Fun with funding in a recession

12:53 PM Posted In , , , , , Edit This 1 Comment »
Who's the first to go during a recession? Women.

"California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - making last minute cuts to the budget - eliminated all of the state funding for domestic violence shelters. That's right - all of it.

Although the state Legislature submitted a budget with a 20 percent reduction to the $20.4 million the state provides to agencies that offer domestic violence services, Schwarzenegger slashed the funding by 100 percent Tuesday.

For Catalyst, which relies on state funding for nearly 35 percent of its operating budget, the affect will be "devastating," Executive Director Anastacia Snyder said.

"We're still in shock," Snyder said Wednesday afternoon. "We were bracing for the 20 percent cut, but did not believe the governor could, with a clear conscience, cut 100 percent of funding for services that keep women and children safe and alive."

If you're a resident of California, please click on Stop Family Violence's action alert to urge lawmakers to reinstate funding for the programs that save women's lives. If you're not in CA - pass this on to someone who is! You can also post the following message to your Facebook account, or tweet it: CA Gov Eliminates funding for Domestic Violence Programs. Lives will be lost. You can help! CA residents click http://bit.ly/3jKQSo"

Evidently material goods and the auto industry are much more important than human beings.

Racist Ohio Police Dispatcher

12:42 PM Posted In , Edit This 1 Comment »
"The OhioDaily blog reports on a “rogue” dispatcher from the North Canton Police who recently sent out a racist e-mail from her work account. Dispatcher Anita Malachowski forwarded this message:

“New “Air Force One” Tail Number and yes, please forgive me, I’m really sorry, I really, really tried not to laugh, but …………………..!”

Attached to the e-mail was an Photoshopped image of Air Force one with NI66ER written on the plane’s tail. As OhioDaily writes, “This type of message is offensive coming from anyone, but coming from someone in the position of dispatching police and prioritizing calls, it’s downright horrifying. The North Canton police have a hard enough job as it is without rogue dispatchers trying to incite a race riot or stirring tensions during the hot months of summer.”"

Even if it wasn't so blatantly offensive, it's still a gross misuse of police resources.

Outrage of the Day-Victim Blaming

12:35 PM Posted In , , , , Edit This 0 Comments »

"A downtown hotel being sued by a woman raped at gunpoint in its parking garage is claiming she was careless, negligent and "failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities," according to court documents.

The victim's attorneys also argue the hotel has inadvertently identified her to acquaintances by asking them to testify."

So it's her fault for taking care of her children in a public area, and not the negligient security of the hotel. She was evidently asking for it by buckling her small children in. Then they broach her right to anonymity by bringing in character witnesses (i.e. people who were not present at the crime) to intimidate her.

Learning to spin...

8:56 AM Posted In , , Edit This 1 Comment »
I learned to spin at an SCA event yesterday, using a stick. Literally a stick off of the ground. I feel like the Macgyver of knitting! My lovely teacher let me have a go with her drop spindle, now I can't wait to get one!

More Bechdel Test Failures

8:51 AM Posted In , , Edit This 0 Comments »
District 9

Ice Age (1 and 2)

Night at the Museum (Original)

Terminator Salvation

Transformers (Original)

Wall-E

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

"Slut"

11:08 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
A friend was recently under the mistaken impression that I was sleeping with another friend (male). He asked me why she would care, let alone feel the need to police my sexuality as a single woman.
I told him that as women, we are not supposed to be sexual creatures. And as such, we are taught to police each other's actions. For example, it is usually women who select which woman is considered a slut, rather than men. This contributes to the mistaken belief that women cannot get along together for any period of time.
These behaviours have been so ingrained into us so that we don't form bonds of sisterhood and thus threaten the patriarchy. We're supposed to be catty bitches who are too busy backstabbing each other to link forces and shatter the chastity belts we have imposed upon each other for our own "good."

Outrage of the Day- Baby Taken Because Mom Refused C-Section

10:51 PM Posted In , , , , Edit This 1 Comment »
"A woman in New Jersey refused to consent to a C-section during labor in the event that her baby was in distress. She ended up giving birth vaginally without incident. The baby was in good medical condition.

However, her baby was taken away from her and her parental rights were terminated because she "abused and neglected her child" by refusing the C-section and behaving "erratically" while in labor.

How is this legal?

A New Jersey appellate court has upheld the shocking ruling, and custody has been given to the child's foster parents.

The court's decision cites hospital records that describe the mother, V.M., as "combative," "uncooperative," "erratic," "noncompliant," "irrational" and "inappropriate." That's how we acted during labor, too ... but our babies weren't taken away, thank God.

The court opinion also focuses on the fact that the mother had been in psychiatric care for twelve years prior to the birth. But, as the Huffington Post points out, her psychiatric state would never have been questioned if the mother had not refused invasive abdominal surgery -- which was entirely within her rights.

Read the entire court ruling here.


Lovely, she was "irrational" and "inappropriate" for deciding what was best for both her and the child? Gah, I'm so disgusted with it all.
Newer Posts
Older Posts