They Are Elephants, We Are Mice

Patrick Stewart on violence against women - Amnesty International

2009-12-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

It’s important for victims of violence to speak about their experience if they can. We’re socialized to internalize things that are shameful and begin to believe it’s our fault. Police saying things like “it takes two to argue” or “you must have done something to provoke him” only further reinforces this. It also keeps victims from reaching out for help. If those charged with protecting and serving legitimize the violence you experience where do you turn? I can only imagine what it’s like for immigrants, fearful of deportation, who don’t even see police intervention as an option.
I know what he means by being an expert on monitoring the temperature of the room in situations of violence.

2009-11-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

i'm one of the henchmen from triplets of belleville.

amusement, self sustained

2009-11-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

and no i didn't keep the singing vids cause i don't ever want them used against me.

<3 langhorne

2009-11-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

wood man decided to stop beatin up on megaman, hit the road with langhorne and contemplate life. adorable.

tinymeat.com

2009-11-16T22:43:00.000-08:00

cute wallet i got for ash:

also cute:

get it? its funny cause the hot dogs not allowed in the breakfast club!

dude makes these wallets local. shops on NE Cleveland.

Sam Adams Rally

2009-01-23T22:17:00.001-08:00

So this is the new year and I don't feel any different

2009-01-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

2009 Resolutions:

Save more money
Spend more time with friends

2008-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

In reading Jessica Valenti's new co-authored book I found Thomas Macaulay Millar's essay Toward a Performance Model of Sex particularly illuminating. It discusses the "commodity model" and "performance model" of sex. The commodity model is how our society currently views sex. Women as sellers and men as buyers. Remember ladies, men will not buy the cow when they can get the milk for free! The abstinence movement further enforces this model by putting a set value on our bodies. We've all seen the videos of duct tape representing female bodies, each time its attached and removed from other bodies it loses it's stickyness and is then thrown in the trash, used and useless. This model reduces rape to a property crime. Just look at the case where a judge ruled rape at gunpoint to be theft of services! In the performance model sex is a performance between partners in collaboration, think musicians or dancers. There are no buyers, no sellers, no hetero-normative standards, no systematic devaluing of women. And let's be honest, virginity wasn't all that great. Better sex is had by experienced partners. Of course there are many factors but remember your first time compared to your last?

The essay goes into further detail and is definitely worth reading. You can pick up the book at bookstores (In Other words on Killingsworth), Amazon, the library or borrow it from me.

Separate Church and Hate!

2008-11-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

After the protest I guess I got in a chant-y mood and came up with the one above. I'm sure it's been used before but it got me to thinking about the role religion has in politics and the hateful tone it always seems to carry. If they're not campaigning to take away someone's rights they're... well, what are they doing? Religion has been used to oppress nearly everyone who isn't an affluent white male.

The bible and religious theology has been used to justify oppression of women from denying the vote based on the pretense that women were inherently evil and corruptible as the ancestors of Eve to currently denying access to reproductive health and freedom. St. Anthony postulated "When you see a woman, consider that you face not a human being, but the devil himself. The woman's voice is the hiss of the snake."

The bible was also used to justify slavery:
Genesis 9:25-27: "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers. He also said, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japeth live in the tents of Shem and may Canaan be his slave'. "
Canaan was believed to have settled in Africa, therefore enslaving black people was merely carrying out God's wish to punish the offspring of Canaan.

So for those quick to flip to the highlighted passage in their student bibles I caution you to realize the footsteps you're walking in and the pain and lives this cycle of oppression and ignorance has cost. The opposition to gay marriage is just one more tick in the long list of organized religious oppression.

Fight the H8 !!!

2008-11-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

Prop 8 protest this Saturday

http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com

Update

Portland's Mayor-Elect, Sam Adams, at the rally

Fashion and Feminism

2008-11-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

In the animal kingdom it’s the male of the species who parades and presents their aesthetic in order to attract a mate. Why are humans so completely different?

Why isn’t the male of our species held to such high beauty standards? There are many possible answers to this question but ultimately it comes down to women traditionally being seen as ornamental objects. And the idea of fashion makes them seem as active participants as opposed to unwilling slaves. What’s the problem with fashion anyway? As we all know the problem is who the fashion industry caters to, the thin and the beautiful, we've learned that in order to be desired we must obey arbitrary fashion and beauty laws that have been established by men. We all know about the body type it promotes and the detrimental effects it has on women, young women in particular. But there are even more reasons to reject fashion. To keep up with trends women pour their money into buying clothes, as well as hair and make up products. Money that could be otherwise spent on higher education, savings, retirement, etc. Another cost is time, the time it takes to keep up on trends and the time to apply them. These are expenses society has impressed upon women as necessary to survival. (How many women do you know who refuse to go in public without make up?) Survival, you say… isn’t that a bit harsh? Well, when girls are fed fairy tales of princes and weddings (conversely, witches and spinsters) they begin to believe that a woman isn’t complete or at least as happy as she could be if only she had a man in her life.

On the other hand, fashion can be fun. Life is full of hypocrisy and compromise, especially as a woman.*

So how do we reconcile our sensible feminist attitudes with our desire to play with fashion? I imagine we cultivate a fashion that celebrates our bodies as opposed to constricting them. Refuse to spend more than 30 minutes getting ready and waste money on beauty products that keep us relegated to decoration status. And to the men who are reading, rethink the beauty standards being imposed upon women, think of the sleep lost, the money spent. Think about the leers she puts up with from men who think her beauty gives them the right to stare. (…The male gaze, another topic altogether.)

*This hypocrisy may take the form of a vegetarian wearing wool for the first time in 7 years. (yes, after much soul searching I’ve decided to buy a wool coat this winter)

Olympic Protest

2008-06-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

If you're like me you'd like to protest the Olympics but you're not sure how. It's hella lame so it's not like you were gonna watch anyways, right? Well instead you can protest the sponsors.

Here are a list of familiar companies you can refuse to support in order to protest the Olympics:

Obama in Ptown

2008-05-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's interesting that my least favorite candidate is the one that's gone the distance, although that always seems to happen. I'm not bitter and I don't condone polarization of the party so I really don't care. That's not to say I'm apathetic, I just knew from the beginning that any of the candidates would be a welcome change so... Obama's great! The rally was less than. We started out with The Decemberists which was pretty sweet. But when Obama finally came out I could barely see anything in the sea of 72,000 gathered on the waterfront. The crowd was in love with every word. So much so that I could hear about every fifth. I feel like I got the gist of it though. There was the usual regional praise followed by a brief overview of policy intermingled with random get-you-pumped-up rhetoric.

The most impressive policy mentioned was a plan for student scholarships, one where student's would receive federal funding for education in exchange for community service. A way to help educate America while at the same time uniting them though volunteering at local homeless shelters, nursing homes, etc.

There was an overview of his plans for universal, I'm sorry, national healthcare which seems like the bastard child of socialism and capitalism. What was once termed "Universal Healthcare" has now been changed to "National Healthcare", synonymous, right? A slight change in terminology has allowed such a mongrel proposal to exist. The very definition of universal implies equality, everyone will be afforded the same quality healthcare. National Healthcare on the other hand only requires that we provide some sort of insurance to those that don't have it. According to his website he will ensure that those that pay for individual health insurance will see a drop in premiums and those who don't currently have a policy will be able to afford one through an overall lowering of premiums and government subsidies if you still can't afford it. So the health insurance American's receive will vary greatly depending on where they receive their insurance (employer, individual or state). He mentioned earlier in 2007 that one of the reasons the cost of health insurance is so high is because of the millions of Americans that are uninsured. When a patient can't afford to pay, their medical costs are absorbed by those that do have insurance through higher premiums. His official website has omitted this once important aspect on the issue of healthcare. So with his proposal we still have an issue with paying for the uninsured as we will not have universal healthcare for all but rather financial help with obtaining it. Now do you see the difference between universal and national healthcare? What I feared in the beginning is true. He talks about not receiving PAC contributions so that government is no longer run by corporations but he's not willing to stand up to the health care industry in order to bring about REAL CHANGE. He also throws around his admonition of drug companies' outrageous costs but I haven't heard anything about his solution to that.

He condemned America's dependence on foreign oil and praised Portland's superior public transit system and bike friendly city planning just before rollin' away with his caravan of gas guzzling SUVs. His solution to the financial and environmental burden of oil is biodiesel?!?!? He wants to invest $150 Billion (that's billion with a B) in advancing biofuels. I've got an idea, how about we spend $0 and make manufacturers revive their nearly 100 year old technology of electric cars? Zero oil consumption and zero emissions. Now I know in America we don't make corporations do what's right, rather we throw money at them to give them incentive to do what's right, a slow and arduous process. It's yet another example of Obama not being able to stand up to big money.

look what i found!

2008-05-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

so i've been wanting frye boots for a while now but had given up my six month search of trying to finding a vegan pair. so being vegetarian and not wearing leather i've been agonizing over the decision to buy a leather pair. i finally decided i couldn't go through with it because every time i wore them i'd feel like a hypocrite. then guess what i found at buffalo exchange as they were closing...??? a pair of vegan frye boots!!!! i can't believe it. they're perfect and i love them.

UPDATE

2008-03-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php

Not quite a personal chef and cheesecake but it's a start!

Quick Hit: Double Feature

2008-02-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Oscar Blog

And the nominees are:

Best Picture: Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood

My Pick: There Will Be Blood
My Prediction: There Will Be Blood

Best Directing: Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell & the Butterfly), Jason Reitman (Juno), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)

My Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)
My Prediction: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)

Best Actor in a leading role: George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Tommy Lee Jones (In The Valley of Elah), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

My Pick: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
My Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

Best Actress in a leading role: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Julie Christie (Away From Her), Marion Cotillard (La vie en Rose), Laura Linney (The Savages), Ellen Page (Juno)

My Pick: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
My Prediction: Julie Christie (Away From Her)

Unexpectedly, everything that I think will win is also everything I think should win. It's been a great year for movies and it seems the academy finally got it right. Because of course I'm right ;)

Top Ten of 2007

10 The King of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters
9 Wristcutters: A Love Story
8 Paris, Je T'aime
7 Sweeny Todd
6 Lars and the Real Girl
5 Once
4 Jesse James
3 Persepolis
2 Away From Her
1 There Will Be Blood

coleslaw food

2008-02-12T19:04:00.001-08:00

there should be a website where you enter all the foods in your house and it tells you what you can make with all the 'gredients you have and how to make it.

...there will be also be links to people willing to come over and make it for you.

...for free.

...and they might pick up a cheesecake on the way.

Happy Ann'y Roe vs Wade

2008-01-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

I vote pro-choice because:

I trust women with their bodies and ability to make their own reproductive decisions

"Right to life" does not include the right to another’s body

Choice is about options, not just abortion

77% of anti-abortion leaders are men, 100% of them will never be pregnant

Lack of access to abortion disproportionately affect women of color and lower socioeconomic status

"Every mother a willing mother, every child a wanted child"

Crazy motha f#%$a named Ice Cube

2008-01-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

She called it a comeback, Ice Cube wouldn't but Hillary did.

New Hampshire's blowin' my mind. Clinton won, Obama got a very respectable 2nd and Edwards trailed (tail between legs) in 3rd with 17%. Even Kucinich got a percent! After his comments yesterday I feel like Edwards deserved this loss. “I think what we need in a commander-in-chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business.” Very unclassy. And in response to Clinton's comeback reporters and pundits have suspected the women's vote was shifted to Clinton in New Hamp because of tears. As she said yesterday "The remnants of sexism are alive and well"!

Hawkeyes Represent!!! w00t, w00t

2008-01-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

So it looks like Obama's won this round. I can really get behind his enthusiasm and seemingly genuine desire to make great changes and strides in American politics. The man can rile a crowd and writes a speech that makes you really want to get behind him (reminiscent of Howard Dean). His voting record is slim and proportionately inconsistent but his inexperience may be just what the country needs. A breath of uncorrupted, fresh air. Still, I don't believe he's the best candidate for the job. To parrot Michael Moore "...the Republicans will eat him for breakfast. He won't even have time to make a good speech about it."

I've always had a soft spot for Clinton. She's undoubtedly smart, strong, talented, charismatic, and in my opinion the most qualified candidate. In order to show the rest of America she's qualified she's got to play the game (not too hard, not too soft) but she inevitably gets fucked by the media at every turn. More attention is paid to her clothing than her positions. I generally find myself defending her, defense turning slowly into support. She's just not hitting the topics as hard as I'd like. I believe in order to change America we need a candidate that doesn't fit the same old mold; white, wealthy, protestant men. But at the same time we need one who's willing and able to stand up to the elites and corporate greed.

The more I read about this Edwards guy the more I like him. Although it's easy for a white male to be more liberal than the other candidates can be while maintaining his electability factor. Let's face it, not all of America is ready for a black or woman president and in order to cater to the moderates Clinton and Obama's gotsta show America they're not too far left. But Edwards is immune in this regard and is in fact expected to be more liberal to make up for his dominant position in our patriarchal society. When was the last time you read an article about his cleavage or his "cackle"? He's got it all and he's got it easy which makes me instinctually suspect of him. But this kinda talk gets me all warm and wet "I absolutely believe to my soul that this corporate greed and corporate power has an ironclad hold on our democracy." Who doesn't take PAC money from big corporations? Edwards! Who's got a 100% voting record from NARAL? Edwards! Whose rhymes are so potent that in this small segment he's made all of the ladies in the first two rows pregnant? Edwards! I mean... What?!?!

Anywhose, I'm still undecided but my peeps in Iowa need to get their gourds checked, Huckabee... AREYOUSERIOUS!?!?!?

currently obsessed with naomi klein and button up leg warmers

2007-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

2007-12-27T17:39:00.001-08:00

my hairs have been cut

stoopid sponsitilities

2007-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

missed the train
610
guess i'm runnin to work
again
belly full of syrup
again
hope i dont puke
in the drain
again

The Virginal Whore

2007-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Everything I know about sex I learned in the waiting room of Planned Parenthood or from porn. I've watched enough to know their names, have my favorites and could identify their faces (among other things) in a line up. I never derived any sexual pleasure, only mild entertainment and a first rate education! With a lack of information from any other source it's no wonder more and more young girls are turning to porn. There's this whole virgin/whore dichotomy society thrusts upon us at such an early age (increasingly so) where we learn that in order to be wanted we need to be innocent. At the same time in order to please men we have to be sexy. So how’s one supposed to know what to do in the bedroom without actually heading there? Porn!
It's a multi million dollar industry, but who's buying? For the most part, Men. But while it's men who are watching, all of us are impacted. Because men are the customers the industry is obviously completely one sided in it's portrayal of sex. Men learn that women should look like little girls, have disproportionately large breasts and scream with every thrust (they might even think women actually like those hideous shoes!) This becomes their standard and while they might not expect it from their partners it's the ideal by which they compare all others.
Women know this! And when they can't live up to this ideal they feel they've let their partner (and society) down with their failure. Not pretty enough, not thin enough, small breasts, too much hair. So women take upon themselves the impossible act of fixing what's "wrong": liposuction, breast augmentation, waxing, anal bleaching, labiaplasty (!!!) Most of these costly and time consuming procedures actually prevent pleasure. But no matter what we do there will always be something wrong because self esteem has become dependent on living up to an ideal that has been manufactured in a studio.
People tend to think that men watch porn because they have some primal instinct to want sex all the time. Conversely women must just have a lower sex drive. I say that's bullshit and these learned behaviors and misconceptions prevent all genders from developing a healthy sexuality.

Political Politics

2007-10-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

So apparently 94% of women polled under 35 have said they'd be more likely to vote if there were a woman on the ballot. Can't say I'm surprised. There's something empowering about the idea of a woman in the white house whose decisions impact more than just taste buds. That's not to say I think one's vote should be based solely on gender, any more than I think they should vote with their bibles or pocket books. Because of this statistic political pundits seem to be under the impression that Clinton will be harvesting undeserved votes. The emphasis I'm reading is that there's still a belief that women aren't smart enough to make intelligent, informed decisions on their own. We must be voting with our hearts and fairy tales of breaking glass ceilings. With all the strides women have made there's obviously still a long way to go. Reason enough for me to be hopeful for 2008.

That said, I only pray we dont see Ms. Coulter on a 2012 ballot