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Apologies folks, as today is a bit different. There happened to be a paper on the table today, so rather than plunging into blogging, my usual practice, I read newspaper from cover to cover. It was such a nice departure from my usual more directed, news gathering routine. It was a pleasant diversion from the usual scanning of sources online, sorting and selecting interesting topics for the blog, fuming over the stupid things people do. I’m happy with the contrasting experience, however, it does put me behind schedule when it comes to my bloggy responsibilities.
We’ll see if I can play some catch up today.
Women acting in solidarity are powerful. Taking ’empowering’ actions like bolstering prostitution and rape culture…no so much.
Inspiring story from India, where a group of women from a slum have grouped together to learn self defense and to challenge, violently when necessary, the epidemic levels of sexual harassment and violence women in their community face every day.
It’s worth making a comparison between this, and two recent popular movements in the West. ‘Slut Walks’ tried to challenge rape culture largely by ‘reclaiming’ the word ‘slut’ and giving young, middle class white women the opportunity to have some naughty dress-up fun, and has been almost entirely co-opted by the sex industry. Challenging rape culture, and ‘reclaiming’ ‘slut’ are two separate, and largely incompatible things, and it’s main achievement seems to have been to create a means for sex industry advocates to propagandise to young, impressionable women who’s idea of feminism doesn’t extend beyond ’empowerment’ and ‘choice’.
The other if Femen, who are women activists who get…
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Another victory for women!
As of April 1, 2013 abortion and birth control are free and legal in France. Free birth control and free abortion are both very important things to have. They both lower birth rates and provide women with more opportunities. If women have free access than women of all classes can practice their reproductive rights; this removes class restrictions and often race restrictions, because it is often minorities which are in the lower classes. I think Canada and other countries need to follow France’s lead. Free and accessible birth control and abortions are fundamental to women’s equality. As Gloria Steinman once said “if men could get pregnant than abortions would be free and on every street corner”.
Here is a video explaining the move to free abortions and bith control in comparison to the United States:
For more information on France’s great new law go here: http://www.policymic.com/articles/32383/france-makes-contraception-and-abortion-free
It is time to for the forced birth advocates to sit down and shut up. The mess they are making of women’s rights in N.Dakota is an atrocious and ethically bankrupt action.
Oh Spring, you wily devil you, it seemed that you’d taken a pass this year. Recently with temperatures in the -20 (C) degree range and 23 centimetres of snow, it seemed like you had pulled up your tent stakes and, along with the warmer weather, taken refuge in the warmer southern climes.
Ah, lovely Edmonton, 3 days before the arrival of spring.
Now, gentle readers, we have improved. The mercury is valiantly fighting to get to a positively toasty 4 degrees centigrade above zero. Witness!
Note: You can see the pavement, massive improvement.
Thus today I switched from these:
These are my ‘stealth’ sandals, they look enough like shoes that I can avoid peoples opprobrium over what they consider to be ‘inappropriate’ footwear for the season.
to (hallelujah!) these:
Woo!
Spring has tentatively arrived in Edmonton. I say tentatively because the forecast calls for a more snow today for tomorrow. Too bad. :) I’ve put the nasty boots and nasty shoe-sies away, and that in my books, is a good day.
Not caring if this is a repeat, it still rocks.
What if Anakin had made the right decision in one of the many poorly scripted moments from the prequels that shall not be mentioned. Less dramatic, but a nice thought none the less. Happy Family Day fellow Alberta dwellers. :)
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