Britney and Circus Animals - Who's Kingdom is more Tragic?

I know, a lot of pop music news, but it's oh so good. Apparently PETA has called Spears out on her use of circus animals in her new video called, suprisingly, "Circus." They say in the previously linked article that,

“Animals are ripped away from their mothers at a young age, kept in chains and prodded with electric shock devices to make them perform.”

All I have to say is, so was Britney. Give the lady a break and let her enjoy a comeback.

Rihanna and Kanye?!

I know, right?

Dish

When I was in 3rd grade my elementary school Gallinas (now called Venetia Valley, which was a a horrible name-change) put out a school newspaper with a "What's hot and what's not" column. Since kids are mean, the "what's not" part soon got out of hand and suddenly the girls who wore hot pink leggings were going home crying after finding out that it had been social suicide to go to school in them that day. Because I'm not in elementary school anymore, I can write about what's hot and will definitely let you know what's not and not be sent to detention. This is the first of a series of posts on coolness, dished up fresh from the bay to your screen via the interweb.

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Donating to charity as a gift to someone for Christmas. Instead of buying crap for all the usual recipients, find an organization that will be helping people (or the earth) during the bad economy and donate the same amount you would have spent to it. Sure, the economy needs us to spend this year, so my idea is to go for something small for your closest family members and friends and then using the rest to give to something you think could use the money more than someone who gets something they didn't want anyway.

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Blue tooth(s). I was walking down College Avenue in Oakland recently and saw a rather young, attractive man sitting at a cafe who appeared to be having a complete conversation with himself. I thought it was weird that someone who looked so put-together was so crazy, so I knew there must be an electronic piece attached to him on the other side of his head. As I walked past, I peered past to see his right side blinking blue with the stupid ear piece. I don't particularly like them even while driving (nor do I like cars and driving), but while sitting at a cafe?! So lame. If you must talk on the phone while in the car, pull over. If you must talk on the phone outside, use the freaking phone so we all know you're not crazy.

You know you watch too much Golden Girls When...

Your female roommate asks if it looks like she's wearing shoulder pads.

Overheard in Berkeley (in yoga class)

I can see Jon Stewart in the ceiling

- Man to instructor, after which she replied, "everybody's different. "

It ain't over til it's over

"He's done. This thing is over"

I hear people saying that almost every day. People at work, on the street, friends and family alike agree that Obama has pretty much already won and this election has already been decided. Political polls show Obama leading in all the usual left-leaning states, but also in some that usually go red. What do you think at this point? Is it really over?

Palin made an appearance on SNL last night in a last-ditch effort to charm the American people in voting for her and McAngrypants. Unfortunately for them, she was not charming or funny. Lorne Michaels was smart enough not to make her look good so close to election day, but rather let Alec Baldwin rail on her while standing right next to her and then of course had Tina doing the usual bit. Dudes for Sarah might have been happy just to see her on tv, but I'm pretty sure no one else was impressed. The Republicans are getting desperate and this last move couldn't have gone as they had hoped.

Here we are, so close to electing our first African-American president with people turning out in droves to rallies and donating every last extra penny to get him in the White House. Even Colin Powell supports him! What could go wrong? Could anything turn the tides at this point? Voter fraud is what scares me the most, but others are predicting secret racism that seems to show its ugly head once people get in the voting booth. This one doesn't seem as threatening to me, but then again I've really only lived in the most liberal and open of places. Other than that, I just don't know what could happen to reverse the force that has taken the country in favor of Obama.

I guess all we can do is go to calling parties, wear our buttons and well, of course vote on election day. It's not over yet, but god I hope it's ends well.

Has it hit you yet?

If you haven't realized yet that the economy is tanking, you're probably not very smart or in tune with current events. It really is and it's effects have already started permeating everyday life for some people. Our neighborhood in Berkeley, on the edge of Oakland started suffering from more thefts and crime this summer in restaurants and bars along College Avenue, perhaps a symptom of job loss and fear for what lays ahead in the coming months. I had my purse stolen the just a couple of nights ago and the only charge that got through before it was canceled was at a gas station, where of course it's ridiculously expensive to fill up a tank these days. By the way, I think it's pretty much common knowledge that driving is out, so trade in your SUVs and even Priuses people, because bikes are sexy and the bus still isn't, but it's getting there.

Ebay just layed off 10% of its workforce, retailers didn't see the numbers they were hoping for in September and pretty much no one can get credit now. I've heard rumors on the business school front that application rates will be out the roof this year as people turn to education as a way to avoid the hyper-competetitive job market. What rumors are you hearing or has it actually affected you?

On the Streets of Berkeley

Last night B and I went to see Vicky Christina Barcelona in downtown Berkeley. We definitely found it pretty funny and were particularly giggly when we came out. A guy on the street who was asking for money asked us who would win in a fight: God or Chuck Norris, to which I replied, "your mom." He was pretty happy about that response, so later on when we saw him as we were waiting for the bus to go home, we asked him if he wanted any updog. He totally got it. Then he tried to get us to smoke pot with him in his sleeping bag. We got on the bus instead.

We haven't been updating lately, but we've been having a great time, except for last night when a cracked-out looking woman stole my purse in Oakland. But really, other than that we're having fun. Dinner parties and fresh tomatoes and roses from the garden make it oh so sweet to come home after work, or in B's case to have me home after I'm at work.

p.s. The movie was really entertaining and our favorite Woody Allen movie of late.

Overheard in Berkeley (at the Bowl)

I think if we just took the trash out more often we wouldn't have as much of a fly problem. . . I'm not putting it on you, I'm just saying.

- Man to woman at Berkeley Bowl

overheard in berkeley

For the first time, ap and b are blogging from the same place!! No more talking via g-chat to recount the night's events - now they can share them over waffle-making and the Sunday NY Times.
Our first co-post is a new series, inspired by our adventures around Berkeley, that will let our readers know just how many absurd things one hears when riding the bus or walking around here.
On Saturday, ap and b took the bus to Berkeley Bowl for some groceries. While riding in mostly silence, another passenger broke that when she said to her friend:
"I can't wait until I have my own room to smoke in...but I just need to focus first before I start smoking. Like get a job first, then I'll start smoking."
At least she has her priorities straight.

Happy Amish Thursday

In honor of Amish Thursday I thought I'd share a bit of information about the midwestern natives that seem to be growing at unbelievable rates. Even though they seem rare and fascinating to us, their population is growing at 130 percent and has expanded to a total of 28 states (new states include Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraksa, Washington, and West Virgina).

This is exciting for a number of reasons, the most important being that more people will be exposed to their communities and culture. My favorite part of Amish culture is the delicious cheese and dairy products. Ohio has a large Amish population and much of our dairy in Oberlin was bought from Amish farms.

Let us know if there's an Amish enclave near you and how they are incorporated in the greater community!

we are valueless

So, on JDB's blog he posted about his blog's worth. Apparently, this site allows you to put in your blog's URL and find out how much it's worth. JDB's was worth around $10K, so I was interested to find out what this one is worth. Well, here are the results....

I was really curious as to how this could be, so I tried to read up on this site to see how a value is determined. Initially I assumed it had to do with traffic and/or number of comments(ers); then I thought, well maybe it's that plus how often (or not) one updates the blog. When I finally found the site's "research", I admit, I was pretty confused. I think, but am not sure, that it simply has to do with how often (or not) you link to a set list of other sites and blogs, which seemed kind of lame. Maybe because the sites on that list have a certain value according to their advertising base...? The page says mostly techy words that I don't understand at all, but this is just the assumptive conclusion I came to. If anyone can read this research page and come to another conclusion, let me know. Anyways, just thought it was interesting. I can't decide if I'm disappointed or pleased that we are worth nothing, because, technically, couldn't that also mean we're priceless?

Mooney in the Blogosphere

I met Kate Mooney on the plane coming to Oberlin as freshman back in '04. Then in '06 we went abroad on the same program in Cordoba, Spain. Over the years I've begun to realize what a creative genius she is and now that I live 3,000 miles from her it pains me to have to witness that genius through the world wide web. But I will endure it and read her blog with dedication, because not only do I have a fondness for her, but also because the girl makes me laugh.

Kate also has a couple of successful brothers, one of which wrote The Republican War on Science and has his own blog that can be found here.

Lastly, her version of "New Soul" was better than Yael's. Just sayin'.

Overheard in Berkeley

This dress would be perfect for Burning Man

- Woman to man as they check out a tattered dress on a mannequin used as a sign for a garage sale.

pic of the day: yay edition

ap moves in this weekend, b joins her in a month. So much excitement, we cannot handle it.

beyond reproductive freedom: violence against women and controlling our bodies

Not that victim blaming or lack of response to sexual assault claims are really that uncommon, but lately, it seems there have been quite a few instances of both. The variety of the following stories really illustrates the spectrum of how women's bodies and privacy are constantly being violated.
This widely publicized story of a doctor who, during surgery, put a temporary tattoo on a female patient below the underwear line has received a lot of response. Not surprisingly, the woman's choice to sue the doctor has been talked about very negatively. The general feeling is that she should suck it up and take a joke. Ah, another silly feminist, anti-humor rant, right? Except that during surgery on a herniated disk, you're on your stomach and there really is no reason for your doctor to have you turned over, let alone be pulling your panties down. Personally, if I were going into surgery where I was going to be put completely under and had a male doctor, I'd be slightly worried about what was going to happen, and something like this just proves that fear justified. One blogger has a really good analysis of how being nice and having a sense of humor does not necessarily equal complacency when it comes to defending autonomy over our own bodies.
Sexual assault on college campuses has long been a significant issue, especially at larger institutions with a large fraternity/sorority culture. While sometimes claims against perpetrators of said abuse is taken as a serious threat to not only the victim's well-being, but also to the well-being of an entire student body, often when the accused of if a certain importance to the college or university, it becomes a different story. Recently, the University of Iowa has come under heat for its potential cover-up of an assault on a female student by two football players. The student was encouraged not to report the incident to police and nothing was done about the incident by the school for three weeks. One of the accused was even allowed to move in down the hall from the victim. This kind of "celebrity" protection college athletes get for criminal behavior is a familiar story, and creates hostile and dangerous environments for all students on campuses. The woman at UW actually had enough courage and, it seems, family support to report her rape to the authorities, but was still refused justice due to the player's status as one of the football team's most valuable. This brings up another issue: once a woman who has been assaulted actually reports it, which is so often not the case, what happens to her, the evidence, and the accused?
Sarah Tofte wrote a very good column in Tuesday's Washington Post about rape kits and what happens to them after they are performed on women. While states are given federal grants to pay for these kits (they run about $800 each and are free for victims), often the money goes unspent and evidence is shelved, sometimes forever. So, first a woman goes through the emotional and physical pain of being assaulted. If she is able to go to the ER, she is still often refused a kit, and then sometimes, nothing is even done with the kit. I know that in West Virginia, ER workers used to have to obtain a prosecutor's permission before being able to do a rape kit. This is absurd, especially when you think about the fact that many assaults happen in the middle of night and on weekends. By the time someone could get a prosecutor to sign off, the evidence was gone or unusable. State law has changed and now the only thing needed to perform a rape kit when a victim comes to the ER is her consent. From my training as a rape crisis advocate, many ER workers don't know about this change, forget, or simply don't care. Often, the advocate has to step in and get the nurse to do a rape kit, which is so ridiculous.
It really is sad how much we have to fight to prove that it is we, and we only, who control our bodies. And when this autonomy is violated, why is it our fault? And why is it so hard to get someone to care, pay attention, and do something about the accused?

enough said.

I stole this from Feministing, but I couldn't resist...

revisited: mccain is a dumbass

Raging Red has a nice, link-filled post about what an idiot the Republican party nominee really is. There's also a nice compilation here of some of McCain's many blunders related to his supposedly superior foreign policy experience. Still not convinced that no one in their right mind should vote for this guy? What about the fact that with rape, sexualized violence, and military coverups horrifically prominent in the US Forces, the guy who thinks rape is funny wants to be the commander in chief. Gross.

we can have fun, too

Just so no one gets too worried about mine and ap's stress levels, check out some of these great sites that continually make me laugh.

Man Babies!!

Please never buy any of these for your baby.

FAIL!

John was kind of a weirdo.

fear-mongering doesn't work if you don't make any sense, idiot

You can talk freedom of speech all you want on this issue, I have no problem with some asshole using his own money to BE COMPLETELY STUPID. That said, can someone please remind him that Bush was president during 9/11?? Ok, thanks, that is all.

there probably shouldn't even be a foreign policy debate

So we all know that McCain's big thing against Obama is to say he's not experienced enough, especially with foreign policy matters. With the debate raging about US presence in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, you'd think we'd want our future president to at least know which countries still exist in the world. Yea, well, guess which one doesn't. Seriously. I'd rather have someone with slightly fewer years experience as long as he is somewhat aware of what is going on outside his precious US borders.

just in case you need more proof that we have a huge struggle ahead of us

If you've been keeping up with the comments on our recent post regarding racism, you probably have developed a picture of where ap and I come from. Responding in the comment section has really fired me up lately (yea, because I'm not already in a somewhat perpetual state of anger at society, but whatever) and there have been a slew of articles, studies, and posts on other sites regarding what it is like to be a woman in this world. Read on.

• Wait, you mean after someone is subjected to catcalling, objectification, or sexual harassment, they don't just get over it? Huh...weird.
• Um, ew.
• The amount of control some people want to have over my body is seriously disturbing...
  
• ...because it can lead to this. Tissue anyone?

Ah, now if I just had a really empowering song by an awesome woman to get me through this....or even just my favorite song by her.

picture of the day

Just read the comments under the previous post to know why this is my pick for today. Sorry, but in the end, that's pretty much the way ap and b think about the world.

I wanted to make sure to write a post about what happened to me on Sunday night while I was out. It was disturbing, but rewarding in the end, and speaks a lot for the work society has made but also still has ahead of us.

Sunday two of my girl friends and I were out at a bar in Charleston, WV. All three of us are friends with the bartender, as well as an "off-duty" bouncer who was there. Both of these men were sitting and talking with us; when the bouncer and my friend would go outside to smoke (yay smoking ban!!), I would generally accompany them. On one of these occasions, the bouncer happened to give me a hug, for which he is well-known around town for doing. While this was happening, a man who had been in the bar and who knew my friend through work (but did not know her well) was watching from afar. As I would later find out, this man was not okay with a black man hugging a white woman.
After returning to the bar, the bouncer joined some of his friends and left us to continue talking at our table. The man from outside returned as well, and after seeing that I was not with the bouncer, used it as an opportunity to voice his opinion. This came in the form of some very offensive statements, beginning with the question, "Are you really okay F------ a black guy?" This not only offended me because of the obvious racism, but also because to him, a woman hugging a male at a bar is presumed to automatically lead to sex. He continued along this line of questioning, and also mentioned things like that just not being "right". He showed immediate disgust when I told him that I really saw no problem with the scenario he was presenting. My friend wasted little time in sternly telling him that it should not matter one's race in any type of relationship, whether it be platonic or intimate. When he continued to make offensive statements, my friend left to alert the bartender of the problem. He then alerted the owner of the bar, who was there at the time.
The offender had walked away by this time, and my friend and I went on to discuss the situation. After some time, we started to leave the bar only to find the exit blocked by what turned out to be a very satisfying sight. The bartender, owner, bouncer, and three of the other patrons were calmly confronting the man and explaining why what he said was not okay. They informed him that he needed to leave and not come back. One should also understand that the owner and bartender were white men and the bouncer and other patrons black men. While I was incredibly surprised, offended, and saddened at the remarks that were said, the sight of this group coming together to peacefully defy the remarks and actions of this man was relatively moving. I have been in bars in Charleston where offenses, albeit generally sexist ones, are overlooked because the person is a [well] paying customer. That was not the case in this situation; further, it illustrated the power of approaching such situations with words rather than punches.

b's random links

• McCain doesn't = Bush? Ya sure?
• Because getting tested for HIV is such a sin
• American track and field finally getting exciting again
  
• Holla we want pre-nup, we want pre-nup, yea
• Checks and Balance

which applies to you?

Today I signed on to my facebook account, only to have a very interesting message waiting for me.
"Which applies to you?" was the headline. It went on to say something like, "Your mini-feed is confusing. Please select which applies to you." My choices were "Barrie edited her profile" or "Barrie edited his profile."
My instant reaction was to laugh out loud because I thought it ridiculous that the ambiguity of my name had even stretched to the facebook realm. Then, I began to wonder if facebook was confused because my gender is not listed on my profile, thus it didn't know which pronoun to use. Or, I thought to myself, what if normally when one does not list their gender on their profile, facebook assumes gender based on a name and mine was not clear? These thoughts, of course, began to make the obie in me a little disturbed.
First, it said my mini-feed was confusing, because I guess beforehand it would report things as "Barrie edited their..such and such" (I always wondered why it was doing that...). This is a lame attempt at gender neutrality because it's grammatically incorrect. "Their" implies more than one person. So, to be grammatically correct, one must use either the male or female pronoun. Herein lies the problem with a gender binary. What about those that feel as though they identify with both or neither? Not only does facebook force one to choose between only male and female if they wish to list gender (unlike the "religious views" section, one cannot write in an option not listed under gender), but if one opts to leave this section blank, they are later forced to clarify so their mini-feed is not grammatically incorrect or "confusing". One may argue here that facebook is asking for gender, not sex. Yet, forcing me to choose between "her" or "his" (yes, it gives me the option, which, arguably, is a step in the right direction), signifies to the world that you must be one or the other, even if it is letting you choose the one with which you identify. I am reminded of my days in class back at Oberlin, where we were asked to introduce ourselves (name, major, hometown, etc) on the first day, and many would take the time to tell people with which pronoun they identified. But there were still only two choices.
Having gone to a college that required at least one gender neutral bathroom per floor in dorms, had an annual event called Drag Ball, and was one of a handful of schools to begin offering coed dorm rooms recently, breaking the traditional system of gender dichotomy is important. Facebook, which some may call an unimportant aspect of pop culture, is a leading social networking site with incredible power to disseminate information and set standards for such things as gender identification.
This is obviously a very complicated issue: what are the differences between gender and sex? how can one not identify with either "her" or "him? how can one identify with both? where do we begin in changing this in mainstream society?
A discussion on the implications of asking one to choose between only two options (public restrooms, filling out forms, sports teams, etc) is required in pop culture before we can make any changes. Maybe getting facebook to make some changes would begin a much-needed awareness.

updates from the yay - june edition

So now that I have a 9-5 I'm too important to post more frequently, so it'll probably be weekend posts from me from now on. I have a few things to share today. Here they are:

1. A coworker sent me this website that's supposed to be really funny. Check it out here.

2. It's really smoky here from the fires up north. I'm kind of afraid to go outside.

3. The rumors are abound about Madonna and Guy splitting up. I found out yesterday at work and my heart sunk. All I can hope is that they'll patch things up.

That's all from me for now. Happy Pride weekend!

no making eye babies, kids!!

I mean, enough said.

legal musings

The Supreme Court has been really busy lately with many interesting decisions. Here are a few stories of legal importance, including one that hasn't made it to court yet, but as an arrest, still could have far-reaching implications.

• No More 'Millionaire's Amendment'
• So, when you are murdered, your killer can get out of punishment by claiming that it's just not fair that he can't face his accuser in court
• Bang, Bang
• Is this really the way to go about HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness?
  

guest post: obama and the iraq war

This is the debut post from Our One Republican Friend. Enjoy, and please, keep the commenting civil.

Before everyone lines up to drink the anti-war Kool-Aid that Barack Obama has been passing out since the beginning of his campaign, I thought I would point to a few indicators that maybe you should think twice before you dawn the bright blue jump suit, hold hands for a sermon about the promised peace on a spaceship behind the withdraw from Iraq and drink down that colorful promise of a speedy exit from the real world.

In the real world Iraq has improved and is improving dramatically. Let me say that again…Iraq has improved dramatically. The Iraqi army is securing its own country under the command and direction of its civilian government, and is doing it without American help. The government has been able to move its parliament toward important political progress on a variety of important initiatives. Last month was one of the most peaceful months in Iraq since the war began.

And yet…Barack Obama continues to tell anyone with a microphone about a 'third Bush term under Senator McCain,' '100 years this and 100 years that,' and 'home in 16 months' or whatever the time. Perhaps he is not reading the papers or maybe he knows that all things being equal, Americans prefer peace. Maybe he is betting that we will drink the Kool-Aid without asking too many questions; like what is going to happen in Iraq if we just up and leave immediately? or will our enemies "leave it at that" when we go?

I don't know about you but I am not ready to bet on a mystical spaceship behind a comet. I am not ready to assume that our enemies will suddenly change their minds, decide we are not so bad or call the whole thing off if we would just leave Iraq. I am not ready to drink the Kool-Aid because a first term Senator from Illinois promised me a spaceship.

Instead I will stick with a man whose strategy is working, a strategy, I might add, that he supported because he knew it was the right thing, even when it was unpopular. I will stick with the man who was fighting for our country and enduring years as a POW while Obama was learning to tie his own shoes and ride a bike without training wheels. I'll stick with another man who even democrats (and New Yorker's at that) are starting to agree will be vindicated by history.

Don't drink the Kool-Aid without some answers. Peace, but peace through strength.

pic of the day

Because who doesn't need a Mermaid Parade?

b's random links

Mixed bag: Fun, Anger, Bittersweet victories

• If you really are that unhappy with your own life...
• Pumas. Cougars. Clintons. Oh my.
  
• Can we choose which EMT comes to our rescue? Please??
• He needs to be gone.
• Yay...ok, so now what?

"don't pollute my air space, and i promise not to piss on your desk"

My friend Alan recently reminded me that our county's health department passed a resolution last year that would ban smoking in bars and gambling parlors (it is already prohibited in restaurants, effective in 2003); the ban is scheduled to go into affect July 1. Many bar owners in Kanawha County, WV are pretty upset and irritated over the ban, as well as many of the rules that go along with building outside smoking pavilions (even though they were previously warned of said rules).
With many states, counties, and cities across the country passing similar bans within the last few years, the debate over fairness of such bans is raging. Personally, I agree with public smoking bans, and believe that the moral/philosophical as well as practicality arguments for why they are unfair are not effective.
The "No" side in the Guardian's article has many flaws, not even counting the fact that his commentary includes a lot of personal attack against one pro-banner, which is never a good way to argue a point.
First, he mentions the concern for bar/restaurant workers and their rights, saying that they could always work somewhere else, should expect smoke as part of the job, and in fact, one choosing to work at a place like this should be "suited" to a smoky environment. This is a pretty ignorant argument. It is problematic to assume that anyone has a choice to work, whether at all or at a certain place. Generally, people working at bars or restaurants are doing so out of necessity, at least to an extent, due to lack of education or skills for something else or as a second job.
Second, his argument that bars and restaurants are more akin to places of hospitality and that customers are more guests and the owner more of a host seems pretty ridiculous to me. While bars are selling and offering a different setting and product than a grocery store, it is still a public, confined space that wants customers and wants those customers to buy a product and enjoy a service. If cigarette smoke is impossible to escape in said public space, it should be effectively prohibited, no matter what kind of relationship proprietor and customer have.
Third, Hitchens points out that a committee decides to implement these bans, effectively forcing all to practice no smoking like them. Why don't non-smokers just go somewhere else? he asks. Again, he is missing many a point. By allowing smoking in public and confined places, are we not then asking non-smokers to participate in inhalation of smoke? Further, asking non-smokers to simply go somewhere else to enjoy people, a drink, maybe even some dart-throwing, is effectively denying them the services and products of a bar. Pubs were not established for the sole reason of smoking inside; rather, they encompass many aspects and smoking seems to be at the bottom of the list. It makes more sense to me to ban smoking inside, allowing all to enjoy drinking and socializing, and ask the smokers to take the smoking somewhere else. He complains that these committees put "private pleasures" under scrutiny; what is this private nature he speaks of? Smoking at a bar seems pretty public to me, especially if others are forced to breathe the smoke without even putting a cigarette to their own mouths.
Lastly, the opponent of bans moves to government regulation and infringement of rights, likening it to drug laws. This "slippery slope" argument that someday they will take smoking from us all together (!!) is misinformed. He dances around the fact that drugs are illegal, thus even prohibiting use in one's own home. If he disagrees with this and wants it changed, that should be an entire other piece. Smoking in a public space is not similar to being able to smoke a joint in your own house. Let's be real; smoking in bars is bad for EVERYONE, not just yourself. Bottom line.
AP and I went to a school with a lot of smokers, but only one [real] bar downtown. When Ohio (or was it just Lorain County??) passed a smoking ban that went into affect January of my senior year, people did not stop going to the Feve. Yes, there is merit in the argument that of course people are not going to stop attending the only bar in town. Yet, if a county-wide ban goes into affect, people are not going to be able to choose the bar across town that does let you smoke there. And no, people are not going to drive to another county just to go to a bar. Seriously. If anything, smoking bans raise your customer base because smokers still want to have a drink and socialize (did people stop eating out when they banned smoking in restaurants??), but non-smokers will be more likely to come out if they don't have to breathe in toxic smoke. And those of us who have the really bad habit of social smoking can rest assured we aren't going to venture outside for that habit that isn't really a habit. So, in essence, it is good all around. Plus, think about it: those jeans you wore to the bar last night, you really can wear for four more days in a row and not smell like an ashtray.

People Say

When I was in probably 6th grade or so I started writing down my ideas in these one page entries called, 'People Say.' I must have given them to my sister because she kept them and took them out to show me recently. I thought I would share the brilliance that was going on in my 11 year old head. For some reason I signed it as noted at the bottom. (It starts with #3 and I tried to preserve the spelling and grammar)

People Say # 3
People say religion is important. So Catholics get married and divorced 8 times. People say family values are important. So they let their kids watch South Park. People say things they want to do and believe. But untill they know, they can't really say.

Farla Caine
Age 11
N.Y.

People Say #4
People say they are tired when they get home from work. When really all they did was go around talking about nonsense with co-workers. I've noticed you could talk with a group of 11-year-olds or a group of people in the their forties about a stupid sitcom and the 11-year-olds would be more intellectual! Kids are like all the other superficial people in society.

Farla Caines
Age 11
N.Y.

random links

Some more random links for those people, who like me, have nothing to do at work today.

• Seriously, how did he get elected?
• I mean, Americans can be really dumb.
• The AMA just needs to stop.
• Just gross. Has anyone actually seen this ad on tv?
• Better late than never.
• Suckahs!

photo of the day

The latest issue of Italian Vogue is about to hit European newsstands (and American ones soon after) and features all black models and stories related to black people in the arts. This is pretty cool, albeit kind of random coming from Italy of all places. Though it would be nice if all fashion magazines regularly featured many minority models (in a good way) instead this being a novel idea.
Preview some of the images before the mag comes to the states!

random links

Here are a few interesting articles and posts I've been alerted to recently:

• Argentina's court way more progressive than the U.S.'s
• This is what happens when you save a cop's life
  
• A group focuses on charging Bush with war crimes

Thanks to Alan and Mom for the links.

adjacent possibilites

A few weeks ago, I returned to Oberlin for Commencement/Reunion weekend. Though I was neither commencing (I did that a year ago) nor officially reuniting (I think that comes in about three years), I participated on a panel that I and another Charleston, WV Obie organized. The panel, Then and Now: Changing Nature of Activism, included four graduates from the '67-'69 cluster for the "then" side; the "now" side included two of us who graduated last year, one who graduated this year, and one who will graduate next year. The panel was a great success, and included a substantial audience participation component at the end during which both young and old[er] Obies asked questions and raised issues surrounding activism in an Oberlin context as well as a more general one.
One of the "then" participants was Paula Gordon, who, among other things, blogs for the Huffington Post. A few days ago, she blogged about the "then and now" nature of activism, the differences between issues of each generation, the dynamic nature of social change, and about "adjacent possibilities", the idea that change is always happening, thus forcing us to take the moral high road every chance we have. Her take was that while the "then" generation was focused on civil rights, women's rights, and Vietnam, the "now" generation is focused on one general principle: saving life on earth. This is a pretty general concept, but she goes on to voice it as the possibility and necessity of a sustainable future on earth. While this is an environmental concept that encompasses many elements of human, economic, and social rights, her post still missed some fundamentals of the panel's discussion.
Gordon states that the best news from our generation was that their accomplishments seemed easy to us. I am not sure that this was the view expressed by our side of the panel; in fact, I think the general sentiment was one of respect for their accomplishments, but also understanding that the issues and manifestations of protest have changed. If there is one thing that I learned from not only my education at Oberlin, but from the panel discussions, it is that activism is self-defined, dynamic, and completely intersectional (props to CAST!). You cannot address climate change without also addressing housing issues and socioeconomic factors. You cannot address housing issues without also addressing the economy and racial factors. You cannot discuss any of this without addressing poverty. Thus, my generation's activism is rooted in the idea that all social ills are connected, and while we may choose to individually focus on one or two specific issues of personal importance, participation in each movement does not allow one to fore go discussion of all other issues and movements. If anything, what we learned from the activism in the "then" generation was that exclusion has no place in any social movement: problems specific to women of color and lower-class women cannot by ignored by the feminist movement, LGBTQ members of the black community cannot be left out of race politics, racial and economic factors cannot be forgotten by the LGBTQ movement, and class and socioeconomic realities should go addressed in every movement for social change. If we are to extol and promote "adjacent possibilities", we must apply the principle to every chance for social change, and, man, are there enough to go around.

too much time on your hands, stodd?

Our friend Scott, who graduated with b, has started a summer project called My Dad Napping. Leave it to an Obie to come up with something like this. Check it out for a good laugh.

picture of the day

This picture comes from Wired magazines black and white photo contest. The mag let readers vote for their favorite from submissions and these are the top 10. This one wasn't number one, but it was my favorite. They've also compiled an editor's top ten.

They are great to look at; check 'em out.

b's latest book pick

Last summer, while unemployed and squatting in a house in Oberlin, I read this book and it changed my perspective on many things. Malcolm X, in my opinion, is one of history's most misunderstood men. This book should be required reading in high school.
From this book, one learns of the childhood that shaped his views about race relations, the time he spent in the north east as a young man, the prison sentence that would lead him to Islam, the influence he had on the NOI and its growth, and finally the shift away from the NOI after his trip to Mecca. Many contrast Malcolm X with Dr. King in such a way that vilified him, creating an image of a racist, hate-mongering separatist.
Read the book to realize how wrong that image is.

Related and highly recommended: Black Power: The Politics of Liberation

picture of the day

This picture came from a slide show about an architect who designed an apartment as one giant scavenger hunt involving hidden clues in furniture and walls, poems behind wall panels, and that even forced the children's friends to crack the code seen in the picture. So awesome.

new track world record

While neither of us were hurdlers at Oberlin, we both were obsessive runners. The world record in the 110-meter hurdles has just been broken, by a man only 21 years old (and not the 2004 Olympic champion). It is the second short-distance event record to be broken in the last two weeks, setting the stage for a potentially exciting schedule of races at the Olympics in August. Kara Goucher, former NCAA 3000m, 5000m, and cross country champion, has already set the American half-marathon record (beating Paula Radcliffe's time!) and set a personal record in the mile this year. With so many young and new faces on the track and field scene, could we possibly overcome the doping scandals that have tarnished what little excitement there was for this sport in the U.S.?
The trials for the track and field events are scheduled for the end of June and beginning of July; as long as people are on their game for these races, it looks like the U.S. could really bring home some metal in track this year!

Happy Loving Day!!

In honor of the day that celebrates interracial couples and the Supreme Court decision that did away with the prohibitive laws against said couples, I thought this throwback from my childhood was appropriate. Ah, to have the King of Pop back again...

PS- Happy Birthday, Ry!!

extra padding in the wallet or straight to the piggy?

Have you gotten your stimulus check yet? I haven't and I only know a couple of people who have. My inside connection on the Hill says that there was a glitch in the system, so anyone who filed their taxes online and had direct deposit for their returns are the last on the list and will be getting their checks by mail.

So if you have gotten it, what have you done with it? Are you actually boosting the economy? Have you even thought about what you would do with it? Suze Orman would probably tell you to save it, but isn't it kind of like a gift card for spending? Hopefully it will achieve what politicians are hoping for-- stimulating the economy (times are looking dim, even in sunny, rich California). I'd agree with Krugman though who says it's bad economic policy, but the best democrats could do. I guess we'll see what happens. . .

picture of the day

I frequent the NY Times slide shows; there are generally some great images of all kinds of different people, places, and events. This slideshow was great because it reminded me of a more upscale version of an Oberlin party or something: part hilarious, part comforting. Plus, when I saw this picture, the woman on the right kind of reminded me of our friend, MDH, and it made me smile. So, it's my picture of the day, a new daily post I suppose.

more tennis

Just a short post to add to the comment stream from ap's tennis write-up because I think everyone should see the latest cover of Ebony.
Serena is bangin'.

marquer l'histoire

I promised my sister that I'd blog about tennis, the men's finals in particular, because it was so cool to watch Rafa at his best. Nadal played Federer in the finals on the clay court at Roland Garros in Paris this past Sunday. Unlike the long, close match at Wimbeldon last year, Rafa beat Federer pretty fast in 6-1 6-3 6-0. Everyone seems to love Federer, the suave Swiss who pretty much always has control over the match he's playing (except when he had mono this past Australian Open) so I couldn't help but hope the Spaniard underdog would win. It was bittersweet though seeing Federer fall so fast and hard, especially since he's vying for Sampras' career grand slam title record and needs 2 more to tie it, 3 to beat it. Of course I want him to beat it, because Sampras is annoying AND a republican.

I'm a big fan of the Williams sisters and neither of them were in the final, so I'm not going to comment on the women's match. Dinara Safina is fun to watch with her attitude and huge comebacks, but I need to see a little more of her before becoming a fan.

AP's book pick

George Soros came out with a quick book this Spring about the current financial crisis and how it fits into his analysis of the evolution of finance since he started out on his own in London in 1947. He does a great job of not only explaining the credit crisis, but also his philosophical ideas that relate to the human element that is inseparable from markets and how people behave. He definitely wrote quickly, which shows in his writing, but it's worth the 160 pages and a couple of afternoons of reading.

for those of us starting jobs/internships this summer

ok, i stole this from fashionista, but i think it's a good list to follow this summer.

"Flip-flops, Crocs, ripped jeans, denim shorts, chipped nails, exposed lingerie, and makeup experiments." - Meredith Melling-Burke's list of fashion don'ts for her interns, from Style.com.

obies in the news

Ok, well, maybe not in the actual news, but after they blow up from being on our blog, they probably will be in national media outlets.
A former teammate of mine and ap's has created a magazine with two other Oberlin students. I was really impressed when MDH gave me a copy of the first edition, and just wanted to share the online version with others. Keep in mind this was all created while taking a full semester of classes!

a long time gone

Yes, we are fully aware that it has been almost a month since our last post. There are many reasons for this:
AP had finals and then senior week and then graduation! She starts work in two weeks and then will be considered a full-time member of the real world.
B had a huge, time sensitive project due at work that was taking up her evenings. She then began the move from her apartment to her Dad's basement in order to save money for the summer before she joins ap in the bay area. Which leads me to our next news:
Since ap has gone back to the bay, she is starting the apartment search for the two of us. As of 11:30 p.m. EST yesterday, she had found "the perfect apartment". B is anxiously waiting to hear about said apartment, but fully trusts ap's judgment.
Things are beginning to settle down for the two of us, and afterwards, we hope to be back in full force.

late night switch up?

It has been leaked that Jimmy Fallon is going to take over for Conan O'Brien, O'Brien for Jay Leno, and Leno will retire to play with his 8,563,290 antique cars.
Personally, I don't care because I don't have TV. At first, when the radio said Jimmy Fallon, I was picturing Chris Kattan and was really worried; he's so annoying. So, as long as it's Fallon and not Kattan, I think it will be okay. And from what I understand, O'Brien is pretty popular and will probably follow well in Leno's footsteps.
Um, one last thing though, where are all the ladies in these late night line ups???

badass female of the week (and past 40 years)

She was a black woman who just wanted to live with and love her white husband in peace. Mildred Loving, who died last week, inadvertently became an icon to those fighting strict and religiously fueled laws regulating marriage. Richard and Mildred Loving were married in Washington, D.C. in 1958, but after moving back to their home state of Virginia, were arrested for violating laws prohibiting interracial unions. Their fight to love each other went all the way to the Supreme Court, where, in 1967, laws banning interracial couples from marrying were turned over when the court said that the freedom to marry is "a basic civil right." Loving's incredibly appropriate last name has even been given to a national organization that recognizes June 12 as Loving Day, a day to celebrate interracial couples.
Unfortunately, this struggle still sounds familiar, even to someone born as late as 1985....Loving's struggle parallels that of many non-traditional couples currently wishing to wed. The court's decision to rid the nation of laws banning someone from marrying another simply because a third-party doesn't like it seems like a no-brainer to many of us today (and did to the court of 1967). Yet, why are we still fighting such a strong force that wants to keep gay unions, marriages, and parenting illegal? Is it only because the nature of the court has changed, thus making such a case obsolete these days? Or are we fighting greater social barriers? Will the issue of gay marriage progress with the passing of time, much as interracial marriage did, or are we facing a fiercer fight? What about those of us who see the issue as much more complicated than gay marriage or no gay marriage?
What do you all think?

video killed the radio star

I found myself listening to "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads over and over and over today. It made me really sad because that song ALWAYS reminds me of Oberlin, especially my first year there. After cross country camp that year, the team watched "Stop Making Sense", the live DVD. It was pretty much my introduction to the Talking Heads (come on, I went to Winfield...), and was a pivotal moment, foreshadowing how Oberlin was about to change my life. I wanted to share it, especially because I love that I can just get on the internet (Thanks Al Gore!!!) and immediately watch David Byrne hit his own forehead while singing.
I also was reading one of my favorite blogs, Feministing, and they had a Menudo video on there. I could not stop laughing, especially because they are all wearing black boots just like the ones I will be putting on in about one hour to go dancing. These are the boots that my sister-in-law looks at and says "Go back to 1985" when I wear them, but I have to remind her that I was born in 1985, so that would be weird.
After reminiscing about the Talking Heads and watching Menudo videos on feministing.com, I couldn't help but look up other awesome vids on youtube.
Here's some more oldies, but total goodies:

Too bad the crack got him

I never knew a chain link fence could be so sexy

I never knew glasses and a flat-top could be so sexy

When I heard this song as a little girl, I immediately associated it with my parents

Obvi.

what is justice?

Can we ever really answer that? There is so much discussion of the Bell/Snipes trials at this moment, it is hard to gather one's thoughts on it all. Our friend Micah posted a couple things about it over at his blog and I weighed in on the comment section.
Thoughts on justice, racism in the court system, sentencing laws, etc.?

Badass Female of the Week

Her 11th album comes out today and at 49 years old, she is still hot as hell. This is a great post about one of my all-time idols: Madonna. Her latest album, Hard Candy comes out today which includes collaborations with JT, Timbaland, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. A friend of mine at Oberlin recently went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with her family and they all raved about a letter that is there that Madonna wrote to a friend during her first year in college. Apparently it's really interesting and well written. I think the entry fee for that place is finally worth it.

A friend of mine recently asked me about my decision to go to work for a private company, specifically one that is in finance and how I could possibly find anything moral in that. This topic is something I've thought about a lot, especially going to Oberlin and being involved in community service on campus. I know I don't need to defend myself, but I think my decision is interesting.

Since being at Oberlin I've struggled with the decision to major in Economics and then go into business versus something like teaching (most plausible considering my experience with teaching through America Reads). Growing up with a single mother who went to college when I was quite young to be a teacher and is now a social worker, I decided that I wanted to take a different path. I love kids and would surely enjoy teaching, but going into a professional that is so female-dominated and chronically under-valued sounded depressing to me. But I also don't think that choosing to go into business or finance is just about the money or status. I find finance and investing to be interesting and know that going that path can provide opportunities that teaching probably couldn't. Also, I can always go into to teaching later on, but might find the switch from teahing to finance more difficult.

What do you think?

funny tuesday

My line of work, surprisingly, can offer a lot of humor. As a law office that advertises itself as one serving those who generally cannot afford to hire an attorney, we get many phone calls from people seeking legal advice or representation for matters nowhere near related to predatory lending.
I think the one I answered this afternoon was by far my favorite. A youngish sounding man on the other end began the conversation with "Yea, I need to ask some questions about the laws." Knowing that I most likely could not answer his questions, I still asked him to explain the situation so that I could direct him to the appropriate organization. He went on to tell me this:
"My wife went to one of those, like, beauty colleges to get her hair cut. She wanted a Chinese Bob, but they, like, cut her hair real short, so she looks like a boy. So she went back in so they could fix it, and they, like, cut it even shorter. Just made it worse. So we called to get a refund, so we could, like, go have it fixed. So, like, what can we do?"
I was almost too shocked to laugh, although that didn't last long. I promptly told him that, while I did not know that he had a claim, if he did, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division would be his best bet.
If I were actually allowed to give out advice over the phone, I would say this:
Um, like, hair grows back.

badass female of the week

Meet the youngest college professor in history. She's smart, ambitious, musically talented, and only 19!!!

The only thing is: who would want to go to college between the ages of 10 and 14??? Oberlin definitely wouldn't let her in to Safer Sex Night OR Drag Ball.

take a second to laugh

Remember playing Opposite Day?

yet another reason not to wear crocs

If you needed more convincing not to wear crocs, maybe this article will help you decide. I personally think they shouldn't be worn by adults for anything other than gardening, but since the weather has gotten warm, I've noticed them everywhere. Just one trend I've never understood.

Apparently Anna Wintour likes crocs though...

"the last explosive art in the art community"

I haven't come up with a lot to say on this yet, but wanted to share it. Thanks to Ari for the link and title.

Update: Apparently Yale is now disputing the true nature of this exhibit, and the artist is disputing their dispute.

Who knows what to think at this point, but what I find really interesting is that people on both sides of the choice/life debate are coming out against the project. Yet, no one is addressing what the artist's intention was: to spark an intelligent discourse on the issue of choice and body. It seems that while she wasn't doing it for the shock value, that is, of course, what happened. How could it not?

badass female of the week

Just....awesome.

sometimes the NY Times really pisses me off

Yes, I admit it, I am an avid reader and general supporter of the NY Times. It's my national news source, as well as my way to pretend I know about current arts and cultural events. Yet, progressive and compelling commentary on social [injustice] issues it has not done well lately.
This morning I woke up to a story on how, despite all the silly hubbub of an economic recession (who needs jobs anyways?!), super rich assholes, pardon me, people, are still spending tons of money!! Thank Gawd. Whoo..I was really worried there for a second that with all the job cuts, inflation, foreclosures, and ridiculous spending on war instead of social programs, the wealthiest 1% of the population wasn't going to be able to buy their $10 million + apartments in the city. I think my favorite part [please read sarcasm] of the article was when one of these random richies had this thoughtful and articulate response to the subprime (generally not the million-dollar home) market crisis:
“I don’t want to sound harsh, but the people who were buying million-dollar houses with a combined household income of $70,000 or $80,000 were the ones who were chasing easy money,” he said.

Wow. He's really been living under a rock hasn't he? First of all, this is NOT the issue with the rise in foreclosures; I don't see too many people getting booted from their million-dollar homes. Second of all, if this was the issue, at some point it is the responsibility of the bank or mortgage company to say, "Yo, hold the bus. Your income doesn't support this kind of loan!"
Lastly, as another random richie stated, recession doesn't really affect him. Could it really be that they just don't notice having to spend a little more on food, gas, and a roof over their head?? Unfortunately, for something like the other 98% of the population, we are no longer having our caviar and eating it, too.

At least the NY Times can somewhat redeem themselves with stories on Appalachia.

Let me introduce you to Spud and Dos, brother and sister.
My friend Nick and I (with some assistance from a local farmer) found them on the side of the road in Roane County. Someone had dumped them there in a bag. I couldn't resist, so now I have not one, but two [at least] half-German Shepherd pups in my apartment. Don't tell my landlord.
Initially, they were very scared, and had obvious signs of abuse and trauma. It only took one night sleeping in my bed and one day playing in the apartment to turn into very troublesome, yet cute, puppies. Dos is WAY tougher than her brother, might I add.

John's Blog

John graduated last year with B and ran on the team with us. He's currently traveling around visiting obies who are doing Shansi in various Asian countries. He too has a blog and is writing about some cool stuff or whatever. Check it out. John's vocab has really soared since graduating, way to go John!

b's book of the weekend

I just want to post about this really great book I read recently. It was given to me by my friend Alan (BIG thanks!) and I highly recommend it.
It's called Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, written by Jonathan Safran Foer. He also wrote Everything is Illuminated, which was made into a movie. I didn't read that one, but saw the movie and loved it.
Extremely Loud is written (mostly) from the perspective of a nine year old boy whose father died on 9/11; he finds a key in his Dad's suit and goes on a quest to find it's lock. That's a way simplified explanation, but I don't want to ruin anything! Anyways, I say check it out if you haven't. It's one of the most beautiful and endearing stories I've ever read.

blogging on blogs

I will probably post a lot on my favorite blogs out there, so here's my first review of a great blog written by a farmer. I can't even imagine what life on a farm is like, but this guy really gives you a good taste of it. I really liked the part about how saying Happy Easter to everyone couldn't be offensive. Subscibe to this one folks, it's a winner!

beer cheerleaders

Thanks to Sara for alerting me to the Miami Marlin Manatees.

This pretty much made my Friday.

sometimes i just don't get it

This is just bizarre to me. I'm not even sure what to think/say on the issue, not to mention the story (or should I just call it as it is, the advertisement) is lacking in details.
Why is the US Military recruiting people from a country that has been in a civil war for over 20 years? Why would Ugandans, who have been fighting rebel groups and suffering heavily from this war, want to travel to the US to get picked up by another government's military to fight more? Maybe this is the ultimate bleeding heart response, but can't we invest this amount of time, energy, and money in peace? Or is that just too much to hope for?

olympic official calls torch protests "crisis"

So, does that mean he doesn't consider the Tibetan people's situation or China's indifference to promoting human rights a crisis?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Olympics, the love of competition, the spirit of athletic accomplishment, but the International Olympic Committee's fierce stance against protests that have been disrupting the torch relay that was made known in today's NY Times is quite ignorant.
Many people are trying to argue that the Olympics are neither the time nor place for politics and protests against human rights violations. Personally, this is a pretty overly simplified view of an event that brings together almost every nation in the world, while almost every nation in the world watches. What do we say to those who have no chance at participating in or watching said event due to atrocities going on in their country or region? That even though we are promoting unity through sport on a world level with the Olympic games, we actually don't want to hear your whining even if unity and sport are not accessible to you? Because calling protests on behalf of those suffering at the hands of China's government a "crisis", and thus an inhibitor to your so-called unity, pretty much tells these people that you only care about this unity when it doesn't interrupt your fun and games.
The Olympic games are a world forum, whether the IOC likes it or not. If we are going to promote the love of competition on a world level, we need to make sure the entire world is able to participate. Generally, this means people aren't dying, starving, or being oppressed first, because I'd imagine suffering in said situation makes it hard to train for a 10k.

Lastly, I can't help but point out the complete irony in this comment made by a Swiss IOC member. Denis Oswald is quoted as saying that those disrupting the relay “do not respect the freedom of people who want to enjoy it.”
Seriously? Seriously?? He's going to bring up respecting freedom??? First of all, where is the respect of Tibetan freedom? And last time I checked (at least in San Francisco's case), we have the freedom to protest...

life before death

There is a new exhibit at the Welcome Collection in London called Life Before Death. It is a photographer's look at hospice patients both during their care and after their passing. This is a very interesting concept, for it asks us to consider what we can learn about life by thinking about death. It is also interesting to consider the controlled environment in which the photographer made this study: a hospice environment where patients are suffering from long-term illnesses and know their death is imminent.
Take a look for yourself.

A few things I thought about were whether or not I'd feel/think differently if there was no information about the person next to their picture. Also, what if all the people weren't at least in their 40s?

At the least, the pictures are quite compelling.

good morning.

The first email I opened this morning was from this woman who is the mom of a boy I ran high school track with. At first I thought she was updating alumni about his running, something she's done in the past. Then I opened it and it was really an email from reunion.com saying that this woman searched for me on there. How weird is that? Who searches for people using their email address on reunion.com? Aren't you just supposed to use facebook?

update: I got another email like this one but the person this time was a family friend. My guess is that reunion.com got a hold on people's contact lists or something and spammed the hell out of them. I'm not as creeped out anymore by the individuals but now by companies like that.

a friendly and warm welcome

This is my inauguration to the blogging world. I decided to make it fun and let you in on a few things I love:

Inspirational Running Videos

Chaka Khan

Pop music on unexpected instruments

R. Kelly acting really, really dumb

Paris Hilton acting really, really dumb