After much research and work I have only found one article on an American new website.
The West Palm Beach Affiliate website of CNN .
The West Palm Beach Affiliate website of CNN .
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Friday, April 29, 2005
If you haven't read Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" READ IT NOW! We (as in the US) are turning into now.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4500245.stm
go there. I feel stripped of all things sacred.
They want to take away our choice about our own bodies
They want to take away our education of what can happen to our bodies
They don't want to properly prosecute those that violate our bodies and expect us to just live with the consequences
They praise those (Ann Coulter) who write books entitled "Kill all Liberals" and yet expect us to tolerate and accept all they do with a smile.
When Margaret Atwood wrote "Handmaids Tale" she based it on the Al Queda regime governing Afghanistan and how that could parlay here. Its turning into frighteningly prophetic
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4500245.stm
go there. I feel stripped of all things sacred.
They want to take away our choice about our own bodies
They want to take away our education of what can happen to our bodies
They don't want to properly prosecute those that violate our bodies and expect us to just live with the consequences
They praise those (Ann Coulter) who write books entitled "Kill all Liberals" and yet expect us to tolerate and accept all they do with a smile.
When Margaret Atwood wrote "Handmaids Tale" she based it on the Al Queda regime governing Afghanistan and how that could parlay here. Its turning into frighteningly prophetic
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Life throws you lots of curve balls.
Since I was about 8 all I've wanted to do was be a teacher.. Now I'm 22, I've tried twice to get into teacher's college but that ain't happening. I went away to universit when I was 17, and I want back in!
I've been reading "The Feminine Mystique" lately and its got me wondering. Are we entering the new era of the desperate housewife?
First the problem was that women had no rights, they couldn't vote, basically had to stay home.
Then the feminist movement came and fought for the right for women to vote, work, and get educated...
Then within 15 years after WWII, women started attending college simply for finding a husband (commonly known now as getting your MRS degree)
Women were no longer holding down jobs and their only goal was to be a wife and mother, have a perfect house and just generally look pretty.
Then "The Feminine Mystique" came out, naming this problem-with-no-name and we then saw a new pattern.
Now women are expected to want to go out and work, I remember a girl in unversity declaring that she hoped to be a good mother, only goal. She might as well have said she wanted to go eat small children. Everyone was shocked.
I feel like now women are not only expected to have a great career, but also manage to be walking minivan for 9 months and raise perfect children in a perfect house.
And then there is the tv hit "Desperate Housewives" which initially looked to me like "Stepford: the series" but I stand corrected and have become a closet fan. But none of these work. They are "Desperate Housewives" in the "Feminine Mystique" sense of the word, kinda bored, but freaked out about having everything be perfect.
So what state are we in? The new version of the "FM" with a satisfying and sucessful career in the mix?
Since I was about 8 all I've wanted to do was be a teacher.. Now I'm 22, I've tried twice to get into teacher's college but that ain't happening. I went away to universit when I was 17, and I want back in!
I've been reading "The Feminine Mystique" lately and its got me wondering. Are we entering the new era of the desperate housewife?
First the problem was that women had no rights, they couldn't vote, basically had to stay home.
Then the feminist movement came and fought for the right for women to vote, work, and get educated...
Then within 15 years after WWII, women started attending college simply for finding a husband (commonly known now as getting your MRS degree)
Women were no longer holding down jobs and their only goal was to be a wife and mother, have a perfect house and just generally look pretty.
Then "The Feminine Mystique" came out, naming this problem-with-no-name and we then saw a new pattern.
Now women are expected to want to go out and work, I remember a girl in unversity declaring that she hoped to be a good mother, only goal. She might as well have said she wanted to go eat small children. Everyone was shocked.
I feel like now women are not only expected to have a great career, but also manage to be walking minivan for 9 months and raise perfect children in a perfect house.
And then there is the tv hit "Desperate Housewives" which initially looked to me like "Stepford: the series" but I stand corrected and have become a closet fan. But none of these work. They are "Desperate Housewives" in the "Feminine Mystique" sense of the word, kinda bored, but freaked out about having everything be perfect.
So what state are we in? The new version of the "FM" with a satisfying and sucessful career in the mix?
Saturday, April 23, 2005
My boyfriend just left, dropped him off at the airport, did my obligatory cry. Couldn't go in with him, we have a system, only curbside goodbyes...
This visit felt like an attempt on his part to be there for me. We hadn't seen eachother since I got all my lovely rejection letters in the mail, and he wanted to be there for me. It was nice.
We went to Vegas and got very silly, no quickie wedding though!
I've decided to rededicate myself to my love of reading for reading's sake. So tired after my undergrad, reading only books I was told to, I'm ready to get back into reading for myself.
I've got my stack of books, mainly the feminist classics and some new ones on the perils of not teaching sex ed (more to come on why I'm reading about that!)
Hope all is well in blogger land
littlemissknit
This visit felt like an attempt on his part to be there for me. We hadn't seen eachother since I got all my lovely rejection letters in the mail, and he wanted to be there for me. It was nice.
We went to Vegas and got very silly, no quickie wedding though!
I've decided to rededicate myself to my love of reading for reading's sake. So tired after my undergrad, reading only books I was told to, I'm ready to get back into reading for myself.
I've got my stack of books, mainly the feminist classics and some new ones on the perils of not teaching sex ed (more to come on why I'm reading about that!)
Hope all is well in blogger land
littlemissknit
Monday, April 18, 2005
(a post in true Rosie fashion, trying it on for size)
taught kindergarten
took the kids to music class
teacher played a "Native American" song
told the kids not to say "Indian"
beautiful drum beat supporting an amazing voice
sounded like horses running
she had to teach it
in her lesson plan
state controls that, tells her what to do
she didn't like it though,
wanted to teach white music
brought in her own song about cowboys
some crap song from the 50's tv shows
when native actors were exploited
practically in blackface
she said that "this was the true sound of horses"
made the kids dance around
seems you can't dance to native music.
Guess it always boils down
to Cowboys vs. Indians
taught kindergarten
took the kids to music class
teacher played a "Native American" song
told the kids not to say "Indian"
beautiful drum beat supporting an amazing voice
sounded like horses running
she had to teach it
in her lesson plan
state controls that, tells her what to do
she didn't like it though,
wanted to teach white music
brought in her own song about cowboys
some crap song from the 50's tv shows
when native actors were exploited
practically in blackface
she said that "this was the true sound of horses"
made the kids dance around
seems you can't dance to native music.
Guess it always boils down
to Cowboys vs. Indians
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Today in the LA times was a huge colour magazine ad for Canadian tourism. All I could think about was my cottage. Hidden in a small town of about 500 people in northern Ontario i was our summer sanctuary from the city. I remember the strangest things from that cottage.. the stilts my father made us, the sauna (a traditional one built by the Finish couple that lived there before us). Eating corn on the cob, that could only be bought from a roadside stand at a farm. Reading... no devouring books and swimming...
I thought of that cottage especially today after running (who am I kidding walking with random acts of jogging within it) in front of my tivo.... so detached from nature.
Decided to go to the earth day festival in LA. Just made me feel bad because I eat meat... good vegan food though! Saw Ed Bagley Jr. and his car run on his own sense of self accomplishment (simpsons joke).
Saw a kid looking at my huge bag of kettle corn, was already sick if it and most was left, so I let him have it. Then I felt better about eating meat...
I thought of that cottage especially today after running (who am I kidding walking with random acts of jogging within it) in front of my tivo.... so detached from nature.
Decided to go to the earth day festival in LA. Just made me feel bad because I eat meat... good vegan food though! Saw Ed Bagley Jr. and his car run on his own sense of self accomplishment (simpsons joke).
Saw a kid looking at my huge bag of kettle corn, was already sick if it and most was left, so I let him have it. Then I felt better about eating meat...
Saturday, April 16, 2005
so I got a little crazy and started a blog in support of another certain blog on blogger. I am an avid blogger and love reading when people take the time to write beautiful words, and in turn I believe started a network of likeminded people that meet through her comment page.
I now fear that I might become known as a stalker or something! What can I say, I'm an English major, I know how to fight with words and this blogger made me want to put up my dukes! I would have done a simillar show of support for any blogger that was being attacked with a blog directed at them for the purposes of hate.
Felt it was sort of a fight fire with fire kinda thing... the activist, the vday member in me came out.
The whole idea of the Vagina Monologues was to use words to fight back against hate and oppression and abuse around the world.
I guess I just hoped that if one person's actions could bring a few people together to do something out of kindness, the whole balance of karma would be restored.. nothing more nothing less. not to mention it took all of 5 minutes to make!
I don't think for a second that the blogger I am supporting in this action in anyway needs it or cares if I do it, just something I wanted to do..
littlemissknit
I now fear that I might become known as a stalker or something! What can I say, I'm an English major, I know how to fight with words and this blogger made me want to put up my dukes! I would have done a simillar show of support for any blogger that was being attacked with a blog directed at them for the purposes of hate.
Felt it was sort of a fight fire with fire kinda thing... the activist, the vday member in me came out.
The whole idea of the Vagina Monologues was to use words to fight back against hate and oppression and abuse around the world.
I guess I just hoped that if one person's actions could bring a few people together to do something out of kindness, the whole balance of karma would be restored.. nothing more nothing less. not to mention it took all of 5 minutes to make!
I don't think for a second that the blogger I am supporting in this action in anyway needs it or cares if I do it, just something I wanted to do..
littlemissknit
I have this one favorite school and this one favorite class I love to substitute at. I love getting requested for it because it reminds me that I'm good at what I do. Yesterday I went, all excited and ready for the day, when before the bell even rang the principal came over the PA "all staff and students need to come to the field, this is an emergency situation". So we all file out, apparently a drill had be done the day before, the students weren't concerned. So we all get out there, 10 minutes pass and we are all still there. I find out from another teacher there was a bomb threat. The principal come back over the PA "please make sure that all students have turned off their cellphones" all the teachers look at eachother, we all know why.
First of all we can't tell students that it was a bomb threat. But they HAVE to turn off their cellphones. I stop several students that are actually talking to their parents, starting to get a little scared. Most students have never actually turned off their cellphones, they aren't sure how. I tell the students that their cellphones interrupt police signals, and thats why they can't be on them. Good reason I thought, one that would keep them quiet for a while, and plausable.
The truth? If it is a bomb, their cellphone signal could accidentally set it off. Can't say that though. Can't say that the last thing the school wants is all the kids freaking out and calling their parents. If there is a bomb the last thing we need is lines of SUV's filled with mom's looking to pick up their kids. We don't want more possible injuries.
We also don't want the bigger bomb. The bomb of bad PR. Better for the students to go home and tell their parents about how well the school handled a false alarm then calling now in the throws of it. We don't want to end up on TV, we don't want hundreds of rightfully frantic parents calling and getting no answer, because we are all playing "duck and cover".
It was a fake threat, but we still had to wait while they combed the 55 acre campus. Took all of first period, we get back to class and the students are calmed down, but not to keen to get back into the room. The principal comes on the PA and tells the truth, there was a bomb threat, called into the police on the campus payphone. There is a $500 reward for any students with information. The mood is light again, students joking about splitting the money if they can blame it on some kid.
The police caught the kid before the end of school that day.
All I could think of was the bomb threat that was called into my elementary school. No one actually believed this could happen, but in this age of metal detectors and kids shooting up schools so their suicide will be more memorable, because they want something real in their suburban nonexistence, in this age, my kids were actually a little scared.
This was a joke, but not to these kids, this was serious and kinda scary. They see it on TV, but hope it won't happen to them, and I have to sit there, hoping the kids take us seriously and turn off their cellphones and don't set off the bomb.
First of all we can't tell students that it was a bomb threat. But they HAVE to turn off their cellphones. I stop several students that are actually talking to their parents, starting to get a little scared. Most students have never actually turned off their cellphones, they aren't sure how. I tell the students that their cellphones interrupt police signals, and thats why they can't be on them. Good reason I thought, one that would keep them quiet for a while, and plausable.
The truth? If it is a bomb, their cellphone signal could accidentally set it off. Can't say that though. Can't say that the last thing the school wants is all the kids freaking out and calling their parents. If there is a bomb the last thing we need is lines of SUV's filled with mom's looking to pick up their kids. We don't want more possible injuries.
We also don't want the bigger bomb. The bomb of bad PR. Better for the students to go home and tell their parents about how well the school handled a false alarm then calling now in the throws of it. We don't want to end up on TV, we don't want hundreds of rightfully frantic parents calling and getting no answer, because we are all playing "duck and cover".
It was a fake threat, but we still had to wait while they combed the 55 acre campus. Took all of first period, we get back to class and the students are calmed down, but not to keen to get back into the room. The principal comes on the PA and tells the truth, there was a bomb threat, called into the police on the campus payphone. There is a $500 reward for any students with information. The mood is light again, students joking about splitting the money if they can blame it on some kid.
The police caught the kid before the end of school that day.
All I could think of was the bomb threat that was called into my elementary school. No one actually believed this could happen, but in this age of metal detectors and kids shooting up schools so their suicide will be more memorable, because they want something real in their suburban nonexistence, in this age, my kids were actually a little scared.
This was a joke, but not to these kids, this was serious and kinda scary. They see it on TV, but hope it won't happen to them, and I have to sit there, hoping the kids take us seriously and turn off their cellphones and don't set off the bomb.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Man oh man. Its a tipsy topsy world out there and everyone is getting a chance to let it all hang out. We all love the blogs because they allow us to say what ever the hell we want and not worry. We get to see some of the most intimate details of peoples lives and not worry about them knowing.
I feel like a voyeur... There are two blogs I love to watch belonging to a couple of mildly known artists. I saw them play together and feel in love with their energy. After watching their blogs it has become obvious that they have started dating. They are using their blogs to send little hints to eachother, little messages of love as they travel America on tour. Its so romantic I could die. It reminds me of Jane Austen novels when people would send letters delivered on horseback, and all the love that was sent in those, because it was all they had.
Rosie O's blog is read by hundreds that comment probably thousands that don't. The media read her blog, and make comments on their own sites. Their gossip sites. They attract attention to her that is unwarranted and make assumptions about her based on it.
If people made assumptions about me on my blog they would think I'm a bitch. They would think that I'm only filled with hate. Maybe I should change that, talk more about the fun times I'm having, lighten up the mood a little. Then again who cares. Its just a blog
Littlemissknit
I feel like a voyeur... There are two blogs I love to watch belonging to a couple of mildly known artists. I saw them play together and feel in love with their energy. After watching their blogs it has become obvious that they have started dating. They are using their blogs to send little hints to eachother, little messages of love as they travel America on tour. Its so romantic I could die. It reminds me of Jane Austen novels when people would send letters delivered on horseback, and all the love that was sent in those, because it was all they had.
Rosie O's blog is read by hundreds that comment probably thousands that don't. The media read her blog, and make comments on their own sites. Their gossip sites. They attract attention to her that is unwarranted and make assumptions about her based on it.
If people made assumptions about me on my blog they would think I'm a bitch. They would think that I'm only filled with hate. Maybe I should change that, talk more about the fun times I'm having, lighten up the mood a little. Then again who cares. Its just a blog
Littlemissknit
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
So after a second try, I didn't get into teacher's college and after a year or substitute teaching I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't a blessing in disguise. I honestly don't know if I have the energy to deal with the same shit day after day. Even if I got to teach high school, every year teaching the same books, dealing with blank faces that don't give a crap about what you are trying to teach them. Whats the point?
That's not true, its amazing and noble and its something that I thought I was amazing and noble enough to do. No rejection letter, no mountain of rejection letters are going to make me feel defeated, make me feel like I'm not good enough, but maybe I need to find a different route.
I want to teach, I want to make it work, I want to be in a class where my students are interested and respectful, and I guess thats what everyone wants.
So if you want to make some snide comment or show of support about how or why I didn't get into teacher's college, do so here, I've had enough of everyone's two cents slowly slipping in.
Littlemissknit
That's not true, its amazing and noble and its something that I thought I was amazing and noble enough to do. No rejection letter, no mountain of rejection letters are going to make me feel defeated, make me feel like I'm not good enough, but maybe I need to find a different route.
I want to teach, I want to make it work, I want to be in a class where my students are interested and respectful, and I guess thats what everyone wants.
So if you want to make some snide comment or show of support about how or why I didn't get into teacher's college, do so here, I've had enough of everyone's two cents slowly slipping in.
Littlemissknit
