Rep. Todd Akin meet Sherry Matulis.

I'm a little late to the conversation, but I'll add my two cents anyway.

“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

~Rep. Todd Akin 

KTVI-TV Interview, August 2012.

Flipping through Women Without Superstition this quote by Sherry Matulis recounting her rape and consequent pregnancy in 1954 caught my eye:

"Contrary to what the purveyors of mystical notions seem to think happens in cases such as this, I discovered that my ovaries hadn't magically shut down; and I had been impregnated by the rape.  The feeling that came over me at that time is one I've never really been able to describe.  It was part fear, panic, revulsion and ,mostly, an overwhelming sense of helplessness --- of not knowing where to turn for help because at that time there wasn't any help."

~Sherry Matulis 

in her speech How I Earned My Feminist Credentials delivered at the fiftieth annual convention of the American Humanist Association in Chicago, May 1991.

Akin has apologized, "I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize."  Then later says in his reasoning for not dropping out of the race, "Is there a matter of some justice here? I misspoke one word in one sentence on one day." (Quotes from here).

The fact that he thinks the only erroneous mistake was the word "legitimate" (which is as bad as "forcible") rape tells me it wasn't a slip up - that what he said to him is truth.  This is why decisions about our bodies shouldn't be made by old men. We've made progress, thanks in no small part to Sherry Matulis and all the women fighting for our reproductive rights - the right to control our own bodies and live healthy and productive lives.  

We've made progress, but more need to join the fight.  Count me in.

My New Hero: Caitlin Moran

I finished Caitlin Moran's book How To Be a Woman and she is officially my new hero. :)

Quote on the back cover, "Caitlin Moran taught me more about being a woman than being a woman did.  I'm pretty sure I had testicles before I read this book." - Jenny Lawson, author of Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

I'd already purchased the book when I saw this, but it made me want to read it even more.

"I am a feminist!"

Of the multitudinous good points made by Caitlin Moran throughout her book I really like her views of feminism.  In addition to the quote in the NPR story where I first heard about this book, the following quote makes me laugh:

"So here is a quick way of working out if you're a feminist.  Put your hand in your underpants.  a) Do you have a vagina? and b) Do you want to be in charge of it?  If you said "yes" to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist."

In a world where reproductive rights are threatened, pay inequality persists, glass ceilings exist, and sexism overtly and covertly pervades the day to day we need more people to stand up and shout, "I AM A FEMINIST!"

"I don't want men to go away.  I don't want men to stop what they're doing.  What I want, instead, are some radical market forces.  I want CHOICE. I want VARIETY. I want MORE. I want WOMEN.  I want women to have more of the world, not just because it would be fairer, but because it would be better.  More exciting.  Reordered.  Reinvented.  We should have the lady-balls to say, "Yeah -- I like the look of this world.  And I've been here for a good while, watching.  Now -- here's how I'd tweak it. Because we're all in this together.  We're all just, you know.  The Guys.""

I've been a feminist for awhile, but a quiet almost embarrassed type of feminist, because who talks about feminism these days.  Her book was exactly what I needed: loud, brash, humorous, and honest.  I will forever appreciate her personal account of her abortion and her views on the subject.

So, to anyone reading, "I AM A FEMINIST". :)

Zucchini Adventures

Before this month the only time I'd eaten zucchini was when it was buried in cupcakes.  Several of my coworkers have gardens and leave extra produce in the kitchen for us to take.

I went to the farmers market to get more fresh veggies and I made this:


Tomato-Zucchini Bake

The corn was cut fresh off the cob and I had two different types of zucchini.  It was so easy - I even changed the recipe a bit.  I didn't have the Japanese bread crumbs so I used regular bread seasoned with Italian seasonings.

I hope to make much more with the fresh produce I get from the market this wednesday. :)

Book Dam

I seem to be inundated with partially read books and books on my 'to-read' list (well past 100).

Over half-way through 'IT', but only a few chapters into the rest.

In addition to these I'm reading electronic copies of:

I have more time lately, but finishing books before starting a new one doesn't seem to happen all that often - except, of course, for 'Let's Pretend This Never Happened' by Jenny Lawson.  That book I inhaled. :-D

Bloggess Book + Coffee = Scrat

Awesome Book.

+

Copious amounts of coffee.

=

Scrat-esque, over caffeinated, twitchy demeanor. 

For my birthday I bought Jenny Lawson's "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)" and it came in the mail yesterday.  I started reading it and found it hilarious... so hilarious that I didn't want to stop reading about her crazy life.  Needless to say I stayed up way to late and got way too much coffee the next day.  By end of the work day I felt like I was having an anxiety attack - all I wanted to do was get back to my apartment where there were no other people, squirrel-up in bed and finish her book. 

And I did finish it: 5/5 stars from me!  I laughed so hard I cried in some parts - the craziness never stops: flying bobcats, exploding blue gel in diapers, squirrel puppets, snakes, taxidermy animals, awkward social situations.  Thanks Jenny for sharing so much of your life with us - it reassures me that being me is okay and that I'm not alone in my weirdness. :)