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Girl Power Sunday

This is Raven. She is one of the super teens in the cartoon Teen Titans which shows up every so often on Cartoon Network. I was a tremendous fan of the show a few years ago. I even went to a Puffy Ami Yumi concert in Boston when they were here in the US (they sing the theme song for Teen Titans). What interests me in Raven is that she is the epitome of teen angst. She struggles with her inner demons and works with her team diligently to better society. All the while knowing that she her destiny is to harm mankind in the end. She is trying to do good in the world as much as possible before her day of reckoning comes. In Raven we can see a bit of ourselves as teens; full of self-doubt and internal conflict. I admire that the writers keep her as a positive strong character and don't over sexualize her. She is the goth chick.

I was watching Bill Moyer on PBS this morning and will comment on the show in a future blog. Today, however, I visited the following places:

Hudson Reporter - talks about a 14 year-old young woman who has created a monologue on Barbie's (the doll, of course) perceived perfection.

The Miami Herald - talks about a program for at risk teen girls in Miami-Dade county.

Well that is it. I will be relishing in every moment of this last weekend before my children go back to school. The weather here is great! Have a wonderful Labor Day all!

Peace.

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Where is the outrage?

I was told about this incident the other day and have to ask the people who were witnesses to this horrific crime in front of Medgar Evers College where is their outrage?

A video of the occurrence and a transcript of what happened to a woman who was attacked and shot by her husband in broad daylight can be found here. If this woman had been attacked by a man in uniform, then we would see equal rights groups pounding the pavement screaming for justice. But this is a domestic violence dispute, so there lies the quagmire. Did she ask for this? She is married to the perp so did she deserve this? Why is it that whenever this happens to a woman who is in a relationship with the perp that it is just swept under the rug or ignored completely by society. When this woman's husband was threatening her, those within her reach turned a blind eye...didn't want to get involved or help her. It wasn't until she was bleeding on the pavement with bullets in her back did someone call 911 and stay by her side.

Why can't there be outrage? Especially outrage from the men in their community.


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Girl Power Sunday

This is Toph, she is a blind tom-boy character from the Avatar cartoon series. Toph is an earthbender and is the master of her ability. She isn't concerned with her appearance, she is blind so why should she. Her ability on the cartoon allows her to see with her feet and her hands through vibrations in the earth. She is smart and witty, but the anti-feminine. She is the opposite of the girly (yet equally powerful and intelligent) Katara. I like how this show provides a vehicle for girls to see positive characters who are not limited in their potential just because they are or are not "stereotypically" attractive.

Toph brings me to an article on German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Chancellor Merkel is a physicist by trade and is in many opinions the anti-feminine. This article is from the UK and the title describes her as a "Frau Frump". Well I would rather have a competent leader who wears low-grade pantsuits and isn't on the page of Vogue, than one that just appears on magazine covers for the sake of vanity and has no real leadership ability. Oh, did I just say that? I don't always agree with this article's author (especially when they describe my favorite US political figure, Hillary Clinton) but it is interesting to see how popular she is and what decisions she is making for the benefit of her country.

Toodles!

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Listing the Fears

I found an interesting blog regarding the healthcare bill that I think you may find interesting as well. The blog can be found at Smart Girl Nation. Here the author, Jenny Erikson, describes her fears in a list and does give some food for thought in regard to this bill.

Oh, and while you are there check out the "Culture" section and see the interview with Amy Siskind of The New Agenda regarding the creation of TNA.

It is raining here, hopefully you are keeping dry wherever you are!

See Ya!

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Be watchful of your hate on the internet

I have been away from the internet for a bit. I strongly suggest that you take some time from it as well, it calm the soul. We are surrounded by information as well as bully-style behavior here on the web and it is about time that we all raise the bar on our behavior. In case you don't think that it is necessary, think again. I was watching GMA this morning and came across this little bit of historic legal precedent involving a blogger who "thought" they could defame someone without any retaliation because they had anonymity behind the internet curtain. You can find the GMA story here. End of the story is that the supermodel who was being defamed by a secret blogger gained access to the identity of the blogger by suing Google, and WON! It turned out that she knew the person who was blogging horrible, untrue, things about her on the internet. She plans to pursue suing the individual.

There will be other legal precedents in the near future where those who feel they are above the law because they have a secret username to hide behind. There will now be cracks in their foundation and their internet hosts, service providers, etc. will not be able to keep you secret for very long. Defamation is clear when you post derrogatory language about someone or reveal private information without their consent. Be very, very careful that you watch your manners or watch your back.

Later!

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Still in "dumbfounded" mode...

I am still angry about what I blogged about yesterday, so I visited one of my favorite places to get some perspective.

Puma PAC - Murphy does a great job at revealing why I might feel as mad about the other day's events.

Gotta get ready for a very long day!

In a while crocodile!

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What the heck?

Can I just tell you how much I hate how our media are a bunch of gossip mongers and not journalists! It just drives me crazy that when someone is trying to move women's rights in a positive direction (you know, like making rape a punishable crime in the Congo) that all our media can do is report on that person getting "snippy" or "bitchy" about a mistranslated question. Sometimes I just want to reach into my car radio or TV and smack the media gossip monger across the face. Wake up losers, focus on what is really important! What a crock of coconuts our media has become. To think that some of them actually went to college and paid money for a journalism degree that they will never use. GAH!!

The real story and true journalism can be found here:
Associated Press - Clinton sees evil in sex crimes in eastern Congo.

I need to go and walk off this frustration. I will smell the flowers and return to some assemblance of normalcy here at the Optix ranch. I need pie.

Later Gators!

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Happy 1st Anniversary to THE NEW AGENDA!!

I want to wish a hearty "Happy 1st Anniversary" to my dear friends at The New Agenda! Whoot whoot!

TNA came about due to the blatant (unchecked and unopposed) misogyny by the media during the Democratic Primary and General Election of 2008. The New Agenda seeks to empower American women of all walks of life, race, and political affiliation in areas of Safety, Opportunity, Unity, and Leadership (they are good for the womens SOUL). They want women to become a united front; and so do I!!

Please join me in becoming a Charter Member today!

You will find me at their website at
The New Agenda.

Peace!

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Monday is sponsored by the letter "M"

Magnanimity - noun - generosity; greatness of spirit; nobility; high-mindedness. [added by Optix] See SOS Hillary Clinton.

I am still studying for my GRE's for October and I felt the need to add some great vocabulary to my blog today. It is amazing how I work to remember the 700 or so vocabulary words that I am reviewing. If I can find a way to relate Hillary to the word, I tend to remember it better. Hey, whatever works, right?

This is where I have been today:

Reuters - SOS Clinton speaks about pressing the Democratic Republic of Congo's government to address the atrocities to women.

And speaking of atrocities to women, how about this raid in Suffolk County, NY:

Newsday - Federal agents raid a sex ring organization that enslaves undocumented women.

Well, that is it for today. I have 7 more "M" words to learn this afternoon...I gotta get cracking!

See Ya!

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Girl Power Sunday

Here are my gals, the Kyoshi Warriors, with Suki at the head of the pack. They are trained fighters from the Earth Nation on Avatar. I told you last week how much I enjoy Avatar, the Last Airbender. They have so many wonderful heroines in this anime; it is a wonderful program to share with your tweens.

Here is where I have been this morning:

Associated Press - they tell about 2 Afghan women vying for the Presidency.

China Daily - China' girl power rules the pool. These young women broke the Australian's 4x100 medley swimming relay.

Have a blessed Sunday!

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Weekend Update

A political adviser to Hillary Clinton has passed away. Anne Wexler, 79, died yesterday; she had cancer. My prayers go out to her family.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney announces she does not intend to run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for her spot in the US Senate.

Enjoy the great outdoors today, I know I will!

BBL!


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Friday is Rep. Eric Massa review day

Rep. Eric Massa is my Congress Representative. He held a Town Hall meeting in Mendon, NY and it was attended by over 500 people. (Wow!) I have collected a few of the reports on this meeting and Massa's opinions on HR 3200.

Politico - calls the meeting "Fear and Loathing at New York Town Hall." The number of attendees forced Massa and his staff to move the meeting outdoors.

Democrat&Chronicle - this blogger reports that the Town Hall was extremely civil and Massa did a great job at encouraging democratic discussion and respectful disagreement.

StarGazzette - here (in Corning, NY) Massa is quoted as saying this bill will hurt Medicare recipients.

CNSNews - review some of the opinions of Dem representatives in predominantly GOP districts.

I have heard that Rep. Massa has a masterful staff that advises him (from some of my optics friends who deal with Congress) and he wants to make the best decisions for his constituents that put him in office. Knowing where he stands is important for me.

Have a great Friday, everyone!

TTFN!

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I can see the weekend from here! Yay!

It is Wednesday. I would say "hump day" but I take issue with that phrase. It sounds...well...icky when you have a dirty mind like me. But we are half way to the weekend!

Here is where I have been this morning:

Tennessee Guerilla Women - have a piece on the latest cover of The Advocate. Below that blog is a video aimed at Dana Milibank (and the Washington Post) and his horrendously "not funny" piece on what beer every political figure should drink with the President.

That is it. Short, sweet.

Have a great Wednesday!

In a while crocodile!

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Thesaurus Tuesday

So I am studying to take me GRE's in October. I am applying to go back to school to earn my PhD in optics. I am actually excited to take the test because I have been studying vocabulary words for a while now and reviewing my basic math. It is all about learning how to take the test, and not so much about what you know. Kind of reminds me of running for public office...but I digress.

Here is where I visited this morning:

The New Agenda - this great group are looking for a word to replace "Feminist" because studies have shown that the word carries some negative baggage with it for young women. I gave them the idea of using the word "Herculean" with the emphasis on her. We shall see what they decide.

The Guardian - Harriet Harman, leader of the House of Commons, talks about how it is time that women are represented more in leadership positions in the business sector.

Get out those thesauruses (thesauri?) and get to work on a new word to describe equal rights for women and girls.

Later Gators!

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Moldy Monday

So my red potatoes and my tomatoes have early blight. What is early blight, you may ask? It is a mold that attacks the leaves of your plant (and in some cases the fruit) starting as small black dots that eventually take over the leaves, and kill the entire branch the leaves are sprouted from. I have a very good friend from Wyoming (my gardening guru) who told me to treat my plants with a solution of 1/4 cup chlorox to a gallon of water. I have been doing that every morning since the blight has removed 98% of the leaves on my potato plants. There are new leaves budding from the main stalk, so I am trying to keep them safe from the spores attacking by spraying them with the solution. My tomatoes are in Topsy Turvies, and the fruit are doing well, but the leaves look very sick. This has been such a wet summer. My cukes, on the other hand, seem to be growing on steroids. I have only one plant and it is over 5 feet long now. It has already harvested three 10" cukes, and has 20 more flowers on the main vine (with two 6" cukes almost ready to pick). Weird, just weird.

So here is where I have visited this morning:

Uppity Woman - she has "Uncle Jay Explains" on her blog. Very funny video. I know you will enjoy it.

Reclusive Leftist - Violet Socks talks about Meme-orandum and how, yet again, "news" about Sarah Palin is not even accurate gossip.

The New Agenda - great piece by Anna Belle about "What Every Woman Should Know about a Woman's Traditional Path to Power."

Gotta go spray the taters and tomaters!

Keep away from the spores!

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Girl Power Sunday

I just went to three different locations to get a little info on female mojo in science, business, and politics. Here is what I found:

Women in Science - a marine program in Monterey helps teen girls learn a positive message.

Women in Business - in Oscala, FL, 10 business women were asked multiple questions about success in their areas of business.

Women in Politics - A female Chicago politician doesn't reach for higher office due to concerns regarding her young family. The issues of women and family regarding political office are discussed.

If you don't know who that character is above in the pic, her name is Katara and she is a water bender from the cartoon show Avatar, The Last Air Bender. My son got me completely addicted to this show. It has many strong female characters; both heroines and villains. I enjoyed watching it with my children. Very well written for many audiences.

Have a glorious Sunday!

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Saturday Morning Cartoons

Just a quick visit today, following my gal, Hillary:

ABS-CBN News has a piece on Hillary and her mourning Manila's former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Have a great Saturday!


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Friday, smell the fresh weekend air on the horizon...

Yay! It is Friday and my garbage can doesn't stink to the high Heavens any longer!

Here is where I have traveled this morning:

A U.S. News Opinion piece on SOS Hillary Clinton about her trip to the Congo and what it will reveal in terms of the horrendous violence against women occurring there.

Friday morning news by bostonboomer over at The Confluence.

That be it for today. Enjoy the fresh air!


See Ya!

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Thursday is Trash Collection Day!

I don't know about any of you, but my trash can smells so horrid that we have been praying for Thursday to come early this week. I cleaned out my refrigerator because we had a visitor coming and all of the nasty leftovers that went in the trash brought a fly metropolis to the can. Just nasty. I have even more respect for those who work in the sanitation department of my community, they are heroes in my book! I waved at them and was even going to bring them coffee and a danish, I was so happy to see them!

So, it is time to throw out the trash. Get rid of stuff that has been weighing you down, causing you unwarranted drama, and clean the slate. Get rid of the nasty. Keeping smelly nasty trash close by makes you smelly and nasty by association. You may have long gotten used to the smell, but others walking by will pass you by faster to avoid the odor. Showing people your nasty smelly trash is even worse. If I was to show you a picture of the inside of my garbage can, you would hurl...trust me. I am doing you a favor by letting the sanitation department handle it.

So, on that note, here are some places I visited this morning:

Video Game Study - yes, video games have a propensity to be sexist and racist, which this study is alluding to.

Uppity Woman has some interesting data from Rasmussen on her site, and I love her kitty pics.

Inside Higher Ed - reviews activity in the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Research and Science Education Tuesday. They discussed the issue of the lack of women going on to college and majoring in non-biological sciences.

That is it for today! I have to go and rinse out my trash can because my heroes just left!

Peace!

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HillarysVillage.net

While the forum is down, and since we don't know if it will ever return (or in what capacity) many villagers have found other forums to visit either for good or for the interim. I have mentioned a few before and I will mention them again today. The forums that still have a Hillary Clinton focus are:
HillarysWorld run by Hillarysmygirl16.
HillaryVillagers run by Normita.

You will recognize usernames there and you will feel at home at either location. As a former Admin at HillarysVillage I just want to thank all of you for everything that you brought to the HV in the past and hopefully the immediate issues at hand can be resolved and we can all move in a positive direction.

You rock, remember that!

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Quick bit

I just wanted you all to see this article from the Guardian in the UK. It discusses the financial crisis in Britain and if that spells doom for males continuing to dominate the landscape. Interesting read.

That's all I got.

Later Gator.


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Manic Monday...

I really do hate that song, but it is Monday and I am manic trying to get my life in order and blog this morning. Check out part 1 of a blog by littleisis at The Confluence about why the abuse will never end for our female political hopefuls.

Oh, and for all my displaced friends from HillarysVillage.net, you can find me and many of our friends here.

Have a great Monday!

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Girl Power Sunday

Here is an article about local political roles in El Paso, Texas (and some healthcare stuff) in The Tree.

MTV Movies Blog reviewed Comic-Con's session regarding female heroines, like Sigourney Weaver (Alien), the last paragraph sums up why we don't see more women super heroes and when we do why they stereotypically look and dress the way they do onscreen.

Finally, check out the new blog at The New Agenda regarding women vs. women behavior in the workplace.

Take a little time to enjoy the day. It is the official day of rest, you know!

Catch you later!



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Tidbits for a Saturday

The Toronto Star has an interesting piece about the statistics of women winning in a political race in Canada based on where they live.

The Wall Street Journal talks about Pink Taxi's and their success in Beirut. This is girl power innovation at it finest!


Don't spend the day inside, get out and enjoy the great outdoors! Summer is moving by fast, you don't want to miss it!


C Ya.


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Catch up day here for Optix

It is TGIF over at the Confluence, Bostonboomer posted many many links for your pleasure.

Ms. Magazine (yeah, I know, don't remind me gotta get the cape and tights vision out of my head) has a daily newsbrief related to sexist comments being hurled at the nominee for Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, MD.

and because I know this goes together like oil and water with the above link the

Christian Science Monitor has done an interesting piece on why there is a negative trend in having GOP women represented in state legislatures. I left a comment there, why don't you!


Be back after my pie break!

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The sexualization of Miley Cyrus...

Visit:

The New Agenda - Amy Siskind gives her point of view regarding recent pics of Miley posted in Elle Magazine. My daughter absolutely loves Miley (and so do I). Come add to the conversation over there!

TTFN

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Reading good comments about last night...

These comments are priceless:

Uppity Woman - get to the acronym regarding the screen in the back of the room. LOL! Priceless!

Hot Air - It might take you a while to get through these, they are already at 4 pages.

And don't forget to check out the places that I linked in my post last night. (I couldn't sleep). Great group of people at the forum listed.

Oh, and lastly here is a side item that I found on Yahoo this morning. It has to do with light emitted from the body (you know, I am a mom who works with light). Totally interesting experiment.

In a while, crocodile...

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I am up late, can't sleep, gotta...get...pie...

Some great places to visit if you want a homey feel:

Blogs for Hillary - got the latest news on our gal Hillary
HillaryVillagers - they have a cup of tea on the stove waiting for you.


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After Lunch Downtime...

I visited here, but didn't leave a comment.

Reclusive Leftist
Sexism in Commercials and how they set up every woman for failure.

Community Feministing
The Long History of Objectifying Erin Andrews


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Start your morning off right!

The Confluence -
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/
Riverdaughter does a great job condensing news that is of interest to me.

The New Agenda -
Older blog. Concise article on women in America's space program.
And this one is new today!

Hillarysmygirl16 Blog
Chris Brown's Apology

I will try to leave a comment in these places this morning.

Here is a Hillary article of interest, no comment section, however -
Time Magazine

A sweet friend of mine sent me this:
It is about the "Public Option" in the healthcare bill.

Later Gators! BBL!

Just contemplating and eating pie...

For those of you who are not aware, I love pie. I thoroughly enjoyed a Hershey Chocolate Creme Pie today from a fast food joint. I would highly recommend this chocolate decadence to anyone. Pie just calms and cleanses the soul. Next time I will try the apple pie; it will be a nice change of pace. I know that change isn't easy because we are all creatures of habit, but change in many cases can be good.

I have decided to travel from internet spot to internet spot and reveal where I will be going. I will try to comment where I visit, so if you would like to engage me in a conversation, or respectfully debate my position, I would welcome the company.

Just to let you know, most of the time I will be visiting pro-Hillary Clinton blogs, pro-women blogs, and pro-diversity blogs. I hope to see you there! I will bring the pie! YAY for pie!