6.23.2006,10:13
more of something different

mmm what a nice sunny friday morning. I'm now done my first set of summer classes, which means there's only one left - hard to believe, but I might actually finish school. Not that I'm actually quite ready to contemplate that yet, but that'll come especially once I, say, get a job and all that nonsense.

Tomorrow is Vanessa's wedding, which will be the focal point for this weekend. Still nervous about seeing a few people there, especially ye olde estranged father, but what can you do? SUch is the *joy* of weddings. My favorite baby cousin isn't coming, so there goes my original plan of just sticking her on my hip and cooing all day, ignoring everyone else. C'est la vie, I suppose I'll have to socialize and avoid getting into any even remotely serious conversations with my father or grandpa - in either case it's liable to get ugly. Me and my absentee male family members. At least Cam's coming, otherwise... I don't even want to think about it.

The lack of baby is certainly a low point. There's something about spending time with really little people. They're better than prozak and chocolate - just so harmonizing. ust find and borrow baby... actually, since Vanessa's getting married, maybe she'll take on saving me from having to have my own.

(hey, kidding, okay? don't take *me* seriously*)

I'm going to fold flower boxes for the wedding now.
 
posted by sasha
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6.17.2006,10:39
they come in pieces

Chocolate cake for breakfast, terrible but good. I picked up a taste for it from my mom, so at least I cam blame it on my upbringing. Katrina's currently in Germany, and I bet they secretly eat chocolate cake - barvarian chocolate cake - for breakfast there too. I can't believe she's going to be home in less than a week. One week today is Vanessa's wedding, which will be bringing around the family a plenty, so I'd better get in the mood for seeing them all. I'm justr a little irked by the whole system right now - you know how it happens.

I have an eye infection at the moment, which means no contacts in, which means I'm pretty much blind. It's like watching the world in fuzzy-o-vision.

Been reading Clinton's autobiography which, at nearly 1000 pages, seems to suggest the notion that former presidents are beyond the reach of editors. I strongly disagree. Either way though, it has made me think gee, this whole world leader thing ain't that tough, I could handle this. President, bah.
 
posted by sasha
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6.09.2006,12:18
inside my head

What percentage of people do you think have ever tried to articulate their conceptions of justice, fairness, and a good life? Have you? We all use these concepts, but I get the sense that relatively few people (say, those with liberal arts degrees) ever critically analyze their own conceptions, or even make it to the point of fully elucidating what those values are. For most people, I think these ideas form some kind of unconscious matrix that governs behaviour, moral development, political decision making, and even notions of how we ought to treat one another. When I go back to do my MA and write my thesis, it will be somewhere around this question: how do we form our conceptions of justice and fairness? What are points of intervention in this often-unconscious process that can be used to bring these ideas into the realm of conscious consideration, towards the creation of a more just society?

As a teacher-to-be, this question fascinates me. I see young people using these ideas, but struggling to articulate them. I see students clearly parroting their parents, while others make conscious decisions to uphold of reject aspects of these familial values. It is, if anything, a mediated process, with a wide range of inputs. I watch students struggle with popular conceptions, for example, Bono's ideas about justice and equity, to try to fit aspects of those ideas into their own value matrices. I also watch students wind up with a far greater sense of entitlement than justice or fairness. By not discussing these notions, not engaging our youth in those discussions, and not expecting young people to consciously and critically assess their ideas about justice (fairness, equity, social responsibility, etc.) we send the message that those ideas aren't important - at least, not nearly as important as the ideas we do expect our young people to grasp and engage: material success, "making it," and so forth.

When I look around me, I can't help but think that many of us consistently act on conceptions of justice or societal good that we would be horrified to articulate and that, if articulated, we would increasingly realize, do not represent the values we consciously hold as important. By letting these ideas stay dormant, out of the spotlight, we are perpetuating injustice. The very act of considering or discussing justice actually serves to make one a more just person. I don't expect that my attempts to have these discussions in the classroom will initially be well received, but I do think that young people are capable of engaging with these ideas, and it seems increasingly urgent that they do so - our very world depends on it.

Ask yourself a question next time you leave the house: what is justice? Do my actions right now uphold that idea? You will have done your part towards saving the world.
 
posted by sasha
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6.05.2006,21:36
news flash
I have a lot of sisters, and as of today, I've met them all. I'm second in the set of four daughters that my mom had, but fourth out of my dad's set. We're forming an army folks.
 
posted by sasha
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,17:43
new field, same landmines

what d'ya think of the new template? does it work okay with your browser? is it ugly, annoying, or otherwise wrong? if not, I plan to keep it!

not a whole lot to say - spent all afternoon "in class" at the UBD farm. sooo lovely, wish I'd had a camera. Spent some time looking at the world from the perspective of a blade of grass, which is a mighty fine perspective indeed.

notice a photo theme?
 
posted by sasha
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6.04.2006,10:17
voyeurism

it's so creepy. For two of my classes this term, we have to post pretty much all of our assignments on public-access bulletin boards. In one of them, we have to post essays on the board, and then on specified dates, post replies to someone else's essay. I'm really not fond of having people read over my shoulder, and have always loved the chance written assignments present to open a dialogue with my professor without getting flogged to death by the status-quo-ites as is liable to happen in discussion.

Last week it was trying to argue that social class might actually affect the choices young people have, and feel like they have. Not bloody rocket-science if you ask me, but too much for the "but we all recycle" children of privilege who don't realize that statements like "well, everyone at my school was just assumed to be going to university" and "but the only reason the students had nicer cars than the teachers is because our parents bought them for us" do actually show make loud and clear demographic statements. Naw, shit, you're not any different than someone raised in poverty. Keep telling that child that if they work hard, they too can achieve the American Dream, have a big house and car, and look down on everyone else. Never mind that we live in an era marked by less class mobility than any other time since the industrial revolution, keep telling everyone we all have an equal shot, just don't hold yer breath until it comes true.

Bleh. And this week, our topic is "wilderness" and the romaniticization (is that a word? is now!) of indigenous peoples. Can anyone else see the possibility for this to end badly? If anyone else goes on about how we need to educate the public so that they will stand up and advocate for First Nations and make sure the government gives them the land to protect (etc. etc.), I'm going to pop their damned head off, just like I did to the only barbie I ever owned. Fitting parallel? Because it seems to me that a massive winning heart and minds campaign is usually the last thing on our mind when governments completely ignore the law. That's usually a slightly bigger problem - a career-ender if you will. Why should our negelctful and bigoted BC politicians fare any better? (*ahem, cough cough* Plant *ahem, cough cough* Gordo *ahem* etc.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is how many laws that say the government has to obey the law do we need before our government actually starts obeying the law????????

*sigh*

angst. What can I actually do? In the theatre of life, changes can take a long time to work their way through. Too long? Maybe.
 
posted by sasha
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