I wear clothes that fit- so rape me!

I am absolutely appalled at the idea that it is a woman's responsibility to prevent herself from being raped. Some of the comments made in class on Wednesday probably came off wrong, but that is what they sounded like to me. I don't care if a woman is a 36C and likes to wear clothes that hug her figure, or is an Afghani and wears a burka. A WOMAN SHOULD NEVER BE TO BLAME FOR GETTING BEAT OR RAPED. Men have a choice, and they could choose to resist that very thing that turns them into a predator.

When I was in 7th grade there was a serial rapist targeting young women in the Tacoma area- somewhat close to where I lived. He would stalk the ones he chose to rape and then leave them for dead (if it got that far). It went on for weeks and we were all on high alert. We had counseling sessions at school that trained us on basic things we could do to protect ourselves, and were also instructed not to go anywhere alone. My sister Sarah was in 10th grade and her friend Montana was particularly protective of her friends- they discussed plans of action at lunch and some of their guy friends even volunteered to meet them at bus stops if not drive them to school- Unfortunately the one time Montana was not with her boyfriend she was targeted, pulled into the bushes, and raped by that monster. Only 4 houses away from her own. There was nothing about Montana's choice of clothing or her attitude that got her raped. She was a modest yet trendy girl, she carried herself well, and you could tell she cared about hygiene. There is nothing different she could of done- he chose her because he chose her.

I recognize that there are women who do choose to "flaunt what they've got," who chose to do certain things for a living that are considered taboo- but does that even mean they deserve to be raped? Even men have started to become targets of rape by women. Explain that one.

A Poorly Written Verse:

As we had a short week (and most of mine truly sucked)
I sit at my typing machine a lame duck.

I don't know what to write about-
I don't know what to say-
Perhaps I would if I'd been in class on Wednesday.

I don't get the paper unless at U.V.U,
hence missing class equals missing the news.
My life is so hectic! It's go-go-go!
I rarely make time to watch T.V. shows!

If I'm lucky my ear will catch blips here and there- But they're usually 'bout how so n' so did their hair.

And so here I sit, a failure you see, As I've not much to type about class this week.

HOWEVER. . .
I did catch a story about a Chimpanzee-
It went berserk on his owner and is now buried, 6Ft. deep.
The news broke fast and is apparently so big that a political cartoonist got in on the jig.

His artwork depicts the chimp lying dead,
and two police officers with this o'er their heads:
"They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Of course the toon was not received well-
But I find it a clever commentary, on a badly written bill.

I've attached the picture for you to see,
and then perhaps decide- is it racist, could it be?

This story has been touched on by almost everyone who's known-
and now I invite you to bring it in your home.

R.I.P Travis- He was a good chimpanzee. Al Sharpton Reacts Click Here:

AP Article Click Here:

"The world is a vampire set to rage..."

The above title has become a catch phrase of mine over the last few years and I do use it frequently, mostly when life gets me down, or for those times when I feel like it best suits the situation. Our discussion in class this last week has made me think the phrase more then once.

Having open dialog is important but the more and more we look into the media the more disgusted I am. Like in class today when someone (Mckenna?) commented on risque ads in magazines- they ARE always there, but for numerous reasons we overlook them. It isn't until we actually stop and READ the ad that our opinion forms. I was especially offended by the ad depicting stick man with a gun to stick woman's head. My little bit of rage inside started to fire up! And guess what? The people behind that ad had accomplished their mission. Just to getting people to see and then have some sort of emotion over their ad will get people talking about it, which will get people to purchase or believe in what is being sold.
Does any one else think its a little twisted?

Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins coined "my" catch phrase, and as music and the love of it is an integral part of my life I thought I would share two videos from You Tube involving one of my musical heroes and my favorite Beatle, John Lennon. It ties perfectly into class, and while some might find what is being sung offensive and not so true any more in our part of the world, it certainly still applies in other nations. I really appreciate what John shares in the interview and to an extent I do agree. I also admire him for never apologizing for what he believes. Ben Lee who performs in the second video is another of my favorite artists and he has combined the message of Lennon's song with images beautifully.

Errin- I REALLY think you'll like both.

Watch. LISTEN. Reflect.
(And try to ignore Yoko in the back ;).

Video One: John and Yoko perform "Woman is the Nigger of the World."
Click Here:

Video Two: Ben Lee's take on "Woman" images and song.
Click Here:

"She's well aquainted with the touch of a velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane."

I don't know if it's just because I have been sick, but I am not feeling a creative mojo going on. We talked about great stuff in class but none of it truly struck a chord. I loved the conversation we had about women and their changing portrayal on television/in movies over the years, and I also really liked our conversation in class today. I thought it was interesting the connection that was made between Beatlemania and young women starting to "break" free from authority. *Sigh* I love The Beatles!! I was thinking about it and I totally would've been one of those screaming and crying girls. I think the transition they made as artists, and the transition we make from youth to adult is only natural. There was a question in class about whether or not the desire to be less trendy comes with age and knowledge and I think that it is completely down to the individual. You can choose to read the magazines and watch E! News' "Best and Worst Dressed List" and then compare yourself, or you can choose to not care what E! News says. I am 25 and have just now figured out who I am and what my sense of style is- a good mix of what is trendy and what I like. I do find it interesting that their are people in the media spotlight who are applauded for "going against the grain" and when someone more mainstream tries it they are knocked down. Basically the media is one fat contradiction that gives me a headache and John is my favorite. :)