Super Tuesday...on Thursday

So I spent most of Tuesday evening glued to the television watching coverage (on various channels) of the results of Super Tuesday.  One thing that was common to all outlets was this characterization of the Democratic race:

CNN Commentator: "Obama is expected to very well in Maryland, there's a huge black population in Maryland."

Hmm. OK. So only black people vote for Obama?

PBS Commentator: "Hillary has done very well in getting the women of Iowa out to vote."

Woman = Hillary supporter?

I feel like the media is getting lazy when it assumes that like attracts like, and I think it's a very easy (and disappointing) mistake to make when one candidate is a visible minority and one is a woman.  They are constructing a framework for the Democratic story (the woman versus the black man) that imposes a certain slant on how we view what's going on.  

 But I think the issue of why people are voting, and for whom, is more complicated than it is being constructed; and mainstream media outlets are misleading viewers in not pursuing further analysis about who is voting for who.  For instance, what about the fact that Hillary's voting record shows that she repeatedly supported the War on Terror?  Even though I'm a woman, I'd find it unconscionable to vote for her given my desire to see the American occupation of Iraq come to an end, and I'm sure many white American women, who, if these media outlets are to be believed, should be wearing Hillary T-shirts, feel the same way.  Or, what about the fact that statistics show college-educated, middle-to-high income Democrats (who don't have anything in common with these "black, inner-city" supporters of Obama being imagined by the commentators) are coming out in droves for Obama?   What unites these two disparate populations to this one man?   What is it about Obama that has become the common denominator?  This is compelling information (to me, anyway) that is missing when one simply draws lines by race or gender.    

What's most troubling to me is what is NOT being articulated in the quotations above, but is definitely being said: by easily making the statement that women vote for a woman, what's also being communicated is that only a woman could support a woman.   The same goes for Obama: only a black person could vote for a black man.  The subtext of both of these quotations is insulting and hegemonic.  

I have no idea who I'd vote for, by the way.  I'm just excited to see a Democratic president, any Democratic president, wreak some havoc in Washington...

Journeys on Foot

I walk to and from work everyday.  I don't always enjoy it; particularly when it's dark (both morning and night) and raining (ditto).  It's most hard on the way home from a long day.  I optimistically tell myself, as the elevator counts down from 27 to 1, and as I trudge through the revolving doors of the glass fortress that houses my office,  that it's a chance to clear my head, to let the pressures of work disappear before I come home.  But often, I run back over the day's events and criticize what I said here, what I did there, how little I accomplished, how much more I have to do tomorrow.  

However, once in a while I get to observe moments of brilliance on the streets of downtown Vancouver that make my whole day worthwhile, whether it's witnessing something ridiculous that coaxes out the laugh that's been stifled by the stress of the day, or something sublime, that teaches me a little about everyday beauty.  Once I saw a man walking by a newspaper box that was covered in graffiti, most prominently, a swastika etched onto the glass window.  He walked by the box, stopped a few paces later, and turned around.  He leaned over and peered thoughtfully at the swastika, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick red marker.  He uncapped it, and very carefully and deliberately drew a circle around, and a red slash across, the swastika, in the universal sign for "no" or "anti."  He then stepped back, smiled in satisfaction at his handiwork, and continued down the street.  One more little wrong righted.  

I was inspired: to carry a red marker, to believe that no instance of hatred or injustice is too small to go unnoticed or unremarked-upon, and most of all, to continue my journeys on foot, to continue being a witness to these little curiosities of life, no matter how tired I am.

Jai Guru Deva Om

I have no idea why other than to give the universe a cosmic case of the warm fuzzies, but NASA is going to blast "Across the Universe" into space on February 4, 2008, at 7 p.m. EST...I guess to see if anybody sings along? Not sure. And will it be loud enough for us to hear down here? I guess not, as NASA is encouraging earthlings to also put on a lil' Lennon at the exact. same. time. Everywhere.

So at 7 p.m. EST, I'll still be in my office. Will they (the aliens) hear it if I play it on my IPOD?

I really hope that someone or something out there tells us to keep the racket down.

The Blue Mondays Baking Company

As readers of this blog will know, ever since I decided to say goodbye to sugar and most carbs, I've acquired a compulsive baking habit.  I bake and bake and bake, and mostly give it away, although I've also started freezing things so that I can stand in front of my freezer, choc-a-bloc full of Ziplocs stuffed with sugary goodies, and feel a sense of fulfillment.  In an effort to gain control over this new addiction, I've limited my baking to SUNDAYS ONLY, so that I can take nummies in to work on Mondays and cheer up co-workers who are probably as dismayed as me to find themselves back in the office again.   This has led to a new fantasy: the Blue Mondays Baking Company...my Monday baking offering to co-workers causes such a stir that I leave the practice to start a little baking business, which balloons quickly to stores on Main Street, in the West End, and two locations in Kitsilano, which leads to being bought out by Cob's Breads and retiring at 30.  Hey. It could happen.  So anyways, I'll be posting show-offy pics of my latest creations here...you can email me if you want the recipes. 

Harvest Herb Bread-a nutty, raisin-y foccacia like bread.  No yeast, so it's very dense, but would be great with soup!
Mmmm.  Full of fresh sprigs of rosemary, oregano, basil and tarragon.
This may be Blue Mondays' best cookie yet: chewy gingerbread with dark chocolate chunks.
What an aesthetically pleasing cookie.  I hope that they are also, you know, pleasing in the culinary sense.

Dani's Shopping Corner: New Brand Alert

OK, in fashion news, here's a new label to look out for: Oona Clothing Company.  Originally a lingerie line of cute silkscreened undies and tanks, Oona is branching out into women's wear and made this super-cute hoodie t-shirt, which I picked up at Changes on West 1oth.  I love the graphic paisley pattern and the cap sleeves-good for layering with a long-sleeve t-shirt at the moment, and wearing on its own through the summer.  There were also some great looking skinny jeans and high waisted pencil skirts.  Check out Oona's website here.  PS: My apple necklace by Mimi & Marge.

Dani's Fashion Corner

We all know I love to shop.  And it's always great to find a new (well, new to me) brand to love and get excited about.  For Christmas I received two gifts made by ESPE, which is retailed at Nicolas Randall in Victoria, and online at www.espe.ca.  Their products are vegan, reasonably priced, and cute as a button.  Love it!
This wallet is fabulous.  It has enough credit card space even for me.
I also got a great journal.  The actual notebook can be removed from the leather cover so you can use the cover over and over again.  Meow!