WAYR: Orange Juice Blog
what’s read
What: Orange Juice Blog @ http://orangejuiceblog.com/
Where: Orange County, CA When: January 18, 2010
Why: I googled the candidates for Mission Viejo City Council and this blog had the only info I could find. I was worried it’d be more aimed to the right since Orange County is predominantly republican and it was honestly pretty hard to figure out the party of each candidate. I didn’t even know the guy they’re trying to get rid of, Lance MacLean, is a democrat. Who knew? Well, not me.
After reading a bit I voted to get him out but I can’t really decide who to pick to replace him. One seems like a nutty nerd and the other an overbearing entrepreneur. Voting is hard.
Anything else: I was surprised that they actually have all the different viewpoints represented because they have a handful of writers from different parties. I think the Orange County definitely needs a stronger online community. There aren’t a lot of blogs or websites dedicated to specific topics like lifestyle or politics like you’d find in LA, DC or NY. I think they need to get on that. Maybe I’ll try.
WAYR guest post: Eating Animals
the guest reader:
- Name: Elliott Jones
- Age: 22
- Occupation: Individual Giving Coordinator (fundraising) at El Centro de la Raza
- Location: Seattle, WA
what’s read:
What: Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals
Where: At home, and on the plane from Seattle to San Francisco for the holidays
When: December 22 – 25th, 2009
Why: I’ve been a vegetarian for about two years. This started with Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution and Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food. I’m very interested in “food politics,” in how such a ubiquitous personal decision has such a decisive global impact. I also recently read Foer’s two novels, and enjoyed them. I’d read interesting reviews of Eating Animals on the Huffington Post.
Anything else: Last night, I ate elk hamburger baked in a casserole (my housemate from Minnessota, who cooked the dish, proudly calls it a “hot dish,” a traditional Minnesottan recipe she got from her mother). The night before, we ate chicken. Aside from a small bowl of Hawaiian-style sweet and sour chicken rescued from another housemate’s employer’s food pantry’s excess, that has been the only meat I’ve eaten in the last four months, and it’s the most meat I’ve eaten consecutively in the two years since I became a vegetarian.
More specifically, I would be classified as a “conscious omnivore” or a “flexitarian” – and these three meals fit into my ethical guidelines: elk is not factory farmed, the chicken was organic, “happy” chicken from a local farm, and the Hawaiian dish was rescued from an untimely demise in a dumpster. But after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s new book, Eating Animals, last night’s chicken is the last meat, or animal by-product, I will ever eat (note: not really. I’m realizing that becoming vegan is a process, a transition, and I won’t be 100% vegan for a little while).
WAYR: Woman with mutilated fingers
What’s read
What: Caption on the photo “Woman with mutilated fingers”, which reads “Old woman with four digits missing from her hands, signifying the loss of members of her family. The ritual maiming is performed to be a reminder of the pain of loss of close relatives in the village.” Taken from the exhibit “Where Masks Still Dance: New Guinea” by Chris Rainier.
Where: Bowers Museum. Santa Ana, Calif.
When: January 3, 2010
Why: The photograph is one of the most provocative of the exhibit and if that caption wasn’t there, you would not fully understand why it’s so powerful. The people of Papua New Guinea have a real connection to those that die. It made me sad to feel that our culture has lost this ancient spiritual connection to the past. Now death is something people are frightened to face or mention. One of the docents said unlike our culture, the people of Papua New Guinea are consumed with focusing on the few important things, then the many unimportant — like ours does. Isn’t that such a sad reality?
Anything else: In another photo there was a woman and her two brothers mourning the death of her husband. They were all wearing thick rope necklaces. In their culture, when the necklace has rotted and fallen off, the mourning period has passed. There was something really beautiful about that.
It made me remember again why I love anthro so much and enjoyed studying it. It’s not only fascinating to study indigenous people because they open your eyes to the past, but also because they give you so much perspective on the present.
WAYR guest post: Ke$ha
the guest reader:
- Name: Timmy Hill
- Age: 22
- Occupation: Human Resources Associate
- Location: Irvine, CA
what’s read:
What: WikiArticle on the singer Ke$ha
Where: Wikipedia.org
When: December 28, 2009
Why: My grandmother said my generation lacked talent. So I thought I would read an article about the singer who has the 1st #1 song of the decade.
Anything else: Any person who can start a song with the toe tapping lyrics “Wake up in the morning feeling like P.Diddy/../ before I leave brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack,” deserves my attention. You must understand our culture to begin a song, and your musical debut, with such a hook. We are fascinated with excess and few things are more excessive then P.Diddy, alcoholism and a dollar sign in your name.
According to her wikipedia, Ke$ha has thrown up in Paris Hilton’s closet after singing in her music video, broken into Prince’s home and thrown demo tapes around his house. I guess she does start her morning with a bottle of Jack.
WAYR: Van Gogh’s hancock
What’s read
What: Vincent Van Gogh’s signature “Vincent” on his painting, “Irises”
Where: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Calif.
When: December 26, 2009
Why: I decided to head up to LA, the obvious epicenter of culture. This painting by Van Gogh is the only permanent painting they have by Van Gogh but it’s also one of the only pieces in the US.
Anything else: I saw a lot of his collection at the museum in Amsterdam and it was amazing. I loved the way they arranged the collection, they explained each period in terms of his mood. Let’s just say he was not a stranger to the strait jacket. I was really surprised they let you take pics at the Getty.
WAYR: African Kings
What’s read
What: African Kings by Daniel Lainé
Where: In mah bed (I’m sick)
When: December 23, 2009
Why: Thomas gave me the book for Christmas because he knows how much I love elaborate costumes and indigenous people. Come on, I’m an anthro major.
Anything else: I took a picture of this page because it was interesting for a million reasons. First of all, they’re pulling a king from Ghana in a car made of wood. They call his throne the “Mercedes”. I’m not sure if their village has cars but I thought it said a lot about incorporating western ideals into their customs. The litter, or throne, is really important. It has to be sturdy because if he falls out, that symbolizes his fall from the throne and they would rid him as king.
In the bio of the king, Nana Philip Kodjo Gorkelu (say that in one breath), Lainé notes that during the day his majesty works as an accountant for a small plastic-wrap company, pushing his royal duties to the weekends.
PS. If you wanna know what other indigenous people think of the “west”, check out “Meet the Natives” on the Travel Channel. It chronicles the journey of four tribesmen from Tanna, an island near Fiji, and their interactions with all kinds of Americans. They make some revealing comments about our culture from dressing dogs to canned yams.
WAYR: This Boy’s Life
the reader
- Name: Joanna (author)
- Age: 23
- Location: Mission Viejo, Ca
- Occupation: barista, freelance writer
what’s read
What: This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff.
Where: In mah bed.
When: Monday December 21, 2009
Why: I think Hillary told me about the book first. Mary Karr and Tobias Wolff are bff and after reading Cherry, I figured I’d give her pal a shot. Apparently the book is in the top 100 nonfiction of the past century. As for the book, it’s mostly about Tobias following his mom and surviving her foibles. I just read this one chapter where he steals the car and gets caught. I wish doing simple things, like going for a drive, were fraught with excitement. He also has a series of bad father figures, the first being an alcoholic with a fondness for firearms and the second is a small man that likes to paint everything white and hit him in the face. Don’t worry, it’s funny too.
Anything else: I’m really stoked because I caught the movie version on TV and DVR’d it. Sidenote: Was every book made into a movie in the 80s? I think they should call it Bret Easton Ellis syndrome or something. Anyways, I’m totally watching the film and being a lit snob. Robert DeNiro, pish posh.
Welcome to WAYR
I’m Joanna and the author of this blog. The posts will be a mixture of my own and featured guests. Please read the ABOUT page to learn more about the WAYR blog. Enjoy 
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