I watched a good video of Naomi Klein talking about her new book The Shock Doctrine, where she argues that governments use disasters to establish equally if not more disastrous neoliberal economic policies. It was inspiring to think about history as “shock resistance,” but I am so pessimistic about the world right now that it is difficult to believe there is much if anything we can do, especially because of the need for collective action. Maybe the best we can do is to simply get through this.
De-Stress
I got a response from the IRB, which helped to reduce a lot of my stress.
Experiencing Nowhere
I found it amusing that everyone used their weak or non-existent cell phone reception as an index for how removed we were at the lake house.
Minutiae
Mailed some documents, shot a video journal at the mall, bought a Nintendo DS, got a haircut, and drove to the lake house — I played lots of Pokemon Diamond on the way.
Links
So, I’ve known about R. Kelly’s 22-part Trapped in the Closet epic for a long time — but it looks like the final push for me to watch it has come from NPR of all places!
This American Life has an episode about the mortgage scandal.
As my last task before leaving town I stopped by the library to get some books to read in Tokyo. I ran into Christobal and we had a good conversation about theory and our summer plans. He was returning Stoler’s Race and The Education of Desire and getting some other Foucault related stuff.
The library itself, though, was a fail. One of the main books I wanted (Queer Phenomenology) hadn’t been taken off of reserve yet, and the only guy who could do it wouldn’t be back for two weeks. I also wasn’t able to find this other book I really wanted (The Anthropology of Experience).
To further my demise, I got a parking ticket — eight minutes late. I’m not a big fan of the inefficient design of parking meters.
The Trip to Texas
I seem to have gotten used to these fourteen hour trips. I kept myself amused and awake by listening to music, NPR, and The Amber Spyglass; thinking; and by making a music video.
Links
There were two incredible segments on NPR about parents grappling with their children’s experience with a so-called gender identity disorder. One child was taught to be masculine using aversion therapy, and another child was being given a hormone treatment to delay puberty. This quote by a parent about their experience of finally breaking down and getting their child a dress made my eyes water: “I thought she was gonna hyperventilate and faint because she was so incredibly happy. … Before then, or since then, I don’t think I have seen her so out of her mind happy as that drive to Target that day to pick out her dress.”
I tried to move out by noon, but it just didn’t happen. I took a break to eat, and eventually moved out by about 5 or so. Luckily, I didn’t have to pay anything for moving out “late.”
I was so tired when I took that last load over to storage. I just sat in my car and rested, glad that I had survived. I wasn’t quite able to fit everything into my 4×4×5 space, so some things will have to ride with me to Texas if I can’t find some other place for them.
I am crashing at Kiril’s while I am in transition.
Crazy Buffet
Bobo China was closed, so I got Kiril and Martin to try out Crazy Buffet. I was surprised by all the different kinds of food they had, including sushi. The food was okay, but I really enjoyed the Edy’s dulce de leche ice cream (as well as the banana pudding).
While eating I was fascinated by these huge ducks in a pond near the restaurant. Kiril wondered how they ended up there of all places, so far from any sign of nature.
We spent the rest of the day joking around about the name of the restaurant, but, really, it wasn’t that crazy.
Minutiae
Hubert told me to check out this book Temporarily Yours, which is about sex work.
Links
“Just as gay-rights activists reclaimed the word queer as a badge of honor rather than a slur, mental illness advocates are proudly calling themselves mad."
NPR had a good story on the history of spam.
I felt a deep sense of connection and belonging when Kaki King was pleased at being compared to Morrissey on NPR.
The May 2008 Harper’s had a wonderful picture of an abandoned book depository in Detroit. It listed the web site and there are many more beautiful pictures of the book depository. The website also has a blog post addressing responses that people have had to the photos.
It’s so great how Harper’s, the other photos, and his commentary all fit together, made possible by the Internet. How does that change what we mean by “magazine,” when it has such an overlapping intertextual relationship with the Internet?
Minutiae
Woke up around 3 a.m. when there was loud thunder.
Worked on my last assignment — a proposal for East Asian youth.
Links
This NPR story about global warming has some WONDERFUL street reporting. You should listen just to hear the global warming “rap” that some kids made up on the spot.
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