Suffering Children - Another Angle

Looks like we will get an interesting show from Fresh Air today!
Women in the 'Girls Gone Wild' Era
Audio for this story will be available at approx. 3:00 p.m. ET
Fresh Air from WHYY, November 28, 2006 · Ariel Levy is a contributing editor at New York magazine, where she writes about sexuality, culture and gender politics. Her new book is Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. One reviewer writes that Levy "strips the 'Girls Gone Wild' culture of its cuteness in her provocative [book], arguing that post-feminist poster girls such as Playboy Bunnies offer only faux empowerment."

Suffer The Little Children

Do they ever suffer! Some examples:

Listen to the voices that testify about being a mormon daughter in Courtroom Testimony Opens Window into Polygamy on Sunday Edition (NPR).

Augusten Burroughs was interviewed by The Advocate on the Logo channel. He wrote a memoir called Running With Scissors. During the interview it was said that as a teen, he had a sexual relationship with an old man. When an adult 'has sex' with a child, it is not a relationship, but a crime called something like sexual assault on a minor.

A letter Y wrote to Terry Gross of Fresh Air on July 1 of 2004:

Dear Ms. Gross-
Today you talked about a scene from the Van Peebles' film. Perhaps you don't realize that when you describe a naked prepubescent boy climbing between the naked legs of a 40 year old woman and then call it his "sexual initiation", you are excusing, normalizing and even glorifying this type of sexual assault. Every child molester in your audience will latch on to what you say to further convince himself or herself that the crimes they commit against children are actually favors to the children. Children and adults molested as children are harmed by hearing this kind of lie in ways that I won't go into here, but you can look it up if you want to know.

On June 24, I sent you another letter on this same topic which I have copied below. You can understand why I am excruciatingly frustrated right now after enduring more of this same ignorant talk in such a short interval. I know you have access to experts and researchers on every topic. Please, please educate yourself on this most important public health mater.

Letter from 6-24-04
Dear Ms. Gross: I was surprised to hear on air and then read the description on this site that a 14 year old boy was 'caught in an affair with a married woman'. Whenever an adult has sex with a 14 year old, it is against the law and is a sexual assault. Referring to this criminal activity as an affair perpetuates the myth that boys in our country are not victimized by adult women. I am sure you would not have said that a 14 year old boy 'had an affair' with his parish priest. It would be quite enlightening if you explored this cultural denial with some knowledgeable guests on your show.

That would be an interesting show, but Y guess it is more important for Ms. Gross to exlplore the ins and outs of piano-playing and such....

Are You A Man Or A Meerkat?

Saturday Edition on NPR did a story about Meerkat Manor. Y have been watching this show occasionally since Y was involved in a viral marketing project about its premier. If you don't know, it is a video record of communities of meerkats with human narration to explain the behavior. Whether the actions of these cute animals is explained correctly, and what is edited out, we just don't know. It is so interesting, though, to compare the meerkat families' actions to the actions of human communities.

Have you tried to figure out how we as womyn and men would be acting if we were not so screwey due to our societies, indoctrinations and religions? Living with poultry has given me a true appreciation for the terms 'cock', 'silly goose' and 'if it walks like a duck...'

Never Forget

Buy This Shirt
Fat American Homepage

The Erection of Wikipedia

You may know that wikipedia is supposed to be an evolving work of knowledge. In my experience, it is an unfortunate instance of perpetual priapism. Y would love to know about others' experience in attempting edits of wikipedia. Please comment or email me.

My discussion of my experience will take place at Wikipedia, Patriarchy, Proof, and Pudding. All comments on this blog will remain uncensored, in case any perpetrators care to show their asses. And you all join in, too, please.

Feel A Draft?

Y did. When Y was 19 and married, we were living in Phoenix and so poor that one day we ate a box of powdered sugar mixed with 19cent margerine for food, and we had to make it last. The place where we lived was made out of wood sheets where the one side was our interior wall and the other side was the exterior wall. We shared a cold water sink with another room. To take a shower or use a toilet, we had to walk down a dirt driveway about 800 feet to the bathroom building. The ambience in there was something Y don't feel competent to describe.

When you are really poor, you don't even have the right kind of clothes for any kind of job search. You look horrible, and any employer on the up and up can tell you're on the skids. Y joined a program put on by the Urban League to help poor folks get a job. They gave us all $40/week. Then Y did get a job as a kindergarten aide because Y had a junkie ex-prison guard neighbor who still had a functioning credit card and who bought me two outfits to wear. Anyway, the bottom line is my husband joined the airforce as a last resort. Poverty Draft.

Imagine our surprise when we found out that he was not being paid enough to support the both of us, even with the marriage and housing money. We lived in the projects in Las Vegas. And in order to get in there, we had to take our beloved dog Berkley to the animal shelter. If you know anything about me, you know that was an act of extreme desperation. So we went to the recruiter and Y signed up, too. Poverty Draft.

Y do have discharge papers, but Y never reported for duty because in between taking that step forward and my report date, my husband researched the promises the recruiter had made. Since he had access to the pay office, he was able to ferret out the truth. If Y had reported and served, we would have been in worse financial condition than when we started. They discharged me when the recruiter's outrageous lies were brought to their attention.

Y have personal experience with how recruitment and the army operate these days, and you probably know it's the same old/same old. What a disgrace. Members of congress who want to reinstitute the official draft will not be successful. Everyone that matters already knows how effective is the Poverty Draft.

Bush And His Soul-Mate In Their Pretty Dresses

Photo by Jim Watson

Pants, at least the modern western version, are not suitable clothing for men. Why? Anatomy. Skirts, dresses and loincloths are much healthier for the male organs. At the same time, pants are more appropriate than skirts, dresses and loincloths for womyn to wear at this time. Why? Protection for our anatomy. Need Y say more? No.

The Snake Eats Her Tail

Birth:
Today is Margaret Atwood's birthday. Over 20 years ago she published The Handmaid's Tale. If you read it today, you will be amazed at her vision and prognostication.

Death:
Ruth Brown died.
In addition to her classic contributions to the american music catalog, she fought to get other artists the money that had been stolen from them by the music industry.

Teat Talk

My huge brane has been getting such a workout lately, and not a pleasant workout like you get with sweet sweet love. So Y am teating myself to an enjoyable topic.

About the bras-
What is the purpose of a bra? Does it enhance your comfort during your long day? Maybe you have large breasts and you think you need the support. What if wearing a bra filled with large breasts is what puts a strain on your back - like a heavy backpack worn backwards? Good thing we have been provided with bones and muscles suitable for supporting our breasts, huh? No expense, no pinched skin, and no delicate cycle are involved. Even if your breasts aren't so big, the increased circulation and air-flow you will enjoy may surprise you.

The nipple solution-
If you don't wear a bra (and sometimes if you do), it's likely that the shape of your nipples will be seen by others. We know that showing nipples in any situation that is not dedicated to appeasing testosterone is verbotten. When a mother can't go out of her home and legally feed her baby without sitting in a public toilet, you can see there is a nipple issue going on. But since we have been stared at, remarked upon, brushed up against, and drooled on so often, we already figured it out. Didn't we?
The solution is Womyn's Confidence. When you display Womyn's Confidence, most of your public problems will stay out of your way. On the rare occasion that you encounter someone who is threatened by your centered presence, and tries to start a cock fight - try this:

• Reach behind your back and grab the hilt of your knife.
• Raise it over your head in a flash, and arch it to your defensive position.
• Say something frightening in a mean, loud voice. ("Y am a magycal wytch, and Y know how to use this"- just a suggestion.)
• Your problem will no doubt flee at this point, if not sooner.
• Scream real loud, and if you feel like it, chase your problem but try not to catch up. It's really important not to catch up. Believe me. Ha ha ha.

Workin' it-
Once, when Y was working for the catholics, the director ( a man ) had my immediate supervisor ( a woman ) take me out for lunch and casually inquire, "What if ( the director ) asks you about you not wearing a bra?"
Y told her Y would have to ask him if he was telling me to show him my underwear.
The beauty of it: Y implied that Y was wearing underwear and it suggests an action against him for sexual harrassment, should he persue the matter.

A happy ending-
Free breasts are content breasts. It may take some time to build up the flacid parts that using the bra has created, but any soreness will soon disappear. If your breasts or nipples get tender at times, wearing a tight cotton undershirt or even a cotton exercise-type tank will help. But don't get lazy again!
Here is some classic advice from a classy broad - Chesty Morgan - who sang these words of encouragement:

"Girls, Bounce Your Boobies"

Close The Book On That One

Totally over wikipedia. Here's what Y first contributed:

(Patriarchy)
Easily understood as The Rule Of The Father, it is predicated on the idealization of the sperm. Only one who is (assumed to) produce sperm commands authority. From god or gods on down the social strata, it is the (collective) father who structures laws and conventions to enforce the perpetuation of his authority over all underlings - beginning with women and girls. Thus we see the bound foot, the amputated vulva, and the lobotomy among so many other such patriarchal operations. Most often it is the mother and older women of a group who are charged with training girls for and submitting them to these procedures. Girls and women are valued primarily as vessels for the production and suckling of men's progeny. A woman who doesn't produce children at all, whose children don't meet the criteria for acceptable physical or mental condition, or whose infant is thought to be the spawn of a man who has no legal or religious right to use her body, will be killed, shunned, deprived of resources or otherwise punished.

Abortion is an abomination to the traditional patriarch because it renders his sperm effectively impotent. Today in the United States, we see evidence of this obsession with the sperm in the struggle of reactionaries to outlaw birth control methods at the same time as they condemn abortion. They claim the methods kill unborn children (thus obscuring the true prohibition which is against wasting sperm). Conversely, abortion may be forced on a woman by the man/men responsible for protecting the purity of the family bloodline or the seeming virginity of an unmarried woman, or to prevent the birth of a girl. Murder is the most common cause of death of pregnant women in the United States. Rape and suspicion of pre- or extra- marital sex is considered a directive to kill the woman involved in some cultures. Sometimes called "honor killings", they are precipitated by the patriarchs' mandate that a woman accept only the sperm of the man who owns the right to her children.

The perpetuation of patriarchy depends on assigning the ownership of women and children to a father figure, the elimination from the dominant society those whose sexuality, genders or bodies defy traditional man/woman procreation, and social feminisation (virtual castration) of men who are defined as other by the dominant patriarchs of any culture, locality, or religion.

Changed it to:

Patriarchy by its very name insists on veneration of the father. Essential to fatherhood is the sperm. Thus, one can deduce that veneration of the sperm and its function is inherent in patriarchy. An illustration of this primacy of the sperm is found in the Old Testement of the Bible. God the Father of Jews, Muslims, and Christians places the utility of the sperm above the value of even a man's life.

Genesis 38:8-108
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also.

Indeed, the Vatican has released a document Communion and Stewardship Human Persons Created in the Image of God, which commands that:

Created in the image of God, human beings are called to love and communion. Because this vocation is realized in a distinctive way in the procreative union of husband and wife, the difference between man and woman is an essential element in the constitution of human beings made in the image of God.

And:

The relation of each one to Christ is determined in two ways: it depends on one’s own proper sexual identity and that of Christ.

In a patriachal system, anyone who does not fit this heterosexual procreative model is subject to be shunned, punished, or killed. The perpetuation of patriarchy depends on assigning the ownership of women and children to a father figure, the elimination from the dominant society those whose sexuality, genders or bodies defy traditional man/woman procreation, and social feminisation (virtual castration) of men who are defined as other by the dominant patriarchs of any culture, locality, or religion.

Now Y don't give a shit what they do.
And what is the sexual identity of christ, anyway? Is he kinda like michael jackson?

Bambi - Dead

In my neck of the woods, today is the day when the great white hunters go gun to head against four-legged bucks. It is a day off for students. When Y first moved here they called it "Opening Day of Deer Season". Then they changed it to "Harvest Day". My friend's kids' school calls it "Safety Day". They should call it "Dodge All Bullets Day". Except, it's not a day - it goes on until January. Myself: just can't get enough gun play!

What is so convenient is that if you can get someone to go hunting with you, and they happen to get shot, it is just an unfortunate hunting accident. Even if it is your brother who is porking your wife! Guess you already know about the hunting accident pass from the time when the vp shot his buddy. This is one manly perk that applies to rich and poor alike.

Lesbesquet: Learned Scholar

Go look at what Y wrote about patriarchy before it changes. The first sentence was there when Y got there. Hurry...

Oh, here we go....
Now we also have a discussion of my inappropriate entry (scroll down to" gender" at the bottom). Complete with the threat of erasure. What a surprise. Any bets on how long Y will be allowed to add anything to Wikipedia?

Can't Get Enough Pussy?

Allow me to assist you!
No matter where you live, get the new CD: What's New, Pussycat?

And if you live in California or want to go there, you can visit the CFA International Cat Show in San Mateo - November 17-19. If you do, first get this coupon for discount admission. Then, look for the vivacious Lisa B

who will bring some of her CDs there for your convenience.

• if your taste in music is eclectic
• if formulaic pop irritates your nerves
• if you appreciate songs done well
• if cats are your 'thing'
• if you adore Bastet

you gotta have this CD. Believe me: Y am a trained professional. Plus, music is my medicine.

Macaca Mouth vs. Man With Good Plan

So the guy was not re-elected, he came pretty darn close. Too close for comfort. Then why are we so comfortable?

Come to think of it, Y am very uncomfortable knowing that a proud white racist was only narrowly defeated. The fact that he wasn't forced to immediately withdraw from politics in this country by peer pressure, well, silence is golden. Then it turns into gassy showers.
Or lures a lynch mob.
Or gangs up into war teams.
What percentage of news stories involves killing? Doesn't it seem like a lot? Have you noticed how WW2 has been romantacized? Let us recall: War Is Hell.

N O sN O sN O sN O sN O sN O sN O s

Listen to Alexander Jefferson tell it like it was when he was an active duty Tuskegee Airman. But he doesn't just talk about the past. Listen to the end, where he lays out THE PLAN. It's so simple, it can work.
Do you know: It works, if you work it?

Men And Their Piss

Did you ever notice how men love to show us their piss? TV, movies, sidewalks, doorways and (for old-timers) phonebooths...Like you don't know already. Anyway, when Y heard this story about tailgate parties this morning, Y was interested by a man's complaining of the smell of urine around nice old college buildings. He told us that the smell just doesn't go away. So true. P.U.

The use of alcohol on in and around college towns is a public health problem on the scale of Mt. Everest. It comes with the denial to match. I wonder if it smells like a river in Egypt.

Michigan My Michigan

Got this link to the Michigan Women's Hall Of Fame from Marge Piercy's site. Ms Piercy is being inducted along with others including Aretha Franklin . One must wonder: "What took so long?" Mustn't one?

Found in this list of fabulous Daughters of Gycheegoomee is one Womyn who had such a healing effect on me when Y was a Gyrl in danger of slipping into another place. Go and read the first words you see, savor the images. Y first read these words when Y was 6 or 7 and had no inkling that anyone else felt as Y did. Talk about powerful Magyc. There is no way to appreciate Ms Frostic's work on the internet due to the factors like the printing process and the papers and inks used. So you better take advantage of their offer to send you a free booklet.

Gwen Frostic

Life Saver

Some May Be Cursing, Today

The poem Swear It by Marge Piercy, from The Crooked Inheritance, © Alfred A. Knopf, was Read on The Writer's Almanac this morning. Usually Y hate to read or hear poetry, unless Y wrote it. Ha ha ha. Here is a rare exception.

Can't yet find a direct link to this poem on the site, so risking life, limb and the chance of spending 6 months representing myself in a court battle with Knopf, Y reprint it here:

Swear It
for Eva

My mother swore ripely, inventively
a flashing storm of American and Yiddish
thundering onto my head and shoulders.
My father swore briefly, like an ax
descending on the nape of a sinner.

But all the relatives on my father's
side, gosh, they said, goldarnit.
What happened to those purveyors
of soft putty cussing, go to heck,
they would mutter, you son of a gun.

They had limbs instead of legs.
Privates encompassed everything
from bow to stern. They did
number one and number two
and eventually, perhaps, it.

It has always amazed me there are
words too potent to say to those
whose ears are tender as baby
lettuces—often those who label
us into narrow jars with salt and

vinegar, saying, People like them,
meaning me and mine. Never say
the K or N word, just quietly shut
and bolt the door. Just politely
insert your foot in the Other's face.

Vote Anyway

Here is my technique:

• No matter what, vote
• Find out as much as Y can first
• If Y don't know who is the better candidate, or if they are both/all assholes, leave that one blank
• If a third, fourth, fifth party candidate is best, Y vote for the one Y actually want to do the job, regardless of scare tacticts used by the red and the blue. Y think it does not ever make sense to vote for someone you do not trust.
• Consider joining the League of Women Voters or another non-partisan group. If you have any experience or suggestions along this line, please let us know.
• Vote no matter what

IF You Were Allowed To Vote

On News And Notes there was a feature today:

W.R. Wilkerson III author of How Would You Vote If You Were Allowed To? argues that the United States would be better served by a direct democracy, rather than a republic.

As well as:

Farai Chideya talks with Ian Inaba, co-creator of Video the Vote. The project asks ordinary voters to videotape any irregularities they witness at their polling stations on Election Day.

What a great show!
Incidentally, did you know that when you go to npr.org, they place (or try to place) spyware on your computer?

Kerry's Freudian Slip

Do You Know Enough to Enlist?

Iraq costs are crushing army, top general warns from Final Call.com News - exerpt:
"The military has greatly intensified its recruitment efforts, relaxed its age and education requirements for enlistment, and offered unprecedented bonuses and benefits packages —worth thousands of dollars—to enlistees and active-duty soldiers who re-enlist.

It has also increased enlistments by individuals with “’serious criminal misconduct” in their records,” and eased requirements of non-citizens––of which there are currently about 40,000 in the armed services––and made them eligible for citizenship after only one day of active-duty military service. "

From: 10 Tips For Visiting a Recruiter
"Bonus Tip: The Buddy Deal. Services have programs where friends who sign up together can go through training together, be stationed together or even start with advanced rank and pay just because you sign up together. Be sure to ask your recruiter about the current availability of this and other bonuses. "
And be sure to neither ask nor tell. Oh, and when you visit the site, make sure you get the Mitlitary.com toolbar! Wonder how much spyware is on that thing....hmmmmm.......

No, Really, Jon Carry....

After making fun of j kerry, j stewart tried to defend him by saying kerry wasn't the one who sent the forces to the mideast. Really? Wasn't kerry in the government at the time? Y know one thing, he sure didn't stop it. And he had a real good chance to, but he just won't lift that second leg over the fence and get fully into the real world. Case in point- instead of blabbering on about his intentions, excuses, whatever- he could have pointed out that what he said is true. For a lot of younger folks who won't be getting a living wage any time soon, enlisting in the armed forces will look pretty sweet compared to homelessness, becoming a mugger, a windshield-washer, or a prostitute. If you want to see something, go into any recruiter's office and offer yourself or a younger relative (if you are too old) as an interested party. The bonuses! The thousands and thoudands in college tuition! Why, Y saw on tv that if you just have a dream and take that first step, you can fly around photographing the blue angels for a few years! Won't that be fun?

HALP US JON CARRY

If you must say something in public, at least don't try telling jokes.

Face It

On the Diane Rehm Show today the topic was Muslims, the Veil, and the West. You can listen to it on your computer, Y think. The fact that some muslim men and women have talked about uncovered women in terms of unwrapped meat, candy, whatever and asked, "Would you eat it?" was brought up. What was not brought up was the fact that- in addition to muslims -christians and jews (as well as other patriarchal cultural organizations) also have/had bizarre ways of objectifying womyn through mandating the concealment of certain parts of our bodies. Let's look at the big picture, huh? A woman couldn't get a drivers' license because she didn't want to uncover her face for the photo. Y couldn't get a drivers' license if Y went in there with no clothes on. What is the difference? (Y mean besides Y would end up in jail again, and she didn't.) Clothing which is demanded by any society is being used to fetishize parts of the body, or to indicate social status.

Check this out: Leotards Will Get a Girl In Trouble at feministing. The problem is way deeper than it would seem by this discussion. What appears trivial...well, is it?

The true purpose of clothing is to protect the body. There is no other sensible reason to wear clothes. And if you want to decorate yourself, try berry juice or mud.