There is so much to say about what’s been happening in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans regarding Hurricane Katrina, the levees breaking, and the government’s response. And I have my own personal feelings of loss in the face of such a huge tragedy.
But for the love of God, you must watch this video. Keith Olbermann of MSNBC calls it like it is.
I’m disgusted, horrified, saddened, heartbroken. I love that part of the deep south, lived in Baton Rouge for 2 great years, and became an adult there. It is unfathomable that no one knew this could happen. Unfathomable - because we, a bunch of librarians who know nothing of structural engineering, talked about it all the time.
Today is a very happy day, for many reasons. The main one? That girl in the blue flowered dress.
Over at blackfeminism.org, tiffany points to a story on Yahoo! News about fairy tales and domestic violence.
She goes on to ask:
…it does raise an interesting question about the role of stories and storytelling in shaping the roles of women (and men). After all, storytelling — whether in print, television, movies or theater form — is the primary way we learn cultural values and expectations.
That makes me wonder, what fairy tales are out there that go against prevailing notions of femininity and masculinity? I’ve found a couple of kids’ books that might fit the bill - The Paper Bag Princess comes to mind immediately.
But what about stories that get passed on orally? Or stories that end up as Disney movies? What ones of those resist traditional gender stereotypes? How might we begin to change the stories we tell children so that the kind of conclusions found in the study are transformed? How can we help girls grow up to be strong women, who don’t try to “live happily ever after” if there is something wrong in a relationship?
You know how sometimes getting a haircut can be so peripheral to life’s big details? And so because it is peripheral, and dealing with the eroded backyard or the dog who smells like a pina colada or the mounds of work takes all your time, you don’t get it cut?
And then one day you wake up and realize that you can wear pigtails*, only you haven’t done that since you were two years old?
Those are the days when the haircut suddenly seems not so peripheral. Amy and I both look a lot better now. See?
We’ve spent a lot of time over the past two days saying things like, “You’re so cute!”, “No, you’re so cute!” and “I just love your/my/our new haircut(s)!” And yes, we are that disgustingly cute with each other.
* She went out in public like that. I said to her, “You’re not wearing that out of the house, are you?” which is automatic relationship-speak for “Don’t wear those out of the house” and which automatically invokes a response of “So what if I do?” Fortunately, people in my neighborhood dress in a wide variety of ways, and have an even wider variety of interesting hairdos, so no one stared.
A list of lovies today:
Paula has a nice list of ways to be lovey to your spouse/partner.
Speaking of loving your partner, Anna knows what battles to pick, and I know which one she’s going to win.
Stephanie loves her new house, with good reason! That balcony off the main bedroom - I’m drooling!
Lovies to Jon for the amazing baby blanket he’s knitting.
LML and Alex are growing so big, and I’m proud that my friends are such great parents to such little lovies.
The final lovey of the day? This beauty, which is currently blooming in my (exceedingly shady) backyard.
ponder | Megan 9/7/2005 | 
Comments (2) 
