Beauty Pageants

So, I was Facebook surfing, as you do, and came upon an interesting fact, there is a pageant known as "Miss Beautiful Morals" in Saudi Arabia. I was intrigues, to say the least. I commented to my friend who brought it up on her comment feed that in a deeply religious society, the contestants would be judged on their piety. Instantly, I looked up this phenomenon, and the description is as follows:

"The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants' commitment to Islamic morals... It's an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman's body and looks," said pageant founder Khadra al-Mubarak.

Decadence is not the first word that comes to mind when I see beauty pageant contestants outside the Islamic sphere of influence. From what I have seen of Miss Universe or Miss America pageants, I see women who, for one reason or another, are on a stage wearing a smile (and not much else) They are asked questions, asked to do stupid human tricks, and then one is crowned as top dog. I do find it interesting that from the Saudi perspective, Western beauty pageant contestants are being oppressed, not being told to be authentic, or called to embellish themselves in some way. The Great Satan may be guilty of a great many things, but I declare that we are not guilty of having our beauty pageant contestants being decadent. Sure, some choose to get plastic surgery, but how is that being decadent? Also, when the contestants are being asked questions, those are meditations on the human condition, they're not fluff!

But, if people want to have their alternate pageant, have at it Hoss!

Facebook!

I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. I have to be on it because people want me to go to events, keep in contact with them, and socialize without any actual human interaction. It is the bane of my existence! Social networking sites are seeping into all facets of life, and it is now acceptable for people in my generation to think that texting, Tweeting, updating your Facebook status while using the toilet, having sex, giving birth, or other private activities.

I am by no means off the grid, I have a blog, a Twitter account, and a Facebook page. But, I have yet to check my phone while being intimate, live-blog a birth while urging someone to continue with their Lamaze breathing, or Tweet while on the toilet. When I deactivated my Facebook page, I felt like I had been severed from my group of friends and was a pariah. But, it felt GREAT! I wasn't constantly checking my page, and writing inane messages to people that I hardly talk to. My social life was thoroughly mine again, I was in control.

One day, I hope to ween myself of Facebook once again. I lasted one year off of the grid last time I shut it down, and it was a piece of cake.

Oil Spills, Immigration, and other stuff

So, within the last three weeks, there has been possibly the worst environmental disaster the US has ever seen, and a new draconian law has been signed by Arizona's governor to try to stem the tide of illegal immigrants coming across their border with Mexico. That's why the Chinese think that the phrase "May you live in interesting times" is a curse.

I find it odd that not even a month after President Obama lifted the ban of off-shore drilling, a rig exploded. I don't think that he was in any way responsible, but after touting their advanced technology and safety, eleven people die and a ton of oil leaks out into the Gulf of Mexico. It sucks, but it goes without saying that getting non-renewable sources of energy has risks. BP, the company that was leasing the rig said that they would pay for the cleanup, but they haven't even contained the oil. People's lives are being put in jeopardy because of the inaction and inability of BP, let's just hope they don't try to spin the American people.

As for the immigration bill, I find it funny that lawmakers that are elected to the House and the Senate are quick to blame the federal government, which they are a part of of neglecting the responsibility that Federal officials have of securing the borders. That must mean that they are dropping the ball, and that political expediency would make you consider some reform. So, the bill basically says that a police officer is obliged to pull over anyone if the officer suspects them to be an illegal immigrant. Also, if a legal immigrant or a citizen is pulled over and not able to prove their status, they face six months in prison and a $1000 fine. I have read the bill, and it specifically says:

B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY
OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS
21STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS
22 UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE,
23 WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE
24 PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
25 PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).
26 C. IF AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES IS
27 CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF STATE OR LOCAL LAW, ON DISCHARGE FROM
28 IMPRISONMENT OR ASSESSMENT OF ANY FINE THAT IS IMPOSED, THE ALIEN SHALL BE
29 TRANSFERRED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CUSTODY OF THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND
30 CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

Apparently, facing the problems that border states are facing and offering greater federal assistance makes too much sense, and they're going to bitch about how this is a bad time because of one reason or another. Next time I go to Yuma, I will make sure to bring all of my pieces of identification because there is a chance that some police officer may pull me over because I look like an illegal immigrant.