Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Watch this:

Here's a very well done 3ish minute video about genetically modified food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H9WZGKQeYg

I know that sounds oh-so-boring, but it really is worth your time if you care about your body, your home, your children's futures, etc.

Something has to be done.

We need to stop giving Monsanto all of the power. As consumers, we have the power. Our lethargy, apathy, and ignorance are what stand in our way.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

M.I.A.--Born Free

So, if you have not seen M.I.A's newest artistic contribution you should check it out, but let me warn you about it first.

M.I.A just recently released her new 9ish minute music video called Born Free at the end of April and the very same day it came out, youtube took it off their site. Now it's back on but it has an age restriction, so you have to sign-in to your account to watch it.

Let's just say it's nothing like Lady Gaga's recent long music video contribution, Telephone. Instead of wearing telephones and cigarettes on her head to strike your "wtf?" button, M.I.A has decided to use gratuitous violence to bring awareness to the issue of ethnic cleansing. You might have to hide your eyes a couple times.

The song itself is eerie and not very pleasing to the ears, but I suppose that's how M.I.A wanted it.

While we are talking about them both, here's what M.I.A has to say about Gaga:

M.I.A on GAGA

Personally, I'm glad someone finally called Lady Gaga out.

More importantly though, I want to know what people think about this video.
Do you think that using violence in art to stop violence in our world works?
How did the video make you feel?

Monday, May 3, 2010

carnival trash

So the other night, I went to the carnival thingy that they have every year at Buchanan Park (in Lancaster) and I was disgusted with the amount of trash was there.

They didn't recycle at all. Each trash barrel was filled to the brim with trash, plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard. Some cans were overflowing all over the ground with this shit. We have to come up with a better way.

How? How can we get on top of issues like this fast enough? Should it be mandatory for all young school students to take at least one field trip to at least one landfill? You know get it into the brainwaves of the youth?

Sometimes I feel like that would help. Where do we think our trash goes? It doesn't just disappear. I think recycling should be mandatory. If I was in charge of school systems, I'd also make sure students were all required to see a handful (more like a cart-full) of documentaries on our world. One that would be on that list of documentaries would be NO IMPACT MAN. If you haven't seen this yet, give it a whirl. He's a hero of mine.

But I suppose it's not just students we need to educate. It's the older generations too. It's me. It's you. We have to take responsibility. We have to remember who we are.

Meanwhile, I ran in the race against racism and they had this amazing outlook on "greening" the race. Instead of passing out all of those plastic deerpark water bottles, they passed out nice YWCA ones that you could keep and re-use again and again and also fill up at designated sinks. It was a great idea! Maybe we could do this at fairs/carnivals in the future?

Love.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Poop and Sexual Assault

One of the very beautiful aspects of living in a culture, in a community, is that absurd things become normal.


For instance, every single day we pee and poop in a little bucket that magically takes our excretions somewhere never to be seen again. To the outsider that is absurd magic. To us, it would be weird if the toilette didn’t exist.

Aspects of culture are hard to see unless you can borrow another perspective and realize that the way we live is not the way things are. It’s the way things are in this really small part of the world, in this really short moment in history. And maybe, just maybe, they don’t have to be this way.


I think this can be a fun aspect of life. But what happens, when a toilette-esque phenomena is deeply and supremely damaging to people in our society? Like sexual assault.


1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually assaulted by the age of 18.

99.5 percent of perpetrators of sexual assault are men.

Therefore, if we ourselves are not victims, there is almost 100% chance that we are close to someone who is a victim. And, more than nine out of ten times, the assaulter is a man.


What does this mean? Why am I talking about it? Well it has dawned on me that sexual assault of women and children by men is NORMAL. Maybe not as normal as taking a poop, but it is disturbingly close.


Picture this, we live in a society where no one is taken advantage of sexually. Little girls and little boys do not have to worry about the adults in their lives. Woman walk down the streets at night, unafraid, mace-less and alone, wearing whatever the hell they want.


All of a sudden: PANDEMIC! There is an outbreak of male violence, there are suddenly countless rapes a day. It is no longer safe to walk alone through certain neighborhoods, children are being molested daily by their fathers, caregivers and teachers. If you’re a girl between the ages of 14 and 21, you are particularly at risk. Everyone freaks out, the newspapers read “No woman is safe, outbreak of serial rape!”.

The president makes a speech and the troops are moved to do something about the sudden cruel and unsafe conditions for women and children.


The point is: we would do something.


But we do live in this culture. Women do worry constantly about the threat violation. Too many boys and girls are not safe in their homes. But to a degree, female submissiveness and objectification is normal, so we have lost some outraged. Through the normalization of the idea that “woman are victims, men are rapists”, we have become complacent.


So I am asking us to stop looking at these things as normal. When you hear derogatory comment from someone, such as the all-too-popular “that girl just needs to be f&*!@”, question it. When you see an ad that links violence and sex, realize that this advertisement is part of a larger culture that normalizes the sexual commoditization and victimization of women. And hey, if you watch porn, try to steer clear of the kind that inevitably ends with women in degrading used and abused positions of submission.


Even if for a minute we can pretend that sexual assault is not the status quo, and try to look at these instances with fresh eyes, we can begin to change something that deeply and brutally effects (in one way or another) every man and woman in this country.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

ZESTRA

Hello. I need to talk to you about this...

ZESTRA. Have you guys heard of this? It's a...well, how about I let the creators tell you what it is: (I highlighted all of the important parts).

"Topically applied Zestra is a safe, patented blend of botanical oils and extracts, clinically proven to increase a woman's feelings of desire and arousal. Zestra works effortlessly and within minutes by heightening your sensitivity to touch – for deep, pleasurable sensations, sexual satisfaction and fulfillment."

I'm telling you right now, if it is all-natural and safe--woowee--I'll get some. But really, is it all-natural and safe?

"The botanical ingredients in Zestra include PA-free Borage Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Angelica Extract, Coleus Forskholii Extract, Theobromine, and the Anti-Oxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin E."

Click here to check it out. I'm a little skeptical about the all-natural bit.

43% of women are supposed to have some kind of sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives, while only 23% of men do and Viagra has been around to help men for what seems like forever (which does NOT help women increase sexual arousal). So, I think it's pretty cool that women are being offered a product for their va-jay-jays.

What chu think?

They do have "free" samples (you have to pay $4.95 for shipping). I think I'm going to do some more research and try the samples and let you know the results :)


Love,

FEN

Monday, January 4, 2010

AVATAR and WANDA SYKES?

Hola all!

It's been quite some time since we have updated our blog, but we're determined to keep posting consistently for 2010!

Happy New Year. I hope it was everything you've ever dreamed of. Truly.

I have so much to tell you and I really just didn't know where to begin, so I just decided to pick the first few things that came to my head:

1. AVATAR: If you have not seen it, you definitely should see it. I mean seriously. I don't want to give anything away, but it's most definitely going to change film forever and to me, that's pretty important--and really really cool! I would add a link in here so that you could watch the trailer, but honestly, if you haven't watched the trailer yet, DON'T before you go. It's one of those dumb ones that gives away most of the movie (which you think would be hard since it's a 3 hour production, yet they still managed to do so).

2. LADY GAGA: Let's talk about her. I know it has nothing to do with this blog, but she really is strange, isn't she? I just watched her new video "Bad Romance"-and I have to say, I am a little freaked out/intrigued. No disrespect. I just want to hear what people think about this video. Click here and watch it. I promise you'll be entertained at the very least. She did give a speech at the National Equality March (Gay rights) back in October which is pretty neato. Here's that speech as well.

Lemme know whatchu think ahhthat!

3. PRECIOUS: Did you see this movie yet? Talk about giving voice to those who don't have one. The lead character (who plays Precious) didn't even act before this gig! Her friends got her to go to an audition and now, well now she knows Oprah and that's some big shit. I know it looks like an intense film, but I felt like it was my duty to see it-out of respect for the message and respect for the reality of the subject matter. Precious is obese, black, a woman, and has been sexually and emotionally abused by her parents and impregnated by her father twice.

Kathryn works for the YWCA as an adult sexual assault counselor and sees these realities every day. Go Oprah for giving voice to the oppressed and for shining light on a very real issue. Check out the trailer here.

Just see it.


4. OH MY GOD:
Let's just stick with the video theme--have you seen the preview for the documentary called Oh My God? Let me know if you find it playing around here before I do. (P.S. Let this video load or it won't play without skipping).

5. WANDA SYKES: She has a new show. Here's the promo. I hear it's no good. I can't believe that because she is one of the funniest feminists (which is supposed to be non-existent, especially in the world of stand-up)and I really want to see her succeed. Tell me what you know...

Love. Love. Love.

FEN