…and this is a 
Every year, L'Oreal selects women who have made significant contributions to community service and awards their organization a substantial grant of $5,000. There are ten honorees this year, and they've all got good stories to tell. You also have a chance to vote on one of the ten, and the winner of that popularity contest will get an additional award of $25,000 — read their nominations and you'll see that they all could use it, and you should vote for whatever cause you find most worthy.
However, I will gently nudge you in one direction, suggesting that if you don't find that any one cause speaks to you, you should consider voting for Shannon Lambert, who manages a local service called Pandora's Project, which helps survivors of rape and sexual abuse. We're a little bit biased, though, since Shannon is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Morris. Just take a look, and if you think her work is good, take just a second and leave one vote for her.
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 22, 2009 8:22 PM
OT but an AP story has just stated that a first edition of Darwin's "On the Origins of Species" has been found on a toilet bookshelf in Oxford. Christie's will be placing it on auction come Tuesday.
Very timely in light of a recent reincarnation of the very same book. Interesting confluence of events.
On Topic: What'll you bet that it was a woman who kept the book there?
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 22, 2009 8:32 PM
Aaaand, here's a link:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/rare-darwin-book-found-on-toilet-bookcase-1825928.html
Estimated price? Sixty thousand English pounds. Probably less than the other people's money that Kirk has invested in his 'inspired' printing.
Posted by: Dahan | November 22, 2009 8:37 PM
What a difficult choice. There are many who seem to be worthy. I chose Brenda Murray instead of PZ's suggestion, although she seemed to be a good choice as well.
Posted by: Rox | November 22, 2009 8:38 PM
I voted for Shannon. It was hard to choose--they are all worthy. If only they could all get the money.
Thanks for the link to this!
Posted by: 'Tis Himself, Quel Dommage
|
November 22, 2009 8:50 PM
I voted for Shannon but all of the candidates were meritorious.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 22, 2009 8:59 PM
I'll champion Ora Rakestraw, bless her old heart. Teaching kids who need extra help to read and comprehend. I'll bet she makes them laugh a lot, too.
It often is the sheer delight of it that makes an old timer spend the time and effort to nurse the little sprouts. I used to notice that in some of the old folks I knew when I was little. Now, for some strange reason, I find the roles reversing and it tickles me no end. Way cool. Go, Ora.
Posted by: Ol' Greg | November 22, 2009 8:59 PM
Well in light of recent conversations I voted for Shannon, but I probably would have anyway if this had been brought to my attention. I was torn though because a part of me also wanted to vote for Ora Rakestraw or Lillian Collins.
Posted by: Erica | November 22, 2009 9:04 PM
That was a hard choice. I ended up voting for the University for Parents. I also wanted to vote for the one that educates women in prison. I might have voted for Shannon but figured you probably generated her a lot of votes anyway.
Posted by: Jarred C.
|
November 22, 2009 9:08 PM
I actually thought Shannon's was the most worthy, although all are very deserving.
Posted by: Pygmy Loris | November 22, 2009 9:09 PM
I too voted for Shannon both because she provides a much needed service to women and because recent conversations reminded me just how many people think sexual assault is no big deal.
Posted by: alex.asolis.net
|
November 22, 2009 9:25 PM
I wondering why there isn't an award like this specifically for men?
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
November 22, 2009 9:33 PM
Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and sponsor it? Until then, your opinion is irrelevant.Posted by: alex.asolis.net
|
November 22, 2009 9:42 PM
"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and sponsor it? Until then, your opinion is irrelevant."
I didn't express an opinion, idiot.
Posted by: me68206 | November 22, 2009 9:43 PM
When I clicked on the link to read about Shannon, I realized that I had encountered Pandora's Project earlier this year.
I am a rape survivor. I had repressed memories of this sexual assault until earlier this year when someone from that period in my past contacted me, after finding me online. (He was not my assailant, but someone who knew me from the specific time it happened.)
In reconnecting with this person, I began to have memories of the assault. It took a while before I could find a therapist and begin counseling for PTSD, but Pandora's Project was so helpful in the help they gave me while I was dealing with the PTSD symptoms.
So I was happy to give Shannon my vote. I give her my thanks, too.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
November 22, 2009 10:04 PM
You were implying there weren't equal prizes for men. Never mind the man of the year awards by the BBB or the Jaycees. If you act like troll, which is what you are doing, you will be treated like one. So, stop acting like a troll, and maybe you won't be denigrated. Get it?Posted by: Phyllis Nuggleville | November 22, 2009 10:48 PM
Gee, you can be an asshole, Nerd of Redhead. You could have simply answered his question politely, instead of throwing around the word "troll" like that.
His comment didn't look trollish at all, and given that l'Oréal has brands targeted at men too, it was a perfectly legit question.
Did you know that calling regular people trolls can lead to the situation where both people are flaming each other for being called troll? No one likes flamewars. Cool down and say sorry okay?
Posted by: chgo_liz | November 22, 2009 10:51 PM
I never knew sexism had its own version of Poe.
Posted by: Silič O'Nopolitanopoulos, Färschdbischuf Beesknees aus Ulm und Klein Elguth, Elector Pharynguline.
|
November 22, 2009 10:52 PM
In the end I voted for Lillian Collins, but I have to admit it feels bad to vote against rape counselling.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
November 22, 2009 10:57 PM
Phyllis, Alex has played the troll before on other threads. If he doesn't want the term applied to him, he needs to undergo an attitude change. Which starts, in his case, with believing that there is real and subtle cultural discrimination against women.
Posted by: Ol' Greg | November 22, 2009 11:01 PM
Nerd! Say asolis.net ten times really quick. Think of the Fokers.
Posted by: Ol' Greg | November 22, 2009 11:05 PM
BTW, Alex... this is sponsored by a woman's cosmetics company. It's a PR shill, but it doesn't hurt that it tosses some $$$ to people who help their communities does it?
Unless you're fond of donning a full face of makeup, which I have nothing against... somehow it doesn't seem likely though.
Wait, because if you're arguing for the under-representation of trans community well then, yeah I get it.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
November 22, 2009 11:21 PM
You mean the Focker movies with Ben Stiller? I haven't seen them.Posted by: Pygmy Loris | November 22, 2009 11:42 PM
Alex,
You might as well ask why none of the WNBA MVP award winners have been male.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 22, 2009 11:42 PM
There were Fokkers in both of the big 20th C. wars. They were formidable fighters; The Red Barron flew one. (see Snoopy and the)
In the end they were defeated by Spads and Neuports, among others, built in a frenzy of innovation and inspiration. Many women participated in this process, primarily in the cuttting, sewing and applying of the fabric that covered the mostly wooden frames of these fabled airplanes. In order to know how to cut, sew and apply these talented people relied on a vast body of knowledge of how to fit cloth to a human body. I'd guess that it would be harder to give a person a sleek skin than it would to give one to an airframe. (spoken as awkward looking person)
Our comfort on a modern day airliner can trace its evolutionary roots to knowledge gained and shared by these aerial seamstresses.
Thank you, ladies. Thank you very much.
Oh . . . Fokers, not Fokkers?
Well, thank you ladies, anyway.
Posted by: Ol' Greg | November 22, 2009 11:46 PM
Oh. Oh well. If you haven't accidentally seen them they aren't really worth watching.
I saw the first one on an international flight.
Enough time zone crossing and you'll watch anything.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 22, 2009 11:59 PM
I don't know a Focker movie from a hole in the ground, Ol' Greg, but I do know that if you fly the skies of Europe you will probably be lofted on the wings of Fokker. They still make capable and strong aircraft.
Those girls of long ago have an active and contributory cohort in the women involved today in the aeronautic sciences. Mothers and daughters . . . people in motion . . .
*begins to look for information on movies, comma, Foker.*
Posted by: Haley | November 23, 2009 12:24 AM
alex.asolis.net-
To use a tired metaphor, if the water's too cold, you don't fix it by adding equal amounts of hot and cold water.
Posted by: rocket | November 23, 2009 12:46 AM
#27
Aren't we aiming for egality?
Anyway I voted for Shannon. Sounds like she's really helping your community. Not to say that the other nine aren't.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 23, 2009 2:26 AM
*begins to look for information on movies, comma, Foker.*
Aaahh. Reviews of movies depicting things blowing up and people getting dead. I haven't read them yet. How many are positive? Yawn.
If you've seen one decapitation you have essentially seen them all.
*and now back to our scheduled programming asking that musical question. "How do you know that?"
Posted by: Haley | November 23, 2009 2:38 AM
#28- of course, but to continue the analogy, we don't get there until the water is warm, and adding more cold water with the hot water isn't the way to get there. Of course the analogy breaks down when you consider the second law of thermodynamics...
anyway, I voted for Lambert. Sorry about the distraction.
Posted by: David Utidjian | November 23, 2009 4:18 AM
Crudely Wrott,
I would think that people from the upholstery industry would have been better suited (no pun intended) for aircraft fabric work. I have dabbled a little in all three occupations and I found that fitting a new cover to a couch was most like fitting a new cover to a wing and fuselage.
Anyhow... They were all very worthy causes but I am not so sure about yoga for cancer patients. My second choice was Rhonda Ulmer.
-DU-
Posted by: The Tim Channel
|
November 23, 2009 4:24 AM
As long as this girl isn't in the running we're probably ok:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXKuDYvM6Wk
Enjoy.
Posted by: Bectal | November 23, 2009 6:58 AM
Very difficult to make a choice, but finally decided to vote for Lillian Collins and her Eastside Academy.
Posted by: Bob Gardner | November 23, 2009 7:44 AM
I voted Shannon.
Pandys helped through a very tough time in my life. Its....a small world.
Posted by: sidhe
|
November 23, 2009 8:29 AM
I voted for Shannon, too, although I probably would have anyway if I'd been aware of the award outside of this blog. I have two friends who were sexually assaulted and so it hits close to home for me. It was tempting to vote for Grandma Ora, too, though. They all seem like excellent causes, though, so this is a difficult choice no matter who you vote for. Thanks for letting us know about the award, PZ! =)
Posted by: Cliff Hendroval | November 23, 2009 9:55 AM
Unfortunately, another major prize is being wasted. The current batch of Rhodes Scholarships have been awarded, and one of them is going to a Zohar Atkins.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/montclair_man_among_newest_rho.html
Ummm...how about getting someone who's interested in doing something useful, like curing malaria?
Posted by: Upliftingmofo
|
November 23, 2009 10:00 AM
Many great candidates, Shannon Lambert got my vote but out of a group of such caliber was a difficult choice.
Posted by: maddogdelta | November 23, 2009 10:32 AM
I voted for Shannon, but like many others, realized that they are all worthy of the vote.
Posted by: Islander | November 23, 2009 11:27 AM
I voted for Brenda Murray, the woman who helps incarcerated women get college degrees. There's no better way to turn someone's life around than education, and our prison system sure as hell doesn't try to reform anybody. Also, I have a feeling many people will look at her bio and think "who gives a fuck about criminals!"
Shannon was a close second in my book, but I know most of the people here voted for her.
Posted by: Ol' Greg | November 23, 2009 12:39 PM
Ok... now I pressured my friend into voting for Murray.
Posted by: eddie
|
November 23, 2009 3:00 PM
Zomg it signed me in first time! I haven't read all the entries so haven.t voted yet. Just like to thank assolis once again for reminding us that white male privilege is a precious fragile flower in need of protection.
Posted by: Ralph | November 23, 2009 7:12 PM
Maybe I shouldn't mention this, but the name "Pandora's Project" bothers me.
The story of Pandora was, if I remember correctly, that she opened up some kind of magic box and some sort of bad creatures or evil spirits came out of it, which threatened the world and could never be put back in.
So in the story, the problem actually was Pandora's fault. But in rape or sexual abuse, it's never the victim's fault. Having gone through a period of sexual abuse myself, at age 17, I am certain of this.
So what's the connection with Pandora?
Posted by: rocket | November 24, 2009 7:49 AM
#30
I don't believe that analogy works. Our culture is directly affected by our history, yes. But if we want to end up with equality, why would we start with an unequal approach? Because as I see it, we're splitting up genders more so.
Posted by: Shannon | November 24, 2009 11:40 AM
Thank you everyone for voting (and for posting this PZ!). Whether you voted for me or another honoree, I'm grateful to be in such amazing company. Every woman honored is deserving of the award. L'Oreal is donating $5,000 to each organization regardless of this vote.
#42
Ralph: You are absolutely right that sexual violence is never the victim's fault. The organization isn't actually named after the myth, but rather comes from a song title. That said, part of Pandora's Project's mission is correcting the assumption that the victim is responsible for an assault. There are some great feminist interpretations of the Pandora myth that explore a history and culture of woman (or victim) blaming. And, knowing that a name like Pandora's Project brings the myth to mind, we do address it with a bottom line most can agree with: there is evil in the world, but in the end hope remains. Your comment has inspired me to write something up on the myth/org name that is less cursory, so thanks for bringing it up.
Again, thank you for the votes and support. It's incredible.
Posted by: Shannon | November 24, 2009 12:25 PM
me68206 (#14) and Bob (#34): Thank you for letting me know that Pandora's was there for you. I'm glad for that.
Posted by: Nepenthe | November 25, 2009 3:42 AM
Thank you for posting this. I'm recovering from rape and I didn't know that resources like this existed. Getting out of bed will be that much easier now.