Don't Get Mad -- Just Snap
I don't suffer fools gladly, as anyone who knows me understands. I can be prone to irritated outbursts. If I was a man, this would be OK. When you're a woman, you have to hide your rage, you have to disguise it as other things or have it in private. I've learned that some shocking performances can damage things irreparably. All kinds of rage are outlawed when you're female -- even righteous indignation is socially unpalatable. You are allowed to have it if you can have it politely, but if you get passionate, you scare everyone. You are told to quiet down. What little popularity I do have here is undoubtedly due to the fact that you cannot hear me. So about that saying, "Where is the outrage?" Millions of women are suppressing it. I shudder to think what might happen if we all cut loose... We could probably change the world. In a nanosecond.
Note to self: need to find a new way of not saying anything when angry... try just frowning real hard and snapping fingers. It's at least some kind of release, and the look should be enough -- no words necessary. See if look is too scary for people.
All my life I've been catching hell for getting mad. And I'm mad about that, too. I resent it that men can be angry and it gets them ahead in the world, but if I do that, I'll be labeled crazy. Think of the women who do give vent, and how they are hated. Roseanne comes to mind. And women who are politically outspoken are equally vilified. But I don't think the criticism is necessarily relevant. Strong women are respected in many cultures. Our media excludes them to an extent as an expression of the male status quo -- strong women question that and so they are a threat, to minimize and belittle. We have plenty of tough male stereotypes in the American media, but no tough females -- of real substance. I am not talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Laura Ashcroft. I'm talking about toughies like Susan B. Anthony. They've been outlawed. Well, when females are outlawed, then only outlaws will be females. So be it. This invokes the spirit of Valerie S., who was probably some sort of manifestation of Kali... Fighting the Perpetual Feminist Jihad, as Dr. Omed calls it. A few angry women continue to rise up in every generation to challenge the injustice. It seems so futile when you look at their stories, but look what they have accomplished. I mean, Susan B. Anthony fought for women's voting rights her whole life, and it must have seemed like an impossible dream to her. But Anthony never gave up agitating for it and now look where we are. Can you say, "gender gap"?
But then there is this new gang of mean, nasty right wing females, can't really call them feminists because they object. Even though they live like feminists and wouldn't be able to without the efforts of the real feminists -- Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham come to mind, among others, with their simple-minded lies for the simple-minded consumer.
Frown!! Snap! Snap!
Change the subject: yesterday I went to see the "Sea of Accordions" play at the Oktoberfest. Just a couple of pictures for you from this boozy and very hot event. The attendees were as crispy as the bratwurst on the grill but (probably due to the free-flowing lager), nevertheless enthusiastically cheered, waltzed and polkaed.
Nobody is too young or too old to play in this community. I wanted to play with them, but didn't have the time to commit to learning all the music for the hour-long concert. Maybe next year.
8:34:48 AM 
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