In the WooWoo Wonderland™

The Fifty Books Challenge, year three! (Years one and two, just in case you're curious.) This was a library request.




( A Compelling Graphic Dramatization Based on Events That Occurred in Chicago in 1994... )

Still enjoy this catchy tune from '04.

I do roll my eyes a little at the irony of Germans lecturing about imperialism, though.

And that they're expressing it in two mediums (rock and the music video) that originated in America.

The Fifty Books Challenge, year three! (Years one and two, just in case you're curious.) This was a loan from a family member.



( A Girl Lost in the Woods and a Writer Lost in the Sound of His Own Voice... )

Cross-posted to Tumblr.



Almost instantly a public debate arose when the announcement came late Sunday night that Osama bin Laden had been killed by Navy SEALs: is it okay to celebrate the death of a human being?

( .... )

Okay, this has been bugging me long enough to blog about it now.

( Oh, here we go... )

I'm finding myself disappointed in this article. I'm aware I'm not a mother so therefore I lack that insight. I realize that Valenti does, however fleetingly, point out a few of the injustices nursing mothers face.

But she fails to address the institutionalized misogyny that existed (and in some circles continues to exist) surrounding breast-feeding. For years, generations of women were told (almost always by male doctors in a male-dominated medical establishment) what their bodies produced naturally for their babies was inferior to one of any of the commercial formulas available. Breast-milk is still perceived by many as something disgusting and/or unhygienic and the idea of breast-feeding in public equal to masturbating in public.

Of course making the choice not to breast-feed shouldn't be treated as tantamount to child abuse. But the idea that the shaming of mothers who don't breastfeed is not only equal to but greater than the shaming of the act of breast-feeding in general is ridiculous. At least to me.

A Few Points:

I. Respect Lady Bunny, she's a legend.

II. According to the credits, the actresses that portrayed the Palins are actually women. Which means Palin is still ripe for the ambitious drag queen!

III. The fat joke was, of course, unnecessary. I'm getting the feeling that Lady Bunny was trying to imply that's what Palin would say about her daughter, not a dig at Bristol actually being "fat", but it seems like a better joke would be "Bristol = The Knocked Up One (So Far!)".

IV. No, I don't support the idea that Loughner was influenced by Palin, particularly the cross-hairs on her website, nor do I think that he was even particularly influenced by her especially. But Palin's behavior regarding the whole deal was disgusting, period, which I believe is the point LB is making/celebrating.

V. Of course, not all Alaskans even tolerate Palin and rightfully resent her speaking for them. We have much wonderful vocal evidence of that. But I think by addressing "Alaska", LB is referring, tongue in cheek, to "Palin's Alaska".

The Fifty Books Challenge, year two! This was a library request.



( Smile Like You Mean It )

The Fifty Books Challenge, year two! This was a library request.



( From Threat to Threat, Heroism and Horror, Foresight-- and Hindsight )

The Fifty Books Challenge, year two! This was a library request under the subject "Pagan fiction".



( Feminazis, Dorothy Valiente, and Other Unfortunate Mishaps )