like clock work.......

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/05/a_designing_women_game_write_y.html?sc=fb&cc=fp

The 'Designing Women' Game: Write Your Own Julia Rant

Here is mine:

I would rather spend two hours sharing ceviche with the son of sam than watch a woman who apparently purchased her intellect at target for $2.15 chase twenty-five men with biceps made of tin and heads packed with frosted flakes.

Because when future generations look upon what we have left for them, which may by then be little more than an ocean filled with plastic and millions of non-biodegradable iPods, I fear they will conclude that they would have welcomed bread and circuses if only they had realized the alternative was hot pockets and Survivor.

[sits down and crosses arms, but then immediately stands back up]

And let me tell you a little something about romance: Handing out roses like you are a mascot throwing JuJubees to the assembled hooligans at a Roller Derby bout is not my idea of romance. Romance is a man who knows the difference between John Smith and John Wayne and who is capable of putting on tube socks without scratching his head as if he is connecting a speaker system without the instruction manual.

So do not ask yourself why I do not particularly enjoy a television show where the assembled male candidates represent romantic prospects inferior to the workers on the night shift at the Applebee's in Tucson. Ask yourself whether, after a lifetime playing with a cultural LEGO and dancing on the grave of Jane Austen, you will ever...recover...your dignity.

If I could go ANYWHERE on a trip, I would go to fantasy land. Fantasy land being of my creation, I can assure you it is freakin' awesome. I would get to travel all over in an amazing space caravan with Jacob and all my friends and do awesome stuff like go to intergalatic dance parties. Maybe I have just watched too much Firefly recently ....

SO I graduated for pretends. Meaning, I have to fight for them to give me the degree but supposedly I am all done. Accidentally took a class that had the wrong number listed ---speaking of which I need to check what the requirements were when I enrolled becuz those are the requirements I have to fulfill, not the updated ones. . .

And now what? Well, I am finally escaping my retarded office job and moving on to more fulfilling type work. I am going to be a studio assistant for a local artist until January. Then I am going to begin my AmeriCorp job with the Ink People art center in Eureka, which is gonna rock becuz it is simply doing art with at risk kids and getting people fired up about the program etc. I am super stoked/excited/thrilled. Although it pays pretty much below minimum wage, I know I can survive and get by, so the experience gained is totally worth it. Getting to do community service through art projects with the local "at risk" youth is awesome!

And the wedding of course! Which is the main thing since it is getting married and all. lol. I am so excited to see everyone and have the party and everything! Plus, my wonder woman/dorothy gale dress is almost done. I call it wonder woman/dorothy dress cuz it is blue and red like dorothy's dress and ruby slippers or wonder woman. Now I just need to get a million more things in the next week! Like a good bra and make-up stuffs might be a good idea . . . And still working on the decor and all that. Got streamers and fake silver berry things for the flower arrangments. We are gonna steal lots of hydrengeas from around town before we leave for Mendo, the flowers are everywhere and soooo much cheaper than not stealing! LOL. Plus, at this point we are pulling off an awesomely green style wedding, with very lil being wasted. We even have mason jars instead of plastic cups, and local vineyard champagne. So much to do! Must look good doing it! hahaha . . .

Meh, at least this is my last day at this hell job! I can feel the stress leave even though I have so much left on my plate to do . . .

Appolonia Edwin

Fantasy Proposal

ANTH 410 2008

 

Healthcare in Post-Katrina New Orleans and the Care of Special Needs Children

Scope and Significance

1. Project Goal

Assess healthcare system for special needs children at or below poverty level in New Orleans since the occurance of Hurricae Katrina. Final goal is the creation of a program looking to establish a community group to create grassroots level action to help families with special needs children. Create network of educational, medical, and social services within community to help centralize system. Primary goal is to create a self-maintaining system that can be administrated by the community group.

            In assessment of one area, come up with strategies for successful program implementation in future areas of interest. By looking at the broad issues within the smaller needs, a list of assessment items can be given to other community teams looking to improve their systems. A very heavy emphasis will be placed on community driven program creation, with much of the content stemming from peoples within the polity. The goal of the research team is to bring a holistic approach to planning which can help bring agencies together for an improved grassroots effort.

           

2. Issues to be Addressed

a.         Relevance and Importance

Community access to healthcare within the poor communities of the New Orleans has been historically restricted and minimal. Since Hurricane Katrina, the need has gone u but the availability is the same or much worse. This project aims to prioritize needs and shortcomings, create a realistic plan for relief, and implement a system that empowers families to become involved in their child's health. The program will extend its efforts to try and challenge the local medical establishment to become involved in the well being of these kids, and in turn the community.

The reason for this state of disrepair is not simply the natural disaster that has occurred here in recent times. The tragedy of Katrina is still present in the terrible conditions that the poor communities live with. The issue of race is also present int his situation, with most of the poor being minority Blacks. 

 

b.         Significance to Residents

Sustainable development of a system to support some of the most vulnerable citizens, special needs children in impoverished families. Local people will be integrated into the healthcare system, improving the systems ability to effectively care for the area. Children in area are to gain from bettered access to healthcare and enhanced attention from the medical community as a high needs polity. By instituting a more successful healthcare system for at-risk families, it is proposed that more sustainable development will be able to follow as the community group in charge comes up with new initiatives and new focuses. Future issues to be considered are programs to help protect and enhance the future of the New Orleans environment, culture, education system, economy, and social conditions.

The individuals at the heart of the issue are the children that the success of this project hopes to bring a brighter future into the world of. However, these children cannot be the main focus of the study or effort, for the family as a whole unit must be helped in order to effectively help the one. Familial adults connected to the child will be the primary subjects of research, with all children playing a secondary but important role as well. This is natural in that when one does ethnographic work, it is most correct to associate with peers within the community. Through the adults a proper picture of where the family stands within society can be established. The adults can also most clearly articulate the most prominent issues that are hindering the health of the entire family unit. Special needs children will be defined as children who have needs beyond basic care and will include all individuals below age 16 who exhibit behavioral issues, developmental delays, mental disabilities, or physical disabilities.

 

c.         Background and Related Research

Background research was done into the healthcare system in impoverished communities, specifically within the state of California. Part of the research was into family systems and their ability to cope with special needs children. Data collected from other research projects on child healthcare were compiled and assessed as well, giving a clear historical look at the issues on hand. A holistic approach to background research is important to creating a successful project, and so preliminary research included educational and employment/income data as well.

      Specific research done into the Katrina effected region of the United States has been done to see the primary concerns for the populace. Through research, establishment of primary subjects for research was gained by evaluating the citizens with the most needs. Special needs children in this region are mostly left out of this system, with very few facilities for the parents to access for help. Research done by the many NGOs and charity groups within the area since the disaster occured has already established the groundwork to improve the quality of life.  By expanding upon other existing grassroots projects, a more in depth program can be instituted that focuses specifically on high-needs patients within the community. In turn, by providing these services, the possibility of more poor returning to New Orleans is also inceased; which helps to combat the gentrification of this historically significant region. This pushing ut og the poor within developing areas threatens the unique cultural system that has developed within New Orleans.

 

3. Project Structure and Methods

            The main methods to be utilized in this project will be ethnographic as well as grassroots efforts created to have community started development of the child healthcare system. Interviewing, participant observation, and extensive research are the main tools to accumulate the necessary figures to base any programs on.

            Activities will initially focus on establishing the main needs of the children in the community. Interaction with the families and supervision of healthcare work done with families will be important to this first stage. Contacting the healthcare facilities in the areas, and learning in depth about the programs currently available is also important to the project. The involvement of the medical community in the creation of a healthcare program for these children is vital to the projects triumph. Key to this will be identifying significant public health contacts within New Orlenas, and other Katrina regions, that deal primarily with children—especially special needs children.

            The timeline for this project will be two years. Initial set up of community group, establishment of goals, and connections made within the healthcare community will be the primary objective for the first step of development. The goal is to minimize the time that this consumes and jump into community action and planning within the first year. Continuation of the program will occur after the end of this project, with the community group being setup to continue on the mission and programs.

4. Anticipated Outcome

The anticipated outcome is for a successful grassroots group to grow out of the community partnership with the research team. When the research team has finished their leg of the work, the community members will continue on the project. More projects can develop in multiple other areas in the future, with this research and project forming the basis.

5. Funding

Funding will come primarily from the government, NGOs concerned with children and/or healthcare system improvement, Post-Katrina development grants, and from other grant programs.

 

Appolonia Edwin
Apocalypto Response

ANTH 316

    From the opening of Mel Gibson's film, Apocalypto, the bias is quite evident. The violent theme and end-of-worlds message that Gibson is so fond of is the central motif of this picture as well. Terror, pain, and cruelty are implicit in many of the images, starting in the opening scene of the tapir running in the vegetation.
    It maybe unfair to be harsh in judgment about this Hollywood creation, but this is not some fantastical past that Gibson is telling a story about. This is a created story, written by white men about a group of indigenous people that have long been stereotyped into obscurity. In fact, this movie was touted as a chance for these people to escape the shadows, to let their heritage shine in the bright public spotlight. Ruby, in Chapter Nine, discusses the complex issues surrounding how different cultures feel about sharing information about their cultural activities. Not every culture believes in transparency of information. By being represented by outsiders, their sacred information is paraded around for people to see. This can be seen as harmful, disrespectful, and essentially blasphemous, to the true peoples being represented in the media.
    By focusing on human violence, warfare, and sacrifice; Apocalypto furthers the stereotypes of savagery that continually haunt the depiction of indigenous people in Western media. The women are raped, the children slaughtered, and the men laughed at. How much of this is furthering anyone's cause? This movie may pull at all the right heartstrings to make the correct amount of money to be a success, but it is useless when it comes to helping out any humanitarian cause. One can't help but have a nagging feeling that this story is simply justifying a rich Western lifestyle, rather than educating or invigorating the cause for a group of people. Rather than showing a groups way of life, it highlights the terrors of the ways of “the other”. As Ruby points out in Chapter Eight, “The dozens of ‘hard-hitting’ television reports [made since they were popularized], accomplished little to relieve the deplorable conditions of the [subjects’] lives” (1999). Mel Gibson’s film may be intended to expand the subjects of major-motion pictures and turn to new subjects beyond elites and/or whites, but this should not be valorized as a work that brings the lives of real Mayans into focus.

I live in a hilarious place. I just saw a man walk by with bright purple hair and a confederate flag t-shirt with cigs rolled in the sleeve. So strange. People watching here is the bomb tho. I have been looking at cool design pics online today--like living space design really. Super cool houses at treehugger.com (I think . . . that is the website . . . ?) and stuffs like candelabras made entirely of wax. Very cool.

I also found a cool picture of mustaches:

 

I am at work and have NO HOMEWORK monkey on my back. MWAHAHAHAHAHA! So I am working on cleaning my apartment, and getting holiday cards together and gifts. I also have to start getting wedding stuff together, crazy! Jillian is already signed up to help make invites soon. I am gonna put save the date cards in my holiday cards to deal with that. Clever I say. But I am graduating in May too. Lots of craps to do . . . oh and I need to raise money for a car. At least I only have three classes left!

Feng Shui talk at HSU, International Edu Week

Wind and water
village placement and water surrounding if possible
safety, success in agriculture

Build on River bank in valley with mountain on North side.

slopes for village, help alleviate winter winds:
winter winds come from north to south in China, hill to buffer, and allows gentle sunner wind off river.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon movie village

Building to make life pleasant rather than convenient.

No, this is not about argyle. Just didn't know what to put in the subject line.

Soon I will have weekends off for reals. I only work like 4 hours per day on the weekend, but it is split up and that ensures I can't do anything for as long as I want--cuz I will have to leave and go to work. Really kills the river camping plans. Jacob does start his new job today. He doesn't work weekends anymore, the bum.


I want to go thrift store shopping too. And buy lots of creepy doll heads to make into fridge magnets. And ties to make into aprons. And other stuff too! Yea!

hiaku:

in the office I work
but at home I do nothing
it is mine, the time

oh, and passover is tomorrow. . .

1. How old will you be in 10 months
24

2. Do you think you'll be married by then?
nope

3. What do you look forward to most in the next 3 months?
swimming in the river over summer

4. Who was the last person you called?
called. . . hmmm, Jacob yesterday I believe.

5. Who called you last?
Well, it was Jacob's dad for him, but I picked up.

6. Do you prefer to call or text?
call, I don't really text message. The only time I ever did consistently was when Jacob was in London.

7. Do you have any pets?
Kaspur- the kitty
Hector the Protector- beta

8. What were you doing at 12am last night?
sitting on me bum watching SNL and MadTV

9. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
my birth dad was never araound, & my mom and dad (step-dad) are divorced.

10. When is the last time you saw your mom?
week or two ago.

12. How many states have you lived in?
1

13. How many cities/towns have you lived in?
More than 7

14. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet.
uhm, any combo depending on weather. bare feet when warm enough.

15. Are you a social person?
i try

16. What was the last thing you ate?
made myself breaky of omelete and eng muffin and potatoes

17. What is your favorite ice cream?
depends on my mood. coffee is da bomb

18. What is your favorite dessert?
creme brulee

20. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
raspberry, but I don't eat/like pb&js

21. Do you like coffee?
lovelovelovelovelove

22. How many glasses of water a day do you drink on average?
8

23. What do you drink in the morning?
water/juice/milk

24. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone?
with jacob

25. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
no, but Jacob does

26. Do you know how to play poker?
kinda

27. Do you like to cuddle?
love it!!

28. Have you ever been to Canada?
Vancouver BC

29. Do you eat out or at home more often?
in mostly

30. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
yup, my dad's cousin

31. Do you speak any other languages?
like a toddler

33. Have you ever gotten stitches?
yes

34. Have you ever been in an ambulance?
no

35. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?
pool

36. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seats?
window

37. Do you know how to drive a stick shift?
hell yes

38. What is your favorite thing to spend your money on?
food, clothes, toiletries, accessories, crap

39. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?
earrings in top ear hole alway, and my ring everyday.

40. What is your favorite TV show?
Heroes and Family Guy

41. Can you roll your tongue?
yes

42. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
nope

43. What is the main ringtone on your phone?
no cellie

44. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?
yes

45. What is the color of your bedroom walls?
soft gray

46. Do you shut off the water when you brush your teeth?
yes, I am in California and therefore aware of water as a resource to never be wasted.

47. Do you sleep with your closet doors opened or closed?
open, took off its hinges

46. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?
bees, I am not allergic and keeping my limbs sounds good.

47. Do you flirt a lot?
not that I am aware of

48. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
bbq or sweet n' sour

49. Can you change the oil on a car?
hell yes

50. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
2

51. Do you dance in the car while driving?
and sing, of course

Appolonia Edwin
ANTH 306
Due: 3/6/07
Reading Response
Fabricating Masculinity

The connection between gender, race, and nation is easier to see when viewing foreign powers. Our American identity is fragmented into so many cultures and elements that it can be hard to see one stereotypical view of American dress that can be related to gender, race, sexuality, class, and nation. After I read the article on the Japanese Suit ad campaign by Comme des Garcons, it got me thinking about the American identity sold to us Americans and how it contrasts with the Japanese identity sold by the Japanese brand.
The Japanese Suit is meant to revamp the image of the Japanese business man, the Organization Man. Comme des Garcons wants to sell a status symbol to the elite Japanese man that has nothing to do with practicality and convention, but everything to do with image. In a way, the idea of a Japanese masculinity has been melted away by Western influence. In the Race and Ethnicity class I took a year or so back we talked about the gender roles of Asian persons outside their culture. Typically the woman is viewed as either a docile but sexual dependent or as a “dragon lady” who can use her wiles to get her way. The other side of this coin is the way a Japanese man is viewed. Often he is desexualized, or emasculated. The Japanese man can be a villain, or a noble teacher, or a wise ruler, or a soldier, or a samurai, or a Yakuza gangster. It is NOT common for the Japanese man to be viewed as a lover, a romancer, or a heart breaker.
One way that this is apparent is in our movies. Often is there are Japanese characters, the men loose their Japanese women to a Western male who exemplifies Western ideals of masculinity and heroism. The Last Samurai comes to mind immediately as an example, with Tom Cruise playing the romantic lead in a movie about of all things—the samurai, the archetypal Western version of the virile Japanese male. In our movies we even want the white guy to be the best at being a samurai! It is rather obnoxious.
The Comme des Garcons Japanese Suit ad campaign is in some ways inspiring to me. It is a very pointed attempt to change this image of the Japanese man, to refine it the world over and make even the Organization Man command respect as an individual with taste and class—not a mindless drone. It would be interesting if other designers took on goals like this. Perhaps we could get fashion houses to campaign for not just better global views of their country’s men, but for healthier body images and of a new apex of all female and male beauty standards that are based on realistic goals.
Still, this is a simple advertising ploy to get Japanese men to buy an image that they feel compelled to attain. In a sense it is exploiting the “history of conformity, discomfort, and inferiority,” as the article puts it, in order to sell a new image of power. At the same time it makes an incredible amount of sense that this push is occurring. Japan is a world power, Comme des Garcons is selling the visioning of dressing like a world power that is distinctly Japanese and not at all reflecting what I would call the Old Powers of the West.

I have to run to work like right now, but I can take a sec I figure. Just poking around online and me mum wanted me to watch a video that is poste don her lj so here I am. It was a clever vid too. And check out Jonathan Coulton everyone! He is super hilarious. . .

And, yes, Jacob STILL has the kidney stone, been like a month now. The 18th is his tentative operation date.

other than finance, I am totally happy. I am getting shit together for my papers and feel productive. Plus, I have a pretty fabu life right now and am pretty much satisfied all the time. I eat good food and listen to good tunes and hang out with good people. My classes all have amazing discussions everyday, which is fucking fantastic. My brain is good and exercised. I didn't want to leave this journal with only negative thoughts on my own ability to handle life. I think I am doing good. I mean, hell, I caught my bank account being in the red the same day it happened!

And I saw a good film, Nacho Libre was totally hilarious. Thank you Jack Black for making my world a little brighter, more colorful, and definetly less serious.

I was so proud of myself, I had a great bank account balance for months now. and then BAM! Today I discover that I am in the red. So fucking annoying when you are at school and loosing your mind over homework anyway. But rent went thru fine and everything. I had forgotten that I had a paycheck problem and am one behind AND had an insurance payment that just went thru. Then I went and bought groceries, stupid me. Luckily my fabu mom is gonna come save my butt tomorrow cuz she wanted to get x-mas lights anyways. Thank goodness for cool mommies! But, yea. My streak is over and it is back to being super frugal for a while, till everything is straightened out and paid back and groovey. . .

Well, me and Jacob found a place we can afford that is super nice, although in a craptastic part of E-town. But I will be close to Saeed's (and therefore Rhianna) and near Ash's place. That will be nice. Mostly it will be nice to have my own place with Jacob and Kaspie. Not looking forward to moving and it is putting the financial stress on me. Makes me wish I had taken another student loan. I just thought I could do w/o. Maybe I will take one next semester so I can have something stashed for this sorta stuff. It sucks to have to find a lender in the family, especially since I haven't found one yet. But I am trying to stay calm and not get anymore gray hairs than I am already getting. Yup. But I am excited about the place and Jacob's graduation and summer. Too bad I have stats all June. . .

Abstract: This paper is an exploration of the woman in myth. It focuses in on the archetype of the vengeful woman, exploring how she may be the hero’s anima and how she is connected to the sacred. The hope is that this paper helps to give some reason to why this archetype is so prevalent despite it countering gender roles of a shy and docile female.

Kaspur is in the vet with diabetes till two days from now. He'll have been there for a week while they were stabilizing his insulin. I miss him, soooo sad for me. But I did find out that the house arrest plan worked and he has lost about 3 lbs.

And I have a new IHSS client. He is elderly and diabetic like Kasppy, and lives in the adult assisted living center near my house. I just go for three hours on Sat. Hopefully I can get more clients and get the 10 hours I need to be on food stamps again. Food money come back to me! Hehehehe.

Otherwise, I think I have figured out summer and fall classes, and I think I can pull a minor in Family Systems, which would be super sool. And me and Jacob are gonna try and go to LA and SB this summer for a bit. And that is my life as of now. Besides Jacob graduating in May which is a big deal, and the possibility of house hunting for our own place, cuz roomates cn be too damn difficult even when they are cool.

hand signs A is for Appolonia and F is for F-Jacob

I woke up this morning and my lower right forearm fucking hurts! It feels soooo pained and I dont know why. If I turn it the wrong way or pick up something wrong it twangs yo. But yeah, that is all really. I ahve two big group projects for classes that I am working on. One is on Malaria medication and its availability. The other is on Global connections for altruism, as in global responsibility. Watched a video on the Meiji modernization of Japan today. It is cool to learn more about Japanese history from a source other than Kurisawa, although he is a damn good source! Me an Rhianna went to open mic night at Old Town Coffee last night and then rented and watched Secretary. Now I get to go eat. . . yippee!

I am currently in a Living Myths Religious Studies course and have to do weekly journals for it. I would like to save them, so I am gonna do that here and then peops can read them if they like. . .