Items of interest found recently in my RSS feed. What did I miss? Please share what you've been reading (and writing!) in the comments.

• Wow Hugh Mackay, nice sermon

– “Essentially Hugh Mackay’s article boils down to ‘I once had a pen stolen from this guy at work, and I was SO angry with him, but he apologised to me, and I forgave him…yes, after my pen was returned undamaged. How’s that relevant?’”

• Guest Blogging at Bitch Magazine!

– Quite a few of the FWD/Forward crew are guestblogging at Bitch Magazine – check it out

• Carnivals

– Deborah links to 3 carnivals so that I don’t have to!

• Campaigning: A (brief) Guide for Inclusion

– “But, the biggest thing you can do, if you’re really trying to reach and include people with disabilities, is broaden your understanding of what disability means. We are not all men in wheelchairs and women who are blind.

Think a bit about how you get your message out, and who can and cannot access that. Are you using the mainstream media at all? Are you primarily using social media, like Twitter and Facebook? Are you handing flyers out on the street? Are you using word of mouth? Think about how each one of these methods has strengths and weaknesses, and whether or not the primary method you’re using is going to be accessible to people with disabilities.”

• Some Partially Formed Thoughts On Size and Disability

– “So, are fat/size acceptance and disability rights activism the same thing?

No, they are not. But there are a lot of commonalities. Both are getting at the idea that all bodies need to be accepted by society, including those which don’t meet objective standards of health and beauty. Both are getting at the idea that policing identity, disability status, and health is not acceptable. Both endure opposition from people who think that fat or disability are somehow objectively bad and the fault of the person experiencing them. Both suffer from a good/bad dichotomy. Members of both movements face the “well, I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about those other fat/disabled people. You’re fine, it’s just those other ones that I have a problem with.””

• Number 274, please step forward…

– “Each of the numbers is an arbitrary designation foisted upon me by a scale of measurement devised by some wise person who had an overwhelming desire to keep track of things. Time, weight, size, length, volume – they are all arbitrary measures. In themselves, they mean diddly squat. Society has placed meaning upon some of these numbers. Society has placed a moral value on some of these numbers.”

• Nope, Not a Joke – The Pursuit of Harpyness

– If you’re not already following The Pursuit of Harpyness, this post is a great introduction to why you should be.

Categories: linkfest

Tags: blogging, Read-ems