Good morning!

Well, it picked up a bit didn’t it? Here I thought perhaps everyone was out kissing instead of blogging. But I see you were doing both. :) Loved the history and interesting stats too. It just shows us how much kissing means to all of us that it’s so worth studying.

Since all the talk is about lips, it seemed only natural to blog about something delicious that passes through them.

I LOVE avocados. I eat them regularly. I try to buy local/organic as much as possible but I have to admit I am one who has bought them from Mexico too. But now I know better.

From Think Progress:

Your Guacamole Is Hurting Mexican Forests

Eating avocados has been linked with better diet quality and nutrition for years, well now it seems a surging love for this fruit is driving deforestation in Mexico.

Avocados grow best in the same climate and altitude as the pine and oyamel fir forests in Michoacan, a state that produces 88 percent of Mexico’s avocados. The Associated Press reported Tuesday avocado demand is driving local growers to slash and burn forest to plant avocados, a crop that has enjoyed exponential prices in recent months.

The U.S. is a major importer of Mexican avocados. And over the past several months, demand across the country has increased as some major national avocado growers in California have experienced heat waves that have hurt local production. In a time of increasing trade between the two countries, U.S. consumption is likely boosting prices and encouraging Mexican growers to expand into new territories.

“Even where they aren’t visibly cutting down forest, there are avocados growing underneath [the pine boughs], and sooner or later they’ll cut down the pines completely,” Mario Tapia Vargas, researcher at Mexico’s National Institute for Forestry, Farming and Fisheries Research, told the Associated Press.

Encroachment has already reached natural reserves for Monarch butterflies, a severely endangered species that spends its winters in Michoacan before it migrates to as far north as Canada. In the past few years, the numbers of Monarch butterflies that migrate across the United States have dropped to all-time lows. What’s more, oyamel forest is Mexico’s most endangered ecosystem. Just about 2 percent of the original oyamel forest remains.

Transforming forest into avocado orchards also puts Michoacan water resources at risk. Avocados are water-intensive fruits that when massively produced can demand more water than a natural dense forest. Growing a pound of avocados in Mexico needs nearly 32 gallons of water, Mother Jones reported.

“Beyond the displacement of forests and the effects on water retention, the high use of agricultural chemicals, and the large volumes of wood needed to pack and ship avocados are other factors that could have negative effects on the area’s environment, and the well-being of its inhabitants,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

According to government data, avocado land use is making Michoacan lose some 1,200 acres of forest a year. (One acre is roughly the size of a football field.) But the effects of deforestation go beyond Mexico’s borders. Losing forests exacerbates climate change because trees function as carbon sinks that withhold CO2 from the atmosphere.

A Monarch butterfly sits on a branch at the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary, in the mountains of Mexico’s Michoacan state. High avocado prices in 2016 have fueled deforestation in Michoacan state, where farmers cut down pines to clear the way for more avocado trees. Michoacan’s forests contain much of the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly. CREDIT: AP Photo/ Marco Ugarte.

But the Mexican government is taking action. Last month, federal police in Morelia, the Michoacan state capital, detained a dozen people, seized avocado plants, and vehicles used to switch a deforested area into an orchard.

The federal government also invested about $500,000 six years ago in a program that pays rural communities in Michoacan to conserve water-capturing forests like the ones now under threat. But in a state that has been battered with drug violence and poverty rates of nearly 60 percent for years, conservation programs may be insufficient given the need.

“Avocado farming is very attractive, because of the prices being the way they are,” Tapia Vargas said.

U.S. avocado consumption is likely playing role in Michoacan deforestation. Over the last year, avocado prices skyrocketed in the United States, according to the Haas Avocado Board, pointing to a clear spike in demand. One Haas avocado — the type of avocado Michoacan grows — cost $1.50 on average in July. That’s 50 cents more than same time last year.

The U.S. is a net importer of Mexican avocados. In fact, Mexico supplied most of the avocados the U.S. imported last year. This comes as trade deals like NAFTA allow avocados from approved orchards in Mexico to be distributed around the country.

Meanwhile, recent record-breaking high temperatures in California burned some of the state’s avocado production, and may have also harmed next year’s crop. California, already struggling with drought, is by far the largest avocado producer in the country. If California can’t supply the market, the U.S. might have to rely more on Mexican avocados to fulfill the growing demand that a recent study attributed to millennials, the nation’s largest living generation.

The connection between climate change and avocados is not new. Companies like Chipotle, which thrives on millennial consumers, have already included climate change-triggered avocado shortages in their business plans. In 2014, the company told investors climate change could force prices for raw produce like avocado to jump, pushing their guacamole off the menu. ClimateProgress broke the story and prompted many headlines and an assurance from Chipotle that the disclosure of climate risk was a “non-issue.” Yet two years later, with higher prices and drought conditions forcing avocado supply shifts, Chipotle’s risk disclosures may still prove prudent.

So while avocados are good for the body, and extra guacamole on a burrito is always great, it seems that there is such thing as having too much guac.

*****

Readers: Something to think about.

Happy Saturday! xxxxx

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

Thank you for your loyal support!

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

“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"

Good morning!

A clear and brilliant analysis on how we as a society, relate or not, to others through our humor. And what it tells us about people through their humor. Very illuminating.

It is simply an outstanding write. Read it, put it down and go back and read it again. What you get out of it will be invaluable.

From Think Progress:

Jason Steed Doesn’t Think Trump Was ‘Just Joking’

Don’t worry: Donald Trump didn’t really tell a bunch of people at a campaign rally to assassinate Hillary Clinton. Everything is fine!

Recall on Tuesday, at a campaign event in Wilmington, N.C., Trump said:

Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.

But — but I’ll tell you what. That will be a horrible day. If — if Hillary gets to put her judges — right now, we’re tied. You see what’s going on.

Trump later assured America that, though he gave a shout-out to the “Second Amendment” folks, he was really speaking to the power that his followers have at the polls. (“Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendment folks” = apparently not catchy enough for this purpose?) House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to explain away the comments as “just a joke gone bad.”

Over in the “not a joke” camp, we have the Secret Service, which announced in a cryptic, not-super-helpful tweet that they were “aware of the comments,” and prominent democrats, who expressed their horror at what scanned as an invitation to assassinate.

Meanwhile, Jason Steed, an appellate attorney based in Texas, expected Trump would explain away his comments by insisting he was “just joking.” But Steed — who years ago was an English professor who wrote a dissertation on humor theory — believes there is no such thing as “just joking.” So he told his 2100 followers as much:

Steed elaborated on the concept in a series of about two dozen tweets. When we choose to tell a joke, or to laugh at one, we are choosing whether or not we agree with its central idea, values, or perspective. Everyone who laughs at one kind of joke gets to be in on it; everyone who doesn’t is on the outs. Acknowledging or announcing that a joke isn’t funny distances you from its teller. So we clarify and declare, joke by joke, what kind of person we are. Humor is, basically, a sorting hat, and we use it to suss out where we belong, and with whom.

Within 24 hours, Steed’s Twitter essay had gone viral; his follower count more than tripled. I spoke with Steed by phone to talk about how humor works and why jokes are so powerful — even/especially when they aren’t jokes at all.

Your tweets were based on your prediction that Trump would justify his remarks by saying he was “just joking.” And your thesis is, essentially, that there is no such thing as “just joking,” right?

We all joke. We all use humor all the time. It’s part of our lives on a pretty much daily basis. But it’s never meaningless. It’s never “just joking.” There’s always more going on in the humor than we consciously realize or think about. It’s part of how define ourselves, or how we construct our identity as individuals or as groups.

When we laugh and joke together, we’re coming together as a group about something. There’s a kind of agreement about something. If we agree something is funny, we’re not just agreeing it’s funny; we’re agreeing about something underlying the funniness. There are either certain values, ideas, or attitudes that are being conveyed by the humor. So when we join in the humor, we’re joining in with a group that agrees about those things, or is at least open to agreeing about those things. And when we don’t find it funny, we’re in the out-group. We aren’t part of the group that shares that view.

My point is not that humor is good or bad; just that it does this thing, and we should be mindful of what it does. Some people, I think, mistook my tweets as saying there’s something bad about humor. That’s not what I’m saying at all. But it’s always doing this kind of work: It’s simultaneously bringing some people together while excluding other people, or certain ideas or values. It’s always assimilating and alienating, or accepting and rejecting, at the same time.

What we choose to laugh about together says something about who we are, either because we’re laughing at a particular group of people in a way that excludes them from our in-group, or because we’re laughing about a particular idea or value that is part of how we define ourselves, or something along those lines. Which is why I think, ethically, we should be mindful about what we choose to accept as funny and what we choose to join in on.

Part of what seems to be happening here, too, is the fact that Hillary has these identities — liberal, feminist, woman — that are often dismissed as “humorless.” And it seems to give Trump, and people who support him, more authority to accuse her, and her supporters, of not getting the joke. It falls in line with the narrative people already have about her.

Right: “You’re too defensive,” or “you just don’t get it.” “There’s something wrong with you that you can’t just go along with the joke.” And that’s part of the work it’s doing.

We like humor, and it does bring us together with people. So when a joke is told that might be offensive, we have a human desire to be part of the in-group. If you can’t take the joke, if you can’t join in on the humor, then you’re not part of the in-group; there’s something wrong with you. And because we want to be in the in-group, I don’t want to say there’s a coercive thing — that’s too strong. But there’s a kind of force that is involved. There’s social work going on with that.

For the Trump crowd, one of their biggest complaints is about political correctness. And some of what I’m saying smacks of that, right? I’m saying, “We should be careful about certain jokes that might alienate or marginalize certain people or individuals.” So to say, “let’s be careful about joking about assassinating someone,” you’re one of the P.C. police. That’s what I’ve been getting on Twitter!

Is that what most of the response has been like? People accusing you of being the P.C. police?

This has been kind of a crazy 24 hours. I can’t even begin to go through all the mentions and the RTs and responses. So only from what I’ve been able to skim through, I feel like the response has been, two-thirds positive. I spent a couple years thinking hard about this stuff because I was writing a dissertation about how humor works in literature and film and how it constructs identities. I’ve thought through this stuff, and I think most people, obviously, haven’t. But I think the most common reaction seems to be people saying, “You just said what I’ve always thought but didn’t ever articulate.” That’s the most common response. On a gut level, everyone experiences humor where you realize groups are being formed through joking and mockery and those kinds of things. That’s been the bulk of it.

There has been this one-third of respondents that have taken it to mean I want to ban jokes, I’m another member of the P.C. police, or that I can’t take a joke, clearly I have no sense of humor.

Something I come across a lot in my work is, most people consume pop culture for fun. It’s recreation. And if I have something critical to say about a movie, like a big, summer blockbuster-type film — like, “All the female characters are badly written and have nothing of substance to do, and there are virtually zero people of color on screen,” to use a totally rare example — I always hear back from a contingent of people that I’m “ruining it” by thinking about it too hard. And I imagine you are getting that as well: That thinking about humor in this way sucks all the fun out of it.

What’s interesting about that, and what people don’t get, is that I assume that some of what you’re trying to think about and really look hard at is the work that’s being done. You go to watch this movie, and let’s say the representation of gender roles, what you’re really critiquing is how this movie is portraying women. The work that’s being accomplished by the movie is being accomplished more effectively if people don’t think about it. You reinforce the gender roles more effectively if no one stops to ask what you’re doing. Everyone who says, “Don’t think about it so hard,” is basically saying, “We should give up and let it do the thing that it’s doing rather than resist the work that it’s accomplishing.” That you should want to be subconsciously manipulated by everything around you.

In this case with Trump, one of the things that’s odd to me about the “just joking” defense is that, in the room, in the moment, that line didn’t play like a joke at all. No one really laughed.

Humor doesn’t always have to involve laugh-out-loud kinds of responses. Sometimes things are funny but we have this sort of internal pleasure and enjoyment from this funny juxtaposition of two things that don’t go together, but we don’t laugh out loud, necessarily.

When I saw the clip, I mean, the Twitter thing yesterday was really prompted by — I was just anticipating, and assuming, that their explanation for it would be that it was a joke. I think you’re right: It didn’t play like a joke, like a big punchline that everybody laughed at. But it was still kind of an off-the-cuff riff about something that I think, it’s plausible that he could have said, “I was just joking,” even though it’s not a punchline joke. I thought that would be a plausible explanation in an attempt to downplay the seriousness of what he just said. Which is why I wrote this little tweetstorm: because I was anticipating that that would be the explanation.

It turns out, they didn’t explain it that way, which I think is even more troubling. Because one of the ways we use humor is to slow-roll an idea that might be offensive or shocking or troubling: We use humor to introduce those kinds of ideas because we know it might be shocking or inappropriate. We kind of use humor that way.

Or in a more benign way, like if you have a crush on someone, and you put out there as a joke, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we dated…?” just to see if it takes.

That’s what I mean. You’re trying to float the idea in a more safe way, using humor where maybe — you have an out. And that’s what I mean by assimilation and alienation. If they don’t join in and accept it, you can try to say, “I was just joking.” And that’s your defense. “I didn’t really mean it.”

But that’s my point about just joking: There is something that you’re sort of floating. And if they welcome it, if they embrace it, you’re not going to defend yourself by saying you were just joking. You’re opening the door to assimilate that idea and take it further than how you floated it. If he comes back and says he’s just joking, that’s not all that’s happening. He’s floating an idea that, if enough people embrace it, the doors open to actually assimilate the idea: Armed revolt or assassination, whatever idea he’s floating, you’re trying to open the door for people in the in-group to assimilate that idea.

When he says things off-the-cuff, that’s the work that that’s doing: Opening the door for transgressing norms and saying things that we would like to think are unthinkable, but trying to open the door to making them thinkable, which is what a lot of us find troubling about it. And he gets away with it because he does it a lot of times.

I can’t really imagine what the reaction would be if Obama said the same thing.

If Clinton tried to make jokes like that, people would freak out about it. So I think he’s gotten a pass, in a lot of ways. A lot of it is through the primaries, he got away with a lot through the debates with other Republicans who didn’t really stand up to him or take him to task for the crazy stuff he was saying. So this shield developed around him.

To flip the political leanings for a second, it’s like what Jon Stewart was doing on The Daily Show during the Bush years, after 9/11, when it was really taboo to say anything negative about the war in Iraq, to not be supportive of the administration, to be anything but outwardly, wholeheartedly patriotic. And the jokes on that show created this space to say what at the time was fairly transgressive stuff, to be critical of something that was widely accepted.

I think that’s right. I think that’s what humor basically does: It opens up a space for things that you might not normally feel safe saying in a serious way. And if we join in and laugh with it, we’re allowing for the possibility of it being okay. And if we don’t, we’re saying it’s not okay.

And that says something about who we are: If we are a people who think it’s okay to criticize our leaders and what our country is doing, we will join in with that humor and assimilate with those ideas. And if we don’t think that’s okay, we’re going to reject that as not funny and not okay. And it works for criticizing your leaders or criticizing a race. If we want to be a people who think that’s okay to do, we’ll join in with that kind of humor it opens that door. And it works with assassinating people.

Why do you think people tend to get so defensive when called on jokes that don’t go over well with everyone? Or non-jokes, as the case may be here. Why is “it’s just a joke” such a popular reaction when someone questions whether or not a joke was okay to tell?

I think that for some, it’s probably the same people you run into who don’t want to think hard about movies. They don’t want to have to think hard about their jokes. “I’m just trying to go through life and make jokes and not worry about it.” I think that’s a lot of it. And I think there’s probably people who perceive this injustice about who gets to joke and who doesn’t.

The point I would be trying to make is, nobody is saying you can’t tell these kind of jokes or have this kind of humor. It’s really more about being aware of what it is and what it does. It’s more of a nuanced understanding of it. Go ahead and tell a racist joke if you want. You just have to understand that some groups will reject that. You’re choosing to embrace a certain identity, and that might be as a racist. And if that’s fine, go ahead and do that. But you have to be aware that this is what your humor is doing.

*****

Readers:  Yes, you may be fooled by some when they laugh as if they are “in” when they are really “out” and vice versa but you will always be aware of the position or mindset of the one who offers up a particular joke as amusement.

Thoughts? The forum is open.

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)

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

“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"

Good morning!

It’s been an interesting and exciting week watching the Olympics.

I’m also noticing a few “trends”  - Ok, let’s just call it what it is: “Sexism” – out there when it comes to the comments and remarks made about women and their Olympic successes. Olympic swimmer Katinka Hosszu broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley, and the NBC commentator Dan Hicks makes a comment that Hosszu’s husband/coach, Shane Tusup “is the man responsible.” Really? I remember watching the competition and it seems she won it all by herself.

A few days ago I broached the topic on objectifying women in the Olympics by the media paying more attention to a woman’s appearance than her athletic prowess. Now we’re seeing how women’s successes are undermined, and how they are recognized as a supporting role when they are in reality, the star of the show.

It seems I’m not alone in the “noticing.”

Here’s the write from the Huff Po:

Women, Media Bias And The Olympics

Readers: Let’s recognize the accomplishments our siSTARS are making and give them the kudos they deserve.

Thoughts? The forum is open. 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

Thank you for your loyal support!

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

“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"

Good Morning!

Wow! What an evening last night!

Hands down Simone Biles is the best gymnast we have ever seen. Incredible all around but I must say her floor routine was flawless. I’ve never seen a gymnast reach such incredible heights and make it look so effortless. Simply amazing.

I’m not much of a swimmer, but girl…I so appreciate someone who can, and this girl Simone Manuel stroked it with the best of them and came out a winner. Girls like her no longer need to feel alone in their struggles when they have Manuel to look up too.

Congratulations to them both – So proud of these young girls. What an inspiration they will be to girls like themselves. 

I know that many of you probably watched their successes and read the good news, but I’m a girl, and in the spirit of supporting my siSTARS there is nothing better to post this morning than to share their successes with you here.

From the Huff Po:

Simone Manuel Makes Swimming History In Women’s 100-Meter Freestyle

Simone Manuel celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 100m Freestyle Final.

Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to medal in an individual Olympic swimming event on Thursday after setting an Olympics record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle.

In a rare occurrence, Manuel, 20, tied with Canadian Penny Oleksiak, 16. Both finished the race in 52.70 seconds, an Olympics record. Swede Sarah Sjostrom finished third.

Oleksiak’s win is also historic. Born in June 2000, she is the first person to win an individual Olympic gold who has only been alive in this century, The Guardian noted. Manuel and Oleksiakged hug in the pool after tying for gold.

An emotional Manuel spoke about her feat moments after exiting the pool, saying the gold medal was “for all the people after me … who believe they can’t do it.”

“It means a lot, this medal is not just for me. This is for a whole bunch of people who have come before me, and have been an inspiration to me,” Manuel told NBC. “It’s for all the people after me who can’t — who believe they can’t do it. And I just want to be an inspiration to others, that you can do it.”

Manuel picked up a silver medal earlier this week with her teammates in the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

USA Swimming notes that Manuel has been active in the organization’s governance, serving as an athlete representative on a diversity and inclusion committee.

Manuel said in an article posted on the USA Swimming website in February that there wasn’t a great amount of diversity in the pool when she began swimming, until athletes like Cullen Jones and Maritza Correia McClendon made the U.S. Olympic team. She said she sees her role as a female swimmer of color as important for future athletes.

“When I was younger, I didn’t want to be called the black swimmer, or the African-American swimmer, because I was doing what everyone else was doing, so I didn’t see a difference. But I do realize that who I am and what I am doing does carry some weight and can show people that if I can do, they can do it too. And I didn’t really think of anyone relating to the trials and tribulations I went through until people started looking up to me, and I realized others have felt or are feeling alone, too …

A lot of people go through a lot more than I did to lead the way, and I got a lot of support from parents and coaches during those hard times. But that’s what makes it mean more as the sport moves forward and the diversity increases, so other kids don’t have to keep feeling that way ever again.”

Thursday night was yet another epic one for Team USA, as Michael Phelps snagged a history-making 22nd gold in the 200-meter individual medley, and Ryan Murphy won his second gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke.

Simone Manuel, Penny Oleksiak and Sarah Sjostrom with their medals for the 100 meter freestyle.

*****

Simone Biles Isn’t The Next Anyone, She’s ‘The First Simone Biles’

The gymnast is in a league of her own.

Simone Biles signals to the crowd after winning the gold medal in the women’s individual all around final on Thursday.

The breakout star of the U.S. gymnastics team shrugged off comparisons to other Olympic legends after winning the gold medal in the women’s individual all-around on Thursday.

Simone Biles, who at age 19 has been called the best gymnast of all time, won the event in Rio de Janeiro by a massive margin spanning more than two points, ahead of fellow American Aly Raisman.

Perhaps in reference to a slew of sexist commentary at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Biles succinctly noted her legendary feats were an accomplishment all her own and in no way comparable to those of celebrated male athletes.

“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps,” she told Sporting News after accepting her second gold medal. “I’m the first Simone Biles.”

Her performance on Thursday began with an uncharacteristically shaky start that left her trailing Russian Aliya Mustafina after the vault and bars. But by the end of the third event, the beam rotation, Biles held a commanding lead of more than 1.5 points. She sealed it with an impressive floor routine.

Biles’ celebratory comments come on the heels of several high-profile sexist headlines to emerge in Brazil. An NBC commentator this week compared one of the three-time world champion’s uneven bars routines to that of a man’s.

Other women’s accomplishments have been linked to their husbands and coaches, or celebrated because of their age or recent pregnancies.

While Biles has already made Olympic history, there’s still a lot of medals to be won. The gymnast is still favored to take home a few more golds in three individual events later this week. Viewers can expect to see absurd levels of difficulty and routines packed with skill-after-skill many of her peers won’t even attempt in competition.

As her teammate Raisman said, “Simone’s just in her own league. Whoever gets second place, that’s the winner.”

*****

Readers: Running a bit late as I has already prepared another post for this morning but after last night I had to switch it up. :) On a side note: Yes, I read the write about the racist headline by the Mercury news too regarding Manuel’s Olympic win, (Ugh! All I will say is it was racist and insensitive) but today, I myself, chose to focus the write on the positive. Of course, as usual, all comments are welcomed.

Happy Friday! You know what to do.

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)

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Thank you for your loyal support!

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

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

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Good morning!

As if we haven’t had enough of the sicko men from FOX News, here’s another hypocrite exposed.

From Blog Critics:

Whatever Happened To The Bill O’Reilly/Andrea Mackris Sex Scandal?

In October of 2004, the words “loofa” and “falafel” were mainstreamed into our sexual vocabulary. To the shock of some, and to the entertainment of millions, religious right wingnut Bill O’Reilly was accused of sexually harassing coworker Andrea Mackris with explicit phone conversations that were allegedly taped. Besides the use of loofas and falafels as sex objects, Bill O’Reilly had also revealed homoerotic desires to use vibrators on himself, fantasies of explicit Caribbean vacations, and a desire for Ms. Mackris to perform oral sex on him, but not finish. He also revealed some disturbing news about what Fox News was planning to do to Al Franken. To Bill O’Reilly’s enemies, this news was God sent.

The reason people were fascinated with this story is the same reason they are fascinated with Rush Limbaugh’s drug use, Matt Drudge’s allegedly gay affairs, and the penisification of underage boys by anti-gay activist and idolized Republican Mark Foley: we love exposing hypocrites! Bill O’Reilly has used his highly rated program, The O’Reilly Factor, to criticize sexuality in the media. His favorite targets have been rapper Ludacris, Janet Jackson, porn stars, and all the other “immoral” Hollywood stars. The only Hollywood star whom he constantly praises (or at least used to praise) is Mel Gibson, the director of the anti-Semitic Passion of the Christ. The fact that Mel Gibson was going to turn Bill O’Reilly’s soft-porn epicThose Who Trespass into a movie certainly helped.

On October 28, 2004, O’Reilly and Mackris reached an out of court settlement, and dropped all charges against each other. It was widely rumored that O’Reilly paid Mackris close to ten million dollars to “shut up” and destroy the tapes. The fact that the story disappeared from the media soon afterwards remains a mystery that people should question.

If the media was as liberal as conservatives claim it to be, this case would not have disappeared so quickly. Did O’Reilly pay media outlets to “shut up” just as he did with Andrea Mackris? Was the media too afraid to go after O’Reilly, who is given almost the same status of Jesus Christ among right wing fundamentalists? Did O’Reilly’s lawyers stop the media from doing any more damage? The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal lasted years after the hearings, which backfired on conservatives. Dan Rather is still dogged by his mistakes which happened two and a half years ago. Even though Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges, the case still dogs him two years later. It seems quite odd that Bill O’Reilly’s matters suddenly “disappeared.”

The Bill O’Reilly/Andrea Mackris scandal not only begs for questions about it’s “sudden” disappearance, but reveals, once again, how hypocritical and morally corrupt the right wing religious fanatics in this country are. Bill O’Reilly’s audience not only aggressively defended him, but maintained their viewership over the years. Fellow right wing pundit Michelle Malkin, who freaks out at the mention of the words “gay” or “sex,” didn’t issue any condemnation of Bill O’Reilly’s immoral behavior. Michael Savage, who was fired from MSNBC for wishing AIDS and death on a homosexual caller, seemed rather silent about the situation. Rush Limbaugh, who ended up being exposed as an illegal drug user after condemning illegal drug users, defended O’Reilly. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, and other darlings of the right wing didn’t issue any condemnation either. On October 21, 2004, the fiercely heterosexual Matt Drudge tried very hard to smear Andrea Mackris.

Even though Bill O’Reilly’s ratings are still high, his relevancy in the political world is arguably fading. He successfully served as the Joseph McCarthy of his time, as well as George W. Bush’s media protector. But even after he fades into history, the type of behavior he exhibited towards Andrea Mackris will continue unless both political parties condemn it.

*****

Yeah, good luck with that ever happening. But, hey, I can be optimistic too. As you can see, this write has been buried deep for many years, so I decided to shed some light on it. Perhaps with the posting on our blog, we can get it back in the news again. Why not? The hypocrite O’Reilly still talks to this day as if he is holier than thou. I think he deserves another round of this surfacing, don’t you? Feel free to share it.

Something to say? Have at it. :)

Blog me. 

Alycedale: I just read the repartee between you and the supposed doc today. Let me just say…I enjoyed it.

Eric: I’m a huge animal lover. Domestic animals do so much for the elders. I am so delighted to hear that your father is getting your mother a sweet little love. I know it will help her. Please give your mom my best. Thanks.

Kevin: I haven’t met a Main Coon that I haven’t adored. And Rots are another fave. Actually most pets steal my heart. Sounds like you have a wonderful family, non furry ones included. :)

Robert: Thank you. All I can say is that when I was doing it, I absolutely loved it. Cherished the team of girls I got to compete with too. Speaking of…

Olenka: Thank you. Nice to meet a fellow gymnast! From Russia, yes? Your country is fierce competition for the Americans. Did you watch last night? Enjoy the competition!

Owen: Thank you. I wish you had asked me to dance. I never turn anyone down for a spin on the dance floor. I adapt to those I’m dancing with. So, if you have two left feet, don’t worry, I’ll match you with two right feet. :) Next time you see me, please ask me to dance.

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)

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

“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"