Hello Kitty Hell

Imagine you’re a guy married to a woman who is crazy for Hello Kitty stuff – like decorates-the-house-with-it crazy. Imagine how hilarious your blog would be.

Who knew they had Hello Kitty condoms and vibrators?

The Signification of Shopping

It may look like wasting time at Old Navy to you, but I am on an important mission whose meaning goes much deeper than the dye in that cute tank top:

In terms of Freudian theory, clothes shopping might be seen as a quest by women for a penis. Of course, if this were true, it would mitigate the need to have babies, which Freud said serves that function—though perhaps babies merely indulge a desire to shop for baby clothes.

In terms of postmodern psychoanalytic theory (which updates Freud into a more generalized, if obscure form), shopping may be a drive to grasp a sense of self that always eludes us. According to the theory, the mother’s gaze serves as a mirror for the infant, but a distorting mirror: the baby sees the mother reflected back. As a result of this misprision, the self is never fully accessible, always out of sync. Language is the abstract means of trying to fill the lack of existential wholeness. Shopping, I would argue, is a more concrete means. We take clothes from the racks, put them on our bodies, gaze at them in the mirror, trying to grasp and hold an always elusive self.

Yeah, that elusive, ten-pounds-lighter self that would look way better in that outfit.

The Toast of Netroots Nation

Via PinkDome, I learned Netroots Nation (formerly the YearlyKos convention) is coming to Austin. And its all thanks to the liberal Texas bloggers who have made an effort to get out from behind the keyboards and actually make a difference. Too many of us sit around complaining, either too lazy or too afraid we can’t make a difference to do anything. I particularly love that they started TexasBlog PAC. For better or for worse, there is a price of admission in politics – and it ain’t the cost of your computer.

The article mentions Austin Political Report. I’ve been disappointed with that site.  Given that name, I was expecting either an Austin-focused Pink Dome or BurkaBlog or at the very least something along the lines of InFact Daily. You know – whether for humor or analysis, your go-to site for all things Austin politics. But the posting is inconsistent, as is the ‘voice’, and I was hoping it would be more informative.

Austin Rail

I know exactly squat about transit policy. I don’t even know if that’s what its called, that’s how little I know. But the plan to kick off passenger rail in Austin with a rail line from Leander into Austin seems rather cart-before-the-horse to me.

Don’t you need a central-city (or at least downtown) rail system going first so that people coming in from the suburbs can actually get around without their cars once they get here? I know they are talking about doing a streetcar downtown, and perhaps that will be more comprehensive than it sounds. But when I think of streetcars, I don’t think of reliable daily transportation for people working and running errands – instead, I think of tourists with time to kill and a few well-known destinations.

While the how would admittedly be a challenge, it seems like the first step would be good light rail downtown and into some close-in areas like UT, Barton Springs/Zilker, Mueller, and even the airport. Once people start riding the thing and word gets out that its a good substitute for driving, then you could expand it farther out. I could be all wrong. But it just seems shortsighted for the first step to be hauling people in from way out when there’s no way for them to get around once they’re here. If fewer people in town needed to use their cars, then the folks from Leander could drive in easily. Besides, isn’t the Leander line sort of subsidizing the people who move to the burbs, rather than subsidizing the much higher cost of living central?

What Would Jesus Buy

My sister is going to make the whole family go see this for Christmas. Actually, I think it looks pretty good. I like Reverend Billy, although I am skeptical that his schtick can carry a whole movie. I’m afraid it will be like a Saturday Night Live skit…the funny runs out well before it ends.

I struggle with the consumerist thing. I remind myself that with every purchase I am contributing to the ultimate downfall of humanity and the degradation of the environment, I try to reign it in, I try to be an aware consumer – but the lemming is undeniably in there. Just take one look at my yard at Christmas – strewn with those tacky giant inflatables and other cheap holiday decorations, probably coated with lead paint and made by child slaves in some third world country. Talk about cognitive dissonance…on one hand, my political views and on the other my lovelovelove of inexpensive sparkly stuff. Its enough to make my head spin. No wonder Americans like to break out the booze during the holidays. At least that way, you can write off the spinning head to overspiked eggnog.

Anyway, about three years ago I thought I would do something different at Christmas. I bought my family “gifts” from Alternative Gifts International. It was a good idea, they seemed to appreciate it and it took the edge off my seasonal guilt. But I still bought them actual gifts as well so I’m not sure I really accomplished anything.

I would defend myself by saying I am far from extravagant in my buying habits and that we carry very little consumer debt. But I don’t know that I am doing the world any favors by buying cheap stuff, even if I’m not going into debt for it.