does yr sleep position reveal yr personality?

Read this article: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/what-does-your-sleep-position-reveal-about-your-personality-1338293/ . Which one are you? Do you agree or disagree? I doubt that this is just for women. Or is it?

Erotic capital

Is this article accurate? Do men have erotic capital, just as women do?  http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_400/409_whats-your-erotic-net-worth.html

Is Gender a natural or artificial classification?

During the winter quarter, CSULA's Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality put together a very informative panel discussion about the South African middle-distance runner and world champion Mokgadi Caster Semenya. After winning gold in the women's 800 meters at the 2009 World Championships in the finals, she was subjected to several gender tests. She considers herself a woman and has been running as a woman all of her life without scrutiny until this win.

Many discussions took place regarding the racial component of mass media's portrayal of Semenya and her "true" gender. An Australian newspaper was especially cruel about this issue. The results of her gender ambiguity was "leaked" by the newspaper before it was reported by the IAAF. Many believed that her privacy was violated and she had been humiliated in front of millions . I think this is an interesting topic because it encompasses a female who is in the domain of men's world, sports, and it also questions our notions of true gender in terms of biology. We often think of gender as inherent and natural rather than something artificial and socialized. Semenya was pictured a couple of weeks after her gender test wearing a dress, makeup, and a weave. She was posing on the front cover of a tabloid to prove that she really is a woman. It made me wonder if the message of the magazine is to say that her womanhood is her attire, her aesthetic quality, and her appearance rather than her talent, sheer power, and determination.

Professor Talia Bettcher of the Philosopher department spoke about people's need to uncover a deep reality. As if Semenya's gender, boy or girl, would say something about her that is somehow more "real." Semenya as a human, as an athlete, as a world champion is somehow inadequate or simply questionable. She had to be understood by looking underneath, at her chromosomes, xx/xy for a "true" gender: Her "real" identity.
Now, some argue that the IAAF is performing the gender verification test for the fairness of the sport, much like it would perform doping tests. In the panel we had a biologist and a Kinesiologist who looked at Semenya's preliminary results and both concluded that she would not have any physical advantage over the other athletes due to the complications testosterone has on her system. If this is in fact the case, then her gender would be irrelevant.

I would like to attach a PDF of a long but worthy article about Gender verification. It is from the book: Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality. The article is called Dueling Dualism. I studied it in my Gender and Science class here at CSULA. It really puts things into perspective. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the subject of gender. I can give it to you if you come ask me or if you teach me how to put it up. The link is the amazon of the book.

Flawless

Recently saw this movie on Television again. A really good film I recommend actually seeing it.

Relationship complex

Is the Madonna/Whore complex evident in your life? How do you feel about the complex? http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_400/402b_the-madonnawhore-complex.html

the genderless teaching from the East

Mooji 

Child Marriage sentences 60mill girls around the world to a life of poverty

This was sent to me today and wanted to share with everyone:  Marriage is a time for celebration and joy - unless you are one of the 60 million girls around the world forced into marriage before the age of 18.

Imagine the life those girls - and girls who are 7, 10 or 16 years of age - endure. Early marriage has lifelong consequences. Child brides have a diminished chance of completing their education and are at a higher risk of being physically abused, becoming pregnant at a young age and contracting deadly diseases, such as HIV.

It doesn't have to be this way. Help girls around the world by calling on U.S. government to take action that will help end this pervasive and heartbreaking human rights violation!  . . . Add your Voice!!

Today's Film

I really enjoyed today's film. I have watched the film before and it was good to be reminded that men and women conversations are indeed different. Men will take in conversations in a whole different way compared to women, it is just their nature. Only because he seems not to be listening does not mean he is not listening. It reminds me of my own relationship and as I think about I could say that many of the arguments I have had with my partner are due to not understanding his "conversational rituals."

Understanding the differences between men and women, I think, can make relationships better. A man will never be what a women expects and vice versa and that is because we are socialized differently. . . . . . . Great film.

Tannen Video: He Said, She Said

1.  Overall Theme . . 2. Particulars . . 3. What will you "do about it."
The film is available in Library, 3rd FL. U can watch it there.
What did she mean when she said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" does not always work across the sexes, each w. a unique "conversational style."

One of the best books I have read on the condition of the "Female" today

Laura Kipnis is by far one of my favorite contemporary writers and commentators. She writes intellectual prose and witty truth about the condition of the female psyche as well as our constant conflict dealing with ourselves and the people in our lives. I first fell in love with her when I read her book Against Love, A Polemic and decided to work on an independent work study on the genealogy of marriage. Then her book The Female Thing: Dirt, Envy, Sex, Vulnerability came out. This book is hilarious, provocative, outrageously heartbreaking at times, but most of all thought provoking. I recommend it to anyone interested in the topic of gender and sexuality.
My partner and I read this out loud to each other on our book reading dates. Yes, we are nerds. We had lots of fun, but we also had many deep discussions about the topics in the book. We certainly did not agree with everything Ms. Kipnis suggests but we were compelled to reassess how we interact with each other and put her theories to test.

Here is a long but worthy review: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061211/smallwood

When hate is fought with hate no one wins

I would like to present this video it is of a Anti-Nazi Protest that I hope many of you were aware about. in this protest the Nazi's were against everyone else. They talked bad and down about not just races but sexualities. They piled all hispanics as Mexican's and all blacks as Africans and that they should all go back to their prospective countries. Regardless, I you should not fight hate with more hate. Their is an aesop fable I would like all who read this to look up. It is about the sun and the wind. But for now here is a video of mob mentality and fighting hate with more hate.

Lakers

First time blogging. I really don't know what to write about nor do I really know what blogging is but we'll see. So how about these Lakers? They start off the playoffs with a win and complete the first step to defending their NBA title. 15 more wins until they are once again crowned champions. It seems like the city of Los Angeles will have another Laker parade in June. Wait there is no seems, it's more like they will have another parade come June. Go Lakers!!! :)

How delicately these two men dance

dance, fellows, dance <-- click

Women workers

China- in your hand right now perhaps?

Is Marriage Good for Your Health?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18marriage-t.html?partner=rss&emc=rss  long discussion - interesting

PRINCIPLES

Do we create our lives to match our principles, or do we choose our principles to match our lives?

Some random thoughts from circle....

First off I must say that I really enjoyed class today, it was nice to all look at each other as well as hear all of our very educated opinions. Yay for us :)

All this gender talk really got me thinking about how we ourselves may make our own gender classifications without even realizing it. As I was walking out of the building I held the door open for someone walking out...does this make me masculine(I'm a female) or polite? As I was walking to the car with my boyfriend I had to stop and fix my shoe and as a result I was behind for about 30 second walking...does this mean that he is dominate and I'm submissive because I'm walking behind my man? I know this was something brought up in our circle discussion today, and after having it applied to a situation that happens every day, if not multiple times a day really got me thinking about definitions.

I came to the conclusion that definitions really don't matter, and I will even venture out on a limb and say that our hang ups about gender and the differences between men and women have ceased to become important because our definitions are so centered around differences and even sometimes who is better. I feel like its more important to focus on the fact that were all humans and should treat each other as such, not everything has to be put into the boxes we are so fond of defining our lives with.

Whew just a bit of fresh air for the topic ...comments welcome :)

Federal Law regarding Funding for Abortion

According to the Hyde Amendment (a legislative provision barring the use of certain fed. funds to pay for abortions) : * Federal law requires that states cover abortions under Medicaid in the event of rape, incest, and life endangerment, but bans the use of fed. Medicaid funds for any other abortions.

* Based on these restrictions, 32 states and DC fund abortions through Medicaid only in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. SD covers abortions only in the cases of life endangerment, which does not comply with federal requirements under the Hyde Amendment. IN, UT and WI have expanded coverage to women whose physical health is jeopardized, and IA, MS, UT and VA also include fetal abnormality cases.

* Seventeen states (AK, AZ, CA, CT, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA, WV) use their own funds to cover all or most “medically necessary” abortions sought by low-income women under Medicaid.

Top 5 Pleasures

Life is full of pleasures, what are your top 5 ? Be specific.
i.e. non-specific: being naked; specific: skinny dipping

NATURE vs NURTURE

Is an individual's personality determined by Nature or Nurture?

Paper?

Before the end of class, Professor Kerk mentioned two copies of the paper. What paper is actually due on Wed?

Women In Military

Should women be held to different standards when it comes to joining the military? Although I agree, that women are biologically different I do not believe that you should have different standards for the same job. One of the primary requirements of being in the marines is that you are a grunt first and your secondary job later. A grunt is a rifleman who is prepared for combat. The secondary job part is that when joining any military depending on how high you score in your ASVAB you can choose which job to get trained in and do in the military. Jobs can vary from Grunt-Airflight controller. At the same time if you do not score high in the ASVAB you are limited to just being a grunt.

two book citations mentioned

The Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America & What To Do about It, Martha Burk, 2005. On the kingdom of golf as a world of male privilege. Good concepts, good facts. The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers, by Thomas Fleming, 2009. Great read. Fun.

Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Here is the link for the article "The Yellow Wallpaper"

YOU'LL BE GLUED TO THIS VIDEO ONCE YOU START WATCHING! It's worth your time.

Killing Us Softly 3

From IMDb:

Jean Kilbourne's pioneering work helped develop and popularize the study of gender representation in advertising. Her award-winning Killing us Softly films have influenced millions of college and high school students across two generations and on an international scale. In this important new film, Kilbourne reviews if and how the image of women in advertising has changed over the last 20 years. With wit and warmth, Kilbourne uses over 160 ads and TV commercials to critique advertising's image of women. By fostering creative and productive dialogue, she invites viewers to look at familiar images in a new way, that moves and empowers them to take action.

Two Good Videos on Gender

................................The Leopard & Baboon  Survival of the fittest?
M F Differences:  a cartoon.  True?

Angel of Mine ~ By Quentin Grzyb

My love for you grows
You are the angel in my life
Your radiant smile heals my broken heart
Your glorious presence puts me at peace
With you on my side, my life is complete
When you need me, I will be there for you
What I ask of you is for your love at hand. 
.........Note: this poem is not directed towards anybody.

the first assembly line: for cars

link in this post from other class.  Watch it - it's fun & educational.  Makes U think about capitalism, too. taking a risk, going into the unknown as H.F. did - "the blade" at work.

Lonely Soldier: Private War of Women Serving in Iraq (EVENT in LA)

Dear colleagues, This is a FREE event at [ALOUD] Downtown Central Library:   Tues, Apr 27 7PM   If you have never attended an ALOUD event at the Downtown Central Library, you are in for an amazing treat.   Most events are FREE! If you have a LA county Library card, you get  parking validated after 4 or 5pm - & park FREE! can you believe that? Parking downtown in a secure structure for free? That's right folks.

The Downtown Central library is a beautiful place and the ALOUD series is a fantastic icing on the cake. Last year I got to meet Brother Cornel West, who is one of my favorite living philosophers and heroes. He came to speak at one of the ALOUD events and I was first in line. You should sign up for their email list and I am sure your favorite author/composer/director/politician/scientist will be there at some point.

HELEN BENEDICT  The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq. In conversation with DEANNE STILLMAN, author and journalist:  A work of brilliant and compassionate reporting, “a must-read for everyone who cares about women, justice, fairness, the military, and the US.” (Katha Pollitt, The Nation)   There is more on these 2 women on: http://www.lfla.org/event-detail/461/Helen-Benedict

signing up to blog

remember the invite is in your calstate email.  if you are new, email me once you get into GET.

Talk talk talk

Here's a question for everyone: In conversations, is it easier for a woman to understand what a man is thinking than it is for a man to understand what a woman is thinking? Is the opposite true? Or is it up to an individual's ability to analyze and empathize with the other party, regardless of gender? Or is this not an issue at all?

What's probably true for all is that in conversations, we can have moments where we fall back on standbys: the "genderized" habits we've picked up along the way. BUT there are moments when we can consciously choose to alter our behavior to clarify the point.

How do people speak differently with one another in different contexts? People in classrooms are in the same boat, and mundane cross-gender conversations about exams,  schedule,  chapters to be read are relatively easy to have. Heterosexual people on dates, on the other hand...;P  What do you "guys" think?

(... does having symmetrical gender dynamics on a date with a member of your own sex/gender make things less awkward?)

New Poem

I need your opinion on this:

Finding Myself
By Quentin Grzyb

Look into the mirror what do I see
I see a lifeless reflection of myself
A shell so hard that is shatters the human soul
Inside that dark shell is a person filled with such passion
The kind of passion that brings life and enlightens the darkest of times
Now look into the mirror again and what do you see
I see a strong vigilant human being who will live another day.