techie-charmed kind of life

Today’s power word is: Power. My day today started a bit later than usual, and I arrived at my office (barnes&noble bookstore) a bit late. Of course I am the person who forgot to charge their computer over the weekend and now at 16% battery I am suffering the consequences. All of the outlets are in use. So as I sit here, watching my sad battery drain, I got to thinking about power.

Growing up, a 90’s kid, the power of technology didn’t really come into play that often. We didn’t have computers or cell phones. We ran around like banshees terrorizing neighbors as a source of fun. We couldn’t even imagine sitting in front of a screen and pressing buttons as a source of entertainment. And then around ’95 the computer moved in with us. And for a time we kids wanted nothing to do with it. We would still hand write all of our papers and assignments, and when they needed to be typed, we would dictate them to our mother who lovingly typed them out and proof-read.

The computer was weird. We would occasionally IM chat with friends as a novelty but in reality it was just confusing. After the computer moved in, cell phones for teenagers became a popular topic of conversation in our house. My parents didn’t think we should have them because in reality we shouldn’t be hanging out places without their knowledge, where there was no house phone, and at a time where we would need to call and tell them we would be late. But as we grew older, our skirts grew shorter, and Dateline got scarier; they broke and on each of our 16^th birthdays we received a cell phone. But at that point in our lives technology still hadn’t tightened its grip on us. We still preferred face-to-face interaction over face-to-screen.

It wasn’t really until Blackberry’s became a staple in many young professionals tool belts and Apple broke its first all-powerful i-Phone that I feel technology really had a hold on our society. And I may be completely off base, but in my life those two devices stick out as being the beginning of techno-obsession. Technology’s thirst for power, so to speak, has become a crutch for the socially awkward culture that is blossoming in the age of hiding behind cell phones/iPads/nooks. Having a well-charged cell phone before a night of partying so that you can look bored and unaffected all night has become a staple for hipsters everywhere. Then you have the social media junkies (myself included) who are constantly tweeting/tumbling/facebooking from massive smart phones. And as soon as the battery dies, look out world, because the most awkward class of people is forced to converse. A skill that they really only developed until whatever age they acquired their first fancy piece of technology at. 

conservatives fear boobs. and other breaking news.

The Susan G Komen Foundation brought back funding to Planned Parenthood. This news means a few things for women, feminists, and Planned Parenthood. For decades Planned Parenthood has been a staple organization for women. I’ve heard PP described as a mother figure, a friend, and a confidant. Not many organizations (ESPECIALLY in the medical field) can boast having such a personal presence in the lives of its patients. And when the Komen Foundation hit PP with the news that they were pulling funding, the WHOLE big Planned Parenthood family took offense. And this is not the family you want to mess with.

People that never take a stance on ANYTHING took a stance on this. The apathetic, the “I’m not a feminist but…”’s, the mothers who would have had 12 children was it not for BC (birth control), and the die-hard, true-blue Planned Parenthood supporters. It was an amazing show of support that under-appreciated organizations like Planned Parenthood don’t get to see to often. Planned Parenthood is used to defending the 3% of their abortion services; not the other 97%. But, because we live in such a neo-conservative nation, it is not surprising that a few hyper-conservative board members would go so far as to de-fund mammograms and breast exams based on the argument the PP is under investigation by congress.

While the news that the Komen Foundation is reinstating funding for PP is great news; it is only half the battle. As many crusaders for basic civil rights will tell you, if you do not keep on top of every single attempt to chip away at your cause it will get destroyed. In order to ensure that this does not happen again, the Komen Foundation is going to need to revamp their entire exec board. Who is to say they wont try pull this stunt again, and again, and again until it works and they completely defund Planned Parenthood. Unless lower members of the Susan G Komen foundation step up and call for a new board, an APOLITICAL board, then nothing has really changed. They felt pressure and they caved. But they will only rethink their tactics until they come up with an effective way to relinquish funding.

I want to applaud everyone who stood with Planned Parenthood, as it was such an important fight for women. But the fight isn’t over. And the worse thing that can happen now is to lose steam and end dialogue about Planned Parenthood, the work they do, and the adversity they face. If we don’t fight for ourselves, no one else will. And our health is too important to give up the fight on. 

azul moon

Since becoming recently unemployed getting dressed in the morning has turned into quite the chore. At my previous job (evil doggie daycare that shall remain nameless) I could roll out of bed and go to work and no one would care because my main interactions were with canines. The audience doesn’t get as judgment free as a bunch of dogs. But now that I am back on the prowl (#cheetahgirl) for a job I have been examining every article of clothing I own. Some which have slipped under the radar for far to long.

I own a blue/azul modest v-neck sweater with flower appliqué on the left breast. When I purchased this sweater it was vintage. When I wore/cared for this sweater it became an abused item of clothing. It spent time on the floor, stretched out over disgusting wire hangers, and trampled upon by the babies (furbabies). So now when I pull out this once lovely sweater it appears to fit as a brown sack would. Lumpy and unforgivingly matronly. When dressing this morning however, I had to choose this particular item as I was dressing to hand in an application at a craft store with Christian under-tones (closed on Sundays, etc). I didn’t think they would appreciate my vulgar tattoos (women’s symbol, coffee cup, sass knucks).

After leaving aforementioned craft store however I was so filled with disgust towards this lumpy sweater that I had to switch it out for a more structured marching-band style wool jacket. The new addition to my outfit is possibly a couple shades cooler blue than the previous sweater, but for some reason it was eons more visually stimulating to me than the previous sweater.

I always find myself being particularly cleansed after I fight through my closet and purge it of all ill-fitting, outdated articles of clothing. More recently I have been replacing things that were bought on a whim or to satisfy a direct need at the time; with pieces that I can visualize myself in for years to come. My new mantra for closet life and real life is: quality not quantity.

BHM

Along with predictions of winters staying ability and an onslaught of Hallmark cards February brings Black History month to 2012. This is the month when children in schools are bringing home Martin Luther King Jr worksheets, universities are assigning essay topics about Civil Rights, and television stations everywhere dust off their films with Black leads. While all of these reformist approaches to Black History month are happening, I like to continue my research of the Black Liberation Army. The BLA was a radical spawn of the Black Panther Party. I became aware of the group a few years ago and have continued to try and soak up all of the knowledge I can find. Which, unsurprisingly, is not that much.

The BLA came about on the tail-end of the Panther Party, when the FBI’s COINTELPRO (Counter-Intelligence Program) was planting agents in radical groups to cause infighting and eventual collapse of organizations they viewed as a threat to the government. You can try to look up the Black Liberation Army, you can try to ask people if they remember it’s existence, and you can try to get the facts from the limited muddled information provided. But the information that is out there is few and far between. Most members are presumed dead or in prison for multiple life sentences. Assata Shakur escaped prison and is exiled in Cuba, but she remains the only free and living member, to my knowledge.

When this small radical faction formed, the USA was in turmoil. Worse than anyone not alive during that time can even imagine. The BLA was made up of revolutionaries who believed the only way to seize power from white America was through an armed militant force. They were an underground group, they were armed, and they knew the kind of revolution they wanted. They saw the Panthers ripped apart by the government and felt they would not see revolution for Black people unless violence was used.

The Black Liberation Army began in 1970. It is so troubling to me that 42 years ago there was an armed resistance here in the United States of America. And this resistance has been completely ignored. There are no lessons in school about what happens when disenfranchised people get together to discuss political climate at a radical level. There are no worksheets that link which Police Officer shot which Panther or Army member. And there are no lesson-plans designed to question why so many citizens in the USA think our society in post-racial, yet we still have a Black History month. I urge everyone (human and dog) to stick their noses into all of the places they don’t belong. Sniff out the truth, because in this political climate no one will tell you if you don’t ask

dog science

So I have recently begun baking treats for my dogs as a way to cut costs and be able to source all of the ingredients going into their diets. Baking has always been a terrifying experience for me, most of my 'experiments' so to speak have ended in flat brownies, crumbly cakes, and tasteless cookies. These mistakes typically stem from my inability to do anything in an exact way. I much prefer cooking because it can be a little messy and not so particular. But when I bake for them, I become very invested in only adding exactly what is needed to make each batch taste good and look good. The other thing I enjoy about baking my own treats is that I can know every ingredient they are intaking, when I bought it, and where it came from. I think there is so much power in making things for yourself (and your canine pal) that you know is healthy and nutritious. It is an incredible feeling to know that the government isn't controlling me or my dogs with cholesterol, sodium, and trans fats.

Recipe for Power to the Puppy biscuits:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ (additional for dredging)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade, store bought ok)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 and oil a large baking sheet.
Combine whole wheat and all-purpose flours, 1/2 cup wheat germ, milk powder, and salt. Mix together stock and oil in separate bowl. Place 1/3 flour mixture in mixing bowl; add 1/3 stock mixture and stir until combined. continue adding in 1/3s until all ingredients are mixed.
Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead well, add additional all-purpose flour if needed, until dough is easy to handle but still soft. Break off walnut sized pieces of dough, roll them in wheat germ, and place on baking sheet about an inch apart.
Flatten with a fork. Bake 15-20 minutes or until fully baked. Turn off oven and allow biscuits to harden in the oven for several hours. Cut into 1/4s for smaller breeds. Store covered in refrigerator or freezer.

  Happy Dogging

dog days are over.

adventures in unemployment commence. i had a post-grad sass attack and quit my job at a local orlando doggie daycare. as with most attacks of this nature i was feeling excellent for the first few days and have now sunk into the abyss of not knowing what i will be doing with my life. currently teaching is the most prevalent idea in my brain. besides becoming a part-time employee at the local Hobby Lobby; every indie-movie leading lady's dream. to celebrate (a bit late if i must confess, as i quit a few weeks ago) here is a song that has been long over-due in my ears.