Uppity Bitches

The beginning of a new era

Well, after 8 bitter years I'm still in shock.  I haven't quite adjusted to feeling good about the state of affairs in this country, and while I'm happy as all get out - I wonder what the next 8 years will bring.

Amidst ending wars and mending the financial crisis, I wonder if there is any room to improve on a couple of issues:

• allowing people to marry the person of their choice (or further separating church and state)
• finally passing the ERA (check out why here)

Am I nuts?  No.

While winning on November 4th was the most important step in moving toward a better nation, I know that these things are at the bottom of a long wish list for many people. 

So what I want to know is this:  what is at the top of your wish list and why?

Sweetly Here Now

Yes, I am overwhelmed with happiness.  My belief that others in America feel the same way that I do about how we, as Americans, even exist in our day-to-day lives has been reinforced.  For the first time in 8 years I can breathe; hope springs eternal, cynicism is passe.  My arms full of cliches and my brain implodes. 

The push becomes what can I do?  Everyday I try to talk about those sticky topics that make people uncomfortable, question my privilege (and encourage others to do the same), try to save more and spend less, eat local, be green, smile at strangers and reach out to those who I can assist.  Pay off my student loans, stop gossiping at work, be a good partner to P and a good parent to our lovely pup. 

Try to love and appreciate more, hate and fixate less.  Heal and deal with the partisan politeratti view I had adopted much to my own surprise.

Find the self-awareness I see our President-elect use every day.  Celebrate.  And work.  Work hard because we have only begun to reshape our future.

Vote - some resources if you need it :)

Please, if nothing else, just vote.  Local elections and proposals are so very important to your local community.  It isn't just the prez biz that is important.

If you need help, go here:  www.lwv.org and you can find anything you need.

I implore you, if you don't do anything else - just get informed and VOTE!!

Tonight is a night of anticipation, joy, tears for Obama's loss at this final hour, hope for all of the women running out there, inspiration at what everyone has done so far...I hope we have an answer tomorrow.

Change the world.  Vote.

much love,
madlibpoet

Really? McCain on SNL?

After months of busting the chops of the Republican Party via Tina Fey's hilarious and thought-provoking impersonation of Sarah Palin...well, SNL let me down.

First - they let Sarah Palin on where Baldwin basically said she was hotter IRL and Tina ducked out of the way.  They wrote a rap for/about her.

Then, they let McCain on.  Then Ben Affleck sort of endorsed McCain.

I mean, come on.  Unfortunately, there are undecided voters out there who will say, "well, McCain is funnier/has a better sense of humor/whatever than Obama...I'm sold!"

Allowing McCain to showcase his funny skills and endear undecided voters is nothing short of irresponsible, especially given the amount of legitimate questions they raised up until a couple of weeks ago.

Boo SNL.  Boo.

-madlibpoet

I've joined NaBloPoMo - which means I'll be blogging every day for a month :)

Visit NaBloPoMo

The People Who Powered My Vote Today

As I approached the local elementary school to vote in the primary elections in Michigan today, I saw a neighborhood watch organization's cookout.  Most of the people at the cookout were younger parents and their children.  Some looked like Boomer's - maybe in their 50s and 60s.  As I entered the school library, I was flooded with the smell of old books.  I gazed across the room and saw the all-women crew running the show.  They were all what could be considered elderly; sharp women who spend their day working as election workers. 

My experience has been the similar in previous elections.  I make an effort to be patient, polite and friendly to the poll workers.  Over the last few years, an increased number of methods and rules have been introduced and I appreciate their dedication and integrity.  When I voted in the presidential primary, the woman who took my ballot talked to me for almost 15 minutes (it was very early in the day) about her son who lives far away and her inability to sell her house.  Today, one of the women mentioned that she used to live in Pittsburgh.  When I asked when - she told me how many years she had lived in different cities - with the total equally 77!  I was amazed, and told her that she must have added on a few years (I know, I know).  She joked and said "No rest for the wicked" and I replied, "Wicked or weary" and another worker joked "BOTH!!"

But seriously, how long will these women be able to work the polls?  I am not making an ageist judgment here - 77 is old.  I do not question their competency, but they are getting older and it is time for the new guard to take over.  According to the AP, the Feds are looking for 2 MILLION poll workers for November's election.

So I'm taking the plunge and signing up this year.  If you're interested, you can go to this site  to see the requirements for your state.  I think I may have missed the deadline for this year, but I'm going to double check tomorrow and I'll post an update.

Please feel free to share your voting stories in the comments.  Are the poll workers younger in your area?  Have you ever been a poll worker?  How do you involve yourself in the election besides voting? 

In solidarity,
madlibpoet

2007 Femmostroppo Awards

In an effort to get myself back into the blogging community after a much-needed vacation, I provide you with Femmostroppo Awards   with tons of valuable links.

More to come tomorrow!! ---madlibpoet

Bullying vs. Sexual Harassment

An interesting new study compares the effects of schoolyard bullying - kids roughing one another up, name-calling and the like - with sexual harassment.

The results are completely unsurprising to any girl or woman who ever was on the receiving end of sexual harassment.

"Bullying was more frequent than sexual harassment for both boys and girls - just over half the students (52%) had been bullied and just over a third (35%) were sexually harassed. Almost a third (32%) had been subject to both behaviors. Girls were bullied or harassed as frequently as boys, but gays, lesbians and bisexuals – sexual minorities – were submitted to greater levels of both.

Both behaviors have a negative effect on victims’ health. After taking into account the effects of other stressful life events, ranging from parents’ divorce, moving house, falling in love and getting into trouble with the law, Gruber and Fineran found that sexual harassment causes more harm than bullying in both boys and girls. Girls and sexual minorities, however, appeared to be the most affected by sexual harassment, suffering from lower self-esteem, poorer mental and physical health, and more trauma symptoms (thoughts and feelings arising from stressful experiences) than boys."

Sexual harassment is demeaning, stressful and harmful to the psyche at any stage of one's life, but perhaps more-so when that person is entrenched in the already awkward age of adolescence and young adulthood. The last thing a young woman needs as she's just beginning to understand and come to terms with her sexuality, is to have a peer engaging in unwanted advances, lewd comments, teasing and assault. Harassment can range from seemingly "harmless" "pranks" like snapping a bra strap, or making gestures about the size of a girl's breasts, to more physically aggressive actions, like smacking a butt or brushing up against another person in an intimidating manner.

One hopes this study will accomplish something, anything to bury the archaic and damaging "boys will be boys" bullshit excuse that frighteningly is still in use today. It's a dated mentality that just refuses to die. Let's hope the people who continue to ignore the real-world consequences of school yard sexual harassment - the people who probably needed a study to point out the obvious - pay a bit of attention.

Marriage: Institutionalized Institutionalism

Marriage:  Institutionalized Institutionalism

Part of my continuing crusade as a writer and an activist is simply to insure that everyone has choices - even if that choice is to not choose at all. I'm looking for inclusion, validation and justice; what I have little tolerance for are situations in which our choices are limited to the one the powers at be want you to choose or the really crummy alternative.

In particular, one area in which our government practically forces our hand is marriage.  While marriage is a valid choice, it is not the choice for me.  Or my partner/bff/bf/SO/better half, etc.  While heterosexual and seemingly a man and woman, we do not want to get married.  We are atheists without a need for a religious ceremony; I cannot imagine him asking my father for my hand.  An engagement ring is still a symbol of ownership, a way of marking the woman in the relationship as "taken."  Women are still bought and sold all over the world and participating in a ceremony that stems from those sales makes me (and my partner) uncomfortable.

Regardless of our reasons, we're not interested, politically or personally, and now we're trying to figure out where that leaves us. He was just offered a permanent position with an international company; he asked about domestic partner benefits and was told he'd have to talk directly with the benefits administrator.  So let's say that he can add me to his insurance (highly doubtful).   Well, we'd have to add the tax-free income back onto his taxes because the federal government wouldn't recognize our domestic partnership and therefore he'd have to pay.  You have to be married in order for the plan to work the way it should.

We will also have to seek out a lawyer because if I were to get seriously injured or sick, my PARENTS would be the only people legally able to make any decisions about my medical care if I were unable to decide for myself.

Again, the government needs to back off and stay out of marriage. With no end to legislating morality in sight, people who choose not to get married continue to be left with one federally-mandated choice and trying to work out an alternative.  And if those are the only choices, then everyone should be given the opportunity to choose marriage.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

- MadLibPoet

This just in: Rush Limbaugh is a huge moron

Honestly, I don't know why I give a rip that this conservative windbag continues to pollute the airwaves with his incoherent hate speech or why I feel the need to call it out (hint: the cold medicine might have something to do with it), but Rush Limbaugh's recent diatribe against feminism was too "funny" to let pass.

Read an abbreviated transcript here, or, save your retinas and check out this embarrassing, um, highlight:

"A huge See, I Told You So. Feminism took away femininity, made 'em competitive. 'I can open the door myself!' I can remember back in the seventies complimenting a woman's appearance. 'Oh, you're insulting my brain,' she would say. 'You're objectifying me. Is that all you see is how I look?' This is what they have been taught. For the longest time I was afraid, when I saw a woman whose appearance I wanted to compliment, I'd apologize and say, 'Please, I hope this doesn't offend you, but --' I think I did that for 20 years. That decade had a profound effect on so many people, it was unreal. I think some people are still confused and screwed up by it." -Limbaugh

Awwww....poor Rush. For 20 years, he had to keep his pervy comments to himself. Must have been really tough for him. What a douche.

-CrazyCatLady