Friday is Full of Random

Today marks the day when I actually start getting my holiday on. I enjoy running around amongst the shoppers, listening to the holiday music, smelling the holiday smells, and so on. It works for me--provided I've the energy at all. Of course, I'd prefer it if we had our tree at the start of the month, but it often doesn't work out that way. That's just part of the cost of being a creative in a society that doesn't value creatives. Nonetheless, I'm excited.

Yesterday, I collected a list of Feminist titles for research. As usual, I started with audiobooks. (Did you know there are ZERO books on Audible written by Bell Hooks or Judith Butler? ZERO. Annoying.) Finished: All the Rebel Women by Kira Cochrane. Largely, I think it was intended for those who haven't been paying attention for the past decade. It documents events that I've been watching from the front row (or as front row as you can get online without actually being a primary participant) during the time period the book covers. So, I didn't learn much of anything new. The only exception was on fashion during the '00s. I didn't watch Fashion until recently. (I hate window shopping when I'm broke. It's depressing.) I like how Ira Cochrane described it. Models were pressured to be thinner than ever before in the entire history of the industry. See Size 0 Culture. (The story about eating tissues to fill one's stomach is  horrifying.) As a result of starving themselves, a number of models died. The 'Look' was all about making the models teeny waif-ghosts, and the products (hand bangs, jewelrey, watches) over-sized and visually dominating. Literally, the products (consumerism) was more important than the woman. [shudder] I'm glad that fad is on the way out.

Next up on the reading list is The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer because someone I very much respect recommended it. And well, I think it's good to have the important works within a subject covered. After that, I'm moving to The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg. The topic of girls passing themselves off as boys appeals to me as a former tomboy. I can't help it. Although, I'm aware of observer bias and I'm cautious about reading articles and books whose themes seem to be "OMG! Look how [fill in the blank non-Christian group] treats women!!!" Hello? Christianity doesn't have a great track record either, people.

​And on the political side of things...