Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 19:17:23 -0800 
Subject: Re: Christmas family!! 
From: christopher j lehner <mihan@juno.com>

K & M,
	Echoing everyone else's sentiments, this is very nice of you.  I
would love to get them a gift of two, so long as the present reinforces
socio-stereotypical gender roles:  trucks, tanks, a "Your Guide to
Becoming the Ultimate Male Chauvenist" handbook, and anything blue for
the boys; pretty lace, dolls, a "How to Cook Really Well" handbook, 
and anything pink for the girls.
	In case anyone is actually flipping a lid over this, just relax. 
I'm only kidding. A "How to get paid 30% more than her for the same work"
handbook is for the boy.  Again, a joke.
	I will try to buy some Lego's for the girl.  I don't know about
the pink tub though.  My four years at U of O (the north american
capital of eco-feminism by the way) (not kidding) taught me that buying
something pink for a girl is bad and wrong and by doing so I'm just letting my
pre-imposed, male-dominated social values perpetuate the subjugation of
women by forcing them into a pre-defined 'norm' designed to mold them
into mindless drones to be ordered about by the corporate autonomous
male, aka "Da Man."  Therefore I will buy her some Lego's, all of
proportianately equal color and shape, with no kit instructions to
subconsciously train her to do things a certain way, so that she can
build, for herself without direction or interference from "Da Man,"
whatever her non-gender-role-programmed mind can dream up in an
unoppressive atmosphere that promotes creativity and free-thinking.
Because I too had many a Lego as a child, and by Deity, I can say,
without doubt or prejudice, "I can throw a Hammer really far!"  I link
that proclamation to my early days with a big GREEN bucket of Legos,
sans instructions, and too much free time.  It's related somehow in a suble,
Freudian-Jungian cross-philosophy theory.  What a weapon she will be in
a few years when she picks up the disc to play co-ed non-competitive
frisbee, where winners aren't determined by points, but rather by the
content of their effort and SOTG.  Lead us to our new future, young
child.  LEAD US TO TOMORROW WITH YOUR LEGOS!