My love of animal prints goes way back.
This picture is from 2009. I still have the coat, the hoodie (although I rarely wear it anymore as it’s full of holes), and the ears, but unfortunately the skirt was lost to the Great Laundromat Fiasco of 2010 (aka I left a few loads of laundry overnight by accident, and came back to find much of my clothing gone).
Remember that coal plant I was protesting this summer?
It’s going to shut down in 2017. Which makes it the 150th coal plant in the US to retire.
To be fair, our country was built on the backs of black slaves and through the genocide of Native Americans, so in a sense it’s always been broken.
But this….this.
These times.
Our government has been shut down because extremists don’t want everyone to have access to health care.
An unarmed woman was killed by police in Washington, D.C. when she drove through a security barrier. Her 18-month old daughter survived.
A man set himself on fire on the National Mall.
How do we make sense of all this trauma?
It feels like we’re falling apart.
Huzzah for fall!
It’s not technically Friday anymore (at least here on the East Coast), but close enough. Sit back and grab some popcorn, because I’ve got lots of interesting stuff for you!
Fa(t)shion
-These holiday gowns from Tadashi Shoji are amazing. If I ever somehow become a rockstar and need something to wear on the red carpet…
-Speaking of red carpets, Emily tried out Rent the Runway Plus, which sounds really cool.
-And this seven-year old fashion critic has the best take on the red carpet looks at the Emmys.
-ASOS Curve is releasing a new runway-inspired line called Black Label. I especially like the black and blue flapper-style dress.
–Flower bois: summer trend in butch fashion.
-Roxy writes about some of the negative effects that fatshion blogging has had on her.
This documentary about older fashionistas looks awesome.
Fat Acceptance
–How to be a good ally to fat people who appear to have lost weight.
-If you’re in New York, check out this plus size pole dancing competition. It looks awesome!
-Everyone needs to read this: Stress mess: how “fighting fat” makes people sick. A taste: “With social status comes control over one’s circumstances – success at work, fostering loved ones’ well-being, being able to plan for the future, or even next week. The absence of those, no matter how punctilious our lifestyle habits, stresses our systems in disease-promoting ways. In contrast, being able to exert an influence over what matters to us is health-promoting.”
-Virgie Tovar gave a workshop on fatphobia and HAES at the Rebellious Nursing Conferece.
Unemployment is not only the loss of a job. It is the loss of dignity. A loss of the present and, over time, the ability to imagine a future.
We build our lives in this looming loss, because what else can we do? We build our lives, and hope their disposability is not confirmed.
– Sarah Kendzior on Twitter (who you should follow, if you’re not already)
Fellow USians: what the hell is going on with our government?
I haven’t had the emotional energy to follow the shut-down too closely–there are only so many stories I can read about children with cancer being turned away from clinical trials before I just want to scream–but I have read a few great pieces of satire about it. If you too would rather laugh than cry about the state of our government, read on:
From the Onion: US On Verge of Full-Scale Government Hoe-Down
According to congressional sources, the impending government hoedown could last well nigh until the crow calls, and government officials have already begun the process of raising barns and loading thousands of hay bales into the nation’s capital in preparation for a rousing display of square dancing, jigs, cake walks, and promenades, danced two-by-two.
Also from the Onion: What a Government Shutdown Means for You
This one is more social commentary than humor, but it’s still funny: Slate’s If It Happened There…the Government Shutdown, which describes the event using tropes that are normally used to discuss events in other countries.
The current rebellion has been led by Sen. Ted Cruz, a young fundamentalist lawmaker from the restive Texas region, known in the past as a hotbed of separatist activity. Activity in the legislature ground to a halt last week for a full day as Cruz insisted on performing a time-honored American demonstration of stamina and self-denial, which involved speaking for 21 hours, quoting liberally from science fiction films and children’s books. The gesture drew wide media attention, though its political purpose was unclear to outsiders.
Through Erin’s latest outfit post–how cute is that ’90s-esque flower dress?–I found out about the Fall Fashion Faceoff that Kelly of Masque Mag has organized. I have a few outfits in mind for the challenge, and I’ll be posting them soon! (Hint: there will be some plaid/leopard mixing, and some good times with multiple black-and-white-florals.)
In the meantime, here are some Polyvore collages I created inspired by the aesthetic(s) of the challenge. You can click the images for more information.
“Mourn nothing and you’re a monster. Mourn everything and you’ll crack. Mourn selectively and you’ve chosen sides.”
— Teju Cole on Twitter
Tutus And Tiny Hats 