“the thing about patriarchy is that individual men, gay and straight, are often really wonderful people who you love deeply, but they have internalized some really poisonous shit. so every once in a while they say or do something that really shakes you because you’re no longer totally certain they see you as a human being, and you feel totally disempowered to explain that to them.”
Hipster Logic Problems
Theodore heard of Youth Lagoon before Max. Max heard of them after Cindy, but Cindy heard of them before Don. Who’s the bigger asshole?
The following day, I attended a workshop about preventing gender violence, facilitated by Katz. There, he posed a question to all of the men in the room: “Men, what things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?”
Not one man, including myself, could quickly answer the question. Finally, one man raised his hand and said, “Nothing.” Then Katz asked the women, “What things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?” Nearly all of the women in the room raised their hand. One by one, each woman testified:
“I don’t make eye contact with men when I walk down the street,” said one.
“I don’t put my drink down at parties,” said another.
“I use the buddy system when I go to parties.”
“I cross the street when I see a group of guys walking in my direction.”
“I use my keys as a potential weapon.”
The women went on for several minutes, until their side of the blackboard was completely filled with responses. The men’s side of the blackboard was blank. I was stunned. I had never heard a group of women say these things before. I thought about all of the women in my life — including my mother, sister and girlfriend — and realized that I had a lot to learn about gender.
Why I Am A Male Feminist (via e-pic)
(Source: newwavefeminism)
This, Today.
Posted on Sunday, 26 February
Wail Watching: It's Already Begun
One of the more interesting aspects of the whole kerfuffle surrounding Bill C-30 is how easy it would be for cops to build a profile around a person by just having access to their IP address. Funnily enough the Conservatives are already unwittingly making the case against Bill C-30. By publicly…
what kind of world have we created for ourselves?
A fair question indeed.
we tried to escape from nature, so we built society.
now our kids can’t survive in the world we’ve created without being in school for a third of their lives. we die from obesity. we’re depressed because we see computer screens more than we see sunlight. we hate ourselves because society tells us to.
what did we escape from, really?
Thoughts on the Peanuts Valentine's Day Special
- Hubby: I hated that dirty kid. What was his name, Toenail Jim?
- Me: ...Pigpen.
- Hubby: Yeah, Pigpen. That kid was a fucking disaster. I also never understood why Charlie Brown was a bald old man.
- Me: It took me a long time when I was small to understand he was a child. I thought he was just a short old man who was possibly really slow...and that's why he always ran around with kids.
- Hubby: There was a hobo fight on the bus today. I was in the middle of it.
Posted on Saturday, 11 February
Fancy L.A.M.
It’s Fancy Friday, kids! Who’s excited?
See, every Friday I make it my personal mission to ad a dash of panache and a spritz of glamour to my day.
While I do have a list of must-haves that Friday just isn’t Fancy without, Fancy Friday is more an attitude, a feeling, than material things. If you feel fancy, you’re half way there!
I start with a trip to Lush, where I pick up a bath bomb and anything else I might want to throw in the tub. It’s fairly inexpensive and I usually only spend up to $13.
Next I light a few candles, cause I’m cliche like that.
This one’s from Bath & Body Works, in Sticky Toffee Pudding. It makes my bathroom smell like a fat kid’s wet dream.
Lastly, I add a glass of my favourite wine of the moment, Australia’s Shot in the Dark, and some Feist circa 2006 for good measure. Then I sit there until my fingers look like raisins.
Fancy Fridays are a new ritual for me, but one I intend to keep,
‘cause these days I look forward to the end of the week the way I used to look forward to the communion wafer on Sunday mornings (just to have something to eat!).
So I want to know, how do you get fancy?
Posted on Saturday, 11 February
Blog Game: Coming Correct…shortly.
Vampires and Chocolate has undergone a complete redesign, and I hope you kids will appreciate the 1929 pic of a vintage Yonge St, courtesy of the Toronto Archives.
God I miss that city. Also, can we all wear hats like back in the day? Yes? Awesome.
I promise to blog properly in the weeks and months (but no guarantee of years) ahead. My recounting of life in Vancouver has been scarce at best, but truthfully, there isn’t all that much to tell.
Check me tomorrow for my first ever Fancy Friday post, wherein I discuss all the fabulous and fancy things I do to wind down from the week and gear up for the weekend, including the clichéd bubble-bath-and-candles joint. Your girl is just classic like that.
If you’re bored, check out All Dope Things Considered, my photo blog which I update daily.
Posted on Thursday, 9 February