Real Housewives in the House?

RantWoman is out of town.

Please enjoy some comedy moments.

Mullets? Spanking? Weed? NOT Voting? Legal in the US, But Not...

Outlawing the mullet? Where to start, beyond what wild video adventures to fill up a Saturday evening.

Obama Presidential Portraits and vision for the future highlighted.

RantWoman sincerely wishes to thank Michelle and Barak Obama for grace, humility, dignity, and vision.

That is all.

No wait. That is not all. At a time when people are starting school (Knock on wood Seattle teachers get a good contract that addresses all the human needs in the community) and going off to college and stepping into unimagined horizons, RantWoman has been composing fantasy all-women Presidential tickets.

So far:

AOC and the Green New Deal Meets Liz Cheney and big energy and water resource issues

Michelle Obama meets Condolezza Rice about strength at home and abroad.

Either scenario above depends on people wanting the job, and ...

.

Why medieval people didn't wash their hair, and how it stayed clean | Hi...

Happy #NDEAM #NDEAM2021

This year, RantWoman's Disability Awareness Month seems to mean find a way to related anything one comes across to employment and the life of people with disabilities.

The short version, NO people who request reasonable accommodations to work remotely are not just sitting around queueing up funky videos. There are GOOD resons and historical validity about some people's ahir washing preferences and it is inspiring to know options that work. 

Touching: The Tub Shroom Tactile Art

 The sun is shining and traffic is moving and RantWoman is...drum roll please...making tactile graphics again.

The Friendly Neighborhood Center for Extreme computing is nowhere near reopening with in-person services so of course there is no one around to experience tactile graphics.

But

RantWoman decided in honor of her plumbing adventures and of time to reflect on various things, to indulge her fascination with the TubShroom and try to make a tactile graphic image.

RantWoman's general creative process: find an image. Load it into Tactile View. Drag the image to a size large enough mostly to fill a 8 /12" x 11" sheet. Mess around with about 3 filters RantWoman can find easily and let software work with no interference. Make some kind of label in Braille in the field provided. Then send the results to the embosser and save the resulting image as a 300 dpi bitmap in case RantWoman is at some point in the future seized with an urge to reproduce said image.  RantWoman tends not to be seized by such urges, but anyway.

RantWoman spends a certain amount of time thinking about how to explain visual concepts to someone who is totally blind and / or has been blind since birth. RantWoman frequently tests her ideas and finds out her guesses are wrong. 

Today at least, RantWoman thinks the TubShroom image and the opportunity to hold the TubShroom (if RantWoman had not already installed it in her bathtub, would be an interesting way to talk about proportion, perspective, and projecting 3-dimensional images onto a plane. 

Or we can all note this hot trick for catching hair out of the shower and not worry about the other stuff..

The 300 DPI bitmap image. 
Braille says
The TubShroom
Lesson in proportion and perspective

The TubShroom 
in Blue

 

Anyway, happy touching!

Women's History Month: Morgan Ahern 1948-2019

This obituary came to RantWoman in email. There are references to a blo and a Facebook page, both called Lolo Dikto. Here are a few comments from RantWoman. Below that, Some of the rest of this post will be very difficult to read.

RantWoman in no way considers herself a student of Romani culture. Two anecdotes illustrate the depth of RantWoman's lack of experience.

--RantMom worked for a time at a fabric store. RantMom complained vociferously sometimes about how a large flock of "the gypsies" would come to the store, run all over the place and steal things. RantWoman has no personal experience with this topic.

Also a patriarch of the local community died and a friend of RantDad's got a gig with his band playing music for most of three days for the man's wake.

Clearly there is much more to know.

Morgan Ahern 1948-2019

By Susanna Smith, 1953, with help from Liz Lewis, 1956, and Lori Bradford, 1952

Morgan Ahern, Romani name Punkajia Jiavonni Morgan Luczako Zyrelic Fucharelle Heron, born on March 10, 1948, in Brooklyn NY, died of lung cancer on December 4, 2019 on Vashon Island, WA. Her father, Cornelius Ahern, was Romanichal, from Ireland, her mother, Rosemary Ahern, was Sinti, from Italy. Her mother’s family fled Italy shortly before WWII, those of her family who were not able to leave were killed in Auschwitz. Her father’s family had been in the U.S. for many generations.

At the age of seven, Morgan was taken from her birth family and put into foster care, as was common with Romani (Gypsy) children at the time. Morgan lost her birth language and had her hair cut, the style of her clothes changed, and her name changed to Jean. She was bounced around to different foster homes and orphanages, and eventually ended up at Queen of the Rosary Academy in Amityville, NY as a teen. There she became girlfriends with another girl (Sue), and because of their lesbian relationship, they were sent to Pilgrim State Children’s Mental Hospital, where they were given electroshock treatment for their lesbianism. Sue ended up committing suicide, and Morgan got out of the hospital by pretending to become “normal” – wearing a dress, shaving her legs, putting on makeup. After being discharged from the hospital, with no way to find her birth family, and nowhere to go, she ended up on the streets. She also did a period of time in the Women’s House of Detention in Manhattan, where a brief encounter with Angela Davis, also locked up there, changed her life. That, and that she was offered a place to stay by a woman who befriended her - Jill Johnston. She became involved in the women’s and gay rights and anti-Vietnam war movements at this time.

Morgan saw a sign at a methadone clinic offering young women free tuition and room and board to go to Notre Dame of Staten Island College. She went there for two years, and then to Richmond College (also free tuition), part of the City University of NY, where she earned a women’s studies degree.. She received her M.A. in sociology and history from Goddard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA. As one of the first women to receive a women’s studies degree, she was recruited by the University of Colorado in Boulder to help set up a women’s study program there. She then moved to Denver, where she reunited with her mother, running into her on a downtown street – her mother had moved to Denver to live near Morgan’s brother and his family. Morgan’s sister ended up in Denver as well. 

In Denver, Morgan worked various jobs to pay the rent, while working in and helping to organize various political groups. She worked in one of the women’s bookstores, helped out at Big Mama Rag, a feminist newspaper, and was an organizer of the Women’s Psychiatric Inmates Liberation Front, which protested the use of electroshock therapy and forced drugging of psychiatric inmates. 

Morgan moved to Seattle in 1985, where she immediately became involved in political activism there – solidarity with liberation movements in Central America, Palestinian rights, fighting the right wing emboldened by Reaganomics, fighting racism and anti-Semitism, working for women’s and gay rights, against police brutality. She got a job as a note-taker for Deaf students at Seattle Central Community College, where she enjoyed interacting with the Deaf community and with the other students and teachers. She became a sought after speaker around Romani culture and politics, about anarchism and fascism, about gay issues, about Madness, about the Holocaust, speaking at Seattle’s community colleges, the University of Washington, King County Libraries, the WA State Holocaust Education and Resource Center and more.  She started Red Bandana, an educational and political organization formed to draw attention to racism against the Romani people. She created a blog and Facebook page, both called Lolo Diklo:  Rromani Against Racism: dedicated to raising awareness about the history, culture and true lives of Romani people worldwide. She helped organize many protests, demonstrations, marches, concerts and cultural events.

In the late 1990’s Morgan moved to Vashon Island, where she continued her speaking and activism and also founded the Romani Traveling Museum, which is a collection of Romani books, clothing, jewelry, and artwork. The Museum never traveled much, but was available for viewing upon request. Morgan also worked at the Vashon (King County) Library, where she made many friends of both co-workers and patrons.

Due to Morgan’s early negative and traumatic interactions with the health care system, she rarely went to the doctor. In October of 2019, she became so ill she consented to go to a clinic, and they sent her to Tacoma General Hospital where she was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer. She decided against any treatment, which would perhaps have prolonged her life somewhat, but would have had debilitating side effects. She left the hospital to stay with friends on Vashon (big thank you to Rayna and Jay!), who took over her care until her passing, along with much help from the many friends that Morgan had made over the years. Her body was cremated and she will have a plot and stone in Vashon Cemetery, with her ashes making their way to places dear to her and to her people.

Morgan is survived by her brother Neil, sister Laurie, nephews Brendan (Kelli) and Sean, her cousins in Ireland, and her chosen family - LoriLu, Susanna, Liz, Shon, Amber and Clay, the community of librarians on Vashon, her Burton friends who looked out for each other, the college teachers she worked with over the years, the Colorado and Seattle feminists, the Eugene contingent, her dog Pinkie Lee, friends young and old, near and far, too numerous to name them all. We will all miss her stories and her passion.

Black History Month: Madame CJ Walker

This is binge blog so slight apology for brevity or hope that this short item will inspire readers to further searching

Madame CJ Walker a very cool and short video

Owie, Chapter F as in Followup

Various strands of good news:

--this morning while listening to Amb. Iovanovich (Sp) RantWomn as able to hold her sore arm up long enoguh to Frech braid her hair all the way from teh top of her head.

--RantWoman can now also reach up enough to deal with a key alarm, someelight switches, and a kitchen faucet as well as pul the cord to alert the driver when she wants to get off the bus.

--For litany of whines since injury that RantWoman has been evolving past, see Rantwoman's sleep blog https://rantwomansleeps.blogspot.com

RantWoman's discharge instructions said follow up in two weeks so RantWoman dutifully called the clinic--last week. Today RantWoman received a text asking her to call. After various rounds of hold music, RantWoman at last got to a human and was able to schedule theappointment, but "please come early because we have some forms to fiill out."

RantWoman demurred. "I am legally blind. Can you send me the forms by email?" Um no, RantWoman got images in her text messaging app. RantWoman got images that she might be able to fill out after much electronic standing on her head. RantWoman will attempt no such thing, for one thing because the sort arm will not tolerate it.

RantWoman's humble suggestion for the next increment of Ecares devlopment. THink about what forms you want people to complete. Make the forms electronically accessible and then send them to patients as links.

Below is the form RantWoman has been asked to complete. It  is an image. RantWoman is not going to interact for herself enough to know what is on the form. Sorry readers, get sighted assistance if...

Hair: Tracee Ellis Ross - "Mixed-ish" and Pattern Beauty | The Daily Show

The video below is basically about hair, kinky nappy hair, the kind of hair many people of African descent have. RantWoman is of Northern-European descent. RantWoman has slightly wavy hair that MAYBE holds curls if RantWoman uses a lot of hairspray but not if RantWoman likes to swim, shower, or basically live.

News flash: RantWoman is not into hairspray.

From time to time, RantWoman considers what life would be like if she had the kind of kinky nappy hair discussed here. RantWoman thinks it could be kind of fun to have a big Afro. RantWoman thinks it could be interesting to have hair that would stay cornrowed longer than RantWoman's hair does when she attempts anything more intricate than a solid french braid. RantWoman is now wondering whether she would have the same curious hair envy if she had grown up her whole life hearing that kinky wavy hair is wrong and needs to be straightened, pressed, ironed, treated with horrible chemicals. RantWoman recommends the video; RantWOman will now go back to tending to her French braid.

Oprah Winfrey Receives the Cecil B. DeMille Award - Golden Globes 2018

RantWoman will not be able to go to Womxn's March 2.0. RantWoman went and scheduled an event. So RantWoman is hereby publishing a video of a much-lauded speech. RantWoman is in awe of the speech. Not in awe enough to be ready to jump on the Oprah should run for President Bandwagon but in awe enough to think she should definitely consider it.



Oprah Winfrey Golden Globes speech transcript

Star Trek Parody-Carol Burnett Show

This item is HILARIOUS. Never mind about #MeToo and #TimesUP issues. Also wait until you see the Klingon

May We Send ... Back to Scotland?

Scotland?

May we consider sending The Orange One off to Scotland/

Would the Scots take him? After all, his mother WAS Scottish?

RantWoman recommends this video for:

--reference to Blasphemy

--enough vulgarities to remind anyone why UK English IS different from US English. (Don't say RantWoman didn't warn you!)

John Key the Ponytail Puller: World Leader as ...

RantWoman has been chagrined at Presidential Campaign Air Suckmaster Donald Trump's interactions with and about women. RantWoman is not charmed to learn he has a role model on the world stage, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

John Oliver on New Zealand prime Minister's hair-pulling habits.

On a linguistic note, RantWoman is charmed by the New Zealand newscaster phonetics!

If it's not too much to ask:

RantWoman is VERY grateful and sending blessings upon the soul of someone.

One item not specifically mentioned in this previous True Crime and Unholiness tirade about a stolen bag has been returned. RantWoman is very, Very, VERY grateful. And whoever returned it should also be grateful not to get all your problems entangled in RantWoman's.

Now, since RantWoman believes in asking for what she needs, if it's not too much to ask, would it please, pretty please also be possible to return:

--the doll

The doll is the middle of this trio. She has wonderful long brown braids. She may look like the homeliest thing on the planet. I assure you she is not, but her sisters, the other children of the same passionate craftswoman miss her. RantWoman misses her. RantWoman has NO expectations that whoever knows her whereabouts is providing her with the level of care and adventure to which she feels entitled. And as far as RantWoman is concerned she just belongs back with her sisters.

--the calendar.
Again, the embodiment of dorkiness in bad handwriting with fat pen, but it is exactly what RantWoman needs and RantWoman resents the hell out of having to get along without it.

--the whole dang bag.

RantWoman really does appreciate BIG steps so far and RantWoman would also be really, really grateful for a few more steps. Please.

I'm no Angel ... and ...It's STILL using half-naked women to sell stuff!

It's Saturday and RantWoman is giving herself permission to weigh in on the new Lane Bryant #ImNoAngel ad campaign. The campaign features a whole bunch of women with real bodies, the kind of bodies that clothing from Lane Bryant is designed to fit. The ads are fun sexy women of all sorts of shapes. They are smiling. They are comfortable in their bodies. And rthey are not wearing anything but underwear!

Yes, RantWoman has been known to regale the internet with her accounts of buying underwear.

Yes, RantWoman certainly wears underwear and will spare the internet details of when she does not.

Yes, RantWoman thinks it's GREAT to see women with real bodies being proud of their bodies and exuding positive energy.

Yes, It's great to see women without having to have men in the picture making the women look like decorations.

Wellll, actually, RantWoman would not mind adding some photos of half-naked men of different physiques who find the half-naked women attractive.

But ya know, it's still using half-naked women to sell something! RantWoman is trying to work up more enthusiasm for #imNoAngel than she used to have for half-naked women all over the covers of certain Soviet-era academic economics journals she used to read. RantWoman is NOT succeeding. The half-naked women really did not make the economics reports any sexier.

Really RantWoman finds herself wanting some truth-in-advertising shots: take the same women in the underwear campaign. Dress them fashionably in more than underwear. Show them off with more pride thant the twigs who usually model for Lane Bryant. Install a calculateor on the website that lets customers input body measurements and then uses the body measurements to give advice: "Honey, uh-uh! Do not even think of...Ahhhh"  Now there would be an advance.

And just to give people the opportunity to look at large women and NOT have someone try to sell them underwear, a wonderful ART item by Leonard Nimoy. Yes, ART, seriously underdressed women as ART, all you internet fuddy-duddies frightened by the female form, ART.

http://wineandbowties.com/art/the-full-body-project-by-leonard-nimoy/

Fashion for Foreign Leader's Funeral

RantWoman takes a moment away from her own crises to uphold President and Mrs. Obama in the matter of what to wear while paying respects to recently deceased royalty:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/28/make-no-mistake-michelle-obama-just-made-a-bold-political-statement-in-saudi-arabia/


RantWoman notes:
By usual Michelle Obama standards, what she wore IS modest. The top is very loose with a comparatively high neckline. She is wearing a jacket that covers her arms and long loose pants that cover her ankles. RantWoman thought it was a gorgeous choice for the occasion.

RantWoman especially likes that neither member of the first couple has their head covered. RantWoman has no opinion about how the Saudis might view this, but RantWoman reads it as "Look, I am man enough to handle my wife not covering her head."


(RantWoman dawdled meandering around in links within the article and took note of the late  King Abdullah once offering Condolezza Rice a custom made abeya. The things male diplomats miss out on!)

Jamila Lysiscott Really Awesome Word-Weave

This post is dedicated to anyone who sometimes finds RantWoman's presence and delivery style "Oh, a bit much," to anyone who finds him or herself called regularly to tell it like it is:



And a link for people who fancy extra clicks to get to the media item!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/jamila-lyiscott-articulate-spoken-word_n_5543453.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000047

Word of the year: Selfie

In the interest of helping get 2013 out the door with the Oxford English Dictionary word of the year, celebrating RantWoman's current collisions with the Android operating system, and demonstrating credible RantWoman capacity to serve as cat furniture, here at last is an authentic RantWoman one frame not a video SELFIE, with the Queen of Spades in the foreground.

RantWoman notes: you gotta love those glsses reflections, even on the mobile phone.

Somehow, RantWoman is not bursting with desire to go mad with the selfie concept, especially via Facebook or Twitter.

Authentic RantWoman selfie, also starring The Queen of Spades

Next time you're about to Hippie Hate....

RantWoman finds this item deeply amusing. People have heaped all sorts of hippie-themed opprobrium on RantWoman so she is especially grateful to laugh very hard about this item. Warning contains references to sex and drugs and rock and roll.

Memo from the Feline Staff

The Queen of Spades takes grievous exception to RantWoman interrupting her service as warm cat furniture to propagate what is basically, in the end, an ad for a product the Queen of Spades has her humans trained to substitute with another brand. The only reason RantWoman has been permitted to post this is that RantWoman did NOT run off to Black Friday sales and did not even hold full available Dial-a-Tirade about several matters on her mind.

Good Human. Stay Calm Human. Heading into Cyber Monday. Good thing the human is broke AND the human's domaninant gizmo is BUSTED.