Lime Green Bulldozer

Just a bit of a link dump post, because I'm not feeling hyper mega creative right now...and my life is kind of too weird to share much lately.

Via tiffany brown on Twitter, Garfield Minus Garfield. Hahahaha.

***

Twisty is still calling it like she sees it:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: because of Dude Nation’s successful propaganda campaign, most women wouldn’t be feminists with a 10 foot pole, and the few who buck this trend are required to spend 83.7% of their time begging the citizenry to believe that they don’t hate men and aren’t crazy.

***

On a different note, tittyshakers is the home of the sleazy sound. (via Miss Martini, who copped it off of the ubiquitous Tiffany Brown!)

***
I pretty much disagree with everything she says, but I thought this was an interesting post nonetheless. I just can't wrap my head around the whole "elitist" argument when it comes to Obama. And to somehow make the claim that the Obama camp is nurturing the racial divide intentionally to cover up the fact that he's not in touch with working class voters kind of makes my head want to explode.

***
I guess that's it for today. :)

It was the summer of 1988. Probably the turning point of my life...or one of them. I was 18 and sitting in the back seat of someone's car. It was probably my car, and I was probably being driven around Chicago by one of my friends, while the rest of the passengers joked and laughed and talked about various things. I had my nose in a book I had just bought at Powell's. I had pulled it at random from the shelves, saw illustrations by Sue Coe, and decided I had to read it. That book was _Narcissism and Death_ by Mariarosa Sclauzero, which is an experimental prose book about the human psyche, love, ethics, beauty, narcissism...and death. ha. It was fascinating to me, because it was written in a sort of ADD skipping from one topic to the next style that seemed to be a salvation in terms of setting an example for a type of novel I could actually write. I have never been very linear...and I am not good at envisioning and bringing to life meticulously accurate story lines from beginning to end with any amount of cohesion.

At any rate, I had my nose in that book when we turned on to Kenmore street. I remember the name of the street because people were talking about Kenmore appliances or something. Maybe the topic of washing machines came up. Maybe someone was talking about duds and suds, the new bar/laundromat that we always talked about going to, but always ended up dragging bags and bags of dirty clothes to my moms house in the suburbs, anyway...on those weekends we would go back for shows at Dirty Nellies and, later, mcGregor's.

So we parked somewhere on Kenmore to visit with my roommates boyfriend Erich "Fish" Blocher, and his roommate Warren "Fish" Fisher. They were two men who shared an apartment and a nickname. Warren was fish for obvious reason, and I believe he played bass for screeching weasel for awhile and was in a band called Ozzfish or The Ozzfish Experience...although I recently chatted with my other old roommate and we can't for the life of us figure out who the Ozz in Ozzfish was. Erich was nicknamed fish for reasons unknown. He was a tall, goofy, John Denvery looking guy with round glasses and a sort of hippie, laid back demeanor. He was living in the other Fish's closet at the time. I remember laying on the pillows on the floor and looking up at the chain that hung from the bare lightbulb in the closet. there was a long string tied to the end of the chain as a means of extension "Because I am too lazy to stand up to turn it off at night." said fish.

And as I lay there, with my nose still in Narcissism and Death, one of the fishes made me a tape of the Chumbawamba lp _Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records_ because I just HAD to listen to it over and over again. And I have. And I still do. It is kind of a masterpiece.

And when I hear Chumbawamba now, I think of that day. I think of being driven, nose in book, refrigerators, washing machines, lightbulbs and fish and fish and fish's closet. And I think of black and white ink drawings and songs about anarchy and I think about Pictures of Starving Children and Narcissism and Death. And the richness and clarity of these memories amazes me always.

Moyers did an interview with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright that I thought was just spectacular. The whole Wright/Obama backlash thing really sticks in my craw. First of all, because...seriously...if they are going to start holding all candidates accountable for the opinions of others, I am sure there are a few other politicians whose pastors, reverends, AND FAMILY MEMBERS espouse racist and sexist bullshit that is far more offensive to me than anything Wright could come up with. And what is more damning to America than that, god damnit!?

*Edited to clarify* I have been trying to find a way to convey the above idea without implying that Wright's comments were racist. I don't think they were. What I was instead saying is that the racism and sexism that is expressed around the dinner table in many families is more offensive than the alleged "Anti-American" sentiments expressed by Wright in his much-publicized PORTION of a speech.

Hey everyone...

One of the things I am most thankful for in my life right now is the presence of an amazing creative partner who inspires and surprises me.

A few weeks ago, I got an email from him asking if we should try to participate in this radiohead/aniboom video animation contest, and even though I don't really consider myself to be much of a visual artist, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to embark on a creative adventure with him.

So, I am pleased to announce our entry into the storyboard phase of the contest. We chose Weird Fishes because the story was evocative and, well, speaking for myself...because fish are relatively easy to draw. hahaha.

If you like the storyboard, it would be awesome if you would vote. I know it's a pain in the ass to sign up for a website to vote for something, but it'd be rad if you would. :)

Whether you do or not, I hope you enjoy the storyboard at least. It represents 3 weeks of brainstorming, chalking, pep talking, nagging, more brainstorming, more making a chalky mess of myself and everything around me, and lots and lots of wonderful creative processing...

I am looking forward to more of the same, for as long as I am fortunate to have such a wonderful artistic collaborator in my life.

You can view and vote for the video here:
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=206718

I don't really have anything to add to this LiP Magazine article, Uh-Obama:

Note, never has a white politician been confronted with questions about his or her ability to transcend race, or specifically, their whiteness. And this is true, even as many white politicians continue to pull almost all of their support from whites, and have almost no luck at convincing people of color to vote for them. In the Democratic primaries this year, Obama has regularly received about half the white vote, while Hillary Clinton has managed to pull down only about one-quarter of the black vote, yet the question has always been whether he could transcend race. The only rational conclusion to which this points is, again, that it is not race per se that needs to be overcome, but blackness. Whiteness is not seen as negative, as something to be conquered or transcended. Indeed, whereas blacks are being asked to rise above their racial identity, for whites, the burden is exactly the opposite: the worst thing for a white person is to fail to live up to the ostensibly high standards set by whiteness; it is to be considered white trash, which is to say, to be viewed as someone who has let down whiteness and fallen short of its pinnacle. For blacks, the worst thing it seems (at least in the minds of whites) is to be seen as black, which is no doubt why so many whites think it's a compliment to say things to black folks like, "I don't even think of you as black," not realizing that the subtext of such a comment is that it's a damned good thing they don't, for if they did, the person so thought of would be up the proverbial creek for sure.

...about what I leave behind. Not in a bullshit business productivity training "leaving a legend" way, but more like keeping track of where I am and where I want to be. What I have tried...all of the different ways I have tried to live my life.

And the thing is, I am happiest with my life right now in this moment...in this era. But, you know how it is when you feel you have something to lose - suddenly it seems as though you have everything to protect, and it's easy to start wondering if maybe it's not easier to have nothing at all.

The other day I twittered:  Grateful 5: fun kids, rewarding career, adventurous lover, inspiring creative partner, and freedom in all these relationships. Why complain? And I meant it. Maybe the reason I am tempted to complain is that it all seems a little too good, and when things seem easy, I have a difficult time relaxing and enjoying. It's that old working class work ethic of "if you ain't sweating, it ain't work." (actually, I just made that up, I think...but I know that's how I feel) I have a tendency to feel like if my life isn't difficult or complicated in some way, I'm being somehow lazy.

I really need to stop that. hahaha. I do have all of those things I am thankful for, and then some, and I do feel fortunate for it. That is not to say there aren't plenty of things that I don't have...but the things I DO have keep me quite busy. My life is full, busy, and productive. I need to stop worrying about looking for more, more, more.

This spring in Austin has been the nicest I can remember. Every night is cool, every morning brisk and sunny and bursting with the sounds of doves and other birds I can hear through my open windows. The trees seemed to go from bud to full foliage overnight. I missed the unfolding...but there is always next spring to witness that.

So, it seems I never blog anymore. I was actually thinking about it today, because I read an article that I wanted to blog about...and it took me like 30 minutes to fully read the article, and then about 3 hours to get over how depressed it made me feel. And by the time I got to the end of that 3 hours, I was listening to Abba when I should have been blogging, and all I wanted to do was rock out to "Dancin' Queen" Who has time for blogging?

Oh, wait...that's what I am doing now. Haha. This blog will now be delayed while its author rocks out to Dancin' Queen. Feel the beat of that tambourine, baby!!!

**PAUSE**

I'm not sure why, but it seems like it's been awhile since I have had some alone time that I have actually enjoyed. Lately, I have felt a lot of pressure to be socially active and datingly inclined. I think that's what bothered me about that article I read. It was some single mother ranting about how you should settle for a man while you are young because by the time you are smart enough to realize you need a man to take care of certain more practical, less romantic needs, you will be too old and ugly to attract a good one.

Yes, I know I'm oversimplifying a bit...but not a lot. If you really feel like you want to read the entire article, you can find it here.

I think the thing that really got to me is that, yes I do occasionally worry about my future if I don't find some sort of partner to share the practical burden of day to day living and growing old. But I don't necessarily think that's productive, nor do I think "settling" for someone or some specific type of relationship or lifestyle is going to necessarily ensure my future will be less burdensome on the whole. The author of the article seems to feel that a healthy response to a fear of being alone is to, as she reports, remain in a relationship that would prompt someone to say "“You’re so lucky, you don’t have to have sex with someone you don’t want to.”

Because, you know, at least the woman who is having unwilling sex HAS a MAN!

Jesus fucking Christ. I don't think I have anything to add to that. I'm just going to play a bunch of '80's music in my house alone, and be happy that my fear of facing a future in which I am potentially alone for eternity exempts me from coercive sex. Suddenly being single doesn't seem like a bad thing at all.

Just a few things I have favorited these past few weeks. I have been out of town and haven't been updating or reading a whole lot of feeds (although I did stay in a hotel room with CABLE(!) so I was actually able to keep up with goings-on.)

Anyway...on to the linky links:

From WePO, via Crooks and Liars - McCain doesn't know who we're fighting in Iraq. Brilliant.

Ding at Bitch, PhD asks some important questions about the mainstream media's (and white America's) fear of an angry black man.

Science Daily had a string of interesting articles last week. First, Does Touch Affect Flavor was a report on how the sense of touch can affect how things taste.

This was amusing to me, because I sincerely do choose my wine based primarily on the design of the label, and anything with a bear or a bird wins out just about every time.

I just love seeing the word "tightwad" used in a scientific capacity. hahaha.

The ideology of consumer technology describes four different ideological mindsets which inform our experience of technological advancements.

I bookmarked this one right before leaving on vacation. The concept of charity organizations who fund vacations for disadvantaged children and adults is intriguing to me. I have always found it extremely valuable to get the Hell out of Dodge for a bit as often as possible. Glad to know there's a pseudo-scientific explanation for that.

Heather Corrina, as usual, delivers a poignant peep into her life as a reproductive services counselor. I'm thankful she's able to find a way to disclose the stories she does without compromising the identiies of her clients. To me, posts like these are why blogs are so powerful in terms of bringing people to an understanding of issues from an intensely personal perspective.

And, with that, I think I'm going to step away from the computer for a bit and see what sorts of life I can observe on this lazy Saturday. I hope you all are well...Take care.

I went to bed feeling really upset last night because I had spent some time earlier with people that were confusingly snooty. They didn't actually say anything mean to me, but I was so freaking uncomfortable around them that I didn't know what to say.

I think sometimes that because I have a (perhaps unhealthy) tendency to self-evaluate, I get extra super irritated with and uncomfortable around anyone who issues forth unexamined ignorance to an extreme degree. I don't know how to describe it. Perhaps it helps to say that even now, having just written that, I'm thinking "Wait...did that sound self-righteous? Maybe there's a different way to explain that so it doesn't seem like I'm saying "I'm better than other people..." etc, etc. So, I mean, I'm kind of aware that I have a bit of an obsessive urge to overthink everything. However, I don't think that fact should necessitate me being totally tolerant of people who UNDERthink.

At any rate, I'm not even sure why I am blogging this, except maybe to force everyone to witness my pms-insanity. hahaha. I am all over the place right now. Missing my kiddos, still keyed up by sxsw, looking forward to vacation time next week, feeling like I'm neglecting my mom because I'm too chicken shit to call her, worrying about my job, being absolutely elated about what a great job I have, having a lover/wanting a friend, wanting a lover/having a friend, having extra money for the first time in a LONG time, being scared to death about the future of the planet, tired of politics, feeling extra politically charged up, not having enough time, having too much time, looking forward to hanging out with my mama friends tonight, looking back on my week and wondering where all of my time went, and on and on and on.

Today, I'm looking for a perfect moment. Just one perfect moment where I can sit, and relax, and just be there now. Whenever that now happens. In the meantime, I need to catch up with myself, remind myself that all of these things will have their time to play out, relax, relax, relax...be thankful and chill. Be thankful that I'm even in a position where I can afford to overthink my overthinkingness. And chill.

(and as I typed the word chill, I suddenly became aware of this bird calling rhythmically outside, and I stopped, and listened, and immersed myself in that moment. And it was nice.) 

In spite of the fact that I still think people aren't fully understanding the notion of re-training (a post I will have to get to later...and it's not that I disagree that it's a Bad Thing for people to be forced to learn new skills for new jobs due to globalization...but rather I think people who have not had any amount of training on new technologies and have established careers might need to have training available to them at low cost JUST IN CASE they want or need to change careers and find that the harsh reality is that they will have to learn to deal with new technology in a way they aren't currently being asked to) this article [via Crooks and Liars]goes a long way towards explaining why I miss Edwards and fervently hope Obama (uh, if he's the nominee) chooses him as his running mate:

Edwards took a huge swing at corporate lobbyists by singling out the NAFTA-like Chapter 11 rights. As I explained (and Public Citizen has a much more detailed explanation): Let's say a company doing business in a country that has a party to one of these so-called "free trade" agreements believes a law violates rights or protections the company has under the trade deal. The company can take its case before a trade tribunal, which can, then, rule that a law--say an environmental law or labor--is illegal under the so-called "free trade" regime and award tax-payer dollars to corporations. And this tribunal operates behind closed doors, with no public input or scrutiny and none of the basic due process or transparency one would expect in open courts.

    Edwards' position was really important. These Chapter 11 rights are one of the most odious provisions of so-called "free trade" deals. They allow companies to undercut our democracy--laws that are passed by the people we elect can be overridden by an unaccountable, unelected tribunal. Edwards stood up and, effectively, said he would not sign trade deals with these undemocratic provisions.

    Neither Sen. Clinton or Obama have made that specific pledge. Too many people think that globalization is just a slogan to mouth without looking at the rules that are governing trade. The fact is: globalization is nothing new. We've traded ever since humans walked on the earth. We need to stop being enthralled by the slogan "globalization" and think about how we set up rules that govern those trading relationships.

My friend Harold sent me this link about evolutionary "propaganda." Although, I don't know...after reading these bios, I kind of feel like the ministry is a hoax...what do you think?

"Diamond" Jack Holgroth is a Game Theoretician who currently teaches a course in Advanced Game Theory for Theologians at Fellowship University. He served our country during the Cold War as a Game Theory Tactician for the Department of Defense and single-handedly developed an elegant solution to the "Fisherman's Quandary", a game theory problem that was crucial to the winning of the arms race and that was famously intractable - until Diamond Jack came along. Jack also enjoys vexillology and can signal Bible passages from memory in fluent semaphore.

(although, secretly, I would like to see Bible passages recited in semaphore. hahahaha. That's freaking BRILLIANT.)

ACK! there is all sorts of brilliance on this site. My friend Chris just messaged me and encouraged me to mouse over the baby on this page. EEEEK! If you click on him a lot, he cries! I made baby Jesus cry!

Anyway, on to more serious items...or item, as I am running out of time...this Alternet article about how well Obama plays the media game is interesting to me:

The media can also veto candidates, as in the case of John Edwards. He was not by definition a "marginal" candidate: a U.S. senator and vice-presidential candidate in the last election, at various junctures he polled better against potential Republican contenders than the other Democratic candidates. He led his rivals in introducing a serious health care plan, and arguably transformed the contest in his appeal to the Democratic base on that and other issues.

But the media rejected Edwards, by a combination of ignoring him and subjecting him to much more negative reporting than the other major contenders. The same was true in 2004 for Howard Dean, who rallied the Democratic base but found himself with five or six times as many negative articles in the media than his major democratic primary opponents.

[...]

On the other hand, Obama knew how to define his candidacy within the limits of the media's constraints and still have a mass appeal. From the beginning of his campaign he mostly avoided challenging powerful interests, and talked about "getting all sides to the table" and overcoming "decades of bitter partisanship." The media and punditocracy lap this stuff up like honey. At the same time he was able to tap into the voters' deep desire for change, with inspirational speeches, transcendental narratives, and celebrity-studded videos.