gender schmender

If sports weren't about money and power, and just about (really darned) impressive abilities, would Caster Semenya be undergoing invasive gender "tests"?

“These kind of people should not run with us,” Elisa Cusma of Italy, who finished sixth, said. “For me, she’s not a woman. She’s a man.” Mariya Savinova, a Russian who finished fifth, [said] “Just look at her.” Though comments like these are old and familiar, they make expletives stream out of my mouth.

What Caster is is strong and fabulous.

I want to live in a world where everyone can wear pink pom pom pants, no questions asked.* Thanks to pixietart for the photo of Jeff Stark's pants.

sugar sugar

I tried to be grouchy about the weather today, thinking, "More of this!" But then I kind of enjoyed it, trying out snowshoes for the first time (more on this later), getting them tangled up in each other and falling face first into deep snow, eventually wandering where I would otherwise not go in 19 degree weather, discovering trees tapped to make syrup, and dreaming, dreaming of learning how to tap maple trees and make syrup myself.

I absolutely plan to go to the mini maple introduction at the Sharpe Reservation on March 21st, and in the meantime, am satisfying my curiosity by reading about other people's first experiences with it.

critical mass

granville_bridge_3298, originally uploaded by doviende.

Critical Mass is not an organized group, rather "happenings" that happen to occur in many cities around the world on a regular basis. Critical Mass bike rides bring awareness to the availability of non-polluting alternatives to cars. They also make pretty obvious the lack of consideration city planners give to any form of getting around that doesn't involve cars. In the 'burbs it's worse yet (see pedestrian).

Tousles with cops are standard fare at these rides, since some traffic snarling tends to happen when large groups of cyclists ride together. (Especially when they're in costume or naked.) There's been lots of attention in NY to the cop who tackled a rider last week. But anyone who has ever attended a ride knows arrests, permanent confiscation of bicycles, and cops roughing up riders are all too common. Hopefully this media moment will get more bicycle activists involved.

All that, and the rides are still joyous events.

spice grrrrlz

Radical Cheerleaders, originally uploaded by ispilledmytea.

Anyone who thinks that activists are dry, boring, unhappy, or talk too much hasn't yet come across Radical Cheerleaders. They show up at demos 'round the world in crazy coordinated outfits and with garbage bag pom poms. They're fat and old and queer and political and raunchy, nothing like your high school cheerleaders*! What's not to love?

As with Food Not Bombs, anyone anywhere can start a Rad Cheerleading troupe, write lyrics, and spice up your neighborhood demo. What are you waiting for?

*I do confess, I have fond memories of my high school's "Mat Maids," the problematic name for the wrestling cheerleaders. They sat at the edge of the mats and pounded out rhythms on the mat with their hands. The chants weren't interesting, but the gals were skilled in pounding out complicated and catchy beats—I was fascinated.

i heart the high school pool

There's nothing political about this, except for trying to keep my head straight and my feet on the ground by swimming. Yeah, and my skin smelling like evil chlorine. There's no public pool in my town, and I can't afford the fancy gyms. The high school kids may not really appreciate this beautiful pool, but I sure do.

small world

I work in publishing and went to a big book conference last week. I had two highlights: One was meeting Billie Jean King, and getting to tell her all about trans artist Tara Mateik's Battle of the Sexes performance at the Guggenheim. BJK was super nice and very interested in the artwork. She acted surprised that people were still thinking about this 1973 event.

The other people I got to meet are the great minds behind the Homegrown Evolution blog, and I got my hands on a copy of their new book. Good stuff. It felt like seeing old friends (because of that internet intimacy thing, where I feel like I know them well even though we'd never met). Creep factor aside, check out their fine work! (They're not animal activists, YET.... Don't let that deter you from the other good info in the book.)

restore

I've just spent a weekend at a yoga retreat, and am thinking about the incredible importance of having places to escape to, to reflect and refresh and remember, to hide in, and find oneself in.

Beach Pods of Turks and Caicos, originally uploaded by cosmo-girl.

china: quake & run

With 12,000 dead and missing in southwest China, the Olympic committee continues its blind determination. Li Zhanjun, a spokesman for the organising committee, said the organisers were "very sad" for the victims, but the quake would not affect the preparation of the Games or the torch relay.

"The earthquake-stricken area is not on the route of the torch relay, so the relay will go on as scheduled."

Not surprisingly, I learn of the games' top sponsors: GE, Coke, McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Visa.

olympics: 2010 resistance

Vancouver's Native Warrior Society. Read more.