Ooooh, shiny....

https://www.facebook.com/notes/10152126133962657/


Morrigan visits Hobby Lobby (poem)
6 July 2014 at 08:15

That morning, they should
have paid attention to the woman
washing blood off the Lexus
in the parking lot.


The doors bang open to the conference room
with a gesture from Her long thin fingers
and walks inside with a wild wind
snatching at papers, swirling the toupees
but somehow not ruffling
a single feather of Her
long cloak of ravenblack.


did you think She says
that I would not know what you are doing?

They all see stars; these godly men and women
for a moment, so bright and burning
their eyes water and
they find themselves in
the ribbon aisle.

She shakes one marble arm from the cloak
sweeps sideways with Her hand
a thousand cawing crows fill the air
the ribbons start slithering
and entwine their feet
with the fear of a teenage girl
caught between
the baby and the coat hanger

Did you think I would not know what you are doing to
My daughters and sons? She says

a rain of pink and yellow kitty buttons ping off their heads
each stinging pain
a mother struggling to feed two children
afraid a third
will starve them all

My daughters and sons and mothers and fathers
and nieces and nephews will not forget says She

zebrastriped ottomans slam into them
with the blows to the gut
of endometriosis gone out of control
the bleeding endlessly into anemia
dizziness dropping them to their knees
cramps as if their guts are being drawn
and wrapped around trees

Sons of the hounds, She cries, COME HERE AND GET MEAT!

Finn MaCool and Herne sweep in at the head
of caroling, slavering gabrielhounds
and the wind's roaring is so loud they think
their ears will explode and the crashing
of painted crystal and flower vases is
the continous roar of the ocean

they are cut with a thousand tiny shards of glass
their faces all scratches and tiny tears of blood streaming
puking up with fear
like 8 hours after Plan B
feet anchored to the floor with
layer after layer of Disney stickers
and terror of the Phantom Queen

My children choose, says She.
Not you. not in My name
not in My dominion

not for My daughters and sons and mothers and fathers and lovers
not for My children and My non-children
they are Mine and you shall not interfere in My name
the battles they fight are Ours and sacred
no matter what they decide, My children are blessed

they can hear Her voice like dreadful bells
clear right through the hurricane
up under the suspended ceiling
the tiles rippling like an earthquake
dust and glitter swirling through the air
so thick the light is gray

She sweeps back Her cloak
both hands palms down
there is a silence that rings as loud as Her voice

the hounds and the heroes file neatly out the
automatic doors that crunch across
the broken glass

The Battle Crow eyes the board members
one by one with bright black eyes
stripping them down
to their profits and loss
their knees shaking
like they had worked eighteen hours
on an assembly line making wreaths and bows
for a dollar a day

Do not invoke god in your decisions for your fellow folk, She says
until you know Who will answer.

c.--Kate Holly-Clark, 2014

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/03/westboro-baptist-church-founder-fred-phelps-dead-at-84/#.UysMDtX805w.facebook

TOPEKA, Kan. — Anti-gay extremist Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church and the “Gods Hate Fags” fundamentalist movement, has died, according to his son, Timothy Phelps.

Family members told local media that Phelps died shortly before Midnight last night.

Phelps, 84, founded the Topeka, Kan.-based church in 1955. The group has been involved in actions against gays since at least 1991, and first came into the national spotlight in 1998, when it picketed at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured near Laramie, Wyo., in October 1998, then tied to a fence and left to die.

The announcement comes just days after another son, Nathan Phelps, reported on Facebook that his father was “on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka.”

Nathan Phelps has been estranged from the family since leaving the group 37 years ago at age 18.

In 2011, the church stated that it had about 40 members, almost all of which are members of Phelps’ extended family.

http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Between 8AM and 5PM Thursday and Friday, call Rick Perry’s office at 512-463-2000. When a very polite woman takes you off hold and asks why you are calling, say civilly and politely that you are calling to oppose a second special session. She will not take down any comments; she will just add you to her call count. Keep trying until you get through.

If you don’t like using the phone, write a letter (but keep it civil) to Rick Perry’s website contact page ( http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/) and tell him how much you oppose a second session.

http://www.askmoxie.org/2013/03/a-letter-to-my-sons-about-stopping-rape.html

A Letter To My Sons About Stopping Rape

Dear Boys,

Some really horrible things happened to someone who could be one of your friends, and it was done by some people who could be your friends. You're 11 and almost-8 now, so the incident that made me write this letter isn't something you've heard about, but this stuff keeps happening, unfortunately. So I need to talk to you about it.

First of all, I know we talk all the time about how special your bodies are, and how you’re the only one who gets to decide what to do with your body. I’ve never made you put anything in your mouth that you didn’t want to, or touch anyone you didn’t want to, or talk to anyone you didn’t want to, because I wanted you to understand that you and you alone control your boundaries. We worked on blowing a kiss so you could show that you liked someone without having to touch them, and high fives if you were ok touching them but only with your hand. We talked all the time about not letting people tell you that what you wanted was wrong or that they knew better, and that you should always always tell your dad or grandma or me if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable.

And we talk all the time about making sure that if you’re touching someone else that they want you to be touching them. That if they say “No” you have to stop right away (even if it’s just fake-punching your brother) and that even if they aren’t saying “No” you need to make sure they’re still enjoying it. You know how sometimes you like to be tickled and sometimes you don’t? Well, everyone’s like that, so even if they liked it when you did it yesterday, you should still make sure they really want you to today, whatever kind of touching it is.

Now I’m going to talk about sex. I know you know “how it works” because we’ve been talking about it ever since you two were little, since before you could read, and you know all about sperm and eggs and penises and vaginas and vulvas and orgasms and condoms and all that. And I know I told you it feels good and you had a hard time seeing how that could be true but took my word for it. Well, the thing I didn’t tell you is that it feels unbelievably amazing when you’re doing it with someone who really wants to be doing it with you. Like, better than popcorn followed by ice cream, or a Supah Ninjas marathon, or two snow days in a row. You know how excited I get when I get a new pair of shoes? It’s like 500 times better than that, when the person you’re doing it with is so excited to be doing it with you that they start asking you for it.

This is what I want you to wait for. I want you to wait to have sex until the person you’re with asks you for it. Tells you they need you now, and that they can’t wait, and they want it. Calls you by your name and asks for it.

If you’re ever in a situation in which someone is asking you for it and you don’t want to have sex with that person, don’t do it. And if you’re ever in a situation in which you want to have sex but the other person doesn’t ask you for it, don’t do it. It’s only good if you both want it, and can tell each other you want it, and are sure you both want it. Otherwise someone’s going to get hurt. And romance is weird enough without hurting other people when you can stop yourself (and you can always stop yourself--that goes along with having opposable thumbs).

This letter is almost over but this next part is super-important: Not everyone you know has been taught all the stuff we’ve talked about. You are going to know people, and maybe even be friends with people, who think it’s ok to hurt other people in a lot of ways. One of those ways is sex. I know you’re going to hear other boys say things about girls, or sometimes about other boys, that means they don’t care about those girls’ feelings or bodies. When you do, I need you to step in. All you have to do is say something like, “Dude, that’s not cool” or something that lets the person saying something nasty know that it’s not ok. Remember that everyone wants to fit in. If you can take control of the mood in the room by letting them know nasty talk isn’t ok, they’ll stop so they don’t look like an idiot.

Remember how we talk all the time about how we’re the people who help, who fix things when there’s a problem or someone’s in trouble? You may get the chance to do that someday. Because those boys who say nasty things about girls may actually do something to those girls. If you are ever anywhere where boys start hurting a girl, or touching her in any way that she doesn’t want, you need to step in. If she’s asleep or drunk or passed out or drugged and can’t say “no,” you need to step in. Remember, it’s not good unless both people can say they want it. If a girl isn’t saying anything, that doesn’t mean she wants it. If she isn’t saying specifically that she wants it, then it’s wrong.

Here’s how you should step in:

1. If it’s safe for you to say something, say something. In a loud, commanding voice, tell the guy who’s doing it to stop, and make sure he knows it’s not ok and he can’t be an asshole (sorry to curse, but by the time you’re in this situation you’ll be cursing, too). Then help the girl get to someplace safe, and call her parents. (Even if she thinks she’s going to get in trouble, call her parents. If they’re mad at her, I can talk to them and take care of it.)

2. If it’s not safe for you to say something, leave the room quietly and calmly and call me. I do not care if you’re someplace you’re not supposed to be, or not the place you told me you were, or in Canada or someplace that would normally get you in a lot of trouble. You get immunity if you’re calling for help. My phone is always on, and it does not matter what time of day or night it is. If I don’t pick up right away, call your dad, and the same immunity rules apply. Call one of us and give us the address of where you are and we will come help. Then hang up and call 911. Tell them the address and that there’s an assault going on. They might want you to stay on the line with them until the police get there.

3. Even if you don't like the girl, step in. Even if she's been mean to you or snobby, or someone told you she did something you think is gross. No matter what she did, no one should hurt her. If you step in, the next day you can go back to hating her. If you don't step in, well, how are you any different from the loser who's hurting her? You know who you are. Step in.

4. Do not worry that everyone will hate you if you stop the cool kids from doing something. Stopping someone from hurting another person makes you a hero. This is what you’re here to do. And if there are people who don’t like it, screw them. Your dad and I will do anything it takes to make sure that anyone who doesn’t like your being a hero stays away from you and keeps their mouths shut.

We have been practicing for this for a long time, for being the ones who help. Remember when we were in the middle of the knife fight on the subway and we got the other mom and kid out of the way? Remember when we helped my friend move away from her scary husband? Remember all those times we took pictures of those freaky dudes staring at the little kids at the playground? We’ve been practicing to step in and help someone else. You can do it. I have faith in you.

Love,

Mom

http://news.yahoo.com/why-gay-parents-may-best-parents-131902676.html;_ylt=Ap3m_CEuLjVR0Nq50gT61Qus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqYWJhamhiBGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEcGtnA2JjMTg1MWYyLTAxNWItMzMxZS04YzUzLWQ3ZjVjNGFhNDZmNwRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbW9zdF9wb3B1bGFyBHZlcgMxMWM5ZjI2MC00MDU5LTExZTEtYWQ3Zi1iYjdkYzI1ZjYyYzU-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3


By Stephanie Pappas | LiveScience.com

Gay marriage, and especially gay parenting, has been in the cross hairs in recent days.

On Jan. 6, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told a New Hampshire audience that children are better off with a father in prison than being raised in a home with lesbian parents and no father at all. And last Monday (Jan. 9), Pope Benedict called gay marriage a threat "to the future of humanity itself," citing the need for children to have heterosexual homes.

( More back here )

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_arizona_abortion;_ylt=AuQ4T1YqZ0_mBNbe4vq.IpSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNuZzA4ZzdsBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTEwMzMwL3VzX2FyaXpvbmFfYWJvcnRpb24EY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwMyBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDYXJpem9uYWVuYWN0

Arizona enacts ban on abortions based on gender, race

By David Schwartz – Wed Mar 30, 5:04 am ET

PHOENIX (Reuters) – Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Tuesday signed into law a controversial bill that makes the state the first in the nation to outlaw abortions performed on the basis of the race or gender of the fetus.

The move comes as anti-abortion groups across the nation try to seize on gains made by political conservatives during the November elections, seeking enactment of new state laws to further restrict abortions.

Under the new Arizona statute, doctors and other medical professionals would face felony charges if they could be shown to have performed abortions for the purposes of helping parents select their offspring on the basis of gender or race.

The women having such abortions would not be penalized.

State legislators have said no such law exists anywhere else in the nation.

Backers of the measure said the ban is needed to put an end to sex- and race-related discrimination that exists in Arizona and throughout the nation. They insist the issue is about bias rather than any broader stance on abortion.

"Governor Brewer believes society has a responsibility to protect its most vulnerable -- the unborn -- and this legislation is consistent with her strong pro-life track record," a spokesman said.

But opponents have maintained that while such abortions may be happening in other countries like China, no clear evidence can found of it occurring in Arizona.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America also said the measure may erode a woman's rights, fearing that doctors for the first time would feel compelled to ask their patients the reasons for seeking an abortion.

A Planned Parenthood official in Arizona condemned the governor's action in a statement to Reuters.

"This law creates a highly unusual requirement that women state publicly their reason for choosing to terminate a pregnancy -- a private decision they already made with their physician, partner and family," said Bryan Howard, the group's chief executive.

The law contains no explicit provision requiring doctors to ask their patients their reasons for seeking an abortion, nor for patients to disclose such reasons. But opponents of the measure feel passage of the new law might make them feel more inclined to do so.

The law would take effect 90 days following the end of the current legislative session.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Peter Bohan)

I have no issue with women in the military whatsoever. I think it's short-sighted for the US government to keep women from active combat, particularly when it's clear that women ARE being in active combat.

NPR's article this morning on a woman at West Point confused me. Her mother claims she's a pacifist. The woman herself said that she understands that war has to happen.

Why the fuck are you going into the military, why study at West Point, if you don't want to be a soldier?

Damn you, Stephanie H!!

http://heavyred.com

http://www.beverlyheels.com/incEngine/?content=main

and ceosanna for this Steampunk clothing site

http://www.frenzyuniverse.com/Results.cfm?category=1

+++

And thanks to learath for this important link, relevant to just about ANYONE planning to claim deductions on their income tax returns this year

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/late-tax-breaks-delay-2011-filing-for-some-taxpayers-112603739.html

May affect "some" taxpayers, my ass.

Between Facebook (where I was called a piece of shit because I voted Democrat, and it was stated that "in 2 years we can get the rest of the shit out") newspapers and radio media, I am extremely disappointed in the Tea Party movement.

Wow, people, you really believe that re-electing Republicans is going to magically overnight fix all the woes of this bruised country.

I feel so sorry for you. You mouth these sound bytes about "mandates" and "the people" and "change will finally come" and I don't think you actually realize how confused y'all are.

No, this "new" government will NOT stop paying for a helicopter for a politician and put that money towards making new roads. No, this "new" government will not suddenly hear the Vox Populi and pull it's head out of its collective ass.

It's the same stupidity. It's the same faces. Nothing will change. And I am so very very sorry that you can't see that.