PiigPen

National Slavery Museum

2006-09-26T14:09:00.000-04:00

Bill Cosby and former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder are trying to raise $100 million for the building of the United States National Slavery Museum. The facility would sit in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Civil War battlefields. They are asking that every American contribute $8.
Learn more about the museum here.
You can contribute here.

Introducing The Newest Member Of Our Family

2006-09-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

Meet Ada, the latest little furball to worm her way into my heart. Isn't she beautiful? She showed up in our neighbor's yard one morning a few weeks ago, and was hanging out at the curb in front of our house later that night. She was obviously lost and I just couldn't leave her out there with three pit bulls living next door. So I made a comfy spot for her in the garage and set out the next day with fliers to find her human (she had a collar, but no tag). A week went by with no calls, and a week was all it took for me to fall in love.

It's hard not to fall for a kitty with a personality as big as Ada's. That very first night she put her paws on my chest and touched her nose to mine. I guess I was a goner right then and there. Any time I try to leave she grabs my ankles. It usually buys her another ten minutes or so. I'm such a softie. I could go on and on with stories of her boisterousness and cuteness, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, she's the world's cutest 9-month-old kitty cat.

Back to her story.... It turns out she had a terrible flea infestation and, of course, tapeworms. Yuck. I immediately took care of the fleas with some Advantage and the following weekend started a course of Droncit for the tapeworms after a visit to the vet. About six days into Ada's new adventure with us I got a voicemail from someone describing Ada (with someone in the background prompting her to say she's gray) and saying that she had been missing for three, possibly four days. Hello, your cat has been missing for at least 6 days (probably longer - she was starving when I took her in) and you think it's only been three or four?! Some may think I'm being mean in not returning Ada to her original human, but I can't in good conscience give her back to someone who obviously keeps her outside - unspayed, doesn't do anything to prevent fleas, and allows her to have an untreated tapeworm infection. Did I mention I have to take her back to the vet in two weeks to make sure she's not pregnant? Irresponsible people like Ada's former caretaker, if you can call her that, shouldn't be allowed to have pets. Animals deserve so much more than that from us. I didn't return the woman's call, and she hasn't called back even though she said she would in the voice message. Contrast that with a woman who called twice in one day looking for her brown cat who had been missing less than a day.

Even though we didn't really want a third cat, our house is small as is our budget, I'm glad Ada found her way to us. It feels good knowing that I'm helping another being have a better life.

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2006-08-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

It's about time for a picture quiz, wouldn't you say?

Book Tag - I'm It

2006-08-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by Yawning Lion over at feh-muh-nist to partcipate in a book meme making its way around the blogosphere. Off the top of my head, here are my responses.

One book that changed your life?

This has to be a two-book answer. Dykes-Loving-Dykes: Dyke Separatist Politics For Lesbians Only by Bev Jo and Linda Strega, and For Lesbians Only: A Separatist Anthology by Sara Lucia Hoagland and Julia Penelope. I bought Dykes-Loving-Dykes at the 1991 Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival and started reading it immediately. That quickly led to For Lesbians Only. The world hasn’t looked the same since.

One book you've read more than once?

Conditions of War by Lierre Kieth

One book you'd want on a desert island?

This would be a difficult decision. I guess I’ll go with Blood, Bread, and Roses: How Menstruation Created The World by Judy Grahn. It has been on my bookshelf for some time waiting to be read.

One book that made you laugh?

I’ll have to go with Yawning Lion on this one - The Complete Hothead Paisan by Diane DiMassa. I used to buy the individual ‘zines and eventually bought the book. No comic has ever made me laugh so hard.

One book that made you cry?

I know one of the novels that I’ve read in the past year made me cry, but for the life of me I can’t remember which one.

One book you wish had been written?

Obliterating The Y Chromosome: The Complete Guide To Saving The Planet. Is there a radical lesbian separatist out there with a PhD in biochemistry who would like to get working on this?

One book you wish had never been written?

The Bible, of course.

One book you're currently reading?

In The River Sweet by Patricia Henley.

One book you've been meaning to read?

One? If only. I'll limit my answer to four books. Fiction: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Flannery O'Connor : Collected Works : Wise Blood / A Good Man Is Hard to Find / The Violent Bear It Away / Everything that Rises Must Converge / Essays & Letters. Non-Fiction: Living Among Meat Eaters: The Vegetarian’s Survival Handbook by Carol J. Adams, and Killing Rage: Ending Racism by bell hooks (I’ve started this a couple of times, but got distracted by fiction).

Tag 5 people...

I tag Aussie, Raging Feminist – who can post her answers on my blog, and any of my readers without blogs who want to can post in the comments.

2006-08-04T10:19:00.000-04:00

Lunadyke of Raging Feminist fame has asked that I post this announcement. She's always full of good info.

August 19 A staged reading of 'Til the Fat Lady Sings will be presented at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the annual retreat for the International Center for Women Playwrights. This is a play about an opera singer on the eve of a gastric bypass surgery. For details and synopsis of the play, see: http://osureadings.blogspot.com/

Tags: 'Til the Fat Lady Sings International Center For Women Playwrights Gastric Bypass Surgery

Words From Women I Like

2006-08-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

From author J.K. Rowling on her website, regarding societal pressure to be thin:

Maybe all this seems funny, or trivial, but it's really not. It's about what girls want to be, what they're told they should be, and how they feel about who they are. I've got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don't want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before 'thin'. And frankly, I'd rather they didn't give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do.

Tags: Words From Women I Like J.K. Rowling Fatphobia For Girls Only, Probably...

Fat Woman - The New Super Hero

2006-07-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

You never know when or where fat activism will pop up. And that's a wonderful thing. I was pleasantly surprised to find this terrific postcard when I pulled up Post Secret today. It's a nice counterbalance to the I'd rather be dead than fat postcards I've seen there.

Adroit Man

2006-07-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

Bush Acknowledges Racism Still Exists

Well, that's mighty big of him.

Anyone who believes his newfound sincerity over civil rights is, to quote Grandaddy Souf, "a fool and a half plus tax".

Tags: George W. Bush Bush Racism

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2006-07-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz from the semi-regular blogger known as Piig. Enjoy the guessing!

Recreational Castration - A Modest Proposal

2006-06-20T21:56:00.000-04:00

Lately my eyes and sensibilities have been assaulted by SUVs and huge pick up trucks with gross, saggy testicles dangling from their trailer hitches. Have you seen them? They're all the rage in my neck of the woods. How small must a man's penis be to actually sport a disembodied nutsack on the rear end of his vehicle? Isn't the huge, honking SUV/pick up enough to call attention to his lack of endowment?

I have a modest proposal for all you feminists out there who enjoy activism of the covert, illegal variety. How about we go on a castration spree? I'm adding a pair of garden shears to the "tool kit" in my car's trunk. Whenever I happen to come across one of these offensive vehicles, I'll pull out my trusty shears and do the world a favor by snipping the truck's balls off and tossing them onto its hood. I'd love to leave a calling card with something like You've been castrated courtesy of Cuntzilla printed on it, but I wouldn't want to leave my fingerprints behind.

Tags: Recreational Castration

Words From Women I Like

2006-06-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a new semi-regular feature of PiigPen. It'll be a fun way of sharing a little of what I've been reading.

You're white, male, and middle-class--what can you do for the revolution except commit suicide? - Joanna Russ from On Strike Against God

Thanks to Amy at Feminist Reprise for posting the passage of Russ's book that contains this gem.

Tags: Words From Women I Like Joanna Russ

Call For Papers

2006-06-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

Lunadyke asked that I post this for anyone who might be interested. The topic in boldface was added by Lundayke. Once again, fat bodies were overlooked by "feminists."

Call for Papers: Special theme issue of 'Reconstruction'

'Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture' is an open access, electronic,
peer-reviewed journal devoted to publishing cultural studies work from emerging
and established scholars worldwide.

We now invite submissions for our special-theme issue tentatively titled,
'Threatening Bodies: Nationalism, Sexuality, and Race.'

Different types of bodies threaten the status quo, through their physical forms,
bodily practices, or embodied identities. Such bodies, when read as text, are
seen as dangerous to the institution of heterosexuality, gender stability,
racialized identities, the nation, and the reproduction of future citizenry.
Often, for safety purposes, these bodies must move through spaces undetected.
This collection seeks to examine how various bodies both threaten the nation
and are simultaneously threatened by the nation. We invite papers that theorize
the body through varied frameworks: as readable texts, as lived bodies, as
systems, as cultural constructions, etc. Ultimately, we want to investigate
how bodies threaten, trespass, spy, pass, "terrorize" and/or subvert the nation
and dominant ideas of citizenship.

Possible topics may include:
· fat bodies
· passing while pregnant bodies
· sex working bodies
· bodies that have aborted fetuses
· racialized bodies
· closeted bodies
· spy/stealth operative bodies
· mental health survivors’ bodies
· imperceptibly physically impaired bodies
· self-cutting bodies
· undocumented and illegal bodies
· modified and manipulated bodies

Completed papers must be submitted by August 1, 2006 to
threateningbodies@yahoo.com

Inquiries can be made to the same address.

Final journal to go online in January 2007.
Submission guidelines can be found here:
http://reconstruction.eserver.org/guidelines.shtml

Co-editors:
Jennifer Musial and Emily van der Meulen
School of Women’s Studies, York University
4700 Keele St
Toronto ON, CanadaM3J 1P3

Marriage Ban Fails

2006-06-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! The Senate failed to pass the marriage ban amendment. This push for gay and lesbian marriage isn't something that I generally get excited about, but anytime sanity wins out over homophobia, I'll be there to celebrate.

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2006-06-06T10:42:00.000-04:00

Back at long last. Let the guessing begin!

For All You "Raging Feminist" Fans

2006-05-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

Sadly, Raging Feminist will be on hiatus for the summer. Crimson Blog, the free blog hosting service of Raging Feminist, without notice simply disappeared a few weeks ago. Lundayke got on the bad side of a couple of huge, squirrel-head-eating crows in our neighborhood in the days preceding the server loss. Maybe she should have given them some sort of peace offering.....

Anyway, Lunadyke's summer is full with putting the final touches on her thesis, taking one last grad course, and working several on-campus jobs. Once fall gets here she plans to get a new and improved Raging Feminist back up and running on a different blog server. Until then rest assured knowing that she's still that lovable "angry dyke on the loose" kicking patriarchy's ass every chance she gets.

Tags: Raging Feminist

Dear Mr. President

2006-05-05T18:14:00.000-04:00

More and more I'm finding myself liking pop artist Pink. Her Stupid Girls video is hilarious, and now I've stumbled across a video of her performing her fairly new song Dear Mr. President. Take a look and see what you think.

Tags: Pink Dear Mr. President

Alleged Rape Victim Offered Tuition Assistance

2006-04-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

Kudos to Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition for stepping up to pay the tuition for the woman who was allegedly raped by members of the Duke lacrosse team. One less woman having to turn to the pornosex industry to further her education the better. However, it would be even better if Rainbow/PUSH could set up a permanent fund for college students wanting to leave the industry.

Tags: Jesse Jackson Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Duke Lacrosse Team Rape Case

Technical Note

2006-04-12T17:11:00.000-04:00

For anyone who wanted more info on Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, I have repaired the link. Clicking on the book cover now takes you to Kingsolver's website instead of my photo hosting site. Sorry for the glitch.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree It Would Seem

2006-04-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

As if we needed more proof that the entire Bush family is corrupt, now Barbara Bush makes a tax-exempt donation to the Clinton-Bush Katrina Fund earmarked to directly benefit her son Niel's software company. I wonder what it feels like to have no conscience?

Former first lady's donation aids son: Katrina funds earmarked to pay for Neil Bush's software program

Tags: Barbara Bush Neil Bush Clinton-Bush Katrina Fund

Identity Crisis

2006-04-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

My blog and I are going through an identity crisis. PiigPen has become lackluster at best. I’m not happy with this space I have carved out on the Internet. I want to add something positive and meaningful to the Universe, but I’m having trouble finding my voice. Having ADHD and depression doesn’t help. I often have ideas I’d like to write about, and I have great conversations with my partner that would make for good posts, but taking the time to sit down at my computer and actually formulate one can seem like an insurmountable task amid all the other things I need to get done in a day. My doctor and I are in the process of finding the right level of medication to treat my ADHD, but it’s a slow process. Meanwhile I still have this challenge before me to recreate this blog into more of a reflection of my true self. Nothing worthwhile is ever simple, is it?

And The Racist Asshole Of The Month Award Goes To...

2006-04-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

....that bastion of morality Tom Delay. Take a look at what he had to say about Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. What an asshole.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who on Tuesday abandoned his re-election bid under a cloud of ethics charges, weighed in on Wednesday, saying McKinney "is a racist."

"She has a long history of racism," DeLay, R-Texas, said on Fox News channel. "Everything is racism with her. This is incredible arrogance that sometimes hits these members of Congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney." -excerpt from an Associated Press article by Mark Sherman

Who the hell is he to comment on anyone else's behavior?

Republicans have been foaming at the mouth at this opportunity to tear down an influential Black woman. They've even stooped so low as to make derisive, and might I add racist, comments about her more natural hairstyle as if they had nothing but praise for her signature braids. I'm sure not one of those White Congressmen who have been on The Hill a while doesn't expect the Capitol Police to recognize them as they pass through the doors. They would be just as indignant as McKinney at not being recognized after years of service. It's been noted over and over that many Congresspersons do not wear their Congressional pins to identify themselves. What makes McKinney different? Oh yeah, that's right, she's Black and female. The good ol' boys couldn't let her get away with all that uppityness. How dare she carry herself with the dignity and self respect that should come with having a seat in Congress?

Tags: Cynthia McKinney Tom DeLay Racism

The Da Vinci Code

2006-03-31T17:55:00.000-05:00

As you can see, I have taken Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code* “off the bookshelf.” The Da Vinci Code was never on my must read list. Murder mysteries aren’t my thing. Mainstream bestsellers aren’t my thing. So, why I am reading The Da Vinci Code? One of my former student workers, one of the few that I enjoyed talking with, absolutely loved the book for its historical content. Eventually she wore on me, and after the 22nd, “It’s so good; you’ll really enjoy it,” I acquiesced and promised that I would read it before she graduates. She graduates this summer.

That said, now that I’m reading it I have to say I’m enjoying the subversive goddess worshiping and the Mary-Magdalene-as-royalty theories. Dan Brown isn’t the best writer, but his idea is fun. Incontrovertible evidence that a bunch of misogynist Roman Pagans seeking unlimited power created Christianity is right up my alley. I have no idea how the story is going to end, but for now it’s not such a bad read.

*Thanks to K and T for loaning me their copy.

Tags: The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown

What Will It Take To Impeach The Bastard?

2006-03-30T11:07:00.000-05:00

This is a funny photograph, but quite a sad commentary on the political state of this country.

Tags: Impeach Impeachment George W. Bush

I Have Become My Mother

2006-03-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been a gregarious customer. She can tell you where the fast food drive-through cashier gets her hair done, how many kids the grocery clerk has, and how many times the waitress at her favorite restaurant has left her husband.

Over the last few years I have felt myself becoming more and more like her in this respect. A couple of nights ago when Lunadyke and I found ourselves surrounded by a number of the waitstaff at one of our regular restaurants, I knew that I have indeed become my mother. They all stood around us laughing and joking. And mind you, none of them was our server for the evening. They feel so comfortable with us now that they make jokes about us "not swinging the waiter's way." They mix us special blends of iced tea, and they regularly "forget" to add an entree or salad to our check. Some of them even sit at the table with us to chat. My mom was no fool - it's a good thing to get to know your waitresses and waiters and to treat them well. It fosters good will and respect. And as an added benefit, you know no one will ever spit in your food.

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz....Again!

2006-03-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

Okay, here's another picture quiz for those of you who may have missed out on the last one.

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2006-03-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

Let the guessing begin!

Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!*

2006-02-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

Harvard University will finally be rid of that misogynist and racist asshole Larry Summers at the end of the academic year. An impending second no confidence vote by Harvard faculty has at long last impressed upon him that his brand of conservatism isn't wanted at Harvard. And god damn if his resignation isn't bringing all the roaches out of the woodwork. Leftist-hippie-turned-heartless-arch-conservative Alan Dershowitz, among others, is whining ad nauseum about the death of higher education at the hands of the "politically correct." How dare a university be expected to treat the privileged and underprivileged equally? What an assbag.

*I don't usually like to use the word witch in such a derogatory manner, but I couldn't resist using the Wizard Of Oz reference against a patriarchal ass like Summers.

Tags: Larry Summers Harvard Resignation Alan Dershowitz

Cheney's Got A Gun

2006-02-16T16:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a little diddy I came up with using Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun" as the framework.

Dumb, dumb, dumb Cheney, what have you done?
Dumb, dumb, dumb it's the sound of a gun
Dumb, dumb, dumb Cheney, what have you done?
Dumb, dumb, dumb it's the sound, it's the sound...
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah....

Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
His whole world's come undone
From lookin' only at his gun
What did Whitty do?
What did he put you through?

They say when Cheney wasn’t arrested
They found him declaring no blame
But man, he had it comin'
Now that Cheney’s got a gun
He ain't never gonna be the same

Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
Our dog day's just begun
Now everybody is on the run
Tell me now it's untrue
What did Whitty do?

He must’ve jacked a little bitty torte
The man has got to be insane
They say the spell that he was under
The litigatin' and the thunder
Knew that someone had to stop the rain

Run away, run away from the quail
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Run away, run away from the quail
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Run away, run away, run, run away

Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
Our dog day's just begun
Now everybody is on the run
What did Whitty do?
It's Cheney’s last I.O.U.

He had to take him down easy
And put a bullet in his face
He said 'cause nobody can touch me
The man was such a dweeb
He ain't never gonna be the same

Run away, run away from the quail
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Run away, run away, run, run away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Run away, run away, run, run away

Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
Everybody is on the run

Cheney’s Got A Gun
Our dog day's just begun
Now everybody's on the run (Cheney, Cheney what's your problem?)
'Cause Cheney’s got a gun (Tell me it ain't right)
Cheney’s got a gun (Was it Whitty’s quail robbin'?)
Our dog day's just begun (That made us scream at night)
Cheney’s got a gun
Our dog day's just begun
Now everybody's on the run
Cheney’s got a gun

Tags: Cheney Gun Whittington Cheney's Got A Gun

Give Me An "Amen"

2006-02-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't that the truth?!

Representative Rangel made this observation at last year's Congressional Black Caucus Town Hall Meeting. Here's the actual quote:

"If there's one thing that George Bush has done that we should never forget, it's that for us and for our children, he has shattered the myth of White supremacy once and for all."

Tags: Charles Rangel George Bush White Supremacy

In Memory

2006-01-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

Coretta Scott King 1927 - 2006

Tags: Coretta Scott King

Rape Cover Up

2006-01-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

Are you aware that female soldiers are dying of dehydration in Iraq in their attempts to avoid being raped by their male counterparts? Probably not, as the military and U.S. government have been trying to keep it under wraps.

Thanks to blackfeminism.org for the link.

Tags: Rape Iraq Military

The L-Word....Or Is It The M-Word?

2006-01-26T13:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, I guess I should out myself as an "L-Word" watcher. I watch it because I like being in touch with lesbian pop-culture. I wish I could say I were a fan of the slick Showtime serial. After all, it's the first lesbian-centric weekly drama on television. But as pioneering as they are, the makers of the "The L-Word" fall severely short on so many levels at making this a truly radical show. One could surmise from "The L-Word" that lesbians have no struggles with class, racism, misogyny, fascist beauty standards, or internalized homophobia. I know a television show can't be all things to all people, but is it too much to ask for a trailblazing show like "The L-Word" to aim for a little more social responsiblility? Afterall, for better or worse, many of the people (lesbian and straight alike) who watch it look to "The L-Word" for a portrayal of lesbian life and take it at face value. Nevermind that it's just as true to life as other sordid nighttime soap operas like "Nip/Tuck" or "Desperate Housewives." We're not at that point of parity where we can be as raunchy as these other shows without it being representative of all lesbians to the mainstream viewer.

I think about all of these things - racism, fascism, misogyny, beauty, internalized homophobia - while watching "The L-Word." The issues jump off the screen at me. The second episode of this season may as well have had a blazing neon DANGER: MISOGYNY/HOMOPHOBIA sign flashing across the bottom of the screen. Throughout the show lesbian sex was described and depicted in solely male, heterosexually-defined ways. "Fucking," "blue balls," fellatio performed on a dildo, one character bending over in the stereotypical, pornographic "rear entrance" pose that men love so much, an anonymous sexual encounter in an alley - all were used in the describing or depicting of lesbian sex. What's up with all this male, heterosexual imagery to describe sex between women? Lesbian sex can stand on its own without heterosexual identification. There are plenty of ways of getting a woman hot without telling her that you want to fuck her, with all of that word's dominating, woman-hating connotations. A dildo can be just as sexy without calling it a "dick" or using it to dominate. Sex between lesbians doesn't have to look like a poor imitation of heterosex.

I could go on and on about other ways "The L-Word" is off the mark, but I'll stop with this one example for now. For an examination of racism on "The L-Word" take a look at Nubian's spot on post over at Blac(k)ademic.

Tags: Lesbian The L-Word Misogyny Internalized Homophobia Racism

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz!

2006-01-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

I've been such a lazy blogger lately.....so instead of having no updates whatsoever, how about the picture quiz? This one is a bit different however. There's an image in it somewhere - see if you can figure it out.

Year Of The Dog

2006-01-12T15:31:00.000-05:00

Damn, work has been kicking my ass this week. That's my official excuse for taking so long to post pictures of our origami surprise from dinner last Friday.

It was our first dinner party of the year, and since 2006 is the Year of the Dog we decided to make origami dogs as party favors for everyone to take home. Aren't they cute? (You can click on the pics for a larger view.)

Wayward Piig

2006-01-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

What a slacker I've been with my blog! Blame it on my vacation time. And on the cool Easy Origami Fold-A-Day Calendar that Hedgehog gave me for Solstice. Every morning at the office before I begin my work in earnest, I fold cool things like cicadas and penguins. It's a nice way to start the day. And it has renewed my interest in origami, the art of paper folding. So I have been consulting the origami book that I bought a couple of years ago, and making new things. Hedgehog and I came up with a cool origami idea for the dinner party we're having tonight. I can't mention the details here, as some of our guests read this blog, but I'll try to post pictures after the party.

Happy Winter Solstice!

2005-12-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Winter Solstice everyone! From here it's on to more daylight. Yea!

I started off celebrating the day with a long shower where I sudsed up with a bar of Badger Ginger and Lemongrass Soap. Natural soaps are one of those small luxuries that can totally transport me to a warm happy space. If you've never treated yourself to a bar of all-natural, organic soap, I highly recommend that you try it sometime soon. The soap has a nicer feel and the scent of natural ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, lavender, bergamot, and patchouli is so much nicer than that perfumed stuff that you can get at any grocery or department store.

Badger is one of my favorite brands of all things soapy and lotiony. It all started with Badger Balm Sore Muscle Rub. I loved the tin (I have a thing for tins) that it came in with it's little badger holding up a jar of golden balm, so Hedgehog bought a tin of it for me along with some massage oil. I've been hooked ever since. How could I not love a company that would write this about their soaps?

Our soap uses significant amounts of organic, natural, and wild crafted botanical ingredients. No animal fats. No GMOs. No fillers. No chemical surfactants, synthetics, or other creepy stuff that you definitely don't want on your skin. Organic means (to me) grown in healthy soil without the use of chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides. It implies the use of ecological farming methods, including the creation of healthy soil with natural compost,and the use of traditional practices like crop rotation and cover crops. In some cases, it takes advantage of planting according to moon cycles and the use of subtle soil amendments like biodynamic soil inoculants.

So that's how I started the day. After work I'm continuing the self-pampering with a hair cut -another one of those things that can instantly put me in a better mood. And then Hedgehog and I will spend the evening decorating our ficus tree and exchanging gifts.

I hope you all have a great Winter Solstice.

Tags: Winter Solstice Badger Badger Balm Soap

Quote Of The Day

2005-12-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

Today's quote comes from John Stewart of The Daily Show.

If Bill O'Reilly needs to have an enemy, needs to feel persecuted, you know what? Here's my Kwanzaa gift to him. Are you ready? All right. I'm your enemy. Make me your enemy. I, Jon Stewart, hate Christmas, Christians, Jews, morality, and I will not rest until every year families gather to spend December 25th together at Osama's homo-abortion-pot-and-commie-jizzporium.

Tags: John Stewart War On Christmas Christmas

Christmas = One Angry Piig

2005-12-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

This all out Christmas Assault on America by rabid Christians is aggravating me to no end and driving me past mad. Seriously. Everywhere I turn there are crazy Christians screeching about the hijacking of Christmas by sinister secular forces. The latest example being the resolution passed yesterday by Congress applauding "the symbols and traditions of Christmas ." Okay you little crazy fundies, I hate to tell you this (well, actually I don't hate it), but this country was not founded as a Christian country as so many of you would have us believe. I submit to you this History News Network interview with Yale historian Jon Butler. Butler contends that religion played very little role in the American Revolution and the drafting of the United States Constitution. That our founders had a considerably abstract concept of God. They knew that the marriage of politics and religion was dangerous and coercive. We have only to look at the sorry state of this country now to see that wedding religion and politics is a bad idea.

Don't you guys get it that forcing your religion upon people causes nothing but resentment? Did you learn nothing from the Crusades and the Inquisition? I wouldn't have such a knee-jerk negative reaction to Christianity and all the trappings of Christmas like nativity scenes if you zealots weren't forcing them into public spaces with no regard for the religious beliefs of others. Where along the way did you guys lose your common courtesy and respect? You've established a pattern of bullying that would make the Crusaders and the Inquisitors proud. Why can't there be equal support for expressions of other faiths? How am I supposed to support your public celebration of Christmas when you refuse to support my celebration of Winter Solstice and Yule? How are practitioners of Hinduism supposed to support you when Christian leaders like Pat Robertson state that Hindus "are looking for the wrong god" and Hinduism is a "false religion?" I could go on and on with examples of Christian arrogance. When are you people going to grow up? This country is not a monolithic Christian theocracy. Stop your whining, get over it, and learn to share the religious landscape.

Tags: Christmas Christian Religion Pat Robertson

Silly Ford, The AFA Is For Morons

2005-12-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Ford Will Again Advertise In Gay Publications

Tags: Ford Gay American Family Association

No Brainer (If You Aren't Invested In Patriarchy)

2005-12-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

So, I was enjoying my breakfast this morning while reading the local newspaper's website. According to one of the articles, there's a growing concern and debate over whether to detain child sex offenders beyond their jail sentences - most often to a mental health facility. I see no point in committing these assholes to an institution when study after study shows no real reduction in recidivism after therapy. What to do with them then? I opt for surgical castration.

When surgical castration is mentioned, inevitably hysterical cries of "cruel and unusual" can be heard from all corners. Frankly, I'm tired of it. What I find cruel and unusual is letting a child rapist back on the streets to rape again. The average child rapist will violate 117 children in his lifetime.* One hundred and seventeen! Where is our responsibility for our children? How does a man losing the source of his testosterone and erections compare to saving over a hundred children from the life-scarring act of rape and/or molestation? It can't. Surgical castration is a minor procedure along the lines of removing wisdom teeth. A little soreness and that's it. And the almighty penis is still intact afterward (I find that many people think a man's penis is removed during castration). It's nothing compared to being raped.

And yet we never hear mainstream feminist organizations like NOW and the Feminist Majority Foundation even mention the possibility of castration as a tool against child rape. Children are, after all, a feminist issue. When are mainstream feminists going to step up to the plate to protect children? When are they going to risk male approval for the benefit of thousands upon thousands of children?

*Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Training Days

2005-12-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

I spent this weekend helping Julie train for the Feline Olympics. Her sport is Tethered Squirrel Chasing. If you're unfamiliar with the sport, it basically entails a cat being tethered to a leash and then chasing unsuspecting squirrels gathering acorns. Points are given for style, agility, speed, grace, and actually catching a squirrel (although the latter is a rare feat indeed). As you can clearly see, Julie has her form down in aces. I am a very proud coach.

We practiced for hours in our front yard which has an abundance of acorns and squirrels. Julie especially loves training days as they involve lots of fresh drinking water and Feline Greenies - the energy snack of champions.

Wish Julie luck as she trains these next few weeks. We're going for the gold!

Give A Hoot

2005-12-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

I'm going to use today's entry to rant about one of my biggest pet peeves - people throwing cigarette butts on the ground. What are you people thinking?! People who would never consider littering find it perfectly acceptable to flick a cigarette butt onto the sidewalk or out their car window. I don't get it. Is it a momentary brain lapse? Do you not know that cigarette butts are the world's number one source of litter? That's right, 2.1 billion pounds of cigarette butts were discarded worldwide in 1998.

Cigarette butts are made not from cotton, but from acetate, a form of plastic. A petrochemical! How do you think that affects the environment, people, and animals? Well, let me tell you.

It takes an average of 13 years for a cigarette butt to degrade. 13 years in which they are out there to be ingested by children, birds, fish, whales, sea turtles, and dozens of other marine animals. Cigarette butts have been found in the stomachs of dozens of creatures. It only takes 1 to 3 butts to make a toddler seriously ill. Can you imagine the affect it would have on smaller animals like birds? Death is among one of the answers. They are a toxic threat to all living organisms!

If that doesn't get you, then let's talk about the economic impact of discarded cigarette butts. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent annually to clean up cigarette litter. Millions of dollars are lost annually to fires started by casually discarded cigarette butts. Virginia Commonwealth University experienced it's largest fire ever last year when still smoldering cigarette butts, along with other trash, were tossed down a trash chute. Twenty-six buildings were lost costing the university over 20 million dollars - 20 million dollars in taxes paid by the citizens of Virginia. That doesn't even include the cost of extinguishing the fire (200 fire fighters were on the scene).

As you can see, there are lots of reasons for people to rethink their smoking habits. I've had friends who were conscientious about extinguishing their butts and discarding them in appropriate receptacles. It becomes second nature after a while. Companies even make pocket ashtrays now which are a perfect way to be responsible when throwing away butts. Just pop 'em in the ashtray, and then dump it in a trash can later after the butts have had time to fully extinguish. If you are a smoker, or have a friend who is - consider buying a pocket ashtray for the holidays. It's the kind of gift that keeps on giving for years to come.

Another Reason To Go Vegetarian

2005-12-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

3 Species Of Fruit Bat Found To Harbor Deadly Ebola Virus

Tests by scientists in Gabon and Congo detect traces of the pathogen. Human infection may have occurred through eating the animals.

I Drifted Off Into Dreams Of Such And Such....

2005-12-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

The other night I dreamed that Ani DiFranco had opened an amusement park, and hedgeHog had bought us a few ticket books that were good for both the park and merchandise from the RBR website.

What the fuck???

Freedom Is An Unencumbered Leg

2005-11-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

Woohoo!!!! I saw my orthopedist today, and now I've gone from this...

....to this!

It feels so weird to be out and about again walking sans cast. I'm having to relearn how to walk all over again. Nonetheless I am very happy to be able to get back to some semblance of normalcy. I can't wait to drive my own car again (it's a stick shift)! Woohoo! [Many thanks to my hedgeHog for coordinating the use of her car these past five weeks. Smooch!]

Thanksgiving Conversation

2005-11-27T09:29:00.000-05:00

Mom's boyfriend: My son David recently found a good-paying job at a great company - Halliburton.

Mom: He works with computers. He used to be a Criminal Justice major.

Me: Now he just works for a bunch of criminals.

Bed Head Extraordinaire

2005-11-25T19:08:00.000-05:00

With a belly full of wonderful vegetarian Thanksgiving leftovers, I guess I'm ready to embarrass myself with LunaDyke's photo of my bed head from the Durham Hilton. My mom must have put something in those deviled eggs...

The True Evil

2005-11-22T18:35:00.000-05:00

Pat Robertson caught showing his true nature by flashing the Sign Of The Beast.

Self-Castration - Have A Ball!

2005-11-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Now, why can't they all do this?

Rugby Fan Can't Explain Self-Mutilation

We've Come A Long Way, Baby

2005-11-21T00:49:00.000-05:00

Equal marriage rights may be a long time in coming, but we are obviously making headway in other areas. LunaDyke and I stopped in at a AAA office to pick up some maps while we were in Durham, and totally unsolicited one of the AAA reps asked if we travelled much and said that he could set us up on an Olivia Cruise if we were interested. It's not every day that that happens. I mean, how much more mainstream can you get than to be offered a couple's cruise package at an every day travel agency like AAA?

I should have messed with his head and asked him what an Olivia Cruise was, and then when he answered I could have replied, "What makes you think we would want to go on a cruise with a bunch of lesbians?!"

Like A Piig Out Of Mud

2005-11-20T11:33:00.000-05:00

LunaDyke and I have been spending an extended weekend in Durham, NC. We usually save money when travelling by staying at cheaper hotels like Days or Comfort Inns, but we decided to treat ourselves well and are staying at a Hilton. I must say that on our first morning when I needed to get some change at the front desk, I felt a bit like a Piig out of mud hobbling on my crutch in overalls and a baseball cap (to cover my scary bed head) amid all the business women and men in their suits wheeling and dealing and drinking overpriced Starbucks lattes in the lobby. But hey, I'd much rather be sleeping in late and stumbling sleepily through a hotel lobby, schedule free, than type-A-ing it through another work day.

Waging War On Clothes?

2005-11-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

I love grammar cops. And sarcastic wit.

I found this posted to a bulletin board on campus. One would like to think that a college student would have the sense to at least use Spell Check on a flier they're going to post all over campus - especially when they include their name and phone number (which I kindly removed before posting here). Alas, I guess I expect too much.

Silly Piig

2005-11-16T10:10:00.000-05:00

I owe an apology to anyone who has read my blog recently and has made comments. Especially guesses to the picture quiz. Days went by and I was very sad that it seemed no one was interested in my posts, especially the picture quiz which is usually very popular. I was relating this to LunaDyke last night when she told me that she had posted a comment, but it hadn't appeared on my blog. Sure enough, I had been messing around with my template and settings and had set the comments to be moderated without realizing it. *sigh* I miss my old blog location. The Word Press template and settings were a lot easier for me to work with, being someone who had never worked with HTML coding before last year. Not that HTML had anything to do with the comment blunder. That was just me getting used to Blogger the hard way. :p

So anyway, if anyone is still interested in guessing at this point I will post the picture quiz solution tomorrow morning. There's a small hint in the quiz comments.

If I Had A Rocket Launcher.......

2005-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

I fucking hate my next-door neighbors. Fucking hate them. Thinking that hate is too strong a word or emotion? Think again. These assholes have given me reason after reason to hate them. The latest one being finding one of their dogs dead in my front yard this morning. Dead because the assholes daily allow their three one-year-old pit bulls to run unattended in their unfenced yard. They often dart briefly into the street while playing with one another. Which is what happened this morning, and much to Mimi's detriment a school bus just happened to be barreling down the street at the exact moment she crossed for the second time.

I'm finding it hard to feel my sorrow at the loss of this sweet dog because of my rage at her "caretakers." They have a long history of animal abuse. From the scars on one of the dogs, it appears that they use her as a "bait" dog for pit bull fighting. They are forever screaming at the dogs, who are extremely well behaved for one-year-olds, and slapping them as punishment for normal dog behavior like running into our yard to play with our dog when they see her come out of the house. And we think that they are breeding one of them to add more puppies to their dog fighting ring. Once I'm absolutely positive that the dog is pregnant, I'm reporting them to our local Animal Control office. They have no business housing pets of any kind. They recently let their two rabbits loose into the neighborhood because they "couldn't afford to keep them." There's no sign of the white rabbit, but we spot the black one in our yard from time to time. We've tried catching her, but to no avail. I'm a bit limited in my ability to catch anything right now with this cast on my leg.

And to illustrate how animal abuse is often indicative of domestic violence, one of the many people who live in the house screamed at his distraught daughter this morning when she wanted to comfort her dying dog. I guess people have differing ideas of what children should be allowed to see when it comes to death, but the little girl already knew that Mimi was severely injured. Why not use the situation to teach her about loss and grieving and comforting a dying companion animal? Whatever you believe, screaming at a distraught child is cruel. And the cruelty doesn't stop there. All of the women and children in that house are screamed at and at least one that I know of was punched in the eye by one of the men in the house.

I just wish I could snap my fingers and make all of them vanish. My partner and I have fantasies of secreting their dogs away in the middle of the night when they're out unattended. We've tried making friendly suggestions of how they might try disciplining their dogs with positive reinforcement, but of course they ignore us. I really hate people sometimes.

The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2005-11-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, it has been a little slow around here. Let's kick things into gear with The Semi-Regular Picture Quiz. How about it? Any guesses?

How Scary Are You?

2005-11-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

There's no denying it. I'm a big ol' marshmallow.

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

A Little Humor For Election Day

2005-11-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

Someone, or a group of someones, has been planting these nifty little flags in dog poop at public parks around Germany. This fitting and clever protest of Dubya has been going on for the last year and a half.

Pull That Lever, Push That Button, Punch That Card

2005-11-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

Don't forget on Tuesday......

Yet Another Reason The Current Administration Is Not To Be Trusted

2005-11-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

Pentagon Official: Top al Qaeda Operative Escaped

How convenient for the United States Army.

Concrete and Barbed Wire

2005-11-01T17:08:00.000-05:00

Mental Note: Never again wear an underwire bra while walking with crutches. Ow!

Happy Samhain

2005-10-31T17:07:00.000-05:00

In honor of Samhain and Halloween I would like to introduce to you to the Little Forest Bat, also known as Vespadelus vulturnus. It may be the smallest bat in the world, I'm not sure, but it is the smallest bat in Australia. Weighing in at around 4 grams, this little bat has a wingspan of 2.36 inches. It can actually fit into a matchbox! Native to Australia, it lives in hollowed out trees and eats a variety of pesky bugs. The Little Forest Bat breeds once a year and has only one baby per year. Responsible breeders - I love it.

My Left Foot

2005-10-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a moment when you knew you were going down, but could do nothing to stop it? A moment where everything happens in slow motion and all you can do is watch in embarrasment and horror as it unfolds? This past Saturday I was rolling along on my brand new skateboard, having a good time, when suddenly I could feel my ankle giving way like a wet soba noodle. Did I go down in a flurry of wicked acrobatics? Of course not. I just crumpled like a paper bag and hit the asphalt with a painful thud. When the guy at the skate shop handed me my board and said, "Enjoy your shred stick," I didn't know he was being so literal. My knee looked like it was on the losing end of a battle with a cheese grater. To make matters worse, my neighbor was pulling into his driveway and saw the whole thing. He jumped out to rush to my rescue, but all I wanted to do was to blend invisibly into the pavement. How embarassing.

So now I have to spend the next six weeks hobbling around in a giant Aircast that looks like a ski boot on crack while my fractured fibula heals. No more skateboarding for Da Piig this year. :(

Separated At Birth?

2005-10-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

No offense to Arlo and his fans, but the resemblance is uncanny.

Semi-Regular Picture Quiz

2005-10-19T12:41:00.000-04:00

Okay folks, here's the first picture quiz on my new blog. I figured I would start with an easy one. Let the guessing begin.......

Stay Off The Sidewalks!

2005-10-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

Watch out pedestrians - Piig just got herself a skateboard!! Big hugs and kisses to my partner in crime for this kick ass anniversary gift.

I haven't been on a skateboard since I was about 10 years old, but I'm excited about hopping back on the deck and learning all over again. I can't imagine myself doing all those gravity defying tricks that the younger grrls are up to these days, so I opted for a longboard made for cruising the streets like a surfer. Wish me luck in learning to carve up the asphalt!

You Asked For It........

2005-10-14T10:52:00.000-04:00

As fate would have it, I have a Bird Update for everyone. I don't like this kind of update, though. There was a sad little bird laying on her side on the concrete this morning when I arrived at work. I believe she is a yellow-rumped warbler just like the one I rescued earlier this year. I hate working in a building with a huge facade of clear glass windows. At any rate, she's resting in a cardboard box that I have set aside for such occasions. I'll take her outside in an hour or so to see if she's up for flying.

Update on the Update (1:05 p.m.)

I learned something new today. A bird that has flown into a window should always be taken to a rehabilitator even if she seems okay. Swelling and internal damage can begin as late as two days after the collision. I wish I had known that earlier. So, I've talked LunaDyke into taking the bird to a rehabber at an SPCA 30 minutes away. Wish my little bird luck.

Back In The Saddle

2005-10-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the long-time-in-coming reincarnation of PiigPen! I kept hoping that the host site for my original blog would uncrash itself, but the site owner has apparently abandoned it without so much as a hint that I would lose everything I had worked on for the past year. John, if you're out there, you can kiss my fat ass.

I haven't had time to work on the template for this new location, so please bear with me as I slowly make it my own. For now, I'll leave you with the lyrics to a James McMurtry song that I heard on public radio a couple of nights ago. Apparently there's a big FCC controversy over the song. You can take a listen over at James McMurty's website.

We Can't Make It Here

Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign
Sitting there by the left turn line
Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze
One leg missing, both hands free
No one's paying much mind to him
The V.A. budget's stretched so thin
And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war
We can't make it here anymore

That big ol' building was the textile mill
It fed our kids and it paid our bills
But they turned us out and they closed the doors
We can't make it here anymore

See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock
They're just gonna set there till they rot'
Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack
Just busted concrete and rusted tracks
Empty storefronts around the square
There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere
You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score
We can't make it here anymore

The bar's still open but man it's slow
The tip jar's light and the register's low
The bartender don't have much to say
The regular crowd gets thinner each day
Some have maxed out all their credit cards
Some are working two jobs and living in cars
Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink
If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO
See how far 5.15 an hour will go
Take a part time job at one of your stores
Bet you can't make it here anymore

High school girl with a bourgeois dream
Just like the pictures in the magazine
She found on the floor of the laundromat
A woman with kids can forget all that
If she comes up pregnant what'll she do
Forget the career, forget about school
Can she live on faith? live on hope?
High on Jesus or hooked on dope
When it's way too late to just say no
You can't make it here anymore

Now I'm stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store
Just like the ones we made before
'Cept this one came from Singapore
I guess we can't make it here anymore

Should I hate a people for the shade of their skin
Or the shape of their eyes or the shape I'm in
Should I hate 'em for having our jobs today
No I hate the men sent the jobs away
I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams
All lily white and squeaky clean
They've never known want, they'll never know need
Their shit don't stink and their kids won't bleed
Their kids won't bleed in the damned little war
And we can't make it here anymore

Will work for food
Will die for oil
Will kill for power and to us the spoils
The billionaires get to pay less tax
The working poor get to fall through the cracks
Let 'em eat jellybeans let 'em eat cake
Let 'em eat shit, whatever it takes
They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps
If they can't make it here anymore

And that's how it is
That's what we got
If the president wants to admit it or not
You can read it in the paper
Read it on the wall
Hear it on the wind
If you're listening at all
Get out of that limo
Look us in the eye
Call us on the cell phone
Tell us all why
In Dayton, Ohio
Or Portland, Maine
Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains
That's done closed down along with the school
And the hospital and the swimming pool
Dust devils dance in the noonday heat
There's rats in the alley
And trash in the street
Gang graffiti on a boxcar door
We can't make it here anymore