More Post-Election Blues

Like Rad, I'm a little bummed about the election results.  You can't tell by this picture, of course, but I've been in a terrible mood about it all morning.  I'm unhappy with the outcome, but as a Democrat who started voting in time for the 2000 election, I'm used to the disappointment of my candidates losing.  It happens.  2008 was a huge shock to me, actually.  So while I'm worried about the close Illinois governor's race, and I'm not thrilled about the outcome of our senate race, that's not what bothers me about all of this.  Instead, it's all of the extremely uneducated comments I'm reading and hearing from people.  This is America, where we're free to have our own opinions and free to voice them, but I have a hard time with people who have absolutely no way to back up their opinions with things other than anger, hysteria, conspiracy theories and occasional racism.  How about some facts?

But I digress.  In other election news, thank you all for your votes and thoughts on my upcoming haircut!  I was surprised to see a few votes sneak in for #3 last night and this morning, so I have a lot to think about between now and Saturday.  Like many other races, it's too close to call right now.

I had a totally different outfit planned for today, involving some grey cords and a nice warm sweater.  But this morning while at the gym, I kept seeing ladies walking by (the gym overlooks a pretty busy street and is only a block from an el stop) wearing skirts and dresses, so I decided I wanted to skirt up too.  You might recall that this is a variation on the outfit I wish I had worn about a month ago.  Any colored cardigan I have totally clashed with the tights, so I went with basic black.  

I hope you all have a nice Wednesday!

Dress: Loft

Cardigan: Target

Belt: Target

Tights: New York & Company

Shoes: Tsubo

Brooch: Etsy

Earrings: New York & Company

Cows with Guns

On the eve of American independence day, I put together my Americana-ish outfit, which is also an attempt to remix this dress (and I have difficulty remixing, a sentiment well expressed by La Fille d'Or). I was also listening to the song my sister and I giggle over together, Dana Lyons' Cows with Guns.* It's appropriate because it's about bovine liberation, but it draws on themes of national independence movements (primarily of the 1960s and 70s, but we can relate them to the 1770s, I think.) I want to give this CD and book to all my friends with kids, but I don't know if my parent-friends would approve of tales of cows with automatic weapons (other than the Swedes, who give their kids books about unemployed single dads on public assistance who have great adventures together. Sadly, not in translation).

A lot of folks are wishing everyone a happy July 4, and I also hope you have a nice holiday weekend as well, but I am always ambiguous about this, as well as many other, holidays. Jessphg did a great post on patriotism and criticism yesterday, and it got me thinking about what patriotism means to me. I get annoyed when certain loud people claim a monopoly on the legitimate definition of patriotism. Patriotism doesn't mean never questioning the decisions of your government or never criticizing things that a government has done. Since I teach international relations and will teach international law in the fall, it's impossible to teach effectively without discussing some of our past government's mistakes (Iran contra, Chile 1973, arms races, Monroe doctrine, etc.) But like I always tell my students: being critical of what Washington has done in the past (or present) in no way is an attack on "America," although some students have difficulty separating the two (During this video, a very nice student and veteran got upset and shouted, "Why are you always picking on us! Why is everyone OUR fault?"). I can be patriotic AND prefer Howard Zinn's history of this country over, say, the Texas school board's story.

Blokey's parents come in tomorrow so we have our hands full entertaining soon, so I hope to be productive today and clean a lot. I may be able to drag my in-laws of a Scandinavian extraction to the beach (but not the shore) Monday. Maybe a beach post to come?

Have a lovely weekend, bloggy buddies!

Rad in Brooklyn, lefty American patriot, out.

Dress: Talbots, thrifted
Tunic as undershirt: UO
Belt: Not Just Vintage
Scarf: via Ebay
Shoes: via Heavenly Soles, MPLS

*I could listen to this song over and over again, but Blokey not so much.

Hypothetical lunch, economic crises, and consumption thoughts

This is what I think about budget cuts

This the outfit I picked out to meet with some colleagues for a little lunch in Manhattan today. I took this photo around 10:30 or so. I walked to the train around 10:45, and around 11:45, after being stuck underground for about 45 minutes, I walked two stops back home, because the A/C train was suffering a breakdown. My colleagues said it was cool to reschedule, as they are very nice, but I am going to somehow blame this on the unfortunate budget cuts that the state/city have instituted. You know that a politician is doing a bad job if the NY Times* makes fun of them with this zinger: "[Working stiffs are] easy targets, especially for a governor who, like the mayor of New York City, rules out taxing rich people any further lest they pack their Louis Vuitton bags and scoot."

I wrote something very long about economic crises, the fallacy of austerity as an end, and the harmful effects of over reliance on a skittish private sector to promote recovery, but deleted it so as to not alienate everyone. I'll end this post by saying that it is a huge shame that politicians are ignoring the needs of productive New Yorkers by promoting regressive taxes (a soda tax? Getting rid of the tax exemptions on items below $110? Cutting school budgets and 1 library day a week? Allowing tuition increases at public universities? To quote G.O.B. Bluth, "Come ON!"). Yo, tax-averse peeps in NY: keeping this city somewhat accessible and safe is GOOD for your property values, your safety, and your ability to sleep at night!

Finally, this relates to the blog because I want to draw on the political conditions as an impetus for my own actions. I will make a more conscious effort to buy less of everything, especially clothes. I am not the best remixer, but I continue to inspired by the personal fashion/style blogosphere everyday. Summer time is hard for remixing, with the heat, but now that it's below 90 in NY, I'm layering away.
Hope you all had a less ranty and frustrating Wednesday then I. Disagreements, thoughts, ideas are surely welcome.

Tunic: Alwin, Minneapolis (via Cliche)
Skirt: OU
Boots: Durango, via Beacon's Closet
Belt: thrifted

*I have a love/hate thing with the NYTimes. They do some good reporting, good local investigating, but they also cater heavily to the champagne Upper Manhattan crowd, which makes sense economically, but likely influences their views. Also, what's up with their obsession with describing their interview subjects' looks?

The Korean-American Country Western Professor

Country Western Professor, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Blazer: Esprit
Shirt: Old Navy (Swap)
Jeggings: Hue
Boots: Durango (via Beacon's Closet)

So I thought I'd try to wear all thrifted clothes today, as a way to appreciated my second hand gear, but the weather is wonky so I'll save that until tomorrow. I just threw on the jeggings, Western style shirt, and cowboy boots at home, and I put on the "Office blazer" so when I have to leave my office to go to the toilet (and possibly run into students). In this picture, I look like I've been riding my horses all day.

It's comfy, casual, but hopefully not to "Student" like (even if it is, I'm too old compared to them too care that much).
I am jumping on the cultural appropriation discussion bandwagon (see Academichic, Threadbared, Jesse.Anne.O, and jezebel, to name just a few). I have nothing to add to the discussion about Native/First American/Indigneous styles that have been prevalent in "hipster" styles. I think many great ideas have been circulated and I neither consume these styles nor claim to know much about the politics. However, because of my darker skin that tans easily (compared to like my mom and the Korean "ideal") and my mom's cheekbones, the few times I ever wore anything vaguely Native American style (and this was limited to a play in 2nd grade), everyone called me Pocahantas or raved about how "Indian" I looked. Including teachers.
I do want to talk about my own position as a "person of culture" (for reals) and my own types of cultural appropriations. First, as an "Asian-American" (a term that means nothing to any one living in Asia), I don't care if you wear Buddhist beads, get a Chinese character tattoo, or wear a cheongsam. I just think that most folks (including Madonna and NBA stars) look rather silly doing it. I do mind if a person fawn all over my "culture" and "exoticness", because I am ordinary middle class professional lady, and I think my class positionality is more relevant to my life experiences and tastes than anything else. I find it creepy and weird if someone starts telling me about their fascination for the East. I guess this is my long way of saying that I like who I am and I am proud of my heritage, but my different outwards looking appearance should not open to door to "other me."

I love the beautiful hanbok, worn by my beautiful mom here last weekend, but it is only ceremonial dress.

As for my own appropriations, I am neither white, living in the western United States, nor having family that is either of these, I love Western/cowboy styles. I also like prairie looks as well, and neo-Edwardian styles. I even want a bolo tie (How rad would this outfit look with one? OK, maybe that's just me). Part of this relates to my time in Minnesota, where I started to really like the prairie midwest (still do), and then coming to NYC, where I don't particularly like the uber-serious, all black high fashion looks that emphasize drama and thinness. I don't know if I were be drawn to western styles if I lived in the Southwest, but for some reason, I really wanted a prairie dress for my wedding. I guess I think it's fun. Perhaps this offends people, but there isn't a political movement or a community that claims significance over these looks that can articulate these concerns.
In addition, my sister-in-law (brother's wife) comes from another culture, and I have been invited to participate in it before. I have friends who say, "You shouldn't wear another culture's clothes," but I don't believe that cultures are natural or essential. I think that fashion choices should be more conscious and respectful, and I wouldn't wear South Asian dress if I wasn't invited to do so. Rather than strict rules, I think that "borrowing" dress from various communities should be a dialogue.

Me, my cousin-in-law, and my Jackson Heights shalwar kameez, at a party

What are your thoughts about this? I am thinking about it too much? Am I wrong not to believe that any cultural appropriations are offensive. I am not offended that easily, but I did spend much of my college years (at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign) protesting the Chief Illiniwek mascot. I felt that the small Native American community had clearly articulated reasons for the getting rid of the Chief, which it did. I know my brother, roommate, and many others disagreed (but I must admit I used my Chief opinions as a litmus test for dating).