Posts in category Power

Overthinking

December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

If you're an overthinker, here are a few things that can help:

1) Meditation -- Take a few minutes every day to practice clearing the mind. Over time, it helps, but in the meantime ...

2) Triggers -- Figure out what triggers you to overthink: Is it a need to control things? Is it co-dependency & feeling like you're supposed to take care of everyone? Is it a critical inner voice that starts telling you how you screwed up or how you're not good enough?

3) Pay attention! -- Try to catch yourself when you start ruminating, before you start going into that downward spiral. Notice what triggers those thoughts (that's where meditation helps).

4) Stop yourself from going there! -- Find a distraction, call a supportive friend, take a bath, watch a movie - anything that stops the auto-pilot & redirects you to go down a better path.

Self-esteem

Dirty Harry

December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

People have been watching too many action movies. It's like they have some sort of hero fantasy that they're gonna be prepared at any time to dive down in slow-motion with guns blazing and be able to take down a psycho who's been preparing for months and is armed with an assault rifle and bullet-proof vest. Why the fuck do average citizens need military-style assault weapons? What are you preparing for? A huge influx of stampeding deer while you're hunting? The zombie apocalypse? Jesus Christ - these innocent victims aren't even buried yet, and everyone's screaming about having their precious weapons taken away. America, fuck yeah. :/

Celebrities, Politics

Advertising Sells

December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Advertising, Beauty, Body Image, Competition, Dieting, Self-esteem, Sexism

Dalai Lama

December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Homophobia, Racism, Religion, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape

“Man Card”

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

This is an ad by Bushmaster, maker of the .223 caliber semiautomatic rifle that was used to kill 27 innocent people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last Friday. Bushmaster thinks buying an assault rifle will give you back your "man card".

Advertising, Politics, Purple Paper Project, Sexism

False Sense of Security

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics

We Don’t Always Know

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics

A Reasonable Person Might Draw a Lesson

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

(Note: The attacker in China used a knife.)

Politics

Another Day, Another Mass Shooting

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

What is with this country's love affair with guns? From Mother Jones:

"America now has 300 million firearms, a barrage of NRA-backed gun laws—and record casualties from mass killers. ... In 1995 there were an estimated 200 million guns in private hands. Today, there are around 300 million—about a 50 percent jump. ... There is no evidence indicating that arming Americans further will help prevent mass shootings or reduce the carnage ... To the contrary, there appears to be a relationship between the proliferation of firearms and a rise in mass shootings ... Armed civilians attempting to intervene are actually more likely to increase the bloodshed ..."

Politics

Heroines of Sandy Hook

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Victoria Soto (right) was a 27-year-old teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. She hid her 1st grade students in cabinets and closets after hearing gunfire. When the shooter came to her classroom, she told him that her students were in the gym. He then killed her. This brave teacher sacrificed her own life to save the lives of her kids. Her courage and selflessness deserve to be remembered.

Kaitlin Roig, 29, (below) was another heroic teacher at Sandy Hook who saved her students by barricading them in a small bathroom and comforting them until help arrived. Fortunately, she and her students survived the attack.

Beauty, Politics, Relationships

Guns Don’t Kill People; People Kill People … with Guns

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics

Abortion Isn’t a Dirty Little Secret

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics, Reproductive Rights, Sexism

Someone’s in Trouble!

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics, Reproductive Rights

Courses for Women

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Cartoons, Politics, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape

I’m Weird – Are You?

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics, Relationships, Religion

We Choose

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Relationships, Self-esteem

Romy & Michelle Were, like, Totally Right

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

From the movie, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.

Celebrities, Movies, Self-esteem

Face Your Shadows

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Face Your Shadows

Body Image, Competition, Homophobia, Racism, Relationships, Religion, Self-esteem, Sexism

Spencer’s Sexism Sucks

December 9, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Men's t-shirts like these are sold in this store's "humor" section & feature the most incredibly witty phrases ever uttered by 14-year-old boys, including such gems as "Nice tits, too bad about your face" & "Hey slut let's fuck". Brilliant stuff, I tell ya. Especially the image below - "I have the dick, so I make the rules" - which was clearly inspired by GOP lawmakers.

Check out the rest here, if you can stomach it.

Relationships, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape, Sexuality

Ashley Judd

December 9, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

(Fyi - "inter alia" means "among other things")

Celebrities, Politics, Religion, Reproductive Rights, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape, Sexuality

George Carlin

December 9, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Politics, Relationships

Margaret Sanger

December 5, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Images by Beauty Is Inside, Politics, Reproductive Rights, Sexism

Nelson Mandela

December 4, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Homophobia, Racism, Self-esteem, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape

Wrong Side of History

December 4, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Homophobia, Politics, Racism, Reproductive Rights, Sexism

The Rights of the Minority

December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

The majority should not get to decide whether the minority can enjoy the same rights that they get to take for granted. This should be common sense.

Homophobia, Politics, Racism, Religion, Reproductive Rights, Sexism

Their Story

December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Images by Beauty Is Inside, Relationships, Self-esteem

Accept Better

December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Homophobia, Politics, Racism, Relationships, Self-esteem, Sexism

The Good Old Days, Revisited

December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

When people start waxing poetic about the good old days of the 1950s, here's a little reality check. This appeared in the New York Daily Mirror: "If a Woman Needs it, Should She Be Spanked?" And here's what four fine Brooklyn men had to say ...

Relationships, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape

Don’t Shrink

November 30, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Self-esteem

Anne Hathaway

November 30, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Celebrities, Images by Beauty Is Inside, Relationships, Sexism

Bertrand Russell

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Competition, Homophobia, Politics, Racism, Religion, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape

Elizabeth Taylor

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Celebrities, Competition, Self-esteem

Happy Holidays

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Exactly! Just say something nice and respond in kind. It's the intention behind the greeting that counts. The passive aggressive declarations about keeping the "Christ" in Christmas and being bothered that the cashier said "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" -- this isn't about sharing the joy of the season. It's about being a bit of a Scrooge.

Competition, Relationships, Religion

Trollops

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Chicago, 1922: These women were arrested for wearing one-piece bathing suits that revealed too much leg. What trollops.

Politics, Sexism, Sexuality

You Are, You Are Not

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Beauty, Body Image, Competition, Relationships, Self-esteem

The “War on Men”?

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

The "War on Men"? Seriously?! In this Fox News article (are you surprised?), writer Suzanne Venker makes the ridiculous claim that more and more men are shying away from marriage because:

"Women aren’t women anymore. ... In a nutshell, women are angry. They’re also defensive ... That’s because they’ve been raised to think of men as the enemy. Armed with this new attitude, women pushed men off their pedestal (women had their own pedestal, but feminists convinced them otherwise) and climbed up to take what they were taught to believe was rightfully theirs. ...

Whaaat? "Women had their own pedestals"? Oh, does she mean like back when we didn't have to worry our pretty little heads about voting and all that political nonsense? Or does she mean back when our only option in life was to get married, have kids, and stay home and we didn't have to worry our pretty little heads about working outside the home? I have a feeling that her concept of being on a pedestal means being subservient, holding a supporting role, and letting men make all the big decisions as leader.

"But what if the dearth of good men, and ongoing battle of the sexes, is – hold on to your seats – women’s fault? ... [The media has] put women front and center, while men and children sit in the back seat. But after decades of browbeating the American male, men are tired. "Fortunately, there is good news: women have the power to turn everything around. All they have to do is surrender to their nature – their femininity – and let men surrender to theirs."

Hear that, ladies? You're emasculating the menfolk! If you ever want to get married, stop browbeating them, stop trying to steal their jobs, and get back on your pedestal in the kitchen! Let the men take the front seat for once! Stop the War on Men! And for Christ's sake, stop being a damn feminist! They ruin everything.

Read the rest here, if you can stomach it.

Politics, Relationships, Sexism

This Is a Bitch

November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Here's the small print: "Sexist & homophobic words are violent & they're everybody's problem. Realize words have an impact even if you don't see it. Challenge sexist & homophobic language. Use different words. Change the subject. Support people who are being harassed. Use humor to change minds. Violent words support violence. Everybody has a backbone. Use yours."

Tame

November 27, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Relationships, Self-esteem, Sexism

Are You Feminine?

November 27, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

"Do you remember not to stride ... to walk with a spring that looks as if you like to dance?" Why, yes I do! In fact, I often do the Waltz as I walk. I may not get very far, but golly gee, do I look feminine!

Beauty, Relationships, Sexism

Man Up

November 27, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

This gave me chills! Here's a powerful performance about how strict gender roles hurt everyone: "10 Responses to the Phrase 'Man Up'."

Competition, Homophobia, Relationships, Self-esteem, Sexism, Sexual Violence/Rape, Sexuality

Tease

November 27, 2012 Leave a Comment Written by Nancy

Example of men's sense of entitlement over women's bodies. Here's the underlying message: She's a tease, because men wanted to see her topless but she wouldn't do it. But as a woman, she's obligated to show men her breasts if they want her to. But haha - the joke's on her because they got their way after all, whether she was aware of it or not. (And before anyone says that she chose to wear a sheer top without a bra, I speak from personal experience that in certain lighting, black tops are sometimes more sheer than you'd think.)