Posted by Bel. The time is 3.17pm here in Wellington NZ. Reblogged from I Am Offended Because... by Ally

Eff You Peter Carlisle

by Ally of I Am Offended Because...

There is a pro-choice rally in Wellington on Tuesday. [Bel's note: i.e. tomorrow, 5th October. See details on poster below] I really wish that I could go. Partly because I want to feel like a proper days-of-yore feminist who goes to six protests before breakfast and then goes home to read the Beauty Myth. Partly because abortion is actually illegal in New Zealand and because getting an abortion requires already vulnerable women to jump through hoops like little sparkly-ruffed circus dogs. I'd like to go to the rally because for a woman to choose abortion in New Zealand she has to see two different doctors and she has to tell them that the continuation of her pregnancy will endanger her life, her mental health or her physical health. If she lives outside of Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland she will have to travel, often meaning many days away from work and away from her local support network. MP Steve Chadwick is currently proposing an Abortion Reform Bill to take abortion out of the Crimes Act, which surprisingly will be opposed by anti-abortion group Voice For Life. The life that they advocate for of course being that of unborn foetuses, rather than the full and healthy lives of women and their planned families. So I have a few pretty good reasons for wanting to go and protest.

But mostly, I'd like to go to the rally to say a big 'fuck you' to Peter Carlisle. I don't know who Peter Carlisle is, but he posted this on the Facebook event page for the No More Jumping Through Hoops Abortion Rights Protest and I instantly hated him:

Needless to say, I am more than a little offended by the dismissive, misogynist, homophobic, slut-shaming and inaccurate Peter Carlisle. So were a whole lot of other open legged lesbians on the event page. Nicola made this brilliant point:

Astute, although I often wish that we didn't have to use extreme situations like rape or incest to suggest that a woman should be entitled full control of her body. Hannah casually pointed out Peter's apparent lack of basic biological knowledge:

My friend Izzy, a she-wolf if there ever was one, eloquently put Peter in his place:

But Tessa possibly had the best argument of all:

And just quietly, Peter Carlisle is not only poorly informed about basic biology but also about the meaning of the word contraception. He should possibly get his facts right before posting on a Facebook event filled with slutty lesbians who also happen to be pedants. Contraception is something that is used to prevent conception, so I am guessing that most women who request abortion are a little past that point. And if Peter means that women are using abortion as a method of birth control, perhaps he should go and read this awesome blog post at the Curvature. Here is a snippet:

"Because do you understand the actual words you are speaking? Do you know what birth control is? It’s right there, in the name. It is something you use to control whether or not you give birth. That’s it. Ta-da. The end. When someone says “lots of women use abortion as a form of birth control!” what they mean is “lots of women use abortion.” The extra words are unnecessary. How the hell else are you going to use it?"

I would love to go to that protest to shove it to Peter Carlisle. I would like to shove it to all of the Peter Carlisles of the world; men who think they ought to have a say in what women do with their bodies. I would love to go because full equality depends upon women having full control over their fertility. I would love to show my support for Steve Chadwick's bill, because often it is not abortion that causes mental distress, it is the obstacles that women face. I would love to shove it to Peter Carlisle for suggesting that women who have abortions are sexually promiscuous and for even thinking that the amount of sex a woman has is something that can be used as an insult. It would be great to ask him about a pile of things, like why he thinks that my being a lesbian (or at least a woman who is in a same sex relationship) somehow seems to undermine my stance on reproductive rights or why he seems to think that women are solely responsible for planning when to have kids. I would like to take him up on why he thinks it is appropriate to tell another human being to just shut their legs. I would like to tell him about how no contraceptive is 100% effective and about how nobody is perfect and about the many women who have died in back alley procedures as a consequence of limited access to safe and legal abortion . I would like to tie him to a chair and make him watch Vera Drake. I would like to ask him why he feels so comfortable with the idea of forcing his moral beliefs onto others. I would like to politely suggest that if Peter Carlisle doesn't like abortions then maybe he doesn't have to get one, but he shouldn't rob others of their personal choice.

But I can't go to the protest. I will be sitting at my desk at work devoting eight hours of my day to typing, mediocrity and capitalism. But maybe you can. Go. Shove it to Peter Carlisle.


If you live in Wellington and you want to stick it to Peter Carlisle you should go to the No More Jumping Through Hoops: Abortion Rights Protest at the Court of Appeal tomorrow, on the 5th of October. Make a stand against Right to Life is taking the Abortion Supervisory Committee to court, to try and further restrict women's access to abortion in New Zealand.Meet on the corner of Aitken and Molesworth Street at 12.30pm and wear something red. I understand that organisers are also looking for volunteers to hand out fliers this afternoon at the train station and on Tuesday morning they need help blowing up balloons.

Email actionforabortionrights [at] gmail.com for more information or go to the Facebook event page.

Reblogged from I Am Offended Because... by Ally

Posted by Bel. The time is 2.55pm here in Wellington NZ

Journalists love to think of themselves as always pointing the finger and blowing the whistle. Stuff pass themselves off as a crack team of deadline chasing newshounds, with a promotional campaign touting "If our team don't break stories first, there are consequences."

But more often than not, the press dish up a disappointing array of shallow stories, leading with whatever is most salacious, rather than most informative.

The impetus is more and more on the media participant (and yes, I carefully use that word instead of audience!) to ensure that they are consuming from a variety of sources and not just accepting "news" at face value.

UK based geek comedian Tom Scott is kicking back with his series of "journalism warning stickers".

You can read more about his project here, including downloading the template (link is at the bottom of the page) and printing off your own!

Posted by Bel. The time is 9.53am here in Wellington, NZ.


Sea Shepherd information poster:

Poster text:

Sea Shepherd & Friends of Ocean Conservation

Friday 19th March: 12noon - 2pm Open Forum with Captain Paul Watson @ Parliament Grounds - grass area
5.30pm Powhiri for the Steve Irwin's arrival at Queen's Wharf


Saturday 20th March: 10am Ship Tours on the Steve Irwin at Queen's Wharf
11am - 1pm Talk by Captain Paul Watson @ Chicago Bar, Queen's Wharf

6-11pm Paul Bethune Charity Concert @ Sandwiches

• Tiki Taane
• Rhombus Sound System
• Steel Burning
• Riki Gooch & Sean Deans
• & Special Guests

Tickets $25 per person or 5 for $100 / limited door sales $30
Buy tickets online here

More info on Facebook: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society of New Zealand
Lisa @ 04 972 0240 / 027 286 8642
Marcus @ 021 144 9249 info@seashepherd.org.nz

The Sea Shepherd made the front page in recent months when the Japanese whaling harpoon vessel (oh, I'm sorry, "research ship") rammed and destroyed the Ady Gil. Determined to stand between these hunters and the endangered whales who enjoy the supposedly protected habitat of the Antarctic, the lives of the crew was put in huge danger by this reckless attack.

New Zealander Simeon Houtman, Sea Shepherd camera operator, suffered broken ribs in the collision

New Zealand is in an awful situation at present, in which the views of the majority of the public are not being represented by our government. National has just voted to support the reinstatement of commercial whaling - siding themselves with Japan and other nations (Norway, Iceland) that hunt down the ocean's endangered species.

I refuse to believe that this reflects how the people of this country feel. Just as with National's moves to initiate mining in national parks and their reversal of election promises to not raise GST, we have a short-sighted political party blundering ahead with their own selfish agenda.

Posted by Bel. The time is 9:11am here in Wellington, NZ.

From Brian D McLaren's website. Hat tip to the Bartlett for the link, via Google Reader*.

Dear President Obama ... (an open letter on Afghanistan)

I am a loyal supporter of your presidency. I worked hard in the campaign and have never been as proud of my country as I was when we elected you.

I'm writing to ask you to find another way ahead in Afghanistan. I wrote a similar letter to President Bush when he was preparing for war in Iraq.

I believe now, as you and I both did then, that war is not the answer. Violence breeds violence, and as Dr. King said, you can murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. As the apostle Paul said, evil must be overcome with good, which means that violence and hate must be overcome with justice and love, not more of the same.

Obviously, you know things the rest of us don't know. And you have pressures and responsibilities the rest of us don't have. But we have based our lives on the moral principles that guided leaders like Dr. King, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela. We share a profound faith in a loving, non-violent God. We share a commitment to live in the way of Jesus the peacemaker. That's why escalation is not a change we can believe in.

I don't argue for leaving Afghanistan high and dry as we've done too often in the past. Evil can't be overcome by passivity or abdication, but only by positive good and creative action. In that spirit, I offer this humble proposal:

1. Take the 65 billion we would have spent there in the coming year and turn it into an aid and development fund. If you want to go farther, you could put a value on the cost of American lives that would be lost there (I have no idea how this inestimable cost could be calculated), and add that sum to the fund. 65 billion could build a lot of peace-oriented schools and hospitals in Afghanistan. It could serve as start-up capital for a lot of new businesses and it could pave a lot of roads. It could train a lot of police officers and it could enhance a lot of social infrastructure. It could give hope to a lot of women and girls who currently don't have much hope, and it could provide a lot of constructive outlets for men and boys who right now don't have many options besides picking up a machine gun and joining a warlord.

2. Other nations might contribute to this fund as well, and the fund could be extended into the future based on the number of years our military would have been engaged in Afghanistan. The fund could be administered by the US, or better (in the spirit of international cooperation), an IAEC-like agency could be created, subsidiary to the United Nations, to monitor progress in Afghanistan.

3. Then a set of benchmarks could be set, and the money could be released for development in Afghanistan as the nation reached appropriate benchmarks. This fund would be an enticement to mobilize public opinion in the direction of peace and justice, as people would know that their lives could be substantially improved if their factionalized leaders would start collaborating nonviolently for the common good.

4. With this kind of approach, the people of Afghanistan (and Pakistan) would have two clear choices. Al Queda and other extremists offer violence and unrest. But the international community would be offering support for order, rebuilding, collaboration, justice, and peace. This choice is a much clearer and better one than the choice between two groups of leaders who both depend on violence to achieve their aims.

5. Conservatives could support this kind of approach because it emphasizes personal choice and responsibility among the Afghan people. It would come alongside them in their own nation-building efforts at their own best pace, rather than trying to impose our own nation-building on them at a pace we determine. Progressives could support this approach because it changes the role of the US in the global neighborhood - from reactive bully or intentional dominator to responsible neighbor and partner for the common good.

Mr. President, you have my respect and my prayers at this important time. I believe you have the intelligence and insight to find a creative way to use a new kind of force in the world ... something far more powerful than bombs, guns, and bullets: the generative force of creativity, of justice, of collaboration, and yes, of hope. Can we find a new and better way to help Afghanistan rise out of chaos and complicity with Al Queda? You know the answer many of us will shout and chant: yes, we can.

With respect and hope,
A citizen

*Any other Google Reader fans out there? I have gotten hooked and it has improved my life dramatically/destroyed my professional productivity.

Posted by Bel. The time is 8:53pm here in Wellington, NZ.

Slapping the eco-friendly label on anything possible has become increasingly popular. John Key has recently dug himself a hole by stating that New Zealand is committed to climate change and then refusing to meet with those seeking to instigate action. FYI, Mr PM: treating Keisha Castle-Hughes like a whiny kid was not a good look. Many of us think she has a point.

Our country has long prided itself on its 'clean, green' image and the good causes we hold close. The weeks of hype building up to the reinstated 'Telethon' were soured by revelations within hours that high administrations costs meant the underprivileged kids would only actually be receiving a small percentage of every dollar raised.

Having in the last month been involved with coordinating fundraising for a 'not-for-profit', I know this is no easy job. But the focus must be on the end result - helping those in need. Whether it be in the community or from an environmental angle, some of that onus also falls on the general public.

Check out who you give your money to. Make sure they are a registered charity or incorporated society. There will be information available on exactly how and where they spend the money they receive. If you are motivated to donate, then make sure your cash is going where you want it to! Then get committed and set up an AP. Even just a monthly $5 would be appreciated by any of the organisations or community groups that you come in to contact with or have been supported by.

On the lighter side of things, this video puts a spin on the issue, mocking those who throw themselves into saving the world - to about ankle deep:

Jezebel.com has taken heart at this style satire of Stiles', particularly in light of recent comments from US supermodel Erin Wasson:

"The people with the best style, for me, are the people that are the poorest. Like, when I go down to like Venice Beach and I see the homeless, I'm like, oh my god, you're pulling out like crazy looks".

Wasson has worked for everyone from Vogue to Maybelline over the last decade and just launched her own range of designer clothing. No word yet on just what the carbon footprint will be, or on how she intends to make accessible to those 'poorest people' her new line of products.

Posted by Bel. The time is 9:18pm here in Wellington, NZ.

You thought it was bad enough that Cadbury had dropped its king-size chocolate bars from 250gm to 200gm, without changing the price.

So what if you knew that also in each and every one of those lightweight bars, they were including palm oil instead of cocoa butter - a cheap alternative with disastrous effects on our environment and on the habitat of some of the most endangered animals in the world.

Glenn Hurowitz, LA Times, writes:

"Whether it's used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into a biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis.

Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which a whopping 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations.

That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife."

[Source (now archived)]

Once these tropical rainforests are gone, replaced by crops of palm oil (the demand increasing thanks to companies like Cadbury), animals, most specifically the orang-utan and the Sumatran tiger and rhinoceros which are already critically endangered, will face almost immediate extinction in the wild.

An orangutan is seen with an tranquilizer dart in his side - to make him sleep before rangers relocate him to another place on Borneo island, away from this palm oil plantation.
(Click for larger) [Source]

So what can we do about it? Well, be picky about our brands, for a start.

Auckland Zoo have taken all Cadbury products off the shelves of their shops and restaurants as a demonstration of their commitment, as well as removing palm oil products from animal feed. Wellington Zoo says it "supports" this stance, but is not partaking of the boycott, despite the vision statement on their website saying that the Zoo has "a belief in the need for a sustainable co-existence between wildlife and people".

Whittaker's have a chance to romp home here, as not only is their chocolate made from 100% cocoa butter (no palm oil), a block of Whittaker's milk chocolate is 33% cocoa butter, as opposed to Cadbury's 21%. (According to the Sunday Star Times, who I'm sure had a blast doing that research.)

Check food labels, that's really important. If you're a veggo or have had someone in your family or flat with allergies, you'll already be in the habit. And personally, I think it's a good one to be in. Sometimes simply the sheer number of long, scientific-sounding, non-food-sounding ingredients can be enough to make you put something back on the shelf.

This is a great opportunity for consumers to lead the change. There is no need for us to be complicit in the further degradation of our planet just because we want some chocky.

Essential reading:

• Auckland Zoo has some great background info on palm oil and its effects on endangered animals.
  
  
• Go there also for the "Orang utan Friendly Shopping List" for which they are updating based on on-going suggestions.
  
  
• Here is Wellington Zoo's contact page. Email them and ask them what they doing regarding this matter! I have! They didn't reply!
  
  
• Taking a step further, here's an Australian website called Palm Oil Action. It has flames on it and uses the word 'deadly' in quite large letters. Awesome.
  But it has a useful section under "Action" of "Sample Letters", which we can copy and paste to help spread the word and let decision makers know that there is public concern on this issue.
  

Posted by Bel. The time is 3:31pm here in Wellington, NZ.

120 billboards have been reclaimed in New York City, after Jordan Seiler of the Public Ad Campaign website discovered that the company hiring them out for corporate and multinational advertising did not have them registered for permits with the NYC Department of Buildings.

Over the weekend, a team of volunteers reappropriated them for artworks in an act of art-activism that is becoming ever more popular as the Current Economic Climate (C) TM registered trademark causes people to think a little more carefully about where they spend their money on and what they are being told to spend their money on.

Click on any of the images to see them larger.

I sourced the photos from here and here, where you can read more on the project.