Nine Shift

Gender war raging!

   

The Clinton-Obama race has featured a fascinating battle between Baby Boomer feminists and younger people.

   The war is raging in the opinion columns and letters to editor in the NY Times (see below).
   Baby Boomer feminists (as many men as women) sometimes called gender war feminists, believe female attributes are superior to male attributes.  Gloria Steinem is the leading gender war feminist.
   Younger people see the gender battles of the 1960s as over, and largely do not see different gender roles as a barrier for women.
   (Google "gender war" and this picture will be in the top 10.)
   What do you think? Is this an historic turning point in generations and their different perceptions of gender roles?

Are you eating differently?

Recently we asked our local whole earth foods co-op manager whether milk in glass bottles was better than in plastic. She said yes.
   It tastes better. And Julie says there's some worry about chemicals in plastic seeping into the milk.
   How important is this whole organic healthy food aspect in the NineShift transition to the new way of life? And are you eating differently? Tell us how.

Exclusive look inside our refrigerator!

Should you change yourself?

Is it time for us to change? Are you changing yourself?
   A few years ago Willie quoted some authority in saying change yourself to change society. And the last time he was home he introduced us to the butterfly effect, which says a butterfly over the Atlantic Ocean can cause a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean.
  Last month we gave the wrong answer to two different NineShift questions about influencing change in America.  The questioners assumed change starts at the top.  We should have responded that change actually starts at the bottom, and 2008 is the year to start changing ourselves. 
   Is it now time for us to change ourselves?  Share your thoughts, and tell us what you are changing in your life right now.

Gender war comments from the New York Times

"So why is the sex barrier not taken as seriously as the racial one?..anything that affects males is seen as more serious than anything that affects 'only' the female half of the human race....racism stereotyped black men as more masculine for so long that some white men find their presence to be masculinity-affirming.....there is still no right way to be a woman in public power without being considered a you-know-what." Gloria Steinem.

"But for one moment (New Hampshire) women knew just how Hillary felt, and they gave her a sympathy vote. It wasn't a long term commitment, just a brief strike by the sisters against their oversheduled world."  Gail Collins

"Older white women pulled her (Clinton) up in New Hampshire, but many younger voters want to be rid of the whole Clinton megilah."  Maureen Dowd,

"You must also recognize that slavery was a greater injustice than disparate treatment of women. Until Senator Clinton played the gender card at several opportunities after Iowa, this race had been so beautifully run above-board......with little or no subtext of 'my class is more oppressed than your class.' " Stephanie J. James

He stole $7 billion: Is he a hero?

Jerome Kerviel, 31, is the "rogue" trad er who lost $7 billion for his employer, a large French bank.

A huge loss, it may have affected the U.S. stock market drop last week. But is Kerviel a criminal, or a hero?
CRIMINAL.  He obviously stole and lost $7 billion of the bank's money. 
HERO. He inadvertently pointed out another weakness of the current financial infrastructure that has to be fixed for the 21st century. What do you think?

America tries to catch up: End of incandescent light bulbs

America is finally starting to try to save the planet.

Congress is starting by ending the incandescent light bulb.
You won't be able to buy the traditional light bulb in a few years.

To be replaced by longer lasting and more energy efficient bulbs.
Yeah!  Every step in the right direction is a good one.
What do you think?

Year 2008 starts out great

The year 2008 is starting out great for Nine Shifters.

The New Year's sign for 2008 for the ball on the top of Times Square in New Year this year was carried to Times Square from the factory using the subway, not a truck.
The symbolism for us was clear! 

At the same time, the first story of the year was how auto experts are already predicting auto sales to be down for 2008.  Any other signs you see of change happening?

So behind we're ahead

We live in a town so behind we're ahead, says my co-author Julie Coates.

Our 1950s community has several aspects to the 21st century that suburban communities lack.

One is that local business helps create community.

At our local pharmacy, our pharmacist Leah sells books by local authors.  All the money goes to the authors.
It's very hard to get a book into the big chain book stores these days.
Plus it helps create a sense of community. 
This return to community will grow as neighborhoods become more dense and people work from home.

Which one is the salad fork?

We're having Christmas dinner at my mother's house, with the extended family gathered around.

My 17 year old Gen Y niece is setting the table for dinner, and looks in the silverware tray and asks which one is the salad fork?

Is it time to say goodbye to dinners and dinner place settings?  Let us know your thoughts.

Photo: one of my mother's silverware trays, called "the good stuff" to identify it from the regular or daily dinnerware.

The End of Feminism?

Did the Iowa primary caucuses signal the start of the end of gender war feminism in America?

My co-author Julie Coates has told me Gen Y women like pink, wear dresses, and at our conference this fall I noticed one 22 year old wearing high heels. Then the Iowa primary caucuses made the point differently, with young women voting for Barack Obama over HIllary Clinton (who won among older women). 

Is it o.k. to wear high heels again?  The Baby Boomers almost unanimously endorse the 1975 - present gender war feminism that says that female attributes are superior to male behavior, and boys should be raised like girls. Is a new post-feminism taking over Gen Y from the gender war feminism of the Baby Boomers?  What do you think?