them!

Thanks,
Llencelyn

Hush, you.

2009-10-21T15:20:00.003-04:00

A conversation with my subconscious:

Yes, I realize readers can't magically see what blogs are in my feed. Yes, yes, I do understand that means I need to update my blogroll. No, I'm not stalling! I'm just busy and it'll take more work than these cute little posts I've been churning out. Okay, fine, I'll do it tomorrow.

There, are you happy?

Baby steps

2009-10-21T13:04:00.002-04:00

Today I did not move off the sidewalk for the three men taking up the whole thing walking towards me.

I deserve clean shoes too.

Movie Review

2009-10-19T08:40:00.002-04:00

Due to a random set of circumstances, I ended up at the movie theater watching Law-Abiding Citizen yesterday. I really don't recommend this movie.

SPOILERS

1) The entire premise of the movie is both a) ridiculous (home invasions/burglaries are extremely unlikely to end with the burglars killing/raping everyone in the house) and b) unmotivated - I'm sorry, but if you're going to make one of your burglars an apparent psychopath, you need to develop that, not just take it for granted that half of all burglars are psychopaths.

2) Torture porn scene. That alone should be enough to discredit the film.

3) Targeted, portable EMP, that apparently doesn't knock out all electronics, just the convenient ones. Radios still work. No. Just...no. Unless your movie has aliens or is supposed to be set in the future. And the radios still have to die. *headdesk*

4) I admit I was happy that the Citizen - he can't really be called the protagonist, even though the movie is nominally about him and his struggle to rationalize his sociopathy - didn't come off as a sympathetic character. I was disappointed in that I got the sense that this was more due to the crappy characterization of the entire film, rather than actual intent on the writers' part. I think he was actually supposed to be mildly understandable, but the egregious lengths to which they took his revenge left him nothing but a monster.

5) Excuse me, but if you have a prisoner IN JAIL who is committing MASS MURDER OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS? Then the Philadelphia DA and his detective buddy are not going to be the ones working this damn case. The fucking FBI would be on this like white on rice.

6) There were, by my count, approximately 13 people killed. Five of them were faceless extras. One was the nameless cellmate pawn. Two of them were the original burglar/bad guys. One was mentor-guy to the DA/protag. The remaining four were the wife and daughter of the Citizen, the mentee of the DA, and the strict female judge who apparently tries every case in Philly.

Of the seven characters our male leads have any indicated relationship to, two are bad guys, five are good. Of the five good, all of whom die (fairly cheaply) in service to the plot/motivations of the main characters, four are women/girls.

OMGEE women and children are dying! Look at how heinous these deaths are! It sure makes his actions understandable!!!!111!1!

No, actually. The bad guy who killed the wife and daughter was awful, but he was also so unrealistic as to be laughable. A caricature of villany. Your good guy is supposed to be understandable, but not only does he kill multiple innocents for the crime of working for the EBIL justice system, his revenges against the original burglars are so out of proportion as to be unbelievably sickening - not for his committing the acts, but for the writers thinking that they would be relatable. I hope I never meet those people.

So. Yeah. The movie was pretty shitty. Which I expected. Cmon. Die Hard was more realistic than this movie. ALAN RICKMAN.

Forgot to mention...

2009-10-15T05:36:00.003-04:00

BOOK!

Now the proud owner of Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere!

Yay videogames!

2009-10-13T12:48:00.002-04:00

I got a new console game for the first time in forever! It is not new, itself. Just new to me. It is called "Infinite Undiscovery" and is made by SquareEnix (the main reason I bought it). Attempting to read something positive into the game from a feminist perspective would be very difficult so I'm just going to not try that.

Yay videogames!!

Goats, and the White Men Who Stare at Them

2009-10-12T09:39:00.002-04:00

My current Facebook status:

I just saw a trailer for some movie called, "Men Who Stare at Goats." It's a star-studded cast (Clooney, McGregor, etc). It also appears to have zero women in it, and the only men of color are either bad guys or helpless rescuees. Hollywood better hope I never learn how to use a gun and/or decide pacifism isn't worth it.

And that's pretty much all I have to say on the subject. Fuck.

Dealing with Household Guilt

2009-10-09T08:33:00.002-04:00

I am going through this thing right now, where I end up feeling guilty if I don't offer to do some chore, and instead just expect Beloved to do it. I am fighting the cultural narrative that I owe him for the monetary support he provides us. Owe him beyond the raising of his puppy, beyond the chores that I already do during the day, and despite the money that I also bring in.

He doesn't encourage this feeling, if anyone was wondering. This is the first time, for me, where I've been in a relationship with someone who has taken full responsibility for his own life. I am used to playing Mom to the guys I've dated (especially the last one), and breaking out of the servicing mindset I've developed is very difficult.

Which, by the way, isn't to say that moms are servants, but that they must do a lot of the responsible thinking for their children. What with children being not-grown-up-yet and all...

I am going a bit crazy, but I think, with time, I will be alright.

Public Transportation

2009-10-08T09:23:00.002-04:00

I'm getting a little tired of men who are clearly in front of me in line to get on the bus making a big deal of stepping out of my way. I am capable of standing if the bus is full. No, really! Been capable of standing for most of my life, even!

My nerves, they are gotten on.

My tiny teaspoon

2009-10-06T12:16:00.003-04:00

Today I was reading Penny Arcade and decided to browse their store, since I currently have a bit of expendable cash and haven't gotten any "fun" clothes in a while. I was dismayed to discover that their four shirt categories are:

Gamer Shirts
Penny Arcade
Hoodies
Ladies Shirts

*headdesk*

So I sent a note using their contact form:

For the record, I adore Penny Arcade. My baby-vs.-rhino tshirt is going on eight years old and it still makes regular appearances in the wardrobe (which is saying something, given that I was still going through puberty and growth-spurts when I originally got the shirt).

That being said, you may want to consider the frustrating implications of making "Gamer Shirts" and "Ladies Shirts" into two SEPARATE categories in your store.

I am a gamer. I am a "lady" (woman, preferably. I cuss and don't cross my legs or wear pearls). I shouldn't have to debate which category to choose.

I propose an alternate section name of "Fitted Shirts."

Thank you for your time, and for your dedication in maintaining this monolith of gamer culture.

And received this reply, so far:

Hello Jamie,

We appreciate your support very much. I am certainly aware of the implications and the frustration this causes you. I will be forwarding along your concern to our manager. Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.

Thanks,

Hannah L.
Penny Arcade Customer Service

I'll post any further updates, of course.

ETA: A friend kindly points out that I made a serious math error, and that the "going on eight years" is actually more like "going on five years". If only I could correct the error in my original letter, because I sure feel like a doofus! ^_^

Delays

2009-10-06T09:38:00.003-04:00

I am having a lot of thoughts that are related to feminism since getting a puppy. They're frustrated and bitter thoughts, mostly. There is a reason I am not going to have kids. Too bad I got one anyway, and the lion's share of the "child"care burden is falling to... You guessed it.

Excuse me, I have to go clean up a puppy-bladder accident.

Growing Family

2009-09-30T14:14:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday, my Beloved and I welcomed two new family members into our household.

Abby, a 4 yo. calico.

Guinness, a 4 mo. lab mix.

Abby is a complete sweetheart. She's very social, which I didn't expect from adopting an adult shelter cat. It seems obvious to us that whoever left her at the Humane Society loved her very much. Our guess is that they could no longer afford to care for her and hoped the shelter would be able to find a loving home. We're so happy to have her with us (even if her diesel-engine purr sometimes wakes me up at night ^_^).

Guinness is...a puppy. Holy cow, such a bundle of energy! His housetraining is coming along pretty well, but it will be a while before he gets the hang of it. Trying to figure out how to keep him from antagonizing the cat is also a bit of a trick. How do you reward a non-behavior? Needs more research! :)

The Onion pretty much sucks anymore.

2009-09-15T10:51:00.008-04:00

And this takes the cake (sorry, I tried to embed it, but all the "width" and "height" fiddling in the world couldn't convince the player to actually resize the video image to fit inside blogger's column width).

I was talking to Scott Madin and he noted that the video is "unbelievably tired and predictable; like, seriously, Onion? making fun of Hillary Clinton? In 2009? that's just lazy and stupid."

Word.

Living in The 'Ville

2009-08-20T21:22:00.004-04:00

Hello there, dear Blog. I know it's been a long time since I've spoken to you. I hope you'll forgive me.

On Monday I will take my first class as a physics graduate student at the University of Louisville. In the week I've been here for orientation, I have learned a couple things. First, that physics-y banter is pretty much the same in Kentucky as it is in Michigan. Thank goodness! :) Second, that I'm going to be learning a lot while I'm here. Not all of it will be physics-related.

My name is Jamie. I am a 22-year-old, straight, white, able-bodied, cisgendered woman. I've grown up pretty damn sheltered, and in medium-sized cities and towns. I'm now living in the 16th (I think) largest city in America. It's a totally different experience, in many ways. Most glaring to me are differences in class and racial makeup from the places I've grown up compared to this city. I'm apprehensive, because all my life I've been taught to fear the "underclass." I'm not sure how much of my fears are legitimate, as crime rates are shown to be higher in lower income neighborhoods, and how much of them I should discard as propaganda of the class war I've been witness to for the whole of my existence.

I'm also eager. I know that my time in this city is going to cause me to discover all sorts of things about myself I probably didn't want to know about. I'm going to have to peel off layers of privilege on a fairly regular basis. There will probably be times where I won't enjoy this process very much. But I am eager because I look forward to meeting the me who will come out of that process. I am also eager because in a big city there are more chances (yay statistics) for me to meet people who share my beliefs about forging a better society, and to meet those who might be open to hearing about those beliefs.

I feel awkward writing this post because I was brought up in that mode of thought which we call "colorblind," in the sense that I've been taught not to acknowledge race at all. In my new home, I'll no longer be able to hide behind that conceit. It's kinda scary, but I guess that's how this goes, right? Time to stretch my anti-racism ally and anti-classism wings!

Also physics rocks.

Not Dead!

2009-06-29T17:37:00.002-04:00

I promise I haven't died or fallen off the planet or anything. I'm just enjoying some time with my Beloved.

HAHAHAHAHA

2009-06-22T09:26:00.001-04:00

H/T: Hoyden About Town

New Target Women! Ladyfriends!

2009-06-12T01:36:00.001-04:00

Music Highlight

2009-06-10T00:08:00.003-04:00

Lily Allen has been previously noted by Melissa at Shakesville. I wanted to draw attention to this particular tune, "Not Fair." Allen deftly points out the problem of how women are expected to subvert their own needs and "settle" for less than what they want, because we aren't supposed to have a sexuality. I think I love two things best about this song. The first is how she explicitly says, "It's really not okay." Because it's really not. The second is the line, "Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me / Maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe you're the one for me." That rings a chord with me, as those very words and thoughts have guided my close interactions for entirely too long. I'm still fighting that urge to believe I'm overreacting, and that I don't deserve what I need, just because someone has been nice to me.

Oh, he treats me with respect, he says he loves me all the time
He calls me fifteen times a day, he likes to make sure that I'm fine
You know I've never met a man who's made me feel quite so secure
He's not like all them other boys, they're all so dumb and immature

There's just one thing that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed, you're just no good, it's such a shame
I look into your eyes, I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean, I think you're really mean
Oh, you're suppose to care
But you never make me scream, you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair and it's really not okay
It's really not okay, it's really not okay
Oh, you're supposed to care
But all you do is take, yeah, all you do is take

Oh, I lie here in the wet patch in the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by, I spent ages giving head
Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me
Maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe you're the one for me

There's just one thing that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed, you're just no good, it's such a shame
I look into your eyes, I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean, I think you're really mean
Oh, you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream, you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair and it's really not okay
It's really not okay, it's really not okay
Oh, you're supposed to care
But all you do is take, yeah, all you do is take

There's just one thing that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed, you're just no good, it's such a shame
I look into your eyes, I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and it's apparent it's all over

It's not fair and I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean, I think you're really mean
Oh, you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream, you never make me scream

Oh, it's not fair and it's really not okay
It's really not okay, it's really not okay
Oh, you're supposed to care
But all you do is take, yeah, all you do is take

The Onion is a Nice Guy (TM)

2009-06-09T13:09:00.002-04:00

Just gross:

It's just…you're like my best friend, and I would hate for something you desperately want to change that. I mean, sure, we could go on some dates, maybe mess around a little and finally validate the six years you've spent languishing in this platonic nightmare, but then what? How could we ever go back to the way we were, where I take advantage of your clear attraction to me so I can have someone at my beck and call? That part of our friendship means so much to me.

Sorry Onion, this is not satire. Go get a dictionary.

OMG Shoez!

2009-06-08T00:30:00.002-04:00

Check these out!!

"Is there a rape switch?" is the wrong question.

2009-06-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Go check out abyss2hope's post about the idea of a rape switch:

Some people will flat-out say that all men are animals who cannot control their sexual behavior once they are sufficiently sexually aroused. This puts girls and women in control of boys and men's rape switches. The only prevention under this model is for girls and women to never do anything which could sexually arouse a boy or man, thereby flipping his rape switch, unless that girl or woman is willing to accept that boy or man's mindless sexual aggression.

This is a handy way of thinking for boys and men who don't want to be held responsible for their own actions because they will only rape under specific circumstances. This can also give girls and women a false sense of safety since their choice to leave what are labeled as boys and men's rape switches in the off-position actually controls nothing.

Transgender Shooting in Memphis

2009-06-02T21:12:00.001-04:00

I don't have anything to add. Go read the post about it at TransGriot.

Ableism is a feminist issue

2009-06-02T11:18:00.002-04:00

I am not Australian but, if you are, please consider sending this letter posted by Beppie at Hoyden About Town to the proper authorities.

The new parking permit scheme proposed by the Australian government stands to revoke permits from many non-visibly-disabled citizens who need them. The "reason"ing is that there is a shortage of available parking spaces for people who have permits. Instead of doing the not-stupid thing and requiring more permit-only spaces, the Australian government is reducing the number of permits. This amounts to cruel and unusual punishment for those with invisible disabilities (e.g. those who live with chronic pain).

Be on the lookout for more posts and information about what you can do to help.

Silence is the Enemy

2009-06-02T10:45:00.003-04:00

I read a blog called The Intersection. The bloggers there write about science and policy (and, natch, their intersection). On June 1st, blogger/writer/author Sheril Kirshenbaum unveiled a new awareness campaign to help put an end to the epidemic of rape in Liberia and around the world.

Silence Is The Enemy was born–so named because we will not be. All through June, I’ll continue posting information, details, benchmarks, and let everyone know about progress made, new initiatives, and stories from the region. I encourage others to do so as possible. The Intersection, On Becoming A Laboratory And Domestic Goddess, Aetiology, Bioephemera, Neurotopia, The Questionable Authority, DrugMonkey, and Adventure In Ethics And Science will be donating all revenue this month to Doctors Without Borders. The goal is two-fold: Raising funds and–arguably more importantly–awareness. Since blogging revenue increases with traffic, we hope to get people to keep coming back for more information about what’s going on and thinking about how to make a difference. Do not feel obligated to donate, but it’s one idea. There are many ways to contribute: Write and email Members of Congress (Congressional Directory here), speak at community meetings, encourage others to get involved, or donate to our chosen charity (Doctors Without Borders). Help us maximize our donations by visiting Isis, Jessica, Tara, Neurotopia, Mike, DrugMonkey, Janet and returning here often because every click will help raise money. Spread the word. We want to make sure elected officials at multiple levels realize this is a global issue that matters to a large voting constituency!

Silence is our enemy. Both around the world, and here at home in the U.S. We, too, must tell our survivor stories, so that we can remove the societal shame imposed on us for being victims of sexual assault and begin to address the causes.

Please visit The Intersection and its sibling blogs this month. And, if you can afford to, please make a donation to Doctors Without Borders.

Teaspoons!

A worthy cause.

2009-06-01T14:30:00.002-04:00

In reading all these stories about intimidation at abortion clinics, and how escorts and security are needed, I find myself thinking, "Hey! Now there is a cause worthy of my Beloved's combat training. Who's gonna fuck with a bunch of military people protecting clinic patients?" And then I am sad because volunteering in such a capacity would actually probably damage the careers of any military citizens who tried to help.

New blog!

2009-05-31T02:07:00.003-04:00

Hey all, I've launched a science-oriented blog, called (for now) "Twenty-Something Science." Right now there's no content because I haven't written anything, but I'll shortly be reviewing the conference I just attended. Check it out if that sort of thing interests you.

Therapy - Day Three

2009-05-29T20:49:00.003-04:00

For once, I've got nothing to rant about (except how annoying it is when someone says, "Kids these days..." and isn't being facetious).

So, please use this space to vent! I read every comment and try to respond when I feel I can say something appropriate.

Ouch.

2009-05-28T12:10:00.003-04:00

Reading Antigone's post, over at Punkass Blog, about women and humor, her fourth footnote really struck me:

****This happens to me in class as well when it came to giving answers. I talk really loudly to this day because I thought people just couldn’t hear me. But no, they can hear me just fine; for whatever reason, I’m ignored.

I've always been told (mostly by my dad, frankly) that I talk too loud. Which I always thought was weird because it feels like pulling teeth, a lot of the time, to be heard.

Maybe the problem is just that I talk at all.

Beauty, Performance, and Me

2009-05-27T23:25:00.006-04:00

Why do I do this to myself?

It is a question I ask a lot (and there's no easy answer waiting tidily at the end of the post). When I primp a little before going on the webcam to talk to Beloved. When I put on the nice shirt, even though I feel like wearing a t-shirt, to go see a professor. When I buy the extra shoes so I'll have a pair in both black and brown - heaven forbid you wear the wrong color shoes.

I feel like I am constantly putting myself in an exhibition. I am constantly performing. Some days I really don't mind. The performance gets me compliments, and some days those are enough. Even though it's just a surface value, it feels so nice to be seen as having worth. Some days, like today, it's not enough. I feel so tired - soul-deep tired - of putting on a performance to feel valuable. I get tired of having to work at not looking awkward when I'm just out in public. I get tired of staring at my closet, trying to figure out if I am going to see anyone today that would make me feel awkward if they saw me in a t-shirt.

Every day in the shower, I have an existential crisis, pondering my body hair. I look in the mirror afterward and wonder if just this once I should take the extra time and put on some makeup. Should I fire up the hair-straightener? That's only another fifteen minutes, right?

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this except to emphasize that I'm tired. So, so tired. Tomorrow I'll wake up and kick myself because I'll realize I've got it pretty damn easy. I more or less conform to beauty norms, naturally. But tonight, knowing that isn't enough to overcome the knowing that it isn't enough. I must walk right; talk right; c'mon smile, Jamie, don't look so grumpy; dance sexy; make sure your clothes match.

And it makes me so goddamn fucking tired.

Oldie but Goodie

2009-05-25T17:00:00.003-04:00

So Portly Dyke wrote her post, "Because You Have a Belly-Button" back in August of 2008.

But reading that post always makes me feel a bit better when I'm feeling a bit crappy, so I'm gonna link it here to share that uplift, if anyone wants it. :)

Congrats to the New Princess and Prince!

2009-05-25T02:12:00.003-04:00

If this post makes no sense to you, see here.

Children Ripped Off By Asshole "Scientist"

2009-05-24T10:43:00.004-04:00

I found this story linked in Ouyang Dan's Twitter feed this morning.

More junk science targeting parents of autistic children. It's based on nothing sound. This "doctor," Geier, is using a drug called Lupron - used to treat prostate cancer in men, endometriosis in women, and to chemically castrate sex offenders, among other things - to supposedly "treat" children with an autism spectrum disorder. This "treatment" is being justified with a baseless theory linking autism and high testosterone levels. Even better, Geier's recommended daily dose is 10 times higher than the dose used for chemical castration. And he's doing this to pre-puberty children, and opening as many "clinics" as he can.

In case you're tempted to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and allow that maybe his intentions are good, even if his science is bad (not that intent matters if the impact is shitty), check this out:

Looking at the tests, Kaplowitz said he asks himself: "Is Dr. Geier just misinformed and he hasn't studied endocrinology, or is he trying to mislead?"

Mark Geier responded that these are "opinions by people who don't know what they are talking about," saying the pediatric endocrinologists interviewed by the Tribune don't treat autistic children and have not tried the Lupron treatment. David Geier said prominent scientists support their work and gave as an example Baron-Cohen, the autism expert who told the Tribune that the Geiers' Lupron treatment filled him with horror.

Emphasis mine.

Science works. That's why we have vaccines and cars and stuff. Trying to skip science - using treatments that haven't showed any promise in repeatable experiments by multiple laboratories with published results that have been reviewed and checked and double-checked by peer groups - is no better a solution than walking out into your backyard, picking up the first bug you see, and calling it a miracle cure for cancer. It's BULLSHIT.

UPDATE: Dr. David Gorski at Science-Based Medicine has a thorough takedown of the quackery being promoted by the Geiers.

Hee!

2009-05-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

Girls like construction equipment too!

Coward

2009-05-21T17:39:00.002-04:00

Me, specifically. I am a coward.

There was a man at the end of the exit ramp, today. He was holding a sign:

STRANDED
ANYTHING HELPS!!!

I had spare cash in my wallet.

I couldn't get up the nerve to roll down my window and hand it to him.

Our oppressions reinforce each other.

Sigh.

KITTEH!

2009-05-16T21:19:00.001-04:00

This is my cousin's rescue cat. WANT.

Oh noes?

2009-05-16T18:37:00.003-04:00

So, I'm moving to Louisville, Kentucky to go to grad school. On Friday I drove down there to look at the townhouse that my companion and I want. While we were waiting for our walk-through, my grandma (who'd come down with me on the drive) mentioned to me, "You know, Louisville is a very black city."

I blinked. "Okay," I said.

The end. But I was prompted to look up these demographics (via ZIPskinny):

ZIP: 40219 (the ZIP code of the area I'll be living in)
Race

Hispanic/Latino: 2.8%
White*: 78.1%
Black*: 16.1%
Native American*: 0%
Asian*: 1.1%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*: 0%
Other*: 0.1%
Multiracial*: 1.4%
* Does not include individuals
in this racial group
who identify as Hispanic/Latino.

ZIP: 46068 (the ZIP code of the area where my grandma lives)
Race

Hispanic/Latino: 1.2%
White*: 97.9%
Black*: 0.2%
Native American*: 0%
Asian*: 0.2%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*: 0.1%
Other*: 0%
Multiracial*: 0.2%

Via Wikipedia, demographics for the US overall
Race

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, of any race: 14.8% or about 44.3 million
White alone: 74% or 221.3 million (Not including the 23.2 million White Hispanic and Latino Americans: 66% or 198.1 million
Black or African American alone: 13.4% or 40.9 million
Latino Americans: 66% or 198.1 million)
Some other race alone: 6.5% or 19 million
Asian alone: 4.4% or 13.1 million
Two or more races: 2.0% or 6.1 million
American Indian or Alaska Native alone: 0.68% or 2.0 million
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone: 0.14% or 0.43 million

So, when my grandma says "very black," not only do I cringe but I am thinking, like, 50%. No. Just the teensiest bit higher than the overall percentage for the entire United States.

Wev, Grandma. lol your isolation

Gee, Pixar, I love you too.

2009-05-11T12:19:00.004-04:00

Ahem. Once again, Pixar follows their trend.

Up - Trailer | Viral | SPIKE.com

Even in the extended version of this trailer that I saw in the theater, nary a female character in sight. Not even one to play emotional carrier or love interest for Teh Boyz.

You'll excuse me if I'm still a tad bitter that A Bug's Life went to all the effort of eliminating the fact that ant colonies are composed overwhelmingly of female worker ants just so they could have a story about a d00d.

Cards FTL.

2009-05-07T16:06:00.003-04:00

So today I went out to try to find some sentiment cards. I swear it is impossible to find a birthday card that doesn't center around the theme of, "Haha you're old and ugly and your boobs sag! So you should drink a lot! Haha!"

Ugh. Blank cards are the way of the future, I guess. Also, in the entirety of the selection of cards I looked at today, I didn't find a single one for a step-parent. You would think that with 50% of marriages ending in divorce, there would be a bigger market for cards for non-traditional families. Fucking a.

And finally... Can we please knock it off with the Mother's Day cards that make light of the fact that women do essentially all of the emotional and domestic work in our country and get no payment or thanks for it? One day does not make up for it, especially if you get a card that explicitly tells her that you ignored everything she ever said to you or did for you. Saw too many of those, today, too.

I used to think blank cards were too much work. But now I think that getting a blank card and writing a couple of quick but heartfelt (and personalized, unique!) lines in it is much easier than spending a half hour staring at a wall of mass-produced clichés in the vain hope of finding something even vaguely not-offensive.

A tiny request

2009-05-07T12:33:00.004-04:00

Can we please, please stop holding up Britney Spears as the iconic irreverent heterosexual marry-er? As Scott suggested in an IM conversation with me, perhaps men who abuse their wives might be a better example of how "sanctity of marriage" arguments are bullshit.

And at any rate, those of us who regularly read and blog about the despicable treatment received by women in the public eye should perhaps consider that Spears deserves more compassion than scorn.

Musings

2009-05-03T22:54:00.002-04:00

Well. I've graduated. I guess I should go update my profile. I'm feeling very bittersweet. That whole closing-of-a-life-chapter sensation. Plus, friends. So depressing to think that I might never see them ever again. I am grateful for the 'Net generation. Staying in contact is 100% easier now. We're even doing a D&D campaign (ed. 3.5) via the web (using OpenRPG and Skype). But still.

It would be a lot easier if we graduated during the snow - a blizzard, even! But spring was just starting and if Houghton is anything it is absolutely gorgeous in the spring. I was starting to go out to all the pretty nature spots for walks and hikes with my closest MTU friend, and then we had to leave. It sucks.

And yet, this is all balanced out by my excitement to see Beloved and to start grad school. I'm so thrilled to be part of something new. I'll be a member of the first class of Physics Ph.D. candidates at Louisville. I'll get to be a groundbreaker, a trendsetter, and a role model. Plus they have an amazing and active Society of Physics Students chapter, and I can't wait to get involved.

Anyway. I'm graduated. I'll go update that profile, now.

2009-05-02T12:55:00.001-04:00

I'm loving that my grad ceremony has suddenly turned into a church service. Oh wait. Not loving... What's that other word?

BADD

2009-05-01T12:19:00.002-04:00

I am in the STFU&L stage, so I'll just suggest you click that there image and check out all the awesome writing going on for Blog Against Disablism Day 2009.

Also here is a link to the one disablism-centered blog on my feed (yeah, just one. Working on it): Chewing the Fat

FAIL

2009-05-01T09:17:00.003-04:00

So this Swiss watchmaker is making watches with actual moon dust and Apollo 11 components. Pretty kickass, right?

Yeah, I thought so too. But then I read the quote from the watchmaker at the end of the article:

But the collection has one major omission - watches for women.

"I don't know how to make watches for ladies. I love ladies. But I don't understand them," Arpa said.

Woman-as-alien-species bullshit aside, how does it not occur to someone that Teh Laydeez might also think A WATCH MADE FROM THE FUCKING MOON is wicked cool?

*headdesk*

Houston, we have a problem.

Attack of the Kyoot!

2009-04-30T22:24:00.003-04:00

Don't think I've seen this one yet! Awesome.

Found it here while Stumbling.

Dislike button, plz?

2009-04-28T16:24:00.004-04:00

Yet another example of the conflation of "people" with "men." Le sigh.

Sunshine

2009-04-28T11:58:00.001-04:00

It looks gorgeous outside! Sunshine makes me happy. So does this video:

Congratulations Renee and Melissa!

2009-04-26T11:41:00.004-04:00

Edited to include another very important winner that I just learned about.

I would like to send a hearty congratulations to Renee of Womanist Musings and to Melissa of Shakesville.

Renee won in the won Best Political Blog and Best Feminist Blog: Oh Canada! Categories of the 2009 Canadian F-word Blog Awards. Melissa won in the Best International Feminist Blog Category.

Renee's writing has been an inspiration to me as she provides a stellar role model for how to be an ally. Each of her posts has an insight which I hadn't considered before, or which she's approaching from a different perspective. Her passion and drive shine through her words.

Melissa has created Shakesville, a vibrant, loving, happy community of people from many different backgrounds. I have learned so much in the year that I have been reading there. Every post is a call to be a better person, to lift up others, to make change in the world, one little teaspoonful at a time. Through Shakesville I've developed friendships that I might never have otherwise made. Being able to return to the website after a day spent in a sexist classroom or workplace is a breath of fresh air that often keeps me aloft when I'm too frustrated to do so myself.

Here's to many more years of fantastic blogging from Renee and Melissa (and all of the Shakesville contributors)! *raises glass*

Test

2009-04-23T22:59:00.002-04:00

Just testing the mobile blogging feature i set up today.

Bloggery

2009-04-14T16:36:00.005-04:00

Hello, small-but-beloved readership!

As you can tell, I haven't had a lot to post about lately. This is mostly because my brain is taken up by thoughts of spring and earning my B.S.(!) in a couple weeks.

If there are any of you who, perhaps, don't have your own blog but have some thoughts you've been simmering for a while or whatever, I'd be very interested in taking on some guest posts - or even adding registered contributors to the blog!

This is not only through a desire to fill up the space that I've been leaving blank, but also in the hopes to expand the content of this blog beyond my personal experiences. Straight white college feminism is ~~sort of~~ very limited in scope, ya know?

Pop me an email if you're interested. llencelynn (at) gmail (dot) com

Updated Random Geekery

2009-04-13T00:59:00.001-04:00

I Am A: Lawful Good Elf Wizard (3rd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-10

Constitution-11

Intelligence-16

Wisdom-11

Charisma-15

Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (25)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (20)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (16)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXX (9)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXX (6)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Neutral - XXXXXXX (7)
Chaos --- XXXX (4)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXX (9)
Evil ---- XX (2)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXX (6)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXX (8)
Half-Orc - XX (2)

Class:
Barbarian - (-25)
Bard ------ (-19)
Cleric ---- (-2)
Druid ----- (-25)
Fighter --- (0)
Monk ------ (0)
Paladin --- (-2)
Ranger ---- (-2)
Rogue ----- (0)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- XXXXXXXX (8)

Happy Easter?

2009-04-12T15:35:00.001-04:00

Via someecards:

The Lab

2009-04-04T11:04:00.003-04:00

It's a little late for me to try to start a series, unfortunately. But the computer lab for physics majors here at my uni is becoming an increasing source of pain in my life. I don't often have much choice about going there (if I need to print something while on campus, that's about it. The SPS lounge printer and computers don't really work anymore).

A couple of days ago I heard a classmate use the word biddy. The word was actually the least offensive part of the whole conversation. I mean, biddy? Really? I thought that word died out decades ago. I nearly laughed. Of course, the fact that he was using the word to describe a woman with whom his friend wanted to sleep solely to prove to the woman's current partner that he could sort of dampened my amusement. That enrages me so much. This guy wants to sleep with a woman just to prove a point to another man. Way to miss the point of sex, way to miss completely the humanity of the people you sleep with, way to fail at life, dude.

There is another student who I've no interest in keeping anonymous. His name is Eric. I don't think I've ever heard him say something not offensive. Rape and other forms are violence are common topics for him. I want to go to the police/public safety about him, but I've no idea if registering a complaint will do any good and I haven't written down specific examples of things he says. All I know is I don't like being in the same room with him. If I ever end up in there alone with him, I will be out of there right fast.

These are just a couple of the sexist things I notice more sharply. The ableism is sick and apparent. Homophobia is rife. It's awful. I hate that a place that should feel like home for me - the physics lab - is such a hostile and infuriating environment. It's not right.

I am angry.

Ada Lovelace Day: Women in Technology

2009-03-24T12:33:00.004-04:00

Okay, so, according to Scott Madin, today is Ada Lovelace Day, a day for blogging about women in technology.

Last year I met some members of Michigan Tech's "Presidential Council of Alumnae." Women who have made truly exceptional lives for themselves after graduating from here are offed the chance to come back every so often and play a role in the formation of their alma mater.

One of these women struck me. Her name is Diane Marsh. She studied computer science here. In 2000, she became a co-founder of the company SRT Solutions, based in Ann Arbor, MI.

SRT Solutions was founded by Bill Wagner and Dianne Marsh in 2000 to fill a void in the marketplace: Many businesses need help with business-critical software projects, but lack the in-house resources to get those projects done on time, and in the most strategic way possible.

SRT Solutions provides a unique blend of proficiency, professionalism and perspective to our clients. The well-rounded, broad-based skills of the SRT Solutions team have been recognized for expertise in the scientific, engineering and business markets by luminaries like Microsoft and Sun… and many appreciative clients.

Diane Marsh is an intelligent and innovative woman. She saw a need in the field of computer/software solutions for flexibility and creativity and she went about filling that need. She told me that after some years working in a number of computer-related jobs, she learned that what she really wanted to do was work somewhere that she could take on a large variety of different projects, and projects that interested her. Creating SRT Solutions provided that space for her, and for everyone who works with her.

I'll be frank and admit that a lot of what she does is far outside my area of expertise, but I could not pass up this opportunity to highlight her work. I look forward to hearing more about her.

Totally kickass!

2009-03-24T11:24:00.002-04:00

FDA told to reconsider morning-after pill access

As in increasing said access!

*happy dance*

MEAT

2009-03-24T11:16:00.005-04:00

Red meat shortens lifespan.

I thought we already knew this. Isn't this why supermanly! men are supposed to eat lots o' red meat? Because they are supposed to not care for their health and whatnot?

The article specifically mentions processed meat, too. I wonder how much of this is to do with meat preparation and shelf-life-extension processes in the US as opposed to the meat itself. (I mean, really. I do wonder. Someone should do a study about that...)

But the American Meat Institute objected to the conclusion, saying in a statement that the study relied on "notoriously unreliable self-reporting about what was eaten in the preceding five years. This imprecise approach is like relying on consumers' personal characterization of their driving habits in prior years in determining their likelihood of having an accident in the future."

My emphasis.

Color me not surprised.

Dr. Michael Thun, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, however, said the study's findings "support previous studies and also support the American Cancer Society nutrition guidelines."

Those guidelines include choosing fish, poultry or beans instead of beef, pork and lamb; choosing leaner cuts of meat; and baking, broiling or poaching meat rather than frying or charbroiling it.

[snip]

Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La., described the study's findings as "provocative."

"The question is how much of it is the meat and how much is the extra calories," Brooks said. "Calories per se are a strong determinant for death from cancer and heart disease. This should make us think about our calorie intake."

[snip]

SOURCES: Rashmi Sinha, Ph.D., senior investigator, nutrition epidemiological branch, division of cancer epidemiology and genetics, U.S. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.; Michael Thun, M.D., vice president emeritus, epidemiology and surveillance research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; Jay Brooks, M.D., chairman, hematology/oncology, Ochsner Health System, Baton Rouge, La.; March 23, 2009, statement, American Meat Institute, Washington, D.C.; March 23, 2009, Archives of Internal Medicine

Sigh. Wev.

Sick, Masochistic Lion Seeks Stupid Lamb*

2009-03-18T20:20:00.007-04:00

*Title courtesy of a friend.

Over my spring break, I think I came down with a case of the silly, as I purchased these absurdities (click to embiggen):

Yes. Candy hearts promoting Twilight, the book series that is now a movie. Goaded on by my friend and an inside joke, the primary motivation for the purchase was that two of the four colors of hearts actually sparkle. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. As you can see, there are three "collectible" box covers, one showing many of the main characters, and the other two showing the leads (although, from what I'm told, Bella isn't so much a lead character as she is a part of the scenery, but that's another issue).

So, let us investigate further:

Why, yes, that does say, "The Forbidden Fruit Tastes the Sweetest," and, yes, that is painfully creepy. The box also says, "Secret Scent, Rub to Reveal..." but I am unable to figure out if the pictures of the hearts on the box are supposed to be scratch 'n' sniff because the entire box just REEKS of the smell of these things. The four flavors, by the way, are listed on the back of the box: Orange Obsession, Tempting Apple, Passion Fruit, and Secret Strawberry. Each is as gross as you might imagine (yet I can't stop eating them...).

Okay, so let's open the box:

If you haven't clicked the images so far, definitely open this one in another tab/window so you can examine it along with me. We have some classic phrases such as TRUE LOVE, I LOVE YOU, MY LOVE, and I WANT YOU. However, that's where the similarity to the classic BE MINE-style candy heart ends.

Does that heart say FORKS? Yes. Yes it does. We also have LAMB, U R MY LIFE, BAD GUY, BITE ME, LIVE 4 EVER, DAZZLE, SOUL MATE, and the very classy I <3 EC.

We've got two categories to deal with, here. The creepy and the mind-bogglingly hilarious. I'm going to start with the first.

Creepy:

LAMB: Okay, after some searching I discovered that this is a reference to a bit of dialogue between our starry-eyed lovers, Bella and Edward. It goes like this:

Edward: And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.
Bella: Stupid lamb.
Edward: Sick, masochistic lion.

If you were hoping that the context of the scene makes it less creepy and/or actually romantic...it doesn't (and sadly, the sparkly skin doesn't really show up in the clip. Darn!). However, if you really feel the need to identify yourself as a stupid lamb, Hot Topic has the pin for you. They also have shimmering body powder, jacket/bag patches, and clothes. Have at it, Twilight fans.

U R MY LIFE: This one pretty much condenses into one little candy heart one of the main basic awfulnesses of the series. The disturbing "undying (heh, literally!) devotion" of the "relationship," and especially Bella's all-consuming obsession with her vampire stalker.

BAD GUY: Despite appearing to be obvious as a description of the vampire trope, this is also actually a direct reference to a quote from the series. Bella has figured out that there's something supernatural about Edward, but hasn't yet put her finger on the vampire bit, so Edward asks her, "What if I'm not the hero? What if I'm...the bad guy?" There's actually a lot to be analyzed here regarding constructions of masculinity and temptation and such, but others have done it better so I'll not (especially since I haven't actually read the books and have gotten all my information and context clues from people who've done reviews of the series).

LIVE 4 EVER and SOUL MATE are also in the "creepy" category.

Now, for the hilarious:

FORKS: Hee! I was totally confused when I pulled this one out of the box. Googling "forks twilight" told me that it's the name of the town where the story takes place, PLUS it got me this link, which is for the website of the real life town, Forks, WA. And yes, they have a whole section of their site devoted to the Twilight phenomenon. Probably the best thing to ever happen to their tourism board, eh?

I <3 EC: This one just made me facepalm. EC stands for Edward Cullen, the vamp-boy.

DAZZLE: Vampires sparkle in sunshine. My candy hearts sparkle in my mouth! It's dazzling!

BITE ME: Made the boxes worth buying. ^_^

The best part of the whole deal came when I dumped out the boxes trying to find readable versions of the hearts I wanted to show. Behold, the most craptacular heart of them all:

Tattoo Update

2009-03-15T16:12:00.001-04:00

So, the tattoo is still totally awesome and now completely healed. The funny part?

No one notices it unless I bring it up. ^_^

Quick Hit

2009-03-15T13:26:00.003-04:00

First, sorry for silence.

Second, I was going to write an update for the previous post, investigating more thoroughly the language used by the BMI calculator, but I never finished and frankly, it's more or less what you'd expect. Full of fail.

Third, I hate life.

Why I Don't Read The News

2009-02-11T09:51:00.008-05:00

I don't want to get into the rest of this Washington Post article by Howard Kurtz (it's five pages long and I've got other things I'm supposed to be doing), but this bugs me:

I'm not an economist, but when Tim Geithner unveils his long-awaited bailout plan and the Dow plunges nearly 400 points, that's probably not a good sign.

Can I just say that I'm sick and tired of the stock market's ups and downs being pointed to as some sort of objective criteria for what's good and bad, or, worse yet, as some sort of all-knowing, clairvoyant prediction of the future?

Leaving aside the human foibles of the stock market in the best of times, does anyone actually think, anymore, that investors know what's good for the economy? I sure as fuck don't.

Next on the list:

Michigan lawmaker sets record with 53 years on the job - CNN

This should not be allowed. Someone who has been a legislator for 53 years as their sole job simply cannot, any longer, be an accurate representative for anyone. Except other legislators. I'll just let the article illustrate my concern:

He'd probably be the first to tell you that a lot can change over the span of 19,420 days.

When Dingell entered the "people's house" on December 13, 1955, the White House was home to a retired World War II general named Dwight D. Eisenhower. Barack Obama hadn't been born yet.

[...]

Over the long decades, however, John Dingell's core convictions have remained largely the same.

[...]

Looking ahead, Dingell shows no signs of slowing down. "I creak a little more each year," he told National Journal magazine recently, "but I keep going."

That's probably a good thing, because although he's the longest-serving House member in history, he will have to go a lot longer before he can claim the title of longest-serving member of Congress.

That honor is held by West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, who has a combined 20,493 days of service in the House and Senate.

And the 91-year-old Byrd, who entered the House in 1953 before moving to the Senate in 1959, has not expressed desire to retire anytime soon.

If I could keep getting reelected without ever really doing much of anything useful (which is my sarcastic-but-nearly-serious opinion of the majority of govern-y types here in these United States), I wouldn't want to retire either.

Last, but not least:

Obese mothers 'risk spina bifida' - BBC

Oh yes, that's right. OMG OBESITY plus TEH BAYBIES!!! Add a dash of failed science reporting and we have ourselves a trifecta of facepalm-worthy pain.

I really can't even get into all the details of pain, here. The article says:

It is well known that women who are obese are more likely to have difficulty conceiving and once they are pregnant, overweight and obese women and their babies are at a greater risk of a range of health problems.

Yet, if you click through to the BBC's BMI calculators (and yes, BMI is the definition of "obese" and "overweight" that the article is using), we find this little gem (emphases mine):

Medical research suggests that this range is associated with the best health and least risk of heart disease, some cancers, osteoporosis and a range of other health problems. There are no health benefits to changing your weight, but your health will benefit from being active and eating a healthy diet.

[...]

A BMI measurement is not as accurate if you're an athlete or very muscular (muscle weighs more than fat) as this can push you into a higher BMI category even if you have a healthy level of body fat. It's also not accurate for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people who are frail.

Oh yeah. I know. To begin with, the article never actually clarifies whether the women were in the "obese" and "overweight" categories before their pregnancies, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt, I guess. Of course, they don't link to any of the studies, so fact-checking becomes prohibitively time-consuming.

At any rate, is anyone noticing a discrepancy, here? In the obesity article, obesity puts you at risk for health issues. In the BMI calculator descriptions, changing your weight won't improve your health. What gives, BBC? Stop messing with my head!

Look, I'm no analyst. I'm writing for an audience that already agrees with me, just pointing out new instances of awfulness. Still, I am hard-pressed to come up with a point of view in which these two ideas aren't dissonant.

Thoughts?

P.S. I did the calculation and at 5' 9", 125 lbs, I am precisely on the border of normal/underweight. No one seems to be fearing for my health though. Gee, I wonder why that is...

Cross-posted at All My Jiggly Bits.

Really?

2009-02-10T17:20:00.003-05:00

Really, Michigan Tech? Really?

Someone remind me what century we're living in, I can't remember...

Changed

2009-02-08T00:11:00.002-05:00

The Change

2009-02-07T14:16:00.003-05:00

Today I am going to get my first tattoo.

Frankly, I'm terrified. Not of the needles or the pain, though. Not anymore. I'm cool with that.

I'm scared because it will always be on my skin and other people will always be able to see it. This shouldn't be an issue. I'm getting an image that means a lot to me. It's a feminist symbol and I've taken the red pill - I can't stop being a feminist. It's going to be small and relatively unobtrusive, on my inner left wrist.

Still I'm afraid. What will people think? Will I put people off when I explain what it means? Will I lose jobs and friends just for having it? Will I go through phases where I'm afraid to wear short sleeves? Will I have to wear wrist bands when I visit my more conservative family to avoid confrontation?

Not to mention all the baggage that comes with getting a tattoo as a woman. My skin is supposed to be clear and pristine. Tattoos are tacky, how dare I muck up my appearance with something so strident? What about when I'm wearing dresses at a military ball or at my friend's wedding this summer? How will I cover it up? Wait, what? You don't think you should have to cover it up? But it doesn't match!

I have a million reasons why I want this tattoo. I thought long and hard about it - I've been pondering for a year. I know why it's going in the location I've chosen, I know exactly what it means to me and what mental space is available for that meaning to change in the years to come if necessary.

But I'm fucking terrified. Because I am a woman, getting a feminist tattoo, and I'm not hiding it.

Decision!

2009-02-01T00:13:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of a conversation with a friend, I have decided to try an experiment.

Whenever I can remember I will NOT use gendered pronouns. At all. Even out loud, outside of the feminist blogosphere.

We'll see how this goes. I may end up with stories to report! ^_^

Update 1: So far I'm failing miserably at this.

Validation

2009-01-30T13:25:00.003-05:00

Originally composed as an email to a friend, with some bits changed for clarity:

Okay, so I had this friend [not the one to whom the email was composed, obvs]. He identifies strongly as a liberal/progressive, but... Well, he really loves Bill Maher, if that gives an indication of his actual inclinations. We were chatting one evening and after he flat-out refused to listen to anything I had to say on the topic of Girls Gone Wild I gave him up as a lost faux-gressive and have stopped talking to him.

Well, I'm still Facebook "friends" with him and today he posted this blog post of his:

http: // stealinurmegahurtz (dot) com / 2009 / 01 / obama-week-1 /

I've put in spaces and such to prevent any trackback.

Now what I want to know is how the FUCK someone could write a whole blog post about Obama's first week and NOT write about all the changes that have already happened in terms of "women's issues."

Ya know?

GRRRR. At any rate, I guess I feel validated in choosing to cut my ties with him.

^_^

Whee! Target Women: Superbowl!

2009-01-27T00:18:00.002-05:00

Coming up on Sunday February 1st! :) [This is just a promo for the next video. Don't get too excited.]

In Honor of My First Troll

2009-01-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

While not as entertaining as our dear Anonymous's "Murder Murder Murder" song, this song, "Miss Murder" by AFI, is a favorite of mine. Plus I think all male singers should be required to wear their hair and makeup like this guy because that shit is HOT. ^_^

If I start getting more trolls I think I might start posting music in honor of all their best remarks. ^_^

Moar Like This, Plz

2009-01-22T17:44:00.003-05:00

The Aggressive Egg

Let me begin by saying I am 0% shocked by this article. Anyway, it's a good read about the imagery used in describing certain biological reproductive processes and how those images reflect our society.

I'm a tad annoyed by the lack of quotation marks around direct quotes, but nevertheless, here is an excerpt:

One reason the older interpretation is dying hard is that it tends to be self-reinforcing, not only in suggesting ready-made imagery that can skew observations but also in subtly determining who becomes a biologist in the first place. This business has stopped certain people from entering the field, says Gilbert. Why would a woman want to continue if people are telling her she’s passive?

Nevertheless, as Martin points out, a growing number of women are continuing in biology. But that won’t guarantee more evenhanded interpretations. Scientific training involves a rigorous socialization process that doesn’t allow for different perspectives, she says. It’s hard to say that women biologists are any less guilty of these things than men.

Even if biologists do move away from the passive-egg myth, other images are waiting in the wings. These days, says Martin, researchers seem ready to confer a spider woman aspect on the egg. Men have always turned to spider imagery when they are confronted with women who acquire power, she charges. Indeed, her file of magazine clippings contains several images in support of her claim. One striking example: the cartoonish silhouette employed as the emblem of the once-popular Charlie’s Angels television series, which depicts the three starring female characters, guns and all, unmistakably merged into the eight-limbed shape of a spider.

Though Martin is the first to insist that much of the fertilization imagery is good for a laugh, she doesn’t mean to let scientists dismiss it all as a big joke. People say, ‘Oh, what difference does it make?’ as if this stuff doesn’t affect anyone, she says. But our culture is affected by these powerful visual images. We all put so much faith in science, and so much of the negative load lands on women.

She notes, as another example, that it’s been known since the 1960s that women exposed to toxic chemicals bear children who run a higher risk of serious medical problems. Those findings reinforced the cultural notion that women should be sheltered, and some companies have rules to prevent women of reproductive age from working at jobs that might involve exposure to these chemicals. But only in the past few years have comparable studies shown that men exposed to high levels of lead, vinyl chloride, and about a dozen other chemicals also have children who are at higher risk. It’s the notion of invulnerable sperm, she claims, that made it take so long for scientists and the public to accept the male role in birth defects and infertility.

Really, go read the whole thing. It was fascinating!

Therapy - Day Two

2009-01-22T00:37:00.004-05:00

I am going through a rough place trying to deal with some things in my future and my present which really aren't appropriate to share with strangers.

I'm also still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.

I'm feeling very venomous and bitter. If you need a place to vent or rant or spew utter bile, please use this comments thread. No judgment will be passed.

Inauguration Day, 2009

2009-01-20T16:14:00.002-05:00

My President is black!

Let the celebrations commence!

Women in Physics

2009-01-17T11:34:00.002-05:00

Hey! I'm at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign today and tomorrow. I'll be liveblogging anything interesting via my Twitter feed, which can be found in the nav bar or at http://twitter.com/llencelyn

Enjoy!

Social[ly acceptable] Dancing

2009-01-13T23:56:00.003-05:00

DISCLAIMER: This is a rant.

Excerpted directly from my ranting email to Beloved, snipped to spare you my tortured expressions of sentimentality:

I needed to vent about my social dance class. I really enjoy the dancing. It's fun, and so far the dudes have been adorably awkward.

But the thing(s) that's bugging me. Mostly the instructor. Okay, this is Tech, right? Way more d00ds than laydeez, right? So you would think that everyone would just be, like, "k, make sure there are an even number of ppl in the class, and your partner is your partner, deal with it." But no. d00ds cannot dance with other d00ds. If there are not enough laydeez to go around, the d00ds (okay, done with that, promise) have/get (depending on your interest in dancing) to sit out for that dance and then cut in for the next one. I will never having the opportunity to dance with my female friend in the class.

Nor will I ever, EVER be allowed to learn the lead role in the dances. I am a FEEMAYLE and therefore MUST follow. Nevermind that most of the guys are too shy to actually do any leading, I must be a follower. This results in me trying to secretly lead/force them to make some kind of decision while simultaneously being prepared to follow whatever terrible direction/rotation decision they make. Plus, since I never get to even have a chance at dancing lead, there is no way for me to demonstrate the lead role to any partner I might want to dance with in the future. (Shhh, don't tell the instructor that I'm smart enough to get both roles anyway. The concept of a smart woman might make her head explode.) Nor does it occur to her that I might ever possibly want to actually lead in a dance. Just for kicks. Maybe because I like to lead. ARGH.

Last, but not least on the annoyance factor. As you have gathered, my instructor is, indeed a woman. And yet, when she is playing the verbal role of the woman in the dancing relationship? She speaks in a falsetto. Does this make any sense whatsoever? No. No it does not.

It is just one more tidbit on the growing list of items that indicate she is one of those women (like Ann Coulter or Phyllis Schlafly or Beverly LaHayes) that believes in all the conservative nonsense about the incapabilities of women, their biologically-determined household role, while simultaneously believing that SHE is the ONE, magical exception to that rule. "Women belong in the home, raising baybees and serving their husbands. Oh, me and my career? Well someone had to tell all those stupid women not to do this. Really. I'd rather be home cleaning up baby puke. Really."

This has been another episode of why Jamie's Life Makes Her Consider Therapy. Thanks for tuning in.

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention in the original rant. We are facing an obesity crisis. I know this because my dance teacher told me so. ARGH.

Anyone else have experiences like this?

Highlighting Awesome

2009-01-11T02:14:00.000-05:00

Go here.

See if you can spot the issue here...

2009-01-06T03:06:00.003-05:00

So my sister was describing her holiday to my dad and stepmom. She was using that tone of voice where she's trying to pretend to be appalled at how much money her boyfriend spent on her, but really she's flattered.

My dad responded to the talk of the amount of money with, "But it's okay, because it [the amount of money spent] shows he loves you."

Which pretty much exemplifies everything that is wrong with my father's approach to relationships in general.

Rock the Vote!

2009-01-06T02:39:00.002-05:00

Go vote for Shakesville for Best Liberal Blog! We can still beat Wonkette!

ETA: You can vote once per day! Get on it!

Therapy - Day One

2008-12-31T00:04:00.003-05:00

I feel terribly isolated this week. Even my usual haunts seem to be out of whack (for me - just because they're not catering to me in particular doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong, of course).

In case anyone else is feeling out, off, or just plain old bored, and you happen to read this blog, feel free to use these Therapy posts (which I plan to continue as a series) as a place to vent, chat, babble, whatever.

My therapy-related issues:

I'm being driven up the wall today by the television. I'm reminded more and more of why I stopped watching. It's just more potent, now, as my activist awareness has ballooned since I made that decision. I'm bothered by most everything I see, by my family's enjoyment of it, and by my inability to do anything about.

I didn't get an email from Beloved today - unusual.

I'm bored, too, which doesn't help. I tried to call my best friend and ask if she wanted to go see Milk but I got no answer. I think she might be in Chicago... Additionally, I'm at that level of bored where there is very little I actual want to do. I don't even want to drink or play WoW! :)

A positive note: I mentioned HAES and intuitive eating to my mother and she seemed very on board with that. I linked her work email to Shapely Prose. ^_^

/rant

Any readers need to talk? I'm all ears.

I think I already have a post titled "Argh"...

2008-12-30T22:47:00.003-05:00

I continue to be appalled by Burger King's "Whopper Virgins" commercials.

P.S. I'm also, now, appalled by "The Office". On so many levels.

Cutting Little Girls

2008-12-30T15:58:00.003-05:00

FGM in Iraq.

Trigger warning.

Tears warning - I'm crying right now.

Via Feministe.

The "Highlight" of My Holidays

2008-12-30T12:07:00.003-05:00

Okay, I've lived a fairly sheltered life. You'll see why when I tell you this story, since for most people this would hardly be noteworthy, but for me it was both unusual and deeply appalling. I "got" to see rather a lot of the awful behaviors I've learned about happen in real life.

My stepmother has a father (shocker, that, eh?). He is 70-something, very white, rather Southern (Tennessee), and unapologetically patriarchal.

He sat at "the kids table" with most of us grandchildren-types. I don't really want to try to trace how the conversation got there, but for some reason or another he used the n-word. He then decided to justify his use of the word by telling us that he is, and I quote, "great friends with the blacks." According to Mr. Patriarch, he knows many black professors at a number of American universities, and he keeps in touch with them and calls them the n-word and they are okay with that.

Frankly, the chances of that not being a load of bullshit are slim to nil, for reasons that would require me explaining everything I know of the man (plus...anyone who knows any statistics about ethnic minorities in higher education knows the chances of anyone knowing multiple black professors is...well-nigh impossible, unless you're talking about an historic black college. Which, as you will see, he was not. Additionally, the chances of those profs being women is even slimmer. You can count the number of women that graduate each year from undergraduate physics programs on the fingers of one hand. So I guess he's only friends with black men. Or something).

So, anyway. I'm sitting there fuming because I know what he's saying for the bullshit it is, but there are all these other grandchildren around that are hearing what he is saying and who knows what they're getting out of it.

So I decided to see if I could call him on his bullshit (it didn't work, but it was a good plan!). I think the wine I was having helped. I asked him what universities these "friends" taught at. The tone of interested curiosity in my voice was priceless. He started naming off some random universities in nearby states. What I wish I'd been able to do was think very quickly and come up with a fake excuse for why I would shortly be visiting one of those schools, so I could ask for the name of a "friend" and offer to say hello. At that point he would have been stuck, I imagine.

Sadly, I'm not that canny.

This man has gotten slowly worse since I've known him. The recent death of his wife has made him rather intolerable to all of his relatives, even my stepmother. We're supposed to avoid antagonizing him, but... It just burns me so, to see someone get away with such apologism and assholery. I had to try something.

Don't get me started on stepmother's sister's husband...

Post-Family Gathering Thoughts

2008-12-26T13:16:00.002-05:00

So, last night, I spent some time at the house of some folks to whom I am only tangentially related - my stepmother's sister being the nearest "relation." This was a house where, snuggled cozily amongst the family pictures next to the fireplace was a photo of the husband and wife with their arms around President Shrub, all three grinning mightily (how they managed to get to the Prez for a photo-op might be slightly explained by mentioning that said husband owns his own small prop plane). This is the side of the family where the patriarch (stepmom's father) asks me if I'm still a Democrat and then says, "I still love you," as though there was some question about that.

I wasn't terribly comfortable there, but then... I wasn't much less comfortable there than I am at my own father's house.

I get this feeling that I'd much rather be my father's son than my father's daughter.

He got a volleyball coaching book for one of his Christmas presents (he coaches high school girls volleyball extracurricular stuff in his free time). The book has lots of advice in it about talking to officials and other coaches and such. Last night, the passage he read aloud was about intra-team interactions and not letting mistakes bring an aura of negativity to the team. The author deigned to inform us that boys will glare at the mistake-maker just after the mistake but then let it go and give a high-five to the same person moments later when they make a good move. Girls, on the other hand, we are informed, will hold a grudge for weeks, even a lifetime.

My dad read this aloud as though he thought it were great advice to point out. He listed... I think one example from his coaching experience. My youngest sister agreed with the assessment.

I felt the blood rising to my face as I struggled to quell my anger. An unsupported, uncited assertion that clings desperately to old, tired clichés about women's bitchy back-stabbing behaviors and... My dad is saying, "Yes. This is true." I felt only a slight bit of relief when my stepmother called this out. She, like me, disagreed fervently with the book's assertion, but could not convince my dad and dropped it by saying, "I'm not gonna convince you, you're not gonna convince me, let's let it go." I tried to back up my stepmother, but, frankly, I'm terrible at talking to most people about such things, let alone my father with whom I have rocky and emotional history. Plus, unlike the book's author and apparently my father, I hesitate to make assertions without some kind of evidence - and without half an hour with The Google, I had nothing.

All of which I describe for the purpose of pointing out that however much he might deny it when pressed, it seems clear to me that there is both a significant level of cognitive dissonance living in my father's brain and a non-negligible level of visceral hatred for his daughter. After all, I, unlike his non-existent son, will hold grudges for a lifetime - petty, cruel girl that I am.

Maybe it's true. I certainly hold a grudge against my father. Probably for life.

Teaspoons!

2008-12-24T20:19:00.003-05:00

Today I received my teaspoon earrings from Faith!

Here I'm sporting them on Christmas Eve, 2008, with my mom and two sisters.

A Question to Ponder

2008-12-12T08:59:00.004-05:00

In a Scientific American article about crashless cars that help avoid accidents without driver input, the following quote was seen:

So-called crashless cars will emerge because of customer expectations of safety, government pressure, crowded roads, an older, less capable population, and the adoption of lightweight vehicles with less crashworthy structures.

Emphasis mine.

So, here is my question. Yes, the country is aging. Is the reference to "less capable" a poke at the perpetually deteriorating "edutainment" system? If so, rock on SciAm for noticing how little the current methods prepare our young people for adulthood.

Or, do they mean "less capable because everyone knows old folks are infirm and can't drive"?

If it's the latter, I'd like to tell SciAm to please go quietly fuck itself.*

*Actually, I'd like to tell them that anyway, since they, a purported science magazine, were the first place I heard about the stupid miniature black holes that had all the crazies worked up before the LHC went online. Yes, theoretically possible. No, not practically possible - not enough energy. Period. RAWR.

OFFS

2008-12-11T19:02:00.002-05:00

Sitting in the physics computer lab suddenly entails listening to a study in textbook examples of casual misogyny.

I can haz STFU?

Minor Accomplishment

2008-12-08T22:37:00.002-05:00

Today, though I woke up at 8:30am, I did not look at myself in the mirror until 5:00pm.

And I didn't care.

Random Survey

2008-11-24T22:39:00.002-05:00

So, I am curious. Without a massive overhaul of the setup - an overhaul I'm not qualified to make, Blogger basically gives me two comments options. It can navigate away from the post you were at to bring you to the comments page, or it can open the pop-up window, as I currently have it set to do.

Is there a preference for one or the other? I went with the pop-up because it didn't navigate you away from the post, making quoting a tad easier, but I'm totally cool with switching if people don't like the pop-up.

Leave your thoughts...in comments! ^_^

Facebook's Ad System

2008-11-21T09:44:00.007-05:00

Saw this in my Facebook feed, today:

"Highly targeted" ... to whom, I wonder. When I had my gender listed on my facebook profile, I saw diet ads - almost exclusively.

Now that I've neutered my blogs, I actually get ads that are relevant to my interests.

Grr.

And, yes, I know that this topic has come up a lot in the blogosphere, of late. That's why I was aware enough of the notion to get annoyed enough to write this. >.<

Nation-Wide Protest Against Prop. 8

2008-11-14T21:30:00.008-05:00

Go here to see if there's a protest in your area.

If, like me, you can't make it to a protest but want to show your support, you can post this image (use it as a profile picture on Facebook, MySpace, whatever):

I know it's not too fancy but it's very succinct! ^_^

As I said to the friend who sent me this link...

2008-11-13T22:38:00.001-05:00

...Holy SHIT.

Your Livelihood or Your Life

2008-11-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

Organic Farmer Murdered After Protesting Toxic Dumpsite

Lovely. Just lovely. >.<

Quick Hit

2008-11-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20081110/cm_csm/ywilliams

Kickass article about prison reform, written by a lifer.

Science, the Future, and the World

2008-11-08T23:59:00.017-05:00

This weekend, I attended the 2008 Quadrennial Congress of Sigma Pi Sigma held at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois (for all intents and purposes, a suburb of Chicago). Sigma Pi Sigma is an honor society for physicists and scientists. It works closely with the Society of Physics Students (SPS) - a chapter-based organization with many goals all related to the betterment of science, students, and society. Every four years, they hold a congress which is attended by representatives (students and their advisors) from SPS chapters across the country to discuss various themes and ideas, as well as to vote on recommendations for the next four years' activities. The theme this year was "Scientific Citizenship: Connecting Physics & Society."

I was inspired. I have never seen such a wonderful representation of individuals from different walks of life in physics. No, the percentages were not ideal. But for a science field which currently "boasts" only 21% of bachelor's degrees awarded to women, only 4% awarded to African-Americans, and only 4% awarded to Hispanic-Americans, it was a vast improvement (I promise these statistics had citations during the conference, but I was unable to locate them quickly and I wanted to get this post done. I will keep trying to find them). More encouraging yet, these students were not just any physics students, but the physics and science leaders of tomorrow (not to toot my own horn or anything ^_~).

The reason I think we (meaning everyone, not just scientists) should care about this at all is summed best in two little words we've heard a lot lately - hope and change. When the theme for this congress was chosen in 2006, the organizers had no idea how historic the year 2008 would be. They had no idea how significant would be the concept of citizenship as scientists. But it has become so significant. At the welcome reception on Thursday night, a retired Vice President for The American Institute of Physics, James Stith, kicked off the conference by referencing our geographic proximity to the historic speech given in Chicago only two days previously - and at his words whoops of enthusiasm, pure and unadulterated, erupted from eager young throats throughout the room.

At the congress, we heard about how Einstein was a vocal anti-racist. We heard a talk about minority underrepresentation and how to combat it. Reference was made, over and over, to how our President-Elect, Barack Obama, has provided us with the opportunity to bring true science, citizen science, beneficial science back into the mainstream - some of the presenters, those who had interacted with Congress and the government, had even spoken with him personally, and assured us that he believes deeply in the value of science, and knows that our education system must be improved in order to facilitate this. They talked about how our President-Elect marks a moment in history in which we have the opportunity and the obligation to become better citizens, to become more active in our communities. They called on all the young people in the room (hundreds of us) to recapture the notion of the citizen-scientist, and to take advantage of this marvelous opportunity.

For too long, there has been this notion of the aloof scientist, reclusive and reserved from mundane life and thoughts. Our closing speech came from 1988 Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman. He said to us, "Scientists have never lived in ivory towers, isolated from society," and that we work only with the blessing of non-scientists. This image of the hermit-scientist seeps into the minds of young scientists until they believe that a true, dedicated scientist cannot bother with worldly concerns - and eventually pass this notion on to the students who succeed them. But this notion is foolish, in so many ways. Some of the greatest scientists in history (Einstein and Bohr, among them) were actively involved in their communities and in politics - many of them had no choice, living in Nazi Germany. Similarly, many of today's scientists do not fit this mold. Many of my own professors contribute so much to the local community (the wife of one of my professors is the chatelaine of the local SCA group, for example), and sometimes let their strong political feelings slip out in the classroom (you should hear my professor for Introduction to Atmospheric Physics talk about the global warming issue. He got quite worked up and said that anyone who refuses to belive in the greenhouse effect is "an idiot." This is entirely true, of course, since "greenhouse effect" is just the popular name for certain properties of electromagnetic radiation reflection/absorption/scattering that do exist - it's only the amount, long-term effects, and causes of changes in its strength that are in question). Finally, the notion of the ivory-tower scientist is foolish because, as scientists, we are the guardians of science for the future. Even if there really were some monolithic culture opposing societal awareness/intellectualism/education, it would be no less than a crime to ignore our responsibility to preserve knowledge - and a belief in its value - for the next generation.

There has been no greater opportunity in recent years to rekindle the belief in the value of learning, science, education, and discovery than that which we have delivered into our hands. The message of change is catching on. Science is ready for a change. We'll back it up, lend our support. We have to. Society, now, can go nowhere without science - technology is much too integrated a part of our lives. Dr. Lederman said to us, "...there must be a major increase in the capability of ordinary people to cope with the technological and scientific culture that is shaping their lives." We must all acquire "A Science Way of Thinking."

One of our speakers was Dr. Aziza Baccouche. She is a blind multiracial woman, a physicist by training, currently working as a science media producer and a correspondent for Evening Exchange on Howard University Television and occasionally for CNN. She talked about how she went to her teacher as a student to ask if she'd really be able to pursue physics - something she'd discovered herself to be very passionate about. Her teacher replied, "Yes, you can."

Our auditorium erupted in cheers. Scientists can be citizen-scientists. Citizens can be scientific citizens. We can make a difference.

Yes, we can.

Einstein Rocks My World

2008-11-08T00:01:00.005-05:00

So this weekend I am at the Sigma Pi Sigma Quadrennial Congress at Fermilab. What that means is that a bunch of physics-y types have gotten together and are attending workshops and listening to presentations and trying to balance booze levels with wake-up calls.

So tonight's speakers introduced me to something I never knew.

Einstein was a staunch social activist and anti-racist.

I could probably type up the abstract for you, if my roommate weren't trying to sleep and I weren't also dead tired, but here's the website for the book written by the authors who spoke to us:

http://www.einsteinonrace.com/

It was really great, for me, to find out that such a renowned and respected physicist believed in the need to work for the greater good outside of science. They gave us a paper with quotes from Einstein about racism and I just can't wait to take it back to show to my classmates. "See? Einstein thinks my radical activism is awesome!" ^_^

Later, if I don't die from overworking this semester, I will try to write a post about how blatant the erasure from history any mention of Einstein's friendships with the African-American community was. I just hope others in the audience realized that for what it was.

P.S. There are, relatively speaking, a LOT of minority populations well-represented at this conference! I have great hope for the future of physics.

AWOL? MIA? Bah, these military abbreviations confuse me...

2008-11-02T17:18:00.001-05:00

At any rate, just wanted to mention that I've been absent from the blogosphere because Beloved is here on leave visiting me. And even after he leaves I have a ton of real-world catching up to do, so I will be largely absent from my usual haunts for a time.

Fear not, I shall return!

Sexual Harassment in Egypt

2008-10-23T18:25:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across this post by Mona Eltahawy today. She dicusses her experiences with sexual harassment as a child, as a Haj pilgrim, and as a woman. It is quite a wonderful read.

Warning: unless you're willing to put up with a Nice Guy/MRA (not entirely sure which) don't read the comments. Rawr.

Shakesville IRC

2008-10-19T21:25:00.004-04:00

Woot! Okay, so in Friday night pub a couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned, and I agreed, that we should totally have a Shakesville IRC channel.

So I made one!

irc.freenode.net

#Shakesville

There is a password (I hope, if I set it up right). This is my half-assed attempt at keeping trolls and spambots out, since I don't know how to set up a moderation bot. If you would like the password, just drop me a line: llencelynn at gmail dot com

I check my email almost incessantly, so unless it's a spectacularly busy day, you should get a response really fast.

Hope to see you there!

Update: Okay, so turns out a couple of things. One, the channel doesn't exist if no one is in it (please bear with me if this sounds very obvious to experienced IRC users). What this means is two things. One, I don't have to worry about it not being password-protected while I'm not there because it simply doesn't exist. Two, that means that if I'm not around, you can totally make your own! :) I would just suggest continuing to use the irc.freenode.net server so that we always know where to find each other. Additionally, it means I won't be worrying about a password in any way, since the necessity of having someone in the channel for it to exist means that person can always just kick any trolls.

Update 2: I DO have the "secret" function enabled. This means it doesn't show up in channel listings. To get in, just type " /join #Shakesville ". Side benefit, if the channel doesn't exist, it will create it for you. To make the channel "secret" if it's not already, once you're in the channel type " /mode #Shakesville +s ". Good luck!

Help Needed!

2008-10-17T08:43:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

I need to call out the forces of justice! I have a job too big to do on my own. Today my father forwarded me an email about Barack Obama. My father is a die-hard, fingers-in-the-ears conservative. I wouldn't care, normally, except he also sent this email to my sisters and my grandparents. I can't let disinformation be spread this widely. But the points are very numerous, and I want to make sure I have back-up for each of my debunkings.

So I'm asking the blogosphere. Please help me debunk the points in this email. They're in handy list form, so if you could take just one and research the heck out of it, I would be so grateful (some of the points are, perhaps, true but simply not something that should be a reason to vote against Obama. If that is the case, perhaps you could instead explain why the point isn't a bad thing). I don't expect to change my father's mind, but if I can keep his corruption out of the minds of my sisters, that would be a win. I hope that with one person working on each point, it will be simple.

Oh, and believe me, I intend to take my father to task for believing anything he reads in an email forward.

Thank you in advance to everyone. Without all of you, this would be an overwhelming task.

Just passing on information for your use at this critical point in history.

Love,

Llencelyn's Dad

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 3:27 pm
Subject: [Fwd: FW: Billy Graham Team assessment of Obama]
Attached Message

Obama: By Bill Brown of the Billy Graham Team

Bill Brown, is a highly respected retired member of the Billy Graham team so, I take his assessment of Obama very seriously and for that reason accept his challenge to pass this on. I share his concern about the 'rock star' image Obama has and watch with growing concern at the celebrity status the media has foisted upon him. Here is hope this email informs you in a wise way.

________________________________

The Obama Tidal Wave

We are witnessing a political phenomenon with Barack Obama of rare magnitude.

His speeches have inspired millions and yet most of his followers have no idea of what he stands for except platitudes of 'Change' or that he says he will be a 'Uniter'.

The power of speech from a charismatic person truly can be a powerful thing. Certainly Billy Graham had charisma. Both his manner of speech and particularly the content changed millions.

On the extreme other hand, the charisma of Adolph Hitler, too, inspired millions and the results were catastrophic..

Barack Obama certainly is no Hitler or a Billy Graham, but for many Americans riding on the Obama Tidal Wave it is just like a surfer who might be ecstatic and euphoric while riding a tidal wave, but the reality of the ride is what happens when it hits shore.

Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama:

A. He voted for partial birth abortion.
A. He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.

A. Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government (quotas). [I would especially appreciate help with this one.]
A. In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing as being too severe.
A. Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair. [What does this even mean??]

A. Admitted his use of marijuana and cocaine in high school and in college.
A. His religious convictions are very murky.
A. He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A. Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim Nations

A. Opposed the Patriot Act.
A. First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance reform.
A. Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.
A. Supports universal health-care.

A. Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. [Seriously. How can this even be considered an issue? EVERYONE should have habeas corpus.]
A. Supports granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
A. Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.

A. Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform. [Again, how is this a bad thing?]
A. Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.
A. Wants to make the minimum wage a 'living wage'.

A. Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes. (241 votes Demo, 10 votes Republican) [Don't bother with this one, unless it's not true. I figure it's easy enough to write back and say, "Well, he's a Democratic Senator, so where's the problem?"]
A. Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
A. Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid into Soc. Sec. Tax Increase.

A. He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax which now hits middle income brackets.
A. He voted No on repealing the 'Death' Tax. Tax Increase.

A. He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. Tax Increase.
A. Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded...which is not true.
A. He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing.

If your political choices are consistent with Barack Obama's and you think that his positions will bring America together or make it a better place, then you will probably enjoy the ride and not forward this Email. If you are like most Americans that after examining what he stands for, are truly not in line with his record, it would be prudent to get off the wave or better yet, never get on, before it comes on shore and undermines the very foundations of this great Country. We have limited time to save America or the Supreme Court as we know it.

Inaction is action.
If you agree this is important, pass it on. The mainstream media will not do it for you!

Bill Brown ( Billy Graham Team, Retired)

Making Yoopers Homesick

2008-10-12T20:37:00.004-04:00

This is my last year attending university in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At certain times, this is one of the most beautiful regions in the country. Looking at it is making me homesick already. I hope someday I can come back here.

Random Song-Blogging

2008-10-12T20:34:00.002-04:00

This song simultaneously lifts me up, making me feel like I can do something, and tears my heart in two. Please, everyone. Care.

Lyrics:

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)

[Chorus x2]

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

[Chorus]

We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died

Let the Angels Sing

2008-10-10T08:39:00.001-04:00

Beloved will be home for our anniversary!

*happy dance*

In a nutshell.

2008-10-09T21:17:00.002-04:00

This.

A comment made by bellacoker at Shapely Prose:

...I think that any kind of fully formed feminist belief is going to support the idea that the system which we live under is bad for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, whether you do not meet the beauty standard or conform perfectly, the “patriarchy” is asking you to fit into a box that doesn’t have anything to do with your wants or needs as an individual.

This is only called feminism because feminists found it first and named it; if people feel like it is a sentiment that they need to reject because it is filed under feminism, then that is a testament to the work which is still needed to be done.

I think this statement is accurate, insightful, and concise. That second paragraph, there, is... Well I find it so resonant for me that I'm writing this post with the sole intent of not losing that wording. I want to use it in my future.

"The patriarchy is asking you to fit into a box that doesn't have anything to do with your wants or needs as an individual. This is called feminism only because feminists found it first and named it."

That.

Quickie

2008-10-03T12:48:00.003-04:00

I kid you not, I just heard someone say:

"Dude, that's so righteous."

About classes getting out at 3pm, instead of 5pm, for Homecoming.

Apparently I've suddenly landed in the middle of 1980s California.