Update 16 Sep 2009: Last year’s $211 million figure for taxpayer-funded obstetric care, mostly of pregnancies and births that are or could have been normal, has blown out further to $298 million. [Via the Courier Mail.] ~~~ The Maternity Services… Read More ›
race & racism
Two little slices of stupid
WA Today: “Marketers cash in on Obama girls”
But what will the first mum make of the next wave of lookalikes: child models who are being recruited throughout America because they look like Sasha and Malia?
Australia Day Corso racist displays: Sharon realises she’s busted, rings 2GB
Oh my, is this a dud fauxpology.
The Daily Telegraph has audio from 2GB, which took a phone call purporting to be from one of a group of three young people photographed on Australia Day. They had a scrawled Australian map on their bellies with the inscription “FUCK OFF WE’RE FULL”.
Friday Hoyden: Yoko Ono
When Tigtog and Lauredhel asked me to introduce Yoko Ono as a Friday Hoyden, I was thrilled. I’m an avid reader of Hoyden About Town, and if anyone deserves hoyden status, I’ve always thought that it should certainly be Yoko.
I was asked to write the introduction because of my recent five-part blog series that analyzed Yoko Ono as cultural phenomenon from a feminist perspective.
Australia Day: “Speak English!”
It’s Australia Day again, so I’m recycling my favourite anecdote from a few years ago.
We had decided to spend a warm Australia Day picnicking on the shores of Lake Monger with friends. Plenty of other people had decided the same thing, and it was a convivial atmosphere. The black swans were noodling around in the background, there plenty of kids playing on the grass, families were chatting with each other
Australian of the Year 2009 finalists
We haven’t talked about the Australian of the Year nominations here yet. What struck me immediately with the 2009 field is that this time around, only two of them are (as far as I know) white men.
Note, however, that none (again, as far as I know; I’m open to correction on this) are women of colour. For this year’s Australian of the Year, you can be an indigenous or immigrant person of colour, or a woman; but not both.
Invocation and Benediction: Call and Response?
When I first heard Rick Warren had been honoured with the invocation at the inauguration of president Barack Obama, all I felt was a wave of abhorrence and disgust, and I was in good company.
Post-Holiday Linkdump
I’m back from holiday! Not quite back on board and blogging up a storm, but I thought I’d linkdump for some Sunday night reading for you.
One of our fellow Best Midsize Blog finalists, Zomblog, is surprised and/or confused that some Muslim people are also gay activists. (Comments warning.) This rainbow-flavoured button reads “Allah is Good/Allah is Gay/Gay Islam”.
Linkfest
This is dubious. “Bronze Boy Holding a Girl Up“, at Overstock.
Carnival Time at Stephiepenguin’s!
It’s Carnival Time! We made it into our second year, yay!
The Eighth Edition of the Down Under Feminists’ Carnival is now up at stephiepenguin’s place.
There is plenty of great holiday reading, from
Hoyden About Town 