I Chant the Body Electric....all the Way to Hell

In the ever-lengthening list of things that godduggery wails and gnashes its teeth about, add teaching children yoga in public schools. Perhaps not as earth-shattering as finding out that Tinky-Winky is a big 'ol purse-toting homo, it seems though that all that mandatory chanting while stretching the body into sexually suggestive positions is tantamount to teaching Hindu in public schools and thereby violating constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. Of course, we all know how the religious right cherishes the establishment clause.

I wonder if it is really about promoting the religious beliefs of those hell-bound Hindus and not the focus that is placed on the human body (so prone to sin as it is). Just the names given to different yoga poses might cause some twitterpation in the heart and body of the chaste: Downward-facing Dog, Standing Straddle Forward Bend, Goddess Pose, Four-Limbed Staff Pose.

The benefits of introducing yoga into a public school phys-ed program include: reducing childhood obesity, calming students who suffer from ADD or ADHD, increasing flexibility and strength. Downside? Even "yoga lite" (stripped of pose names, chanting, referring to yogic breathing as "bunny breathing" etc) "goads young people into exploring other religions and mysticism."

However, fear not! Check out this Christian alternative to yoga.

The Beneficence of Baby Banning

I've long been of the opinion that in particular situations, children should be seen and not heard (and in some instances being out of sight is preferable as well), but in my book, the top three are: 1) movie theatres; 2) restaurants; and 3) airplanes. I still have flashbacks to an execrable flight in which a small child shrieked like a howler monkey for an unacceptably long portion of a 10-hour flight. If there was ever justification for some sort of juvenile sedative, that was it.

However, recently a small child obligingly tormented her parents and fellow passengers while the the plane was still parked at the gate, refusing to get in her seat and thereby delaying take-off. After a 15 minute delay, the airline removed the offending toddler and her parents. I tip my hat to AirTrans, who took action despite the realization that that they'd quite possibly get some negative push-back from those who believe that the world revolves around their ill-mannered progeny. True, the child might've been frightened, and I'm not completely devoid of compassion (don't laugh) for parents in that situation. Nonetheless, mini-vans exist for a reason.

Tortillas vs. WalMart and Ethanol

I don't recall if I knew that Wal-Mart was the largest employer in Mexico or not, but according to a story on NPR yesterday, the soulless succubus retailer may also be a lot, or at least partially, responsible for the increasing cost of tortillas in Mexico. Other possible explanations include the high demand for yellow corn for ethanol production in the US, NAFTA-created unfair conditions in which Mexican growers have difficulty competing with US subsidized corn producers, and price gouging that may have resulted from monopolistic practices by large Mexican growers. According to the story, the average Mexican eats 10 tortillas a day, and with price increases at times as high as 50%, there's little doubt as to who will reap a windfall, and who will have to dig a bit deeper.

This sort of story just makes me nash my teeth in anger and frustration.

Why Don't They Just Brand Women With A Hot Iron And Get It Over With?

I remember all too well how easy it was for me to take my ex-husband's last name when we married--and what a nightmare it was to change it back when we split. It turns out the groom open to acknowledging that the woman taking her man's name is an outmoded patriarchal remnant has similiar difficulty if he wants to take his wife's last name.

Only a handful of states have made the process equal. When I married in Texas a lifetime ago, all I had to do was check a little box indicating I was allowing myself to be branded as my husband's property and that was that! Check out the requirements for a man in California who wants to take his wife's last name. Among other things, he must appear before a judge who will than likely question is manhood and caution him against the dangers of being "whipped."

NEVER AGAIN!!!

Please Contact Blog Author for Permission to Cite

I began a new academic term a week ago, and one instructor went to great pains to impress upon us the importance of proper (and in our case, APA) citation in our written work. Suffice it to say, she stopped short of suggesting that we would likely have no original thought, and should cite accordingly. I didn't give it much further thought after class as this is an area in which I'm quite diligent.

That is, until a few days later brought the arrival of the new Harper's. Two pieces in the Februrary issue are worth a read. The first, On The Rights of Molotov Man: Appropriation and the Art of Context (Joy Garnett and Susan Meiselas) concerns contextualization and decontextualization of an image (in this case a photograph) and how at times the subject of a certain image and context may be lost in the midst of lawyers arguing over intellectual property and copyright laws. The second, The Ecstasy of Influence (by Jonathan Lethem) discusses the conflicts within art, culture and the marketplace--what he describes as a "gift economy" and the "market economy." He states that "Contemporary copyright, trademark, and patent law is presently corrupted. The case for perpetual copyright is a denial of the essential gift-aspect of the creative act. Arguments in its favor are as un-American as those for the repeal of the estate tax." Now, my instructor mentioned earlier would no doubt caution me to not apply any notions I have regarding art, the public doman and the public good to social science research. And, she'd have a point. Nonetheless, all of this has me all in a tither and I'm interested in the thoughts of others on these subjects.

I recently spent about $30 for a DVD box set of old Looney Tunes cartoons just so I could share a piece of what I consider one of the most brilliant moments in American culture (tongue only partly in cheek here): Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny in "What's Opera, Doc?" Of course I will now at some point have to drag them to Siegfried, if not the entire Ring cycle at some point, so they will have a greater appreciation of Elmer Fudd's sword and magic helmet, and Bugs Bunny as Brunhilde. I look at Bugs, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, et al, as cultural gifts, dammit, and people shouldn't have to fork over $$ for an entire box set to have access. However, Mr. Lethem reports that ASCAP is still receiving royalties for Happy Birthday to You, 114 years after it was written. So, I suspect Bugs will not be entering the public domain any time soon.

I don't know exactly why I find the subject so fascinating--but I've just picked up Richard Posner's book, The Little Book of Plagiarism, so it isn't a subject I'm ready to let go of just yet. Posner is a judge on the 7th Circuit known for his pragmatism. I'll attempt to summarize his take on all of this at a later time.

Junk Mail

Not even a week into the New Year, and I've already received an e-mail from a friend urging me to sign a petition in support of bringing prayer back into public schools and that a posse of godless liberals are lobbying the FCC to prohibit religious programming of any kind over our airwaves. Did the State take control of public airwaves in the country while I was on break, or isn't it still the case that any wingnut can buy airtime and proclaim his or her godduggery to any and all that has the stomach to listen? Oh, and evidently some show called "Touched by and Angel" was cancelled because it was about God--not because it was a cringe-inducing, treacly and platitudinous steaming pile of crap.

Now, this friend who sent me the e-mail is as lovely and well-meaning as a person can be, but I fear that she may be like many lovely and well-meaning Christians who hear claptrap like "the Constitution was based on the 10 Commandments" and believe it to be true. So, I couldn't just delete the thing and let it go. Instead, I spent 15 minutes of my life that I'll never get back crafting a delicately worded rebuttal to the following e-mail bilge--the godless liberal that I am.

For your reading pleasure: the unedited text of the afore mentioned bilge:

Subject: Fw: Prayer in Schools.....!!!!!
Subject: Dr. Dobson and CBS ResponseDr. Dobson & CBS Response

Apparently we are to be allowed to watch TV programs that use every foul word in the English language, but not the word "God." It will only take a minute to read this and see if you think you should send it out DR. DOBSON'S PLEA FOR ACTION CBS discontinued "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago. Now her organization has been granted a federal hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Washington, DC. Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel, our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools! You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly. We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our school and in offices across the nation Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating a way for the lost to know the Lord. Please press "forward", and forward this to everyone that you think should read this. Now, please sign your name at the bottom ( you can only add your name after you have pressed the "Forward"). Don't delete any other names, just go to the next number and type your name and state. Please defeat this organization and keep the right of our freedom of religion. REMEMBER: Our country was founded on freedom of religion and our Constitution is based on the 10 Commandments. Agree or Delete: Instructions to sign are at the bottom. PETITION FOR PRESIDENT BUSH PETITION TO REINSTATE PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

(I f you don't forward the petition and just stop it, we will lose all these names. If you do not want to sign it, please forward it to everyoneyou know. Thank you!!! To add your name, click on "forward". You will be able to add your name atthe bottom of the list and then forward it to your friends. Or copy & paste. TO THE 3,000TH PERSON: SEND IT ON TO THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS: President@WhiteHouse.gov

It Is About How You Live

I've spent the last several months in a palliative care setting--as a social work intern--not as a patient--and it provides more than frequent opportunities to think about living, dying, grieving, how illness affects the body and spirit, not to mention the "well" people who care for the dying, exactly how broad the term "quality of life" really is, and the different ways people express feelings of fear, hope, anticipation, sadness, pain,etc., when faced with death.

I have been very moved and affected by the life and death of Piergiorgio Welby, an Italian man who lived with muscular dystrophy all of his adult life and then fought for his right to die. In a letter to Italy's President, he wrote that "Life is the woman who loves you, the wind through your hair, the sun on your face, an evening stroll with a friend. Life is also a woman who leaves you, a rainy day, a friend who deceives you. " Read the letter in full here. Welby died on December 20th, 2006, after receiving assistance from a physician who agreed to turn off the machines keeping Welby alive. This physician may face a criminal charge because of this. Never forget that there are those who seek to impose their own values and agendas upon people in death as well as life.

Working with dying people has prompted me to think more daily about how I live. This will be a year of change for me--hopefully it will also be about personal growth, increased insight, and opportunities to be an effective advocate for myself and others.