If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

The best poem I've heard all week.



via Geeks Are Sexy

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Musings On: Haiti Fascination

Notes on Haiti.

Quick and easy donation methods -- because donations are dropping as the story begins to fade from media focus:

• SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts. Yéle Haiti is a non-religious charity founded by musician Wyclef Jean.
  
• SMS text “HAITI” to 501501 to Donate $10 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.
  
• SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
  
• Gamers, pay attention: DriveThruRPG is offering over $1,000 worth of PDF product for a $20 donation through their site.
  

Yéle Haiti posted some interesting numbers regarding the current situation today. The numbers are daunting, in so many ways, but they do drive home the fact that this will be a long-term effort.

Haiti has fascinated me since 7th grade, when I first stumbled across a Zora Neale Hurston book lying out on a table at the IUSB library (it was Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica, by the way). Someday, I would love to see the waterfalls at Saut d'Eau, visit the Citadel, and spend a week at a Vodou peristyle, feeling the drums and chants pound through my chest, and marveling at the delicate lines of a vévé drawn in cornmeal or rust.

It's sad that the artistry is almost always overshadowed by stories of corrupt politicians and our modern cultural myths about the depravity of Vodou. I always find myself pausing with envy when I come across sites featuring those amazing flags of the loas. I have a calabash decorated with Erzulie's vévé on my cabinet at work (one of the student organizations was selling trinkets from Haiti a few years ago, and evidently thought either the heart was merely harmless decoration, or chose to believe it represented one of the loa's many Catholic analogs). I also have a candle with Papa Legba's vévé on my shelf of treasures, although I can't remember where I got that. (Funny, about that -- I was actually looking for one dedicated to the Baron or Maman Brigitte, but somehow the gatekeepers and keepers of crossroads are always the ones I find first.)

Why the fascination with the culture inspired by what many see as a "primitive" religion? Haitian Vodou and it's diaspora cousins (Candomblé, Obeah, etc.) are living, breathing religions -- blood and bone and earth and spirit. They are ecstatic spirituality at their core, visceral, immediate and pervasive, and they have absorbed and adapted in ways that should (IMO) make the Big Monotheisms seethe with envy. (Well. I suppose some monotheists are seething, but most definitely not for the right reasons.) I strongly believe faith ought to be a mixture of learned information (from teachers, books, other practitioners, etc.) and personal experience. If I adhered to anything like a traditional religion, it would probably be one of these.

On a related note, I find the sheer arrogance and stupidity of Robertson and his ilk infuriating, to say nothing of the opportunistic scavengers scrambling to ship Bibles down to Haiti for all the poor souls "hungering for the Word of God," or putting together aid to be exchanged for conversions of convenience. I'm sure they think they're bringing comfort to those who need it, when they're only adding insult to injury -- literally, in this case. And yes, this is a particularly sore spot with me. My father's church made great use of convenient conversion tactics -- they were exceedingly proud that their "Feed the Hungry" program only fed Christian children.

So. Vodou gets a lot of flack and disrespect from the missionary contingent, but the reality is that it's a religion of hope, community, and honoring the spirits and those who have gone before. Contrary to popular belief, Vodouisants do, in most cases, believe in a single creator god; it's just that the loa are a few levels closer to us. They're the ones who actually Pay Attention to the little people down here on Earth; they're the ones dealing with the day-to-day work. Which is why their mapping of loa to Catholic saints seems to be pretty spot-on to this non-Catholic girl, IMO.

In any case. I continue to watch the coverage because I can't look away. It's heart-wrenching and sad, and yet ... there's a chance, here, for Haiti to remake itself. I sincerely hope they can do so, with the world's help, and still dance to the beat of their own drummers.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Chillin' at home

Recuperating after a wicked exhausting week. It's been a long, long time coming, but I think things are finally starting to look up at work. There are a lot of interesting projects in the works -- about half of the projects on my grand to-do list are my idea, and half are from the new deans who've asked for my help on one thing or another. All of them will involve some form of geekery, so I'm looking forward to digging in.

Also handed off a 19-page doc to my boss this week that included a project log, to-do list, arguments on why my job needs to be restructured, and the four other positions I'm applying for. After taking a few days to digest the info, she came back with an encouraging response, so I'm working on draft two this weekend.

Speaking of work, I'm also working with The Monica on layout and design for a Violet War story project, and was approached by another program on campus to do some freelance work on their behalf. I have a couple of weeks at most to put together a workshop, modified style template, and procedural guidelines. And then we're going to tackle how they archive these projects, because they will contain patent-application materials that will need to be restricted to secured access. (I'm hoping to spread that luck around a bit, as well, since they also need writing help for their students, and I happen to know a freelance writer and editor with graduate/academic experience...)

It's almost like 2010 is apologizing for 2009. I ... accept. I think we're off to a good start, here.

In other news, a good friend shared a fun vid of a Glee-based flashmob in Rome over the holidays:



The fascinating part for me in the vid is how the flashmob grows, the longer it goes on, as if people who weren't in on the plan start to join in around the edges.

I don't think I've mentioned this previously, but I came across an excellent myth- and folklore-related blog late last year by author Kate Winter. Titled Girls Underground, it's Kate's attempt to explore the Persephone/Armless Maiden story archetypes in popular culture. I've been drawn to these stories since I was a kid, so I'm excited by the prospect of a writer paying close attention to those heroines.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Little Mermaids

Pushing through some unfinished posts that have been languishing the last couple of weeks... Here is #1.

Here there be spoilers. Do not follow the breadcrumbs if you're annoyed by that sort of thing.

I finally did get to see Ponyo with some good friends. The company was excellent, the movie was cute, and I'm glad I went. However, my reaction to the movie has been somewhat different than that of everyone else so far. While I loved the character of Ponyo herself, and the adorable old ladies, the more I thought about the movie, the more I realized how ... well, disappointed I was.

Overall the movie felt sort of ... recycled. Mind you, I love the Little Mermaid tale, and I expected it to be a re-telling, not something ground-breakingly new. As well, there were some bits of nice symbolism and such -- the water kingdom, the tunnel, etc. -- and I'm all for Cate Blanchette as a sea goddess. I also loved Totoro, so I don't even think it's just that I was caught off-guard by a movie meant for younger children. (As Sherri put it, the movie was definitely not challenging, and honestly, I usually don't mind that.)

First, I was less enamored of the character designs, which struck me as vintage Miyazaki in the bad way: the fish-girls are shapeless blobs with odd heads, and I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes at the garishness of Ponyo's father.

Then there's the inclusion of some tired and unsubtle jabs of nature vs. humanity that were unnecessary. They seemed to have been plugged in out of some moral obligation, and were especially annoying because the proponent of the "wipe out the humans/return to pristine ancient ocean" camp had once been human himself. As well, the movie does an excellent job showing how pollution affects the ocean and so on -- the dialogue to that effect removed any hint of subtlety or finesse from those scenes. It reminded me of the first Miyazaki film I saw, Princess Mononoke. While it was admittedly a lovely, lovely film, I haven't the faintest desire to re-watch it, and a large part of that stems from the heavy-handed eco-thumping.

Yes, I understand that concern about the planet is a good theme. But Studio Ghibli has the talent to show the encroachment and damage and concern in a way that makes the preachy dialogue clunkier by far in comparison. Unfortunately they insist on telling us the moral of the story, as well, which ruins the effect.

The other thing I disliked was actually a little harder to pin down.

I do understand that this is supposed to be a sweet little love story; a fairy tale in which the fate of the world hinges on two five-year-olds and their innocent idea of love. Ponyo, who is a willful and spirited girl (not unlike Coraline, who survives her ordeals precisely because she is both clever and such an utter brat) makes a decision about who she's going to be, rebels against the father, and promptly tromps off to make it so -- leaving quite a wake in her path. She is the epitome of a tiny force of nature.

Her decision and her magic (presumably augmented by the potion her father was going to unleash on the poor humans) do affect the balance of nature, endangering the world, and at the same time enabling the wonders of ancient oceans to return. It is, quite literally, magic of world-shaping proportions.

Meanwhile, Sosuke, the object of Ponyo's fascination, is somewhat serious, kind, considerate and responsible (or as much as can be expected of a five-year-old boy). He saves her life in the beginning of the story, gives her the means to become human, and gives her the name Ponyo, which she gleefully adopts. (Honestly, it is better than Brunhilde or "Hey, fish girl".) He is understandably distraught when Ponyo's father retrieves the magical talking fish and traps her in a bubble under the sea.

The movie goes on as expected. Ponyo and Sosuke must make a journey, helping and trusting each other; as predicted by her father, Ponyo tires and begins to lose her magic, and Sosuke ends up pushing her along. And I think that was what finally tipped me from mild amusement to flat disappointment -- suddenly Ponyo's tale bcame just another story about a girl giving up everything (home, family, friends, and especially her own inherent magic) to join the world of the boy she loves. Why does the sacrifice have to be so complete -- and so completely one-sided?

The original version holds within it a bouquet of Christian warnings; illustrations of the inherent dangers of desire and sacrifice; soul vs. magic; humans mixing with Others (whether that meant mermaids or, I suppose, those of a different class or race). I had honestly hoped that this re-telling might bend those rules, if not outright break them. I was hoping for a little balance.

I don't consider myself one of those women who get their panties in a twist over fairy tales, but I do find myself quickly tiring of certain tropes. Maybe it's a symptom of my age, or perhaps there's a sense that some of them hit too close to home, these days.

Maybe I'm just tired of armless maidens and refrigerator girls and little mermaids.

These days I'd much rather read about women whose magic is so ingrained it can't be so easily forsaken; women clever enough and strong enough to remain true to themselves without losing that balance. I want Vasilisa or Chihiro, a Coraline or a Promethea.

If there must be a little mermaid, then let her be wise enough to understand the dangers she faces, and brave enough to turn herself to foam on the water, if need be. And once in a while, if she could turn the tables, to see what her object of desire might be willing to give up for her instead ... well, that would be a fine thing to see, as well.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Randomosity: Zombies and gods

From the BBC News site:

If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively.

That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada.

They say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures.

And that is how you make disease vectors into an interesting article for the rest of us.

Locals in Nepal are considering a baby born with extra limbs a reincarnation of Ganesh. Although baby Risab is revered at the moment, it's scary to think how quickly that could turn:

"If my husband had not been there, they could have said I had given birth to a witch and come and killed me.

"Most of the neighbours came and said it was a God so they told me not to treat it badly and accept it."

But Ms Ghimire says most of the villagers are superstitious and - like her - believe in witches.

Indeed, her fears are not surprising, with one local Hindu priest openly saying that he believes the baby is a curse on the village and the reason for the late monsoons.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Bewildering

Right now, the focus of the world is the Middle East and South-western Asia: Israel and the Palestinians, the Iranian elections, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Pakistani bleedover, the Taliban using opium profit to encourage throwing acid on school girls in Afghanistan, the price of oil, and the effects of President Obama's Cairo speech.

Somalia managed to grab some modicum of interest with the pirate attacks and dramatic stand-offs earlier this spring. Darfur resurfaces regularly as a frustratingly forgotten cause, when some celebrity steps up to mention it during an acceptance speech or photo op. Even South Africa hit the BBC headlines recently with survey data showing strong indications of a culture of rape.

But those places seem so far away; another world, where we see the barren land, the desperation and hunger and pain and frustration through a television screen, and look away because we cannot figure out where to start.

There is another group, much closer to our modern Western lives, that still endures a type of persecution so blatant and aggressive that I have to confess I've watched it with a bewildering mix of confusion and fascination for years, now.

Here it is, 2009, and -- as RenegadeFuturist.com mentioned a few days ago -- the Roma are still topping the persecution list in Europe after a good seven or eight centuries.

It seems strange to me that we in the US hear so little about these attacks and profiling and discrimination that I have to rely on the BBC and Amnesty International to keep tabs on the problem. Is it that our media thinks we're already over-saturated with the world's various ethnic struggles? Or is it some archaic cultural holdover of the myth that gypsies and travelers are all untrustworthy outsiders, and therefore less deserving of our attention?

Because if there's anything the last few decades have taught us, it's that things always ends well when when we ignore the plight of the marginalized and dispossessed.

Last week's attacks in Belfast, Northern Ireland were only the most recent incident I've seen mentioned. (The unfortunate target families of that campaign have successfully been chased back to Romania, after the thugs even attacked the church that offered the families shelter after the attacks.) Last year, Italy bewildered the civilized world by declaring discrimination against Roma was acceptable because they're all thieves. (Again, the US seems to have largely missed all the outrage on this...) And this spring, a series of murders in Hungary have had the Roma communities on edge as unknown assailants assault members of their community.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and other formerly Soviet-controlled Eastern European countries have been facing charges that their schools are segregated and that Roma children are deliberately sent to remedial schools designed to handle children with severe learning disabilities rather than being mainstreamed into the normal education system. Deliberately skimping on the education of these kids is only going to perpetuate the problem -- keep them poor and trapped in refugee camps and insular neighborhoods.

I don't have an answer to this, as infuriating as it is. I hope the "Decade of Roma Inclusion" and other European initiatives will actually accomplish what needs to be done, but that remains to be seen.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues is fabulous. Aside from being based on the heart-wrenching tale of Sita told in the Ramayana, I love writers and artists who are able to bring modern relevance to the old stories, and Nina Paley managed to do that both through interweaving a modern-day breakup tale with Sita's story, and by using Annette Hanshaw's jazz vocals as Sita's modern voice. (Also: Todd Michaelsen's three Indian-flavored electronica pieces are awesome. Must download those.) The three shadow puppet narrators manage to be informative (for those who don't have a clue about Indian myth or The Ramayana) and also hilarious at the same time.

The only complaint I have about the movie is that it's too long ... and by that, I could have done without a few of the Hanshaw songs without losing the fun and flavor of the story. They all fit eerily well, mind you...

Apparently there will also be a hi-res download of the film in the archives beginning March 7. Good to know.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

The Issue of Prayer

The Indiana House of Reps. has reinstated the tradition of prayer before its sessions. Apparently the ACLU's taxpayer-led case fell through; they're now looking for an involved party such as a Representative or Senator, who would be required to subject themselves to the prayers because they are members of the assembly. (Well, theoretically ... it seems they've switched the presentation around so dissenting members can skip the prayer and then show up for roll call.)

I have mixed feelings on the issue of prayer before convening a governmental session. I can see the argument that allowing someone to express their faith does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of that faith. Rather, it is an endorsement of their right to express that faith -- essentially, a mark of freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

However, I know how Indiana rolls, as they say. The vast majority of these prayers are of varying Christian denominations, with perhaps a few scattered Muslim or Jewish nods here and there so they can claim diversity while still keeping it in the Abrahamic family. While Rep. Bauer and the others profess to be open to prayers from leaders of all faiths, I have serious doubts regarding their willingness to accept a Hindu presenter, for example, let alone a Druid, or a Wiccan, or an Asatruar. How about a solitary asking for the guidance and blessing of Melek Taus or Inanna? I have to wonder whether there are credentials and requirements necessary in order to secure an invitation in the first place. And let's face it, modern Paganism is a movement that is largely comprised of individuals and minor groups such as groves/covens/throths, etc., who don't necessarily practice a formal ordination or adopt a hierarchy that would be recognized by one of the mainstream religions.

And what happens if an atheist wants to stand before the assembly and asks not for the blessing of the gods, but for compassion and common sense from their fellow men and women? Would they be given the chance to express their lack of faith in the divine? To keep things equal, they should be. And yet ... I can't see Rep Bauer endorsing that right, for some reason.

I suppose it boils down to the familiar old "religious decorations on public ground" example -- to be fair, the rule will have to apply to all or none. I'm not holding my breath.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Journey to the Deep, Dark Woods

Gunnerkrigg Court is one of my most favorite webcomics of all time. Tom Siddell has managed to spin a wonderful story about school, and robots, and and friendship, and talking to dead people. It's a world in which gruff, eyeless girls from another dimension accidentally pull you along when their mind gets yanked into a scary place, and the Big Bad Monster gets bound into the stuffed wolf doll your mom made you, and the forest at the other end of the bridge really is full of living shadows and faeries and even Coyote himself. It's a world of myth and weird science and all the things I love. I wish I could write these things half as well, never mind drawing the story, too.

As always, I'm loving the current storyline. Coyote has taken an interest in the main character -- a young school girl who also happens to be a spiritual medium -- and has invited her to visit him in the dark forest. There is tension between the denizens of the forest and those of the school, so Annie, brave girl that she is, must leave her escort at the bridge and undertake the journey alone. (As is only right and proper.)

The echoes of the mythic hero quest invoked by Siddell has been a delight since the comic began, and now I find myself anxiously awaiting the new pages to see what happens next. How will the journey change her? (As all such journeys do.) And how will our heroine change the deep, dark wood?

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Ramayan 3392 AD and Mythic Movies

I had heard about Liquid Comics a few months ago, and promised myself I'd keep an eye on them as they tackle their goal of bringing ancient epics such as the Ramayana to the comic/graphic novel audience. Of course, we have all of one comic store in town these days, and I very rarely get over there, so this eventually slipped my mind altogether. Until Technoccult was kind enough to link to a Wired article on the movie version of Ramayan 3392 AD, that is. Due in 2011, the movie is a collaboration with Mandalay Pictures; let me just say, the teaser pics rock. If that's what the comic looks like, I have got to find that book.

This sort of thing -- updated myths with modern relevance -- has been on my mind again recently, since Evn prompted his loyal strifemongers to ponder casting calls for myth-based movies. All of the entries posted were very cool ideas, with excellent "casting," and most of them prompted me to take notes on more must-track-down stories. (My own entry was based around the stories of Iyansa and Shango, the orishas of storm and war. It won, somehow, sending my brain into meltdown mode. Seriously ... I never win things like this.)

Hm. That's the second thing I've won in the last two weeks. Perhaps I should look into this "lottery" thing. You know, the one where they give you money..?

Honestly, I would love to see any of the proposed ideas made into movies. It blows me away that there is such a wealth of inspiration and wonder in the old stories that has largely gone untapped and forgotten by the modern world. I hope, with the success of Guillermo del Toro's brilliant treatments of mythic relevance in Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy II, that the tide will be changing in the near future. Not only for the obvious wealth of imagery and effects, but because I want storytellers who are able to successfully tap into the wonder and inspiration and terror of the mythic other that modern life has largely forgotten. I would also like, if it's not too much trouble, an immensely successful writer/director/actor to drop the "Pagan" bomb on Oprah -- in a way that won't immediately cause the Wince of Associated Shame from every Pagan who witnesses it. And also ponies. Because everyone likes ponies.

Follow the breadcrumbs...