Groceries

This is my stock grocery list. I don't know why this would be interesting, but a lot of people are just perverted that way.

• oranges
• grapefruit (if they look good)
  
• raspberries
• apples
• broccoli (my favourite vegetable)
• carrots
• onion
• mushrooms
• bean sprouts
• romaine
  
• garlic
• almonds
• light rye bread with carroway seeds
• cheese (sometimes, if i want it with apples)
• meat (depends on my recipes, normally chicken or turkey and a fish which I select using this list as a guide)
• chocolate chips (I use this is my "treat" mix, usually with the almonds and raspberries)
• milk
• eggs
• yogurt
  
• orange/apple juice (depending on preference)
• hummus
  

That's the normal list. I buy small amounts, only what I plan to eat for the next week (some things last longer). I also didn't include things like jam, potatoes, margarine or spices which I normally just have a lot of and don't buy often.

I've been trying to increase my raw food intake so the veggies I normally graze on throughout the day or dip in hummus. I like to make stew though! And turkey meatloaf! Yummy hearty meals! Because its exam season and I don't have much time to prepare meals, I have taken to buying some premade meals (the only ones I like are the Michelina's Harmony brand). I hate salt though and those things are packed with sodium, so I don't eat them often.

I also love bran muffins and I always have the ingredients in stock. I like to sprinkle a little nutmeg and brown sugar on their heads when they are close to being finished so its like a treat. I'M GOING TO HAVE ONE NOW!

Again with the Violence

Another punch related post popped up over at Deus Ex Malcontent.I have been checking back the past day or so to see reactions on the old post. They mainly depress me, apparently I'm sexist for thinking violence against men is wrong and I have a "stick up my ass". It doesn't help that Chez only seems to stop by to feed the trolls and not respond to people with actual comments about the post.

His new argument seems to be that, while violence amongst humans is wrong, in this instance it is hilarious because the participants are subhuman. You heard me. I had a huge ass comment typed up and was ready to hit "post" when I decided to heed my own advice and not "feed the trolls" as it were. It would be the same misogynist assholes responded who posted such gems as:

"...some women will push and push and push and push men until they finally snap, safe in the knowledge that no man would ever hit a woman, and then play victim when someone finally has enough of their shit. The lesson is: If you're a loud mouthed idiot, don't be surprised when somebody shuts you up."

For the record, yes, I do have a stick up my ass about violence against women. I've made it clear that I am disgusted by violence against men as well, but I do have a particular tendency to dislike violence against women, well spotted.

What is scary about this incident is that he stole her drink and she got pissed and then he hit her. If I was at a bar and a dude stole my drink, I'd be pretty mad. I think most people would. Even if this woman is "subhuman", if regular old humans like you or I did it, we'd be the one knocked to the ground.

I don't watch a lot of reality tv so maybe I'm not aware of their subhuman status or as desensitized to the violence, but I can say that no violence happens in a vacuum. Its not sexist to say that there are certain implications socially and historically when a man hits a woman as opposed to when he hits another man. (Both acts are wrong, let me be clear.)

On the big picture level, there is a significance for women. We have to struggle to get paid the same as men, we have to worry about some psychopath raping us on the walk home after dark, we read about our sisters in times of war being used as vehicles of psychological warfare....

When we see a bunch of people (white men usually) laughing and rationalizing their amusement at the sight of a woman getting punched in the face and then read about how she deserved it in a myriad of ways, there is no way we can feel safe or comfortable.

Violence against women is not something to be quiet about. It is not something to shirk around. It is not "hilarious" no matter who is hitting who, no matter where they are from, what colour their skin is, their level of education, their bank account, their size, or the fact that they signed up to do a reality show.

Travels

Yo baby cat faces!!
I'm going to be travelling to Montreal in the third week of February and then at the end of March/beginning of April I'll be flying to Yelapa hopefully for a brief visit. I don't want to make any promises but if anyone wants to get coffees or water taxi into Vallarta for a drink, let me know! (I know its a long way off.)

Sad World

Firstly, apparently I have 3 unanswered friend requests on hi5... I was not even aware I had a hi5 account.

Secondly, I've been writing about such depressing subject matter that I cannot help feeling a little depressed by proxy. The upcoming holiday and the pure enjoyment I get from finishing my work and having a little nap or getting in some personal reading is keeping my spirits up. I wrote about the tragic histories of three women (Agrippina the Younger- killed by her son's assassins, Catherine of Aragon- died alone in exile after her husband refused to acknowledge her any longer, Queen Esther- forced to marry King Xerxes who was responsible for the massacre of her people...). I'm also taking a Dystopian Fiction class which is actually a depressing book club that comes with a university credit. (Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed it.) In that vein, here is io9's best sci fi books of the decade... I'll need to add some of those to my goodreads to-read shelf.

Now I'm working on women in Tibetan Buddhism. I watched Kundun last night and of course, cried like a baby. Then I watched the Vancouver 2009 Peace summit. Even though the talks were of peace, it was talked about as a hypothetical concept. H.H. did say some great things about women and their contribution to the achievement of peace. He sounds like a man ready to retire. He seemed much more vibrant when he was in Ottawa. Maybe he's like Nimoy, he just seems much shinier in person.

Punch Pt 2

Dear Internet,
This is what I have learned from gif-gate:
There's nothing funnier a woman getting punched in the face.

The following people deserve to be hit-

• sluts
• cunts
• bitches
• hos
• idiots
• chubby girls
• girls who don't keep their fat mouths shut....

I thought I was the only one disgusted by the celebration but over at Jezebel, most people are pretty shocked at the reaction. There is also an interesting discussion about the difference between man-on-man violence and man-on-woman violence here. A person of any gender hitting another person of any gender is equally wrong in my book. But the reason I am so upset and vocal about this particular incident is the reaction. All the comments and posts are about how gratifying it is to see this chick get punched (generally because she's stupid or "slutty"). I still can't bring myself to read youtube comments.

Bloggers that I loved are laughing it up over the assault. Its so disappointing to realize that people you respect and who's work you enjoy turn out to be sleazy and deplorable. I love to donate $5 or so every holiday season to my favourite blogs just as a little thank you. That is sooo not happening this year. I'm also taking a lot of them off my google reader. I know I'm just one reader, but if that's the case, then they shouldn't really care about losing my support.

I just want to quote a comment by DangerMouse in the Jezebel male perspective thread.

"'But why is it unimaginably worse for an asshole to haul off and hit Snooki than for an asshole to haul off and hit a man Snooki's size, for no reason whatsoever?'

Because of the MASSIVE historical implications and power dynamics?

Let's see, men were allowed to hit women until pretty recently--and in some places, they still are able to hit or even kill them with little to no repercussions. As a woman, I need to worry about violence and rape basically every day--at the bus stop, in the parking lot at the store, getting my house keys out while there are people nearby. Add to that the endless power struggle that occurs in our lives simply because we are female, ranging from being paid less, getting talked over in meetings, being passed over for promotions or tenure, a higher risk of being a victim of sexual and/or domestic violence. Oh, and if I don't respond to some guy calling to me on the street or talking to me in a bar, I get yelled at and/or threatened. I've heard of other women getting followed and persistently harassed after such incidents. If I complain to someone else about getting yelled at, the odds are good that they will tell me that I should have humored him. What this does that male-on-male or female-on-female violence is reinforce misogyny."

Punch

I thought Jersey Shore was hilarious and all the losers on it were pathetic enough to watch for entertainment. On Pajiba Love they link to a gif of one of the chicks getting punched hard in the face at a club.

Call me sensitive, but seeing a person getting clocked in the face just isn't that funny- even if they are annoying. Reading the comments at Pajiba and Warming Glow disappoint me just as much as the act itself. I get that she was annoying and probably had custody of the 8 brain cells the cast share amongst them for the night, but I can't understand any of the comments... Obviously, I made my feelings about violence known in this post.

I was shocked watching the gif, but reading some of the comments actually made me mist up.

• "Violence against women is never funny, unless that woman is a gigantic douchebag. In which case, BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
• "The Jersey Shore gif is a gorgeous Chanukah present to the world."
• "CHRISTMAS COME EARLY!"
• "Only minor fault with this … I wish he stepped into the punch a little more."
• "Did you see her hat? She was asking for it."
• "This the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. Look! He’s punching her again! Hee hee!"
• "The hair flying might be my favorite part."
• "how many times have I wished I had the balls to pull this exact move on some loudmouth beeotch. I love the ghetto hand gestures she’s giving just one second before the bomb goes off…"

Here's a comment for you: FUCK ALL OF YOU!

**If you want to comment and defend them, do me a favour and just never fucking talk to me. Any argument along the lines of: "its okay that she was punched in the face because..." is just not worthy of my fucking time.

Phew

I've never felt like I needed a good hug more. No woman is an island.

Lack
of balance
staggers
us.

To fall
is
easy.

Even so,
falling
will not
help.

-Alice Walker, A Poem Travelled Down my Arm

Burundanga Business Crock

Nana,
This is an old hoax. It's been circling the internet for years and years. I can assure you that there is absolutely NO truth behind it. Dad sent it to me a year ago. I did lots of research and I sent him this email to pass on:

Dad
This story is an email hoax that I've received a few times this year based on an urban legend. Thanks for passing it on to me anyways. I don't want you to be scared unnecessarily, so I've done some research for you. You could send it to your colleagues as well and advise them to investigate the background of these stories because forwarding these kinds of "warnings" only spread fear and anxiety. I'm sure they've already caused you a great deal of anxiety. If I've learned anything from school its to think critically! (Which, of course, I've done tonight.)

A simple google search of "burundanga business card" comes up with tons of info. (Snopes is the most reliable source for overturning urban legends, but other hoax identifying websites like Hoax Slayer and Urban Legends have looked into it as well.) I think if you look at these websites you will see that the email sent to you was directly copied and pasted from the original hoax email. The websites also point out inconsistencies within the story, the description of the drug, and that there are NO credible sources on such an attack ever taking place- no police reports or news stories.

I.E. The story above is a fabrication. Two details betray it as such:

1. The victim allegedly received a dose of the drug by simply touching a business card. (All sources agree that burundanga must be inhaled or ingested, or the subject must have prolonged topical contact with it, in order for it to have an effect.)
2. The victim allegedly detected a "strong odor" coming from the drug-laced card. (All sources agree that burundanga is odorless and tasteless.) (from Urban Legends link above).
   

In women's studies this was brought up and we discovered that burundanga is also known as the Columbian "zombie drug" or "Columbian Devil's Breath" which is very terrifying and scary. We watched a documentary on it in the class which I can link you to here. It's real name is scopolamine. Its used in a lot of South American countries to take advantage of tourists. In Haiti, they use a similar drug to "zombify" a person ostracized by the community. Despite the real drug's terrifying effects, I have no reason to be afraid here. After lots of research, I've found no substantiated reports of it being used in the United States or Canada except as a treatment for motion sickness.

To ease your mind I refuse to touch anything strangers give me because normally they are normally religious propaganda or dirty hobos.

Pass THIS email on!
Lots of love,
Amanda

Attention English Teachers!

SO! I have two great Hamlet soliloquy resources today. ENJOY!