Releasing Lori: Poetry on Self-Mutilation
Self mutilation is often not given the serious attention it demands; it is often chalked up to teenage angst or a person seeking attention, which is far from the truth.
Self mutilation has become a major public health concern and affects a large variety of people including men and women ranging from teenagers to adults; although about 75% of self mutilators are girls and women. It is estimated that 0.75% of the general American population practices self-mutilation.
There are many forms of self mutilation, such as cutting, burning, hitting, bruising, biting, pulling or picking at skin and pulling one’s own hair. There are many causes of self-mutilation, such as the result of strong negative emotions and feeling the need for the outside to represent the inside of one’s self as well as technique for triggering the body’s biochemical responses to pain.
Those who self-mutilate often find comfort in the arts, such as writing poetry in order to rid themselves of their emotions and what drives them to commit such acts to themselves.
Here is another short film by filmmaker Dany Nieves, whom I’ve featured on this website once before with Alison’s Cycle.
Releasing Lori is another short film from Nieves with poetry by Alison Floersch, read by Lori Beaty. It speaks about the painful truths revolving around those who self mutilate and the emotions behind it. It is a must-see film for those who currently or have self-mutilated in the past as well as for anyone who has been affected by it or just want to know more about this public health crisis.
Alltop: All Top Sites on the Web
Alltop is a pretty cool website that I often go to for new blogs to read and to keep up on all of the media and political news going on. It’s a really interesting site displaying all of the top sites on the web today under several different categories as well as the last five posts that website has up; you can hover over the title of the post and it comes up with a little snippet of the post so you can decide whether or not you would like to read through the whole post. You can also go to the website’s main page by clicking on the site name. There’s something there for everyone so you are never let down by the websites listed. It is also updated regularly with new sites, so there’s something new to be found fairly regularly.
Now how this directly relates to this website is simple. Menstrual Poetry has recently been added to Alltop under the life category, in which I am extremely delighted about.
Menstrual Poetry is now gaining more attention in the very large website world, so this is definitely a triumph. Now when you’re over there going through websites and catching up on the latest news, you can keep up with the posts here as well!
The Psychology Behind Men and Prostitutes
With cases such as Eliot Spitzer’s latest scandal, as well as other male politicians whose prostitution habits had been found out by the general public, many may be asking themselves–What drives these men to fornicate with prostitutes? Is it all men and we just happen to shed light on politicians and point fingers as if men all over the place aren’t doing the same thing? What is it about prostitutes, in particular, that drive these men crazy to the point of risking their careers and putting their families on the line?
What must first be understood is the psychological appeal of prostitutes, which is what Michael Bader of AlterNet, a person who has studied the dynamics of sexual arousal for almost 15 years, has spoken out about in order to create a sense of understanding.
When it comes to a regular relationship, it is said that men feel as if they must give a great deal to their partner in order to get a little something back. Our culture represents women as high maintenance individuals who must be cared for by a man and are otherwise helpless in life, always needing the attention and demanding the security of a man. While those exaggerations are often false, it is our society that has conditioned men to believe that this is true, making their intimate relationships suffer when it comes to a man who wishes to have his needs met and they begin to freak out and are said to be overwhelmed by what is expected of them.
It does not matter what type of prostitute a man is hiring, it can be a woman who charges over $5,000 for an hour or it can be a woman prostituting herself on the street for $50 a night, what it comes down to is that when payment is made, the man is getting his wishes tended to. It is said that while politicians, in particular, are used to wielding power and keeping people under him in check, no one is working for this man without getting something in return–and that is where the appeal of prostitutes comes in.
A prostitute serves as a slave to a man’s needs. She is an actress, although to the man, he does not care that what he is receiving for his money is a one-woman play and an act that he gets to be nothing but a prop in. This is the man’s time to shine and get whatever sexual kink he has attended to–No questions asked and no need to reciprocate. A prostitute is sought out when a man wishes to let go and selfishly indulge in his desires without having to give anything back to the woman who performs for him.
So basically, prostitution is sought out when men realize that they cannot handle what is expected of them as men and want to be entirely selfish in their actions even when what society depicts most women to be is false. Prostitutes are wanted by the men who don’t want to sexually please their wives or even care about her desires, but women can most definitely be counted on to be standing by their selfish, hypocritical and cheating men. Breaking wedding vows never needed many psychological explanations before, so here’s the Reader’s Digest version:
He does not want to be in a relationship; instead, he wants someone who will make him look like a “family man” who cares about and loves his family so he can get a few votes and make his way into office where even more stress will be put upon him. He wants this while he can also go behind his wife’s back and get his needs met while constantly complaining that his wife wants too much from him. My advice is to go out and find a man who can indulge in his kinky desires with you, while you are comfortable enough to know that he will do the same for you. Open and honest communication never hurt a relationship, either…Who knew?
Your Sexual History, Alcohol Consumption, Clothing and Location: Reasons Why You’re to Blame for Being Raped
Well this is definitely sad.
The Irish Examiner has recently taken a national poll on society and rape victims, finding that an astounding number of people in Ireland feel that rape victims are to blame, or at least partially to blame for their attack.
- - More than 30% think a victim is some way responsible if she flirts with a man or fails to say no clearly.
- - 10% of people think the victim is entirely at fault if she has had a number of sexual partners.
- - 37% think a woman who flirts extensively is at least complicit, if not completely in the wrong, if she is the victim of a sex crime.
- - One in three think a woman is either partly or fully to blame if she wears revealing clothes.
- - 38% believe a woman must share some of the blame if she walks through a deserted area.
Of course, not just Ireland tends to feel this way, as there are also other studies I have found online where alcohol consumption was also a deciding factor in blaming rape victims for their attacks, but that’s old news in the realm of putting the blame on women.
These studies not only reveal how society feels about sexual assault, but also why so many victims of sexual assault do not report their cases. It’s bad enough to be a victim of sexual assault, but to be blamed for it and re-victimized by society and the court systems is sometimes too much to take for most people; especially since justice is not served for many cases regarding sexual assault.
Apparently the people of Ireland believe that only women are victims of sexual assault, but I suppose men are too hard to blame for their abuse, so it’s easier to put an even thicker layer of silence around men victims. They also believe that women fail to say no clearly enough. Do they also believe men are missing a few braincells and don’t know what no means? Are women going to have to start wearing sandwich boards with the word “no” written on it in dark, red letters? Society will then start blaming women for their assault due to the fact their attacker couldn’t read.
Determining the level of blame to put on a raped woman by her sexual history makes absolutely no sense to me. Are we now saying that rape isn’t that big of a deal because the woman was not a virgin, so nothing was really taken away? That is pure bullshit. And what, exactly, is the number of sexual partners a woman is allowed to have before getting blamed for rape? 2? 4? Frankly, what is the number of sexual partners a woman can have before she is labeled as a slut? Most likely 2, especially if one is not her current husband.
As for wearing revealing clothing, rape is not about sex, it is about control and having control over another person, therefore making it ridiculous to say that women who wear short skirts or low-cut tops are “asking to be raped.” Rape is not a “woman’s issue” and both genders need to eliminate sex crimes together and the first order of business should obviously be education. Stop re-victimizing women, by doing so, we are making excuses for these crimes and doing nothing to stop them.
The World is Now Dominated by Women, Where Have I Been?
After hundreds of thousands of years of men ruling the world and everything in it, especially women and government, men are now saying that they feel emasculated. Boohoo.
Via Broadsheet, I read about a study done by the Telegraph surveying the feelings of modern men living in the 21st century. About 2,000 men and women were polled for this study online and the outcome is quite shocking, in a “You got to be kidding me” kind of way.
“Many men believe the world is now dominated by women and that they have lost their role in society, fueling feelings of depression and being undervalued.”
Wow, you know, this sounds eerily familiar. Say, aren’t men guilty of dominating the world and making women feel as if not only they don’t have a role in society, but they shouldn’t have a role in society? In fact, aren’t men continuing to make women feel this way today? Why yes, I believe they are! I would love to be informed as to where all of these women are dominating the world because I am sure as hell failing to see this.
This “study” also has the nerve to include:
“Asked what it meant to be a man in the 21st century, more than half thought society was turning them into “waxed and coiffed metrosexuals”
So what men are trying to say is that they feel it is unfair for them to be judged based on their physical appearance? Wow, that also sounds like more of the same. It is common sense that no one likes to be told or believe that they must live up to a stereotypical norm when it comes to appearance, but come on now, get serious. Men feel as if they are being forced into looking like something they’re not? Take a look at every Maxim, Stuff, Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler magazine; in fact, take a look at any magazine or turn your television on to any channel or watch any movie–And then look at the statistics for eating disorders and tell me that they don’t have the least bit to do with each other. Women have been conditioned to hate their bodies, which is the product of the media telling women what men want.
And lastly…
“Men said they “felt handcuffed” by political correctness – only 33 percent felt they could speak freely and say what they thought, whereas two thirds found it safer and to conceal their opinions.”
I know many women who find it safer to conceal their opinions, since women have also been conditioned to be seen and not heard and to be the pretty face next to the strong and powerful husband, which can clearly be seen in any story where a male politician or sports star is discovered in a sex scandal; of course, the woman is always standing by her man with her mouth shut, smiling politely like she is told to. A woman who chooses to speak her mind freely and openly is mostly ridiculed for her blunt honesty by the majority of people who care not to listen based purely on her possession of a vagina.
It seems as if once women set their footprints in the wet concrete of history and start making own choices without having to consult a man before doing so, the men start to get all uppity. You would think that with men feeling the way they apparently do, they would begin to see what women have gone through to get where they stand today and that they would understand and appreciate the activism and determination in which we have fought for our rights and have a better understanding of equal rights. However, men believe that they are deserving of all power in all aspects of life and in society based purely on their possession of a penis.
While you feel completely emasculated, confused and rejected from society, welcome to the lives of women.
Finding Angela Shelton
I’ve written about Angela Shelton before , specifically about her activism efforts regarding the Report It campaign as well as the Report It rallies for victim’s rights, but there is some awesome news that I couldn’t let go by without mentioning and that is that Angela Shelton is now also a novelist, on top of being the superhero of victim rights activism.
Angela Shelton was sexually abused as a young child by her father, which is what she confessed to the world while making her documentary, Searching for Angela Shelton. Since then, she has become a motivating and inspiring woman to countless survivors. On a personal level, after watching her documentary and after some time reading up on her and getting involved myself with activism efforts to raise awareness about sexual abuse, she had given me the motivation to speak up about my own abuse in early 2007.
She has undoubtedly inspired the lives of many people to either confront their own abuse or get involved in raising awareness of just how widespread sexual abuse is. In fact, it is believed that each and every single person knows someone who has been sexually abused, yet the silence surrounding it is overwhelming.
On top of her activism efforts, Angela Shelton’s first book, an autobiography of her life and her abuse, as well as overcoming it and going on to help others, Finding Angela Shelton, is hitting bookstores April 1! You can pre-order the book today or head on down to your local bookstore and pick it up when it’s released!
The Truth About Prostitution
The commercial sex industry is a very large and debated subject. Feminists, in particular, have waged wars of their own between themselves and between what is called “The Feminist Movement” and what is called “The Radical Feminist Movement” for quite some time now. Before you find yourself in the middle of a debate about sex work and sex workers, or if you have already made your own assumptions and stand firm on your beliefs, it is always wise to acknowledge and marinate on the facts of anything to assist you in your decision-making.
This picture is filled with facts on prostitution and why, exactly, most women enter the field.
The average age of women entering prostitution is 13.5. Most of the women who work within the commercial sex industry explore it’s many facets, which include street prostitution, massage brothels, escort services, outcall services, strip clubs, lap dancing, phone sex, pornography and prostitution tourism.
The commercial industry is by far one of the ugliest industries out there right now, yet sadly so many are resorting to working within it, most out of desperation. The long-term effects of prostitution, not to mention what led them there in the first place, are frightening and tell tales of abused pasts. These long-term effects do not wear off, nor do they get any easier for the woman. Prostitution undoubtedly hurts women and is a direct violation of human rights. To raise more awareness about it, visit Prostitution Research & Education, it’s a fabulous site.
Easter–Menstrual Poetry Style!
With Easter all over the internet, I was thinking about my obligatory Easter post–and then a conversation I had with my boyfriend brought this about.
Now please note that I am an atheist. While most people were having dinner with their families, finding Easter baskets and eating hard boiled eggs, I was doing what I do every other day while also fielding instant messages from everyone on my buddy list saying Happy Easter. A song like this is way overdue and I am just delighted with the outcome.
All lyric writing credit and rocker-like dance and stage moves are the boyfriend’s; also, notice the shirt! And people have told me that they pity him for being with a feminist–tsk tsk.
Happy Easter, everyone–Menstrual Poetry style!
Jesus Piñata
Innocent Images Takes Down Major Child Porn Ring
This is a few weeks old, but definitely still noteworthy. Hooray for the FBI having an entire program dedicated to catching child pornography and exploitation and an even bigger hooray for arrests and these sites being shut down!
Innocent Images, a program run by the FBI to combat online child pornography and child exploitation has recently busted a major child porn ring.
With messages that read “Mala is to die for in those pigtails.”, “I have a few 5yo [year old] Taras that you do not have.” and “Just dropping in for a hot minute … to help out the dry spell, and to give everyone something to do for an afternoon.” this ring doesn’t seem too different than the others circulating the internet, however, this ring had many features that Innocent Images had not come across before.
This ring was one of the largest and most sophisticated rings that the FBI has ever come across, using maximum security methods to make them increasingly hard to catch. The ring worked more like a business, with several different people spanning over different countries performing specific jobs within the community. The ring had traded, trafficked and posted over 400,000 images and videos and incorporated several operation security measures.
Since discovered, over 20 victims of child exploitation have been rescued and 22 men have been arrested in the United States, Germany, Australia and the U.K. while more rescues and arrests are being pursued.
The Lives of the People We “Saved”
So how, exactly, are those in Iraq living their lives now–after Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003?
I’ve delved into this subject a bit already with how Afghanistan has been transformed by war and specifically how Afghani women are being treated and living their lives now. Now it’s time to take a little look at Iraq and specifically, Iraqi women.
Over 1.2 million people fled Iraq after the Bush invasion. The result of the Iraq war has caused these people to flee from their country and attempt to build new lives for themselves in Syria. While building lives away from the chaos in Iraq, Iraqi women and teenagers, some as young as 13 years old, have been forced into prostitution.
The number of women involved in this prostitution ring, which George Bush is not only aware of, but is tied to because of his invasion and putting the Iraqi people in more danger than they were even before the war, involves as many as 50,000 women and girls. The reason for so many women being forced into this line of work is because if they are lucky, on a given night at a nightclub in hopes of work, they will make $60, which adds up to a week worth of pay in a standard factory. While these people are starving, there is no other work for women there that would make the amount of money to support their families.
Bush’s invasion of Iraq, a country that posed no threat to the United States, is illegal under US and national law. Bush has also been convicted of war crimes which had made headlines not so long ago. With these two instances in mind, driving women and children into prostitution violates human rights agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
So how is Iraq doing after the Bush administration’s attack? I’d say pretty horrible, how about you?
Get Social
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Out Campaign
The OUT Campaign allows individuals to let others know they are not alone. It can also be a nice way of opening a conversation and help to demolish the negative stereotypes of atheists. Let the world know that we are not about to go away and that we are not going to allow those that would condemn us to push us into the shadows.
