Love Song

Midi, Maxi & Efti -Bad, Bad, Boys


Strawberry Switchblade- Who Knows What Love Is


Lil' Kim - Crush On You


Ciccone Youth -Addicted to Love

Ciccone Youth - Addicted To Love
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The DREAM Act

There are a lot of interesting topics and actions to read about over on change.org and its causes page. Though there's plenty of great stuff on the Women's Rights page, one of the causes I feel the strongest about is The DREAM Act which is under the Immigration Causes. DREAM stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors.

This act, a piece of bipartisan legislation, has been developed to assist young people who were raised in the U.S. and either attend college or enlist in the military. The DREAM Act would grant those who qualify conditional legal status and eventual citizenship if they met the following requirements....

-were brought to the US before the age of 16 and are below the age of 30.
-lived here continuously for five years
-graduated from a US high school or obtained a GED
-have good moral character with no criminal record
-attend college or enlist in the military

Currently the Act does not help with tuition so only those who are very self motivated would be able to qualify.

I know quite a handful of kids my age who grew up primarily in the US but are now faced with possible deportation to a country they left when they were just children or in some cases toddlers. A few of these are dangerous countries, places their parents never imagined their children would be sent back to. There are zillions of kids who grow up in the U.S. but aren't able to legally drive, work, or pursue their dreams. This is not exactly helping our country to run smoothly. In fact as the change.org website sites, the Social Security Administration stated that if we have a net increase of 100,000 immigrants a year we can solve the Social Security crisis. This actually makes sense since these students would be receiving an education and then would be legal tax paying citizens.

I first found out about the DREAM Act when the radio program "This American Life" did a show called "Nice Work If You Can Get It". In the last segment they talk with a girl "Martha" who was born in Mexico but grew up in a poor neighborhood in east Los Angeles. It seemed like the typical Horatio Alger story - she was elated to be accepted at UCLA where she majored in chemistry and ran a volunteer organization on campus. Yet Martha's dreams are of being a doctor, an OB-GYN to be more specific. Unfortunately, she can't work legally as a doctor in the U.S. In fact she can't work legally at all. At one point she got a great position as a research assistant to a professor, yet then found out she would have to be on the books, which was impossible. So she is currently working off the books as a waitress and as she puts it "the worst part is, I suck at it". Personally, I can totally identify with being smart enough to get into a good school but really bad at being a waitress. The concept of having no choice but to be a waitress makes me feel panicky. On top of that she says that people treat her badly or automatically assume she's a single mother with no education.
At UCLA, Martha was surprised to meet many other brilliant yet undocumented students who had great grades and worked hard at both school and their other jobs. This group of students even formed a group that mentors undocumented high school students and raises money for their scholarships. Most of these UCLA students live hours from campus to save money....so they stay days or weeks at school -showering in the school showers, sleeping in the library. The fact that they can still pull of the grades under these conditions is amazing.
Twenty years ago California allowed undocumented kids to go to college with financial aid. Five years later the courts reversed that. These days ten states allow undocumented kids to go to in state colleges and pay in state tuition. But they don't offer financial aid, work study jobs, or student loans.
To apply for a Greencard Martha would have to go back to Mexico, where she hasn't lived since she was a small child. Then she'd have to wait 10 to 15 years before most likely being denied.

Martha says she dreams of being a doctor "because she enjoys being a public servant and a scientist" and she of course wants the feeling of respect that comes with the job. For her, respect is something you fight for, not something you are granted "just by being human".
In the story, Martha struggles with finding the will to finish school, not only because of the insane hours, the 2.5 hour commute (public trans. because she can't get a license), the endless waitressing, or the zillion other responsibilities. Its hard for her because she knows that even if she could find a way to afford medical school after UCLA, she still wouldn't be able to work at her dream job. You must be a citizen to work as a licensed doctor.

As the story's reporter, Douglas McGray, puts it "there is a very easy solution" - The DREAM Act. If a student finishes their degree or their enlisted time they can become a citizen. Barack Obama has said multiple times that he supports this Act and I really hope his administration gets right to work on ending the bureaucracy and actually passes The DREAM Act.

Occupational Stylings 2

As a follow up to Occupational Styling #1 I'm going to help you figure out what to wear to work to get that raise. My trusty mannequin friends will be modeling the looks.



So here's you basic career woman feminazi boner-killer looks. I love these looks. Sort of like The Matrix meets Men In Black but for us ladies. When you buy one of these outfits you get 50% off on a clone who will accompany you on your lunch dates.



But what if your job is just slightly more laid back? These girls are modeling bank attendant chic.


Perhaps your job is a little more avant garde. Maybe you're in one of those "creative fields".


I think I saw Basquiat or 9 1/2 Weeks too many times because when I moved to New York it took me a long time to get my head around the fact that gallerists don't really dress like this.



Maybe its one of those really creative jobs,,, like you play the sax?


Or maybe you work with people..... like this dance instructor.....

Or this mannequin who is clearly a teen mentor(she even rides the subway with them).



Maybe you married some rich dude and quit your job like Charlotte on Sex and The City, so you just shop Madison Ave. and wear these hot looks.


Whatever career path you may have chose, remember to take a lesson from Christina Applegate in Don't Tell Mom The Babysitters Dead,,,,, if you get your get your bangs big enough, properly accessorize, and coordinate your lipstick to your skirt suit, you can get hired for anything!

Theresa Nervosa

Here is a fun clip from Richard Linklater's film Slacker. This part features Theresa Nervosa, one of the drummers of The Butthole Surfers. I love her and the Madonna's pap smear that she's pushing.....

Current Events!

Things to know about:

*The Lilly Ledbetter and Paycheck Fairness Act passed the House and is on to the Senate!

*Strangely enough, I've hardly seen anything in the news about the shooting on the BART (subway) in San Francisco. New Years morning a number of young men were pulled off the BART for reasons I've yet to see explained anywhere. 22 year old Oscar Grant who was cooperating with the police was put face down on the ground with his hands behind him and a cop's knee on his neck. Another officer then fired his gun into Oscar's back, killing him. Other BART riders caught the incident on their cellphone video cameras, many of which were confiscated. You can view the ones that weren't here http://www.ktvu.com/video/18409133/index.html
Here's one of the few widely read blogs that finally covered it ....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neal-rodriguez/bart-cop-needs-to-be-held_b_156280.html

In other depressing news, Israel continues to wage destruction on Palestine.
Here is a video of peace activist Huwaida Arraf trying to protect Palestinian adolescents who are protesting and subsequently being fired at by the Israeli Army.


In more positive news it looks like the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is going down. On the change.gov website White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is asked if the Obama administration is going to get rid of the "don't ask, don't tell policy". Gibbs replies “You don’t hear a politician give a one-word answer much, but it’s yes.” It might take a while but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Sometimes it amazes me how our country is so divided on such issues. Like when I heard that Arkansas had actually passed a ballot in November that bars unmarried couples from adopting or foster parenting. Luckily the ACLU is all over that shit. And speaking of the ACLU, if you can, I really recommend renting the ACLU Freedom Files. These hour long videos explain issues by showing cases that the ACLU has fought -from immigration to voting to gay marriage and more. The episodes really helped me understand the ins and outs of these topics as well as seeing how they affected actual people.

Also in news, check out Zoe Smith, Britain's strongest girl. She's 14 and can lift more than 2/3rds of her body weight.

How To Sing Like A Girl

Raven explains being a woman to the Cosby clan.


The Runaways continue to be more badass than everyone before or after.
Cherrybomb


Possibly my favorite cover ever. The Raincoats cover Lola....cause sometimes a woman pretends to be a man who meets a man who likes to be a woman who likes men who don't know much about women.... ? i think?


Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Rondstadt
At some point way before I was born.


PJ Harvey on total domination!


The Slits explain normal girls to us.

Like Men Only Cheaper

This week, one of the first actions of the new 111th Congress is to vote on pay equity. The House will vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

As the YWCA puts it :

"Pay equity legislation is necessary to allow individuals to better fight pay discrimination strengthen penalties for violation, compel employers to explain wage gaps, and develop training for women and girls about salary negotiation. With a record 70 million women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. In addition, wage discrimination lowers total lifetime earnings, reducing women’s benefits from Social Security and pension plans and inhibiting their ability to save not only for retirement but for other lifetime goals such as buying a home and paying for a college education. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor unemployment statistics show that women tend to be hurt first and worst during economic downturns."

I used to think that this sort of thing didn't effect me. Pay equality law cases seemed like something that happened in some old movie starring Sally Field. Unfortunately, the last few years have taught me a lot - I've been told not to apply for jobs because "they just really don't hire girls" (and no it didn't even involve heavy lifting), I've watched friends lose jobs to less experienced guys, and yea, I know a lot of girls who struggle to get paid as much as their male co-workers. Its awkward and unpopular to talk about but the fact that these laws don't pass says something about how our country thinks of women. We still make 77 cents to every dollar that a man makes - and thats for equal work.

Contact your representative today. This website will help you figure out who to call and where. All you have to do is say that you're calling to urge your representative to vote yes on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Kristen Wiig

Last night I caught a few minutes of the train wreck that is Brett Michael's latest reality "dating" show. There was this one contestant who kept saying awkward stuff under her breath and I immediately thought 'Kristen Wiig has got to do this on SNL'. Its actually amazing how fast Kristen Wiig has risen to comedy fame, she's now THE stand out female on SNL. I'm not sure I even knew who she was a year ago but now I'm mentally planning out her skits the way the whole world was planning out Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin the minute McCain picked her.

The New York Times had an article a few days ago about Kristen Wiig. I guess the reason the whispering reality show lady reminded me of her is that Kristen has become known for her whispering character Penelope. Actually, when she starts out with a character, the first thing she works on is the voice. Having an obvious trait could be what makes her super successful, its noticeable and she rules at it. Her impression of Nancy Pelosi is impeccable. Her Suze Orman is hilarious - I love the money saving tip of using double sided tape and baby socks to make your own maxipads.
The Times lays out all the crappy jobs Kristen Wiig had in her 20s (hot dog stand, babysitting, etc.) After a couple of method acting classes she discovered the improv troupe The Groundlings and from there eventually landed the SNL gig. As Lorne Michaels said “She wasn’t 20, where you were looking just at potential and it wasn’t yet formed. It was just all there, I think in the same way it was sort of all there in Dana Carvey.”
As far as being the new go to girl for SNL Kristen Wiig says “I don’t think that’s fair. Why can’t there be a lot of great women who are doing great things?”. The cast actually has two new women Abby Elliott(Chris Elliot's daughter) and Michaela Watkins who look pretty promising. I'm still a little bummed that they haven't had a more racially diverse cast in ages. Think of all the good Tyra, Oprah, and Beyonce skits we're missing.
Anyhow, here are a couple of my favorite Kristen Wiig moments.....
Crazy McCain Lady


The Lawrence Welk Show


Pony Express

Lets Talk About Sex Baby

If you've watch the news recently you probably now know that abstinence only education doesn't decrease chances of teens having sex (and consequently having babies or getting s.t.d.s).
Here's Dan Abrams laying down the facts.....with help from Rachel Maddow and no help from National Abstinence Education Association's Valerie Huber.

I just love the part when Maddow says "Yeah whenever I evaluate myself I look pretty good too" about Valerie Huber's research.

The strange thing to me about abstinence only education is that it makes it seem like you will never have sex. Or perhaps its that when you do you must become a baby making machine,,, one kid after another. Because otherwise shouldn't there be some tips for the kids who are going to get married in a couple years. A lot of kids (especially in the abstinence only areas of the country) get married at 18, 19, 20. So why can't we throw in some education for them.

Ideally I think contraceptive education should be taught every year you're in school- probably starting in jr. high. For me it took up maybe 3 classes in health class in 9th grade. Those three classes seemed to cover everything from what genitals are to the different stages of a babies growth during pregnancy. All I remember are a few pictures of venereal diseases. Oh and also I remember there was a girl in the class who had already had a baby. When our health teacher did the whole "Abstinence is obviously the safest method but now we're gonna talk about some other methods of contraception" the girl flipped out about how much she loved her baby and how glad she was to have her.
Personally, by the time I finally lost ye ole V card that info I learned had been long forgotten. So perhaps the lesson to be learned from both the girl in my 9th grade and my own experience is that education is hardly ever too much, too soon, or too late. Its education after all, not a call to arms.....you can do with it what you will. Other wise you end up getting your facts from kids on the school bus, first boyfriends, cosmo magazine, and if you're lucky the internet. When the internet is your trusted source something is just not right.
As Dan Abrams says in his closing argument -this is 200 million dollars our country is giving to abstinence only education - a system that doesn't seem to be working.

Leonor Fini

I'm going to start doing posts about female artists. To start it off here is Leonor Fini.
Leonor was born in 1908 and raised primarily in Italy. Her mother disguised her as a boy for the first five years of her life to keep her father from kidnapping her. In her early twenties Leonor moved to Paris where she began a successful career as a painter. She showed with and befriended many of the leading painters including Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Paul Eluard. Its interesting to me that many women actually showed with the surrealists -and yet history tends to forget them. While continuing to paint, Leonor Fini went on to design costumes and sets for well known plays and movies. In the 1970s she wrote three novels. She continued to be friends with some of the best known writers, artists, and thinkers of her time while simultaneously being a bonafide cat lady. At one point she had 23 cats. She also managed to live out one of her most famous quotes that "A woman should live with two men; one more a lover and the other more a friend.". Throughout her work, Leonor always seemed to celebrate the female form -often showing women protecting their male lovers or women loving other women. She depicted women exploring their own identity at a time when female identity both physically and mentally was being defined by men.








This painting was actually used as inspiration for a Madonna music video in the 90s.