2009-06-01 12:40 | A small collection of disjointed thoughts.

I will be donating to Medical Students For Choice and National Network of Abortion Funds this Friday (when I get paid).  I can't donate much, but every bit helps.  As in, I will probably only donate about $20 each, which is groceries for a week and a half for me (give/take), but it is still better than nothing.

The thing that I am nodding along with today is this post by Amanda at Pandagon: The "non-violent" anti-abortion activists.  For added fun, check out this statement made by Randall Terry, the founder of Operation: Rescue.  And also: Abortion is Murder: Why the right is responsible for domestic terrorism, by M. LeBlanc at Bitch Ph.D.:

They did this to mask the truth about the anti-abortion movement: it is not about whether a fetus is a life. It is about controlling women. It is about heaping "consequences" on women who dare to live their lives as full, autonomous human beings who are not beholden to the male patriarchs and the male god who demand women serve as reproductive vessels fully under their control. It is about judgment, and it is about punishment.

This is all making me sick to my stomach to consider.  Do you know how many late-term abortion doctors are left in the nation? Two. That's right, rabbits.  Two doctors left in the United States who provide late-term abortions.

I do believe I have reached the end of using the term "pro-life".

2009-05-05 20:19 | I am breaking mild silence to say…

…what?

Georgia candidate for governor admits to bestiality

This is the same motherfucker who wouldambush women at abortion clinics and post their names to his website.

In case you ever wondered where I picked up this general dislike of most people. Just. What?

2009-04-03 09:10 | Holy crap, Iowa!

At Pandagon: Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality

I link there, rather than directly to a news site, because along with the news you get a nice smattering of Freeper wailing.  Yay, lamentations!

I had no clue Iowa had this on the table.  My boyfriend is from Iowa, so he is v. pleased as well.

Woo!  Who's next?

2009-02-20 13:37 | No means no, jackass.

Back to what I was on about an age ago.  That being, Twisty is awesome.  Today's evidence is where she posts about consent.  The entire post is what win is, but I will excerpt a portion just for you:

There are rules about what sort of woman can even attempt to make the "I said no" argument in court. Women who typically are not eligible to opt out of consent include: women who drink in bars, women who walk alone, women who walk at night, women who use drugs, women belonging to certain castes, women who dress a certain way, women who don't dress a certain way, women who are married to men, women who have had multiple sex partners, women who may have said yes last month, women who may have said yes at the beginning but who, three minutes in, found it disagreeable and changed to "no," women who didn't fight back hard enough, women who didn't tell anyone or report it right away, women whose physical similarity to pornulated women aroused the defendant, women whose behavior at the party aroused the defendant, teens with a "reputation," and prostituted women.

She goes on to discuss (a) a news item about a 13-year-old who was raped by her instructor, and how vile and appalling it is that the article author put quote marks around "rape", (b) the problem with consent as it stands, and (c) her bona-fide solution for it.

This is precisely why I love reading I Blame The Patriarchy.  The language is precise and the concepts are amazing.  I am ever in hearts with folk what can put words to ideas in such a fashion, since I so often have problems with it.

2009-02-18 15:46 | And North Dakota is in the lead!

Via a couple of places: ND House Passes Abortion Ban

The House voted 51-41 this afternoon to declare that a fertilized egg has all the rights of any person.

That means a fetus could not be legally aborted without the procedure being considered murder.

Commentary can be found at these places, so far as I've found:

* IBTP
* Bitch Pd.D.
* Feministe (once their database stops sucking)
* Suite 101

2009-02-12 13:30 | One part post, one part test.

karnythia has a post up about domestic abuse, with regards to the recent Chris Brown/Rihanna news.  Please read the comments as well, they are fantastic.  Also check out hotcoffeems's comment on domestic abuse:

And every single damn time someone tries to come up with some Special Circumstance that makes the situation under discussion possibly different. Well, guess what? 999 times out of 1000, it is not different, in any way shape or form. It's like idiots who tell you not to wear a seat belt because someone they know would have been killed if they'd been wearing one. Well, gee, guess that means we should never wear one, right? Every time people seek to make some kind of exception, in the interest of "fairness," they give just a little bit of license to this mess, make it likely that yet another abuser is going to go to the woman's friends in the interest of drumming up sympathy for himself in dealing with this "unbalanced" woman, because he knows people will go for it.

Pass it on.

[eta] And if you have a Facebook account, please log in and report this group.  When you go to that page, go all the way to the bottom and click Report Group.

(The test is to see if this RSSupplement plugin works.  I want to add "Please comment on the entry over here" to posts that've been RSSified.)

2009-02-12 01:36 | Donations tiem.

If you're online at all, you may already know about the bushfires in Victoria, Australia, and may further have already read this touching story about Sam the koala getting water from a firefighter.

Please, if you have the capability, consider donating to the RSPCA in Victoria or to Wildlife Victoria.  I will be donating some on Friday, when I get paid.

With regards to donating in general, it really doesn't have to be a lot.  I frequently can only donate $5 or $10 here and there, and that used to put me off, because I figured that it would feel like an insult, or I'd have to justify myself, or whatever.  I, Anx Cat, am here to tell you that is not the case – every donation is more than no donation at all. When I donate $5 because that's all I can afford, it's not insulting.  It's contributing. It's giving, for heaven's sake.  And the fun thing is, the more that people internalise that every donation is worthwhile and appreciated, the more people will donate.   I have donated more these past few months than I ever have before, and most of that is because I stopped beating myself up over "only" giving $5 (or $10 or whatever).

I am spouting obvious stuff because it is ridiculously past my bedtime.

And I'm focusing more on animals than on people because it's a big ol' habit of mine, I realise belatedly.  I get easily upset when animals are injured.  I figure humans have a better chance of getting away than animals do.  (So I promise, I am not saying "Fuck people, save the fuzzies!".)

That, however, is no excuse for not including this link: Donate to the Australian Red Cross

(By the by, if you're idly curious about exchange rates, go here.)

2009-02-10 19:10 | "What the fucking fuck, Montressor?"

I suppose few would assume I support PETA, but there's certainly no substitute for being explicit.

"Obviously it's an uncomfortable comparison," PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said.

But the AKC is trying to create a "master race," he added. "It's a very apt comparison."

Fuck PETA.  They are collectively a waste of space, and should disband perhaps already.

[eta]  And if you want some appalling (and don't mind reading one-sided Twitter conversations), check out PETA's official Twitter feed.  (I contributed.)

2008-11-10 09:13 | Oh, hooray.

Silverton, Oregon elects a transgender mayor.  Go Stu Rasmussen!

2008-11-07 00:50 | Full. of. politics.

This has been sitting in my head for a couple of days now. It's a jumble of thoughts and things. Like my head.

To be completely honest–

Which means "Usually I don't talk about this", not "Usually I lie about this". I am so picky about that phrase, I swear.

–I don't usually pay attention to politics, largely because I can't. And I am using "can't" nonliterally – yes, I could pay attention, but the problem is twofold:

1) I need to be able to get out of bed in the morning, for serious. I posted this elsewhere: I know it probably makes me a weak person, but I strongly prefer to get my news from feminist-leaning sites (as that's my strongest leaning; after that is "generic moderate-liberal"), because it helps knowing someone is on my side. A real-life equivalent would be reading newspaper sections aloud to a like-minded friend (or having them read it, whatevs) – I feel less alone.

2) I am not good with my time sense, so it's hard for me to process… I can't explain this well. I can't see the forest for the trees, is the best expression. I see all the little things piling up day after day, and it's fantastically hard for me to pull back and go "Things are improving", in a way that leaves me feeling like my contributions even matter.

Not to mention the usual anxy things of "What if I don't have all the facts?" and so forth. Feh.

But damn, yall, Obama. I seriously teared up when he gave his speech on Tuesday. I've been watching videos and viewing photos all day today, and have continued to get all sniffly. I tried looking at McCain videos/pictures, but it turns out I'm not always big on schadenfreude. Earlier on Tuesday, I went to the elections office to drop off my ballot*, and I was practicing thinking of other people as real, important individuals, even if I don't know or like them. I couldn't turn that off for the McCain folk, it seems.

* Oregon has mail-in ballots, but I don't trust the USPS, and I do trust my anxy procrastination. Sounds weird, but it's true. And hey, I dropped off my ballot, with plenty of time to spare. Portland made it wicked easy – it's right on a bus route, and they had street signs for directing traffic to the drive-up drop-off box. *pleased* I like it here.

And he and his wife are going to get their kids a shelter dog on the way to the White House. Good heavens, I beamed so widely at that.

I rankle at people talking about how we should get to work now. But then, I tend to rankle when people are being patronising. copperwise here put it best: "Quite a few people are posting cranky things which indicate to me that they don't know the difference between hope and naivety." And Naamah encapsulates it perfectly:

I'm not expecting anything out of Obama, really, more than some good speeches, looking swell, and not embarrassing us to the world at large. And being able to say "nuclear." WE are the ones who have to do all the work. And that is the part that makes me think we chose well. We chose someone who CAN inspire that in us, and who won't attempt to tear it all down.

HELLO YES THX.

It's not hope like blind faith. It's hope like inspiration, like motivation.

2008-09-17 12:49 | Wahahahaha.

Couple fight gender-neutral language in wedding license

"To the state of California, however, she is either "Party A" or "Party B." Those are the terms that have replaced "bride" and "groom" on the state's new gender-neutral marriage licenses. And to Bird and Codding, that is unacceptable."

I… can't stop laughing at this.

""We just feel that our rights have been violated," she said."

*dies laughing*

2008-03-14 10:47 | Sometimes it does get better.

I am so pleased by this.

Flanked by two survivors of sexual assault, one with tears welling in her eyes, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a long awaited bill Thursday that requires hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.

(Hat-tip.)

2008-02-20 13:08 | IRL o'clock.

I'm a good feminist today, rah rah.  I was talking with my coworker about the case I posted about yesterday, where a guy killed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend, then himself.

C: Well, that's hardly surprising.  Look at what society tells us – to want more than we can have, to be jealous…
X: …that women are less…
C: No no, I mean back from that.
X: How can you go back from that?  Jealousy is wanting to keep what you have, right?
C: Yes.
X: Well, part of the societal message is that women are, among other things, property.
C: But you're breaking it down too far.
X: No, I'm not.  Part of the message is that women are less.  It's not some sort of after-thought.  Besides, I'm female, I can't exactly not pay attention to that part*.

And then we moved over to discussing how marriage only became about love in roughly the 1950s.

* W-ell, technically, I could, but you know what I mean.

2008-02-19 22:55 | "Jesus fucking son of an asshat shitstick!"

The very next time anyone even jokes about "feminazis", or how women hate men, I'm going to put my motherfucking fist through the wall.

At Feministing, Jessica posts about Natasha Hall's murder by her ex-boyfriend.  Notably, the police allegedly said that if she kept calling them wrt her ex, they would arrest the both of them.  What the shit.

In comments, one MedicalStudent29 (oh god, he's my age) really wants to know why Hill didn't do everything in her power to prevent this:

The anti-stalking laws are there, but they only work if the female victims actually choose to exercise their rights to file charges. Far too often, they still dont understand the gravity of the situation.

Aghghghg.  People tried arguing with him.  I tried arguing with him.  And then a different commenter responds with this utter tripe:

He's probably going to go to prison for many years to come. She's still dead. As a doornail. All the blame spared her and heaped upon him will not give her another breath of life.

At which point, I stopped being able to see any colour other than red.

I can't stand it.  I can't stand it, that this is the world I live in.  That this world, that has sunsets and laughter and wine, also has shitstains on society who, without irony, state that gosh, we shouldn't punish people for their crimes, for the crime has already been committed, it's in the past, lighten up!

And sometimes I actually wonder why I don't leave the house unless I have to.

2008-02-13 00:20 | 3 out of 4 of the photos of kids are befreckled.

Via siderea:

Why Children Lie

An article in the magazine New York about lying in children, how it's reinforced by their parents, and about how fighting is a good thing.

2008-02-03 14:57 | Sometimes, I think our laws need a reboot.

Rape charges dropped against pharmacist who posed as gynecologist:

"Prosecutors say they cannot press rape charges against a pharmacist who allegedly posed as a gynecologist and examined two women because of a half-century old state law that says an assault can't be considered rape if consent is obtained through fraud or deceit."

Thankfully, state representative Peter Koutoujian is working on changing that:

"In fact, we know now through decades of work with victims that rape is not necessarily only a physical act. You don't need to use force in order to rape someone. It's really the act of consent that is more pivotal to the charge of rape."

One of these years, I'm going to post my thoughts on (adult) rape, as influenced by reading many, many blogs on the topic.  In the meantime, I'm going to continue wondering how I'm supposed to not mistrust men on sight.

(W-ell, I'm actually going to continue trying to wake up.  You know.)

2008-02-02 13:52 | Maybe I could learn to like New York…

An appeals court has ruled that a gay couple's marriage in Canada should be recognized in New York.

"The state Legislature "may decide to prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriages solemnized abroad," the ruling said. "Until it does so, however, such marriages are entitled to recognition in New York."

And here's the ACLU press release on the topic.  This is fantastic!

Oh, hey, and, lookit this:

A[n Oregon] state law allowing gay couples to register as domestic partners belatedly took effect Friday after a federal judge ruled the state's process of disqualifying petition signatures was consistent enough to be valid.

I love waking up to good news.

2007-09-23 20:43 | Judgment is more pernicious than you think.

On pregnancy and smoking.

No, really.  Read that link.

2007-06-28 08:43 | I would totally apply for a work visa.

Jillian's comment is fantastic to me today.  I shall reproduce it here, since I can.  (Edited a bit, but the square brackets make that clear.)

[Men's] argument is some sort of variation on "there's a killer that lurks in the heart of all (most, some) men, and women have an innate knack for bringing that killer out". Their argument stands in contrast to the argument that says "We've created a society that allows – and sometimes encourages – men to view women as chattel to such a degree that lots of them act like sick fucks, and even the ones who don't feel compelled to make excuses for those who do".

The second argument encourages both genders to work together to try to change that situation. The first argument – that all (most, some) men have killers lurking in their secret heart of hearts, just encourages women to stay as far away from men as humanly possible.

Do straight men think about this before they say these things? Because I can tell you that if I thought the first argument were correct, I would move to a women's only Lesbotopian enclave tomorrow, and never, ever leave it. And so would every woman in the whole country. And none of us would ever have sex with any of them ever again.

[...][The] sheer incongruity of the fact that STRAIGHT MEN make an argument whose natural conclusion is that no woman should ever have sex with a man again just never ceases to bowl me over.

The main post was about a couple of guys' reaction to the murder of Jessie Davis, allegedly by Bobby Cutts, Jr.  I really wouldn't advise reading any right-wing opinion posts about it, or any of the links that Jill provides at the main Feministe post, since doing so may drain you of your will to allow others to live.  I had to go read I Can Has Cheezburger after all that.

2007-05-28 10:22 | In which I rant about rape.

Somehow, the subject of feminism came up yesterday when I was chatting with B, my live-in partner.  (That makes him sound like a sofa-bed.)  He asserted, partially tongue-in-cheekily, that the world is run by a small group of rich white men, and he's not one of them.  There's The Top Of The Pack, and then waaay later on the power scale, there's men, women, non-whites, and so forth.

Somehow, this turned into me ranting about rape.  I broke it down to chat style for ease of reading.

X: Recently, there was an item in the news wherein which a woman who was throwing up due to being so drunk was prevented from leaving the building and was gang-raped.  The responses to this were normal – "She probably deserved it.  She got herself drunk.  She got herself raped.  Oh, those poor boys!"

X: Like the Duke lacrosse thing – a bunch of frat boys hired a prostitute for their kegger, she files rape charges, and all anyone can talk about, aside from at the feminist blogs I read, is oh, those poor boys!  Meanwhile, her personal information – her full name and a picture of her – is plastered in the media.

X: And what other crimes are there (crimes that involve two people, I mean, a victim and a perp) where the victim is told that they were probably lying, or they were asking for it, and oh those poor perps?  I mean, if we left our front door open and we were robbed, we'd be called fucking stupid, but we still would have been robbed.  It's still a crime.

X: FURthermore, about the lying part, you know what the stats are for "those crazy bitches" lying about rape?  The same as any other two-party crime.  In the same range, anyways.  But oh, those lying bitches.

X: And where is this coming from?

B: … I hope you don't expect me to answer that.

X: I think that was rhetorical.

–

* Rape — Sexual Assault at the US DoJ's Office for Victims of Crimes site.

* Sailorman at Alas, A Blog has a neat breakdown of types of rape charges.

* Of course, when the victim in question is male, rape is suddenly a traumatic event.  To quote a commenter, "Afterall, rape of a man is a terrible, traumatic crime. Rape of a woman/gay man/child is your average Tuesday."

* That item in the news I mentioned.

* And to end this on a really terrible note, from London: "A teenage girl who claims she was gang raped by three 13-year-old schoolboys was overweight and would have been "glad of the attention", a barrister told a jury."

…

Okay, I can't end there.  Check out the cutest kitten in the world.