Hi,
my blog time today was spent adding links to the site... a start and by no means exhaustive... sit back, grab a cuppa something you like and surf the feminist webscape...
peace
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Sexist pig-dawg 'artists'
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/27042007/6/entertainment-baldwin-makes-tv-apology-consults-dr-phil.html
Check out this page for Yahoo entertainment news. The headline is Alec Baldwin apologizing to his daughter on national television on the View. Of course, he doesn't not really. Because anger is okay. Just not name calling. Yes, Alec, anger is OK. But what I heard was not misplaced anger - it was outrageous and a horrible way to treat anyone, particularly a child, but also Kim Bassinger. Dr. Phil, of course, let him off the hook or something.
And get this - he wants to quit acting and become a crusader about parental alienation. Ha! How about you not yell at your child like that? Then she might want to see you once in a while.
These activist men who refuse to deal with their sexism and woman hating are a waste of our time. I used to respect him, and I even hoped that with the resurge in his popularity as a 'funny guy' he might have cooled it with Kim B. Obviously he hasn't. Not so funny Alec.
Now, check out the other links on the page, also to do with stupid, silly men and violence against women:
One, the Phil Spector trial in London, for killing his wife.
The other, Richard Gere apologizing for molesting an Indian actor at an AIDS conference a week or so ago.
Okay, RG was excited, kind of like JS (see first post in the blog), and the overall glam and boobage on display probably unleashed all that hot-blooded Amerikkkan man he keeps under wraps under the guise of Buddhism and bad (if sometimes a bit charming,) acting. Whatever. Get some respect. And you were at an AIDS conference, man. Get some perspective. Kissing pretty women is fun (I know it :) ) but respecting women's right to MC in peace and free of molestation is better and setting a good example about appropriate heterosexual relations is best. And way less embarrassing than molesting her and having effigies burned in the streets of the world's second largest country.
As for Phil Spector - guns don't kill girlfriends, their boyfriends do.
That's the entertainment new round-up. How depressing these men are.
peace
Check out this page for Yahoo entertainment news. The headline is Alec Baldwin apologizing to his daughter on national television on the View. Of course, he doesn't not really. Because anger is okay. Just not name calling. Yes, Alec, anger is OK. But what I heard was not misplaced anger - it was outrageous and a horrible way to treat anyone, particularly a child, but also Kim Bassinger. Dr. Phil, of course, let him off the hook or something.
And get this - he wants to quit acting and become a crusader about parental alienation. Ha! How about you not yell at your child like that? Then she might want to see you once in a while.
These activist men who refuse to deal with their sexism and woman hating are a waste of our time. I used to respect him, and I even hoped that with the resurge in his popularity as a 'funny guy' he might have cooled it with Kim B. Obviously he hasn't. Not so funny Alec.
Now, check out the other links on the page, also to do with stupid, silly men and violence against women:
One, the Phil Spector trial in London, for killing his wife.
The other, Richard Gere apologizing for molesting an Indian actor at an AIDS conference a week or so ago.
Okay, RG was excited, kind of like JS (see first post in the blog), and the overall glam and boobage on display probably unleashed all that hot-blooded Amerikkkan man he keeps under wraps under the guise of Buddhism and bad (if sometimes a bit charming,) acting. Whatever. Get some respect. And you were at an AIDS conference, man. Get some perspective. Kissing pretty women is fun (I know it :) ) but respecting women's right to MC in peace and free of molestation is better and setting a good example about appropriate heterosexual relations is best. And way less embarrassing than molesting her and having effigies burned in the streets of the world's second largest country.
As for Phil Spector - guns don't kill girlfriends, their boyfriends do.
That's the entertainment new round-up. How depressing these men are.
peace
A beautiful thing...
Conrad black blah blah blah, Sponsorship scandal blah, Cancer blah, end of the world blah...
Winnipeg - Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth. YAY!
http://www.carolshieldslabyrinth.ca/
'She wrote about ordinary people and those were her heroes. That's what this project is. It's just about an ordinary community, citizens coming together.'—Anne Nesbitt
Okay, this is why I love the CBC. No one else is talking about this most excellent thing, based on one of my favourite writers, a veritable queen of CAN/CON and a feminist to boot. Just the CBC. Thank you and thank me for being a Friend of the CBC ( http://www.friends.ca/) to make sure we still have the CBC so I (we) can find stories like this that perk me (and hoepfully you,) right the heck up.
so here's the story:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2007/04/27/shields-labyrinth-tribute.html
The labyrinth is based on the novel Larry's Party, one of the best novels, ever.
Order it here: http://www.peoplescoopbookstore.com/
and check out this blog here: http://wordspinning.blogspot.com/2004/12/carol-shields-larrys-party.html for a quick synopsis.
I met for the first time with my intrepid feminist writer's group last night. We talked about everything and we also read the essay Woman and Bird from Adrienne Rich's What Is Found There. (http://www2.wwnorton.com/catalog/fall03/031246.htm) She talks about the disconnect between poetry and science and politics, and the loss of meaning that results. I think Larry's Party resonated with me so much because it goes a long way toward braiding these bits back together.
And now, this live in the real world thing is happening, leaping out of the pages and into a public park in Winnipeg. It is being brought to life by the people who loved Carol Shields dearly, and the people who love her work dearly. Earth and roots and carbon and chlorophyll and artistry and community and good honest labour and a good deal of imagination.
Thank you to all involved. It sure made my day to find out about this. And gave me another reason to consider adding Winnipeg to my next road trip route.
peace.
Winnipeg - Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth. YAY!
http://www.carolshieldslabyrinth.ca/
'She wrote about ordinary people and those were her heroes. That's what this project is. It's just about an ordinary community, citizens coming together.'—Anne Nesbitt
Okay, this is why I love the CBC. No one else is talking about this most excellent thing, based on one of my favourite writers, a veritable queen of CAN/CON and a feminist to boot. Just the CBC. Thank you and thank me for being a Friend of the CBC ( http://www.friends.ca/) to make sure we still have the CBC so I (we) can find stories like this that perk me (and hoepfully you,) right the heck up.
so here's the story:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2007/04/27/shields-labyrinth-tribute.html
The labyrinth is based on the novel Larry's Party, one of the best novels, ever.
Order it here: http://www.peoplescoopbookstore.com/
and check out this blog here: http://wordspinning.blogspot.com/2004/12/carol-shields-larrys-party.html for a quick synopsis.
I met for the first time with my intrepid feminist writer's group last night. We talked about everything and we also read the essay Woman and Bird from Adrienne Rich's What Is Found There. (http://www2.wwnorton.com/catalog/fall03/031246.htm) She talks about the disconnect between poetry and science and politics, and the loss of meaning that results. I think Larry's Party resonated with me so much because it goes a long way toward braiding these bits back together.
And now, this live in the real world thing is happening, leaping out of the pages and into a public park in Winnipeg. It is being brought to life by the people who loved Carol Shields dearly, and the people who love her work dearly. Earth and roots and carbon and chlorophyll and artistry and community and good honest labour and a good deal of imagination.
Thank you to all involved. It sure made my day to find out about this. And gave me another reason to consider adding Winnipeg to my next road trip route.
peace.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
We live in a small town. Fer sure, eh?
In the midst of a meeting yesterday, I could hear shouts and general ruckus out from out in the neighbourhood. Since the meeting was one concerning feminist social change and leadership, all of us perked up and listened. Yes! A Rally! Nice one! But then one of us said - 'It's the Canucks' and we kind of groaned and looked at each other and got back to work, but not before talking about the newly emerging marches and rallies in the neighbourhood, mostly led by Filipino activists, and discussing pros and cons of taking the street, blocking traffic with less than 50 people. We were all sure it was quite ridiculous and also quite a lot of fun.
So after the meeting, we go out, and lo! A few short blocks away, there is a paddy wagon and a long line up of cops on horseys! Yay! we say, it is a protest! So we go down there and check it out.
The cops on horseys are protecting the entrances to the Heritage Hall, a building most folks hold dear for its relative beauty, attachment to history and well, it is a cheap, nice place to rent for events of the community sort. The protesters are in the middle of Main Street milling about and also on the opposite sidewalk handing out fliers. There are 30 altogether and me and my sisters in the struggle (Alice and Suzanne) look at each other and all say at once "APC" and then sort of laugh and then go stand well away from the horseys and motorcycle cops and the APC folks in black. It's their protest, likely righteous, but we don't know what's going on. Also the horses are big and the cops are racist. So the young APC woman with the bullhorn is shouting something inarticulate at people and there's that chant thing going on, but still, we can't tell what the heck. So I march up to someone I vaguely recognize and ask for a pamphlet.
It was the NPA AGM they were protesting, the political party of our most esteemed mayor and his cronies. Most excellent. The NPA is slumming it on the east side, but in a nice enough venue they can pretend to be of the people, in a public meeting, while still being their swank, exclusionary selves.
We didn't have to be there an hour earlier to guess what had happened. The protesters, in black and tear-wear, showed up to the meeting, rowdy before getting in, and were banned. That caused more rowdiness and general yelling and for the people inside to ask that they not be allowed in (that's the mayor's story and he is sticking to it.) People are homeless and poor and some of us aren't polite about it, and that is just in bad taste. So 'out' they say, and the cops get called. And since it is APC protesting, and since the cops new policy is APC= riot= bring out the horseys (everyone loves horseys, so much, much more than riot cops with pepper spray - the media/public relations cops are getting smarter) the horsey-cops arrive in style, and start moving huge animals in between skinny protesters and the doors. So then the skinny people get scared and protest louderand get mad about being herded (all of them are vegetarians and animal rights activists (most, anyway) so they won't hit the horses,) as they get pushed back into the street and end up blocking traffic. You see how it goes. This requires paddy wagons and traffic cops and lots of overtime hours since this all went on over shift change down at the cop shop. No one can ever tell me cops don't LOVE protests. Cha-ching!
Anyway, there were 100 people or something inside and 30 people outside and this part of the city got all blocked up for at least 2 hours. I don't think the NPA passed any motions changing their housing policy and for sure the media spin doctors were on overtime pay too, so the APC just looks like a bunch of rabble-rousers trying to bust into Versailles. The thing is, the APC is not that organized and Sam Sullivan is not the King. I know, I know, he is setting up his little monarchy, dismantling democracy, and it just very well may be that he will crown himself shortly, but it hasn't happened yet.
I love that the APC just keeps at it, even when they are wrong (which they weren't this time) and that the NPA doesn't get to have their little meeting in peace. I am all for letting legitimate business proceed, but frankly, not much going on in this city is legit right now, and everything needs to be disrupted until something changes.
I hope the APC adapts some sort of evaluation process so they can gather more people to them, but I don't think they will. Not many will join in the current circumstance, a lot because the cops have been effective at their own campaign to 'keep the peace.' Which is too bad.
I'd like to see more small actions that promote democracy and citizen participation and that do not let politicians and their cronies wine and cheese it while folks don't have enough food to eat. I think we can do it. Imagine the possibilities.
BTW - who won the game? Anaheim or the Canucks?... I honestly don't know...
So after the meeting, we go out, and lo! A few short blocks away, there is a paddy wagon and a long line up of cops on horseys! Yay! we say, it is a protest! So we go down there and check it out.
The cops on horseys are protecting the entrances to the Heritage Hall, a building most folks hold dear for its relative beauty, attachment to history and well, it is a cheap, nice place to rent for events of the community sort. The protesters are in the middle of Main Street milling about and also on the opposite sidewalk handing out fliers. There are 30 altogether and me and my sisters in the struggle (Alice and Suzanne) look at each other and all say at once "APC" and then sort of laugh and then go stand well away from the horseys and motorcycle cops and the APC folks in black. It's their protest, likely righteous, but we don't know what's going on. Also the horses are big and the cops are racist. So the young APC woman with the bullhorn is shouting something inarticulate at people and there's that chant thing going on, but still, we can't tell what the heck. So I march up to someone I vaguely recognize and ask for a pamphlet.
It was the NPA AGM they were protesting, the political party of our most esteemed mayor and his cronies. Most excellent. The NPA is slumming it on the east side, but in a nice enough venue they can pretend to be of the people, in a public meeting, while still being their swank, exclusionary selves.
We didn't have to be there an hour earlier to guess what had happened. The protesters, in black and tear-wear, showed up to the meeting, rowdy before getting in, and were banned. That caused more rowdiness and general yelling and for the people inside to ask that they not be allowed in (that's the mayor's story and he is sticking to it.) People are homeless and poor and some of us aren't polite about it, and that is just in bad taste. So 'out' they say, and the cops get called. And since it is APC protesting, and since the cops new policy is APC= riot= bring out the horseys (everyone loves horseys, so much, much more than riot cops with pepper spray - the media/public relations cops are getting smarter) the horsey-cops arrive in style, and start moving huge animals in between skinny protesters and the doors. So then the skinny people get scared and protest louderand get mad about being herded (all of them are vegetarians and animal rights activists (most, anyway) so they won't hit the horses,) as they get pushed back into the street and end up blocking traffic. You see how it goes. This requires paddy wagons and traffic cops and lots of overtime hours since this all went on over shift change down at the cop shop. No one can ever tell me cops don't LOVE protests. Cha-ching!
Anyway, there were 100 people or something inside and 30 people outside and this part of the city got all blocked up for at least 2 hours. I don't think the NPA passed any motions changing their housing policy and for sure the media spin doctors were on overtime pay too, so the APC just looks like a bunch of rabble-rousers trying to bust into Versailles. The thing is, the APC is not that organized and Sam Sullivan is not the King. I know, I know, he is setting up his little monarchy, dismantling democracy, and it just very well may be that he will crown himself shortly, but it hasn't happened yet.
I love that the APC just keeps at it, even when they are wrong (which they weren't this time) and that the NPA doesn't get to have their little meeting in peace. I am all for letting legitimate business proceed, but frankly, not much going on in this city is legit right now, and everything needs to be disrupted until something changes.
I hope the APC adapts some sort of evaluation process so they can gather more people to them, but I don't think they will. Not many will join in the current circumstance, a lot because the cops have been effective at their own campaign to 'keep the peace.' Which is too bad.
I'd like to see more small actions that promote democracy and citizen participation and that do not let politicians and their cronies wine and cheese it while folks don't have enough food to eat. I think we can do it. Imagine the possibilities.
BTW - who won the game? Anaheim or the Canucks?... I honestly don't know...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Double Standard
Somehow, in one of those frenzies I get in that involves my bulk mail and getting free stuff - you know the mornings of wishful thinking and hope that maybe, just maybe, you might win one of those bloody free i pods, especially now that after a year of trying your really old mac is up and running and online - I ended up with a sub to the amerikkkan version of Time magazine. Holy Moly. Most weeks it is crap, but this week it is actually OK, if you ignore the cover with the picture of what's-his-face-racist-pinhead of the moment with the sticky covering his mouth, implying he is being muzzled, or or gawd forbid - censored!
So I read this rag front to back and then I write some poetry and then I go on blogher thinking I can use that site as my host site, but while I am trying to sort myself out about that, I read another cool blog (I don't have the site, I know that is bad blog protocol but bear with me for a day or two) where she is talking about Jon Stewart being a sexist and racist pig to Halle Berry, and I go HA! that's what I am going to write about.
Here goes.
So butthead radio guy says nasty sexist racist things about adult women and gets hauled on the carpet and suspended for once. Yay. But Jon Stewart- just last night I was thinking why isn't the black reporter ever the Washington Sr. Correspondent? - anyway, he sexually harasses Halle Berry (after the week she had, too, jerk) and no one says a bloody thing. Our Jonny-boy was being a sexist and racist pig to Halle and she just has to grin and bear it.
Now I love Jon, and Time magazine does too because the guy that wrote the story about the radio guy referenced JS in the article, anyway, I do, and I am not going to boycott like some of my radical feminist and radical lesbian friends ( though I support them in doing so) because well, this radical feminist lesbian would rather watch JS and get mad at his liberal white ass then try to mediate the rest of the media I am bombarded with. And his show is the only way I know my son is paying attention to the world and is getting it about what is funny and not...
But I repeat the question - how does JS get away with saying the n-word when Seinfeld guy doesn't and also sexually harassing Halle Berry in front of an even larger international audience than the radio dude? His ass should be kicked. And Halle deserves an apology. Al Sharpton should insist and so should everyone else that loves JS. Because it is the right thing to do and because white men still run the world, no matter how funny and astute and relieving to the soul they may occasionally be.
JS reinforces this power hierarchy every time he invites women on the show and ogles them. Grow up, man! Come to think of it, I can only think of two women, both white, he had on as guests that were not involved in movies or TV or entertainment in some way.
This is my challenge to Jon:
Invite a whole bunch of women writers and researchers and thinkers onto your show and promote their books and their good works and you better make sure to invite some Black women and Latino women and some Asian Women. How about if you start with Winona LaDuke? You had Ralph Nader on. How about Winona?
And I dare you not to giggle at their boobies and infer that you want to bonk them. Let's just say it is a given that you want to bonk them. And let us also affirm sexual harassment is not funny or anywhere near acceptable behaviour in any situation. At all.
Oh - I also double dare you to not make jokes about prostitution including no making 'pimp and ho' jokes for one week, preferably longer - you got street cred, so cut it out already. You are cool, Jon, you don't have to be a classist, sexist, racist pig to prove it.
I also gotta say re: Time Magazine. Three women's opinion pieces were printed - two black women and one white woman. The white woman, in a piece essentially dripping with white guilt, got double the space. The more things change (three women's opinion pieces in Time?) the more they stay the same (all three pieces combined equalled one page of text...)
peace
So I read this rag front to back and then I write some poetry and then I go on blogher thinking I can use that site as my host site, but while I am trying to sort myself out about that, I read another cool blog (I don't have the site, I know that is bad blog protocol but bear with me for a day or two) where she is talking about Jon Stewart being a sexist and racist pig to Halle Berry, and I go HA! that's what I am going to write about.
Here goes.
So butthead radio guy says nasty sexist racist things about adult women and gets hauled on the carpet and suspended for once. Yay. But Jon Stewart- just last night I was thinking why isn't the black reporter ever the Washington Sr. Correspondent? - anyway, he sexually harasses Halle Berry (after the week she had, too, jerk) and no one says a bloody thing. Our Jonny-boy was being a sexist and racist pig to Halle and she just has to grin and bear it.
Now I love Jon, and Time magazine does too because the guy that wrote the story about the radio guy referenced JS in the article, anyway, I do, and I am not going to boycott like some of my radical feminist and radical lesbian friends ( though I support them in doing so) because well, this radical feminist lesbian would rather watch JS and get mad at his liberal white ass then try to mediate the rest of the media I am bombarded with. And his show is the only way I know my son is paying attention to the world and is getting it about what is funny and not...
But I repeat the question - how does JS get away with saying the n-word when Seinfeld guy doesn't and also sexually harassing Halle Berry in front of an even larger international audience than the radio dude? His ass should be kicked. And Halle deserves an apology. Al Sharpton should insist and so should everyone else that loves JS. Because it is the right thing to do and because white men still run the world, no matter how funny and astute and relieving to the soul they may occasionally be.
JS reinforces this power hierarchy every time he invites women on the show and ogles them. Grow up, man! Come to think of it, I can only think of two women, both white, he had on as guests that were not involved in movies or TV or entertainment in some way.
This is my challenge to Jon:
Invite a whole bunch of women writers and researchers and thinkers onto your show and promote their books and their good works and you better make sure to invite some Black women and Latino women and some Asian Women. How about if you start with Winona LaDuke? You had Ralph Nader on. How about Winona?
And I dare you not to giggle at their boobies and infer that you want to bonk them. Let's just say it is a given that you want to bonk them. And let us also affirm sexual harassment is not funny or anywhere near acceptable behaviour in any situation. At all.
Oh - I also double dare you to not make jokes about prostitution including no making 'pimp and ho' jokes for one week, preferably longer - you got street cred, so cut it out already. You are cool, Jon, you don't have to be a classist, sexist, racist pig to prove it.
I also gotta say re: Time Magazine. Three women's opinion pieces were printed - two black women and one white woman. The white woman, in a piece essentially dripping with white guilt, got double the space. The more things change (three women's opinion pieces in Time?) the more they stay the same (all three pieces combined equalled one page of text...)
peace
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