My Favorite Saul Williams

Put your fist in the air.

I <3 the Daily Show

My celeb crush (also known as Jon Stewart) calls Mike Huckabee out on hypocrisy of gay marriage bans.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Isn't he dreamy?!

Sign This Petition

I meant to post this quite some time ago, but obviously I haven't.
This petition is asking that President Barack Obama issue an executive order to close down the School of the Americas.
Fort Benning Georgia is the location of the military school previously known as the "School of the Americas". At the end of the year 2000 the Pentagon changed the name of the school to the "Western Hemisphere Institute For Security Protection" in a shallow attempt to cover up the institution's murky past. But the bottom line remains the same - it's where 60,000 Latin American students were trained to torture, terrorize and kill for dictatorships supported by the United States government and your tax dollars.

In the name of its citizens and using American taxpayer dollars, the United States, the most-democratic of countries, has for decades been training some of the most anti-democratic leaders in the world. Administrations that have decried terrorism abroad, have encouraged terrorists right here at home -- at the SOA.

Countries / Graduates (since 1946)
Argentina / 931
Bolivia / 4,049
Brazil / 355
Chile / 2,405
Colombia / 8,679
Costa Rica / 2,376
Dominican Republic / 2,330
Ecuador / 2,356
El Salvador / 6,776
Guatemala / 1,676
Honduras / 3,691
Nicaragua / 4,693
Panama / 4,235
Paraguay / 1,084
Peru / 3,997
Uruguay / 931
Venezuela / 3,250

On November 13, 2008, the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) filed a criminal case in Spain against Alfredo Cristiani Burkard, former Salvadoran President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and 14 other soldiers from the Salvadoran Army for their role in the notorious Jesuits massacre that took place in November 16, 1989. The defendants include many graduates of the SOA/ WHINSEC. The case was jointly filed by the CJA and their colleagues with the Spanish Association for Human Rights (APDHE). The case includes a complaint alleging crimes against humanity, the cover up of crimes against humanity and state terrorism.

LibertadLatina.org:

In December 1981, the inhabitants of a small Salvadoran
hamlet were systematically exterminated by the Atlacatl
Battalion, a U.S.-trained counterinsurgency force. The
Reagan administration, determined to preserve U.S.
support for El Salvador's war against leftist guerrillas,
downplayed reports of this massacre. The White House
ignored and deflected reports that hundreds of unarmed
women, children and men were shot, hung or beheaded.

Today, the truth is known beyond any doubt. Fifteen
years after one of the worst massacres in Latin
American history.

For more information you can visit the SOA Watchgroup website (don't forget to sign the petition):
http://www.soaw.org/site/index.php

SOA Watch is a nonviolent grassroots movement that works to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, to close the SOA/WHINSEC and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents. We are grateful to our sisters and brothers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean for their inspiration and the invitation to join them in their struggle for economic and social justice.

If you're interested in Latin American culture and history I recommend Anth380; Ricardo has done a fantastic job instructing this course.

Books I Recommend

The Beauty Myth- Naomi Wolf

From Publishers Weekly
This valuable study, full of infuriating statistics and examples, documents societal pressure on women to conform to a standard form of beauty. Freelance journalist Wolf cites predominant images that negatively influence women--the wrinkle-free, unnaturally skinny fashion model in advertisements and the curvaceous female in pornography--and questions why women risk their health and endure pain through extreme dieting or plastic surgery to mirror these ideals. She points out that the quest for beauty is not unlike religious or cult behavior: every nuance in appearance is scrutinized by the godlike, watchful eyes of peers, temptation takes the form of food and salvation can be found in diet and beauty aids. Women are "trained to see themselves as cheap imitations of fashion photographs" and must learn to recognize and combat these internalized images. Wolf's thoroughly researched and convincing theories encourage rejection of unrealistic goals in favor of a positive self-image.

Third Term: Why George W. Bush <3 John McCain- Paul Begala

"With deadly accuracy, wit and fearlessness, Paul Begala demolishes the Myth of McCain. Once a political reformer, McCain has hung a For Sale sign on his most cherished principles and morphed into the second coming of George W. Bush. If you are an admirer of all that George Bush has done to America, you are going to love John McCain. If not, you need to read this book. Give it to anyone you know who is even thinking of voting for John McCain." -- Arianna Huffington

"If you're one of the 20 percent of Americans who love George W. Bush, you'll love John McCain. If you're one of the 80 percent of Americans who don't love President Bush, you'll love this book. It's a must-read for anyone who wants change." -- James Carville

The Republican War Against Women-Tanya Melich

From Library Journal
Melich, who has spent most of her political life as a Republican feminist, recounts 23 years of party politics that, she postulates, has fought against the women's movement and issues important to equal opportunity. She takes us through her struggles as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1968 and 1992, describing in painstaking detail every platform, rule, and committee meeting that resulted in documents rejecting the Equal Rights Amendment and calling for a constitutional ban on abortions. Clearly, from what Melich outlines, the Republican party was completely out of sync with her views, leaving one to ask why it took so long for her to leave the party (as she finally did in 1992). Her reasoning after each defeat was that she thought it would get better and that it was better that the GOP feminists work with, rather than against, the party to see if some ground could be gained. Although the book's alarmist title may turn some potential readers off, the text is not hyperbole but a step-by-step account of how the religious right and conservatives have taken control of the Republican party.

How To Win A Fight With A Conservative- Daniel Kurtzman

Me
This is political satire! It's meant to be humerus. Great add to any coffee table.

Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture- Ariel Levy

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What does sexy mean today? Levy, smartly expanding on reporting for an article in New York magazine, argues that the term is defined by a pervasive raunch culture wherein women make sex objects of other women and of ourselves. The voracious search for what's sexy, she writes, has reincarnated a day when Playboy Bunnies (and airbrushed and surgically altered nudity) epitomized female beauty. It has elevated porn above sexual pleasure. Most insidiously, it has usurped the keywords of the women's movement (liberation, empowerment) to serve as buzzwords for a female sexuality that denies passion (in all its forms) and embraces consumerism. To understand how this happened, Levy examines the women's movement, identifying the residue of divisive, unresolved issues about women's relationship to men and sex. The resulting raunch feminism, she writes, is a garbled attempt at continuing the work of the women's movement and asks, how is resurrecting every stereotype of female sexuality that feminism endeavored to banish good for women? Why is laboring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering? Levy's insightful reporting and analysis chill the hype of what's hot. It will create many aha! moments for readers who have been wondering how porn got to be pop and why feminism is such a dirty word.

Howl and other Poems- Allen Ginsberg

Me
Everyone needs a little "beat" in their life.

She- Saul Williams

My favorite excert from this book:

I presented
my feminine side
with flowers

she cut the stems
and placed the gently
down my throat

and these tu lips
might soon eclipse
your brightest hopes

Let's Bring SaltLines to BSU!!

In celebration of Women's Month!
If you'd like to inquire about having the SALTLINES show at your College or University, please contact:

Christen Greene
fauxpasproductions (at) gmail (dot) com

"http://www.myspace.com/saltlines"

Coming March 2009: Salt Lines In honor of women’s history month, the four powerhouses Andrea Gibson (Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion), Denise Jolly (Seattle Poetry Slam), Sonya Renee (Individual National Poetry Slam Champion), and Tara Hardy (Bent Writing Institute) will hit the road to perform spoken word across the United States and Canada. These women represent some of the strongest and most respected talent coming out of the international Poetry Slam circuit. They and their work have been featured on HBO, CNN, MTV, BET, Oxygen, and UK Travel Networks, alongside the likes of Hillary Clinton, Ani Difranco, Gloria Steinem, Lady Miss Kier of Dee Lite, Cut Chemist, Amy Goodman, Dorothy Allison, Kate Bornstein, Michelle Tea, Sini Anderson, Ivan Coyote, and Sister Spit. Sonya, Tara, Andrea and Denise are performers, educators, facilitators, developers, and believers in the human ability to create change by honoring and expressing personal, cultural, and social history. This verbal quartet will storm, sing, slam, and sling salt into the eye of all that has ever silenced voices meant to be heard. Their celebration is one of being basic to the earth as salt. Necessary, life allowing, wound stinging, and let’s face it, tasty. A salt line is a ring left on a hat or heart or sleeve inspired by exertion or labor. So, don’t be surprised if they inspire you to work up your own sweat, because these four elemental poets will work stages into assembly lines of release, revolt, and redemption. These women do not provide a clean slate they do however provide a dirty one worn proudly. When booking Salt Lines make sure and inquire about writing, performance and gender theory workshops facilitated by the performers in your schools classroom!!!

I <3 Her!

Is it obvious that I'm addicted to slam poetry?

Let's Cook That Lame Duck

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation today that would block the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from passing the midnight regulation that would prevent family planning clinics from "discriminating" against employees who are opposed to abortion on "religious or moral grounds" and allow health care providers to refuse to perform abortions, or refer women to others who might.

The American Civil Liberties Union had this to say:

We continue to be very concerned about the scope and impact of this proposed rule. It leaves open the possibility that institutions and individuals can deny access to birth control and permits individuals to refuse to provide even counseling about basic heath care services. At a time when more and more Americans are either uninsured or struggling with the soaring costs of health care, the federal government should be expanding, not hampering access to important health services."

Senator Clinton had this to say about their proposed bill, the Protecting Patients and Health Care Act:

In the final days of his administration, the President is again putting ideology first and attempting to roll back health care protections for women and families. The fact that the EEOC was never consulted in the drafting of this rule further illustrates that this is purely a political ploy. This HHS rule will threaten patients' rights, stand in the way of health care professionals, and restrict access to critical health care services for those who need them most. Senator Murray and I are standing up once again to the administration against this rule and will continue to fight for women's reproductive rights. President Bush is making a last-minute attempt to undermine women's health care, but our legislation will stop this rule and ensure that women can continue to get needed health care.