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Saturday, October 15th, 2011
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4:29 am - Reasons I'm a bad person, #2,983,471
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current mood:  amused
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| Saturday, October 1st, 2011
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4:23 pm - Latest projects
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So one of the things I promised myself I'd do when I started grad school, and had more time (which, what the hell was I tripping on? I do not have more time, not even remotely) was to start sewing again more regularly. I have a custom dress form, I have a serger, I have a sewing machine (actually, I have two sewing machines; I'll have to write up my "new" 100-year-old one that I was sewing on yesterday), and now I even have a rotary cutter and mat, and goddammit, why don't I sew more often? I can directly do something about the fact that there's a lot of RTW clothing and shit that doesn't fit me, and I haven't been.
So, I've been sewing. Not every day, so far (but some of my days, I'm out of the house for 13 hours, so.) but usually 3 or 4 a week.
( Projects and pictures under here )
current mood:  creative
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| Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
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11:47 pm - Fuck.
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Here's the thing.
I don't know all of the details of the Troy Davis case. I didn't read the trial transcripts, can't name the jurors, haven't examined the evidence myself.
And I can still say no, he should not have been killed.
As many of you know, I'm over it if my currently RT-heavy and always feminist-harpy-centric Twitter feed has pissed you off (nb: I expect to be called out for privilege and fuck-ups; I don't apologize for shouting my story, the stories of others, and the thoughts, ideas, and actions of anti-oppression). It's one of those things where one, it's not about me, and two, others are saying things much better.
I am totally, completely opposed to the death penalty.
Even if someone has confessed to a crime, even if we are as close to 100% sure we know that person is guilty as fuck, I don't have the right to kill them. By extension, I don't believe my government has the right to kill them. Note the possessive pronoun.
Compounded with the fact that there are documented cases, multiple documented cases, of mistakes made, of innocent people executed, and fucking a, how does this still seem like a good idea?
This is not the world I want to live in.
We can damn well do better.
current mood:  fuck. fuckity fuck fuck fucking fuck.
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| Sunday, August 28th, 2011
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12:08 am - Recipe: peach-raspberry crisp and peach ice cream
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Twitter says putting the two of these together is the GREATEST IDEA. I am inclined to agree.
Peach-Raspberry Crisp
- 6 - 8 peaches (I used 6)
- 1 pint raspberries (yes, 1 pint. I got a full pint in my CSA, you can use less, it's cool, they're expensive)
- 1/2 C. granulated sugar
- 2-3 T. cornstarch
- Streusel (I... kind of eyeballed a streusel together. Basic ingredients are butter, flour, sugar, and brown sugar. Otherwise, double this recipe, but don't add the water or cinnamon. The rest of the proportions are more or less right. You can just make one batch if you don't like so much streusel, but I want you to know you're a heathen.)
Peel and chop your peaches. To peel the peaches, cut a shallow 'x; in the bottom of the peach, submerge them in boiling water for a minute or two, then plunge in to ice water. The skin should slip right off. Mix with sugar and cornstarch, and gently fold raspberries in. Place in to 9" or 10" square pan, top with streusel. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until streusel is browned and filling is bubbly.
Peach Ice Cream
- 2 C. milk
- 2 C. heavy whipping cream
- 1 C. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. almond extract
Peel and chop your peaches, as above. Mix milk, whipping cream, and sugar in a large container (e.g. an 8 C. tupperware). Add extracts and peaches. Freeze, stirring often.
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| Friday, August 12th, 2011
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5:04 pm - Way to be, asshat! (teaspooning opportunity/opportunity to make a positive difference)
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Wednesday there was a shooting in Brighton, MA, which happens to be my neighborhood of Boston. The alleged shooter was a 54-year-old man. A 75-year-old man was shot and died that day. The alleged shooter was arraigned in court on Thursday, and today in the local paper, an article was posted about the whole thing.
The article contains a quote from the Director of the Boston Housing Authority (the apartment complex where the shooting took place is owned by the BHA):
Bill McGonagle, director of the Boston Housing Authority, said Moore was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and has lived in public housing for the disabled for many years. He said the fatal shooting underscored the danger of placing people with mental illness and substance-abuse problems alongside elderly residents.
“We’re moving these folks in next door to our grandmothers and grandfathers,’’ he said. “It’s absolutely outrageous public policy. I’ve been getting complaints about this for 20 years."
Not only is the statement pure ableism, it's also in direct violation the BHA's own civil rights policy. Yes, some people with mental illness become violent. Most don't. Similarly, some people walking down the street become violent. Most don't. Mental illness does not automatically mean someone is violent and dangerous. Statements like this just add to the stigma faced by those with mental illness, making it harder for them to seek treatment, find a job, find a house. If you thought that just because you had an illness, you'd be denied your house or apartment, or fired from your job, would YOU find a doctor and get treated and mention it? Knowing that if you have insurance, your diagnosis goes on there, and that this is what people think of people like you?
This can be reported to the BHA's Civil Rights violation hotline if one is a BHA resident. If you're not a BHA resident, you can file a formal complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) or with the New England Office of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
The MCAD can be reached at 617-727-3990. HUD can be reached at 617-565-5308, 1-800-827-5005, or TTY 617-565-5453.
Additionally, the Administration group for the BHA can be reached at administration@bostonhousing.org, 617-988-4130, or TTY 800-545-1833 ext. 420.
If you or someone you love has a mental illness, and you're up for it, please consider calling and filing a formal complaint. This would be awful regardless of who said it, but the fact that it's the Director of the BHA, an agency specifically tasked with helping people with mental illness, just makes it that much worse.
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| Saturday, July 30th, 2011
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12:18 am - Recipes!
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So apparently beans are getting ripe for the pickings up here in Liberal Paradise. So are tomatoes. To that end, I present:
SUMMER BEAN SALAD
So I didn't think I would be a fan of something along these lines, and I kind of totally am. It's very light and summer-y and I kind of like the taste of vegetables, y'all, okay?
1# or so mixed beans (green beans, wax beans, Romano beans) - snip ends and snap in to 2" pieces or so
Handful of fresh basil, sliced thin
Half a sweet onion, sliced as thin as you can get it (vidalia works, salad onions, spring onions - all good choices. I had a fresh salad onion on hand from my CSA)
1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 medium cucumber, diced fine
5 T (or so) Lemon vinaigrette (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Blanch the beans (cook in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then plunge in to ice water immediately). Pat dry.
Mix rest of ingredients with beans. Serve chilled.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
If you have one of those little Good Seasonings cruets, this is super easy. Just substitute lemon juice for the water. If you don't, the general proportions are 1/4 C vinegar, 3 T. water, and 1/2 oil. So for mine, I used 1/4 C white vinegar, 3 T. lemon juice (I happened to have a lemon in the house and juiced it, giving me a sketch over 3 T. This is TOTALLY FINE), and 1/2 C olive oil.
current mood:  content
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| Sunday, July 10th, 2011
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8:57 pm - Cucumbers with sour cream
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I hear posting recipes is popular, y/n?
Anyway, this is exactly what it sounds like in the title. It's super-simple, delightfully creamy and refreshing, and goes wonderful with spicy things. Or BBQ ribs. Oh my god, ribs.
Cucumbers with sour cream
- 3 medium to large fresh cucumbers
- 1 pint sour cream
- Salt & Pepper
Slice the cucumbers as thin as you can get them (a mandoline is v. helpful for this step. You are gonig for paper-thin). Place cucumbers in bowl. Add sour cream, add some salt and pepper. Mix. Taste, add more salt & pepper as necessary. Keep and serve chilled.
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| Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
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11:22 pm - My Planned Parenthood
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When I first heard about this blog carnival, I was SUPER-EXCITED, let me tell you. I mean, I'm still super-excited, but I'll also share that I really struggled with this post (hell, I struggle with blogging; it's why I don't do it often). I wanted to have a MESSAGE, a POINT, and be SUPER-RELEVANT.
And I re-read the post re: the carnival at Shakesville and realized it's not about having some sort of sermon, or quotable point, or anything like that. It's about sharing my experience with Planned Parenthood.
So that's what this is.
( Read more... )
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| Thursday, June 30th, 2011
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11:35 pm - My Planned Parenthood: Raise Your Voice. Tell Your Story.
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So it's not as if I post here all the time. I am not a prolific blogger even under the best circumstances. Especially not now with Twitter (let's talk about how much I love Twitter, y'all).
Mostly lately I've been posting on the Shrieking Feminist Harpy scale, which, really? I like that. I like posting stuff along those lines, I like tweeting stuff along those lines, and I've been working on totally owning the Harpy label. Because if people are going to call me one anyway, fuck it, I may as well enjoy it!
The social justice thing, y'all, kind of a big deal for me and a major part of who I am.
So, I'll be participating in the My Planned Parenthood blog carnival, hosted by two of my favoritest blogs, What Tami Said and Shakesville.
Why? Because it's kind of a bfd. As a loooot of you know, Planned Parenthood provides health care - including and especially reproductive health care - to SO FUCKING MANY PEOPLE, y'all. Including me.
So I'll be posting about my experiences with Planned Parenthood, as a white straight cis-woman.
I'd like to encourage you to participate, too. The more voices, the better.
Click the picture above for more information, but here's an excerpt of ways to participate:
How:
— Spread the word about this blog carnival through your blog, word of mouth and social media. On Twitter, use hashtag #MyPP. Post the My Planned Parenthood graphic on your blog and link it to this announcement. (See code below.)
— Email whattamisaid@gmail.com or melissa.mcewan@hotmail.com with your intention to participate. Include the name of your blog and its URL.
— Write your post. We may ask you to include a .jpg carnival graphic with information on how to support Planned Parenthood in your post.
— Schedule your post to publish by 9 a.m. Eastern, Thursday, July 7. If you can, send a direct link to your post to one of the email addresses above before July 7. What Tami Said and Shakesville will publish the names and links to all participating blogs in a stub post on July 7.
— Continue to spread the word and direct people to blog carnival posts.
If you are not a blogger, but would like to share your story, send it to one of the emails above and we will publish it on our websites. (Material published on our blogs is subject to our editorial approval.) Be sure to include your home state and a "handle" that needn't be your real name.
We will NOT link to any anti-choice or anti-Planned Parenthood posts. We will verify content at links.
Neither What Tami Said nor Shakesville are affiliated with Planned Parenthood or Planned Parenthood of Indiana. Planned Parenthood is not involved in this effort. Melissa and I are simply two Hoosier women concerned by conservative legislatures' attacks on women and the organizations that serve them, as well as continued distortions about Planned Parenthood's services disseminated by opponents of reproductive freedom and choice.
Please. Join us. If you've talked with me in meatspace lately, or follow me on Twitter, you know that lately it's been all kinds of "enough is enough". This is another way to speak up, say enough, and tell our stories.
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| Sunday, May 8th, 2011
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11:02 pm - 5000 question survey, part 1
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| Saturday, February 5th, 2011
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2:49 pm - On censorship and free speech
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I almost started this entry with a direct quote from Dictionary.com of the definition of censorship. Somewhere, I remember reading that's a bad way to start an essay, so I won't, but in the meantime, I'll say that reading it is a prerequisite to participating in this discussion. I'll also say that reading the definision of censor is in order, as is a re-reading of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Recommended reading includes this primer on free speech from the ACLU
Done? Okay good.
Those of you who follow me here or on Twitter or on any of the blogs I post on are, I'm fairly sure, aware that I'm a flaming progressive. That means that, among other things, I think all people are inherently equal, discriminating against people on the basis of intrinsic characteristics like sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ability, etc. is really fucked up. It also means that I think the fact that we are living in a rape culture is fucked up, that we're living in a racist culture, that we're living in a sexist culture, etc. and so on, and that I actively work when possible to end those things.
There are consequences to this.
I've been lucky so far; I haven't received death threats (this is not an invitation to send me any), threats against my loved ones, threats of rape, sexist or otherwise hateful remarks, etc. I generally don't get trolled much, although I'm aware it's probably going to happen, and it happens with distressing frequency to more well-known feminist and progressive bloggers, like SweetMachine and Melissa McEwan.
It's not a coincidence tha those two links obliquely reference a criticism of a Penny Arcade comic that ran last year. That just happens to be the largest of the latest round of instances of this.
Here's how it goes, specifically with sexism, but you can substitute any kind of hate for sexism if you want:
- Sexist bullshit gets published or said somewhere.
- Feminist/progressive objects to it, posts on their blog their objection and probably also contacts the creator directly.
- Feminist gets accused of censorship, overreacting, being too sensitive, not knowing what they're talking about.
- Feminist gets trolled.
- Creator probably doesn't apologize, and may in fact encourage trolls.
- Feminist probably gets threats.
Again, it differs; I for example don't usually get trolled or threatenened, but I've gotten the censorship accusation before, most recently on Twitter. (Have I mentioned that I love Twitter? Because I luuurrrve Twitter, and I'm not even being sarcastic).
Here's the thing though: Someone objecting to something you wrote or said is not censorship.
Let me say that again, perhaps in a bigger font, because it's kind of important:
Someone objecting to something you wrote or said is not censorship.
Here's why.
I, or any other blogger, is not a government agency. I am not in any sort of position to force you to take anything down off of your blog or comic or whatever. I am in no position to force you to do anything. I do not have control or power over you.
And that's why it's not censorship.
Me calling you a douchehound is not censorship, me saying that you know, really, I'm sure you're capable of being more sensitive to the concerns of rape survivors and victims (insert other oppressed group here as necessary) is not censorship, me saying that fuck you I'm never reading your sexist (insert other -ist as necessary) shit again or giving you any of my money is not censorship, my publicizing my contempt for your douchey ass is not censorship, my saying that this entire thing is bullshit is not censorship, and my expecting an apology out of you when you fuck up is not censorship. Even were I to delete your trolly comments with threats, stupidity, etc., that's still not censorship.
Examples of censorship would be if the government got wind of what you were doing and forced your ISP to block certain pages. If the government made your host remove the page in question. If the government contacted you and forced you to remove the content in question. If the government let you keep the content up but put those awesome black bars over part of it. If the government decided that you deserved to be imprisoned for exercising your right to free speech. If the government decides that journalists shouldn't be allowed to report on happenings, and even goes so far as to abduct them and jail them. Those are censorship.
And if you'd like to fight with me about the 2nd or 3rd definitions on dictionary.com, I will simply insert a familiar phrase about cooking vessels and color. Either way, don't have the power to jail you for your opinion on my assuredly lax morals and impure character, so it's, oh right, still not censorship.
Well but you're still impinging on my right to free speech, even if you're not forcing me to do anything! Saying I should do something is limiting my rights!
No, I'm not. Case law is pretty freaking clear on this. I'm not Congress, and I'm not making a law impinging on your right. I literally cannot impinge on your right to free speech. Having a commenting policy at a blog is not an impingement of free speech. Someone objecting to your free speech isn't impinging on your right, they're exercising their own. Even if I say "I damn well expect an apology for this", that's not impinging on your rights, because as an autonomous being, you have the ability to apologize or not (or nonpologize) as you see fit. Facing consequences to your actions is not an impingment of free speech, even if you don't like the consequences. (Facing government consequences may be in some limited cases, but since I'm not the government, as outlined above, this isn't one of those cases).
Interestingly enough, "fighting words" and threats are not considered protected free speech, and are actionable by law enforcement. I find it interesting that the very people who are complaining the loudest about their first amendment rights are the ones least familiar with where they begin and end.
So, you can say pretty much whatever you want. Your right to free speech ends where mine begins. I am in no way obligated to listen to/publish your speech, or even to like it. I am in no way limited from publishing or stating my opinion on your previous speech (with the exception of threats, libel, or slander). So please, if you'd like to continue whinging about how when the mean feminists hurt your fee-fees and call out your sexist bullshit is censorship, take your incorrect ass and say it somewhere else.
current mood:  contemptuous
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| Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
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1:56 pm - Mixed news
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"Allegra for allergies goes over the counter". [TW applies on the comments]
So this is some mixed news for me. I've taken Allegra for years for my allergies. Thankfully, they're not so bad that I have to take some every day, but when they're bad, they're BAD. Allegra lets me function at something resembling a human adult level.
For years, I was on insurance that wouldn't cover my prescription for Allegra. Not just that I had to take a Tier 1 medication, fail, and get approval for Allegra, but didn't cover it, period. Which was a problem, as it is the most effective allergy medication I've ever taken. Claritin (loratidine) literally doesn't do a blessed thing for me. Zyrtec (cetirizine) helps take the edge off, but it's not as effective as Allegra (fexofenadine). I can also take chlorpheniramine maleate (in OTC drugs like Chlor-Trimeton) or brompheniramine maleate (in Dimetapp), but those have a much shorter half-life than fexofenadine, so I'd have to take multiple doses per day.
The reason my insurance a few years ago didn't cover Allegra is that they said "oh, it's going over the counter in a month or two." Please note, this was literally two to five years ago that they told me this. So, since it wasn't over the counter, and I could not even find any information or news reports or FDA briefings even alluding to it going over the counter, I was mostly screwed. I got by with Zyrtec and importing Allegra from my mother in another state - since her insurance covered it and she, like me, doesn't need to take it every day.
I also at this time had a flexible spending account, which made purchasing OTC drugs a little easier. It was paid for with pre-tax money, which took some of the financial edge off. Especially since I was making about $35k a year at that time. (Speaking of which, college educated, experienced manager, making $35k for a job that wanted me to work something like 60 hours a week. Please tell me again how our economy is not fucked up.)
I changed jobs two years ago, to something where I both make more and where Allegra is again blessedly covered. I pay for my insurance every month (as well as for my partner's; we're both on my work's plan so it comes out of my paycheck) and pay a $20 co-pay for my pharmacy to mail me a 3-month supply of Allegra every three months. I also have an FSA, so it's still being paid for by pre-tax dollars. So I'm doing okay in that respect.
But here's the issue with it going over the counter. New FSA regulations state that FSA dollars can no longer be used to pay for OTC drugs, unless you have a supporting prescription from your doctor. So, okay, that's an annoyance for me. Second annoyance is that now I can't get a three-month supply any more. Third annoyance is that the prices will be higher OTC; I'm not going to get the prescription generic price my insurance gives me.
But see, I'm remarkably privileged, and these are annoyances for me.
If I had to take Allegra every day, I'd be buying a whole lot in the store, on a regular basis. That's an additional cost, and an additional hassle. If I didn't have an FSA, I'd be feeling the cost even more. If I worked a lower-paying job, and didn't have an FSA but had health insurance that covered it, which now won't, I'd really be feeling the financial pinch. If I had mobility issues and relied on mail-order to get me the meds I need so I don't run out, and now can't do that, awesome, now I have to go out to the store which is a pain in the ass, possibly literally.
But if I don't have insurance, and couldn't afford a doctor, I now have access to another drug that might help me. It's expensive, but it might be worth it.
So I'm not totally against the drug going over the counter, far from it. I am concerned about the new FSA regulations, which I feel might affect access for some people, and I am concerned about the cost of this drug for everyone. And on the additional burden on physicians, especially PCPs (so your pediatricians, family doctors, internists) which are already busy as hell. Now they have to write prescriptions for Tylenol and shit, so people can pay for them in a more affordable manner. Awesome.
I mean, I work in the pharma industry. Yeah, there's a lot of research and testing that goes in to these drugs. Yes, there are shady-ass things that happen in pharma. Yes, we spend a lot of money on computers and wireless devices and sales and lab equipment and chemicals and on salaries and benefits for people. And there are a lot of drugs out there that absolutely transform peoples' lives and make living possible. So I'm mixed all around on this.
As for the comments, I love some of the total winnahs appearing there. [TW] "If you can't breathe without drugs something is wrong with you". Yeah, it's called I LOST THE GENETIC LOTTERY, so I am far more sensitive to mold, which is an irritant pretty universally for humans, than most people. So I react to it a lot sooner than a lot of other people do. Which means that there are days when I literally can not see clearly because my allergies are so triggered. Which means there are days when I'm a little short of breath because of that.
I didn't ask for it. I didn't make this happen on my own. It's not really something I can turn off, and we don't have a cure for it yet. But thanks for your ableism, jackass.
"This is great news. Now perhaps the cost of insurance will become more manageable." Please explain to me how a drug going OTC is going to affect your insurance costs. Hint: it's not. Yes, insurance is expensive. Because we have a horribly set-up health care system in this country that is all about denying care to as many people as possible and making as great a profit as possible. And drowning everyone in bureaucracy. But, you know, it's us allergy sufferers that are really jacking the costs up, yeah. There isn't a rolleyes big enough for this shit.
So yeah. Mixed news. Any time we wanted to get on that single-payer health care plan would be great with me, FYI.
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| Sunday, December 19th, 2010
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8:37 pm - Why I am angry.
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[Trigger Warning: this post discusses rape, rape culture, and rape apologia, as well as the Julian Assange and Ben Roethlisberger cases]
So if you follow me on the Twitter, you've seen me retweeting (well, more than normal) and posting a lot of stuff with the hastag of #mooreandme.
What is this nonsense, you may ask. Why the hell is she angry NOW.
Well.
Sady over at Tiger Beatdown started a protest on Twitter, getting up in Michael Moore's face, about the fact that 1, he spread false information about the nature of the allegations against Julian Assange, who is a bfd at Wikileaks apparently. 2, that he published the accusers' names online and endangered them unbelievably. 3, that he laughed, laughed, about serious allegations and called them "hooey", and 4, won't apologize and correct his mistakes. Among other details.
Here's the thing. This? Is not even remotely an unusual occurence. Remember when Ben Roethlisberger was accused of rape? Remember how that all went away? Because the woman in question was getting threatened with violence. Because the woman in question was getting smeared from every direction - "she was drunk" "she was wearing a short skirt" "she knew who he was" "she's just trying to get money out of him" "she knew what was going to happen" "clearly she had sex and regrets it" and on and on and on. So for her own safety, for her own sanity, she refused to go forward anymore.
Because when someone says "I was raped" in this country, in this culture, as a whole, we all jump to find reasons that clearly that person is lying. "Well that wasn't really rape", we say, or "well what did you expect? You were at a bar that's known for hook-ups", or "it takes two to tango" or "why didn't you say no?" or "why didn't you mace hir?" or "you're just a slut" or "whatever you just changed your mind afterwards" or "oh come on, stop looking for revenge" or whatever. Which, what other crime do we do that with? If someone says "oh my god, my house was broken in to", we don't all say "well clearly you must have left the door open", or "that's what you get for having a tv", or "why didn't you have an alarm on your house?" or "oh you just have a grudge against the person that did it". We say "Oh my god, are you okay? Did you report it? I hope they catch the person that did it!"
How come we don't say that about rape? And how fucked up is that?
Rape's the ultimate violation. It's beyond your property or home being violated - it's you. You, your physical being, was violated. And instead of supporting and helping people who have lived through this, we shame them and silence them and push them back in to the shadows because we don't want to deal with it. Because "he's too nice to have done that". Or "you're just crazy". Or "it's just politically motivated". Or "it didn't really happen."
The fact is, it DOES happen. It happens a LOT. I've been lucky enough to not have been raped in my life. And that's what it is - luck. I've been lucky to never been in the same room with a rapist with an opportunity to rape me. It has nothing to do with what I've done or haven't done.
Statistically speaking, there's at least a few rape and sexual assault survivors on my flist, and more than a few on my Twitter follows. And if this were being done to any of them, and I knew about it, I'd be angry as hell and demanding justice.
Why should it be different when I don't personally know the victims?
Every victim of a crime should be able to report it and expect justice. Every victim of a crime should be able to demand an investigation without being threatened, dismissed, or smeared.
And the people who speak up for the victims of crime, and demand justice, should also not have to deal with threats, smears, and lies. Which is what Sady, especially, but a lot of other people are dealing with. Sady's been threatened with death, rape, unspeakable horrors, been called every name in the book and then some, and been told in a bazillion ways to get back in the kitchen. Which is also FUCKED. UP.
So until Michael Moore (and Keith Olbermann) own up to their part in creating a culture where instead of support, rape survivors and reporters receive shame and threats, I'm going to be participating in the #mooreandme campaign. And retweeting stuff other people have added. Because people, survivors, fucking matter, and because you know what? As a species, we can do fucking better.
If you want to get involved, there's a lot of ways. Donate to a local rape crisis org. Volunteer for one. Hit up Shakesville or Tiger Beatdown, and get some education. Email, tweet, or comment Sady and let her know that you support her. If you're on Twitter, post with the #mooreandme hashtag. Talk to the people in your life who aren't aware of this and educate them, as well - spread the word. When you or someone you know does something that perpetuates the rape culture, stop, analyze, own it, and do better. Speak up if someone tells a rape joke. Send a letter, comment, or email to Michael Moore or Keith Olbermann asking them why they're supporting rape culture.
Because we can fucking do better.
current mood:  determined
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| Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
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1:09 am - Just for @RaisingBoychick...
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| Saturday, April 24th, 2010
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12:06 am
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| Sunday, February 28th, 2010
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11:19 pm - More stitching.
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I've put another six or seven hours in on Garden Beauty over the past few weeks, so I figured I'd ( post my progress )
current mood:  awake
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| Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
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5:33 pm - Regarding "fat people should have to buy two seats on an airplane"
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First, I say to you, read this.
Then I say to you, when you say "fat people should just stop eating", and "fat people should absolutely have to buy two seats on a plane", or "fat people shouldn't fly anyway", or "who wants to sit next to a smelly gross fat person", or anything even remotely like those things, I'd like to remind you of something:
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ME
No. Really. You're talking about me.
And if your reaction is "No I'm not!", or "But you're not fat!", I'd like to remind you that medically speaking, I am not only fat I am obese, and I most certainly am fat.
It's okay. Call a spade a spade. I'm a fat chick. Always have been, always will be. Regardless of what I eat, regardless of how much I exercise, I have not weighed less than 230 pounds since before I hit puberty. I have been at or near my current size for so long that I literally do not remember not being this size.
And airplane seats are EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME.
Sure, I'm 6' tall, so my knees often dig in to the seat in front of me, and I have to wedge myself in there. But seeing as how I am ALSO fat, I get to have armrests dig in to me as well! I also have broad shoulders and fat arms, so I get to hug myself the entire flight, so that my arms stay within the magic boundary of my seat. When people recline their seats in front of me, I have to watch my nose and chest to make sure they're not hit, and let me tell you how fun it is to dodge that shit when you can't fucking move.
I also get the added bonuses of:
- Hearing people say "Glad I don't have to sit next to her"
- Seeing the rolled eyes and hearing the heaving sighs from the people who do sit next to me
- Not knowing if I'll be kicked off, because one plane seat is expensive enough so I didn't buy two
and much much more!
So when you say "Well fat people shouldn't fly", or anything else like it, you are, very definitely, saying that I shouldn't fly. You are saying that I am less-than, that I don't deserve the same options as you. You are saying that you find me gross, disgusting, smelly. Because whether you mean to refer to me with those statements or not, you do, seeing as how I am a part of the group collquially known as "fat people".
And if that is how you truly feel, then we really, really aren't friends, you bigoted asshole.
current mood:  angry
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1:45 am - Sitchery Update
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Why yes, I have been doing some embroidery lately. Good times.
The only one not in here is the hardanger piece I have in progress, because it's 1 in the morning and I can't be arsed to go upstairs and get it. (EDIT: also not in here is Bridge over the River Beck, also because it's 1 in the morning and I can't be arsed to go upstairs and get it.)
( That being said... )
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| Monday, February 1st, 2010
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11:03 pm - Shockingly, it's BU/BC for the Beanpot final next week.
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GOD I love hockey.
current mood:  excited
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| Sunday, January 31st, 2010
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12:00 am
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It suddenly dawns on me that I have learned two new dances this month: bolero and quickstep. And both well enough to dance them out and about.
Huh.
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devious