Dudley, aka Mr. Doodles
Matilda, aka Queen Cat of Fuck Mountain
Olivia, aka Fatsy Catsy
Sophie, aka Sophie-Sophs
Zelda, aka Zelly Belly
Daily Dose of Cute
Dudley, aka Mr. Doodles
Matilda, aka Queen Cat of Fuck Mountain
Olivia, aka Fatsy Catsy
Sophie, aka Sophie-Sophs
Zelda, aka Zelly Belly
If It's Friday, It's Boba Fett!
A fun Friday afternoon waster of time here is. (Yoda.) The name of each person (or not, if they happen to be non-humanoid) below begins with a letter of the alphabet (Modern Latin). A, B, C and so forth all the way down through Z. (Or "zed" if you're British.) Can you name them all? You can! You're a nerd.
(Click to engage tractor beam.)
Damn. I choked. Fucking prequels. (And ewoks.) Who has seen the ewok movies? Anyone? I sure haven't. But it is my newest goal. See those ewok movies, Deeky! (Netflix?) Good luck, I hope everyone did better than me.
The answers are here.
Hurricane Update
New York City has ordered mandatory evacuations for low-lying areas.
At the same time, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered New York bridges closed to traffic and the New York State Thruway to be closed if sustained wind speeds exceed 60 mph.
Also: "The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority will begin a systemwide shutdown beginning at noon Saturday, the New York governor's office says."
So...that will make evacuations easy.
*squinch-eye*
I have A LOT of friends and family in NYC and surrounding areas, and more along the rest of the eastern seaboard. I know there are a ton of Shakers in the areas likely to be hit by the storm, too. I'm thinking about you and concerned for you.
I know that sounds insufficient. It feels insufficient, too.
Today in Rick Santorum Says Something Stupid
A tree is a car, a marriage is a tree, a baloo is a bear, a yonker is a young man, and Rick Santorum's brain is wadded-up paper towels, eggshells, and coffee grounds:
[Same-sex marriage is] like going out and saying, "That tree is a car." Well, the tree's not a car. A tree's a tree. Marriage is marriage. You can say that tree is something other than it is. It can redefine it. But it doesn't change the essential nature of what marriage is. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purposes of the benefit of both the man and the woman, a natural unitive according to nature, unitive, that is for the purposes of having and rearing children and for the benefit of both the man and the woman involved in that relationship.Blah blah marriage has been redefined A LOT blah blah not all straight couples want or can have children blah blah Santorum blah stupid blah bigot blah fuck blah blah dinosaur scat et cetera.
Have at it in comments.
Rape Culture 101
Not infrequently, male Shakers say in comments of threads about sexual violence that they cannot imagine what it's like to live as a woman in the rape culture.
Speaking for myself only, as other women may certainly disagree, I would say that this video [trigger warning for sexual violence] conveys that experience in a way as chilling as it is precise.
You want to know what it's like to live as a woman in the rape culture? Watch that video, and imagine being a woman in the room, listening to a man tell a humorous anecdote about raping a woman to a room full of cheering men, while male comedians onstage make jokes that reveal they know it's rape but won't say the word, won't stop him, do not express compassion for his victim, do not react in any way at all to the admitted rapist in their midst, except to observe that the women in the room are shaking their heads with disgust.
Imagine how unsafe you'd feel. Imagine how angry you'd feel. And then imagine that it's not a room you can leave.
That's what living as a woman in the rape culture is like.
[H/T to @ArielArcher.]
Friday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by good faith!
Recommended Reading:
Shark-fu: On Women's Equality Day
Aja: [TW for misogyny] NY Times to YA Publishing: Stop Being So Girly
Dana: [TW for sexual assault] An Open Letter to Spirit Airlines
Courtney: [TW for misogyny and objectification] "Geek Girls" and Self-Objectification
Monica: [TW for transphobia] Moment of Silence for Trans Service Members on September 20
Latoya: [TW for racism, misogyny, fat hatred, rape culture] Between a Racial Rock and a Gender Hardplace
Resistance: [TW for racism] I Am an American
Have you signed Al Franken's petition to repeal DOMA yet? You should!
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
You Sank My Ouija Board!
Good news, film fanatics!
Hollywood has come to its senses and cancelled the Ouija board movie they had in devlopement. (See here.) Maybe because the movie had been already made twenty-five years ago starring Tawny Kitaen and was called Witchboard. (See here.) And you just know how Hollywood hates to recycle an idea. (See here.) So, buh bye, Ouija Board: Curse of the Plinth, don't let the popcorn hit you in the ass on the way out.
In less good news, Battleship is in post-production, meaning it's all done being filmed and now they just need to Photoshop in some Burger King tie-ins. (See here.) Just in case you're worried this movie might not suck, note two things: It's being directed by Peter Berg (see here) and the lead character is named Stone Hopper (see here). So, yeah, obviously the Academy™ has already given it all of the awards for next year, even some Grammies.
Speaking of Grammies, this is a thing:
It's an album of blues songs. Because when I think of the blues I always think of rich, white, English TV stars. Don't you? Very bluesy, no doubt. Like Eric Clapton. (See here.)
In other entertainment news Guillermo del Toro, whose work people seem to enjoy (see here), has a new movie out today, so I guess you can go see that this weekend. (See here). I think it's a sequel to Gremlins. (See here.) Should be fun. If you like Gremlin movies.
On Keeping On Keeping On, Part One
[Trigger warning for fat hatred, misogyny, ablism, violence.]
I have had an abundance of Shakers express to me lately that they despair about carrying on with feminist/progressive activism, between vicious surges in trolling and feeling overwhelmed with shitty news and/or defeated by opportunities for meaningful activism. This post addresses the former, as much as anyone's experience can potentially be of help to someone else, as I can't make prescriptions. Part Two will address the latter, in the same way.
Somewhere on the internetz, among the many sites populated by seething reprobates who are obsessed with fat feminist women, there must be a place where the information provided about me includes the erroneous information that I am "on disability" because I am fat. Or maybe it just provides the correct information—that I am fat, and that I have a disability unrelated to my being fat—but somehow that information gets conflated, in the dysfunctional brainpan of a rightwing anti-feminist terrorist, and repackaged into a story that I am disabled from being fat and am getting payments from the government for it.
No and no: I have never applied for nor received disability benefits—but I have discovered that even saying you are disabled in the vicinity of a rightwinger is generally met with the assumption that you are "on disability," despite the fact that many disabled people, including many who qualify for disability benefits, are not. As per usual, it is the people most inclined to scream about BOOTSTRAPS! who are the least likely to recognize them when they're being used by marginalized people who are able.
The facts of my life—that I am fat, that I have PTSD, and that I run this space as my full-time occupation—are well-documented and not easily misconstrued, but, in the great tradition of conservative projection, rightwing anti-feminist terrorists are, as they routinely accuse feminists of doing, always looking for something to get mad about.
And while there's not a whole lot to fairly object to about a woman writing her thoughts in a space she created, or being fat, or having a disability, or being a feminist, recasting me as a fat scam artist who whiles away her days eating bon-bons Big Macs on the taxpayer dime, GETTING PAID TO BE FAT AND LAZY AND MAN-HATING!!!elventy!, provides sufficient justification for filling my inbox with snarling screeds peppered with slurs and violent fantasies and threats.
From a recent missive:
Landwhale,
Et cetera. I've redacted the most vile bits, which, among other things, made reference to Anders Behring Breivik, a recent hero to violent misogynists everywhere. The emailer identified himself as an English volunteer police officer. It was sent under his real name.
I would like to raise a few points that I find particularly repugnant about you and your website.
…You are desperately in need of harpooning. If you ever meet anyone called Ishmael, Ahab or Queequeg I would advise you to waddle away as fast as your stubby legs will carry you. And do I sound bitter? Maybe I am, as I'm somewhat tired of paying for your kind's healthcare when the only 'disability' you have is a despicable lack of self control. Diabetes can't come soon enough, you're a plague on humanity.
And why is it you seem to think that your being fat is down to anything other than immaturity and a hunger for immediate gratification? You would not be 'fat shamed' if you were able to resist that third Big Mac of the day and the extra fries, would you?
You hate men. This is largely because no man would like to have sex with you, as frankly those who enjoy being crushed to death during coitus never seem to have too many sexual encounters.
This is someone who will accuse me, without a trace of irony, that I have to "look for things to get mad about," even as he sends me an obsessive and threatening message based on an imaginary version of who I am.
Who, exactly, is the one looking for things to get mad about…?
Were I in the business of seeking out things that make me angry, I'd never have to go further than the emails designed explicitly to scare me, to dehumanize me, to silence me, which arrive like clockwork in my own inbox.
I share this mess for this reason: Every day, feminist women—some of them fat, some of them survivors of sexual assault—get engaged with public activism. This is what they will face. Because of that, every day, feminist women disengage with public activism.
I will never, ever, argue that women (or men) should tolerate abuse for any cause. Keeping oneself safe and maintaining one's sense of security is of the utmost importance—and if that means locking the door on an internet space and throwing away the key, or walking away from an org that once felt bigger than life itself, it should be done without regret or shame. Taking care of oneself is evidence of strength.
This, then, is for the people who frequently ask me how to navigate it, how to keep going. And the answer is: I don't know. I don't know what's best for you, in terms of processing this shit.
But I do know is that recognizing it as projection, seeing it for the pitiable flails of desperate men that it is, is important.
All of their furious bravado, and the genuine threats, are meant to terrify me, of course, but I am not the one who is terrified. The men who misrepresent my life in order to justify harassing me know, in some deep down place, that they are wrong. They know that my fat, disabled, feminist self is, in truth, everything that the Patriarchy tells them men are supposed to be: They know that I am strong, that I am tough, that I am resilient, that I am smart, that I am independent, that I am brave. They know that I fuck, that I influence, that I do not yield.
And that's what prompts their terroristic missives in which they try to mask behind their rage a derisible fear of the powerful feminine. Not that they believe that I am weak, but that they know I am strong.
Having that perspective helps. Having that perspective, for me, makes all the difference.
They're going to twist your life, and they're going to try to use it against you, and they're going to do it because they are trying to make you less than, which is evidence they know you are not.
They fill my inbox with howling brays of "FAT CUNT!"—and the corner of my mouth curls in a half-smile as I hit delete and take the compliment.
East Coast Hurricane Open Thread
Here's what I've been reading this morning...
CNN: State-by-State Developments Related to Hurricane Irene
New York Times: New York Region Prepares for Hurricane Irene
Think Progress: Gov. Christie on Hurricane Irene: "From a Flooding Perspective, This Could Be a 100-Year Event."
TPMDC: With Hurricane Bearing Down, Cantor Spokesperson Says Disaster Relief Should Be Paid for with Spending Cuts
Question of the Day
What is your favorite common name for a plant?
Suggested by Shaker adrienne_again, who emails: "This occurred to me while I was tending to my Swiss Cheese Monster this morning. It could include scientific names, too, since some of those are pretty great."
Photo of the Day
Photo, taken by Esther Havens in Ethiopia, of a pileus iridescent cloud, which, according to NASA, is "a group of water droplets that have a uniformly similar size and so together diffract different colors of sunlight by different amounts."
East Cost Hurricane Open Thread
I thought people might like a thread for hurricane-related discussion, so here it is.
Stay safe, Shakers.
An Observation
The next best thing to actually being in attendance at an Adele concert is having a dear friend who will call you and give you ALL THE AMAZING DETAILS!!! the day after he has been in attendance at an Adele concert.
That is all.
Adele, "Someone Like You"
Glenn Beck Continues Speeding Toward Irrelevance
I was sitting here trying to think up something clever to say about Glenn Beck's latest flop. But I got nothing. Earlier this week Beck held a pro-Israel rally in Jerusalem called Restoring Courage. Only about 1000 people showed up: a small turn-out for the man who once brought in three million viewers a night on Fox News.
It's a sad state of affairs when you can't even draw people to a pro-Israel rally in Israel. That's like everyone at Disneyland ignoring the Main Street Electrical Parade. Oof!
Oh, hey, was that clever? Marginally, I'd say. My work here is done.
Southwest Stinks
Hey, speaking of treating fat people like garbage on airplanes, guess what Southwest airlines learned from having famously treated Famous Person Kevin Smith like garbage on a flight?
If you guessed "Nothing!", give yourself 1,000 points.
Dear Ladies: I Got You a Shiny New Proclamation. Happy Equality Day! Love, The President
A press release I received this afternoon from the White House Office of Communications:
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 25, 2011
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution tore down the last formal barrier to women's enfranchisement in our Nation and empowered America's women to have their voices heard in the halls of power. This Amendment became law only after decades of work by committed trailblazers who fought to extend the right to vote to women across America. For the women who fought for this right, voting was not the end of the journey for equality, but the beginning of a new era in the advancement of our Union. These brave and tenacious women challenged our Nation to live up to its founding principles, and their legacy inspires us to reach ever higher in our pursuit of liberty and equality for all.
Before the Amendment took effect, women had been serving our Nation in the public realm since its earliest days. Even before they gained the right to vote, America's women were leaders of movements, academics, and reformers, and had even served in the Congress. Legions of brave women wrote and lectured for change. They let their feet speak when their voices alone were not enough, protesting and marching for their fundamental right to vote in the face of heckling, jail, and abuse. Their efforts led to enormous progress -- millions upon millions of women have since used the power of the ballot to help shape our country.
Today, our Nation's daughters reap the benefits of these courageous pioneers while paving the way for generations of women to come. But work still remains. My Administration is committed to advancing equality for all of our people. This year, the Council of Women and Girls released "Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being," the most comprehensive report in 50 years on the status of women in our country, shedding light on issues women face in employment, crime, health, and family life. We are working to ensure that women-owned businesses can compete in the marketplace, that women are not discriminated against in healthcare, and that we redouble our efforts to bring an end to sexual assault on college campuses.
On the 91st anniversary of this landmark in civil rights, we continue to uphold the foundational American principles that we are all equal, and that each of us deserves a chance to pursue our dreams. We honor the heroes who have given of themselves to advance the causes of justice, opportunity, and prosperity. As we celebrate the legacy of those who made enormous strides in the last century and before, we renew our commitment to hold true to the dreams for which they fought, and we look forward to a bright future for our Nation's daughters.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2011, as Women's Equality Day.
I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the goal of gender equality in this country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
# # #
Top Chef: Just Desserts Open Thread
Is anyone watching this disaster of a show? Last night Liss texted me to ask "Did u know Top Chef: Pink Donuts premiers tonight?!" I replied "No. I assumed it was cancelled." Because, really, it should have been. As last night's episode proved. (See above: Hubert Keller, master chef, dressed like a renaissance faire, because cupcakes.) There was a challenge in a soda shop then another involving fairy tails (typo and it stays). Some of the contestants appear incompetent. Others unlikeable. I am still waiting for the big reveal of who is the biggest misogynist homophobe. Because we all need someone to root against. I guess.
Last night's episode will be discussed, if anyone is interested, so if you haven't seen it, and don't want any spoilers, pack your
p.s.
Daily Dose of Cute
Zelda, aka Zelly Belly.
The first time I ran my hand down Zelda's back, sitting in the family room at the Humane Society, I thought there was something wrong with her back. Her backbone was protruding so far between her shoulder blades that it seemed like a spinal injury or deformity. But it was hunger.
She'd been a stray, for an unknown amount of time. It may have been being on her own that rendered her down to jutting bones, or it may have been neglect.
Her back has meat on it again, care of a rigorous program of delicious treats, and, despite the hunger she suffered not so very long ago, she is not a greedy eater. She eats until she is full, and leaves the rest.
Other signs of how Zelda was failed, however, are not so easily fixed.
She is fearful. To touch her paws is so terrify her. To put a brush to her skin turns her face into a mask of uncertainty. The sound of a clicker sends her to the far end of the house, her back to the wall. She snarls and snaps at unfamiliar dogs who try to dominate her at the dog park: A bite to the neck will send Dudley sauntering away; a bite to the neck triggers Zelda, turning her into a defensive brawler. It's just enough to make sure she's safe, and just enough to make other dog owners cast a long eye at the people with the terrible dog.
So she's not a dog park dog. Not yet. She doesn't understand yet that she's not on her own anymore—that we've got her back, that we won't take her to a place where she'll be hurt. No: It's not that she doesn't understand. It's that she isn't convinced she can trust that we won't hurt her. Because somebody else did.
Maybe they were consciously unkind, physically cruel. Maybe they just failed to socialize her, not just with lots of other dogs (including the bullies, so she could learn to ignore them), but with the habits of being a dog in a home. So much of the world, so many parts of a dog's life—the grooming, the walking on a leash—are a mystery to her.
But she is learning. She is taking in, slowly but surely, the concept of being cared for. Sometimes, she'll let me hold her paw for a moment, almost forgetting, just for the briefest of instants, that she's afraid of it. Last night, she let me brush her for a good minute before she slunk away.
The last time we were at the vet, an elderly woman told Zelda: "You got small ears!"
In the month that we've had her, her features have seemed to soften. Part of that is being regularly fed. Part of it is that the tension is draining out of her face. She's starting to relax.
She's such a happy wee thing: Her tail wags constantly, and she loves to LEAP! onto your lap and snuggle in beside you for some power-cuddling. She is completely enamored of Dudley and the cats, play-bowing at anyone who will give her the slightest attention. She loves people, and most other dogs, who can send her into a tizzy of gleeful spins. I want nothing more for her than to have, eventually, a solid confidence to match that effervescent happiness.
The other night, Iain came home from walking her and Dudley, and the blood had drained out of his face. She'd backed out of her collar and ran after the neighbor's cat. Iain ran after her, Dudley in tow, but she is so fast—and virtually invisible at night. "I was so scared," he said. "I didn't know how I was going to tell you I lost her."
But then, after only an interminable minute, she came bounding back to him, and sat at his feet, looking up at him and waiting for her collar to be put back on. "She came back to me," he said.
I hugged her, and told her she is a good girl.
