feminist blogs

Hi, all,

My sister asked me to donate food or clothing to the needy in lieu of a Christmas gift for herself.  She inspired me to gather some donations for a local food pantry.  I’m coordinating a Food Drive for the Volunteers of America food pantry.  If you are interested in in donating, please let me know!  Bring me your donations, or I’ll pick them up.

More information to come,
Beamish

Edit, later that same day…

Some information from my contact at VOA:

The food drive would benefit our permanent supportive housing program (homeless services). Here is a blurb about their program:

Volunteers of America of Oklahoma assists single, homeless individuals with disabilities to obtain permanent supportive housing in their own apartment. Offering more than a roof over their heads, our program emphasizes case management tailored to meet the needs resulting from the disability and to connect with available community resources. Although some served through the program will always need case management because of their disability, many have graduated to self-sufficiency.

We put together holiday food baskets for all of the clients in the program as well as maintain a permanent food pantry for the program.

I think it is so sweet of Bruce Springsteen to issue a statement in support of New Jersey’s marriage-equality legislation. Here is a brief statement from his website:

Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, “The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.

Awe. Swoon…nothing sexier than a man with civil rights on the mind!

Spring

I just discovered handmade buttons this morning as I perused the crafty side of the internet, and I’M REAAAAAAAAALY EXCITED ABOUT THEM! Take a look-see!

These are from Sienna Orlando:

These from Elsita:

These from Laura Walker:

Beautiful, tiny, handmade art in a world where bigger, faster, mass-produced junk reigns? I’m in love!

Viva la cuteness!

Spring

Although the bill she was supporting was shot down in the New York Senate, Senator Savino’s passionate and smart speech in support of same-sex marriage was inspiring.  I first saw the link to the video posted by a friend on a social networking site and then on Feministing.  And then on Queerty.

The bill was voted down 38-24 yesterday, Wednesday the 2nd of December.   You can read more about it here and here.

Just wanted to share!

–beamish

I know the Holiday Season is supposed to be joyful and merry. But, holidays always brings up mixed emotions for me. I REALLY love the extra time off work. I love that most people seem to be more happy and helpful. I love the hearty food. I love that you’re supposed to think about your loved ones a little extra.

But this is where my feelings start to get mixed up. I start thinking about family that I have lost instead of family that I still have. Just when I think I’m finished grieving or I don’t need to cry about a certain loss anymore (whether that loss be death, dysfunctional relationships, disease, etc.), the Holidays come and somehow remind me that life is not all sweet. It’s really, truly bitter-sweet.

And, apparently, I’m not the only one. I came across this article about holiday depression. And it made me feel less lonely and crazy. Also, Tim Burton’s Christmas-ish drawings make me feel better. Then again, the fact that Burton’s drawings make me feel better makes me feel worse. Ho hum:

The Boy with Nails in His Eyes

Stick Boy's Festive Season

Sometimes I just want to run away to a secluded, monastic, place of my own up on a giant mountain until after the New Year and let all the Whos down in Whoville…

Spring

Lady Gaga

She has always written all of her own music, lyrics, and designed her own costumes and even makes a lot of them herself. One story goes that she bought a bra for $2.99 and outfitted each cup with tiny reflective mirrors and VIOLA!: “It’s supposed to look,” she says, “like my boobs are two disco balls.” DIY goddess?!?!?!

I’m not sure what to call her music. Maybe something like Madonnatronic? So far, in all the writings about Lady Gaga I’ve poured over lately, my favorite term for her genre-slippery music is “burlesque rock” which pretty much encapsulates why I’m so intellectually intrigued by all her pop, glitter, and skin. Her music is clubby and dancey so it’s definitely fun! But the lyrics are often about toxic and obsessive relationships, sexual power trips, materialistic urges and losing your mind in alcoholic over-indulgence. You know, everything that ordinarily turns me off in song lyrics! But, not with her. All of that hedonism becomes her. And, as she explains some of the inspiration behind her 2008 album The Fame, it’s as if she speaks directly to me and my skeptical hater within:

POP CULTURE IS ART. IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU COOL TO HATE POP CULTURE, SO I EMBRACED IT AND YOU HEAR IT ALL OVER THE FAME. BUT, IT’S A SHARABLE FAME. I WANT TO INVITE YOU ALL TO THE PARTY. I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL A PART OF THIS LIFESTYLE.

I’ll probably never feel wholly comfortable with our culture’s worship of fame, famous people, and the famous lifestyle.  But as long as Lady Gaga is the one creating songs and performing art on the topic, I’ll be the one (of millions) listening, watching and enjoying every damn minute! For your viewing entertainment, I’ll leave you with her video for “Bad Romance“ from 2009’s The Fame Monster. I’d love to here what you think…

Spring

P.S. This post is dedicated to my ladyfriend Tara. I am lucky enough to have a friend in Tara who is fully willing to discuss the genius of Lady Gaga with me in a smart, passionate, thoughtful way over cheap beers in a dingy bar after a game of pool.

I desperately want to shave with a straight razor, but I don’t know HOW. Is that weird? Is it crazy? Is it possible? Do women who shave use straight razors? I may need some help from my man friends on this one. Do any of you men use straight razors?

Straight Razor

It’s just that straight razors seem much less wasteful than disposable razors. It seems much more economical and ecological to reuse 1 razor for the rest of my life. They also look cool. Very Sweeney Todd or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Well, I guess Seven Brides for Seven Brothers isn’t so much cool as it is nostalgic (And it was one of the only movies my mom let me watch over and over again when I was a little girl. Gawd, that actually explains a lot!).

I was also thinking that if I’m going to bother with shaving, I might as well make it worth while. I should enjoy that time instead of looking upon it as a hassle. Me and a bathtub and warm lather and TING! the steel straight razor. Then to sharpen it on an old-fashioned leather strop (yes, strop).

Leather Strop

I’m invigorated just fantasizing about it! As the writer of The Art of Manliness says: “putting razor sharp steel next to your throat every morning reminds you that you’re alive.” I agree! Except I would be running razor sharp steel up and down my sensitive legs and across my ticklish armpits. Sensual and bad-ass at the same time! And, ladies, have you ever thought about having a man shave your legs for you? Oh my!

Now if I could only afford the $200 that some of the really good ones cost…

Lovingly,

Spring

This is for you if you’re having a bad day:

Much love,

Spring

The chilly weather always makes me want to put on my softest pajamas, sip hot cocoa, and start knitting my balls off! I’m not a very good knitter, though. At all. But I still like to do it. And I’m a big-time knitter appreciater. I love how two sticks and a string can make almost anything: knit sweaters, knit ties, knit socks, knit Teddy bears. And now, knit graffiti! Right now, I’m drooling over the art of KnittaPlease, a knit graffiti crew that does incredible work like this:

Magda Sayeg is the lady that started the original knit graffiti crew, and I like how she works:

to redefine a craft that has been relegated to the stuffy attic of people’s brains and dismissed by a limited vision for knitting’s purpose, its function, its practitioners. Sayeg’s work repositions this granny pastime in public spaces, streets formerly dominated by a hard, masculine public art culture. The fuzzy tags invoke entirely different connotations, antagonizing expectations and initiating dialogue about community-driven art and intersections between art and craft.

To me, it’s all about finding the beauty in the under-appreciated. Know what I mean?

Spring

Well, dog my cats.

For those of you who haven’t already heard, let me repeat that: the Republican National Committee (RNC) has a health insurance plan for their employees that covers abortion. Now, this shouldn’t even be surprising, despite my out-loud laugh half in amazement, half fury when I found out arriving home last night. Because as Amie and Cecile Richards say – of course their plan covers abortion! It’s a standard health benefit plan any employer would want to offer their employees, yes?

But as Politico points out, for a committee whose platform that says abortion is “a fundamental assault on innocent human life,” and its members just voted for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment attacking the very existence of abortion coverage in health insurance plans (along with enough anti-choice and cowardly Dems) in the recently House passed health care bill, this is pretty incredible to hear.

Of course, the RNC is scrambling to cover for this apparent mistake, saying the policy had been in effect since 1991 (so were you pro-choice then?) and is assuring folks that their insurance plan is going to immediately be changed. Says a late release from the RNC late last night:

News reports have revealed that the RNC’s health plan dating back as far as 1991 may have included some coverage for elective abortion. Upon learning of this, Chairman Michael Steele instructed the RNC Director of Administration to opt the RNC out of any coverage for elective abortion services in its health insurance policy.

“Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose. I don’t know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled.” – RNC Chairman Michael Steele

It’s not so much that the RNC are hypocrites that gets me – we’ve known that too well and for too long – but that their female employees are now having the right to reproductive health care stripped from their plan. It’s like they’re the first to be sacrificed in the midst of this assault.

Go read it on their website here and follow the links for verification.

Bemused,
Beamish