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27Mar2011
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27Mar2011
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27Mar2011
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Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it.”
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog.If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Now more than ever—in light of increased hate speech, discriminatory language, and damaging stereotypes about Muslims—we want to elevate the diverse and vibrant art and voices of Muslim women from around the world to emphasize Muslim women cannot be defined. Muslim women are bold, creative, courageous, diverse, and dynamic. Muslim women are doctors, teachers, mothers, human rights activists, artists, journalists, dancers, and so much more.
Together, let’s get loud to shatter damaging stereotypes about Muslims in the United States and worldwide. Explore some of the powerful work and words from Muslim women artists, activists, photographers, and leaders through work featured in our MUSLIMA: Muslim Women’s Art & Voicescampaign.
These 9 Muslim women are challenging negative images and portrayals, defying labels and definitions, and breaking down harmful walls—just by being themselves.
LaRita Dixon, USA
“In this work, I wanted to show the fun side of Muslims, to show people that we are just like everyone else.”
“My Muslim woman is amongst the millions of unsung and often ignored Muslim women in global societies. These are women that are strong, liberated, awakened in all senses, exercising their rights, voicing their opinions; they are the leaders, educators, doctors, writers, artist, activists and so on.”
“I try to challenge the cultural discourse about what Muslim women should act like. And exhibit leadership through my sport and encourage other women to be strong norm breakers.”
Rajae el Mouhandiz, Morocco/Algeria/The Netherlands
“I have had to deal with Muslim music labels not wanting to promote me because I am a woman and didn’t wear hijab… I believe that pop culture and songwriting in Muslim culture—just like in all other cultures—are great vehicles to use as a way to express yourself, your search for your unique character and identity, and to share ideas with your peers and the world. Pop culture has always be a catalyst, and has proven to be very effective tool for cultural diplomacy or cultural rebellion.”
“Being Muslima in a western city is not as bad as some people think. In my experience, it makes you somehow more conscientious, more sensitive, and more self-confident at an early age. When I started to cover myself with a hijab, I felt that from then on, I was representing something bigger than me. I was representing a whole community—a community that is diverse as the humanity itself.”
“I’m still touched by the diversity of the Islamic global community and that idea developed into this piece. I decided to create a montage of women in different headscarves and different complexions. I have depicted Muslim women wearing turbans, Turkish hijabs, “traditional” hijabs, stylish wraps, niqabs (face veils) and no hijab. I want to show the audience our beauty and also our diversity in terms of how we outwardly reflect our faith. The mainstream image of Muslim women is quite one dimensional and I think this piece can offer the viewer to an alternative to the current monolithic stereotype.”
“I looked through the crowd and noticed such a variety of people there, all with different backgrounds and stories, all different races and different ages. What I thought before I took this picture was how amazing it is that this one belief could unite so many of us, no matter what differences we had. It was while having this thought that I saw this little girl sitting on the floor staring right at me. “Purity” was the only word that came to mind when her piercing eyes met mine. A child’s thoughts are so unsullied by the world around them and the less-than-twenty-second interaction I had with this girl made me believe that our hope truly does lie in hands of those younger than us. They are the ones with big dreams and hopeful thoughts. If ever faith is lost in you, look into the eyes of a child, you will find your faith there.”
”I firmly believe that through peace, love, respect, and mutual understanding, we will be able to provide a helping hand that will empower each woman to reach out like a sister to one another. In today’s world, where our chances of connectivity are much higher, it truly is possible to create a culture of sisterhood and unity. As we share our experiences and voices interactively throughout the globe, we receive the chance not just to bring visibility, but to breathe life into our stories.”
“For years, I tortured myself trying to blend in, trying to stand out, trying to “find myself” within these little boxes. But it’s impossible. Instead, I make art that is, I hope, less categorized and reductive, reflecting that the boundaries we create between us and inside of us are, in fact, an illusion. So my work is not so much about defining Muslim women, or anyone, but undefining them. About undefining ourselves and connecting to that universal something that exists within all of us.”
Together, let’s do some undefining. Share these powerful pieces of art and words from Muslim women to stand with them as they shatter stereotypes and challenge discrimination.
Explore more voices and art from Muslim women around the world in MUSLIMA.
*****
Readers: Posting these beautiful works of art by these women brings me joy. I HOPE they bring you joy too.
Happy Sunday!
Peace& Love
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog.If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Coincidence Detector used multiple brackets around a user’s name to identify them as Jewish.
An extension for Google’s Chrome browser that let users identify and track suspected Jewish members of the media and entertainment industries has been removed from the Chrome store after the web giant said it breached its rules against promoting hate speech and inciting violence.
The extension, known as Coincidence Detector, identified suspected or confirmed Jews by adding triple parentheses to their names wherever they were referenced online. Its existence was first reported by Mic, a New York-based news site targeted at millennials, in a post on Thursday that described how neo-Nazis and anti-Semites were using it to target Jews for abuse and harassment.
In effect, the extension appeared to work as a kind of crowdsourced database, with users recommending or suggesting new additions or correcting and adding to those suggested by others. At the time it was removed, the Coincidence Detector had been downloaded more than 2,700 times and had a database of 8,700 people. It had a rating of five out of five stars, according to Mic.
The name of the Chrome extension appears to have been intended as a reference to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that Jews somehow dominate the media and entertainment industries, and control them from within to the detriment of society. It was also likely chosen so that it wouldn’t raise any red flags inside Google, and appears to have been in use for months, if not longer.
As Mic described in a separate story, the use of two or three brackets around the name of a suspected or confirmed Jewish person is called an “echo” in right-wing and anti-Semitic groups and communities online, and is a way for such groups to single out Jews in a way that doesn’t attract a lot of attention.
The origins of the symbol ((())) can be traced to a hardcore, right-wing podcast called The Daily Shoah in 2014. It’s known as an echo’ in the anti-Semitic corners of the alt-right — a new, young, amorphous conservative movement that comprises trolls fluent in internet culture, free speech activists warring against political correctness and earnest white nationalists.
New York Times writer Jonathan Weisman described how he was targeted for online harassment—in many cases by supporters of Donald Trump—after receiving tweets that mentioned his name and included double brackets. One Twitter user described it as a “dog whistle” or identifier that would alert like-minded people to Weisman’s Jewish heritage, and he soon received a number of threatening messages, including photos of the front gates of Auschwitz, a German concentration camp.
Google likely took quick action on the Coincidence Detector extension because it has been criticized for anti-Semitic elements built into its web searches and other features. Last year, a number of groups pointed out that searches for “Who controls Hollywood” suggested an encyclopedia entry on Jews as a result. Google said it was working to fix the problem by adjusting its algorithms.
((()))
Sick, right?
Happy Saturday – Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog.If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Just in time to support the female candidate, and retort to the man quote ” It takes more than a set of ovaries to qualify for POTUS.” Interestingly we didn’t hear “It takes more than a set of tiny balls to qualify for POTUS” when 44 men were the only candidates because that qualification kept women out of the running. Did you really think I wouldn’t show up to cheer on Hillary? This time, Hillary, we’re going all the way!!
So who’s with me?
Let me make it easy.
Do this: Reach down in your pants and if you don’t have a set of balls you should be voting for Hillary. Easy. (Hell, even if you do have a set a balls, they aren’t big ones if you don’t vote for the girl.)
Now…as much as I’d like to think women will pull together, I don’t expect all the women to be voting for Hillary. Yes, we have women who were raised to believe that a man is the head of the house. Yes, he may have one…er…two heads…but that is no prerequisite for the office of POTUS.
As I see it, American men have had 44 chances to work their magic with the public, whether it be the young or the old, the undecided or the independent. It’s about time a woman got her chance to lead this country towards equality for all in both the social and economic arenas.
If she fails she will be in good company, since 44 other male presidents have failed to galvanize the people to rise up and take back their country from the greedy rich and the bought and paid for legislators who sell us out for a few dollars to keep the greedy bastards in power.
All I see in this pre-election hoopla is just another attempt by American males to convince the female voter to give another male a chance. Nope!! Not gonna happen!!! Not from me. Sorry Bernie, your sex has had all the chances they’re going to get to “Save the country.”
If I have any say, and I think I do :) I will be advocating to all females to rally behind Hillary. The brain pool of “men-only” in the office of POTUS has been an incredible failure.
It’s time for a woman.
“We, the people, are sick and tired of this crap.” I love when I hear men say this. Hello!…you’re sick of it?! How do you think women feel?
Oh and by the way, the “crap” you’re tired of is from what MEN have done to this country, not women. Women make up only 17% of the House and Senate. All the presidents have been male. Yet, here is a statement that I have heard from men who feel they are presenting another “logical” reason this country should be led by another male.
Their logic escapes me.
Men are going to constantly try to promote that the next man is going to be the savior who will “really” save us this time.
My point is, that it is men, who are blindly or deliberately leading this country down the toilet. Men have refused to allow women to add to the brain pool that ponders solutions to America’s problems, hence the ever presence of the suggestion by another man that this is the man with the solution to America’s problem. Or as we women have come to expect “Trust me I won’t _____ in your mouth.”
Sorry this woman doesn’t care to suck on your Bernie stick.
So, I ask again, and I’ll keep asking, “Who’s with me?”
It feels good to be back. So looking forward to hearing from all of you! ❤
Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog.If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Breast cancer is serious stuff but we don’t have to be so serious to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Hey, even theWhite House has been known to illuminate the cause.
The North Portico exterior of the White House is illuminated pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Oct. 1, 2012 (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and some individuals and organizations are going beyond pink ribbons to embrace out-of-the-box ways to stand up for breast health.
We’ve partnered with the makers of Genius 3D mammography to highlight six awesome ways people are doing their part to keep breast cancer a part of the conversation.
1. Check Your Puppies!
Arguably the best thing on the internet, these pups are bringing attention to breast cancer prevention, thanks to the UK edition of Cosmopolitan and London-based self-examination advocate organization CoppaFeel!. It might seem silly, but their heads (er…hands?) are in the right place: Each month, Cosmo’s Facebook and Twitter followers are reminded to conduct their monthly breast exam with a photo of cute puppies in a bra. Cute animals AND breast health? We’re into it.
This a cappella take on The Divinyls’ 1990 classic anthem “I Touch Myself” will give you chills. After realizing her diagnosis was terminal, frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett thought this girl-power classic should be repurposed to encourage women to check their bodies for cancer. After her death in April 2013, Australian advocacy group Cancer Council New South Wales collaborated with a local group of singers to recreate this song as a means for self-examination advocacy.
3. Standup (Literally) for Awareness
We were already big fans of comedian Tig Notaro, but the way she announced her breast cancer diagnosis threw her into uncharted onstage territory. The set, which is now available on iTunes, got rave reviews for bringing a touch of humor to a very unfunny topic. From Entertainment Weekly: “…Funny, sensitive, and with a firm grasp on the fundamental absurdity of life.” Not many people can turn tragedy into touching standup, but Tig Notaro definitely succeeded.
4. Turning Lemons into (Actual) Lemonade
What’s the only thing more refreshing than a tall glass of chilled sweetness? One served with a side of compassion. Two Texas girls took their end-of-summer lemonade stand to philanthropic heights when they used the classic kid entrepreneur model to raise funds for a local organization dedicated to helping breast cancer patients. The girls put a creative touch on the summer classic — offering customers the choice of pink lemonade (and cupcakes) to help raise awareness for the cause. How sweet is that?!
5. Stiletto Stampede
Race for the Cure events will happen in 150 cities around the world this year alone. But organizers in Austin, Texas, really kick it up a notch with “Stiletto Stampede,”their take on the annual fund-race. Now in its sixth year, participants make the 100-yard dash in high heels to help women and men better understand breast cancer and breast health.
6. Cookies for the Cause
We love these “mammo-graham” cookies from blogger Wendy Thomas. Here’s the recipe so you can make your own and spread awareness among your family and friends (or even the office!)
Mammo-Graham Marzipan Recipe
What you’ll need:
chocolate graham crackers split in two
1 roll of marzipan
white frosting
pink frosting gel
To make the ones pictured above, Wendy used one roll of the marzipan cut into 13 pieces and warmed in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Then she says to “roll each section into a ball, and squish while molding it until you have a flat section for between the graham crackers and a bulging section that sticks out. ‘Glue’ the marzipan to the graham crackers with some frosting and then use the gel frosting to make the nipple.”
Genius 3D mammography is available as Hologic Selenia® Dimensions® 3D system. Please consult your physician for a complete list of the benefits and risks associated with mammography.
♥♥♥
Readers: Of course, I love anything with animals and kids…and the song…well it speaks for itself. Tig Notaro interview is a fresh and wonderful mix of raw vulnerability, authenticity, and comedy – a good watch. And those Mammo Grahams are hilarious! Yes, guys, they do get smashed like that in the mammogram x-ray machine.
Are you doing anything special this month to honor our sisters that have been diagnosed with breast cancer or who are breast cancer survivors? Please share. Blog me.
FF: Thanks for taking a step forward to stop the insanity of these thugs with badges. I tried your link to write a letter myself and it isn’t working.
If anyone would like to contact Ohio Governor Kasich’s inbox, click here.
Burne: I can totally relate about voters voting on single issues that affect them, especially when it comes to the repubs that I know. I don’t know the stats of older voters vs young voters though. I have some repub friends and I feel that they are just focusing on one or two issues and using talking points given to them. Usually it is about taxes. Ugh…So frustrating.
In my opinion and experience from the ones I do engage in a political conversation with, they’re really not on top of any other issues except the one or two that is personally affecting them. And if I have to be totally honest, I don’t even think they are totally informed, even on those. Most of my frustration is with women who have no idea because they live with their head in the sand living in a tiny world, too dumb, or just go into denial that their party is mostly misogynists who could care less about them.
But I hear what you’re saying, Marilyn. Young voters are just not voting, and especially when it comes to midterm elections. That is where we can make a huge difference, and win this election, if we can just get the young dems to the polls, especially the women. I will be blogging on this topic soon.
Sandra: It may be foolish to think that it’s going to change but it is worth the effort to get them there because the downside is, nothing will get done in the next two years unless we do. Obama got a lot of young and first time voters to the polls in 2008. Unfortunately they slacked when it came to taking it home at the midterms in 2010, but I have faith.
Lucy, ST: Sorry to hear that. You too, Irene, and anyone else having trouble. It’s the same same ol’ story. Blame it on those that oppose.
Gary: I like your suggestions of being prepared for voting day. Repubs may not be able to make it impossible to vote but they sure will try. And if you do vote, they will certainly try and switch your vote to steal the election. We have to all participate this November.
I agree with you - Obama doesn’t have to be on the ballot to make an election important. But people need to realize that midterms are sometime even more important because control can change party very quickly. We saw it in 2010 when the Dems didn’t show up because they were still high from the win in 2008. I am HOPEing that from what we have experienced with a loss in the House, how important the November midterms are are, and get themselves to the polls. Obama just signs legislation; he doesn’t write it. As we all know from experience, with Obama as president and repubs in power, hardly anything will get done, because the repubs would rather see this country fail than a black man succeed.
I feel your frustration over the apathy of the general public. I am frustrated too. We have the right to vote and many don’t exercise that right by using the power of their voice and their vote to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
I just keep thinking how much Obama has done and how much more he could’ve done, and could do if we can just keep the Senate and get back the House. We have all put in so much effort over the years, we can’t give up now.
Robert, I: I haven’t seen you here in awhile. Are you around? I HOPE all is OK.
Thanks for sticking around. Peace& Love…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog.If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
