if I undertood it rightly, with federal $, npr reporting is threatened to be "under the government's thumb" for content, which is contrary to free reporting.
yet, npr is known for its liberal bias (hence, seemingly not under "the thumb").
better to let npr to be as wildly liberal as it wants (because I guess the only thing keeping it from sounding like pacifica radio is that it reins itself in because of the possibility of losing federal $).
furthermore, it is wrong to partially fund npr with taxpayer dollars from americans who disagree with npr's core values (as constrained in its liberal bias as it is)
therefore, we should eliminate federal funding to npr.
why do I detect a hint of sleightness-of-hand?
(this argument reconstructed from a discussion hosted by npr, voiced by David Boaz, executive vice president of the Cato Institute and longtime critic of federal funding for public broadcasting)
you can hear it too, at:
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201103181031
Friday, March 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Instant yoga butt?
I admit it: I can be pretty unaware sometimes. A little google poking indicates the phrase has been about for a while, yet I believe the first time ‘yoga butt’ entered the forefront of my consciousness was a few nights ago when I heard it pop out over the low-level background noise of the TV as I was making dinner.
I thought, “ermph?” and walked around the corner to see an Old Navy commercial, with their brand-identifiable-yet-ever-annoying mannequins sporting what I suppose are your average spandex-ey yoga pants, together with a bling and promise that upon putting them on, you’ll have instant yoga butt.
As I’ve been reading around about the apparent phenomenon of yoga butt, I’ve found sites devoted to viewing images – clothed and otherwise – celebrating the yoga butt, sites with a how-to-8-step-series-of-asanas that if a person practices them enough, then he or – most likely – she will acquire a yoga butt. I’ve also found saner (to me) sounding explanations that point out it’s not simply about an ass fetish (although it assuredly is for some folks), but that the localized term ‘butt’ actually is a shorthand reference to the overall good physical tone that a person can gain in the regular practice of yoga. That makes sense; hard to imagine someone who would have a well-toned rear end, while everything else falls apart. That would look weird, wouldn’t it? I guess ‘yoga body’ doesn’t sound as sexy.
And I’ve come across message boards and blogs by women angry at Old Navy, because the chain is marketing the $12 pants not only for women, but also a $7 version for young (younger than teenage) girls. To any intelligent person reading this, I’m sure you can a priori imagine their concerns, and I completely sympathize. I get it. But I’m not going there. Where I go I'll continue tomorrow.
But until then, if you haven't seen it yet, here's a url to their commercial.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1295271511906
I thought, “ermph?” and walked around the corner to see an Old Navy commercial, with their brand-identifiable-yet-ever-annoying mannequins sporting what I suppose are your average spandex-ey yoga pants, together with a bling and promise that upon putting them on, you’ll have instant yoga butt.
As I’ve been reading around about the apparent phenomenon of yoga butt, I’ve found sites devoted to viewing images – clothed and otherwise – celebrating the yoga butt, sites with a how-to-8-step-series-of-asanas that if a person practices them enough, then he or – most likely – she will acquire a yoga butt. I’ve also found saner (to me) sounding explanations that point out it’s not simply about an ass fetish (although it assuredly is for some folks), but that the localized term ‘butt’ actually is a shorthand reference to the overall good physical tone that a person can gain in the regular practice of yoga. That makes sense; hard to imagine someone who would have a well-toned rear end, while everything else falls apart. That would look weird, wouldn’t it? I guess ‘yoga body’ doesn’t sound as sexy.
And I’ve come across message boards and blogs by women angry at Old Navy, because the chain is marketing the $12 pants not only for women, but also a $7 version for young (younger than teenage) girls. To any intelligent person reading this, I’m sure you can a priori imagine their concerns, and I completely sympathize. I get it. But I’m not going there. Where I go I'll continue tomorrow.
But until then, if you haven't seen it yet, here's a url to their commercial.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1295271511906
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