Knuckleheads of the world, unite!

Above: Blue Ridge Christian Academy.

My grandfather, the Christian Scientist, frequently used that expression when confronted with anti-science dolts. I immediately knew it had to be the title of this piece.

I can do no better than to simply quote my local newspaper, the Greenville News, about this latest horror.

And to the rest of Blogdonia, Tumblr, all points of the internet and beyond, let me underscore it: SEE WHAT WE PUT UP WITH AROUND HERE? This is why I often do not take your intramural lefty-theoretical squabbles seriously. In these parts, we are still dealing with the freaking Scopes trial.

The title of the Greenville News account is Blue Ridge quiz ignites firestorm, accompanied by the coy subtitle, Furor brings attention, but possibly salvation. This is a cute example of how the Greenville News always tries to have it both ways. As is evident in the article below, this phrase could refer to 'salvation of the school itself'--which was ready to go belly-up financially... OR it could mean, literally, the way to Salvation with a capital S. (article is credited to Lyn Riddle, staff writer)

Which meaning is intended? You decide:

It was labeled “4th grade science quiz. Dinosaurs: Genesis and the Gospel.”

Eighteen questions. The first four were true or false.

The earth is billions of years old. A lopsided pencil mark circled false.

Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, another circle: false.

It went on from there, testing students on the beginning of the world according to creationism, the belief that the literal interpretation of the first book of the Bible explains it all. Both were marked correct.

Before long, the quiz was posted on the social news website Reddit, unleashing a firestorm of criticism on Blue Ridge Christian Academy, a tiny private Christian school in northern Greenville County.

In what board chair Joy Hartsell says shows God is at work in the world, the controversy may be what saves the school from closing.

About six weeks ago, parents were told that the school would close May 31 because the founder and major donor would no longer make up the loss in operating expenses, said Diana Baker, the director.

“We may have found the path to get the money,” Hartsell said Friday.

So far, about $10,000 toward the $200,000 needed to stay open next fall has been received and more checks arrive in the mail every day, Baker said.

She said she received a $3,000 check on Thursday.

Cue my grandfather's phrase, the title of this blog post.

Fundies to the rescue! Knuckleheads of the world, unite!

The rest of the article makes it clear that the sheltered and ignorant denizens of Blue Ridge Christian Academy have never even seen Reddit before. Someone obviously unleashed the "DIAF" meme, which made them hyperventilate and call the sheriff's office. Do you believe? If I had called the sheriff every time someone online wished a nasty death on me... well, the Greenville County sheriff would be permanently camped out in my kitchen.

But yes, pick a fight with stupidity and then howl when the world takes you seriously, as I have said numerous times, is the usual fundamentalist technique.

Your thoughts?

First Caturday of Spring

This is my very BEST photo of Cyril yet, by far! (Yes, Mr Daisy's man-legs are in the photo, but I think that's why Cyril is so mellow, too; he likes to sit by Dad.) The second kitty is the venerable Peace Cat, official cat of DEAD AIR.



Here we have Peace Cat AND Cyril together... Again, pardon the man-foot.




I finally remembered to post kitties on Saturday... and I was wondering: who decided the old tried-and-true feline meme, Friday Cat Blogging, needed to be updated? And why was it moved up one day?

And yeah, I got ANSWERS!--

Actually, they appear to be dueling memes: Friday Cat Blogging is clocked from March 14, 2003 and just celebrated its 10th anniversary as an internet meme. It was even written about in the New York Times.

Caturday dates from December 12, 2006, when cat photos were posted every Saturday on 4Chan. (A personal blog by the name CATURDAY dates from 2005, but does not appear to be connected to 4Chan.)

So, I guess you can pick whichever day you prefer. I am moving to Caturday since I love the sound of it.



As always, you can click photos to enlarge. Happy Caturday, everybody!

Getting to know you

Its been awhile since I participated in a fun meme, and so here we go! These are "Getting to Know You" Questions from the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

1. What is the most daring thing you've done?

Hitchhiking to New York City from Ohio, twice. And back! Also hitchhiked out of Candlestick Park after the Rolling Stones concert, and considering the acidheads who picked me up, that was rather daring, as well.

Speaking of which, I've also done my fair share of LSD, and probably your share, too.

2. What is your favourite article of clothing?

I love my vintage 'Doris Day coats' from the 50s, lovingly salvaged from estate sales, attics and such, but of course, I rarely get a chance to wear them. One is far too fragile to wear (although I did wear it for one season); the stitching holding the lining together has nearly turned to dust, and it really does need to be properly restored... the other is bright red and doesn't go with anything, but it's nice during the holidays.

But it is rarely cold enough in SC to wear these kinds of old-style heavy coats.

3. What is your favourite monster?

I love all the vampires in THE HUNGER (David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon), and Jeff Goldblum in THE FLY.

4. If you had to dress up as your favourite literary character, who would it be?

Hmm, not sure. I guess I could be one of the women from JG Ballard's COCAINE NIGHTS, but who could afford those designer-duds? I'll 'dress' as one of those characters after they become addicted to morphine, and just be naked in the back of a limo, perpetually confused.

5. What is your favourite fairy tale, urban legend or nursery rhyme:

I am terribly fond of all GREAT conspiracy theories, particularly the most outrageous and ridiculous of our time. I like the 911-truthers a lot, that is some highly-entertaining stuff, and there appears to be no end to it, regardless of the dedicated-debunkers.

Of course, as an ex-Yippie, I know all the JFK-assassination theories by heart, and I like to concentrate on Jack Ruby's role, as regular readers know. I also believe Roman Polanski was tipped off before Charlie's girls dropped by for a visit... that sudden trip to France has always been suspect to me. (I believe the worst of Polanski, always, and he has never disappointed.)

My favorite conspiracy theory these days is CHEMTRAILS: those "tracks" in the sky that are rendering us sterile. I urge you to study and learn and read all about it! I used to hear this story every day (for about 3 yrs) when I sold supplements, and then the overall popularity of the theory seemed to fade a bit. But I am still all about the CHEMTRAILS and I love hearing people talk seriously about them.

I also love Wilhelm Reich's ORGONE theory... not a conspiracy theory, but amazing and wonderful and certainly worth mentioning here.

6. What is a cause near and dear to your heart?

I am a lifelong activist, so there are many... right now, I want to continue the work Occupy Wall Street (and Occupy movements throughout the country) have started, particularly the strengthening of local networks (especially here in conservative SC) and progressive communities. Occupy and its various accompanying social networks have given us the tools, and we must stay connected and involved. KEEPING PEOPLE'S SPIRITS UP (in the face of unbridled right-wing attacks) is crucial right now, and that is something I am concentrating on too.

When people are in jeopardy, I tend to put animal rights on the back-burner, but animal rights ARE near and dear to my heart, also.

7. What is the strangest item you've used as a bookmark?

I famously destroyed a book by using a leaky-pen as a bookmark! YIGH!

8. Do you have any nicknames? What are they and how did you earn them?

Daisy IS my nickname, which I took from my late grandmother.

9. Name one habit you want to change in yourself?

Various food addictions that wax and wane. When I tackle them, I veer off into ORTHOREXIA, and when I don't, I can easily chow down on Reese's Easter eggs, one right after the other. No healthy and sane in-between seems possible for me in the area of food. I am usually in one mode or another (or on my way to one or the other). I chalk this up to a lifetime of evilll dieting, as well as having gone without food (unwillingly) for long periods as a child.

"Feast or famine" is something I have deeply internalized, unfortunately. (sigh)

10. Tell us something interesting or shocking about yourself.

Is there anything I haven't fessed up to on this blog? If I haven't, rest assured, I HAVE fessed up somewhere and I expect somebody will re-print it one of these days. ;)

I once dressed up as the antichrist for Halloween, with a bright "666" etched on my forehead in red-and-black paint, with upside-down crosses on both cheeks; swathed in black, with a black shawl. People took my photo at various parties, all night long, and if I ever run for office or get famous as a talk-radio maven, I expect to see these dreaded antichrist photos re-surface and posted coast-to-coast. (I guess I will have to plead drug abuse, which is true enough.)


Thanks to my beloved Deadhead friend Jojo, for this meme. THANKS JOJO!

What flower are you?

I am a Nigella What Flower Are You?

10% Conservative? Me?

I think it must be my tolerance of guns that gets me that relatively high 25% on social issues, but hey, nobody's perfect.

You Are 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Defense and Crime: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

What kind of magazine are you?

You Are a News Magazine

You are well informed and bright. You feel like you have to know what's going on in the world. You are savvy and serious. You don't like a lot of fluff or filler in your life. You are truly curious about people, ideas, and politics. You are very cosmopolitan. You can usually explain the news to your friends and family members. You have a broad understanding of what's happening.

What Kind of Magazine Are You?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

You'd be surprised there's so much to be done

We pause for FRIDAY RANDOM FOUR!

Yes, I know the meme is officially FRIDAY RANDOM TEN, but I don't have the time for ten and barely have time for four. (Admittedly, I insist on editorializing about my music, which consumes valuable blogging time!)

~*~

Serious movie geeks will recognize the following lines... Mr Daisy and me are currently arguing about who actually wrote them, Orson Welles or Herman Mankiewicz? (Both of us agree that we used to know that stuff.) (((sigh))) I am unable to locate Pauline Kael's invaluable Citizen Kane Book, which every home should own.

Googling, I find that the consensus is Mankiewicz. I think of it as 'the parasol story':

A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. You take me. One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on the ferry, and as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on. She was carrying a white parasol. I only saw her for one second. She didn't see me at all, but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that girl.

And here is mine.

Giving Kenny Loggins all due respect for his wonderfully delightful tune... although I find his various folkie versions somewhat sad and melancholy. The hit version is below, and it's suitably sprightly and sweet, as a childhood melody should be.

I first heard it in 1970; notably, as I was exiting my own childhood... the angst of adolescence was taking over, and I recognized the child-consciousness in the song as something that had passed. I suddenly realized I was no longer a child.

The song is simply a work of art; it has always made me indescribably happy. And you know, I'll bet a month hasn't gone by that I haven't thought of the lines--

You'd be surprised there's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky

House at Pooh Corner - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (song starts at about 18 seconds in)



~*~

When you cross David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Evelyn Waugh and a multitude of psychedelic drugs, you get the following amazing song.

It only tips over into excessive verbiage once, but it's a whopper. I could do without the Waughish line: He's Chameleon, Comedian, Corinthian and Caricature. Okay, enough British alliterations, we know how smart you are! But since this is from a very early Bowie album, Hunky Dory, I will overlook it, since he was still establishing his genius. He probably felt Waugh impersonations were necessary. (The Dylanesque lines are perfect.)

Although Bowie later claimed the song made no sense, I find that it makes a lot of sense when you learn that Bowie's stepbrother was locked up for schizophrenia (also the subject of the song All the Madmen; caution, disturbing old insane-asylum images on YouTube version)... and BROTHERS is the name of the song, after all. Lots of people have also read a gay subtext into the song.

The Bewlay Brothers is chock-full of lovely, lyrical poetry, such as:

I was Stone and he was Wax
So he could scream and still relax
Unbelievable
And we frightened the small children away

If you have ever had a compatriot or comrade who was brilliant and mercurial... if you ever followed a guru... if you ever belonged to a cult or similarly tight-knit group? This is for you.

And the solid book we wrote can not be found today.

The Bewlay Brothers - David Bowie



We were so turned on
By your lack of conclusions.

~*~

Special dedication time! This is for my own Sister Ray! :)

I was dumbfounded when I saw Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson talking to Charlie Rose, whilst Laurie's little dog sat nestled in her lap. HER DOG. She brings the dog to PBS for an interview? With LOU REED?!? Momentarily confused, since I would not leave my dog with the Velvet Underground, not even in a TV studio.

Then I am reminded of the Buddhist lesson of impermanence, and the fact that the Lou who lives with Laurie (and her dog, presumably), is most assuredly NOT the youthful author of SISTER RAY. (Lord have mercy, are we middle aged or what?)

If you can listen to all 8 minutes and 41 seconds, you are hard core! If not, don't feel bad; usually only punk rockers are completely hypnotized by the song... and if you are into punk? BEHOLD YOUR KING. (And try to forget that this man now lives with a woman who gives interviews with her little terrier on her lap.)

Lyrics kindly linked, in the event you'd like to sing along.

Rosie and Miss Rayon
They're busy waiting for her booster
Who just got back from Carolina
She said she didn't like the weather
They're busy waiting for her sailor
Who's big and dressed in pink and leather

Sister Ray - Velvet Underground (NSFW)



WAVES TO MY BEST BUD SISTER RAY! ;)

~*~

And my semi-official FALL FOR GREENVILLE tune... used at this time and in this space last year.

I wondered why the Swedes in this video weren't acting like Texans, enthusiastically tossing beer cans, thongs and whatnot at ZZ Top, when one of my commenters schooled me about the ways of Swedes: these people are too stoned to move.

Of course, that makes total sense; so sorry I underestimated yall! Party on, Swedes!

Party on the Patio - ZZ Top

Oh goodness, bad news already, and I just got back...

I write like
David Foster Wallace

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

50-things meme

All photos from my cheapie free Flickr account! Purty!



This 50-things meme comes courtesy of Natalia Antonova--an awesome feminist, individual, blogger, and Duke gal. :)


~*~

1. What time did you get up this morning?

My day off, so I got up at a delicious 10:30 am. Woo-hoo!


2. How do you like your steak?

Did you miss the last post? Do you mean tempeh or seitan steak? (Tamari and flax oil are fine!)


3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Terminator Salvation. Ugh.


4. What is your favorite TV show?

Six-Feet Under, Sopranos, Mad Men, and the old Twilight Zone and Outer Limits shows--I try never to miss the SciFi network marathons on holiday weekends!


5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

One of the barrier islands of South Carolina, particularly Folly Beach.


6. What did you have for breakfast?

According to Ayurveda, Kaphas don't need breakfast. (I've never wanted or needed it--consequently, I don't do breakfast.)


7. What is your favorite cuisine?

Mexican! They know how to do it, my friends!!!

Also love Chinese, Indian, Greek...


8. What foods do you dislike?

Any animal being grilled or baked is disgusting.


9. Favorite Place to Eat?

Stax Omega--wonderful atmosphere and service.


10. Favorite dressing?

Most any, not real picky.


11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?

2000 Saturn with a dilapidated bumper ready to fall off.


12. What are your favorite clothes?

I'm an old hippie, and if old hippies would wear it, I usually do... long skirts, jeans, t-shirts, summer dresses, etc.


13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

Amazon, Nile, Himalayas.


14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

Always full. :)


15. Where would you want to retire?

Folly Beach, as stated above, except during hurricane season!


16. Favorite time of day?

Dawn and dusk.


17. Where were you born?

Columbus, Ohio


18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Basketball


19. Who do you think will not tag you back?

I don't do all that tagging stuff; I am far too disorganized, I'm sorry to admit! I have pioneered the art of the HIPPIE MEME: do it if you want to, don't bother with it if you don't. :)


20. Person you expect to tag you back first?

See above.


21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?

I'm curious about most folks, one reason I enjoy blogging and reading other blogs.


22. Bird watcher?

Not as much as I would like. I've been to a couple of bird refuges though, and they were fabulous.


23. Are you a morning person or a night person?

Night. I blame my parents, the musicians, who gave me bad habits.


24. Do you have any pets?

Two cats; one is still a baby all curled up and purring on my lap as I type. :)


25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?

My Senator, Lindsey Graham, voted to confirm Sonia Sotomayor! ((faints))

Ohhh, wait... you mean PERSONAL news? Afraid not. :(


26. What did you want to be when you were little?

A musician, like my parents.


27. What is your best childhood memory?

Halloween with my friends, also a particularly sweet Thanksgiving with my stepfather's family in Navarre, Ohio. (Also, as I've said here before, I loved the drive-in!)

I have lots of great memories of my mother and stepfather's band; I was so proud of them.


28. Are you a cat or dog person?

Cat.


29. Are you married?

For over 21 years. :)


30. Always wear your seat belt?

Sure.


31. Been in a car accident?

Once with my mother as a kid; and four times as an adult while driving.

Two were my fault, two were theirs...


32. Any pet peeves?

Mostly work-related, can't really discuss here. (customer behavior)

One thing I will say: If you change your mind and decide not to buy something, how about you put it back where you FOUND IT instead of, say, sticking it back in the cracker aisle so it can rot, only to be discovered a year later during inventory?

Waste not, want not, etc.


33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?

Cheese, cheese and more cheese.


34. Favorite Flower?

Azaleas, as my regulars readers are no doubt quite aware!


35. Favorite ice cream?

I adore most ice cream, except plain chocolate and banana.


36. Favorite fast food restaurant?

Taco Bell.


37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?

Twice!


38. From whom did you get your last email?

(I frequently avoid my voluminous email, a really bad habit. Because of course, then it just gets more voluminous, yes?)

I just received a link to an anti-Lou Dobbs/birther petition from MoveOn.org.


39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?

Loose Lucy's, my local Deadheads. Also, Horizon Records.


40. Do anything spontaneous lately?

Lately? Well, I spontaneously did an extra load of laundry yesterday!


41. Like your job?

When not totally bogged down in dumb-ass retail make-work bullshit like planograms and inventory, yes.


42. Broccoli?

Adore in all forms!


43. What was your favorite vacation?

Outer Banks, North Carolina.


44. Last person you went out to dinner with?

Mr Daisy.


45. What are you listening to right now?

I am listening to "Hang em High" from my weekend "instrumental oldies" post!


46. What is your favorite color?

Red.


47. How many tattoos do you have?

Four.


48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?

The entire world can consider itself tagged.


49. What time did you finish this quiz?

About 4:45 pm. (If I'd known you were gonna ask the time, I woulda tried to be a bit faster.)


50. Coffee Drinker?

Ohhhh you betcha, passionately! I prefer The Fresh Market brand(s), freshly ground and brewed. :)

Every autumn, I look forward to their pumpkin spice coffee, my all-time favorite, especially if served with real cream. ((faints from wonderfulness))

~*~

If you have the time and/or the wherewithal, consider yourself tagged!

Dead Air Church: Class privilege meme

It has taken me all this time to do the well-worn class privilege meme. It first circulated all over Blogdonia about a year and a half ago, but I just wasn't ready. I found it embarrassing and awful, and avoided it like the plague.

I finally decided to go ahead and take it anyway. I knew it would be unpleasant!

I initially read of this quiz (and accompanying online discussions) at Bint Alshamsa's blog.



~*~




How many privilege-steps would you have to make?

Step into Social Class (this is an updated version)
A Social Class Awareness Experience
Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka
Indiana State University
© 2007

(NOTE: it is taken for granted that you are in college or did attend, since this test was first given to college students.)

Introduction:

An activity designed to help the participants gain awareness of the vast range of social class that exists within themselves and others. This has been updated based on the wide range of feedback we received as this was becoming a popular experience.

Equipment:

A big room with space to move for all participants
Chairs to sit for discussion

Rules:

Pay attention to how you feel. Angry, sad, happy, winner, loser . . .
No talking – we will talk about this a lot when it is over
Line up here and take a step forward of about 1 (one) foot or one foot length for every fact that applies to you.

For blogs, bold the following facts that apply to you:

Part I, when you were in college:

Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. (no blood relatives, but do have in-laws)
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 (as I've said here before, they forced the violin on me to shut me up about the drums)
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor
If you have been to Europe
Family vacations involved staying at hotels
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
There was original art in your house when you were a child (by relatives, not by recognized "artists"--but it WAS original!)
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single family house (off and on, not consistently)
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

...

Now everyone recognize that you are at the same place academically.
Everyone turn around.
Everyone has permission to talk.
No one has permission to accuse any one or any group of anything.
Everyone must use “I” statements.
Note that the people on one end of the room had to work harder to be here today than the people at the other end of the room. Some of you had lives of more privilege than others. There is no one to blame, it is just the way it is. Some have privilege and some don’t.
(this can be said now or later, I don’t know where it will be appropriate)

Discussion:
What were the feelings that you had during this experience? Who was angry?
(Anger will be a primary emotion at this point.)
What, specifically, makes you angry?
Who are you angry at?

Who was happy?

Summary Statement
This experience was about creating awareness of privilege. What it is, what it does, and what it means. Having privilege does not mean that you worked less hard. All it means is that you had a head start, so maybe it does mean you didn’t have to work as hard . . . .

Homework
During the next week notice how your high school years helped or didn’t help your experience in school/at work . . . .

Explanations and Notes:
All of the step taking was about things not requiring effort on the students’ part, but were things done by others.

~*~

FIVE WHOLE POINTS. How did I feel, taking this test? Bad. Which is why everyone else did it a well over year ago, and I've been too ashamed to do it until now.

Chaser of The Paper Chase (who also got only five points!) added another level and I got some more points! :P

Part II, in childhood:

If your body does not bear long-term signs of malnutrition. (14 root canals)
If you had orthodontia.
If you saw a doctor for anything other than emergencies or school-mandated shots.
If you heated your home with clean-burning fuels or had properly vented heating.
If you grew up in a house without vermin.
If you had running water.
If you had a basement or foundation under your house. (sometimes yes, sometimes no)
If you had an indoor toilet.
If your parents and immediate family were outside the criminal justice system.
If you yourself remained outside the criminal justice system.
If your parents had a new car.
If you never went barefoot so that you could ’save your shoes for school.’
If your parents never argued in front of you about having enough money for food to last out the month.
If you ate hunted and fished meat because it was a recreational activity rather than as the major way to stock a freezer.
If your laundry was done at home in a washer rather than in a lavandaria. (Laundromat) (sometimes yes, sometimes no)
If your hair was cut by a professional barber or hair stylist instead of your parent.

~*~

Four more points!

Seriously, I find this terribly depressing. janevangalen at Education and Class commented:

Speaking of that “privilege meme” that’s still buzzing around out there after oh so many days (even a blogger from Atlantic Monthly chimed in today, critiquing the exercise from her perspective as the graduate of a private school attended by “ultra-privileged” classmates for not reflecting her particular experiences)…

The protocol of the meme has been to “bold” the items that apply to you and to then say a bit about your background.

When something like this is done in person –as it was designed to be –a moderator can facilitate discussion among those whose lives have followed different paths and ensure that all voice are heard. A central point of an exercise like this is typically to generate conversation among the people in the room that would not take place otherwise.

But the people in this virtual room who keep batting this thing around seem to be people from very similar backgrounds.

While I’ve seen all sorts of assumptions made about how others live and what they value (and about how easy it would be for parents anywhere to find free museums to take their kids too “if they cared enough”. Have these people ever been outside a city?), I’ve not yet seen, in all of these hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of posts and comments, anyone who has thought to say:

So, most of the things I’m reading on this are written by people who “score” relatively highly on this meme.

But I wonder: what does this all look like to people whose backgrounds included very few of these things?

Might it not be bold to even wonder whether one might have it wrong?

Indeed, I believe there is plenty wrong, but I don't know how to define it. For instance, why so few questions about the nature of families? No mention of traditions or religion; skills inherited or learned within families...no mention of family inter-relationships. I consider these crucial. Why doesn't the test? (Does this fact mark me as low-class also?)

Undine at Not of General Interest wrote about the subsequent internet discussion over this meme (which I found painful and tried to avoid):

A lot of people responded by saying, "Well, I had X but I worked for it myself" or "I didn't have a television set but I had books" or "This test is measuring the wrong things." There are lots of good points on all sides, so read the comments, too, at both places, which like the posts are excellent.

I think that what the exercise is trying to do--reveal the existence of class privilege to students in a real way--is important, but one thing was troubling: if you were a student, and especially if you had been bullied in the past for being different in some way, how would you feel about being forced to do this exercise in class? The teachers who chimed in on the comments all said versions of "oh, we don't make it mandatory; they can sit it out if they want to." Some said that they just had students write the answers on a piece of paper and turn it in.

Right. Would you sit it out, if you were 17 years old and your grade was on the line? Would you sit it out if you could see that your instructor thought this was a crucial part of the class and was clearly enthusiastic about the exercise? Would you write nothing or refuse to turn in the paper, again, if you believed that you'd be losing the good will of your instructor--and a grade--for doing so?

Since the admitted object of the exercise is to make students aware of and uncomfortable (in a good way, the authors imply) about their class privilege, most students would probably learn from it and shrug it off. Some are probably going to have their every statement greeted with eye-rolling about class privilege from then on, as I've witnessed when students in my classes volunteer information about trips to Europe or other markers of privilege.

But for a few, those who have been singled out and bullied for having the wrong haircut or being too smart or wearing the wrong clothes or being the nondominant race, it's going to make them feel like dodgeball targets all over again. Remember dodgeball, where some were out there flinging balls at the opposite team and aiming for those cowering in the corner, the ones you knew couldn't catch the ball on a bet, the dodgeball targets?

As I've said, it took me a long time to do this. If I'd had to do it publicly in a class, I can easily imagine a few fibs here and there, so that I would fit in with the majority. I can also imagine attempting to "sit it out"--which is, in fact, exactly what I did when I first encountered it online.

Chaser responds:

Whenever I use these types of exercises in class, it's painful. For example, for years I have used "unpacking the knapsack of white privilege" and unpacking the knapsack of male privilege" and there are *always* students who are offended.

To address privilege in some way is to threaten people's notions of what they "earned themselves." They have to face the fact the have not earned much of what they take for granted. It hurts and it is threatening.

Ultimately,so what if you earned the money for your car yourself--that's great. But it's not necessarily a sign you don't have class privilege. I worked in the fields with my parents for *nothing*. No allowance; no chance to get wage-earning work for car. People who tell me they "earned" their sports scholarships--sure, you worked very hard: but the leisure time you had in which to engage in those sports was bought for you by your class privilege. Oh, it's hard to hear that when these are things people are (understandably) proud of!

My favorite reaction to this discussion on the blogosphere was a grad student who is ALWAYS theorizing about race/gender/blah. When I added some point to the exercise--points that noted just how much more impoverished people can be than middle class people assume fellow Americans can be--somebody suggested this grad student should go look at my list. She said dismissively "I've read that list"--and then went right back to abstracting. It was the typical academic reaction to class privilege: it's too hard to face in practice, so we will chatter about it. It drives me crazy sometimes; I feel helpless enough as it is without having people I usually respect respond to these like this. I don't know how my colleagues of color stand it sometimes.

John Scalzi, who surprised me by defending his private school education as no big thang (!) provided the link to the follow-up Social Class Knowledge Quiz, with a derisive snort. (WARNING: Link is to a Word file!) As a confirmed coffee junkie, I knew the coffee question, but that was it for the "Blue Questions." By contrast, I knew all of the answers to the "Red Questions."

Wow.

An example of the tenor of Scalzi's commenters can be summed up by one outburst from someone named udarnik:

This is not just a conversation starter, as the loaded term “privilege” indicates. Some of the questions are meant to make people feel guilty for having parents who cared about education and the welfare of their children, and instead of abusing those kids as privileged, the profs need to commend the other kids whose hard work landed them in school despite lacking some advantages.

I would have resented the hell out of this as an undergrad. Why should I be accused of privilege in a faux-Marxist confessional because my mom was a schoolteacher and my dad was an adjunct prof?

"Accused" of privilege? No, you are RECOGNIZED AS HAVING privilege.

But hey, his parents' educational background didn't land him in school, his "hard work" did!

((((runs away screaming)))) See, this is why I hate this thing. It just makes me upset.

~*~

Did you do the quiz the first time it appeared on the net, or is this the first time you've ever seen it?

Any thoughts?

Another reason to talk about the Who

Fun meme, borrowed from Ren and Amber!

Rules: Choose a singer/band/group- THE WHO

Answer the following using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group
Band/Artist

1. Are you male or female? The Real Me
2. Describe yourself. The Acid Queen
3. What do people feel when they’re around you? They are all in love
4. How would you describe your previous relationship? Cobwebs and Strange
5. Describe your current relationship. Success Story
6. Where would you want to be now? Sea and Sand
7. How do you feel about love? Is it in my head?
8. What’s your life like? Quadrophenia
9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish? Tattoo
10. Say something wise. Love ain't for keeping

Anyone who wants to borrow that, feel free! HIPPIE MEMES ALWAYS!

~*~

In the movie Quadrophenia, we are treated to an inside Mod joke: punctuating the lyrics "Why doncha all ff-ff-ff--" someone helpfully bellows FUCK OFF!!!!! (instead of the much nicer, radio-safe "ff-fff-fffade away"...)

And forever after, I've always heard it that way. ;)

The Who - My Generation (at the Monterey Pop Festival)



Notice:

1) Those really amazing amoebas flashing on the stage. Was that somebody's job, to make those? (Out of squishing paint together, or what?)

2) The clothes are something else. They didn't call them Mods for nothing! Roger's cape makes him look like he is getting ready to sit down, offer you some herbal tea and read your tarot. At the end, during the pandemonium, he is just spinning around, cape flying, oblivious.

3) Nice montage at the end, of various historic destructive Who finales throughout the ages.

4) Keith defies description, as always.

More memes, for your edification

View from my cousin Bethie's house.

More photos on my Flickr-for-Cheapskates account.

~*~

Rachel Maddow recently said there is one way to know for sure that you are a Democrat: Do you still expect Obama to lose?

Well, there's my answer.

I do expect that; I'll believe it when I see it and only after the final vote is tallied in the deepest, darkest corner of Florida.

~*~

Natalia tagged me with her fun 8-Homes meme:

Where would you have yours, if you were as insanely rich as the McCains?

List them. You don’t have to list your reasons, but if you do at least for a few of them, it would be more fun. And remember that the only rule is: the homes must be within the borders of the United States of America or else, within the borders of the country you live in, so as to utterly emulate the McCains. When you’re done, tag 8 people, so that they may join in the self-indulgence, forgetting about the crappy property market and the equivalent of The End of Pompeii on Wall-Street. You could spend your time hammering your doors and windows shut in preparation for the apocalypse instead, but it would be much less fun.

Yes, she's right, of course!

1) Columbus, Ohio, my hometown. To be specific, German Village, where I briefly lived as a child, before it got all tarted up. Mr Daisy would especially enjoy living within walking distance of The Book Loft.

2) Asheville, North Carolina, preferably on Biltmore Avenue, down near the French Broad Co-op and Orange Peel.

3) Hendersonville or Black Mountain, North Carolina, (general vicinity) in the Blue Ridge mountains. I love it there.

4) Athens. Georgia, not Greece.

5) Berserkley, California. Lots of reasons, several I won't get into now, due to a profound lack of nerve. Suffice to say, it is probably the only city as consistently lefty as I am.

6) Like Natalia, I'd love to have a house in Buckhead (Atlanta), but I could never clean one of those things. "Call me pretentious, whatever," says Natalia.

Okay, me too!

7) New York City, a modest co-op would be fine. I don't know the neighborhoods, but is anyone working-class even LEFT in Manhattan these days? Or do the service workers arrive and depart with the rest of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd?

Wait, this meme assumes I'm rich, I forgot. And it's bloody hard to think that way!

Confession: I would not particularly enjoy being surrounded only by OTHER rich people! For this reason, I might not do so well as a rich person, so I guess it's a good thing I'm not, huh?

8) One of the South Carolina islands--Kiawah, Pawley, Folly, St John's, St James, Seabrook--any one of those would be utterly terrific, except of course during hurricane season!

~*~

I was also tagged by Renee and Sarah, for a Seven things meme:

* Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

* Share 6 / 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.

* Tag 6/ 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.

* Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1) I'm allergic to avocados, an allergy that has recently worsened considerably. I am upset since I love guacamole, which I could handle in small amounts every month or so. NO LONGER! Bah. :(

2) I've seen DAYS OF HEAVEN about 20-30 times. Estimate. Maybe more.

I know Linda Manz's narration by heart.

3) And THE WILD BUNCH too.

4) As I recently stated in my comments on Pop Feminist's fabulous blog, I get an involuntary chill whenever I hear the first few notes of Remember, Walkin in the Sand, by the Shangri-Las.

5) I have oodles of meaningless certificates that certify (natch) I know how to do various and sundry things, such as: fiddle with DOS and Wordperfect; Medical Transcription; consult with people about herbs and enzymes; "customer service specialist", and other illustrious pieces of paper that I have long-since misplaced or lost.

6) I've seen lots of famous, legendary bands, including The Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Ramones (three times), Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, Muddy Waters, and of course, the collective namesakes of this blog.

7) I've also seen a collection of non-legendary bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer, J. Geils Band, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Heart, Foghat, Todd Rundgren, The Cars, Cheap Trick, etc.

~*~

Tagging whoever wants to do this! But particularly my droogs, Jojo, Annie, Thene, Jenn, Chaos, Mike and John Powers!

Anyone else who wants to, go for it. And if yall don't want to, conversely, don't worry about it.

HIPPIE MEMES, always! :P


----------------
Listening to: The Who - Heaven and Hell
via FoxyTunes

Zombie Meme

Tagged by both Ren and Natalia!


You are in the mall when the zombies attack, you have


1: One Weapon: blowtorch

2: One Song Blasting on the Radio: Sad but True by Metallica.

3: One Famous Person to help you: Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica)



Tagging whoever wants to do it! (more hippie memes for your pleasure!)

----------------
Listening to: Rancid - Lock, Step & Gone
via FoxyTunes

Seven songs meme

Lovely Ren roused me from my grief by tagging me with a meme. See what nice friends I have? (She got an iPod and it just seemed pertinent!)

~*~

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring-summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

I've already posted several of these songs and decided to post the rest, so you can listen to em here if you want to.

~*~

LAUGHING--David Crosby

Actually, I've been listening to the last two minutes, the amazing steel guitar solo by Jerry Garcia, which is resplendent.

MUSIC EYES--Heartsfield (2nd song in link)

Overjoyed to find this old song, and have listened to it about 5000 times since it was first posted to YouTube last week.

AIN'T LIFE GRAND--Widespread Panic

Always makes me think of summer, for some reason... probably because I first remember hearing it in a horrendous summer traffic jam, where I had the AC in the car way up. And it properly reminded me: you aren't in an accident, you aren't poverty-stricken or unemployed, people care about you, so just calm the fuck down. Zen message, which I listen to whenever I need to be reminded: Ain't Life Grand?

I love the wistful, ironic way the song is delivered. I think it was Wendell Barry (?) who said the Southern Way is "sitting on the fence post, commenting wryly on the ways of God"... and this song is the musical equivalent of that sentiment.

~*~

This next one goes out to the AA folks. I've listened to it most of my life, at some point. I love the hard-nosed sensibility; like the last song, it "wakes me up"--as the Buddhists would say. It brings me back to myself and reminds me of first principles. It's also one of the greatest country songs ever written.

I was once at an AA picnic and virtually EVERY SINGLE PERSON KNEW THE WORDS...even the children! That says plenty, huh? (Unlike a lot of people these days, he takes FULL RESPONSIBILITY!)

Mama Tried - Merle Haggard

[via FoxyTunes / Merle Haggard]

~*~

Abrupt change in sensibility. I've been patiently waiting for Netflix to ship me the movie about Ian Curtis, titled CONTROL. I MUST SEE IT. Meanwhile, listening to WARSAW, which is the most claustrophobic punk song ever written.

Every now and then, I get a sort of clairvoyance concerning who isn't long for this world. Or is it (as the skeptics would undoubtedly say) that I'm just very attuned to the particular reality of addiction? (see AA reference above) At various times in my life I have heard certain songs and then pronounced "That person isn't long for this world!"--spooking my daughter, Delusional Precious, with my prescience and accurate fortune-telling. Most historic of these documented instances: WOULD?, ALL APOLOGIES and NO RAIN. In each instance, I thought, wow, that guy is gonna die, and SOON. I don't know if it's the actual song-lyrics, or the fact that I have heard literally thousands of addicts talk in thousands of 12-step meetings, and the overall sentiments expressed in the songs ring some kind of existential bell? Or is it something else I am hearing on some other sensory level? Whatever it is, I can hear it, and it always alarms me in a distinctive way. DEATH IMMINENT is what I hear. (And the song might even be relatively sprightly, as NO RAIN is, but I heard it anyway.)

And I thought the same thing when I heard WARSAW. I thought, DAMN, that guy, whoever he is, is NOT LONG FOR THIS WORLD. (When I finally get the movie about Ian, promise to post a review!)

Warsaw - Joy Division

[via FoxyTunes / Joy Division]

~*~

Nostalgic pining away for the days in San Francisco before AIDS took my friends away. It was fun, you guys. I have no words to properly express it, but I do have the song.

(Why does it start out with a HARP? Because we were in heaven, of course.)

Boogie Nights - Heatwave

[via FoxyTunes / Heatwave]

~*~

And this election season, we are well reminded that the big fish eat the little ones, the big fish eat the little ones...

Something we should always keep in mind, even if we are optimistic.

Optimistic - Radiohead

[via FoxyTunes / Radiohead]

~*~

I TAG THE FOLLOWING:

white rabbit (who had issues with my quirky meme! you should like this one better, dude!)
Jojo
Annie
Rootie
Vanessa, who usually includes fun stories with her memes, like I do.
Nexy
And John Powers, to get him to update his blog!

~*~

Yall have been just wonderful in the face of my grieving. Thank you so much. It was (and still is) a shock.

My mother's beloved Siamese kitty lived to be 18, and I was kinda hoping for that long lifespan, even though I knew Grand Old Man's digestive system wasn't in very good shape.

And it happened so fast; just like with old humans. Simple illnesses are no longer simple.

It's hard to write without my muse. I've been doing it so long; Grand Old Man nestled in my lap as I typed. And when I got going really good, he would emit a sweet, quiet, musical purr, as if he could somehow sense that my brain was creatively humming along. His contented purr let me know I was writing well. We were connected that way, and I feel like a tentacle, a sensory antenna, was severed.

I just loved him so much. It will take a long time to recover.

Quirky Sunday

Left: Beautiful petunias, at the SC Farmers Market this weekend.

~*~

I was tagged (by Jojo) with a quirky meme!

Six quirky things about me:

1) My diet is extremely quirky, and at various times in my life I have likely qualified for orthorexia (obsession with healthy food). I won't eat meat or anything with meat in it, which may or may not qualify as quirky. I usually won't eat anything cooked without something raw added to it. I am currently progressing to a 75% raw diet; I'm at about 50% currently. (Yes, I do suspend the raw/cooked rules when eating out, as well as for vacations, holidays and other special events/occasions, etc. This has succeeded in making these occasions even MORE special, which is a nice bonus.) I also daily partake of drinks like acai juice, kombucha, tulsi tea, aloe vera and other weird stuff. (And I don't care what anyone says, pure noni is gross.)

All of this taken together, probably qualifies as major quirkiness.

2) JoJo admits she talks to herself a lot, and yes, I do too.

3) I sing the guitar parts of songs, if I know them. You've heard of air guitar? I do vocal guitar: Weeee-oooowrunggggg. I try not to be too obnoxious with this, but it's become a sort of personal signature.

4) I would shock all of you if I told you how many supplements I take. It's way out of hand. I've tried to pare it down to essentials like L-Carnitine and antioxidants, you know, IMPORTANT stuff, but invariably, I find everything important. Hey, it's my JOB, okay? (As a result, I also get most of these supplements as free samples and promotions, which is how it all started.)

I could probably stop any time I want! ;)

5) Extreme superstition, which I have methodically and purposefully channeled into (more respectable) religion. Lots of magical thinking. I believe in omens, signs, dreams predicting the future, all that stuff. (I do read the Tarot, after all.) After 50 years, I can assure you: I could not NOT be this way, even if I wholeheartedly wanted to. (PS: I have tried.)

Vanessa (atheist) believes atheism/general lack of belief is a particular "bent" or temperament that some people have, and conversely, that metaphysical belief/mysticism is a "bent" that some people have. I totally understand and appreciate this view. When I have not been consciously religious in my lifetime, I have been virtually ruled by superstition and a genuine fear of fate. If I didn't channel this deep, very strong impulse into something rational (by comparison) and culturally recognizable, I would be a mess. Religion is my catch-all for my various forms of magical thinking, and as they say, it works for me.

I sometimes encounter atheists that I think are forcing themselves to be strictly rational, and even more religious people that I think are forcing themselves to Go By the Book. I wanna say to them: lighten up, and go with what's right for you. You can't force any of that, in my humble opinion.

When you see a shooting star, do you close your eyes and involuntarily make a wish? (Then feel silly afterwards for doing it?) If so, you know what I mean. If you don't, you won't get it.

6) I find it almost impossible to watch a movie without reading at least one review of it. (PS: this doesn't apply to television and never has!) I don't even have to agree with the review, I just have to read it. I can't even tell you how many SPOILERS I have read, over the years. (Certain reviewers, I learned to avoid, because they didn't seem to be able to restrain themselves--yes, I'm looking at you, Roger Ebert!) Mr Daisy thinks it's the most wacko thing I do. (He shares several of my other quirks, you should know.)

This quirk has gotten exponentially worse with the advent of the net, since there are online reviews of every movie ever made... Occasionally, back in the day, I was forced to watch a movie WITHOUT first reading the review, but that hasn't happened in well over a decade.

~*~


Here are the Rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I tag the aforementioned Vanessa, as well as Renegade Evolution, white rabbit, Rootie, Shadocat and Nexy!

(If yall don't wanna do it, no problem.)

----------------
Listening to: Grateful Dead - Cassidy
via FoxyTunes

Photobucket meme

....from wonderful Lady Banana!

(I absolutely LOVE that name, but I think you have to be British to really pull it off.)

I'm tagging anyone who feels like doing it, since it takes some time and involves some busywork.

It's fun! If you want, tag 5 people of your choosing... but if you would be so kind--please leave a note here that you've done it, because I want to see it! :)

~*~

DIRECTIONS:

1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com/
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box.
3. Use only the first page.
4. Insert the picture into your Blog.

~*~

1) What is your Relationship Status?

















2)What is your current mood?

















3) Who is your Favorite Band/Artist?




















4) What is your Favorite Movie?













5) What kind of pet do you have?














6) Where do you live?












7) Where do you work?














8) What do you look like?














9) What do you drive?











10) What did you do last night?
















11) What is your Favorite TV Show?



















12) Describe yourself:














13) What are you doing today?


















14) What is your name?




















15) What is your favorite candy?