Tag: woman

  • Let’s be BLUNT

    Today is International Woman’s Day

    In case you haven’t been paying attention there have been over 1100 pieces of legislation introduced to federal and state legislatures over the past year which severely impact women’s health. And if you’ve been following me on twitter, you’ve probably seen my disdain for the jackasses who are responsible. And please ignore the fat man with the golden microphone (is that his golden penis phallic fetish?), he isn’t the one responsible for creating bills designed to discriminate against women. The only thing he does is throw white trash easily mutable fly over’s into a hate frenzy – and yeah, well he calls women sluts. But so what? Slut shaming is so 1965. I can’t remember a time when I felt ashamed when someone called me a slut. It usually made me laugh myself silly. But hey, I spent 10 years with a rock band listening to their hilarity, so I have thick skin. And I’m probably a little more harsh than even they were sometimes. I’m impervious.

    What myself and the rest of the 51% of the population (women) aren’t impervious to is the legislation being introduced into state and federal legislatures. It is infuriating. These tiny little boys who are playing politics with my body need to find a new job. They should be censured for discrimination against a group of people. They should be charged with hate crimes against women. But that’s just how I feel about it. The Catholic Church should lose their tax exempt status for this (< click) and Darrell Issa needs to be sent packing. He is a disgrace to my state. I think people are afraid to blame the one entity responsible for this war on women, the Catholic Church. They have displaced their rage on to a fat man with a golden microphone. Criticizing a church isn’t criticizing a god. Their ego wants you to think that, but it’s perfectly OK to be angry at the church. Jesus was. (or so the scripture tells us) I’m rambling, aren’t I? Sorry, I’m really upset.

    I realize when it comes to women’s health and a woman’s anatomy, most men are baffled. It’s no wonder a group of men from the Catholic Church wouldn’t understand the many uses of birth control pills. Nor would they realize that they actually help women conceive children. I don’t think the nuns really talk to them about these things, and mixing with women really isn’t their thing. So it’s no surprise to see an all male panel discussing religious freedom and being so stringent to a false belief that they won’t even allow a woman to speak – thus creating a national stir on the issue and turning Sandra Fluke into the poster child for “government handouts of birth control pills” which is a complete falsification.  Ladies and Gentlemen – we have our Martyr! This is so fucking high school bully syndrome. What are women supposed to do who pay for insurance plans, prescription drug coverage and a list of other health related things to do when they have an ovarian cyst eruption that could have been prevented by taking a pill that their insurance should pay for? This is childish. The only people who should feel shamed are the Catholic Bishops and Darrell Issa. Wasn’t Jesus into healing the sick? This is elementary my dear Watson!

    THEN! after this started up this backwoods bigot from Missouri is jumping on the bandwagon and using women’s bodies to fight against the Affordable Care Act which prevents insurance companies from treating women as pre-existing conditions.  His little friend in Florida, Mark Rubio, is in cahoots with him.  Click on the links and read their dribbly diatribes. The Blunt Amendment, in essence, would allow for any company large or small to refuse to pay for any medicine or medical treatment based upon their moral beliefs. Thus, allowing your boss to have dictatorship over your health care. And not just women’s health care, gentlemen. Yours too. So if you think this is just about women (which it was designed to be but written slyly to wink wink at their good ‘ole boys) you’re missing the point and you haven’t READ THE BILL. 

    Women, if you don’t vote things are going to get very taliban(y). Everyone else – please educate yourselves about the many uses of birth control pills.

    ***all words are my own***

    But this is by Carl Sagan:

    “How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, ‘This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant’? Instead they say, ‘No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.’ A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths.”

    So, I made some images. And they are free to share all over the internet if you want to grab them and post them everywhere. Just as long as you aren’t making a profit from it. Not for hardcopy publishing rights though. I retain those. 

    Let’s be BLUNT! BE BLUNT EVERYWHERE!!!! with credit please.

     

     

     

     

  • Happy 2010, so long 2009…

    2009 was rather good to me. I have a lot of things to be thankful for, and there are a lot of people out there I send my love to and thanks. You all know who you are… and there are so many of you I don’t think I could begin to name each one of you or I would be here till next year! Yes… I’m that thankful and that graciously overjoyed that you are all in my life.

    In these troubled times of economic crisis and the loss of work of so many people around the world, 2010 really should be a time to come together and stand by one another in order to better all of our lives. I’ve been trying to do my part within the art community by building bridges and creating opportunities for not only myself, but for all the friends who share my love of photography. I was able to do this several times in 2009. I feel honored to have contributed to connecting people and hopefully leaving them with a bright spot when they look back upon the year in reflection.

    January 2009 started out working with the Palm Springs Photo Festival producing all the workshops and organizing all of those days. Finding talent and assistants and working with some quite amazing photographers helping them get their classes off without a hitch. I got to meet some of my favorite photographers, Greg Gorman, Steve McCurry and Duane Michals and help them produce an outstanding workshop program for their students. It wasn’t all fun and games at times because it was a lot of work, but it was a great experience that I’ll always look back on and smile at. A bright spot.

    I launched ARTnudes Network in June – A Networking/blogging website for models, photographers, painters, sculptures and sketchers – Mostly fine art nude photography, but all artists are welcome to jump in as long as it’s art related. I’ve had this concept on hold for so many years and it is amazing to finally get it going and see so many people connecting with each other. There are still many things to do with it and it will be done! It’s intended for serious artists, and artists who want to be serious.

    In August my best friend, brides maid, and always epic photographically model (that was a mouth full) – Ida Mae, gave birth to a baby boy. I am so happy for her!!! We were planning on another maternity shoot before she gave birth two days before she went into labor a month early. What a beautiful moment of 2009. I got to see her in November when I was staying in Hanover, New Hampshire over Thanksgiving. Brief but special. It was great seeing her in her element.

    In October I had a most excellent vacation to Australia with several of my friends from Community Zoe. I’ve written quite a bit about it on this site, but I can’t begin to describe the amazing time that was had. It was perfect. The best one yet. Might have to do it again! This is definitely a bright spot – but more like an entire sun ray – or if you would look at a pie chart this would take over about 40% of the pie. At least. So, super sunny spot. Maybe I should create a pie chart with the amount of bright spots and relative percentage of impact they had on me over the year. hmm.

    In September my modeling work was hanging in two galleries at the same time. In Melbourne, Australia in the work of Michael Marlborough and in Charlotte, North Carolina in the work of Bryce Lankard. Two of my best friends and they both had gallery shows at the same time. Kind of cool. And my photography work was published in the book 210 Photographers – 1×2. That three thing. Sunny.

    October was Australia, but more of my work was also published in the book NUDES Indexx II . Then the newspaper clip about all of us in the Cairns’ Post.

    Once returning from Australia I helped Jeff Dunas get his Palm Springs Photo Festival community site up and running, then it was a gallery show at A&I called I Spy With My Plastic Eye, and another book publishing that was produced for the show. The print that I made for the show has sold too, so bonus! It all benefitted WeSpark – a non-profit organization that provides free support for cancer patients. It makes me feel good that my art was benefitting such an important cause and thank you to A&I, Astor Morgan and Baret Lepejian for having me be a part of such a cool event!

    I attended the BMI Awards to watch my husband receive his 8th BMI Crystal Statue @ the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the one from Pretty Woman. You never know who will be at these award ceremonies. One year we were sitting at a table next to Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys and another time Paul Anka and Mark Mothersbaugh from DEVO and another time the family members from the late Howling Wolf. It’s great people watching, good food, and a great celebration for all the recording artists that BMI represents. And concerning copyright, I don’t know of another organization that fights for the rights of artists in the way they do. If only photographers, painters and other artists had something similar. I learn a lot each time I go. And it’s always a proud moment watching my husband get an award.

    In December I got a wonderful opportunity to have a solo showing of my nudes @ A&I in Hollywood. I’ll be producing a book and showing about 40 – 50 of my prints. The opening reception will be on February 18, 2010. (my fingers still want to type 2009, eeek, have to get used to that!) So, I’ve been in editing mode from the day I found out until now. Excluding the lovely time I spent in Kauai, Hawaii during the Holidays. I think I’ll be making Hawaii a December ritual

    Thank you to all who have come into my life, I’ve learned many things from all of you. If you stand in the light, the shadows look prettier. And if we can all come together for good in 2010 maybe the shadows won’t feel so forgotten or “insert random thought of wisdom here.” I think all of us can make it brighter. I’ll do my best.

    Kauai