P-r-e-t-t-y- C-o-o-o-o-o-l

Dancing is fun! It's always a good idea. It's pretty much my favourite animal... er... thing to do.





That's a photo of Elke above. She's hula hooping and dancing and being silly.

For some more stylin' grooves check out this great little video clip.

Purity balls' and fundamentalisms in the United States

Photo: an artist's parody of the famous photo taken by Eddie Adams on Feb 5th, 1968 of a South Vietnamese officer summarily executing a Viet Cong prisoner. Here the artist (unknown) has the officer shooting George W. Bush. I found this artwork in Subeez Cafe in downtown Vancouver. It is approximately 9x9ft


BELOW: An article by Rochelle Jones from the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)


In the United States (US) a phenomenon is increasing in popularity. Dubbed 'purity balls' these gala events are formal rites of passage for young women and girls where they pledge to their fathers, abstinence until marriage. A bigger agenda to examine is the global flow-on effects of fundamentalisms for women and girls. AWID considers some of the issues.

By Rochelle Jones

'Purity balls' are ceremonies where girls, some as young as 10 years of age, promise their fathers to remain virgins until they wed. Fathers sign a covenant vowing to 'protect' their daughter's chastity until they marry, and the daughter promises to lead a life of 'integrity and purity' under her father's watchful gaze. A journalist for a popular young women's magazine who attended a purity ball in the US described the ceremony:

"When it's time for dads and daughters to take the pledge (some informally exchange rings as well), the men stand over their seated daughters and read aloud from parchment imprinted with the covenant... the men inscribe their names and their daughters sign as witnesses..."

Later in the evening, Pastors "stand at the cross with heavy rapiers raised and announce that they are prepared to "bear swords and war for the hearts of our daughters". [1] Abstinence for who? Situated at the extreme end of the abstinence movement, 'purity balls' were the brainchild of Randy Wilson from the 'Generations of Light' ministry in Colorado Springs. The idea, he claimed, was to "create an event that celebrates the bonds between father and daughter" [2].

Since then, the phenomenon has expanded, mainly throughout the Southern states, with around 1400 purity balls taking place in 2006 alone [2]. Not unlike some interpretations of Islam where 'honour' allegedly resides in the bodies of women to be regulated by men, purity balls are an opportunity for fathers to reinforce in their daughters that their sexuality is something that should be controlled by men - first by their fathers, and then through the contract of marriage (to a man of course - heterosexuality is a base assumption).

The covenant reads: "I, (daughter's name)'s father, choose before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the area of purity. I will be pure in my own life as a man, husband and father. I will be a man of integrity and accountability as I lead, guide and pray over my daughter and my family as the high priest in my home. This covering will be used by God to influence generations to come." [3]

Read more...

global warming facts

I hope people aren't getting sick of hearing about global warming. I feel like everyone is convinced... "yeah, yeah, I know, I saw 'An Inconvenient Truth'"... but, I'm just not sure that we're doing much about it. The website Global Warming Facts provides a useful Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming and it's amazing how easy and feasible they all all.

But the site doesn't list the Top 50 Things We Need To Do To Change Law, Policy and Governance in order to save our system. There are tons of website out there with online petitions. I recently signed one produced by AVAAZ.org who took 100,000 signatures to the G8 Environment Ministers and in part helped get the environment and climate change at the top of their agenda (Duh!).

But what about local activism. I guess the word 'activist' is loaded and many people shy away, but I would like to encourage everyone to write to their representatives telling them that they are concerned about climate change, water privatization, offshore drilling and whatever else is worrying you. Ask them to promote public transport, change public education or whatever else you want. Many people think that letters are useless but these are our representatives and they will have to listen to us if they want our vote. Some may be on the same page, but don't know their constituents feel the same way! Many of them do write back to me personally or at least answer my questions. And if they don't, then send another letter and ask your friends to do the same. You can also call, fax, or email but I prefer hard copy mail. Remember that snail mail to any MP is FREE... just write 'free to MP' in place of a stamp!

For great tips on letter writing check out The Wheels of Justice.

Here's a full list of member's of parliament including their contact info.

If you don't know who your MP is you can search by postal code here.

In BC you can also find and contact your MLA here. For other provinces, just google "legislative assembly".

'Call of Life' Facing the Mass Extinction Trailer

This is a trailer for a documentary about our threatened ecosystem. What I like about it is the focus on ideas, culture and psychology.

podcasting

Check out these two great radio talks available via podcast:

1 Taking the Pulse of the Planet: David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis in conversation with Eleanor Wachtel, host of Writers and Company, on the politics of the environment and Canadian values. A personal, passionate and wide-ranging evening with two of Canada's foremost activists. Download the podcast on CBC radio's 'Ideas'.

2. An extended interview with David Susuki conducted by Simran Sethi. The two delve into the essence of the world economy, the importance of seasonal food, and what happens when you eat too many cherries. Download the podcast at Tree Hugger Radio.

Stop the Clash of Civilizations

Hey, I made the mistake of burying this link in an email a few days ago. I'm reposting it to make sure you all watch the super-short, super-effective animated video and check out the AVAAZ.ORG website.

Avaaz means "Voice" or "Song" in several languages including Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, Nepalese, Dari, Turkish, and Bosnian. Peace!

heroes

Photo: a kitchen where there was none before! (Prince George, march 2007)

Thank you to Carmen for sending me the write up below. In a world of magazine covers, sensationalized headliners, endless award shows and so-called first places, this is a nice, grounding exercise.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.


How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .


Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care .


Cool eh? While I don't want to dismiss people's great achievements and think that it is wonderful to honour people for them, I think the message might be that we should try and acknowledge those who truly are our heroes.

Jill Scott at Dave Chapelle's Block Party

What a woman! What a smile! What a voice!

YOU GOT ME

If you haven't yet seen "Dave Chapelle's Block Party", a brilliant street concert that brought together some of the best grassroots hip hop I know, then you are missing out. Check out these two videos with Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.

good news

Photo: A rescued fruit bat (or flying fox as they're called in Australia) at the Bat House in Cape Tribulation- all run by volunteers of course! (July 2004).

While I tend to lean towards cynicism and brooding, I have to say that the more I look around the more I see people doing good things to make the world 'a better place,' or I should say, how I want the world to be! Just when I start to worry about the greenwashing being done by Inc-this and Inc-that, I read a story about local school kids in the Fraser Valley starting a Random Acts of Kindness club. In fact, they convinced our provincial government to declare February 12-19 as Random Acts of Kindness Week! Cool.

Then, just when I'm convinced organic food is being co-oped by the few big businesses that already control the production and distribution of all our food (and tobacco, toothpaste, soap, chemicals, pharmaceuticals etc. etc. etc.), I begin to see the farmers markets and local collectives more and more present in the neightbourhood. If you want to watch a great documentary, head to your local library and take out the Future of Food dvd. While it's terrible to hear about what many farmers have had to endure in the face of Monsanto and Cargill, there's hope in the end! We can have the world we want.

For a pleasant and humbling read, pick up David Suzuki and Holly Dressel's lovely book called "Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet". It's a 2003 book, so I bet you'll find it at a second hand book store.

And the latest thing I NEED to share with you- something that gave me that 'another world is possible' kick in the ass that I needed- has been put out by AVAAZ.org. Head to their website and watch their short animated video on the post-9/11 US against THEM, West against East, West against Islam dichotomy that is produced through endless, repetitive fear mongering images and terror-words. Thank you to those who put the video together. I think these short viral videos may be the most effective means of spreading news in our hyperspeed, too-many-images-too-much-noise, don't believe the news machine world.