Gendered music

This post is taken almost entirely from an online conversation with friends. The words are nearly all mine. Allow me to express my fury, once again, that if I select a Pearl Jam song on Spotify, I will get that song, followed up by a playlist of 50 bands and solos who are ALL male….but…

Jen’s Rules For Not Joking About Shit

Okay, it sounds like it's time for Jen's Rules For Not Joking About Shit (because the jokes can hurt people). TW for sensitive topics, e.g. body autonomy, assault. Also, NSFW language, clearly. 1: Don't make fun of people for body stuff. Even better, don't make fun of people for things they can't help. That includes…

Let’s just try to call the next 12 months

So far in the USA this year - and I won't get everything, okay? - we've had action toward: banning foreigners from the country banning trans people from the military. Also, bathrooms. banning people in general from medical insurance, because Fuck People. putting all the wrong people in charge of all the wrong things. withdrawing…

The Internet we know is going away

Unless we save it. No, I'm not kidding. I'm not exaggerating. Net Neutrality says that internet providers have to treat everything on the internet equally, instead of blocking or charging more or whatever the hell else big, for-profit companies are absolutely dying to do. Make three calls The website Five Calls does an outstanding job of…

Leading the Resistance

I've decided to become the leader of the Resistance. Or at least, to act like it. And yes, I'm perfectly serious. I figure that the women's march is just a start. There are so many troubles facing America right now, and it's going to be very easy for the momentum we've started to fizzle due…

On hijacking conversations: But what about [different issue]?

This is a pattern that must stop. Person #1: "[Fill in the blank] is a huge issue! Yet another example of [Fill in the blank] just happened. That's [an unreasonably large number] times it's happened this year / lives affected!" Person #2: "But what about [different issue]? Why isn't anyone upset about [different issue]?" This is never, ever appropriate. Stop being…

On conferences and anti-harassment [Updated!]

UPDATE: PASS, the organization in question, has posted an excellent reply to the  concerns I wrote about here. Well done, PASS; I like an org who will answer concerns promptly, and publicly. I'm gonna say the major problem with any halfway decent anti harassment policy (AHP) is how it gets interpreted. This is currently an issue because the…

Dear gun-toting anti-Muslim Irving guys…no, Dear Everyone

I read that you staged an armed protest in front of a Mosque. You're not helping. If a group of Muslim Irving residents showed up in front of your church on Sunday to protest something, and they were carrying guns like that, you'd shit your pants, call the police, and duck-and-cover. So yes, I'm pretty sure you understand that…

Guns, guns, guns – part 2, the sickening

Guns, guns, guns - part 1 was an effort to familiarize myself with some of the pro-gun arguments. Part 2 is a rant. I'm done with this. I'm sick of it. We had two university shootings in one day today - in Arkansas, and then in Texas. Between the two, I had a prolonged discussion on Twitter with…

Getting real tired of your attitude, Internet

Many of us have bemoaned, will bemoan, are bemoaning the rudeness and downright hostility (and sometimes, violent vitriol) of random strangers on the internet. I'm done bemoaning. I'm sick of it. Time to start pointing out the poison and refusing to take part. This comes from an incident. A friend posted an article on FB…