6.16.2009

Free Ringtones

I really want my ringtone! This is cool too, since you can actually make your own from your own library. Check it out:

Free Ringtones - Ventones

(shameless, i know. enjoy.)

Abortion.


I get so tired of hearing people debate whether women should be allowed to have abortions or not. The cries of "the embryo/fetus/fertilized egg is a person," versus "it's a woman's right to decide what to do with her body." Just doesn't address the issue for me.

The issue to me is that it's a woman's life. I don't want an abortion. I'd rather not see anyone get one, because it is really a symptom of many other serious problems in the world that both men and women face. Between lack of access to birth control, inadequate sex education, rape and sexual assault, substance abuse, poor self-esteem, poverty, motherhood as a barrier between women and their goals, health risks to the mother or the child, and a laundry list of other issues, the circumstances that usually lead to abortion are not pleasant. Abortion is the result of problems such as these. No woman decides to favour abortion as birth control. Women don't simply shrug at the thought, make a snap decision, and forget it all quickly after the ordeal is over. It's a life-altering choice and a last resort.

It's a choice we all hope to never have to make. Some may have already made the choice, never having had to face the situation. They know they would at this junction in their life, or they know they never would. We'd all rather not.

But the point is, we have the choice because women are not slaves to host symbiotic organisms at the whim of a higher authority. Women are people. People who have to care for themselves and who have to make difficult choices for themselves.

And no person should be told that they are being put at risk because their life is no longer their own.

6.15.2009

One More Time with Context - pt 1

Friday was a sad day over at Jezebel.com. The allegedly feminist site ripped apart a fellow female with cruel insults and slurs. This artlisticle was posted, clearly intending to set Megan Fox up for criticism on the "progressive site." Commenters raged on for 6 pages, flouting their hatred, calling Fox stupid, putting words in her mouth... on a site that condemns body snarking, "slut shaming," and girl-on-girl bashing, and claims to promote acceptance, female friendliness, and understanding. It sucks. Megan Fox looks the smartest out of the bunch. She's honest, and she's very aware of what she is to the public. Eye candy for men, target of jealousy and hatred for women, joke for film critics and buffs. She knows she has a lot to prove. She shouldn't have to do that.

A real feminist cares about women, and doesn't set another female up as a target.

Instead of arguing with commenters who are clearly enjoying using Megan Fox as an outlet for their anger (take from that what you will), I'd rather discredit the underhanded and irresponsible reporting of the quotes on the blog. Note that the site links to only one source. Everything below that I've attributed to Jezebel appears as it did when posted by Tracie (who has written a lot of other great articles in the past) at 2:00pm on June 11, 2009. I haven't shortened or edited a thing, but you can find out for sure by visiting Jez (first link). So, I'm on a hunt for the original quotes as they appeared in publication. This may take awhile, here's the first bit:

Jezebel:
"I think that I'm so psychotic and so mentally ill that if I could tap into that I could do something really interesting." - Entertainment Weekly, June 2009

EW.com:
There are some actresses who started out as sex symbols and went on to serious careers. Is that your goal?
Like who?

Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron...
Angelina Jolie was always a Method actress. She'd been nominated for Golden Globes before she ever did Tomb Raider.

Okay, well, do you think you have a Monster in you down the road?
I think that I'm so psychotic and so mentally ill that if I could tap into that I could do something really interesting.


Jezebel:
"If there's no sun, I go batshit crazy." - Total Film, July 2009

Megansafox.com:
Finally, there's her rumoured involvement in Brit medieval flick Ironclad, set to shoot in England where Fox admits she had a seasonal disorder - "if there's no sun I go batshit crazy" - during the filming of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People "It's in the foetal stages of existence. That's something I'm interested in doing. And it'll be over there, with you people...is it sunny in the summer? How do you live?"


Jezebel:
"I haven't gone completely insane, but it might happen soon." - Entertainment Tonight, June 2009

etonline.com:
"I see some people who have to deal with in on an everyday basis -- I am not a Jennifer Aniston or a Britney Spears or even a Lindsay Lohan, you know?" she explains. "My pictures don't sell for that kind of money. But [of] the small level that I do deal with it, it is hard and there have been times [when] people don't want to hang out with me because they don't want to end up on the Internet. I sometimes just turn around and go back home and don't do anything and have to have someone go do my grocery shopping."

"I need to behave in a way and handle myself in a way that will cause people to take me seriously," Megan continues. "You can be sexy and be intelligent and be taken seriously, or you can be sexy and you can be out at clubs every night and not be [taken seriously]."

After a moment of reflection, she adds, "I haven't gone completely insane -- but it might happen soon."


Jezebel:
"I have no friends and I never leave my house." - Times of London, June 2009

timesonline.co.uk:
Handed fame and fortune at such a young age, your average starlet has two options: a) make the most of it while it lasts, date everyone in sight and hit every nightclub in town, or b) pick a good man, bolt the doors and hide.

Having dated Brian Austin Green, 35, a fellow actor, since 2004, Fox clearly chose the latter, more sensible, option, but she makes it sound incredibly hard. “I have no friends and I never leave my house,” she confesses. “You just have to make a choice to just refuse to be involved with things that could get you in trouble. It’s easy when you feel upset or depressed about something to want to go to a club and want to drink and want to build a disconnect that way. But instead I just force myself to sit and feel it and deal with it, and try and grow from it, because I don’t want to go down that path.

“And, yeah, it’s difficult. I’m one of the most isolated people in existence right now. But it’s worth it. Because if I wasn’t making that decision I would be throwing away my career.”


Jezebel:
"My weight fluctuates constantly—I don't really take good care of myself. I just sort of exist and survive." - Elle, June 2009

timesonline.co.uk
(NB: No luck finding the current Elle article online, but it's in here too. Also saw this attributed to the Sun. If anyone can send a scan of the article so we can see the original quote, that'd be cool.)
Her looks may have taken her a long way, but Fox says she won’t be selling her diet and beauty secrets to any glossy magazines. “I didn’t even train for this role,” she laughs. “Just quit smoking — that’s all I did. My weight fluctuates constantly. I don’t really take good care of myself. I’m not that type of girl, I don’t pamper myself, I don’t have a special diet, I just sort of exist and survive. Whatever happens, happens.”


Jezebel:
"I'm not trying to take Cate Blanchett down." - USA Today, April 2009

Transcript at smellslikescreenspirit.com:
For many young actors, Megan, being in “Revenge” would be like the pinnacle of their career. But you’ve hinted that, in the end, movies about shape-shifting robots are nothing to write home about. How do you define success?
Megan: I’d like to develop my skills to where I can be recognized as a good actress. That’s my end goal. It has nothing to do with the box office. It’s about peer recognition and critical acclaim, even on a small level. I mean, I’m not trying to take Cate Blanchett down. I just want to improve.


Jezebel:
"I'm so suspicious of boys-slash-men. I just don't like them or trust them." - Elle, June 2009

fashion.elle.com (still just a teaser quote on the site):
On maturing early: “I’ve lived the life of a 35-year-old since I was 18. I’m so suspicious of boys-slash-men. I just don’t like them or trust them.”
http://fashion.elle.com/blog/2009/05/elles-june-cover-girl-megan-fox.html

A few notes: the "batshit crazy" comments had Jezebelers angry about her making light of mental illness, and when one person said she might actually suffer from it to some degree, they simply responded with doubt and more anger.

The Cate Blanchett quote got some commenters angry. Too bad it wasn't in context, since it turns out it was actually a compliment.

6.11.2009

Oink

It's official, the swine flu is a pandemic.

I'm going to start drinking to suppress my immune system. I'll meet the rest of you wackos at midnight in the forest on the way to our respective secluded cottages where we'll isolate ourselves and live off the land not realizing we're missing out on sweet looting and pillaging.

git off mah porch varmint.

Fill In the Blanks

"No children were hurt, but eight people were shot, including the two who died _ McKendry and Linda Kraeger, 61."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/jim-d-adkisson-charged-in_n_115281.html
Nice, HuffPo. Don't go looking up the victims' names or anything, it's probably not important.

6.09.2009

Why don't you just marry us off and shackle us up in the kitchen, too.


I've never had to make this decision, I hope I never will, and living in Ottawa, I still can.

I can only send heartfelt well-wishes to the women (and the men who stand by them) who have been hurt by this tragedy. I hope that no more lives are lost because of this attack on individual freedom and the health and welfare of women who have had to make this choice, or who were left with none.

I hope that people are able to find a way to cope, support one another, and protect each other from pursuing dangerous alternatives. I wish I could be there to lend support. What we need now is a support network. Women and the men who love us as their equal counterparts in family, friendships, and in bed can't be complacent now.

Womens lives are endangered. We absolutely need to help each other. Anything helps: Drive someone to the nearest place they can get help, even if it is far. Donate to the cause (see link to NARAL). Donate to the person you know. Write letters to the newspaper. Write letters to congress. Be there for the person who needs you right now. Some women's lives are about to drastically change if we can't help them. They are your past, present, and future sisters, wives, daughters, girlfriends, grand daughters, high school crushes, nieces, best friends, aunts, grandmothers, and mothers. They are women you know and love.

When someone threatens the health and welfare of a fellow human, stand by that person. Defy the terrorism, defy the threats, defy the hatred and the oppression.

For those who care: unite and act.
Services Near You
Tiller's Clinic Closed
Lend Your Support

6.05.2009

clearly i need to learn html

that is all

You're Damn Right I Can.

A note I posted on facebook in November 2008:

Why Sexist Beer (etc) Ads Piss Me Off


•Resorting to stereotypes is no less lazy than resorting to sex, and at least sometimes ads using sex are creative, but recycling prejudices and outdated and/or offensive negative perceptions is just repeating something that has already been said, and is no longer relevant (or never was). Besides, I would certainly argue that sex itself is a much healthier thing than sexism.

•It portrays women as less intelligent, second hand citizens, that are simply an inconvenience and obstacle in the path of the desires of men.

•It reinforces the validation of misogyny as part of a culture of fraternity, and portrays it not only as acceptable, but also "cool." It sells the negative idea along with the product.

•It alienates a large group of people who are potential or actual consumers.

•Exclusion is never positive, and women are still excluded, belittled, devalued, and mistreated in society, with a blind eye so often turned.

•Women are not a minority, but so many still accept this kind of treatment. There are too many problems that affect women in society for us to continue to accept any kind of additional belittlement. If we don't have the courage to start out strong facing the larger issues, surely we can speak out against prejudice and stereotypes as a starting point. We are individual people more than women, and we have good, strong qualities, as well as flaws like anyone else. There is no need to reinforce negative stereotypes that some people already subscribe to as fact, when as a society, we should all be fighting to diminish "isms" of all kinds.

•It encourages everyone to treat the issue as a laughing matter, women included. Many women (more importantly than men) adopt the attitude that those concerned by it are overreacting, and that it is "no big deal," They adopt this attitude not because they agree with the portrayal, or don't mind being thought of as frivolous or dumb, but because they don't want to be further marginalized and ostracized for speaking out. In order to feel like part of the group that has just ridiculed them, they permit the behaviour and make no point of speaking for themselves.

•Because in this culture in 2008, there is no reason why I should have felt like some might have thought I was being a "bitch" or "emotional" or anything of the sort the day I was the only one to raise my hand in class to say "yes, it does bother me a little," and that while I could accept the fact that it is part of mainstream humour, I didn't think it was a positive thing.

what do you know

Hmm, well I'd forgotten about this blog. Only significant updates: new boyfriend, new job, happy as hell, it's summer, and I went to New York in March and now I have a goal in life.

Carry on.
(I may actually start updating this wasteland shortly)