The Junk Drawer

[cheapscandihomes]

A Lakeside Former Mission House in the Småland Forests – $235,000

[stefanieshank]

trick-or-ween

blog / insta / shop

[katward]

Today’s aesthetic, via Charli XCX’s “Boys”

[babyanimalgifs]

[katward]

Style and attitude goals

[katward]

[figmas]

[carolinegoldfarb]

[katward]

Last Night the Senate Formally Told Two Women to Shut the Hell Up

Elizabeth Warren was stopped from speaking, but it was Coretta Scott King who was silenced.

I was so mad about our mostly male Senate telling one of its few female members to be quiet--particularly since she was using her position to give another woman voice--that I wrote a bunch of words about it.

[sashayed]

“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

[katward]

One Small Positive Action: Call Your Girlfriend (Actually, Your Congressional Representatives)

The onslaught of terrible things continues, from Republicans deciding to suspend the rules of committee hearings when it suits them to our President’s truly embarrassing remarks on the start of Black History Month. What should we do this week?

Call Your Representative and Senators and Give Them a Piece of Your Mind

Sure you can email or furiously tweet at your elected representatives’ various Internet presences, but the most effective way to have your voice heard and counted remains getting on the phone and deluging congressional offices with your complaints. (That and showing up in person at town hall events, but that’s another week’s small action.) 

Here’s a list of House representatives and one of senators. Find yours, write down their number, and then pick up the phone. If three is too many numbers to handle, call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask them to connect you to your senator.

Make sure you give your address/zip code when you speak to someone (or leave a voicemail). Only call your representatives--if you don’t cast ballots in their districts, they probably won’t acknowledge your complaints or count them in tallies.  

5calls.org makes it easy to identify your senators and representatives (you pop in your home zip code), and provides their office numbers and scripts for a selection of issues to express your feelings about. As of this morning, the list includes specific items like opposing the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and broader initiatives like standing up for immigrants.

If you’re struggling with what to say (or to overwhelmed with rage to get out more than a guttural howl), The 65 have many scripts for specific issues you can follow. And they’re pretty easy to adapt for an issue that’s not yet written out on their site. Also, searching Tumblr and Twitter will turn up many variations on scripts. Find the one you’re most comfortable reciting. 

Call your rep even if you agree with their current stances on issues. Expressing anger and making sure your elected officials know you disagree with what their legislating on your behalf is important. But it’s also important--and useful!--for reps who are opposing Trump’s policies to know their constituents are with them.

Now reward yourself for calling your representatives and voicing your concerns by watching this clip and contemplating whether Dennis the Peasant’s anarcho-syndacalist commune might be a better system of government than our current shambles. Or even watery tarts throwing swords.

[katward]

One Small Positive Action

It is very hard these days, when we’re looking at a flood of betrayals of the things America stands for coming from the executive office, to know which wrong we should attempt to right. There’s too many fissures to try to paper over. Are you more worried about Betsy DeVos running our public schools? Or maybe you’re outraged over the checks on immigration and plans to build a wall? 

Maybe you’re horrified at the Trump administrations adversarial approach to facts and truth, their disdain for the fourth estate and the important role it plays in American democracy. Maybe Steve Bannon’s declaration that the media should “keep its mouth shut” sent a chill down your spine (as a member of said media, it certainly did mine). It feels like there is no way as an individual to combat a tide of awfulness, so what is one small positive action we can take this week?

Support a Journalistic Outlet

One way to make sure we maintain a free press is to support a free press. 

Subscribe to an old-school newspaper. The New York Times is my home rag, and, conveniently, a bastion of strong, deep reporting. You also can’t go wrong with the Washington Post, which has been a dedicated investigator of Trump’s claims since the start of the campaign. Or, subscribe to your local paper.

Maybe you’d prefer a news magazine? The Atlantic, the New Yorker, and New York Magazine all provide insightful long-form writing and reporting on the issues of the day--plus they have great culture stories, for when straight news gets too depressing to keep consuming. Those are only three options; there’s a whole galaxy of news out there, from GQ to the Marshall Project to Businessweek to the Economist--find one that fits your needs.    

Donate to ProPublica, because independent, in-depth investigative journalism is going to be increasingly important in the next four years as our country changes at a breakneck speed.

[mugicha1]

[gahhhdamn]

OH MY GOSH

[katward]

What a small bork!

[ohheyiris]

🎶 Puttin’ on the ritz 🎶

[cutethingsforcats]

[lord-kitschener]

she is too young for coffee take that away

[katward]

Oh no, the most accurate “It me.”

[cordjefferson]

[keelayjams]

A bowl of salad in the seat of a wheelchair rolling down the street unassisted

[thetiniestufo]

life is fragile and beautiful

[gotagirlcrush]

THEWOMENOFTHEREVOLUTION (Part 1)

By Ilana Kaplan // reposted from Paper Magazine

Prince’s mark on pop culture has been felt more and more deeply in the past 24 hour since his tragic death, with an outpouring of grief from the millions he captivated and influenced with his incredible abilities as a musician. Prince embraced his femininity and masculinity simultaneously – like David Bowie, reflecting “gender queer” before the term was coined – and embodying a sexual fluidity that he proudly highlighted instead of tamping it down. Prince was also bolstered live and on his albums by many female collaborators, and he championed female musicians and artistry in a way that was rare in the ‘80s and '90s. These women weren’t the decade’s usual cynical Robert Palmer drone models listlessly playing unplugged guitars, or back-up singers relegated to the shadows on the side stage, not to be seen. Prince’s bands, the Revolution, New Power Generation, and 3RDEYEGIRL almost always featured women who were making lots of noise. Women playing the drums – Sheila E. got her start with Prince – women shredding, women fucking rocking. Prince had them on stage with him not as sexy props, but as collaborators, helping several of them, like Vanity 6 and Sheena Easton, launch their own careers.

While Prince is no longer with us, his ability to use his talent and power to promote talented women is a lesson the music community should continue to embrace.

As we remember the Purple One, we also salute the women who tore it up live and in the studio with him and made him all the more funkier.

Sheila E.

Sheila E., aka Sheila Escovedo, had a long musical relationship with Prince. They met at a concert Sheila E. was performing at in 1978 with her father. Prince declared she’d someday join his band, and she later did, collaborating with him on Purple Rain, providing vocals on “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Purple Rain,” and drumming on tour with New Power Generation. Escovedo had a fruitful partnership with Prince, but she also did her own thing, spectacularly, gifting us with '80s power anthem “Glamorous Life.” She continues to tour and rock.

Candy Dulfer

Back in 1988, Prince invited singer and saxophonist Candy Dulfer on stage to perform with him at one of his concerts. One year later, she’d star in his video for “Partyman,” which would help put her on the map. The daughter of musician Hans Dulfer, Candy performed with Van Morrison, Dave Stewart, Alan Parsons and Pink Floyd, in addition to Prince.

Cassandra O'Neal

A composer and musician with her roots in gospel, Cassandra O'Neal is an accomplished keyboard player who has recorded and toured with everyone from Mary J Blige and Jay Z to 98 Degrees. She’s also co-written songs for Macy Gray and played on the Dreamgirls soundtrack. O'Neal toured with the New Power Generation on the 20Ten Tour and Welcome 2 America tours.

Rosie Gaines

Gaines was first in a family group called Unity, but her vocal talents led her into sing a demo for The Pointer Sisters. Prince met her during that recording session and asked her to be a member of The New Power Generation. In 1990, Gaines became the new vocalist and keyboardist on his Nude tour.

Wendy and Lisa

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were key members of the Revolution, providing guitars and keys respectively, to several early Prince projects, including Purple Rain. Eventually they’d find success on their own, releasing their debut album in 1987 and writing songs for an incredible range of artists from Madonna to Pearl Jam to Liz Phair to Grace Jones to Seal–we could list these all day.

[katward]

So excited to see one of @papermagazine’s Prince memorials on my dash from @gotagirlcrush.