Jun

30

New Icons

Filed Under blog news, blogging, self-promotion | 4 Comments

I just wanted to bring your attention to the new social networking icons at the bottom of all the posts. To those of you who use these services, do me a favor and give them an occasional click! I’m currently working on promotion through Digg, so when you click on the icon, the post should already be in the system and you won’t have to go through the hassle of adding it– just Digging it! So far it seems to be sending me more trolls than anything (check out the recent comments), but they say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. We’ll see if it’s worth my time to keep it around. While I’m working that out, Digg away!

The Stumble Upon icon for the plugin is broken. I’m currently seeing if I can get if fixed, but in the meantime, don’t forget to give those thumbs ups to posts that you like :) Also, if there any other services out there that you use and would like to see an icon for, let me know, because I’ve got about two dozen options. Requests will be honored!

Update: uh, there seems to be some really weird glitch where the text of my posts shows up twice on the individual post pages. I’m not sure if that is due to my new icons or the other editing I did to the site today. Either way, I’m working on it so please try to be patient and ignore it until it’s fixed!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Jun

30

Israeli President Resigns in Exchange for Dropped Rape Charges

Filed Under International, patriarchy, politics, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | Leave a Comment

Israeli President Moshe Katsav has had rape charges against him dropped in exchange for his resignation and guilty plea to lesser charges. He will instead receive a suspended sentence and have to pay a total of $11,695 to two of the former employees who accused him.

The deal that Katsav, who held a primarily ceremonial post, made has sparked a lot of criticism. But Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz was there to back him up:

Mr. Mazuz defended the reduced charges at a news conference, saying that Mr. Katsav had gone “from the status of No. 1 Citizen to the status of sex offender, with the shame that will follow him from now on.”

. . .

The attorney general said that many cases had problems of proof and evidence, and that in some cases the statute of limitations had expired. He said the settlement was in the public interest because it would reduce “the harm to the institution of the presidency.”

So yeah, I guess that the shame a sex offender feels is meant to somehow negate his assaults. As for the shame (that no rape victim should feel, but many do), violation and mental duress that the victim feels, I bet that $6000 will shut the Lying Whore up.

I’m happy to see that the Israeli public is criticizing this decision. It’s rare to see public opinion come down on the side of a victim, though I’m honestly not up to date with Israeli politics enough to know if this has anything to do with a political distaste for Katsev or not. In either case, it’s not enough. No amount of public outrage solves the fact that these women will never see their day in court, that Katsev got to bypass the legal system because of his status, and that he will not spend a single day in jail.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Jun

29

Help Choose the BlogHers Act Issue

Filed Under blogging, blogswarm | Leave a Comment

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the BlogHers Act Initiative, and suggested the issue of rape and sexual assault to be spotlighted. The suggestions have been collected, and the survey is up. Help choose what you think the issue should be– and also what you think the issue should not be.

Remember, the chosen issue is going to be spotlighted by women bloggers for a full year, so pick an issue that both really matters to you, and doesn’t get enough media attention. Anyone can vote– male, female, blogger or non-blogger. And it takes only about two minutes, so get your ass over there! Voting ends on July 8.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Jun

29

Too Fat to Adopt?

Filed Under Australia, International, beauty myths, discrimination, fat-shaming, human rights, women’s health | 18 Comments

A woman in Australia has been told that she is too fat to adopt. Kylie Lannigan weighs 126kg, or 278lbs. She has been told that in order to eligible to adopt, she must drop down to 85kg, or 177lbs– a total weight loss of 90lbs. Lannigan is 170cms, or 5′7” tall.

For the record, at that height and goal weight, Lannigan’s BMI would be 27.7. Mine is 28. So I guess that I wouldn’t be able to adopt, either.

Lannigan has already lost over 25lbs in her quest to adopt. Unfortunately for her, she has polycystic ovarian syndrome, which can not only cause infertility, but also weight gain.

Read more

Popularity: 11% [?]

Jun

28

What’s your “perfect fit?”

Filed Under beauty myths, marketing, media, misogyny, products, women’s health | 14 Comments

I was flipping through the newest issue of Marie Claire (don’t judge me), and came across this utterly disgusting ad:

(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)




The text on the right reads:

“A complete line of styles to help you find your perfect fit, created by Allergan. Building on 55 years of experience, Allergan is a trusted leader in safety and aesthetic innovation . . . There are many options for you and your surgeon to consider. Whether you choose silicone or saline, the Natrelle Collection offers a broad range of sizes, shapes and profiles. Talk to your plastic surgeon about the Natrelle Collection and find the fit that’s right for you. For more information, visit Natrelle.com/MarieClaire.”

Aesthetic innovation? “Safety?” Are you fucking kidding me?

I’ll tell you what the “fit that’s right for me” is, Natrelle and Marie Claire motherfuckers: the pair of tits that grew naturally on my chest.

Marie Claire editor Joanna Coles urges you to write to her about “whatever concerns you, tickles you, or ticks you off.” Her email address is joannacoles@hearst.com. Let her know.

Thanks to The Fashion Informer for saving me the trouble of uploading the image myself.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Jun

28

On HIV-AIDS’ Rise and Potential Solutions

Filed Under Africa, International, WOC issues, women’s health | 2 Comments

Yesterday was National HIV Testing Day. Sorry that I missed it. Of course, for those of you who also forgot, it’s not too late to get tested!

In honor, I wanted to bring this sobering article from AlterNet to your attention, which talks about how HIV-AIDS is on the rise among U.S. women, particularly Black and Latina women.

“Everyone is telling us what not to do, but who’s telling us what to do?” says Loretta Ross, the national coordinator for Atlanta-based SisterSong, a collective of some 80 organizations focused on reproductive health for women of color. “‘Just say no’ ain’t worked for drugs, sex or politicians.”

While men still make up the vast majority of reported HIV-AIDS diagnoses in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that diagnoses of women rose 17 percent from 2001 to 2005, with more than 9,800 women diagnosed for the first time in 2005.

Of U.S. women currently living with the virus, about 64 percent are African Americans, and another 15 percent are Latina. HIV-AIDS remains the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25 to 34, and a top-four cause for black women 35 to 54. It’s also the fourth-leading cause of death for Latina women 35 to 44. Younger women remain at higher risk and only cancer and heart disease kill more women annually.

Wow. There’s nothing to like about that. So what can we do?

Read more

Popularity: 8% [?]

Jun

27

Victims of Domestic Violence Need Your Help

Filed Under WOC issues, action alert, discrimination, legislation, misogyny, politics, race and racism, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | 3 Comments

Broadsheet has the horrible news that an amendment to the Immigration Bill is being considered that would require women to report their immigration status in order to report domestic abuse. This means that undocumented immigrants would face the atrocious decision to either risk their safety and let their abusers go unpunished, or risk deportation.

We can’t let this happen. Please contact your Senators IMMEDIATELY, and tell them that this is not acceptable.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Jun

27

Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Ban on D&X Abortions

Filed Under abortion, anti-choice extremism, legislation, politics, reproductive justice, social conservatives, women’s health | 2 Comments




Because Louisiana, home to New Orleans, really doesn’t have anything more pressing to deal with, lawmakers have just passed a bill that would ban so-called “partial birth” abortions. The procedure is properly known as D&X.


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Popularity: 17% [?]

Jun

26

A reason to not let your daughter wear that tube top . . .

Filed Under courts gone crazy, misogyny, rape and sexual assault, sexual exploitation and harassment, slut-shaming, violence against women and girls | 25 Comments

Because the judge might blame her if she’s raped.

A 24 year old man who raped a 10 year old girl has only been sentenced to 2 years in jail because the child was “dressed provocatively.” Because apparently British men are such disgusting, vicious, wild animals that if a child shows a bit of knee, they can’t help but rape her? Nice to know what the judge thinks of himself and his fellow countrymen.

Oxford Crown Court heard that Fenn raped the girl in a park on 14 October, before an accomplice, Darren Wright, 34, took her home and sexually assaulted her.

Judge Hall said in sentencing he faced a moral dilemma as the fact they had sex within 45 minutes of meeting was an absolute crime.

But he said the girl had dressed provocatively and looked as though she was 16.

Lawyers for the defendants stressed that the sex had been consensual, and was only termed ‘rape’ because of the framework of law.

They said the judge stated that doctors who examined the girl believed she was in her mid-teens and she was treated by most people as older than her actual age.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Jun

26

Action Alert Roundup

Filed Under Democrats, LGBTQ issues, action alert, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, legislation, marketing, media, politics, reproductive justice, women’s health | 1 Comment

Ask your Senators to support the Matthew Shepard Act. The Matthew Shepard Act would protect people from hate-crimes on the basis of sexual orientation. The bad news is that a lot of Senators are receiving more calls and emails from the opposition than from the sane and logical crowd. So be sure to do this one.

The Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act would require pharmacies to dispense birth control and emergency contraception. The bill need support, so contact your congressional representative and ask him or her to act as a cosponsor.

Congressional Dems have drafted a bill called the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Good for them. Contact your Congressional representative to ask him or her to support the bill.

Finally, did Fox and CBS’ decision to not air the new Trojan commercial piss you off? Tell them what a bunch of assholes they are. Nicely, of course.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Jun

26

On how to make abortion rights a winning issue

Filed Under 2008 election, Democrats, Republicans, abortion, anti-choice extremism, politics, reproductive justice, social conservatives, women’s health | 4 Comments

So I’m late at getting to this. A few days ago, the NY Times had an atrocious Op-Ed about how the pro-choice position will only hurt Democrats. There’s a lot to criticize. Amanda has a great write-up. And here is some factual debunking. But here’s a passage that I haven’t seen anyone address:

Most Americans fall somewhere between the extremes of “never” and “no problem” when it comes to abortion.

What polling can’t capture and politicians won’t hear is the voice of the nun I interviewed who considers herself pro-choice — and has been disciplined by her diocese as a result — because she does not think abortion is wrong for rape victims. Or the voices of the many women I spoke to who hold far more expansive views yet call themselves pro-life. Most people differentiate between a fetus in the early weeks of development and at nearly full term, and draw the line at a procedure that Democratic Senator Pat Moynihan regarded as infanticide.

Read more

Popularity: 8% [?]

Jun

25

A Quote

Filed Under activism, bigotry, discrimination, human rights, politics, race and racism | 4 Comments

I was just reading an article in Time about JFK’s slow-moving, “moderate” support of the Civil Rights movement, and came across a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that I found so profound, stirring and relevant to contemporary politics and all current rights struggles that I just can’t help but share:

“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion . . . that the Negro’s greatest stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice . . . who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom.”

Swap out pronouns at your will, and you will see many painful parallels.  Keep the pronouns as they are, and you will see the same.  There’s nothing else I could possibly add.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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