Lauren's Blog

2003-11-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

last post here...

All posts can now be found at laurenpressley.com. Thanks for visiting!

2003-11-07T13:21:00.000-05:00

new blog

Hi there. I now am using MovableType for blogging. The site can now be found at http://www.johnborwick.com/lauren/blog. It's moving to it's own site soon, so I'll post with that address when it happens. See you there!

2003-11-06T14:41:00.000-05:00

blogging

I'm having so much fun with blogging that I'm finding Blogger doesn't quite fit my needs anymore. I want to have comments, trackback, and categories... more freedom in my template! So, I'm considering a move in the following days. Stay tuned for more information!

2003-11-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

my issues with class

I attend a fair number of liberal group meetings. I go to a liberal church, I go to Dean Meet Ups, I hang out with lots of liberal friends, but for some reason class rarely comes up. It's not even that it doesn't come up, but it's blatantly ignored. I identify as a feminist. I am very concerned with issues of gender equality. But I also realize that gender issues have nothing on class. Class is one of the biggest issues in this country and it's one that people aren't educated about and people who do know about it have been brought up to think it's rude to discuss.

Brilliant.

Brilliant for the right, that is. I just took a political compass quiz online. My graph came out on the left/libertarian end. I am in no way libertarian. I don't trust people in a capitalist system enough. I felt a bit better about my score when I saw that the dimensions I'm closest to are also labled communism & anarchism. That's closer to the socialist leanings I have. I'm pretty pumped up about the reading list, too. (If you would like, you too can take the quiz.)

I know that a lot of my peers are concerned with class issues a little bit. Which brings me to organizations. There just aren't many for people who want to do activist work with class issues. The Democratic Socialists of America is (to my knowledge) the largest activist group working with class in the country. But they have that dang "socialist" in the title that leads people to thinking of "socialism" which inevitably leads to think of any lawless, revolutionary social scheme. Grr.

For all the wonderful things I love in the DSA they won't drop the word Socialist, because they (rightfully) see it as a tie to their past and corrupted by their enemies. There enemies have done such a good job that now no one wants to be affiliated with them. Luckily they are not flooding elections with an alternate liberal candidate. Their statement for the 2004 presidential election is 'that defeating George Bush's reelection bid was 'imperative', but declined to endorse any candidate at this time. The statement urged 'DSA members and our allies, in working for progressive candidates in the primaries, to advance our support for peace, universal health care, workers' rights and a living wage, reproductive rights, racial justice, etc. Only a Democratic campaign that emphasizes a progressive agenda can effectively mobilizes the broad constituencies of working people, women, people of color, peace activists, environmentalists and global justice activists that will be needed to defeat the Bush regime." Ahh, I can dig that. Any democratic candidate that can beat bush and still upholds socialist values.

So now I'm left wondering what I can do locally to support class issues. The DSA locals are few and far between. l plan to continue volunteering at Crisis Control, but I don't think that's enough. Maybe graduate school should be a major focus for me.

2003-11-06T14:12:00.000-05:00

more on the reagan special

Just wanted to include this link. It's from USA Today and includes a good evaluation of how everyone looses in this situation.

2003-11-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

for anti-death penalty folks in n.c.

Urge Governor Easley to Grant Clemency to Joseph "Timmy" Keel

Joseph Timothy Keel is scheduled to be executed in North Carolina on November 7, 2003. Amnesty International is concerned that the State of North Carolina intends to execute Mr. Keel, despite the fact that he suffers from serious mental disabilities. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has called for an end to the use of the death penalty against anyone suffering from any form of mental disorder.

2003-11-06T14:08:00.000-05:00

activism against gender violence

The Center for Women's Global Leadership is starting 16 days of activism against gender violence. You can get your action kit here.

2003-11-06T14:06:00.000-05:00

dean's big decision

is being decided the democratic way. If you are a Dean supporter go here to read about if we should reject or accept federal matching funds. The campaign contacts you, and you vote on an electronic, phone, or paper ballot. I am not sure if you can request a ballot now, but it's worth a shot if you would like to have a voice in this decision.

2003-11-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

dean and labor

The Political Wire says that Dean got the SEIU endorsement. Leaders of the Service Employees International Union "told at least three Democratic campaigns Wednesday night" that Howard Dean will get "a prized presidential endorsement from the AFL-CIO's largest union."

2003-11-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

jobs & the economy

Now that I have a job it's really easy to forget how hard it is to get one. It's good that there are blogs dealing with this on a regular basis to remind us. Apparently, though the economy is picking up the job market isn't. The current economy is the worst for jobs growth since the Great Depression.

2003-11-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

dean and the flag

So Dean did apologize. & I am thankful for most of his remarks:
"I have retracted and apologized for that statement. I still firmly believe we need a dialogue on race in this country and I think we need to appeal to white southern voters if we are going to have any success in the south. I think the way to do it is to appeal to things we have in common such as the need for jobs and education."

I am glad that he retracted and apologized for the statement. I think that the rest of this quote shows that he still doesn't quite get what offended many voters. It still sounds like he's saying that all southern white voters wave the confederate flag. I'm pretty sure this is not what he believes based on the massive amount of reading I have done on the issue, but the average voter is going off of soundbytes in the media and they're not going to pick up on those kinds of subtleties. They'll still think that he is stereotyping white southern voters.

2003-11-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

many many sites about the anti-abortion law

Couldn't have phrased it better myself: another post on the ridiculousness of the Bush anti-abortion law. Click on the link to the photo. Obscene really does describe the smiles on all their faces. The Dems also link to photos.

Another note on this comes from Dean. This is one of the big reasons I support him. I appreciate his rationality at a time like this.

Alas, a Blog has a fantastic entry on why the republicans want to push through an act against partial-birth abortion. I highly recommend this for anyone concerned with this issue.

The Feminist Majority Foundation sent a post about the federal judge in Nebraska that issued a temporary injunction to prevent implementation of the law. Federal judges in San Francisco and New York are also considering suits against the new law. The most important part of this post (for me) is that Kim Gandy, NOW president, explained "the truth is that the term 'partial-birth abortion' doesn't exist in the medical world - it's a fabrication of the anti-choice machine."

2003-11-06T13:01:00.000-05:00

baby kos!

I read the Daily Kos a lot, though I don't always comment on it. His wife and he just had a baby and I just found the blog for it. Today he has a post of the 23 hour labor. He's a fantastic story teller and this also has some great photos.

2003-11-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

stupid, stupid, stupid mr. bush

Again from the Feminist Majority Foundation, women's rights activists protest abortion procedures ban.

The National Organization for Women protested President Bush's signing of a bill banning abortion procedures today in Washington, DC. "As George W. Bush signs the deceptively-named Partial-Birth Abortion Ban into law, women's rights activists across the country will be recommitting ourselves to keeping abortion safe, legal and accessible," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "Here in Washington, NOW will be protesting outside the site where the bill is signed. We won't stand by silently as this Administration attempts to erode our rights."

The most upsetting part of this for me is that the federal ban that became law today does not include a health exception. I mean, what the fuck. Thankfully pro-choice groups have already filed lawsuits to prevent the law from taking effect.

update:
WASHINGTON - President Bush signed legislation Wednesday banning a certain type of abortion, but less than an hour later, a federal judge blocked implementation of the law in the cases of four Nebraska doctors who filed a lawsuit against it.

2003-11-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

Kos asks about a return of the draft

In this post he says that several commentors have recruited volunteers to fill the vacancies on local draft boards. He wonders if they are "oiling up the draft machine?" The Pentagon, though quietly moving to fill draft board vacancies nationwide, says that there is no reason to worry. (by the way, thanks to John for pointing this out.)

This seems particularly scary to me for two reasons.

1- This means we're about to be up to something much bigger than what we are up to.

2- My peers would need to deal with some serious issues about how they feel about the draft. Makes me want to consider Canada for graduate school.

2003-11-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

i love

this woman.

2003-11-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

rockin' the vote

There's a transcript of CNN's Rock the Vote Democratic Presidential Debate online. It includes several interesting jewels.

-------
COOPER: Now, the candidates, about your responses... we've already seen your debate. We've heard the stump speeches, the talking points, the sound bytes. In fact, I don't know if you all know, but there is actually a drinking game on some campuses during these debates ... that when you say your stock phrases, somebody downs a shot.

And I hate to do this, but just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at these videos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARK: When I was in the United States Army...
KERRY: When I was serving in Vietnam...
EDWARDS: My dad worked at a mill his whole life.
MOSELEY BRAUN: I've always been a woman...
LIEBERMAN: My Web site, joe2004.com...
SHARPTON: My Web site, al2004.com...
KUCINICH: I have a plan to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out, to get the U.N. troops in and the U.S. troops out, to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out.
CLARK: I voted for Al Gore.
LIEBERMAN: You've got to start where Al Gore...
LIEBERMAN: Al Gore said to me...
EDWARDS: ... to Al Gore and I, we want to reach out to the middle class.
MOSELEY BRAUN: Shrinking middle class.
SHARPTON: Particularly the middle class..
SHARPTON: Middle class...
SHARPTON: Middle class...
DEAN: Ken Lay...
EDWARDS: Ken Lay...
SHARPTON: Enron...
MOSELEY BRAUN: Enron...
MOSELEY BRAUN: Enron...
KUCINICH: No more Halliburton...
DEAN: We benefited in Vermont...
DEAN: Vermont...
DEAN: We've actually done this, and a lot of this in Vermont.
KUCINICH: This is a grassroots campaign to take back America...
DEAN: It's time to take our country back.
CLARK: Take this government back.
EDWARDS: Back to the American people.

I really did start laughing with the Edwards quote about the mill.

-------
about Dean's comment about southerners with confederate flags:

DEAN:And I make no apologies for reaching out to poor white people.
SHARPTON: Jesse Jackson went to South Carolina with all of us protesting the flag. The issue's not poor Southern whites. Most poor Southern whites don't wear a Confederate flag, and you ought not try to stereotype that.

no kidding. Sharpton nailed this one on the head. This is the argument I've been making about this statement for months. Edwards, a fellow North Carolinian, didn't get it quite as right as Sharpton. In response to a questions implying that he has been saying that confederate flag wavers should not be embraced he said:

EDWARDS:Exactly the same thing happens with people from the South. I have seen it. I have grown up with it. I'm here to tell you it is wrong. It is condescending. And the only way that we as a party are going to win the White House back is to reach out to everybody and treat them with the dignity and respect that they're entitled to.

I'm glad he's speaking out against this.

-------
COOPER: All right, we are getting a lot of e-mail pouring in. Probably a predictable question just got asked. It is an e-mail from a viewer: 'Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?' And they want us to go around and ask each of you. Governor Dean?

DEAN: We'll all keep our hands down on this one.
KERRY: Yes.
KUCINICH: No, but I think it ought to be decriminalized.
SHARPTON: I grew up in the church. We didn't believe in that.
EDWARDS: Yes.
LIEBERMAN: Well, you know, I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates. I never used marijuana, sorry.
CLARK: Never used it.
MOSELEY BRAUN: I'm not going to answer.
DEAN: Yes.

2003-11-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

dean's campaign of the people

Dean is asking his supporters if he should accept federal matching funds or not.

2003-11-04T16:51:00.000-05:00

vegan thanksgiving recipes

I've started to think about what I need to make for Thanksgiving. I thought some of you Vegans might like the most useful pages I've found so far:

An entire menu that focuses on traditional side dishes, &c. It also includes alternatives to turkey.
Traditional side dishes in case the recipes on the first page aren't good enough ('cause we know that sometimes the alternative recipe is a little weird).

2003-11-04T16:48:00.000-05:00

Jesus and Mary

Last night John, his mom, and I watched an ABC special dealing with The DaVinci Code. It was a bit pop-culture, simplistic, and non-critical, but interesting to watch nevertheless. A main focus of the special was dealing with if Jesus had been married to Mary Magdalene. I'm inclined to think so. At the very least I have to think there was some relationship there.

Anyway, it was a fun watch and got me thinking about liberal theology and feminist liberation theology again. Though I identify as UU, I think that Jesus' message is central to my understanding of how we should act, and these liberal theologies deal with the part of the message that I tend to focus on.

2003-11-04T16:40:00.000-05:00

a missing CBS special

A lot of blogs seem to be upset at CBS for caving to white house pressure and canceling the miniseries on Ronald Reagan.

Why are they surprised?

The media is ever growing more conservative. Much of this comes from politics (for example, post 9/11). Of course powerful politicians are going to be upset about a show that is not entirely positive about their best conservative leader.

I've heard liberals say that CBS pulled the show because it is distasteful to show something so negative about a man who is in the last phases of his life. I used to be the kind of person who would make those remarks too. Now I'm inclined to think that this information needs to be made public, because the republicans will always have an excuse for why it shouldn't be on the air.

2003-11-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

this man is funny!

I can't wait to see Sharpton on SNL!

2003-11-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

candidate's positions on the death penalty

Here you go. It's interesting that this one only chose to cover Clark, Kerry, Edwards, Dean, Gephardt, & Lieberman. The others are all pretty much anti-death penalty from what I understand.

2003-11-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

freedom to marry, for all people

I know several people who see marriage as an essentially sexist and oppressive structure. Many of these people also understand marriage to be discriminatory against the BGLT community. (& many people who see marriage as a wonderful institution also think that it is discriminatory against the BGLT community.) The way these individuals deal with marriage varies.

Rev. Julie Denny-Hughes said that she would no longer sign marriage licenses because "It occurred to me that as long as I am signing marriage licenses, as an agent of the state, I am supporting the legal delineation of two groups of people which my faith tells me are not distinct."

The current main page at the Unitarian Universalist Association website discusses this issue. It links to a page chock-full of information. It introduces the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, as well.

2003-11-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

libraries not minding their business

The nextgen librarian listserv is up in arms over this piece.

The author, Hal Niedzviecki, says that "libraries need to mind their own business" and leave pop culture programming to commercial groups. He says that the problem with this boils down to two issues:

First, the issue of promoting literature through "one book" and "votes for the best book" type events. He says that this is just a tool of capitalism, that it promotes one book above others which is contrary to the library's mission of promoting all information equally.

The second issue is that libraries offer a "strange array" of services and programs. Niedzviecki says that the array is so broad and disconnected that it doesn't make sense. He says that events should be related to the library's mandate, "to function as a free accessible storehouse and dispensation service for information." He clarifies that the library should focus on teaching its patrons how to interpret and speak back to the media system that now dominates information dispensation.

The librarians on my listserv are upset because they feel that he is missing the bigger picture: that funding comes from corporations so we have to appeal to them, that many people don't use the library so we should do whatever it takes to get them in there, that he is an elitist who biased against all things popular.

But I have to agree with him. I do think libraries are in a pinch-- as are most social programs and institutions in this country. Pandering to pop culture is required in a capitalist environment with little funding for government programs. It may be useful for libraries to offer programming and events to bring in funding, but I think they should also heed Niedzviecki's warnings.

I completely agree with his first point. The library has no business of furthering the business of the publishers. When they are promoting one book or one series of books above all others they are, in effect, altering the information given to the patrons. Buying 20 copies of the same book just because it is on the bestsellers list may be good for business, but it also means 15-19 other books will not be bought.

I also sympathize with his second point. Yes, libraries should be focused on getting patrons to be able to deal with the massive flux of information they receive through day-to-day their immersion in mass media. I think this could happen via programming, seminars, or one-on-one conversations. However, in a state where funding comes from commercial organizations, I think that offering a wide array of programming is a decent compromise. At least by offering a broad selection the library is offering a lot of information, just as it should through its collections.

2003-11-03T22:41:00.000-05:00

reconnecting

Friendster really rocks! I just reconnected with a friend who I haven't really talked with since middle school. If you're reading this add me... you can search for me by email address with LMPRESSL at alumni dot ncsu dot edu.

2003-11-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

went to hanging rock this weekend

with John, Rob, Jim, and Spinnaker. It was great fun and beautiful and Rob posted pictures of our day.

2003-11-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

finally, proof diversity is good

Logic flaws aside, it's nice to know there are some correlations between healthy behavior and living in a diverse environment.

2003-11-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

it's no real surprise

Bush says God chose him to lead his nation.

2003-11-03T17:22:00.000-05:00

good ole dean

I love that they call it a "manifesto."

2003-11-03T17:19:00.000-05:00

an anglican disappointment

LONDON - A group of overseas
Anglican leaders said Monday they have loosened ties with the U.S. Episcopal Church over the consecration of its first openly gay bishop, but they stopped short of declaring a schism.

I understand it's controversial. I understand a lot of christians really think homosexuality is wrong. I do not understand how a faith about understanding and embracing the marginalized cannot practice this in reality. I guess that's why I identify as UU. At least the US is being a leader in this issue.

2003-11-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

pregnancy discrimination

From the Feminist Majority Foundation: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that pregnancy discrimination suits are up. The jump is significant: 10 percent higher from last year. Jocelyn Frye, the legal and public policy director at the National Partnership for Women and Families said that "[t]he root cause sort of stems from longstanding stereotypes about women and particularly about mothers in the workforce, and I think those stereotypes die very hard." In the current struggling economy, statistics show other discrimination complaints have increased as well amidst the mass layoffs, including reports of age bias.

This should be very scary to those of us in our 20s and 30s who are thinking about one day starting a family. Men, too. It's hard to believe we're living in a time where the advise is still to keep it a secret as long as possible.

2003-11-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

dean and race

Two pieces of bad news for Dean:

Al Sharpton called Dean a racist.
"Howard Dean's opposition to affirmative action, his current support for the death penalty and historic support of the NRA's [National Rifle Association's] agenda amounts to an anti-black agenda that will not sell in communities of color in this country," Sharpton said in a statement. Apparently Dean suggested focusing on class in terms of AA, but now supports race as a factor. I'm not positive how the NRA ties-in to an anti-black agenda. This is certainly something I'd like to know more about.

Dean and the confederate flag.
"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." Sen. John Edwards responds: "What Howard Dean said today was nothing short of offensive." I've been worried about this comment from the beginning. He's said this in several speeches and it's gained remarkably little attention. People are upset now because they think he supports the use of the confederate flag. I've never thought that's what he said... it seems that he just wants those people's votes. I have always thought that the statement was anti-southern. It gives the audience the impression that he assumes southerners are the types who would be of that mindset, and there are plenty who are not.

I'm still in the Dean camp, but I'm worried about the race and southern issue.

2003-11-02T00:07:00.000-05:00

fun & pretty pictures

I recently found out about this old site: Exploding Dog.

2003-11-02T00:06:00.000-05:00

ghosts from the past

Dialogues have always been a medium for philosophers. For many it's the only philosophy they ever read. Now there is a fun looking on in Prospect Magazine with Marx. I haven't had time to read it all yet, but it does look to be entertaining.

2003-11-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

the nomination of pickering has been blocked!

It's been talked a lot about on my blog, so I wanted to give y'all an update: The Republicans today failed to overcome the Democrats' filibuster on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

2003-11-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

lots about porn in the blogosphere lately

In my final semester in the philosophy program at State I wrote a term paper on pornography. I'd always been uneasy about it. As a liberal I thought it should be protected by free speech. As a feminist I felt that it is too derogatory and should not be allowed. Welcome to the works of Catherine MacKinnon. Her books and articles deal joining these two opposing viewpoints, and her conclusion is that pornography should not be allowed.

Today there are two articles dealing with pornography:
One about women who view porn.
Another about viewing porn vs. being with a real person.

I find it interesting that this is the one topic that I pretty much agree with the right on.

2003-11-01T23:42:00.000-05:00

tiny gadgets!

This one goes on my wishlist!

2003-11-01T23:38:00.000-05:00

fun links on John's blog

Here ya go!

2003-11-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

other democrat presidential candidates

I'm a big Dean supporter, but I liked this story on Gephardt.

2003-11-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

what scary standards we set

Let's talk about this.

2003-10-31T17:33:00.000-05:00

great minds think alike

Just in from the Political Wire: Moby and Move On have paired up on a new campaign. It's a political advertising contest called Bush in 30 Seconds. "You don't have to be formally trained in the art of filmmaking, just ready, willing and able to create an ad that tells the truth about George Bush." There is also an impressive list of celebrity judges that will choose the winner.

2003-10-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

feminism & religious freedom

Both are liberal stances, so it would seem the two camps could get along. Amitai Etzioni's blog had an entry today: And we thought prayer in public schools was a problem--

"A number of German states have recently passed laws outlawing Islamic headscarves. These laws are a reaction to a recent high court decision which held that a teacher could not be discriminated against because she wore one. (German feminists have led the charge against these headscarves, arguing that they blur the line between church and state.)

"....Opponents of the scarves in France have argued that allowing them in school is a way of condoning inequality between men and women."

This almost seems to be an attempt to pit two liberal groups against one another. It also speaks to the problem with Women's Studies. The typical US university women's studies curriculum has traditionally focused on what it's like to be a white, middle class, christian, mainstream woman. (There is work to fix this.)

I think that as long as women are not being forced, either against their will or coerced, then we really need to consider what it is we're asking them to give up. This is not an abuse of women. It's not condoning inequality between men and women any more than skirts do. It's rather ethnocentric to believe that the government of a primarily non-islamic nation could impose what they consider "normal" on these women. & most of all, I'm scared this mentality might come here.

2003-10-31T16:58:00.000-05:00

democrat presidents

I love that Carter continued to be an activist after his presidency. I have considered him to be an important role model since around the third grade (when I realized what he was up to). Now Clinton is following his lead, and creating a proud tradition for former-democrat- presidents.

Clinton made a deal with four generic drug companies to slash the price of treating AIDS victims in the developing world nearly in half. Costs are being cut from raw materials to packaging. This certainly seems to be a more effective plan than Mr. Bush's.

2003-10-31T16:46:00.000-05:00

religion in america

Reading & Writing featured a neat piece on religion in America:

"Perhaps the most important source of the new (and not so new) American radicalism is what used to be viewed as a source of conservative values: namely, religion. Many commentators have noted that perhaps the biggest difference between the United States and most European countries (old as well as new according to current American distinction) is that in the United States religion still plays a central role in society and public language. But this is religion American style: more the idea of religion than religion itself.

"True, when, during George Bush's run for president in 2000, a journalist was inspired to ask the candidate to name his "favorite philosopher," the well-received answer --- one that would make a candidate for high office from any centrist party here in any European country a laughing stock --- was "Jesus Christ." But, of course, Bush didn't mean, and was not understood to mean, that, if elected, his administration would actually feel bound by any of the precepts or social programs expounded by Jesus."

I liked reading this entry... it's interesting to me, when I think of radical behavior & thoughts of my friends, I think of an almost anti-religious behavior... I would not have thought that religion traditionally created that space for activists.

It's also interesting to me that the writer talks about how religion is infused in society and language but later in the entry (I didn't cut and paste this part) she says that in America one doesn't need to be christian, but just to have a religion. I partially agree with this. It's true, it's very hard to be an American without identifying with a religion.... for a long time I struggled with this. I eventually identified with the Unitarian Universalists and now I don't face quite the hostility I did... but my set of beliefs is not infused in the American culture and language. I can't imagine how hard it would be to identify with an opposing religious tradition like paganism or buddhism. (Not that paganism or buddhism are diametrically opposed to christianity, but their values are not consistent with materialistic, capitalist, American values.)

2003-10-31T16:33:00.000-05:00

speaking of Fox News...

NEW YORK (AFP) - Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel threatened to sue the makers of "The Simpsons" over a parody of the channel's right-wing political stance, the creator of the hit US television show has claimed. Wow, they're sue happy!

Fox News denies this, but based on their track record, I trust Matt Groening.

2003-10-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

stop with your mind control, already!

The Chutry Experiment ran an entry called "Fair and Balanced Education" yesterday. Apparently Senate Republicans held a hearing on "liberal" universities and Georgia Republican Congressman Jack Kingston introduced a bill stating that colleges and universities are too liberal, and at issue was the fact that "universities intimidate students and faculty into liberal ways of thinking."

How far is this going to go before the public gets fed up? Yeah, yeah, this is just a hearing and bill, but it still has the quality of an attempt to police thought by conservative politicians and lobbyists.

More and more recently I've been reading blogs that discuss the "biased" education people get at universities. I just don't get it. My education was certainly not all that liberal. My liberal classes were in Women's Studies, but hardly anywhere else. I had several conservative courses, as well.

Yeah, universities have the reputation for being liberal, but there is a strong conservative presence as well. I think that this outcry & the public's response is similar to how Fox News is being advertised as being "fair and balanced," so people believe that it is (even though there's plenty of evidence it's not).

2003-10-30T21:11:00.000-05:00

too tired to write

I had an all-day interview today & got offered an awesome job.

2003-10-29T20:34:00.000-05:00

is dean a revolutionary?

Halavais is rockin' today! He has a fun chart comparing Dean's stances to revolutionaries' stances.

2003-10-29T20:30:00.000-05:00

open journals!

Halavis' blog lists some open journals dealing with social sciences!

2003-10-28T13:14:00.000-05:00

Dean's support spreading, beginning to show in the African American community

Jesse Jackson Jr. Throws His Support to Dean:
Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. Said Monday that he would soon endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination, telling a mostly black audience on the South Side of Chicago that Dr. Dean had "the best chance to be the next president of the United States."

Jackson also said:
"I'm not wasting my time with any more non-straight-talking candidates."
"I've seen him stand up for health care, I've seen him stand up for students. I've seen him stand up for ordinary Americans. I'm asking you to stand up for Howard Dean."
"I believe he is a man with great integrity."

Dean governed a nearly all-white state. For this reason he has been fighting to show that he can appeal to a wider group of voters than the highly educated white liberals whom polls show supporting him.

Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, another prominent African-American in Congress, escorted Dr. Dean to two black churches in Detroit on Sunday. Two other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Detroit and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, have expressed interest in Dr. Dean, his aides said.

Dean was also on BET nightly news on Monday as part of an ongoing series on the individuals hoping to occupy the White House.

2003-10-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

ahh, canada

I just like the first quote. It's true. I've even looked up how to become a citizen there (in case things get too scary here.)

2003-10-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

duke's rockin' the feminist issues

Duke Pledges to Improve Environment for Women:

Our own Duke University President, Nannerl Keohane, has pledged to improve Duke's co-educational climate and make it more supportive for women. A year-long Women's Initiative tasked with evaluating the institution's environment for women reported that many female students felt pressure to attain "effortless perfection" while adhering to strict social norms. Undergraduate Kelly Quirk said unsupportive community attitudes toward women activists and rigid social standards caused her "to not want to be more vocal on controversial issues," the report stated. Other participants said they were discouraged by the low percentage of women faculty (below national average) and graduate programs unresponsive to the needs of diverse students, according to Duke News. Still, committee members warned that pressures to maintain standards of beauty while succeeding both professionally and personally are not new to the Duke but rather "reflects the broader culture of our society," reported the Chronicle.

Among the report's recommendations are: expansion of mentoring programs, the Women's Leadership Program, and career services and childcare, parental leave, and flexible work arrangements to make the university more accessible for female graduate students, faculty, and employees. Keohane, the university's first female president expressed hope that changes at Duke "might inspire people on other campuses who have been thinking about some of these issues to recognize that it can be done," the Chronicle reported.

These are issues that are on every campus. It's pretty documented that both women and men feel the pressures to be "perfect" by the media-induced standards, but that women feel it more because they are expected to be perfect as well as look perfect. If a woman chooses to be part of a family then she faces the professional perfection standard her partner does, but also perfect in domestic ways as well (even in egalitarian families, if the house isn't clean or the children aren't dressed correctly the public will question the woman).

I am glad that Duke is taking this step. It actually makes me more interested in going to NC State... if I go there then I can get a certificate in Women's Studies at Duke, which would be fantastic.

2003-10-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

i wanna join the anti-empire drive!"

Diverse Group Of Scholars And Analysts From Across The Political Spectrum Launch Anti-Empire Drive:

The group evidently announced its formation Thursday and has been reported favorably thru CNSNews, a rightwing group. Since the conservative group did not report negatively it leads one to think that this new group has credibility with all sides of the spectrum. They hope to spearhead opposition to the imperial policies pursued by the administration of Mr. Bush. Leaders of the 'Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy' charged that the administration is moving "in a dangerous direction toward empire," an idea that they said has never been embraced by the U.S. public.

The group will hold a series of policy forums and conferences around the country, publish papers and articles, and represent an anti-imperial viewpoint on television and radio, media that, since the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, have been largely dominated by pro-imperial or pro-war voices.

They say "We are a diverse group of scholars and analysts from across the political spectrum who believe that the move toward empire must be halted immediately," says the coalition's charter statement, signed by 44 foreign-policy specialists. "We are united by our desire to turn American national security policy toward realistic and sustainable measures for protecting U.S. vital interests in a manner that is consistent with American values," it added.

Prominent right-wing signers:
Doug Bandow, a special assistant to former president Ronald Reagan
Scott McConnell, chief editor of The American Conservative magazine
Alan Tonelson of the U.S. Business & Industrial Council Educational Foundation

More centrist position signers:
Steven Clemons of the New America Foundation
Gary Hart, former senator
Stephen Walk, Harvard international relations professor

More left-wing signers:
Charles Kupchan, an aide to former president Bill Clinton now with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Kenneth Sharpe, a prominent foreign-policy analyst from Swarthmore College in Philadelphia

2003-10-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

more liberal talk radio!

First Al Gore's "more liberal station, now this.

The dems are planning a progressive radio show:"With the help of Democratic lawmakers, a progressive radio outfit plans to launch a national talk show in January, the first step by a liberal organization to gain a presence in a medium dominated by conservatives in recent years," Roll Call's Mark Preston reports.

"Democratic leaders and staff have been intricately involved in the project," and Members of Congress "are being enlisted to help raise money to pay for it."

(It's about time, I'm glad that after Gore laid off the liberal label, someone else took on the charge.

2003-10-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

maybe she was right about the vast right-wing conspiracy...

The political wire says that the GOP is aiming for Clinton. "While their primary goal is to defeat Clinton and end her political career, Republicans are also eager to at least knock her off stride and bleed her campaign of funds that could otherwise give her a ready-made 2008 presidential account."

2003-10-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

another far right nominee... bush loves trying to pack the courts with ultra conservatives

Pretty much directly from the Feminist Majority Foundation:

On October 22, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of ultra-conservative Judge Janice Rogers Brown to the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Brown is a conservative ideologue with a far-right legal philosophy that she regularly exhibits in her opinions and speeches. Her confirmation would endanger women’s rights and civil rights.

Brown’s history shows a deep hostility to abortion rights. In her speeches, she mocks the modern judicial theory that lead to the right to privacy and overruled bans on birth control and abortion. She voted in favor of California’s parental consent statute.

Brown’s views on civil rights are equally frightening. She voted against a ruling that would stop racially discriminatory speech in a work place because, she wrote, racist remarks at work are protected by the First Amendment.

Brown's nomination continues the trend of the administration selecting far-right nominees for the federal judiciary. Her nomination is especially disturbing because it is to the DC Court of Appeals, a court that that rules on the legality of many government regulations and is considered the training ground for Supreme Court justices.

Brown’s nomination is opposed by a wide coalition of groups including the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, the National Bar Association, women’s rights groups, environmental organizations, unions, disability rights groups and seniors’ rights groups.

Speak out here.

2003-10-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

first they wanted to take overtime... now they want to take medicare, too?

Speak out against this attempt of the right! If this goes through millions of people will be saddled with even higher drug costs, and the Medicare system that has been such a success for our nation's families will be terminally undercut.

2003-10-28T11:45:00.000-05:00

FYI

Buy Nothing Day is coming up! Mark your calendars for November 28th!

2003-10-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

greyhound trip revisited

John posted pictures from our summer trip.

2003-10-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

Gender Vertigo

The other book I've just finished is Barbara J. Risman's Gender Vertigo: American Families in Transition. Her book is an academic call to action, examining marriages and children in egalitarian households or "fair families." She starts with the assumption-that I share- that gender is a social construct that we grow to fit into. When there is a manifested difference stratification occurs, and inequality is sure to follow. To stop gender stratification Risman suggests we need to move towards a genderless society. One that allows women to be in high powered careers as well as mothers. One that allows men to father as well as practice high powered careers.

Risman borrowed the term "Gender Vertigo" from Connell's Masculinities: Knowledge, Power, and Social Change. This describes the uneasiness when people don't fit into their gender stereotypes. This describes the world that the egalitarian families are living in. Risman says that it may be a frightening step to take, but after we are used to not being restricted by the stratification that different genders we can take a step towards a truly just world.

2003-10-27T14:30:00.000-05:00

do they hear you when you cry

I just finished Fauziya Kassindja and Layli Miller Bashir's Do They Hear You When You Cry. It's a hard book to read due to the horrific situations Kassindja lived through, but it's an important one.

Kassindja lived an idyllic life as a child in Togo. She didn't realize it at the time, but she was really lucky because her parents were not as traditional as others in her culture. Though her father was the undisputed head of the household, she and her sisters were educated and spared of the cultural practice of kakia (known in America as Female Genital Mutilation). Her father passed away while she was still a teen and she came into the custody of her much more traditional uncle. Her mother was kicked out of her house, Kassindja was taken out of school, and she was promised to a man who already had three wives.

She would be the last wife and the youngest-- thirty years younger than her husband. In this position she would have to do anything her husband or his other wives would ask. Before being taken into the household she would need to be "clean," or go through kakia. Everything about this situation horrified her, and she knew she would need to leave.

Luckily, her mother and eldest sisters were able to sneak her out of the country. She went to Germany and learned she could get asylum in America. The rest of the text focuses on the legal battles from her perspective.

It's a powerful read, and an important one. It shows Americans the problems within our own system. It also is an important women's studies text that sheds light on issues of race, class, ethnicity, and religious differences.

2003-10-27T14:26:00.000-05:00

what did we do before the internet?

My computer can't seem to connect to the internet again, so I'm spending time reading, applying for jobs that I already knew about, and reading some more. In fact, I've just finished two fantastic books: Do They Hear You When You Cry and Gender Vertigo: American Families in Transition. Instead of posting about the websites I've been reading, I though I'd post about what books I've been plowing through:

2003-10-24T18:12:00.000-04:00

see you on monday!

I'm gonna be out of town this weekend. :)

2003-10-24T18:11:00.000-04:00

a blog disappointment

There's a new blog on Women and Technology, which I was pretty pumped about. It was way disappointing, though. There are lots of comments about women in a negative way (the interviewed sample reinforced stereotypes of men as entrepreneurs and women as working in the government, etc) that seemed to assume some actual difference between men and women. I do think there are differences, but I think they are gendered by society, not real. I also think the blog tends toward undervalued women's traditional contributions. Grr. I guess I'll have to keep reading it to see if it gets any better.

2003-10-24T18:05:00.000-04:00

expelled for fiction in a personal diary

Rachel Boim is a 14 year old who kept a diary full of artisic expression to deal with her emotions. An art teacher took her diary, read it overnight, and found a fictional story in which an unnamed student dreams that she kills her unnamed teacher. Rachel was expelled, but is back in school until there is a hearing to determine if she should face discipline.

I can understand the teacher's decision confiscate the journal for the duration of class, but reading through private writings is invasive. There are no specific details that would indicate Boim intended to hurt anyone, the story even ends with the student waking up and leaving class-- everyone unharmed.

2003-10-24T17:51:00.000-04:00

Dean the programmer

Howard Dean is doing something I loved doing as a Resident Advisor: Reverse Trick or Treating. Of course... when we did it in the residence halls we always gave it an academic focus.

2003-10-24T17:44:00.000-04:00

when are we going to stop being surprised by Wal-mart's misbehavior?

Just in from Talk Left: Wal-mart is being investigated because a probe into the store turned up 250 undocumented workers. The arrested workers were employed by contractors who supplied cleaning crews to Wal-mart.

2003-10-24T17:38:00.000-04:00

take a sign, people

Jesus has been struck by lightning. The assistant director for "The Passions of Christ" has been struck twice. This film has been criticized by Jewish spokespeople (and others) for being "dangerous" and portraying Jews in a negative way.

2003-10-24T17:36:00.000-04:00

way to go, Rwanda!

On the Feminist Majority Foundation: Rwanda Tops Sweden With Highest Proportion of Female Members of Parliament

2003-10-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

one more thing (warning, this one is really sad)

Elliott Smith fans have a lot to mourn.

2003-10-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

on a slightly more up-beat note

Lion Brand Yarn has a website packed with free knitting and crocheting patterns.

2003-10-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

tell your senators you're watching them

Because they've passed a partial birth abortion ban. Click to let them know you're aware of what they're doing.

If you live in NC :Elizabeth Dole voted for the ban and John Edwards (probably to avoid potential problems with his presidential campaign) did absolutely nothing.

2003-10-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

conversations with old friends

Mary just IMed me while I was working on this blog. We had a fun chat & talked a bit about potential presidents. This reminded me of John's post about Dean, so I thought maybe I should include a link here in case anyone would like to read it.

2003-10-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

language control and the right

BuzzFlash had a great article the other day. I recommend reading the whole link if you have the time.

Basically the article says that Republicans use words (like hypocrisy, anti-flag, anti-family, lie, pathetic, radical, selfish, sick, traitor, welfare, permissive attitudes, intolerant) to present liberals in a "harsh, glaring and relentless light." Apparently Newt Gingrich's GOPAC training memo for right-wing activists, which is entitled Language: A Key Mechanism of Control, along with "Agenda, Rules, Attitude and Learning" was mailed to Republicans across the U.S. It presents its readers with two lists of diction. One set espouses words Republicans should use to describe themselves and their positions. Some of these "optimistic positive governing words" include care(ing), commitment, dream, empower, fair, help, moral, peace, provide, principle(d), pro-flag, prosperity, protect, truth, and we/us/our. The other set delineates words with which to denigrate the opposition. The pamphlet says, "These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party." It further includes this advisory injunction: "Memorize as many as possible."

The article quotes a book that I skimmed through and John read by Jacques Ellul: Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes that definds propaganda " by its very nature [is] an enterprise for perverting the significance of events and of insinuating false intentions...The propagandist must insist on the purity of his own intentions, and at the same time, hurl accusations at his enemy." The parallel between Gingrich's memo and Ellul's definition of propaganda is nearly uncanny.

Anyway, it's a great article and you can find it here.

2003-10-23T15:16:00.000-04:00

Bush wants to insure everyone?

The Daily Mislead reports that nonpartisan studies dispute basic assumptions of Bush's plan to reduce number of uninsured. Apparently Bush argued that reform of medical malpractice was key: "We must fix the problem of frivolous lawsuits against our doctors and hospitals." But the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found last year that "malpractice costs account for a very small fraction of total health care spending" and that even radical reform "would have a relatively small effect on total health plan premiums."

The CBO also called into question the President's idea to cobble together small businesses to buy group insurance, which, he said, would "make a big difference" in reducing the number of uninsured. According to the CBO, these Association Health Plans (AHPs), as they are called, would give insurance to only about 600,000 additional people, an overall net of 1.5%.

Another study released last week reported that "a third of the nation's workers without health insurance are employed by large companies" and are outside the scope of AHPs. One insurer disputed long-term cost savings, saying, "We see very little pricing advantage and feel most small businesses are better off having direct contact with the insurance company."

(Citations can be found on the website.)

2003-10-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

Dean's rockin' the unions

Political Wire says that Dean will get the first union endorsement. He "is getting his first union endorsement next week from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades," and an informed Political Wire reader says the California Teachers Association, with over 300,000 members, may endorse Dean as soon as this weekend.

2003-10-22T11:18:00.000-04:00

no posts today

My internet is acting strangely today... my wireless card quits working after about 10 minutes online, and then I have to reboot to get it to work. So, it's a day off from blogging. I'm considering applying to work at a coffee shop downtown (since I'm not having much luck anywhere else).

2003-10-21T11:49:00.000-04:00

the right wing is at it again, this time with the YWCA

(almost verbatim from the website)

According to the Feminist Majority Foundation a Feminist leader Patricia Ireland was removed as CEO of the YWCA on Thursday. This decision by the YWCA National Coordinating Board (NCB) comes after months of pressure by right-wing groups such as the Traditional Values Coalition. The so-called Traditional Values Coalition went so far as to write Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, asking him to review $114 million in federal grants to YWCA organizations. The group also urged its members to ask their legislators to restrict funding to the organization, which, through its 302 local YWCAs, provides child care, domestic violence services, employment training, and other programs to more than two million women and girls annually.

"I am very concerned that pressure from right-wing groups resulted in the loss of a strong leader, both for women's rights and for ending racism, at the YWCA," said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. The YWCA, citing employment policies, will not discuss whether pressure from these ultraconservative groups led to its decision to terminate Ireland. Instead, the YWCA's board chair, Audrey Peeples, released a statement saying, "We have the deepest admiration for Ms. Ireland's dedication to women's issues and social justice, but the YWCA has proved the wrong platform for her to advocate for these issues."

Ireland's top priorities upon assuming office at the YWCA in April were domestic violence prevention and programs aimed at stopping racism. The mission of the YWCA is to empower women and girls and eliminate racism. When Ireland, a former president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), was named CEO less than six months ago, Peeples said, "There is no better person than Patricia Ireland to help re-ignite our advocacy positions."

2003-10-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

changes in the game for oral history

According to Siva Vaidhyanathan's blog, oral historians are no longer subject to the existing rules for human research volunteers.

Oral historians and other social scientists have claimed that university-based review boards have "unreasonably questioned, restricted, and delayed their work to interview people for a variety of scholarly projects." They have also "argued that colleges have interpreted federal regulations too broadly and moved to regulate research projects that pose little or no risk to interviewees."

The strict regulations are in place because of they were developed to protect human subjects in biomedical research, and historians say they are unsuited to their field. The historians argue that "oral histories usually do not fit the existing federal definition of research involving human subjects: 'a systematic investigation, including research, development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.'"

On my immediate reading I was excited by this because I assumed that this meant that people are beginning to understand the varying nature of information gathering, and that oral history is as much research as physics is research. However, one law professor was quoted as saying "'I have a hard time saying to my colleagues in history that what you do is not research,' that the decision tends to reinforce an existing 'class system' in academe, in which some biomedical researchers view their studies as methodologically more rigorous than the work of historians, she added."

The letter announcing the change does not discuss whether other forms of one-on-one interviews, such as those conducted by anthropologists or journalism scholars, constitute research subject to federal oversight, so at this time it is hard to know if this would impact my life as a sociologist or not.

2003-10-20T14:46:00.000-04:00

not too much grabbing my attention

on the blogs today... so I'll mostly be posting on what I've been reading later this afternoon. For now, though, something scary from CNN.com.

2003-10-20T14:44:00.000-04:00

graduate school search

So, this weekend I went to the NC State Sociology Graduate Program visitation day. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went, I kindof thought this might be the event that would lead me in a different direction. However, it was fantastic! So, now I'm reading up more on the program and considering continuing my education back at my alma mater.

2003-10-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

he's gonna be a great vice president

In an apparent move to appear more pro-peace to voters (and appeal to a Dean or Clark crowd) Edwards will vote against Iraq money. He "became the party's first major presidential contender to flatly oppose" Bush's request for $87 billion for Iraq, too.

2003-10-16T16:42:00.000-04:00

but we don't have an official language...

That doesn't matter to Judge Ronald E. Reagan who ordered a father to speak to his daughter in English.

2003-10-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

another great birthday presentL

Bush continues poll decline. & nearly six in 10 Americans — a new high — call U.S. casualties in Iraq "unacceptable," more than double its level when Baghdad fell last April.

2003-10-16T16:38:00.000-04:00

more rights for Moroccan women

News is that Morocco's king grants more rights to women. He announced plans to grant women more rights in marriage and divorce by calling for a raise in the legal marriage age from 15 to 18 and the expansion of women's rights to file for divorce. The new plan will also make polygamy nearly impossible.

2003-10-16T16:21:00.000-04:00

yesterday was my birthday!

I've had really nice times celebrating my birthday with different people. I'm also pretty pumped up about some gifts.

2003-10-14T16:06:00.000-04:00

changes to Gore's channel

Things have changed a bit since my last entry about Gore. Now he is planning on marketing his news channel to the young rather than the liberal. I think that the station will still cater to the liberal population but as the article mentioned, saying that bluntly will reduce the money from advertisers, and you gotta have those to run a station effectively.

Meanwhile, Bush also realizes the importance of media & can't take the heat.

2003-10-14T15:43:00.000-04:00

all i can say is that it's about time.

oh, and why is Clear Channel the one doing it?

2003-10-14T15:39:00.000-04:00

missing pottery

It's been a while since I've gotten my hands dirty at a pottery studio. I've been crocheting a bit (learned how to make a hat last night) but miss the process of throwing. I've heard a lot about Sawtooth downtown, but lack the funds to enroll in any classes. I wonder if I can just purchase studio time like at NC State.

2003-10-13T18:17:00.000-04:00

other blog

So, I've just posted on the other blog. Done some reading today, & I really need to recommend Proverbs to Ashes by Brock and Parker.

2003-10-13T14:27:00.000-04:00

be careful where you surf

Yahoo carried a scary story the other day. Apparently "Web Sites Listed as 'Terror' Groups" are the newest targets of the oh-so-scary Bush administration. "The United States has added Web sites to its list of "foreign terrorist organizations" for the first time, under the category of aliases for conventional groups, a State Department official said on Friday. A list published in the Federal Register includes newkach.org, kahane.org, kahane.net, kahanetzadak.com as aliases for the Jewish group Kahane Chai or Kach, which is suspected of organizing attacks on Palestinians. Under U.S. law, it would be illegal to provide money or other material support to the designated Web sites, the people who run them could be denied U.S. visas and U.S. banks must block their funds. The State Department said it was yet clear how this would work in practice."

I wonder where it will stop. Today it may seem pretty obvious that these websites are linked to people attacking Palestines. What concerns me is the next step. What if a website that criticizes Mr. Bush is considered a threat and then is added to the list of foreign terrorist organizations? What if the next website is my blog? What if it's yours?

2003-10-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

good enough for animals, eh?

Talk Left ran an entry today on the Austin-Statesman that called upon Texas to bring lethal executions of humans up to animal standards. Apparently a drug that veterinarians find too painful to use in euthanizing pets is being used to execute people on Texas' death row. Texas should cease using this chemical -- pancuronium bromide -- which now is thought to mask the suffering it unleashes.

Ohhh, pets! I thought that the Austin-Statesman was talking about the *wonderful* treatment of cows, pigs, and chickens!

(I do not say this to say that we should treat prisoners with the painful chemical... I am against the death penalty. I say this because the way the title of the story reads, it makes it seem as though animals do not suffer when they are killed, when in fact the treatment is rather brutal for those not fortunate to be pets.)

2003-10-13T14:03:00.000-04:00

minority college enrollment

Feminist Daily News Wire reports: Minority College Enrollment Doubles, Inequality Persists based on the "Minorities in Higher Education Annual Status Report," conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE).

Some statistics from the report:
Total minority enrollment has risen from 2 million to 4.3 million over the past 20 years.
College participation rate of about 30 percent for all races between 1978 and 1980.
between 1998-2000:
46 percent for whites
40 percent for African Americans
34 percent for Hispanics.
Whites still make up 89 percent of the highest academic posts.
Minority professors have doubled over the past 20 years.

30% for *all* races? I wonder also where Native American, Asian, and people who don't identify within one race are in the statistics. I'd be interested in seeing the original report.

2003-10-12T23:44:00.000-04:00

social commentary on SNL

Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live held a (tiny) great social commentary. Tina Fey, co-anchor of SNL’s “Weekend Update" (who, by the way, is the first female head writer in the history of SNL) commented on Pamela Mackey's use of the accuser's name 6 times in the Kobe Bryant case.

Using the lawyer's name several times, Fey made a point about how with the internet we could all find web addresses & phone numbers to call Mackey and harass her. I say, let's get to it!

2003-10-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

Crisis Control Ministry

Tomorrow I will be volunteering there (even though I don't identify as Christian). It was nice to see an article in the paper today.

2003-10-11T13:02:00.000-04:00

a sad day

Neil Postman, 72, and mass media critic, died of lung cancer on Sunday. He was a prolific and influential social critic and educator at New York University for more than 40 years.

I know of Neil Postman because for Patti's class we had to read The End of Education. I highly recommend any of his work.

2003-10-11T12:47:00.000-04:00

just another reason to try vegetarianism

Talk Left had a post yesterday about the new meat inspections. Apparently "What this means is that the hamburger you buy could very well have come form a meat processor that has multiple health violations. In other words, it may not be safe. The Times does a very good job covering the story in all its complexities."

Makes me think of The Jungle. Makes others think of Fast Food Nation.

Either way, makes anyone think twice.

2003-10-11T12:42:00.000-04:00

i *also* ::heart:: Crooked Timber

I need to reread this post about this article when I have a bit more time. It's by Rorty, a philosopher that I wished NC State had focused on a bit more, and metaphysics-- in a mainstream, American publication, no less!

I looked at the first few paragraphs of the second link. It looks entertaining enough to read, and not in the standard philosophical jargon that drives many students away from the subject.

2003-10-10T18:28:00.000-04:00

i also ::heart:: Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting

Today they issued an action alert re: O'Reilly.

Bill O'Reilly pointed to what he saw as a double standard: "Do you think the L.A. Times sent a squad of reporters to Arkansas to investigate Bill Clinton's problems with women? No, it did not."

FAIR reports that "In fact, the L.A. Times did investigate Clinton sex stories in Arkansas. A 4,000-word piece appeared on the paper's front page on December 21, 1993, running under the headline "Troopers Say Clinton Sought Silence on Personal Affairs." This article was one of the first to report on the scandal known as "Troopergate," which led to Paula Jones' lawsuit against Clinton and thus indirectly to Clinton's impeachment."

O'Reilly also charged that the L.A. Times "didn't send a squad of reporters to go down there and interview Kathleen Willey and all of the other people. They did not do it."

FAIR counters that "the paper could not have interviewed Willey "down there"; she was a White House volunteer who accused Clinton of sexual misconduct at the White House. She came forward to tell her story in 1998, and her case had nothing to do with Arkansas. Her allegations were featured in a front-page L.A. Times story on March 16, 1998."

FAIR would like people to contact the O'Reilly Factor and ask them to issue a correction about the host's erroneous charge that the Los Angeles Times failed to investigate Clinton's "problems with women" in Arkansas.

You can do so by contacting:
Fox News Channel
The O'Reilly Factor
oreilly@foxnews.com

update:
From this article:

"O'Reilly responded last night (10/13/03) by reading the following letter from a viewer: "Edward Frew, Melbourne, Australia: "Mr. O'Reilly, you mentioned the L.A. Times went after Schwarzenegger but did not aggressively investigate Bill Clinton's situation with women. In fact, such a piece did appear on December 21, 1993."

"O'Reilly then offered this illogical response: "Mr. Frew, with all due respect, you need to stay off the left-wing websites, which is where you came up with that. The article you cite was headlined 'Troopers Say Clinton Sought Silence on Personal Affairs: The White House Calls Their Allegations About the President's Private Life Ridiculous.' The story was reported giving both sides of the controversy. It was not an attempt to dig up anything and did not level accusations or exonerate Mr. Clinton. It was simply a news piece. Stay off the websites with the left-wingers, all right? You're never going to get the truth. And the right-wingers, probably the same thing."