A Few Good Blogs
I’ve got a lot to say today and maybe will say it later but I’ve got a lot of other things I ought to be writing, so let me send you elsewhere.
If you’ve not yet checked out Suicide Food, do it when you’ve got some time to browse the archives. What is suicide food? According to Ben, “suicide Food is any depiction of animals that act as though they wish to be consumed. Suicide Food actively participates in or celebrates its own demise. Suicide Food identifies with the oppressor. Suicide Food is a bellwether of our decadent society.”
The Suicide Food blog parses the imagery of advertisements, signage, and other provocations in which animals encourage you to eat them. The commentaries are always cogent and clever, written with a wry humor that allows you to see the sickness without being overwhelmed by it. I’d like to see more attention to the explicit sexism of quasi-pornographic depictions of female animals but that’s my only critique. Whether you’re already a fan of closely-observed cultural analysis or if you’ve not yet discovered the intellectual joys of decoding everyday life, you’ll appreciate this blog even as you are sickened by it.
Next up, AnarchoCyclist, which is one of the few personal blogs that I read regularly. Maybe it’s gear envy. When I lived in cities, my bike was my primary means of transportation. That’s not possible out here in the country, where everything is much further away and I am often hauling home hundreds of pounds of feed and straw anyway. So, I guess I derive some vicarious satisfaction from reading about Doviende’s adventures as a bicycling anarchist.
I was especially impressed by Doviende’s recent posts on rape culture, masculinity, and oppression within activist communities. Also, Doviende’s dedication to advanced study of Chinese inspires me in my own very rudimentary efforts to learn Portuguese.
Finally, if you’ve been paying attention to Pakistan as I have been, you might have noticed that the mainstream media seems to be going along with Bush in giving Musharraf a pass by downplaying the extent of the ongoing repression of civil liberties. You wouldn’t know it from the newspapers but protests and police suppression (funded by US tax dollars) are ongoing.
Lawyer under arrest
The Chapati Mystery blog has been an excellent source of both news from Pakistan and analysis of US coverage thereof.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:18 am
I will TOTALLY check out Suicide Foods! Something I’ve brooded about for a long time…… Thanks!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
When I lived in cities, my bike was my primary means of transportation. That’s not possible out here in the country, where everything is much further away and I am often hauling home hundreds of pounds of feed and straw anyway.
pattrice - You might enjoy one of these beauts, then.