Headology

"Fat people who love themselves scare the shit out of people who don’t love themselves. Even fat..."

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:17:36 -0800

““Fat people who love themselves scare the shit out of people who don’t love themselves. Even fat people who are TRYING to love themselves scare the shit out of people who can’t do the same. We force people to have to look at why they hate their bodies because we are “supposed” to hate ours and we don’t. And sometimes they have no idea what to do with that, so they act like assholes.””

- Tigress Osborn (via wewantrevolutiongirlstylenow)

I’m getting sick of the term friendzone. Me too. And, more...

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:26:52 -0800

I’m getting sick of the term friendzone.

Me too. And, more than that, I’m sick of the people using it.

Women are told almost constantly—by the media, the government, and the overall attitude of society—that our bodies don’t fucking belong to us. The mythical friendzone is just another way for misogynists to enforce that idea while getting to play the victim.

It sucks when someone you have feelings for doesn’t share those feelings; it happens to women all the time, too. We hear “I just want to be friends” and “you’re like one of the guys” and “you’re like a sister to me” just as often. But you’ll never hear a woman complain that guys just don’t appreciate a Nice Girl because we’re taught it’s our own fucking fault when we’re rejected—we aren’t pretty enough or thin enough or sexy enough, we weren’t sexual enough or were too sexual, we put out too much or too little or too soon or not soon enough, we didn’t wear our hair the right way or our skirt the right length, we’re “too tomboyish” or “too butch” or “too feminine”, or we’re “not their type”, or we’re otherwise not good enough in various ways to entice the man to grace us with his affection.

But when we’re not interested in someone, we’re vilified. We’re the bitch that lead them on, the bitch who let them buy us dinner but didn’t want to date them, the bitch who doesn’t appreciate a nice guy, the bitch they were nice to and then got nothing in return from.

And, frankly, fuck those people. Showing interest in me, being friendly with me, getting close to me, or eating a meal with me (even if they paid for it) doesn’t obligate me to open my heart or my legs. And anyone who doesn’t appreciate my friendship sure as hell doesn’t deserve my love or my pussy.

Rick Mercer rants on Vic Toews’ attacks against...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:33:47 -0800

Rick Mercer rants on Vic Toews’ attacks against Canadians’ online privacy.

Racism Free Ontario: Judge calls residential schools a form of genocide

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:39:52 -0800

Racism Free Ontario: Judge calls residential schools a form of genocide :

racismfreeontario:

The chairman of Canada’s truth and reconciliation commission says removing more than 100,000 aboriginal children from their homes and placing them in residential schools was an act of genocide…

"On a somewhat serious note today because of a conversation the other day: I am sure every girl can..."

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:06:05 -0800

“

On a somewhat serious note today because of a conversation the other day:

I am sure every girl can recall, at least once as a child, coming home and telling their parents, uncle, aunt or grandparent about a boy who had pulled her hair, hit her, teased her, pushed her or committed some other playground crime. I will bet money that most of those, if not all, will tell you that they were told “Oh, that just means he likes you”. I never really thought much about it before having a daughter of my own. I find it appalling that this line of bullshit is still being fed to young children. Look, if you want to tell your child that being verbally and/or physically abused is an acceptable sign of affection, i urge you to rethink your parenting strategy. If you try and feed MY daughter that crap, you better bring protective gear because I am going to shower you with the brand of “affection” you are endorsing.

When the fuck was it decided that we should start teaching our daughters to accept being belittled, disrespected and abused as endearing treatment? And we have the audacity to wonder why women stay in abusive relationships? How did society become so oblivious to the fact that we were conditioning our daughters to endure abusive treatment, much less view it as romantic overtures? Is this where the phrase “hitting on girls” comes from? Well, here is a tip: Save the “it’s so cute when he gets hateful/physical with her because it means he loves her” asshattery for your own kids, not mine. While you’re at it, keep them away from my kids until you decide to teach them respect and boundaries.

My daughter is `10 years old and has come home on more than one occasion recounting an incident at school in which she was teased or harassed by a male classmate. There has been several times when someone that she was retelling the story to responded with the old, “that just means he likes you” line. Wrong. I want my daughter to know that being disrespected is NEVER acceptable. I want my daughter to know that if someone likes her and respects her, much less LOVES her, they don’t hurt her and they don’t put her down. I want my daughter to know that the boy called her ugly or pushed her or pulled her hair didn’t do it because he admires her, it is because he is a little asshole and assholes are an occurrence of society that will have to be dealt with for the rest of her life. I want my daughter to know how to deal with assholes she will encounter throughout her life. For now, I want my daughter to know that if someone is verbally harassing her, she should tell the teacher and if the teacher does nothing, she should tell me. If someone physically touches her, tell the teacher then, if it continues, to yell, “STOP TOUCHING/PUNCHING/PUSHING ME” in the middle of class or the hallway, then tell me. Last year, one little boy stole her silly bandz from her. He just grabbed her and yanked a handful of them off of her wrist. When I went to the school to address the incident, the teacher smiled and explained it away to her, in front of me, “he probably has a crush on you”. Okay, the boy walked up to my daughter, grabbed and held her by the arm and forcibly removed her bracelets from her as she struggled and you want to convince her that she should be flattered? Fuck off. I am going to punch you in the face but I hope you realize it is just my way of thanking you for the great advice you gave my daughter. If these same advice givers’ sons came home crying because another male classmate was pushing them, pulling their hair, hitting them or calling them names, I would bet dollars to donuts they would tell him to defend themselves and kick the kid’s ass, if necessary. They sure as shit wouldn’t say, “he probably just wants a play date”.

I will teach my daughter to accept nothing less than respect. Anyone who hurts her physically or emotionally doesn’t deserve her respect, friendship or love. I will teach my boys the same thing as well as the fact that hitting on girls doesn’t involve hitting girls. I can’t teach my daughter to respect herself if I am teaching her that no one else has to respect her. I can’t raise sons that respect women, if I teach them that bullying is a valid expression of affection.

The next time that someone offers up that little “secret” to my daughter, I am going to slap the person across the face and yell, “I LOVE YOU”.

”

- You Didn’t Thank Me For Punching You in the Face « Views from the Couch (via golden-notebook)

in autumn, in Kashmir: things i wish i'd learned in high school

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:57:45 -0800

in autumn, in Kashmir: things i wish i'd learned in high school :

lovebelikeawhirlwind:

everything in your history books, with few exceptions, is filtered through the lens of white Eurocentric eliminationist thought. you will only learn what a board of educators, working with a biased, racist agenda, decide is fit for you to know unless you go out and educate yourself. unless you…

xekstrin: wrathofprawn: for those not in the know, night...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:56:25 -0800

xekstrin:

wrathofprawn:

for those not in the know, night witches were russian lady bombers who bombed the shit out of german lines in WW2. Thing is though, they had the oldest, noisiest, crappest planes in the entire world. The engines used to conk out halfway through their missions, so they had to climb out on the wings mid flight to restart the props. the planes were also so noisy that to stop germans from hearing them combing and starting up their anti aircraft guns, they’d climb up to a certain height, coast down to german positions, drop their bombs, restart their engines in midair, and get the fuck out of dodge.

their leader flew over 200 missions and was never captured.

how the fuck is this not taught in every single history class ever

Toronto Star: "Ottawa Okay with Information Extracted by Torture"

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:51:11 -0800

Toronto Star: "Ottawa Okay with Information Extracted by Torture"

"What Adrienne Rich described back in 1980 as “compulsory heterosexuality” is producing a generation..."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:23:12 -0800

“

What Adrienne Rich described back in 1980 as “compulsory heterosexuality” is producing a generation of youth who cannot imagine a future in which their sense of self is valued, celebrated and socially integrated. They live in a present that devalues their burgeoning sense of self, and forces them to conceal their thoughts and feelings from the people charged with loving, supporting and empowering them. What they learn instead, from the strict omission of positive imagery of queer life, is threefold:

1. They learn that most adults believe that heterosexuality is the only acceptable identity and practice for children and adults.

2. They learn that homosexuality is always the inferior choice, even among so-called ally parents.

3. They learn that queer relationships and identities aren’t among the stories we should use to conceptualize our futures.

”

- Gay Is Great (Not Just Tolerable) by Tey Meadow

"Ads that pop up on your screen might seem useful, or at worst, a nuisance. But they are much more..."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:13:58 -0800

“Ads that pop up on your screen might seem useful, or at worst, a nuisance. But they are much more than that. The bits and bytes about your life can easily be used against you. Whether you can obtain a job, credit or insurance can be based on your digital doppelgänger — and you may never know why you’ve been turned down.”

- Facebook Is Using You by Lori Andrews

"The 1980s were a golden age for high school movies. One of the features of those movies, apart from..."

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:01:49 -0800

“

The 1980s were a golden age for high school movies. One of the features of those movies, apart from Molly Ringwald, was the bully character. We had Biff in Back to the Future, Daniel’s foes in the Karate Kid, the bad guys in Revenge of the Nerds, and James Spader in basically everything. These movies presented us with a big bad bully - someone who picked on the little, unpopular kids. That image has stuck with us, as a society.

The problem with that image is that it’s not real.

”

- We Need Pro-Hero Schools Instead of Anti-Bully Schools by Matt Langdon

pantslessprogressive: “Of New York’s more than 40,000 homeless...

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:59:02 -0800

pantslessprogressive:

“Of New York’s more than 40,000 homeless people in shelters — enough to fill the stands at Citi Field — about three-quarters now belong to families like the Lewises and are cloaked in a deceptive, superficial normalcy. They do not sleep outside or on cots on armory floors. By and large, their shoes are good; some have smartphones. Many get up each morning and leave the shelter to go to work or to school. Their hardships — poverty, unemployment, a marathon commute — exist out of sight.

Underlying this transition is a cascade of events, both economic and political. For the past three years, city officials say, 30 percent of New Yorkers seeking shelter have done so because of evictions, many connected to the financial crisis. (Domestic violence and overcrowding were other chief reasons.) At the same time, a disagreement over money between city and state officials last spring led to the cessation of a rent-subsidy program designed to shift the homeless from shelters into apartments. For the first time in 30 years, there is no city policy in place to help move the homeless into permanent homes.

Ms. Lewis, a health care aide, was evicted last month from her home in Far Rockaway, Queens. She was working full time for Able Health Care Services of New York, making about $500 a week tending to an autistic man. In August, because of cuts in Medicaid, her hours were reduced by half. Six weeks ago, she separated from her husband, Gregory Pitters, a maintenance man, who, before he lost his own job, earned $600 a week. On top of this, the $1,000 rent subsidy Ms. Lewis was receiving from the city, through the now-defunct program Advantage, ran out. Her apartment, a small two-bedroom, rented for $1,200 a month. She now makes $210 a week. She owes her landlord $4,280. The problem was mathematical, she said: ‘I can’t afford the rent.’ […]

At 40,000 people, New York’s shelter population is higher than it has ever been. (In 2001, when it hit 25,000, the city’s commissioner of homeless services was quoted in The New York Times as calling it “a temporary crisis.”) On any given night, 6,000 homeless men and 2,000 homeless women bed down in facilities for single people, and an additional 15,000 parents and 17,000 children sleep in family shelters. Then there are the individuals living on the streets whom the city counted last week in its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. (The numbers will be available in March.)” - Alan Feuer

Homeless Families, Cloaked in Normality

Alfre Woodard reading Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:09:22 -0800

Alfre Woodard reading Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.

A short satirical film by the Partisans: Rick Santorum - Gifts...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:14:29 -0800

A short satirical film by the Partisans: Rick Santorum - Gifts from God. Warnings for discussions of rape.

racismfreeontario: Black History Month: Canada had slaves,...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:03:47 -0800

racismfreeontario:

Black History Month: Canada had slaves, too

MONTREAL — What unfortunate distinction does Olivier Le Jeune hold in Canadian history?

Le Jeune was the first recorded black slave in New France, brought to Canada from Africa in the 17th century when he was a child.

If you didn’t know the answer, you aren’t alone.

The story of blacks in Canada doesn’t form part of the national narrative and is outside the mainstream of what most people learn, says Lawrence Hill, author of the acclaimed historical novel The Book of Negroes.

Hill told students on Thursday at Ecole secondaire Antoine-de-Saint-Exupery in Montreal that he finds most Canadians and Quebecers know more about the history of blacks in the United States than they do about the topic in their own country and province.

As a teenager, Hill said he was never taught about the history of blacks in Canada. If it wasn’t for his parents, who had written books on the subject, “I wouldn’t have even known that slavery existed in Canada.”

Hill’s appearance marked the launch of Black History Month at the high school and also the launch of a French-language Black History in Canada Education Guide, a teaching tool that draws on The Book of Negroes.

The guide was developed by the Historica-Dominion Institute, a charitable organization dedicated to Canadian history and citizenship. It contains discussion questions related to Hill’s novel, as well as a black history in Canada timeline that notes key milestones, such as the abolishment of slavery in the British colonies, which took effect in 1834, and the election in 1866 of Mifflin Gibbs to Victoria, B.C.’s town council, making him the first black politician in Canada.

The English guide was sent to more than 3,000 schools across Canada last year. The new French guide has gone to 1,500 French and bilingual schools in the country.

“It’s an honour for the novel but more importantly, it’s a tool that hopefully teachers or students can use if they want to learn more,” Hill said in an interview.

Many teachers and educators have so little information about black history, Hill said. “Dozens of times in my life teachers have come to me and said ‘I’d love to do something about black history or talk about black literature but where can I find anything?’”

“As Mr. Hill said, it seems that Canadians know a lot about (American) black history but we don’t know enough about our own black history,” said Brigitte D’Auzac, senior manager of programming for the Historica-Dominion Institute. “So it was important for the institute to make sure that we talk about it,” D’Auzac said. “Let’s get every kid in school aware of this. And let’s talk about our history. It’s important and we need to know about it.”

Hill told students how he was born and raised in Toronto, the son of a black father and white mother who had emigrated from the U.S. Fluent in French, and a graduate of Universite Laval, Hill talked to students about his novel, weaving in historical information — such as the first big wave of black immigration in 1783 to Nova Scotia at the end of American Revolutionary War, and how, faced with racial discrimination, slavery and segregation in their new location, one-third of the Black loyalists ultimately left Halifax in 15 boats to create the colony of Freetown in Sierra Leone.

“The first big exodus of blacks from the Americas to return to live in Africa came from Halifax,” in 1792, Hill said.

He also read an excerpt from The Book of Negroes, which has been translated into French with the title Aminata.

Hill said it’s great to see more and more people in Quebec have learned about Marie-Joseph Angelique, a black slave who was accused in 1734 of setting fire to her master’s house, which also destroyed half of what was then Montreal. (Angelique was convicted and executed.)

For the longest time, people in Quebec seemed to know nothing about the history of slavery in Montreal or Quebec City, Hill said. “After all, the first slave in Canada is in Quebec City in 1628 — a boy from Madagascar, Olivier Le Jeune.”

Hill said he believes there is often an “unconscious resistance” to looking at our own history. Many Canadians know about the underground railroad, he said, which makes us feel good because we feel “we’re welcoming poor, fugitive American slaves and giving them their freedom here.

“So it’s convenient to know about that. And if a Canadian does know a tiny bit about black history in Canada they’re likely to trumpet the underground railroad,” Hill said. “But very few people can talk about, or know anything about the black Loyalists or them being so terribly mistreated in Nova Scotia that they left en masse 10 years later.” (via Black History Month: Canada had slaves, too)

See also: Black Canadian, Slavery in Canada, Underground Railroad

A (presumably U.S.) set of abortion statistics in graphics...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:01:15 -0800

A (presumably U.S.) set of abortion statistics in graphics form.

"It’s treating a woman politely As long as she isn’t a fright: It’s guarding the..."

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:57:33 -0800

“It’s treating a woman politely
As long as she isn’t a fright:
It’s guarding the girls who act rightly,
If you can be judge of what’s right;
It’s being—not just, but so pleasant;
It’s tipping while wages are low;
It’s making a beautiful present,
And failing to pay what you owe.”

- “Chivalry” by Alice Duer Miller, written 1915.

delacroix: imnotyogi: toptumbles: Even worse than a...

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:54:15 -0800

delacroix:

imnotyogi:

toptumbles:

Even worse than a friendzone

I’m getting sick of the term friendzone.

Me too. And, more than that, I’m sick of the people using it.

Women are told almost constantly—by the media, the government, and the overall attitude of society—that our bodies don’t fucking belong to us. The mythical friendzone is just another way for misogynists to enforce that idea while getting to play the victim.

It sucks when someone you have feelings for doesn’t share those feelings; it happens to women all the time, too. We hear “I just want to be friends” and “you’re like one of the guys” and “you’re like a sister to me” just as often. But you’ll never hear a woman complain that guys just don’t appreciate a Nice Girl because we’re taught it’s our own fucking fault when we’re rejected—we aren’t pretty enough or thin enough or sexy enough, we weren’t sexual enough or were too sexual, we put out too much or too little or too soon or not soon enough, we didn’t wear our hair the right way or our skirt the right length, we’re “too tomboyish” or “too butch” or “too feminine”, or we’re “not their type”, or we’re otherwise not good enough in various ways to entice the man to grace us with his affection.

But when we’re not interested in someone, we’re vilified. We’re the bitch that lead them on, the bitch who let them buy us dinner but didn’t want to date them, the bitch who doesn’t appreciate a nice guy, the bitch they were nice to and then got nothing in return from.

And, frankly, fuck those people. Showing interest in me, being friendly with me, getting close to me, or eating a meal with me (even if they paid for it) doesn’t obligate me to open my heart or my legs. And anyone who doesn’t appreciate my friendship sure as hell doesn’t deserve my love or my pussy.

Reddit: "A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP"

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:50:28 -0800

Reddit: "A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP":

I wouldn’t usually link to Reddit, but this is actually one of the best and best-cited primers on SOPA and PIPA.

8th Fire: Indigenous in the City

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:42:13 -0800

8th Fire: Indigenous in the City:

The first in a four-part CBC series taking a forward-looking view of being Aboriginal in Canada. This episode focuses on the urban experience.