I haven't posted in a looong time, mainly because I have lots of things to do, and blogging is sort of masturbatory, in my opinion. However, here I am. Again. But this time I'm not going to post about academic life, how burned out I already am, even though the term just began, and how much of a rut I am in. Nope- today it is horses. Although my rut will probably make an appearance- it is a tenacious little bastard.
So, I have a fabulous new horse. I lost my wonderful baby horse last year to colic, and ended up getting Steve from Argentina. It's a long story, and since I am the only one that reads this AND I already know the story, I'll skip it.
Continuing my self-conversation, what I want to do is type out my feelings on my showing plans for this year with Steve. I have a goal to qualify for the NAL Adult Amateur Jumpers- I know Steve can do it, but I have extreme doubts about my own abilities. This ties into the rest of my life, and I struggle with how to manage these holes I dig for myself. Hmmm. Well, with riding I'm really enjoying it, with my career I am not. I dig a hole, get stuck, and then get mad at myself for being stuck. And then I play Solitaire for a while. In riding, I feel directionless and incompetent some days, and if I listen to that voice, it multiplies. Losing my young horse only exacerbated all of it.
The upshot is that I don't feel capable- the money to show is somewhat of a problem, the motivation to research and write is a huge problem, my house is dirty, my dogs are loud, annoying, and occasionally violent to each other, and my husband has an intention tremor that is spreading. <--- Many of my anxieties and fears, all rolled into one ball of suck! The dogs I can handle, but they make everything else worse.
See? At this point I can't even keep my problems organized- there they all are, of varying importance and depth and content and they all seem insurmountable. Am I depressed? Who the fuck knows- not me, and I won't because when I step back from all of this all I feel is silly for being so upset. Well, the tremor thing is HUGE, but everything else- grow the fuck up! Get the fuck over it!
Right? Sigh. This didn't go at all like I planned. I can't even blog right! Dag!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Friday, April 13, 2012
Context, the media, and stay-at-home moms.
As an academic I am certainly not someone who can claim to have her pulse on the thoughts and feelings of the American public. However, I have to wonder how good the media is at this- particularly in reference to the Hilary Rosen gaffe about how Ann Romney had "never worked a day in her life."
The first question that comes to mind is: what was the context of that statement? The media did not ask that, but instead flashed across the tweet and ran with it. Ok, fine- it was a dumb thing to say (on many levels- at the very least it was not politic), and possibly wrong, and certainly offensive to Mrs. Romney. On the other hand, however badly worded, her statement was a protest against Mrs. Romney being put up as some sort of hero of the working class. There really isn't any way of saying something like this in a polite manner, and it should probably not be said at all. I think President Obama's statement about leaving the candidates' families out of this scrum was very well said.
However, this shit storm that everyone has jumped into with energy and even glee ends up covering up serious issues that are relevant. Millions of mothers and fathers in this country have to make very hard choices due to economics that wealthier parents simply do not face. That is the fact of capitalism- there are winners and there are losers, and both sets procreate. The losers and the lesser winners face financial hardships that the top echelon (of which the Romneys are very happy members) simply do not face. This is true, it is an issue, and it is really where I wish this discussion would go. Talking about the ridiculous statement made by Ms Rosen is absolutely a worthwhile discussion, but it should not stop there and it should lead to these other points. Rich people and poor people both have children, and taking care of a child takes a huge amount of effort and time and care regardless of how big one's bank account is- again, no one should think otherwise. The difference is that so many families deal with the burden of financial hardship, and that absolutely can make the entire project of raising kids that much harder.
Yes, yes, yes: so many more people these days, thankfully, seem to agree that being a stay-at-home mom is a job. That is a new-ish development in this era, and it is a good one. But moms have different resources at their disposal and this is where we are missing out when we focus solely on Rosen's ill-chosen words and not move on to the substance of the discussion.
The first question that comes to mind is: what was the context of that statement? The media did not ask that, but instead flashed across the tweet and ran with it. Ok, fine- it was a dumb thing to say (on many levels- at the very least it was not politic), and possibly wrong, and certainly offensive to Mrs. Romney. On the other hand, however badly worded, her statement was a protest against Mrs. Romney being put up as some sort of hero of the working class. There really isn't any way of saying something like this in a polite manner, and it should probably not be said at all. I think President Obama's statement about leaving the candidates' families out of this scrum was very well said.
However, this shit storm that everyone has jumped into with energy and even glee ends up covering up serious issues that are relevant. Millions of mothers and fathers in this country have to make very hard choices due to economics that wealthier parents simply do not face. That is the fact of capitalism- there are winners and there are losers, and both sets procreate. The losers and the lesser winners face financial hardships that the top echelon (of which the Romneys are very happy members) simply do not face. This is true, it is an issue, and it is really where I wish this discussion would go. Talking about the ridiculous statement made by Ms Rosen is absolutely a worthwhile discussion, but it should not stop there and it should lead to these other points. Rich people and poor people both have children, and taking care of a child takes a huge amount of effort and time and care regardless of how big one's bank account is- again, no one should think otherwise. The difference is that so many families deal with the burden of financial hardship, and that absolutely can make the entire project of raising kids that much harder.
Yes, yes, yes: so many more people these days, thankfully, seem to agree that being a stay-at-home mom is a job. That is a new-ish development in this era, and it is a good one. But moms have different resources at their disposal and this is where we are missing out when we focus solely on Rosen's ill-chosen words and not move on to the substance of the discussion.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Aimless. But pissed.
I'm so miscellaneously angry right now. I'm mad at my fellow citizens for being idiots- this is a complex anger, because they are simple in so many varied ways, from sea to shining sea. I don't expect people to agree with me all the time, or even most of the time. But why is intelligence and education vilified, while blind adherence to ignorance and venality is cheered? Gross. Racism and idiocy- alive and well in the Land of the Buy 1 Get 1 Free!
I'm angry at the media for being an echo-chamber for the stupidity. NPR- that supposed bastion of the left- is so center-right it makes me feel like I'm standing in the middle of the Dust Bowl in 1935: howling wind, dirt clouding the sky and coating everything, no one around. The other day the House voted in favor of extending the Bush era tax cuts for all but the wealthiest, which is a useless vote because it wont get to the Senate. NPR essentially snickered at this whole thing and then aired some asshole Gopper saying that it is just more Democratic class warfare. Well, DUH. Of course it's class warfare- it's the GOP's war against the working and middle classes, and the Dems response to it. What really ticked me off, however, was simply that the Dems were responding to what we- their constituency- wants. That's important, even if the vote can't go anywhere. Cynicism aside, this is the vote that should be on the record, and I'm happy they didn't just roll over and present their parts to be sniffed. Maybe being on the defensive will actually make them represent us, the progressive majority who is too lazy/disillusioned/fucking LAZY to vote.
I'm familiar with this feeling of anger, and I don't like it. The whole Bush II regime was like one long "Hunh? WTF?" for me. Actually, I first felt it when I was 10 and Reagan was slimily bringing social justice and progress to a MIC-assisted halt in the 1980s. God knows the Democrats are no one's heroes in a general sense- they just can't get together and fight the way the GOP does- they're too even-handed, informed, wanting to pat everyone on the back and discuss all sides and compromise until they've given it all away.
But the question I ask myself is this: do we WANT to be the Borg? I have developed a visceral hate for the Republican M.O.- it's anti-human, dirty, and selfish. It's like Ayn Rand combined with a redneck to give us this hideous travesty of political culture. We have so many lies that undergird the foundation of our truths- I don't want to get down into that slime and further debase our society or myself.
I'm angry at the media for being an echo-chamber for the stupidity. NPR- that supposed bastion of the left- is so center-right it makes me feel like I'm standing in the middle of the Dust Bowl in 1935: howling wind, dirt clouding the sky and coating everything, no one around. The other day the House voted in favor of extending the Bush era tax cuts for all but the wealthiest, which is a useless vote because it wont get to the Senate. NPR essentially snickered at this whole thing and then aired some asshole Gopper saying that it is just more Democratic class warfare. Well, DUH. Of course it's class warfare- it's the GOP's war against the working and middle classes, and the Dems response to it. What really ticked me off, however, was simply that the Dems were responding to what we- their constituency- wants. That's important, even if the vote can't go anywhere. Cynicism aside, this is the vote that should be on the record, and I'm happy they didn't just roll over and present their parts to be sniffed. Maybe being on the defensive will actually make them represent us, the progressive majority who is too lazy/disillusioned/fucking LAZY to vote.
I'm familiar with this feeling of anger, and I don't like it. The whole Bush II regime was like one long "Hunh? WTF?" for me. Actually, I first felt it when I was 10 and Reagan was slimily bringing social justice and progress to a MIC-assisted halt in the 1980s. God knows the Democrats are no one's heroes in a general sense- they just can't get together and fight the way the GOP does- they're too even-handed, informed, wanting to pat everyone on the back and discuss all sides and compromise until they've given it all away.
But the question I ask myself is this: do we WANT to be the Borg? I have developed a visceral hate for the Republican M.O.- it's anti-human, dirty, and selfish. It's like Ayn Rand combined with a redneck to give us this hideous travesty of political culture. We have so many lies that undergird the foundation of our truths- I don't want to get down into that slime and further debase our society or myself.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Like wearing Spanx!
I was walking back to my office the other day behind two male students having a very serious conversation. It went something like this:
Student 1: I've been too busy to do my laundry, so I'm down to my athletic underwear. It's spandex!
Student 2: Oh, yeah, me, too! Heh heh. It's all slippery. Heh.
S1: Yeah, I don't like it. It feels weird.
S2: Oh, I don't know- I kind of like it. I feel like I'm wearing Spanx!
Me: *snork*
Surrounded by all of these 20-somethings I feel very old some days, but there are many other days where I feel like an immature teenager. These kids crack me up- they remind me of how complex, and yet (in retrospect) how simple life was back in the bubble of college. I really enjoy them...um, well, I really enjoy laughing at them, actually.
I wish the women would stop wearing leggings as pants, though. Not attractive! Also: if your leggings look like they are made out of rubber, perhaps college is not the right venue for you at this time. Just a hint!
Student 1: I've been too busy to do my laundry, so I'm down to my athletic underwear. It's spandex!
Student 2: Oh, yeah, me, too! Heh heh. It's all slippery. Heh.
S1: Yeah, I don't like it. It feels weird.
S2: Oh, I don't know- I kind of like it. I feel like I'm wearing Spanx!
Me: *snork*
Surrounded by all of these 20-somethings I feel very old some days, but there are many other days where I feel like an immature teenager. These kids crack me up- they remind me of how complex, and yet (in retrospect) how simple life was back in the bubble of college. I really enjoy them...um, well, I really enjoy laughing at them, actually.
I wish the women would stop wearing leggings as pants, though. Not attractive! Also: if your leggings look like they are made out of rubber, perhaps college is not the right venue for you at this time. Just a hint!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Immigration law in Arizona brought to us by our friendly neighborhood private prison.
This makes me really angry. It's bad enough that we can't come up with sensible policies for dealing with immigration, but we are now passing anti-immigration laws that benefit private corporations and do nothing to stop illegal immigration. In fact, history suggests that this law will not have any deterring effect- which makes sense if one considers that it is not actually designed to do anything but bring money into private coffers. Here is NPR's investigation of the subject. Gross. Arizona immigration law
and:Immigration law follow-up
I don't mean to sound naive- I understand the role business plays in policy here in the States quite well. But this turned even my stomach, cynical as I am. After discussing this issue with one of my more righty politics friends, who ended up by not believing me, I sent her some quick facts about the economic impact illegal immigrants actually have on this country. Pretty small in terms of public service use, and a bit larger in terms of paying taxes and buying goods and private services. It makes sense to be concerned about illegal immigration, but don't do it via ridiculous, unsubstantiated sound bites. And don't let some corporation looking to make several million bucks provide you with your opinion.
And, because I'm sick of politics right now, I link to this fabulous (and entirely valid) stick-poking at my profession. I howled when I watched this: So you want to be a political scientist?
I'm a qualitativist, and thus feel somewhat smug about the math bits, since I avoid those for exactly the reasons mentioned here. But it's hard to be *too* smug because the rest of the thing is entirely accurate.
and:Immigration law follow-up
I don't mean to sound naive- I understand the role business plays in policy here in the States quite well. But this turned even my stomach, cynical as I am. After discussing this issue with one of my more righty politics friends, who ended up by not believing me, I sent her some quick facts about the economic impact illegal immigrants actually have on this country. Pretty small in terms of public service use, and a bit larger in terms of paying taxes and buying goods and private services. It makes sense to be concerned about illegal immigration, but don't do it via ridiculous, unsubstantiated sound bites. And don't let some corporation looking to make several million bucks provide you with your opinion.
And, because I'm sick of politics right now, I link to this fabulous (and entirely valid) stick-poking at my profession. I howled when I watched this: So you want to be a political scientist?
I'm a qualitativist, and thus feel somewhat smug about the math bits, since I avoid those for exactly the reasons mentioned here. But it's hard to be *too* smug because the rest of the thing is entirely accurate.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)