Ironic how anti-vaxxers co-opted the foundation pro-choice advocates created

"My body, my choice" was the key phrase for decades for those seeking to protect a woman's right to safe, legal, termination of a pregnancy (including those gone sideways and become deadly to the mother).

Ironic, then, that "My body, my choice" was co-opted by anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Which means, in no uncertain terms: Loss of right to bodily autonomy - e.g. not being allowed to terminate a pregnancy - is exactly the same loss of right to bodily autonomy to say no to a vaccine, or no to wearing a mask.

They're ALL protected by the 4th and 14th Amendments. So, congrats anti-vaxxers - you've just seen your rights eroded.

COVID-19 mask mandates in Wisconsin and elsewhere spark 'my body, my choice' hypocrisy

By Marcie Bianco AUGUST 3, 2020

Abortion Stories on Social Media Show the Wide Spectrum of Why People Get Them

By Fortesa Latifi MAY 17, 2022

‘My Body, My Choice’: How Vaccine Foes Co-Opted the Abortion Rallying Cry

By Rachel Bluth JULY 5, 2022

DnD - gender inclusion since 1978

Borrowed a DnD 1e Players Handbook from a grognard. 

Gary Gygax was using "he or she" in fucking *1978* - WTF is this still a goddamn issue 40 years later??

Model unknown.  Title "Sheridan's Art Fox and Lion"
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcXIlD6BixN/
Model - @fox.and.lionheart
Armor - @mytholon_store
Cloak - @costureroreal
Photography - Sheridan's Art

Think, Guys, Think

Yeah, I think that about covers it. 

I need to get me a Twitter account.

Elisa Mac says "Don't be stupid"

If you've read five or more of anything I've written, you've probably caught on that "stupidity and dullness" are pretty much the reason I blog.    Elisa Mac just sums it up so nicely. Plus, she has cool costumes, and totally rocks the purple hair.

(source)

(model Elisa Mac)

Male. Nerd. Snowflakes. - Please Grow Up

Ah, male nerd snowflakes.  

"Oh, no! A male comic book villain is now played by a woman in the movie!  Fucking Feminazis ruin all my childhood nerdboy memories!"

Really?  Seriously, snowflake, if you're that sensitive, the problem is not with the people who made the film, manchild: the problem is you.

Ugh.

(Source Original Post)

And then, when you read the comments on the OP, it becomes even more clear, that it's a nerdboy problem, because Ghost was an Iron Man villain, so

"Oooooh, horror!  They ported an Iron Man villain into an Ant Man movie and ruined the movie before I've even seen it!"

Oh, for fuck's sake.  Grow up.

On a final note:

I am so fucking seeing this movie in theaters :-)

Fiction Friday - I want to be a blue-haired mutant

I want blue hair. I mean, as like a natural mutation. Plus, I want superpowers. Flight would be totally awesome, especially if I could achieve orbit, and float around in space without a spacesuit. I'd totally buzz the space station. That would be so fucking awesome.

Space flight and blue hair. That's what I want for Christmas.

(Model Riae)

(and yes, I've wished for Riae's blue hair before)

And me, being me, where spontaneous off-the-cuff ideas, that start life as simple fun-and-cheeky G+ posts, take on a life of their own...

Alcippe Filipina Kopecky

Background and Origin: When other little girls played with dolls and dreamed of being married someday, “Aly” dreamed of going into space. Her toys were rocket ships and flying drones. Her wall posters were astronauts and space shuttle schematics.

She studied science, and got her PhD at age 26. She was accepted to the national space agency, and in line to fly into space as a science specialist. Someone dug up one of her high school blog posts, where she expressed Views. The controversy wasn’t going to get her kicked out of the program, but she was going to miss this mission flight. This mission had her experiments on board.

Despondent, angry and very drunk, she locked herself in the lab. No one knows what happened in there, because she doesn't remember, and someone destroyed the security camera recordings. The next morning, a half million dollars of experiments were ruined, and the world had a new nova.

A year later, she still works for the space agency. Technically, her new contract is five years of indentured servitude. She doesn't care. She'll do any repair, or any experiment, or even just clean the toilets - just as long as they keep letting her live in the space station.

Combat Tactics: She is not a fighter; she flies away from violent people. In a pinch, she is not averse to hitting someone with a wrench or puncturing a spacesuit with a screwdriver.

Personality Traits: She loves space and astronomy and will talk for hours about it. She has a good heart, but can be immature and sometimes chooses her words poorly.

She can be a bit OCD about completing tasks she feels responsibility for, and has gotten in trouble more than once for not letting go of something reassigned to someone else.

She loves nothing more than being in space, and can get bit weird whenever there is any discussion of her returning to Earth for any reason (she can't reach orbit under her own power, and worries no one would fly her back into space).

Appearance: 5’8”, blue hair, pale skin, lots of tattoos.

Powers: She can survive indefinitely in outer space, and fly. She is a science genius and a talented aerospace engineer.

Notes: Model Riae. Character by I. A. Riley, March, 2018.

Document Copyright (C) 2018 by Icarus Anne Riley. All rights reserved. Portions Copyright others; no attempt is made to infringe upon their rights.

Alcippe Filipina Kopecky - Aberrant

Strength  [2] (Might ••• [5])
Dexterity •• [3] (Athletics ••• [5], Pilot • [3], Stealth • [3])
Stamina ••/• [2] (+1) (Endurance ••• [7], Resistance ••• [7])
Perception •••••/••• [5] (+3) (Awareness ••• [8], Investigation • [6], Navigation ••• [8])
Intelligence •••••/• [5] (+1)  (Academics ••• [8], Computer •• [7], Engineering •• [7], Linguistics •• [7], Science •••• [9])
Wits •••• [4] (Arts • [5])
Appearance •••• [4] (Style • [5])
Manipulation ••• [3] (Diplomacy • [4], Subterfuge • [4])
Charisma ••• [3] (Command •• [5], Instruction • [4])

Quantum ••
Quantum Pool 24
Willpower ••••• ••
Taint ••
Combined Soak - Bashing 3, Lethal 2
Health levels - Bruised, Hurt, Injured, Wounded (cannot sprint), Maimed (movement halved), Crippled (can only move one meter per turn), Incapacitated, Dead

Backgrounds
Backing •••
Contacts •••
Influence •••
Mentor ••
Resources •••

Abilities
Flight •
Hyper-Flight •
Mega-Stamina • (Adaptability)
Mega-Intelligence • (Eidetic Memory, Science Prodigy)
Mega-Perception ••• (Electromagnetic Vision, Quantum Attunement)

Boilerplate

Sourcebooks Aberrant RPG (White Wolf Publishing, 1999), Aberrant Player's Guide (White Wolf Publishing, 2000).
Random backstory generator - http://www.pbegames.com/lifepath/ .
Random name generator - http://www.behindthename.com/random/ .
Random job generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-job-generator.php .
Random personality trait generator - http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-character-traits-generator.php .
Random height/weight generator - http://tower.newcenturycomputers.net/hwcalc.html .

Values in red indicate the number of Mega dice to roll. These are separated out, because a single Mega for that comes up 7, 8, or 9 counts as two successes, and a roll of 10 (“0”) counts as three successes. So the dice need to be rolled separately, therefore they are noted separately.
She is built on 30 nova points.
+6 Attributes
+12 Abilities
+5 Backgrounds

Musical Monday - Patty Gurdy - What the Hell is a Hurdy Gurdy?

Until recently, I would have sworn that a "Hurdy-Gurdy" was one of those made up noises, like "Razzle Frazzle."

Turns out, the Hurdy-Gurdy is a real thing, and people really play them, and they're kind of cool.  I could totally see my DnD bard picking one up :-)

I really like that Patty explains this weird thing.  It is clear that quite a bit of serious engineering went into designing the Hurdy-Gurdy.  I mean, according to the Wikipedia article, this instrument is over a millennia old!

"The hurdy-gurdy is generally thought to have originated from fiddles in either Europe or the Middle East (e.g., the rebab instrument) some time before the eleventh century A.D.[2] The first recorded reference to fiddles in Europe was in the 9th century by the Persian geographer Ibn Khurradadhbih (d. 911) describing the lira (lūrā) as a typical instrument within the Byzantine Empire."

That is an old design, and very impressive. I mean, I'm sure the design has changed a lot over ten centuries, but the core seems to remain the same - that is, strings, a wheel and keys.

Now, as a historical/political aside for a moment, here in the 21st century, we like to think of Europe and it's descendants (specifically the full-of-itself United States) as the "civilized and industrialized world."  But, go back and read that quote above.  The use of the fiddle in Europe was recorded by the "savages" of the Middle East.  In other words, when the Europeans were still picking their noses and congratulating themselves for being able to shape iron, the Middle East had colleges with scholars who kept records of what the Euro-savages were using to make music.

Speaking of engineering, "The pitches on the organistrum were set according to Pythagorean temperament and the instrument was primarily used in monastic and church settings to accompany choral music."  Who does that?  Especially in the 9th century?

And here is an example of Patty Gurdy actually playing one.  "Sweet Dreams" is a classic song, for a long of reasons, not the least of which is that it has a very recognizable sound.

And, just for comparison, here is the timeless original:

Actually, I find it amusing that the "Who am I to disagree?" line is almost quaint by today's standards where kink is practically vanilla.  Ah, the impact of the Internet in mainstreaming the weird.

Musical Monday - Gravity Cover

You know what? This one is so good, it deserves a second boost, right?

Yeah, it so totally does.  I love this shit.

Musical Monday - Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling ft Lzzy Hale

So, I finally broke down and bought the Lindsey Stirling album "Shatter Me," because it turns out it has the title song (vid below) and two others that I really like - "Roundtable Rival" and "Master of Tides."  I'll let you know if I fall in love with any of the other songs on the album.

Plus, as I've mentioned before (and before that), the whole "classical strings plus hard rock" is totally my thing.

Oh, and as I've mentioned before, I've got that whole grrl crush thing on Lzzy Hale.  Go figure, since - wait for it - as I've mentioned before, I'm not actually into women :-)

Right. So, there you go. Musical Monday.  Because, music is a fucking beautiful art form.

(image source)

Musical Monday - Lita Ford & Lzzy Hale "Close My Eyes Forever"

Because, you know I've got a grrl crush on Lzzy Hale. She's got an amazing voice.  And Hell, this song is a mega classic. I mean, Lita Ford still has a powerful voice that has lasted all these years since the did the original with Ozzy.

It's cool to see performers in front of a live audience.  They've got a different vibe in concert than they do in scripted vids.

It's TOO EARLY to complain about having your ass grabbed!

Grabbing a woman's ass without permission is wrong.

But, seriously, "Al Franken grabbed my ass" is a seriously problematic distraction from the heinous and dangerous predators like Roy Moore, Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby and Clarence Thomas. Christ on a Crutch, four of those six have their own Wikipedia articles just for sexual assault allegations against them.

Being groped is wrong, but right now is NOT the time to distract the already easily overloaded average idiot. Remember, the average idiot is 1) confused about everything, 2) always ready to say "See, I knew it was all overblown! I can now go back to ignoring women who complain about sexual harassment!"

Look, ladies, I totally sympathize with you. I really do.  I've had my butt grabbed more times than I can remember, but get some perspective, and choose your time more wisely - this is not the right moment to complain about creepy men - we're still fighting for credibility against being raped!  I know you're struggling with this, but you have to wait, because right now YOU'RE MAKING THINGS WORSE.

(And, yes, I know I risk having my "good libtard" card revoked for this. Fuck that; I'm in this for the long game, and sometimes ethics just has to queue up and wait until the right time.)

Coolezt Dad, Evar Awerd

Dear Steven Gilbert,

While I am totally nominating you 
for "Coolezt Dad, Evar!" award,

What were you thinking?

Have you read my shit??

Well, to be fair to both of us,
I have done a lot of good writing,
even some great writing, on occasion.

I am very proud of my body of work.

Trump, Weinstein and the Brave Women who rattled the pillars of Heaven

I agree and disagree with Ms Dietz.  She has a  specific and focused point, but misses the bigger picture that the massive cultural shift required for Spacey's career to have been destroyed so quickly, first required that all those women pave the way for it to have happened.

Trump was accused by 15 women of crimes worse than Weinstein.  Same with Cosby (Cosby worse than Weinstein - holy shit, have you seen the current list against Cosby?!).  But, if those women had not come forth - and received death threats, and worse - shifting the public awareness and perception to the reality of the problem - then Weinstein's accusers - famous and beloved as they are - would have been shit on, instead of accepted at face value.

Without Weinstein going down in flames, Spacey's accuser would have been dismissed and ignored (as other men were in years past). Instead, the brave women who came forward with their stories of how Cosby, Trump and Weinstein perpetrated sexual misconduct, made it possible for Spacey's accuser to be taken seriously, and for the response that happened.

Ms Dietz makes a totally valid point that in 2017, the word of men is still treated more seriously than the word of women.  However, it is also extremely important to recognize the successful and massive cultural shift made possible by the women who came before him.

It's a Gun, Not a Condom 10: Fear is not Freedom

Daphne Sylk wrote:

This is an exact example of the curse of 'ideals'. Ideals put thinking in a box, only what's inside the box is acceptable. That eventually collides with rationality. Unfortunately, rationality is only partial at best, emotions drive the human mind and emotions create ideals.

The idea of guns as a pillar of freedom is exactly wrong.

A man carrying a weapon for 'protection' isn't free, only scared, otherwise he wouldn't feel the need for protection. Fear is not freedom.

Guns are not protection, particularly considering the number of accidents and suicides. Most trained cops miss targets more than they hit, and that from six feet or less. The average paper popping citizen is more of a menace than a source of protection.

Imagine, if you will, that all the people at the concert in Vegas had been armed. How would that have changed what the shooter did? It wouldn't, those poor people didn't even know where the shots were coming from.

That's why strict regulation is required, because people constantly do things not in their own best interest and certainly not in the best interests of society. If people were remotely rational they wouldn't get so fat, fail tests, take harmful drugs, drive too fast, smoke, gamble, but they do. You can't get most people to make a sensible trip to the dentist once a year.

Since rational self interest is an oxymoron, society has to have rules in place that penalize irrationality. In the case of America, the society is too sick to grasp that their delusional 'ideal' of freedom is killing them.

Limp Dick is God's Will

It's not rocket science. If my tax money can be spent to help a man control his body, then it can be spent to help a woman control her body.

If my tax money can be spent to help men make babies, then my tax money can be spent to help birth and raise healthy children.

(see also)

Darth Vader, Asshole, Part 2

As I said last week, I've always considered Darth Vader to be kind of an asshole and special snowflake bully.  But, you know, Vader does has style oozing out his helmeted ears, so no surprise some people come up with some really amazing cosplay.

Now that's style.  

I could totally game this character.

(model unknown)

People fascinate me.

You know, whatever else I think, I give her props for working hard to develop that costume.  I'm also betting (and hoping), she and her boyfriend had major monkey sex that night.  She totally earned it.

(model unknown)

Model Sithvixen

As Sithvixen points out, "Guys love boob armor."

Okay, so you're little girl is adapting an iconic major badass into a costume. I can dig that. Girls need badass role models. I still prefer Wonder Woman to Vader, but the kid rocks it, and I applaud her.

(model unknown)

Blow it. I love body paint. This is cool.

(Model unknown)

Trump and Weinstein: Sexual Assault is Still Wrong

Just so we're clear, if you find  yourself in a conversation about Harvey Weinstein and some tool is making hay that the "Democrats are Evil," because Weinstein is a sexual predator, then here are some responses:

• So you agree that sexual assault is wrong, and therefore you agree that  GOP President Donald Trump, former Fox News Chief Roger Ailes, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are all fucking scumbags, because they have a history of sexual depredation against women.  Good, so, that means "Republicans are Evil," right?  Especially, since one of those sexual predators is the fucking President and another is a Supreme Court Justice.

• If it's a "Yeah, but Weinstein!" scenario, the remind them that "Yeah, but..." means the speaker is normalizing and justifying the behavior.  The response to "Yeah, but.." is "So, you're saying you're okay with sexual harassment?  That's kind of shitty of you."
  There is NO "Yeah, but..." when it comes  to sexual predators.  It's only "Yes, you're right. President 'grab her by the pussy' Trump was just as wrong as Harvey Weinstein!"  

Neck Tattoos - not such a good idea

Tell me what you think, but I've always found face and neck tattoos very distracting. As a rule, it seems to me, they are so prominent that when someone looks at you, they see mostly tattoo. The idea like your face becomes an accessory to the artwork, rather than the other way around. That's my thought, anyway.

As others have pointed out, neck/throat tattoos can be especially problematic to your future employment options. Tattoos are pretty common these days, and we have a local Target store where I tease the employees that tattoos must be a job requirement :) Some have prominent tattoos, others only the one or two, but almost all of them seem to have some.

One of the Target cashiers, a woman about 20, was telling me how she was going to cover her tattoos when she went to med school. It wasn't about her art, it is just that med school people are still pretty reserved and "old fashion" about tattoos, and she knew some students and faculty would get distracted just because she had ink.

Also, large pieces of evocative artwork - such as a skull or Jesus, for example - might make a prospective employer - even one tattoo-friendly - think twice about how customers might react to it, and might pass you over for someone less decorated.

I don't know. What do you think?

(model unknown)

(image source)

End of Days - Gender Identity Gets People So Excited

I'm mocking this meme. The entire function of this meme is to play on the Western freakout about non-binary gender identity and non-binary gender expression.

You know, some civilized parts of the world don't have weird degenerate hangups about little gadgets that give women the convenience of peeing while standing.

But, really, what the original meme is saying, is that in Thailand, they had been pretty tolerant of alternate genders until about the 1990s, when the fucked up, intolerant values of Western society, got involved and non-binary genders became a public image (i.e. tourism) problem.

I mean, it's not as if we haven't had the "she-male" fetish here in the west for ages - we've merely pretended it didn't exist.

Hell, I bet a huge number of Westerners visit Thailand specifically to find themselves a Thai ladyboy for a few hours companionship...

Wonder Woman's Ass

I just needed to put this here, so I can always remember how fucking awesome it was to watch an entire movie, with a strong female lead, who never once - not ONCE - acted apologetic or ashamed for being the most awesome person in the room.

She NEVER had to apologize for being strong. She never had to apologize for being better educated. She never collapsed, nor broke down, nor fell apart, even when she was totally getting the shit kicked out of her. 

She always kept her focus, and stood by her ethics.

Oh, and Gal Gadot was so totally the right choice. Dissenters can bite me.