tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45713593407906755922024-03-05T01:28:53.747-06:00Tired but Ph[inishe]DA scholar, rhetorician, and mother using her powers for good.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-3437733577096046762010-06-09T21:38:00.001-06:002010-06-09T21:39:31.602-06:00Because sexism is fine as long as it's animated...<em>Dreamworks</em>, what the hell?!? Let me admit it first that I am not a fan of the <em>Shrek</em> series. I don't think they're that witty, I can't stand Mike Myers, and potty humor really doesn't do much for me.<br />
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But, now, I really, <strong>really</strong> dislike the <em>Shrek</em> franchise. <strong>Really</strong>. <br />
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It seems that racism and sexism is completely acceptable as long as it's wrapped up in a "cute" animated film?!? Before you click on "comment" and retort: "But, it's just a cartoon. You're being too sensitive. You just need to enjoy the film." Let me present my evidence:<br />
<ol><li>Eddie "Paycheck" Murphy and Craig Robinson--the only two cast members of color in the film--provide the voice for the two of the most loud and obnoxious characters. Donkey and Cookie (the gay ogre, too) sing, dance, have no sense of "personal space" or boundaries. </li>
<li>The [French] Gingerbread Man is actually referred to as "Cracker." As in, Shrek says, "Hey, look, Cracker." I turned to Marc with my mouth agape as the audience roared. Referring to another character as "Cracker" is funny?!? So, can we refer to a fish in the film as a "wetback," too?!? Would that <strong>not</strong> be equally offensive? </li>
<li>The children of Donkey and Dragon (the supposed "interracial" couple in the film) are referred to as "mutants." What cute little biracial Donkey-Dragon mutant babies!?!</li>
<li>Puss in Boots is just one long extended fat joke. Oooh, look, he can't touch his toes. Ooooh, look, he's lazy and likes to lay around. Whatever.</li>
<li>But, Fiona's character. <strong>Fiona's character is the single most offensive character in the complete film or franchise that I've seen in a while</strong>--well, Michael King managed to f*ck up Sex and the City 2 pretty good, too. But, that's a different blog posting....</li>
</ol>---------Out of consideration, let me issue a SPOILER ALERT right now. SPOILER ALERT. ----------<br />
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So, when we begin the film, Fiona--Shrek's wife--is a stay-at-home mom to 3 young ogres. She's been rescued by Shrek--her knight in shining armor--and is happy and content raising raise her babies, changing diapers, and cleaning her tree house. <br />
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But, Shrek throws it all away after a midlife "I want to be single, again" moment. In this alternative universe that Shrek has found himself, Fiona is the warrior princess leading the rebellion to save Far, Far Away from the maniacal dictator, Rumpelstiltskin. She has "rescued herself" from the dragon, raised an army, and protects ogres from--literal--witch hunts. For Fiona, in this alternative universe, she is a take-charge, aggressive, commanding presence who is respected by her "troops" and doesn't need anyone to protect or take care of her. She actually seems pretty happy as an independent woman.<br />
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However, Shrek's life will return back to normal if he can get Fiona to fall back in love with him (in 24 hours, mind you--because we women-folk are just THAT stupid) and kiss him. And, it works! Shrek manages to restore order to the universe and "right" these wrongs by kissing Fiona. Fiona's consensual sex (albeit, in the form of a PG kiss) restores the universe back to how it should be: Fiona is, yet again, a stay-at-home mom to three babies and has been rescued, yet again, by her prince charming, Shrek. Life returns for Shrek to how it "ought to be"...as it "should be": Shrek is the master of his domain and Fiona reduced back to her role as caregiving, nurturing subordinate. <br />
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So, <em>Dreamworks</em>: Shame on you. Because somehow, sexism and racism is perfectly fine when it's in animated form. The film ought to be called: <em>Shrek: The Final Chapter, Thank God.</em>Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-57429963589512833222010-05-31T13:58:00.000-06:002010-05-31T13:58:35.074-06:00iMovie Reflections on ThailandI'm working on developing my Comp II Honors course for next Spring and I am thinking of requiring a video/multimedia project as part of the course's research project using film, photography, and iMovie/Moviemaker.<br />
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So, I started playing around with iMovie--because that's the fun part of my job--and here's what I put together. These are pics from my recent trip to Thailand. The music is a bit too sentimental but I think I took some kick ass photographs.<br />
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Check it out <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/video/video.php?v=411424196776&subj=603261776">here</a>...Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-81348393375554428532010-03-20T18:55:00.000-06:002010-03-20T18:55:36.331-06:00Protesters Against Health Care Reform......at a rally in D.C. on Saturday. This is coverage from the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269132778_0">Columbus Dispatch</span></span> of a protest rally for and against <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269132778_1">health care reform</span> in Washington, D.C. today. <br />
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<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/multimedia/video/video.html?video=949486" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269132778_2">http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/multimedia/video/video.html?video=949486</span></a><br />
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To summarize, in the video, a man is sitting on the ground in front of protesters against the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269132778_3">health care bill</span> with a sign that states that he has <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269132778_4" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;">Parkinson's</span> and that he would be served by the health care bill.<br />
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Several protester tell the man that "this is America," that you have to work here in America to get what you want, and that there are no handouts here. Then, another man walks up and throws a dollar at the man sitting on the ground and tells him, "Here. Here's some money. Have a dollar. Want another one? Here."<br />
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I'm so disgusted. Some days, it's hard to believe that "this" is my America.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-38296995185310898402010-03-08T19:15:00.002-06:002010-03-08T19:17:45.314-06:00Testing, testing, testing...MRI, EEG, psychological evaluation, TAKS... Tobey's been one assessed young man as of late.<br />
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Why all the tests? Tobey has been having some "Tourette's like ticks" for the past year and his neurologist wants to see whether there might be something else going on with Tobey. Is there something else going on? I don't know... After all, it doesn't really change anything. Tobey is still Tobey, regardless of the label they put on him. His needs remain the same.<br />
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And, this year, I've come to terms with the realization that his needs are going to be significant. He's been moved into the self-contained classroom and he's officially one of the kids on the "short bus." Gawd, how I hate that joke, and I cringe a bit when I hear it used as an insult.<br />
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Still, I'm reminded of a passage from Roy Grinker's book<i> Unstrange Minds</i> when he is putting his daughter to bed and he realizes that he will be doing this for the rest of his life. That he has the <b><i>privilege </i></b>of doing this for the rest of his life. When other parents worry about their children going out on dates, moving away to college, flunking out of college, Grinker will have his daughter at home with him.<br />
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And, I will have Tobey. He may live in an independent living facility; he may not. But, I will always have him with me in some capacity.<br />
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And, that is okay.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-34287677254023936492010-02-26T18:41:00.002-06:002010-03-08T19:22:10.279-06:00I've been saying for years...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAuPzSwmAJdaV0zzcMzNIDI0hWWyQECoojl_WzDn2133AqZKUk5IfvcxmcUeFM4P_1keiPOelrBQVrzvfU8LBGQeL5EnZJcOE9g0kUhdzPnjliKIHPfTBukA5RIQyuIJOXYhfhHSjavX9/s1600-h/jenny-mccarthy-louder-than-words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAuPzSwmAJdaV0zzcMzNIDI0hWWyQECoojl_WzDn2133AqZKUk5IfvcxmcUeFM4P_1keiPOelrBQVrzvfU8LBGQeL5EnZJcOE9g0kUhdzPnjliKIHPfTBukA5RIQyuIJOXYhfhHSjavX9/s320/jenny-mccarthy-louder-than-words.jpg" width="214" /></a>...that Jenny McCarthy's son wasn't really autistic.<br />
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Now, she finally admits it in an interview in <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1967796-2,00.html">Time magazine</a> this week. How many children have been harmed by parents who were afraid to vaccinate their children? And, how much money has McCarthy made by exploiting these parents' fears?<br />
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Shame on you, McCarthy. And, I feel sorry for those parents who trusted the "expertise" of a Playboy Bunny before the educated, medical experts.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-2166515380509516142010-02-11T08:14:00.003-06:002010-02-11T08:19:43.215-06:00A Letter to High School English Teachers...As my students start writing their first paper in my Comp I course, I have had many conversations w/ students this week on the differences between the writing they have done in high school and the writing I expect from them in college. Some students seem to embrace the freedom that comes with using "I," "you," more than 5 paragraphs, and "In this paper, I will discuss..." in their papers. Others seem indifferent and have just rolled w/ it. And, one student stormed out angry yesterday.<br />
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My conversations w/ students is much like the conversation happening online on the WPA list serv. I found this exchange between a high school teacher and college department chair to be especially interesting. In the interest of furthering the conversation about student writing, student needs, and professional development, I'm posting it here, too.<br />
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<b><a href="http://illinois.edu/db/view/25/22040?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG">http://illinois.edu/db/view/25/22040?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG</a></b>Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-23813873792200230052010-02-03T09:45:00.000-06:002010-02-03T09:45:42.086-06:00Recent News on Autism, Wakefield, and the MMR FraudLooks like <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/autism-british-doctor-andrew-wakefield-started-autism-vaccine-debate-ethics-debacle/story?id=9713197">Andrew Wakefield will probably lose his license</a>--as he should. I feel nothing but contempt for the man for the pain and suffering that he has put autistic individuals through because of his quackery.<br />
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And, now, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-gordon/emthe-lancetem-retracted_b_447341.html"><em>The Lancet</em> has finally retracted</a> Wakefield's 1998 article that made the supposed connections between autism and the MMR vaccine. Again, 'bout time.<br />
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If you're interested in sound, scholarly research that discredits any connection between autism spectrum disorders and MMR vaccinations or mercury, check out Paul Offit's book, <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=paul+offit&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&cid=16215640226591404178&sa=title#p">Autism's False Prophets</a>. As a rhetorician, Offit's book is such an excellent example of logical analysis that I can't recommend it enough.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-17719086411944531952010-02-02T15:30:00.001-06:002010-02-03T09:46:08.835-06:00Emanuel, Palin, and the "R" WordWhat is just as offensive as <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl1101">Rahm Emanuel's use of the word "retarded"</a> to describe Conservative ads against health care reform? Sarah Palin exploiting the situation to get herself back in the spotlight by insisting that he should resign. <br />
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Emanuel reminds me of the student who says something off the cuff without malice intent. Palin, on the other hand, is completely exploiting the "I have a child w/ special needs" to further her own political celebrity. [Groan]Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-45687609234274200952010-01-25T17:18:00.002-06:002010-01-25T17:30:10.026-06:00Back to Blogging...I have neglected this blog. <br /><br />I'm a terrible owner because--after what could only be described as 9 months of a dissertation writing frenzy--I have had quite a bit of writer's block. My desire to write has been strictly limited to updating my Facebook status, which--like Chris--I do much too often. I'm sure my friends have just been dying to know that I am on my 6th cup of coffee, that I need to run to the post office, or that I really, REALLY hate Glenn Beck. And, yet, they all do.<br /><br />Still, during my dissertation defense, my chair and two readers suggested that I return to my blog and present a public discursive presence. They encouraged me to continue posting on disability and rhetoric in the public culture. Too often, academics get "locked into" their own offices writing for the 3-4 people who will be at their conference presentation. But, it's important that academics contribute to the public discourse--even if it's from our tiny, little speck of the Interwebs. So, now that the dissertation is done and I'm Ph[inishe]D, I am returning to my blog to use my powers for good.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-80145929062945539032009-09-17T13:50:00.002-06:002009-09-17T14:03:41.368-06:00And, scene...The dissertation defense is complete. I am officially, Dr. Rochelle Gregory, PhD. I had some great feedback during my defense from my committee members, all of whom commented on my blogging over the past five years. So, I'm thinking of pursuing what Dr. Greer referred to as a "professional intellectual" more seriously. He suggested blogging about disability and rhetoric since I have the expertise, interest, and education. So, that's what I've been thinking about in more detail over the past couple days. That, and other things. Now, I just need to get the revisions made and turn in this bad boy.... Hahh, the sound of a done dissertation is wonderful...Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-86230619788639121032009-08-18T08:29:00.002-06:002009-08-18T08:31:27.439-06:00The end is near...Yes, the dissertation is turned in. And, a defense date has been announced. August 26th at 1:00 on the 9th floor conference room.<br /><br />I'm going to gather some resources so that I feel the confidence that I hope to project.<br /><br />Now, what to do about this blog... I'm thinking of changing the name and moving forward with it. Blogging on FYC theory, disability theory, new book ideas, etc. Because I've got several. <br /><br />Graduation: December 17th. (I'm so random this morning)Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-67725172850046906242009-06-27T08:24:00.007-06:002009-06-27T08:50:07.552-06:00June Expense ReportOkay. I've got 10 minutes to type up the blog before I have to get back to cleaning the house. My mother, father, sister, her boyfriend, her twins, my aunt, and my grandfather will be here with me, my boys, and Marc in about 2 hours. It's going to be a looooooong day.<br /><br />But, here's my June expense report. Some areas were a great improvement. Others could use some more work.<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Groceries </span>$589.42 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Huge improvement from last month--$400 less than last month</span>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Healthcare/Medical </span> 562.21 (<span style="font-style: italic;">This will probably be a bit high for a while.</span>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Education </span>476.60 (<span style="font-style: italic;">This is high b/c I had to buy a buttload of books for next fall and for my dissertation. This should go down a lot next month.</span>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mom </span>300.00<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Car Payment</span> 300.00<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Utilities </span>290.00<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gasoline </span>259.48</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Restaurant </span>202.83 (<span style="font-style: italic;">A huge improvement from the $400 we spent last month</span>.)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Travel </span>190.00</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Home Improvement </span>159.35 (<span style="font-style: italic;">This was a bit higher b/c I did some home improvements in the yard. Dirt therapy</span>.)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Insurance </span>150.00</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Entertainment </span>128.43</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telephone </span>111.55</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cable </span>100.00</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hobbies </span>93.39 (<span style="font-style: italic;">This went down b/c I dropped Tobey from karate</span>.)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Service </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fees </span>77.00 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Okay, this is seriously all my fault and way too much--six $10 overdraft fees to move money from savings to checking when I don't pay attention and have insufficient funds in my checking. I have GOT to do better here.</span>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">General Merch</span>. 62.28</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Auto </span>57.69 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Yearly inspection and oil change</span>.)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clothing </span>39.40<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other </span>40.00</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Total Expenses for June 1st - June 27th: $3910.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> (</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Not really an improvement from last month. However, my income did go up this month since I'm finally getting child support for the first time in almost a year. Still, I've got some work to do here.)</span><br /><br />Overall, <span style="font-weight: bold;">medical </span>went way up, but that was to be expected between my minor medical procedure and Tobey's medication. It will probably go down some in the next couple months, but not by much. However, I was able to compensate for the increase in medical expenses with less grocery expenses.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Education </span>was way up, but that was including a Sallie Mae payment and some much needed resources for the fall and my dissertation. That will go down dramatically next month. But, I need to start thinking about the student loan payments that'll be there in the next couple months.<br /><br />Still, the winner for this month were the <span style="font-weight: bold;">groceries and restaurant</span> expenses, which went waaaay down. Last month was almost $1100. This month, $800. That was a huge improvement for us, especially considering that this is the summer when the boys are home and doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and swimming.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-83624511980948947442009-06-18T18:27:00.002-06:002009-06-18T18:41:37.523-06:00Interesting Quote for the Day...While reading Michael Shermer's <span style="font-style: italic;">Why People Believe Weird Things</span>, I came across this quote from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Satanism Scare</span> by James Richardson, Joel Best, and David Bromley about the witchcraft/devil worshipping scares of the fifteenth, eighteenth, and twentieth centuries, and I immediately thought about the recent "Obama is a socialist" craze that's been filtering through the media here lately. (I even saw a bumper sticker at Wal-Mart yesterday that featured the Obama trademarked sunrise with the statement underneath: "Socialism. Poverty Trickling Up")<br /><br />So, Richardson, Best, and Bromley describe a <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">moral panic</span> as <span style="font-style: italic;">"a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media; the moral barricades are manned by editors, politicians and other right-thinking people; socially accredited experts pronounce their diagnoses and solutions; ways of coping are evlauted or resorted to; the condition then disappears, submerges or deteriorates.' </span> Such events are used as weapons <span style="font-style: italic;">'for various political groups in their campaigns' </span>when someone stands to gain and someone stands to lose by the focus on such events and their outcome" (qtd in Shermer 106).<br /><br />Therefore, question: Who needs the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">moral panic</span> that Obama is a socialist?!? Answer: <span style="font-style: italic;">FoxNews</span>. "Talk-show hosts, book publishers, anti-cult groups, fundamentalists, and certain religious groups" all thrive on such claims (Shermer 107). <br /><br />One has to wonder whether the exec's at <span style="font-style: italic;">FoxNews</span> didn't high five each other the night Obama was elected. I mean, would 4 years of a McCain love-in really help their ratings? The whole Obama is a socialist ploy is the gift that keeps on giving <span style="font-style: italic;">FoxNews</span>.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-10607853097373167272009-06-14T18:45:00.004-06:002009-06-14T18:53:12.697-06:00Update on the finances...So, my goals were to cut my grocery bills in 1/2 and to not eat out this entire month of June. <br /><br />Update: While I have eaten out this month on several occasions, I have cut my restaurant spending in half, which is good. Whereas I might spend $5-10 per meal for myself, this month, so far, I've spent no more than $3 for myself by eating off the a la carte menus. <br /><br />I've also cut my grocery bills in 1/2. Whereas I usually spend $200 every 7-10 days for groceries, I have spent this month only $200 on groceries for the first two weeks of June.<br /><br />Ten more days until payday and when I need to reassess my spending this month.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-3506836182426914152009-06-10T16:32:00.003-06:002009-06-10T16:40:04.623-06:00Rhetoric of Autism SpeaksI wrote this blog entry several years ago on the rhetoric of "tragedy" in an Autism Speaks online video and I recently revisited it for my dissertation. So, I thought I would repost it here in case some of my colleagues might be interested.<br />_________________<br /><br />On May 13, 2006, Katherine McCarron, a three year-old autistic girl, was allegedly murdered by her mother, Dr. Karen McCarron, by suffocation. In the months that have followed, however, autism advocates and disability rights organizations have been outraged with the sympathy Dr. McCarron has received in the media for having the "burden" of raising an autistic child. Not Dead Yet argues, "Recent media coverage of mothers being charged with killing or attempting to kill their disabled daughters solicits sympathy and understanding for the heinous acts." In fact, Autism Speaks, a national organization dedicated to "funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder," has even produced and published <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php">Autism Everyday</a>, a video available online that attempts to show the everyday struggles parents of autistic children face daily.<br /><br />However, <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">Autism Everyday</span></a> has came under intense scrutiny in the past couple months for its negative and fatalistic portrayal of autistic children and the struggles parents face when raising autistic children. Critics have charged that this video portrays autistic children as economic and emotional burdens on their families. One alarming part of the documentary shows a mother discussing (in front of her autistic child) how she's contemplated driving herself and her autistic daughter off of the George Washington Bridge. This mother admits that the only reason she hasn't done so already is because of the needs of her "normal" child. I, too, found this video disturbing when I first watched it in late May following my own son's autism diagnosis. I remember too vividly thinking that for these women, "autism" was a death sentence. The tragedy that defined their lives.<br /><br />A rhetorical analysis based on Kenneth Burke's theory of cluster criticism of the short documentary (it runs approximately 14 minutes long) would supports such criticisms. Specifically, the directors predominately show throughout the movie the burdens and heartbreak associated with raising a child with autism. The mothers interviewed in the documentary make statements that<br /><ul><li>they've had to "give up" their entire lives to autism,</li><li>"people have no idea" as to "how difficult life is on a day-to-day basis" for families with autistic children,</li><li>the condition is "heartbreaking,"</li><li>these autistic children are violent, disruptive, and take the joy out of everyday life,</li><li>other siblings suffer due to one child's autism,</li><li>these parents of autistic children are left "angry," "helpless," and "disappointed,"</li><li>these parents have had their children "taken away from them" by autism, and</li><li>these parents "cannot accept that we have to throw away this generation of children" to autism.<br /></li></ul>Likewise, supporters of the movie argue that it "was the most realistic portrayal of the struggles and heartbreaks of autism [...] ever seen. It was realistic, did not just show the 'success' stories, and did not glorify autism" and that the video "really hits home [...in regard to] children suffering from different forms of the disorder. The pain and frustration that families of autistic children go through was powerfully conveyed" (<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php">Autism Everyday</a>). <br /><br />Again, such descriptors as "heartbreaking," "angry," "helpless," and "suffering" illustrate the common ideological and rhetorical thread throughout the movie that autistic children are emotional and financial burdens on their families. In fact, the mothers only mention the words "loving" and "hope" in the final minute of the movie and there is no discussion in regard to the children's accomplishments, potentials, or capabilities. The autistic children throughout the movie are portrayed overwhelmingly negative and tragically.<br /><br />What might be the purpose of funding and distributing a documentary that portrays autism so negatively, especially considering Autism Speaks' mission of "funding global biomedical research [...]; raising public awareness about autism [...]; and to bring hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder"? I believe that the rhetoric within the movie answers this question. If we're to accept that producers Lauren Thierry, Jim Watkins, and Eric Solomon selectively choose the footage that was to be used in the final cut, such words as "cure" and "prevention" further the organization's mission--finding a "cure" and "preventing" autism. This movie, then, helps support the Autism Speaks' cause of raising money for autism research aimed at "curing" and "preventing" autism. <br /><br />Portraying autism as the tragedy that defines one's life is an emotional appeal that plays on the heartstrings (and wallets) of viewers. Would it have been as effective to discuss the biological or behavioral factors that contribute to the frustrations associated with autism? No, probably not. Seeing frustrated and frazzled, white, divorced, middle-aged women is more effective at garnering a "sympathy" response from audiences than seeing women who deal with autism day-in and day-out but live a relatively "normal" life--a life that isn't fatalistically defined by autism. Who would contribute money for a cause that isn't "terrible," "heartbreaking," and "devastating" in every possible way?<br /><br />Important to note, though, is that it's sentiments like these, that autism is a heartbreaking disorder that leaves parents shattered and children suffering and struggling, that seem to reinforce the ideology that it's okay to murder one's autistic child. These children, it would seem, bring nothing but misery and hopelessness onto their families. This ideological stance argues that murdering the disabled is probably the best thing for the children, their families, and society-at-large. And, it's for this reason that it's important to identify the rhetorical clusters that construct the ideologies of autism.<br /><br />However, this ideological stance is not indicative of the entire autism communities' approach to autism research, funding, and support. In fact, groups like the Autism Assembly "share the common goal of seeking acceptance for those on the autistic spectrum, who aim to educate about autism, and who are not seeking a cure for autism. This is part of the global autism rights movement." Therefore, if the movie were produced for a different organization, one that supports acceptance and does not support a "cure" for autism, the rhetorical "clusters" might've been completely different.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-15270989370278559682009-05-27T20:07:00.003-06:002009-05-27T20:12:35.916-06:00June Mini-ResolutionI'm coming to a close with my PhD (sooner rather than later), and I tend to need "goals" in my life to work for and toward. I guess it's just part of my personality. So, I think I'm going to start making mini-resolutions each month. And, my first one is going to be related to my finances. After going through my expenses for the month of May, I've made a mini-resolution for the month of June:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">No dining out in restaurants for the entire month of June.</span> </li></ul>If I spent almost $400 last month eating out, let's see how much better I can do. It'll take some planning and foresight on my part, especially with the boys, but let's see how well I/we can do.<br /><br />(And, for the record, since paying off my credit cards in February, I have not charged on them sense. Debit card, all the way. Not too bad, I'd say.)Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-19844483653807887432009-05-26T14:41:00.002-06:002009-05-26T14:42:47.966-06:00Today and Tomorrow...Okay. Today, finish up Methodology chapter. Tomorrow, start on Conclusion. Finish Conclusion by beginning of next week. <br /><br />I keep hoping that if I write it down over and over--my to-do list--it'll sink in some how and get done.<br /><br />Ohhhh, I so want this to be done.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-83914948444568267472009-05-25T07:50:00.005-06:002009-05-25T08:38:46.701-06:00May Expense ReportI've decided to start a monthly addition to my little blog on my money. I did this a while back ago when I paid off all of my credit card debt (which was ultimately in the $18,000 range), but I'm going to continue this sort of disclosure here each month.<br /><br />Since I'm quite sure that nobody is reading my blog (hi, Alison and Chris), I'm not really concerned that I'm "spreading all the business." Rather, I want to start making myself more accountable for the money that I make and the money that I spend. I'm a big girl, so I need to pull up my big girl panties and start being more honest with myself about my spending habits. The goal: Nothing earth shattering, I just want to be spend my money well. I want to be a responsible adult who can keep her shit together. That's all.<br /><br />So, BoA's online banking service has a nifty little feature that lets you "see" where all of your money is going by dividing your expenses into categories, adding up those categories, and giving a percentage of those expenses in relation to one's monthly income. I've listed my May expenses according to percentage of income and I've also included my justifications/rationales/freak out thoughts for my or your amusement.<br /><br />My May Expense Report [<span style="font-style: italic;">gulp</span>] from April 25th -May 25th:<br /><br />Expenses:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Groceries: $900</span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">What the hell?!? I spent $900 on groceries last month!?!</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Utilities: $405</span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">This includes electricity, water, telephone, and internet. Yes, internet is a utility that we can't live without. Facebook is a necessity.</span>]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Restaurants: $371 </span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">OMG! I spent more than $1200 last month just on FOOD!?! Okay, I have two growing boys and a Marc but still $1200 on FOOD?!?</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Healthcare/Medical: $369 </span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">Okay, this isn't entirely accurate/fair. There are several visits to the pediatric neurologist and psychiatrist in here for Tobey, which are not regular expenses. But, this is also my trips to Wal-Greens, which would include my (abso-freakin-lutely) necessary sunblock, make-up, Slim-Fast shakes, and hair color. Still, that's a lot of sunblock and make-up.</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Car Payment: $300</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hobbies: $284</span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">This includes the boys' karate and my dirt therapy. This is a bit inflated because I went a bit crazy in my dissertation-depression and bought a crapload of plants last month.</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gas: $269</span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">Not too bad.</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Insurance: $186 </span>[<span style="font-style: italic;">This is car and life for me and the boys. Gotta have it.</span>]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Service Charges/Fees: $153 </span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">Okay, in my defense most of this is to the TWU library for overdue books, which I had to have for my dissertation, and the overdraft fees ($10) from savings to checking. We'll just think of the TWU library part as a "donation."</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">General Merchandise: $133 </span>[<span style="font-style: italic;">Stuff from Wal-Mart odd and ends</span>]</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Satellite: $100</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Expenses: $242</span> [<span style="font-style: italic;">This includes my monthly charitable donation, entertainment, dry cleaning, home improvement--odds and ends "stuff."</span>]</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Total Expenses: $3750ish </span><br /><br />Yikes. Because, let's just be honest here. We all know that I don't bring home $4000 a month. The worst part of the whole thing, the part that makes me shake my head--I spent $100 last month just at Sonic. Only Sonic. That means, I spent almost <span style="font-style: italic;">$100 on Diet Dr. Pepper's with Vanilla. Ho-ly Crap.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>The worst part is that this doesn't include sending my mother any money, which I need to be doing like I promised her.<br /><br />So, what is going to be different next month. Let's start with the restaurants. We are going to cut waaaaay back on the restaurant expenses. I'm thinking in the $150 range next month. I'm also going on a Sonic haitus. Cold-turkey. I've got to do better about running to Sonic for a drink when I'm at home bored.<br /><br />I'm also going to start looking for ways to cut back on my grocery expenses. I recognize that Alex and Tobey are growing boys but seriously, $900!!! That's just outrageous. I probably need to own up to my newfound love of all things salty, which means frequent, unnecessary trips to Earl's for chips, dip, beer. That's gotta go, too.<br /><br />So, my resolution for May 25th - June 25th: Stay home. Don't spend money. Eat what's in the house. <span>Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-89363724513647546952009-05-24T08:27:00.002-06:002009-05-24T08:30:03.084-06:00What I need to do in the next couple days/weeks...Between now and end of May:<br /><ul><li>Finish up the methodology chapter.</li><li>Start writing (and finish) the conclusion.</li></ul>June 1st and July 1st:<br /><ul><li>Finish up odds and ends in all the chapters.</li></ul>Holy crap. This thing might actually get done. Now, if I could just quit stalling on Blogger and Facebook long enough to actually write something.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-78791242709279070612009-05-17T15:05:00.004-06:002009-05-17T15:34:42.485-06:00Summer ResolutionsSo, it's May 2009 and time for my annual summer resolutions. I'm going to teach Summer II, but in the meantime, I've got 2 months to work on these resolutions. Tobey is going to summer school, Alex is going to karate-camps, and here's what I'm going to do:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finish up my dissertation</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> Whether I graduate in August or December, I will have the dissertation done and defended at the end of the summer. I've got about 20-30 pages left to generate and then I'll work on the revisions... Nothing too extreme though. T is pleased with what I've done so far so I'm not too worried about accomplishing this goal this summer.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work out</span> 5x week on the treadmill or elliptical.</li><li><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Live healthier lifestyle</span>.</span> I'm going to do a raw-food, vegan detox diet for a couple weeks to get back into a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully, much of it will "stick" after summer is over. I think I'm going to juice and experiment with new recipes for veggie and fruit juices and smoothies, and I'm really kinda excited about this. I need some balance, figuratively.<br /></li><li><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Practice yoga</span>.</span> I need more balance, literally.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Practice meditation</span>.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clean my house</span> from top-to-bottom. Garage, closets, bookshelves. Again, balance.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take the boys to the movies</span>.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take the boys to the pool</span>.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take a roadtrip</span> with mom and the boys to Colorado to visit Donna.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Go to the club</span> with Marc.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take a roadtrip with Marc </span>somewhere. Anywhere. Maybe Houston. Maybe Kansas.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reconnect with Marc</span>. I have a great boyfriend. We just haven't seen much of each other lately.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take the boys to Six Flags</span>.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start learning Italian</span>. I'm going to Italy in January, after all.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stop drinking</span>. Not that I drink a lot. But, again, it's going to be the summer of healthy living.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Apply to University of Hawaii's disability certificate program</span>. I'm thinking of working on an online certificate from the University of Hawaii in Disability and Diversity Studies. I would wouldn't really be like school...mostly just interesting opportunities to read and think about Disability Studies. (And, I can stall paying on my student loans until I pay off my car.)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work on my custom textbook</span> for Comp I and II at NCTC. I'm excited about this.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work on WPA-stuff</span>--adjunct training, research workshops, stuff like that...</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work on course-prep </span>on ANGEL for Fall 2009. This is probably going to be much more fun because I have a lot more time to get my stuff together.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read all the books</span> I've bought but haven't gotten around to: <span style="font-style: italic;">Revolutionary Road, No Country for Old Men, Love in the Time of Cholera, Everything is Illuminated</span>...</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clean and organize my office</span>. I finally feel like I'm not going to get fired any day, so it's probably time to "make" it more my own. See if Keith and Chris would be okay with painting it. Putting up a couple of posters. Getting some plants. Organizing it. Did I mention that I needed balance?<br /></li></ul>That's the plan so far. I'm excited and ready to get to feeling more like myself.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-7384858147698223512009-05-11T07:45:00.004-06:002009-05-11T08:08:27.402-06:00Here's why I'm exhausted...<em>I want a wife.</em> Just like in Judy Brady's short essay/story, I want a wife, too.<br /><br />I want a wife who will take the boys to the park on a beautiful, sunny 80 degree Saturday afternoon while I work on stringing together something that resembles a chapter in a dissertation.<br /><br />I want a wife who will cook a healthy, balanced dinner because I'm too busy grading the last of my English Comp I students' papers.<br /><br />I want a wife who will finish washing, folding, and putting away the laundry while I answer the 100+ emails sitting in my 'inbox.'<br /><br />I want a wife who will clean up the living room and kitchen while I read and put together an assignment/lesson on Chapter 12's discussion on integrating visuals/images into documents for my tech writing class.<br /><br />I want a wife who will put kiddos to bed and read them bedtime stories--and not run out of the room after 2 minutes--while I compile notes on <em>The Wasteland</em> for my Brit Lit class.<br /><br />I want a wife who will shop for groceries--always using her coupons and driving around for the best deals--while I read and respond to students' rough drafts.<br /><br />I want a wife who will drive little boys to pediatric physicians/neurologists/ psychiatrists while I finish reading and taking notes on another book on "autism as mercury poisoning/braindamage/a disaster."<br /><br />I want a wife who will explain to my 11 year-old son for the 100th time why I don't have the emotional strength, physical endurance, and/or financial reserves for a pet. Even though, I understand that "every kid needs a dog."<br /><br />I want a wife who will fill out the 25 page educational assessment forms for the upcoming ARD while I have student conferences.<br /><br />I want a wife who will attend ARD meetings while I teach class and hold office hours.<br /><br />I want a wife who will remind me when I step on the bathroom scale that--despite my 10 pound weight gain and bloated and pale complexion--I look great.<br /><br />I want a wife who will keep the bank account balanced so that I can buy groceries/gas/hair spray without worrying about whether there is any cash in the account.<br /><br />I want a wife who will tell the cashier at Wal-Mart to "suck it" when my [autistic] son starts singing the theme song to <em>Thomas the Tank Engine</em> at the top of his lungs and she yells back to "Be quiet!"<br /><br />I want a wife who will explain to my officemate, Keith, that this is just a really rough semester/year for me and that I promise I am not usually this manic/tired/depressed/anxious.<br /><br />I want a wife who will reassure me that I'm doing a great job at work/school/home even though I feel like everything is slipping slowly through the cracks.<br /><br />Like Brady concludes at the end of her essay, with all the tasks that a wife does, who wouldn't want one?!?Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-49104697266214968572009-04-15T15:49:00.003-06:002009-04-15T16:00:19.404-06:00What they don't tell you in the Autism books...I posted this story a while back on one of my blogs, but I wanted to share it here for some of my mommy friends who have their own potty stories...<br /><br />So, I wrote my research paper in <span style="font-style: italic;">Film as Rhetoric </span>back in the fall of 2006 on the depiction of autism in movies as a temporal or transitory condition--a character device that imbues a sort of mystique to a particular character. I've seen probably about 10,000+ feature films and made-for-tv movies to date and each worse than the one before. <br /><br />And, within each movie, the autistic character suddenly becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">not all that autistic</span> by the third act of the movie. In one movie, <span style="font-style: italic;">Molly</span>, an autistic woman is "cured" of her autism through a controversial, experimental brain surgery. In another, the autistic 4 year-old "snaps out" of his autism long enough to shoot the father who abandoned him 4 years before when his father tries to strangle his mother. (Yea. Tobey would probably be grabbing a gun, unlocking the safety, and shooting a man square in the heart.)<br /><br />What they also don't show in the movies? That autistic children shove food in their mouths and are prone to choking. That they have zero sense of danger. And, that they are very difficult to potty train--something I have worked with Tobey on for many, many years. It's been slow going and we have to do "potty cheers" when Tobey poops in the toilet and not his underwear ("Poo poo in tha Pot'ay, Poo poo in tha Pot'ay..."--you get the jest).<br /><br />So, one night about two years ago, as I was sitting at the computer enthralled in Ed White's <span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching and Assessing Writing</span> and typing away, Tobey came into the living room, "poo poo in tha pot'ay!" I responded, "Great job," and went back to work.<br /><br />He came back about 2 minutes later: "Poo poo in tha pot'ay!" I responded, "Yea, I know. Great job!!"<br /><br />Tobey was still not satisifed. So, he went into the bathroom and came back a minute later: <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Momma, poo poo in the po'tay!!" </span> To get my attention this time, Tobey had reached into the toilet, pulled out the poop, and brought it to me in the living room to show me just exactly what he'd done. And, that he wanted me to sing the song. <br /><br />So, I cheered for his wet poo dripping all over the floor. Then I washed his bottom. And, hands. And, went back to work. Yes, that is something they never show in the movies.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-3232404803674608902009-04-11T17:06:00.006-06:002009-04-11T18:02:12.717-06:00PCA/ ACA ConferenceJust got back from 'Nawlens after attending the PCA/ ACA conference w/ Marc. Couple thoughts that I've learned since attending PCA/ACA (Popular Culture of America/ American Culture Association):<br /><ol><li>I love that my area of interest means I present on a panel with two papers on House. How freakin' awesome is that?!?</li><li>There nothing better for my money than an entire panel on "Post-colonialism and Women's Liberation in the Appropriation of Homosexuality in Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl.'"</li><li>People take comic books VERY serious.<br /></li><li>Answer: <span style="font-style: italic;">A Tool. </span> Question: <span style="font-style: italic;">What do we call you behind your back if you leave your ringer on, answer your cell when it goes off during a session, and then announce to the entire room that you've got to go?</span></li><li>It's possible to write 6 different papers on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Saw</span> franchise.</li><li>Answer: <span style="font-style: italic;">A Tool. </span> Question: <span style="font-style: italic;">What do we call you when you are too distracted texting to get your question out during the Q & A? (If you have a question, can you stop texting for 20 seconds before asking it? You look like jerk when you're too distracted by your cell phone to ask the question you raised your hand to ask.)</span></li><li>All conferences should be held in really boring cities like DeMoine or Cincinatti. It's really hard to talk yourself into attending a panel in an overpriced and pretenious hotel when there are too many distractions outside.</li><li>Just "winging it" isn't typically the best approach to a conference paper.</li><li>A film clip and a powerpoint is just an excuse to watch television at a conference if there is no content to the presentation. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.</li><li>You do not need to put your credientials on your boarding pass. Southwest Airlines does not care that you are "Ima Hogg, PhD."</li><li>How can you, in good moral standing, rationalize charging $15 for a piece of french bread and 3 shrimp? [I'm looking at you, Bourbon Street.]</li><li>It's quite obvious who the "working girls" and tourists are in 'Nawlens. I'm not saying, but I'm just saying.</li><li>How can you not have tap water? A facet. A glass. Tap water.</li></ol>Still, the trip was great. I love my gals, Donna and Emily. And, I'll never drink another Hurricane for as long as I live.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-82373788103595558982009-02-15T20:32:00.001-06:002009-02-15T20:35:01.460-06:00Things Marc and I have argued about...I'm moving most of my blog over from Myspace to this blog to archive some of the material before I take my Myspace site down. So, this was something that I posted a couple months ago:<br /><br />________________<br /><br />Well, I am--apparently--late to the 2003 book, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About</span> by Mil Millington. It seems pretty cute and I've seen references to it just this past week on three separate occasions.<br /><br />So, in an effort to avoid writing on the never ending hell that is my doctoral dissertation, I offer for your amusement:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Things My Boyfriend and I Have Argued About:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Conserving energy.</span> (i.e., turning off the lights when you leave a room, closing the refrigerator door, turning off the water when brushing your teeth). Since I pay the electric bill each month, I'll let you guess who was nagging whom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The over-use of the words "sanctimonious," "metadiscourse," and "retarded" in casual conversations. </span> (I like to find ways to get $10 words--like "heretofore"--in everyday conversations. And, we had a huge knock down drag out over the Black Eye Pea's use of the word "retarded" in their song "Let's Get Retarded." Marc said the word was used in part of a larger discursive conversation; I disagreed. Strongly. For about 3 hours.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Myspace Friend Lists. </span>This one actually went on waaay too long on my part. Like 4 hours. Okay, more like 6. (He has an ex-friend of mine as a "friend" on his myspace. I want her deleted. He doesn't care--"It's myspace. Who gives a fuck?" I feel like it's a high school party and I'm the only one not invited.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Ex-girlfriends. </span>(He uninvited me to a wedding, after I drove 3 hours to get there, because his ex-girlfriend was attending.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. A Chiptole Burrito. </span> (I was hungry. He wasn't. He implied I was weak. I turned into the Hulk to prove him wrong.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Nacho Cheese, aka "The Nacho Cheese Fight." </span>(I ordered a side of queso at Taco Bueno, which he confiscated when I went to the bathroom. I was furious. If he wanted queso, he could've ordered his own.) <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. A Slice of Cheesecake. </span>(Instead of a birthday cake, he brought me a slice of cheesecake. Not even an entire cheesecake. And, it was 4 hours late. And, I don't like cheesecake.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. My Driving.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. His Driving.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Grammar.</span> (I was editing a paper of his. He was mad because I found some errors. Sue me.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Whether he should stay up all night and sleep all day</span>. (I write this knowing full well that it's 1:00 a.m. in the morning.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Whether the boys should've had to walk home from school in the cold.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. The use of the preposition "of" and "because" in a sentence. </span>(We're nerds. That's what nerds do.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. Whether or not I actually had a migraine one night.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Whether or not he was being "ugly" to me about my migraine.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Five dollars.</span> (It was my $5.00 He said that's "not money." I said that "it sure as hell is when it's <span style="text-decoration: underline;">my</span> money.")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. Whether we see more of "his" movies or "mine." </span> (Exhibit A, B, and C: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iron Man</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Incredible Hulk</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Dark Night</span>.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18. Whether ghosts exist or not. </span> (Yea, not too proud of this one.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19. The fact that I'm a great girlfriend. </span> (During those times that he "forgets." Does he think his chicken breast cooks itself?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20. Whether I'm really a feminist.</span> (Because I cooked said chicken breast for him.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">21. Whether I would want clean clothes taken out of the dryer and put on top of dirty clothes or pt on the bed, aka "The Dryer Fight." </span> ([cue sarcasm] Because it just makes <span style="font-style: italic;">complete sense</span> to put clean, dry clothes on top of dirty, nasty, wet ones.) I'm not kidding here. We fought for 4 hours over whether I was saying he was "stupid" for putting clean clothes on top of the dirty ones. For the record, I wasn't saying he was stupid. Just careless. That's different.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22. A <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Burger King</span> Whopper Junior. </span> (It was Spain. I was hungry. (I'm noticing a pattern here.) Anyways, I was willing to pay $7.00 for a Whopper Junior. He told me to suck it up and eat the tapas. To quit being a baby and a pain in the ass. I told him to suck it. If I wanted a Whopper Junior, I make my own money. I'll sure as hell buy myself a Whopper Junior. He walked off and left me sitting alone (with my burger) on a street corner in Spain. But, he did come back. After 45 minutes.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">23. Whether I should be watching <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pride and Prejudice</span>/ <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bridget Jones' Diary</span>/ <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sex and the City</span>/ <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Arrested Development</span>/ <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Scrubs</span> for the 1000th time.</span> Even if I can recite the dialogue. And, the plot never changes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">24. Why he isn't an organ donor. </span> (Needless to say, this fight went on for several hours. He response: "Respect my decision." My retort: "I don't have to respect your decision. It's stupid. And, so what if I don't respect it. What are you going to do about it? Command that I respect it?")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">25. The T.V. Remote. </span> (He bought the t.v. I pay the cable. He keeps putting it on BET. I keep going back to HGTV.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">26. Whether he was being a dick. </span> (He was. I got mad. Problem: We were driving back from Houston to Dallas. I pulled over at a Dairy Queen in the middle of nowhere and threatened to just "walk home" from here. I'm anything, if not, sensible.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">27. Who's the bigger pack-rat. </span> (He is. Do we really need copies of student papers from 2003? Boxes of random wires/computer parts? And, if he disagrees, he can write his own flippin' blog.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">28. Arguments. </span> (Who started them. Who's arguing and who's "just talking." Who's yelling and who's just "talking loud with inflection.")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">29. Whether I roll my head when I roll my eyes. </span> (which I do.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">30. Whether you can say "never" and "always" in a fight. </span> (I say it's always a good idea to never say "never" in a fight.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">31. Whether psychology is complete bunk that applies to ALL human beings or just the Westerners that most Western psychologists have studied. </span>(Do we really know that the stages of development are the same for the Amazon tribes that have never been exposed to modern civilizations? I say not. And, yes, we really did argue of this.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">32. Whether anime is just a glorified genre of "cartoon."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">33. Whether the thermostat should be set at 73 or 78 degrees at night.</span> (Heretofore, we are back at the beginning. See fight 1.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">34. Whether he should clip his toe nails in my bed. </span>(Please note the first person possessive pronoun in "MY bed.")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">35. Whether it's possible to or whether one should stop buying plants.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">36. Whether my feet are cold or not.</span><br /><br />And, for all of you who say that you NEVER fight with your sig other, you can suck it. Because, we're just practicing for the Big One. And, because we've tackled nacho cheese, his driving, and my cold feet, we'll be prepared to tackle anything.Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571359340790675592.post-56374684676473922652009-01-27T13:38:00.001-06:002009-01-27T13:38:48.153-06:00My Dissertation ScheduleOkay, Friends. I need help.<br /><br />I'm presenting for you my schedule to get this dissertation done by the end of the Spring semester. So far, I have about 1/3 of Chapter 1 written and most of Chapters 3 and 4 completed. That's about 100 pages, so far. And, T has said that the 100 pages I've written so far is really good, solid stuff. So, I'm feeling pretty good about the (hopefully, minimum) revisions that will be required later.<br /><br />However, I need timelines, deadlines, and schedules. I'm a bit type A, if you haven't ever noticed.<br /><br />So, here is my schedule for the next four months:<br /><br />Now -- End of January: Finish first 1/3 of Chapter 1 (almost there)<br />Feb 1 - 15: Finish 2nd third of Chapter 1<br />Feb 15 - 28: Finish final 3rd of Chapter 1<br />Mar 1 - 20: Finish up Chapters 3 and 4 (almost there)<br />Mar 21 - 31: Finish Chapter 2 (Methodology)<br />April 1 - 30: Write Chapter 5 (Conclusion (haven't started))<br />May 1st: Turn in complete dissertation to T (YEA!!)<br /><br />(And, fingers crossed)<br />late May - early June: To committee members<br />late June: Defend!! <br />July 10th: Dissertation to Grad Office<br />August: GRADUATE<br /><br />(Worst case scenario, I defend in August/September and graduate in December. Not the plan but wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.)<br /><br />Now, what I need from YOU!! I need you to be my pain-in-my-ass. I need you to ask me every time you see me, notice I'm online, comment on my facebook, and run into my on campus: "How much have you written today?!?" I need you to hound me so that I begin to hate you and everyone who looks like you. That's your job. Forget your other jobs. Your new assignment is to help me get this done. Got it?Rochelle Gregoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465500798333445407noreply@blogger.com0