Do you have a dream for women? These folks do: Share your dreams for women with the world. Send them to: Antigone Magazine C/O WILLA Box 61 – 6138 SUB Blvd Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1 OR antigonemagazine(at)hotmail.com Related posts:Confabulous has Dreams for WomenThere are dreams unrealizedDreams for Women
Feminism
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Confabulous
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Confabulous shares your dreams for women
20 Oct 2009 | 11:09 am -
The Persons Case: A complicated chapter in Canadian history
19 Oct 2009 | 7:30 amYesterday was the 80th anniversary of women in Canada being recognized as persons under the law (the law at that time being dictated by the British North America Act). This was as the result of a real struggle on the part of the group of women now known as the Famous Five. The state did not simply hand over this victory to women; it had to be fought for by a ballsy bunch of old broads. It’s an important history lesson for all Canadians, especially Canadian women, to know about. But it does also need to be studied in conjunction with the darker side of Canadian women’s history,… -
Maybe guys want to be princesses sometimes
16 Oct 2009 | 1:40 pmLast week, I read an article about a gender discrimination complaint filed against Toys R Us. The complaint was launched by a bunch of Swedish 6th graders who found the Toys R Us 2008 Christmas catalogue offensive because it reinforced stereotypical gender roles by featuring boys in active roles and girls in passive ones. According to the class’s teacher, the complaint brought forward by these children is the result of more than 2 years’ work on gender roles. This story makes me want to jump for joy. To see an example of young people recognizing and trying to actively combat… -
Whip It!
5 Oct 2009 | 8:58 amI went to an advance screening of Whip It on Thursday night and was so pleased to come out of the theatre with my expectations having been met. To be honest, I was practically giddy afterwards. While the plot of Whip It isn’t necessarily innovative, the movie is still incredibly entertaining and fiercely feminist. Before seeing Whip It (and before being aware of the rising popularity of women’s roller derby in North America), roller skates brought to mind an image of a 1950s/’60s woman wearing a poodle skirt and skating around serving hot dogs and french fries to patrons at… -
There’s a new blog in town
2 Oct 2009 | 6:17 amLast night, I attended the AGM for METRAC, a community-based organization in Toronto working against violence against women and children. I was formally elected as a member of the board of directors, which I am sooo excited about. METRAC is an organization that walks the walk, and in doing so, offers a really impressive range of programming in the community. And now, METRAC has joined the social media revolution. They’ve started a blog called the Megaphone Diaries. It’s brand new, so as of today, there are only a few posts, but the staff and volunteers who are going to be blogging…
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Feminist Daily News
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FDA Approves Single-Dose Plan B Emergency Contraceptive
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a single-pill version of the Plan B emergency contraceptive, which is currently available as a two-pill dose. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd announced yesterday (see -
Obama Appoints Regina Benjamin as Surgeon General
President Obama announced yesterday his appointment of Regina Benjamin, MD to the position of surgeon general. The President commented that Dr. Benjamin, who has lost relatives to diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood cancer, has a deep understanding of the health needs facing the United States. ... -
Sotomayor Hearings Commence
Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings for the United States Supreme Court began yesterday. Though the first day of hearings was dominated by the Senate Judiciary Committee's opening statements, Sotomayor made a brief introductory statement at the close of the proceedings. In her opening ... -
Law Protecting Clinic Buffer Zone Upheld
The US 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Massachusetts law on Friday, allowing a 35-foot safety buffer zone between protestors and abortion clinic entrances. The law, established in 2007, protects clinic patients and staff from harassment. Five anti-choice protesters -
Appeals Court Rules Pharmacists Can't Refuse Plan B
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that pharmacists in Washington State must dispense Emergency Contraception (EC), also known as Plan B, even if they have personal religious objections to the medication. The ruling overturned a temporary injunction from the US District Court in Sea...
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Strong Girls
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The Power of Words!
28 Oct 2009 | 7:45 pmI was reviewing student achievement literature the other day and was reminded of an astonishing piece of information. Did you know that one of the main differences in children being ready to learn in kindergarten is the number of words that they know when they start? Children who fair the best at school enter kindergarten knowing around 20,000 words. Those who do not do so well enter school with a vocabulary of only about 5,000 words.What does that tell us as parents? It tells us that how we speak to our children greatly influences their future success in school. By engaging our children in… -
High-Achieving Women Discuss Resisting the Pressure to Be Perfect
20 Oct 2009 | 6:53 pmI received an email today about an amazing event that took place on October 13th in the Big Apple!Girls Incorporated,a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, hosted a panel discussion on girls, women, and stress in New York City. This event brought together women leaders in the areas of business, media, and health and wellness to discuss how this issue is a factor in their lives, their stress management strategies, and helping the next generation of women leaders navigate these pressures.This was a great gathering of amazing women. Please take… -
Hear The Seven Secrets on WomenSpeak.com
19 Oct 2009 | 7:48 amI had the great opportunity to speak with Dr. Nancy O'Reilly from WomenSpeak.com for inclusion on Webtalkradio.net. We spoke about the messages sent our girls about being female, the effect of media messages on our girls , my research and the Seven Secrets of Parenting Girls. We had a stimulating discussion and I would love to share it with you. You can tune in right now and listen to that broadcast on WebTalk Radio! Just go to WomenSpeak.com and scroll down to Timeless Women Raise Strong Girls. The broadcast is archived so you can pass it on to your friends and family!Give it a listen and… -
A Chance Meeting With a Strong Girl!
18 Oct 2009 | 4:04 pmI stopped at a diner in a rural area of Ohio today while spending the day enjoying the leaves and the covered bridges in that area. When ordering my lunch I was fortunate to meet, Macie, my waitress. She was a young girl, pregnant and very friendly. I asked her about the area and what there was to do there. She quickly replied "Not a thing". This response prompted me to ask her if she had plans to leave the area. She said she did but she had to finish high school first. She said she was seventeen and a senior, currently finishing her last year through home schooling. I asked her if she was… -
Strong Girls Needed in Congress!!!
15 Oct 2009 | 5:35 pmI read an interesting article the other day about gender bias in insurance coverage. Findings by the National Women's Law Center revealed some troubling facts. Did you know that in eight states, plus the District of Columbia, it's legal for insurance companies to deny health coverage to women victimized by domestic violence?Did you also know that women who buy insurance in the private market pay as much as 50 percent more than men! These insurance companies ague that women should pay more because they cost more, especially during childbearing years! It seems to me that men have a little…
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Wikio - Feminism
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Making the extraordinary ordinary (Pacific Views)
7 Nov 2009 | 12:42 amIn Portland Oregon, Habitat for Humanity homes are built to be Platium-LEED certified. So who says we can't make a difference on Global Warming because it will cost too much?Source : Pacific Views (subscribe) -
Tunisia: Blogger Fatma Arabicca Detained (Global Voices Online)
6 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pmTunisian blogger Fatma Riahi, who blogs as Fatma Arabicca, has been charged with defamation on her own blog and is now being detained. A group has been formed on Facebook in support of the 34-year-old blogger, who is also being accused of blogging on Debat Tunise (Tunisia Debate).Source : Global Voices Online (subscribe)Explore : Africa, Facebook, Politics, Tunisia, World -
Cheering news for a Saturday (Shakespeare's Sister)
6 Nov 2009 | 9:18 pmYou think you got problems? Hah. Japanese Fishing Trawler Sunk By Giant Jellyfish The trawler, the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized off Chiba`as its three-man crew was trying to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish. ... The crew of the fishing boat was thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized, but the three men were rescued by another trawler, according to the Mainichi...Source : Shakespeare's Sister (subscribe)Explore : Jellyfish, Rock and Pop -
On Sgt. Kimberley Munley (ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES)
6 Nov 2009 | 9:09 pmBased on current information , she is the officer who took Nidal Malik Hasan down: The police officer who brought down a gunman after he went on a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army base was on the way to have her car repaired when she heard a report over a police radio that someone was shooting people in a center where soldiers are processed before they are deployed abroad, authorities said...Source : ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES (subscribe) -
WRC is celebrating “30 Days of Gratitude” (feminist blogs)
6 Nov 2009 | 8:31 pmCenter staff, volunteers and Board of Directors are grateful for the community's support and want to encourage individuals, businesses, organizations and agencies to join in expressing their thanks. Go to WRC's website... Read MoreSource : feminist blogs (subscribe)
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AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed
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The Push to Drink Raw Milk Really Is Revolutionary
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amBecause of its health benefits, many more people are turning to raw milk. But there's one hitch: Raw milk is illegal. -
What Michelle and Barack's Marriage Has in Common with 56 Million Other Ones
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThe first couple has tried to preserve their "date night tradition." So have my husband and I. -
10 of the Nuttiest Statements Elected Officials Have Made in the Health Care Battle
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amWild, over-the-top rhetoric and bizarre conspiracy theories about health reform aren't just coming from the right-wing blogs and talk-radio loudmouths. -
(VIDEO) More Torture by Taser: Cops Zap Man Offering No Resistance
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThis is part of such a clear pattern. -
Instant Sex: Has the Digital Age Destroyed Relationships or Made Them Better?
7 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amDigitally-enabled mating culture has opened up the mate-finding process while also generating a whole new set of dating anxieties.
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Bitch Blogs
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BITCH tapes //Anywhere, Anytime Mix
6 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pm1.) Simon & Garfunkle "The 59th Street Bridge song ( feelin’ groovy)" -The title pretty much explains this song. Every time the lyric drops “feelin groovy” I can’t help but think of all the good things in life, all worries disappear. I especially like listening to the song while riding in the rain. Turn that frown upside down! 2.) Portishead "En Melody"(with Lane Birkin) -Classic Portishead droppin’ the heavy beats and a little french action. Nothing like listening to a song and having no idea what is being said, at the same time being soothed by tone & mysterious lyrics. If… -
Two-Spirit Women make films with QWOCMAP
6 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pmFor National American Indian Heritage Month, Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) is conducting free video and filmmaking workshops for Two Spirits, or queer Native Americans. QWOCMAP believes that today, Two-Spirit stories are more important than ever. In the past, their stories were forcibly silenced, but today, their still unheard stories put a different spin on notions like “traditional values” and issues like same-sex marriage and immigration. These stories are also a source of healing for Two-Spirits and the larger Native American community. Through filmmaking, queer,… -
Krupa thinks feminists are "pathetic" for not supporting her Playboy shoot. Well, the feeling's mutual.
6 Nov 2009 | 11:10 amWhat to do about Joanna Krupa? Just when it seemed safe to support her on Dancing With the Stars (she and Derek totally ruled Team Tango, after all) she goes and does an interview with Fox News and starts trash-talking feminism. You see, Krupa (a swimsuit model by trade) will be featured on the cover of next month's Playboy and she doesn't want feminists to say a word about it. I think they [women who don't support the magazine] suffer from lack of knowledge and tunnel vision. How many of those self-important, so-called ‘feminists’ have been on the set when a celebrity shot a Playboy… -
Misog-edgy: Celebrating iconic objectifier Robert Williams
5 Nov 2009 | 6:08 pmUrban contemporary art magazine Juxtapoz's November issue is the Robert Williams issue, a big-hitter in the underground comics scene and the magazine's founder. Oh, and he drives feminists up the wall with the way his artwork objectifies women. Sometimes referred to as the father/grandfather/master/whatever of lowbrow art, Williams was part of the collective involved with Robert Crumb's Zap Comix, the beginning of the underground comics movement in the late 1960s. His work combines psychedelia, noir, and naked women in compromising positions. One of his most high-profile pieces is the cover… -
Rihanna speaks out on Good Morning America
5 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmThis morning Good Morning America aired a portion of a Diane Sawyer interview with Rihanna in which the singer discussed (for the first time on television) ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and his assault on her in February of this year: While I commend Rihanna for speaking out on behalf of victims of domestic violence, the blame she puts on herself in this interview broke my heart a little bit. The hurt and embarrassment she feels over Brown's attacking her is understandable (and is felt by many domestic violence victims, not just famous ones) but also incredibly sad. I really appreciated her…
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CommonDreams.org Headlines
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Democrat Gives Up Single-Payer Measure to Back Party Leaders
6 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pmby David M. Herszenhorn WASHINGTON - Representative Anthony D. Weiner, Democrat of New York, a fierce champion in Congress of a single-payer health system that would be fully run by the government, said Friday that he had agreed not to insist on a vote on that issue, in an effort to help Democratic leaders pass their plan.Previously, Mr. Weiner had obtained a commitment from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote on a proposal to create a single-payer system like the one used by Canada and many countries in Europe, including England, France and Spain.read more -
Climate Talks End on Divided Note
6 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmby Alan Fisher in Barcelona UN representatives have been working to create a draft political agreement to be presented at next month's climate change talks in Copenhagen. But the lack of a legally binding deal at the five-day summit in Barcelona has left many at the talks disappointed. With the clock ticking, this was meant to be the final step towards a global agreement. This gathering in Barcelona was to produce the next blueprint for the fight against climate change - the document all leaders would sign next month in Copenhagen. Only - it hasn't - and they won't.read more -
Civil Unrest Has a Role in Stopping Climate Change, Says Gore
6 Nov 2009 | 11:50 amby Oliver Burkeman in Los Angeles Al Gore has sought to inject fresh momentum into the Copenhagen build-up, saying he is certain Barack Obama will attend and predicting a rise in civil disobedience against fossil-fuel polluters unless drastic action is taken over global warming.read more -
Indoor Plants Could Save Your Life
6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amby Richard AlleyneNew research shows that ornamental plants can drastically reduce levels of stress and ill health and boost performance levels at work because they soak up harmful indoor air pollution.Researchers have now identified five "super ornamental plants" which every workplace should have to clean up indoor air.They include English ivy, waxy leaved plants and ferns.According to a World Health Organisation report in 2002, harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year.read more -
US Fed Up With Troops Dying to Prop Up Karzai
6 Nov 2009 | 8:15 amby Paul McGeouh in KabulIt seems that Hamid Karzai just can't be trusted on his own. When he breasted the microphone at the presidential palace on October 20, to make an oblique admission that he attempted to steal the election and would go along with the second poll which he had resisted for weeks, he was flanked by a high-powered international posse - lest he depart from the agreed script. On one side was the US senator John Kerry; on the other, the United Nations special envoy Kai Eide; and riding shotgun were the British and French ambassadors.read more
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Ms. Magazine Online
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Extreme Makeover: Feminist Edition
How the pitch for cosmetic surgery co-opts feminism -
The Invisible Ones
Ms. undertook an investigation into the shadow world of sex and labor trafficking in the United States, and learned not just the dimensions of the problem but the startling inadequacy of the federal response. -
A Major Blow to Roe
The Carhart ruling chills doctors and shows no concern for women’s health. -
Court Gives OK To Unequal Pay
The Ledbetter decision guts anti-discrimination law; can Congress strike back for women and people of color? -
A Window On Abuse
New state laws let victims of childhood sexual abuse find justice.
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WomenWatch: Latest Resources
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Say NO–UNiTE to End Violence against Women
6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amInnovative web platform by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to stimulate, count and showcase actions on ending violence against women. UNIFEM, 2009 -
Latin America making important progress towards development, UN official says
4 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amThe head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has spotlighted the slow global progress towards reducing gender inequality and violence against women on the first day of a three-day official visit to Chile. UNDP, 2009 -
2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development: Women's control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance
26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 amThe World Survey on the Role of Women in Development is the flagship publication of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women. It is presented to the Second Committee of the General Assembly at five-yearly intervals. The 1999 World Survey focused on globalization, gender and work and the 2004 World Survey addressed women and international migration. The General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to update the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development for the consideration of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session; noting that the survey should continue to… -
Women's development core component of economic growth
26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 amThis new website highlights a number of successful stories of the Convention’s implementation from around the world, which serve to illustrate how national partners and the global community can work together to ensure gender equality is a reality for all women and girls. -
30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
21 Oct 2009 | 9:00 amThis new website highlights a number of successful stories of the Convention’s implementation from around the world, which serve to illustrate how national partners and the global community can work together to ensure gender equality is a reality for all women and girls.
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Women's eNews
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Pakistan Punishes Harassers; Illinois Curbs Choice
7 Nov 2009 | 2:35 pm(WOMENSENEWS)-- Cheers A law passed in Pakistan will increase the penalty for those convicted of sexually harassing women, BBC News reported Nov. 5. Convicted violators will spend three years in prison up from only one, and will have to pay a 50,000 rupee fine. read more -
Burmese Traveler Showed Her a Country's Fear
6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am(WOMENSENEWS)--A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's office said it would change strategy on Burma, backing off U.S. economic sanctions of Burma in favor of "engagement" with the military regime, which calls the country Myanmar. read more -
Water Is Key to Reducing Maternal Mortality
5 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pm(WOMENSENEWS)--Knowledge has long been cited as the tool most needed to lower maternal mortality rates, but Global Water, a volunteer organization based in Oxnard, Calif., says what women in developing countries also need to combat this problem is water. read more -
Battered Immigrants in Arizona Find Few Havens
4 Nov 2009 | 10:53 amPHOENIX (WOMENSENEWS)--De Colores hides quietly in a tree-populated street of Phoenix. The shelter looks like any other house in the Latino neighborhood. Inside, a small kitchen leads onto a patio were children run. Some families have as many as three bedrooms. It's a welcoming place for women who often arrive, like Milagros, with just a suitcase.read more -
Health Reform Offers More Care to Abuse Survivors
3 Nov 2009 | 12:48 pmNEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)--In eight states and Washington, D.C., it is legal for health insurance companies to deny coverage to an applicant with a suspected history of domestic violence. Those states are Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. read more
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BlogHer - Gender
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“Modernizing” Unemployment: What the National Press Isn’t Saying
6 Nov 2009 | 3:41 pmIt’s national news that today there are now new stimulus funds for extended unemployment benefits, tax credits for first-time homebuyers, newer homeowners, and expanded laws providing refunds for drained businesses. What’s not being reported nationally?H.R. 3548, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, singled out for its importance to “the men and women hit hardest by the recession” by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was delayed for weeks in the House, during arguments across the aisle over “issues,” as the Washington Post’s Capitol… -
Top Chef: Bye Bye Mike I
6 Nov 2009 | 9:55 amMike Isabella was shown the door on Top Chef last week. It was a fair bounce: I would say to the remaining chefs and to anyone applying for a job that when you act like 'whatever,' that's how you get treated. He screwed up and his basic behaviour was, 'whatever.' I am happy to see him go for another reason. I was so tired of the misogyny from him. Granted, as the season has gone on, his comments were more directed at Robin and her lack of skill. However I thought that he never consistently backs up his vast knowledge and skill. The leeks incident is but an example. I've said it more than a… -
The anxiety of it all
6 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amSo, with Hubby not working and changing his focus to his dream job which will alter our lifestyle. I've realized over the past few months that my income is what will bring in the money and provide the security for us over our lives. This has lead to an ever increasing anxiety level. Combine this with the never-ending stream of news stories of women being the new-breadwinners in this economy when men are losing 75% of the jobs and it is enough to bring me to tears. You think this would make me better at my job, but it doesn't. The focus is almost manic. I am messing up… -
my thoughts on the new morehouse college dress code
5 Nov 2009 | 4:53 amyou can put a monkey tiger in a suit, but it’s still a…um.. –er wait– I know that the use of “monkey” is inappropriate given the historical context of likening blacks to them so lemmie change the animal… how about “dog”?… too angry black woman? okokok let’s use “tiger” bc the morehouse mascot is a tiger….I’m just sooooo disturbed and saddened by the contemporary colonialism that is happening in the USA and specifically at Morehouse right now.and I think it’s horrible that they’re invoking the names of MLK and the other GREATS to say that bar has… -
Are Women Too Demoralized to Fight, Or Just Catching Their Breath?
4 Nov 2009 | 10:48 amIn a powerful article in the Harvard Business Review called “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership” authors and researchers Drs. Alice Eagly and Linda Carli explore women, leadership and gender equality, and observe that “signs of a pause in progress toward gender equality have appeared on many fronts.” They speculate about the causes of this slowing of progress, and indicate: “It may simply be that women are collectively catching their breath before pressing for more change. In the past century, feminist activism arose when women came to view themselves as collectively…
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Salon: Broadsheet
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Sex ed gets another endorsement
6 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pmThe reliable way to teach kids about the birds and the bees? Comprehensive sex education. That's the conclusion of an independent panel that reviewed the glut of research out there on sex education and abstinence-only programs in a study released Friday. It found solid proof of its effectiveness in "reducing a number of self-reported [sexual] risk behaviors." No surprise there, right? After all, the "hear no evil, do no evil" approach to sex has gotten quite the bad rap in recent years. But the panel, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, did come to another rather surprising… -
Slipped through the cracks
6 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pmTwo rather contradictory topics -- abortion and parenthood -- seemed to dominate the news this week. At Broadsheet, we investigated an ex-Planned Parenthood employee's decision to defect to the anti-choice movement, and talked about women who have done the exact opposite by switching to the pro-choice side. We also explored the struggles of parenthood -- from the tragedy experienced by the mother of Neda Agha-Soltan, the young women who in death became symbolic of the Iranian protests, to the trouble of handling a child's poor behavior in public. While these topics, and others, commanded our… -
Sex toys arouse outrage at Duke
6 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pmDuke University researchers are looking for female students to attend a sex toy party, "engage in sexually explicit conversation" with other young ladies and, if they so desire, buy some titillating playthings at a great discount-- all in the name of science. Wait a sec, no, make that "were looking," past tense -- all of the participant spots have filled up rather quickly. Fancy that. Know who else has responded to the study just as feverishly? A religious leader on campus, whose blood pressure has risen for an entirely different reason: He's pissed. Father Joe Vetter, director of the Duke… -
Why don't feminists think porn empowers women?
6 Nov 2009 | 9:07 am"There are several great reasons why female celebs line up to shoot Playboy," says that magazine's December cover girl, Joanna Krupa, over at Fox News' Poptarts blog. "Finally a woman gets paid more than a man for comparable work, she gets to set the rules, gets to be in a real team work with other women, as many key positions at Playboy are in fact held by women!" In light of all this female empowerment, Krupa asks, "What is feminist about discriminating a [sic] photo shoot just because it involves female (partial) nudity that happens to give men pleasure?" So glad you asked, Joanna! Turns… -
Who needs family court when you've got Rambo?
6 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amIn this month’s Atlantic magazine, investigative reporter Nadya Labi rides along with a man who kidnaps children for a living. Gus Zamora specializes in the “snatchback” – recovering children who have been spirited away to a foreign country by one parent (the “taking parent”) against the wishes of the other parent (the “left-behind parent”). He asks his clients three questions: “Do they have custodial rights? Do they have an idea where their kids are? And can they afford his fee?” It’s not cheap. The left-behind parent she…
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feminist blogs
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On Sgt. Kimberley Munley
6 Nov 2009 | 9:09 pmBased on current information, she is the officer who took Nidal Malik Hasan down:The police officer who brought down a gunman after he went on a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army base was on the way to have her car repaired when she heard a report over a police radio that someone was shooting people in a center where soldiers are processed before they are deployed abroad, authorities said on Friday.As she pulled up to the center, the officer, Kimberly Munley, spotted the gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, brandishing a pistol and chasing a wounded soldier outside the building, said Chuck… -
WRC is celebrating “30 Days of Gratitude”
6 Nov 2009 | 8:31 pmCenter staff, volunteers and Board of Directors are grateful for the community's support and want to encourage individuals, businesses, organizations and agencies to join in expressing their thanks. Go to WRC's website... Read More -
Writing and Pain; Community and Hope
6 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pmI haven’t been writing and it hurts; it’s a tightness in my chest and a twist in my gut, and there is a part of me that wants to scream. Well, maybe not scream, but at least to grunt, let out some exclamation of frustration that I have not been making poems, and I have not been working–or only recently started working again–on the foreword I need to write for the translation of the beginning of Shahnameh that has been sitting on my desk more or less completed for the last couple of months. The other day, while I was waiting in a hotel lobby in Washington DC for a… -
Gloria Steinem’s 75th Birthday Wishes
6 Nov 2009 | 6:48 pmThis was printed in the latest issue of Ms. Magazine and I thought it was great. This wasn't exactly what was printed there - that doesn't appear to be online yet - but still great none-the-less. These are things I hope will also come to pass in the next 25 years, for the sake of both my children.One of the highlights of my time in the Women's Studies department at PSU was meeting Gloria Steinem. She was very kind and I will save the book she autographed for me for my daughter.Here's her list:On marriage equality: I want all grown-ups to be able to get married as long as they don't hit each… -
What We Missed
6 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmActress Gabrielle Union blogs in a smart and honest way about the horrific responses to the Richmond rape case, and about her own rape. Via Shakes. More research shows that comprehensive sex education results in increased condom use among teens and lowers their chances of contracting HIV. Gawker argues that the woman who shot Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to stop his shooting spree is solid proof that we need to allow women in combat. A new UK report finds that institutional racism in England schools prohibits ethnic minorities from being promoted and reaching top posts. 44% of folks reported being…
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Feministing
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What We Missed
6 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmActress Gabrielle Union blogs in a smart and honest way about the horrific responses to the Richmond rape case, and about her own rape. Via Shakes. More research shows that comprehensive sex education results in increased condom use among teens and lowers their chances of contracting HIV. Gawker argues that the woman who shot Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to stop his shooting spree is solid proof that we need to allow women in combat. A new UK report finds that institutional racism in England schools prohibits ethnic minorities from being promoted and reaching top posts. 44% of folks reported being… -
New campaign for HIV testing excludes women
6 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm"Status is Everything": These are the words repeated in the new HIV testing campaign to be launched by the Newark, NJ African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC). The website is not functional yet, as the campaign will be revealed on December 1, 2009, and officially launched in January 2010, but their preview photo shoot for the advertising campaign was released on flickr this week. Photos feature young gay African American men with the caption "Status is Everything," and the ad campaign will refer viewers to a hotline and website where they can schedule free HIV testing at local clinics. -
Rihanna talks to Diane Sawyer
6 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pmWe'll have more to say on this once the full interview is up, but for now, check out this moving excerpt of Rihanna's interview with Diane Sawyer. -
The Wire's gender problem
6 Nov 2009 | 11:31 amStringer Bell is confused. "Whaddaya mean The Wire's not feminist?" The Wire, the HBO series that ran for five seasons, will apparently live on, despite its shelf life, in a class at Harvard. And Professor William Wilson, the self-admitted "huge fan" who will be teaching the class, is high off of The Wire's Kool-Aid: "I do not hesitate to say that it has done more to enhance our understanding of the challenges of urban life and the problems of urban inequality, more than any other media event or scholarly publication," Wilson told the audience before poking fun at himself, "including studies… -
Target Women: Beauty Contraptions
6 Nov 2009 | 10:23 amI just had to put this up, not only because Sarah Haskins is the awesome, because I've been meaning to post about that neckline slimmer for quite a while now. Intense.
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Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog
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Updated FAQ on Patriarchy
3 Nov 2009 | 12:48 pmThe post FAQ: Isn’t “the Patriarchy” just some conspiracy theory that blames all men, even decent men, for women’s woes? has been edited and modified to include material on the concept of “kyriarchy” and to clarify other issues which were not as well expressed as they could have been back in 2007. If you have a quote from the Patriarchy FAQ somewhere on your hard drive that you like to use, it might be a good idea to check whether it’s still there before using it again. Comments are closed on this post so that any relevant discussion can take place on the FAQ… -
FAQ: Rape Culture 101
18 Oct 2009 | 3:04 pmThis post was written by Melissa McEwan and originally published at Shakesville on October 09, 2009Editor’s note: this post does not follow the usual FF101 FAQ conventions, but it’s being included in the FAQ list anyway. [Trigger warning.] Frequently, I receive requests to provide a definition of the term “rape culture.” I’ve referred people to the Wikipedia entry on rape culture, which is pretty good, and I like the definition provided in Transforming a Rape Culture: A rape culture is a complex of beliefs that encourages male sexual aggression and supports… -
Press Release from Equality Now
23 Sep 2009 | 2:11 pmRemember the RapeLay video game, written about by Melissa and Cara back in February? Equality Now has been working to persuade Japan to uphold its obligations under UN conventions with respect to material that normalises and/or promotes violence against women and girls. EQUALITY NOW CALLS ON NEW JAPANESE ADMINISTRATION TO BAN ALL GAMES THAT PROMOTE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS JAPAN MUST FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE UN WOMEN’S CONVENTION BY IMPLEMENTING RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CEDAW COMMITTEE Equality Now calls on the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the country’s… -
On the Mommy and Daddy Binary
13 Jul 2009 | 5:19 pm[this post was originally posted on Shakesville with the title Mommy v. Daddy ] Via Media Matters, I find this gendered analysis of Tuesday’s debate in the LA Times: The late conservative economist Jude Wanniski once dubbed Republicans the “Daddy Party” and Democrats the “Mommy Party.” On Tuesday, Obama seemed to prove his point by laying out the more expansive government role in caring for middle-class Americans. And he mentioned not only his mother, but his wife and grandmother too. First, let’s talk about how this is insulting to men, via its implicit… -
On Gendered Language
13 Jul 2009 | 5:09 pm[this post was originally posted on Shakesville with the title I Write Letters ] Dear English-Speaking World: Pursuant to yesterday’s letter regarding the cessation of your use of the terms “man’s man” and “ladies’ man,” I would also like to request that you jettison the following from your vocabularies: “He’s all boy” and “She’s all girl.” These terms are used to refer to children, anywhere from infancy to about 10 years of age, who are regarded as conforming nicely to the sex- and gender stereotypes prescribed by…
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Hugo Schwyzer
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“If I were better, he would never leave”: reprinting a post about romantic illusions
5 Nov 2009 | 5:16 pmReprint of a post from April 2008. It’s a crazy midterm-y type of day, and I don’t have much time in which to post. Yesterday’s post about having “so much love to give” struck a nerve with some folks. Hilary writes in response: I’ve been reminiscing about what I could have done better as a girlfriend in my previous relationship, what I would change if I could go back, etc. My list of changes includes more sex, more time/work/reciprocity invested, more communication, less arguments, less jealousy, more love. Shit, that’s a lot of changes. I’ve… -
Flaming coals amidst the ashes: more reasons for optimism in the aftermath of Maine
5 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amI’ve taught gay and lesbian American history at Pasadena City College since 2001. When I started offering the course, the big issue on campus was winning domestic partnership benefits for faculty and staff; marriage equality was seen as something decades off. By 2005, California had awarded those benefits to all public employees, and what we had seen as our most vital local struggle had been won. I mention this because it’s so important, in the aftermath of the Great Disappointment of Maine’s vote to repeal a same-sex marriage law this past Tuesday, to reflect on how far we… -
Thursday Short Poem: Nemerov’s “Learning by Doing”
5 Nov 2009 | 5:12 amI’m not very handy with most tools, but growing up spending summers on my family’s ranch, I was taught to use a chain saw at a relatively early age, and assisted in cutting down and cutting up a diseased tree or two. I’m happy to cut up firewood now from fallen limbs, but hope to never need to bring down a living tree ever again. I’m fond of this Nemerov poem on the subject. I’ve learned enough and need do no more. Learning by Doing They’re taking down a tree at the front door, The power saw is snarling at some nerves, Whining at others. Now and then it… -
“Penetrate” v. “Engulf” and the multiple meanings of the “f” word: a note on feminist language
4 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amYears ago, I wrote a brief post about feminism and language, but it didn’t go into very much detail. Here’s a new version, with a bit more detail. One of the first gender studies courses I ever took at Berkeley was an upper-division anthropology course taught by the great Nancy Scheper-Hughes. It was in a class discussion one day (I think in the spring of ‘87) that I heard something that rocked my world. We were discussing Andrea Dworkin’s novel “Ice and Fire” and her (then still-forthcoming, but already publicized) “Intercourse”. I hadn’t… -
A long way from the summit: some thoughts on feminism, women in politics, and the new Leslie Sanchez book
3 Nov 2009 | 9:56 amIt’s been a year since the most exciting election in my memory (and, according to my septuagenerian mother, a certified political junkie, of hers as well.) The books and documentaries about the 2008 presidential campaign have arrived full force in the market place. One focuses on the trio of women who helped define this extraordinary moment in very recent history: You’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe by Leslie Sanchez, a Republican activist and CNN contributor. Sanchez looks at the way the media and the nation itself responded to Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Michelle Obama —…
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The Curvature
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School Accepting Donations for Gang Rape Survivor
2 Nov 2009 | 8:37 amBy now, you’ve almost certainly read about the gang rape that took place outside a high school dance in California. I’ve avoided reading the updated details due to the fact that this story hit me extremely hard, but [trigger warning] the initial reports said that there were multiple assailants, the rape continued for about two hours, somewhere around 15 to 20 students were believed to have watched and/or cheered on the rapists, and the 15-year-old victim had to be airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. I haven’t had much to say about the case both because it has… -
Lawyer Claims Rapist “Misread the Situation”
26 Oct 2009 | 12:43 pmIn Scotland, a man was convicted of raping a woman who fell asleep on his couch. She was unconscious throughout the assault, and woke to find herself partially undressed. Craig Byars admitted to the rape and has been sentenced to four years in jail. But in spite of that confession, his lawyer is still making excuses — assuring us of what a good guy Byars really is, and that raping a sleeping woman is the kind of thing that can happen to the best of us! Defence counsel Shahid Latif said Byars apologised for the consequences of his actions on the victim. He said: “I have to stress… -
New York Ruling Eases Name Changes for Transgender People
22 Oct 2009 | 11:39 amThe New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan has made a ruling that will make it easier for transgender people to petition for a name change. The ruling overturned a previous decision by a lower court: Should a transgender person seeking judicial permission to change her or his name be required to furnish medical documentation justifying the change? A panel of justices in State Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday that the answer is no. The ruling was a victory for the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, a nonprofit advocacy organization. The fund had brought the case on… -
National Survey On Children’s Exposure To Violence
21 Oct 2009 | 12:34 pmThe U.S. Department of Justice has released a national report called Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf). It’s being billed as the most comprehensive study to date on children’s exposure to violence in the United States. The resulting statistics are pretty terrifying. From the introduction: More than 60 percent of the children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year, either directly or indirectly (i.e., as a witness to a violent act; by learning of a violent act against a family member, neighbor, or close friend; or from a threat… -
Judge Refers to Convicted Rapist’s Actions as “Rough Play”
17 Oct 2009 | 12:43 pmTrigger Warning I’ve written before about Fernando Manuel Alves, a pub owner who was convicted of brutally raping a drugged and unconscious woman, and the judge who decided not to send him to jail because he deemed the rape a crime of opportunity. Now, via Broadsides, we’ve got the actual decision, and what it contains is incredibly disturbing. First of all, it confirms that the judge referred to the rape as a crime of opportunity — and horrifically reveals that he said as much when the prosecution asked that Alves be ordered to undergo counseling. [51] MS. GAULD: And, Your…
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Crucial Minutiae
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Something Beautiful
4 Nov 2009 | 5:59 amI found myself online late last night, later than I wanted to be. I try not to be on the computer after 10 p.m. anyway, but it happens. When it does, I don’t like closing the internet browser on a work-related screen or on something disturbing or sad. Instead, I find something good, true, or inspiring before I shut down and go to bed. Last night, having already browsed my favorite sites of beauty and community, I typed “something beautiful” into Google and hit “I’m Feeling Lucky.” And Google took me straight to the blog titled “Something… -
Mom-athy
2 Nov 2009 | 8:49 pm“Don’t tell Mom.” = An e-mail from my sister. “I know.” = My response. We hadn’t done anything illegal (you’re shocked, I’m sure). We hadn’t broken anything or hidden any evidence, and we weren’t re-enacting the Christina Applegate movie. We simply decided to protect the woman who bore us from: news of the Return of the Thrush. It may not be grammatically correct to capitalize the name of the infection or to put “the” in front of it, but it feels appropriate. We just weren’t sure Mom could handle it, even though… -
Brag Round-Up for Monday, November 2
2 Nov 2009 | 9:33 amJennifer Gandin Le The 6th Annual Amazonas Film Festival in Manaus, Brazil, will screen Jennifer’s short film “Small Changes” as part of the 3rd Cine Water to Drink/ 3o. Cine Água de Beber exhibition about water. Courtney Martin On Friday, November 6th, Courtney will speak at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, as part of The 1st National Conference for Campus-Based Men’s Gender Equality and Anti-Violence Groups. Courtney will speak on a panel about the documentary film Who Does She Think She Is? - check the link for screening dates, times, and… -
Wisdom on Your Face
30 Oct 2009 | 8:17 pmWhen my mother turned 50, I sent her a card that declared joyfully “Congratulations, you are now officially a crone!” like she’d been reaching for that moment her entire life. She was horrified. She felt as if I’d labeled each one of her wrinkles with a proper name; but I, on the other hand, believed the word crone to be the most flattering thing to call a woman. As a child, I couldn’t wait to escape ingénue-hood for when oh when could I be that crone, an old woman who oozed grace and insight from having lived a life, a real gritty passionate life. I once… -
Lining Up Pennies
28 Oct 2009 | 10:08 amI am naturally organized. It’s one of my superpowers. As a toddler, my parents once found me methodically pulling clean diapers out of their box, lining them up along the wall in the hallway, and then placing all of my stuffed animals in a diaper, one by one. As a pre-teen, I would empty my big container of collected pennies and line them up on the carpet in order of their year. Now, I take great satisfaction in a well-constructed Excel spreadsheet, and even my writing talismans on my desk-side table sit in a specific arrangement. I moderate Crucial Minutiae’s comments without…
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Holla Back New York City - If You Can't Slap 'Em, Snap 'Em!
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Men Who Harass Me: One Woman's Partial Collection
5 Nov 2009 | 11:08 amThis is the 35th in the series.Submitted by Sally N. -
Hollaback Video-Style!
5 Nov 2009 | 10:16 amWe are pleased to present one girl's Hollaback re-enactment:Submitted by Dana -
Brooklyn Spitter
2 Nov 2009 | 6:44 amThis keeps happening to my friends in Crown Heights (brooklyn) where I live: there is a man that walks around (maybe about 5'11", burly very chubby) with a big dirty black quilted coat on who shuffles up to women, and SPITS on them! He has tried to spit on me twice. It's TERRIFYING and has happened while it was still dark out before I went to work. I saw him again (on Nostrand Avenue) Friday night, but was with my boyfriend. He beelined toward me, but saw my boyfriend and shuffled off.I have heard two other people say this man has spit directly on them! I was hoping maybe someone out there… -
Men Who Harass Me: One Woman's Partial Collection
31 Oct 2009 | 11:07 amThis is the 34th in the series.Submitted by Sally N. -
Vote for Hollaback 2.0!
29 Oct 2009 | 6:54 amWe are currently rated #2 out of 243 applications. A #1 ranking will help us secure the funds to make this initiative happen.HOLLABACK against street harassment! Vote now, here.
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Jezebel
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Comic Confrontations: Judge Judy Vs. Michael Lohan [WWJJD]
6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pmMichael Lohan claims that he's trying to help Lindsay, but after running his mouth on Radar, Maury Povitch, and The Insider, it's hard to believe that he's not cashing in on his daughter's troubles. It's time to face the judge. -
Stick A Fork In It [Hi/goodbye]
6 Nov 2009 | 4:45 pmIt's National Nachos Day. Fun fact: Nachos were invented in 1943 and there's an "original recipe" which includes real cheddar (screw canned crap) and jalapeños. I'm actually off to order some (with sour cream, natch); see you Monday! [The Nibble] -
SJP: "I Love The Smell Of Diapers"; Lindsay Parties, Misses Business Meeting [Dirt Bag (After Dark)]
6 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pmIn the December Elle Sarah Jessica Parker (over?)shares her thoughts on her new twin girls revealing, "I love the smell of diapers; I even like when they're wet and you smell them all warm like a baked good..." "I love the smell of Balmex. Love it." As for her decision to hire a surrogate to have the girls, she said, "I knew there would be lots of opinions about, ‘Well, why didn't you adopt? Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that?' and the truth of the matter is, it wasn't one or the other for us. We had explored, and continue to explore all options, and this one just happened… -
Battlefield/Earth [Snap Judgment]
6 Nov 2009 | 4:15 pm[Tegucigalpa, November 6. Image via Getty] Supporters of ousted President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya participate in a protest in front of the National Congress November 6, 2009 in Tegucigalpa. Zelaya, ousted in a military-backed coup four months ago, called for fresh protests Friday after the collapse of a US-brokered deal to end the crisis. AFP PHOTO/Jose CABEZAS (Photo credit should read Jose CABEZAS/AFP/Getty Images) -
5 Reasons The Cleveland Serial Killer Case Flew Under The Radar [The Missing]
6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmHow does a sick fuck like Anthony Sowell, who lives next to a sausage factory, get away with murdering eleven (or more) women in just four years? The answer is an ugly examination into our society's structural failings. While the sausage factory provided a little cover for the horrible stench, the other reasons why Sowell's actions went undetected for so long is a grim state of affairs. 1. All The Victims Were Black Sadly, the media values some missing bodies over others, and generally prefers attractive young white co-eds as the women most worthy of coverage. (This is the reason why the blog…
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The Angry Black Woman
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American Women Athletes Part Five: At the Movies
4 Nov 2009 | 7:59 pmEDIT: So I deleted this cause I was having trouble cutting the post, saw nojojojo and decided to leave it deleted, but it got crossposted anyway. Whoops. Have a midweek linkspam. (Alas a blog? This post is video heavy) I went to see Whip It a few weeks ago. It was absolutely wonderful! The Roller Derby scenes in particular left me cheering and full of adrenaline, and the fact that the movie made the love story a secondary plot and focused on her sporting evolution was the icing on the cake! And it got me thinking, of course. Sport movies featuring men are a dime a dozen. Sports movies… -
The Appropriateness of Appropriation
4 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pmIn the wake of unusualmusic’s ever-so-fun linkspam, let’s talk about cultural appropriation! Again. (C’mon, you know you love it.) Or not. I’ve become aware in recent months of a growing movement in the creative world that I’m going to call, for lack of a better term, anti-appropriation. I’m seeing this mostly among fellow writers (probably because those are the circles I run in), some of whom are arguing that white writers should write only about white characters because they can never fully comprehend the experiences of PoC. But I’m seeing mutters… -
Dont dress up like what you think is a Jamaican this Halloween
30 Oct 2009 | 9:58 pmOr an Indian, Chinese, Native America, Mexican … There’s another post on my fl list that says puts it even more bluntly, but its locked. However, I found another blog that breaks down the sentiments quite nicely. My identity is NOT a costume for you to wear! (The Native American via Ancient Eygpt costume is in a class by itself. Jesus!) Halloween is for fantastical fanciful monsters creatures of myth and lore and legend. Insulting caricatures of minorities do NOT fall under that description. And YES, it’s insulting, NO its not fucking respectful, or fun! And now a word from… -
The Low Cost of Being Racist
26 Oct 2009 | 8:52 amHotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names. You know, you’d think that at some point in this series of increasingly bad decisions it would have occurred to him that he was creating a public relations nightmare, if nothing else. But I guess this is one of those times where bigotry trumped any semblance of critical thinking skills. And it’s easy to say that being a bigot is a state of mind devoid of logic in the first place, but it’s more complex than that. I’m certain that this man (and all the people like him) are convinced that their behavior isn’t based… -
Taser Nation
23 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pmLets talk Tasers Taser advice: Don’t aim at target’s chest You don’t say? 44 Tasing related Death in the United States since the beginning of this year Here’s a list of blogs that are keeping up with the latest incidents involving police being assholes with tasers. Click on, scroll down, and if you are aware of any that I missed, tell me in the comments. In the meantime, I go to some sleep. Gizmondo Taser tag Electricity is for Light Bulbs TNT..Truth, not Tasers Excited Delerium Police Brutality Blog about all kinds of police brutality. Tasered While Black Taser Watch…
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Muslimah Media Watch
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Stay tuned!
6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amSalam waleykum, readers! We’ve had a reduced posting schedule this week because I’ve been swamped with traveling and other things. But don’t worry: next week, we’ll be back to our regular schedule: same MMW time, same MMW channel! -
Saudi Female Journalist Becomes LBC’s Scapegoat
3 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmThis post was written by Sabria Jawhar, and originally appeared at the Saudi Gazette and at her personal blog. Something got lost in all the outrage last week over the conviction and lashing sentence of the 22-year-old Saudi woman journalist, Rozanna Yami. Something got lost in all the outrage last week over the conviction and lashing sentence of the 22-year-old Saudi woman journalist who worked for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp (LBC). What exactly is the LBC doing to support their journalist? Rozanna Yami. Image via Saeed Shamaa/EPA. The answer is absolutely nothing. According to a Reuters… -
Sexiness for Everyone (even Muslims)
1 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmLiaison Dangereuse, a German online lingerie store, recently released a new video advertisement. With Arabic-sounding music in the background, a woman is shown getting out of the shower (we can see, from the back, that she has no clothes on), putting on her make-up, then walking (wearing nothing but high heels–to each her own, I suppose) to her dresser, where she puts on her underwear, bra and socks, all the while looking at herself in the mirror. Last (anyone see where this is going yet?), she puts on a burqa. The final scene is of her face at a window, with this phrase showing… -
Friday Links — October 30, 2009
30 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amThe Daily Beast profiles female entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. Via Jezebel. Nesrine Malik writes about the “harassment disease” facing Egypt. AFP discusses the dangers for Somali women in refugee camps. Kuwait slides down the Global Gender Gap Index for the third year in a row. But Kuwait has the other Gulf countries to keep it company. A Sudanese court sentenced two other women to 20 lashes for wearing pants. The Vice President of Royal Jet’s Human Resources and Corporate Support Department wins an award at this year’s Women in Leadership Awards, hosted by the Dubai… -
Don’t Ask Why: the BNP on Question Time
29 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amIf you live in the U.K., you’ve no doubt been following (or have at least heard about) the controversy surrounding the far right British National Party’s appearance on Question Time. If you don’t, or you haven’t, allow me to explain: following the election of two British National Party (BNP) MEPs in the 2009 European elections this summer, a representative of the BNP was invited onto one of the BBC’s flagship political debate television programs last Thursday. The panel included Chris Huhne (Liberal Democrats Home Affairs spokesperson), Jack Straw (Secretary of…
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WIMN's Voices: A Group Blog on Women, Media, AND…
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Event: WIMN’s Jennifer L. Pozner presents Project Brainwash on women and reality TV at Central Washington University, 10/28
27 Oct 2009 | 9:16 amWIMN Executive Director, Jennifer L. Pozner, haven’t been blogging much in recent months as she’s been working on her forthcoming book, Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV. Tomorrow night, on behalf of WIMNs multimedia lecture series, she’ll be presenting: Project Brainwash!: Why Reality TV Is Bad for Women ( and men, people of [...] -
If Ellen Goodman doesn’t need her $250 from Social Security, let her give it to an old lady
24 Oct 2009 | 8:08 amEllen Goodman is usually thoughtful but in “The $250 donation to elders” (Boston Globe, Oct. 23) she doesn’t understand Social Security. The average woman receives only $896 a month. She would get an additional $22 a month if Congress actually passes Obama’s proposed bill, intended [...] -
Where “Wieners” Go, Media Follow
11 Oct 2009 | 12:39 pmSex scandals in fact and fiction. -
WIMN event TONIGHT: “White Male Electile Dyfunction” lecture on media coverage of women in politics, Devil’s Lake, ND
8 Oct 2009 | 3:11 amOn behalf of Women In Media & News, I’ll be doing a multimedia lecture presentation tonight on media coverage of women in politics, in Devil’s Lake, ND. WHAT: “White Male Electile Dysfunction: Media Coverage of Women in Election 2008″ With multimedia clips, commentary and humor, this lecture uses media coverage of Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and [...] -
Sotomayor and Progress
29 Sep 2009 | 2:42 pmSotomayor's elevation to the high court should inspire the many she is said to represent –women, Latinas/non-whites-- and the nation that has presumably been enriched by the social advancement that her confirmation heralded, to embrace the challenges that were left in the wake of “progress."
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Womanist Musings
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Happy Photo of the Day.
6 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pmCaption: President Barack Obama plays peek-a-boo with Maeve Beliveau, the daughter of Director of Advance Emmett Beliveau, in the Outer Oval Office, Oct. 30, 2009. Politicians holding and kissing babies is quite cliché. When I look at a picture of Obama with a child, I never feel as thought it is staged; in fact he seems to be completely into the moment. The kids can sense this as well and they react appropriately. Babies have an innate sense of people. They know who they can trust instinctively and I have yet to see a little one completely wig out upon meeting Obama,… -
My Friend Called To Say She Was Raped
5 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pmI was sitting watching The Smurfs with the boys, when I got the phone call I won’t soon forget. My friend from college called to tell me that she had been assaulted in her own home. We cried together and shared our stories and I tried my best to be of comfort, even though I knew that no matter what I said, I could not take away the pain. I am so angry, I don’t even know where to direct my rage. How long is this sort of thing going to continue to happen? I listened as she questioned herself and searched for what she may have done to trigger this awful… -
We Teach Our Children Homophobia
5 Nov 2009 | 11:40 amEven the most liberal parent will pass on heterosexist ideas to their children unintentionally. One must make a conscious effort to expose children to families that don’t fit the traditional standard. In cartoons and most books they are more likely to see a mother, father and child, than two mommies, two daddies or a trans families. This erasure instils the idea that family must have a certain make up to be legitimate. Even the language we use speaks of our desire to have heterosexual children. Have you ever referred to a child's future spouse in… -
What if Jesus was a Trans Woman?
5 Nov 2009 | 9:32 amAnything outside of the normalized Christian interpretation is usually enough to get the protesters out. Jesus, Queen Of Heaven, is currently being staged as part of Glasgow's Glasgay! arts festival. Jo Clifford who is a trans woman wrote the play and performs the plays the title role. According to Metro. UK Up to 300 people held a candlelit vigil outside a theatre on the first night of Jesus, Queen Of Heaven. They said the portrayal of God's son as a woman was 'totally blasphemous'. Anything that does not promote a completely masculinised, cisgender view of God is… -
Not Speaking English Equals a 204$ Fine in Texas
5 Nov 2009 | 7:46 amWell officer friendly strikes again. Until Ernestina Mondragon decided to challenge a fine that she received for daring to drive while not speaking English, officers were fining people. The police have the official job of keeping the populace safe, however; what is considered to be a legitimate threat is often filtered through the needs and concerns of dominant bodies. These fines are a small step towards criminalizing the Latin@ community. Anti-Latin@ sentiment is proudly embraced by the media (think Lou Dobbs), which not only informs cultural mores but avidly repeats…
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Our Bodies Our Blog
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New Blog, Weightless, Critiques Media While Promoting Well-Being
PsychCentral.com has launched a new body image blog called Weightless. From the site description: Weightless is about well-being, not weight; about fostering body image, regardless of your size. It’s about exposing women’s magazines, other mediums and so-called experts, when they’re touting unhealthy tips and promoting restrictive standards. The goal of Weightless is to ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!] -
New CDC Reports on Infant Mortality, Pregnancy Rates, Births
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released three new reports dealing with pregnancy and birth topics. Estimated Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1990–2005: An Update [PDF] This report provides information on trends in U.S. pregnancy rates from 1976-2005, with an emphasis on the period from 1990 to 2005. Among ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!] -
Listen to Judy Norsigian Thursday on WBAI Radio
Interested in learning more about Our Bodies Ourselves and the beginning of a worldwide movement for women's health? Judy Norsigian, OBOS co-founder and executive director, is going to be on WBAI radio (99.5 FM in New York) this Thursday (Nov. 5) from 10 to 11a.m. EST. You can stream the ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!] -
Questions About Side Effects of Stopping Contraceptive Injections
ABC News has an interesting article up on the withdrawal symptoms some women are reporting after stopping Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), an quarterly injectable progesterone-only contraceptive method. An internet search on Depo withdrawal turns up multiple online postings, suggesting that some women are concerned about or report experiencing a number of symptoms, ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!] -
Achieving Global Reproductive Justice: Recommendations from the Frontlines
[caption id="attachment_9388" align="aligncenter" width="425" caption="Serra Sippel, CHANGE; Aziza Ahmed, Harvard School of Public Health; Grace Sedio, Bomme Isago Association (Botswana); Sergia Galván, Colectiva Mujer y Salud (Dominican Republic); Massachusetts Representative Kay Khan; Dr. Fisseha Mekonnen, Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia"][/caption] by Kimberly Whipkey, Center for Health and Gender Equity "At Colectiva Mujer ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]
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Shakesville
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The Virtual Pub Is Open
6 Nov 2009 | 9:59 pmTFIF, Shakers!Belly up to the bar,and name your poison. -
Cheering news for a Saturday
6 Nov 2009 | 9:18 pmYou think you got problems? Hah.Japanese Fishing Trawler Sunk By Giant JellyfishThe trawler, the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized off Chiba`as its three-man crew was trying to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish. ...The crew of the fishing boat was thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized, but the three men were rescued by another trawler, according to the Mainichi newspaper. The local Coast Guard office reported that the weather was clear and the sea was calm at the time of the accident.One of the largest jellyfish in the world, the species can grow up to 2 meters in… -
More Polanski Fail
6 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pmby Shaker Faywray.Hi Shakers, this is faywray. Liss has offered to let me turn a rambling I'm-about-to-explode e-mail I sent her into a guest post.[Trigger warnings apply, especially for the external links.]I found this article by Bernard-Henri Lévy (the creator of the original "Free Polanski" petition) on a French site the other day, and I wanted to translate some of it for you. Turns out the HuffPo has already taken care of that. It sickens me that the man gets a platform for the bile he is spewing.In this new pile of utter bullshit, Mr. Lévy once more tries to educate the… -
Daily Kitteh
6 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pmMatildaOliviaWee Sophie -
This, too, is a real thing in the world.
6 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pmRobert Pattertoningson eats corn.Part of Vanity Fair's "Robert Pattinson: The Bruce Weber Portraits," from the December 2009 issue.Another example of something that just made me LOL for its sheer absurdity. The vaguely nauseated look. The corn, dangling, not even being eaten in a cheekily phallic way. (Is it post-blowjob corn?) The lobster bib. The Rolling Rock bottle. The vague sense I'm meant to find it sexy, for some inexplicable reason.When I showed it to Kenny Blogginz yesterday, he captioned it: "The dainty lord doth deign to masticate 'pon some maize with his precious porcelains."…
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Kate Harding's Shapely Prose
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Straw Feminist Weekly: The jealous bitch
5 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pmVia The Sexist: the astute cultural analysts of The O’Reilly Factor (not Bill himself, but his sub, Laura Ingraham) know why feminists don’t like Sarah Palin (because apparently it is mid-2008 again?): we are just totes jealous of her cute hubby and her cute little babies and her smokin’ bod! Ingraham breaks it down with [...] -
Open thread: Other people are not on fluffcation
4 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amWhile we’re on fluffcation for a bit, perhaps you’re jonesing for some non-lemur blogging. May I recommend some excellent reading material? Here are some non-fatosphere blogs that I’ve been reading lately: FWD (feminists with disabilities) for a way forward is brand-spanking new as of last month and is already chock-full of awesome posts. It’s a group [...] -
Fluffcation: Holiday
1 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pmShapelings, did you have a good Halloween? Tell us about your costumes! -
Fluffcation: Slow loris
30 Oct 2009 | 8:34 amI hope you’ve seen this little dude before, but just in case you haven’t, get ready for pretty much the best thing ever: -
Fluffcation: Real names of prosimians
28 Oct 2009 | 7:40 amUnless, of course, some Wikipedian is punking me, these guys are all related to our friends the lemurs. Say hello to your new friends: False Potto Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur Prince Demidoff’s Bushbaby Southern Needle-clawed Bushbaby Lesser Iron-gray Dwarf Lemur And, my personal favorite: Grewcock’s Sportive Lemur The False Potto’s scientific name is, apparently, Pseudopotto martini. Clearly, this is a fantastic cocktail [...]
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The F-Word: Latest features and reviews
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Gender in the playground
25 Oct 2009 | 2:29 pmPrimary schools are no utopia of skipping rope and gender blind comradery. Instead, girls are already learning to worry about their looks - and boys are learning male privilege, reports teacher Kate Townshend -
Feminism in London 2009
13 Oct 2009 | 12:25 pmCharlotte Cooper reports back from the capital's second Feminism in London conference -
Picking Bones from Ash
5 Oct 2009 | 10:05 amChristina McDermott reviews Marie Mutsuki Mockett's deft debut novel, which follows two sequential mother-daughter stories -
Mysteries of the Iconographies
4 Oct 2009 | 2:50 pmArtist Carolee Schneemann may be best-known for 'Interior Scroll', in which she read from a scroll she extracted from her vagina. But, at 70, her influence stretches far beyond that one famous performance piece. Kaite Welsh attended her recent lecture at the Tate Liverpool -
The Raincoats play the National Portrait Gallery
4 Oct 2009 | 2:30 pmThe Raincoats are as vital as ever, argues Lydia Harris, who left their recent gig determined to join a grrrl band
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wowOwow | The Women on the Web
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Announcing the Winner of Our 'Caption This' Contest
7 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amWhat caption submissions did we find most ingenious?Caption This! Contest | Today 7:00 am Thank you for participating in last week’s "Caption This" contest on wowOwow! While we found all of your submissions to be positively charming, witty and fun, below are the two captions that truly wOwed us. Keep an eye out for our next "Caption This" contest on wowOwow. Enjoy and congratulations! The Winner: By ... -
From Blah to Bold (Photos)
6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmCreate the ultimate smoky eye following these steps by celebrity makeup artist Sue Devitt — and then count the number of heads that turn!Style | Today 12:00 amAu naturel is always charming. But — and there is a but — even on the most beautiful woman, a simply dressed lip often isn’t enough to complement a glamorous outfit. So, the next time you’re attending a gala, dinner party or black-tie event, try this classic, sophisticated and sexy eye look from celebrity makeup artist Sue Devitt. We bet you’ll lose track counting the number of heads that turn when… -
Liz Peek: Obama Deaf to Election Warning But May Get Bailed Out
6 Nov 2009 | 9:45 amAs bad as the recent jobs report is, the president is likely to receive some good news over the next several months …Wall Street Weekly | 11/06/2009 11:45 am Bears, Bulls, Chickens and Pigs: wOw’s Wall Street Weekly with Liz Peek (Week of 11/2) Editor’s Note: Liz Peek is a financial columnist. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate rose from 9.8% to 10.2% in October, the highest level since 1983. Job losses were primarily in construction, manufacturing and retail, and were worse than expected. This is not good news; the terrible job market clearly weighs… -
Liz Smith: The 25 Faces of Anna Deavere Smith
6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amAnd more from Our Gossip Girl: Is Oscar gleaming for Hal Holbrook? And Margaux Hemingway’s tragic life headed for screenThe Liz Smith Column | 11/06/2009 5:00 am"What do I consider is good for gossip? It depends on the year. One year – Mariah Carey was the gift that kept on giving. Another year, it was Lindsay Lohan. Then Britney Spears. One year it was Michael Jackson. If you look at any of the great train wrecks, just before it gets really messy, they are the gift that keeps on giving." So opined the former gossip writer and current novelist Paula Froelich. *** Many of you… -
Dining room table? Fur coat? A new house? What was your first 'adult' purchase?
6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amMary Wells, Candice Bergen, Sheila Nevins, Joan Ganz Cooney and Liz Smith share the monetary moment they felt adultQuestion of the Day | 11/06/2009 2:00 amLiz Smith | 11/06/2009 12:00 amLiz Smith's Most Popular Purchase It was in the ’50s. I was living on the Upper West Side with a number of young ladies who were in the same boat with me ...
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Feminocracy
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What say you?
5 Nov 2009 | 5:13 pmWhat do you think of this image? (Jeff Brunner) I agreed up until Belle. Perhaps it’s my inner little girl speaking but I don’t have as much of a problem with Belle as I have with the others. She’s independent and intelligent and isn’t waiting for the right man to come along and make all of her dreams come true–she knows that’s something that happens in story books not real life. I do understand the criticism of the message it sends that no matter how terrible he is to you, you can change him (there’s also a hint that potentially violent partners are… -
Ableist Language in Advocacy
5 Nov 2009 | 2:21 amAdvocacy in Flawed Systems: Using Shackling Language to Help a PWD? This is a great post from FWD/Forward, an awesome blog that focuses on the intersection of feminism and disability issues. The post discusses how advocates are often obliged to use ableist language in order to get aid from government programs for their clients. Making their clients seem as helpless and tragic as possible helps ensure they qualify for the programs. This puts advocates in the impossible position of having to be complicit in the perpetuation of stereotypes about people with disabilities in order to get their… -
Eddie from stereotype-ville
4 Nov 2009 | 9:54 amGood thing we made reference to him being a real person who works at the company or else this might be a commercial featuring a racial stereotype. Luckily the taste of the product will serve to keep people away. Yesh. Tagged: Bad advertising--no biscuit, Stereotypes -
Rihanna To Speak Out On ‘Good Morning America’
4 Nov 2009 | 9:37 amFrom Mtv.com Although Rihanna hasn’t spoken publicly about the incident in the nine months since it happened, Brown has given several high-profile interviews in which he talked about the assault as well as his breakup from the singer. Rhianna’s new cd is about to come out and it would have been impossible for her to do the interview without the assault coming up so it seems like she’s facing it head on. Speaking to “Good Morning America,” the singer will send the message, “This happened to me. … It can happen to anyone,” according to excerpts of… -
“Hospital forces lesbian to die alone”
29 Oct 2009 | 1:35 pm“Hospital forces lesbian to die alone“ I found the allegations in this post terrifying. We tell people that the living will and power of attorney are important documents that will prevent this very thing from happening. If the hospital won’t pay attention to legally valid documents stating that someone is authorized to make medical decisions/recieve medical information about a partner–what do we tell them? How can they protect themselves? I doubt a hetero couple would have run into this problem–married or not, signed legal documents or not. Tagged: Hospital,…
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Skepchick
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The Science of Beauty Contraptions
7 Nov 2009 | 1:26 amFrom the ever-amusing Sarah Haskins: -
AI: It’s MY wall now
6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmHere in England we have a folk hero, the stuff of legend. A man of mystery, whose true identity is known only to some. A maverick, inspiration for many, loved by millions, hated by other millions. Someone who transcended his (alleged) working class roots to achieve fame, fortune and the accolades of both the professional world and the public. He’s an artist whose works have featured in record-breaking exhibitions, reproduced worldwide on posters, merchandise from bags to t-shirts, and in best-selling books. He’s one of Britain’s best loved, most controversial artists. Graffiti… -
Comment o’ the Week!
6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amI can’t argue with the majority. About a dozen people all nominated jynnan_tonnyx for this simple and yet very true statement: 29 jynnan_tonnyx // Nov 5, 2009 at 10:13 am I propose a new rule: from now on, anyone who worships a dude who spent His entire adult life hanging out with a dozen other guys, was known to be kissed by them and wash their feet, and is frequently portrayed in a nearly-nude S&M glamour shot, isn’t allowed to have a problem with gay people. Sound fair? It sure does! Congrats, jynnan_tonnyx, you get to choose next Wednesday’s Afternoon Inquisition. Send… -
Skepchick Quickies 11.6
6 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amTeacher claims fingerprinting is the mark of the beast – “A 22-year veteran kindergarten teacher in the Texas Bible Belt could lose her job for refusing, on religious grounds, to give fingerprints under a state law requiring them.” From Mark. Tips for kids on how to avoid the flu – Presented by a rapping doctor. Phrenology: Feel my head! – Great set of photos of old phrenology heads. The boxed set of tiny heads is my favorite. From Vanessa. Jenny, I got your number – Michelle has a child with celiac’s disease and therefore knows a lot about the… -
Telekinesis Revealed on Science of Scams
6 Nov 2009 | 12:15 amIn his new YouTube series Science of Scams, Derren Brown attempts to win our skeptical hearts back after all that NLP bullshit (and, as Sid reminds me, that really horribly pathetic lottery trick “explanation”*). Personally, despite the occasional dumb explanation, I’m on Team Derren and I like that he’s using his talents to educate through YouTube. *This link has the original lotto trick if you haven’t seen it, plus a few videos from people explaining how (they think) he did it. Here’s my favorite of them (don’t click if you don’t want the…
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Viva la Feminista
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Book Review: Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim
3 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pmThe first real job I had out of college was working for one of the founders for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Which is ironic since I was not the "Woo, I'm woman, let me menstruate!" gal back then. And honestly I'm still not. That said... Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim is a riot. My period was a mystery to me until about college when I found women who pointed me in the direction of books and resources. No, I wasn't a lucky gal who grew up coveting her mom's worn copy of Our Bodies Ourselves, oh how I wish! Instead I was like Nancy Drew… -
Want diversity? Start with diversity.
3 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmDon't ask me to bring diversity to your organization, ask me to join your organization for my skills, my knowledge or because you just love me. Don't think that I'm the pepper to your bland mashed potatoes. I am the garlic to those potatoes - the first thing you put on the skillet after you start to boil the water. Where you dash on pepper, throw in some onion and make me a vital part of the dish....Not the afterthought. *** Media itself is changing rapidly and in Chicago we have a new player in the game, the Chicago News Cooperative. Laura Washington gave them a tongue lashing for the… -
Good riddance to Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
29 Oct 2009 | 10:20 pmI hate it because it is all about the million pieces of junk we can buy that are pink. The pink ribbon is everywhere. Ironically it is on things that just might cause breast cancer! Breast Cancer Action calls these companies "pinkwashers." BMW, for example, gives $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure each time you test-drive one of their cars, even though pollutants found in car exhaust are linked to breast cancer. Breast cancer is far too dangerous and serious of an enemy to be defeated by pink cleaning rags. From the earliest record of how a breast cancer patient feels to today's survivors who… -
Fundraiser: The Advantage and Disadvantage of Zine, a funding proposal
29 Oct 2009 | 9:34 pmIf you read my blog at my blog, you may have noticed a little box over there >>>> That is a ChipIn widget for fellow Chicagoan, feminist and in her own right, total bad ass, Anne Elizabeth Moore. So it's not me asking for your dollars for me or my own sake, but rather for Ms. Bad Ass. Here's what she's fundraising for: Advantage and Disadvantage of Zine is a long-term, multifaceted collaboration with a group of young women college students in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I first met these young women when I was offered a residency in their dormitory, where I lived for two months during… -
Where to send the girls who do like computer science
29 Oct 2009 | 8:21 pmOriginally posted at AWEARNESS WOW! I can't believe the response my post about girls and computer science on Wednesday received on Twitter. Thanks. Many of the retweets were of "don't forget us too!" variety, so to follow up on the popular post, here is a quick run down of just a handful of the amazing groups working to recruit girls to computer science and keep them interested. Please, please add additional ones in the comments! Anita Borg: This is a powerhouse organization that works to connect tech companies to women. ABI offers workshops, publications and information aimed to develop…
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Feminist Review
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Wings Earrings
7 Nov 2009 | 12:55 amWhen I was coming up, it was all the rage to pierce your ears in multiple places—the higher the potential risk for infection, the better. Multiple holes in your cartilage was not only standard; it was expected. I knew guys who wore safety pins in their ears, whether they'd been professionally pierced or not. I had a friend who let her high school boyfriend pierce her nipple with a safety pin too. What any of this accomplished, I cannot say.I've often opted for an alternative route from that of my peers, so while I did briefly have three holes total between my two earlobes, I'm now content… -
From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News
6 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pmBy Geoffrey BaymParadigm PublishersI consider myself a bit of a news junkie so a title involving both Walter Cronkite and Stephen Colbert immediately caught my attention. While Cronkite was first able to break heavy concepts down for the masses and Colbert was later on able to do the same using humor, From Cronkite to Colbert is not able to do either. This was an extremely hard book to read, and in truth, I was not able to get past the middle.Author Geoffrey Baym writes in an extremely dense, over-reaching style, making From Cronkite to Colbert read like an overzealous undergraduate thesis or… -
All Tomorrow’s Parties: The Film
6 Nov 2009 | 9:01 amDirected by All Tomorrow’s People and Jonathan CaouetteWarp FilmsLightning Bolt jams in a courtyard. Grizzly Bear harmonizes on the beach. Concert-goers play Dance Dance Revolution, and young hipster musicians experiment with theremins, wind machines, and banjos. If you know of—or even had the supreme privilege of attending—All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP), this likely sounds like a plausible scene.Named for the Velvet Underground song of the same name, the annual event has been running for nearly a decade, with parties in the UK that have since expanded to the U.S. Originally springing… -
Green Meadow Earrings
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amWhen cold weather settles over the Northern Hemisphere, it's all I can do to get out of bed in the morning. I live far enough north that the daylight time literally cuts in half—what was once a twelve-hour-day becomes six measly hours of cloud-covered sunshine. In addition to bundling in many layers, pulling the cat in for extra snuggles at night, and cranking up the heater, I try to keep my appearance fresh. I can all too easily spiral into a dark months depression. I may wear a lot of black and gray, but I still have to show up every day for work.Ioulia's Green Meadow earrings brighten up… -
The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood
5 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pmBy Helene CooperSimon and SchusterHelene Cooper’s memoir about growing up in Liberia and moving to the United States paints a portrait of a girl trapped between two cultures and countries worlds apart from one another. Cooper is the descendant of freed African American slaves who returned to Africa to found Liberia in the early 1800s. Her upbringing was a privileged one, as a member of the small Liberian upper class composed almost entirely of the descendants of Black American settlers. Sheltered by her family’s wealth and privilege, Cooper grows up relatively oblivious to the growing…
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My Ecdysis
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Dr. Tiller's Second Murder on Law and Order
27 Oct 2009 | 6:44 amCharlotte Taft wrote a piece, "Dr. Tiller Murdered Again on NBC's Law and Order," critiquing last Friday's episode in which shades of Dr. Tiller's murder became fodder for the "fictitious" storyline in which an abortion provider is assassinated in his own church.Taft writes passionately, clearly from a place that most people cannot empathize. Most of us are not abortion providers or work closely with abortion providers who see first hand the complex and often heart-wrenching decisions that are often hidden in the shadows in the war between "life" and abortion.With due respect to Ms. Taft's… -
Weekend Feminist Bumper Sticker
24 Oct 2009 | 3:49 am -
Poetry on Feminist Catholicism
22 Oct 2009 | 11:41 amI wrote a poem about Adam and Eve. Well, more about Eve than Adam.I don't believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis. I don't believe in the apple, the garden, the tree, the temptation, the Fall, or the banishment.I do believe that oral story telling is a rich part of tradition and somewhere along the way, telling stories began to lose their power of metaphor.In the literal, vein, however, I wrote this poem and designed a backdrop as I think more about my Catholic faith. -
Letter #11
20 Oct 2009 | 1:07 pmDear Isaiah,Yesterday I took a walk outside on an unexpected 60 degree day. My shoes came off and I dug my feet into the lush, autumn green. A tiny ladybug had landed on my knee and I played with it for about 10 minutes, flipping the tips of grass onto its pathway so it changed directions.I wondered how in the world a God could exist that thought to create an insect with a red shell and black polka dots on its back. I wondered how in the world a God could exist that could create you inside of me.You, me, and the ladybug hung out for a while before I went back to my office to finish the rest… -
UTNE Magazine Gets it Right Again: 50 Visionaries Who are Chaning Your World
15 Oct 2009 | 12:48 pmAnd the list for the top 50 visionaries are out once again and I must beam that ALEXIS PAULINE GUMBS is on the list! How thrillingly appropriate to recognize this brilliant troublemaker who resides near and dear to my heart.Congratulations to Utne for keeping their eye on the true visionaries and an even BIGGER congrats to Lex for her pioneering work, compassionate spirit, and bottomless well of activist energy!
