| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It's Summertime in SheKosisistan!!!
by earicicle, SheKos editor
As SheKos contributor pat of butter in a sea of grits has so well described, American workers lag far behind when it comes to "radical" benefits such as maternity leave. Most peeps here in the Good Ole U. S. of A. get a pitiful two weeks of vacation time per year. If they're lucky, that is, to have a corporate master generous enough to grant them "benefits" at all.
But the Most Gracious Overlords (Overladies?) of SheKos aspire to the high socialist standards of Sexy Swedes, Daring Danes, Feisty Finns and Naughty Norwegians.
That is: we like lots of time off to refresh, recharge, renew...aw, hell...we like skinnydipping, sunbathing nekkid, BBQs & brewskis with good friends, Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
and the other important summer pursuits. Other than chaining ourselves to a keyboard and blogging. The BBQ sauce & SPF 45 really mess with our typing.
And we feel our contributors and our readers should engage in such important pursuits as well. We expect each and every one of you to report back in the fall, of course, with details on how the sun, sand, sea & general summer revelry have heightened your awareness of feminist concerns. Etc, etc.
Meanwhile, the editorial board will seek to do the same. Consider today's diary an Open Thread about your summer plans. And about what you'd like to see more of when SheKos returns--tanned, rested and ready to take on the world this fall. LeanneB, Angry Mouse & I want you to know we appreciate ALL of the contributors for producing EXCELLENT work, and the commenters for engaging in thoughtful (and fun!) discussions. Pile up those awesome story ideas while you're skinnydipping. We'll be checking our inbox from time to time.
Thanks, and happy summer... earicicle, on behalf of ear, LeanneB & Angry Mouse
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AU REVOIR, SHEPEEPS
by LeanneB, SheKos editor
Our faithful and stalwart contributors - joedemocrat, pat of butter in a sea of grits, Aji, Oke, and KentuckyKat have had a huge hand in making SheKos a success this year. They well deserve this summer break, and they deserve heaping helpings of recognition, so please feel free to tell them how much you appreciate their efforts in the comments - while you're discussing your summer leisure plans, of course!
KentuckyKat sent us this hilarious piece yesterday and we wanted to share it with all of you. According to the link, it was originally posted to Craigslist in Lansing, Michigan. As the piece was flagged for removal - most likely because it involves (gasp!) homosexuality - Michael Airhart reposted it on http://www.truthwinsout.org/. Under the circumstances, I'm going to repost it in its entirety. It is entitled To the Straight Guy at the Party Last Night.
A mutual friend of ours threw a big party for her 30th birthday, tons of people were there and it was a lot of fun. Somewhere along the line you and I ended up on the balcony for some fresh air at the same time. We started chatting; we talked about sports, books, tv – discovered we both are about to start our masters degrees and spent some time debating the pro’s and con’s of the educational system. We talked about hanging out sometime, and you wanted to meet my girlfriend.
I understand how upsetting it was for you when I blinked mildly Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.in surprise and said I was here with my husband. I know it was a shock to your system, if your face had turned any paler I might have called 911. You made a good recovery though – that hurried mutter of "I’m not like that" was very polite and you only knocked over two drinks and one vase in your hurry to rush to anywhere other than near me. I can’t blame you – I forgot how delicate you straight boys are. So I wanted to give you a few helpful hints about where you went wrong last night.
- As a general rule we don’t walk around with big signs around our neck proclaiming our sexuality. No scarlet letters, no scent of hellfire and brimstone... sorry about that.
- We do not generally assume that everyone within 5 feet of us must also be homosexual – it was nice of you to immediately reassure me that you are hetero, but it was really unnecessary.
- Homosexuality is not infectious. While I am sure you meant no disrespect with your hasty departure; in the future you can rest assured that taking a few extra seconds in your mad dash for safety will not result in you being turned gay. It will however keep you from destroying expensive vases and knocking over senior citizens.
- This next one may come as a surprise; but you are not, in fact, irresistible. The fact that you have a dick does not instantly turn me into a bundle of uncontrolled lust. Contrary to popular opinion, being in the same room with a straight man does not cause a gay man to instantly lose all common sense and basic common courtesy. Though I am not so sure about the reverse.
- Homosexuals in general get a little irked when people treat us like some sort of leper. Rushing to another mutual friend of ours and advising him of my sexuality, so he could be "forewarned" was really uncalled for.
- Upon being told (by said mutual friend) to stop being an idiot and that you were not my type anyway... it generally confuses the issue when you then proceed to become upset that I DON’T find you attractive. Three seconds ago you were running through a crowd of people with your hands cupped protectively over your junk as if I might attack you at any moment with a blowjob. See hint number 4.
- We homosexuals have an odd sense of humor – I can’t help that. Something about watching you freak out as if all the demons of hell were after you just struck me as vastly amusing.
- While being pissed at me for dissolving into uncontrollable laughter might be understandable... gathering a couple guys together to "teach the fag a lesson" is not.
- You might also want to drink a little less and be a little more careful about the guys you approach for your little proto-hate-mob.
- Assuming the two tall muscle-bound bruisers must be uber-hetero and just as appalled by my presence as you was your first mistake. It was an understandable one though. How were you to know that pflag tshirt the first guy was wearing wasn’t a sports team? Also the rainbow ring the second guy was wearing could have meant anything I am sure.
- In retrospect I suppose that upon hearing your not very subtle hate-talk and seeing who you were heading for; I could have said something instead of just laughing harder. I apologize for that. I should have just introduced you to my husband instead of letting you walk up to him and ask him if he wanted to help you teach "that fag over there" a lesson. I hope that broken nose heals up cleanly.
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Clik here to view. SUMMER READING: On My Nightstand/In My Beachbag
by earicicle, SheKos editor
The End of Men, Hanna Rosin's cover story for the July issue of The Atlantic Monthly, is ruffling more than a few feathers. I haven't read it yet, but my mom's one-sentence review: "Terrifying...for men!" And when Stephen Colbert interviewed her last week, he asked her directly if men are becoming obsolete. Heh. Personally, I like 'em. I vote we keep 'em around for awhile. Thoughts? ;-)
Colbert's interview of author Wes Moore the other day put his book,The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, at the top of my reading list. Here's the summary from the author's website:
Two kids with the same name living in the same decaying city. One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated combat veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader. The other is serving a life sentence in prison for felony murder. Here is the story of two boys and the journey of a generation.
The city is Baltimore, where I went to grad school. And IIRC from the interview, both Wes Moores grew up in single parent households in the same neighborhood. I can't wait to read it.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
On a very different note, my memoir obsession continues with Jillian Lauren's Some Girls: My Life in a Harem. It's a Byzantine tale of a young American theater student who ends up as a concubine for the Sultan of Brunei. The reviews have been fantastic.
What I'm reading now: inspired by an experience that I recently diaried, I've dived into George Hu'eu Sanford Kanahele's Ku Kanaka, Stand Tall: A Search for Hawaiian Values(1986). Looking at my cultural roots, and regrounding myself a bit. A fitting activity for summer.