Traffic Insanity

How no one gets into an accident is beyond me. Enjoy the madness! :D

Dissertating Daze

*sighs*

I had sent an update to my committee about my progress and a question about my last chapter. It has been 6 months since I last updated them. To be frank, I was a bit apprehensive that I've been out of touch and had not produced another chapter since last year. But I received a very quick reply from all three of them and I am so lucky that I have the most supportive committee. I've heard nightmarish stories of committee chairs from my friends who in some cases broken down in tears. But not me thankfully.

I apprised them of my progress and that while I was working on my revisions and my conclusion, I told them I was unsure that my fifth chapter was appropriate. It was a case study on a spate of hate crime incidents at LMU in the 2004-2005 academic year. It was suppose to be this theory/praxis tension but it turned out to be an op-ed piece than a dissertation chapter. I really don't want to write another chapter, but this was seriously weak. Well I did get some constructive feedback and the verdict is ... *drum rolls* ... I'm writing a new fifth chapter. One committee member summed it up and said that it just didn't fit with my overall project and doesn't support my main argument in which I'll elaborate in a later post. But it really stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other chapters. More importantly, she said that writing a dissertation is already a lot of work. You don't want to be in a situation where you have to spend more time trying to make a chapter fit when it really doesn't.

And I agreed ... reluctantly but I am relieved to know that my worries were verified.

Luckily, at around the same time, I came across a US Supreme Court case called Virgina v. Black (2003). Like many Southern states, Virginia has a statute banning cross-burnings as part of the effort to eradicate the KKK. It's roots are in post-Civil War Reconstruction efforts and 14th Amendment enforcement. However, the statute was challenged on the grounds that it violated First Amendment protections using the ruling in RAV v. St. Paul, MN (1992), in which the city of St. Paul, in a well-meaning statute, banned all forms of prejudicial and biased displays that include racial epithets, cross burnings, etc. That ordinance was challenged on First Amendment grounds and the US Supreme Court agreed. For many proponents of anti-hate crime legislation, this was seen as a major setback. It wasn't until a year later, in Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993), where sentencing enhancement features were also challenged on First Amendment violations, that the constitutional validity of hate crimes legislation was affirmed. In this case, the Court ruled that discerning bias, that is, a motivation and intent based upon a real or perceived difference, to determine the level of punishment for those found guilty, is constitutional.

Anyways ...

So the constitutional question in the Virginia case is: Does Virginia's prohibition on cross burning with the intent to intimidate any person or group of persons, violate the First Amendment?

Yes. But in a plurality opinion, delivered by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, four justices held that a state is perfectly within its right to prohibit specific forms of speech such as cross-burning. However, a provision in the Virginia statute stated that cross-burning was prima facie evidence of intent was ruled unconstitutional by three justices. Justice Scalia argued that the Court should vacate and remand the case to the Virginia Supreme Court to review the provision, while Justices Souter, Ginsburg, and Kennedy concluded that the statute altogether was unconstitutional. Only Justice Clarence Thomas dissented.

I became extremely interested in Justice Thomas's dissent. I've only glossed over the case and, in particularly his opinion, but it starts out with a statement about culture:

In every culture, certain things acquire meaning well beyond what outsiders can comprehend. That goes for both the sacred, see Texas v. Johnson, 491 U. S. 397, 422-429 (1989) (REHNQUIST, C. J., dissenting) (describing the unique position of the American flag in our Nation's 200 years of history), and the profane. I believe that cross burning is the paradigmatic example of the latter.

I'm interested in this case because my dissertation examines how the law, or the "State," constructs and represents "hate" as an object of knowledge. Much of the anti-hate crimes effort at the State level is spent producing a working definition of "hate," but that definition is based upon, in part, on questions about culture. It's not exclusively about values per se, but ideologies and discourses about practices and representations of "hate" as a historical phenomenon and a contemporary social/political problem. Justice Thomas's dissent, and in various parts of Justice O'Connor's opinion, have cultural arguments about representations of hate.

Anyways ... that's where I'm at. Back to researching and hopefully a strong chapter.

Woof!

Zany Student Evaluations

I know first hand that student evaluations can be a bit distressing especially from unregulated sites such as RateYourProfessor.com. You just never know what students will say and sometimes it can be hurtful. But this set of evaluations is probably the most hilarious. And I’m glad that the professor is enjoying it himself. :D

Heroes

I just started watching Heroes recently and I'm enjoying the show. The rag tag set of characters and their emerging powers is simply fun to watch. I'm especially keen on the Japanese character, Hiro Nakamura, who can bend time and teleport. His real name is Masi Oka, a Brown alum 1997. There's a great article on Wired about him and his transition from a computer programmer as an undergrad to special effects wizard (it seems water is his speciality) at ILM, and finally an actor. There's even an in-character blog that provides commentary about himself after each episode.

The character is still stereotypically geeky for an Asian and there's so few of them both on television and the big screen. It's certainly not breaking any stereotypes about Asian masculinity. But ... it is a fanboy's dream of living their life straight out of a comic book. And there is a lovable appeal about him ... oh geez is this the "William Hung" effect again? Where you're so dorky and geeky, yet sincere, that people can't help but fall in love with you?

Fantasy Congress

I never got into Fantasy Football or anything like that on professional sports. Watching football games on Sundays and Monday nights is the extent to which I participate. But having Fantasy Congress? I don’t know. But as a budding political scientist, I’m fascinated by the prospect of forming my own “team” and see how they perform throughout the “season.” Who should I get? I definitely have to pick up the local favorites from California: Feinstein, Boxer, and Pelosi. I still have to make up the rest of my “team” but the idea has tickled my fancy and I’m going to play. After all, it’s a politics thing. :D

Check out the article from the New York Times. I was pleasantly surprised to see the whole thing was started by four students at Claremont McKenna College. But then again, it does have a fairly strong and resourceful political science department and the students are top-notch.

Why, oh why?

I just teach two courses in political science. That’s it. Just two. I have an office if you can call it one. It’s a large room where several other departments dump all the adjuncts together so it is somewhat cramped — a very friendly lot. Our computers arrived last week (we are in our 7th week of the semester), and the phone was recently hooked up.

I’m not complaining … not one bit.

But why, oh why, did I assign a 4-5 page essay for the midterm? For a total of 80 students that’s about 320 pages minimum to read of this, that, and the other thing. It is so time consuming and exhausting. And I have until Friday to submit midterm evaluations for the students. On top of that, I have to prepare my lectures since it is a new course that I haven’t taught before. So that’s another pinch on whatever time I have.

Like I said I’m not complaining, and ompared to professors in english and composition, my load is extraordinarily light. I must have some serious neurosis for making my life unnecessarily difficult.

And by the way I am getting paid about 34% less than what I was receiving when I was out in Los Angeles.

*sighs* Back to correcting essay #4 … 76 more to go.

Zany Professor

So I guess this is what happens when you receive tenure. :D

Singing Bloody Sunday?

I was preparing my lecture on nationalism and democracy for my class this week, when I decided to look up the events of Bloody Sunday to use as a possible case study. That’s when I came across this video.

God Opposes Minimum Wage

I got this political ad from the Stop 42 campaign, a group opposing a measure to increase minimum wage in Colorado. The ballot calls for an increase of the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85, a very modest adjustment for inflation.

And God disagrees with this?

The ad shows Moses asking for “divine intervention” and God responds, “We can’t let the people make this mistake. Go. Spread the word. Vote no on 42!”

At this point I’m suppose to say something insightful about the relationship between religion and politics, and media representations. Or even the economic impact of raising the minimum wage.

But somehow I just can’t take this seriously.

I am thinking, however, in the spirit of equality, that there ought to be an ad depicting Satan and his minions supporting Amendment 42. Y’know, the whole pitchforks, fire and brimstone campaign. I think it would be quite spectacular if you use the majestic Rocky Mountain range as the backdrop.

Sometimes I think it’s better to just sit back and watch the show.

This is so sad ...

The Westboro Baptist Church, who believe the deaths of US soldiers were God’s punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality, were planning a demonstration at the funerals of the five Amish girls. The 70 member Church is infamous for staging protests at the funerals of American service men and women. However, the group cancelled their protest and in exchange for one hour’s worth of air time on a local radio show.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of the church’s pastor, had this to say about the murdered girls and the Amish community (see link for full article):

“Those Amish people, everyone is sitting around talking about those poor little girls — blah, blah, blah — they brought the wrath upon themselves,” Phelps-Roper said, adding that the Amish “don’t serve God, they serve themselves.”

WTF?

This is one of those moments where I am completely disgusted with people.

Minutemen and Columbia University Protest

Posting an excellent video interview from Democracy Now! with Corrina Garcia, Chicano Caucus and Columbia student, and Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project. The student was simply awesome and placed Gilchrist in a position to end the interview prematurely by advice from his lawyer.

http://alternet.org/blogs/themix/42952/#more

Also from the Southern Poverty Law Center, their Intelligence Project reports known white supremacists joining the Minuteman Project. From the article:

Two Minuteman Project volunteers — men who described themselves as members of the neo-Nazi National Alliance — pose near the Mexican border with a handmade sign bearing an image identical to that on Alliance pamphlets and billboards.

The men told fellow volunteers that a total of at least six Alliance members had joined the Minuteman effort in order to recruit new Alliance members and to learn where to conduct their own "Mexican hunts" once media attention flagged.

The men carried assault rifles in their vehicle and boasted that they were scouting "sniper positions."

The Greatest Soccer Match

What happens when the soccer teams of Germany and Greece are made up by their most famous philosophers?

Enjoy this sketch by Monty Python. :D

Stewart/Colbert 2008

So there seems to be a growing movement, probably inspired by the new comedy by Robin Williams, Man of the Year, about a Stewart / Colbert presidential ticket in 2008. There's also an online petition to get the ball rolling. However, Stewart publicly stated that he and Colbert are not running and have no intention of doing so ... although personally I think it would be an interesting political science experiment in popular v. electoral politics but that's just me.

Stewart Dispels Rumor of White House Run

Those people wearing "Stewart/Colbert '08" T-shirts can stop hoping Comedy Central's fake news stars have no intention of making a run for the White House. Jon Stewart said the T-shirts promoting him and Stephen Colbert "are a real sign of how sad people are" with the state of affairs in the country.

"Nothing says 'I am ashamed of you my government' more than 'Stewart/Colbert '08,' Stewart told an audience Sunday at the New Yorker Festival. He was interviewed by the magazine's editor, David Remnick.

Stewart, who recently hosted Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, on "The Daily Show," said he's been trying to get top Bush administration officials to appear. "We have requests in there to everyone including Barney," Stewart said. "Only Barney replies." Barney is the president's Scottish terrier.

Stewart scoffed at suggestions that some people actually get their news from "The Daily Show."

"There's no way you could get the news from us," he said. "I've seen the show. It couldn't happen."

Check out the following links for your support/amusement!

• http://goodstorm.typepad.com/goodstorm/2006/08/dream_2008_pres.html
• http://www.petitiononline.com/colstew8/petition.html
• http://unitysupporters.com/wiki/index.php?title=Stewart_/_Colbert_'08
• http://www.stewartcolbert2008.net/about.asp

Hello Kitty?

Direct from the NY Times, a hypoallergenic cat. Now I've had a dog and a cat, but the allergies just killed me and so we had to give them away each time. But now there is hope. For a mere $4000, 12-15 month delivery, and a meticulous interview process, I can purchase my very own allergy-free cat.

I mean, the gene that causes allergy is suppressed in these new cats.

Strike that. I mean ... no gene or molecule is suppressed. No drug or gene splicing or genetic engineering was involved. It's just that this biotech company who wanted to suppress or disable the allergy-causing molecule instead found several cats with a mutated one that doesn't cause allergies that much. So this company rounded up as many cats as they can with the mutated gene, bred hundreds of them, and are now marketing it as PRODUCTS! Welcome the ALLERCA Cat!

At that point, the research shifted course. Allerca screened thousands of cats to identify a population with the modified gene and then set those cats to breeding. Because the mutant gene is dominant, the breeding cats could be mated with normal cats to produce hypoallergenic kittens. And no special licensing or government approvals were necessary.

So, for the past few months, Allerca’s small pool of hypoallergenic cats have been busy reproducing. Their breeding facility cannot be visited and “is at a secret undisclosed location,” said Ms. Young, Allerca’s chief executive.

Now that's not the end of it. Check this part:

At 10 to 12 weeks, every Allerca kitten is neutered before it is delivered. The company insists this is mainly to prevent feline overpopulation. But every Allerca cat carries the dominant hypoallergenic gene and, in theory, could produce copycat hypoallergenic kittens.

So let me get this straight: a company is marketing a product that is NATURALLY occurring (no genetic engineering, gene splicing, or any of that sci-fi stuff), and it is eliminating the competition as much as possible by NEUTERING the kittens under the guise of preventing "feline overpopulation" and thereby maintaining its own superior quality control?
WTF? Can I say S-C-A-M?

Just One Question ...

... what the hell are the Minutemen doing at Columbia University in the first place?

Forget free speech, student activism, the "animals" and "crazed liberals," and all the political spin that this protest is creating. Immigration is a hotly contested issue that spawns vigorous (and virulent) political and intellectual debate. But I never thought that vigilantes would represent that debate at an elite institution like Columbia. Seriously, all the resources and contacts and the best they can do is bring in the Minutemen???

That just makes me laugh.

And by the way, a very nice quick and clean takeover of the stage though the follow-up could've been better organized. If you're going to shut down an event, then do it completely. No one should be able to hear anything else other than the students protesting. :D

The New Minority?

So a brand new student organization began at Arizona State University. Please welcome the Caucasian American Men of ASU. It seems that the organization's purpose is to:

1. "instill pride" as Caucasian men.
2. have the concerns and needs of Caucasian men "taken more seriously."
3. increase "representation for white males."
4. to challenge the cultural diversity requirement to include "classes in European history and languages."
5. increase racial and gender equality and "nothing else."

Above all else, as the group's founder states,

"This isn't a mindless, sexist and raceless group ... It's the opposite -- we want to stop sexism and racism."

I should also mention that the student group is supported by Leadership Institute, a conservative think tank who's purpose is to "identify, recruit, train and place conservatives in politics, government, and media." Mmhmm.

Soooooooo how are white males a minority again? In what way are white males comparable to Native Americans? Pacific Islanders? Somehow I missed that point between "What" and "the f@#$?"

In all seriousness, as an academic and a teacher I'm absolutely supportive of students in their campaigns, efforts, and activities. Nothing is more harder than to organize your peers and encourage them to show their support and attend events. It's also good to hear that the administration and student affairs appear to be conducting themselves as professionals and demonstrating their support, in particularly, the multicultural affairs unit.

So as far as I'm concerned, I say let the kids gather together in solidarity. Let them have their meetings, rallies, and petition drives. Let them work and organize their activities like all the other student leaders. And let each and every European ethnicity have their own student group. Polish, Italian, French, British, German, and Irish, to name a few, should all have their own organization. Only then can we truly and honestly acknowledge diversity in all its complexity. This is simply the logic of racial representation if you want to take it, or push it, to its conclusion.

WTF?

Internet chat exchanges, pedophilia, male high school students from the Congressional Page program, a Congressman's resignation, and now allegations of a cover up from last year is the hot topic that makes you want to say, "What the f@#$?"

Check out Think Progress and their coverage about the scandal. In the meantime, here's my contribution to the fallout.

WTF?

Internet chat exchanges, pedophilia, male high school students from the Congressional Page program, a Congressman's resignation, and now allegations of a cover up from last year is the hot topic that makes you want to say, "What the f@#$?"

Check out Think Progress and their coverage about the scandal. In the meantime, here's my contribution to the fallout.

[UPDATE: Apparently the video with South Park characters was removed for TOS violations. *sighs*]

Whoa

I'm not versed in literature. I read science fiction and fantasy novels about dragons and wizards, aliens and space travel. But I do know who Robert Frost is. I'm not a proper historian either but I do recognize a significant finding when I see one: a previously unpublished poem written 88 years ago by poet, Robert Frost.

And congratulations to the graduate student who discovered it. You've secured for yourself, in one of the most heavily saturated fields in the academy (there are A LOT more PhDs in English than there are jobs available), a future tenure-track job in any English department in the country -- at least, the probability of getting a job is distinguishably higher than everyone else.

And off into the horizon, I hear the painful wailings of my colleagues who are adjuncting endlessly in English composition courses. They're crying bloody foul.

Damn ... lucky ... bastard.

Here's the link (and another one) to the article:

Robert Frost poem discovered by student

Saturday Sep 30 17:38 AEST

A poem by one of America's best-loved poets, Robert Frost, has been discovered 88 years after it was handwritten in the front of a book and will be published next week.

The poem was found by a graduate student among uncatalogued books and manuscripts bought by the University of Virginia and once owned by Frost's friend, Frederic Melcher, founder of publishing industry trade journal Publishers Weekly.

The 35-line poem, called War Thoughts at Home and dated 1918, was apparently inspired by the death of a fellow poet in World War I.

Student Robert Stilling said he was alerted to the poem by a 1947 letter by Melcher in which he referred to an unpublished poem handwritten in a copy of Frost's book North of Boston.

Stilling said in a paper that when he read the letter it set off "little scholarly alarm bells" and sent him looking for the book at the Charlottesville university library. Frost died in 1963 aged 88.

It took several months to verify the handwriting and check whether the poem had been published before, said Kevin Morrissey, managing editor of The Virginia Quarterly Review, which has permission from Frost's estate to publish the poem.

Morrissey said the poem was very sombre.

"You can tell Frost is troubled by what is going on in Europe at the time," Morrissey told Reuters.

Academics believe it was written in response to the death of Frost's friend and poet Edward Thomas, who died in the trenches in France in 1917.

Frost, who wrote such poems as The Road Not Taken and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, was in Britain at the start of the war and had befriended Thomas.

The poem focuses on a woman in a snow-bound house thinking of soldiers in France and watching some blue jays fighting outside. Here are two stanzas from the poem:

And one says to the rest "We must just watch our chanceAnd escape one by one - Though the fight is no more doneThan the war is in France."

Than the war is in France! She thinks of a winter camp where soldiers for France are made. She draws down the window shade.