penthesilieasgirl

[penthesilieasgirl]

The best thing about Finding Dory was that almost every character, outside of Dory’s parents, has a disability. Dory has short-term memory loss. Nemo has his famous small fin. Destiny is extremely near sighted, nearly blind,. Bailey’s sonar doesn’t work all of the time. Hank lost an arm. You could even say that Marlin suffers from PTSD and anxiety. And none of these things stops or halts the character at all. And I think that is fucking fantastic.

[penthesilieasgirl]

A letter to my father

Dad, I've been trying to figure out how to explain the level of angry sadness I find within myself whenever you want to "talk" politics these days. When you tell me not to say I'm a feminist because that people who do are just complaining that their sex got in the way and that you like Trump, it's things like this that I hear in my head. The difference between these two men is startling and sad. Ironically, as I was growing up, you were a good deal like the president, to our faces at least. You have ALWAYS treated Erin and I with respect, telling us we could accomplish things and be anything. That we were more than our bodies, and that we had potential. Were you acting like Mr. Trump behind our backs? I cannot countenance anyone who acts this way towards their own family let alone random strangers in public representation as the leader of our country. Please stop trying to convince me. I love you, daddy, but this just makes me sad. You taught me to look for moral and respectful behaviour in those I interact with daily. That being a good Christian meant to show mercy, compassion, and caring. That how we behave publicly tells people who we are. But now you're supporting language and behavior like Trump's. Where women are reduced to child bearing sexual objects, judged on their visual appeal to the male gaze. Can you see why he makes me ill from a purely female position? Why he hurts mom's feelings when you keep pushing him, knowing you have a wife, daughters, and granddaughter who will be impacted by his attitudes and policies? I never want Amelia to think that this kind of behavior is ok, just because she's a girl. https://youtu.be/CpU-GX1ChaA I love you, daddy. Please think about what message that supporting this gent gives the world and the women in your family.

[penthesilieasgirl]

Steam (water)ship down?

Artwork by WinB

[penthesilieasgirl]

TODAY IS #EQUALPAYDAY, the day each year where women’s salaries catch up to what (mostly white) men made the previous year.

Women are 52% of the population yet we have 13% representation in higher office. We need to get together, vote and rally for policies that equal the playing field. That means everything from Reproductive Justice, to reality based Sex Education In School, to Paid Family Leave, to Affordable Childcare, to Paid Sick Days, to Voting More Women Into Office, to Splitting Domestic Roles More Evenly, Acknowledging Emotional Labor and Prioritizing Caregiving, Raising Our Sons To Be Feminists, Raising The Minimum Wage To $15 (the majority of minimum wage jobs are held by women, with families)…..All The While Viewing These Issues Intersectionally and Recognizing Their Disproportionate Impact On Women Of Color….. I could go on and on. One True Thing: Closing The Pay Gap Would Cut Poverty In Half In This Country.

Chew On This:

“Today, women are paid, on average, 79 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid. That gap is even more pronounced for women of color, as Black and Latina women earn 64 and 54 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to a white male.

This means women and their families are being wildly shortchanged over the course of their lifetime—costing the average woman between $700,000 and $2 million.

We can rewrite the rules by putting real power in the hands of working women and giving them a say in their economic future through access to paid family and sick leave, a seat at the table with management, and equal pay for equal work.

We need a movement for women’s economic freedom.

Imagine what’s possible if the millions of women from all walks of life joined forces to demand a fair return on their work. By demanding a better future for ourselves, our daughters, nieces, and generations of working women to follow, we could make the wage gap history.” via Women’s Media Center By Sarita Gupta #EqualPayDay #PayEquality #VotingMatters

[penthesilieasgirl]

Um, #teslacon needs one for the exposition scientific use

BRAINGASM

[penthesilieasgirl]

Priceless, this is.

I can not believe this

[penthesilieasgirl]

Thinking about things in context

The past is rarely as we imagine it.

[penthesilieasgirl]

hey remember when jane austen, a woman, referred to a character named richard as having “never done anything to entitle himself to more than the abbreviation of his name” in 1817. yeah me too.

[penthesilieasgirl]

Been there. These pictures are way better

[penthesilieasgirl]

Yep!

Dress your infants in black

“Oooooh! Is it a boy or a girl?” “It’s a goth”

[penthesilieasgirl]

Omg!

First day on the job.

Where in the world do I begin? Hello, my name is Jonathan Dart and, as of today, I am officially the IT guy at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

You read that correctly. It took them until 2016, but both students and staff alike have finally caved and demanded that their cell phones work on school grounds, and with that request they had to find a “muggle” (a term I’m quickly learning to detest) to install wifi and maintain any technology that functions on school grounds.

So let’s make this clear to any wizards, witches, or IT muggles allowed into their circle out there. I just entered this “wizarding world” 3 days ago. This is all entirely new to me. I’m writing this because I’ve learned through the grapevine that other magical schools are planning on making the same jump, and I’m hoping my experiences can help other outsiders down the road.

As its my first day I really don’t have much advice to give. All I can do is stand here and wonder to myself what the hell I was thinking. For the record, I’m typing this on my iPhone while I ride a magic staircase. They better have beer in this world because I’m going to need a drink tonight.

[penthesilieasgirl]

A reflection on balancing caregiving and creative work

(Edited from private correspondence to a pregnant friend on the first six months of motherhood) Hello my friend, A. is adorable, exhausting, and amazing. There are times I cannot imagine life without her and there are times I want to run. And that's totally normal. Seriously. Especially as the parent who is working from home, the early days are sometimes hellish. Sleep deprivation is literally a torture mechanism and the sudden loss of independence and agency is hard. Be kind. Be demanding when you need to be. And realize that this little amazeballs person what sprung from your womb is not the entirety of you. I had a older lady we knew come in and watch her for three hours a day three days a week just so I could get some work done, or shower, or nap for the first three months. Even then, I defended my proposal a month after my csection and walked a 5k because "I need to keep being a full person and otherwise is lazy." Yeah... The biggest lesson I have taken from that is to realize that the fourth trimester is real and the way Americans expect to bounce back from baby is nuts. Give yourself some lying in time, if you can. I spent the next months in a walking cast with a baby, a baby dissertation, and a dissertation advisor who was out of communication so I couldn't get to the next step of anything... And I found that even though her behavior is way more predictable, and I can soothe that baby beast like a boss, I need "me time" where no one wants anything (including the cats!) I found that writing is hard with a little around. A. is a Velcro baby. The carriers help, but it's hard to be creative when you're spent or imaginative when one ear is always on the baby noise. I am now in week two of a trial sitter who I really like. In the two weeks since she started, I have gotten more done than in the two months prior. Granted, those were eaten by the holidays and my broken foot but still... Self care is becoming my refrain. It's easier to enjoy and treasure the little moments when you are also kind to yourself. Motherhood is a full time (unpaid and unlimited overtime) job and the learning curve is an 80degree incline. That being said, you may have no need for other humans as assistants, or sanity sources. If so, go you. But even then... Remember to be kind to yourself. Model the behavior you want to pass on. Fatherhood, or non-gestating and lactating parenthood, is hard too and the drastic changes are slow creeping things. Yay biology? Sometimes it gets to be like a marathon for M., as I need to be productive and that means that when he gets home, I often hand him Amelia so I can try and do something... Or just shower. There was one night, three weeks in, where he had a twelve hour day and she would not calm down for anything. It was hot, and she was hysterical. Eight hours of sitting without a top in the leather recliner and I broke down for an hour straight, just A. and I in the dark. M. stumbled in, exhausted. I felt even worse, holding the little crying lamb out to him, because he does earn more money and was at work for so long and all I did was sit home and fail to get any work done (my proposal defense was rapidly approaching). It took me a while to hear him when he said that it wasn't a burden or a problem. That he wanted to be a coparent. On the other hand, as much as he wants to be equally there... He is gone a lot and I am the primary caregiver. He often partners through being a support. It took me a while to let go when he was home and not direct his care giving. Again, not a reaction I expected from myself. Biology is a bugger. I have rediscovered how to just play and am enjoying the giggles. I have no regrets about missing any of her early days. And I am now past the worst of the hormonal postpartum crud. But every day that I practice kindness to myself, I am also better with her.

[penthesilieasgirl]

yosh! This must happen.

The Grumpy Catipus

[penthesilieasgirl]

I can't imagine the world that those who want to return to the "good ol days" where women's bodies were someone else's business entirely. I want my daughter to have choice, safety, and respect. #prochoice IS profamily

#We Wont Go Back: The Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

I’ve enjoyed the right to abortion my entire life. I NEVER thought I’d be fighting this fight for my daughter now…. and for myself too! Let’s get LOUD today, on the anniversary of ROE V. WADE and make it clear that we are the majority, we vote and we are mad hell and we aren’t going to take it anymore!

Use the following hashtags and get loud today! #reclaimroe, #7in10forRoe #WeWontGoBack, #Roe43

Here are some great facts from ALL ABOVE ALL (ALLABOVEALL.ORG):

1. 43 years ago this week, the Supreme Court made a promise with the historic decision in Roe v Wade…That each of us has a fundamental right to a safe, legal abortion. It was a goodie.

2. …and just 3 years later a politician found a way to crap all over it. Just 3 years after Roe v. Wade was decided, the Hyde Amendment was introduced, denying abortion coverage for those enrolled in Medicaid. Basically saying that abortion rights exist…. if you’ve got the cash.

3. Fast forward a few decades, and things are getting even worse. In the last 5 years, 288 new laws have been quietly passed making abortion harder to get. 288!  These laws require women to make multiple, medically unnecessary appointments, force trusted community clinics to shut down, and ban insurance plans from covering abortion care, to name a few.

4. No one should be shamed, pressured, or lied to about their health care. It’s bad enough that some politicians lie about abortion. Now, in some states, they are forcing doctors to do their dirty work for them by making providers to lie to their patients, using scripts written by politicians.

5. The doctors, nurses, and staff of abortion clinics are an important part of our communities. Abortion providers are there when we need safe, high quality, and non-judgmental care. Unfortunately, some politicians want to shut clinics down: today, Mississippi has only one clinic left and in Texas more than half the clinics have closed.

6. The Supreme Court is about to rule on another abortion case - and the impact could be HUGE.  In March, SCOTUS will hear Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole, a case challenging Texas’ clinic shutdown law. If this law is allowed to stand, other states will no doubt follow Texas’ bad example – possibly leaving us in some kind of “where did all the abortion clinics go” post-apocalyptic hellscape. We wish we were joking.

7. All those laws making abortion more costly and less available? They hurt young people, immigrants, women of color, low income folks, and transgender men and gender nonconforming people the most. NOT COOL. Thankfully, those same people are UNITING to protect reproductive justice for all. So yeah, we’re not gonna let that shit slide.

And the final reason It’s About Damn Time to #ReclaimRoe?

8. Because we get to determine our own future. This is our movement, our moment, and our chance to be BRAVE and BOLD. Who’s in?

Reading & Videos:

Reclaiming Roe for Women at Home and Abroad: Time to End Hyde and Helms

Forty-three years ago the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. In Roe v. Wade, the court upheld a woman’s right to choose. However, that right was swiftly undercut by the Hyde and Helms amendments. While the Hyde amendment limits U.S. funding for abortion for most low-income women in the U.S., Helms restricts U.S. overseas funding from supporting safe access to abortion for the poorest women and girls globally.“ -Serra Sippel

Read More: Here

VIDEO: Abortion Stigma Is Ruining Good Abortion Journalism:

"Abortion stigma – the "shared understanding” that abortion is morally wrong or socially unacceptable– shows up in all facets of popular culture. But it’s especially dangerous when it taints news coverage of abortion stories.“  via Media Matters Watch Here:

On Roe anniversary, let’s remember the US women for whom abortion is a right on paper only: “ But forgotten in this debate is that, for many women in the United States, safe and legal abortion has long been out of reach. Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has severely restricted abortion coverage for low-income women enrolled in Medicaid, making real reproductive choice a privilege of those who can afford it—rather than a fundamental right.  

To counter the harmful impact of this long-standing policy, supporters of abortion rights in Congress have coalesced behind a bill that would lift the Hyde Amendment. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act would restore Medicaid abortion coverage so that our country’s poorest women no longer face a financial barrier to safe and legal abortion care.” -  By Heather D. Boonstra

Read more: Here

Watch 7 Actresses Perform Powerful Abortion Stories: Ahead of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade this Friday, the Center for Reproductive Rights unveiled a new PSA on abortion access, with real abortion stories performed for the first time by seven actresses. In the videos, Elizabeth Banks, Dascha Polanco, Bellamy Young, Amy Brenneman, Mercedes Mason, Mary McCormack, and Retta give voice to the struggles and triumphs of the American women who submitted their stories.

Read more: HERE

An Oldie But Goodie: Why the Pro-Choice Movement Needs to Talk About Children

“The majority of women who have abortions are mothers. Millions of women and men have been able to plan their families through access to contraception. There are hundreds of thousands of women like myself, whose own experiences with pregnancy and parenting have made them more pro-choice than they were before they had children. Our stories and experiences stand as a visceral rebuttal to the anti-choice movement’s desired narrative, which is that every pregnancy should be continued and no one should have a choice after a certain, arbitrary point in gestation.” - Sarah Erdreich

Read More Here

[penthesilieasgirl]

Ooooo. Want.

Steampunk Wedding Tea Cup by Angioletti Design

[penthesilieasgirl]

We judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we’re doing. If I feel good about my parenting, I have no interest in judging other people’s choices. If I feel good about my body, I don’t go around making fun of other people’s weight or appearance. We’re hard on each other because we’re using each other as a launching pad out of our own perceived deficiency.

Brené Brown, Daring Greatly (via unseendimple)

[penthesilieasgirl]

Some persnickety but useful info about car seats, as we need one.