Little Love Notes, “Make Me A Cake.”

Some of the most tender moments of the heart can produce the most meaningful love notes.  One recently shared with me, from a wife and mother of six to her husband, follows:

I THINK IT’S TIME YOU LEARN TO USE THE COMPUTER AND WRITE ME LITTLE NOTES AGAIN.
I MISS YOU. THIS FAMILY IS MY ENTIRE WORLD AND I WOULD NOT BE WHOLE WITH OUT EVERY MEMBER ACCOUNTED FOR. I LOVE YOU AND ALL OUR CHILDREN AND I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH YOUR PAST RUBBS ME WRONG, I KNOW EVERY BIT OF YOUR PAST CREATED YOUR PRESENT! TRY TO EAT THE INGREDIENTS TO THE CAKE WITH OUT MIXING THEM. YOU HAD TO HAVE A FEW RAW EGGS AND SOME BAKING POWDER. TRY EATING THOSE ALONE… YUCK! BUT IF YOU MIX IT ALL UP AND COOK IT A BIT THEN YOU HAVE A YUMMY CAKE. SO MAYBE I DON’T LIKE ALL THE PARTS IT TOOK TO MAKE YOU, BUT MIXED UP AND COOKED YOU SURE ARE YUMMY!!!!! OH YA AND ADD FROSTING TO THAT… SINFUL!

XOXOXO

Can It Be All About Money and Power?: What Is “The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships”?

Finding it deserving of his own personal Q&A, Dr. Robert Jensen,  UT Journalism Professor and author of Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity, will be on hand for Alamo Drafthouse      Lamar’s Third Coast Film Night showing of this significant film, “The Price of Pleasure:  Pornography, Sexuality, and Relationships” [52 minute documentary presented by Open Lens Media & The Media Education Foundation A film by Miguel Picker & Chyng Sun Associate Producer: Robert Wosnitzer The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships Coming to DVD Fall 2008 http://www.thepriceofpleasure.com http://www.mediaed.org]   

As a journlist, Dr. Robert Jensen became an authority on the pornography industry, porn and its effects on the producers, participants, consumers and their relations.  His comprehensive knowledge, insights, conclusions and candid, straight-forward delivery may bring startling revelations to those fortunate enough to read his book and attend any event in which Dr. Jensen presents.  Though I’ve heard Dr. Jensen speak dozens of times, I’ve never failed to come away with a greater sense of self-respect and respect for the quality of man he represents.  Priceless.

If you’re in the Austin, Texas area, take advantage of these opportunities. 

If not, read Dr. Robert Jensen’s books~~each one, a labor of love aimed towards elevating humanity to its highest potential. ~~Ashtora, 2008 http://ashtoraspeaks.wordpress.com 

In either case, make use of NOWAR’s website: http://www.nowar.org/

Visit http://ThirdCoastActivist.org for event listings and news links.

Wednesday, August 27, 7 p.m.

Third Coast Film Night at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

“The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships”

Followed by a Q&A with UT Journalism Professor Robert Jensen

The critics of pornography have observed that in recent years, there are two trends occurring simultaneously: on the one hand, pornography has become more and more mainstream and accepted; on the other hand, newer, harsher and more degrading treatments of women are constantly being developed and quickly gain popularity, so the average content has become more and more extreme. Why is this happening?

To answer this question, The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships investigates the three independent yet interconnected aspects of the pornography industry – production, content and consumption – in order to help the audience gain a holistic understanding. It focuses on this central question: how does pornography help shape our gender and sexual identities, and our relationships?

This film includes interviews of pornographers, porn performers, and scholars in psychology, media, economics and popular culture. Most importantly, men and women candidly discuss how their or their partners’ use of pornography has affected them. The film provides not only analysis that debunk the myths and stories about abuse and alienation, but also revelations of pleasure, desire and humanity. Moreover, the film examines pornography’s effects on the performers and audience beyond the liberal celebrations as well as the conservative / moral denunciations; it engages a nuanced discussion of desire and harm, choice and system constraint, liberty and responsibility.

The 52 minute documentary will be followed by a Q&A with UT Journalism Professor Robert Jensen, the author of Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity.

Location: Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar The film and Q&A will be at the Alamo on South Lamar

Tickets – $8.50 general / $6.50 student, senior – are available at the door or online at http://www.originalalamo.com/Show.aspx?id=5624

This event is a benefit for Open Lens Media.

Wednesday, August 27, 8 p.m.

Documentary at MonkeyWrench Books: ”Live Nude Girls Unite!”

This first person documentary follows Julia Query, lesbian/stand-up comedian/peepshow-stripper, and daughter of a feminist activist, on her raucous journey to help organize the only union of strippers in the United States. Shot on a variety of formats, Live Nude Girls Unite! weaves backstage and dancing footage with labor organizing, street protests, stand-up comedy and comic-book style “animation” making an intelligent and dramatic cutting-edge film.

Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop.

Wednesday, September 11, 8 p.m.

“Gook: John McCain‘s Racism and Why It Matters” - a talk with author Irwin Tang

Irwin Tang will lead a discussion on his new book, Gook: John McCain’s Racism and Why It Matters. The book offers a detailed history of Senator John McCain‘s racial bias, including his habit of using the racial slur “gook.” Tang links racism with warmongering and examines McCain’s consistent advocacy of shooting wars in foreign countries.

Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop.

HOW DID ONE ROOF BECOME SO POPULAR?

Who can tell us when the concept of men and women living together under one roof became widely accepted?  Who would vote with me to end this senseless practice?

 I believe that the world today would be a much more peaceful planet, were the sexes to agree to live separately.  Sincerely, who wouldn’t be able to love and respect their husband, wife, lover more, were they allowed the space and freedom of autonomous living?  Sure, your “standard of living” may not be quite the same, but with your quality of life and relationship enhanced, suffering would be counted as gain.

With the advances in personal freedom, mutual love, respect, and peaceful relationships, doesn’t it stand to reason that the personal gains would rise through the hierarchy of community, national and international interactions and relationships?  What I’m asking is, wouldn’t we live more peacefully on a global scale, if we had peace at the family level?  What could we possibly be sacrificing by providing for privacy and space–what I consider to be most elemental and foundational in our “hierarchy of needs.” [Maslow]

Once you’ve given it some thought, allowed the concept to sink in, your ideas on how to accomplish this shift in societal thinking are welcome.  Is this worthwhile?  Why or why not?

Keep in mind, I’m not devaluing or discrediting men or women, families or singularities, marriage or non-married unions; to the contrary, I’m only recognizing the value in respecting and supporting one’s own and well as the significant others’ person, space, individuality, autonomy, and freedom to agree to when and how to share those along with time and energy with another; as well as, acknowledging how unsatisfying the nature of cohabitation of couples truly is.  Before you argue, note that statistically, divorce rates and unhappy “marriages” bear this out.  Maybe, it’s not our marriages that are unhappy; maybe, just maybe, living together, beneath the same roof, seeing each other every day, day in and night out, is an impossible way to live and support happiness and harmonious living.  Simply because, Love, peace and harmony are not by-products of control or invasion or even suffering in silence or outloud with someone else’s intolerabilities.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so get to blogging.