In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Month: September 2005

Scopes Monkey Trials, part deux

Why are we still debating this? Listen up, wingnuts: Science class is for teaching science, not religion. Not “we don’t know, so God must have done it.” Not “evolution is only a theory” (gravity is also only a theory, but I’m not gonna start agitating for my kids to be taught intelligent falling). End of story.

“Nearly 2,000 years ago, someone died on a cross for us,” said board member William Buckingham, who urged his colleagues to include intelligent design in ninth-grade science classes. “Shouldn’t we have the courage to stand up for him?”

I must have missed the part in the Bible where Jesus says, “Thou shalt not teach your children accurate scientific information.”

Worst Pick-Up Line Ever

The Dark Room, Friday night, me and Anne and some other people. Standing against the wall, people-watching and chatting. Some guy comes over, starts talking to us. He starts out with the over-played, “Can I ask your opinion on something?” Eh, sure. “Would you date a three-foot-tall albino?” Um… what? Then he says:

“Hey, you’re cute. You look just like my little sister.”

So gross.

That was followed by someone else walking past us, making a claw with his hand and growling. Who are these people?

Now, your worst pick-up line ever. Go.

Lowered Expectations

President Bush needs to raise the bar.

The president’s recent schedule of nonstop disaster-scene photo-ops is reminiscent of the principal of a failing school who believes he’s doing a great job because he makes it a point to drop in on every class play and teacher retirement party. And if there ever was an exhibit of the misguided conviction that for some people very little is good enough, it’s the current administration spin that the proposed Iraqi constitution is fine because the founding fathers didn’t give women equal rights either.

(emphasis mine).

Only a president with no expectation that the federal government should step up after a crisis could have stripped the Federal Emergency Management Agency bare, appointed as its director a political crony who could not even adequately represent the breeders of Arabian horses, and announced that the director was doing a splendid job while bodies floated in the floodwaters.

Ouch.

In Iraq, the elimination of expectations is on display in the disastrous political process. Among other things, the constitution drafted under American supervision does not provide for the rights of women and minorities and enshrines one religion as the fundamental source of law. Administration officials excuse this poor excuse for a constitution by saying it also refers to democratic values. But it makes them secondary to Islamic law and never actually defines them. Our founding fathers had higher expectations: they made the split of church and state fundamental, and spelled out what they meant by democracy and the rule of law.

It’s true that the United States Constitution once allowed slavery, denied women the right to vote and granted property rights only to white men. But it’s offensive for the administration to use that as an excuse for the failings of the Iraqi constitution. The bar on democracy has been raised since 1787. We don’t agree that the 218-year-old standard is good enough for Iraq.

I have nothing else to add; this is spot-on. And yet another reason why I love the New York Times editorial pages.

Performance-Enhancing Soft Drinks… For Four-Year-Olds

No, it’s not a joke. The latest sports drink, Spark, is being marketed to kids between the ages of 4 and 11, and contains as much caffeine as in a cup of coffee — purportedly to encourange athletic performance (another version of the drink contains twice as much caffeine and is being marketed to teenagers and adults).

Not only is caffeine probably not the best thing to be giving young children, but putting it in a sports drink implies that (a) improved athletic ability is more important than physical health, and (b) in order to perform at your peak, you have to take an enhancement drug. That’s a dangerous mindset to project onto children.

In an advertisement on its Web site for youth products, AdvoCare described an elementary school wrestler as a “high-performance athlete” and quoted him as saying: “I feel the products are helping me grow stronger, and my focus when I’m wrestling is better. I take them before and after games and practices, even if I’m just playing football for fun with my friends.”

It also seems to be putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on elementary school kids to refer to them as high-performance athletes.

Angela B. Foster, whose 12-year-old daughter, Taylor, is featured in another endorsement for AdvoCare products, said in a telephone interview that Spark was safe and helpful for not only Taylor, who practices 20 hours a week and is hoping for a college scholarship in gymnastics, but also for her 11-year-old brother, who plays soccer and runs track, and her 7-year-old sister. “We use Spark for all of them,” Foster said.

The Foster children use the teenage and adult version, with 120 milligrams of caffeine, even though it is labeled as not for use by children. “They don’t use the kids’ stuff,” Foster said. “They said it tastes too much like Kool-Aid.”

In her endorsement for AdvoCare’s children’s products, Taylor said: “I have more energy and I like them a lot. I would suggest that anyone try them!”

Nothing like sacrificing your kids’ physical health for sports — kind of the opposite of the whole point of being an athlete, isn’t it?

Rockin’ With the Lord

Hugo thinks Christian music is seen as inherently uncool in the secular world. What he doesn’t know is that all the kool kids listen to Christian music, even a godless, atheist heathen like me.

One of my not-so secret secrets is my love for this band label: Sounds Familyre. I believe every artist on this label is either a) putting out specifically Christian music, or b) Biblically-inspired, morally explorative music. This label is the brainchild of Daniel Smith, head of the band The Danielson Famile.

You can get most of the following mp3s from their website, thus these mp3s will be removed from our servers in a few days. Catch while catch can. Right click, save as.

The Danielson Famile puts out some of the quirkiest feel-good music that I have ever heard. My first listen was both amused and slightly skeptical because of the childish, chiming voices and melodies. It grew on me — and it will grow on you if you have an appreciation for the noisy, upbeat, and avant garde. And yes, they are wholeheartedly serious and are supposed to be a great treat live.

All the kids in the Danielson Famile were fathered by Lenny Smith, a laudable musician in his own right. This song, overtly Biblical, rocks like the best bands of the 1960s. Smith has a back catalogue of songs stretching back at least thirty years that are to be released in album-length selections over the next few years.

This Dan Zimmerman tune has had me rocking out for days. It absolutely plows through musical darkness and light. Great song.

Of the artists I list here, the most popular artist who deals with Christianity in his music is Sufjan Stevens. This indie rock god “came out” as a Christian two years ago with his album “Seven Swans,” whereas his spirituality was only hinted at in previous albums. I highly recommend it as well as his other albums, especially the conceptual geographic- and culturally-themed albums “Michigan” and “Illinois”. His music is all-ages friendly with solid composition and unusual arrangments and instumental choices. Almost all of his songs deal with moral stories or personal tales of hardship, but all capture the beauty of humanity with his lovely voice and lyrical content without being overt or preachy. Just wonderful.

See also: A more comprehensive review of Seven Swans.

If anyone has any similar artists to share, I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments.

UPDATE: This song I just found (notice: decidedly unchristian) is an electropop Too Short cover with a female vocalist. I can’t decide if it sucks or not.

Lester Crawford Resigns

Good. Now the question is, What nut will Bush put up in his place?

(Lester Crawford, for the unfamiliar, was the Commissioner of the FDA)

Friday Random 10, 2nd ed.

I’m never as cool as Lauren (although I do constantly download the songs she lists). Bear with me anyway. I’m so glad it’s the weekend.

1. Joss Stone and Melissa Ethridge: Cry (live Janis Joplin cover)
2. Ray LaMontagne: Jolene
3. Anne Sofie von Otter and Elvis Costello: Put Your Head On My Shoulder
4. Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J and Method Man: Hit ‘Em High
5. The Pixies: Here Comes Your Man
6. The Cure: Pictures of You
7. Nirvana: The Man Who Sold the World (yeah, I’m from Seattle, what can I say…)
8. Bright Eyes: First Day of My Life
9. Belle & Sebastian: I Could Be Dreaming
10. Pavement: Stereo

Friday Random Story (this Friday only): Walking out of the subway today, I got attacked by a pigeon (I hate pigeons). That is, it flew up in my face and started beating its wings. I flailed my arms around, and yelled, “UGGGHH!” (because pigeons are disgusting). Everyone walking past starting laughing at me. I walk down half a block, and a woman who had apparently seen the whole thing from about 40 feet away, says, “Those pigeons are OUT OF CONTROL!”

I had a good laugh.

And as a final thought, I have a new game to add: Friday Random Wine I Am Drinking As I Write This. This week: Gazela, a Portugese vinho verde. Highly recommended. Serve cold.