Spark: Ashay!
I don’t know how much longer this (iTunes link) will be up, so dl it today and give it a listen.
The Moth is “true stories told live” without notes. There is a podcast which I love listening to. It’s like This American Life without the host. I just heard this amazing story (iTunes link) by Ava Kay Jones.
Her ancestors are not my ancestors and her gods are not my gods, but her saints are my father’s and my mother’s saints. Her story spoke to me and when she cried “Ashay! Ashay! Ashay!” (if that is how it is spelled), my soul cried “Ashay! Ashay! Ashay!” with her and with the people in the Superdome. Time and space collapsed and I was there instead of here, then instead of now.
Give her a listen.
2009
Spark: Generation M(isogyny)
An interesting video that underscores what should be news to no reader of MoF: that women are sexualized in modern media. What really stuck out to me was the beginning: “Why would […] a man make a film about misogyny in media and culture?” Because of course, men don’t care about that subject—only women do/could/should.
2009
Spark: a few sparks of feminism
I may be late to the party on some of these, but I thought they were worth sharing around:
I spent years thinking I didn’t like women, because the only people I could find who shared my hobbies were men. Later on, I realized that, no, an awful lot of the women I had previously discounted had shared my hobbies as well, but we were all so busy proving to the guys that we were one of the guys that we had alienated each other.
Me, too, sister.
2009
Spark: Gender-Coded Language & Sotomayor
Dissenting Justice has a piece up about the words used to describe Judge Sotomayor (and compares them to the words used to described Justice Scalia, whose judicial temperament seems similar). via.
2009
Spark: I…have no words.
Nothing like locking children into gender roles when they’re young (then they’ll grow up to know their place).
2009
By xJane
No Comments
Spark: Gay Legal Rights Upheld
Nationwide, Christians who refuse to provide services on the basis of gender orientation are losing legal battles.
2009
By xJane
No Comments
Spark: an Interesting Discussion of Gender Roles
“Gender roles see a ‘conflict’ shift in work-life balance” at USAToday. Hat tip to @unapologeticfem (site) I’m not certain that anything in there is great news, but it does seem that there is some kind of cultural change at work, which is something.
2009
By xJane
3 Comments
Sparks: Facebook/Social Networking
One of the many reasons I don’t post with my IRL name here (I won’t say “real”, since xJane is just as real in many ways) is because I am attempting to manage my image. In our internet age, I still find it to be very important to not ruffle feathers in a public way (so that I can find a job, even with a company I may not agree with) while at the same time ruffle feathers (feather-ruffling is something most people need more of).
Accordingly, I can say that I am not embarrassed about anything on my Facebook page. (Except, perhaps, who my “friends” are, but that cannot be avoided in many cases.)
Here are some recent articles I found interesting about Facebook: the first (hat tip to @greaterumbrage) is the humorous Facebook survival guide for adults. A great way of explaining “the Facebook” to people who ask. In fact, I may just send this around to some people I know…
Linked to in that article are two more of interest (to me, at least, and enough so that I want to share):
A discussion of “Facebook drunkfail”, also a humorous take on the subject (please please please Google “Kevin Colvin”, regardless of whether or not you click on and read that link, and read the first page that comes up. I think John bought me a drink from him once at the Edison…). A serious subject, though, and the major reason I (a) post here as xJane and (b) carefully edit my FB page (and (c) have two Twitter accounts).
Finally, this was probably in the news but I missed it because I live in a hole right now (luckily, a fact of life I’m used to), but Obama’s speechwriter committed a Facebook drunkfail that made it farther than Facebook. Here’s one woman’s take on it—one that I happen to agree with.
(I thought about posting links to these on my Facebook page but decided that was too meta for me…)
2009
Spark: Vermont Approves Civil Marriage
The Vermont Senate, finding (correctly) that Civil Unions for gay couples fall short of providing equal rights, voted overwhelmingly to approve Civil Marriage for gay couples. The matter still has to go before the Vermont House (and since I’m late to this, may already have gone), where it is expected to pass. The margin by which it was approved is too great for the governor to veto (if he were to try).
As others have said before me, This Is How We Do It!
2009
By xJane
16 Comments
Spark: Conservatives are More Likely to Consume Porn
Late to the party on this one, I know, sorry. It turns out that conservative (read: religious) states have the highest porn rates in the country. Probably because they’re not allowed to have deviant (read: fun) sex at home.
Meanwhile, people living in enlightened areas of the country have other outlets for their sexual urges, since sex is not dirty and can be discussed rationally with one’s partner(s).
2009
By xJane
6 Comments
Spark: XBox Live (Microsoft) Homophobic
not a huge surprise, I suppose…
RT @pizzocalabro RT @consumerist: Identifying Yourself As A Lesbian Gets You Banned On XBOX Live : http://tinyurl.com/cc48g8