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Archive for the 'Wonderful Women Of The World' Category

Tim Wise: There Are No Accidents Only Precedents

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 27th July 2016

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Good morning!

First of all congratulations to Hillary Clinton for becoming the Democratic Nominee for President! Herstory has been made! I am thrilled for her and us.

I was one who liked Bill Clinton’s speech in support of his wife. I almost always agree with Rachel Maddow on everything that she says, but this time I disagreed with her. I didn’t think it was weird or a knock to feminists (I’m a feminist and I didn’t find his speech to be derogatory.) because Clinton spoke about courting his wife and calling her a “girl.” I love that term and always refer to myself as a “girl.” I could’ve called my cadre “Womenz” but I didn’t; I preferred Girlz. :)

Nor did I find it to be shocking and rude as Maddow stated. No, I enjoyed it because we got to hear about a different more personal side about Hillary. I had no idea how much she actually accomplished during the time of her courtship to Bill, nor what her goals and ambitions were earlier in life before she married him. Because he brought himself and their courtship into the story it made it more interesting and I remembered more than if he just started listing all that she had done. The time line shows her unwavering perseverance and commitment to do what she sets her mind out to do, that is not just recent but throughout her entire career in and out of the public eye.

Bill Clinton has always been a compelling and inspiring speaker and this time he was no different. Many say it humanized Hillary for those that are struggling to connect and trust her.

Firstly, thank you Social Butterfly for posting that short video of Tim Wise. I thought everyone should watch it if they haven’t. I’m posting it here because I think it is that good.

Now onto today’s Write. 

The video above inspired me to dive a little deeper. I found this video, another from Tim Wise that I wanted to share with all of you - no coincidence that his last name is “Wise” because he certainly is in my opinion. 

Antiracist essayist, author and activist Tim Wise delivered a keynote speech at the California Federation of Teachers 74th annual statewide convention on March 11, 2016 in San Francisco on the topic of “Using racism to divide and conquer, from the 1600s to Donald Trump.”

This is an awesome speech. He shows how the wealthy in this country uses the education system to set up the masses for inequality rather than an opportunity to rise to their level of privilege. He shows why those in power do their best to cripple education. Their philosophy is “if they all learn to read, who is going to do that work that priorities the needs of the Haves?”

Pay special attention to Tim Wise’s “There are no accidents only precedents” statement and explanation. You will find many uses for this in your life time. Spending this 46 minutes with Mr. Wise is all it takes to thoroughly understand the “Algebra of Inequality,” and the “Calculus of Oppression.” Afterwards, whether you are a teacher, relative, friend or parent you too will be able to ratify the Truth of young people.

Watch it: 

 

Readers: Thoughts? Something to say? Say it here.

Blog me.

Peace out.  

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)

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All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

me

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Good Reads and Good See'ds, Human Rights and Equality, Journeys within, Political Powwow, Wonderful Women Of The World | 7 Comments »

Opening Night At The DNC: Michelle Obama Nailed It

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 26th July 2016

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Good morning!

I know that probably every one of you saw Michelle Obama’s speech last night during the first evening of the DNC. In my opinion she is the quintessence of intelligence, grace, style, and beauty. I was so drawn in by her words…so moved by her honesty, and inspired by her optimism. This girl is REAL.

I loved that her speech was all about the children and the future of our country and how Hillary is the girl who will stick in there and persevere, no matter what. Michelle Obama: I hear you. I’m with her too.

Her speech, as many have already stated, will be anthologized, quoted, and replayed for years to come. Let me begin by replaying it for you right now. Unlike the featured article, I am posting the full speech. Enjoy it again.

From the Huff Po:

FLOTUS LIKE A BUTTERFLY STING LIKE A BEE

Michelle Obama: Who Do You Want For Your Children’s Role Model?

The Democratic Convention crowd went wild.

PHILADELPHIA ― First lady Michelle Obama on Monday asked Americans to decide who they want serving as a role model for their children ― Donald Trump orHillary Clinton.

This election, Obama said during her speech at the Democratic National Convention, “is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.”

The crowd waved purple signs that read simply, “Michelle.”

Obama made clear that this election will determine who will give hope to the next generation, or instill fear.

“Every word we utter, every action we take, we know they are watching,” Obama said. “We as parents are their most important role models.”

That responsibility, Obama said, carries into her role as first lady, and her husband’s job as president.

“We know that our words and actions matter not just to our girls, but to children across this country,” she said.

Taking a jab at Trump and others who have questioned the president’s citizenship and his faith, Obama repeated the advice she and the president have shared with their children.

“When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level,” she said. “No, our motto is: ‘When they go low, we go high.’”

Obama recalled a simple but telling moment her husband shared with a little boy to tell those in Wells Fargo Center and watching across the U.S. that this election comes downs to more than party divisions stirring Democrats as the convention begins.

“Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband with eyes wide, and he wondered, ‘Is my hair like yours?’” Obama said. “Make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we are deciding. Not Democrat or Republican. Not left or right.”

And the only person she trusts with the future of her daughters and other American children is Hillary Clinton.

“I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters,” she said. “I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life work shows our children that we don’t seek fame and fortune for ourselves.”

A president “can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out,” she said. “You need to be steady and measured and well informed.”

In a nod to disgruntled Bernie Sanders supporters, Obama noted Clinton’s loss to her husband in 2008. “Hillary knows this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.”

Instead, Obama said, Clinton decided to keep coming back to put “cracks in the highest and hardest glass ceiling” and take the country along. It’s that story of America, she said, that brought her to Philadelphia to deliver her speech.

It’s the story of generations who lived their lives in the U.S. feeling the “lash of bondage … the sting of segregation,” but who kept “striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today, I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.

“And I watch my daughters, two beautiful and intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.”

Now, because of Clinton, Obama said her daughters will “take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”

💪🏽♀💪🏽

President Obama: You must be so proud. Michelle Obama is a Wonderful Woman Of The World.

Readers: I’m 👉🏼 With Her.

Mike, TM: Thanks for the very informative post. You answered many questions that I had as I was perusing online. As usual the stakes are high. I’m looking forward to hearing how Putin arranged to get the UK out of the EU. I find it fascinating that hours after the Brexit vote, many British frantically googled:  ”What is the EU?” and “What will Brexit mean for the UK?” I couldn’t understand why people voted to leave the EU when they weren’t quite sure what their vote to leave would mean. Or was it just Big L, littla a…when it came to getting to the polls to vote or ? Perhaps your revealing of Putin’s antics will expose the truth.

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

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

me

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Bitch Badinage, Good Reads and Good See'ds, Journeys within, Political Powwow, Style, Wonderful Women Of The World | 25 Comments »

Wonderful Women Of The World

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 24th July 2016

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 Good Sunday Morning! 

Wonderful Women of The World, from Global Fund For Women:

9 inspiring Muslim women shattering stereotypes

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.”

Hijabis_LaRita-Dixon

Hijabis.

Haafiza Sayed, UAE/India

“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.”

 

Hafiza_The-Invisible-Muslima

The Invisible Muslima.

 

Nadia Helmy Ahmed, Denmark

“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.”

 

Nadia-Helmy-Ahmed

Fighting Against Cultural and Religious Discourses.

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.”

 Rajae-freedom-poster-768x1087

Watch Rajae’s music video in Mainstream Muslima.

Soufeina Hamed, Germany

“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.”

Soufeina-PopArt-Work

Less Different.

Kelly Izdihar Crosby, USA

“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.”

Tapestry-of-Sisterhood

Tapestry of Sisterhood.

Senna Ahmad, USA

“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.”

Senna-Ahmad

A Hopeful Prayer on the Night on Power.

Zainab Khan, USA/Afghanistan/Pakistan

”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.”

sisters-zainab-khan

Sisters.

Saba Chaudhry Barnard, USA

“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.”

Sophia-American-Beauty

Sophia (American Beauty) in An-Noor.

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

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

me

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Entertainment & Laughter, Uncategorized, Wonderful Women Of The World | 17 Comments »

Don’t Mess With This Bay Area Girl 💪🏽

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 14th July 2016

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Good Morning!

From my neck of the woods. I love this story of strength, on the ball (literally!) and just down right kick ass, courage. A Wonderful Woman of The World in my book.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Nation’s oldest park ranger returns to work after violent attack

920x920

Betty Reid Soskin, 94, greets a cousin, Kirk Allen, at the Rosie the Riveter visitor center where she tells visitors about growing up in Richmond.

With her bruises healed and her spirits bolstered by scores of well-wishers, the nation’s oldest park ranger returned to work Tuesday eager to get back to her normal routine after being beaten in her East Bay home two weeks ago by a robber who stole a prize coin given to her by President Obama.

Betty Reid Soskin, 94, was calm and composed as she returned to the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park on Richmond’s waterfront, greeting a crowd of fellow park rangers and volunteers with smiles and hugs as they welcomed her back.

“I don’t think there was any way to prepare myself for this morning,” Soskin told the crowd. “It’s good to see all of you, and to feel the support the community has given me.”

She bristled at being referred to as a victim.

1024x1024

Soskin hugs friends and co-workers as she returns to work after the June 27 attack in her home during which she was beaten and robbed.

The White House is sending a replacement coin to 94-year-old Betty Soskin, who says she hopes she can recover the original from violent home intruder The oldest park ranger in the US suffered a violent home invasion in which the suspect stole a commemorative coin Barack Obama gave to the 94-year-old woman, according to California police.

“I was almost obsessive about not wanting to look like a victim because I didn’t feel like a victim,” Soskin said.

1024x1024

Betty Reid Soskin returns to her job as park ranger at the Rosie the Riveter visitor center in Richmond after the attack June 27.

She recalled going to bed around 11 p.m. on the night of June 26 only to be awakened two hours later by a hooded burglar standing in her bedroom with a flashlight.

She crept out of bed and grabbed her cell phone, but before she could call for help the prowler threw his arms around her and wrestled her phone away. Soskin screamed as the robber dragged her into the hallway and punched her repeatedly in the face. She was able to escape by grabbing his genitals and then running into the bathroom, where she barricaded herself with her feet against the doorway and her back against a cabinet.

She plugged in her iron and had it ready to use as a weapon if he entered the bathroom. She stayed put for about 45 minutes until she was sure he had gone.

“If he had opened the door, I was going to brand him for the police,” Soskin said.

1024x1024

Following the attack, she went to a neighbor’s home to call the police. They have yet to identify the attacker, or recover the commemorative presidential coin Obama gave her.

She said she is nervous about learning the identity of her attacker.

“I almost need him to remain in the shadows,” she said. “I don’t think I want him to become real.”

Public outcry has been swift and widespread since the robbery, with community members and people across the nation offering support to Soskin during her recovery.

The White House has promised to replace the stolen coin, according to Tom Leatherman, the park’s superintendent. More than $50,000 has been raised to help her replace the stolen items, which included her computer and cell phone.

Just as widespread has been admiration for Soskin’s strength in the face of such a brutal assault. It was a feat to keep her away from the park for even two weeks, Leatherman said. She wanted to come back the moment her bruises had faded.

“I still struggle, but I don’t feel as vulnerable as I did,” Soskin said. “I can stay alone.”

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Betty Reid Soskin, 94, takes part in TV interview on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at the Rosie the Riveter visitor center in Richmond, California. This is the first time Soskin will be back in the visitor center to conduct her regular ranger program since she was a victim of a home invasion attack on the morning of June 27, 2016

Soskin became a park ranger at the age of 85, a career move inspired in part by her desire to share her own experience of being a young African American woman in Richmond during World War II. She hosts a regular talk, “Of Lost Conversations,” at the park’s visitor center in which she discusses her time as a 20-year-old clerk working in a segregated union hall in Richmond. The city was a shipbuilding center, but she never saw a ship under construction or a ship being launched.

“She doesn’t identify with Rosie the Riveter — a white woman,” said Sue Fritzke, the park’s deputy superintendent. “What she tries to do is flesh out the history, not just of women in World War II, but of African Americans and people with disabilities.”

Since the attack, family and community members, including Soskin’s two sons, have come out in full force to ensure she feels safe in the community. Soskin has had a burglar alarm system installed in her home, where she lives alone.

Victim Witness Assistance Program offered to relocate her after the robbery, but she refused. She said Tuesday that she feels safest in her apartment, where she was known by neighbors and local police.

Soskin is still sleeping with her light on to maintain peace of mind, but on Tuesday she navigated the park center and prepared to interact with visitors without a trace of fear.

“Betty is a woman of resilience,” said her former co-worker Kimiko De Pedro. “She is authentic in how she speaks to the public and that is what makes people connect to her.”

💪🏽❤️💪🏽

Hello!!…you go girl – grab them balls and squueeeze for dear life!!

Readers: Talk about thinking on you toes. She’s an inspiration. I HOPE I’m as sharp as Soskin when I’m her age.

Thanks to all for the beautiful 9 year wishes – It’s so good to be back here with all of you. So ❤️ much ❤️ love…

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 :)

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“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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#I’mWithHer. Are You?

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 5th July 2016

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GOOD MORNING!

I hope everyone had a terrific day celebrating America’s Day! I had an wonderful time dancing and swimming, eating and drinking – all done in the sun with friends and family. Finished it off with an amazing fireworks show seen from a stunning view in Sausalito. A perfect day.

***

I’ve said it time and time again over the past year since Hillary began her candidacy for president, that women are scrutinized so much worse than men, as I’ve seen the right and yes many on the left tear her to pieces. Misogyny and sexism at its finest. It bothered me every time I read the haters spewing their hatred of her online or on the news about things that were just not true or skewed to fit their negative opinions.

However, it just fueled me to do something…to say something to anyone who would listen when the subject of her running came up. It got me even more pissy when I would hear such cutting remarks from women…women whom I respected and admired, and thought would be on her side in support. It’s been challenging to say the least, but as always with my commitments, I too am ruthless when it comes to holding my ground, and searching, and promoting the truth.

I will not ruin a friendship over politics, but I have to admit, this election is testing my patience. I have faith that women will come together; all women. As we used to say here: “White women will go kicking and screaming to their freedom.” This just might be the time we actually do see that.

Here’s the write from Daily Kos:

The most thorough, profound and moving defense of Hillary Clinton I have ever seen.

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First of all — this is not my writing.  It’s a Facebook post by someone I don’t even know, a man named Michael Arnovitz in Portland OR.  But as a Facebook post it passes the fair use test and I’m quite certain he would not object that I share it here (he doesn’t).   The original Facebook post is here: www.facebook.com/…  So without further ado, it’s truly worth the read:

“In the course of a single conversation, I have been assured that Hillary is cunning and manipulative but also crass, clueless, and stunningly impolitic; that she is a hopelessly woolly-headed do-gooder and, at heart, a hardball litigator; that she is a base opportunist and a zealot convinced that God is on her side. What emerges is a cultural inventory of villainy rather than a plausible depiction of an actual person.” —Henry Louis Gates The quote above comes from a fascinating article called “Hating Hillary”, written by Gates for the New Yorker in 1996. Even now, 20 years after it was first published, it’s a fascinating and impressive piece, and if you have a few spare moments I strongly recommend it to you. (www.newyorker.com/…)

And I’m reading pieces like this because now that Hillary has (essentially if not officially) won the Democratic Primary, I have become increasingly fascinated by the way so many people react to her. In truth, I sometimes think that I find that as interesting as Hillary herself. And I can’t help but notice that many of the reactions she receives seem to reflect what Gates referred to as “a cultural inventory of villainy” rather than any realistic assessment of who she really is and what she has really done.

To conservatives she is a radical left-wing insurgent who has on multiple occasions been compared to Mikhail Suslov, the Soviet Kremlin’s long-time Chief of Ideology. To many progressives (you know who you are), she is a Republican fox in Democratic sheep’s clothing, a shill for Wall Street who doesn’t give a damn about the working class. The fact that these views could not possibly apply to the same person does not seem to give either side pause. Hillary haters on the right and the left seem perfectly happy to maintain their mutually incompatible delusions about why she is awful. The only thing both teams seem to share is the insistence that Hillary is a Machiavellian conspirator and implacable liar, unworthy of society’s trust.

And this claim of unabated mendacity is particularly interesting, because while it is not the oldest defamation aimed at Hillary, it is the one that most effortlessly glides across partisan lines. Indeed, for a surprisingly large percentage of the electorate, the claim that Hillary is innately dishonest is simply accepted as a given. It is an accusation and conviction so ingrained in the conversation about her that any attempt to even question it is often met with shock. And yet here’s the thing: it’s not actually true. Politifact, the Pulitzer prize-winning fact-checking project, determined for example that Hillary was actually the most truthful candidate (of either Party) in the 2016 election season. And in general Politifact has determined that Hillary is more honest than most (but not all) politicians they have tracked over the years.

Also instructive is Jill Abramson’s recent piece in the Guardian. Abramson, a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal as well as former Executive Editor of the New York Times, had this to say about Hillary’s honesty: “As an editor I’ve launched investigations into her business dealings, her fundraising, her foundation and her marriage. As a reporter my stories stretch back to Whitewater. I’m not a favorite in Hillaryland. That makes what I want to say next surprising. Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy.”

Notice how Abramson uses the word “surprising”? She’s obviously doing that for our benefit, because she knows that many readers will be astonished at the very thought of Hillary being “fundamentally honest”. But why? In my opinion we need to go back to the time of Whitewater in order to answer that question.

In January of 1996, while Whitewater investigations were underway but unfinished, conservative writer William Safire wrote a scathing and now-famous essay about Hillary Clinton entitled, “Blizzard of Lies”. In the piece he called her a “congenital liar”, and accused her of forcing her friends and subordinates into a “web of deceit”. He insisted (without any apparent evidence) that she took bribes, evaded taxes, forced her own attorneys to perjure themselves, “bamboozled” bank regulators, and was actively involved in criminal enterprises that defrauded the government of millions of dollars. He ended the piece by stating that, “She had good reasons to lie; she is in the longtime habit of lying; and she has never been called to account for lying herself or in suborning lying in her aides and friends.”

I am no political historian, but as far as I can tell this short essay was the birth of the “Hillary is a Liar” meme. Now to be clear, most conservatives already strongly disliked her. They had been upset with her for some time because she had refused to play the traditional First Lady role. And they were horrified by her attempt to champion Universal Health coverage. But if you look for the actual reasons people didn’t like her back at that time, you won’t see ongoing accusations of her being “crooked” or a “liar”. Instead, the most common opinion seemed to be that she was a self-righteous leftist who considered anyone with other views to be morally inferior. In short, the prevailing anti-Hillary accusation was not that she was unrelentingly dishonest, but that she was just intolerably smug.

After the Safire piece however, this all changed. Republicans, who learned from Nixon never to let a good propaganda opportunity pass if they could help it, repeated the accusations of mendacity non-stop to anyone who would broadcast or print them. And if you doubt the staying power of Safire’s piece, type the phrase “congenital liar” into a Google search along with “Hillary Clinton” and see what happens. To this day, that exact phrase is still proudly used by many on the right. This, even though Safire was eventually proven wrong about everything he had written. And despite the fact that he stated himself that he would have to “eat crow” if she were ever cleared, Safire never apologized or even acknowledged his many errors once that happened. Because as we all know, swift-boating means never having to say you’re sorry.

But while conservative propaganda and lies are a constant in “Hillaryland”, if we look at Hillary’s career, and the negative attacks so often aimed at her, it seems clear that more than just political machinations are at play. My current conviction is that the main fuel that powers the anti-Hillary crowd is sexism. And yes I’m serious. So go ahead and roll your eyes. Get it over with. But I think the evidence supports my view, and I’ve seen no other plausible explanation. And just to be clear, I don’t think it’s ONLY sexism. But I do think that this is the primary force that has generated and maintained most of the negative narratives about Hillary.

Of course accusations of sexism always bump up against several serious impediments:
1) Almost nobody will admit to it. Conservatives decided long ago that all such accusations (sexism, racism, homophobia, etc) are standard liberal bullshit whose only real intent is to shut down debate, and liberals tend to possess a sense of moral entitlement which leads them to consider themselves automatically exempt from all such accusations. (Side note: if you did roll your eyes above, there’s a good chance I’m describing you here. Sorry.)
2) Overt sexism is significantly more likely to be tolerated in our society than overt racism. It is a low-risk form of bigotry and discrimination that rarely damages professional or political careers. Because of this, far fewer people worry about crossing that line.
3) We have formed a sort of collective blindness to sexism that allows us to pretend that we are on top of the issue while simultaneously ignoring the many ways in which it actually permeates our society. (Side note 2: There’s a reason it’s called a “glass” ceiling.)
4) Unlike men, women who make demands are still often seen as unfeminine and inappropriately aggressive, bordering on deviant. And if the people most aggressively pushing against the glass ceiling are “broken” or “deviant”, it’s easier to justify dismissing both them and their concerns.

So I’ve made a claim. Let’s look at some numbers. Take a look at the image below. On the right side you’ll see a chart. This is a chart of Hillary’s popularity over time. It was put together by Nate Silver, who based it on over 500 high-quality phone surveys dating back to the early 90’s. If we take a look at the polling data, very obvious patterns emerge.

In the early 90’s her polling was great, which was typical for an incoming First Lady. But Hillary had no interest in being a typical First Lady, and soon took charge of one of the most important policy initiatives of the Clinton Presidency: Universal Health Care. If you look at the first large red arrow I have on the graphic, you’ll see that as soon as she did that her negatives skyrocketed. And yes this was before Whitewater. In fact during the ongoing Whitewater investigations her polling improved dramatically, so she actually became significantly MORE popular during that period, not less.

Now take a look at the second arrow. This is where she declared that she was going to run for the Senate. See what happened? She was at one of the most popular periods of her life, but as soon as she declared a run for the Senate her favorables plummeted while her unfavorables rose sharply. Then once she was elected, her scores stabilized and even improved. Now look at the third arrow. Nearly exactly at the same time she withdrew from the Presidential race her favorables took off again, rising to levels that many considered remarkable. (Or are we pretending not to remember that until very recently Hillary was one of the most popular politicians in the country?) In fact the image on the left of the graph is part of the “bad-ass Hillary” meme that started during this time. And her polling stayed high right up until she decided to run for President again. Her numbers since then are not on this particular graph, but I think we all know what happened to them.

So what do we see in this data? What I see is that the public view of Hillary Clinton does not seem to be correlated to “scandals” or issues of character or whether she murdered Vince Foster. No, the one thing that seems to most negatively and consistently affect public perception of Hillary is any attempt by her to seek power. Once she actually has that power her polls go up again. But whenever she asks for it her numbers drop like a manhole cover.

And in fact I started thinking more about this after reading an article that Sady Doyle wrote for Quartz back in February. The title of the piece was, “America loves women like Hillary Clinton – as long as they’re not asking for a promotion.” In the article Ms. Doyle asserted that, “The wild difference between the way we talk about Clinton when she campaigns and the way we talk about her when she’s in office can’t be explained as ordinary political mud-slinging. Rather, the predictable swings of public opinion reveal Americans’ continued prejudice against women caught in the act of asking for power…”

And yes this is the kind of statement that many people will find reflexively annoying. But that doesn’t make it any less true, and the data certainly seems to support it. Even NBC news, looking back over decades of their own polls, stated that, “she’s struggled to stay popular when she’s on the campaign trail.” If this has nothing to do with gender, then wouldn’t the same thing happen to men when they campaign? But it doesn’t. Why not?

So let’s look at the issues people are currently using to disparage Clinton. Let’s consider the issues of dishonesty, scandals, money and Wall Street.

1) Honesty — In terms of honesty, I’ve already addressed that. Hillary is a politician, and like all politicians she is no stranger to “massaging” and/or exaggerating the truth. And yes on occasion she will let loose a whopper. But is she worse than other politicians? As I’ve already discussed, the evidence suggests that she is no worse, and actually better, than most other politicians. Internet videos like the “13 minutes of Hillary lying” appear to be mostly examples of Hillary changing her position over several decades, combined with annoying but typical political behavior. But similar videos of Donald Trump exist showing him doing an even more extreme version of the same thing. Why is he not being accused of this type of mendacity? In fact there is very little dispute that Trump has been SIGNIFICANTLY less honest on the campaign trail than Hillary. According to Politifact he is in fact the least honest candidate they’ve ever analyzed! So if the issue of honesty is really that important, why are so many people (on the right and left) holding Hillary to such an obviously different standard than Trump?

2) Scandals — Webster’s dictionary defines a scandal as, “an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong.” But here’s a question: Are scandals still scandals if nobody actually did anything wrong? And I think that’s a fair question, because Hillary’s political foes love to point out all the times she has been implicated (directly or indirectly) in scandals. Not surprisingly, however, they fail to point out that she has always been cleared of any wrongdoing.

So if she’s always innocent, why then does she find herself caught up in so many scandals? For that answer, perhaps we should look at the Wikipedia definition of scandal, which states, “A scandal can be broadly defined as an accusation or accusations that receive wide exposure. Generally there is a negative effect on the credibility of the person or organization involved.” Notice the important difference? Perhaps the “negative effect on credibility” is not so much the RESULT of these scandals as it is the INTENT of those who create them.

Did you know that Republicans once spent 10 days and 140 hours investigating the Clinton’s use of the White House Christmas Card list? Because that is a real thing that actually happened. As the Atlantic recently pointed out, “No other American politicians—even ones as corrupt as Richard Nixon, or as hated by partisans as George W. Bush—have fostered the creation of a permanent multimillion-dollar cottage industry devoted to attacking them.” (And for an impressive presentation of this issue I highly recommend Hanna Rosin’s piece “Among the Hillary Haters”, also in the Atlantic.)

Compare for example the treatment Hillary is getting due to her private email “scandal” to that of General David Petraeus. Hillary has been accused of hosting a personal email server that “might” have made classified documents less secure, even though the documents in question were not classified as secret at the time she received and/or sent them. (Side note: some government documents receive secret classifications “at birth”, while other can be retroactively classified as secret.) In order for Clinton to have committed a criminal act, she would have had to knowingly and willfully mishandle material that was classified at the time she did so. After months of investigation no one has accused her of doing that, and it doesn’t appear as if anyone will.

General Petraeus on the other hand, while he was Director of the CIA, knowingly gave a journalist, who was also his mistress, a series of black books which according to the Justice Department contained, “classified information regarding the identities of covert officers, war strategy, intelligence capabilities and mechanisms, diplomatic discussions quotes and deliberative discussions from high level National Security Council meetings and [Petraeus’] discussions with the president of the United States of America.” Petraeus followed that up by lying to numerous government officials, including FBI agents, about what he had done. And lets not forget that according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is itself a court-martial offense. And I remind you that none of this is in dispute. Petraeus admitted to all of it.

Petraeus’ violations were significantly more egregious than anything Clinton is even remotely accused of. And yet Republicans and other Hillary foes are howling about her issue, wearing “Hillary for Prison 2016” t-shirts while insisting that this disqualifies her from public office. Meanwhile even after pleading guilty to his crimes Petraeus continued to be the recipient of fawning sentiments from conservatives. Senator John McCain stated that, “All of us in life make mistakes and the situation now, I hope, can be put behind him…” Politico quoted a former military officer who worked with Petraeus as calling the entire situation “silly”. Prominent Republicans have already made it clear that they would call him back to work in the highest levels of government if they win the Presidency. And some are still attempting to convince him to seek the Presidency himself.

Why is Hillary Clinton being held to such an obviously different standard than Petraeus? Is it really only politics?

3) Money — OK let’s talk about her money. Hillary has a lot of it. And she has earned most of it through well-paid speaking fees. And the idea of getting paid $200,000 or more for a single speech seems so ludicrous to many people that they assume that it simply must be some form of bribery. But the truth is that there is a large, well-established and extremely lucrative industry for speaking and appearance fees. And within that industry many celebrities, sports stars, business leaders and former politicians get paid very well. At her most popular for example, Paris Hilton was being paid as much as $750,000 just to make an appearance. Kylie Jenner was once paid over $100,000 to go to her own birthday party, and to this day Vanilla Ice gets $15,000 simply to show up with his hat turned sideways.

And let’s talk about the more cerebral cousin of the appearance agreement, which is the speaking engagement. Is $200k really that unusual? In fact “All American Speakers”, the agency that represents Clinton, currently represents 135 people whose MINIMUM speaking fee is $200,000. Some of the luminaries that get paid this much include: Guy Fieri, Ang Lee, Carla Delevingne, Chelsea Handler, Elon Musk, Mehmet Oz, Michael Phelps, Nate Berkus, and “Larry the Cable Guy”. And no that last one is not a joke. And if you drop the speaking fee to $100k, the number of people they represent jumps to over 500. At $50,000 the number jumps to over 1,200. And All American Speakers are obviously not the only agency that represents speakers. So there are in fact thousands of people getting paid this kind of money to give a speech.

For millions of Americans struggling to pay their bills, the very idea that someone can make $100,000 or more for just giving a speech or hanging out at a Vegas nightclub is obscene. But as Richard Nixon used to say, “don’t hate the player, hate the game.” Hillary didn’t invent the speaking engagement industry, and she isn’t anywhere near the first person to make a lot of money from it. And while her fees are in the upper range of what speakers make, neither they nor the total amount of money she has made are unusual. It’s just unusual FOR A WOMAN.

And yes, I’m back on that, because I feel compelled to point out that before he ran for President in 2007, Rudy Giuliani was making about $700,000 a month in speaking fees with an average of $270k per speech. It’s estimated that in the 5 years before his run he earned as much as $40 million in speaking fees. Nobody cared, no accusations of impropriety were made, and there was almost no media interest. So why did Giuliani get a pass, while Hillary stands accused of inherent corruption for making less money doing the same thing?

And speaking of corruption, after leaving the Florida governor’s office Jeb Bush made millions of dollars in paid speeches. This includes large sums he collected from a South Korean metals company that reaped over a BILLION dollars in contracts from his brother’s presidential administration. Speaking to an Indian newspaper about this type of thing Bush said, “This is the life of being the brother of the president.” Do you remember reading all about that while Jeb was running for President? I didn’t think so. Jeb got a pass too.

So if this discussion is really about money in politics that’s fine. But I’m going to need someone to explain to me why we only seem to focus on it when the person making the money has a vagina.

4) Wall Street — First things first. No, the majority of the money Clinton has made from speaking fees did not come from Wall Street. In fact it’s not even close. She has given nearly 100 paid speeches since leaving the State Dept., and only 8 were to “Wall Street” banks. Nearly all of her speeches were to organizations like American Camping Association, Ebay, Cisco, Xerox, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, United Fresh Produce Association, International Deli-Dairy-Bakery Association, California Medial Association, A&E Television Networks, Massachusetts Conference for Women, U.S. Green Building Council, National Association of Realtors, American Society of Travel Agents, Gap, National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, etc.

Corporations and Associations pay large fees for important speakers all of the time. And Hillary got booked fairly often because she is interesting and popular, and because there’s a great deal of status attached to having her speak at an event. Ignoring all of this however, a large contingent of anti-Hillary people continue to insist that all speaker’s fees from Wall Street banks were bribes, and that because of this they “own” her. But by that logic shouldn’t we all be asking what the fuck the American Camping Association is up to?

Also, with the possible exception of one speech given to Deutsche Bank, all of Hillary’s 8 speeches to Wall Street were for a speaking fee of $225,000. That does not even break the top 20 of her highest paid speeches. For example she received over $275,000 each in three speeches she gave to The Vancouver Board of Trade, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, and Canada 2020. So apparently Canadians also “own” her. And I don’t know what those nefarious Canadians are up to, but it probably has something to do with goddamn poutine. Which would really piss me off except I just remembered that I kind of like poutine so never mind.

Listen, does Wall Street have influence with Hillary? Grow up, of course they do. Wall Street is one of the key engines of the American economy, and as such has enormous influence with everyone. EVERYONE. Don’t kid yourself on that point. And aside from anything else, she was a 2-term Senator of New York, and this made Wall Street an important corporate member of her constituency. The issue is not influence. The issue is whether or not paid speeches and campaign donations alone are proof of corruption. And they’re not. And the last time I checked there was an important difference between association and guilt, between proof and slander.

And again: why is Hillary being held to a standard that never appears to be applied to her male counterparts? Am I not supposed to notice that a media frenzy has been aimed at Hillary Clinton for accepting speaking fees of $225,000 while Donald Trump has been paid $1.5 MILLION on numerous occasions with hardly a word said about it? Am I supposed to not notice that we are now in an election season in which Donald Trump, a proud scam artist whose involvement in “Trump University” alone is being defined by the New York Attorney General as “straight-up fraud”, is regularly calling Hillary Clinton “Crooked Hillary” and getting away with it?

What the actual fuck is going on here? What’s going on is what we all know, but mostly don’t want to admit: presidential campaigns favor men, and the men who campaign in them are rewarded for those traits perceived as being “manly” – physical size, charisma, forceful personality, assertiveness, boldness and volume. Women who evince those same traits however are usually punished rather than rewarded, and a lot of the negativity aimed at Hillary over the years, especially when she is seeking office, has been due to these underlying biases. There is simply no question that Hillary has for years been on the business end of an unrelenting double standard. And her battle with societal sexism isn’t going to stop because of her success anymore than Obama’s battle with racism stopped once he was elected. These are generational issues, and we are who we are.

And actually, this only makes her victory all the more amazing. And maybe it’s OK if we pause for a moment from the accusations and paranoia and just acknowledge her enormous accomplishments. In the entire history of our nation, only 6 Presidents have also served as Secretary of State. Only 3 have served both as Secretary of State and in Congress. By any objective measure Hillary Clinton is not just the most qualified candidate this season, she’s one of the most qualified people to ever seek the office. The New York Times in endorsing her stated that, “voters have the chance to choose one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in history.” Jonathan Bernstein at Bloomberg stated that, “she is probably the best qualified presidential candidate ever.” Even Marco Rubio, one-time choice of the GOP establishment (and tea-party love-child) stated in a Republican debate that, “If this is a resume contest, Hillary Clinton is going to be the new President of the United States.”

Hillary is nobody’s idea of perfect. Fine. But in my view if a man with her qualifications were running in the Democratic primary, Bernie would have been done before he even started. And if a man with her qualifications had been running for the Republicans, they’d be anointing him the next Reagan while trying to sneak his face onto Mount Rushmore.

Most of the people who hate Hillary when she’s running for office end up liking her just fine once she’s won. And I have every confidence that history will repeat itself again this November. As for myself, I have been watching Presidential elections since Nixon. And never in my life has there been an easier or more obvious choice than now. Trump is not merely a bad choice, he is (as many leading Republicans have already admitted) a catastrophic choice, unfit in every possible way for the office of the Presidency.

As such, I happily voted for Hillary in my primary. And I will proudly vote for her in November. Yes she will disappoint us all on occasion. Who doesn’t? But I think she’s also going to surprise a lot of people. She will fear neither consensus when possible nor ass-kicking when necessary. She will safeguard us from the damage a right-wing Supreme Court would inflict on the nation. She will stand for the rights of women, LGBT Americans, and minorities. She will maintain critical global relationships, and she will react to dangerous situations with the temperament of a seasoned and experienced professional. And in a nation that didn’t even allow women to vote until 1920, she will make history by shattering the very highest glass ceiling, and in doing so forever change the way a generation of young women view their place in our Republic.

She’s going to be a fine President.

I’m with her.

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Amen. 👉🏼Me too.👈🏼

Lucy: I feel the same way. If people just spent half of their time fact checking instead of listening to the rhetoric and lies on Faux News we might get somewhere.

Readers: This article was so well said, I can’t add anything more. What say 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 :)

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me

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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