happy mlk day

I know I've done this before, but I truly feel strongly about celebrating this speech and the things Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did for our country. While the fight he started is far from complete, we're so much closer to 'ending the long nights' of oppression, discrimination, prejudice and hate.

Today isn't just about a much needed day off in mid January. Or about the individual man it celebrates and honors. It's about something bigger. It's about an idea. A hope. It's about working towards a dream.

Take a moment or two to remember that dream and renew our hope and resolve to make the dream a reality.

sari soldiers

new day

Today I awoke to a the crisp cool, who am I kidding... COLD, January morning.  It felt like Christmas when I was a kid.  You know, full of  excitement and anticipation of the mysteries that lie in the other room.  Full of promise and hope.  Not like later when come to find out Grandma got you the same odd ugly socks/slippers this year (which I am currently wearing two of, they may be hideous but they are warm) or Dad pulls the head off your new favorite Barbie and he smashes her head back on to stop the tears (I didn't have brothers, but I had my dad).  For that first moment you forget about the ugly socks or headless/neckless Barbie and reveal in the magic that is Christmas morning at age 8.  This morning felt just like that because today we get a shiny new president.  Not yet corrupted or hardened by the shitty nation he is taking over.  Still full of promise, hope, and change.  Which are also incidentally the very words that got me hooked on the Obama drug.  Honestly I had to contain myself from jumping on my roommate and waking her up to enjoy the magic with me at 7:00 this morning.

Obama might not ever live up to all the hype, I mean there's SO MUCH HYPE, but for right now, I can put that all aside and enjoy the fact that Bush is gone (and will be the first president not to have secret service for life.... oh sweet revenge.) and with any luck will start eating pretzels again. 

the world according to monsanto

Monsanto is the world leader in genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as one of the most controversial corporations in industrial history. This century-old empire has created some of the most toxic products ever sold, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the herbicide Agent Orange. Based on a painstaking investigation, The World According to Monsanto puts together the pieces of the company's history, calling on hitherto unpublished documents and numerous first-hand accounts. Today, Monsanto likes to style itself as a "life sciences" company. The leader in genetically modified seeds, engineered to resist its herbicide Roundup, claims it wants to solve world hunger while protecting the environment. In the light of its troubling past, can we really believe these noble intentions? Misleading reports, collusion, pressure tactics and attempts at corruption: the history of Monsanto is filled with disturbing episodes. Behind its clean, green image, Monsanto is tightening its grasp on the world seed market, striving for market supremacy to the detriment of food security and the global environment.

eating as a political act

I just love MP so much!

Eating as a Political Act - Alternet.org

a more perfect union

Happy November! Lets remember this wonderful, inspiring, and uplifting speech given back in March.  

I hope that you exercise your right to vote Tuesday. I, personally, am ready for a change.

in case you were taking life too seriously...

peace day

Sunday, September 21, was peace day.  The image is completely unaltered and is something I happened to get leaning on a Vietnam Veteran's memorial which the Vet's for Peace were set up right next to.  I was doing work with the Civic Media Center (CMC) where I'm currently doing an internship.

september 21

This video is really quite powerful and awesome.  It sent shivers up and down my entire body.  I love the idea, and I can't wait to see how it pans out this year.  I'm also trying to think of what I'll personally do...

vain vogue

This article was in the NYT and sent to me by the lovely Erin.  

Vogue India

I'm so freaking angry I'm shaking.  I don't even have a place to begin ranting.  This is NOT an answer to India's poverty problems. Encouragement of consumerism is only going to deepen the many socioeconomic crises and class gaps. Good job Vogue, now I want to burn every edition I come across.

happy anniversary

Note:  My Dad had this on video and used to play it for my sister and I as kids.  I love this speech.

fragments

As I sit outside on my parents patio enjoying the beautiful pleasant weather, I can't help but worry and feel depressed for all that is going on in the world:

Myanmar cyclone and a military regime refusing to allow aid

China earthquake

Chili volcano eruption

Iraq...

Food riots as prices spiral out of control in Africa

India terrorist bombings in Jaipur

Heat waves

Tremors

Floods

Droughts

Death

Destruction

Where does it end?

It's difficult for me to enjoy how much we have and the small pleasures that are occurring in my tiny world when all I can focus on is the chaos that has befallen humanity.  Events like the above make me question if I really ever want to have children in this fucked up world.  As I tried  to sleep last night, my mind reeled.  Where can we place the blame for things of this nature?  There is no one person that can be blamed, but abstract concepts: 

Greed  

Patriarchy

Lust

Domination

Conquest

Hate

Fear

Capitalism

How do we fight something that has no face?  no body?  no origin?  How do we right the wrongs that have developed over centuries?  How do we fix the damage originating with our ancestors use of colonialism and imperialism?  Issuing a public apology is no longer enough.  Nor should it be.

Breathe

Remember there is beauty, good, and love left in the world... right around the corner.

Love will win in the end....

Right?

india presentation

My grandparents called my mother today and yelled at her because India is close to Myanmar (aka Burma) and thus is unsafe (according to them) for me to be traveling near.  They are also unhappy that I'm going to be near "those damn commy Chinese" and Pakistan.  Of course my mother passed the buck and confronted me about this.  Saying quote "You're lucky I'm not picking you up from the airport because after dealing with your grandparents for six weeks, I might have to kick your ass for leaving the country."  Oh my family's logic is astounding.  My comment was that it is too late to back out now.  The fees and tickets are nonrefundable.  Lucky me.  We're currently trying to edit the borders of the map of India and keeping our fingers crossed that we catch them on a "crazy" day.  They watch FOX News.  I don't feel bad about giving them half truths.  I never thought I'd have to do projects once my parents had accepted that I was going, but I'm going to put together a presentation for the grandrents for piece of mind.  Fingers crossed they'll be so overloaded, they'll just be speechless.  Speechlessness is an effect rarely seen in my clan and is quite a lofty goal.  Toes also crossed.

hill-dawg a conservative populist?

Let them Eat Arugula - The New Republic

LBG(TQ) recommended I read this online article. Apparently, although a rather conservatively skewed publication, it still contains some interesting/thought provoking articles. Call me a liberal snob if you wish. I'm ok with that.

Recommend you read the article and form your own opinion. I think it made an excellent point in regards to Hill-dawg's campaign. I do feel as though she's throwing aside many things she's believed in for a long time. There was once a time when I had said I'd vote for her, but the longer the primaries run and the more she bashes candidates in her own party, the more I feel disappointed and that I would be highly conflicted voting for her.

notes from a plea to Machen

Today I attended and sat horrified as Bernie Machen justified his arbitrary degree eliminations to the Senate Steering Committee.  Go figure, much like our federal government there is a system of checks and balances put into place to ensure that no one entity (faculty, administration, board of trustees) has power to wield in an abusive fashion.  Bernie said point blank that he had by-passed the system of getting approval from the departments, the colleges, or the senate committee itself.  I listened as person after person told Machen how his decision to cut Philosophy Ph.D.  will deeply damage the reputation of the university as a whole and tarnish the national and international views of the university.  How cutting Ph.D programs in general was an awful idea, especially the ones designated to be eliminated which had been around for 40+ years. They went on to tell about how highly ranked each department he was fucking with was on the national level... these arguments came from all nine present committee members ranging from departments all over the university, except Rick Yost.  Yost acted as Machen's monkey and was outright rude to the audience and other committee members.  Carol Murphy kicked ass and eloquently made her points receiving a round of applause each time she spoke.  She spoke up and asked if these program eliminations could be reconsidered.  Machen sat begrudgingly, clearly not listening or taking what was being said into consideration.  Machen simply repeated that "the money had to come from somewhere".  When asked why specific programs were being not just suspended but eliminated, again the answer was "the money had to come from somewhere".  Machen did welcome evidence for keeping particular faculty and programs to be presented to him.  However, that information couldn't be presented until the next Senate meeting next week, which would be after his meeting with the Board of Trustees to approve the new budget.  Pretty much making it null and void.  It was also brought up why institutes, such as the water institution were getting funding cuts, when a stipulation of their creations was that they would be free standing and not receive any portion of the budget.  What the FUCK!  How could this have happened?  How do you just forget that something was to remain funded by federal grants only!?  And why is this secondary program made up of a coalition of people holding various positions throughout the university being given extra funding when we're slashing Ph.D. programs?!  Outrageous!  

I had to leave 20 minutes early when the floor was opened to faculty members to ask questions and voice their comments.  I wanted to stay and get my two cents in but, undergraduates were not going to be permitted to speak.  I knew Yost wouldn't let it get that far.  I just couldn't sit there any longer as Machen ignored and down right refused to listen to the people his decisions were directly effecting.  A professor from Political Science asked, "Bernie?  Bernie?  Are you even listening?"  To which he responded "I didn't hear the question."  Translation:  I've made my decisions.  I don't care what you or anyone else has to say.  I'm cutting these programs because I want to.  I realized then that the university operates as a microcosm of our nation.  Much like President Bush, President Machen doesn't care about anyone but himself and his own personal interests.  I sat in a bathroom and cried for all the people that would be effected by this goddamnedmotherfuckingpieceofshitexcuseforahumanbeing, and wondered why it seemed only fucktards were in positions of power.  I also wondered how they got there, and how we as a populous have been deluded for so long.

Overall, judging from the discussion I'd say if any program as the potential for being saved the Philosophy Ph.D. and French Ph.D  programs have a pretty good shot.  That said, I think the entire meeting demonstrated the hopeless of the situation and laid out UF's destination to go down the shitter.

Today, it's not so great to be a Florida Gator.  We're watching the "Foundations of the Gator Nation" crumble and burn. 

There is a slight glimer of hope.  The budget posted online is not the finalized one.  There is still a snowballs chance in hell that something could be changed before being submitted to the Board of Trustees next week.

budget cuts

I'm frustrated and deflated.  The University of Florida announced Monday it's new budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.  The effects on anything non-technological are horrid.  Anything falling into the category of Liberal Arts is in danger.  

Budget Reduction

I'm so worried for some many people I love and care about.  I'm also concerned about the quality of my education in the upcoming year.  I have a new sense of urgency to get my degrees from this sinking flagship university as quickly as I can before they become worthless.  While I only have a year left, I can't help but worry about the upcoming semesters and how these awful cuts will trickle down to the mere undergraduates such as myself.  I'm also concerned for the Women's Studies Dept.  I have no idea how it got out the way it did in the overall budget cuts.  I'm wondering what goddess we've appealed to and how it possibly came out unscathed when department like Philosophy and Romantic Languages were hit so hard.  Not that the effected departments are any more (or less) valuable than WST, but they are much more ingrained in traditional university academia.  Bernie Machen (UF dictator and fascist pig) doesn't seem like the type to give a shit about Women's studies.  In fact, I know he doesn't given his history dealing with activists on campus.

I'm also concerned for the Botany department.  It's small, and just got merged in with Zoology and Biological Sciences.  The Extension office got hit REALLY hard as well.  This will have a horrible overall environmental impact and possibly terrifying effects on the large Florida agricultural industry.  IFAS provides so many services for the community as well as acts as a place to network for those doing research in various Florida ecosystems.  I'm curious as to how this is going to pan out in the future and if the graduate students I've become friends with are going to be soon facing issues those in Philosophy and Romantic Languages are now.  IFAS did a lot for the natural sciences.  The two institutions have a beautiful partnership, which from what I've observed, is beneficial on all ends.  I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't graduate early like I could have.  Perhaps its for the best though.  Now I can stay, fight, and be a pain in the administration's ass.  Good thing I'm good at that.  The problem is, this is so big and multifaceted I don't know where or how to start.