M and I are spending the weekend in the city, which basically means living in the fog near the lake since it's been rainy the last few days. But I think the city life is growing on him!
What have you been reading this week? What are you looking forward to next week? From all the anticipatory articles on Mad Men, I may just have to buckle up and start from season one. And also read The Hunger Games. I'm a bit behind with pop culture, it seems.
Women, Money and Power (TIME)
Female breadwinners may be on the rise, but women are not poised to become “The Richer $ex,” as TIME's cover boasts. Far too many women are stuck in a financial time warp where managing money means being frugal, not building wealth.The Mad Men Effect: What's The Deal With Other-Era Sexism? (Forbes)
Gloria Steinem calls it the Mad Men Effect: wherein a show is so steeped in nostalgia and impeccable set pieces that the sanctioned workplace and cultural misogyny becomes just another part of the artistic rendering of the era.The "Mommy Wars" and Me (Love, Joy, Feminism)
This fits in well with my recent post on ending mommy wars.
I find myself using justifications because I feel judged for my choices. Growing up among people who demonized daycare and glorified the stay at home mom, this isn’t surprising. I know someone who was raised in a family where her mother and grandmothers worked full time, and she feels similarly judged when she considers staying home with her children while they are young. This feeling of being judged and needing to justify yourself is one way mothers end up perpetuating the very mommy wars in which they are so entrapped.Future of Feminism: The Hashtag Is Mightier Than the Sword (Ms. Magazine Blog)
In a society where communication has never been easier yet time is in ever shorter supply, the immediacy of online activism means feminists can act fast when women’s rights are under threat. With sufficient organizing, feminism can be in everyone’s faces the moment they open their search engine, check out what their friends are up to on Facebook or see who’s mouthing off on Twitter.15 Ways the Bible Is Used by Christians and the GOP to Control and Malign Women (AlterNet)
Fundamentalist religion of all stripes has degradation of women at its core, and fundamentalist Christianity is no exception. Fundamentalists believe the Bible is the literally perfect word of the Almighty, essentially dictated by God to the writers. To believe that the Bible is the literally perfect word of God is to believe that women are tainted seductresses who must be controlled by men.3 Surprising Shopping Habits That Are Bad for the World (AlterNet)
Every good progressive knows that making ethical shopping decisions is a tricky business. Many dubious shopping practices are well-known: Wal-Mart and other big box stores that famously mistreat their workers, and chain bookstores, which are putting the nation's independent booksellers out of business, for instance. But other practices are murkier...
