Crafty updates - Neon, Jackie O and general summeriness

Here are some of my latests creations/works/projects/crafty achievements. A duo of colour and hard work (it took a whole summer and my mother's precious help for the back of the skirt). But, here they are, a mix of a Jackie-O psychadelic menthol jacket and a practical neon coloured 80's-invoking dress.

(Click on Ravelry link to see the project page)

The 80s Summer Dress

http://ravel.me/FilipaML/1htsb


The Matching Jacket

http://ravel.me/FilipaML/eiwm9

Male Allies?

The Women's Center I volunteer at is currently developping a "male allies project". A male ally... a male ally...

A male ally to the feminist cause, be a male ally. What does this mean? For me this makes little sense. A person becomes an ally to a cause they support, but is not theirs.

How is this not a cause for men? How?

Men that feel they do not have a front-row sit in the feminist movement (as broad as it is) are exactly like white americans in the 60's who felt that the civil rights movement was not their cause. How can it not be your cause once you recognize its value?

Women constitute half of the population, roughly speaking. They are the mothers, sisters,collegues, friends and partners of these "male allies". Their issues, are men's issues. Patriarchy isn't a one way thing. It is complex and global and affects all in a society. How can defeat oppression of 50% without having the "other side" (is there sides here?) working on it too?

Men shouldn't be allies. Men should be in the central positions, by women's sides. Resognising women's first-person experience, and valuing their own experience.

The counter-position obviously goes on the line of "men will just highjack this whole operation". That is counter productive. If in the feminist movement we cannot work internally towards living ideals of equality and equal commitment, what is the point?

Main point: if men are interested in being part of this huge project (if passivity, that big obstacle is falling down) why do they have to get "ally" status? Why aren't they full members? They are people, like us. If we can all fight together, it mean the fight can be won.


"We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half"

Emmeline Pankhurst - Sufragette 100 years ago

Can we start freeing the other half too please?

All alive, all well

I'm back to blogging (still in September)

Made a few changes around here.

Things are very peaceful. Not boring, peaceful. Amazingly so. Work floods in from everywhere, but it is beautiful to do. Specially something I am studying now



Spinoza is absolutely fascinating. Complicated not blogging material. But I think this man in the 17th c, was in so many ways beyond our modern day.


I've also fallen in love with Eugen Hutz and Gogol Bordello. Why didn't nobody tell me about this before?



Instructions for use:
Listen, loud on headphones late at night and dance. Try not to make a lot of noise. Given in to complete decadence and enjoy.



"People got to get up early and she got a boyfriend and this whole thing is one big dissapointment".


So, gypsy punk and 17th century philosophy? Strange days seem to have found us.

All for now. I need to crochet a blanket. It's getting cold.