Saturday, September 17, 2005

Illusions of Opportunity

Went recreational biking today, this time East of 35 and then North of where I live. Neat little neighborhoods all around! I am going to start mentoring at an elementary school on East Cesar Chavez and it makes me want to get the know the "Eastside" better; I tended to avoid it for the most part (especially for living) these past two years- directionism? I found the elusive 2nd Quack's Bakery, rode on the dangerously car-ridden Airport Blvd., and cycled around the entire IM fields at least twice looking for my friend's ultimate frisbee game. Then I chomped on some of the awesome cranberry/almond/walnut granola I made last night, and some of Mary's equally excellent vegan chocolate chip cookies, looked up scholarships, volunteered for an hour selling Cielo water bottles for hurricane relief to people going to the game (surprising enough, the "scalpers" donated significantly, probably because they were so hot standing out there in the heat and yelling tickets at cars and passerbys. They were pretty amiable as well.), watched three straight episodes of "Freaks and Geeks." Then the ears drank in some Feist ("Inside and Out"!!), the Lucksmiths, and now the Iron and Wine/ Calexico collaboration album (it's ok). They are coming at the end of October to Austin, perhaps I will go. And I think I want to get the latest Gorillaz album to rock future parties/empty house evenings. (I know, I'm way behind.) It's totally conducive to another set of late night workout roommate dance session videos, costumes and all. So this was my Saturday; fun to do, nothing much to type a story about.

One thing though, my computer keeps freezing like once a day, and I'm not sure what to blame: iTunes 5, Tiger, or updates on Real Player, Adobe Acrobat, and Norton Antivirus. Is it possible to un-update an application? Getting bit all over in this house. The feverish feeling in your affected areas are like no other- you feel like hot poison. At least it makes me remember that I have a body to take care of, I guess.

Shoe alert!
Merrell Ewetopia Cinch
Man, tell me this isn't sweet looking. The main thing preventing me from owning these someday is that the complete inner shoe is lined with fleece. Eech, that sort of thing is only good for sweaty feet.

The shoes in European line all have neat artsy soles as well.


OK, the motivational phrase "you can do anything you set your mind to" is simply not true. That bothers me that it is still being preached, even in '99! ("F&G" episode #6) The poor people who hang everything on it.

I'm pretty bad how I don't question what is being presented to me. I don't think critically or even bother to doubt new information, rather I drink it all in. This was once again reinstated in my class, "Sociocultural Influences on Learning," where I thought the book we had just finished about social class affecting family life and success in varying ways was great; everyone else attacked its weaknesses through very narrowed eyes. Gee. It's probably not a very good skill for a learner to be lacking in. Just don't let me write any books, and I think it'll be OK.

Spoon song of the month, I have to say. "Everything Hits At Once (For Discos)."

Roommate Mary's sister is here this weekend, this evening she started watching "Saved,"and when that finished, she immediately popped in the 3-hour long "Pride & Prejudice." Wow.

Got new shoes, material/sneaker girl that I am. Because the deal was too hard to resist.


The fact that there is only Urban Outfitters to be found nationwide as the decidedly hip/alternative/bohemian/streety/non-Gap-style/whatever chain clothing store kills most of its cred, in my opinion. I guess NY has H&M and whatnot, but isn't the real point of fashion elitism, and elitism to be exclusionary? Not to be a terrible prick, but can the store maintain its appeal even after legions of sorority girls and self-proclaimed high school preppies are replacing large parts of their wardrobes with Urban apparel? I'd like to hear more about it, the trickling down of "higher" fashion to the masses and what it does to the industry. And, another question we all have asked, what humans actually buy and wear the fantastical and non-functional clothes donned by models parading around in high fashion shows?

Time to hit the books once again, later, since this time I didn't really mean to write an entry. My roommate probably thinks I'm crazy that I've been on the computer for so long, and on a Saturday night for crying out loud.


Currently Listening:
Demon Days
Gorillaz
"Feel Good Inc."

4 comments:

mcoker said...

Saved is the bomb!!!

I'm actually a believer in the "you can do anything you set your mind to" philosophy, with the exceptions of things that are impossible (like me giving birth to a child). Why don't you believe in it?

Fern said...

That kind of idea goes along with the highly individualistic American idea of meritocracy, which says you determine your own standard of living (good choices-> good life, bad choices-> bad life). That can't really be true, because I don't think all the poor people are poor out of will, laziness or whatnot. They're not. Perhaps this statement can be used to encourage in smaller circumstances, but I don't believe in it for it to drive my life goals. This most likely has to do with my faith, which seriously downplays human ability, in comparison to divine ability. It's almost reassuring that I don't abide by it, because I'd feel like utter crap in the times when I feel the most incapable.

mcoker said...

"It's almost reassuring that I don't abide by it, because I'd feel like utter crap in the times when I feel the most incapable."

See, I don't understand that at all. I would almost disagree 100% with you, and for the same reason that you've listed. If I believed in the divine dictating my outcome, I would feel so helpless, down and probably "screwed" during times when I was incapable. If something in my life screws up now, atleast I can attribute it to something about myself and try to do something about it instead of standing beside it and feeling like I have no control of it at all and it could happen at any time and there's nothing that can be done about it.

I mean, who knows who's in control of what anyways? My mentality works for me without making me feeling like crap, and your mentality (opposite of mine) works for you without feeling like crap. That's pretty neat.

Fern said...

i get what you're saying, and the only thing preventing me from feeling way helpless is that I believe that this divine force is good. but either way, we make do with what we believe and may end up in this same place, like in this instance!