Month: December 2017

Well-Played Aspen, Well-Played

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I don’t know these people but I love them already.

Mock Paper Scissors

Pence is the one on the right.

It seems noted homophobe and termite buffet vice-preznint Mike Pence decided to go someplace warmer than his soul for the holidays and arrived in Aspen only to discover at his rental…

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2017: the year in language and feminism

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language: a feminist guide

Back in 2015, in this blog’s first end-of-year round-up, I noted that the year had started inauspiciously, with Time magazine putting ‘feminism’ on its list of annoying words that deserved to be banned.  The label was overused, they said; celebrities in particular were guilty of ‘throwing it around like ticker-tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade’.

To say that the mood has changed since then would be an understatement. No-one seemed surprised when a leading US dictionary, Merriam-Webster, named ‘feminism’ as its Word of the Year. ‘Feminism’, the announcement explained, was one of the most looked-up words of 2017, and spikes in the number of look-ups coincided with important news stories, from the anti-Trump women’s marches in January to the #metoo campaign this autumn. As for Time, its current cover features ‘the silence breakers’–a group of women, feminists, and in some cases celebrities, who spoke out…

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Of Ducks and Drakes: Male Violence Across Species

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A very good read. I have to say, I quite agree.

The Arctic Feminist

Mothers Day, several years ago, I went with a friend to feed the ducks (and possibly nutria) at a local park. It was supposed to be a pleasant excursion to take my friend’s mind off of troubles with her own kids and to see some animals. It ended up being a sad and clarifying outing.

The nutria did not come out which was unfortunate as they’re really incredible creatures to interact with. We were flooded with ducks and geese grabbing our treats. After we ran out of goodies for the birds we sat talking and let everyone get back to their routines. It didn’t take long before we witnessed a horrific scene on the water of several drakes gang-raping a duck, her screaming out in pain and fear. We shouted at them and threw rocks into the water in the hopes of scaring them off but could only do so…

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It’s really rather simple …

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I’m old enough to remember this.

Homeless on the High Desert

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In the 1950s and 1960s when the top tax rate was 70 to 92%, we laid the interstate system, built the internet, put a man on the moon, defeated communism, our education system was the envy of the world, our middle class thriving, our economy unparalleled.

You want that back? Raise taxes on the rich.

You’re either with us, or against us. It’s not a question.

guye fawlks

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Men Are Responsible for Stopping Sexual Assault. Not Women. MEN.

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DAMN STRAIGHT.

The Relentless Pursuit of Healing

Enough bullshit.

Nearly 99% of sex offenders are men.

So stop blaming women for sexual assault.

It’s not the clothes they wear, the way they style their hair, the words they say, or how much skin they’re showing that cause men to sexually assault them.

It’s a choice made by men.

Males. Husbands. Sons. Boyfriends. Brothers. Nephews. Uncles. Co-workers. Coaches. Bosses. Total strangers with raging boners.

That’s the key factor – a penis.

So stop blaming the victim for being victimized. And stop letting men off the hook with every stupid ass excuse under the sun.

It’s time for men to take responsibility.

The mere possession of male genitalia does not make it impossible to resist sexual urges. Nor does enculturation as a male in a patriarchal society determine our decisions – even if it does influence them.

Sure. We live in a world of toxic masculinity. The “Boys will…

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