sometimes
Do you ever think about the fact that the US has created and legitimized a system of institutionalized inequality by funding schools through property taxes? That basically a child’s education is only as good as the value of the property in their neighborhood. Funny how education is so often viewed as an equalizing factor when there is nothing equal about it.
June 2013
“Not every white person is a racist, but the genius of racism is that you don’t have to participate to enjoy the spoils. If you’re white, you can be completely oblivious, passively accepting the status quo, and reap the rewards.”
—
—Mychal Denzel Smith, “White People Have to Give Up Racism” (via thenationmagazine)
A very good definition of privilege.
(via blueandbluer)
“
I want to stress this again: In many, many parts of the country right now, if you want to go to see a movie in the theater and see a current movie about a woman — any story about any woman that isn’t a documentary or a cartoon — you can’t. You cannot. There are not any. You cannot take yourself to one, take your friend to one, take your daughter to one.
There are not any.
By far your best shot, numbers-wise, at finding one that’s at least even-handedly featuring a man and a woman is Before Midnight (on 891 screens) so I hope you like it. Because it’s pretty much that or a solid, impenetrable wall of movies about dudes.
Dudes in capes, dudes in cars, dudes in space, dudes drinking, dudes smoking, dudes doing magic tricks, dudes being funny, dudes being dramatic, dudes flying through the air, dudes blowing up, dudes getting killed, dudes saving and kissing women and children, and dudes glowering at each other.
Somebody asked me this morning what “the women” are going to do about this. I don’t know. I honestly am at the point where I have no idea what to do about it. Stop going to the movies? Boycott everything?
They put up Bridesmaids, we went. They put up Pitch Perfect, we went. They put up The Devil Wears Prada, which was in two-thousand-meryl-streeping-oh-six, and we went (and by “we,” I do not just mean women; I mean we, the humans), and all of it has led right here, right to this place. Right to the land of zippedy-doo-dah. You can apparently make an endless collection of high-priced action flops and everybody says “win some, lose some” and nobody decides that They Are Poison, but it feels like every “surprise success” about women is an anomaly and every failure is an abject lesson about how we really ought to just leave it all to The Rock.
” —At The Movies, The Women Are Gone : Monkey See : NPR
The whole article is fantastic, as is pretty much everything Linda Holmes writes.
(via kdhart)
Feeding Big Sexy™: 42 flowers you can eat →
feedingbigsexy.tumblr.com
42 flowers you can eat
Adding flowers to your food can be a nice addition of color and flavor, but be sure to follow these tips for eating flowers safely.
Via
IT’S EDIBLE: Chamomile tastes sweet and is often used in tea. (Photo: waɪ.tiː/Flickr)
The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking — think of squash blossoms in Italian food and rose petals in Indian food. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor and a little whimsy. Some are spicy, and some herbacious, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising.
It’s not uncommon to see flower petals used in salads, teas, and as garnish for desserts, but they inspire creative uses as well — roll spicy ones (like chive blossoms) into handmade pasta dough, incorporate floral ones into homemade ice cream, pickle flower buds (like nasturtium) to make ersatz capers, use them to make a floral simple syrup for use in lemonade or cocktails. (See a recipe for Dandelion Syrup here.) I once stuffed gladiolus following a recipe for stuffed squash blossoms — a little out-there, I know, but they were great. So many possibilities…
Eating flowers safely
So. As lovely as eating flowers can be, it can also be a little … deadly! Not to scare you off or anything. Follow these tips for eating flowers safely:• Eat flowers you know to be consumable — if you are uncertain, consult a reference book on edible flowers and plants.
• Eat flowers you have grown yourself, or know to be safe for consumption. Flowers from the florist or nursery have probably been treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
• Do not eat roadside flowers or those picked in public parks. Both may have been treated with pesticide or herbicide, and roadside flowers may be polluted by car exhaust.
• Eat only the petals, and remove pistils and stamens before eating.
• If you suffer from allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually, as they may exacerbate allergies.
• To keep flowers fresh, place them on moist paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some will last up to 10 days this way. Ice water can revitalize limp flowers.
Allium
All blossoms from the allium family (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible and flavorful! Flavors run the gamut from delicate leek to robust garlic. Every part of these plants is edible.
Angelica
Depending on the variety, flowers range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose and have a licorice-like flavor.
Anise hyssop
Both flowers and leaves have a subtle anise or licorice flavor.
Arugula
Blossoms are small with dark centers and with a peppery flavor much like the leaves. They range in color from white to yellow with dark purple streaks.
Bachelor’s button
Grassy in flavor, the petals are edible. Avoid the bitter calyx.
Basil
Blossoms come in a variety of colors, from white to pink to lavender; flavor is similar to the leaves, but milder.
Bee balm
The red flowers have a minty flavor.
Borage
Blossoms are a lovely blue hue and taste like cucumber!
Calendula / marigold
A great flower for eating, calendula blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy — and their vibrant golden color adds dash to any dish.
Carnations / dianthus
Petals are sweet, once trimmed away from the base. The blossoms taste like their sweet, perfumed aroma.
Chamomile
Small and daisylike, the flowers have a sweet flavor and are often used in tea. Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile.
Chervil
Delicate blossoms and flavor, which is anise-tinged.
Chicory
Mildly bitter earthiness of chicory is evident in the petals and buds, which can be pickled.
Chrysanthemum
A little bitter, mums come in a rainbow of colors and a range of flavors range from peppery to pungent. Use only the petals.
Cilantro
Like the leaves, people either love the blossoms or hate them. The flowers share the grassy flavor of the herb. Use them fresh as they lose their charm when heated.
Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)
Citrus blossoms are sweet and highly scented. Use frugally or they will overperfume a dish.
Clover
Flowers are sweet with a hint of licorice.
Dandelion
Read a whole post about dandelions here: Eating and Harvesting Dandelions. (I am nuts about dandelions.)
Dill
Yellow dill flowers taste much like the herb’s leaves.
English daisy
These aren’t the best-tasting petals — they are somewhat bitter — but they look great!
Fennel
Yellow fennel flowers are eye candy with a subtle licorice flavor, much like the herb itself.
Fuchsia
Tangy fuchsia flowers make a beautiful garnish.
Gladiolus
Who knew? Although gladioli are bland, they can be stuffed, or their petals removed for an interesting salad garnish.
Hibiscus
Famously used in hibiscus tea, the vibrant cranberry flavor is tart and can be used sparingly.
Hollyhock
Bland and vegetal in flavor, hollyhock blossoms make a showy, edible garnish.
Impatiens
Flowers don’t have much flavor — best as a pretty garnish or for candying.
Jasmine
These super-fragrant blooms are used in tea; you can also use them in sweet dishes, but sparingly.
Johnny Jump-Up
Adorable and delicious, the flowers have a subtle mint flavor great for salads, pastas, fruit dishes and drinks.
Lavender
Sweet, spicy, and perfumed, the flowers are a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes.
Lemon berbena
The diminutive off-white blossoms are redolent of lemon — and great for teas and desserts.
Lilac
The blooms are pungent, but the floral citrusy aroma translates to its flavor as well.
Mint
The flowers are — surprise! — minty. Their intensity varies among varieties.
Nasturtium
One of the most popular edible flowers, nasturtium blossoms are brilliantly colored with a sweet, floral flavor bursting with a spicy pepper finish. When the flowers go to seed, the seed pod is a marvel of sweet and spicy. You can stuff flowers, add leaves to salads, pickle buds like capers, and garnish to your heart’s content.
Oregano
The flowers are a pretty, subtle version of the leaf.
Pansy
The petals are somewhat nondescript, but if you eat the whole flower you get more taste.
Radish
Varying in color, radish flowers have a distinctive, peppery bite.
Rose
Remove the white, bitter base and the remaining petals have a strongly perfumed flavor perfect for floating in drinks or scattering across desserts, and for a variety of jams. All roses are edible, with flavor more pronounced in darker varieties.
Rosemary
Flowers taste like a milder version of the herb; nice used as a garnish on dishes that incorporate rosemary.
Sage
Blossoms have a subtle flavor similar to the leaves.
Squash and pumpkin
Blossoms from both are wonderful vehicles for stuffing, each having a slight squash flavor. Remove stamens before using.
Sunflower
Petals can be eaten, and the bud can be steamed like an artichoke.
Violets
Another famous edible flower, violets are floral, sweet and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks.
For more on edible flowers: How to Make Candied Flowers, Edible Lilac, Eating Violets
Excerpted from the book True Food: Eight Simple Steps to a Healthier You (National Geographic, 2009) By Annie B. Bond, Melissa Breyer and Wendy Gordon
Other stories from Care2.com:
This story was written by Melissa Breyer. It originally appeared on Care2.com and is used here with permission. Visit Care2.com to discover more than 5,000 ways to enhance your life — from holistic health and wellness to pets and family life, the experts at Care2.com share great tips for living a healthier, happier and more sustainable lifestyle.
MNN homepage photo: tfazevedo/iStockphoto
I'm not "offended" by the shit people say--I am harmed by it. When you complain about having to be "PC," you are saying that you are perfectly fine with hurting people and supporting cultural systems that cause tangible harm to certain populations.
“
The scale of the problem is hard to comprehend. A range of measures is needed, including urgent attempts to reduce food wastage. Even if we reduce waste, however, global food production also needs to be increased by about 30%-80% to meet rising demand.
This represents not only a huge humanitarian challenge, but also a security one. When food shortages occur, as in 2007-08, price spikes often result, which can have a devastating effect, especially on those developing countries that rely heavily on food imports, including parts of South America, North Africa and the Middle East. The 2007-08 spike in food prices drove about 100-million people into poverty. This helped encourage civil unrest in about 28 countries. And, going forward, it is estimated that the price of key staples may double in the next 20 years, threatening disastrous consequences for poor people in particular.
So, how can we spur more production of food and reduce malnutrition in an innovative and cost effective way? The two main continents with significant capacity for producing additional food are South America and Africa. The reason they are producing below capacity is because of erratic weather (in Africa’s case) and the challenge posted by rain forests and biodiversity issues in South America, which limit the amount of land to grow on.
We believe it is best to prioritise Africa, and, recognising the problems of the continent’s erratic weather, are pioneering a technological breakthrough solution — the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory. This will develop a network of hydro-meteorological measuring stations to provide better maps of water and weather in Africa.
This scheme is genuinely “game-changing” because the present African meteorological observation network is limited. As a result, national governments and regional planners do not have the data to make proper decisions regarding investments in water-resources infrastructure. Also the success of several adaptation measures, such as micro-insurance for crops, hinges on the availability of local weather data. This is a challenge if Africa’s food-growing potential is to be optimised. Harvest predictions and food production would profit from improved understanding of water availability over space and time and an improved ability to predict shifting weather patterns.
” —Africa holds key to tackling global food crisis (via dynamicafrica)How fucked is it that you can’t even buy the food you need to live without being complicit in violence. What the fuck have we done.
“africa
does not need your tears
or
your prayers
or
your money,
or
your t-shirts
or
your hands ever so lovingly placed
on her buttocks.
your mouth at her breasts.
she wants you to stop pissing in her face
and
calling it water.
she wants you to leave.
she is the cradle of civilization
and
you hate that.
but,
one day
you will reap
what
you have sown.” —why i will never acknowledge a white person as african/ missionary trips are evil, nayyirah waheed (via nayyirahwaheed)
does not need your tears
or
your prayers
or
your money,
or
your t-shirts
or
your hands ever so lovingly placed
on her buttocks.
your mouth at her breasts.
she wants you to stop pissing in her face
and
calling it water.
she wants you to leave.
she is the cradle of civilization
and
you hate that.
but,
one day
you will reap
what
you have sown.” —why i will never acknowledge a white person as african/ missionary trips are evil, nayyirah waheed (via nayyirahwaheed)
“After centuries of decline, tattoos re-entered the Western consciousness initially through colonialism. In 1769, Captain James Cook, sailing for the British navy, brought back to England his own painted “native” named Omai. Cook first encountered tattooing when he discovered Tahiti and was the first Westerner to use the Tahitian word ta-tu or tatau meaning “to strike” (the word “tattoo” formally entered the English language in 1777). Previously, tattoos were known in the West as “prics” or “marks.” Cook also discovered tattooing in Hawaii (“kakau”) and New Zealand (“Moko”). Interestingly, the Moko and were often tattooed on the head, which created a rather bloody tattooed-head trade in the West (Jones 2000). Paradoxically, while tattooed natives were seen as little more than savages, soon after Cook displayed Omai, the English upper class began getting small tattoos. For example, the Prince of Wales started a fad of sorts when he revealed his tattoo of a Jerusalem cross. And tattooing would eventually become an integrated part of North American working class as they became attracted to what the sailor represented: adventure, travel, exotic lands, and a free spirit (Atkinson 2003). Sailors served as the middlemen through which tattoos were integrated into Western culture (DeMello 2000).”
—
Socializing Bodies: A History of the Tattoo
because, you know, i’m just making shit up. and allergic to facts… apparently.
u kno a serbian d00d 5000 years ago had a tattoooooo????
(via biyuti)
Hmm bacteria keeps you healthy, without bacteria u could not digest fooooodi cant believe that bacteria would just intrude into my body without my permission. that makes me sick..
It does make you sick. Literally.
wow ha ha ur right i shouldve made this into a joke!!
Channelling Efunsetan, Ahebi, Alaba Ida, Nzinga...: White people breeding lions so that other white people can kill them.... →
thefemaletyrant.tumblr.com
White people breeding lions so that other white people can kill them. As MyWeku puts it “…this practice which in my view can only be described as a sick business run by sick people for even sicker psychopaths”.
Moreson ranch is one of more than 160 such farms legally breeding big cats in…
New Study Shows Anti-Choice Policies Leading to Widespread Arrests of and Forced Interventions on Pregnant Women →
rhrealitycheck.org
•A woman in Utah gave birth to twins. When one was stillborn, she was arrested and charged with criminal homicide based on the claim that her decision to delay cesarean surgery was the cause of the stillbirth.
•After a hearing that lasted less than a day, a court issued an order requiring a critically-ill pregnant woman in Washington, D.C. to undergo cesarean surgery over her objections. Neither she nor her baby survived.
•A judge in Ohio kept a woman imprisoned to prevent her from having an abortion.
•A woman in Oregon who did not comply with a doctor’s recommendation to have additional testing for gestational diabetes was subjected to involuntary civil commitment. During her detention, the additional testing was never performed.
•A Louisiana woman was charged with murder and spent approximately a year in jail before her counsel was able to show that what was deemed a murder of a fetus or newborn was actually a miscarriage that resulted from medication given to her by a health care provider.
•In Texas, a pregnant woman who sometimes smoked marijuana to ease nausea and boost her appetite gave birth to healthy twins. She was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.
•A doctor in Wisconsin had concerns about a woman’s plans to have her birth attended by a midwife. As a result, a civil court order of protective custody for the woman’s fetus was obtained. The order authorized the sheriff’s department to take the woman into custody, transport her to a hospital, and subject her to involuntary testing and medical treatment.Who could have seen this coming?
Reblogging as a reminder.
Merf. Thinking is Hard.: Basic Media Literacy Questions →
jhameia.tumblr.com
1. Who created the media in question?
2. Who was the intended audience?
3. What message are they attempting to create to that audience?
4. Does the message intended, or the tropes included (intended or not) fall into a larger pattern in that society? How far back does it go? How broadly does it reach? (across genre, across media types, etc.)
5. Does the messages and tropes consistently differ based on whether the characters or people portrayed are of certain race, gender, class, sexual orientation, etc. etc.? Are certain expectations of made of some but not others? Are some activities considered bad for some good for others?
6. How do audiences respond to the various characters/people portrayed? Are certain expectations of made of some but not others? Are some activities considered bad for some good for others?
You don’t have to be a scholar - just pay attention to media. This can work for fictional media as much as news coverage.