As always...

Twisty says it best

But, like it or lump it, BDSM is patriarchy, the whole patriarchy, and nothin’ but the patriarchy, in a black latex nutshell. It is, I unwaveringly assert according to the Honor Code of the Blaming Spinsters, the eroticization of a vastly horrific social order that has, over the millennia, generated the suffering of untold millions, and against which I am sworn to vituperate. BDSM’s got it all: sex, power, rape, pain, dominance, submission, the false pretext of freedom, delusions of superiority, sublimation of the orgasm at all costs, women who think it liberates them, a conservative orthodoxy, compulsory conformity, absurd, exaggerated gender roles, and a silly dress code. It is profoundly anti-feminist, anti-intellectual, anti-individual, and unattractive.

Now I don't have to say anything more about it (though I probably will at one point)

Airbrushing 101

So I stumbled upon this site. CLick on the before/after shots. Note that they made Nicole Ritchie, Jessica Biel, and Shania Twain SMALLER.

The before shots are fine. I just don't get it.

Edit: I do get it, but I will never understand why we're all supposed to look like dolls when no one looks like a doll.

How I got through my day

Monday Random 10 (or the soundtrack for my commute this morning that made me feel better about actually having to get up and go out of my house):

1. Left and Leaving -The Weakerthans
2. Dogsong AKA Sleep Dog -The Be Good Tanyas
3. I'm Never Bored -The Walkmen
4. Hyperized -Desour
5. Shake Your Tailfeather -Ray Charles
6. Lighthouse Keeper -Sunforest
7. Sour Mash Jug Band (Track 3)
8. Set Out Running -Neko Case
9. Bomb the World -Michael Franti & Spearhead
10. Rest In Peace -Buffy the Vampirse Slayer "Once More With Feeling" Soundtrack (the musical episode)

Yep. I even stop while walking across campus to class to stop and Shake my Tailfeather. I only needed like 19 more people and it would have been the Blues Brothers all over the lawn.

In other news, I am progressing on the post about my experience in the sex industry. I want other women to not be fooled into thinking it's harmless by all the pro-porn 'feminists.' I wish I would have known.

Need someone to berate?

Well here's another guy whining about a feminist blogger refusing to publish abusive and anti-feminist comments.

Maia's post on Capitalism Bad, Tree Pretty is a good read, I suggest you check it out first.

You know what we need?

A radical feminist mascot! It will help with morale significantly, I swear. After a very late night IM chat with Andrea from Vociferate I am proposing the wolverine.



Isn't she cute? Wolverines are perfect for radical feminists, let me tell you why:

"The wolverine is noted for its strength, cunning, fearlessness, and voracity. No animal except humans hunts the wolverine. (sound familiar?) Solitary during most of the year, the wolverine has a short courtship in February or March." They love their space! These little firecrackers are only 18-40 lbs (8-18 kilos, although kilos are not a weight force unlike pounds, but that's the physicist in me. If I gave you weight in Newtons no one would know what I was talking about), and only 36-46 cm (14-18 inches) tall!

• The wolverine has been described as "the fiercest creature on earth" and "a dangerous, fearless fighter"
• People have reported seeing a wolverine carry away moose carcasses (at least 700 lbs) and caribou heads. They've also been known to destroy steel traps and eat through wood walls.
• They can fight a bear off their dinner
• Wolverines have 38 teeth and crushing jaws capable of searing through frozen flesh and bones
• They do steal big prey from wolves or other large carnivores, but are perfectly capable of downing a caribou or moose all on their own.

First Nations peoples praised wolverines for:

• Standing your ground
• Fierceness
• Elusiveness
• Cleverness
• Strength
• Endurance
• Courage

They're tiny little misunderstood powerhouses! Sounds familiar to me anyway. What do you think? I am in love with the wolverine.

How can you defend porn?

When faced with stories like this? Can you honestly sit there and throw away all the women hurt by pornography and sex work so you can kiss the ass of the patriarchy? Don't give me the "but I'm a feminist too" bullshit. It happened to her because she's a woman, no other reason. If you can't see her and see the misogyny rampant in an industry that makes it's money by exploiting women?

Seriously:

"On the video it is clear that Lori is not happy. Entner berates her until she calls him an asshole. At one point, he directs Lori to bark like a dog, and later, with Donnie in her mouth, to squeal like a pig. Lori, afraid she would end up doing all this for free, grudgingly agrees. Donnie chuckles and trades high fives with Sanchez."

"What's more, Ox Ideas wrote out a check to Donnie for the entire $1200. Unbeknownst to Lori, Donnie was himself in serious debt. So it isn't surprising that he would take advantage of the situation and exploit his former lover. He had already pimped her out and now it was time to collect. He cashed the check and vanished."

"Mike McKay found Lori's plight all too familiar."

Yep porn is victim free and you should be cheerleading it so that men don't mistake you for a hairy legged prude with sexual hangups because she doesn't acquiesce to men's dehumanisation of women. Sure, fine, go flame away at me, but when you defend porn make sure you know what you're defending. (Note: It's not women's right to be human, it's men's "right" to exploit women.)

My poor little girly brain is HAPPY!

So I hope you all know that Larry Summers President of Harvard and fucktard who made the statement that women are genetically inferior to men and that's why there are less women then men in science and math. You can get refreshed on his comments in a transcript of his speech. (Remember, Catholics are also underrepresented in the sciences.)

Now anyone with a brain (I don't include Summers here) knows that boys and men are given preferential treatment in our schools, and that biologically 2 X chromosomes versus an X and a Y chromosome have no bearing on how good you will do in math and science. I wonder what must be wrong with all us women who are entering math and science related fields in higher and higher numbers every year. Does this mean that one of my X chromosomes is broken? Of course this was not the reason for him stepping down, the comments, and the vote of no confidence from the staff happened over a year ago.

Poking around on the internets looking for articles to link to I found this gem. The author (a woman) Amity Shlaes wrote this misguided paragraph:

Last year, Summers angered women's studies majors by noting a simple reality once you get three standard deviations out there on math aptitude tests, you find more boys than girls. The president's point was that even if you didn't like that fact, you probably wanted to address it. But the professors swarmed him, ending the debate. (emphasis mine)

Yes, only women studies majors were offended, and not the plethora of women in math and science related fields. Not to mention the fact that those tests are made for white males and not females, although we all take them. What about how racist the tests are as well? Are you saying it's a fact that people of colour are also genetically inferior and that's the reason why science (in this country anyway) is so white? Can you stop talking out your patriarchy kissing ass?

I know that I personally took no issue with this as a physics student, but then again, one of my X chromosome must be mutated since I seem to do well in physics. (I also must be a freak since I have 15% more spinal fluid. Why should that be used for boys only. I couldn't sit still in school either.) So I must be a grade A freak, not being able to sit still for long drawn out periods of time and doing well in science. Good thing dear Amity here is a journalist and not one of the women (like me) who are struggling to break through the "tungsten ceiling" as my friend calls it.

I would encourage everyone to let the author know exactly how fucked up this kind of thinking is. It's hard enough to battle the rampant sexism in physics without people who don't know what they're talking about agreeing with misogynist beliefs that women are innately worse at math and science.

You can write her at ashales@bloomberg.net. Let's expose her to what our poor little illogical girly brains can do, shall we?

Also just in case you missed it the first time, the physicists over at Cosmic Variance wrote and amazing post on women in science. It's a good read, I was very happy to find it. (Oh and Amity: It was a male physicist who wrote the entry so his brain is fully formed and able to deal with all those details my poor girly brain can't possibly understand.)

Posts may be slow to come

As I just found out that my favourite "aunt" has an agressive terminal cancer. I meant to come back with some kick ass posting, but I'm a little side tracked. Hopefully I can get an address soon so I can overnight her a letter telling her how much she means to me.

When I was a teen (14-ish I believe) I spent a summer with her in Cincinnati and it was one of the best summers. Not only was it abuse free (my mother was physically and mentally abusive), but it was a great time I spent with my aunt and second cousins. It is one of my fondest memories and I want more then anything to be able to tell her how much it meant to me that she was there for me. Lois is one of my favourite relatives and I want more then anything to be able to be there for her right now, but I'm on the west coast and she's in Ohio. They tell me she's unconcious most of the time, so she's not really suffering. She had such a huge impact on my life. I hope I get to tell her that before she passes on.

Women's rights 0

WHy are people allowed to look at porn in the public library?

Yep, apparently "free speech" triumphs again in the DC area library system. But not women's civil rights. No apparently we should be subjected to dehumanising porn everywhere we go, including the library. Well, fuck that. I see nothing wrong with disallowing porn at PUBLIC libraries. Apparently the libraries have a sexual harrassment policy that forbids the "display of offensive or obscene printed or visual material." but the constitution does not. Well, more reasons to never live in the DC area. All libraries I've been to and most community centers forbid the viewing of porn on their computers to make it a safe environment for everyone. Women as usual, are not people and do not have the right to not be degraded in public libraries. Bastards.

Miss me?

You might. I am sending my computer back to apple today (one of the memory ports died) and so I will be computerless for a week. I may post from work (if I'm not too busy working) but I'm trying to get the couple of posts that have been rattling around my head fully formed and postable.

Have a good wekend!

Sunday Search Results Blogging (Yes, some pervert alerts)

Misspellings (or, how porn makes you stupid)

OK, as I said last week if you're looking for Horney women, you've come to the right place, but if you were actually looking for horny women then you need to go elsewhere. Try spell check next time all right? You'd think turning up a bunch of pages on Karen Horney might tip these folks off, but no, they keep coming. And horny is not spelled hore-ny either, but those pages deal more with what I suspect you're looking for If you were indeed looking for Karen Horney, then you've come to the right place, that woman was a genius!

Dear old Reston, VA: either this is epidemic down there or you keep clicking on my link for no apparent reason, but I will not divulge "how to make your man horney [sic]" As I said last week, if I knew, I would change them, capisce? G-d knows we need more Horneyites. But since I think you were asking a totally different question: if you are smart, independant, and confident in yourself you should have no problem making anyone "horney [sic]" so please, be your beautiful self, and if that's not enough for that jackass, I say leave.

The Good, the Funny, and the Disgusting (I leave it to you to figure out which is which.)

Kill you with my brain -Now this is a quote from River Tam of the Fireflyverse and was something I posted in response to a commenter who said that if more of us acted like Zoe in telling off the sexist Jhayne and saying that she could "hurt him." I responded by saying I prefered to tell guys that I could "Kill you with my brain" and viola, another Whedon fan found my site (but apparently wasn't a fan of it.)

"Are there bad effects to believe thing [sic] happen for no reason?"-Minneapolis, MN
Ummm, err, how the hell did you get here? Let's see if I can help you: not anymore bad efects then the people who believe everything happens because of a higher power/g-d type.

"Why do women get angry looking at pictures of abortions?" Let me tackle this one for you, because the pictures that the right-wingers use are FALSE. No fetus has fully developed arms and hands at 8 weeks. THEY LIE and that, my friend is why we get angry at seeing them.

"Why do men stop calling for no reason" Because they're misogynist, patriarchal fucktards who probably didn't deserve you in the first place.

"angry feminist rant" from Switzerland. You didn't even stay long enough to read all my rants.

"my humps" "bootylicious" -Copenhagen. Those are horrible, horrible songs. I suggest you look into listening to songs that don't objectify women (even if they are objectifying themselves.)

"masturbate angry girl" PERVERT ALERT! I don't even know what to say to this, except how the hell you found my site I have no idea. And that you are going to a very special hell indeed. Along with the next guy:

"masturbate girl crying" so two guys who get off on women in pain, eh? Next time I'm tracking you down (through the internets, I see your IPs) you sick fuckheads. And your still going to a very special hell.

"images anorexia counterproductive photographs" -Santa Fe Springs, CA. What? i can't figure out what's going on with this one.

"bootylicious pole dancing wear" -Wickford, UK Ummmm......no I do not sell clothing (although I hesitate to call that stuff clothing) there's too much to say, I'll leave it to your imagination.

"sleep and masculinity" Pakistan -huh? I'm very confused by this one. I thought you would be too. How is my essay on compulsive masculinity have anything to do with sleep. it's so confusing.

"frank miller livejournal hurt comics" Manchester, NH Again, I must say huh? I am so confused by these searches.

Top Searches
I'm still getting plenty of hits for "dov charney American Apparel sexism", and a new one which is "American Apparel Pornographic" who stayed for 24 minutes! YAY!

Also, those looking to not do their homework and form critiques on any of Kate Chopin's short stories READ THE DAMN STORY. I will not do your homewrok for you, and these brilliant pieces of social commentary/fiction so get on with it. I suspect it will take you less time to read the story then to find what you're looking for on the web, especially if you keep coming to my site.

Variations on "How to induce a miscarriage" or "how to induce your period" what you want is here.
I'd also like to point out that this is the top search of the week. I'm glad they come here, because I'm glad to know that they're getting correct information and not being told to drink toxic herbs.

An Open Letter to Peter Jackson:

Will you please stop making racist, sexist movies? Please, I implore you. After Lord of the Rings people thought I was crazy even though I took the time to explain to them that you were probably not intentionally making all the evil people into people who looked like they were either from Africa/Southeast Asia. Please, how could you look at the outfits you dressed the 'oliphants' in an not think India? Seriously, I know that elephants are only found in India and Africa, but seriously this was supposed to be a work of fantasy, and not where in the book series did I see it saying that everyone must be white. (Even though Tolkien himself was racist and sexist, YOU should have a better understanding of race and gender oppression by living in this time.) I do have issues with Tolkien's "black men of the south," but you my dear, you are remaking the stories and reinterpreting them. Yes, I was happy that you made Galadriel's part larger and made her more powerful, but here's what I cannot forgive: you took the ONE strong female character in the books and turned her into a weak woman who could do nothing but pine over Aragorn. WTF! She never would have been that scared in battle and she wouldn't have followed Aragorn around like a sick puppy. That part made me exclaim out loud (as did your portrayal of the bad people. Seriously, the other theatre goers HATED me, but if you would stop putting such glaringly racist and sexist things in your movies I would stop yelling at the screen. I promise.) I explained to people that I knew it was your white male priviledge and that you never had to look at these things, but I cannot forgive you as you continue to make racist/sexist movies!!!! Your ignorance must end now. You have to start looking into critical gender and race theory, stat. (For ore info on your rampant racism in the LOtR trilogy I'll send you here. See, I'm not the only one disgusted by your antics. It would do you good to STOP NOW.

But I'm here to talk to you about King Kong. It's what pushed me over the edge. I know that you used Maoris for your tribespeople, and I also know that you darkened your skin tone. With your record I have to ask, what, not black enough for you? If they were one of the myriad of colours in between did you think that they would be misconstrued as possibly human? You could make a bunch of white people as nonhuman as you made the natives you know. (I almost threw up and the movie was paused as I flew into a rage over your caricatured stereotype of native peoples. When I didn't think it could possibly get any worse it did.) I don't think that it was possible to portray them as any less human. I know that you know it's not just me. I suggest you readAngry Black Bitch takes on racism in King Kong. Also,

The Washington Post's Stephen Hunter observed, "It remains a parable of exploitation, cultural self-importance, the arrogance of the West, all issues that were obvious in the original but unexamined; they remain unexamined here, if more vivid."

I fear that this is an "oversight" that you have made one too many times. So it's a remake, but one that in this day and age should scream at you that it is not on the level. In the '30s racism wasn't talked about as much as today, so you should have no excuse, especially coming from NZ where there is a whole group of people that suffer from it and battle it throughout your lifetime. (Ahem, if you are unaware of the Maoris, then you are more ignorant then I thought.) The natives were barely human, and with a critical take on the original King Kong your parodied version of them in the Broadway show would have forced people to examine the marked racism of the movie. (Yes I understand that there is a black man seen as a hero/father figure to one of the crew mates, but of course he gets killed.)

On to the sexism. Seriously, you changed it and made Ann Darrow not only talented, but extremely funny. This started out as a beautiful change from the original, and it made me actually hopeful that you may have changed your ways of corrupting strong female characters into wimpy women pining away after men. In fact it was her talent and her humour that attracted Driscoll in the first place. No, I see I was wrong again. Not only are you pedestalizing the white woman above all the native women (anyone else notice how Kong just killed all the others, but not Ann. Now one may argue that it's because of her charm, and I would like to agree, but given the context of the rest of the movie I cannot see this as anything else. Looked good, but you ruined it with the rest of your movie.) I cannot begin to recount all the awful ways in which Ann changes from that smart ultra-talented woman from the beginning of the movie, but I think the end sums it up very well: with the death of Kong, something I was crying over before it even happened (yes I knew the ending), she is soothed by the appearance of Driscoll, her knight in shining armour that rescued her from the evil ape in the beginning and who rescues her and makes everything ok in the end. Because a man who doesn't support you makes everything ok! Right! Better go get a man so that the patriarchy stops dead in its tracks. If I had been dear Ann I would not have run into his arms. Yes in a time of mourning sometimes you like to be comforted, but he did not help when she tried to stop them from nabbing Kong, and even held her back. This to me would be seen at that time as the betrayal that it truly was, but yet again the love interest saves her from her foolish womanly ways. That to me is a ridiculous concoction of how Hollywood needs to create (a wholly unbelievable) love story.

Is it too much to ask that you (or someone) create a remake of Kong that forsakes the racist and sexist stereotypes, and yes even the stereotypes of women from the '30s, in order to show how truly evil and despicable people are, exploiting whatever they can for money which ultimately ends in the destruction of that thing with no consequence to themselves? (And yes, that is why I always cry at Kong.)

Please change your ways. Your movie started out with such promise. A remake! I thought to myself. Maybe Jackson will have to take a look at the racism and sexism ingrained in the story because it's so blatantly obvious (one can say that about LOtR too, but one can also argue that it would change the plot too much, blah blah. I don't buy that for one second, but I've moved on, we're talking about your latest disaster now), but you didn't, or won't. In this day and age I cannot accept that you cannot see these horrible stereotypes for what they are. You need to make a good nonracist, nonsexist epic now to atone for your horrendous mistakes. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND HUMANITY STOP IT ALL READY!!!! Or else I may explode from all the rage that your movies arouse in me.

Oh and PS if you ever shoot a movie with Adrian Brody again you need to show more of his beautiful hands. (I got a hand thing, I'm aware of it.)

A song you just have to hear

For Lack of Anything

It's by my ex-roomie, the wonderful, talented Kristin Allen-Zito

Now I must run as it's sunny out and that doesn't happen often here so I must go and enjoy (will be back with more posts later, I got 2 /3 brewing up inside of me, one on Female Chavinist Pigs, one as a letter to Peter Jackson (guess what I watched last night), and one about how my pro-choice stance is very pro-life indeed.

Friday hippie love blogging

If there is someone on your blogroll who makes your world a better place just because that person exists and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence on your blog.

Because I must be like everyone else.

Oh, and I hope that some of you know that I am talking about your kick ass radical ways. Yes people on my blogroll, I'm talking to you!

Speaking of kids

(yes there will be another post on kids tommorrow. Is it me or does the feminist blogosphere tend to all talk about similar things at the same time?)

Anywho....anyone in Canada should all ready know about Stephen Harper's less then adequate childcare plan of giving $1200/year to parents instead of creating more daycare centers and more adequate childcare. BC welcomes this plan! Seriously, everyday I come up with more reasons to hate the BC liberals. I need to get off this continent. It's going to drive me insane.

Instead of the $600 million for childcare that BC would have recieved we are instead getting a piddly sum to "pay for childcare" that amounts to about $100/month. Anyone with kids would know that this is not near enough to cover childcare expenses. So apparently the rabid rightwingers want us to not only keep unwanted babies, but then we should also try who'll take care of our kids for $100/month. OK Harper, why couldn't you just stick to the Liberals plan. As much as I hate them your head is obviously shoved further up your ass then I thought possible.

Fuck. I just want to sleep through the conservative years. Is that possible?

How to induce a miscarriage herbally (and safely)

READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS, MOST QUESTIONS ASKED CAN BE ANSWERED BY READING THIS OR THE COMMENTS CLOSELY. IF YOU CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO READ THIS POST I CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

I have a disability that often keeps me away from this post (and just about everything else) for days and sometimes weeks at a time so I cannot guarantee you a timely answer to your question, but I have noticed that A LOT of the questions asked have been covered either in this post or in the comments. I have very little energy due to my medications and I do not wish to spend it repeating myself, so PLEASE read carefully and look for your answer before you ask a question.

THE COMMENTS ARE FOR SUPPORT OR QUESTIONS ONLY. JUDGEMENT BASED COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED, SO DON'T EVEN TRY.

And those of you who take the time to come back and tell us about your experience I thank you. It is good for others to know how this went for someone in the same position.

I have used this to positive results 3 times. Given the lack of access to bc and abortion in much of the US I would like to share this with all of you. Copy it, pass it around, send it to your friends. It is cheap and accessible to all. Obviously if there are any health problems or adverse side effects contact a doctor. My friends and I have used this with very little complications, but I just want to put that disclaimer out there as all bodies are different and yours may react differently then ours. Feel free to ask a natropath/herbalist/physician/gynaecologist.

It can only be used up to 3 weeks after a missed period, but the sooner the better. I've done it within the first week of missing my period and it's always brought it back for me. The best time to start it is on the 1st or second day of the missed period.

You will need:
Fresh parsley (preferably organic...I don't want pesticides in my vagina, so I go organic)
500 mg pills/capsules of Vitamin C (Try not to get pills with Bioflavonoids such as Rose Hips. These PREVENT miscarriage.)

The treatment can last 3 days: DO NOT EXCEED 3 DAYS!! This will work or not within 2/3 days.

1. Insert a fresh sprig of parsley as far as possible into the vagina. (parsley induces contractions, yum) Change every 12 hours. When soft, it may be difficult to remove, but this is not dangerous.

2. At the same time, drink parsley infusions. 2 to 6 tablespoons 4 times a day.

Making an infusion: use 2 1/2 cups of boiling water for every ounce of parsley (If you buy it at the store, minus 2/3 stems (for sprigs) this should be the amount of water used to make the tincture). Add parsley to boiling water, remove from heat and cover. Very important that you remove from heat IMMEDIATELY upon adding the parsley. Boiling the water with the parsley in there will make the infusion less effective. Let it steep for at least 20 minutes (the longer it steeps, the more potent it will be. I usually let it steep for 2 hours.

3. During the 3 days (or until your period starts) take high doses of Vitamin C orally. Ideally, take 500 mg every hour up to 6000 mg. You can continue using the Vitamin C for up to 6 days. Vitamin C can bring on menstruation even 3 weeks after a "late" period. you can begin taking Vitamin C immediately after unsafe sex, or if the condom broke, etc.

If successful you should start to bleed in 2 to 3 days.
Notes:
-You may have cramps (I get 'em bad after doing this) and you can take whatever you usually take for cramps or make a ginger infusion and take that.
-The chances of success are less if you regularly take high doses of Vitamin C
-High amounts of Vitmain C can cause loose stools. No one I know has experienced this, but is has been known to happen.
-Do not use if you have kidney problems.
-Watch for signs of Toxicity Specific to Parsley: Nausea, hallucinations, vomiting, vertigo, hives, paralysis, liver swollen and
painful, urine scanty and darkly colored, and tremors.

I've often noticed that on the second night I start emanating heat. Seriously I feel like a space heater. This is ok, it's just a side effect of the high doses of Vit. C and to me signifies that it worked and I will get my period soon (generally that night/next morning)

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE PENNYROYAL. IT IS DEADLY AND DANGEROUS. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH, DO NOT DO NOT, DO NOT USE IT!!!

I DO NOT know anything about adding Dong Quai, so DO NOT ask me about it. I don't know.

Credit for information: Hot Pantz Blood Sisters Collective, Montreal, Quebec.

Answers to FAQ
1. Your age will not affect whether this will work or not. If you are old enough to menstruate and get pregnant then you are old enough or this to be effective.

2. I do not know individual Vitamin C brands. I do not know how time release would work as there is no evidence as to if/how it has worked. I know that Vit. C with Rose Hips has worked, but it is preferential that if you can get Vit. C without Bioflavonoids that you do as this works better. Bioflavonoids should be labeled as such on the bottle.

3. I can't tell you how much an ounce of parsley is. I've only ever seen parsley sold in bunches (which I weighed at more then an ounce) so I just take a few sprigs and dump the rest of the bunch into 2-2 1/2 cups of water. Stores have scales so if you're worried there should be a scale in the produce section or at the very least in the deli.

4. There is no difference between Italian (flat) or curly parsley.

5. Always use fresh parsley.

6. If this doesn't work and you decide to carry to term there will be no adverse effects caused by the vitamin C.

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED. I have not had the time to publish, reject, or respond to the 200+ that are in my inbox right now nor do I forsee being able to keep up with them in the future. Furthermore I have not seen a post asking a question that hasn't been answered in the comments here yet and reiterate my statement that you should read the comments carefully b/c they will answer you comments. I wish you all the best of luck and feel free to start your own communities to talk about things like this.

Polish woman goes blind b/c she was denied an abortion

Yep, you heard it here. Catholic Poland would rather a woman go blind and have to struggle by with 3 kids on disability (140 Euros/month) then grant her an abortion, even though her doctors said that this may happen if she had another kid.

Poland apparently allows abortions if the woman or the fetus is in danger, but not in any other case, and apparently to the godbags in Poland going blind is more of a mere inconvenience then it is a danger. I mean, she's still alive right? Then what's the problem?

The European Court of Human Rights cannot throw out Poland's laws, but it could rule that Ms Tysiac's rights have been violated.

Mmm...thanks, glad to know that you thought something was wrong with that situation. Also glad to see with the collapse of communism the godbags were able to assert themselves and make abortion nearly impossible to obtain. Good job guys, I'm sure god loves you for protecting all those lives.....wait, what about those poor women? Maybe they should have thought twice before they were born a woman. It's their own fault really. That and the sex, they definitely aren't supposed to do that, unless they're married then they should, but only for procreation. WHat the hell was that woman doing spreeading her legs if she didn't want to procreate!

It's funny, I'm usually so busy with other things that abortion rarely flies onto my radar, but tales like this make me remember that the US could be like this soon. (Yes I believe in women's choice, but my conversations/actions are about many more things that aare not abortion. I occasionally write a letter, call a senator, etc., but I usually don't think about it. I've also been able to induce miscarriage twice herbally. That may also have something to do with it.)

News from the land of WTF!

Judge to woman: Don't send "mixed messages"

"What the judge thinks doesn't matter a damn," said Judge Erber after the verdict had been delivered. "But I think in the circumstances it would have been very unsafe for any other verdict to be returned."

Apparently if you are friendly to a man and allow him to stay in your bed this judge and jury thinks it's then ok for him to rape you. Yes you read that right. (Although through my own experience I have found that many supposed "friends" of mine who were supposed "anarchists" (I truly believe you can't be an anarchist if you're not against sexism. All hierarchy is bad, isn't that what anarchy's about?) have felt that it's ok to molest me while I'm sleeping b/c I was mistaken in believing that they were my friends and saw me as human. (I used to be so idealistic. Damn me for thinking my "peers" thought of me as one of them and not some sex toy that they were entitled to.) GAH!!! So what does this mean for us? That god forbid we treat men like our friends? See, guess I should definitely not make that mistake. (Which, judging by asshole Luke, seems to only prove this point. I had to leave my *own* house because he doesn't understand that when I say 'no' or 'not right now' or 'i don't want to' or 'i'm going to dissociate' that I *actually* mean no, and then spun me some bullshit about how his ex- liked him to be forceful. *pukes*

[tangential rage]How the hell can you confuse I'M GONNA FUCKING DISSOCIATE with me playing "coy" or "hard to get" or "saying no so I can hold onto some weird aspect of respect or whatever the hell you think it is." I'm gonna dissociate means "I'M ABOUT TO LEAVE MY BODY SO THAT I CAN DEAL WITH THE FUCKED UP THING THAT IS HAPPENING B/C THAT'S HOW MY BODY COPES WITH TRAUMA. Yes, TRAUMA. Fuck. Dissociate does not mean keep going it means back the fuck up or else you're not only assaulting me but you're seriously traumatizing me to the point where I might have flashbacks and nightmares for the next god knows how many years. (although assault w/o dissociating is traumatizing as well. I just deal with that better. For everyone it's different.) YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT. And then continue calling me with NO FUCKING APOLOGY. I know I should say this to your face, but everytime I see you my PTSD (i.e. anxiety disorder caused by FUCKHEADS LIKE YOU) kicks in and I get scared to tell you what I really want to tell you. Scared not b/c I don't think I could say this to you, but scared b/c for me dealing with more stress like this may mean a) I end up in the hospital b/c I can't sleep and can't stop crying, b) I don't get out of bed for a week or more, i.e. no going to work/class, no eating, no ANYTHING, and/or c) getting a fucking muscle spasm in my neck that leads to headaches and migraines. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS. YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME WHEN I SAID NO, YOU SLIMY SHIT. Although, it would be easier to hit you, which I've thought of many times because I'm NOT a fucking pacifist. At least not to PIECES OF SHIT like YOU. [/tangential rage]

1 step forward, 5 steps back.

I was first alerted of this at Capitalism Bad, Tree Pretty. (you can read her take on it there, I just wanted people to read about it if they don't happen to read Maia's wonderful blog.)

Great commentary from Trouble at CB, TP:

It's situations like this that make me wonder about how some people get so frothed at the mouth about the "all men are rapists" thing (which was a misquote, anyway).

If in order not to be raped, women need to pretty much sit behind electrified barbed wire to avoid sending mixed messages, what's that saying about the moral capacity of men? Isn't it completely insulting to give men that many excuses for not understanding what no means? Do we expect them to have a go whenever they think they have a chance, no matter how dodgy? And isn't that the same as saying they're all potentially rapists?

Basically, yes. I think we're not supposed to to ever associate with men for fear of sending mixed messages, which in the case of Luke was us watching some Arrested Development and then going to a bar. Um, yeah. Because I don't do that with dozens of people who don't think that they can assault me. Guess if I want to be treated like a human I should just hang out with my big bad self.

You should see this

It's really beautiful/depressing. Best short I've seen in awhile.
"More" by Mark Osborne

Watch this movie now! It's brilliant and gorgeous!

ATTENTION SEARCHERS

I am going to correct some of the misconceptions that bring web surfers to this page. Although I will start with the ones I find amusing, yet harmless. These are all ones that surprise me that they made their way to me.

Everyone who has been looking for the plot lines and/or meaning behind Desiree's Baby or A Pair of Silk Stockings I suggest you sit down and read all 9 or 6 pages, respectively. Kate Chopin's a brilliant author, the pages will just fly by (although I may write a feminist critique of her at some point and I'm sure that will make your scholastic procrastination even easier) It's really not that long, but if you have 15% more spinal fluid you may not be able to sit down and concentrate on such an emasculating "girly" book.

If you are looking for "horny" women and not "Horney" then you are in the wrong place. I also suggest that you check out dictionary.com. Or perhaps need I point out that you should possibly read a book, because you can learn more that way. But then again, I'm suggesting "girly books" you know, the ones with words.

I will also not be giving tips on "How to make men horney (sic)" as much as I will be talking about how to make me horny (i.e. treating women as human beings and not sex objects.) I have no idea how to make men into Karen Horney, but if I could, you're damn right I would. Although "What makes men horney (sic)" got a bunch of results on Karen Horney. Trust me, this is what you should be interested in way more then your original search (3 page views and 7 minutes! East Rockaway, NY. Come back again some time and say hi (or not..it's ok, just come back!) You shouldn't worry too much about making men horny, that, unfortunately is not a problem in this hypersexualised society.)

Also, you will find no "bootylicious women" here (Reston, VA. You came back twice! but didn't stay long enough). You will find a critique of the song and burlesque.

I am also not a "burlesque directory" and I will not tell you where any burlesque clubs are. I would suggest the yellow pages, but I don't know because I HATE BURLESQUE. (Idaho Falls, I'm looking at you)

EDited to add: Duncan, BC it's burlesque, not burlesgue. You shoulc also try picking up a "girly" book of visiting dictionary.com

Exhibitionist feminism from WA. I'm very interested in what that looks like.

feminism performance art burlesque LA (2 page views-4:11) I suggest you come back, because you should know that burlesque is not feminist.

A few shout outs:
Hi Burlesque is sexist from Australia!! You weren't on long enough to read my post, I suggest you come back.

Hello patriarchy rape "killing us" You're damn right it is!

All right, more later. I thought that you all might want to read some of this, b/c it makes me giggle everytime I get a new search.

What the.....?

First off, if any of my wonderful commenters left a comment yesterday (*ahem* BB) they were lost because I think I broke blogger. It seems to be working now and I think that your comments should be seen by the world. (I.e. please repost, especially if you posted a comment and aren't BB who is the only person who's comment I actually saw.)

OK, so several things have caught my eye and I just wanted to say, what the hell is that? So you're all wondering what this wonderful napping, cushion, god knows what thing is? It's a breast pillow. I guess lonely guys who couldn't possibly get anything from a living, breathing woman (I must question your judgement and your intelligence if you buy a product like this) can now buy their own pair of breasts to sleep on! Now they can rest easy. With how obsessed men seem to be with the female mammary glands maybe now they can have their own and stop leering at ours? Alas, no, this will probably not be the case. Sigh.

Nope, not only will we have to endure overgrown apes staring, drooling, and sometimes groping of our own mammaries, but now these men can drool, stare, and grope without needing to "deal" with the person that they are attached to. And they do make such a nice, comfortable pillow.

"Made for those who want to put their head on someone breasts, this is a soft but firm pillow in the shape of two naked breasts with realistic pink nipples. Put your head on one of the breasts or between them, either way you'll be in paradise!"

Paradise! Because you know, it's so much better to have your own pair of breasts that you don't need to worry about having an opinion, talking back, or indeed, doing any sort of thinking. It's much better this way, trust me. Breasts that are actually attached to people have so many pesky demands, like they want you to acknowledge that there's a living, breathing, thinking person attached to them. Who needs that kind of pressure?

Also I found (god help me, I don't know how I find these things) an ad for a poker site. It can't be worse then that crap we see on tv anyway, right? Well of course it does! I've checked out the site, and it's a pretty straightforward gambling site. How do they sell this site, you ask? With this monstrosity of misogynist fantasies found here. (WARNING: It's NOT WORK SAFE. Some nudity is contained within.)

Are you seething and spitting epitaths like I was after I watched it? Would ANY woman you know decide to play strip poker with some pervert who then said that he had been watching them through the fence? And his partner/wife jump in to join? Really? And was anyone else thinking the entire time that there is no way in hell would I play strip poker (as if I play strip poker. haha, not since high school. I wanna see someone naked, I go ahead and let them know *sheesh* [/tangent]) with that guy? I have absolutely no desire to see him naked. Actually, I have no desire to see him at all. Seems like one of the people I'd have a screaming match with at the bar, on the street, whatever. But of course there are young, skinny, attractive women who not only want to play poker with this jackass, but turn it into a strip tease. (Note how much the women were performing as they were taking their clothes off. Yeah, that was realistic.)

ARGH!!!

Happy Birthday Andrea!

It's Andrea from Vociferate's 23rd birthday!
Here's a cake for you too! Good thing I like baking so much. hehe. Buon Compleanno. I'm glad to have stumbled upon your journal in the vast chambers of the intarweb. You kick some serious arse!
(Seriously, next cake I make I'm going to try to make it look like one of the ones I keep finding. They're gorgeous!)

(All right, y'all. Anyone else with a birthday let me know now! Mine's in August *wink wink*)

Rape and survival

From a post by the intelligent Ginmar at A View from a Broad (full post there)

Patricia Hearst was supposed to die or be raped and be properly humbled and abashed: she wasn't supposed to try and survive and make us question the rape or die 'choices' we give women. Rape victims have to die because when they don't it's really hard not to ask questions about what rape is, and what purpose it serves in society. If they insist on living, or worse yet, recovering, then they're not obeying the rape script. Rape is supposed to teach a woman a lesson, to make her humble. As long as we insist on rescueing women after rape instead of before, then we're all complicit in that.

This stood out to me. Why? Is it because most women I know have been sexually assaulted or raped? Is it because many of these women are among the strongest and loudest anti-patriarchy voices out there?

I have severe PTSD (because of a lot of things, sexual assault being one of them) and I've found that even before I had the breakdown that made me stop ignoring the fact that I had PTSD occured, I was angry and I was fighting tooth and nail against the patriarchy. Because that is the way that I found to survive. To many of the women I know, it is also their way of surviving the trauma of rape. And while they may have become more cautious of their actions and of scenarios they've put themselves in (me too, here), they have become the LOUDEST, MOST RADICAL people you could meet. It's the only thing to do really. Anger is a step towards healing, as anyome working through PTSD knows.

My friends, women I've talked with through my work as an advocate, women who have felt comfortable enough to share with me your stories of sexual assault and of your survival, well, first off, thank you, you give me hope. Secondly, what I've learned is that we have not, and will not "learn our lesson." We are not humble. (Hear that rapists? Your plan to silence us doesn't work.) I know that for me personally, I become more and more radical every year. I see more and more things every year. The lesson I learned is that I have to be the opposite of humble, I have to demand space, demand freedom, demand to be seen and treated as a person. If rape is supposed to keep us in fear, those who have survived (and there are many out there...it is possible heal, to get on with your life) teach us that we can face that fear and we can win.

The idea of rape is used to keep us scared, to keep us responsible for being raped, instead of blaming those truly responsible: the rapists and our rape culture. It's horrible and I want no one to face it, but I'm going to repeat what (I hate) everyone says to me: we survive, we become stronger, we fight, and we are better. We're not afraid anymore, your plan didn't work. SO take your rape culture and shove it up your right nostril. We're coming for you.

I am amazed at times that I survived and continue to survive. I am amazed at all the women I meet who are the same. But the problem is, I don't know many radicals out there who haven't suffered this or have known someone very close to them who has been assaulted (I do believe that sexual assault happens in Domestic/Dating violence situations and I know some women who come to radical feminism through surviving DV.) How do we make this real for women without them having to experience something horrendous like this? How can we bring more people into the understanding that radical feminists have of the world before they're brutalized? Because really, that is what we need to do, and I have no idea how to do it. Talking and pointing out numbers, etc., doesn't work, I've done it.

How do we show someone how marginalized they are by patriarchy before the patriarchy shows them (in a much more violent way)? I want all those women/girls who half get it to understand it completely. How can I do that when my words don't seem to have any sway? (I understand they do, but I can't/won't/don't want to wait until everyone has an awakening (which unfortunately, IMHO, happens after a traumatizing event) because that'll take to damn long? Why am I fighting with "feminists" over porn and exploitation? Why can't they see it as clearly as I do? That those images promote a rape culture, that I'm not going to be ok with anything that promotes a rape culture? Why, why, WHY????


(You hear that assholes: if you don't want anymore radical feminists you should simply stop raping/beating us. See that simple. So stop.)

Also, I finally got around to making a thought out response to the compulsive masculinity comments)

Bon fete, mon ami!

[slow out of tune warble]
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear joooooooooiiiiiddddddaaaaaaaa,
Happy Birthday toooooooooo yooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!

[/slow out of tune warble]

(Yep it's Joida at Buried Voices birthday today!)

And many more!! Happy birthday, I am so happy that I got to know you, your poetry is an inspiration, and you are one of the fiercest allies. I'm glad that you're on my side, you kick ass. Happy birthday! (and we can pretend that the cake's vegan) Now get yer butt over to the West Coast! It's warmer here (although rainy).

Ms. Norah, I do believe you missed the point (A review of a book review)

I was reading Time magazine's full page review of Norah Vincent's Self-Made Man, the premise of which is that she dressed, acted, and lived the life of a man for 18 months. Don't worry she's not an "avenging feminist valkyrie," but instead a woman who wanted to know what exactly makes men act the way that they do. (Do I need to bother pointing out that skipping over all those years of socialisation leaves a big hole in a "neutral anthropologists" ideas of what it's like to be a man?)

"I think men have been forced to learn women's language, through the feminist movement," she says, "but women haven't seemed to evince a curiousity in learning men's language. Men have ways of communicating that women don't understand. And we think, because it's not our way, that nothing is being said." (emphasis mine)

WHAT? See I had this funny little idea that all of our language was "men's" language (seeing that they're the ones who get to define everything) and that if they have secret ways of communicating it's not women's fault we don't know it, it's that THEY don't want us to know it. She also thinks that our "feminist sniping" (Time's words, not hers) is too easy and that if just listened a little better or tried harder to understand men then we'd see that they're hurt by the patriarchy too.

Well, smack me upside the head with a giant tuna! I never ever thought that any form of oppressing demands restrictions from the oppressing group.i* Really I should stop "sniping" about fear of rape, battery, and murder, and just look at how short a stick men have been handed! Oh the poor poor men! How ever will they continue to function in this cruel, cruel anti-man patriarchy? (Say what?)

Problem is, I think that a lot of men and women think this. I don't know any radical feminist who will tell you that the patriarchy doesn't restrict men's freedoms as well, but we're not fighting for them, we're fighting so that the patriarchy will stop KILLING us. So they "have to" act all masculine. No wait, actually, they don't. They can choose not to. They may get made fun of by other men for it, but that doesn't mean that they can't do it. I know some men who do, and trust me, they are not suffering in any way because of it. (B/c being true to yourself and your knowledge of what's right isn't always easy, but it sure makes life better.)

She also says that women hold great "sexual power over men." Ahh, here we are. Why can't we get rid of this horribly misogynistic myth? So at a bar we may be able to shoot you down, but really is that power? If we were alone, and not in a crowded place in the same situation wouldn't that man possibly threaten us, rape us, or coerce us? Because really that happens so often that the idea that women have power over men "sexually" is the most absurd thing that I've ever heard. Because you want to sleep with us, and we (in public settings for the most part at least) get to say no and "icily wield our sexual power over men," this means that we have the upper hand in this situation? If by upperhand you mean the possibility to get hit on by a bunch of overgrown apes who see us as another notch in the bedpost, then sure, we do. Because we're not just sex to the, and we haven't been conditioned to seek their approval and pleas them. No, all lies I tell you, none of which is true. Women are taught from the time that they are born to the time they die that they are worthwhile, talented, intelligent PEOPLE, who are not sex objects. Right! OK! I live under a rock with no contact with our current society at all! (I want whatever she's taking.)

Just because I won't uncross my legs for every Harry, Dick, or Tom does not mean that I am "icily" wielding my "sexual power." It means I am asserting my personhood. Anyone stop to think for a second that maybe these women were "icy" to you is because they didn't want to date/sleep with you? That makes us icy? Cuz then I am really the Snow Queen.



*i is a sarcasm point in case anyone missed that I was being sarcastic. I stopped using them after the first one. This should teach you what sarcasm looks like. You'll have to figure out the rest on your own.