Welcome to a new co-blogger at LLL....

Donna Darko!

YAY! I 'possibly' (not counting my chickens yet... u know) have an active co-blogger now!

So three cheers for Donna!

What it means...

to be a white/middle-class/academic/feminist - or either OR combination of...

It means that these same criticisms are raised by other WOMEN over and over and over again not because we are jealous/crazy/stupid because no matter how hard we try, we are not being heard by you, so for crissakes LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN.

Maybe this is your opportunity to LEARN.

Comments closed, please comment directly at the writers' blogs.

Happy Belated Birthday Morrissey.... May 22, 2007

I wouldn't normally do this type of thing...but...

I don't think anyone has ever made celibacy look so fucking cool and at the sametime made it seem so much more like a 'rational choice' vs. a religious imposition.

So this is for one of rock's original 'queer' dudes - Happy Birthday Morrissey!

Of course a lot more can be said about 'rationality' and Morrissey, maybe his scary vegetarian politics? maybe his contempt for the monarchy? maybe his constant existential angst (when does one outgrow that, if ever)? - and lastly his possible dislike of people like me (i.e 'pakis')?

Either way, this man rocks.

Morrissey on Meat:



My favorite Morrissey song (excluding years with the Smiths):



You know, while rewatching this video I couldn't help appreciate it a little more than I have in the past. It's nice for once to see a girl play the role of the existentially angst-ridden, disaffected, tragic hero. I.e. in which we assume she is both intelligent and worthy of our empathy due to her implied feelings of dissociation from everyday living. Women/girls aren't usually afforded that luxury in pop/rock songs - especially in the present state of crapptacular music and music videos. And is it just me, or is there a little more in that 'wave' to the female store-clerk?

However, interestingly this video while good in it's attempt, inadvertenty reifies gender binaries too because it's almost as if the girl herself seems to take on a 'masculine' role in contrast to the other women around her. I.e. the other women around her end up being 'chatty and vapid' stereotypical feminine cliches, while her tragic hero status exists more so due to her being able to identify with Morrissey (and her clothing). Obviously debatable.

Just musing...

Enjoy!

Cultural Fetishism, Neoliberalism, "sex positivity" and appropriation

Cultural appropriation - is something that is done daily primarily to sell things originating in "third-world" countries for the psycho-social-entertainment of Western audiences. It centres around de-contextualized and ahistorical readings of other cultures for mainly profit incentives. But how is this perpetuated by the "sex industry"? How is this often (not always) supported by "sex radical activists" and academics?

This excerpt is from an article at feministing.com about a new book called "Sacred Sex for the Twenty-first century" (sounds just like the last century to me!):

Tantra was once a supremely revolutionary practice. Tantra in India in its early days probably looked something like the social revolution in America in the 1960s: experimentation with sex and drugs, group ecstatic rituals with music, dancing and sex, loving whomever you chose regardless of race or background, and questioning the moral, ethical, and philosophical precepts of the day. In the twentieth century, Tantra was reintroduced in the West by a few brave sex, gender, spiritual, and political radicals who ventured to India in search of an active spirituality that would embrace and empower everyone in all aspects of life, including the sexual and political. The practice of Tantra today can once again be revolutionary in the face of the current cultural rise of fundamentalist sex and gender politics.

notice the probably? That's a pretty big assumption, cause you know - most of what happened in the 60s in India was often perpetuated by money grubbing upper caste pseudo-gurus to get western ppl's money. Kind of like 'spiritual tourism' - and anyone with even a basic understanding of third world politics of tourism will understand the problematic dynamics there in. In case you don't - here's a lurvly article. Also the 'experimentation' that the author assumes is 'so common' - was not common. It was isolated to very few upper class indians who had money. Such freedoms were not part of the lived experiences of many. So like anything that's about 'cultural appropriation' - it is again white people who define the creativity, the assumption of what was going on 'over there'. I.e. other cultures & other people are generally are only good to white-noeliberalism and commodification (or white politics) as long as they fortify what is being said by the white person/cultural creator at hand. The context/history is lost, and what's sold is 'culture'.

Notice the usage of the word bravery??? And how the people who bravely introduced this were pretty much like past 'pioneers' i.e. colonists. Not really a new dynamic here. Yeah, white ppl looking for a few fuck-ons in brown countries...nothing new here either, the US military has done that in every country they've ever invaded anyways. That's not really 'brave', it's about american entitlement and having mula and lots of it.

It's really interesting because in the previous paragraph, the author mentions the following:

Other people are turned off by the idea of Tantra and Tantric sex because of its image in America as couples therapy for white, middle-aged, middle-class, apolitical, woo-woo, New Age, sarong-wearing workshop junkies. In fact, Tantra is practiced in a wide variety of styles by a wide variety of people, including some of my friends who are young, leather-clad, gender-fucked anarchists who are into BDSM. Tantra embraces all genders, sexual styes and sexual preferences. It is primarily concerned with inner mystical experiences, not relationships and wardrobe.

So though she pays lip-service to 'white middle aged middle class people", which is super-funny because that only absolves her from her own whiteness/white guilt while trying to sell it to another group of white people which is indicated in "other people are turned off".

It's like for chrissakes, do I give a shit if the person next to me is called a 'hippie' or a 'granola'?... same shit, different neoliberal label. I don't care. Only white people are 'individuals' anyways, and from her interview that shines through repetitively.

Whatever, this is not new - and happens ALL the time, for something more local, read here. This was a fiasco that took place about two years ago. It resulted in a massive letter writing campaign by many south asian organizations.

Does Fashion Care about Racism?

"During the featured entertainment, I saw lots of white people with cowboy hats and tattoos with brown powder on their faces and bodies. After Black people have fought long and hard on the racist use of “black face"? in entertainment, I felt disheartened that in 2005, few lessons have been learned."

I will say this though, this is just Pt.1 of cultural appropriation of sexuality and the promotion of it often by white-upper-middle class academic sex positive theorists/white activists/cultural producers etc.... It's interesting because no one seems to be touching upon this element in academia, even though grassroots south asian activists here in Toronto have already drawn attention to the matter themselves. Namely in regards to their marginalization in both the LGBTTTIQ community and the non-profit industrial complex.

Comments closed, I just can't do it right now.

ETA: I removed the previous remark because it was awkward.

Temporary e-hiatus

I wanted to post something longer considering I've now had over 15,000 visitors over the past few months. But unfortunately that won't be happening at the moment.

I really have appreciated all the knowledge, comments, interactions that I have had over the past few months with people. But I find this a little too difficult to do at times. I'm still not in the right blogging frame of mind.

Enjoy some nice tunes in the meantime, thank you. {I think the songs are mostly user videos, with the exception of the Bright Eyes one).

Yuckers ... Why Daniel Edwards is a D.O.W.G...

A D.O.W.G is an invention of yours truly - i.e. a Dirty Old White Guy.

Don't know who Edwards is? Well, he's the same anti-abortion dude who brought us the elaborate statue of Britney Spears' giving birth on a rug or something.

Edwards is out moralizing to 'young women' again! This time he's brought out another famous 'celubu-slut', Paris Hilton, to 'honor' with one of his craptacular statues.

And guess what it's called? Okay, don't bother guessing - it's called "Autopsy".

So, Edwards as you are so concerned about drunk driving - will you please explain to me why the middle-aged drunken white dude who hit someone I care about, with his friggin VAN this past year - is out enjoying a great time - while this person has been in chronic fucking pain forever????

Well, the thing is - you aren't concerned about drunk driving really.... You are more concerned about the chaotic moral state of young women these days. What are we going to do with all these 'girls gone wild?' huh? slut-shaming - who knew it was an art form.

If they aint bearing offspring then - we've got to show them a true role model who does bear offspring at a young age. What a 'good mother' she even sacrificed her career for a few years - while staying with a loser husband to bear (yes, you chose a 'bear skin-rug' symbolically didn't you? How clever - not!) HIS KIDS. Well, that's what you assumed - right?

And now this time - you are at it again - teaching young women how not to be stupid drunken sluts right? So you CARVE (yes, carve) up a statue of Paris Hilton's autopsy. Ooooh how fucking edgy. Yawn.

"Campaign to Rescue Women of Youth" featuring "The Paris Hilton Autopsy" offers a cadaveric nude Paris Hilton, laid out with twisted body and opened abdominal cavity on a coroner's table, while her cell phone remains in her grip. The 'unglamorous' display which includes support material from anti-drunk driving organizations counters "the disturbingly glamorized trend of Hollywood's 'girls gone wild'," according to gallery director, David Kesting.

Maybe next time you might want to look at actual drunk driving conviction rates rather than acting all fucking preachy - moron.

That is why - I bestow upon you the prestigious D.O.W.G award. I hate most male artists...

Thank goodness for the Guerilla Girls. *gushes*

Marxism 2007: Festival of ideas conference

ETA: Seems like a lot of people are visiting this post. In fairness, I didn't attend the event, here is an account from someone who did.

Hello Torontonian Comrades -- does anyone (of the three ppl that visit here) intend on going to this? Isn't it grande - it's conference season (pour out your wallets, eat stale crackers, drink un-fairtrade coffee, and well maybe learn something)!

Okay, to be completely honest - I went to this conference two years ago and was extremely disappointed by MOST (not ALL) of the presentations. I might try it out this year - I don't know. Hit me up a message if you think you might want to attend. My dislike of the conference specifically was kind of two-fold 1) it was very limiting - i.e. 'art was bourgeois, radical feminism was useless, everything would be resolved by the end of capitalism'... 2) there was no POC understanding nor were there more than a dozen POC at the conference in attendance.

I mean the reason why I'm drawn to socialism is because it's far more 'grounded' in terms of material/structuralist understandings - but this conference was so far removed from lived experience - I was really dismayed.

HOWEVER, having said all this - I have to say this time around it looks like (at least from the presentation list) - they might be moving in a new direction, so it might be worth checking out. I'm thinking Saturday and Sunday... Anyone else?

Copied verbatim from rabble.

More info here.


Marxism 2007: Festival of ideas conference
When: Thursday, 10 May 2007 – Sunday, 13 May 2007 (May 10-13)
Where:

Bahen Centre, University of Toronto40 St. George St. (one block north of College St.)Toronto ON
Contact:

marxism@sympatico.caInternational Socialiststel: 416-924-9042fax: 416-972-6319marxism@sympatico.ca


Details:

NEW: Group rate — Five full weekend registration passes for only $20 each. Register now for one course, one session, one day or (best deal) the whole weekend.
Marxism 2007 features courses for everyone who wants to understand and change the world.

Strategies for Changing the World: What's Radical?: Building a United Anti-imperialist Movement — Jen Hassum, Jessica Squires Jen Hassum is President of the University of Toronto Student Administrative Council (SAC), and President-elect of the Canadian Federation of Students. She is former co-chair of the U of T NDP Club. Jessica Squires is a graduate student in the Department of History at Carleton University. She is President of CUPE Local 4600 and was a candidate for Québec Solidaire in the recent Quebec provincial election.

NGOs and Imperialism: What's the Connection? — Janet Conway, Pam Frache Janet Conway is Associate Professor of Policy Studies at Ryerson University. Among her numerous publications is Identity, Place, Knowledge: Social Movements Contesting Globalization. She is the former Program Director at the Social Planning Council of Metro Toronto, a founding member of the Toronto-based Metro Network for Social Justice and a convenor of the Toronto Social Forum. Pam Frache is a longstanding social justice activist in the labour, student and solidarity movements.

Israel, the US and Zionism: Who's Really in Charge? — Suzanne Weiss, Abbie Bakan Suzanne Weiss is a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust, born in France during the period of Nazi occupation. She is a regular contributor to SocialistVoice.com, and active in Not in Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Against Israel's Wars, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, and solidarity work against imperialist interventions in Haiti and Venezuela. Abbie Bakan is Professor of Political Studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and Editor of Marxism: A Socialist Annual.

Economies of the 21st Century: India and China: The New Superpowers? — Paul Kellogg Paul Kellogg is a writer and editor specializing in political economy. His articles include Kari Levitt and the Long Detour of Canadian Political Economy (Studies in Political Economy, 76, Autumn, 2005).

Why is Africa Poor?: From Colonialism to Neo-liberalism – Farid Omar; Sid Lacombe Farid Omar is an expert on African history and politics. He came to Canada in 1993 as a refugee from the civil wars in Somalia. He is a founder of the Pan-African Student Network (PASNET) at the University of Toronto, and of the Horn of Africa Relief Society. Sid Lacombe is Campaign Organizer with the Canadian Peace Alliance.

The Future of the American Empire — Sam Gindin, Paul Kellogg Paul Kellogg (as above). Sam Gindin is the Packer Chair in Social Justice, and teaches in the Political Science Department, at York University. He is the former Assistant to the President of the Canadian Auto Workers, and is a member of the Socialist Project. His numerous writings include, Is the Big Ship America Sinking: Contradictions and Openings, that appeared in The Bullet (Feb 8, 2007) and in MRZine (Feb 9, 2007).

Indigenous resistance: Aboriginal identity and Canadian Imperialism — Leslie Doucet, Terry Theakston Leslie Doucet is an Aboriginal rights activist, a member of the International Socialists, and a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Terry Theakston is a member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, and a longstanding solidarity activist.

Indigenism: Building solidarity with Indigenous Peoples — Zainab Amadahy Zainab Amadahy is an urban, mixed race indigenous writer, activist and community worker. She has contributed to the anthology Strong Women’s Stories: Native Vision and Community Activism co-edited by Bonita Lawrence and Kim Anderson (2004, Sumach Press) and is the author of Moons of Palmares (1998, Sister Vision Press). She is a founding member of the Coalition in Support of Indigenous Sovereignty, member of the Board of the Association of Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts and the Executive Director of Community Arts Ontario.

Palestine and the Right of Return — Rafeef Ziadah, Jonathon Hodge Rafeef Ziadah is a graduate student in the Department of Political Science at York University and a member of CUPE. She is active in the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid and Sumoud Political Prisoner Soldarity Group. Jonathon Hodge is a member of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid in Toronto. He is author of The Holocaust: A Marxist Assessment published in Marxism, 2005, and a member of the editorial board of Socialist Worker, where he writes regularly on Middle East issues.

Marxism 2007: A Festival of Resistance is a four day conference of over fifty workshops, artistic displays and performances. If you are against imperialism, war, corporate greed, and the destruction of the environment, if you want to learn about and organize for a new world of peace, freedom, and liberation, then don't miss Marxism 2007: A Festival of Resistance.

Chuckle of the day....

I'll admit it ... I'm going through a bit of a mind-#$@% at the moment, so um anything with 'labels' has got me a little irked out. Okay, to be honest, I feel like I've come out of the pomo-blender again - and don't pretend like that hasn't ever happened to you. If it hasn't well, then - good for you; Here's a cookie!

Anyways, I was going to make this one quick. There's something to be said when someone types this into google, and your blog is at the top of the list.

Well, bad choice of blog names. I chose the title for my blog not because I am 'leftier' than anyone else (I'm not, hell I'm not half as political as I would like to be on this blog) - but more so because I was trying to pull a reclaimation strat, namely as a 'feminist' blogger and because I've been called 'leftist looney' one tooo many times, to my face at that.

So anyways, feel free to congratulate me in the comments or share your worst pomo-$#&% experiences!

ETA: Enjoy and olidie but a goodie - is it just me, or do you find this song oddly inspirational too? Something I'm lacking ATM.



I get up in the evening
and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help

You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark

Message keeps getting clearer
radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
baby I just know that there is

You can't start a fire
you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older
there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
come on baby this laugh's on me

Stay on the streets of this town
and they'll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
come on now baby gimme just one look

You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark

PS - yes I know the problematic gender relations in the video... lyrics, focus on the lyrics! TY! (but he's so dreamy.....!)

Just found out bout it....

Ahhh - I just found out about this conference, looks awesome. There's like 3 ppl who visit this blog from TO. If you happen to be one of those three - hopefully I'll see you there!

Ciao
-AD

http://jps.library.utoronto.ca/ocs/program.php?cf=7

May 3rd and 4th.

The 7th Annual Critical Race Studies Conference of Researchers and Academicsof Colour for Equality (R.A.C.E.) and Toronto Women's Bookstore invite youto the book launch of ...

TRANSNATIONAL RACISM AND "THE RIGHT TO HAVE RIGHTS">From First Nations, to migrants and refugees, Muslims and Arabs detained asterror suspects, Palestinians, Haitians, Iraqis, Afghanis, homeless groups,youth of colour and many others, today's neoliberal world marks many groupsas excluded from humanity. Such groups are also evicted from politicalcommunity. They become communities of people without "the right to haverights" (Arendt) and live in areas where violence may be directed at themwith impunity. All such excluded groups are racialized, that is, understoodas being a lower form of humanity than people of European origin.