*bamf* POST! *bamf*

I meant to do an actual post on these pieces, but I've had such a busy day I haven't had a chance. So I guess I'll just post the links, and perhaps comment later.

First, some news on Empower, a Thai sex worker's rights group. Every single thing I read about what these women are doing anywhere in the region fills me with admiration, they're truly exceptional. Their latest project is a fabulous defiant dictionary of terms that works to present the concepts contained in a new and prejudice free light.

And from Queers4Reconciliation, a piece on Indigenous male sex workers. It's from 96, but still a valid and important read.

And... she disappears again!

Vegan survey from Cupcake Tattoo

1 . If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
Locally grown, absolutely.

2. Favourite way to prepare potatoes:
Mmm... potatos! I like them roasted with other root vegetables with a cranberry glaze, mashed with herbs, or baked and served in the jacket with salsa.

3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
It depends what I'm making. Generally I'll press it briefly between paper towel if it's going to be fried or baked. I do occasionally do the freeze-and-thaw trick to give it a chewier texture.

4. Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
I don't really have family recipes, my parents are far too fond of the meat! Recipes I love that my friends and housemates have picked up, though,include my sweet potato and bean burritos, and my pumpkin and brown rice risotto.

5. Any food allergies?
Beer. I know it's a beverage, but I'm Australian. It's treated as a food group here. And people keep trying to sneak it into batter.

6. When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
We don't generally do "fancy", but I'm a fan of Green Gourmet, and the Italian restaurants around Newtown tend to do a lot of decent vege meals.

7. When you have a cold, what do you crave?
Soup! Roast garlic and vege.

8. What kind of water do you drink? (Filtered, spring, tap, etc.)
Tap water. Occasionally bottled because it's cold and where I am :)

9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
The only fizzy drinks I have are Diet Coke and plain soda water. If you could make something that tasted exactly like Diet Coke but wasn't filling me awful artificial sweeteners, that would rock. Then again, it wouldn't be as addictive, so I'd probably hate it.

10. If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
"Scottish Mum Comes Good".

12. Favorite type of mushroom?
I loved shitake mushrooms. They have such a great flavour and texture. I'm also a fan of massive field mushrooms and swiss browns.

13. Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
It's too small! I don't have anywhere near enough bench space.

14. Last food you burned?
I think it was the last time I made risotto. The bottom burned without me noticing. I was so upset!

15. Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?":
"Food?"


16. If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
I've been reading the cupcake blog. My god, the options! I do like the idea of plum sake jelly filling.

17. Favourite brand of chocolate chips?
I don't really have one...

18. You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma - What do you buy?
Pie maker!

20. You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
Weetbix, perhaps, or a few slices of thick rye toast.

21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray got into a fight, who would win and how?
Violence is shit.

22. If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
Cinnamon and sultanas.

23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence)?
I personally think tourism is revolting and most international travel is problematic at best, but if I had the option to learn all the traditional veg dishes of a particular country, I'd probably pick Vietnam.

24. Favourite late night snack?
Whatever leftovers are in the fridge. I think that's the only reason I keep leftovers!

25. Favourite springtime food?
Warm salads...

26. Favorite food-related magazine?
I've never really bothered buying any.

27. Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
I'm a huge fan of plain soy sauce, or the vege stir fry sauce I need to buy more of.

28. What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
I'm not a huge fan of most pumpkin, although I make an exception for butternut in certain things. I can't stand corriander/cilantro.

29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
I don't really do holiday food...

30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
My mother. She's such a great cook... I want to see what she comes up with when driven to explore veganism!
On a "celebrity" level... every celebrity chef out there.

Stigma...

... is whole worlds of fucked.

There have been three instances in the last two weeks that have left me so enraged on behalf of friends and coworkers that I could barely see. All the result of stigma.

And yet... I won't post publicly about any of them. At least not yet. Protection of myself, protection of them, from fucking stigma.

So this post comes off as cryptic and useless. But at least you know I'm angry.

The end of a comment thread

But, of course, comments are now closed.

Once again, I'll restate that I totally respect anyone's comment policy and right to moderate who speaks on their blog. I get slightly less comfy with the idea when selective moderation is applied, but hey. Still not my call, and not worth bitching about.

I do like responding, though, so here's that final comment that can't be posted there:

stormy:

It was an incredibly cheap shot to expect that either Witchy herself responded, or that general comments got through moderation in a timely fashion. Of course, the ‘timetable’ was set by those looking for an opportunity to discredit radfems… (big hint there Kim and Kaka)

All I'm saying is that if you have time to do one, you should have time to do the other.

And I have no interest in "discrediting" radfems, or in setting timetables. I don't have the authority for the latter. I merely expressed how it looked to me and said I hoped Witchy would rectify the situation. She has, and I'm glad.

v:

to be fair, there is this *entire blog*. oh, and the fact that witchy woo has been and continues to be a supportive friend and ally to people like me.

Indeed. An entire blog supporting women. But when a troll makes such a horrible and dehumanising comment about a particular woman that WW doesn't like... silence.

As I said above, I didn't like how it looked and expressed hope that it WAS coincidental and WOULD be rectified. Again, it has been, and I'm glad.

that witchy must make special time to ‘express disagreement’ with something so idiotic and misogynist, from some fly-by who hasn’t even posted here before. several regular and irregular commenters spoke up, it’s the community in action folks.

Every other blogger on the net can manage to say "Hey, that's not cool. Shut up." when a troll says shitty things about someone else on their blog... and yes, I have read witchy's blog on and off for a number of years now, I've SEEN how she eviscerates anti-woman trolls. Her silence on this matter made it seem like that energy was selective, based on the "type" of woman insulted. I didn't like the impression that it gave me, and thought it better to say something than to perhaps leave others with the same impression.

and cut it out with the patronising, for fucks sakes. it demeans you, hexy. no-one here needs congratulating for considering women human - it’s central to radical feminist politics.

I'm not sure what you mean by "patronising". If the tone is there, it's entirely unintentional.

and who made you and kim the feminist blog judges, to dole out these credits for refuting stupid trolls?

Nope, not wanting to judge or dole out credits. Again, expressing how I saw it and hoping it would be changed.

Witchy:

And, tbh, I’m a tad pissed with all the “Witchy, say something!” orders I’ve had.

I don't know what you've heard from others, but it certainly wasn't an order from me. It was a request.

Ok Hexy, just for you (as you’re the one who seems to need it most). Women in sex work are still women. They’re not “filthy” - no radical feminist has described such women thus

Thanks, but your above comment was fine and there's no need to direct your statement at me personally. I wasn't asking you to issue clarification or apology to me.


- as Belledamme would have us believe (see Kim’s blog for Belledame’s projection).

I don't generally read Belledame, and I pop by Kim's whenever links from others direct me there. I'm not sure why I keep having to clarify this.

The “filth” is put upon them by the john’s who use them - whether in pornography or prostitution (they’re one and the same - from now on called pornstitution).

Yeah, well. I don't agree with your language and will not use it myself, and I disagree with you about the "filth". I'm still very pleased to see the clarification, however grudgingly and sarcastically it was delivered.


And you, Hexy, “hope [I] disagree with the view expressed by BabyCats”? Sounding as it does like more of Belledamme’s radfem baiting? But you run with her?

Nope. No baiting, no "running with" anyone. I don't have an incredibly tight-knit internet community like you do, and I'm quite OK with that. I have "people whose blogs I read" and "people I know in real life".

My comment "I hope she does" was not intended to imply "I hope Witchy Woo does disagree with the view expressed by Baby Cats", but rather "I hope Witchy Woo does POST SOMETHING disagreeing with the view expressed by Baby Cats".

I have no need to "bait" radfems. I was trying to be polite to someone I haven't spoken to online for a while, which bizarrely enough is sometimes interpreted as an attack.

I have noticed the dramatic change in tone when addressing me that has come from some anti-porn feminists since I outed myself online as a worker. Some of those women used to be very friendly commenters on this blog. Please don't treat me as an idiot as well as a perceived traitor by pretending that shift in reception hasn't occured. I have the same views and post the same shit as I did before.

The radfem community is solid - as illustrated here.

True. Solidarity is an awesome thing, and you will never be accused of lacking that.

Yeah, she'll kick your ass.

I mentioned this to a few people recently:

BBWW: The Big Beautiful Wonder Woman Blog.