Initially introduced only to "hand-selected athletes and actors," Bling H2O is now available to the rest of us mere mortals. It has made appearances at the MTV Music Video and Emmy awards, but did anyone tell the celebs the water comes from Dandridge, Tennessee? Never mind, the point in this case is not what's in the bottle as it is what's on it: Swarovski crystals spelling out "bling." The frosted glass bottle is labeled "Limited Edition Spring Water" and is sealed with a cork.
You can buy Bling H2O in bottles without crystals, but why would you? $441 per case of 12 bottles (750ml)
Per 750ml bottle: $36.75
via Feministing, Gluttonous:
I think it's interesting that songs about conspicuous consumption do not get the same kind of responses as this is getting. For example:
Though I'm all for being a food lover (Lord knows I like my chicken wings, too), this video gives me the feeling that food can make you happy. I know we shouldn't fear food, but it's not a replacement for emotion. Yeah yeah yeah, I eat my feelings, too, but Ben&Jerry shouldn't be what cheers me up.
But yeah...this doesn't sit right with me. I LOVE food and eating what you crave, but I still like to be healthy... and I just don't see that video promoting health.
Where is it implied in this video that gluttony is healthy? It seems like gluttony should be considered in a similar vein as greed, in which the former is conspicuously displaying your wealth (BLING!!!) and the latter is conspicuously displaying your eating habits. Personally, I like the video. But I am also of the opinion that life is only worth living if you consistently break at least 3 of the 7 cardinal sins. You pick which ones.
More links addressing quantity issues:
Perhaps there is such a thing as too much gin and television: Gin, Television, and Social Surplus, or how the purported death of the sitcom has freed up 2,000 Wikipedias worth of cognitive capacity. Kinda makes me want to give up television. Kinda.
However, one can never have too many orgasms: Education may make women less likely to reach orgasm. Something must be done about this. Boinkology, hypothesizes the problem has something to do with educated women not being able to stop thinking, even for sex. I wonder why nobody's stopped to think the correlation might be spurious. After all, educated women may be more likely to have sex with educated men, and perhaps they're the ones with the problem.
Then on to gender:
Is the military really all that macho? In“The Myth of the Macho Military” from the latest issue of Polity, Titunik, an associate professor of political science at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, writes:
The public debate about the incorporation of women in the U.S. Armed Forces has primarily included feminist-insipired critics, who denounce the hostility toward women they perceive is promoted by the military’s masculinist culture, and, alternatively, opponents of the greater inclusion of women in the military, who valorize the exclusivist masculine qualities that many feminists criticize. Although these ideological adversaries differ in their estimation of military culture, they both share — and have reciprocally reinforced — a view of the military as steeped in the traditions and practices of aggressive masculinity. This article shows that the prevailing view of the military as hyper-masculine is misguided. Not unhindered aggressiveness, but camaraderie, discipline, and service are the qualties instilled in soldiers. These qualities foster military effectiveness and counterbalance sexist tendencies producing a complex institutional culture congenial to women in significant respects.
Also, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero seems to be doing some good things, including appointing a pregnant defense minister. Also,
during his first term, he passed a sweeping law against domestic violence, legalized gay marriage, eased divorce laws, and required political parties to practice gender parity. He also appointed equal numbers of men and women to cabinet positions, and named María Teresa Fernández de la Vega as his deputy prime minister.
This time around, the prime minister, who was re-elected on March 9, appointed more women than men to his cabinet. He also created a new Equality Ministry, charged with ensuring fairness in the workplace and continuing the fight against domestic violence. "For the Socialists, gender equality has become a sign of identity," says Maribel Montaño, secretary for equality during the previous administration.
And finally, Savage Minds considers the distinction between blogging as public anthropology and blogging as anthropology in public.
This Genie guesses the gender of an author. You copy and paste your text, tell it whether it is reading fiction, nonfiction, or a blog entry, and then let the algorithm do its thing. Here's my results:
Words: 1280 (starting with the review of terms so there would be no direct quotes mixed in)
(NOTE: The genie works best on texts of more than 500 words.)
Female Score: 2085 Male Score: 2238
The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!
The analysis seems to be based on the number of times certain "masculine" and "feminine" words are used within the text. Here's the breakdown of my own writing:
I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind the gendering of these words, but it is interesting to see which words are categorized where. I wonder if the training in academic styles of writing has anything to do with my apparent masculine writing style.
Or maybe the Gender Genie is a load of crock. Either way, it's fun!
We the Robots cleverly turns one of my top pet peeves into a funny comic. Just because someone is calling does NOT mean you have to answer the phone. That's what caller ID and voicemail are for. I mean, damn!
Via Mind Hacks, Gay Scientists Isolate the Christian Gene:
Extra-marital sex, random violence and eating disorders may all be linked to too much exposure to artificial light, computers and TV screens.
Leading medical researcher Professor Austin Darragh believes the resulting "sleep poverty" may be the cause of many modern maladies.
I am doomed.
The New York Times has an article on making a gourmet meal with 99-cent ingredients. I don't know that I would ever willingly go to such extremes, but with the current rise in the cost of food, it does seem like a good idea to consider price when designing meals.
Another food-related item, here's a great article describing the Slow Food Movement. An excerpt:
The Cornish Pilchard. The Chilean Blue Egg Hen. The Cypriot Tsamarella and Bosnian Sack Cheese. You haven’t seen these foods at McDonald’s because they are strictly local rarities championed by Slow Food, the social movement founded to combat the proliferation of fast food. McDonald’s is a multinational corporation: it retails identical food products on the scale of billions, repeatedly, predictably, worldwide. Slow Food, the self-appointed anti-McDonald’s, is a “revolution” whose aim is a “new culture of food and life.”
Slow Food began as a jolly clique of leftist academics, entertainers, wine snobs, and pop stars, all friends of Italian journalist and radio personality Carlo Petrini. Their galvanizing moment, which occurred in 1986, was an anti-McDonald’s demonstration at which Petrini and his dining buddies brandished pasta pans while folk-dancing in the streets of Rome. This prescient intervention predated Jose Bove’s violent wrecking of a French McDonald’s by some 13 years. While the anti-WTO crowd was politically harassing corporate globalizers, Slow Food was methodically building constructive alternatives. Today, Slow Food is well-nigh as “global” as McDonald’s but networked rather than hierarchical. Year by methodical year the Slow Food network has stuck its fingers into a host of pies.
A recent survey that found some Florida teens believe drinking a cap of bleach will prevent HIV and a shot of Mountain Dew will stop pregnancy has prompted lawmakers to push for an overhaul of sex education in the state.
Via Racialicious, Where Have all the Manners Gone?
We’ve all seen it. A lot of us have experienced it personally. There is talk all the time about how the youth of today are rude and disrespectful, parents aren’t teaching their kids basic manners anymore, etc. That may or may not be true. But what isn’t discussed so often is the rudeness of older generations.
I like this article because it emphasizes that what people say they mean by mannerly behavior often only extends to certain situations and certain groups. Plus, I wonder whether this tendency for older people to be impolite to minorities is a cohort effect or an age effect.
We have sufficient supply to keep the world running for 30 years or so, at the current level of demand. But that's irrelevant because the days of inexpensive oil are behind us. And the American Empire absolutely demands cheap oil. Never mind the 3,000-mile Caesar salad to which we've become accustomed. Cheap oil forms the basis for the 12,000-mile supply chain underlying the "just-in-time" delivery of plastic toys from China.
Am I becoming one of those crazy shut-ins that constantly go on about the demise of civilization, or is he making some good points? Maybe it's both.
The gendered nature of our political candidates has been in the news a lot recently--and not just because we have a female running for the nomination. Particularly interesting is the attention that has been brought to the male candidates' expressions and perceptions of gender.
Three events have come together in a way that really allows us to look at our definitions of masculinity and misogyny. These events are similar in that they have elicited discussions regarding the implied masculinity and misogyny of the candidates. I think that some important distinctions need to be made here. But first, let's take a look at the events:
1. In this video, Obama calls a female reporter sweetie:
Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.
Now, for a review of some terms:
A person's sex (typically male or female) refers to their biological traits. Most basic are primary traits such as possessing a penis versus a vagina. There are also some fuzzier secondary traits that correlate pretty strongly with sex--muscle mass, fatty tissue, voice depth, height, body hair.
A person's gender (masculinity, femininity) refers to their social traits, and varies by society and generation. When you tell someone they need to "take it like a man," or that they are "acting like a girl," you are referring to gender. When people react against sexism (for example, when Chris Matthews asked Chris Dodd if he'd find it difficult to debate a woman) by saying "You know, because vaginas have special debate-blocking powers," they are referring to sex. This typically indicates the person's belief that gender is more than a social construction; rather, that it is a myth. One type of feminism is to try to eradicate perceived gender differences, as they are considered artifacts of patriarchy.
Masculinity, then, is an expression of gender. Most people who express masculinity are male. However, masculinity is not monolithic. There are multiple gender roles, or ways one can enact their gender identity. To complicate matters even more, masculinity and femininity are not necessarily inversely related. One can be very high on certain stereotypically masculine traits, but also be high on certain feminine traits. I can cry at movies AND know how to change my oil. Conversely, I can be able to claim neither.
One type of masculinity is that of the chivalrous male. The chivalrous male honors, serves, and protects the ladies. He puts her on a pedestal, then he guards that pedestal with his life. He vows to protect the purity of his daughters, and he considers any offense toward the women in his life to be fightin' words. You can see vestiges of this in the way you can get some kids - especially boys - to foam at the mouth when you insult their mother. Men are the guardians of women, to be honored and protected at all costs.
Misogyny is an extreme form of sexism marked by a hatred of women. Now, sexism can mean two things. First, it can mean the belief that men are superior to women. Second, it can refer to the systematic differentiation based on sex; i.e., to use sex as a means of determining gender. Further, it refers to the notion that most gender roles are mutually exclusive: there are things girls do, and there are things boys do, and these boundaries should not be crossed.
The feminist reference to vagina's special debate-blocking powers is an attack on the second form of sexism, in which women are automatically stereotyped in a specific manner based on their sex. One way in which types of feminism can be distinguished is according to whether they think the two types of sexism are inherently related. Cultural feminism, for example, fights the first form of sexism (men are superior) by asserting that the second (systematic differentiation of genders) is NOT sexist; but rather, it is sexist to demean and not appreciate female culture.
Based on this, we can see how one can be sexist without being misogynist. Now, let's apply this knowledge to the candidates.
Use of Names
Obama - his calling the reporter "sweetie" has been called out as sexist. This term isn't always sexist, but it certainly can be. It's all about the power differential. If you want to know whether calling someone something implies that they have less status or power than you, think about how you would feel if someone clearly under you used that term. If it's a term you use when you don't know the person's name, then what if a child you didn't know called you "sweetie"? Or a teenage barista giving you coffee (assuming you are an established adult)? Does it sound weird? That's the power difference implied in the word. Likely, you didn't feel offended; it's too subtle for that. Some women call men "sweetie." But it's usually older women talking to younger men. The age differences cancels out some of the sex difference in power. But there's also a hint of the sexual in that term, which is part of the reason you don't often hear men calling each other sweetie; instead they'll use "buddy," "man," or "dude." But not "pal," cuz that implies there's a problem.
These subtle meanings in the words are hard to articulate, but most of us know that if a stranger calls us "pal," they're looking to start a fight. Maybe we can't explain why, but we know. Same with "sweetie." If a woman calls a man that, whatevs. But if a man calls a woman that, many women get offended. I think we can get a glimpse into why by examining what men do when other men call them "sweetie," or how we'd feel if a child called us "sweetie." The former would probably be freaked out, the latter bemused. But why? Answer that and you know what's wrong with Obama's use of the word.
It also goes back to the variations within sexism. If sweetie is a diminutive reserved for women or lovers, then those who don't like the idea of conflating sex with gender are not going to be pleased with that. ABC News asks if Obama's "sweetie" is spontaneous or sexist. Why can't it be both? Sexism isn't just about overt beliefs and behaviors. It's not about actively treating women like second-class citizens. It can be so deeply embedded in your psyche that it is simply a part of who you are. It is not conscious or premeditated. It just is.
McCain - Okay, now do that same exercise with the word "cunt." 'Nuff said.
Both of these men have used arguably sexist slang to refer to women. However, only one of these examples give indication that this sexism is of the type which involves a belief that men are superior to women. McCain called his wife a cunt. This word is clearly meant to be an insult, and it draws on her sex in order to do it. We can't say conclusively from this evidence that McCain is misogynist. People also call men dicks, after all. However, we can conclude that he is not respectful toward his wife. If he says those sorts of things in public, how is he in private?
Obama Stands up for his Wife
Obama's sweetie comment can be better understood in light of his reaction to the Republican Party in Tennessee's attempt to criticize his wife and question her patriotism. He seems to be, to some extent, enacting a chivalrous version of masculinity. He is respectful toward his wife. He is protecting his wife from attack. This particular form of masculinity is one in which clear distinctions are made between men and women, and clear behavioral norms are upheld. These norms are quite the opposite of misogyny; honoring women is quite different than hating them.
However, many would still argue it is sexist because of the enforced gender roles required for chivalry. If Obama is playing the chivalrous male, then what is the counter-role? The Fair maiden; the type of women a man would call "sweetie" and honestly "mean no disrespect" by it. In fact, for a chivalrous gentlemen, this would be a term of honor and respect.
For the women who has no interest in playing the role of fair maiden, however, the meaning is quite different.
Can we say conspicuous consumption?
, the author talks about the time McCain publicly 
But yeah...this doesn't sit right with me. I LOVE food and eating what you crave, but I still like to be healthy... and I just don't see that video promoting health.