The Lazy Editor

Race and Health Care Reform

2010-03-28T20:54:00.003-05:00

Rather than weight in on the health care bill with a hearty eye-roll at the Tea Party movement, I point to Frank Rich's New York Times Op-Ed. He suggests that the conservative outrage over the bill stems from underlying racism.

I can't help but think he's right. If congressman Emanuel Cleaver were white, I don't think that protester would have spit on him.

Can This Pickle Survive Chad Kroeger?

2010-02-22T09:39:00.004-06:00

What does it take to get me to post something new?

Nickelback threatening to take down the Facebook fan page Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback?

While internet copyright law is vague (it always take the law a little while to catch up to technology), I'm pretty sure the band cannot get the page taken down by threat of legal action. Now they might (with all their corporate dollars) be able to get Facebook to take it down. I think someone from Slate or some other slightly edgy internet news/opinion publication needs to do a story on this. Or maybe some blogger already has and I'm not savvy enough to know about it.

I think Nickelback's attempt to get the page taken down will only solidify their reputation for making bad music for pricks.

Liz Lemon's Boyfriends Never Last Long

2010-01-12T17:43:00.002-06:00

And neither do mine.

Last night, a friend of mine said that, in opposition to the stereotypes, librarians tend to be good-looking. This should work to my favor, except for that whole 3:1 gender ratio...

This Is Why I Read Missed Connections

2009-10-16T13:07:00.001-05:00

What a gem:

Okra Graffiti Girl (Rio Rita)

Date: 2009-10-15, 11:10PM CDT

Oh you poor thing.

They just don't understand like I do. They don't know what you've been through.

Because they're Unforgiving Assholes, they didn't take the time to think that anyone so sadly lacking in self-control and basic decency --not to mention hygiene and concern for the health of others-- was either raised by particularly ill-mannered wolves OR was reeling from the blows that come from realizing your mother, aware of your antics, had died of shame.

Don't listen to them sugarlump; I'm here for you in your time of need.

I was as scandalized as you were to find out that mean, vicious bartender had the NERVE to not want your ill-mannered paws in the ingredients for one of the most popular, often-requested drinks in town. Clearly he doesn't get you like I do.

He doesn't understand like I do, how you have deep, important, meaningful okra-affiliated needs that cannot justly be checked by mere trivialities like health codes, manners, or the basic fundamental tenet that stealing is wrong, even though it's the corner stone of all major world religions and codes of conduct.

Don't worry about them baby; if stealing from a beloved locally-owned independent establishment is wrong, darling...I don't want you to be right.

You had every right to expose each and every patron in the bar to your own particularly delightful bouquet of pathogens and microscopic filth. In fact, next time I go into a bar and ask for a drink, I'm going to specially request someone who has no discernible concern for hygiene go ahead and give a good healthy sneeze right into the glass. You can't spell microbrew without microbe. Kinda.

And finally, I want you to know you have my full support with your little public art installation in the ladies room. Sure every other person on the planet might see your tenth-grade yearbook handwriting and think "what a sad, whiny, entitled little ball of hair, teeth and ego" and then laugh and laugh imagining you scribbling furiously, high on impotent righteous indignation like you just found out you didn't make Homecoming Court even though you totally let Bobby Hannigan go to third after flag practice because his aunt knew the woman whose husband counted the final ballots.

Don't worry the rest of the world is laughing at you and the permanent icon to your own jaw-dropping stupidity, but not I. We're a team now. I understand your poignant, poignant pain and I want to help. You have a message Okra Girl, a message for the world, and soon, the e.coli of justice will be spread through this great big condiment tray we call America!

Location: Rio Rita
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Don't Move Here!

2009-10-06T12:32:00.003-05:00

The bumper sticker of all bumper stickers, except that it's so necessary a phrase that it's painted on, rather than stuck on. Courtesy of a loser with iPhone.

Is It Just Me?

2009-09-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

Or does the terrorist suspect look a lot like every other Austin hipster guy? Read the story here.

What Would Carson Want?

2009-09-24T14:04:00.004-05:00

Of the people who read this blog, I'm pretty sure none of them would care about this nearly as much as I do. But many of you are literature nerds, so I hope you can appreciate my agitation here.

Since high school, I've had a fascination with Carson McCullers. She grew up in Columbus and is, by far, the most notable literary figure to come from that town. One could argue that she's the most notable person, well, ever to come from Columbus. (The guys who invented Coca-Cola and baseball player Frank Thomas could also take the title, I suppose...)

All that to say, Columbus's snooty, old-school Southern elite ignored her and her literary accomplishments for years. No wonder she never came back to live there. (This makes her decidedly different from my most favorite Georgia writer, Flannery O'Connor). Poor Carson, she was outcasted by them while she was growing up, outcasted after she proved herself to them. I've always identified with her (outcasted writer!) and like her, I hope to never live in Columbus again, if I can help it. (Although, being honest with myself, I will never be as successful as she was...)

Ok, so we've established that I love Carson McCullers. Now for the really good stuff. I recently made a discovery while researching for my Intro to Archives class. The Columbus State University archives held a collection of McCullers papers for a while. The collection must have been sold sometime recently because I found this suspicious link, suggesting that CSU had some of McCullers's papers but now no longer do. I have reason to believe those papers were purchased, at some point, by UT's prestigious Harry Ransom Center here in Austin (although they could also be at Duke University or Emory University).

This leaves me rather conflicted. Part of me feels strongly that those papers should stay at CSU, so that the city of Columbus can continue to atone for its neglect of her. However, I'm not sure that's what she'd want. While she was alive, she wanted nothing to do with Columbus (although she mined it -- well, mined her negative experiences there -- for the settings of her novels and stories). And it's great that the Ransom Center, which is practically in my backyard, has this kick-ass collection of her work (albeit an artificial collection, which goes against some archivists' principles).

Still, I wonder if those papers should have stayed in Columbus. A lot of people there have embraced McCullers and the literary tradition she established for the city. She certainly left a mark on my literary development, one that is different from any other writer, simply because we share Columbus as a hometown.

Missed Connections and The Summation of Hipster Culture

2009-09-22T17:05:00.005-05:00

That sounds like the title of a paper, and that's how I'm thinking these days: in terms of assignments, journal articles, presentation, and of course, papers.

But onto the good stuff. I took a break from school work and work work today to check out Craig's List Missed Connections, and found this gem (and I think it speaks for itself):

Hipster girls of Austin

I see you, cute hipster girls of Austin. I see you rocking that Deep V wheelset at the Thursday night social ride, or writing the next great American collection of poems at the corner table at Quack's, or browsing the Mamet archives at the Harry Ransom Center, or listening to the XX on your iPod at a bus stop because the Dirty Projectors are so two months ago. I see you with your wisely chosen and very artful and very sexy tattoos, your carefully-but-not-too-carefully maintained hair, perhaps with highlights of an unusual, biologically impossible color. I see you with your impeccably snazzy clothes, no doubt skillfully curated from countless Cream Vintage visits.

And I just want all of you to know: you are all very hot. Every Pitchfork-reading, farmer's-market-shopping, liberal-arts-college-educated inch of you.

I know I can never be with you, cute hipster girl. My bicycle has not only brakes, but multiple gears. It is, in fact, a hybrid, the fanny pack of the bicycle world. I am entirely free of tattoos. My facial hair is patchy at best, so I am unable to grow a beard. I live west of I-35. I am not a member of a lo-fi shoegaze indie pop band that sometimes gigs at Progress Coffee, and indeed I can't play any musical instruments. I can't even play the ukulele, the fanny pack of the indie rock world. I find Wes Anderson somewhat tedious, and I have not read a single issue of McSweeney's in anything even vaguely resembling its entirety. My jeans do not hug my legs, and I do not have a single stylishly retro vest or hat in my closet. I rarely listen to KUT or KVRX. Although I own a Moleskine, I have to be honest with you — I don't really write in it that much. I went to the Chuck Close show at the Austin Museum of Art and I'm pretty sure I didn't get it. I shop at HEB and not Wheatsville.

My appreciation of Hall and Oates is entirely non-ironic. I occasionally eat meat.

But the biggest problem, hipster girl of Austin, is that you're just too intimidating in your good taste and vaguely-counterculture-but-not-threateningly-eccentric hotness for me to ever work up the pluck to talk to you. I know I will never be cool enough. Le sigh.

But that's okay. You still brighten my vinyl happy hours at Waterloo Records and my Shangri-La visits. Thank you, hipster girl. You rock my world, and you make it look so easy. Carry on with your Bianchi Pista self.

Oncoming Headlights Do Not Bother Me As Much

2009-08-25T15:00:00.003-05:00

I've recently started drinking kombucha, thanks mostly to Carol's homebrewing. (Seriously, I greatly appreciate it, Carol.) Since I've been carrying around jars of the stuff, people have been asking me about the gelatinous jellyfish thing floating in my tea.

Thus, I have to explain kombucha. ("It's fermented tea, made with a live bacteria culture, blah, blah, blah. It's really good for you, blah, blah, blah.") Still, people don't understand why I'd want to drink vinegar flavored-tea with bacteria growing in it.

So Carol sent me a list entitled The Benefits of Kombucha, compiled by a Yahoo kombucha group. All the benefits are testimonial and not backed up by medical science. With some consideration to these dubious origins, here are my favorite "benefits":

Has brought me into contact with some very caring people
Addictive taste
Makes a good hair rinse
Shrinking large fatty tumor
Oncoming headlights do not bother me as much
I can see the pupils of my eyes again without glasses
Good underarm deodorant
For some people; eliminates desire for alcohol, & helping to relax
People begin taking responsibility for their own health

Hippies and their homeopathic cures... I will say this: Kombucha has made a significant difference with my digestive health. As for eliminating the desire for alcohol and seeing the pupil of my eyes, I'll let you know.

Watch the Taking Woodstock Trailer Here

2009-08-25T14:56:00.003-05:00

You Tube once again disabled a video. So you can watch the Taking Woodstock trailer here. Plus, this one has a good Demetri Martin intro.

I still haven't seen the movie. If you have, let me know what you thought.

In Other Families, This Would Be a Big Fuckin' Deal

2009-08-14T16:40:00.003-05:00

First watch this trailer:

The motel featured in this movie is the El Monaco. My grandfather bought the place two weeks after the events of this movie took place. He owned it for 35 years after that, selling it in 2004. He died in 2005, and in 2007, the town tore part of it down to build a clocktower.

I always knew Woodstock took place at Yasgur Farm, close to the El Monaco, but I never knew the extent of the restaurant/motel's role in the logistics of festival planning. In fact, when I first saw this trailer, I thought "Wait, did he just say 'El Monaco'? Could it possibly the same El Monaco that belonged to my crazy Italian family?"

Sure enough it is. And for the record, it looked nothing like the place in the movie.

And sure enough, my crazy Italian family never told me about the place's unique history. I just knew it had a vague connection to Woodstock, nothing my family played up. Crazies. I shake my head.

Choose Your Own Apocolypse!

2009-08-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not the only crazy person out there!

Quirky Is Not Bad (For Movies)

2009-07-30T11:58:00.003-05:00

Ok, I know this comes as no big surprise, but I loved both 500 Days Of Summer and Away We Go. I realize that now the indie film aesthetic has gone mainstream, and there's nothing particularly new or experimental about either of these films. And I'll even admit that the quirk in both films border on cliche.

But here's the thing: Both films gave me what I want from a movie. Good stories, likable characters, funny situations, and some sweet, sad, beautiful moments. I don't really care if it's become cliche. I feel like I got my $8 worth.

500 Days has been criticized for being too much style over substance, and I'll grant that. There's a narrator, a musical number, black and white scenes that try too hard to look like a classic French film. But overall, I didn't really mind. It's also been labeled Nora Ephron for hipsters. So what? Nora Ephron makes romantic comedies that are actually good. While there are cliche elements to the story, [spoiler alert!] Tom and Summer don't stay together. There aren't many romantic comedies that feature a break-up between the leads...

As for Away We Go, I loved it. By far, it was my favorite movie of the summer (although Up comes close). First of all, it features a couple that has been together for a long time and still love each other and have a real friendship. Movies don't show us happy, established couples, and here come Burt and Verona. Plus, the supporting cast all put in great performances, and I particularly loved Maggie Gyllenhal as the crazy, hypocritical hippie. The film manages to move subtly towards poignancy, and while some critics may feel like they were being manipulated, I didn't mind at all.

Sometimes, you want your emotions manipulated a little bit. That's what movies offer us. They don't always have to be realistic or believable. I'm ok with that.

Thanks, Federal Government, for Forcing My Giant Corporate Employer to Pay Me More

2009-07-23T11:26:00.004-05:00

Minimum wage is going up this week, from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour. This is great news for me, seeing as I can hardly pay rent at $7/hour right now.

I don't claim to know much about economics, but it seems that all those people who say that this will cause inflation and further problems have never had to live on minimum wage... But I guess us bleeding hearts never take macroeconomics into consideration. We're just too blinded by our ideals.

Yeah, tell that to the single mother who's your grocery cashier.

Clarification on "If You're Interested..."

2009-07-20T09:44:00.002-05:00

I figured I better post the text of the Craig's List Missed Connection ad in question, seeing as it might get taken down (as happens to CL ads).

Hot Austin Librian at Chicago Conf. - m4m - 38 (Memphis)

Reply to: ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}
Date: 2009-07-13, 8:50PM CDT

Uou were the very hot, masculine librian at the recent conference in Chicago. We chatted and exhcanged names and a few other key pieces of information. I would love to chat more. In fact, I may start READING MORE..just to go to the Library.....

If You're Interested in Asking Out A Librarian...

2009-07-17T13:03:00.003-05:00

... you better spell the word librarian correctly.

http://austin.craigslist.org/mis/1268667771.html

Bananarchy and Chaos In the Blogospshere!

2009-07-01T14:37:00.004-05:00

I occasionally write food feature stories for The Onion/Austin Decider website. I've had a lot of fun with it, met some inspiring Austinites, stirred up some controversy, and now I've helped get a local food cart get some national buzz. My recent story on Bananarchy has been re-blogged. Several times.

Videogum

Entertainment Weekly

Comedy Central

And I know. The chocolate banana in the photo looks like a penis. Enough already.

By This Logic, I'm Desirable

2009-06-29T13:54:00.003-05:00

I've blogged about other blogs, and one of my favorites is Stuff White People Like (although posts are becoming more and more infrequent due to the blogger's incessant book touring...)

But read this paragraph from the latest post on Vespa Scooters:
As it stands, every single white person on earth either owns, has owned, or is dreaming about owning a Vespa Scooter. And why not? They are Italian, feature vintage design, low emissions, make the rider look more sophisticated, and they carry a little bit of risk. In fact, were it to have a liberal arts degree and a steady income, a Vespa scooter would possesses every important quality that a white person looks for in a spouse.

Look at that list of important qualities:

Italian
vintage design
low emissions
sophisticated
little bit of risk
liberal arts degree
steady income

Sound familiar? Reminiscent of any vintage-clothes-wearing-hipster-in-denial-self-proclaimed-lazy-editor you know?

Yep, I posses a chunk of those "important qualities a white person looks for in a spouse." I'm working on the low emissions and steady income. Sophisticated is probably not applicable (you should've seen me this weekend at kareoke...) I'm also not sure how risky I am. I'm pretty stable and don't like to drive at high speeds. But I've got the rest covered. Why then am I still single???

Oh wait. These are qualities attributed to a scooter.

[As for other entertaining blogs, Anslee sent me a link to this one: Look at this fucking hipster.]

Harold Sightings

2009-06-24T16:04:00.006-05:00

I always say Austin is a big city that feels like small town, as long as you stay centrally in the city and run in certain circles. For indie-concert-going hipsters, that circle is rather small (in comparison to the general population of the city).

Seeing as I go to a lot of shows, I see the same people--complete strangers or vague acquaintances--over and over again. Such is the case with Harold.

But Harold is not your average hipster. Oh no. First of all, his name probably isn't Harold. I've never actually met him, so I have no idea what his name is. My friends Gloria and Charlene named him that after spotting him at several shows. They decided the name Harold suited him best.

He's unusual in that he's probably in his late 30s, possibly early 40s. He's Asian, wears chunky glasses and has a little goatee. I often see him wearing a vintage Carpenters t-shirt, although in the less-hot months, he wears a white denim jacket. He also tends to drink Lone Star but is never visibly drunk.

He's almost always alone, but I have noticed him talking to people. In fact, when I saw Neko Case back in March, I spotted him in a group. He stood in the same spot and talked to a couple of white guys before Neko took the stage. He has rather girly taste in music. I saw him at Lykke Li's free show at Waterloo Records and most recently at a Jenny Lewis show. That said, I also saw him during SXSW at a free show in Waterloo Park that featured a lot of punk bands. It was even more strange to spot him at the recent Black Moth Super Rainbow concert. BMSR is not quite in the same category as Jenny Lewis...

In writing this, I've also realized I've observed way too much about this guy, but at least I admit it. Plus, Gloria did most of the groundwork of observation. We've discussed introducing ourselves and finding out his story (and real name). But I like the mystery. It's better knowing him simply as Harold. Half the fun of going to shows is looking for him.

Some Things Annoying Me Lately

2009-06-22T15:01:00.007-05:00

1) Governor Rick Perry is at it again. This time, he vetoed a bill that would require drivers to actually to be safer when driving near cyclists and pedestrians. How are people to be encouraged to get out of their cars if they don't even feel safe on the roads? I say this as a novice road cyclist who is deathly afraid of motor traffic. I would like to become less reliant on my car, but I don't feel comfortable. This bill would encourage people like me to get out of our cars and our on bikes. That would better for Texas, Perry, but you're probably too much in bed with oil and car companies to care about your citizens' safety. I can't wait for the next gubernatorial election...

2) A local food blogger has decided to change her name because a major corporation has gone after her for copyright infringement. She hasn't outed the company, although I wish I knew who it was so I could write them a nasty letter for going after such a little guy. I'm sure she's trying to minimize the damage and not cause any unnecessary trouble, but this is ridiculous. I'm all in favor of people protecting their intellectual property. However, this isn't so much a case of First Amendment rights as one about a corporation creating a witch hunt to "protect its brand." I don't think this is what the writers of the Constitution had in mind when they instituted freedom of speech. The plus side is that a lot more people are reading her blog now.

[A similar case has come up against local rollergirl Crackerjack. Frito-Lay (owner of Cracker Jack snacks) is suing her for stealing their name. Also ridiculous and unnecessary.]

3) This is far less political. I'm in general annoyed with people's lack of cell phone ettiquette. Can't you shut up long enough to place an order? I'll probably return to this in a few days. For now, I just feel better ranting all these things to my gracious audience.

Juneteenth

2009-06-19T14:52:00.004-05:00

Seeing as I grew up in Georgia--a state that only removed a racist symbol from its flag in the last ten years--I understand what it's like to be from a place with a blotted history. Texas has more than it's fair share of embarrassments (past and present).

But I was fascinated to learn about the history behind the annual Juneteenth celebration. I mean, I had not idea this happened. I always thought that when Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, it freed all slaves in the United States and the Confederacy.

Not Texas. Slaves in Texas were not freed until June 19, 1865 three years later. Union general George Granger and a few thousand troops came to Galveston to enforce the proclamation, thus freeing thousands of slaves in East Texas. The following year, freed slaves starting celebrating June 19, calling in Juneteenth, and it's recognized around the world as a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. .

Interesting sub-note: According to Wikipedia, slavery was not as common in Hill Country (which includes the Austin area) because German settlers were against the practice. So this area was progressive even back in then...

But Texas still can't make good on this interesting holiday. Several states have adopted Juneteenth as a state holiday, including places as far away as California and New York. But it's not an official state holiday here. State employees can use it as a floating holiday, but it's essentially the same as PTO. That said, people around here continue to have Juneteenth celebrations, so at least the people of Texas recognize the importance of this bit of history, even if the state government doesn't.

Do You Know the Historical Significance Of Tonight?

2009-06-01T14:28:00.003-05:00

Today is June 1st. I'm sure some important historical events happened on this day in the past. But as for today -- June 1, 2009 -- I have to remind everyone that Conan O'Brien will be hosting his first episode of The Tonight Show.

I will be attending a viewing party with other people who take this as seriously as I do.

Sin Nombre

2009-05-22T11:44:00.005-05:00

Two nights ago, my roommates and I went to see the movie Sin Nombre. It's an indie film in limited release right now and entirely in Spanish. This is first feature film I've seen in months that was actually in it's first-run, wide(ish) release. I've been to see special screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse, but those were small films with one-time showings.

But back to Sin Nombre. It's an intense film that focuses on the intersecting stories of two teenagers trying to immigrate from Central America to the U.S. Willy is on the run from his Mexican gang, while Sayra is leaving Honduras with her father and uncle. While the plot is pretty fast-paced, the film has a strong sense of realism. I left feeling that it was an accurate representation of gang violence and immigration.

I still haven't quite recovered--it's violent and, at times, disturbing. But it presents the characters with empathy and dignity, and the stark realism is, oddly, refreshing. It's worth seeing, although I'm not sure I'll be watching it again for at least several months.

Give a Girl on a Bike a Break

2009-05-18T11:32:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the lovely weather yesterday (lovely: not 90+ degrees), I went on a bike ride with my roommate and a friend around the East Side. As we were making our way back home, some asshole threw an unopened can of beer at my roommate, hitting her ankle and bike frame and spraying open. He managed to throw that sucker over a fence, but I still can't figure out what his motive was. He yelled something at her, but I didn't catch it because I was desperately peddling to pass a bus before it moved into the bike lane for a stop.

So was he just being an obnoxious drunk or is this another example of drivers' embittered resentment against cyclists?

Near Chaos At the Airport!

2009-05-13T09:45:00.005-05:00

I just got back from a 5-day trip to Georgia, and my general knowledge of regional airports leads me to expect 1) Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International to be a zoo (though a well-coordinated one) and 2) Austin Bergstrom International to be a a breeze.

Not so yesterday.

I have yet to find any news coverage, but from my standpoint as a traveler, here's what happened: First of all, there was a film crew doing something there. They had taken over a gate and looked like they were filming a scene involving someone either getting on or off a plane. This is not that unusual because of Friday Night Lights and Austin's independent film scene. Still, it was a little exciting to poke around after getting off my flight and see the crew at work.

But then! People were trying to go down one set of escalators to baggage claim, and security officers were directing us to the other escalators to the left. I thought this had something to do with filming. So I used the other escalator, and at the bottom, an airport employee (not a security officer) was yelling at everyone to stay back because baggage carousels 3-5 were closed. Once again, I figured this had something to do with filming.

She directed people to where their luggage would be for every airline except for Delta, which was, of course, my airline. People from my flight swarmed around her, and she kept saying she didn't have any information about Delta. She was yelling a lot, telling people to stay back. Finally, some security officers in uniform sectioned off the restricted area, and we finally found out that they were investigating a "suspicious bag."

My luggage had been sent to carousel 5 (which is where luggage from Delta flights usually go at ABIA) so they had to send them back to carousel 1, but I only figured this out because I saw other people from my flight getting their bags. Around this time, the film crew was packing up their stuff. I have no idea what happened to the "suspicious bag" or what they were filming. I'll keep looking at local news sites. Honestly, as annoying as the ordeal was, it was a little bit exciting...

Texas Will Secede and Then We'll All Die of Swine Flu

2009-04-28T15:19:00.007-05:00

Texas has been in the news a lot lately.

First, our brilliant governor Rick Perry made a joke (or was it more serious? I think so) about Texas seceding from the nation at large because of Obama's stimulus plan.

Despite all the bad sports references, David Faris properly assessed the situation in his op-ed piece Don't Mess With Texas--Get Rid of It. In the event that Texas does seceed and Austin stayed with the larger liberal U.S., I think I'd have to move (as much as I wouldn't want to). Options would be: Portland, Madison, San Francisco, Asheville, New York, possibly Decatur/East Atlanta.

Then there's swine flu. Good grief. I live approximately 80 miles from San Antonio, the location of Texas's 6 cases of swine flu. I'm not about to start wearing a mask, and I think this is just another example of media hooplah. But let's not forget that I'm uninsured and tend to be a conspiracy theorist.

So maybe Texas should seceed and quarantine all cases of swine flu. In which case, I'll hop on the next flight to Portland.

[If you think I'm kidding, read this: Texas Secede!]

Corner Store Characters

2009-04-27T12:20:00.003-05:00

Anslee and I went to a birthday party Saturday night, and not to be ones to show up to a house party empty-handed, we decided to stop somewhere for a six pack of beer. HEB was closed, and most of the East Side convenience stores just seemed, well, sketchy.

Finally, we stopped at the Corner Store (that's seriously it's name) on Airport, just west of 35. While this is not quite the East Side, it's still not the nicest part of Austin, despite it's proximity to Hyde Park. But we decided to brave it anyway.

The parking spots were not clearly marked, so I drove past the gas pumps and this old man with a beer belly was walking very slowly to his car. I wasn't really sure how to maneuver around him, and then out of nowhere, a Hispanic guy on a bike rides right through the open parking spots, going about as fast as the old man on foot.

So I managed to wait for both of them and park (although the guy on a bike waved to me to acknowledge the fact that I did not run him over). We made our way inside, grabbed some Shiner, and went to the open register. A surfer/stoner-looking white guy with long, stringy hair greeted us as we came in, but he was busy talking to the bike guy in Spanish, so we went to the other register.

Anslee and I have been trying to figure out exactly where the other cashier is from. He was black and had an accent that could be: 1) West African (or maybe some other region of Africa, but my guess is West African) 2) Carribean (although probably not Jamaican) 3) Cajun/Creole from Louisiana. We could not understand a word he said. He was very friendly and talkative, and we asked him about lottery tickets because we thought it would be funny to get the birthday girl a scratch ticket. But apparently, they had run out on Friday. At least, I think this is what our cashier friend said. He also gave Anslee instructions about the debit card machine, but, once again, she couldn't understand him. I guess he has to deal with dumb Americans who can't understand him on a regular basis, poor guy, but he knew the drill well enough to direct her.

So we waved good-bye to both the stoner cashier and the African/Carribean/Creole cashier and made our way back to the car. On our way, the old guy with the beer belly was walking back into the store to buy something else (he had already purchased a case of Natty Light). The guy on the bike was peddling off, and as he passed us walking to the car, he hacked up the biggest lugy we've ever seen come out of a human being. Damn those Austin allergies.

Are You Following Jesus This Close?

2009-04-20T13:13:00.005-05:00

My friend Sunny from New York was in town last week, and all my friends and I are trying to convince her to move to Austin. While driving around funky South Austin, we were behind this truck, which might just have the creme de la creme of Austin bumper stickers. Case and point to why she should move here.

Camera Obscura. Damn.

2009-04-14T15:50:00.002-05:00

Camera Obscura's latest album, My Maudlin Career, is so good, it's worth purchasing. But you can listen to for free a week before it's released. Thanks again, NPR.

Neko Case is Chanelling Flannery O'Connor?

2009-04-07T12:08:00.004-05:00

I was reading from The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor last night, and I finished this one called 'Enoch and The Gorilla'. It's about a young man named Enoch who follows a traveling gorilla sideshow, and of course, the "gorilla" is only a guy in a suit. Enoch decides to steal the gorilla suit, but I'm still not sure if he killed the actor inside it.

Anyway, I've been reading these stories, and they're all pretty dark and funny, proving why O'Connor is the 20th century's foremost Southern gothic writer. I've also been listening to a lot of Neko Case lately. Well, I'm always listening to Neko Case. That's nothing noteworthy, really.

I don't know if it's just because I've been reading these stories while simultaneously digesting Case's work (including her new album) but I've drawn some paralells. Case sings in such a way -- with that raw alto voice -- that I imagine sounding something like Flannery O'Connor. I don't mean that O'Connor would sound like Neko Case. It's just that her voice seems to embody O'Connor's gothic presence. Then I look at the subjects of Case's songs: deadly car accidents, serial killers, ghost stories, finding dead birds, losing fingers in a cannery. All pretty dark, sometimes funny, and provoking in a way that makes you really think about human nature.

Sounds a lot like Flannery O'Connor's stories.

Current Financial Priorities

2009-03-30T11:54:00.007-05:00

I'm in the trenches of unemployment. My only income for the last month has come from a small handful of published stories and restaurant reviews. Otherwise, I'm living on piddly savings and the kindness of friends who give me food.

But I know a job is just around the corner. I'm not using this as my personal pity-party venting mechanism. What I will whine about, however, is that there are several albums that I desperately want to buy but cannot afford at the moment. I decided after SXSW that I want to support the artists I love, so I'm going to purchase albums. For now, anyway.

Here's my wish list:

Bishop Allen - Grrr (Dumb title but I love them and want to give this new album an unbiased shot.)
M. Ward - Hold Time
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (This one can be streamed online at NPR.org, and I've listened to it a few times. It's so beautiful that I want to own it.)
Balmorhea - All is Wild, All is Silent
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (They played the new album in its entirety at an official SXSW showcase, which was also streamed on NPR. I've listened to it, but this concept album demands more of my time.)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Emmy the Great - First Love
Hey Marseilles - To Travels & Trunks

Life is Absurd, and Yesterday I Noticed

2009-03-27T11:14:00.007-05:00

I love the absurd. Strange things happen to me fairly regularly, and I should record them. All this happened yesterday:

It was about 10 a.m., and I heard a soft knock at the door. I figured it was the Jehovah's Witnesses because they're the only people who come by at 10 a.m. Sure enough, it was! But they were Spanish-speaking-only JWs. When I answered the door, they immediately started speaking Spanish to me (and I understood a good bit of it). Finally, one of them stopped and asked me, "Do you speak Spanish?" I answered with an enthusiastic "No!" They handed me two tracts (in English) and went on to the next house.

I received my Berry Alumni magazine in the mail yesterday, and tucked inside was a copy of the Spring 2009 newsletter for the United States Sports Academy. We get a lot of mail for the house's previous tenants, so I thought perhaps it was for one of them. No: It was addressed to a woman living in Philadelphia. It was post-marked out of Macon, Georgia, which is strange because the return address is in Alabama. My theory is that somewhere in Georgia, the Sports Academy newsletter slid into my Berry magazine and never saw the light of day until it reached Austin.

Finally, according to the Austin Chronicle, Danny DeVito will be in Austin tomorrow to sign bottles of his Limoncello liqueur. I texted most of my friends in Austin about it. My favorite reactions:

Gloria: If that isn't the bottom of the barrel, I don't know what is.
Dave: Weird. I love that butterball of a man.
Kev: Man, everybody's coming out with their own booze these days.
Leslie: Crazy I didn't know he had a liquor. What is it Wild Turkey?

And if you're interested in getting a bottle of Limoncello signed by Mr. DeVito, he'll be at the Twin Liquors at the Hancock Center tomorrow from 11 to 1.

SXSW: RIP (Until Next Year)

2009-03-24T13:49:00.005-05:00

Well, you'd had never known there was financial crisis going on, based on the annual insanity that is South by Southwest. Here are my highlights:

Paste magazine's free showcases. Free beer (in the morning), more free stuff, and lots and lots of great, free music. I could be in love with a publication.

Spotting Joseph Gordon Levitt at a party at the Mohawk. (Remember him? The kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun and 10 Things I Hate About You)

Au Revoir Simone. They are cute and endearing and so very Willaimsburg-hipster. Anslee and I met them on the Sixth Street Thursday night. We told them we loved their set at the Paste show, and they introduced themselves and talked to us for a little while.

Speaking of Williamsburg, if I had a dollar for everytime someone said, "I'm from Brooklyn but I'm thinking about moving here" I wouldn't be job searching right now.

That said, I don't want any Willaimsburg hipsters moving here. Being invaded once a year for a week is enough. We have enough of you skinny-jeaned, pretentious, pasty New Yorkers. Stay where you are. (Clarification: The ones I met were lovely people. I'd just rather they stay in New York. Texas is too hot for them anyway.)

The Round. Started in Seattle and transpanted in Austin courtesy of my friends at the Space12 community center, this gathering of artists was one the best events at SX this year.

Bands I saw (keep in mind I never paid a single cover):
The Wooden Birds
The Sad Accordians
Loney, Dear
M. Ward
Bishop Allen
The Wrens
The Avett Brothers
Girls
Little Boots
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Motel Motel
J. Tillman of Fleet Foxes
Laura Gibson
Loch Lomond
Hey Marsailles
King Kahn and the Shrines
Cursive
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
Vivian Girls
The Thermals
Explosions in the Sky
And I know there are more but I can't remember right now.

Conspiracy Theorists, Prepare

2009-03-24T13:41:00.003-05:00

Yep. The apocalypse is comin.

Also, a SXSW recap is coming.

I Got My Swim Trunks and My Flippy Floppies

2009-03-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

Another Good Austinish Bumper Sticker

2009-02-26T13:35:00.001-06:00

Middle Cyclone on NPR

2009-02-25T11:19:00.004-06:00

Remember when I wrote that post about NPR previewing Andrew Bird's new album?

Well, they've done it again: They're previewing my indie-rock lady crush Neko Case's new album Middle Cyclone. I'm only on track 2, but I love her so much I already like it.

Listen here.

Juxtaposition

2009-02-23T14:34:00.003-06:00

I'm ecstatic that Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture. It was the best movie I saw in 2008 (other than maybe Wall-E, which should've been nominated for Best Picture). I find the criticism somewhat warranted, seeing as the film was made by a mostly British crew.

In that context, I found this story/slideshow (and the comments) interesting. I'm happy to see people in Mumbai's slums celebrating this film, but there is a strange juxtaposition of such great poverty next to glitzy, glamorous Hollywood.

I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little

2009-02-05T13:18:00.000-06:00

Saving the Suburbs?

2009-02-04T11:30:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty much convinced that our American way of life will cease to exist within the next century. Hopefully, it won't be as desolate as Cormac McCarthy's depiction in The Road. Or as bad as those Canadian crackpots (or as I like to think of them, prophets) claim in the documentary The End of Suburbia.

But it looks like I'm not the only crazy one out there! New York Times blogger Allison Areiff has posted, not one, but two entries on saving the suburbs. I'm not sure such a feat is possible, but Ms. Areiff has offered some seemingly viable alternatives.

And props to KRDB Architects in Austin for getting a mention in the second post.

However: I still think the apocalypse is coming, folks. We need to learn how to garden.

Check Your Kid's Homework

2009-02-02T15:12:00.004-06:00

This has made its way around the fowarded email circuit, but it's so funny, I had to share.

Note from the child's mother to the teacher:
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

I Jumped the Gun

2009-01-30T13:56:00.006-06:00

I wasn't so sure the Dating A Banker Anonymous blog was real or just fluffy web satire. But then again, it was covered in the NY Times, so it had to be real, right?

Then I read NPR's Monkey See blog, which follows pop culture in the way that I would follow pop culture. (Read my post from a few days ago. You'll get the idea.) Monkey See blogger Linda Holmes did a little research into the DABA blog, and she pretty much convinced me it is fake.

I'm a sucker for anything that makes me feel superior to rich people, I guess.

No One's Recession-Proof

2009-01-28T14:43:00.001-06:00

Poor little rich girls: Dating A Banker Anonymous.

Pop Culture Hypocrisy

2009-01-27T13:23:00.006-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm only kidding myself that I'm distinctly high-brow when it comes to pop culture. I like to think I only expose myself to books, movies (or "film" as I like to think of it) and television I can consider art or commentary or above mainstream American appeal.

Who am I kidding?

Let's see - Top Chef, the highest rated food show on cable. The Office, one the most watched comedies on TV. And Juno? The largest grossing indie film in Fox Searchlight history.

I was going to write a post about my "issues" with the Oscar nominations, but the Gaza conflict has started up again, the Congo's death toll is more than 5 million and even here in Austin, the refugee population is rising. And all I can blog about is the Academy Award nominations? Does anyone watch the Academy Awards anymore?

But I'm not going to feel guilty. I think there's enough room in my life for passionate social justice activism and shallow love of media. After all, sometimes a film comes around that changes the way we think. Sometimes, a TV show can give us vital social commentary or even influence the outcome of an election. (Thanks, Tina.)

Now I gotta come back to my original point: Maybe the stuff I watch and read is slightly more ... quality than what most Americans are watching. But a lot of other people are into this stuff, too, and I'm ready to admit that I'm not any better than the mindless masses when it comes to my favorite shows and movies.

There is one specific reason I mention this: I bought Seasons 1 and 2 of 30 Rock, and I can't stop watching it. I spent about four hours yesterday watching Discs 1 and 2 of Season 1. I even had a dream about Jenna arguing with Liz.

My Beef with Top Chef

2009-01-15T15:58:00.004-06:00

I consider myself a practical foodie. I like accessible, affordable, and healthy food. I enjoy eating out and learning more about the palate. I'm an amateur home cook and a semi-professional local restaurant critic (professional only when The Onion decides to print my reviews, which isn't all that often).

So with this healthy obsession with good food, it's no surprise that I'm addicted to Bravo's Top Chef. The contestants on the show are high caliber, and the judges are the best of the best of the culinary world. I can only be in awe of the people on this show.

However, I have some issues with the show:

The Judges: Sometimes, I think the judges are too critical. I guess if my palate was as refined and I was being paid oodles of money to criticize food on television, I'd probably be a downright bitch, too. But they don't seem to enjoy the food at all. It can't be that bad. Sometimes it looks disgusting, but really, it can't be as terrible as they say it is. I think they exaggerate for the camera.
Padma: She does have some expertise, but for someone who has a BA in theater and no culinary training, I have a hard time trusting her as much as the other judges. She's my least favorite aspect of the show, but she's a supermodel, so she's not going anywhere. (Side note, Top Chef needs a Tim Gunn, a mentor who helps the contestants along but doesn't judge them.)
The Challenges: They are put under immense pressure during these ridiculous challenges. That's why it's good television. But sometimes, I wish the judges would take the challenges into account. I mean, it's got to be nearly impossible to create Thanksgiving dinner using toaster ovens, microwaves, and one burner. Ridiculous. I don't think they should make the challenges easier, but the judges should keep the challenge and conditions in mind when they judge the food.
This Week's Elimination: I'm most disappointed with the outcome as last night's show. Arianne was sent home because she made a poor lamb dish. But she was on a team that let her down. For those not watching the show, Arianne was on a team with two contestants who seem to have a romantic/sexual chemistry. I have a conspiracy theory that the producers encouraged the judges to oust Arianne because they want to develop the Hosea-Leah storyline. If so, it's bull shit and I thought Top Chef was a more highbrow competition reality show.

Needless to say, I'm bummed that Arianne is gone. But I'll keep watching for now.

Are We Getting the Full Story? Do We Even Want It?

2009-01-12T13:10:00.004-06:00

From the New York Times: Few in U.S. See Jazeera’s Coverage of Gaza War

Honestly, I'm glad this story was featured on the New York Times's website yesterday because I've been wondering if we've been getting a good picture of what's going on in Gaza. With borders closed and nearly 40 percent of casualties affecting women and children (this is not including grown male civilians), this war almost sounds like genocide.

The article above makes me wonder if here in the U.S. - the land of free speech and open media - we're experiencing a form of self-censorship. Perhaps we aren't getting the full story of this war (possibly about our own wars in the Middle East). I understand that Al-Jazeera is probably biased. Sure. It makes sense. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be getting stories from inside Gaza just because our government's been in bed with Israel since its foundation.

I have to wonder if we value our free speech and free press enough to be asking these questions. Americans are afraid to ask questions that may lead to more unsettling ones, but I always believed the system would get the right information out there. But it seems we've gotten a little too comfortable and the media isn't doing its job. So what next? Start watching Al-Jazeera on YouTube?

Yep. CDs Are Obsolete.

2009-01-07T17:42:00.003-06:00

Are most albums these days released online for free in some form?

Andrew Bird's latest isn't officially out until January 20, but NPR went ahead and put up for free on December 23. Well, you can stream it for free. Listen here.

As of track 3, it's a little cheerier than past efforts, and a little more produced. Plenty of whistling still, so I'm pleased.

More on the Food Issue

2009-01-05T14:08:00.004-06:00

The New York Times has published a few op-eds on the future of agriculture and food in this country. (Read them here and here.)

I keep thinking that in the next 50 years, the United States must become more agrarian simply to survive. Sometimes I play out a scenario of an environmental and economic apocalypse that destroys life as we know. Not life itself. People will keep living, but we won't be living this way. It's more than gardening, recycling, changing our lightbulbs. It's systemic. And we've got to do more.

If you're interested, take a good look at the Food Democracy Now website and read some of Michael Pollan's books. I think we can actually make some changes through grassroots politics. But we've got to do something.

Food Democracy Now

2008-12-30T14:50:00.004-06:00

Not everybody takes the time to read something like The Omnivore's Dilemma, but if you know anything about the sad state of agriculture in this country and want to see it change, you might be interested in this: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org

This petition aims to get influential reformers positions as Under Secretaries in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The site explains it better than I can.

All I know is that the Obama administration has a unique opportunity here, and we should do what we can to encourage them to make some needed changes.

Albums I Liked in 2008

2008-12-28T12:20:00.009-06:00

I wasn't as diligent this year in searching for new music. But this was a good year for folkies, so I had to do something. Here are some albums I liked this year:

The Overhyped, But Still Good
She & Him, Volume One - Zooey Deschanel, the cute hipster actress who is now pretty mainstream (Jim Carey's Yes Man, need I say more?) has a good voice. No really, she can sing (as we all witnessed in Elf). She didn't go the sad route of actress-turned-wannabe-pop star, and teamed up with M. Ward. They came up with retro-country inspired pop ditties that will not leave your head for months.

Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend - They owe quite a bit to Paul Simon, but these kids wrote some good songs and executed an excellent album. West African traditions and classical music blended into catchy summer pop music makes me suspect that they will be around for more than 15 minutes.

Delightful New Artists
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, We Brave Bee Stings and All - Thao might also fall into the overhyped category, but she is the deserved heir to Jenny Lewis. Her unique voice and provoking songs got under my skin, and I have not stopped listening to her album. On top of that, she has an engaging stage presence and along with her back-up band, the Get Down Stay Down, put on one of the best shows I saw this year.

Laura Marling, Alas, I Cannot Swim - Okay, enough already, we know: It's amazing that she's only 18 (or maybe 19 now). British singer/songwriter Marling put together a stunning debut with the best title of the year. I don't care if it's technically not "indie" because she's on a major label. She's so good, it doesn't matter.

Just Plain Solid
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst - Conor has left emo behind to embraced roots music and rock 'n roll. This has lead to a sound that, yes, we've heard before but is perhaps appropriate for our generation as never before. His maturity leads me to believe that he is the closest anyone will come to our generation's Dylan.

Mates of State, The Re-Arranger - The husband and wife duo left the San Francisco scene to "settle" in Connecticut, but then they've churned out two stellar albums in two years and still managed to go on tour with little kids in tow. Their latest captures the mood of a couple in their 30s and continues the unique sounds that made them so interesting in the first place. Settled? Not in the least.

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes - This is probably my favorite album of the year. The layering of a 70s folk sound over a choir of voices and instruments has a beautiful, melancholy tinge. It's almost like an Appalachian fairy. (I'm not kidding, this band seems right out of a mythical American wood, with long beards and bell-bottoms.) It's amazing.

Local Fun
Balmorhea, Rivers Arms - If there is any one Austin band you should check out, it's Balmorhea. Subtle, soothing, all rapturously beautiful. Okay, that may be inflated praise. But they are currently my favorite local band for a reason: This is the best experimental classical music created by contemporary musicians I've heard in a long time. Possibly ever.

Honorable Mentions
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Little Joy - Little Joy
The Decemberists - Always a Bridesmaid EP
Leatherbag - Love & Harm (Another local Austin band, although this one's more likely to get national attention.)
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (This is a really good album. It should probably be on my list.)
MIA's song Paper Planes (For the record, it was released last year but had an omnipresence in movies, commercials and even mainstream radio.)

[Note: I wrote this a few days ago and meant to post it while it was still 2008. Also, most quality music sources (the ones I pay attention to, anyway) have bestowed the honor of best album of the year to either Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver. Except for Paste. They gave the title to She & Him.]

The Extremist Comes Home

2008-12-28T11:47:00.005-06:00

I don't usually delve into my inner world on this blog. Sure, I offer my opinions freely, but I don't get ... emotional. I try to avoid anything too personal, anything likely to end up in my journal.

That said, I'm at home in Georgia. I find myself holding back from calling Austin "home" when talking to my parents, primarily because we all hold to a sentimental idea that this house will always be my home. I'm not ready to let it go, although I'm getting there.

When I come back here, I have culture shock. So many things seem strange - the limited recycling, the constant presence of ESPN, the lack of vegetables, driving at least 15 minutes to get anywhere. I realize how much I have changed my lifestyle and how different it is from my parents' and my brothers'.

My mom, bless her, tries. She has a little compost pile and saved colorful plastic bags for me so I could use them in my crochet projects. One brother asked me to make him a set of coasters out of plastic bags, and the other brother gave me an Obama notecard for Christmas. I've had some calm, intelligent arguments with my dad about politics and other issues (instead of emotional blow-outs that used to happen).

I should be okay with their efforts. I guess I'm grateful that they are trying to make little amends for me, but I know this - living comfortably and conveniently in the suburbs - is not the life I want. I wish it didn't bother me that these people I love have chosen lives I can't justify anymore.

Now if I can only ignore my dad watching Fox News.

Hey! It's Not That Easy Being Green.

2008-12-21T17:52:00.004-06:00

Christian Lander strikes again.

On another note, Slumdog Millionaire is an excellent movie. It's a little stuck between cinematic traditions, and it might be a little too westernized. But it's a great movie all the same. Worth your $9.

GRE Christmas Story

2008-12-10T13:38:00.004-06:00

My roommate Dave is an odd fellow (see this blog for proof). He's also a very good, supportive roommate and friend. The night before I took the GRE, he wrote me this story using GRE vocabulary words:

In primaeval times, a paladin was born in a manger. Yes, a pallid, insipid manger rather than a resplendent palace. Ironically, his name would soon become ubiquitous around the world. He will win the approbation of many but his life would remain equivocal as well. Pharisees would leave a piquant taste in his mouth, or would they? The louche bastards were full of obloquy. They would be captious of Jesus' choices, but his love remained impervious. He didn't care if you had no pulchritude or if you let out faint mewls in the night or of your noise protruded like a poor Jew. That's how capacious his love was for humanity. He'd gather and gleam his stupid disciples and ask them to be a bit aberrant for once. Be a burbler if you will. This no time to be lugubrious or doleful. There are vitrolic forces at work and our community must be propulsive in our untenable resolve for justice! May we be fervid enigmas for the world to see.

Evolution

2008-12-06T15:21:00.001-06:00

First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn numbers into letters with ASCII — and we thought it was a typewriter. Then we discovered graphics,and we thought it was a television. With the World Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure.
— Douglas Adams

Loyalty

2008-12-05T15:51:00.000-06:00

This Says It All

2008-11-24T11:34:00.001-06:00

A Good Jew Candidate?

2008-11-21T11:12:00.004-06:00

Anslee made the following list about me and put it on my Facebook wall. While most of my readers are "friends" with Anslee and me and probably got this on their mini-feeds, a few aren't. And it just made me laugh, so I thought I'd post it here so I'd have (because blogs live long enough for posterity...)

a writer/editor.
a fine supporter of obama.
an educator of recycling/composting/doing good environmental stuff.
a friend.
a daughter/sister/granddaughter/etc.
not a mom.
a good jew candidate.
not a dinosaur.
a hanger of art.
a driver of a toyota (i think?).
a knowledgeable person of free food.
my facebook wifey (hehe).
a ball of rage, sometimes, but within reason.
worthy of good things.
a great drunk dialer.
a hard worker, but sometimes lazy (and i love you for it).
tons more things than this list can provide, but definitely someone i cannot live without, even if most of these things were not true.

Rethinking the Holidays

2008-11-17T11:29:00.005-06:00

My church and my friends have been engaging in conversations about our consumer culture and the empire it has created. Challenging our consumer culture is something I'm always thinking about (see old posts on corporations, fair trade, and the local economy).

But we're about to come upon our culture's greatest celebrations of gluttony: Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I thought I'd do some nerdy linguaphile investigating, and I looked up the definition of the verb "to consume".

con⋅sume /kənˈsum/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuhn-soom] verb, -sumed, -sum⋅ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to destroy or expend by use; use up.
2. to eat or drink up; devour.
3. to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.
4. to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.
5. to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity.
–verb (used without object)
6. to undergo destruction; waste away.
7. to use or use up consumer goods.

Notice that only the final definition, number 7, takes on our current-day economic meaning. It's also the only definition that is not negative (although I would argue that it very much is a negative definition).

And this is what most economists, companies, and corporations think of us - a market of consumers. A group of destroyers. In terms of the holidays, it makes me wonder: What are we really celebrating?

People always say the holidays are about family and the people you love. But isn't it more about eating too much, spending too much, and getting too much?

As I've wondered how the answer to that question translates practically, I've found a lot of people are trying to figure it out, too:

Buy Nothing Day. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the crazy folks at Abusters are asking consumers to stop being consumers for a day and simply buy nothing. So instead of rushing to the mall to get those sparkling day-after-Thanksgiving sales, why not enjoy your day off, enjoy some leftovers, and actually spend time with your family (not shopping). Or you can protest in a Santa suit outside the mall.
The Advent Conspiracy. This brilliant idea came from the minds of a several churches who were tired of Christmas. Seriously. They were tired of it, tired from it. Then they started asking why it wasn't about Jesus anymore. So they came up with the Advent Conspiracy to get the church back to the meaning of Christmas and celebrate in more holistic ways.

So what does all this come down to? It's actually pretty easy. Consider a buy nothing Christmas and make gifts instead. If you find it hard to make gifts for family members (like younger brothers who don't want something "crafty") consider giving time and offering to do something for them instead. My dad always asks for socks for Christmas, so I'll probably still buy him socks but also offer to take him out to dinner for once (instead of the other way around).

There's a lot of alternatives. You just have to be creative and think of ideas tailored to each person. You know, put in some thought and effort. It's a bit tougher than buying a gift card, but I think it's more rewarding in the end. And you might just have your most memorable Christmas yet.

Why Does all the Good Television come from Britain?

2008-11-13T14:33:00.004-06:00

So I was going to embed some YouTube videos of the delightful canceled-too-soon British sitcom Spaced. But the embedding has been "disabled by request."

But if you follow this link, you can see my one of my favorite scenes.

The show's premise: Friends Daisy and Tim need to find new places to live, and they decide to pretend to be a couple to get a flat advertised for "professional couple only." They befriend the other tenants and bring their weird friends into the mix, and for the most part, they do what normal 20-somethings do. They're all geeks and reference pop-culture and science fiction regularly throughout the show (note the great Star Wars reference in the link above). It features Simon Pegg before he was famous, and really captures the feel of the late 90s/early 00s.

It may just be one of the best shows of the last 10 years. Seriously. Pegg and company put together this great little show while Friends was at its peaked, and the two sitcoms could not be more different. While Friends featured yuppies with posh jobs and rather superficial dilemmas, Spaced captured the reality of living in crappy apartments and working shit jobs, all the while featuring a group of odd-balls who could live in the apartment next to you -- with some exaggerations. It' very much a product of 10 years ago, yet I still relate to it (not in the least because Daisy is a freelance journalist who makes no money...)

So go out and rent it!

Note on "I'm Proud of Us Slackers"

2008-11-11T16:36:00.006-06:00

I removed the link to the Christian School Journal blog with my comment because the CSJ links back to posts that mention it. So any concerned Christian educator can follow a link to my post "I'm Proud of Us Slackers". So much for my anonymity.

I wanted to be anonymous primarily because I don't want to get into any ideology wars with older evangelicals. It's enough to deal with my parents, and they're going to love me no matter what. Plus, my mom has mellowed out a lot when it comes to politics (gone are her days running the Muscogee County Republican headquarters). Both my parents take the time to listen to my arguments and give me credit for thinking through the issues. They understand that I voted for things I care about (the war, the environment, health care, education).

I have a relationship with them, one that transcends political opinion. I don't with the readers of the Christian School Journal blog -- we are only represented by words on a screen. It's hard to overcome "worldview differences" with internet comments. I think finding common ground must be done relationally. That is what I'm realizing about so many of the tough issues that divide us -- we can find where we agree, but we need relationships first. We need to love first. It's easy with my parents -- we love each other by default. It's a lot harder with older evangelicals I only know through a blog.

And honestly, as much as I enjoyed being that postmodern heathen from the Satan's playground (a.k.a. Austin) the novelty wore off, and I just don't want to argue anymore.

[I'd also like to link to a post I wrote a few months ago about postmodernism, worldview, and faith. It pretty much explains where I am with my faith, and may shed light on why I see no point in arguing with evangelicals. Also, today some of my fellow "wayward" postmodern church friends sent me a link to the Emergent Village feed site, and that has made me feel better.]

O Valerie Plame

2008-11-11T11:30:00.002-06:00

I'm Proud of Us Slackers

2008-11-07T10:24:00.005-06:00

The slackers did rise, and Obama won. Hey, young people, I'm proud of us.

A black man was elected president. Even a few days later, I'm still a little in shock.

I cried along with so many others during his speech, and I believe this is a new era.

Enough of the feel-good comments: Let the Christian backlash begin. Check out the Christian School Journal (I can send you the link) for a good snapshot of evangelical reactions across the board. I left an anonymous comment, although it hasn't been approved yet. Once it's up, I'm sure you'll have no trouble figuring out which one it is.

Really, I'm proud of us. I've wasted a lot of time on the NY Times interactive electoral map, and I was fascinated by the county numbers. Every major city in Texas went to Obama, and almost every border county went to Obama. Georgia was even more interesting, as several Atlanta-area counties went Obama and my home county did, too.

So yes, it's a new era. I hope we can be unified, even those who believe that Obama is a baby-killer...

Slacker rising?

2008-11-03T11:41:00.001-06:00

Who are these young people who don't vote?

Are they perennial slackers living in their mothers' basements?

Are they college students away from home who forget to fill out their absentee ballots?

Are they yuppies who just don't find time to get the polls?

It's not the hipsters. As much as I bash them (yet identify with them), I will give them due credit - they've been active this election season. Apathy still reigns in most respects, but somewhere between the emails claiming Obama's a Muslim and "Drill, Baby, Drill" they've started caring.

That said, I have a lot of friends back in Georgia who are in their 20s and love McCain. Probably because they're pro-life and think it's God's will that we're in Iraq. But at least they vote. At least they care. At least they go to the polls.

So yeah, who are these young people who don't vote?

Congratulations Philadelphia!

2008-10-31T13:27:00.003-05:00

The Phillies won the World Series, and seeing as I used to live in the Philadelphia area, I have a great affection for this perpetual underdog team. A small part of me wishes I was still there. Fall in Pennsylvania is lovely, plus if I was registered there, my vote would make more of a difference than it does here in McCain-dominated Texas.

No worries, though. I believe the Phillies winning is an omen of better things to come: Obamanos!

Living and Voting in Austin? Watch This!

2008-10-16T14:58:00.004-05:00

Vote for Proposition 2 to ban subsidies for the Domain.

You can find more information at the following links:
http://www.stopdomainsubsidies.com/
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:663320
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/Story?oid=oid:671862

Post Offices and Poverty?

2008-10-15T11:31:00.001-05:00

Today is Blog Action Day 08.

I'm supposed to write about poverty. I only found out about Blog Action Day yesterday, and I haven't been inspired to write anything. Just write about poverty. Why not try writing about peace or consumerism or greed or love or anything other category so entirely vague that it leaves the door wide open for all kinds of interesting discourse.

But it unfortunately leaves my mind blank.

Instead, I'll write about post offices in Austin. I just went to the post office on East Sixth Street. It's one of maybe two post offices on the East Side (this town is lacking in post offices and there are almost always lines). The one on East Sixth looks like it was built in the 60s and hasn't been renovated since. The floors are dingy, the flourescent lights are oppessively bright (although some bulbs are out). There's a poor selection of mailing supplies on sale, and the stamps in the display case are still priced at 39 cents.

Compared to the very new post office on trendy South Congress, the East Sixth branch is quite sad. I won't go as far as to accuse the postal service of neglecting the East Side, and the staff at the East Sixth branch are quite helpful and seem to take their jobs seriously (no pity parties there).

But I still wonder - is it any coincidence that the post offices are nicer in the parts of town where the new condos are being built and houses are selling at $400,000 upwards?

That said, I've been to some beautiful new libraries on the East Side. The Terrazas branch and the Ruiz branch, both east of I-35 and both beautiful facilities, are much better than the sad Twin Oaks branch just off the same trendy South Congress. So I can't say that the city is entirely neglecting East Austin. But the disparities are noticeable, and I wonder in what ways we can make up for them.

Here's to Austin's Idiots

2008-10-10T13:26:00.004-05:00

Here's an interesting NPR story answering listeners' questions about voting rules. The final question comes from a beer-loving Austinite. You should listen to the story (because it's quite informative).

But if you can't or won't, I'll give you a synopsis of his question. He asked if could take his local brew Independence Pale Ale to the polls while he votes, especially since it's named Independence Pale Ale. Makes the hometown proud, I guess...

Sometimes Christians Scare Me

2008-10-06T13:09:00.010-05:00

I nearly collapsed this morning when I read this NPR story about Falwell, Jr. canceling classes at Liberty on election day to encourage his 80% Republican student body to vote.

Then I read a terrible review of the "Christian" movie Fireproof in The Onion, and I was near to renouncing my faith.

But thankfully, I read Heather's latest blog post: When Heather P Sparks...: Hokey Christian Emails...Evangelicals are Strange

And then I found this bumper sticker mentioned in one of the user-comments on the NPR story:

Visit Nana

2008-10-03T16:13:00.003-05:00

Heather posted this on her blog, and it was so funny, I had to do the same:

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Decency?

2008-09-29T16:05:00.005-05:00

I would like to take a poll. Answer yes or no to the following two questions:

1) If you were staying at a stranger's house (friend of a friend or couch surfer) and were relegated to the living room couch, would you have sex on it while your hosts were not at home?

2) If you opened up your home to someone you didn't know but still trusted, would you be disturbed by your guest using your common living area for sexual activity?

We hosted two couch surfers for ACL. I thought they would be avid music fans, seeing as they traveled from California and New York for the festival. Not so much. We hardly saw them because we'd go to the festival early (when I say early, I mean like 1 p.m.) and they were usually still asleep. But whatever.

Then, poor Dave. He was not thrilled about the couch surfers in the first place. On Friday afternoon, while Hannah and I were at the festival, he came home around 4:30 and walked in on them in little to no clothing. He went straight into the kitchen, regained his composure, and went back to the living room. They were semi-clothed by this point and he said, "Welcome to our home."

I honestly didn't care if they have sex while they were here. I just didn't want them doing it on my couch. Is this a normal reaction? Or am I being too prudish? I think it's simply a matter of decency to expect a guest not to have sex on the host's living room couch. Right?

-----

Otherwise, ACL was incredible. I saw almost everyone I wanted to see. The best performances were Vampire Weekend, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Jenny Lewis, Mates of State, Connor Oberst, Gnarls Barkley, Stars, Patty Griffin, Neko Case, and Band of Horses. Okay, that's almost everyone I saw. If you want details, just ask me.

Austin City Limits 2008

2008-09-24T12:48:00.006-05:00

I received a free 3-day pass to the Austin City Limits Festival. Actually, Anslee gave it to me because she'll be in Europe this weekend. So I'm much less jealous of her trip now that I'm going to ACL in her stead.

Here is the line-up of artists I'm planning on seeing:
Friday

Vampire Weekend
Patty Griffin (in honor of Anslee)
Mates of State
Jenny Lewis
The Swell Season
The Mars Volta

Saturday

Fleet Foxes
Jose Gonzalez
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Man Man
Connor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Iron & Wine
Beck

Sunday

Octopus Project
Gillian Welch
Stars
Neko Case
Okkervil River
Gnarls Barkley
Tegan and Sarah
Band of Horses
Foo Fighters

Also of interest, we will have three people from out-of-town staying at our house for ACL. One of roommate's best college friends is coming from LA, but we also have couch surfers - complete strangers who my roommate found through the website couchsurfing.com. They sound like decent people...

Good-bye, Good Flow

2008-09-22T11:45:00.003-05:00

I dream of a thriving local economy, one where people produced goods and services in their community and large corporations are at bay. Austin is by no means at this utopian state and probably never will be, but there are quite a few small local companies that are serving this area with quality goods and services. I try my hardest to support them as I can.

One of my favorites is Good Flow Juice and Honey, a small operation on East Austin that sells fresh fruit juice and honey wholesale to local retailers. They've been in business since the late 70s and they've never pasturized their juice.

They had no problems, and most of Austin just loved them. They had warning labels on all the juice bottles, and consumers were left to make the choice to risk illness in favor of fresher juice. I tried Good Flow pretty soon after arriving in Austin, and loved it for it's fresh-squeezed taste.

This was all good and well until the FDA got involved, and Good Flow has since been shut down (temporarily, we hope). The Austin Chronicle has a full explanation in this article. FDA regulations for pasturization are necessary for food that travels significant distances, and carting some orange juice around central Texas is not the same as sending something down the interstate towards Oklahoma or New Mexico (or further, like say, Odwalla).

It's just a shame. Good Flow is the type of company that keeps Austin true to itself, and I'll be looking to sign the petition mentioned in the Chronicle article to keep it around.

The City by Foot

2008-09-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I finally realized that I live in a city.

I mean, I know Austin is a city, and a pretty big one. It has a population larger than Boston, Atlanta, and the entire state of Alaska. But sometimes, it doesn’t feel like a big city, and I think that’s because I drive almost everywhere.

Anslee asked me to walk with her from her house on East 4th Street to Leaf, a salad restaurant on West 2nd Street. Both locations are technically “downtown,” and I’ve often told Anslee that I love her location because it’s so central and within walking distance of so much.

She has made the decision to walk more, and decided that walking to Leaf would be her first experiment. It’s a 2.3 mile walk. Sometimes, I had to stop myself from thinking “I’m walking over two miles for salad.”

But it honestly wasn’t that bad. It took us about an hour. Luckily, we’ve had nice weather this past week (when I say nice, I mean it’s about 85 degrees instead of the upper 90s). So we didn’t end up at the restaurant soaking in sweat.

As we walked along the sidewalks of our city, we noticed buildings and houses and objects we’d never see from our cars. East Sixth Street is particularly interesting from the vantage point of being of foot. It’s colorful and covered in litter, it’s gritty and, honestly, feels like a urban neighborhood. I’ve noticed the old buildings before, but I’ve never seen some of them up close. I found a new appreciation for Austin, and now, I’d like to spend more time not in my car.

Community Organizer vs. Small-town Mayor

2008-09-15T12:04:00.005-05:00

Of all the things Sarah Palin said in her RNC speech, her quip insulting community organizers bothered me the most.

[If you didn't watch her speech, she said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."]

It's one thing to point out your opponent's faults - it's something else entirely to attack a profession that exists to improve communities. I mean, come on, who hates on social workers? Low blow, Sarah. I guess you wanna play nasty. That's not very Christian and motherly, is it?

I felt a little vindicated when I found this NPR story. I sent it to my very Republican mom.

The Woes of the Uninsured

2008-09-09T13:50:00.001-05:00

I have not had health insurance for almost a year, and this week, I had my first doctor's visit without insurance. I have a spider bite on my ankle, and it has swelled and itched and turned a slight purple color. It's not a life-threatening bite, but it's still worrisome.

One of my roommates is an occupational therapist and took some pre-nursing classes in college. She knows a good deal more than I do about these medical-related things, and she was concerned after it had been red and puss-filled for a few days.

One of her co-workers is a physical therapist/wound-care specialist, and she graciously looked at the bite on her lunch break. She told me there wasn't much she could do and recommended going to an urgent care facility or community clinic.

Then another one of her co-workers helped me look up free clinics and recommended one she used when she was sans-insurance. So I went there after visiting the hospital, and they told me they weren't accepting any new patients. Instead, they gave me a list of medical facilities around the city where I could find "affordable" car.

I called several places, only to find that most of the clinics for the uninsured are all booked, not accepting new patients. So I settled for an urgent care clinic near my neighborhood, which is decidedly low-income and more likely to be home to the uninsured.

So after the ordeal of searching for a place that would not break my bank account or overload my credit card, I was able to see a doctor. He told me he's pretty sure it's only a spider bite and it's not infected. He said some doctors prescribe steroids for spider bites to reduce swelling and itching, but he doesn't like to do that because of potentially harmful side affects. It ended up costing me $65.

I'm partially relieved it's not more serious and that it didn't cost me too much. At the same time, I'm still frustrated because the system is clearly not working. I spent $65 at a cheaper clinic for a 10 minute consultation. Had he given me a prescription, I'm sure it would have cost me at least another $30. While a spider bite is troubling, something so minor should not cost so much.

No one should be searching for the "best deal" on health care, and cost should never take precedence over quality. But that's the way it is right now, and the non-profit community clinics are strained and overbooked.

I know I'm gambling, but I'm also the victim of a fucked-up system. I'm not sure what the solution is, but the more I deal with this system, the better Canada's looks.

The Pitbull in Lipstick...

2008-09-05T15:14:00.006-05:00

I'm honestly conflicted about Sarah Palin.

She's the picture of Republican feminism - a pretty soccer mom who won't compromise her stance. She says she can keep up with men, taking down the media and community organizers on her way.

I won't dare call her a bitch. She has to be a bitch (a pitbull, perhaps?) and I applaud her for that. But I couldn't sit through all the biting partisan rhetoric in her speech two nights ago. Is it worse because it's coming from a woman?

Maybe what's the worst is the way she uses her family. They're all-American and patriotic and just like you and me. She says the media should leave her family alone, but only because her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. But when her family is the sparkling picture of Americana - the baby she kept because his life was precious, her oldest son's military service - then they're worth bragging on.

You know what? It's all political. She's a woman in politics, and she's using everything she can to make people think they should vote GOP in November. And let's face it, the McCain campaign needed a woman who wasn't a Barbie.

Now, I just hope they'll go easier on Michelle Obama.

A Tutorial on How NOT to Write a Book Review

2008-08-29T15:38:00.006-05:00

I know the internet is the great equalizer of our time. There are no gatekeepers. Anyone can write anything, no matter how dull, pointless, or just plain dumb. Within the world of social networking sites, idiots are likely to pop up, but you can always turn the down as friends.

However, I have a higher standard for Goodreads, the social networking site for people who actually read books. I expect people who spend enough time reading to warrant creating a Goodreads profile to at least comment on their reading selections with some intelligence.

But this is the internet, and I should never have expected so much. Here are my favorite stupid comments on some of my latest book choices:

On Naomi Klein's No Logo
"Ok ok ok, I know the hype surrounding this book. Your dreddy activist friend keeps recommending this to you. That dirty hippy that is a total vagabond is doing the same.

Well, what sold me on this book was an image taken from a busy street with all of the logo's removed using Photoshop. Striking.

And the book is long, interesting and at times redundant. Naomi Klein is hot, first of all, but mainly she's right. Advertising ruined the planet. Basically."

On David Kuo's Tempting Faith
"Zzzzzz...*snort*...*cough* *cough*...zzzzz..."

On David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames
"1. I HATE men who don't do the dishes, I hate it when they sit around and let women do the dishes. David Sedaris doesn't do the dishes and I am glad, because it shows I can hatefully resent slash stereotype gay and straight men equally, and therefore I'm probably not homophobic, although I probably am slightly androgynist, oopsies! But not being homophobic cancels that out, right?

I also HATE IT when a man, like say someone I know, does the dishes as a little something extra to show his wife how much he loves her. ARE YOU SERIOUS? You love her enough to ::GASP:: do the dishes???? OH MY GOD! What a man!

2. I always wonder if David Sedaris would be a fun person to hang out with. I mean, would he just be lame and totally obsessed with creating more stories about his lameness so he could mine his life for better (a k a more pathetic) material? It used to bother me that there might be people in the world who were cooler and better and awesomer on paper than they would be in real life."

More to come.

More Anti-Corporate Ranting (and Book Recommendation if You Agree)

2008-08-25T13:12:00.005-05:00

I was hesitant to write yet another post on my growing anti-corporate sentiments. However, Naomi Klein's No Logo has become the manifesto of the anti-corporate movement, and it was a worth-while read.

Much of the content is quite dated. Klein did most of her research in the late 90s and the book was published in 2000. The version I read had an afterward written in 2002, which covered some post-9/11 complexities. That said, I often found asked myself what were today's equivalents of her examples of branding overload and corporate meddling.

However, I find her diagnosis on No Space, No Choice, and No Jobs still very relevant in our over-branded society and big-box dominated landscape. I'm grateful to live in Austin, where local businesses thrive, and for the most part, I've been able to cut myself off from such pervasive corporate encroachment.

I still hold the resentment Klein describes in the latter half of the book, and I still cringe every time I look at the labels on my clothes. Klein gives a detailed account of her visit to factories in the Philippines, and much of the evidence she presents is thorough and well-researched.

That said, I'm sure economists (especially those proponents of the free trade) have criticized this book to no end. As far as the sweatshop debate goes, I'm sticking to my commitment to only buy second-hand clothes and search for fair trade options. I have no doubt that Klein's descriptions were accurate and represent factory conditions across the developing world. Economists have to live with their consciences at the end of the day.

I found her exploration of advertising's growing role in our lives to be the most interesting (and disturbing). Klein describes the corporate pursuit of teenagers, and during the late 90s, I was a part of the crucial demographic and bought many of their promises. Gap jeans did not make my life better, but I was told they would. As a young adult 10 years later, I think my resentment has grown from that influence on my life as vulnerable teenager.

I have to wonder how many of my peers bother to question these things and explore any of their resentments. I think many of them are happy to go along with what their fed, as long as they can still get cheap clothes at Old Navy and lattes at Starbucks.

Overall, No Logo is incredibly thought-provoking, and I'm glad I read it. The book is slow towards the end, somewhat repetitive and tiresome (especially Klein's criticism of Nike). Nonetheless, it's an important read for anyone who is involved in media and interested in media criticism. I wish I had read it in college.

Little Green Things

2008-08-20T12:16:00.002-05:00

For a while, I've been compiling a list of easy habits that can decrease one's environmental impact, and here's the list I have so far:

Change your lightbulbs. It costs more initially, but you'll save loads on you power bill.
Eliminate plastic bags by using resusable ones at the grocery store.
Reuse plastic bags creatively. I've starting crocheting with them, so you can always give your old ones to me.
Use your dryer sparingly and air dry your clothes. Use drying racks and laundry lines outside.
If you have a backyard, start a compost pile and vegetable garden. You'd be surprised how fun it is.
Rinse and reuse plastic baggies and plastic food containers. It's a little more work than just throwing them away, but it saves you money, too!
Conserve water by taking shorter showers and turning off the water when you shampoo your hair and shave your legs.
Unplug all appliances when you're not using them or plug them into a power strip you can switch on and off.
Carpool.
Bike (I'm not at this point yet myself, but I hope to soon.)
Use pubic transit.
Educate yourself on your municipality's recycling program and find other recycling centers that take items your municipality doesn't pick up.
Eating less meat, especially red meat.
Start using a resuable water bottle rather than drinking bottled water.
Stop buying new clothes. Buy second-hand and hold clothing swaps.
Stop buying new books. Use the library more often and borrow and loan from personal libraries.
Don't buy any new furniture. Buy second-hand locally.
Make your own natural cleaning products.
Shopping more locally in general.

A related topic, I have not eaten meat in 12 days. Even though I've thought of myself as a flexatarian for about three years and have expanded my vegetarian pallet since moving to Austin, this is my first intentional full vegetarian stint. Dave, my vegetarian roommate, told me if I made it a month, he'd buy me dinner at Mother's, a pricey vegetarian place that has renowned spinach lasagna. So far, so good. Now I have just have to decide what to eat for lunch...

Faith-Based... Politics?

2008-08-13T15:13:00.004-05:00

Barack Obama and his campaign know he needs some percentage of the evangelical vote to win the general election. They also know that young people make up a huge portion of his constituency.

So it's no surprise that he was happy to have a conversation with Cameron Strang, founder of Relevant magazine, a hip, progressive media group aimed at hip, progressive, young Christians. He managed to land this interview weeks before John McCain, and I'd actually be surprised if McCain did talk to those kids. He's more after their parents, seeing as Relevant readers are only a small percentage of those oh-so-crucial evangelical voters.

Here's the link to the interview.

What was most interesting was Obama's ideas for Bush's Faith-based Initiatives Office. He's planning on renaming it the President's Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

I'm guessing Obama, or at least someone on his campaign, read David Kuo's book about being an insider in Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives Office. After reading it myself, I think his ideas sound like good improvements, but we'll see what happens if he's elected and how things look four years from now.

I don't doubt Obama's commitment to faith-based service, but politics are politics. I believed the lie of compassionate conservatism. Granted I was 17 and gullible and going along with my parents' views for the most part. Now, I've gotten pretty jaded about politics, but I'm not so cynical that I won't vote. I just hope money gets to the organizations and services that need it.

19 Moves in 7 years...

2008-07-22T15:32:00.004-05:00

I've considered a few potential subjects for posts. I just finished the book Tempting Faith by David Kuo. I would recommend that any politically minded Christian read this book. I also considered writing about all the movies I've seen recently, and may still write up some reviews, mostly because I enjoy writing reviews.

But, no, I felt the need to share this realization. I was talking to a friend the other night and we counted how many times we've moved since we first left our parents' houses for college. Since 2001, I have moved about 19 times, lived in 14 different houses/apartments, and haven't stayed in one place for more than 10 months. This isn't in reference to geographic regions (I spent about 4 years in Rome, Georgia, though with breaks back in Columbus and my time abroad in Italy, so there were several moves in one geographic location). These numbers relate to my physical dwelling places and all the times I had to put all my crap into boxes and shove them in my car and drive to some new place.

I'm tired of moving. I think I'll stay at my latest house for a while.

The Spice Girls Revisited

2008-07-08T13:55:00.001-05:00

As an ardent fan of only "good music" and a true progressive feminist, I have to openly admit: I still love the Spice Girls.

It has been 10 years since Geri left the band. I remember watching 9 and 10 year old British girls crying on TV. I was 15 and I remember thinking how pathetic it was that 9 year old girls thought their lives were over because Ginger left the group. I was just leaving my pop music stage, opting for artists like Beck and Fiona Apple.

But I loved the Spice Girls. They were so crazy and their music was fun. And they had this mantra of Girl Power that I liked. They even had the 10 Golden Rules of Girl Power:
1. Be positive
2. Be strong
3. Don't let anyone put you down.
4. Be in control of your own life and your destiny.
5. Support your girl friends,
6. and let them support you, too.
7. Say what's on your mind.
8. Approach life with attitude.
9. Don't let anyone tell you that you can never do something because you're a girl.
10. Have fun!

But with 10 years of perspective and maturity, I realize that Spice Girls were a source of conflict instead of empowerment.

They were a fabrication, entirely fake, including their nicknames. All of it was to make money, and I knew it. As much as I consumed their happy music, I knew I was being fooled.

More conflicting, though, was their sexuality. They oozed it, flaunted it, waved it in front of all our faces. Unlike teenage Britney, they knew exactly what they were doing. They were all in their 20s, young and beautiful with no reason to keep covered up. The feminist in me understands but can't quite applaud.

They had legions of young fans. Very young fans. Pre-pubescent fans who didn't understand that blatant sexuality. As a teenager, I was uncomfortable to see the little kids I babysat emulate the Spice Girls. I didn't know how to process the Spice Girls' message - how could they?

I still love Wannabe. I still know most of the words of Say You'll Be There. I admit this 10 years later, still wondering what's appropriate and how feminism can practically adapt to our media-saturated society.

The Wal-Mart Effect

2008-07-06T16:09:00.004-05:00

I just finished Charles Fishman's book The Wal-Mart Effect. It is a fascinating and potentially ground-breaking look at the retail giant (of giants). Fishman is a seasoned business journalist who, along with his wife, started asking questions about Wal-Mart, which lead him to several different parts of the world in search of answers.

How much do we actually know about the ways the company works?
What are Wal-Mart's relationships with suppliers like? How do those relationships affect the market and our economy?
How much influence and control does Wal-Mart have over our national economy and the global economy?
What does the opening of a Wal-Mart actually do to a community, particularly low-income small towns?
Just how does it get those "always low prices"? Are those prices worth the consequences?

This book is not simply a rant against Wal-Mart. It is not some left-wing diatribe against consumerism (although ample criticism is there). It is, instead, a thorough investigation of the world's largest company, its practices, and most importantly, its effects on our economy and our lives.

Fishman makes it clear throughout the book that Wal-Mart's values are those of classic Americana - a diligent work ethic, frugality, modesty, unpretentiousness. It's is not a company so cut-throat as to be only about the bottom line (i.e., profit). No, Wal-Mart's bottom line is provide its customers with the lowest prices possible. Wal-Mart is there for the little guy, there to save him money.

But it comes with some interesting consequences. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is conflicted about Wal-Mart and about the corporate high-jacking of our culture. Whether you like Wal-Mart or hate it, this book will give you plenty to think about. The final conclusion isn't "Don't shop at Wal-Mart." Fishman leaves it up to his audience to decide what to do next. He does tell us to ask questions.

After finishing the book, I know now more than ever that I do not want to shop at Wal-Mart. Maybe as other people read this book, we will start a dialogue and find a renewed sense of creativity that will allow us to change our culture and to loosen the corporate grip of control on our lives.

For now, I will leave you with Fishman's closing statement at the end of the book and encourage you all to read it and think about it.

"Wal-Mart is not just a store, or a company, or a powerful institution. It is also a mirror. Wal-Mart is quintessentially American. It mirrors our own energy, our sense of destiny, our appetite for bigness and variety and innovation. And Wal-Mart is not just a reflection of American society. It is a mirror of us as individuals. In a democracy, our individual ambivalence about such a concentrattion of economic power, even when that power is ostensibly on our side, is a signal. Both as individuals and as a society we have an obligation to answer the unanswered questions about Wal-Mart. Otherwise we have surrendered control -- of our communities, of our economy, of some measure of our destiny -- to decisions made in Betonville [Arkansas, the Wal-Mart headquarters]." Charles Fishman, The Wal-Mart Effect, page 247.

New Venture

2008-06-26T14:59:00.001-05:00

I now have an Etsy site for my plastic bag-crochet venture. I will post links and more details once things are fully underway.

Stuff that White People Like Me Like

2008-06-23T12:26:00.003-05:00

I am a fan of most things satirical, and my most recent favorite bit of web satire is the blog Stuff White People Like.

Whenever I introduce a friend to this blog, I always mention, "Well, this is only a certain kind of white person. You know, the type of white person that's typical of Austin, but not, say, Lubbock."

Or if you're from Georgia instead of Texas, you could substitute Decatur for Austin and Douglasville (or Rome or Statesboro or just about anywhere else in Georgia) for Lubbock. The point being, this blog is not representative of most white people. Only progressive yuppies and hipsters who are quite common in urban areas outside of the Deep South.

I will openly and honestly admit that I am a stereotypical "white person" as defined by this blog. My new Indian roommate likes to make fun of me for this. So he counted the list and had about 30 characteristics. I counted and had 45. I guess he's whiter than he thought...

Here's my list (and feel free to compare it to my list of blog post labels for further proof of whiteness):
coffee
film festivals
farmer's markets
organic food
diversity
Barack Obama
making you feel bad about not going outside
Wes Anderson movies
non-profit organizations
tea
yoga
gifted children
awareness
traveling
writers workshops
having two last names
microbreweries
wine
David Sedaris
Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
not having a TV
80s night
vegan/vegtarianism
architecture
The Daily Show/Colbert Report
Arrested Development
Netflix
Apple products
indie music
sushi
plays
public radio
arts degrees
Whole Foods and grocery co-ops
vintage
irony
Sarah Silverman
dogs
kitchen gadgets
apologies
Juno
Japan
natural medicine
Toyota Prius
bicycles
knowing what's best for poor people
expensive sandwiches
recycling
standing still at concerts
Michel Gondry
study abroad
gentrification
threatening to move to Canada
musical comedy
multilingual children
the idea of soccer
graduate school
hating corporations
bad memories of high school
t-shirts
outdoor performance clothes
having gay friends
St. Patrick's Day
San Francisco
free healthcare
rugby
scarves
grammar
children's games as adults
sweaters

Does Democracy Really Exist Now?

2008-06-17T14:54:00.006-05:00

On the surface, it still does. It appears to. We vote every couple of years for our lawmakers, and we talk a lot about the American ideals of democracy - equality, the people having a voice, blah blah, so on and so on.

Yet in the last week, I've had some conversations about the reality of things, about how we the people don't really have a say anymore. Anslee and I were talking about the war and how powerless we seem to be. Sure, we can vote for Obama or McCain and that will help determine the direction of the war. But when did the people loose so much power when it came to these big decisions? Why are we so cynical?

Then I saw the documentary The Corporation, which came about four years ago and seems even more relevant now as gas prices increase and recession seems inevitable. The end of the documentary focuses on how localized, grassroots democracy is successfully fighting big corporations in small communities.

Yet even when I think about Austin, I don't see the hippies and the weirdos making enough effort to fight off the big corporate powers. People just don't care enough. There were a few petitions to keep out the Domain, and they didn't stop anything. I wonder how long it will take for Austin to no longer be so weird.

I was talking to Heather last night before the Rilo Kiley show (which was incredible, really beyond words). The show was at Stubb's, one of Austin's most famous downtown venues on Red River. Red River has some of the best music venues in the city. Sure, it's run-down, but it's pure Austin and vital to local music scene. It has everything from country to metal to indie to punk. Plus, it's one of the main South by Southwest hotspots. The Red River scene makes Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. It's integral to the city's biggest tourist draw.

But the city has plans to tear down many of the venues on Red River between 6th and 12th in order to build a park. This park will pretty much cater to the wealthy who can afford to live in downtown lofts. The vibrant local music scene on Red River will have to relocate somewhere else. I don't doubt that Austin will loose the variety of music venues, but they probably won't relocate to one central location like Red River. I can't imagine downtown without the Mohawk, Red Eyed Fly and especially Stubb's.

Heather was saying that one of her friends is a local business owner, and he said that despite the surveys and public meetings, the city will do whatever it wants. And it wants a park there. It doesn't want run-down clubs and bars.

What happened to democracy and local action? What happened to the government being representative of the people? What happened to having a voice and making things change?

In some ways, this isn't a big deal. People aren't losing their homes. No one is being unjustly persecuted. Yet, the character of this city is in jeopardy, and I would think the hipsters and scenesters would care enough to do something. But they're probably pretty politically apathetic and didn't know of the city's plans. Even if they had known and somehow were motivated to take some action, I doubt it would have changed anything. The city is going to do what it wants.

My cynicism has taken over - I seriously doubt democracy really exists in this country. People don't care enough to take action, and the larger institutions - the government, the corporations - have gotten to much power as we've sunk into apathy.

Wrong Number, Buddy

2008-06-13T14:53:00.003-05:00

Every few weeks, I get a call on my cell phone from someone in Philadelphia asking for a man named Bill. This man happens to be my ex-uncle.

I'm on a family plan with my aunt in Pennsylvania, and it was more cost effective for me to continue paying her $15 a month rather than get my own plan. The stipulation is that I keep a Philadelphia number. This isn't a problem because many of my friends in Austin have numbers from elsewhere.

However, it just so happens that the number I currently have was my uncle's before the divorce. My aunt was still paying for the extra line about a year after the split. When I moved in with her, she let me take the number, seeing as it was no extra expense to her.

But Ex-uncle Bill never updated several contacts with his new cell phone number. I get calls from his clients, old friends, doctors. I always politely say, "I'm sorry, he no longer has this number."

I've been tempted to find his new number and tell him I'm tired of getting his phone calls. But then considering the family dynamics that have developed since the divorce, I've decided against it. Somehow, it's sweet revenge knowing these people can't get a hold of him and it's what he deserves for not sharing his new number.

Car Damage

2008-06-08T16:40:00.002-05:00

My car survived 16 months of Pennsylvania roads and Philly drivers without so much as a scratch. That includes surviving my first commutes in snow.

Then I moved to little Austin, Texas. Sure, the highways and feeder roads are (very) poorly planned, unable to support the city's rapid growth. Central Austin has an increasing population density, and there's just not enough space for all those cars.

But in comparison with urban areas in the Northeast, driving here is a total breeze. I can get anywhere in less than 20 minutes, and I spend the majority of my time in a 7 mile radius. It's not that hard to get around this city.

But in the last six months, my car has suffered:

A stolen stereo, which I have yet to replace. So there's a gaping hole in my dashboard. The stereo wasn't in great condition and I never got good radio reception, so in some ways, I think the joke is on them. However, I'm still not quite used to driving in silence.
A dent on the back passenger's side door, thanks to a dent-and-run by a tipsy asshole at Polvo's. (A very nice woman watched him do it and tried to get his license number, but he drove off too soon. Apparently, he got out of the car, surveyed the damage had a moment of moral crisis, and then drove off. Jerk.)
Most recently, a broken driver's side door handle. However, I blame this on years of use, rather than the city of Austin. My car just gets more and more pathetic. I'm now exiting on the passenger side. At least I can still open it on the outside...

The Postmodern Christian: Not an oposition of terms

2008-06-03T19:25:00.004-05:00

I don't usually blog about faith. It's sticky, especially at this time in my life when I've been questioning pretty much everything I believe and rejecting a lot of trappings of the evangelical subculture I was raised in.

I'm finally reading Brian McLaren's book A New Kind of Christian. It was published about eight years ago, and since 2001, it seems the emerging church has become fuller, more vibrant. Or maybe it's just come to my attention.

But I'm not going to get into the emerging church. Not today. This book is more about the paradigm shift from modernism to postmodernism. I spent half of my education (pre-college) in Christian schools and heard a lot about the importance of "a Christian worldview." I was warned of the dangerous relativism that was seeping into our society. I was told to be careful in college, that I might be tempted intellectually to leave my faith. I was told greater culture was dangerous and our sequestered Christian subculture was safer and better.

Then I went to Berry, where the secular and evangelical worlds collide in odd ways. I wasn't tempted intellectually, but I came to realize after four years of a solid yet secular education that I am postmodern. I can't help it. Despite my upbringing, I am ingrained in my culture and have a postmodern point-of-view. Or worldview. Take your pick of vocabulary.

So the past three years have been a battle over the question, "How do I reconcile my postmodern worldview to my faith?" This has led to a lot of doubt, frustration, anger, and resentment. I'm not out of this yet. There's a lot I'm still figuring out, but I know now that I'm not going to pretend I have a nice, neat list of answers. I'm struggling, wrestling, and finally, I'm trying earnestly to seek the truth.

Interestingly, the name of my church is Vox Veniae, which means Voice of Truth in Latin. The truth may not come in a systematic theology. That worked for the modernist church, but I'm beyond that. I don't want a system. We're deconstructing right now, but still trying to maintain something holistic, spiritual, and beautiful. And there's truth in it. I have a sense deep inside of me that despite my rejection of what I considered to be Christian and therefore true, I'm finding the real truth. It hasn't come through Bible study. It hasn't come through mission work. It hasn't come through traditional worship. Yet, it is more true and natural and right than anything I had been told in my Christian schools or Bible camps.

McLaren's book tells the story of a burnt-out pastor's search for the truth and his reconciliation with his faith - all within the context or a paradigm shift to postmodernism This is not something to fear. Evangelicals are afraid of the emerging church and postmodernism because of the deconstruction of everything they know and believe. But God is bigger, so much bigger. And he/she is moving in the midst of this transition and I want to be a part of that movement.

Stateside Vindication

2008-05-26T00:23:00.003-05:00

I just found an article from Variety magazine about how the American version of The Office is winning over British fans. I feel this is a small victory because I've argued with a few people about the show. These people say the British version is much funnier - the American version just doesn't compare. I disagree.

First of all, these people seem to be obnoxious Anglophiles who use British words around to show how "cultured" they are. Or they're pretentious psuedo-intellectuals who pride themselves on their appreciation of the fringes of pop culture. How could someone like something as mainstream as an NBC show?

I will admit, Season 1's mere six episodes do mirror the British series, but the writers are smart and created scenarios that only enhanced the excellent ensemble cast. The British series never revealed the comic mishaps of more minor characters, instead focusing mostly on the boss and the Dawn/Tim relationship. It was short-lived, so who knows what would have happened had the show lasted another season or two.

Even though the American show has plateaued in Seasons 3 and 4, I can see why British audiences would find it funny - it is funny. Plus, I've come to really care about the characters. The writers are very clever, and Steve Carrell is good in just about every episode without overpowering the ensemble. I would venture to say it's an even better ensemble than (gasp!) America's beloved Friends.

I think NBC's other Thursday night gem, 30 Rock, is turning out to be the better comedy, with all the farce and parody, and Flight of the Concords may just beat both as the best comedy on television. But The Office is still may favorite, maybe out sentimentality. The season finale was great. It met the gold standard set by Emmy-winning Season 2.

The American show has incorporated the British show's awkward comedic genius while becoming distinctively American. So don't tell me the British version is better. Two different shows, two different countries. I'm fan either way, and I'm glad to see British people are, too.

One Sticker I Wouldn't Put on My Car

2008-05-24T18:40:00.004-05:00

When I started my series on interesting Austin bumper stickers, I figured, sooner or later, I'd notice one that I would not put on my car. I've been in and out of Austin for most of May, spending some time in San Francisco (a liberal's paradise). But I just got back from a family vacation on Florida's Gulf Coast, which is red country, through and through.

I take certain things for granted living here, and once I'm thrown back into the Deep South or just the rest of Texas (I spent a few days in Houston this month, too), I'm almost shocked by general opinion. Fox News is a legitimate news source? Wait, people still think Bush is a good president?

Honestly, I'm not very political. I'm not as opinionated as my mostly Republican family, and at times, I find the extreme left just as ridiculous as the right. As is the case with this bumper sticker:At the suggestion that we kill off people with differing political opinions, I only become more apathetic.

Peacemongering in Traffic

2008-05-09T14:36:00.006-05:00

While stuck in traffic on Riverside (why construction on a Friday afternoon? Really, TXDOT, really. Can't you come up with a better time?) I was behind an SUV with both of these bumper stickers:

Interestingly, this gas-guzzler also had stickers for the Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys. Who says football fans can't also be proponents of peace? Suck that, Fox News.

Very Austin Bumper Stickers

2008-04-28T17:05:00.006-05:00

Just about every day, I see an amusing bumper sticker. Most are political or typical of progressive Austinites (who are well represented by this blog). So I thought when I found a bumper sticker that particularly sums up Austin, I'd share it here.

Today's entry:

New Food Blogs

2008-04-18T20:52:00.003-05:00

I've added a new blog: The Culinary Purveyors of Austin, sharing the good news of good food to the city of Austin. I've wanted to try my hand at writing as a food critic, and I'd like to write for local publication. I figured a blog was a good way to get some initial experience, though without the sexy intrigue of printed clips.

It is primarily focused on Austin-area restaurants and eateries - no chains or franchises outside the city. I'm keepin it weird and local. I also want contributors, so if you're an Austinite with good taste, let me know and I'll consider adding you. Non-Austinite friends, if you ever decide to visit me, feel free to use this as resource.

Let the eating begin!

Realizations of Significance

2008-04-11T20:03:00.003-05:00

I have made some significant realizations in the last week that are the results of sub-concious shifts in thinking, new paradigms if you will. They may seem trivial and superficial, but I assure you, dear readers, they point to larger issues in my life.

Houston is not a bad city, and it is much easier to drive there than I thought.
Berry's Alumni magazine is clearly focused on a demographic of conservative, conventional Atlanta yuppies.
I do not like American Apparel's clothes.

Now to explain the significance of these realizations:

While I have no desire to live in Houston and feel much more at home in Austin, driving there is surprisingly easy. Perhaps this is because I'm more comfortable as an urban driver. After successfully tackling two drives through Houston, I now have a change in my mental outlook on driving in general, bringing a better sense of well-being to my life. I.e, very significant.
My alma mater wants money, and as much as I love Berry College, I don't give a shit about the Cage Center. I didn't when I went there, and I certainly don't now. That magazine is not meant to tell us alumni about what our fellow alumni are up to. No, no. It has that appearance, but it is all attempt to get us to give money. And who's the most likely of Berry graduates to give money? Conventional, conservative Atlanta yuppies. Significant? You bet. My school only sees me as a dollar sign. I will say, however, the cover story about the doctor in New Orleans was interesting.
I'm sick of hipsters and their clothes. American Apparel clothing is boring, overpriced, and overrated, and I don't understand why hipsters who work in coffee shops would spend what little money they have on those clothes. Granted I can applaud the use of fair labor. That's great. Wonderful. But what about the moral inconsistencies regarding the CEO? Sexual harassment, anyone? I don't think I can justify $25 on a t-shirt, especially when the head of the company is asshole. If only there were more fair trade clothing options that were stylish...

For more on the American Apparel controversy and lawsuits, check out knowmore.org for a full report.

Insurance for the Self-Employed

2008-03-29T14:20:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing that separates the self-employed from those employed by others, it is their preoccupation with health insurance.

Amen.

SXSW Film recap

2008-03-25T17:20:00.003-05:00

Here's another attempt at being a film critic. All these films are typical of the festival's indie selections, although these have the distinction of being my favorites. I saw a few others, but they're not worth mentioning.

Otis - A campy horror movie that’s really a political statement, Otis tells the story of a lovable loser who tries to relive the past by abducting teenage girls and torturing them. That is, until one family decides to avenge their daughter and bypass the justice system. Sound funny? It’s hilarious.

Run, Fatboy, Run - This delightful, if predictable, British romantic comedy is already in theaters. It may not be worth full admission price, but if you can’t find a better Saturday night date movie, I’d recommend it. It’s cute in an understated British way and noteworthy as David Schwimmer’s directorial debut.

Medicine for Melancholy - A one-night stand becomes something a little more when two indie kids spend the day together exploring San Francisco. The catch is that they’re black and dealing with the complicated issues of urban life, with the issue of gentrification acting as a backdrop. This is a very pretty film, and San Francisco acts as more than a setting and becomes a third character.

In a Dream - Isaiah Zagar is a mosaic artist in Philadelphia, and his work is featured on buildings throughout the city, particularly on the famous South Street. A documentary directed by Zagar’s son, In a Dream creates an intimate portrait of the artist and his complicated family relationships with. His colorful work helps to make the film beautiful and ethereal. This was the winner of the SXSW Audience Award.

Dear Zachary - This film started as a personal project for filmmaker Kurt Kuenne after his best friend, Andrew Bagby, was murdered. He went around the country interviewing Andrew’s grieving friends and family. Until events took a shocking twist - Andrew’s murderer and ex-girlfriend was pregnant. Kurt then decided to make the film for Zachary, the baby, as a way for him to know his father. But more twists, including a custody battle between Zachary’s mother and grandparents, send the film into new directions. This film is incredibly moving - most people in the theater were weeping by the end, myself included.

Some Assembly Required - Yet another documentary, this one has a lighter subject. It follows teams of middle schoolers as they compete in the National Toy Competition. What’s most fascinating about this film is how the kids grow and become more self-confident throughout their journey to the national competition. Early adolescence is of course awkward, but it’s great to see a film that encourages their strengths - creativity, ingenuity, and belief in the impossible.

I also saw Jesus Camp last week, and hopefully I will have some reactions and comments on that film ready to post within the week. All I will say for now is that it was quite thought-provoking, although not as as "shocking" as the liberal made it out to be.

Small Victory for Art

2008-02-25T12:31:00.003-06:00

Sadly, this clip of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova accepting their Oscar was taken down from YouTube. It was a beautiful moment.

I cried when I saw this:

Cute, Nice Girls

2008-02-20T00:25:00.002-06:00

I'm fed up with being cute: I want to be taken seriously.

I was telling Kevin (my boy of significance, though not quite my boyfriend yet) that it seems that young women, especially attractive, polite ones, are viewed as "nice, cute girls" and therefore not taken seriously. It's as if we (yes, "we" because I very much fit into the category of females mentioned above) waiver between status as a passive doormat or an overly aggressive bitch.

I want to be somewhere in between. i want to be seen as a human being and sometimes, I want to be legitimately angry and assertive in order to fix a wrong. I will not apologize if that makes me a bitch.

It can be more subtle, though. In my professional experience, I saw the spectrum. Some people in my office would take me very seriously, even with my embroidered owl skirts and large, ethnic-looking earrings. It would be too simplistic to say it was only men who viewed me as "some nice, cute girl" and therefore didn't treat me as a professional equal. Sometimes, older women were the worst at patronizing younger women in a professional setting.

Honestly, though, I felt I was treated well by co-workers. My work was valued, I was respected. I have good references now to prove it.

It's unfortunate that wardrobe and appearance can dictate the way people treat you, especially if you're a "nice, cute girl." I tried to dress modestly in the office and wore a lot of Ann Taylor clothes. This helped, I think. But I've mentioned the large earrings and the owl skirt. I wonder if clothing will always have such an impact on the way women are respected and treated.

I have nothing against being a polite, genuinely kind person. Emphasis on the word "person." Not "girl." I try to treat people with dignity, respect, and kindness. That's all I want in return. So often young women don't receive all three and settle for latter: kindness, or it's shallow sister, niceness.

But I'm done with it: I'm done being "cute" and "nice." If it makes me a bitch, fine. I'd rather have more genuine relationships built on honesty and respect.

Morally ambiguous coffee

2008-02-10T16:11:00.001-06:00

Most days, I'm happy to be a 21st century American woman, thanks to my relative freedom and equal status. Then I come across shit like this, and I wonder if feminism has accomplished anything. Maybe we should burn our bras again. At least we'll get some attention.

What further disgusts me about Latte Dolls is that it advertises as having certified fair trade coffee. I guess any business around here can be legitimized by appealing to progressive yuppy politics. I hate to see fair trade used merely as a pawn to get people who don't regard themselves as consumers to become just that - consumers (of both coffee and degrading raunch).

Just because the farmers are paid fairly (and I suppose the 'dolls' who work there are compensated well, too) doesn't mean this is okay. But there are plenty of coffee alternative about town, and I won't waste my time staging a boycott. I just wish women would say no to such jobs and people would take their business to places that are truly progressive - places that treat women as people rather than sex objects.

In the mean time, I'll continue to get my fair trade coffee where the barristas are fully clothed.