Kate A's meme

Completed last night, in my office, after my class finished up a bit early.

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?

The book closest to me… hmm. There are about 25 within arms reach… I’ll pick the one on the top of the closest stack. There aren’t 4 paragraphs on page 18 of that book, but close by:

”The institutional and political knowledges that students derive from their investigation of how things are put together in order to make the changes they propose illustrates the link between institutional ethnography and feminist activism. In the context of a community action project, students are advised to explore the institutional forms and procedures, informal organizational processes, and discursive frames used to construct the goals and targets of the work the institution performs. They are also encouraged to remain self-reflective of their own assumptions and interactions both individually and as part of their community action groups.”

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?

A poster given to me by a good friend:

“Because woman’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we’re the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it’s our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we’re nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos and if we don’t we’re frigid and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a “real” man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect childcare we’re selfish and if we stand up for our rights we’re aggressive and “unfeminine” and if we don’t we’re typical weak females and if we want to get married we’re out to trap a man and if we don’t we’re unnatural and because we still can’t get an adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon and if we can’t cope or don’t want a pregnancy we’re made to feel guilty about abortion and … for lots and lots of other reasons we are part of the women’s liberation movement.”

3. What’s the last program you watched on tv?

KnittyGritty on DIY.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.

8:30 pm. .. (the clock says 8:32, pretty good guess.

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?

My wind-up alarm clock that was too loud to keep in the bedroom so I brought it to work.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?

Around 5pm this evening I walked to pick up sushi for dinner.

7. What are you wearing?

A light sweater, black almost floor length skirt, clogs, and black socks (the last three items being almost a work uniform of sorts for me).

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?

No memory of any dreams.

9. When was the last time you laughed?

Laughed out loud in front of someone else Saturday night reading blogs… I can’t remember for the life of me which one made me laugh out loud though.

10. What's on the walls, in the room you're in right now?

In my office, the previously described poster, lots and lots of books, more posters about sexual violence prevention, some oil paintings, and a big bulletin board full of miscellaneous stuff. You can look at a previous post for a pic.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?

When don’t we see strange things.

12. What do you think about this meme?

I’ve never seen one I wanted to do before this one… I wanted to see what I would learn about myself completing it.

13. What's the last film you saw?

"Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest” on the plane home from Chicago yesterday.

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?

I would become a much better philanthropists (and pay off a few bills).

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.

When I worry that someone is uncomfortable about something I’m saying, I repeat myself out of anxiety (of course making them more uncomfortable; stupid hmm).

16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?

I would make all things nonviolent and peaceful.

17. Do you like dancing?

Not really. Don’t hate it, just don’t like it.

18. George Bush?

Let me quote a smart woman, Kate A. from whom I adopted this meme:

“Willfully stupid, coke-snorting, pathologically lying frat boy with a daddy complex who is allowing the evil cabal that flatters and rules him to destroy the world for no better reason than their pure, unadulterated greed, and when they follow Goebel’s Textbook on Authoritarianism (“the best way to fool the people is with a really big lie”), refering to all this theft, murder, torture, and bigotry as “Christian,” “fiscally responsible,” and “tough on terror,” many people -- most of them employed in the media -- are too scared of getting even more screwed than they already are to stand up and point out that the emperor has no clothes. I could go on. For hours. I could go on for as long as it takes to get these people out of office and, preferably, behind bars.”

19. What do you want your children's names to be, girl/boy?

I have no plans to have children and no names picked out for future “kidlets” (i.e., pets).

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yep, sometimes S and I think we may have to leave this red-leaning country to save our sanity (see question 18 above). I have lots of relatives in Ireland and frequently think it would be great to go there.

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?

Is there a God? Would “he” or “she” say something to anyone?

22. Who should do this meme?

Everyone who wants to learn a bit more about him or herself.