things I’m grateful for

deviled eggs

stupid animal videos on youtube

books, books, books

jump rope club

“simple song”

psych

the spiral jetty

the american west

dear friends and family

cereal

myths and symbols

paint, fabric, ink, paper, pencil

psalm 35:9

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mercedes White French Macarons, Nov. 18-19, Bijou Market, Provo

My lovely friend Mercedes makes the most delicious macarons! Not only is she a professional baker, but she’s also a Columbia grad. Watch out, non-Ivy-League macaron-makers. She studies ritualized violence against women in the Middle East, and she’s going to post for Scholaristas if I can get my act together. Anyhow, she will be at Bijou Market in Provo this weekend and you should go check her macarons out!

Oh, and here’s an adorable video of Mercedes sharing her macaron-making wisdom with some other bloggers.

Mercedes White Macarons- Blogger night from Collin Kartchner on Vimeo.

Moosejaw’s Sexy New Ad Campaign and Miss Representation

My husband and I occasionally shop at Moosejaw, a clothing chain that conveniently has a store in Ann Arbor and boasts fantastic sales.  Somehow we ended up on their e-mail list.  Today we got an e-mail saying that Moosejaw was releasing an app that will allow you to see their models nearly naked.  That’s right.  If you were looking through your catalog and thinking, “Man, the layers on these girls totally obstructs their hotness!” Moosejaw has designed an app that will allow you to see right through their warm winter coat, wool sweater and long johns to the lacy black bra they were wearing underneath.  (For an article on the ad campaign, see: http://multichannelmerchant.com/mcommerce/moosejaw-mountaineering-naked-models-app-1114tpp1/ OR to see the images, type Moosejaw Nearly Naked Modeling into your Google Search engine.)

Sigh.

This announcement comes on the heals of Oprah’s re-showing of “Miss Representation,” a documentary about the sexualization of girls in today’s media and the effects that it has had on their beliefs about the leadership abilities of women.  The statistics are depressing.    American teenagers spend 31 hours watching TV, 17 hours listening to music, 3 hours watching movies, 4 hours reading magazines, and 10 hours online each week.  Most of those hours will spent watching Jessica Simpson parading around in her Daisy Dukes, Flavor Flav choosing from an array of big-busted, scantily clad woman, and the girls of Jersey Shore grinding on each other.  Even those parents who have banned MTV and VH1 from their households will be battling with movies and TV shows that suggest that the prime concern of most women is dating or getting married.  Newscasters have called Hillary Clinton haggard, asked Sarah Palin if she’s had breast implants, and referred to Condoleeza Rice as a dominatrix.  The film juxtaposes these images with the fact that there is a massive gender gap among 15 year olds who want to be President despite that equal numbers of boys and girls want to be president when they are 7.  The film also points out that only 17% of the U.S. Congress is female and that the last elections actually decreased that percentage.

There will be a screening of the film in Ogden, UT in the Chamber Auditorium at Weber State University on December 1st.  You can also volunteer to host a screening.

To find out more information about the film or to view a trailer, visit: http://missrepresentation.org/

I should mention the Moosejaw app lets you see men and women in their skivvies.  The ad I received featured a female model – of course.  I only found out about the male models by searching.

Facebook and techno-theology

I am breaking up with Facebook for now. This is an ambivalent decision. I have tried retrenchments and retreats before and have inevitably failed to restrain myself for very long. Truth is, I am a chronic user. It’s sort of funny to me that I have become one since I initially resisted joining the site for so long.

What I like about Facebook: I like the camaraderie and the networked friendships. I like meeting people virtually before I meet them in person. I like the interesting articles and videos people post. I love the instantaneous response and rapid-fire conversations. In some ways it’s an introvert’s social paradise. As one who can hardly manage being in a group of five or more, it is easier for me to maintain frequent contact with many from a distance. I like being able to have a virtual Rolodex (and this is the only reason I will not completely delete my account–for now–but only deactivate it) of all my contacts and friends with whom I have no contact otherwise.

What I dislike about Facebook: When I am not feeling well about myself, Facebook acts as a stimulant and a depressant,  temporarily boosting my ego before I despond again. I keep returning because I want to stay in touch with people. Whenever I begin my inevitable retreat from Facebook, I fear that I will be hurting someone’s feelings when I disappear from their friend list. Like it or not, virtual relationships have the emotional ties of friendships maintained in person. Those ties are real and important and something I take seriously. Then there’s the time spent. It consumes my mind in an unhealthy way and becomes an easy excuse not to think about more important things. It takes time away from healthy human relationships and personal growth in other areas. So, I am quitting for now. Buy me a patch for social network withdrawal (blogs are another form of social network, which I will ignore for the purpose of finishing this post).

The fear of missing out (FOMO), is what Wes Avram, a Presbyterian minister, suggests is perhaps the power driving Facebook, even more than the desire for social connection. His article “Connecting with a Theology of Technology” is featured in an issue of Reflections, the YDS magazine, a copy of which came for me by post. The entire issue is on technology and its implications for Christian ministry. Avram is asking for critical engagement with the ways that technology is influencing us, rather than simply accepting developing technology automatically as the status quo. And, of course of interest to me, Avram asks about its theological implications and the cost to religious life.

Women and Creativity Conference Program (Nov. 3-5 at BYU)

Thanks to Monica Bowen of Alberti’s Window for passing along the program for the Women and Creativity Conference at BYU this week. The program looks fantastic and includes papers on various topics that would be wonderful fodder for lovers of Women’s Studies. Go hear Monica’s paper Friday morning, too!

From the website: “The BYU Women’s Studies Conference on Women and Creativity, an interdisciplinary conference, will feature speakers from a variety of universities. Panels will treat many topics, including literature, visual arts, film, music, engineering, anthropology, and other fields. Conference highlights will include a plenary speaker, Dr. Susan Pickett--Catharine Chism Professor of Music Theory and Violin, a music recital by concert pianist Stephen Beus, and exhibits in the BYU Museum of Art, the Museum of Peoples and Cultures, and the Harold B. Lee Library.

“The conference is free of charge. All students, faculty, and visitors are invited to attend and participate in the event. Come and enjoy the rich history of women and creativity!”