No LotW

Sorry, evidently I'm in England, and have to practice and such, so I was unable to scour the web for the best in links. I'll work extra hard this week. Promise.

//End of Post//

LotW

This week: Burning Man.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the festival, albeit through word of mouth, or maybe some strange article on bunny suits in the middle of nowhere. For me, the introduction was in The Onion, when there was a satirical article proclaiming that everyone was "too busy" to attend, either because of work or parents. I thought, "ha ha. What a funny article on a fake festival!"

Several months later, I was shocked to read an article about a woman being crushed by a giant mechanical bird. It was quite upsetting, and I'm sure extremely traumatic for everyone involved with the festival. This was the true awakening I had to the festival.

Venturing onto their website, I encourage everyone to check out several things:

1. What IS Burning Man? This simply (or not so simply) answers the question; the terms radical, self-expression, and self-reliance crop up. Art and participation is highly common; and of course, there's a history.
2. 2007 Art Theme. This answers why this week. As the material has been about conservation/sustainability, I thought Burning Man's "Green Man" Theme would work well between a transition from Sustainability to Arts. Of course, the convergence of 30,000+ people to the middle of the desert is never truly sustainable (in terms of energy consumption - they do have an amazing track record of "leave no trace"), it's good to seem them try and create an awareness that even the most adherent among us still pollute.
3. Photos! This is where you want to go to find out what Burning Man looks like (you obviously can't get the entire experience, but it's a start). The architecture that develops is really incredible. The cars are both hideous and endearing. And of course, if you ARE looking for bunny suits, than I suppose they're there too.

I have yet to get to Burning Man (shoot, I haven't even been to Aura Man!), but I figure I'll keep it on my to-do list. For now, though, income and transportation aside, it will have to be an ideal, a utopia of art and economy and collective individuality springing up from the desert.

Of course, didn't they say that about Las Vegas?

//End of Post//

LotW

I rarely like to post links that are broken or outdated. Personally, I experience a lot of frustration clicking on link after link, only to find how incomplete a site actually is. This is especially true when you see something that strikes you as particularly fascinating.

[When I eventually see the photos from Rome, you will find that this doesn't hold for the real world. I do love visiting "ruins" - the name being a bit of a misnomer as what is left is a testament to their endurance and age. However, websites generally don't contain that sort of panache. Even sci-films taking a post-apocalyptic view of the world, with abandoned/run Las Vegas's, New York's et. al. have better scenery than "Page Not Found"]

This is why I was tentative to post Mr. Wendell Berry of Kentucky. As you scroll down, you will find quite a few of the links don't work, or lead to dead ends. This is truly sad; however, if you happen upon a hidden gem written by or about Mr. Berry, I am sure you will be struck by his ability to describe, in plain terms, the conflicting issues between man and nature he has witnessed during his life.

Truly a man of the earth, Wendell Berry, more than any other contemporary writer, is gifted and articulate enough to truly talk about issues such as strip-mining, mono cultures, plundering earth's resources, and scores of issues that rarely make the headlines or the hearts of the American people. Furthermore, he is respectable enough not to only highlight issues, but present feasible solutions (there is a wonderful essay in "Another Turn of the Crank" where he describes the business model of a Northern Michigan/Wisconsin Native American Tribe, who are able to log their reservation without diminishing the amount of wood. They've been doing this for 150 years!)

I say "gifted" not because he is imbued with a talent; but rather a perspective. He is a farmer. He subscribes to low energy use (he doesn't even use a tractor!), as well as the local economy (something evidently shunned by "The Economist"). He gained notoriety for his essay "Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer". He has weeded through the abstraction of the information age; and finds reality of the firm, fertile ground of his farm.

//End of Post//

LotW

Sorry, it's a bit tardy (update on Why coming soon)

Michael Pollan

If you ever feel the urge to learn the fullest history of potatoes, I would recommend reading Michael Pollan. I learned of him in my Dance Class last year when we heard him lecture (via cassette tape) about corn and the corn industry. It was one of those truly moving events when you start off thinking "I can't believe I'm actually going to listen to someone lecture about corn", and eventually finding out why on earth someone would, to passionately understanding and changing your ways.

Since then, I have consumed two of his books ("Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Botany of Desire"), and have begun to appreciate the ground, the food we eat, its intelligence, and its necessity. Soon I will have "A Place of My Own" which follows a similar experience, but he helps us see and ask about where we live, how it is constructed, and the implications.

Along with his books, he has written extensively on the food industry, as well as gardening, bringing to the front much that we may take for granted (an early paper "Why Mow?" proclaims "For however democratic a lawn may be with respect to one's neighbors, with respect to nature it is authoritarian. Under the mower's brutal indiscriminate rotor, the landscape is subdued, homogenized, dominated utterly" Now isn't that pretty sweet, or what?!) BTW, due to a little HTML glitch, the articles cannot be seen except for small white marks on the right side of the "Writing" page.

Finally, the links. Oh, the links! As much as Google talks about putting all the information in the world online, I think a more important facet of contemporary communications is the chance to share and expand that information. (another facet being individual and group identity) Pollan maintains thorough lists, alphabetically(!), serving the agricultural community a real treat.

//End of Post//

LotW

This week:

eat the seasons (or eat the seasons if you're in Britain)

I don't need to tell you how much of an enviro-nut tree-hugger hippie I am (which appears to be the emphasis of LotW's this month), so obviously anything that reduces food transport is a good thing (for us, for the food, for the environmnt,the farmer, etc., etc.). I recall an article last year that said 1/3 of all fossil fuels in agribusiness were used in transport (with the other 1/3's going to growth and misc. respectively).

The site allows you to search the seasons by food or date (although it's based on week, so you my have to think for a second). It also provides valuable information cooking, and pleasant histories (not quite as intense as Michael Pollan, but it's just a website).

//End of Post//

LotW Returned (!!)

Once again I've found my time is nearing up. I'm at a cafe again, for the simple reason I couldn't be bothered to trek the mile to school (especially given the rain and lack of purpose). Perhaps if my 10 (now 9) minutes get used up before I finish, I'll just dawdle for another 1/2 hour, because the cost will be the same (£1.60).

When preparing for the return of the LotW, I realized all the sites I had been considering, I really hadn't perused. Which is upsetting when you choose them as carefully as I do (not that I'm bragging or anything). Besides being important thematically for myself (why would I promote sites otherwise?), I always appreciate a crisp, well-organized look with few broken links. Also, the more information cleanly and consicely printed the better.

This has led me to Cocolico. Oddly consumerist, yet pushing an eco-friendly agenda, this site fit the criteria the most, beating out two others which will probably make the list in subsequent weeks. The site is essentially a collection of products and design that sell themselves as green, although with some I am hesitant to throw the label on (such as the knives that, when dulled, can be sent back to Japan to be sharpened. suppose self-sharpening is out of the question). There are some DIY's, and if you are into some heavy searching, you are able to find more info than you could have previously imagined (such as the plans for the table-doubling-as-a-compost-bin).

In any event, check it out, decide if it will become a "regular", then - as I'm sure you ALL do - wait in eager anticipation for the next LotW.

//End of post//

LotW (viii)

This week's honor goes to Ken Wilber, whose massive book on everything, "Sex, Ecology, Spirituality" (Okay, it's only the 1st of 3 volumes) has me racking through hypotheticals and past events and philosophies. Since writing it 12 years ago, he has gone on to continue his approach to life and philosophy, rooted in Integral Theory. Much more will be said in the ensuing week, as I work desperately to read and comprehend his quadrants, holons, and such.

And he has a cool website

//End of Post//

LotW (vii) SFW IMHO (though probably NSFW)

Congratulations TERA [Topfree Equal Rights Association] for becoming this week’s LotW! View at your leisure, but if you’re unconvinced, read below:

My original post was convoluted, going through personal experiences, public events, huge cultural questions, and finally a rebuttal to the dispute of yesterday. Needless to say, I’ve chosen a different approach.

I had originally conceived topfreedom as a small issue that wouldn’t take too long to blog about. However, the questions brought forth by my peers has helped me understand not only the immensity of the issue, but the necessity of public discourse.

Of course there are two discussions going on here:
1. Question of Rights
2. Question of Wants

My position is obvious on both counts: I want equal rights, and I personally want to be outside with my top off. However, due to the nature of my arguments, it is imperative to first address each issue independently (although we will see later that they are linked).

Question of Rights

In this first section, I only want[ed] to discuss the legal implications and reasons surrounding topfreedom. That may make this seem a bit dry, but the next large post will include much more evidence that topfreedom benefits both individuals and society.

I encourage everyone to view the Citations page I have set up, providing much of the legal framework on which I base my opinions. I will continually update it with more information as it is added. By far the best citation I have listed is Reena N. Glazer’s “Women’s Body Image and the Law” - but that will come later. For now, let’s look at the inherent question of rights:

I. A Basic Understanding of Law

According to Joel Feinberg’s “The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law” there are two actions that may be found in legal turmoil (i.e. illegal): Harms, and Offenses.

Harms are “wrongful setback of interests”. Anything that impinges on our right to pursue our interests (e.g. murder, rape) is considered harmful, and therefore potential for legal repercussions (needless to say, there is a further need to distinguish between “wrongful” and “defensible”; for example, Self-Defense).

Offenses are “unwanted states”, subject to personal (and cultural) opinion, and may contain qualities of: disgust; revulsion; shock to moral, religious or patriotic sensibilities; shame; embarrassment; anxiety; annoyance; boredom; frustration; fear; resentment; humiliation; and anger (Feinberg, 10-13). They are temporary, and less intense, and often-times unintentional (i.e. the offense is not meant as a harm) - therefore, much less actionable by legislators. Serious Offenses, though, might fall under legal authority.

How is something seriously offensive? Feinberg has set up some guidelines to help us understand whether offensive actions fall under proper jurisprudence:
1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Extent (In regards of number offended)
4. Standard of Reasonable Avoidability
5. The Volenti Maxim: “To one who has consented, no wrong is done.”
6. Discounting of Abnormal Sensibilities

Because we need to discuss not only restrictions, but rights as well, Feinberg draws up guidelines for issues of liberty:

1. Personal Importance
2. Social Value
3. Free Expression
4. Alternative Opportunities
5. Motivation (Feinberg says this is not a reason for restricting liberties, with the exception of vice and malice)
6. Nature of Locality

Where does topfreedom fall in all of this? Since offenses are extremely subjective, it is difficult to make a blanket statement in any direction; for example, one may argue that
the American mindset is strong enough to discount “Abnormal Sensibilities” - but one may also point out that many women that would go topfree are not acting out of vice or malice.

The first three reasons of offense may go together in this instance: Intensity, Duration, Extant. Intensity may not be as deeply rooted as one would think; for example, rate these three offenses: A smelly person walks past you, a topfree woman walks past you, or ... Duration will only last as long as you look; if it offends you, be proactive! While Extent may be a card I need to fold on, keep in mind there will be another post.

Some of these (obviously) go together, such as 4. Standard of Reasonable Avoidability vs. Alternative Opportunities. It should be noted that while the offended can look away, or walk down a different street, or find a different park, offenders would be out of options (provided the law doesn’t support it)

The next question is: who has consented? Well, as individuals, we haven’t been asked recently. We did set up our democratic institution to rule in favor of topfreedom back in 1992. Because democracy by nature must be participatory (as yet another check and balance), and the relative quietness on an issue 14 years resolved, I am safe to assume that New York is comfortable being topfree.

The liberties will be discussed in the next post, as they bear a greater weight in that realm.

II. Equal Rights

Topics of discussion:
1. Differences
2. For Whom is the law written?
2. Objectification?

1. Differences:

From People vs. Santorelli (Judge Patricia D. Marks ruling) -

[m]ale and female breasts are physiologically similar except for lactation capability. Therefore, it is apparent that the [New York] Law with the gender based classification does not serve the legitimate governmental interest better than would a gender neutral law.

In order for American government to defend gender-biased legislation, they have the burden of proving that “a substantial relationship between a statute ... and a legitimate government objective” (Glazer, 128) Sadly, in the Santorelli (Rochester) case, this issue wasn’t brought up; it has consistently been overlooked and disregarded (possibly because of the clear evidence it would show against such legislation)

2. For Whom is the law written?:

Here is some more murky water. Laws regarding offenses are generally written with in care of liberties of the offender (see I. again if you missed it); for example, smokers are banned from restaurants (New York), where the intensity of their action may be greater, but not from the general public domain, where offenses are much more light and brief. Much care is taken for the liberties of the smoker, the adult who buys porn, the KKK. However, decency laws are different: rights and liberties are completely sacrificed for the “safety” and “protection” of the offended. These laws aren’t written with women in mind; they’re written by people who only want to suppress and objectify women (see the next section).

Certainly our current culture has a hang-up about breasts; surely this must be taken into consideration! Past gender issues have indicated no: Glazer points out: “...in Palmore v. Sidoti, the US Supreme Court held on equal protection grounds that offense to public sensibilities and potential societal stigmatization were not sufficient to terminate a mother’s custody rights merely because she was romantically involved with a man of a different race.”

This presents the precarious issue of point-of-view. Past rulings have contributed to misogyny by placing the burden of responsibility on women. This may sound natural at first (they’re the ones offending, right?), but the logic contains subtle hints of the patriarchic system. Again, from Glazer:

...[The Supreme Court of Washington]’s focus was exclusively on the male point of view - the reaction of male observers to female breasts. The differentiation ... was not based on physiology but on external reactions. Indeed, the only substantial distinction the court found between male and female breasts was male sexual arousal at women’s breasts. ‘[T]he preservation of public decency and order’ is achieved by limiting women’s freedom because exposure by women presumably inspires uncontrollable urges in males. This framework of protecting women from men shifts the burden of responsibility from men to women; because women provoke uncontrollable urges in males, society excuses male behavior and blames the victim for whatever happens.” (Glazer, 135)

If I own a gun, and a person shoots me with it, then are they prosecutable for murder? Or are they victims of their own uncontrollable urges - and it wasn’t their gun!

3. Objectification:

One might assume topfree women are sex objects;

The largest issue for me is objectification: by refusing women the right to choose whether they appear without a shirt or not, we are removing a liberty they may enjoy. We (meaning mainly white, male legislators) decide when women may be undressed (showers, dirty magazines, topless bars) and when they must cover up (beaches, parks).Topfree legislation, then, actually helps remove women from being sex objects.

To quote Glazer’s “Women’s Body Image”:

Male power is perpetuated by regarding women as objects that men act on and react to rather than as actors themselves. When women are regarded as objects, a great deal of importance rests on their appearances because their entire worth is derived from the reaction they can induce from men. In order to maintain the patriarchal system, men must determine when and where this arousal is allowed to take place. In this way, the (heterosexual) male myth of a women’s breast has been codified into law. Because women are the sexual objects and property of men, it follows that what might arouse men can only be displayed when men want to be aroused. For example, the statute [NY Penal Law 245.01] contains an exemption for topless entertainment, for which the audience is overwhelmingly male. In adopting the statutory standard, no consideration was given to contexts in which women might enjoy going topless for their own reasons, regardless of any effect on male viewers. Nor was any consideration given to the fact that women might not be bothered by the sight of other women’s breasts. As this Note suggests, women have actually been harmed by their isolation from other women’s bodies and by their lack of autonomy with regard to their own bodies. (Glazer, 116-117)

As this shows, and as my next topfree blog will show, it is the refusal to allow women the choice to present their bodies in a healthy, non-sexual way that maintains their status as sex objects. Topfreedom is an issue of choice, and a method of removing male privilege.

LotW (not now) & Dada IV (not yet)

The link of the weeks is canceled, due to the miniscule size of the internet. Just didn't find anything...I mean, there's nothing there...

Also, evidently I'm in school, and applying for grad school, and finishing projects...this would have been nice to know! Dada IV will continue..

//End of Post//

LotW (vi) [a tad NSFW] & The Coming Apocolypse (Dada IIIa)

Last Tuesday, I attended a lecture for extra-credit. The class is my Dance course, which isn't about dance in any manner (although we have been known to bounce around on pilate balls) - Community, Earth, and Body. The event was at the German House, and was hosted by the Rochester Regional Community Design Center, a group built around the idea of Sustainability.

The Speaker: James Kunstler

This week's link: James Kunstler (He has some language issues, so you may want to cover your eyes)

I remember in elemenary school reading about renewabl vs. non-renewable resources. The book said: "Most of our energy comes from non-renewable resources, but some of it comes from renewable resources." (not verbatim, but pretty close). The book left it at that, and I did too, for about 10 or so years.

So what was the lecture about? His futuer; however, in order to understand his future, you had to make two asssumptions:

1. We will run out of oil.


2. When we do, our culture will be the same as it is now

These terms aren't as easy-to-understand/lucid as I make them to be. When I write "We will run out of oil" I don't mean we will wake up and find our tanks empty, gas pumps broken, a caved-in middle East. I mean it won't be Economically Viable. It will be so expensive - not because of price-gouging, but because of extraction and refining costs - that it will not be able to be used. Hence, we will run out of oil.

"Our culture will be the same as it is now" Obviously this refers to our thirst for oil. We all understand how much oil affects us, I'm sure; but yet, there are so many hidden uses that are hidden deep within our social system. This willl be explained in a couple paragraphs.

The conclusion Kunstler arrived at was: "Life as we know it will end". Again, another phrase with a different meaning. Not life as in a life-force, our sense of identity; rather (like above) our culture, the method in which we live. We won't die (this is a divergence from Kunstler), but our excess and large buildings will certainly lose their ability to function.

So what will life be without oil? Where do you get your food? Where did it come from? How did it get to your house/store/community? Without oil, we will not have a trucking industry. Unless we have localized Fritos and Coke plants, we will lose our abilities to consume major corporate food products.

How will houses be heated? Supposedly (meaning this is an area I have yet to investigate) Natural Gas will become a problem as early as next winter. Imagine we find ways to heat our homes efficiently with renewables. What about our skyscrapers (from yesterday) ?

This first-half of Kunstler's speech was quite depressing. Later, during a question session, someone asked "You said people would leave the cities and suburbs. What will happen to them?" Kunstler's reply? "Medicine will be difficult to transport; I imagine life expectancy to decline." Boy, was that encouraging (especially for a boy from the suburbs).

-------------------

To keep the suspense, I will continue tomorrow...

LotW (v)

This link marks the beginning of the cycle, whereby I only allow four links on the LotW list (to avoid cluttering). It should work out so you can check the monthly archives, and see the list of links for that month. If I ever lose a link, and you want me to find it, let me know.

And on to the link...

Sometime around my freshman year in college (I can't remember if it was before or after), I was invited to see the Blue Man Group perform in DTE (it's in Michigan). I had seen their theatre performance in Chicago, but not their more "rock-concert" event that was on tour. Anyway, I agreed.

I can't remember the first opening band, but I do recall their second: Venus Hum. I saw on stage three people, two guys working electronics, and one woman singing. The music was pretty intense, with a lot of well-designed effects, and it could, at points, be quite loud and brash. But all I truly remember of their performance was Annette, the singer, jumping around on stage like she had had a lot of sugar. It wasn't aggressive; it was fun. Added to this was her rather conservative choice of clothing; it was like she was dressed for church. Enjoying it so much, I turned to my friend and said, "I'm going to marry her."

Well, four or so years later and no proposal. But I have found their website! Sadly, I don't think they have been able to pick up any momentum they had back then. The reviews I have found of the first major album "Big Beautiful Sky" have been extremely positive. The website is well-designed, but still incomplete. You can buy their CD's for significantly reduced prices (BBS is $10, Songs for Superheroes is $6!) I hope they finish bios et. al. soon, but for now I'll be content with the downloadable samples (which have gotten significant airplay this week on my computer).

So, here's to Venus Hum. And here's to fun and innocence. And here's to Soul-Sloshing.

//End of Post//

Sincere Apologies

Evidently Work can pile on. This week has been particularly straining, not on the schedule (although I've found myself lagging in the Recital Attendance Dept.), but on the mind. Must complete work and begin final projects. Must understand financial aid. Must make sure to sleep. Ahh!

In brighter news, there will be a LotW tomorrow (meaning Friday) morning, and next week's entires will be much better constructed.

//End of Post//

LotW (iv)

As I previewed to Daria, this week's Link is Bag News Notes. I've commonly seen this site advertised on the sideline of other blogs, such as Hullabaloo and TPM, but had failed to sufficiently check it out until recently. The blog takes a different stance on political events and the media, by focusing on Images instead of dialogue. For this reason it has sometimes been thought of as a "light" (lite) blog, with visual interpretation being being considered more a casual social discussion rather than intense political discourse. I may have even agreed with this for awhile, until I saw this post. In a continually faster social environment, where people process information in smaller and smaller bytes, initial impressions and visceral reactions become more important to discern and resolve.

Oh, and they won Best Post in this year's Koufax Awards for Katrina Aftermath: And Then I Saw These.

//End of Post//

LotW (iii)

This week's link is a bit on short notice. When home, my brother's friend Lynn talked a little bit about Detroit and it's sustainability movement. Since I haven't written that much on sustainability, I figured a link would be the best way to introduce everyone unfamiliar with the concept. Much more than just tree-hugging environmentalists, this is a philosophy and way-of-life. If I ever end up in Detroit, I would want to be active in a world like this. I haven't been able to search everything, but what I have seen makes me feel confident to put it on the list. Good reading for everyone!

//End of Post//

Link of the Week (Link ii)

Bitter Films is the proud recipient of LotW. They must be happy.

I was introduced to Bitter Film my freshman year, when a friend said, "You really have to see this cartoon!" Nominated for an Oscar(!), Rejected was by far the strangest thing I had ever seen (up until then). A commentary on the basic struggle of the modern artist, whether to create meaningful art or feed himself, Rejected is a series of short "commercials" commissioned by fictitious companies. They range from the absurd (yet strangely sublime) to disgusting (yet strangely...disgusting). Anyone who is familiar with "My Spoon is too Big" is sure to have seen this 9-minute cartoon. The perverse nature of the film haunted me for two years, as I struggled to find it again online.

Recently, I did! As well as the other Don Hertzfeldt shorts: Ah, L'amour!, Genre, Billy's Balloon, and the touching Lily and Jim. The most recent film, The Meaning of Life, is unlikely to be found online yet, and the current film, Everything Will Be Okay is still in production.

How is Hertzfeldt intriguing? Do his stick figures depict as much emotion as a well-seasoned Shakespearean actor? Maybe his coloring has an effect. For me, it is the fact that every frame is hand-drawn. This can give his characters a waviness that is at times awkward, other times implicit, and other times explicit.

Be sure to click the crazy cat, you will find so much that makes so little sense. And definitely check out his cartoons; if you like them, order a DVD (it will be released in a couple months), if not, you will probably be scarred for a very long time (I suppose that should also serve as a warning).

//End of Post//