Thanksgiving Highlights

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! I am back from Oceanside, nice and refreshed and ready to finish out the quarter. Here are the Thanksgiving highlights:

I learned how to make stuffing. Karen got out this big bowl and we dumped a whole bunch of bread cubes into it. While she dumped in spices, chicken broth, eggs, and sauteed onions and mushrooms, I vigorously stirred it all together. Eileen was pretty impressed. And, apparently, you really do need to use lots of butter when making stuffing.

Toasted pecans are the secret to a great pecan pie. Karen made an awesome pecan pie, and I got the recipe. Oh so good. That is all.

I was watching the football game on Thanksgiving day, and the NFL kept airing these commercials about its campaign to fight childhood obesity. I'm sitting there, passing the time until it's time to eat, and I'm thinking to myself, "It's Thanksgiving; can't the fight for childhood obesity wait until tomorrow?" Oh, and the Jonas Brothers performed during halftime. Or, as I like to refer to them: "Hanson, Part 2."

We went out shopping on Black Friday. Kylie wanted to leave the house at 6 in the morning, but Karen quickly vetoed that and we left at 8. The stores were not as crowded as I'd anticipated, and I got some good deals on some clothes. So, there were 2 San Diego Chargers cheerleaders standing outside of this store autographing Chargers cheerleaders calendars. Of course, they were wearing their midriff-bearing uniforms that show lots of leg. The best part? The store was right next to Santa's workshop; you know, the North Pole replica with snow and elves. About 10 feet from the scantily clad cheerleaders were kids waiting to get their pictures taken with Santa Claus. Hilarious! The irony! I can't even make this stuff up!

I've decided that the Ugg in Ugg boots is short for Ugly. Enough said.

I went to Kellen and Cole's high school's football game on Friday night; it's playoff season. It was my first football game in California, and the first that I'd been to since my marching band days at the University of Minnesota. In contrast to the playoff games I went to in high school, there was no snow on Friday night.

In the downtime in Oceanside, I like to watch the Food Network. (I don't get this channel in Irvine) I was watching this show hosted by Guy Fieri, and he was asking people which holiday family recipe they wish would just die. And I thought to myself, "anything with Jello."

I've been here for 2 years, and for the first time my family asked me some pointed questions about my program and research. They asked how much longer I would be at UCI, and I joked that they must be getting tired of seeing me at family holidays. Anyway, I gave them a general idea of my program requirements: 3 qualifying papers, advancement exams, prospectus, and dissertation. They sure were curious, so I started to talk about my papers. I told them that my first paper was about abortion rates and social spending. Their response? Silence. I chuckled and joked that nothing halts a conversation like abortion. That lightened the mood. I told them that my research interests just get more depressing and that it's all downhill after abortion. I explained that my second paper is on the anti-rape movement. They were interested and listened while I briefly discussed that paper. Then, because I just can't quit while I'm ahead, I told them that I was doing a lot of reading about female genital mutilation. They asked what my dissertation would be about, and I told them that I didn't know but that it would probably encompass citizenship, female sexuality, and bodily integrity and control. I think that I may have ensured that my family will never again make the mistake of asking me about my program and research interests.

Audrey, my 80 some year old great aunt, watches the Daily Show! She says that this is how she gets the news! (along with reading the LA Times and Time magazine) I find this to be so surprising and amusing all at the same time. Cool points for Audrey.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, so I guess it's officially the holiday season. I don't think that I will ever get used to listening to Christmas music and seeing Christmas decorations while simultaneously experiencing 70 degree weather.

Tonight, I made eggnog poundcake. It tastes good, but not quite eggnog-y enough for me. I love, love, love eggnog!

feminist kitchen boycotts

I am headed to Oceanside tonight for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to the break from school, the chance to spend time with the family, and some good Thanksgiving food. I have been craving stuffing and pumpkin pie for quite some time now. I know that I can make "thanksgiving food" anytime of the year, but I am convinced that I lack the ability to make good holiday food. I tried my hand at stuffing last year, and it just wasn't very good. I think it's because I was appalled by the amount of the butter that the recipe called for, and so I just omitted it. Apparently, butter is what makes the stuffing good.

This might come as a surprise to people, but I don't cook for the holidays. I made a pumpkin pie once, but I don't know how to make a turkey or stuffing. Friends have asked if I'm cooking for Thanksgiving, and they seem surprised that I'm not. The thing is, I've been boycotting the kitchen during the holidays since I've been old enough to be asked to help out. See, the feminist in me just doesn't think it's fair that the women slave over holiday meals while the men just get to carve the turkey. I don't believe in perpetuating the sexual division of labor and the gendered production of holiday meals. However, I think my attempts to make a feminist statement are futile. I'm not sure that my relatives realize that my boycott is feminist motivated and that I'm challenging gender norms; instead, they probably think that I'm just being lazy.

So how do women learn to choreograph big holiday meals? This seriously amazes me. Am I missing out on important holiday meal lessons by boycotting the kitchen? And while we're on the subject of turkeys, I don't understand this whole presidential turkey pardon. It seems strange to spare the life of one turkey while so many others suffer a different fate. What's the point?

Okay, I'm done now. Have a good Thanksgiving!

2 down, 1 to go

We're nearing the end of the quarter, and yoga is keeping me sane. Tonight we did headstands, something I had not done since my gymnastics days. The end of the quarter is always stressful and busy, namely because we are busy writing class papers. I feel like I'm in a good place; for the first time ever, I actually got started early, so I have a good start on 2 of my 3 class papers. Today, a colleague and I presented our research design examining ballot initiatives and same sex marriage bans. The presentation went really well, and we got some helpful feedback. Go us. Stay tuned for updates.

All right, now on to the frivolous stuff. Today I got some return address labels from the St. Jude's Hospital, presumably because this is supposed to be an incentive for donating money. Occasionally, I get return address labels from different organizations that want money. This is what I wonder: How many letters do these organizations think I send? Why would I need so many return address labels? And, seriously, who thinks that return address labels are a good incentive?

We don't get the Food Network. To cope, I have started to watch Amazing Wedding Cakes on the Women's Entertainment channel. The program follows 3 bakeries, and each episode focuses on a different cake project in each bakery. Cake decorating looks really cool, but really time consuming. And, they have to start early with the cake stuff- cakes are baked like 4 days ahead of the delivery date. So, while I'm really impressed by all the cake decorating and cake construction, I wonder if the cake tastes like crap. Is it really dry? What are the tradeoffs for having a super cool looking cake?

simply recipes=online recipe bible

I am obsessed with all things pumpkin right now. I've baked pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin muffins, and now pumpkin bread. I ate some pumpkin chocolate bread at Peet's last Friday, and I knew that I could bake a better loaf. So I went home and found a recipe online. Against my normal baking practices, I tried a recipe from this unknown blog. The bread was awful and disappointing. So I modified a recipe from the Simply Recipes blog, my online recipe bible. I drizzled a layer of melted chocolate in between the batter. It was awesome. My roommate raved. I took 2 loaves (one with chocolate, one without) to my comparative legal institutions class on Monday. I don't mean to brag, but I'm going to--I got more rave reviews.

Thanks to Simply Recipes, I can now make Chinese food too. So, I used to not to make Chinese food myself because it intimidated me. Then I tried out a couple recipes posted from this guest blogger from the Steamy Kitchen: Modern Asian Cooking blog. So far I have made Sweet and Sour Chicken and Broccoli Beef. Oh and fried rice. I cannot express how happy it makes me to know that I don't need to pop open a bag of frozen veggies to make Chinese food. When I learn how to make Sesame Chicken, I think my life will be complete.

random

I'm sending Thanksgiving cards to my grandparents. The postage stamps are Alzheimer's awareness stamps. I hope that they don't notice. They don't have Alzheimer's, and I don't want them to think that I'm implying that they might have it. Anyway, it's the post office's fault; I buy whatever stamp design that they give me! I'm thinking way too much about this. They aren't even going to notice because they're going to be so ecstatic to get a card from their favorite granddaughter!

it was ours to lose

This pretty much sums up the loss on Prop 8, the ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to say that marriage is only between one man and one woman. It's been a week now, and lots has happened.

There have been protests and rallies throughout California by those in favor of same sex marriage (the No on 8 side). Some of these protests are taking place outside of megachurches and Mormon temples, presumably because these institutions funneled a lot of money into the Yes on 8 campaign. In the meantime, Prop 8 supporters are frustrated by the ongoing protests. In their opinion, we all voted and our side lost, so the case is closed. I attended a rally last Saturday in Laguna Beach. We met at the City Hall and marched a few blocks to the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to demonstrate. There were about a few hundred people or so carrying signs, candles, chanting, etc. It was so great to see so many people who refuse to back down simply because Prop 8 passed.

Since the passage of Prop 8, we have seen the demographics of who voted in favor and against the initiative. Most of the demographics were split fairly evenly, but blacks are the only demographic that overwhelmingly opposed same sex marriage. They voted 2 to 1 in favor of Prop 8. Because of this, they are being scapegoated and many cannot understand why an oppressed group would vote to oppress another minority group. I don't think that blacks are to blame, and I can understand why they may not be avid supporters of same sex marriage. I read an interesting editorial that points out the white bias in the No on 8 campaign. The No on 8 failed to garner black support because same sex marriage does nothing to address issues that are more of a concern to blacks: poverty, HIV, health care, homelessness, unemployment, incarceration rates, etc. In other words, why would they care about same sex marriage when there are more immediate things to worry about? The No on 8 campaign did not give blacks a compelling reason to support same sex marriage.

Opponents of same sex marriage argue that it disrupts the natural order and goes against the bible. Right, this is the part of the bible that says that women are inferior to men. I support same sex marriage precisely because it disrupts this so-called natural order. Opponents of same sex marriage also argue that children have the right to a mother and a father. They believe that without marriage and without the sharing of genetic material, parents lack an incentive to stay together and raise their children. Presumably, this incentive works. Until the couple divorce. And what are we saying here? That parents who do not share genetic material with their children are any less committed to being good parents?

History is on our side, and it is only a matter of time before we legalize same sex marriage. It has always been our practice to expand democratic rights, not take them away. Those against same sex marriage may have won the battle, but they have not won the war.

i was walking down ring road

No matter the outcome, we knew that history was going to be made last night. I waited an hour to vote for the first black president, much longer than I'd waited any other time at the polls. Although I never became addicted to the Obama Kool-Aid, I felt really good when I cast my vote. I went to an election night party hosted by the department, and left around 8. A couple friends and I headed to the pub, and the race was called while we were in transit on ring road. So, when I look back and think about where I was and what I was doing when we elected our first black president, I apparently will say that I was walking down ring road. It sounds so silly.

The pub had a pretty good turnout. It was inspiring to see so many politically engaged college students. McCain graciously conceded, and a little piece of me felt sad that we were not going to have our first woman vice president. Still, I knew how amazing this night was, considering the fact that the Brown decision and Civil Rights Act occurred only in the last 50 or so years. As I listened to Obama speak, and as I watched his family join him on stage, it was amazing to see someone other than a white man as the president-elect. That people of color can achieve the highest elected office in the US and be a leader is such a powerful image.

One of my friends said that he is so proud of what Obama's victory says about us. I say that I'm proud of what Obama's victory says about what we can become. It changes our conceptions of our leaders. It says that white men are not intrinsically better leaders. It says that people of color can be in positions of power. Some may be uncomfortable about this, but it's inevitable and people of color are going to demonstrate that they can be leaders too. When we think of who can be in a position of power and who can be a leader, we won't automatically assume that it's a white man. Obama will have an effect on our country simply by being.

Happy Election Eve

So, I guess in my world, tomorrow is practically a national holiday. Here are a few thoughts on this Election Eve. In my discussion sections this week, we are going to talk about the election. For my students, this is their first and probably only election experience occurring while they're in college. For me, it's my third. So, I was thinking that this presidential election would be the first one that I would experience without the cold weather and snow. I just checked the weather forecast, and it turns out that I would be able to say the same thing if I were in Minnesota right now. It's supposed to be 65 degrees in Minneapolis and Irvine tomorrow. Weird.

My students were really impressive today, and I expect the remaining two sections will be too. My goal was to get my students to think critically and formulate their own opinions instead of simply memorizing and regurgitating material. We talked about the electoral college and how our vote doesn't really matter since California always goes blue. They talked about the alternatives to the electoral college and the tradeoffs. They also discussed how it didn't seem fair that candidates spend all of their time campaigning in the swing states and ignoring our state.

Then we moved on and talked about young people and voting. Statistics tell us that young people just don't show up to the polls and vote, leaving this demographic underrepresented. In 2004, we thought that that was going to be the election in which more young people would turn up at the polls. We thought the same thing in the 2008 primaries, and we think the same thing about tomorrow. However, voter turnout among the young is not substantially increasing. One of my students pointed out that turnout is low among all demographics, so maybe people should just lighten up among the alleged apathy among the young. Good point. They may not be as disengaged as we may think.

Finally, we moved on to judicial appointments and whether or not the Supreme Court can produce social change. I'm TAing an Intro to Law class, so I had to guide the discussion to this topic. We discussed the capacity of the Supreme Court to make change and whether or not it was its role to do so. Particularly, we discussed Proposition 8 and whether it was undemocratic for the state Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage. We talked about whether or not a ballot proposition is more appropriate and in line with our democratic ideals. In the end, they decided that sometimes the Supreme Court needs to step in and act as a referee when other branches of government or when the people infringe upon the rights of a minority. All in all, it was a great section, and I'm excited for the next 2.

I went to an Election Panel Discussion today hosted by the department. Five of our professors gave a quick five minute presentation on a topic relevant to the election. CK discussed racial politics. Obama has been accused of being Muslim, and he is accused of having associations with an alleged "terrorist". Opponents sometimes use his middle name, Hussein, in attempts to associate him with Saddam Hussein. Anyway, CK talked about how Arab, Muslim, and terrorist have somehow all become synonymous with each other. And, Arabs and Muslims have been constructed in a way that places them at the bottom of the racial hierarchy, perhaps replacing blacks.

BG talked about voting behavior in the presidential elections. The Midwest is confused and fluctuates, the Pacific West is getting more liberal, and the Mountain West is becoming more conservative. New England is getting more liberal, and I forgot what he said about the South. All right, what else? LD talked about how both campaigns have failed to reach out to Latinos. However, most live in non battleground states: California, Texas, New York, and Illinois. That might explain the lack of attention; candidates pay more attention to the swing states. Anyway, I was just surprised that Illinois had such a large Latino population.

Finally, CU talked about political participation. Voter registration is up in the contested states, and we're still waiting for young people to surprise us all and show up at the polls in substantial numbers. Turnout among young people just isn't going up, despite what the media would have us believe. CU also told us that the VP candidate usually doesn't make a difference in the presidential race. Usually, the VP choice doesn't help or hinder the presidential candidate's chance of winning. But, it's different now, and now the VP choice matters in this race. Stay tuned.