A camper complained of feeling under par per an upset stomach. Prior to accomplishing a trip to the proper care provider, this poor, inopportune person puked on the playground.
A silly, slightly unwise student searching for the restroom and discovering both first and second prospects in use, secured herself in the stairwell after supposing the entrance suggested access to another chance to assuage her pressing necessity.
A tremendously talented troupe completed an entire instruction of a tough, tricky quantity of tunes.
Other awesome incidents occurred, although I am out of alliteration and exhausted.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Doublecrossed
When the Pennysaver came in the mail a few days ago, I was at our kitchen table working on a crossword puzzle from The Catonsville Times that was proving to be too much of a challenge for my inexperienced little brain. Eager to move on to something a bit less strenuous, I turned to the crossword in the Pennysaver. The great thing about this crossword is - it has the answers upside-down on the bottom of the page so that when I've exhausted all the answers I can come up with, I can give a quick check, fill in a word or two, and see if those extra letters help me figure out other words.
Let me take this moment to say - I'm not very good at crossword puzzles, so when I come to a clue that I definitely know, it's really exciting for me. This was the case with 8-across: a four-letter word for "The radiant glow around the head of a saint." I confidently penned in "HALO" and moved on.
Later, while trying to figure out the answer to 11-down - a three-letter word for "helps small business" (or something like that) - which shares its last letter with "HALO" of 8-across, I take a peek at the answer key. "SBA" it says...and I pause. Halo doesn't end in an A...
So I check their answer for 8-across. They've put "AURA."
...What?!
I apologize, Pennysaver-crossword authors, but auras are not "the radiant glow around the head of a saint." That would be the definition of a halo, and though similar to an aura, the two are not alike enough to share the same crossword clue.
To be sure, I checked Dictionary.com and they have defined an aura as:
| 1. | a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere: an aura of respectability; an aura of friendliness. |
| 2. | a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing. |
| 3. | Pathology. a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy. |
But maybe that's just me.
Monday, June 9, 2008
I've Heard Hitler was Pretty Kinky
Last night I had an awful dream where my school was taken over by fascists. Through the whole thing, I just kept thinking about what I had learned in my Philosophical Roots of European Fascism class that I took last semester at CMC, but these were Spanish fascists taking over, and we only learned about German and Italian fascists so I was screwed.
It's interesting that I would somehow have a dream (kind of) about that class in particular because I certainly did not like it at first. The professor, as one of my CMC associates put it, "had one foot in the grave" and, though I don't have anything against old people, she certainly didn't seem completely "with it." She often told us not to be afraid to speak up in class because she couldn't remember who we all were, so there was no way she would mark us down for a stupid question - not exactly what I'm looking for in a professor, but hey, the tests weren't that hard, so I stuck with it, and by the end she had grown on me.
On the first day back from spring break, I decided it would be fun to wear my "Kill" shirt as a little commemoration of how I felt to be returning to classes. Of course, everytime I wear this shirt, it's all in good fun.
This apparently did not come across to my Fascism professor, though, because she noted my shirt and commented, "That's a very hostile shirt you have there."
I laughed and responded, "I thought it was appropriate for the first day back after break." To which she asked "So that's what you would like to do to all your teachers."
Baffled, I told her that I wouldn't want to kill anyone and she responded with some comment about the fascists and killing and we got on with class.
For the next couple classes, everytime I came into the room, she would ask me if I were wearing "that angry shirt" until one day, when I happened to be wearing some very flamboyant orange, blue, yellow, black athletic pants, I tried to explain that I wore the shirt ironically. "Kind of like these pants - they're ridiculous!" I told her.
The next week, we had a midterm. We all put our cell phones at the front of the room because, according to this professor, students themselves have told her that they use them to cheat, and sit down to receive our exams. A little way into the period, as we're all silently working, our professor says to me, "I saw your pants in Vogue." I looked down at my pants confusedly; I had worn a pair of my gross, plain black pajama pants to school that day and thought that, of course, she would see pants like this in Vogue - they probably have plain black, somewhat baggy pants in Vogue all the time. I give a little "Oh" to acknowledge that I heard her, but to be sure not to encourage conversation. We were in the middle of a midterm, after all.
"You know, those pants that you called 'revolutionary.' They were in Vogue. Isn't it funny how revolution gets co-opted by capitalism?" She continued. At this point, I truly feel like an ass for having instigated this rant in the middle of a test. I try another "Mhm" and continue working on my exam. When I had finished - early, because I don't like to dwell on things - she made an announcement to the entire class that they should strive to be like me because I had finished first. I grabbed my cellphone and hurried out the door, anxious to escape any more interruptions that I may cause. I can only hope that my classmates recognize that these disruptions were spurred by our crazy professor and not by my crazy fashion sense.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Shower Power!
I smell like a dirty hippy who tried to cover up the rank smell of her b.o. with patchouli oil. It's probably because I tried to cover up the rank smell of my b.o. with patchouli oil.
Glory to God in the....Desert
I don't remember if Jesus Christ Superstar would have made it into my list of favorite plays as a kid, but it certainly worked its way into my list of most-often-attended plays when I was littler. So when I was browsing the On Demand movie menu on my mom's fancy television the other day and saw it listed, I had to watch it. Turns out that it's not just a movie version of what has become one of my favorite rock operas of all time, but it's a glorious hippy version!
To get a sense of the wonderfulness that is this movie, check out the overture:
To get a sense of the wonderfulness that is this movie, check out the overture:
It's a little slow-going at first, but at about 1:25, the glory that is the The Bus makes its debut. The movie is essentially a huge group of wonderful, 70s hipsters who go out into the desert and act out Jesus Christ Superstar.
The movie makes me want to take a huge bus into the desert with all my friends and pretend like we're biblical characters reliving the rock spectacle that led to the crucifixion of Jesus! Of course, I'm not so much into role-playing, so we could leave out the acting part and just kind of party in the desert in our own little communities that each have their role in some larger society that we've created especially for our desert excursion.
Or I guess I could just go to Burning Man.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Masculinist Coalition at Pitzer
So there's been a lot of positive press surrounding what's been going on at Pitzer with this kid who's trying to start a "Masculinist Coalition" club and this is all I can think to do right now to try and get some word out there about what is so bad and awful about this club. (Plus I was thinking about starting to blog a little more often now, so why not start with this?)
A couple weeks ago, this kid at Pitzer (who I'm not going to name since I have a lot of issues with the way this person has been putting everyone else out there on the internet) sent out an email about starting a Masculinist Coalition for heterosexual men on Pitzer's campus to get together and do "manly" things like drink beer, watch sports, grill, go to strip clubs, etc. Twice in the email, it said that they would "celebrate men (not in a gay way [not that there's anything wrong with that])," which is just not a good way to start (you know, kind of hostile and unaccepting and all that).
At the first meeting, many of my friends who are members of the Pitzer Feminist Coalition and the Pitzer Queer and Allies club, along with a bunch of people who aren't affiliated with these groups but are feminists and queers and allies, came to voice their opinions about why this club is hurtful, offensive, and oppressive. I didn't go to the meeting because I can't deal with people being assholes (any people - even my friends), but I of course received lots of reports from my friends. One of the things that upset me the most is that, apparently, the person who sent out the first email (who is also the leader of the club) made a statement about discussions the group might have about prison rape that went something to the tune of "I'm not going to say that rape of men in prison is more intense than other kinds of rape, but..." and left off there.
Additionally, throughout the entire meeting, this person had a video camera rolling (though it was only focused on this person leading the meeting). Afterwards, this kid posted the video to the masculinist coalition website (yes, they have a website) with some really upsetting captions. For one video, it ridiculed my friend, we'll call him Ryan, for getting upset after being harassed for his comments at the meeting. The leader of the masculinist coalition later sent an email to the entire student body with a link to these videos and the statement: "Please be aware that any emails sent over student-talk or to me
privately might very well be posted in multiple locations online."
Eventually, the group went to Pitzer's Student Senate for funding and recognition of their charter (which would make them an official club) and were denied on the basis of their behavior at the meeting. The leaders of the club came to Feminist Coalition that week and a very productive and calm dialogue about what about the club was offensive and how they can fix it and everyone came up with the idea that the club should be called the "Broalition" and it should be about drinking beer and watching sports and everything that they originally wanted to be about. That way, all of these activities can be tied to a male identity if they want it to be, but it isn't making such a blanket statement that that's what masculinity is all about. Not to mention, it helps Pitzer save a little face, too, since apparently the masculinist movement was a hate movement against women.
However, the leader of the club decided that, in good faith, the name could not be changed and they would remain the Masculinist Coalition. They returned to Senate again this past Sunday with a revised charter and were again denied funding, this time on the basis of their name. Keep in mind that, this whole time, everything regarding these decisions has been publicized on the internet.
Yesterday, the kid who sent out the email (who is also the leader of the club) went on KROQ for an interview regarding the whole situation. My friend, let's call her Lauren (even though her real name is on the internet - I'm sticking to my disgust with that, though), called in to offer a voice about why the situation is actually serious and offensive and more than just a matter of some poor kid being denied funding. I haven't listened to the interview yet (again, because I can't stand assholes), but Lauren said that she was cut off by the DJ with the statement: "Now you think you're a feminist and that's adorable, but this is the real world and I'm the man." (something along those lines - but definitely "I'm the man"). The masculinist coalition leader then sent an email out an email to the entire student body with the link to the streamed version of the interview that was posted (by this person) on funnyordie.com, where Lauren's full, real name has been used to tag the video.
Now, I'm not well-versed in gender and queer theory at all and I probably couldn't tell you the broader implications that a formation of a group like this might have in regards to the feminist and queer movements, but I do know that on a practical level, not theoretical, the person who started all of this has been really intimidating, and not just unintentionally. It has become bigger than just some joke, and it really upsets me, not because of the implications it has for feminism and for gay rights, but because I don't feel safe anymore.
So I don't know what to do. Right now, I'm just trying to get a voice out there about why this club is bad. This isn't a voice that says a club like this can't work out or that straight men don't deserve their little space on campus, too. It's a voice that's saying that I should feel comfortable in that space as a girl and I don't. That's what's wrong with this group.
So do what you can to make this voice heard. Visit this blog from as many different computers and IP addresses as you can - get as many hits as possible. If you blog, write a little something about it. I dunno - I'm clearly not as internet savvy as this kid. But I'm hoping other people will help. Get this side of the story out there. Make people realize that it is not a joke.
Sending all my love to the world (even to the haters).
heart out to the max!
-Amy
A couple weeks ago, this kid at Pitzer (who I'm not going to name since I have a lot of issues with the way this person has been putting everyone else out there on the internet) sent out an email about starting a Masculinist Coalition for heterosexual men on Pitzer's campus to get together and do "manly" things like drink beer, watch sports, grill, go to strip clubs, etc. Twice in the email, it said that they would "celebrate men (not in a gay way [not that there's anything wrong with that])," which is just not a good way to start (you know, kind of hostile and unaccepting and all that).
At the first meeting, many of my friends who are members of the Pitzer Feminist Coalition and the Pitzer Queer and Allies club, along with a bunch of people who aren't affiliated with these groups but are feminists and queers and allies, came to voice their opinions about why this club is hurtful, offensive, and oppressive. I didn't go to the meeting because I can't deal with people being assholes (any people - even my friends), but I of course received lots of reports from my friends. One of the things that upset me the most is that, apparently, the person who sent out the first email (who is also the leader of the club) made a statement about discussions the group might have about prison rape that went something to the tune of "I'm not going to say that rape of men in prison is more intense than other kinds of rape, but..." and left off there.
Additionally, throughout the entire meeting, this person had a video camera rolling (though it was only focused on this person leading the meeting). Afterwards, this kid posted the video to the masculinist coalition website (yes, they have a website) with some really upsetting captions. For one video, it ridiculed my friend, we'll call him Ryan, for getting upset after being harassed for his comments at the meeting. The leader of the masculinist coalition later sent an email to the entire student body with a link to these videos and the statement: "Please be aware that any emails sent over student-talk or to me
privately might very well be posted in multiple locations online."
Eventually, the group went to Pitzer's Student Senate for funding and recognition of their charter (which would make them an official club) and were denied on the basis of their behavior at the meeting. The leaders of the club came to Feminist Coalition that week and a very productive and calm dialogue about what about the club was offensive and how they can fix it and everyone came up with the idea that the club should be called the "Broalition" and it should be about drinking beer and watching sports and everything that they originally wanted to be about. That way, all of these activities can be tied to a male identity if they want it to be, but it isn't making such a blanket statement that that's what masculinity is all about. Not to mention, it helps Pitzer save a little face, too, since apparently the masculinist movement was a hate movement against women.
However, the leader of the club decided that, in good faith, the name could not be changed and they would remain the Masculinist Coalition. They returned to Senate again this past Sunday with a revised charter and were again denied funding, this time on the basis of their name. Keep in mind that, this whole time, everything regarding these decisions has been publicized on the internet.
Yesterday, the kid who sent out the email (who is also the leader of the club) went on KROQ for an interview regarding the whole situation. My friend, let's call her Lauren (even though her real name is on the internet - I'm sticking to my disgust with that, though), called in to offer a voice about why the situation is actually serious and offensive and more than just a matter of some poor kid being denied funding. I haven't listened to the interview yet (again, because I can't stand assholes), but Lauren said that she was cut off by the DJ with the statement: "Now you think you're a feminist and that's adorable, but this is the real world and I'm the man." (something along those lines - but definitely "I'm the man"). The masculinist coalition leader then sent an email out an email to the entire student body with the link to the streamed version of the interview that was posted (by this person) on funnyordie.com, where Lauren's full, real name has been used to tag the video.
Now, I'm not well-versed in gender and queer theory at all and I probably couldn't tell you the broader implications that a formation of a group like this might have in regards to the feminist and queer movements, but I do know that on a practical level, not theoretical, the person who started all of this has been really intimidating, and not just unintentionally. It has become bigger than just some joke, and it really upsets me, not because of the implications it has for feminism and for gay rights, but because I don't feel safe anymore.
So I don't know what to do. Right now, I'm just trying to get a voice out there about why this club is bad. This isn't a voice that says a club like this can't work out or that straight men don't deserve their little space on campus, too. It's a voice that's saying that I should feel comfortable in that space as a girl and I don't. That's what's wrong with this group.
So do what you can to make this voice heard. Visit this blog from as many different computers and IP addresses as you can - get as many hits as possible. If you blog, write a little something about it. I dunno - I'm clearly not as internet savvy as this kid. But I'm hoping other people will help. Get this side of the story out there. Make people realize that it is not a joke.
Sending all my love to the world (even to the haters).
heart out to the max!
-Amy
Thursday, November 15, 2007
CREATIVITY ESCAPES ME
So life here is great. Awesome, really!
Last week, school ended so this week I've just been hanging out doing not a whole lot...hanging out with Laura (Tebogo) and doing nothing... it's been pretty awesome.
Um...I joined a choir! It's officially what I'm doing for my Independent Study Project. It's this choir called KTM and it's sort of funny because they're doing Christmas Carols right now so I know most of the music. Actually, the conductor wants to talk to me because he says he's not sure if I should stay with them since they're not doing any Setswana music right now. I mean, I'm thinking I'm going to ask my program director if there's any other choirs I could join as well as this one so I could sing traditional music, but even just singing in this one is so different from the choirs at home. The music is COMPLETELY different - there is no treble or bass clef - and no notes! It's written according to do-re-me and it's sort of hard to get used to. That and the way we learn the music is really different, too, so I feel like even if I'm not singing traditional songs, I'm learning something either way.
Last weekend, my mom had this soccer team, the Township Rollers, who are like THE team of Gabs staying at the lodge so I got to go on Saturday and hang out with them and it was awesome! Tebs came along and we went to a football game with them where they were getting in free since they're an organized team, but the people at the stadium were giving them all sorts of crap since me and Laura were quite obviously not on the team. But this one, Not Kago (we thought his name was Kago for a long time, but it's not and we don't remember what it is so we call him Not Kago) told them we were team doctors and the team ushered us in and it was awesome. It was pretty cool sitting with them, too, cuz they're pretty famous-ish and everyone was asking about the game they had the next day against the Police. Then, we went back to the lodge and hung out with some of them some more - we mainly hung out with Chicken (they call him Chicken Nandos cuz his last name is Koko, which is "chicken" in Setswana and Nandos is a chicken place here) and Bernard, who's from Zambia and it was awesome. Bernard kept showing us pictures on his phone of his wife (who he called his queen) and kids, and kissing his phone (btw. they range in age from 17 to 30). And we listened to music on Chicken's phone and talked. We met this guy, Gumgum (they call him Gumgum cuz he likes to listen to his music real loud and all you can hear is "gumgumgumgum") who is the team captain and who is BEAUTIFUL. He hung out for a bit which was awesome and this other kid, Aubrey, who's the 17 year old, came and hung out and he's sort of a brat, but it was fun. And then Bernard got up and was dancing all crazy and Chicken got up and joined him and it was so so so much fun!
Then, the next day, we saw them off to their game and Gumgum was playing music all loud from the combi (of course) so I danced a bit with this kid Lesego (which is funny cuz that's my name) and he and the goalie, Toldo, told us they'd take us out dancing sometime so that's super exciting. We went to their game and they tied 0-0 but it was SO nerveracking because the Police were playing super dirty and the ref wasn't calling much and now that we knew them, we were so worried for them. Ha, but it was awesome.
Oh, and I dyed my hair! (yes, I found a way to dye my hair all the way over here). It's just a blond stripe down the right side of my head, but it's pretty much awesome. My little brother now calls me "Jeff Hardy" because that's a wrestler who they call the "rainbow haired warrior" cuz he has his hair dyed all different colors which is AWESOME because Jeff Hardy is absolutely my favorite wrestler (did I mention that I have become grossly obsessed with WWE RAW here? It's like the best thing ever!). Actually, Nicki and I went to this flea market-type place the other day to try and get Jeff Hardy t-shirts but all they have is J ohn Cena, so this guy we met gave me his number and might import some shirts especially for us from South Africa! Ha!
Sorry I haven't put up any pictures, yet. It's really hard to get my pictures to a computer that has internet, but I have a TON and I can't wait to show them all off. AND. Lots lots of love to my wonderful Dad for being super awesome and cute with his comments and SUPER SHAME on the rest of you who are just living vicariously through me and not telling me so! Tahaha
I LOVE YOU ALL and miss you lots and CAN'T WAIT to come home and show off pictures and presents and happiness! YAY
Last week, school ended so this week I've just been hanging out doing not a whole lot...hanging out with Laura (Tebogo) and doing nothing... it's been pretty awesome.
Um...I joined a choir! It's officially what I'm doing for my Independent Study Project. It's this choir called KTM and it's sort of funny because they're doing Christmas Carols right now so I know most of the music. Actually, the conductor wants to talk to me because he says he's not sure if I should stay with them since they're not doing any Setswana music right now. I mean, I'm thinking I'm going to ask my program director if there's any other choirs I could join as well as this one so I could sing traditional music, but even just singing in this one is so different from the choirs at home. The music is COMPLETELY different - there is no treble or bass clef - and no notes! It's written according to do-re-me and it's sort of hard to get used to. That and the way we learn the music is really different, too, so I feel like even if I'm not singing traditional songs, I'm learning something either way.
Last weekend, my mom had this soccer team, the Township Rollers, who are like THE team of Gabs staying at the lodge so I got to go on Saturday and hang out with them and it was awesome! Tebs came along and we went to a football game with them where they were getting in free since they're an organized team, but the people at the stadium were giving them all sorts of crap since me and Laura were quite obviously not on the team. But this one, Not Kago (we thought his name was Kago for a long time, but it's not and we don't remember what it is so we call him Not Kago) told them we were team doctors and the team ushered us in and it was awesome. It was pretty cool sitting with them, too, cuz they're pretty famous-ish and everyone was asking about the game they had the next day against the Police. Then, we went back to the lodge and hung out with some of them some more - we mainly hung out with Chicken (they call him Chicken Nandos cuz his last name is Koko, which is "chicken" in Setswana and Nandos is a chicken place here) and Bernard, who's from Zambia and it was awesome. Bernard kept showing us pictures on his phone of his wife (who he called his queen) and kids, and kissing his phone (btw. they range in age from 17 to 30). And we listened to music on Chicken's phone and talked. We met this guy, Gumgum (they call him Gumgum cuz he likes to listen to his music real loud and all you can hear is "gumgumgumgum") who is the team captain and who is BEAUTIFUL. He hung out for a bit which was awesome and this other kid, Aubrey, who's the 17 year old, came and hung out and he's sort of a brat, but it was fun. And then Bernard got up and was dancing all crazy and Chicken got up and joined him and it was so so so much fun!
Then, the next day, we saw them off to their game and Gumgum was playing music all loud from the combi (of course) so I danced a bit with this kid Lesego (which is funny cuz that's my name) and he and the goalie, Toldo, told us they'd take us out dancing sometime so that's super exciting. We went to their game and they tied 0-0 but it was SO nerveracking because the Police were playing super dirty and the ref wasn't calling much and now that we knew them, we were so worried for them. Ha, but it was awesome.
Oh, and I dyed my hair! (yes, I found a way to dye my hair all the way over here). It's just a blond stripe down the right side of my head, but it's pretty much awesome. My little brother now calls me "Jeff Hardy" because that's a wrestler who they call the "rainbow haired warrior" cuz he has his hair dyed all different colors which is AWESOME because Jeff Hardy is absolutely my favorite wrestler (did I mention that I have become grossly obsessed with WWE RAW here? It's like the best thing ever!). Actually, Nicki and I went to this flea market-type place the other day to try and get Jeff Hardy t-shirts but all they have is J ohn Cena, so this guy we met gave me his number and might import some shirts especially for us from South Africa! Ha!
Sorry I haven't put up any pictures, yet. It's really hard to get my pictures to a computer that has internet, but I have a TON and I can't wait to show them all off. AND. Lots lots of love to my wonderful Dad for being super awesome and cute with his comments and SUPER SHAME on the rest of you who are just living vicariously through me and not telling me so! Tahaha
I LOVE YOU ALL and miss you lots and CAN'T WAIT to come home and show off pictures and presents and happiness! YAY
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