last week for me and my dads birthday we got to do something really incredible. we got to do storycorps!



storycorps is the largest oral history project in the united states. it was founded by dave isay and the project started with the idea that everyone has a story to tell. over the past few years in recording booths in new york and mobile traveling booths across the united states they have collected the stories of over 30,000 every day americans- people like you and me!

when you go into a storycorps recording booth you get to interview your partner- it can be a parent, neighboor, bestfriend, whatever... after your interview is finished you get a copy of it on CD and another copy is archived at the Library of Congress in DC.
they have also came out with a really neat book called Listening is an Act of Love which has exerpts of some of the most memorable stories.

ANYWAYS! the mobile booth was in roanoke on september 25th- me and my dads bday! when i found out i was so stoked- it was the perfect birthday present! i made an appointment for 1:30pm on thursday, september 25, 2008 for the storycorps booth in roanoke, va for me to interview my dad. it was a complete suprise for him- i told him i had a special suprise present for him in roanoke but i couldnt tell him until we got there. and, i couldnt believe it but he actualy agreed!

we got to roanoke and i gave my dad a copy of the book and told him what we were going to be doing. he started crying and i started crying and it was just really beautiful.

i think we were both pretty nervous because its pretty intimidating to have a big microphone in your face- its easy to feel overwhelmed- and looking back it might have been a good idea to give my dad a heads up about what we were doing a week or so in advance to let him prepare because i forget his memory might not be as fresh as mine. but overall i think it was still a really great experience.
we talked about his parents and growing up, and meeting my mom, and working in the coal mines, and what is was like when i was born and when i was growing up.
i think maybe 3 people read this blog (maybe i am wrong) and they know my dad. but for those who dont i guess i would describe him as one of the most caring and sensitive people i have ever met. and in the interview i got to tell him that i think the reason i am the way i am- why i care so much about i dont know- the world and all the people in it and stuff is because i got to see how simply and genuinely he cared for my mom and i and everyone else close to him. hes kind of my hero because he really is so good to people.

anyways it was really nice because ya know, even though my dad isnt famous his story will now get to be a part of history. and really his story weaved together with all the other stories of everyday people becomes the story of us as a society, as a country, living together right now. it was neat to get to let my dad know that his experiences and his stories are important and that they matter- to be able to validate someones life and let them leave a mark.

it still makes me feel all mushy inside but it is really nice. check out the website or the book or the podcast-- and try and record your own loved ones story!


ooh! also the guy who facilitated and recorded our intervew mentioned us in his blog post, Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
you can find it here:
http://www.storycorps.net/blog/

some of this is taken out of context but it is still interesting...

Designer vagina trend 'worrying'

A leading urogynaecologist has spoken out against the growing popularity of cosmetic vaginal surgery.

Professor Linda Cardozo, of King's College Hospital, London, says little evidence exists to advise women on the safety or effectiveness of procedures.

These include operations to make the external appearance more "attractive" and reshaping the vagina to counter laxity after childbirth, for example.

She discussed the issues at a medical meeting in Montreal, Canada.

Women want to emulate the supermodel. It's part of a trend Professor Cardozo

A Google search showed over 45,000 references to cosmetic vaginal surgery, yet on medical databases such as PubMed or Medline there were fewer than 100.

Professor Cardozo said the most established vaginal cosmetic procedure was reduction labioplasty - a procedure to make the labia smaller - which is requested by women either for aesthetic reasons or to alleviate physical discomfort.

"Women want to emulate the supermodel. It's part of a trend. But they should know that all surgery can be risky.

"Most of the procedures are done in the private sector and it's totally unregulated."

The exact numbers of procedures carried out are unknown.

In the past five years there has been a doubling of the number of labial reductions carried out on the NHS from 400 in 2000/1 to 800 in 2004/5.

Growing trend

The evidence from existing case studies shows that the procedure, which costs about £2,000 at a private clinic, does have positive aesthetic results but it is unclear whether it resolves feelings of psychological distress or improves sexual functioning, she said.

Types of cosmetic vaginal surgery Labioplasty - to make the labia smaller Vaginal rejuvenation - to make the vagina tighter Hymenoplasty - to restore the hymen and make the woman appear a virgin

And there was little evidence that "vaginal rejuvenation" - the surgical repair of vaginal laxity, with a price tag of about £3,000 - improved symptoms and was any better than doing simple pelvic floor muscle exercises.

She said robust research was needed so that doctors could properly advise their patients. In the meantime, she urged surgeons to remain cautious and operate only as a last resort.

In her presentation at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 7th International Scientific Meeting, Professor Cardozo said: "Cosmetic vaginal procedures raise a number of serious ethical questions.

"Women are paying large sums of money for this type of surgery which may improve the appearance of their genitalia but there is no evidence that it improves function."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7629897.stm

Published: 2008/09/23 09:07:06 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

OMFG

i am at my internship searching for pro-choice movies and i found what sounds like one of the most fucked up movies ever...

The Abortion
Though her doctor cautions her not to have an abortion, a pregnant woman who's just entered her second trimester goes ahead with the procedure. But her choice comes back to haunt her -- literally -- when the ghost of her unborn daughter shows up. Desperate for maternal love, the ghoul refuses to leave, driving the reluctant mother into a frenzy as those around her assume she's going mad. Akasya Aslitürkmen stars in this Turkish horror flick.

no. no. no.

seriously?

i dont like sarah palin at all. i mean shes totally scary right? but this kind of stuff makes me feel totally crazy and angry...

This is for Tammy

Well, after months of trying to see who Daddy Yankee would endorse as this years Presidential Nominee , he threw in his support for McCain at a Phoenix high school last week. "I believe in his ideals and his proposals to lead the nation", Yankee said of the nominee. McCain is trying to target Hispanic voters and he thinks Daddy Yankee or Ramon Ayala, his real name, is great asset since he his the most supercharged PR dance act out there. After a short speech and alot of hugs Daddy Yankee performed "Gasolina".
In similar news, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have sent a "Cease and Desist" to McCain and Palin: "Quit playing Barracuda!"
"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

sub regular milk with soy milk. whats up!