Togas-Bar The Door (Fuzz Mover) (+4)

Fair Weather Feminist and This Oil "Spill" in the Gulf is Really Pissing Me Off

Confession: I haven't posted a blog update on this blog since December 2009. You probably know this because you stopped checking for updates when it became clear Survival of the Feminist was on hold back in, oh, 2008. Again. Sorry. Alas, I am a fair weather blogger. But, I am not a fair weather Feminist, so with that, I return. Again. Another confession: I had basically given up on writing here, but something would not let me delete it altogether, even though I don't like blogger as much as I like wordpress, and I never update. I'm not finished with it yet, and also my links are pretty cool and are updated constantly and I like that feature. A LOT. Fair weather? Probably. Judge me, if you will.

When I looked up Fair Weather Friends online to provide you with a cool link. It came up with this. I don't think that applies here, but it's kind of funny. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT COPY THEIR IMAGES!!! It will result in the end of all applique the worldwide or something.

My ennui with blogging lately could be that 4 blogs, three of which I co-author, are too many. This is always the one who gets left out in the cold. Probably because it requires a different kind of thinking and writing than blogs about books or blogs about my family or blogs about autism. Well, maybe not all that different. (See how I worked that in)

Enough of that, really! Who wants to hear about why someone didn't blog?

What I am really concerned about right now is the GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL! Which is so so so much worse than first thought. Great. Listen up Transocean and BP: YOU ARE RUINING THE WORLD MOTHERFUCKERS! OK?

I have a friend in the Gulf who is part of the response and clean up effort. His days are long and hot and dangerous and there isn't really an end in sight. He's a person who has trained for this kind of disaster, so he's who we want there. But, his is the kind of job you don't really want to have to activate.

So, let's talk turkey! How do we reduce our independence on oil, realistically? Personally, we're a family who only uses one car. Steve doesn't drive. Gasp! We live in the city. He hates driving. He takes the bus or gets rides. Is it convenient? Most of the time, yes! Are there times when it's not? Of course. Late at night the buses don't run as frequently. If I am running late and want him to dash to The Kid's school and pick him up, it can be inconvenient. But, we have really worked that out so it almost never happens. Steve takes the bus everywhere. And, if he has to go somewhere the bus doesn't, I drive him. But, that's not that often. Next, we have been making a plan to reduce or eliminate our dependence on owning a car. When my car dies (and it's threatening to) I might sign up to use Zip car when I need a car, and bike or bus for the rest of the non heavy duty-errand things.

The only reason I say that I "might" sign up is that we have kids. One lives across the border in another state and is wheelchair bound, so this requires quite a lot of car usage. Zip Car could probably resolve that for us, if need be. But The Kid, who will be in second grade next year goes to school in a school that is not in our busing zone. And, it is a looooonnnngggg city bus ride to and from our home to his school, but I am working on some logistics so this might be feasible. All is not lost. Where there is a will, there's a way, right? Right.

La Femme La Frida

Frida Kahlo is one of my all time favorite visual artists. I suppose that it is a cliche to say that now as Frida's images saturate greeting cards, pop art, websites, books, and everything else. Everyone has seen the movie. She was a genius-creative and a wounded left-leaning revolutionary, who made fantastic paintings and lived an admirable and interesting life (in my book, anyway).

It's always a catch-22 when someone you've long admired becomes part of the collective consciousness and moves the masses, or at least becomes familiar to the masses. Usually, I lose a little of my lust for the art or the person when that happens-- like the revival of interest in The Beat generation. Jack Kerouac in chinos for the Gap. Bleh.

I don't just like her because she was a lady painter. Frida owns a little piece of love from me for being a pinko commie revolutionary and making great work, which is so visually interesting, feminist, agonizing, funny, and rich with symbology. Steve and I saw the retrospective of her work at The Walker Art Center in 2007. It was intense. From the crowds, jostling for position in front of her work with their headphones to hear about the specific work to the sheer volume of pieces and the intensity of the work itself. Wowsa.

Here's the terrifying bus scene from the movie done by The Brothers Quay.

Solstice Sunday: Patti Smith Edition

I was feeling particularly moved by the work and action of Patti Smith this morning. Smith has long been in my top 100 women who kick ass list. She has influenced music, been a fearless liberal activist, is a die-hard New Yorker, and for 40 years bands from all over the world have cited her influence. She is a poet and the godmother of punk and I pretty much worship the ground she sings on. Her music is so filled with energy and emotion. I love her holiday music too. She sings holiday music! Smith gave up her driver's license on purpose so she could "see more" and she has been a fearless advocate against recent military actions by Israel, Iran, and the US.

Here she is singing Dark Eyes with Bob Dylan. Love. Happy Solstice!

Huzzah! I'm Back!

"Before you can be anything, you have to be yourself. That's the hardest thing to find." E.L. Konigsburg

OMG, I forgot about you guys and feminism! Just Kidding! What I did do was start two new blogs this Fall, Super Mon & Wolverine and Books 4 Hotties, the former co-authored with my husband-o and major partner in crime, Wolverine, formerly known as Kermit/Steve/Steve-O and the latter co-authored with Little Junkie, around books and our book club, Book Club 4 Hotties. Both blogs are hosted by Wordpress (sorry Blogger) which I like immensely more than Blogger.

The idea was really to move into blogging on Super Mon & Wolverine and not on here because I wanted to do what I do best (talk about my little life) using wordpress. I liked talking about feminist issues, but I felt like I was just reporting on what all the other feminist blogs were doing. But, then I was feeling like I was missing that feminist thing. So, here I am. Survival of the Feminist is back. For now. I know, I have done this before. I'm a tease of the feminist kind.

So, I've been focused on writing these blogs, reuniting with long lost friends, Book Club, work, raising The Kid, and watching Glee, and assembling a multitude of Legos.

All these things have inspired me to come back here to Survival of the Feminist and write about raising a kid with feminist values, feminist books for teens or kids or young adults, feminist blogs, feminist magazines and resources, movies, and so on and so forth. I think that will be an excellent project for Super Mon and Survival of the Feminists. What are some of your favorites? Here are some of mine so far with no rhyme or reason:

bell hooks Feminism is for Everybody
Bust Magazine
Bitch Magazine
New Moon Magazine (nothing to do with the movie)by girls and for girls
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsberg
Inkheart Series by Cornelia Funke

Super Mon's Survey: Multiple Choice Edition

Please help a Super Mon out by taking this short survey:

1: Would y'all think it was weird if I migrated this here blog on over to Wordpress, where there are more fun things to play with (like widgets, lots and lots of widgets) and a friendlier layout?

A. Yes, definitely weird, don't do it!

B. Not weird at all, we'll follow you where ever you go, Super Mon!

C. This is me, not caring so much

D. All of the above

2: Super Steve, Super Mon's husband-o of NINE YEARS has expressed interest in re-entering the blogging world. Super Steve, formerly known as Kermit and Dirk Diggler, PhD in another life, has A LOT to say, including that he would rather not be called Super Steve. Steve, therefore, also has a lot of art to show off, as is evidenced by his facebook page, our flickr page, and our living room. Don't you all think Steve should blog about his interests? Which include, but are not limited to: art in its myriad of forms, vinyl records, being a dad, liberal politics, and not driving a car.

A. Yes! We Love STEVE!!!!

B. Yes! We LOOOOOOOORRRRROOOORRRRVVVEEEE ELEVENTY!!!!!11!!!!!1 million STEVE!!!!!!

3: Super Mon and Steve are contemplating a blogging partnership over at WordPress. Word Press allows bloggers to have multiple pages whereas Blogger, from what I can tell, does not. Super Mon's musings would have a page, Steve's art and records would have a page, Super Mon & Steve might write on the same things sometimes. Do you think it's a good idea?

A. Yes! Do it, you crazy kids!

B. No, Don't mix blogging and matrimony


Bonus Question: Does a Blog called Super Mon & Steve already exist on Word Press if you click here?

A. YESSSSSSSS! Another Blog to read!!!! Awesome!!!!!

B. What's a blog?

Question of the Day?

Question:

What's your favorite movie line?

Mine is from To Have or Have Not starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. After a lot of on-screen sexual tension and KISSING, Bacall's character says, "You know how to whistle don't you, Steve?" and then she departs saying, "You just put your lips together and blow." And, she leaves and he whistles. "What Whew"