VIEWS OF A CLOWN

Milo is the scum of the earth, but it didn’t take a pedophilia scandal for the rest of us to see that. 

So it’s time to write your undergraduate dissertation and it feels mammoth? (Please note: I’m currently a literature student so this isn’t that great if you’re doing research)

I’ve added my own tips in the read more bit but feel free to add your own. And remember…

Meet Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the black woman who invented that rock and roll sound 

You know what’s sad, before I even read this article I was ready to refute this because I grew up believing Chuck Berry created Rock and roll. It’s said how so many knew of this great woman yet none spoke on her greatness.

I also discovered Big Mama Thornton, who’s another hugely influential early inventor of rock and roll — I’m pretty sure Hound Dog was originally popularized by her, before Elvis stole it.

Love Sister Rosetta Tharpe! #BlackGirlMagic

A few of her performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeaBNAXfHfQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9bX5mzdihs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M

Also I heard she was bisexual…

When you talk about the wage gap between men and women and people of different races, remember that disabled people in the US can legally be paid as little as 22 cents an hour as opposed to the 7.25 dollars an hour that non-disabled people can expect to be paid.

When you talk about sexual assault, remember that at least 83% of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their life time as opposed to 25% of women without disabilities.

When you talk about police brutality, remember that up to 50% of the people who are being killed by the police in the US are disabled.

When you talk about how cut downs on welfare affect people, remember that just in the UK, 2,380 disabled people died between 2011 and 2014 shortly after being declared able to work.

When you talk about abuse, remember that the abuse rates for disabled people are higher than the abuse rates for the non-disabled population and that disabled people are especially vulnerable to abuse from parents, caregivers, relatives and partners throughout their life time because we often can’t live independently.

When you talk about reproductive rights issues and a women’s right not to have children, remember that disabled women still have to fight to be seen as capable parents and remember how at least a million disabled women were forcibly sterilized during the last century and that these sterilizations are still happening today.

When you talk about the horrors of conversion therapy, remember how ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis, the most widespread “therapy” for autistic children) was invented by the same person who invented conversion therapy after the same principles, and that the two “therapies” are thought to cause PTSD at similar rates.

When you talk about unemployment, remember that only 35% of working-age disabled people are employed, compared to an employment rate of 78% in the rest of the population.

When you talk about homelessness, remember that at least 40% of the homeless people in the US are disabled.

When you talk about education, remember that only 31% of disabled people go to college as opposed to 66% of the general population.

When you talk about poverty, remember that while the non-disabled population in the US have a poverty rate of 12%, disabled people in the US have a poverty rate of 29%

The 14 points of Fascism

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

Supremacy of the Military Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Rampant Sexism The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Controlled Mass Media Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Obsession with National Security Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

by Crystal Paul of Bustle

1. Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis

This is definitely one of the must-reads for any intersectional feminist. A bit dated at this point, but still important, it takes a look at the very issues of exclusion that have hindered the feminist movement since abolition days.

2. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Honestly, this will just be one of the best books you’ll ever read. It’s not only an important queer, feminist book, it’s also just a beautifully told story of struggle and love.

3. Woman, Native, Other by Trinh T. Minh-ha

Minh-ha delivers a full-frontal attack against the notion of erasure as a means of unified feminism. She argues for a feminism that fights against oppression of all kinds, because women all over the world face oppression at the hands of different forces and factors. And she attacks everything that “others” everything non-white or non-Western. It’s bold and awesome and a classic of postcolonial feminist theory.

4. Assata by Assata Shakur

Assata is part memoir of the radical awakening of a young black woman in the ‘60s and ‘70s, part personal testimony of a broken, racist justice system. In all its parts it’s a lyrical, addictive read that immerses you in one of the most important eras in the Black liberation struggle. By the end you’ll be outraged, angry, and itching for revolution.

5. Random Family by Adrian LeBlanc

Adrian LeBlanc took a lot of care with this book. Working over 10 years and forming close relationships with the families she writes about, LeBlanc offers up an intimate portrait of the lives of two women in a social class that often goes overlooked or misrepresented in popular U.S. culture and scholarly study. It’s importance is in the deeply personal rather treatment, rather than the almost zoological portrayals that often befall lower economic classes.

6. Sex Workers Unite! A History of the Movement from Stonewall to Slutwalk by Melinda Chateauvert

Sex workers are often cast as unwilling victims. Melinda Chateauvert challenges this portrayal by showing that many sex workers are in fact empowered, legitimate workers and have been powerful agents of social change throughout history. This book will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about sex work.

7. The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions by Paula Gunn Allen

An oldie but a goodie, The Sacred Hoop is a corrective on the crucial role of indigenous women in history and tribal tradition. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s an important one that asserts the presence of Native American women.

8. This Bridge Called My Back by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa

This anthology is incredible! It’s got essays, interviews, poetry, and even visual art from women of so many different backgrounds. It’s kind of what intersectional feminism should look like in book form. Or, at least, darn close to it.

9. Women and Gender in Islam by Leila Ahmed

Need to check your assumptions about Islam and the treatment of women in the Middle East? Leila Ahmed’s book is an invitation to do just that. So many stereotypes and assumptions about Muslim women and their treatment under Islam abound, but one can hardly make snap judgements about Islam any more than you can about any other religion. Ahmed dives into the text itself and the history of the Western gaze that has led to misunderstanding about Islam and gender.

10. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler

With Gender Trouble, Judith Butler went straight for bold by questioning the very notion of gender as a part of feminism. If you took a Gender Studies course in college, it was probably on the syllabus. But it’s always worth another look, considering the book was originally written in the ‘90s, when Butler’s straight talk about the complexity of gender and sexuality was pretty ground-breaking. Since then, Butler’s reconsidered some of her ideas in newer books that are also worth picking up.

11. Brick Lane by Monica Ali

Not every book you read has to be a heavy non-fiction read. Actually getting a little fiction into your intersectional diet is a healthy way to dig into perspectives outside of your own on a more personal level. Brick Lane is a look at a young Bangladeshi woman coming of age in the middle of an arranged marriage and thrust into a new culture miles away from home. Whatever perspectives you’re looking to explore, there are so many stories out there that want to be read!

12. On Intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw

Since an intersectional feminist’s work is never done, naturally, you can look forward to a new book on intersectionality straight from the woman herself. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s latest comes out in October this year.

Women, Culture, & Politics | Angela Davis

The Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues | Angela Davis

Pedagogies of Crossing: Meditations on Feminism, Sexual Politics, & the Sacred | M. Jacqui Alexander

The Womanist Idea | Layli Marpayan

But Some of Us Are Brave: All the Women are White and All the Blacks are Men | Akasha Gloria Hull

Sylvia Winter: On Being Human as Praxis | Katherine McKittrick

When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America | Paula J. Giddings

Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman | Michele Wallace

Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction,and the Meaning of Liberty | Dorothy Roberts

Just some nice cheerleaders, out for a parade! 

According to Money Magazine, the average length of a job hunt is six weeks, but many job seekers will spend months trying to secure employment. Every job hunt is different, because every candidate is different, from their skills and background to their goals to their geographical location and career field. However, the best way to shorten your job hunt and get the job you want is to have a plan in place from the start.

remember the white dress i wore all through that film? george came up to me the first day of filming, took one look at the dress and said: “you can’t wear a bra under that dress.”

“ok, i’ll bite,” i said. “why?” and he said: “because… there’s no underwear in space.”

he said it with such conviction. like he had been to space and looked around and he didn’t see any bras or panties anywhere.

he explained. “you go into space and you become weightless. then your body expands but your bra doesn’t, so you get strangled by your own underwear.”

i think that this would make for a fantastic obituary. i tell my younger friends that no matter how i go, i want it reported that i drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.