Friday links! A little intense, a little child/social wellbeing oriented. But also, some great world leader beefcake!
Criminally Confident In Our Kids at Free Range Kids. Lenore writes succinctly about a problem that needs remedying – and that far too many parents risk having experience with.
Unschoolers / life learners! You can participate in Dr. Peter Gray’s survey study of unschooling families (which has been vetted by people I trust, so feel free as far as I’m concerned). You can download the survey from http://www.patfarenga.com/.
Laurie Couture uses strong language about school and teachers but she also has the experience and passion to back that up. If you have a long comment/rebuttal please comment at the source: her recent piece: “What Parents Really Want to Tell Teachers” – in response to a yucky article on CNN I won’t link to here (but you can find easily enough).
It’s Time To Reclaim The M-Word; so, I think I’m going to be reading the books this woman has written. From the article interview:
“There are books galore on how to “deal” with your children, how to control them, make them fit into a routine. There is even one, which has sold over half a million copies, that tells you how to physically punish your child. But understand them? Comfort them? Dirty words.”
Last Wednesday: the anniversary of John Holt’s death. Some great writings and teachings, there:
“…[John Holt believed that] unschooling and homeschooling are self-selecting and self-correcting activities that do not need central authorities to dictate content and standards… [John Holt’s] goal was not to create an insular education movement for children but rather ‘A life worth living and work worth doing—that is what I want for children (and all people), not just, or not even, something called ‘a better education.’†~ Pat Farenga, Holt Associates
Make: My Magic Baby Mitts. I did! (pictures soon!)
I’ve had a run of people requesting my crumpets recipe, so here it is again in case you missed it.
A Day In The Life Of An Angry Transsexual at Tranarchism. If you’re unfamiliar witht he concept of Microagressions, here’s a good illustration.
Ladies (and, I guess, gentleman), prepare to get all hot and bothered for VLADIMIR PUTIN, ACTION MAN. Question, does Mr. Putin have a sexy bod, the answer is Yes, he’s sixty and looking great. But I am laughing my ass off at the photos like, he’s kind of just posed doing ALL THIS AWESOME SHIT with only slightly different expressions, adjusted slightly as if by claymation (I wish there was one of him DELIVERING THE HELL OUT OF A BABY!!1!). h/t to Marianne who made the comparison to Kim Jong-Il Looking At Things.
Wanda Wulz, cats / photography at All Things Amazing
Quote of the week: “Forgiveness isn’t something we do for others. We do it so we can get well and move on.”
Video of the week: our favorite MLP, Pinkie Pie, losing it juuuuuust a little:
So I took the time today to read up on a few of the links. Interesting views both from the author and the comments to the Laurie Couture article. I commented there so feel free to look at it if you wish; I’ll say no more.
The article at Tranarchism brought back memories of an incident with my now-MIL, SIL and my MIL’s sister. In short, we were at a restaurant having breakfast and my MIL commented that the waitress had “masculine” hands and speculated that the waitress was really male. My uncle had just transitioned to female (post-surgery) and though I hadn’t seen her since way prior to her identification as transgendered, my hackles rose. But then the food came and we started eating; my MIL’s sister realized that she forgot to ask for something when the waitress brought the food and my MIL offers to go find the waitress for her. My MIL’s sister replies “No, I’ll ask HIM when HE comes back.” I nearly spit out my omelette, I was so flabbergasted. After swallowing, I said the only thing I could think of that would be a smack down, because they’re rather religious people: “That’s NOT very Christian,” I said. The sister looked at me with surprise but I was already thinking, ‘How can I invite my aunt to my wedding if they’ll be wondering about her?’ She is, after all, over 6 feet tall.
Years later, my FIL was telling some story at/after dinner about a colleague who transitioned to female and made some sort of joke, laughing heartily. I stopped him and said, “You know I have an aunt that is transgendered. I don’t find this funny.” He asked me what I meant. I was blunt: “She was born my uncle. In 1997, she became my aunt. Any questions?”. I don’t think he’s made any other remarks since then. At least, not in my presence. I didn’t have the heart to tell him she is also a lesbian. Not that it matters but it would have confused the shit out of him.
On the subject of being transgendered, my aunt is a film maker and made a documentary about the “ladyboys” in Thailand while she was transitioning. It’s called “The Ladyboy Story”. They call themselves kathooey, which I think is better than ladyboy, which has such a pejorative connotation. Unfortunately the movie is in Dutch and my copy is on a Euro-system VHS tape, so I’ve never seen it. The Dutch isn’t a problem for me, it’s getting a VCR that can play the tape. For all I know it may have subtitles.
“She was born my uncle. In 1997, she became my aunt. Any questions?â€
That is incredibly succinct & well-put.
Deliberate misgendering is so cold. And scary. There’s someone in my life who is in transition and the other people I know don’t always handle it well. I think there’s ignorance around the issue, sure. But willfully refusing to learn more, goes beyond ignorance. When it comes down to it, many people who’d consider themselves progressive, or “Christian”, and all that, still think they have the right to wield sex and gender over someone like a cudgel.
Is the aunt who made the movie the same aunt you defended to your ILs?
“Is the aunt who made the movie the same aunt you defended to your ILs?”
Yes, it is.