I bought it. It was at the gym.

Well if it was at the gym it must be healthy, right? Right? Just like the beer they sell at my gym's snack counter.

Erin, I don't discount racism as a motivator for some people, but how significant a role?...

I am a bit of a cynic, I'm afraid, but it's based, in a large part on the majority of attitudes I've seen in many of my students. For example, looking at attitudes from students and some staff members as a teachers at a predominantly Hispanic high school here in the Midwest, a predominantly black high school here, and at a working class tech college (also in the Midwest), an on-line university that serves 99% military students and families, and at a two liberal arts state universities, I have seen many, many examples of unthinking racism and xenophobia, from all sides.

Since I teach composition and literature classes that emphasize logical thinking and examining multiple viewpoints, I have seen students struggle with the layers of racism -- and I'm talking all kinds of racism here: black, white, Hispanic, Vietnamese, there's racism in every group -- that they have been raised with, and while some show significant attempts to discover and counter their societally "approved" racism and xenophobia, a disheartening amount continue to staunchly advocate their views, regardless of logic or knowledge of the perils of stereotyping and making broad generalizations.

While I hope for changes, and work to promote critical thinking, examination of multiple perspectives and thoughtful analysis based on facts, it is rather an uphill battle, and my idealism is very much tempered my a touch of cynicism, based on my experiences in education.

I'd like to see a national debate and a national solution focused on what's good for our country. But since this is such a complex and emotional issue (sigh) like abortion or Middle East peace (sigh), I'm not optimistic.

And word. It's so damn hard to get people to be aware of their personal biases, and still look thoughtfully and critically and both sides of an issue, and try to be objective. It can get really depressing, teaching. I gave an assignment recently in a junior-level comp class that focuses on critical thinking and argument in writing, and one of the paragraphs they need to write on was 6 habits that hinder critical thinking. One of the habits students needed to write on was stereotyping -- they were to examine how they had fallen prey to this -- everyone does, it's a matter of being aware of it, and training yourself to recognize and avoid it -- and so many of them just wrote about how "I hate Arabs" or "I hate hippys [sic]" and didn't examine why, or how this might not be the most logical of attitudes.

Le sigh. But I keep on pumping away. I don't want to tell any student WHAT to think, but I do want to teach them how to think critically.

I bought it. It was at the gym.

Darn. I was hoping for a recipe.

But, I like lisah's thought about gym soup=healthy soup. I stand by my three calories.

Since I'm talking abortion on my fb page, I'm just going to nod politely at the immigration discussion as I scroll on by.

Dammit, I can't. ::sigh:: Similarly to how I believe that prosecution for prostitution should focus on the johns, I believe that immigration prosecution should focus on the employers and the coyotes and the traffickers. They are the ones profiting off need and misfortune, and frequently abusing the immigrants in the process.

My views are strongly shaped by the time I spent in Europe's poorest country, where anyone who could left the country to work, legally or illegally. Because hey, even if you were lucky enough to have a job didn't mean that you'd get paid on time, or in full, or at all.

Just like the beer they sell at my gym's snack counter.

That's my kind of work out facility!!!

Actually, I do love mine because they also use a lot of local ingredients for their dishes and for the most part, they're health conscious.

I wish you guys could try this! It has chunks of white meat chicken, green peppers and onions in a smooth, spicy, creamy sauce.

I am going to join all the grumpsters over here.

I snapped at my daughter for waking me up at 5 am to climb in my bed and then waking me again at 5:30 because she wanted me to take her to hers. grrr. But snapping at a sleepy girl? Never gonna fix things. sigh.

My DH has been officially wonderful today. If it weren't for him I'd be MUCH grumpier.

Similarly to how I believe that prosecution for prostitution should focus on the johns, I believe that immigration prosecution should focus on the employers and the coyotes and the traffickers. They are the ones profiting off need and misfortune, and frequently abusing the immigrants in the process.

smonster, I think this is a logical and thoughtful approach. It's a problem that needs to be approached in a multipronged manner-- there are layers and layers that need different solutions.

OMG, that tortilla soup sounds wonderful! When I lived in the Plaza, there was a Tex/Mex place (which has sadly closed) across the street, and I got the tortilla soup at happy hour all the time. It was clear, but SO GOOD, served with lime and queso fresca and slices of avocado. MMM.

If it weren't for him I'd be MUCH grumpier.

I want one like that!

Except one day I might have to be nice to him, and I totally can't guarantee that.

Maybe I should just get a root and be done with it.

mac sat down on the sidewalk outside of school and refused to go with the babysitter because she won;t buy him the bday present he asked her for. See? I told her not to buy him anything. I informed of that also. also? he had $50 in giftcards to buy WTF he wanted! After 2 calls with me, she got him moving. They are on the way down to me, and my scowl? my scowl is serious.

Hey, I love getting that extra random day off! It's next week, actually. Woot!

There's nothing unconstitutional about an employer giving employees a day off and calling it Prayer Day.

Woot!

ION, I had lunch with my Dad, where he brought along living will and medical power of attorney forms to go over with me (as I am the only kid in Ohio now). Granted, he should have done this LONG ago (5 heart attacks, people; and he's 67 [or maybe 68]), and it's important to have it now, but actually sitting down and reading over forms that say things like "If I am in a persistent vegetative state, I DO NOT WANT nutrition or hydration," etc., freaks me out to some degree.

Again, it's really important to spell these things out ahead of time, and most of me is glad he finally got around to doing it, but reading all that shit, about how you want the doctors to not try to resuscitate you -- it freaks me out.

I respect people's right to die, but I hate the part where it involves, you know, death.