Just discovered a fun new website - HollaBack NYC, created to post pictures of street harassers, since there isn't really much else that can be done. Gotta love this as a response to sexual harassment - their motto is "If you can't slap 'em, snap 'em!"
http://www.hollabacknyc.blogspot.com/
This site was created as a way to empower women who are victims of street harassment - a problem that is of course much harder to address that workplace harassment. Want to slap the harasser, but know that's not a good idea? Using a cell phone camera, take his picture, then send it to the site! The site is an amusing collection of pics and stories about the freaks out there & how women are coping with them.
A user from DC summed up the whole point of it nicely:
"Being called "beautiful" and "sexy" is a compliment when it comes from someone who means it and who you in return find such...not from some random man on the street with half of his teeth missing who's drunk!"
As one of the founders, Emily May, noted:
"When I didn't do anything [to respond to harassment] it didn't feel good, and when I yelled back, it didn't feel good, but now I have a response that genuinely feels good." (from an article in Ms. magazine - summer '06)
BRAVO for both creativity and positivity! :)
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Update from Baghdad Burning
New post today from the Girl Blog from Iraq: http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
She says:
"You know your country is in trouble when:
* The UN has to open a special branch just to keep track of the chaos and bloodshed, UNAMI, but abovementioned branch cannot be run from your country.
* The only thing the US and Iran can agree about is the deteriorating state of your nation.
* For every 5 hours of no electricity, you get one hour of public electricity - and then the government announces it's going to cut back on providing that hour.
* People consider themselves lucky if they can actually identify the corpse of the relative that's been missing for two weeks."
Scary.
One thing we - who don't have a war within our own borders - tend not to think about so much is the culture of fear that takes over during war. She says, "There is no compensation for the dense, black cloud of fear that hangs over the head of every Iraqi." We have to admit there is no parallel in America. Our unsafe neighborhoods are heaven compared with most of Iraq. We have no clue...
Check out the website for her full post. The least we can do is pay attention.
She says:
"You know your country is in trouble when:
* The UN has to open a special branch just to keep track of the chaos and bloodshed, UNAMI, but abovementioned branch cannot be run from your country.
* The only thing the US and Iran can agree about is the deteriorating state of your nation.
* For every 5 hours of no electricity, you get one hour of public electricity - and then the government announces it's going to cut back on providing that hour.
* People consider themselves lucky if they can actually identify the corpse of the relative that's been missing for two weeks."
Scary.
One thing we - who don't have a war within our own borders - tend not to think about so much is the culture of fear that takes over during war. She says, "There is no compensation for the dense, black cloud of fear that hangs over the head of every Iraqi." We have to admit there is no parallel in America. Our unsafe neighborhoods are heaven compared with most of Iraq. We have no clue...
Check out the website for her full post. The least we can do is pay attention.
Monday, December 25, 2006
If you can't trust Jimmy Stewart...
It gets better! Better than a murderous Santa or religious wing-nuts losing at Christmas (see below) we now have an old FBI memo calling the movie It's a Wonderful Life "communist propaganda" for it's pro-common-man, anti-consumerist message and its portrayal of the banker as a bad guy.
You can read the actual FBI memo (with names blotted out) and some entertaining commentary at: http://www.wisebread.com/fbi-considered-its-a-wonderful-life-communist-propaganda#memo1
Even more interesting, blogger Will Chen writes:
"Perhaps the FBI was (and still is) correct when it said It's a Wonderful Life did not reflect American values. If you don't believe me, try telling your loved ones tonight that they won't be getting a materialistic gift from you, because your love for them already makes them the 'richest man in town!'"
Think about that as you reflect on the "reason for the season"! :)
You can read the actual FBI memo (with names blotted out) and some entertaining commentary at: http://www.wisebread.com/fbi-considered-its-a-wonderful-life-communist-propaganda#memo1
Even more interesting, blogger Will Chen writes:
"Perhaps the FBI was (and still is) correct when it said It's a Wonderful Life did not reflect American values. If you don't believe me, try telling your loved ones tonight that they won't be getting a materialistic gift from you, because your love for them already makes them the 'richest man in town!'"
Think about that as you reflect on the "reason for the season"! :)
Gotta have a debate, even on Christmas...
Too funny - the latest "PC" challenge apparently comes from reaction to a Santa horror movie being released on Christmas day. It seems that some random Christians don't think it's appropriate for a movie that portrays Santa as a mass-murderer to be released on Christmas.
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/12/im_probably_goi.html
Hello - what does Santa have to do with Christianity? Even if you trace back to the original St Nicholas, his story is still not about the Christ child...
So I guess I don't get it. Check out the link to the article & accompanying comments - very funny commentary on the state of pop culture today. Gotta love an article that begins:
"I'm probably going to hell for saying this, but I don't see anything wrong with Santa Claus wanting to murder a bunch of Hollywood pretty people on Christmas day."
So check out the link - probably more entertaining than the movie! :)
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2006/12/im_probably_goi.html
Hello - what does Santa have to do with Christianity? Even if you trace back to the original St Nicholas, his story is still not about the Christ child...
So I guess I don't get it. Check out the link to the article & accompanying comments - very funny commentary on the state of pop culture today. Gotta love an article that begins:
"I'm probably going to hell for saying this, but I don't see anything wrong with Santa Claus wanting to murder a bunch of Hollywood pretty people on Christmas day."
So check out the link - probably more entertaining than the movie! :)
Whoosh!
Where did December go?
It's not surprising that Christmas night is the first time I've had in a month to even think about writing, but I didn't realize it had been so long.
Other people I know have more pressing things going happening in their lives - one is waiting for her son to come home from Iraq next week - another just lost her sister in a freak accident a month ago - a third is worrying about a stalker ex-boyfriend. Nothing big like that is going on with me! Both of my U classes ended in the first half of the month, so that's no longer even an excuse.
I guess the work/home/socializing routine just gets stepped up a notch in December. More work, more social engagements, and more going on at home. But nothing earth-shattering.
One thing that's nice - my family is about as functional as they come. While other people stress the holidays and dread being around crazy relatives, I have no such problems. My immediate and extended family are all normal and nice, so the holidays are relaxing for us, not stressful. We are blessed.
Joy to the world, the lord is come! :)
It's not surprising that Christmas night is the first time I've had in a month to even think about writing, but I didn't realize it had been so long.
Other people I know have more pressing things going happening in their lives - one is waiting for her son to come home from Iraq next week - another just lost her sister in a freak accident a month ago - a third is worrying about a stalker ex-boyfriend. Nothing big like that is going on with me! Both of my U classes ended in the first half of the month, so that's no longer even an excuse.
I guess the work/home/socializing routine just gets stepped up a notch in December. More work, more social engagements, and more going on at home. But nothing earth-shattering.
One thing that's nice - my family is about as functional as they come. While other people stress the holidays and dread being around crazy relatives, I have no such problems. My immediate and extended family are all normal and nice, so the holidays are relaxing for us, not stressful. We are blessed.
Joy to the world, the lord is come! :)
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