blood money: private prisons and the border crisis

who is making money off the travesty at the border? 

who benefits from such a huge influx of detainees? 

ANSWER: private, for-profit prison corporations; the six major banks that fund them; all those shareholders; and the politicians who do their bidding.

A Letter to Stephanie Miller

A woman called in to your show at around 8:15 am (I listen in Albuquerque). She said something that REALLY has made me rethink my perspective on communicating with people. She pointed out that the GOP communicates with their constituency using words and images that evoke a gut, primal reaction, and that perhaps we should attempt to communicate this way, too.

Cultural Appropriation

I've recently been googling around trying to find cool images of turbans and headscarves. The overwhelming majority of such images are of white, western women wearing what is described as "ethnic" or "tribal" head gear. 

The messaging is that the wearer of the items is worldly, sophisticated, interesting, slightly exotic, and (of course) sexy. The wearer is seen as having a wild and free nature.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the cultural appropriation of textiles, especially since I have a business selling scarves that I make from vintage saris (particularly those made by northern Indian Banjara Gypsy people). I'm torn about my complicity in propagating colonialism. Am I appropriating? Am I engaging? 

Dominique Christina - "The Period Poem"

A gaslighting society: How sexism makes us crazy.

Sexism on a daily basis. Institutionalized sexism. Sexism in disguise. What do these things do to our brains? I think we are being gaslighted on a continual basis, and I think we suffer a loss of confidence because of it. At least I am.

Gaslighting is emotional abuse that aims to make victims doubt their own sanity, perceptions, and memories. This is done by denying provable facts, disparaging the victim's character, claiming that a recollection is false, etc. This creates confusion and doubt in the victim. Over time, this erodes the self-esteem of the victim, effectively disarming them. This term is often used in relation to a narcissistic abuser. I am applying it to our society as a whole. 

For your head!

Amy

There is something mesmerizing about a woman in a head scarf or turban. There's an evocation of mystery, secret knowledge, worldliness, exoticism. 

From a practical standpoint, head scarves and turbans are beautiful, usually with eye-catching prints or colors that jazz up an outfit, hide bad hair, frame the face, protect the top of the head (a vulnerable spot!) from the sun, etc. etc. etc. They're pretty awesome.

They're also ubiquitous. Cloth on the head in some form or another is an ancient practice found all over the globe.

Can this be a sharing of textiles? I think often about cultural appropriation, especially as a merchant of traditional fabrics. But can this be thought of as a cultural exchange instead of cultural appropriation?

Narcissism and Misogyny: Stop Arguing with Misogynists. When You Argue, They Win.

“the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house” - bell hooks.

Vaginal Knitting (The Feed)

This artist creates a tactile line/thread connecting herself to textile makers across the globe and across thousands and thousands of years. It's a beautiful, soft, loving, and fierce performance. It is superbly alive and real.
I love this. I love her. Her voice is so beautiful.

Planet Money Makes a T-Shirt!

This is an amazing, wonderful, illuminating piece of art.

NPR and This American Life's Planet Money have put together a multi-media t-shirt project, a reporting enterprise that would have them help design a t-shirt "and then follow that t-shirt around the world as it gets made."

The Tunnel in Ruben’s Yard

A vortex of trees the corbelled sky and wind
ghosts arriving
From your guitar
I hold myself still
Hold my brain
watch your fingers intently
Think of
Quiescence deafferecence
Memories cascade calescing in the rhythm
Of your hair that arcs over the guitar
You look down at the strings as you sing
About a tear that you cannot possibly see
About cracks in the rock
Through which my dead lover floats
On dreamy theta waves and slow alphas
Mingling in the hemispheric pool of beautiful gamma
He sways there and I love you
For bringing him

and for telling me: He is the tear that falls from your eye.

MIRI

Erin Duquette: Artist

The amazing Erin Duquette has just posted a poetic loveliness about hoods 
on her blog. PLEASE check it out: WRAPPED IN THOUGHT.

Image by Erin Duquette, All Rights Reserved.

The Neurology of Curtains

"...curtains are a societal/cultural "thing." Curtains are the ultimate "woman's touch." They make a house a home. Curtains seem to be a potent marker of domesticity."