Shoes! Glorious Shoes!

This is an open question to anyone who happens to read this:

Are you a woman, or do you know a woman, who becomes absolutely orgasmatic over shoes and shoe shopping?

The media tells us:

• Women love shoes
• Women love to shop for shoes
• Women want to have a closet full of shoes
• Women buy more shoes than they could possibly use
• Women like spiked heels and open toe shoes

I see this in commercials, TV shows, books, magazines, and movies. My question is, who are these women? Because I've never met one of them.

In 40 some years on this earth, you'd think I would have met one woman who had this shoe addiction. I've met 2 women who came close, but I don't think either one qualifies.

The first one has one foot 1/4 size smaller than the other. She has trouble buying shoes that fit and are comfortable. She has many shoes she doesn't wear because they didn't work out. She buys a lot of shoes because she has to, not because she wants to.

The other woman is a compulsive shopper. When she is off her meds, she has been known to buy 20 pairs of shoes at one time. Of course, she is just as likely to buy 200 boxes of cake mix. It doesn't matter what she is buying, as long as she is buying.

So who are these "shoe-women"?

If it were just commercials that were promoting women as shoe-whores, it wouldn't bother me. If you were trying to sell women's shoes, it might be a good marketing ploy to show shoe shopping as a fun and exciting adventure. But it's not just commercials.

And it's not just that women are portrayed as shoe-whores. It is the shoes they are buying. I don't understand why anyone would want a pair of these:

Just looking at these makes my feet hurt!

I can hear the comments: But they are so sexy!

Really? Why are these considered sexy?

Could it be that it makes women seem helpless?

You can't run in them. You can't stand for any length of time. You can't take a long walk in them. They offer no protection from the elements. And you'd better have a recent pedicure! Because we don't want any of those ugly calluses showing!

Is this any different than Chinese foot binding? Except for the temporary nature, I don't see the difference.

Is it that some men are so frightened by a powerful woman, that she needs to don this restrictive footwear to seem attractive? The patriarchy is a scary thing.

The 11th Hour

My cousin's ex-wife died of breast cancer on Saturday. She was 46. She was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago, and seemed to have been in remission. However, it came back, with a vengeance. The end was quick.

Even though they were divorced, or perhaps because of it, he is bitter and devastated.

Things were said that shouldn't have been, and things that should have been said were left unsaid.

Their daughter is 14, a terrible age for a girl to lose her mother (not that there is a good time, however the teen years are worse).

If you are inclined to pray, please include this family in your prayers. They are hurting.

Dancing with Republicans

Don't be afraid. The scary white men can't hurt you. Just don't make eye contact.

Thanks to Dependable Renegade. I'm going to have nightmares about this!

Dancing with Republicans:

Who does Bush think he is? Sinatra?

I think these two have been hitting the drink cart on Air Force One.

Blogging for Choice

Recently, a co-worker and I were discussing choice. His main argument was that there are no unwanted children. That except for extreme situations, a woman should not have an abortion, because there is always someone who would want a child.

This reasoning is common among anti-choice people. But it isn't true. If it were true, then why are there over 1,200 children that no one wants, in Pennsylvania? 1,200 kids who need a permanent home. 1,200 kids who are waiting to be adopted. And that is just Pennsylvania.

You can view some of them at the SWAN website. These kids are listed as "Special Needs". If you go through the photo album (a very sad catalog), you'll see that the number one issue that makes these kids "Special" is that they are over 5 years old.

"That's crazy talk!" You say. "Everyone knows that it is near impossible to adopt a child these days. Plus it costs a fortune to adopt."

Wrong. It is near impossible to adopt a white, healthy infant (preferably male). As for cost, these kids are eligible for adoption assistance. Not only will the state cover all the costs of adoption, they are also eligible for a monthly stipend, basically what a foster parent would get to support the child. And this aid has nothing to do with the financial situation of the adopting family. It is based on the needs of the adoptive child.

And it gets worse. These children are living in foster homes, until an adoptive family is identified. But foster homes are supposed to be for children whose permanency placement is not resolved. It is a sad fact, but in most states, children can not be placed in foster care until there is a foster family available. Everyday, children remain in dangerous and abusive households because there isn't any room for them anywhere. They remain in peril because children who are adoptable are in the foster homes.

What kills me is that I hear so often that foster parents "are in it for the money." I was a foster parent, and you want to know what I got paid? .80 an hour. That's not a typo. 80 cents an hour.

Many people could not be foster parents because they could not tolerate the idea of having a child in their home and they having the state remove the child, possibly sending him/her back to the abusive parents. I can understand that.

But adoption is forever. Adoption is permanent. Adoption is for keeps. Go to the photo album of adoptable kids. These little lambs just want a family to call their own.

Now I know what you are saying: "oops, Julia's ADD has kicked in again. This was supposed to be a blog about choice."

Well it is. I am sick to death of hearing about how there aren't any unwanted children. This is just an excuse of the anti-choice crowd. This is a quick sound bite, that is hard to argue against. But it's just a distraction. A diversion. And like a magician, the anti-choice folks use this subterfuge as a way to divert attention from what is really on their minds.

They don't care about children.

They are concerned about sexually active women being in control of their bodies. They don't give a damn about kids, or they would do something about all the kids without homes.

This may sound harsh. It is. I don't care if it makes people uncomfortable. My little darling, who I often blog about, came into my life when she was 6, and I adopted her when she was 10.

Many of you may disagree with me. You're worried about children? Go adopt one, or become a foster parent. But if you aren't willing to do that, don't you dare say you are against choice because of the children. Because I'm not listening.

What a Military Mother Fears

Dariana has a heart wrenching post at Bring it On.

Well it seems I have had another heart-stopping scare this morning. This is two in one week. So thank you very much Mr. Bush (NOT). See, if you would end this insanity in Iraq, my son and all the other fine Military we have over there could come home where they belong. Iraq is not their fight, thats YOUR battle.

Two Army pilots were killed this morning. There was also a car bomb explosion in Baqubah which is where MY son is Mr. Bush. Do you think family members enjoy this type of panic everytime we see a news clip or an internet feed???? NO WE DO NOT. Thankfully, for the SECOND time in less than a week, my son is safe!

Read the entire post, if you can. The raw emotion is intense.

Where are my tissues?

Doesn't everyone enjoy a good joke?

Via the Bastard at Bring it On. The best Blonde joke ever!

One Tequilla, Two Tequilla, Three Tequilla, Floor!

You Are Tequilla

When you drink, you're serious about getting drunk! You'll take any shot that's offered up to you... Even if it tastes like sock sweat! And you're never afraid of eating the worm.

What alcoholic drink are you?

Problem with these quizes is that they are designed for a younger person, who doesn't have the years of drinking experience. It doesn't take in to consideration that I've been of drinking age for over a quarter of a century. Damn, I'm old!

CNN or KKK?

I have absolutely nothing to say about this. CNN is going to hire Bill Bennett according to Media Matters and Media Bistro. Media Matters reports:

The weblog TVNewser recently reported that CNN has hired radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett as a political analyst to replace outgoing conservative columnist Robert D. Novak. According to the report, which CNN would not confirm, Bennett is scheduled to go on air early this year. CNN is reportedly hiring Bennett despite his controversial September 28, 2005, comment on his radio show that "it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime ... you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down."

Bennett has defended his statement with falsehoods. CNN reported on the controversy surrounding Bennett's inflammatory remarks, and Media Matters for America has documented other examples of Bennett advancing conservative misinformation in the national media.

Here is what I thought about Bennett and his racist remarks. Media Matters has a link to let CNN know what you think about Mr. Bennett.

While everyone has a right to their opinion, not everyone has the right to go on TV and blast it out to the country and world.

Spit take alert!

Go to the Miserable Annals of the Earth. But keep away from beverages while you read. I'm still cleaning the coffee off of my laptop!

Warning: NOT WORK SAFE!

I've just entered the Twilight Zone

Or it is truly the appocolypse.

From Scatablog:

I couldn't resist noting here that a poll at the John Birch Society right now shows 58% favor impeachment of Bush and his removal from office!

That's the John Birch Society, folks. Those are the guys who are further to the right than the wingnuts. But, hey. Maybe they have figured out what's going on.

Isn't it a sign of the impending appocolypse that Right wing-nuts and Liberals start to agree? Won't this cause some sort of massive power surge? Time and space could collapse? Glaciers melt, oceans freeze, and the Philadelphia Eagles win the Superbowl (OK...that last one ain't gonna happen this year...so maybe we are safe).

But I am very scared.

Why is this man still allowed on TV?

Pat Robertson is at it again. It was bad enough when he told Dover PA that God would not help them in case of a disaster.

Now he has come out and said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was caused by divine retribution, because Sharon was "carving up Israel", which is God's land. I'm not making this up! Read it here.

If you wonder why a rabid-wingnut like Robertson would be so interested in a unified Israel. Michelle Goldberg of Salon explains here:

Christian Zionism, inspired by end-times beliefs that make the return of Jews to Israel a precondition for the second coming, has made American evangelicals the world's staunchest backers of Israeli hawks. (Their Jewish allies usually choose to ignore the fact that the Christian Zionist's apocalyptic scenario ends with unsaved Jews being slaughtered and condemned to hell.)

You can read the rest of her article here.

What is wrong with this man?

The Polar Bear Swim

January 1, 2006, the crowd waits for the Polar Bear Swim at Ocean City, NJ.

Little Darling enjoying the frigid water. She's the one in the stripped top.












Little Darling, one of the last ones out (except the viking).

It was cold. Air temp was 40 and the water temp was 38. Many insane people, including my daughter, went swimming. And she enjoyed it. I really don't understand. At all.

After the swim. Little Darling is on the left.