Pretty Little Potty Mouth

I like politics, fashion, art, music, books, cats, sarcastic people and college football. I'm an enigma with a camera and a smart mouth.

[southernjonesy]

Just Stop It.

I hate to have to mini-blog it out...but y'all are making me do it.

First, let me commend all of the Animal Behaviorists that exist on social media. Bravo to your ability to be incognito for so long...you sly dogs, you.

Second, even though I do not have the animal training and education that some of you have, I do read a lot, and stay up with current events. I do recall reading a lot of material concerning 'normally sweet, controlled, old, etc etc etc' animals in captivity tearing people's throats out, mauling them, tearing off arms, legs, etc. etc.

Animals are meant to be in the wild, regardless if they are endangered or not; a zoo is not their 'home'. They know the difference. Because their natural habitat is the wild. Their behavior is NEVER predictable.

Ask Roy. Ask the Zookeepers in West Palm Beach. Ask the 'trainers' at Sea World. Ask elephant trainers with the circus (which I HATE a circus...but I digress...).

And quit acting like this gorilla was your mama. I just read where a girl died from a botched circumcision in Egypt. Because that's still a thing. That's a thing that happens in various places all over the world; females being mutilated.

But make this your cause-of-the-week now, convenient 'activists'.

The bottom line is that boy, in the next second, could have been seriously hurt or killed. That's a fact. And if that had happened, all of you social media avengers would be bitching because they didn't kill the gorilla. Also a fact.

And stop the parent-blaming. You weren't there, were you? You have a first hand account of what transpired before the fall? You keep your eyes on your kid every second of every day? Ever 'lost' your kid in a store for a minute? Ever got distracted and the next thing you know, your kid is doing a flip off the couch? Your kid ever fell in your presence? Ever buckle your kid in wrong in a car seat? Ever make any mistakes as a parent? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, and have judged this mother...congratulations, you are a hypocrite. And if you don't have kids and have been Judgey McJudgerson, well, I've got words for you that aren't social media appropriate.

So anyway, that's my take on this whole 'life altering issue'. I hope to quit seeing crap about it soon, which I will, because like all MAJOR social media issues, people will tire of their faux concern and it will fade into viral obscurity (there should be a club for that). I am sorry because of an accident, an animal had to lose its life. I am happy that the boy's life was saved. And as always, I am unhappy with people on the Internet.

So until the next 'hot button issue' grates on my nerves, I leave you with this: http://youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw

[southernjonesy]

Bathrooms...seriously??

I'm just going to be real right now. I am pretty tired of hearing about/reading about/discussing damn bathrooms. Hello. BATHROOMS. We have gotten so self-righteous, so incredibly petty and ridiculous, that we now have to create laws, or fight about the creation of laws, surrounding the 'rules' of public bathrooms. I am going to share some truth with you right now: -There have always been unisex bathrooms in various businesses. -You (yes, you) have probably used a bathroom that a transgender person has used at some point. Probably been right in there with them and didn't even know it. -If you aren't familiar with transgender people, you probably have some outlandish image in your mind of someone in drag running around trying to molest your kid (I deduce this from some of the absolutely insane posts/comments I've seen). Let me assure you: you wouldn't know the difference in most cases. So what that means is that someone who is very much male by all appearances will use female bathrooms, and someone who is very much female by all appearances will be using male bathrooms, if they follow the 'laws'. The irony here is almost funny. Almost. -Assaults in public bathrooms have taken place long before this was a thing, and long before Target decided to have non-specific, gender neutral bathrooms. Shocking, I know, but you can actually research this and see for yourself! Novel idea, right? P.S. I just online shopped at Target last week...great deals...but y'all just go ahead with your 'boycott'. You've got Wal-Mart, after all. -And finally, if these 'laws' are truly put into place...who's checking? Really, has anyone thought about this? Who's going to be the gender police? Are they going to stand outside public bathrooms and unzip zippers and lift up skirts? Will there be like some number you call if you suspect a transgender person is using the wrong bathroom? Will NC and other states employ bathroom police? Taxpayers are paying for all this 'law-passing'...but how will it be enforced? Or is it just the point of having it on the books to show how 'American' we are? Bottom line: If this wasn't some media, zealot, radical bs story, most everyone would have went on about their business and not given a second thought about it. Now everybody has to rally and boycott and bitch and moan. I can't even produce enough eyerolls. REALLY. Now here are some things to really think about: - 1 in 6 people in America face hunger. -30% of children are abused by family members. As many as 60% are abused by people the family trusts. -About 75% of child pornography victims are living at home when they are photographed. Parents are often responsible. -One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault. 63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes. -The United States makes up less than 5 percent of the population on earth, yet we consume over 30 percent of its resources. So if you are truly concerned about your child's future and well-being, or the 'morality and value system in America' the above items are REAL and PRESENT problems.Stop with the faux 'I'm so offended' crap, and start making a real difference if you are so inclined. I can assure you, this bathroom issue is a 'non-issue'. If this 'offends' you, I'm real sorry about that, but this continued debate and regurgitation of political blah blah blahs offends me. And it's just stupid. Don't be stupid.

[activityenjoyer]

My Two Favorite Things:

1. Cats with everyday objects as names

“Pants broke into the catnip again.”

2. Cats with unexpectedly normal names

“How did Kenneth get on top of the fridge?”

[southernjonesy]

Time for some truth talking.

I am amused. I can't help it. It is so funny to see all of the biblical memes, damning people to hell left and right. Now tomorrow, make sure you shame the adulterers, the ones who are jealous and compete with others for selfish purposes, those obsessed with money and put it before all, all of those gossipers, all of those that have had pre-marital sex, all of those that have fantasized about someone else's spouse (God knows your thoughts, don't you forget it!), and especially those who have taken it upon themselves to act as God and judge their fellow man. No one left? You mean no one is perfect? Could have fooled me! And let me say this with emphatic meaning: it makes you look like a hypocritical moron to post religious doctrine when the rest of the time you are drinking excessively, screwing everything walking, and basically being a person of questionable morals 90% of the time. Just because a sin is more accepted, doesn't mean it's a different kind of sin. Isn't that what the bible says also? I have said it before and I'll say it again: if you identify with, and follow religious doctrines to the letter, I have nothing but respect for you even if I don't agree with you. If you are spiritual and believe in God, but follow no denomination, I have respect for that as well. But if you are a person who cherry picks what you follow in terms of religion dependent upon what pisses you off or makes you uncomfortable, I think you are a hypocrite, and you really get on my nerves. If this post offends you, you are more than welcome to unfollow, delete, whatever; because that would probably mean this applies to you and the less contact I have with people I have described above, the better. I know what my beliefs are. I know how I apply spirituality to my daily life. I don't have to contort scripture to make myself feel better, while bashing someone in the name of Jesus. Do you think Jesus would approve of beastiality references? The implication that gay marriage will trigger the end of the world? The hate masked as 'ministering'? If you do, maybe you should do some deep introspection and look at your own relationship with the Lord. That is, if that relationship exists other than when you are opposing some political or social issue. JUST SAYING.

[southernjonesy]

A Response to Matt Walsh and his Ode to the Duggars

Mr. Walsh,

I know that you make a career out of being as inflammatory as possible. I get it, I do; the far Christian right loves you, and you love attention. Normally, I just bypass your propaganda and hate filled rants with an eyeroll and a shake of the head.

Not today.

Today, you went from being a right-wing, hot-button pushing blogger, to someone who minimizes sexual assault and how that assault affects victims. I feel that someone should speak up and dissect your love-fest to the Duggars and all that they ‘stand’ for.

Might as well be me.

First, Josh Duggar’s parents sent him away for a short time to a family friend who works in drywall. Not to a rehabilitation center. Not to a Psychiatrist. Not to a mental health facility. There is no record of any formal counseling done with he or his victims. Please point me to the source from which you acquired the proof that counseling took place.

Josh,nor his parents, have been upfront about anything in regards to the abuse. They purposely hid and buried the information for years. As for a conceivable reason as to why it should have been disclosed: this family began filming their TV show well after the abuse took place. You know, that TV show that was on national television. During which, there was a leaked rumor of the abuse. At that time, the Duggars took great measures to further suppress information. Money talks, no?

The ‘backlash’ that you speak of is severe because of the nature of the offense. Five young girls were assaulted. Regardless of what you think you know, this is something that will be with those girls always. It will possibly affect their future relationships. It will likely affect their self-esteem. In the grand scheme of life, your posts are for entertainment purposes, at best. Quite insignificant. If you worked with abuse victims in any capacity, your opinion might be relevant. But, you don’t and it’s not. I have read posts from people of all religions and all political affiliations that are appalled by the situation and how it has been handled. I’m sorry you are unable to see that through the biased fog in which you muddle around.

All of this aside, it is most concerning that your blog post focuses on Josh, his parents, Christianity, and political bashing. The attention should be on the girls that were abused. It is glaringly obvious from your rant that you know nothing about sexual assault, especially when the victim is a child. Especially when the abuser is a person the victim trusts. Imagine you have been sexually assaulted as a child. The truth finally comes out, only to be buried. AND you are required to live in the house with your attacker every day for years. Your parents, your protectors, tell you that you can never tell. What went on in their little minds? How are they really affected presently? Will the public ever know how they struggled to deal with everything? Probably not. I’m sure the brainwashing was extreme; their brother/family friend made a “mistake”, and they must forgive. Their trauma is not as important as forgiveness. What would Jesus want them to do?

As for your hypocrisy comments directed toward those that you call “progressives”: let me be as ‘frank’ as you claim to be. You are the hypocrite. You have displayed that you do not care so much about what Josh Duggar has done. What you care about, Mr. Walsh, are blog hits. Your blogs, in the majority, press upon of-the-moment, hot-button issues. You regularly take a defensive stance. You call names, you accuse, you stereotype, and you talk down to people who do not think exactly as you do.

You should know all about hypocrisy. Personal experience is the best teacher, after all.

It is clear that the only thing that your new blog post proves is how shamelessly you work to get attention. You referred to political affiliation at least eight times in your piece. You mentioned the victims of the abuse once in the opening paragraph. This alone speaks volumes about your true motivation, which is anything but honorable. You are regarded as a ‘truthful and decent person’ by your following. You are neither of these. You are an opportunist. Nothing more, nothing less.

[southernjonesy]

A Response to Matt Walsh and his Ode to the Duggars

Mr. Walsh,

I know that you make a career out of being as inflammatory as possible. I get it, I do; the far Christian right loves you, and you love attention. Normally, I just bypass your propaganda and hate filled rants with an eyeroll and a shake of the head.

Not today.

Today, you went from being a right-wing, hot-button pushing blogger, to someone who minimizes sexual assault and how that assault affects victims. I feel that someone should speak up and dissect your love-fest to the Duggars and all that they ‘stand’ for.

Might as well be me.

First, Josh Duggar’s parents sent him away for a short time to a family friend who works in drywall. Not to a rehabilitation center. Not to a Psychiatrist. Not to a mental health facility. There is no record of any formal counseling done with he or his victims. Please point me to the source from which you acquired the proof that counseling took place.

Josh,nor his parents, have been upfront about anything in regards to the abuse. They purposely hid and buried the information for years. As for a conceivable reason as to why it should have been disclosed: this family began filming their TV show well after the abuse took place. You know, that TV show that was on national television. During which, there was a leaked rumor of the abuse. At that time, the Duggars took great measures to further suppress information. Money talks, no?

The ‘backlash’ that you speak of is severe because of the nature of the offense. Five young girls were assaulted. Regardless of what you think you know, this is something that will be with those girls always. It will possibly affect their future relationships. It will likely affect their self-esteem. In the grand scheme of life, your posts are for entertainment purposes, at best. Quite insignificant. If you worked with abuse victims in any capacity, your opinion might be relevant. But, you don’t and it’s not. I have read posts from people of all religions and all political affiliations that are appalled by the situation and how it has been handled. I’m sorry you are unable to see that through the biased fog in which you muddle around.

All of this aside, it is most concerning that your blog post focuses on Josh, his parents, Christianity, and political bashing. The attention should be on the girls that were abused. It is glaringly obvious from your rant that you know nothing about sexual assault, especially when the victim is a child. Especially when the abuser is a person the victim trusts. Imagine you have been sexually assaulted as a child. The truth finally comes out, only to be buried. AND you are required to live in the house with your attacker every day for years. Your parents, your protectors, tell you that you can never tell. What went on in their little minds? How are they really affected presently? Will the public ever know how they struggled to deal with everything? Probably not. I’m sure the brainwashing was extreme; their brother/family friend made a “mistake”, and they must forgive. Their trauma is not as important as forgiveness. What would Jesus want them to do?

As for your hypocrisy comments directed toward those that you call “progressives”: let me be as ‘frank’ as you claim to be. You are the hypocrite. You have displayed that you do not care so much about what Josh Duggar has done. What you care about, Mr. Walsh, are blog hits. Your blogs, in the majority, press upon of-the-moment, hot-button issues. You regularly take a defensive stance. You call names, you accuse, you stereotype, and you talk down to people who do not think exactly as you do.

You should know all about hypocrisy. Personal experience is the best teacher, after all.

It is clear that the only thing that your new blog post proves is how shamelessly you work to get attention. You referred to political affiliation at least eight times in your piece. You mentioned the victims of the abuse once in the opening paragraph. This alone speaks volumes about your true motivation, which is anything but honorable. You are regarded as a ‘truthful and decent person’ by your following. You are neither of these. You are an opportunist. Nothing more, nothing less.

[southernjonesy]

There is no heartbreak like the one you feel when your child breaks your heart. You will parent them, guide them, think that you've 'done it all right', and then there will come a day when something they do or say will rip your insides out. Nothing compares to this. It happens to all of us, at some time or another; you hear that often but secretly don't believe it. Believe it. It's an unavoidable truth.

[southernjonesy]

What the OU video says about us

Like most of you out there, I was disgusted by the video that became public that showed members of the OU SAE fraternity engaged in a racist chant. It was fairly clear that this wasn't the first time they had sang it.

After something like this surfaces, most of us are shocked by it. Can it be, that in 2015, there is still such blatant racism taking place? How is that even possible? And this is our youth! Supposedly progressive and educated. 

I know I have thoughts sometimes that society is truly progressing. I mean, a woman is (probably) running for President and might have an actual shot, teens appear to be more tolerant of those that are different from them; even small children show traits of being open-minded. 

Then, I am jolted back to reality. This time, by a grainy cell phone video.

The obvious,of course, bothers me. In no situation is it okay to use a racial slur. It is most definitely not okay to refer to lynching in such a callous, flippant way.

But it's the underlying issues that prompted me to write this.

It appears that these boys were completely comfortable singing/shouting this chant. They were having a great time and didn't give a second thought to the words coming out of their mouths. 

My guess is that if you talked to any of them before this incident, they would tell you that they aren't racist. They would tell you they 'like black people'. They would tell you they have 'black friends'. And you can damn well bet that they are all over game days in collegiate sports, cheering on all of the black athletes playing for OU.

But maybe they say other things, like, 'there are just some things that need to stay white, you know?', 'there are n******, and there are black people. There's a difference.'; or they sing a chant about n******* hanging in trees...

"...but I'm not racist."

How can we fix racism if racists don't know they are racists?

When our children are small, we teach them the tools they need to be productive members of society. When we are teaching them the ways of the world, do we take time to talk with them about cultural competency? Do we teach them that everyone is an individual? Do we, as parents, lead by example by appreciating diversity, but treating ALL OTHERS equally?

Things like this video only increase the animosity, the divide, the stereotypes.

We all have biases. It's human nature. But we all should know by now that any racism is wrong. We should all know by now what racism is, and how it affects others. We should see the sheer stupidity of hurting someone, degrading someone, judging someone, excluding someone, hating someone, etc. simply because they are a different race. 

We know better. So let's be better.

We are better than this, folks.

[southernjonesy]

Sweet Grindle.

[southernjonesy]

The New Sadist

The internet. It's great, isn't it? Everything you want and need, right in front of you. Need to find a good hotel for an upcoming trip? Need coupons for a day of shopping? Would like to advance your education, but don't want to travel? The internet is here for you. I sometimes wonder what life would be like without it. Would I be able to go on? Of course I would; but it is so convenient,and so readily accessible. 

But the internet's accessibility gives us a lot more than convenience, and all of the good stuff. It provides anonymity; and even if not complete anonymity, it provides a shield between you and whomever you communicate with. How many of us have said something online through social media that we would never say to someone face to face? 

All of us.

With that anonymity, something new has crawled out from society. We have always had sadists lurking about, but in the past, an average person rarely encountered them. Today, we encounter them daily, sometimes multiple times.

The definition of Sadism is: the tendency to derive pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation of others. Deliberate cruelty. 

Yesterday, a friend alerted me to a news story about Curt Schilling's daughter. She had been accepted to college, and will be pitching for the college's softball team. Schilling, being a normal, proud dad, tweeted about his daughter's accomplishments. In return, he received the following tweets: 

Hard to read? I hope so. Now, imagine this is directed towards your daughter. Imagine you are the 18 year old girl reading these public tweets. 

Why would someone write this? 

Because it's fun for some to be the bully, to make the ultimate offensive joke, to hurt feelings, to make people uncomfortable.

Sadism is the internet's new black, apparently.

What does it say about us, as a society, that we so readily degrade people, so readily type the most vile things that go through our minds; that we have little to no regard for the feelings of others? That when given anonymity, or a protective barrier, some of us turn into nasty, vicious sadists? 

What, indeed.

Click on any news site on Facebook. Follow a trending topic on Twitter. Google any story regarding a hot button issue- homosexuality, race relations, gender equality, etc. I guarantee that you will find a comment or response that proves sadism isn't uncommon at all.

Sadists cause pain. Sadists contribute to suicides of our youth, and most fragile. Sadists contribute to depression and low self esteem. Sadists further the mob mentality. 

Sadists contribute nothing to society.

We are always changing and evolving. Maybe one day we will move past this black hole of the internet. Until then, don't read the comments, don't 'like' them, don't retweet them. Don't feed the monster.

And if this blog hits a little close to home, see yourself for what you really are. And make some changes.

[southernjonesy]

He's a baby cat.

[southernjonesy]

Ad during women's suffrage... Unfortunately, this meninist 'movement' doesn't seem too far off from the detractors of women gaining the right to vote. Well, we all know how that turned out...

[southernjonesy]

Baby Beluga's Whale Cocktail Ring

I need this #fashion #statement jewelry #cocktail ring

[southernjonesy]

Pretty girls love pretty shoes

[southernjonesy]

[southernjonesy]

The First Post is the Deepest

I joined Tumblr today. As I was thinking about my first post, I thought maybe I should talk about myself a little, you know… what I like, what I dislike, give a little glimpse into who I am. A whole “get to know me” type deal. But during this time of thinking, I came across a Tweet, which reminded me of an instance with my daughter, which triggered what I will write about today.

My daughter and I were watching a docu-show where a girl had been abducted on her college campus after taking a popular path on campus alone. My daughter said, “well, she should have known better than to walk alone like that”.

This gave me pause. I tell my daughter all of the time how smart, creative, and quirky she is. I instill in her values that reiterate that she is as capable as anyone out there. She knows to go after what she wants. But here we were. The girl was abducted in broad daylight. The path was often walked, well-known, and was used to cross campus. Unfortunately, my daughter’s response-“she should know better than to walk alone” would be the common response. Not, “that rapist shouldn’t have been on that path stalking female students”.

Victim blaming comes so easy.

Why do we, as a society, do this? Does it somehow ease our minds? Does it make us think that as long as we don’t dress ‘a certain way’, stay out later than a ‘reasonable’ time, go out drinking, go to frat parties, walk alone in cities, parks, malls, or wherever, that we are immune from rape? 

This is not true.

Sexual Assault can happen to anyone, and it happens because a predator chooses for it to happen. Why can't we walk alone? Why can't we go out and just have a good time with friends? Why can't we wear short skirts simply because we like the skirt? Why is it our fault when predators can’t control themselves and attack us?

It’s not.

But, when something horrible happens to a woman, those reasons are pointed to as to why it happened. Or at least contributed to the attack.

Here’s a little bit of truth: there is one person to blame in a rape. The rapist. Period.

There are those out there that wonder why women are still fighting for gender equality. Think about this: if a man was abducted on that path, in broad daylight, can you hear someone saying, “he shouldn’t have been alone like that, he knows what can happen”, or “look what he was wearing, that’s just asking for trouble”, or “he should have had a woman with him; she could have protected him”.

Well, anything is possible, but let’s be realistic.

People, especially men, and especially lately, have been very vocal in their disdain for gender equality discussions (thank you, Internet). They cannot seem to grasp why women continue to “whine” about equal rights. They’ve even developed some ridiculous term-meninist-to bitch about how feminists and proponents of gender equality are ugly, whiny, ball-busting bitches that hate men. I am pretty sure I am none of those things.

Oh, and I shave too.

So, for those who may not understand why I advocate for gender equality, here is a short list for you to review:

For the same education, same qualifications, and same experience, I will make approximately $.82 to a male counterpart’s $1.00.

When my daughter tells people that she wants to go to college to become a Scientist, and they look at her like she has grown an alien head. **only 28% of workers in Engineering and Science are women.

Old men in congress try to tell me what I can and cannot do with my reproductive organs. They also say things (OUT LOUD) like, “obviously rape is awful. What is beautiful is the child that could come from this”. (West Virginia delegate Brian Kurcaba) Or, that rape makes sense “…in a first date scenario, but to me, not where people have a history of years of sexual activity”. (Utah Rep. Brian Greene)

The complete disregard and cover up of sexual assaults on college campuses around this country.

"like a girl" is still an insult (and yes MENINISTS, that was the point of the Super Bowl commercial)

A California school banned girls from wearing leggings because they were a “distraction to the boys”

These issues are important. They affect us, our mothers, our daughters, our friends. It’s 2015. Should these even be issues? But here we are, and they exist.

I encourage ‘meninists’ to look past the hype and stereotypes and see the inequalities and biases for what they are. Men- you don’t have to be threatened. You don’t have to rule us for us to love you.

And women, keep fighting the good fight. We’ve come a long way, babes, but not quite far enough.