The New Year seemed to stumble in through crises...from the attacks in Mumbai, to the uprising in Greece, and most recently Israel's brutal disciplining of Gaza...it is as though the world is writhing in pain and desperation to escape its suffocating rule.
The local news in Calgary reported four murders at the start of the year...and it seemed like various tragedies swept Canada...and the weather has remained bitterly cold as though nature condemns us.
I have been turning away from the news and finding comfort in my personal life and in various distractions...
We watched Ghost Town the other evening. It is a charming film and Ricky Gervais gives a hilarious performance.
I have also been enjoying video clips of Mike Gravel. You can watch him here when he starts talking candidly about U.S. imperialism in response to a question about Iran. It is simply freaky to see the stark truth on any mainstream programming. You can also watch his very funny account of how he got the Pentagon Papers into the public record. This is fascinating! If you have not watched it, WATCH IT.
Finally, here is some interesting work by an artist named Andrea Dezso. Her collection "Lessons From My Mother" consists of 48 individually framed cotton squares embroidered with "advice" passed on from her mother such as: My mother claimed that men will like me more if I pretend to be less smart."
Well, it is time for a cup of tea...I wish all my readers a bearable if not bright New Year.
Happy New Year.
Keep up the great writing.
Don't let the bastards grind you down.
Enjoy the cup of tea.
Posted by: tom s. | January 04, 2009 at 01:24 PM
Cheers, Tom. Happy New Year.
Posted by: Polly Jones | January 05, 2009 at 09:32 AM
I think it's important to bear in mind that asserting vaginas -- by mentioning them (a la Vagina Monologues), by displaying images of them (as in this embroidering), and so on -- entails objectification of women.
People outside of certain feminist circles also probably find those assertions of vaginas to be downright weird and baffling.
I'm just raising a couple of points here -- without meaning to place myself on some opposing side.
This embroidery (for example) does have merit. Women should be proud of their bodies, and some forms of communication about women's bodies obviously are important; and there are other points that line up with that embroidery.
Obviously there also are various stances on issues like these.
Posted by: T B | January 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I hate the Vagina Monologues.
Not that it changes your point, but I can't call the image above a "vagina."
Isn't the vagina the canal that runs to the cervix?! When I look at the image above, I see inner and outer labia and a clitoris.
We need a real name for women's genitalia.
We may even have to reappropriate some language.
Posted by: Polly Jones | January 16, 2009 at 12:56 AM
Right...
that image certainly isn't a vagina.
A lot of people use the word "vagina" in the way I did, don't they? The word often is used as a term for female genitalia in general, isn't it?
Yet, the word "vagina" already has a more specific meaning, as you point out; so, yes, another word is needed. I don't have a good suggestion though.
Perhaps that use of the "v" word is an instance of a wider form of sexism.
Perhaps a comparison with the exclusion of lesbians from the word "gay" would make sense; the disrespect, inattention, etc, seems comparable (at the moment).
Posted by: T B | January 21, 2009 at 08:39 AM