I don’t know how many times I’ve told people that elephants are awesome, and just as smart as dolphins, humans and apes, but no one ever believed me. I’m not even kidding. Ask Alon, Sam or Kate and they’ll all tell you that for at least 2 years I’ve been saying that elephants are hella smart. Well now, there is a bit of proof.

This study included three female elephants at the Bronx Zoo in
New York who were exposed to a jumbo-sized mirror eight feet high
by eight feet wide. When they were in front of the mirror, the
elephants tested the image by making repetitive body movements and
inspecting themselves, such as putting their trunks inside their
mouths, a part of their body they usually can’t see.

They’re so cute!

MySpace is trying to cover its ass from copyright infringments, I think its a load of crock that they’re trying to do anything.

The American that was sentenced time in Canada is going back to court.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said last week that Canada should not
be used as a “dumping ground” for a convicted sex offender from the
United States. Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has made it
clear the government wants Mr. Watson out of the country.

Dalty, baby, you know I love you. But sweetie, where does Ontario send its garbage?

And more canada news, Layton is all up in arms about the climate change plan, and he should be… really. It’s a peice of junk. Don’t blame me though! I voted for Layton! (Err, no… I voted for the liberals… wow, I dont even remember who I voted for.)

Layton criticized the Conservatives’ Clean Air Act introduced two weeks
ago, saying it has no short- or medium-term targets and no
science-based targets for the long term to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Under Layton’s plan, the Climate Change Accountability Act,
short-term targets would be set within six months of the bill being
adopted. For medium- and long-term targets, the government would set
out interim greenhouse gas emissions targets at five-year intervals,
building toward an 80 per cent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050.

Interesting.
Anyway, this kitten is going to sleep. I went to a spinning class and it basically killed me. I will never go to one again. Ever. Ashely didn’t even show up. Arg.

I think if I thank her once more she’s never going to speak to me again in fear that the only thing I can say anymore is "thank you so much!!" but, I’ll try my luck…thanks again!! The following link is for the interview I did with Lindsay earlier today.

The more I listen to it, the more I think I did a pretty horrible job, and at around the 30 minute mark the sound card of the computer went wonky. By wonky I mean it slowed the recorder down to 1/2 pace and dropped our pitched by about 2.5 whatevers.

I tried to fix it, and I got it pretty close, but if we start to sound a little funny - its because my boss won’t listen to me when I say "We need a new computer in the news room."

I also pronounced a ‘p’ on ‘pseudo’ more than i pronounced the rest of the word, even. And I was so nervous that words over 7 letters long never came out properly. Ha ha ha.

Anyway, here it is. Enjoy it. Love it. Embrace it. Listen to it again, and the rest of my show tomorrow night, 5 -6 (8 -9, east coast darlings!) at the CFUV site.

Download Lindsay2.mp3 (15947.8K)

Someone e-mailed me a really good question… They asked me "what exactly do you mean when you say ‘hegemonic’ masculinities?"

Really quickly I’ll just explain what that basically means. The term hegemony was coined by this fella Antonio Gramsci. It is when a particular social group holds power or dominates another group. In the context I use it in, it is perpetuating stereotypes and constantly reaffirming ones position in society through status, wealth and power. It is constantly pushed by the media and creates a status quo which is always displayed in school, businesses, politics, the military… etc.

The mass media gives the watcher no contorl over "social norms"… the watcher is thus not a citizen, it is a consumer. And that’s all that matters. But this means that people are governed by the rules and principles set forth by the big media organizations whom press these stereotypes or ‘hegemonic characteristics’ into our minds.

This is done with race, very often. A black man is often seen as ‘the other’, because he is a threat to the white mans power and the ‘white mans women’. Ever since the end of slavery there has been a fear of the African Americans taking economic control away from the white guys. So you get these stereotypes that black men are irrational, stupid and only good for basketball and music and that they’re trying to take the white woman away from the white man.

These are all historically rooted in slavery, especially the notion that blacks are less intelligent and more musical than whites. They slaves weren’t taught how to read - so they sang to express their thoughts and feelings. They were basically forced to be stupid and musical - so keeping that characteristic in check today is incredibly racist, but is done to give the white guy superiority and domination over the black man.

Also, porn magazines like Hustler give us the impression that the black man is violently taking away the white woman. Their cartoons sport white women being brutally fucked by black men. The women have bleeding and throbbing cunts, and the black man (usually with very ape like features) has a giant cock that he is throwing around. The white man, on the other hand, is always small and impotent. He has to fuck chickens or buy white women from a black pimp. This is enforcing the idea that the black man is going to take away from the white man something that was perviously his for free. It is instilling fear of the black into the white which helps to enforce stereotypes.

I got a little side tracked, but basically when I say something like "hegemonic masculinities" I mean the dominant stereotypical characteristics that are portrayed around what it takes to be a ‘real man’. White, agressive, non-emotional, rational and knows how to work a gun. If you’re not these things - you are ‘the other’.

So there, a very long clarification for termonology used in posts past.

You’ll notice I haven’t done a big "halloween party! woo!" post or a "happy halloween!" shout out. That is because, like most holidays, I hate halloween.

Not even just for the same reason that I hate all other holidays (the consumerist base) or for the same reasons that christians hate it (satans day… apparently, *eye roll*) but for a few other reasons….

1. Its just weird that we’re all celebrating a pagan holiday. It’s bad enough that we’ve trivialized a ton of Christian holidays, but now we’re also normalizing pagan traditions and death and darkness.
2. The kids say "trick or treat" and if you don’t give them the treat they get pissed and are extremely unappreciative of the trick, but they seem to forget that they gave me an option.
3. Halloween parties are sort of annoying. Not only do you not recognize 1/2 the people that expect you to recognize them, you won’t know what the people you meet actually look like when you run into them on any other day… So then you’re a jerk for not remembering them. Not to mention, thinking of a non-generic yet awesome costume is harder than hell. (Props to this guy Pat who went as a ship wrecked guy and put seaweed all over himself.)
4. As soon as you’re older than 16, it’s no long just trick or treating that the holiday is about. Its about a slut competition between the girls… to see who can be the sexiest Marilyn Monroe, devil, angel, bunny or fairy. It’s not hallosex.
5. People think that because it is halloween, it is perfectly acceptable to scare little children. It’s not.
6. Insert giant post about christian hypocrisy here.
7. 4 words: Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are 8 different viewings in Victoria alone. Its not *that* good!
8. There was goth music on the radio almost all day. … Goth music isn’t good. It doesn’t sound like anything. Infact, its annoying. I just don’t like it.
9. I hate any day that gives first years an excuse to get drunk before 9 pm and run around the Student Union Building like fucking twats.

One reason I *do* like halloween?? (get ready for the objectification of the male body…) the sexy guy (who i refer to as "sexy guy") in my poli sci class dressed up as the main guy from a clock work orange… and so he had his package all bundled up and visable and the pants he worse gripped his butt just right. He can dress up every day of the year and I won’t mind at all.

This is spray painted next to the doors that enter into the women’s studies wing. Cute.