Ms. Poiesis

Things making me pissed off today:

I. Under the heading of so obvious that you really must be an idiot not to know them are the following:

1)      Text messaging while driving is dangerous, 23 times more dangerous than driving without using such devices. So, too, is talking on the cell phone and, most moronic of all, watching porn onscreen while driving – if you engage in this practice, not only are you an idiot, but you are a despicable tool. Give your head a shake.

2)      Tanning beds are dangerous. Teenage and young twenty-something women are the most frequent users of these devices. You are 75 percent more likely to get melanoma if you use these devices. New Flash: no one will care how “golden” you are if you’ve died of malignant melanoma. Give your head a shake.

3)      Riding bicycles, skating or skate boarding without a helmet is dangerous. New Flash: no one will care how great your hair looks if your skull has been crushed. Give your head a shake (that is, if you still have one …)

II. On carcinogenic sunbeds:

Tanning beds have been ranked alongside cigarettes, arsenic and asbestos as posing the greatest threat of cancer to humans by an international cancer research group.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has moved ultra-violet emitting tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category and labeled them as “carcinogenic to humans” after ruling they are more dangerous than previously suggested.

The France-based agency, which is part of the World Health Organization, had previously classified sunlamps and tanning beds as “probably” carcinogenic to humans.

The research, published in the latest edition of The Lancet Oncology medical journal, found using tanning beds could increase the risk of developing cancer by 75 percent, particularly if used by children and young adults.

“The risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75 percent when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age,” said the report.

The IARC report came after scientists from nine countries met in June to reassess the risks of cancer from different types of radiation, with solar radiation the main source of human exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

The IARC has since 1971 published a series of “Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans,” also known as WHO’s encyclopedia of carcinogens, ranking the risk agents in groups from one to four.

Group 1, the new ranking for tanning beds, also includes asbestos, arsenic and tobacco products.

The WHO has stated that is does not recommend the use of UV tanning devices for cosmetic purposes with sunbeds now being made to produce higher levels of UVB to mimic the sun and speed up the tanning process.

Some countries and U.S. states regulate the multi-billion dollar industry, with some banning teenagers from using sunbeds or requiring consent from their parents or doctor.

In Australia, children are banned from using solariums and it is a requirement for the tanning industry to post warnings of health problems, including skin cancer, that [are] associated with artificial tanning in salons.

This regulation was enforced by a court ruling following the death of Clare Oliver who died in September 2007 at the age of 26 after losing her battle with cancer that she said was caused by her visits to tanning salons.

(http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Sunbeds+join+cigarettes+cancer+threat/1840193/story.html)

III. If the allegations prove true, under the heading of a small preview of karma is the following, from the Toronto Sun:

KINGSTON — A Montreal mother, father and son accused of murdering four family members were attacked and subjected to death threats within hours of arriving at a detention centre in Napanee, Sun Media has learned.

Hamed Shafia, 18, was assaulted by other inmates at the Quinte Detention Centre during yard time.

Jail staff had allowed him to exercise with other protective prisoners who were thought to be compatible.

He was not seriously hurt.

“There was an allegation of inmate-on-inmate assault by one of these individuals,” Correctional Services’ Stuart McGetrick said.

He would not say which of the three family members filed the complaint Saturday.

McGetrick said police are now investigating.

Hamed Shafia’s father, Mohammed, wasn’t attacked.

Tooba Mohammed Yahya, held in the women’s section at Quinte, has not been attacked but a prison source said “it’s just a matter of time.”

Other inmates have been screaming threats and calling Yahya “baby killer.” She is permitted daily exercise by herself.

The Shafia men were being held in an eight-cell wing of the maximum-security section. They have now been moved to the jail’s segregation unit, or hole, where they are isolated from other inmates and held in single cells.

Montreal lawyer Waice Ferdoussi, who represents Mohammed Shafia, had not heard of the assault when he was interviewed Monday.

He said he planned to contact senior officials at Quinte.

Ferdoussi accused Kingston Police of whipping up anger at the three accused.

“They made such a huge suspicion and publicity out of this honour crime business.”

IV. Under the heading “Scum of the earth” is Fake Financial Adviser Earl Jones – this cretin trolled for his victims at nursing homes and funerals. The following, from CTV:

MONTREAL — The alleged victims of Montreal financial adviser Earl Jones plan to rally in the city today to demand stiffer penalties for white collar crimes.

They will also learn whether Jones’ company will be declared bankrupt. If the petition in bankruptcy is accepted, an investigation will be launched to determine whether there is any money left to distribute among his clients.

Jones is accused of bilking his mostly elderly clients out of millions of dollars by allegedly running a Ponzi scheme.

Jones, who was arrested at his lawyer’s Old Montreal office on Monday, is charged with four counts each of theft and fraud involving four victims.

He was released from jail pending his next court date on Sept. 28.

Jones stared at a courtroom floor during his arraignment Tuesday before being hustled into a waiting car by at least seven courthouse constables.

Oh … and his wife, who did not even work for his so-called “financial services” firm, was his highest paid employee, receiving a salary of $7,000 dollars a month. Oh … and she and the rest of his family hired a high-priced PR flack to issue a press statement saying they knew nothing of Earl Jones’ criminal activities. Yeah, right …

From the July  21, 2009 New Statesman

The co-author of the new book Does God Hate Women? discusses patriarchy, the burka and capitalism

Q&A with Ophelia Benson by George Eaton

What inspired you to write your new book Does God Hate Women?

My co-author, Jeremy Stangroom! It was his idea. More broadly though, I’ve been following women’s rights issues at Butterflies and Wheels for about six years, and I’ve published many articles by women who are right at the coal face on issues of religion (Maryam Namazie, Azar Majedi, Homa Arjomand, and Gina Khan to name a few). It interests both of us strongly, and once Jeremy thought of it it seemed inevitable.

Do you believe that religion represents the primary threat to women’s rights today? Many socialist feminists would argue that capitalism remains the greater foe.

I think religion represents the primary threat at least in some places – in places where religion is strong and has not been liberalised. Religious beliefs about female subordination are more all-pervading and intimate than capitalism is. Unfettered capitalism is of course a giant threat to workers’ rights, and women are workers – so the picture is complex. But capitalism doesn’t shape people’s lives from birth in quite the searching way that religion can.

Religion also gets a particular kind of respect that even capitalism can’t match. Saying ‘God says women are complementary rather than equal’ has a kind of force that saying ‘What’s good for General Motors is good for the nation’ did not, even before the recent unhappy events. Capitalism lacks the God or Jesus or Prophet Mohammed or Blessed Virgin that believers love, so that particular emotional charge is missing. The acolytes of Ayn Rand might be an exception to that – but that’s a subject for Alan Greenspan, not for me.

What was your reaction to President Sarkozy’s support for legislation banning the burka? And how do you respond to Muslim women who argue they have reappropriated the garment as a feminist symbol?

Very, very ambivalent. All over the place. I hate the idea of making special new laws on dress, and all the more so when the laws can’t help targeting immigrants or any other vulnerable minority. I also realise that Sarkozy’s motives may be very suspect, or at least a mixture of suspect and defensible. And yet, I could not help (and that’s what it was like, I had a lot of inner resistance) being pleased that he said “The burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience.” I would much rather hear it from someone else, but I certainly do want to hear it, because it’s true. That doesn’t mean I flat-out approve of the idea of a ban – but I don’t flat-out oppose it either. I’m torn. I’m glad it’s not up to me to decide.

One reason I don’t flat-out oppose it is because community pressure can force other women and girls to wear the hijab or the burqa, and from that point of view a ban is like any other law that creates a level playing field. If no one can wear the burqa on the street, then no one will be forced to wear it on the street. This is hard on women and girls who want to wear it but good for women and girls who don’t want to. If I have to choose which should be helped, I choose the latter.

I respond with great weariness to Muslim women who claim they have reappropriated the garment. Given the reality of what happens to women who try not to wear it in Afghanistan, I think it’s simply grotesque to think it can be any kind of feminist symbol. I get the point about freedom from the male gaze, and believe me, I wish women around here would stop reappropriating stiletto heels and plunging necklines as ‘feminist symbols,’ but a stifling face-covering tent is not a feminist symbol. …

Read the rest here.

As July shades into August, my thoughts begin to turn towards the new school year and the joys of marking. That’s why this piece from Vanity Fair about Sarah Palin’s mangled syntax and garbled clichés made me shudder:

Palin’s Resignation: The Edited Version

If you watched Sarah Palin’s resignation speech, you know one thing: her high-priced speechwriters moved back to the Beltway long ago. Just how poorly constructed was the governor’s holiday-weekend address? We asked V.F.’s red-pencil-wielding executive literary editor,  together with representatives from the  and  departments, to whip it into publishable shape. Here is the colorful result.

Read the rest here.

Aaaaaarrrrghhhh.

(A few pages from the bookwork)

My bookworks were selected for the 5th International Artist’s Book Triennial by curator Kestutis Vasiliunas.They were exhibited in March 2009 at the Leipzig Book Fair in Germany and at the Gallery “Arka” in Vilnius, Lithuania.

(Curator Kestutis Vasiliunas in Leipzig)

The exhibition will also be hosted at the following venues over the next year:

2009 September 12 – December 13, Art Centre Silkeborg Bad, Silkeborg, Denmark

2010 Spring, Gallery Hübner Bokform, Halmstad, Sweden

2010 May, Seoul International Book Arts Fair, Seoul, Korea

2010 Venice, Italy

Here is the statement from the Art Centre Silkeborg Bad:

“[The exhibition will feature] Artists´ Books collected directly from the international and censored [juried] triennial in Vilnius, which for a number of years has been an important centre for this very special artistic expression, where graphic artists, blandformskunstnere, photographer[s], poets and conceptual artists consider the idea of “books” from different viewpoints. Artist’s books [are] an artistic expression which was developed in the 1960s and enlarge the concept of the traditional book.”

And here is the curatorial statement from Kestutis Vasiliunas:

“330 artists from 56 different countries sent their books for the 5th International Artist’s Book Triennial Vilnius 2009. The jury selected only 131 artists for the exhibition. It is sad and disappointing that so many artists were not included [in] the exhibition. But by organising this jubilee triennial, my purpose pursued was to make it simply the best. Not the best of just “my” triennials but, modestly speaking, at least to ensure that it is the top artistic level in Europe. I would like to thank all the authors who created and sent their books.

The theme of the 5th International Artist’s Book Triennial is Text. If compared with the themes of previous triennials, this theme is as if a step backwards, something more traditional. Probably. But if so, then first of all, that small step is a step towards oneself, towards one’s culture, towards one’s country, its uniqueness, language and writing. It is turning back towards each other, an attempt to establish a contact with [another] human being, irrespective of the country he or she lives in, language he or she speaks, religion he or she believes in. Letters, diaries or poetry expressed in words, images, from the heart. They are the words (In the beginning was the Word, John 1. 1) that acquired “body” from paper, metal, wood or any other material. They are the words that turned into an avalanche of typographic text, calligraphic letters or entirely vanished from the book pages with only punctuation marks, imprints on the paper leaf left.

The 5th Triennial displays the most interesting artist’s books from all over the world. It is the most wonderful experience to see [the] culture, traditions of different countries, [and] art schools reflected in the artists’ books created by the artists. Paper typographic books and books printed by the use of classic graphic techniques: wood engraving, silk-screen printing or lithography; books printed by mixed techniques by combining possibilities of digital printing with drawing, collage and object; concept and handmade embroidered books; books objects, le parello and Flux books. The key role here is played by the idea which materialises in multidimensional forms, and it is absolutely unimportant what means of expression were used in the book. Thus, whether they are “bibliophilic” books or experimental or books objects,  all of them by supplementing each other and contrasting with each other help to reveal miraculous and mysterious world of the artist’s book.

This exhibition is an invitation for dialogue. An invitation to share your “text” with others, an invitation to read the other authors’ words carefully, and to feel his or her soul trembling, heart beating. Thus, please accept this invitation.

Like always we have made the special conceptual catalogue full in colour. The catalogue has modern design, printed on good paper, whose sheets were ripped apart and bound by hand. The catalogue has an edition of 500, all catalogues are numbered.”

(Exhibition in Leipzig)

Click here to see an excerpt from the catalogue.

A food dye similar to the one used in blue M&Ms and liquorice allsorts could offer hope to people with spinal cord injuries, its only drawback being that it would briefly turn them blue.

In a study of rats the dye, known as brilliant blue G (BBG), reduced inflamation in the spinal cord and signifiantly improved long-term outcomes after injury.

An unforeseen side-effect of the treatment on rats was that their skin turned bright blue, leaving the white animals with bizarre blue noses, ears, paws and tails. The eyes of the albino rats turned from pink to a deep navy.

Read the rest here.

See more pictures here.

By KAREN ROSENBERG

WASHINGTON — Think of “Judith Leyster, 1609-1660” at the National Gallery of Art as a 400-year-old answer to the art historian Linda Nochlin’s famous question “Why have there been no great women artists?”

Leyster wasn’t a great artist — not when compared to Rembrandt, Vermeer and other select contemporaries — but she was very, very good. And before her marriage to the painter Jan Miense Molenaer she managed to have an independent career, no small feat for a 17th-century woman.

After training with accomplished painters thought to include Frans Hals, Leyster earned membership in the prestigious Guild of St. Luke in Haarlem. The Dutch artist had her own workshop, her own students and her own style, one that combined the spontaneity of Hals’s brushwork with a Caravaggist chiaroscuro.

What happened next is a familiar story: She married, had children and painted less and less frequently. Her art, unlike her husband’s, fell off the radar. Many of her paintings were attributed to other artists and weren’t properly identified until the 1890s.

Read the rest here.

This woman walks her duck every evening on the streets of Vancouver.