On hiatus.

If it's not obvious.
Back at an undetermined date.

Justice isn't blind.

Today was supposed to be Mychal Bell's conviction date.
Although the case was overturned, a rally is scheduled for today in protest of the injustice that the Jena Six have encountered in Jena, Louisiana.
Mychal Bell is likely to be tried as a juvenile instead of as an adult. He was sixteen years old when he beat up another student.

Apparently, white supremacist groups are expected to show up.

Once again, this is a critical time for our country* to realize that our justice system isn't blind. It is a time to understand that our institutions hang onto and enforce old prejudices. It is a time to remember that people in Jena, Louisiana and Billings, Montana and Portland, Oregon are all suffering from the same ill that is racism.

It is time that our country had a fucking wake up call.
It's horrifying that some black, Southern, teenage boys are the focal point of it all.

Today is a National Day of Action. Learn what you can do here.

*By our, I refer to the United States, where I live.

Get your fash-on!

Speaking of children's literature, here's a fun blog on the oh-so-prolific fashion choices of Claudia from the Babysitter's Club series. Ann M. Martin and her ghost writers sure went to town on the clothing descriptions.

Madeleine L'Engle is dead

Yesterday, Madeleine L'Engle died at the age of 88.

Madeleine L'Engle, 88, a prolific author whose best-known novel, "A Wrinkle in Time," won the top prize for children's literature and was considered among the most enigmatic works of fiction ever created, died Sept. 6 at Rose Haven nursing home in Litchfield, Conn.

The cause of death was not disclosed by the family, but she reportedly had a cerebral hemorrhage in recent years.

"A Wrinkle in Time," published in 1962, won the American Library Association's Newbery Medal for best children's book. It went through more than 60 printings, was adapted for television and other media and helped establish Ms. L'Engle among the best-selling children's authors of her generation.

Yet "children's author" did not begin to describe the breadth of her output, which included more than 50 books of adult fiction and nonfiction, poetry, plays and many volumes of memoirs. Reviewers noted a timeless quality in her best fiction, which blended themes of adolescent pain, spiritual and emotional insight, ethical decision-making and, above all, adventure and entertainment.

She is the author who has had the most profound impact on how I see the world. From Wrinkle in Time to Troubling A Star to The Genesis Trilogy her books shared strong, competent girls and women who weren't afraid of spiritual discernment, adventure, or themselves.
That's an incredibly powerful message to have growing up.
I used to read her books to my girls at camp. I spent a good many hours thinking up Vicky Austin-style adventures I would pursue. Her theology/philosophy reminded me that faith is worth pursuing.
I will miss her voice immensely.

Bringing the smart

"In other words, “the personal is political” was never meant as a club to beat individual women with for not living up to some kind of feminist ideal in their individual lives, but as a call for putting “women’s issues” onto the same political footing as men’s issues." -Zuzu of Kindly Póg Mo Thóin

Eww, all I wanted was something shiny

I was looking for new running clothes this evening when I saw a flashy, pretty ad with multiple colors of what appeared to be shiny, running tights.
Seeing as I like flashy running tights, I clicked on the ad thinking "Oh, American Apparel, don't they just make cotton clothes?"
Lo and behold, they do make pretty shiny tights and leotards ... which apparently can't be worn for actual athletic activities because they are so poorly made (the seams need reenforcement for dancing?! destroyed after one cold wash! WHAT?!). That was disappointing.
Well, that and their sizing. Presumably a 76 lb girl/woman would wear the smallest ADULT woman size since 75lbs is the cut-off on the kids clothes. Additionally, the smallest size in women's shirts (00) has the same waist measurement as that of a (tiny) 2-6 year old American Apparel wearing preschooler.
But that's not what really made me feel gross. It was all the barely legal softcore (if you know what I mean).I know CEO Dov Chartney's a criminal douche, but does anyone else want to see that while they're clothes shopping? It's not edgy or provocative. The models may be "diverse", but a crotch shot is a crotch shot is a crotch shot. Shitty photographers chasing Ms. Lohan and Ms. Spears already have it down to an art form.
Hot damn. Some of their clothes might be cool looking but I definitely need to bleach my eyeballs now.

“Do you understand where you are?”

I recently read “Do you understand where you are?" at Group News Blog. And I think you should too. Immediately.
This post ties a Billie Holiday song, the Jena Six case, and a retelling of the author's family reunion in South Carolina.

You see, once the bulk of the family arrived, a huge meeting was held in the town square, honoring my family, and giving the reunion's organizers the chance to kill two birds with one stone—taking the opportunity while everyone was together to pass out info on what was happening that special weekend. There would be the big barbecue on the grounds of the local high school, the tour of places in town reknowned in family “legend”, a trip to the cemetery to honor the ancestors, and of course, the big Sunday breakfast before the church service we were all “ahem!”, expected to attend.

But one thing in the information packet began to start a buzz among the present.

There was a note about the local nightspots. Namely, that there were none. Save for the juke joint down the road a piece across from the “Fish Shack”, and of course, the few spots some 35 minutes away in Wilmington. But one of the note's points of interest got some of the young people going. It stated, that after 8:00 P.M., NO ONE WAS TO GO DOWN ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS, PAST THE GREEN HOUSE (an actual green-colored house), AS THAT WAS THE DEMARCATION LINE BETWEEN FREE-GOING COUNTRY, AND KLAN TERRITORY.

Doing so was, according to the note, “tempting fate” and “taking your life into your own hands”.

There are so many times when I've witnessed or been the subject of racism and thought "This is 2000 effing 7, enough already."
Then I remember that I can pass (as white) sometimes and thus only see the half of it. That half is enough to infuriate me.
I will resume blogging in my own words one day. Really, there's just too much good stuff to read. And I'm kinda lazy.