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[Aug. 28th, 2008|01:22 pm] |
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Del Martin, one of America's first and most visible lesbian rights activists, who dedicated her life to fighting against homophobia, racism and violence against women has died, age 87.
An amazing, passionate, wonderful woman, the GLBT community has lost an amazing advocate. Please take 5 minutes and read the text behind the cut, and find out a little bit more about this incredible woman.
( obit behind the cut ) |
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[Aug. 28th, 2008|12:11 pm] |
With a hat-tip to Nicci, who reminded me of this amazing scene from the still scarily relevant and topical 1976 movie, Network. It's one of my favourite speeches from a movie, ever.
If you haven't seen it, go out this weekend and rent it, buy it, borrow it. It's absolutely superb.
I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. |
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[Aug. 28th, 2008|10:17 am] |
I was going to rant about Channel 10's new dating show, Taken Out, and how the fight for equality doesnt mean dragging guys down to the level women are forced to endure, then I remembered it's commercial television, and no one expects any better. Once SYTYCD is over, that's it. Im giving up on commercial TV.
Then I was going to have a pink fit about Miranda Devine's support of the sexist comments made by the Mt Isa mayor, and her ridiculous 'stop being so picky, bitches' response to the 'Man Drought' report, but then I remembered it's Miranda Devine, and it's to be expected.
Then i was going to post about the weirdo on the train that kept touching his balls on the other side of the glass partition to me, but didnt want to think about it too much.
Then I remembered I haven't read Cuteoverload.com in ages, so I went and looked at pictures of baby ferrets instead, which go a long way to soothing feminist rage.
Never fear, though. I've got a doozy of a Cranky Feminist post for you coming up in the next day or two. There will even be some Lulz. Because I'm funny, on occasion. |
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[Aug. 27th, 2008|12:21 pm] |
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[Aug. 26th, 2008|01:15 pm] |
Look Ma, a post where she's not ranting about women's rights!
Yet again another sensationalist article about the Great Australian Man Drought, which had me quite amused and perplexed.
But Salt said the biggest problem facing single women is the issue of eligibility. From a pool of 1.32 million men aged 15 to 24, he took out all men who said they were married, in a de facto relationship, gay, have children from a previous relationship and who earn less than $70,000 a year. It left a pool of only 60,000 men, of whom the most common occupation was accountancy.
Ok, married, de facto, and gay, I can understand as being pretty non-negotiable points for exclusion. But children from a previous marriage? Earning under $70k? Between 15 and 24? (Which raises the question - why, why, WHY is he including data about teens under the age of consent in a study of eligible men?)
Just how many of you were earning over $70k before you hit 24, anyway?
Since when did these factors become the benchmark of 'eligibility'?
Chalk one up to another SMH beat up. |
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[Aug. 22nd, 2008|02:48 pm] |
Shame on you, National Parks and Wildlife services. By your refusal to try feeding our poor Colin on a mix of cow milk and tuna (as suggested by one of the visionaries at the smh), or setting up a completely unsustainable fostering program at a marine park, or towing little Colin out to sea in the hopes that a magical whale foster mum might rescue him, and instead bowing to government conspiracies and pressure and KILLING our Colin, you've shown the world that all Australians hate animals and cant be bothered helping nature when she is in need. What do 'vets' and 'zoo experts' and 'the RSPCA' and 'ORRCA' know? Solicitors and Whale Whisperers were giving you useful suggestions!
Maybe you'd like to serve him up with a side of pickled ginger and wasabi now?
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[Aug. 22nd, 2008|10:57 am] |
Not content to inflict on the world undrinkable bourbon, the makers of Jim Beam have decided to assail us with unwatchable TV and internet ads.
Entitled The Neighbours and The Stalker (TV ads that link to websites), they follow on from a series of ads called The Girlfriend, The Party and The Tragedy (TV campaigns on channel 7 and foxtel), they're some prime examples of just how NOT to make ads, unless of course you want to make ads that are mysoginistic, offensive, stereotyped and guaranteed to anger any intelligent viewer.
The Neighbours TV ad showed a half-naked swedish woman saying 'We say Aussie Aussie Aussie, take off your cozzie" which then directed viewers to a website, where the woman and her friends are spied on by their next-door neighbours as they undress, cavort around their back yard in g-strings, and bounce on trampolines. Because peeping toms are awesome, dontcha know.
Fortunately this particular ad and the website have been pulled.
The Girlfriend, The Tragedy and The Stalker are just as bad.
( cut for multiple vids )
I actually had to think for a bit before posting those vids, because it makes me complicit in furthering their audience. |
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[Aug. 21st, 2008|10:21 pm] |
Guys, I have an important favour to ask.
Whatever happens, dont let me read the responses to the latest 'Ask Sam/Sam in the city' column tomorrow. (I know, I know. I cant help it, it's like delicious feminist-rage-inducing crack)
It's on double standards.
It references Feministing, yet manages to, of course, make it all about marriage and getting a guy.
It uses the phrase "Flirting can often help you close the deal, get out of trouble and get into the good books of the in-laws." (oh gods dont get me started on how wrong the last part of that sentence is)
If the post itself is working me into an unholy rage, I know the comments section will make me have a fucking aneurism.
If you suspect I may be straying towards said blog, send me pictures of cute puppies. Or really cool robots. Or weird looking fish.
I'm counting on you. |
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[Aug. 21st, 2008|12:43 pm] |
People are so, so, fucking stupid.
OK, so you should all be aware the California recently ruled that doctors and other medical professionals cannot use their religious beliefs as a reason for denying treatment to lesbians and gays, right?
Mike Gallagher (a popular conservative, right wing US radio talkshow host) had the following caller about the issue:
DAVID: The question I had told your screener, I said, if I’m understanding, California said because of sexual orientation, they can’t deny you service, so, does that mean pedophiles could adopt?
GALLAGHER: Well that’s just, that’s a great question. I mean, if you work in an adoption agency and a guy comes in saying, “I like little girls and I want to adopt a nine-year old girl and I’m going to probably sleep with her while I’m at it,” could the adoption agency person say, “well, excuse me, my religious beliefs find that, lead me to find that repugnant, I’m not going to do it.” Can he then turn around and sue the adoption agency and win like the lesbian did?
So a ruling passed to protect the basic human rights of gay and lesbian people is going to be used by (heterosexual) pedophiles to abuse kids? How is the LEGAL practise of homosexuality going to result in the ILLEGAL practise of pedophilia?
SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS LOGIC.
Are y'all sick of my little rants yet? All I seem to do is post cranky things these days.
Just be thankful I didnt decide to have my little rant about Miss-middle-class-white-privilege 'We need a new feminism because we're not oppressed anymore!squee!
Poll #1245558
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllI want... |
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[Aug. 21st, 2008|10:51 am] |
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I think the saddest part of the whole 'baby whale in harbour' debarcle is that they've named him Colin. You dont see PETA picketing *that*, do you? |
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[Aug. 20th, 2008|12:28 pm] |
NewQ Floor picnic is on again!
Ok, it's a little short notice, but hey. Show up around 3PM this Saturday for some cheap veggie and vegan foods by donation, support the NewQ space, and snack away whatever hangover you're nursing.
22 Enmore Rd, Newtown. |
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| Help |
[Aug. 20th, 2008|11:19 am] |
Help needed
A lot of you will know Sharron, aka ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rezedew.
Last week Sharron's house caught fire, and pretty much everything she owns has been destroyed.
She needs some help. Initially, she needs help with cleaning (everything that isnt ruined is covered in black soot from the fire), and packing stuff to go into storage while they sort out a new place to live. If anyone can donate even an hour of time, it'd be a huge help for them. They live in Marrickville, so it's nice and close to most of us.
Soon, as well, she'll need help replacing lost kitchenware, furniture, household goods, clothing and computer parts. If you've got any of the aforementioned stuff spare and can hang onto it for a little while, that'd be awesome.
She also needs somewhere to temporarily house her teenage kitten, until they can find somewhere to live.
Guys, can anyone help out? If there's something I've forgotten to mention but you think would help out, too, pop over to her LJ or let me know, it'd be really appreciated. |
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[Aug. 15th, 2008|12:03 pm] |
To counteract all the Katie Perry-inspired rage (stab stab stab) in the comments of my last post, I give you the other (and much better) 'I kissed a girl':
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| GO TO BED, SPOTTY. |
[Aug. 1st, 2008|05:00 pm] |
Dont forget!
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| Ascension - August 2nd |
[Jul. 24th, 2008|01:30 pm] |
It's Ascension time again!
This month, we've got Slaughter and Tombstone joining us behind the decks, so come along for a fantastic night!
$6 Cocktails from 6pm - 9pm
DJs from 8:00pm til Late
And it's Free!
All at The Sly Fox, 199 Enmore Rd, Enmore (Up the top of Enmore Rd, you cant miss it!) |
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[Jul. 24th, 2008|12:01 pm] |
Old Sydney Fogeygoths request:
Does anyone remember the name of the pub around the Central/Broadway area that Pornstar ran a club at yeeeeeeears ago that had an outdoors DJ booth and dancefloor? (unless I completely hallucinated it, which is entirely possible).
edit: my memory is the lamest of the lame. It was the Agincourt. |
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[Jul. 24th, 2008|11:24 am] |
Things:
- Russia to ban Teh Emos?. At least now they've got something to cry about.
- Electric Ballroom is back! Hooray! This time, Timbo and Montag will be guest DJing, so there'll be lots of ultra-gawthik goodness. Poster and details here
- I love sleep. Sleepy sleepy sleep. Never leave me again, you glorious thing.
- At least there's some sanity left in the world. 86% of readers polled in the smh think that purity balls are a bad idea. I'm still frothing at the mouth at the idea of those repressive monstrosities being conducted here.
- I think it's time for another Delirium soon. Must get off behind and be organisey.
- If it's raining, dont wear the trousers that touch the ground. *squelch* |
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20 (90.9%)