blog

posted by Patia  10:24 PM 5 Comments

Via Big Mike.



Apparently moose playing in sprinklers is not an entirely unusual phenomenon.

posted by Patia  11:55 PM 6 Comments

The best after-hours food in Missoula. Gyros, jalapeno cheese fries, hot donuts -- it's all crazy good.

Parked at Stockman's for lunch and dinner, the Top Hat for late-night munchies and MySpace 24/7!

posted by Patia  10:01 PM 2 Comments

Is there any more soothing phrase than this one?

There are no messages in your Inbox folder.

Ahhh.

posted by Patia  7:29 PM 2 Comments

Jott
You're driving down the road and an idea pops into your head. It's something you want to remember to do later, but chances are good you'll forget. What to do? Use your cellphone to call Jott, which will record your voice memo, then send you an email with a perfectly transcribed reminder. Jott is the simplest, coolest new technology I've seen in a while. (And it's free.)

Woman Within
My new favorite site for plus-size women's clothing. The styles are cute, the prices are cheap and the quality is decent. I really like the customer reviews, too. If you're interested, let me know. I can get us both $10 off coupons if I refer you.

On Meetings
Anyone who goes to (or calls) a lot of meetings should read this post from the local blog 4&20 Blackbirds. It's short and hysterical. (And one thing I really do not miss about my former day job.)

Sign the MoveOn.org petition
"America must commit to producing 100% of our electricity from cheap, clean renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, within 10 years." Al Gore and many other say it's doable. Let's kick the oil habit!

"Charlie Wilson's War"
Fantastic movie. Highly entertaining and informative. I knew the U.S. had supplied the Afghanis with weapons to fight the Soviets, but I was hazy on how those weapons ended up being used against us. This movie makes the connection.


PostSecret
I did not write this secret, but I could have. If you aren't reading PostSecret every week, you're missing out.







The truth about Obama and Taxes
Have you received an email about how Barack Obama will supposedly double your taxes? Find out the truth from nonpartisan group FactCheck.org.

The Awful Truth About Eating Grains and Grains and Human Evolution
I'm gearing up for another run at low-carb eating. I'm finding more and more evidence that humans are not yet well-adapted to eating grains (even the supposedly beneficial whole grains) and that they are a cause of weight gain. But they are easy, cheap and everywhere. Wish me luck.

posted by Patia  1:27 PM 7 Comments

Garnet ghost town, east of Missoula.

posted by Patia  6:49 PM 0 Comments

Via Courtney at the Daily Cat Chase.


Accent: What accent? I don't have an accent.

Breakfast or no breakfast: I try, but it's hard. I have little appetite in the morning.

Chore I don’t care for: Cleaning the bathroom and floors. Paperwork and bill-paying.

Dog or Cat: Cats rule, dogs drool.

Essential Electronics: Palm Treo, MacBook, digital camera.

Favorite Cologne: I think cologne and perfume smell like toxic chemicals. I prefer essential oils, especially lavender, sweetgrass and my own secret blend.

Gold or Silver: Silver. Lots of it.

Handbag I carry most often: My custom-made cross-shoulder bag from Happy Kat Bags!

Insomnia: All the time.

Job Title: Writer, editor and web content consultant.

Kids: I'd like one. Just one.

Living Arrangements: Huh?

Most Admirable Trait: I like to think it's my honesty.

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Oh, dear. Where do I start?

Overnight hospital stays: I had a crayon surgically removed from my ear when I was five.

Phobias: I'm somewhat germophobic.

Quote: "I'm a ragged individualist." ~ Jane Ace

Reason to smile: When my napping kitties tuck their heads and stretch and curl their toes.

Siblings: I'm an only child.

Time I wake up: Alarm goes off at 9 a.m.

Unusual Talent or Skill: I'm very flexible.

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I think I like all vegetables. There is very little I refuse to eat.

Worst Habit: Procrastination.

X-rays: Lots. Especially when I had braces and jaw surgery a few years ago.

Yummy Stuff: Oh, there is so much. I can't even begin.

Zoo Animal I Like Most: Not sure. Zebras, maybe.

posted by Patia  11:30 AM 3 Comments

posted by Patia  4:36 AM 3 Comments

Barack Obama gave an important speech about his foreign policy proposal today. Here is an excerpt that beautifully summarizes my feelings about the direction our country has taken since Sept. 11, 2001:

Imagine, for a moment, what we could have done in those days, and months, and years after 9/11.

We could have deployed the full force of American power to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all of the terrorists responsible for 9/11, while supporting real security in Afghanistan.

We could have secured loose nuclear materials around the world, and updated a 20th century non-proliferation framework to meet the challenges of the 21st.

We could have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in alternative sources of energy to grow our economy, save our planet, and end the tyranny of oil.

We could have strengthened old alliances, formed new partnerships, and renewed international institutions to advance peace and prosperity.

We could have called on a new generation to step into the strong currents of history, and to serve their country as troops and teachers, Peace Corps volunteers and police officers.

We could have secured our homeland--investing in sophisticated new protection for our ports, our trains and our power plants.

We could have rebuilt our roads and bridges, laid down new rail and broadband and electricity systems, and made college affordable for every American to strengthen our ability to compete.

We could have done that.

Instead, we have lost thousands of American lives, spent nearly a trillion dollars, alienated allies and neglected emerging threats - all in the cause of fighting a war for well over five years in a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.

As the Bush regime draws to a close and I become more and more hopeful for an Obama presidency, I find myself wanting to spend less time mourning the mistakes of the past and more time envisioning the future. Obama's speech outlines five goals:

1. ending the war in Iraq responsibly;
2. finishing the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban;
3. securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states;
4. achieving true energy security; and
5. rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

I'm excited by Obama's plan to shift the country's dependence on foreign oil toward alternative energy sources:

For the sake of our security - and for every American family that is paying the price at the pump - we must end this dependence on foreign oil. And as President, that's exactly what I'll do. Small steps and political gimmickry just won't do. I'll invest $150 billion over the next ten years to put America on the path to true energy security. This fund will fast track investments in a new green energy business sector that will end our addiction to oil and create up to 5 million jobs over the next two decades, and help secure the future of our country and our planet. We'll invest in research and development of every form of alternative energy - solar, wind, and biofuels, as well as technologies that can make coal clean and nuclear power safe.

There are things in Obama's speech I disagree with; for example, I'm skeptical of coal power and deeply opposed to nuclear power. But realistically, I recognize that there will never be a candidate with whom I agree 100 percent. And I believe Obama has the intelligence and integrity to provide capable leadership and decision-making in these areas.

Watch the video and read the text of Barack Obama's entire speech, "A New Strategy for a New World."

posted by Patia  8:39 PM 2 Comments

posted by Patia  11:54 AM 4 Comments

Well, today turned out to be an exciting day in Missoula. Our biggest landmark, Mount Sentinel, caught on fire about 7 p.m.

A friend called to tell me, and I was actually on campus doing some work, so I drove over and took a few pictures. Yep, me and a few hundred other rubberneckers. I even saw a guy kicking back in a lawn chair. The whole town was out watching the show tonight.


The last report I heard on the television news said the fire had burned about 250 acres and "two juveniles" were being investigated. I'd guess fireworks.

And here the Fourth of July came and went without any fires. We had such a wet winter and spring -- and there's still green in the hills -- that I'm actually surprised the fire spread so quickly.


This particular fire doesn't pose any danger to human life -- other than perhaps the firefighters on the line -- or structures. There's nothing up there to burn. It's going to leave a big, ugly scar for a year or two, though.

posted by Patia  11:27 PM 19 Comments

posted by Patia  5:44 PM 7 Comments

posted by Patia  11:51 PM 2 Comments

Today was an exciting day for me. While watching a small-town parade celebrating our country's birthday, I came within two or three feet of the man I hope will be elected president this November.


My friend Justin and I drove to Butte, America -- as it is called for its rich and diverse history -- to watch the 4th of July parade and hopefully get a glimpse of Barack Obama. (Why Butte?) After a short speech in front of the Civic Center, Obama sat and watched the parade with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters, Sasha and Malia (who turned 10 today and was serenaded by members of at least one float singing, "Happy Birthday To You").

We were just behind the media section and had a fairly good view of the Obamas and the parade floats. At one point, Barack looked over in our direction and, I swear, waved and smiled at Justin and me. (Well, okay, and probably the couple dozen people around us, too.)

Toward the end of the parade, Obama spent 20 minutes or so walking the perimeter of the crowd and shaking hands. I very nearly got to shake his hand; if I'd been just a little closer or a little pushier, I would have. It doesn't matter. I got to see his eyes and his smile -- which is so authentic and charming -- and that was more than enough.


It was at that moment that I got verklempt -- choked up -- and tears came to my eyes. Why? I don't know, exactly. Maybe it is because Obama's candidacy has given me hope for my country after years of disappointment and sadness. Maybe it's because I believe he has the potential to restore justice to the United States of America, as well as our reputation in the world. Maybe it's because it's about time there was a black family in the White House.

Obama's campaign slogan is "Change We Can Believe In." Change is one of those funny things -- some people welcome it, others are frightened by it. I think many are deeply threatened by the idea of a President Obama. An African-American man. A man who wants to end the Iraq War. A man who wants to make the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.

I am most disgusted by the xenophobic idiots who imply Barack Hussein Obama is a terrorist, simply because his name resembles those of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. It's like saying John McCain, John Wayne Gacy and Elton John are all related in some sort of serial-political-entertainment cabal. (What is John McCain's middle name, anyway?)


Here's the deal, people. Barack Obama is every bit as American as you or I. He was born in Hawaii, the son of a Kenyan and a Kansan, and like the rest of us whose relatives landed on this continent at different times and from different places, he is as entitled as anyone to be President of the United States of America. This great country belongs to all of us -- not just conservatives, not just white people and not just those who approve of the current administration.

I have ancestors that came over to the colonies in the 1600s, as well as some that arrived only a few generations ago. I cherish our country's freedoms. I am as American as anyone -- and yet, because I am a liberal, it often seems I'm not allowed to call myself a patriot.

Since the first Gulf war, I have wanted to get a bumper sticker made with an image of a flag on one side and a peace sign on the other, and in between the words, "It's my flag, too." For too long, conservatives have painted liberals as unpatriotic, as if it's not possible to love peace -- or human rights and civil rights and social justice -- and love one's country, too. "You're either with us or against us." I resent the implication. It's unfair and it's untrue.


I am a liberal and a progressive and a patriot precisely because I believe government has a role to play in ensuring equality, justice and peace. Remember the Declaration of Independence, adopted 232 years ago today?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ....

Watching the fireworks tonight, I thought about the Revolutionary War whose rockets they symbolize, and the wars since, including the current and seemingly endless Iraq War. I thought about today's Independence Day parade, where those of us who had taken the time to go through security and stand in the barricaded area near Obama -- presumably a left-leaning lot of people -- had cheered the military men and women in the parade even louder than we'd cheered the Democratic presidential candidate.


I believe that war is evil, although, as Jimmy Carter once said, sometimes a necessary evil. The Revolutionary War certainly fell into this category. Along with Barack Obama, I have opposed the Iraq War from the beginning, believing it neither a just nor a necessary war. But in the months after Sept. 11, 2001, those of us who didn't wave the flag in unquestioning acquiescence to our government's rush to war were branded traitors and told to "love it or leave it." Of course, now 63 percent of Americans oppose the war.

I am not always proud of my country, but like the country song says, I am proud to be an American. And I am proud to support Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Happy birthday, America.

(And Malia Obama!)

posted by Patia  10:55 PM 15 Comments

When I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004, I took a picture of what I could only describe as an unusual mermaid. Then, last March, a well-educated friend of mine, Kelly, emailed me the following:

Back in the medieval world, a mermaid with a split tail showed up frequently on Romanesque churches throughout Europe to symbolize Luxuria or Lust. In medieval iconography, a woman with unkempt, wavy hair was a woman to be feared. Think sirens and the 7 deadly sins and the Catholic Church's need to protect the faithful and to remind them of the dangers facing them in the world.

Kelly also mentioned that this was same siren reproduced in the Starbucks logo, and pointed me to a blog post about "Starbucks Iconography," which says:

As one might imagine, these great grandmothers of the coffee temptress were more than just decor. Keeping in mind that sirens seduced to kill, a mermaid with tail spread open was an (not entirely subtle) indicator of the dangers of sexual temptation.

Five or six years ago, I was wandering through Seattle's Pike Place Market when I found a vendor selling prints of the original woodcut Starbucks logo, which had been modeled very closely on an old engraving. At the time unaware of the siren symbolism, I was simply delighted by her voluptuousness. She was downright chubby.


It turns out that as the Starbucks logo evolved, the siren was progressively de-sexualized -- and slimmed down. The very first iteration of the Starbucks siren was a more finely drawn version of the old engraving, missing her distinct belly shading but now in possession of a faint smile. In the second version of the logo, her nipples and the suggestive cleft in her tail were removed. Then, in the more recent incarnation, her belly button was erased and the split tail was all but hidden.

A fascinating blog post by Michael Krakovskiy details "How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty," including insights from the graphic designer who produced the various iterations of the logo. In another post, "The Mermaid," Heinz Insu Fenkl examines the cultural meanings of mermaids and sirens:

The mermaid ultimately signifies the fundamental mystery of female sexuality, particularly for men who, because they cannot comprehend it, are simultaneously drawn to it and terrified by it. That is why the mermaid becomes so easily conflated with the siren and her irresistible call that leads men to their doom.

Just a few weeks after alerting me to the siren-seven-sins-Starbucks connection, Kelly called excitedly to tell me she'd just bought a coffee with the original logo resurrected on the cup. The media was soon reporting on it. A Business Week article said the logo change was temporary and intended to restore the company's authenticity and edginess. Meanwhile, Christian groups were in an uproar. One said, "It's extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks."

The new "old" logo isn't an exact reproduction of the original logo, though. Hair now discreetly covers the siren's breasts, she's still missing a belly button and she remains slightly slimmer. Nonetheless, she's prompted plenty of controversy and discussion. My Internet searches revealed several references to her as "creepy" and "ugly." Here's one from a presumably ordinary guy commenting on Digg:

Yeah, the first logo is a bit creepy...A mermaid with 2 tails? Ah well, I'd hit it.

Yes, the "irresistible call" of the siren.

I was reminded of this topic -- which I've been meaning to write about for a while -- when I saw this image recently on Domino's Daily Dose blog. This bikini model could be considered the modern equivalent of the ancient siren -- alluring, yet unattainable. It may be stretching it a bit to say she's a creature of both land and sea.

The Daily Dose blogger writes: "My own personal Operation Hot Bod is not going terribly well, but i am still hopeful that by the time i am at the beach i will have got in enough exercising to look like this!"

This brings me back to an exhibit of ancient figurines I saw at the American Museum of Natural History. These "goddess" figurines date back to roughly 25,000-30,000 BC. Anthropologists suggest their ample breasts and bellies signify fertility rituals (although it's important to note that some are actually quite thin), while feminist scholars cite them as evidence of ancient goddess religions. The Venus of Willendorf, in particular, is celebrated as an icon of the fat acceptance movement. The fact is, no one really knows. I like to think of them as the ancient version of a Barbie doll, but this is of course my own personal bias.



The point is, from the goddess figurines of 25,000 years ago to the sirens of the 1500s to the corporate logos of the new millennium, representations of the female body have always served as a reflection of the place female power holds within the current culture. "Popular" body sizes and shapes shift depending not only on fashion, but on economic, political and spiritual realities. The new/old Starbucks siren certainly epitomizes our contemporary ambivalence about female sexuality, size and power.

posted by Patia  9:44 PM 8 Comments

posted by Patia  12:03 PM 3 Comments