Jesus Camp

Just watched this documentary yesterday, obtained from the Whitehorse Public Library. Wow. What a fascinating subject, and very very overtly political.

The doc. follows three children who are members of an evangelical Pentecostal church who all attend the annual 3-week 'Jesus Camp'. The children's pastor, Becky Fisher, is an extremely charismatic and influential person-to an alarming degree.

The children have religous parents, whether laypeople or actively involved in the church as pastors/etc. In one particularly awful scene, Levi's mother is teaching him how 'science doesn't have all the answers' and global warming is a big to-do about nothing. "The world's temperature has only risen 0.6F"

They believe strongly in creationism, bibles for every student, the Pledge of Allegiance (but wackier, like pledging to the bible instead of the flag), anti-choice and notably, George Bush. They also speak in tongues/gibberish, which is pretty crazy. I expect snake handling to come next.

The children are fully indoctrinated in this 'Army for Jeebus' diatribe. And they don't seem to see themselves as wrong--I mean, one little girl was handing out Chick Tracts, and those are nutjob rantings. Seriously, whatckjob certified.

Levi also postulates that people who aren't Christian are 'sick' and he feels strange around them. Maybe it's because they don't feel that convulsing/speaking in tongues is normal and accepted??

Another little girl, Rachael, loves Jesus heavy metal and is in a Jesus dance troupe. She looks like just a little kid dancing in her basement, except she doesn't idolize Britney or Paris (good) but idolizes Jeebus (bad) and believes 'dancing for the flesh' is a sinful and bad thing. First of all, she is 10 years old and spouting parental discourse like that? Yikes.

God film. I mean, good film. Honest typo, I swear!

Watch it and weep! Haha, as a fairly liberal feminist, it makes my skin crawl, but it is so interesting. Like watching a frightening spider crawl up the wall, knowing that it will land on your head at some point and you'll regret squashing it when you had the chance. Oh, religion...

Summertime, and it's hot hot hot!

This week has been absolutely fantastic. After my scorching hellfire blog of former, today is a fun and light-hearted one.

It is 30 today, it was around 31 yesterday and 27 the day before. I LOVE IT !!!! Running becomes an exercise in dragging yourself along, like running through jell-o. It is awsome. I'm not as hungry as I ususally am, in fact my appetite has fallen off quite drastically.

All I want to do is lounge on a beach and read, and perhaps drink a margarita or bellini. Ah summer, I missed you and your heat. You make me sleep with only a sheet, sit in my boiling car enjoying the infeffectual air conditioning. Summer, you make it worthwhile.

My little critters aren't such a fan though, they melt! My bunny spends his day sprawled out on the bottom of his cage and my little pig puddles in a corner. At least they have a cool house to relax in.

I love summer. Love. Love. Love. Love it.

Rule Me Like You Mean It

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/07/25/robert-fulford-western-feminists-mute-on-ravages-of-shariah.aspx

Interesting op-ed by National Post heavyweight Robert Fulford. For an extremely conservative paper, this is a very, very good take on the crux of the feminist divide. Let's face it, we can start worrying about the preservation of important cultures within a feminist viewpoint AFTER we have dealt with assclams who believe women shouldn't exist-period.

Let's lay it out this way. I am a hardcore feminist. And I mean, hardcore. I also believe that we haven't even done enough in the Western World but we haven't even scratched the surface of the countries that struggle with the idea that women aren't animals. We can worry about representation in media, Marshall McLuhan and models later. Right now we have women being flogged for wearing PANTS. Jeebus.

I can rant and get angry about the patriarchial society whinging when a man takes a woman's last name, and why is it so readily accepted for a woman to take his, but while this is still going on? Not nearly as relevant, in my opinion.

What can we do? What can feminists do? My husband is not eager to call himself a feminist because of the above-mentioned issue. They shut up, back away and scamper from real ISSUES. Pathetic, almost as ridiculous as patriarchy (not quite, but you know...).

You can't call yourself a feminist or emancipated woman if you feel it's 'ok' for other cultures to hurt/destroy/maim/imprison women for the crime of BEING A WOMAN. Their culture is beyond repair and horrible. You do not respect cultures that do not respect women, at all. Sorry.

This includes China's one-child policy, otherwise known as the one-boy policy. India's honour killing or bride killing, and the entire Muslim world's inherent disregard of women as humans. Your culture disgusts me.

Do everyone a favour and disintegrate into the ether. Us real feminists will rejoice and dance around a maypole like the ethereal fairies we are...

Fail My Life: regular person edition

Drumroll please...Fail My Life- My Edition!

At the horse show, the judge told me my horse didn't deserve any carrots because she was just plain naughty-and she even placed us 3rd in the previous class- FML

Instead of getting the IT guy to fix her computer, my b**** boss decided to just email me everything and have me print from my computer and run it to her. FML

Everyone thinks I am moving. It's a handy excuse, even when I WAS going to move. I haven't dissuaded them of that notion yet- FML

All of the websites/stories I enjoy happen to be a certain flavour of schadenfreude-FML

My dear bunny still isn't very affectionate or cuddly and won't take treats from my hand-FML

I work out at lunch because I have no idea how to fill the time-FML

I love writing but I am definitely a sloppy writer-FML

I have a lot of secret nemesii, they just don't know it!-FML

Yukon Horse and Rider Horse Show

(Not me in the pix...some dumb kid. You think I'd reveal that much on this blog? Ha)

Well this is a lucky week, isn't it? First the Lippizanners come to town, and the same week it's the horse show!

(Make that the one (1) horse show that Whitehorse has all year). Nevermind that they have show grounds designated for it, and want new show grounds for the single horse show. Ohh a small town...Couldn't they even have a small show series? Like a hunter/jumper series? Or dressage? Jeeze.

Thursday is the breed/halter/showmanship classes with gymnkhana games finishing it off, along with the competitor's social-potluck at 7pm on the showgrounds. I went to practice yesterday and the conditions were terrible. The wind was driving at like 100km/hr and dust was blowing all over the place, and the ring was incredibly dusty. My horse is afraid of plastic bags and guess what they have over the loudspeakers? Garbage bags flapping while the wind is blowing them madly and the loudspeaker is booming and popping. It was a nightmare!

I rode for 10 minutes, fighting my pansy horse the entire time. I finally got off when the wind didn't let up, and the announcer was yelling 'test' over and over, freaking the horses out. ARghh...

Good omen for the horse show? I think not...I am also jumping a course with two horses who have never jumped a course before, and it is questionable whether they have ever jumped verticals even. I might scratch them...

Friday is dressage/jumpers. Saturday is my time to shine! The hacks, equitation classes and hunter/eq. over fences. Then the gala even at 7pm with a bbq.

Sunday I am riding in the matched pairs class, so should be very low stress. Whew. Also it is western show day, with reining and horsemanship classes.

Overall the show should be verrry interesting! I hope it is fun at least and not insanely dusty and crazy windy, jeebus it has been AWFUL lately.

Royal Lippizan Stallions Come to Town

I know, I know--shocking isn't it??

I already saw them on a jaunt down south, but I was very surprised that they made the trek all the way up here to perform in the Takhini Arena. Not classy, but hey they show some effort! In the show I watched down south, it was sadly clear that the production value had gone down in the past few years. I was an avid fan in my youth, and went whenever they were in town. My dad would get ground-floor seats and I would breath in the musky hay scent eagerly. It seemed so glamorous, so professional, so unreachable.

Now that I'm older and less easily impressed, the horses were performing well but the 'clap for the horses, the riders' schtick was getting a bit old. This isn't the circus, people.

The show that travels is not affiliated with the Royal Lippizan stud in Vienna, but they kind of make it seem like they are. Fair enough, I guess. The horses are fairly well trained and they all seem to do the 'coffin canter' really well, I have never seen such a collected canter held for so long. The 'Airs Above the Ground' were quite good, they introduced an 'airs' that I have never seen before, the Mazir. One bummer, they usually do the 'Capriole' under saddle, and this time they didn't. Ohh well.

The arena seats weren't even close to half-full, and they hardly advertised it at all. Kind of lame! Plus there was no dimming of the lights or special effects like they used to do. Ah, how things change.

I don't know if I will go again, it just seemed a bit tawdry to what I was used to. For the uninitiated, it's a blast though!

Dawson City Music Festival 2009

"Don't get excited, I'm only the wingman"

As seen on a young boorish man's shirt while we were walking back from the mudfest that was DCMF!

Good festival, really liked Dawson, those fake-front stores are just so cute! Surprise standout? Ottawa band 'The Acorn' who had a really awesome and polished sound, check them out, they are going to get HUGE soon. Chad Van Gaalen was pretty good but a lot of songs sound the same and are very depressing, have to do with death, dying, burning a body on a lake...

Johnny and the Moon were kind of disappointing, I kept expecting some sort of Wolf Parade rock out and it was all very mellow folk. Where's the upbeat?!! I kept wanting to yell. Oh well, I guess that's why they call them 'side projects' and not 'main projects'. Luke Doucet was pretty good, fantastic final song that had the audience singing along, "Oh I've got a bad desire, ooh ooh ooh, I'm on firrreeee..."

Mother Mother was classic, but the vocals weren't good because I was right front and centre. Oh well, you sacrifice a bit of the song for the action. They ended with 'O My Heart' and of course, it was amazing. Anndd I only got a little bit aggressive during it...those shows are tough for small people, lots of elbows at face height!

DCMF-check it out. Totally worth it but sooo exhausting! Hahaha

Book Review: The Ego Boom

I hate the idea of a static life. School-work-work-family-retirement. Who wants that anymore? Not our generation, that's for sure.

Such a linear progression belongs to our parents and the older fogies before them. We want everything, and we deserve it. We are capable, competent and won't settle. We are increasingly independent, customized, single and lack community. But do we need community and family anymore? Hell, we don't even need religion. *Gasp*

That's the premise of the book, The Ego Boom by Steve Maich and Lianne George.

"Why the world really does revolve around YOU"

Our generation is entitled and narcissistic. We want the 9-5, vacations, friends, family and good times. We don't value hard work over fun times. We don't want to put the effort in, we don't need to prove ourselves. We've customized our dolls, jeans, commercials, makeup, DNA, burgers, films and condos.

I found this book a fascinating read. I hate to say it, but I do identify with some of the 'entitled' issues our generation has, particularly when it relates to job, job security and lack of loyalty. Let's face it, are corporations loyal to us? Why should we be loyal to a job that would dump us?

Apparently college students of this generation rate on the Narcissistic scale as highly as a celebrity. A celebrity? Jesus. That's pretty bad.

The good news is that our generation is far more likely to become business owners, entrepneurs and skilled independent workers. We don't put up with what the older generation would. We don't have to. We are also more apt to be more positive about the future and our lives and we are much, much wealthier than the past generations. We aren't disenfranchised, we are just not content with the 'status quo' of the older times.

This book is quite good and really tears apart some of the societal expectations, particularly when they come to the relgion and community aspect. True it is sad our generation feels no affinity towards family or community and won't volunteer unless they 'get something' out of it, it's not all bad...Specially when concerning the collapse of religion. (About time, I think!)

Read it. If you are a younger (1970+) generation, you will definitely identify with it.

This book is available at the Whitehorse Public Library, new books section.

Mishmash

Slow days means I get to scour my favourite websites and present some gems of interest to you, my loving public!

First off...as a huge (well, not huge literally) feminist, I read http://www.jezebel.com/ fairly often. Funny stuff and very pithy comments.

Found an absolutely adorable story called 'Sad Feet' and had to share it:

Linda The Penguin Breaks Up San Francisco's Same-Sex Penguin Couple

Harry and Pepper, the beloved same-sex penguin couple who lived together at the San Francisco Zoo and were practically inseparable since 2003, have split, and Linda, a female penguin, is reportedly to blame. Oh, Linda. How could you?!
According to KVTU, Linda began getting chummy with Harry when her long-term companion passed away. Harry, who had previously gone so far as to incubate an egg with Pepper, apparently took a shine to Linda, and the two have since gone on to nest together. Pepper, understandably, became "violent" at the loss of his partner, but has calmed down since. "They have been getting along okay," Zookeeper Jennifer Katz, says, "But Pepper is by himself now, so we are keeping an eye on the three of them." Poor Pepper! You will always have our love, good sir!

**

Awwwww...animal love. Cutest in the world.

Homage to our animals

A friend had a family dog recently put down, as the dog was getting fairly old and was at risk of a heart attack.

That made me think of last year, when my own family rabbit died, and then a month later my grandma died. (Might sound callous to put the two together, but they are all family to me).

As soon as my mom called that night and said I have some bad news I knew right away, something was wrong with Norm (bunny). He had gotten attacked by a hungry hawk and killed in our backyard. It had been a long and hard winter for many animals, and the hawk saw a large, fluffy meal hopping in the backyard when normally he wouldn't have bothered, for Norm was a very large rabbit with tons and tons of white fur.

You just know when something like that happens. Norm was a cute bugger, more of my mom's rabbit than the family's. He was a white fluffy prince, a Kashmir bunny who had to get shaved one time when the knots grew too large to comb out. He had a strong upper body and used it to heave himself over the small garden fence to feast on growing beans, peas and lettuce. He often panicked when in enclosed spaces like the garden and forgot how he ended up there in the first place. He wheezed with incipient asthma, and his red albino eyes bulged alarmingly when you held him for too long. Fur would fly whenever Norm was in the area, he shed incredible amounts everywhere.

We got him when our riding instructor's sister didn't want him anymore, so she offered him to us. That was fine with us, my mom coveted him and carried him around when she attended our riding lessons so it seemed only natural that one riding lesson Norm would come home with us.

He flounced about the backyard all day and got angry if it was late in the morning that he was let outside. He died where he belonged, it was the law of the wild.

I sometimes feel that Norm's death was more fair than my grandma's, even though she lived for much, much longer than him.

Book Review: Bonfire of the Vanities

Reviewed because 'The Preppy Handbook' wasn't available. But that one will come, trust me.

I didn't get this book at the Whitehorse Library because, face it, they just don't have it. Not a classic like good ol' icecream-suited Tom Wolfe, the social critiquer of New York. (Scourage?)

This is a very interesting book. It screams of race relations, tensions, ghettos, pride, wealth and crime. Wolfe is known for his extreme repetitions to hammer home a point, and also uses body parts to extrapolate meaning. In I Am Charlotte Simmons it was 'pelvic saddles' and not to great effect, either.

The story is a good one, almost a 'rich boy, poor boy' but in this case, 'WASP boy, Jewish boy' scenario. The rich boy's mistress hits a young black man with her car, he is dying. His friend, a witness, fingers the rich man as the driver. Chaos ensues.

During this, the class struggles of the wealthy vs. the other wealthy are shown in strenuous detail, and also made me want to pump out phrases like, 'lustrous' 'lion pride' 'Yale chin' 'Southampton summer'

The district attorney interested in the hit-and-run has a political reason; issues of black vs. white are hot in the media. The DA is also poor, relatively. There is also a hugely amusing drunk journalist, who gets the media into the story as he falls from grace due to lacklustre stories and blinding hangovers. Once scene shows him listing to the left, unsteady from a hangover while the cops involved in the hit and run laugh at him. It's telling.

Good book, it's definitely a classic and gives us a little peek into the lives of the disgustingly rich. We could all use that, as a social leavener to show us how little we actually have...or feel lucky we aren't them, tangled in a web of pearls and dinners.

Whirlwind!

I apologize for the lengthy absence in my blogging on the comings-and-goings of this silly little town of Whitehorse.

In the mere space of a few weeks, I have: gotten married, given notice at my current employment, ridden in a schooling show, watched the Lippizzaner show, gotten a rabbit, gotten into graduate school, decided to move AWAY from Whitehorse, my birthday (24 baby!)coming up, and a horse show. Whoa.

In short, it's been absolutely crazy. Most of these things have been positive, life-changing events (a bunny? Now that's for life, people!) and you know, I really felt like these changes are/were super important and very needed after a long, stagnant winter of my discontent.

We are moving from Whitehorse. I took stock of my current situation many times, often on this very blog, and it always came up short. True the commute is to die for, I have friends and horsey friends, but it's just...lacking. Well that's life. I'm young, my husband is young, and we have all our lives to make mistakes! (or good moves, still working on that one)

This blog might cease to exist when I no longer have the strange idiosyncracies to rant about, or lament on the lack of shopping, or how it takes forever to get to a town smaller than this...oh who knows!

Life is defintely an adventure and I don't think I wasted my time here.

I just have too many dreams, adventures, needs, wants, wishes and desires to stay stuck in a going-nowhere town for me. It's beautiful in a harsh way, and fun in a monotonous way. Oh yeah, and job dissatisfaction plays a huge part in it.

Time to get out, and I don't wish it any ill-will.

Ps. The wedding went awesome! I can't wait to attend another wedding as a friend, instead of my own. I wouldn't really recommend attending your first wedding as your own.