feminist blogs

We've been in Detroit since Thursday and I have seen some good sessions and some not so good sessions. But that's about par for the course, right? What I have been disappointed in is the attendance. There are a lot of folks who just didn't show even though they were accepted and some who never even thought about coming. I'm pretty sure that attendance is so low because it's in Detroit. Folks are afraid of Detroit. I don't know if they are afraid of the rumors or frightened by the thought of a true chocolate city. Afraid of being outnumbered the way us Black academic folk are at all of our professional meetings, in our departments, and many times in our own towns. To those folks I just say get over yourselves, your closed mindedness caused you to miss one of the greatest cities in the United States.

We are already hearing rumors of folks being "concerned" for their safety in New Orleans at Cs next year. To those folks I say again Get. The. Fuck. Over. It. Don't let your ignorance make you miss out on another of the great cities in the U.S. (ironically another chocolate city). NOLA (and Detroit) are no more dangerous that any large city in the U.S. They may be a little darker (and you know what I mean) than you are used to, but they are no more dangerous.

Ok, enough of my ranting. I'm going to bed. I'll put my notes up soon.

Luckily it seems that all of our colleagues in English are physically safe. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Blacksburg. We are going to ignore the madness of Fox News putting Jack Thompson on the air as a "school shooting expert" only to have him blame today's tragedy on video games. *sigh* God help us all.

Non-gamers are usually shocked by the number of military recruitment ads found in video game magazines and on games websites. With the increasing popularity of online games mags and podcasts it would seem that recruitment ads in print mags would less effective.

The U.S. Army has signed a $2 million deal with the Global Gaming League website. GGL which runs competitive ladders for mostly military/strategy games seems to be the perfect venue for the Army, 18-24 year old males who are already interested in military strategy. The site brings in over 9 million gamers a month, 80% of whom are in the Army's target demographic. While most of the games that I see listed on the ladders are also games that are most appealing to my middle aged friends with the relaxing of age restrictions for enlistment in the last couple of years I suppose that works too.

Under this new deal the Army will open a new area of the site that hosts 15 new games and gives players a chance to participate in a monthly tournament for its game. According to Army marketing specialist, Rueben Hendell, gamers will be given the opportunity to "opt-in" for recruitment information during the registration process and only then will they be contacted by Arny recruiters. The Army sees this as an opportunity “to tell the Army story. It’s not all about combat. Being in the Army is about driving trucks, welding, nurses and computers. If we have an opportunity to tell the Army story, we may have better influence.” Maybe that's why there's no blood when you get shot in America's Army.

Discuss.

(via Serious Games Source)

soon to be cross posted over at j101

First Don Imus started by calling the Rutgers girls "nappy headed hoes" and then folks all over the place jumped to his defense claiming freedom of speech and trying to divert attention by bringing up Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson's checkered pasts with racial slurs. Some idiots are even trying to blame rap music for Imus's comments. Yesterday NBC canceled Imus's show and today CBS fired his ass.

Now some idiot DJ in PA got fired because he made "nappy headed hoes" the phrase that pays and getting idiot callers to call in and repeat the phrase over and over again. Yes, of course he's sorry and claims that it was a stupid thing to do. Yeah, right. This has been a banner week for idiot DJs across the US.

What was most shocking about the whole thing is the fact that it took a day or so before anyone realized that "hoe" was also problematic. They got the racist thing, but not the sexist thing. When you put all of the words together it becomes more and more problematic. It's not racism and sexism independently, but it is racism wrapped up in sexism. It recalls images of enslaved Black women who are forced into lives of chattel and sexual slavery and finding the descendants for hundreds of years marked are "hoes". Oh shit, don't get me started!

Sarah has charged me to do a meme. I need to name 5 things that I try to do every day that contribute to my success (such as it is). She said such nice damned things about me that I can't not do it now! So here goes. In no particular order because if I wanted them ordered that would be more work :-P

1. Make lists. I have so many things on my mind and on my plate that if I don't make lists and have something to check off I'll never get anything done. I actually use OmniOutliner for my to-do lists. Anybody know a better app for the Mac?

2. Force myself to focus. Avoid the temptation to just tune out and tune in to the boob tube because there are too many things on my to-do list. Really. I work well under pressure so sometimes I am tempted to put myself under said pressure just to get everything done at once.

3. Make some family time. Yeah, sometimes it's pseudo-family time and I work while I we watch a movie and I knit (yes, I can do all 3 at the same time) and then sometimes Lisa forces to disconnect and play board games.

4. Feel obligated to read something academic-y every day that I am supposed to be working. There is so much going on the I think that I need to read constantly just to stay on top of things. It may be an article online, a journal, a chapter, a book, but it has to be something. I also read TONS of blog posts by really smart folks everyday just to see what kinds of stuff they are reading.

5. Work where and how I feel comfortable. Some people swear by routine and need to go to the office everyday or some such thing. I work wherever I want so that I am a little happier working.

and a +1 (like Sarah) Be REAL. I allow myself to be snarky (without being mean), funny, sarcastic, and just plain old me. For some folks I am an acquired taste and for others I am just distasteful, but that's okay with me. In the end I have to live with myself and it's most important to me that I never lose me (and despite the predictions of the good ol' boy network at my degree granting institution I still got tenure). You know the old saying, "You can dance with the devil, but the devil won't change, the devil changes you" Hell, who knows...maybe I'm the devil :-P

SO who do I tag next??

Willie Bobby
Tengrrl
Becky Howard
Cheryl Ball
Charlie Lowe

Watching the Grammy's. Ludacris just sent a shout out to Oprah! Don't get the comedy in this?? Read this, this, or this.

I loves me some snarkiness!

ARTICLE: Robertson says God told him of ''mass killing'' in U.S. in 2007 (The Virginian-Pilot - HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com)

VIRGINIA BEACH - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson cited communications with God in predicting Tuesday that horrific terrorism aimed at the United States will result in "mass killing" during the second half of 2007.

Will this nutcase ever stop? he predicted all kinds of tsunamis and hurricanes for 2006 that never came to pass and now this? I know! If we tithe 50% to the 700 Club and stone "dem damn queers, atheists, and coloreds" in the streets we will be protected from mass murder.

Somebody hand me a rock...oh, wait...SHIT! DUCK!!!

I'm sure that you've seen it 50 other places by now, but I felt obligated to post about it. James Brown has passed away. While he had a checkered past in terms of domestic abuse (that can't and won't be denied) he has made a contribution to Black music and culture that can't be denied. From the 60s/70s anthem "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" to the inclusion of songs like "Funky President" and "The Payback" in the GTA:San Andreas soundtrack there is much to be remembered about a great artist. Rest in Peace Brother James

China Tightens Adoption Rules, U.S. Agencies Say The new regulations, which have not yet been formally announced by the state-run China Center of Adoption Affairs, are to take effect on May 1, 2007, and seem certain to slow the rapid rise in applications by foreign parents to adopt Chinese babies.

That makes perfect sense. If you're old, fat, and/or gay you can't adopt children from China after May 1st. Now those of ya'll who know me know that I am pro-adoption. There are millions of children all over the world who live abused and neglected in orphanages or on the streets. These children need homes.

Here's where it gets controversial. What about the children in the U.S.? More specifically what about black or brown children in the U.S.? What is with the incredible number of white couples who are going abroad to find children "who look like them"? Ummmm...really? Since when do Asian babies look like white folks? Granted they are not as dark as Hispanic or African American babies, but they definitely ain't white. If these folks really just want children to love then what about babies in the US (yeah, they even have colored newborns)? Most white couples want a white baby and their willing to go to Eastern Europe to find one or to Asia to find the next best thing.

Adults in these preferred countries of adoption are finally starting to speak out for a variety of reasons. The most reason is China. There is an increase in their applications for adoption because Russia has already slowed the pipeline because they claim that these transnational adoptees are being abused and treated cruelly in foreign families.

There are a whole shitload of implications here. Are these children just accessories? Are they having their cultures stripped by folks who take them from their homelands, never take them back, or teach them anything of their culture? Would these folks who "simply want a baby to love" adopt black or brown babies born in the US if transnational adoptions are stopped? Now that these transnational adoptees are reaching a certain age should we start to consider their experinces even if they are negative (aka transnational/tranracial abductees)?

And in response to the smart ass questions that I know will come...I would love to one day adopt brown and black children of my own. There appears to be enough available babies here in Indiana even as there seems to be a pipeline out of Indianapolis to the Netherlands and the trend seems to be spreading. Folks so damned busy talking about duty to the country, but I guess that duty don't extend to colored children (or older children of any race).

say you weren't stupid enough to get caught on tape!

It seems that Isiah Thomas got recorded warning Denver Nugget's star Carmelo Anthony about poor sportsmanship during a game where the Nuggets let the New York Knicks by 19 points.

Denver officials pointed to game tape that showed Thomas speaking to Anthony with 1 minute 32 seconds left Saturday. Thomas is seen saying: “Hey, don’t go to the basket right now. It wouldn’t be a good idea. I’m just letting you know.”

Well the Nuggets didn't listen and there was a hard foul that followed that made me go "Dayum!" (a bit like that hit that rocked Jeremy Shockey world in the Giants game last Sunday, but that's another story).

Melo didn't take that foul lightly and truly rocked Mardy Collins' (he committed the flagrant foul) world with a roundhouse punch. I have to say I didn't know the boy had it in him.

So now 7 players from both teams have been suspended (Melo for 15 games) and Zeke is in the hot seat, again. * SIGH * Gone are the days of the "real" Bad Boys.