Champagne Candy

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean) Dec 10:...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:31:12 -0500

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean)

Dec 10: Album of the Year

Neko’s voice gives me chills—any album she put out would be in my top ten list. But Middle Cyclone might be my favorite of her albums so far. Every song on it speaks to me.

Especially this one.

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean) Dec 9: Challenge Well, I suppose it was...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:26:37 -0500

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean)

Dec 9: Challenge

Well, I suppose it was graduating, moving to NYC, and job-hunting. It was applying for and getting the dream internship at The Nation, busting my butt there and making friends, and then getting the GRITtv job which keeps me fed but more importantly keeps me inspired and happy.

Now, of course, the next challenge is helping the show grow, improve, spread, and have real influence. We’re working on it. I’ll keep you posted.

BTW, why aren’t YOU watching?

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean) Dec. 8: Moment of Peace It has not been a very...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:24:06 -0500

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean)

Dec. 8: Moment of Peace

It has not been a very moment-of-peaceful year. But there have been several moments where I stop, and smile inside, and think, “This is my life.”

They’re less moments of peace than moments of happiness, but I have had lots of them lately, and they come from having a job that I love, being surrounded by awesome, smart, fun, funny people who GET IT, and being happy with myself.

So screw you, people who say the only incentive to work hard is more money.

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean) Dec 7: Blog Find of the Year SADY. Because of...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:18:38 -0500

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Gwenbell (via abbyjean)

Dec 7: Blog Find of the Year

SADY.

Because of this:

But the issue of Our Cultural Discomfort With Objectifying Robert Pattinson, which is a very important phenomenon that I just made up and decided that we should focus on, is perhaps best illuminated by how different it is from our generalized Cultural Discomfort with MF. Because we have no problem with objectifying Megan Fox, really! We just have a problem with everything she says, and specifically the things she says wherein she takes issue with being objectified. We just hate her. Whereas people don’t hate Robert Pattinson, really. At least, not outside of the inevitable superfans in various Internet comment sections, who take issue with him not loving Twilight like it is his own sweet mother, and most of their ire is reserved for Kristen Stewart anyway. And superfans just yell about shit all the time. That is how they show their love. People outside the superfan matrix don’t tend to have strong feelings about The Pattz, but they do tend to get all squirmy and giggly and uncomfortable with the way that so many women relate to his filmed image (for example, by screen-printing it on their underpants) and/or his person. Because those women are acting in a way that is typically reserved for men. And they’re treating Pattinson like a girl.

Also other things, but this sealed it.

"Why should we accept that the “talent” of someone who writes jingles for an advertising agency..."

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:29:52 -0500

“Why should we accept that the “talent” of someone who writes jingles for an advertising agency advertising dog food and gets $100,000 a year is superior to the talent of an auto mechanic who makes $40,000 a year? Who is to say that Bill Gates works harder than the dishwasher in the restaurant he frequents, or that the CEO of a hospital who makes $400,000 a year works harder than the nurse or the orderly in that hospital who makes $30,000 a year? The president of Boston University makes $300,000 a year. Does he work harder than the man who cleans the offices of the university? Talent and hard work are qualitative factors which cannot be measured quantitatively.”

- Howard Zinn (via fyeahsocialism)

or, for instance, the “talent” of somebody who works as an investment banker and tanks the economy but somehow still requires a multimillion-dollar bonus?

Howard Zinn makes such sense that if more people heard him or read him this country would be a different place.

You all should watch The People Speak on Sunday night. Preview here.

oldhollywood: Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967, dir. Mike...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:27:05 -0500

oldhollywood:

Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967, dir. Mike Nichols) (via nytimes.com/corbis)

On playing Mrs. Robinson:

“Film critics said I gave a voice to the fear we all have: that we will reach a point in our lives, look around, and realize that all the things we said we’d do and become will never come to be. And that we’re ordinary.”

so true. which is why I loathe the end of The Graduate. Fuck that little douchebag, I love Mrs. Robinson.

abbyjean: azspot: Change in Honesty and Ethics Ratings of...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:24:11 -0500

abbyjean:

azspot:

Change in Honesty and Ethics Ratings of Professions, 2008-2009

lawyers were at 18% in 2008 and dropped to 13% in 2009. this vaguely hurts my feelings. i’d like to see this broken into corporate attorneys vs public/non-profit sector attorneys. well, mainly i’d like to stop getting glared at when i tell people i’m a lawyer.

this is true. when I think lawyers, I think my friends. I think people who do civil rights litigation, and public defenders. I think the people who were in our war room on election day protecting people’s right to vote.

also last night, had a very interesting conversation with the very interesting Chris Hayes (yes, I’m bragging, he’s awesome) and Esther Kaplan (you may not know her name as quickly, but she is equally awesome) about the decline of faith in many institutions in american life, and how nurses maintain the public’s trust. And what it means that the most-trusted occupation is one commonly perceived as a woman’s job.

skullsandlace: (via irrelevantkevin) why yes, I do have a...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:19:40 -0500

skullsandlace:

(via irrelevantkevin)

why yes, I do have a weakness for awesome graffiti. this could possibly be my life story.

skullsandlace: thedaintysquid: aubirdyblurbs: (via...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:08:34 -0500

skullsandlace:

thedaintysquid:

aubirdyblurbs:

(via moonbrains)

Kate Winslet love.

"That doesn’t mean we as a society need to stop it with this equality malarkey; it means we need to..."

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:04:28 -0500

“That doesn’t mean we as a society need to stop it with this equality malarkey; it means we need to stop it with the violence.”

- Girls Gone Wild or Wild Women? or: We Never Had Nasty Sluts When I Were A Lad — Hoyden About Town

yep.

"Firstly, “wild” women are supposedly out of control, untamed. What is the deeper connotation? Are we..."

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:56:27 -0500

“

Firstly, “wild” women are supposedly out of control, untamed. What is the deeper connotation? Are we as women no longer in control of ourselves, or are we no longer controlled by men? I’d argue that it’s a bit of both; women are not accepting the rule of men as a given, nor are we acting “ladylike” all of the time. As soon as some women starting acting in ways that have been considered masculine in the past, we are considered feral. Undomesticated. Wild.

The next layer carries the meanings “ferocious” and “frightening”. Women out of control are no longer meek, no longer submissive. There are perhaps some racist “primitive” overtones wrapped up in here, especially once you consider that Indigenous women are disproportionately targeted by police and imprisoned; I have no doubt that some users of this term are also connoting, consciously or unconsciously, ideas of a “uncivilisation”, of a “return to the savage”.

Lastly, there’s the pornographic connotations. “Girls Gone Wild” is such a huge porn genre that you can’t argue that journalists and copy-writers aren’t aware of it when choosing their terms. The sexualisation is inescapable, and it is tied up with ideas about women’s sexuality out of control, of societally-unacceptable lust, of slut-shaming. At the same time, there is an air of voyeurism about it all, a touch of a nudge-nudge-wink-wink beneath those words.

I think these strata of meaning are part of what gives this particular “girls gone wild” notion so much traction: some people get to tut over it, some people get to fap over it, and some do both.

”

- Girls Gone Wild or Wild Women? or: We Never Had Nasty Sluts When I Were A Lad — Hoyden About Town

more awesome.

"Only those who have distorted notions of feminism believe that what we’re working towards is more..."

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:52:03 -0500

“

Only those who have distorted notions of feminism believe that what we’re working towards is more violence by women; rather we work towards less violence by everyone, regardless of gender. And, above all, we work against double standards. We work against the confusion of women’s sexual behaviour with crime; we work against the confusion of women’s use of social drugs with crime. We work against the same behaviour being considered more disturbing when exhibited by women than when exhibited by men. We work against the concept of “ladylikeness” in all its forms.

We work against the idea that women’s visible sexuality or alcohol is a sign of ferality, is the “ugly side of feminism”, is “feminism gone mad”. We work against the vilification of “uppity sluts”, against the idea that women who behave in legal ways that harm none are equivalent to violent criminals, against the idea that women who engage in these behaviours are asking for violence against them, against the idea that they are less deserving of regular legal protection than demure women. And we work against the idea that women who do engage in illegal behaviours are less deserving of legal protection than men in a similar situation, because they are somehow supposed to be more deviant, more threatening, more degenerate.

”

- Girls Gone Wild or Wild Women? or: We Never Had Nasty Sluts When I Were A Lad — Hoyden About Town (via clingtomymouth) (via katoleary) (via amberlrhea)

can I get a fuck yeah?

amberlrhea: candysue: bmckinney: stfuconservatives: stfubelie...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:50:08 -0500

amberlrhea:

candysue:

bmckinney:

stfuconservatives:

stfubelievers:

<3 this. Here is the link: http://www.shof.msrcsites.co.uk/pcxmas.html

So TRUE!!! Check out BUY NOTHING CHRISTMAS: https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

I am supporting this campaign this year and I have three kids! It doesn’t mean that I don’t love them that I’m not buying them presents, it means that I love them even more to want to raise them with humility, kindness and compassion rather than greed and selfishness.

HAHHAHHAH. I must admit, though, that I am buying Christmas gifts (and I’m a Jew!)

BUT. I am buying books, and buying my parents an organic-farmshare. I am buying presents that are good for people and good for the world. Though I don’t think you can buy your way out of a recession/global warming/etc. etc. I do think that your small personal choices do matter (and they especially matter to the local business owners who are hurting like hell in this economy).

The Jaded Hippy: The Occupation of San Francisco State

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:43:35 -0500

The Jaded Hippy: The Occupation of San Francisco State:

jadedhippy:

This morning I got a call from the SF emergency line telling me that classes normally held in the Business building were canceled. “Odd,” I thought.

It wasn’t until this evening that the word spread and I happened to see it, the Business building is being occupied by some radical left wing nutcase students (aka, my kind of people)!

So, I am spreading the word. This is becoming more and more common as the budget crisis here gets worse. When this was tried at UC Berkeley the police did not take too kindly to it. Please keep your thoughts focused on the safety of these students. I’ll bring updates on what I see tomorrow when I am on campus, though it will already be a busy day for me.

The occupiers also have a Wordpress blog up, so check it out! we are still here.

Wahoooooo student occupations!

"Men should be in charge (because that’s how it used to be). Cities “crumbled” once the world decided..."

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:18:58 -0500

“Men should be in charge (because that’s how it used to be). Cities “crumbled” once the world decided it no longer needed men. Now waitaminute. Male-bodied persons still make up about half the world population, no? But when Dockers says “men,” they do not mean male-bodied persons. They mean the role traditionally performed by male-bodied persons. If male-bodied persons do not distinguish themselves as The Opposite of Women, then what are they? Nothing, according to Dockers (and social conservatives and other folks who are anxious about the erosion of traditional gender roles). Their Pleated Patriarchy Pants are the antidote.”

- Selling to men by insulting women - The Pursuit of Harpyness (via clingtomymouth) (via bmckinney) (via amberlrhea)

Pleated Patriarchy Pants = awesome. Next time I see a dude in Dockers I’m totally using that.

"Men should be in charge (because that’s how it used to be). Cities “crumbled” once the world decided..."

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:17:47 -0500

“Men should be in charge (because that’s how it used to be). Cities “crumbled” once the world decided it no longer needed men. Now waitaminute. Male-bodied persons still make up about half the world population, no? But when Dockers says “men,” they do not mean male-bodied persons. They mean the role traditionally performed by male-bodied persons. If male-bodied persons do not distinguish themselves as The Opposite of Women, then what are they? Nothing, according to Dockers (and social conservatives and other folks who are anxious about the erosion of traditional gender roles). Their Pleated Patriarchy Pants are the antidote.”

- Selling to men by insulting women - The Pursuit of Harpyness (via clingtomymouth) (via bmckinney) (via amberlrhea)

Pleated Patriarchy Pants = WIN. Next time I see a dude in Dockers I’m using that.

"You fool. You do not do such things to children. A child is like a poison missile you aim at the..."

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:15:31 -0500

“You fool. You do not do such things to children. A child is like a poison missile you aim at the Future. You encourage, fund and resource their dreams to the fullest extent of your capability, knowing that your reward will be the pain and misery of generations yet unborn.”

- -Warren Ellis in FILAMENT magazine answering the question, “At what age is it best to crush a child’s dreams so that they have an easier time stepping in to the status quo?” (via therealkatiewest)

Ahhhhh, Warren Ellis. This is awesome.

amberlrhea: kimberleecline: December 17th is International Day...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:52:37 -0500

amberlrhea:

kimberleecline:

December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This event was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe. The laws against prostitution are harmful to society. They perpetuate the abuse of otherwise law-abiding citizens, particularly women. They allow people like the Green River killer in Seattle, Washington to rationalize violent and murderous behavior toward prostitutes, especially women. “I wanted to kill as many … as I possibly could. I knew they would not be reported missing right away, and might never be reported. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.” (Superior Ct. of WA for King Co.; State of Washington vs. Gary Leon Ridgway, Statement of Defendant on Plea of Guilty). Gary Leon Ridgway was sentenced to 48 life terms and was fined $10,000 for each victim on December 18, 2003.

Unequal protection under the law is what allows prostitutes to be pimped, enslaved, beaten, raped and murdered. If decriminalized, sex workers would have access to protection from criminals just like every other citizen. In addition, enormous amounts of public safety revenues are spent enforcing sex “crimes” that occur in private, in which the participants are consenting and there is no victim. -SWOP USA

It’s nearly 2010 and this insanity continues. Those with the most power to change this remain silent. If you don’t have the ability to show your face and speak out about this on December 17th, I hope you’ll make a contribution to the efforts of an organization close to wherever you live that is working to end violence and discrimination against sex workers. Thanks to all those who’ve already contributed and spoken out, I’m inspired by your courage. xo - Kimberlee

Britain to tax bonuses over $40,800 50%

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:51:21 -0500

amberlrhea:

rkb:

From The Daily Beast: (see The New York Times for more)

Britain Slaps 50-Percent Tax on Bonuses

If they can do it over there, why can’t we here? Britain announced on Wednesday a one-time tax that will take 50 percent of all bonuses above $40,800. It will be imposed on the pool of bonuses and paid by the banks, not by the individual recipients of bonuses. It affects all banks, regardless of whether or not they took government assistance. The New York Times calls it “the most direct attack on bank bonuses anywhere in the world.”

Hell yeah. Let’s directly attack more bank bonuses. How about 75%?

sweethomestyle: ginaleekim there needs to be a line of...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:00:36 -0500

sweethomestyle:

ginaleekim

there needs to be a line of furniture in which every item is also a bookshelf. because then I might actually be able to live in my awesome studio apartment with all my books.