Monday, December 28, 2009

Take Action Monday

Support legislation to provide emergency contraception to servicewomen.

Send a message of hope to refugees in Gaza and the West Bank.

Help bring water to Gaza residents.

End age discrimination in the workplace.

Urge President Obama and Congressional leaders to support real healthcare reform.

Support critical habitat designation for the remaining Beluga Whales.

Tell President Obama to keep his commitment to end world hunger.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Ponder on this for a Moment

If anyone needs evidence that sexism exists, just look at the abortion compromise in the Senate healthcare bill. Basically, women who want abortion coverage will have to write two separate checks, one for their regular health insurance premium and another for their abortion coverage. I don't know how cumbersome writing the separate checks will be, but the fact that women have to go through that is ridiculous just on principle. No other healthcare coverage requires a rider like this. Furthermore, states will be allowed to keep insurance companies from covering abortion. This isn't new, but it's new to national healthcare legislation.

Okay, quiz time. Here are a couple of scenarios where someone would need healthcare.

Scenario 1: One day, someone drinks several alcoholic beverages, enough to be legally "under the influence." They get into a car and drive. They're speeding, going 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. They're not wearing a seat belt, and they're talking on their cell phone, both of which are illegal in their state. Then, they drive into a tree. Since they weren't wearing a seat belt, they sustained many injuries. The drinking, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and talking on the cell phone all contributed to this accident.

Scenario 2: One day, a woman has consensual sex with her boyfriend. Two weeks later, she finds out she is pregnant. She decides to have an abortion, for reasons that are none of your business.

Who's covered by health insurance? The person who became seriously injured because they engaged in four illegal behaviors at once? Or the woman who did absolutely nothing illegal, two of those things being biological phenomena (sex and pregnancy), one of which she really has no conscious control over (pregnancy)?

In the first scenario, the person who engaged in all of those illegal behaviors is covered by insurance. Furthermore, they do not have to purchase a rider to cover injuries sustained in the event that they drive drunk, speed, don't wear a seat belt, or drive while talking on the cell phone. (Keep in mind, the fines leveed on the person for doing all of that are probably more than your average first-trimester abortion would be). The fact that they've broken four laws in the process is not held against them. Nobody really cares that such people exist. Nobody is debating their rights on the floors of the House and Senate, in the media, or at the kitchen table. Nobody is worried that they're tax dollars will fund the treatment of such reckless and illegal behavior. They're given the benefit of the doubt, in addition to their treatment.

In the second scenario, the fact that she's a woman is held against her. The fact that she had sex with a man who is not her husband is held against her. The fact that she had sex without wanting a child is held against her. The fact that she is pregnant is held against her. The fact that she wants an abortion is held against her. Her rights are constantly being attacked by the people who are supposed to represent her, as well as people who care about her, and people who don't know her and are judged by them anyway. People are complaining that their tax dollars might go to providing her an abortion, because they think abortion is wrong, even though it's a completely made-up concern. Nobody gives her the benefit of the doubt, and nobody gives her treatment.

So to say that the Senate healthcare bill will treat women like criminals isn't exactly accurate. The coverage of criminals isn't being debated. Criminals will still get their healthcare.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

WTF: Best Female Athletes

Tennis star Serena Williams would be happy to know that she was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. Tennis star Kim Clijsters might not be so happy that she came in third. Why? Because this is who beat her.







Zenyatta! A fuckin' horse! The second best female athlete of the year!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Take Action Monday

If you're still not done with your holiday shopping, please remember to by fair trade and/or American!

Support the regulation of greenhouse gases.

Protect communities from hazardous mining waste.

Urge President Obama to get some of the bank bailout money paid back.

Help bring clean water to Gaza residents.

Decry the anti-LGBT bill in Uganda.

Support microfinance.

Tell President Obama to make ending genocide a priority.

Support the Superfund Polluter Pays Act.

Demand that Walmart takes its dangerous toys off of the shelves.

A Feminist Christmas List

Liz ODonnell from Care2 authored this cute feminist Christmas list. It has most of the stuff I'd want, although I'd prefer those D&G pumps in a 6 1/2 :)

Dear Santa:

I've been good all year. I worked hard even though I earned less than my male coworkers. Sure I called out when the kids got sick, but I checked my work email all day.

I took care of myself and got my yearly physical despite paying higher, gender-based premiums. I even managed to exercise 12 times.

I called my Senators and told them to vote no on Stupak-like anti-abortion amendments and yes on healthcare reform.

I voted in every election -- and for strong women candidates too.

I signed petitions to end human-trafficking, stop domestic violence and make rape kits more accessible.

I wore red for equal pay awareness, pink for breast cancer awareness and teal for ovarian cancer awareness (and I do NOT look good in teal.)

I stopped buying Isotoner products when the company fired a woman for pumping, drank only Diet Coke after Pepsi created a sexist app for the IPhone, and I won't let my husband wear Dockers anymore because of the company's ridiculous "Man-ifesto." (I guess I wear the pants in this house!)

Speaking of my house, I know it was a mess all year. But I read a study that said men are doing more housework than ever before, so I thought I could slack a little.

Santa, I think you will agree I deserve a few presents this year, so here is my Christmas wish list:

Healthcare reform that affords all women equal coverage for equal premiums and doesn't compromise women's reproductive rights

Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and equal pay for equal work

A strong slate of women candidates and women-friendly candidates for the 2010 elections

A critical mass of women CEOs, corporate directors, op-ed contributors and professors

Affordable child care

Paid sick days for all workers

An end to domestic violence, human trafficking and street harassment

Passage of the Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2009 to eliminate rape kit backlog

World peace

And, if you think I've been very good, a pair of Dolce & Gabbana patent pumps in rosa/geranio size 9.

Thanks Santa. Oh, and don’t forget to check my mantle when you stop by for some chocolate chip cookies (they're store-bought because, hey, I'm busy) and milk (soy of course).

Merry Christmas,

Saturday, December 19, 2009

So Not Funny, Dennis Miller!

I don't really have to put anything after that, because everyone knows that Dennis Miller is the shittiest comedian ever. But he did indeed make a sexist joke when he appeared on WWE RAW on Monday.



I am happy to be the host of the 2009 Slammy Awards. Very excited to be here. This is something I've always wanted to do. I cover politics on my radio show, and the similarities between politicians and the WWE are eerily similar. Now both have loud, obnoxious women with increasing power whose faces scare little children.

Then he showed a picture of some woman wrestler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. What is it with conservative guys and making fun of powerful women's looks? Becoming Speaker of the House isn't the prize the Miss America winner gets, so nobody should give a shit what she looks like. And at least Speaker Pelosi has a face for C-SPAN. Miller has a face for radio, and material for the litter box that's so bad the crowd of homorepressed Texans couldn't even bring themselves to laugh at it. He couldn't even get a hoo-rah when he said "troops." Stick to what you're good at, Dennis: Jerking off on the toilet to the Washington Times op-eds.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Take Action Monday

Nothing's funny anymore!

Say no to cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to balance the budget.

Pledge to oust Senators who try to filibuster healthcare reform.

Support the REAL Act.

Tell everyone you know about the benefits of microfinancing.

Help save the American Jaguar.

Tell Congress to vote no on any budget that sends more troops to Afghanistan.

Support the public option.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Take Action Monday



Show everyone you know this video.

Protect polar bears from global warming.

Help stop violence in school.

End water pollution from mountaintop removal mining.

Urge President Obama to make fighting HIV/AIDS a priority.

Tell Congress not to fund the troop surge in Afghanistan.

WTF: Weird Trolling

I think I mentioned before that I've been getting a lot of Russian spam comments on the old blog. Now, some Anonymous person is posting quotes from "Our Mutual Friend," a Charles Dickens novel. And they insert hyperlinks whenever "winter allergies" comes up. WTF?

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Take Action Tuesday

I am slowly but surely getting back to more normal schedule. I cannot wait for this semester to be over!

Today is World AIDS Day. Please have open and frank conversations with the people you care about regarding who is most affected by HIV/AIDS. Recognize that people considered disposable -- women, the poor, LGBTs, people with mental illness, people of color -- are the ones being killed by AIDS. Once the oppression stops, so will the spread of HIV.

Ensure that women's health is covered in healthcare reform.

Act now to stop the Stupak Amendment.

Support paid sick leave for workers sick with H1N1.

Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones