Get out and VOTE

Despite my confusion last night, I was able to get up and go downtown to help make some calls for Planned Parenthood today. I went to one of the downtown offices and met some amazing people and made some calls to encourage people to vote for candidates that support things like Medicare, Badgercare and Planned Parenthood. Most of my calls went really well and all in all it was a great experience. I got some buttons and stickers and am geared up to help out a lot more in the future.

I love this coffee cup! And check out this girl's purse - it is decorated with condoms (in the wrappers still)! She was telling me that she had also made a tie and a skirt and was trying to figure out a way to do the same to a pair of heels. I love it

And one last picture, while in between calls I was doodling away and drew a line of ladies all holding hands. One of the gals at the office really liked it. What do you think? Sorry that it's not a very good picture.

Now I am home and ready to chill out and relax with some pizza and a good book. What are you up to?

Bad News Bears

I was super excited to volunteer tomorrow with Planned Parenthood and then in one of my confirmation emails it says Milwaukee instead of Madison. I am really confused as to if I initially signed up wrong because none of the prior emails said Milwaukee (although they didn't say Madison either) and I've sent emails but I'm not sure if I will get a response in time.

Grumble.

On the plus side, I got an email about this other organization I really like, Madison Area Down Syndrome Society (MADSS) about their annual Walk and I am going to be doing volunteer work not just the day of but leading up to as well. This organization is near and dear to my heart so I am excited about becoming more involved!

mini post

I tweaked the blog set up a little bit so check it out and tell me what you think. There's a poll on the side that I'd really like to have some input on too! 

And, here is a photo of my haul from Goodwill today.

I almosts hrieked when I saw this Carebear garbage can.How cute is it? I loved them as a kid and this is going in my bathroom for now.The little turtle planter will probably hold a catus or some such plant soon. He was too cool to pass up for 90 cents.

SlutWalk and me

In my new issue of Ms magazine, there is an article on SlutWalks which is a topic that I find very interesting. I have been looking on tumblr at some ladies who have been to some SlutWalks and liked how empowered and positive their experiences seemed. So I did a little more research and then experienced a major facebook blowout.

SlutWalk started in Toronto when a police officer made the comment that,

"women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized." 

Amazingly, this did not go over that well. Unfortunately, this viewpoint is not uncommon. Victim blaming is so prominent and the idea that women who dress like they are asking for it (whatever that means) deserve to shoulder some of the blame for being brutally assaulted is still very prevalent. Many rapes go under reported by police and rapists are not prosecuted due to backlogs of  rape kits which is not some kind of a kit that goes to the victim like I thought, but is the evidence gathered from the victim's exams such as hair and fluids that needs to be DNA tested. These kits are just sitting in some states, and nothing is being done about them.

And so a group of people started SlutWalk. A protest style march to show that women (any gender really) should not be blamed for crimes committed against them. From SlutWalk's website:

"We are tired of being oppressed by slut-shaming; of being judged by our sexuality and feeling unsafe as a result. Being in charge of our sexual lives should not mean that we are opening ourselves to an expectation of violence, regardless if we participate in sex for pleasure or work. No one should equate enjoying sex with attracting sexual assault."

 

These events have gotten a lot of flack from feminists and others for the use of the word "slut" and stating that trying to get that word to a more positive connotation is a waste of time.To some extent I agree with  the fact that "slut"probably is not ever going to be a positive thing. HOWEVER, I think that misses the underlying point. To me this is about creating an event that will have a lot of media coverage(which obviously it has) in order to show that people are upset and fed up with how our culture treats victims of rape.

Which brings me to a Facebook argument that revolved around a man's point of view that this is a waste of time and he would go to ogle the ladies (note: it is not required in any way to dress "slutty" for these walks) and that if a woman goes out drinking dressed provocatively (which he never defined) then he "hope[s] rape was worth it." Can we say unfriended?

SlutWalk's Minneapolis info page here

SlutWalk Toronto's main page (with links to planned walks in other cities) here

Geoff and I are both signed up to go and I am really pumped. I think all I can do is get as educated as I can and try to pass that information along. Has anyone gone to one? Thought about going?

Check out that girl's armpits

So I get a lot of emails and while most of them end up in the trash, I got one from Dove today that I opened. I have mixed feelings about this company. While I really love that they have used non-tradition models for their add campaigns, I'm not wild about their camaign to help ladies have more beautiful armpits. Because I was really worried that my arm pits weren't attractive enough. So when I read the following from my Dove email:

"Around the world, 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful, according to new research conducted by Dove^®. And when girls feel bad about their looks, the majority will avoid everyday activities like giving their opinion or even going to school."

It makes me kind of want to scream. First of all I would bet that that percentage is higher and second of all, maybe the feel this way because of your marketing strategies!

“If we don't continue to invent products that improve consumers' lives, we'll have trouble growing our business,” says Kevin Hochman, a marketing director for Procter & Gamble Co.'s female beauty brands, told the Wall Street Journal. (from the Globe and Mail article)

It seems to me (and a lot of people) that while they are inventing products they are also inventing problems. And it seems like this company is taking 3 steps back for every step forward they take. I love the idea behind the Real Beauty campaign and wish we saw more diverse and non-airbrushed models out there. I love that as a company, Dove seems to be doing work to promote self estem. But with the other hand they remind you that parts of your body need to be felt bad about. 

All and all, I think I'll stick with Toms of Maine.

Recharge

I have had a blissful mini-vacation which consisted of my normal 2 days off and a bonus mental health day I used. I took some time to myself when the guys went to work and just chilled. I put my favorite music on, which consisted mostly of Neko Case, light some candles, poured some wine and curled up with some books.

Strange Tales is a wonderful anthology of bizarre tales of Marvel characters in crazy situations. If you are intrigued by the thought of Iron Man fighting Bologna Face, this is for you. Plus look at how cute Spidey is.

The other day I checked out a book from the library on Feminism and was baffled by random post-it notes scattered throughout it. I peeled each one away and kept them in a pile, unsure why they were there and what I should do with them. As I was ding something, I had a light bulb moment and new. Operation Beautiful is an on-going project to promote loving your body one sticky note at a time. So I wrote some simple and hopefully uplifting things on them and plan on posting them at every public bathroom I go to.

When I was in college I was studying in the library and I went to pick up a crap piece of paper and realized that it was already written on. It read "To whoever finds this: You are good enough just the way you are." I can't put into words how much I needed to hear something like this at that point in my life. I have carried that scrap of paper around since then and wish I could thank whoever wrote it.

Anyway, back to my mini-vacation. I think the best part of it was taking a bath with just a bunch of candles and a glass of wine, with Neko singing in the other room. I'm trying to radically amp up my self-love and just being comfortable in my own skin, even for the length of a bath is great. I feel re-energized and ready to go back to work tomorrow and tackle new challenges.

My biggest challenge for myself is the story book I am doing for my sister. I really want her to have a book that shows kids with Down Syndrome without focusing on their difference from other kids. And I just love drawing her. I did learn the hard way today that I need to spellcheck before I ink things. little

rant, rave, and compliment

I've been reading a lot of books about feminism lately and doing research into parts of culture that upset me enough to actually take action and/or do more research and make life choices.

I am signed up to volunteer at Planned Parenthood next week. I will be calling local residents and letting them know about the impact of women's issues on the upcoming election. I expect to be hung up on a lot but I also hope to just plant a seed in a few people's minds. I am thrilled to meet the woman I have been emailing with about this and others who are driven to get out of their houses and help out. Planned Parenthood is about so much more than abortions and while I understand people's reservations about the idea of abortion, I cannot understand reservations about choice.

I have also been questioning seriously the meaning behind taking Geoff's last name when we get married. I've been struggling with the pomp and circumstance that seems to be expected of every wedding but frankly what turns me on about the day is not swan ice sculptures and a string quartet, but the fact that I am celebrating the commitment I am making to my best friend. As for the last name thing, the more I think about it the more weirded out I am by the idea that I need to change who I am in some way to be married. And it annoys me that I am expected to make this change and the question is never posed to the guy. Geoff and I have talked it over and he has stated that he doesn't care what I do as long as I am happy and married to him. And so I think I will stay Amy Henderson. I'm not super attached to my name (and still cringe when asked to watch Harry and the Hendersons) but it is mine and it is part of me. So it is sticking around. Plus I really hate filling out paperwork and it seems like a lot of work to change a name.


Things you can do:

• Take part in National Love Your Body day. It is coming up, October 19th. Try to ignore the ever present message that your body is not good enough and appreciate it for what it is. Here is a list of suggestions on what to do that day from NOW. This is my personal favorite of theirs. I might have to come up with a few things myself, maybe even do a Love Your Body Week here on the blog.

• Sign this petition to get Facebook to remove groups that promote rape such as "It's not rape if you like it" and "Screwing your girlfriend while she's asleep" This sets me into a fit of rage much like the one I had yesterday over Twitters trending hashtag of #reasonstobeatyourgirlfriend.

• Check out Planned Parenthood in your area - get any info that you need and if you have a spare 2 hours, volunteer. 

• Next time you are at your bookstore of choice, pick up an issue of BUST, Ms. or Bitch. 

•  Compliment a lady friend, not on the way she looks (even if she is looking great) but on her character or actions. We could all hear a little more of that.

We still have a long way to go, but we can get there, baby.