Friday, October 30, 2009

The Big City Gazette Headlines:


If you like Chipotle, get out your tin foil and head over tomorrow.

In other news, my alma mater apparently has some medical students who are trying experimental amputation techniques.

Finally, rabbit furs can keep you warm in more ways than one. PETA is going to need a lot of red paint for that plant.

P.S. This made me laugh. Watch the little "Learn How" video on the left.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Bikinis vs Burqas?


So my husband works at the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) now in New York. They work on behalf of veterans as a whole for more benefits, better rights, things like that.

Anyway, they got a video today from a guy who told them that the best way to combat gender inequality in Iraq and Afghanistan would be to send all the women there Western style clothing. He said something to the effect that he was "using his best instincts as a man".

They got a pretty good laugh out of that one, as did I. I think it's been proven time and again that education is the best way to combat these sorts of problems, not forcing women to wear short shorts like Miley Cyrus. In fact, I think that might just get them stoned to death or something. Combating forced morality and dress by going to the extreme opposite is just fighting fire with fire.

I love this photo I found, by the way. It's Lil Kim actually, if you were curious. Obviously forced covering of the face is a pretty good way to dehumanize someone. You can't see their facial expressions or communicate with them in the same way that you can with someone whose face you can see. For women who choose to wear a niqab that's fine, it's their choice, but I don't agree with it simply because of the fact that it's representative of the oppression that a lot of women face by being forced into wearing it. At the same time, I read a study a few months ago which explained that heterosexual men who viewed images of women in bikinis didn't recognize them so much as human beings but as objects. Women need to be allowed to make their own choices and wear what they feel comfortable in, not told what they should wear because it looks sexy or makes them a more moral or pious person.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Opposite of Spring Cleaning


Yeah...it's been a while. I know. I just haven't wanted to look at this thing for a while. Not exactly sure why though.

Anyway, I've been trying to clean up the house, get rid of old papers and sell some old books, dvds and cds online. Funny thing, looks like I'm not alone! I just thought that was really strange that KimDonesia happened to write a few blog posts about it just as I happened to be cleaning up.

There were two huge boxes of crap in the closet. The last two boxes that hadn't been unpacked after moving in. I went through and cleaned them all out last night and cut the stuff down by half. I will get rid of more once someone comes home around Little Baby Jesus Day time (that means Christmas).

I went to an office supply store today to get some packing tape for shipping off books and I bought a box to put hanging files in for about $15 and thought that it was a bit expensive and I wanted one with a lid. I went back afterword to exchange it and as I walk in the door right there is a pile of hanging file boxes with a lid on sale for $5 each. It's the little things that make me happy :)

Little Cat like helping me clean, she sat in the box while I tried taking things out of it. I'll post a pic once I get it on the computer.

My husband's been in New York since Sunday. I miss him.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

I'm getting behind again....


I just wanted to post this because I think this song is amazing. It's about gaining freedom in Iran, obviously.

Also, I saw this article today and am way more excited about it than I should be. New York Times and Time and I'm sure lots of others had articles about it too, but this is the best I think. So yeah, they found a pre-human ancestors that is about one million years older than Lucy. The really amazing part though is that it's more human-like than ape-like, which suggests our common ancestors with great apes probably was more human like and the really ape like features evolved later on with those species. Thing like enlarged canine teeth, for example. I just love this kind of stuff! I think it's so unbelievably fascinating.

Along the same lines, I'm in love with this man. Ken Miller is brilliant. I especially love the ending of this video where he completely owns creationists. It's one thing to believe God created us and the world, it's completely another to deny something that we have piles and piles of evidence for. Is it so hard to admit that maybe, just maybe, God created evolution. Maybe being created on day 6, according to the Bible, means day 5 was for Homo ergaster, and day for was for Homo habilis, then Australopithecus afarensis, and so on. I just find it extremely naive and prideful that people would consider themselves too good to be evolved from some lower beings. Just get over yourselves already.

In other news, Jason got the job! That means we're moving to New York! So excited and freaked out, at the same time.