07 January, 2009
Today In OFFS*
A Missoula, Montana mother was reported to the health department for breast feeding her baby in public.
It seems rather shocking (and sad) that a state would actually have to pass a friggin' LAW affirming that breast feeding a baby in public is not a crime, but here you go:
OK, I suppose it's nice that the folks in Montana want to accommodate new mothers by providing them a place to nurse their children, but why should women be stashed out of sight whenever they need to feed their babies? I happen to find the mastication habits of a lot of people far more offensive than the sight of an infant suckling her mother's breast, so why aren't private feeding rooms (or pods) made compulsory for EVERYONE?
Just in case you're unclear on this, the breast has a specific biological ("God-given," if you like) function in mammals (that's us, in case you skipped that day in Biology class): To provide nourishment to offspring. Breast feeding is highly encouraged by pediatricians and child development specialists. Sure, women can make use of a breast pump and bottles, but fresh breast milk is best for the child.
Seriously, if you're reading this (or if you're the dipshit who called the Health Department on the mother in Missoula) and you're one of those people who can't see even a small part of a bare breast without getting a hard-on or recoiling in horror because now you're going to hell, you need to grow the hell up and get over your titty fetish. Really, SEEK HELP!
(*OFFS==Oh For Fuck's Sake)
Labels: in the news, OFFS, personal responsibility, ranting
~~ victoria on 2:45 PM ~~ 0 comments
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24 December, 2008
Dear Mainstream Media: Watch And Learn
Rachel Maddow demonstrates a level of professionalism and journalistic responsibility that I was afraid had been lost forever from contemporary media:
Bravo, Ms. Maddow!
Labels: in the news, Maddow Fangirl, personal responsibility, yay
~~ victoria on 9:05 PM ~~ 2 comments
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21 December, 2008
Blog Note: Commenting Policy, As Such
Recent events have caused me to reflect on how I handle comments on this blog. As I recall, the only comments I've ever deleted from my blog have been spam. Today that will change.
The comment in question is was so breathtakingly racist that I'm a little embarrassed that I've left it up as long as I have.
Anyone who has read this blog for more than twenty minutes has probably figured out that I have had all of the racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of "othering" than I can stand. In case you might have missed the memo, bigotry isn't funny or edgy or clever. It's exactly the opposite of those things: It shows that the person making such jokes or comments lacks the imagination--much less empathy--to, even for a moment, consider what life is like for someone that doesn't have a place at the big Table of Privilege. Or maybe the commenter can and it is just so different to his/her experience it is just too scary, so anyone who is different must be belittled. But the purpose of this post is not to delve into the psychology of bullying, so I'll move on.
Why did I wait so long to remove the comment? I wanted to be sure I wasn't reacting to my anger and my somewhat bruised feelings (there is a little more to this story than just an exceedingly bigoted comment, the details of which shall remain private). Over the last several years I've been very conscious of wanting my actions to move me forward, toward a positive outcome, rather than my reflexive, street-brawling thowing of feet, fists and/or words, or stuffing my feelings deep down inside me and putting on a brave face for people who say deliberately hurtful things, all of which only served to fuel my anger and didn't resolve anything.
So, after reflecting on the situation I have decided to institute a commenting policy on this blog. And what that policy boils down to is this: This is MY blog and I don't actually have to put up with that shit. Therefore:
* You are free to disagree with my views on, well, whatever.
* You are even free to leave a comment saying you disagree with me, bonus points if you can explain your point of view and, you know, initiate a discussion.
* Hell, I don't much care if you resort to calling ME names: Believe me, I've heard them ALL before.
Just know this: If you leave a hateful, bigoted or sexist comment, with no discussion value whatsoever, the comment will be deleted. If these kinds of comments become commonplace around here, then I will start moderating comments, so you will lose that instant gratification of seeing your hate pop right up on the intertubes.
If it turns out that I have to moderate comments, then I may as well just turn commenting off altogether. I'd hate for it to come to that because I do like the two-way communication that a commenting system facilitates. However, I have a limited amount of energy to devote to cleaning up after people and I have even less patience.
If you want a place to spew racism, sexism, homophobia or whatever hate you're selling today, there are plenty of free blogging services out there: I suggest you try one out.
I now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming.
Labels: personal responsibility, Why it is
~~ victoria on 8:34 PM ~~ 0 comments
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18 November, 2008
Ed Jew STILL Doesn't Get It
Former San Francisco Supervisor (Sunset District) Ed Jew pleaded guilty about lying about where he lived while representing the Sunset District. For non-locals, he claimed to be living in the Sunset District when, in fact, he and his family lived in Burlingame, CA.
Jew had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges of bribery, extortion and mail fraud for shaking down several Asian-owned businesses in "his" district. For a guy who could potentially be doing a decade or so in prison, he seemed remarkably relaxed.
Well, maybe he harbors some regret:
Oh Ed, Ed, Ed. This isn't something that "happened", like an earthquake that strikes with no warning. YOU falsified information about where you lived so you could get yourself elected to the Board of Supervisors. And YOU are the one who shook down immigrant Chinese business owners in the district you were so anxious to
Gee, y'all say that like it's a bad thing!
Ah, well, I see Ed has studied the Textbook On Bullying: Threaten the kids in the school yard and take away their lunch money, then, when you get caught and face punishment, maintain that YOU are the victim.
Somebody call the whaaaaaaambulance!
Labels: in the news, personal responsibility, politics, San Francisco
~~ victoria on 12:33 PM ~~ 0 comments
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22 September, 2008
Tough AND Conditional Love
You know, there is the ever-so-slight chance that I might possibly consider going along with the $700 billion bailout (I refuse to call it a "rescue") of the financial industry with these conditions (just for a start; I'm sure I'll have more):
* That there is SOME oversight over how this bailout money is allocated (let's call this "No, Mr. CEO, You Do Not Get Rewarded With A Blank Check For Fucking Up");
* To help pay for this bailout, the executives of these financial institutions who got rich off of the subprime mortgage scams must get taxed at a rate of 90% on their salaries, bonuses and any stock they sold for a profit while their institutions traded in these subprime mortgages (let's call this "You Sailed The Ship Into The Storm, Now Buy Your Own Damn Pail");
* If these executives don't have the money to pay their taxes on their ill-gotten booty, they get to spend a year in prison for every million dollars they personally profited from trading in subprime mortgages. (let's call this "Actions Have Consequences, Bitchez");
* Two words: Credit Counseling. These financial institutions don't get one goddamned dime until they go through credit counseling. (While we're at it, we don't release a stinkin' penny until everyone in this administration AND in congress goes through credit counseling, too.) Let's make it as difficult for them to be released from their debts as they've made it for consumers. (We can call this one "Walk A Mile In My Shoes Then Give Them Back Because I Have To Sell Them So I Can Buy Groceries This Week".)
Like I said, this is only the beginning of my list of things I need to see in that three-page "plan" before I will even think of supporting a bailout of the financial industry. A lot of tequila might loosen me up a bit on this, too.
What's on your list?
Labels: ITMFA, JesusBloodyChrist, personal responsibility, politics, ranting
~~ victoria on 8:29 PM ~~ 0 comments
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13 November, 2007
Not All Internet Predators Are Child Molesters
Melissa at Shakesville posted a story that...I don't know that heartbreaking even begins to describe it. Soul sucking comes closer to the mark.
So unfathomably soul sucking is this story that I keep writing paragraphs about it and then deleting them because I just cannot make any sense at all out of what happened to Megan Mier and her family. And I find I'm really having difficulty dealing with my ANGER over the vile parents that concocted this unbelievably vicious "joke". And, yeah, a lot of this is residual anger at having been teased throughout my childhood and still more of it is for the stupid, mean sniping I dished out as well. But the thing is, I was a CHILD when I did that and I was teased by CHILDREN. The people who set up the fake MySpace page for "Josh Evans" were the parents of a girl who used to be friends with Megan. These weren't a gaggle of middle-school Heathers!
And, just to pour acid in the wound, these vicious, vile sociopaths, who certainly knew how their actions contributed to Megan's death, invited her family to celebrate their own daughter's birthday and the father's birthday and asked them to store a foosball table for them for Christmas. And then, once their role in the fake Josh Evans page was revealed, they had the unmitigated gall to phone the police when the Miers--quite understandably--turned that foosball table into firewood! Because, bullies? That's how they roll.
To repeat my comment in the comment thread at Shakesville, these sociopaths should 1) never have access to the internet, ever again and 2) should not be allowed (unsupervised) contact with anyone under the age of 18. Those would be at least two small steps toward justice for Megan Mier.
Now, I need to go find a pillow and scream into it.
Labels: in the news, JesusBloodyChrist, personal responsibility
~~ victoria on 7:26 AM ~~ 0 comments
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14 July, 2007
Whose Job Is It To Watch YOUR Child?
Sigh...I hate writing this post because I don't want to pile on when a mother has just lost her child. But one quote from Yolanda Flores really jumped out at me:
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"I want this to be known," Flores said between sobs. "I want to warn all parents that they need to watch their kids at all times, because (Great America) doesn't do their job." (emphasis mine)
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No. Parents need to watch their kids at all times BECAUSE THEY ARE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. I don't care if Great America has four or six or twenty lifeguards at the pool, their job is to keep the wave pool (or whatever the hell it is) as safe as possible. They are not there to babysit your child and if you are not planning to accompany your child into the pool, you'd best be damn sure another familiar adult IS or that you put a life vest on the child.
Again, from the article (emphasis added by me):
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"Flores said she had not been in the pool with her son at the time and does not know how he drowned. The 4-year-old had been in the water earlier, got out to eat some chips and went back in, she said.
When he didn't return within 10 minutes, she said, she became concerned and told her daughter to find him. After Jasmine told her mother she couldn't see the boy, both started toward the pool, where Jasmine ultimately found him underwater, Flores said. The girl's screams attracted the lifeguards' attention, she said.
Great America has no age or height requirements for children at the wave pool. "We do recommend that children under 4 feet tall use life vests, and we have them readily available," Frugé said. "There is no official rule that requires it."
Carlos was 4 feet tall, his mother said. He was not wearing a vest but might not have been required to if the recommended height rule were mandatory."
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Ms. Flores asks, even with four lifeguards at the pool, how they could NOT see her son. My suspicion is that, given the string of warm days we've had lately, the pool is awfully crowded and a small child would be hard to see. A suspicion confirmed by another parent who recently took her children to Great America:
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"It was amazingly crowded; we had two parents looking after one 7-year-old," Crawford said. "Once the waves started, it was hard to stay together. . . . The inner tubes are really a hazard to other guests because it is really easy to get trapped between several tubes as you bounce around in the waves."
Crawford said she saw lifeguards on the side of the pool but no lifeguards in the shallow entry area."
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Ms. Crawford's experience does raise a red flag on Great America's part: There SHOULD be a lifeguard or two patrolling the shallow area of the pool, just as skating rinks have people patrol on the ice, rather than simply walking the edges of the rink. And I don't know that there WEREN'T lifeguards in the shallow area of the pool the day Carlos Flores died, but there certainly should have been.
But ultimately, it's the responsibility of the parent--or the adult who brings the children to the park--to keep an eye on their children. (emphasis mine)
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"Parents have to "be vigilant all the time" with children in pools, said Sue Sherman, a spokeswoman for Lifesaving Society, a Canadian water safety group.
"That includes lifeguarded circumstances," Sherman said. "The lifeguard is your safety net. The first person that's responsible is the adult that takes those children to the pool."
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Yes.
I am absolutely sick for Yolanda Flores and her daughter Jasmine. I can only begin to imagine the horrible agony of losing one's child, and as I said at the beginning of the post, I have no wish to pile on. However, I've lost count now of how many times I've had to step in and tell a child on the ferry to NOT LEAN OVER THE RAIL or how many children I've ended up watching nervously at Crab Cove and Alameda Beach because their parents were nowhere to be found (there is no lifeguard on duty at Crab Cove or Alameda Beach). I've been called a bitch for asking parents to please keep an eye on their children when they're in the water (or running around throwing sand on other people on the beach) and it always amazes me that they get so pissed off that some strange woman has the unmitigated gall to expect them to mind their own children.
I just hope some of those parents see this article and take Yolanda Flores' words to heart: "I want to warn all parents that they need to watch their kids at all times..."
Labels: in the news, personal responsibility
~~ victoria on 8:20 AM ~~ 2 comments
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