There is a letter being sent to him to give him some fucking idea of why women might be annoyed/fearful/upset/etc about being harassed in an elevator by a stranger, with a long (and growing) list of signers who have all been victims of rape. It’s triggery. Super fucking triggery.

I haven’t decided if I’ll sign it or not. I work really hard at keeping assholes out of my head space and meat space and blog space. I don’t know that I am up for the argument should they find their way back here. But the people who have put their names to it are immensely brave.

These recent additions to the Elizabitch lexicon are sure to expand the range of your rage. Note that two-thirds involve embroidering the F-bomb. Isn’t English grand?

• Violet Socks coined auto-mindfuck to describe taking a distraction as a threat and vice versa.

• Oakland Sister Circle brings us macktivist, a hip, politically-involved young man who exerts a divisive effect on activist communities with his noxious douchebaggery. The Macktivist seems closely related to the Hipster.
• Twisty Faster at I Blame the Patriarchy captures the dudely definition of the function of women as fuck-toilet. If it doesn’t sound romantic, it’s not meant to be.

I’m gonna go get my crafty on and recover 2 office chairs with a cool, modernist duvet cover I picked up at goodwill for 8 bucks (which means 6 yards of fabric for about 1.66 a yard- sweet).

But I need some kick-ass sing along tunes to accompany my cutting, sewing, staple-gunning (Thank you kind reader who got me tools. You make reupholstery possible). So here’s some Sleater Kinney.

(I use the phrase “You’re no rock and roll fun” WAY more often than i should admit to.)

at least when it comes to declaring war on Libya and ignoring human rights.

But when it comes to the debt ceiling, not so much.

Fucker.

More evidence that YOU don’t understand 12 dimensional chess

Count me among the big-stupid heads who don’t understand politics.

It’s also Harry Potter weekend. Harry Potter is the reason Kid decided to learn to read. We’ve seen all the movies and Kid has a MAJOR crush on Luna Lovegood. I respect the Kid’s taste.

Though I am all about Matt Lewis, the guy that plays Neville Longbottom (doesn’t he look like Clive Owen’s younger brother? DAMN.)

 

To cap off a week from hell I offer up the Bellrays’ opinion of bureaucrats, technocrats and kleptocrats and their respective stooges, lackeys, and toadies.

So I’m reading this interview with Noorjahar Akbar, a college student and activist in Afghanistan. She’s awesome, btw. And it’s amazing how the patriarchy is the (same kind of) suck EVERYWHERE. Street harassment! It’s women’s fault. Rape! It’s women’s fault.

But that’s not all that’s the same. Who said:

“Gender issues are going to have to take a back seat to other priorities. There’s no way we can be successful if we maintain every special interest and pet project. All those pet rocks in our rucksack were taking us down.”

Was it:
A)An anonymous senior official at USAID talking about Afghanistan

B) A Republifucker in any flyover state justifying cutting off planned parenthood

C) A White House spokesperson

D) Any member of “liberal” blogosphere, including but not limited to Cheetoh Eaters

I know, it’s so tough. It could be any of them. All of them. Why do they all sound so fucking alike, the douchenoodles of the world?

(The answer is A. Though I am pretty damn sure I remember Obama making similar comments during the Stupak Healthcrap Brouhaha).

No New Tricks. Not a one.

I’ve noticed that my music playlists have veered hard towards the skinny, white boys in tiny pants lately. That happens sometimes with books and movies too. It’s so easy to be swayed by cultural hegemony. It’s everywhere. You don’t have to look hard. It requires no effort.

So I try to pay attention and be more inclusive when it happens. It is the tiny steps, the little additions of voices and words of people who normally aren’t heard from, of being an activist to my core. If the only messages I ever allow into my world are from a privileged point of view, how can I ever understand the unprivileged?

It is so easy to say “I’m not a (insert oppressive group here)”. But without action to follow that up, the statement is empty. “I’m not a racist” (but I wouldn’t watch a tv show about the dating lives of black women). I’m not a sexist (but I find that all the bands I listen to are men-only). “I’m not a homophobe” (but I’m not watching any of that gay shit).*

Yes, looking for media that includes voices of the others takes a bit more time. It’s not easy to find (or make, for that matter) because it doesn’t reflect the values and ideas of the dominant class. ON PURPOSE. It’s not just a matter of listening to/watching/reading what’s good (or considered good- think how many people still read the Big Orange Cheetoh or the apologist farm known as HuffPo).

And let it never be said that I am bossing people into doing things that I am unwilling to do. (Fuck that shit, I’m not bossing anyone. Either you get it or you don’t. I ain’t here to hold your hand and pet your head and make everything nice for you.)So here’s Rye Rye doing a song that has had me sofa-dancing all week.

* All things I have specifically from people claiming “I’m not…..”

That President Never-Met-A-Republifucker-Idea-I-Don’t-Like Obama is willing to cut Social Security?

Anyone? Anyone? Oh yes, well of course the blogger boyz are SHOCKED. But this is totally in character for Obama and not a surprise to those of us who didn’t get tingly-leg crushes on the asshat during the election.