kelly's hOMMMe
Thursday, June 30, 2005
anne y jay
Last night we went to Maluca Beleza ("crazy beautiful" in Portuguese)for their Wed. night live show. My friend Amanda has her family in town...so we wanted to bring a little Brazil to them. Here's a shot with uncle Jay who danced like Fred Astaire, no joke.
Who Knew!
My background in philosophy is highly limited to what I learned in a survey course at A&M. I stumbled upon the following while researching a paper on abortion and thought I'd share. Even if just to ruffle a few feathers! (Sorry about the font, blogger would NOT cooperate. Compound that with the fact that computers are still a mystery to me, and viola!)
Historically Thomas Hobbes and John
Locke explicitly used women's
reproductive functions as the reason
they could not be citizens. For Hobbes,
the transition from women's state of
"natural equality" with men to their
social subjugation came about
through a kind of "conquest" of women
made vulnerable by pregnancy and
caring for dependent children. Locke
asserts that women are naturally
inferior to men, and that this natural
inferiority is partly rooted in their
involvement with biological
reproduction and the private sphere.
-John Locke, Two Treatises of
Government (Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing Co., 1980), chap. 7, esp.
para. 77-83. Tuesday, June 28, 2005
postcards
To the phantom postcard-sender:I would really like to know the source of your inspiration. This is the third one I've received from you (I'm assuming you're the one who sent me postcards in DC with random banknotes attached) and I don't understand your need for anonymity. When "Dan the Man" sends postcards he signs his name fastidiously. Not that I don't appreciate surprises, but I'm left guessing with no end in sight.
I received a waxy, artistic installation to your series a few days ago. The thing that confused me the most about the postcard was the hidden wallet photo of a random (adorable) black child who I would guess is about 11. Who is he? I assume this will remain an unsolved mystery because I have a suspicion that the sender will remain as aloof as always...oh well, a girl has to express her curiosity.
Happy Tuesday...
Monday, June 27, 2005
The 10 Commandments
Oh what I would give to sit down at my parents house with my dad, Tivo, Hannity & Colmes, Bill O'Reilly, and my favorite- Ann Coulter...discussing the recent opinions of our highest court!mi hermanita, un bon boncita rica
Like I said before, I have no new stuff to post yet but hopefully the horse-pills they gave me at the farmacia will help kick this infection.
I know this photo of my lovely baby sister will keep the readers satisfied...
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Dulce China
As I sat on a vibrating bus in the middle of rush hour the otherday, my sinus cavities pounding in a painful protest, thinking about China's recent privatization efforts, I realized that Carl Cox is probably my favorite solo dj. I (almost) changed my mind after listening to the new Armand VanHelden, NY: A Mix Odyssey. It puts the "U" in f-u-n. Why didn't anyone tell me that Jamiroquai graced us with a new one???On Friday night I went to a "girls night" cocktail party. It took all of 7.3 minutes before a guy walked in. After that it became a full blown fiesta with Babaganoush (5 bucks says I misspelled that), veggie quieche, sushi, chicken dumplings, and capirinhias (the equivalent of a brazilian 'rita). Last night I pulled a classic Kelly and spent the night cooking a green bean thai salad and reading something MUCH lighter than last week. So far Zadie Smith's, White Teeth is a hyperbolic scream. Each sentence is pregnant with exaggerated description, leaving me rolling off of the bed and right onto the cold wooden floor...here's a recent favorite line from a fellow scooter lover:
Ryan Tops rode a green Vespa GS scooter that he polished twice a day with a baby's diaper and kept encased in a custom-built-corrugated-iron shield. To Ryan's way of thinking, a Vespa was not merely a mode of transport but an ideology, family, friend, and lover all rolled into one paragon of late-forties engineering.
I've been posting random, random photos below because my sinus infection has kept me indoors recently without interesting photo ops.
Cups n' cakes...
I have no idea why i'm posting this picture, except because I'm having a MAJOR sugar craving and I still have three days left on my detox. I guess I'll go find one of the mangos that has been living in my house. (Yes, we have access to cheap mangos, even in winter!)
one with carlos
because I miss you Carlos, we haven't done this in awhile...thanks to my sinus infection and your career as a semi-professional argentine soccer player!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
it's abe's fault...
I wrote Abe an email on Sunday, condemning him for recommending such a book. Now I've reached a passage that has touched "home." Allow me to share the bad news, and then the good news...I'm once again, quoting from Chris Hedges' War Is a Force that Gives us Meaning:In Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s most of the 20,000 "disappeared" in the Dirty War were not armed radicals but labor leaders, community organizers, leftist intellectuals, and student organizers. Few of them had any connection to the guerilla campaigns. Indeed, by the time of the 1976 Argentine coup the armed guerilla movements had largely been wiped out....military pressure put a stop to the post-junta trials. After the convictions of five of nine commanders, repeated military uprisings persuaded President Alfonsin to propose laws setting a time limit on prosecution and exempting all men below a certain rank from any prosecution. The Argentine congress quickly passed both laws. Alfonsin's succesor, Carlos Menem, then pardoned the commanders who had been convicted, along with the several dozen prisoners. In neighboring Chile, Pinochet sits protected in his lifetime Senate seat, immune from prosecution.
Now, the good news:
The constitutionality of the aforementioned laws that pardoned the people responsible for such atrocities has been a subject of legal dispute over the last 20 years. This week the amnesity laws were declared unconstitutional . Here's what Human Rights Watch had to say about the catastrophe:
(Buenos Aires, June 14, 2005) —The Argentine Supreme Court's
decision today to strike down the country's amnesty laws is a
landmark victory against impunity for gross human rights violations,
Human Rights Watch said today. The two amnesty laws had blocked
the prosecutions of crimes committed under the country's military
dictatorship.
The long-awaited ruling, by a majority of 7-1, confirms lower-court
decisions that had declared the laws to be unconstitutional. The trend
in Argentina toward accountability has also been evidenced by
Congress's August 2003 passage of a law that annulled the laws.
"The crimes of the 'dirty war' are far too serious to be amnestied and
forgotten," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human
Rights Watch. "The Supreme Court's ruling shows that no matter how
many years go by, laws that block justice for gross abuses of human
rights remain a thorn in the side of democratic governments."
At least 14,000 people "disappeared" when Argentina was under
military rule from 1976 to 1983. After democracy was reestablished,
prosecutors began trying members of the military juntas for abductions,
killings and torture, but the trials and sentencing of junta leaders and
military and police officers led to a violent military backlash. Then-
President Raúl Alfonsín rushed two laws through Congress on
December 24, 1986, and June 5, 1987, hoping to appease military
objections to the prosecutions.
And as an aside, cd rec of the week is Citizen Cope. "Vale la pena" (it's worth it!)
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Because it's Saturday, and I'm sick...
This post has no real point except to whine about how sick I am...
Am I living in
Speaking of literature, I am reading another excellent Abe George selection called, War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. I have to share the following passage. It made my blood go cold. (By the way, this is not an anti-war pitch, just a sample of some great writing).
The myth of war rarely endures for those who experience combat. War is messy, confusing, sullied by raw brutality and an elephantine fear that grabs us like a massive bouncer who comes up from behind. Soldiers in the moments before real battles weep, vomit, and write last letters home, although these are done more as a precaution than from belief. All are nearly paralyzed with fright. There is a morbid silence that grips a battlefield in the final moments before the shooting starts, one that sends the back of my own head pounding in pain, wipes away all appetite, makes my fingers tremble as I ready myself to go forward against logic. You do not think of home or family, for to do so is to be overcome by a wave of nostalgia and emotion that can impair your ability to survive. One thinks, so far as it is possible, of cleaning weapons, of reading for the business of killing. No one ever charges into battle for God and country.
No, the author is not a soldier. Chris Hedges is a war correspondent that has worked in Central and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUSIN, AMANDA (AKA, "MANDRIN") MOORE!!!
kids
Here's a picture of the Stolpman cousins at my Aunt Libby's wedding. Why am I wearing black? I guess I was a fashion misfit from early on...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
'San with the Frenchies
Despite the fact that these guys had four potential languages in which to speak- English, French, Arabic, or Spanish- I think it was via alcohol (for the Frenchies) and lots of smiling and nodding (for hassan)that they communicated. Who said international relations are a waste of time???
These roommates like to ride
(That's actually a lie, Cait is the equestrian while Kelly needs two drinks minimum to ride fearlessly.)
Transportation Fiasco!
Today was a wonderful example of how public transportation can go completely awry in Argentina. The protestors ("piqueteros") were out in full-force and because of the rioting I utilized three modes of transport. Already late for class and jammin' to Fela Kuti's "Red Hot Riot" compilation, I hopped on the subway ("subte") only to find that the D line was completely cut. No prob I thought as I waved down a bus ("colectivo"). After about 50 minutes in stopped traffic, watching the activists with their small children in tow, I gave up and hailed a cab making it to class over an hour late. The minute I walked in the TA flashed her cute Argentine smile and said, "ya sé Kelly, los piqueteros de nuevo." (I know Kelly, the protestors again). Just another adventure in La República Argentina!The positive news of the day is that I just got an internship as a translator for the InterAmerican Democracy Network, a transnational organization devoted to increasing participatory democracy throughout the Americas.
http://www.redinter.org/
Mint-scented soap (especially after yoga or a session with Sergio) is THE best idea since sliced bread!!!
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Euphoria
The euphoria that I’ve been experiencing today is due to the refreshing run, i-Pod in hand, through the parks on a gloriously sunny day in
in the cab
Here's a shot with Pete's godfather Jesse. He's been taking really good care of us, making 14 peso cocktails possible. On Friday night I had the best drink of my life- a maracujá martini. Maracujá is a sweet/sour brazilian fruit, so this cocktail was just too tempting to pass up (we had two each!)
Thursday, June 09, 2005
how silly I feel...
After reading the following article in Time magazine, I feel a bit silly for even trying to "blog" ( i wonder how the french ministry of language will french-ify that word???)BLOG WATCH
There's at least one place in Iran where citizens dare speak their minds. It is referred to has Weblogistan, and in this rapidly expanding virtual terrain, there are an estimated 100,000 active Iranian blogs, so that Persian now ties with French as the second most used language in the blogosphere. Iranians generally used psyeudonyms online to discuss taboo topics and criticize the government...but crackdowns are always looming.
More than 20 million online activists were detained last year for several weeks and beaten for antigovernment criticism. In response, dozens of blogs have sprung up offering instructions on how to remain anonymous and circumvent gov't filters. (Time Magazine- May 9, 2005).
Not much new here in BsAs. Peter's (fah-rich) godfather is in town so we've been having a high 'ole time. This weekend promises to be everything that TWO MONTHS LEFT IN ARGENTINA can offer... below are some pics of Charlie's Angels, at the costume party (Joey Neugart won best costume btw) and another pic of a random night at Roxy, and when I say random I mean RANDOM.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HEATHER DAVIS ON SATURDAY!!! Te amo SIZZZLA!
The angels
The only thing that's missing from this pictures is Charlie (with his new shades...)
Maria es una bon boncita rica!
Friday, June 03, 2005
Random (and unimportant) news flashes...and a retrospective
Now that Hassan and Joey have left, taking the amazingly good weather with them, I have Hassan's flannel and Cait's Uggs to keep me warm! I tried to force breakfast on my balcony yesterday, but I think it's finally time to admit to defeat: winter is upon us...Bon voyage to my brother who left for Hong Kong today. Eric is doing his Navy cruise for one month from Singapore to Thailand...
Aurelien bought a new car, but betrayed his Aggie roots by choosing (HOT) burnt orange...
To answer my own question, posed about a week ago- the new Coldplay album drops June 7th. One thing I learned, from the back issues of US weekly that I'm falling asleep with every night, is that Gwyneth has vowed never to walk the red carpet with her (bon boncito rico) hubby Chris Martin...
Who knew that coconut milk could truly change one's life. I've been using it in salad dressings, tuna salads and now I've replaced my avocado smoothie with a green tea coconut pearl drink- YUMMY...
_______________________________________
Below are pictures that I failed to post...several of Joey on his birthday (he might kill me) and some of me and Cait in Rosario, the city where the Argentine flag was created...
down he goes
After a spill in the street, and Caitlin yelling at them to get up...Joey and Anne stumble into the lobby of our apt where they swerve a bit and take a final plunge. Our door guy had a hey day watching the episode. I was upstairs sleeping soundly.
Cait at the Museum of Contemp Art
Rosario has a super cool modern art museum with a nice facade for taking random shots...
front of the boat
This gi-normous concrete monument is slick because it's in the shape of a giant ship.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
We tore it up...
How much can you pack into a one week visit to la
http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/iguazu2.htm
The bus trip was a lot like the time I went last fall: aperitif, hot dinner, champagne...the works. The bust trip home, however, was a little more action-packed. We thought that being searched by drug dogs was adventure enough, but we were in for much more. At around 3 a.m. our omnibus slammed into a horse, felt more like the crunch of metal if you ask me. The pictures below are not for the squeamish...
Upon our return we took Buenos Aires by storm: we went to a tango show, went clubbing in a beautiful space modeled after the Sydney Opera House, ate plenty of good food (read: MEAT), and even attended a house party where Joey, as Mr. Incredible, had the best costume and Hassan acted as party dj.
My words can't do the photos justice. I hope you enjoy and I want to thank these two guys for coming down to help me rediscover how incredible this place is. A special thanks to Hassan who truly served as my personal camel, hauling everything from jeans that actually fit (thank you Natalie!), trashy mags (thanks Michelle), tapioca pearls for my avocado smoothies, and MUSIC MUSIC and more MUSIC. Three words to describe him: heart of gold.
where evita sleeps
Even though it was hard to find and I pissed off a local kid by calling him a pendejo...we found the place where Evita sleeps
OM: A sacred Sanskrit symbol believed to be the spoken essence of the universe. It is uttered as a mantra and in affirmations and blessings. The phonetics of the sound Om starts in the bottom of the vocal cavity and ultimately vaporates into a silent void. This process symbolizes the creation, the maintainence, the destruction of all things and the return to where they came.
About Me
- Name: Kelly
- Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina, home base- Austin, TX, United States
Previous Posts
- Stop and smell the Rosemary...
- Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
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