I Am Queen of the Howl Younavers

Today was crap. I caught a student plagiarizing (off Conservapedia, no less!) and that’s the least of my concerns. I’m wound up, worried, and sad about a bunch of things I can’t write about here. But this? It warmed even my shriveled soul. (Click to enlarge.) In case you’re having trouble diciphering: Dere MaMa I [...]

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Caturday: Pallas Kittens

I thought that these kitties were adorable when I first saw them last summer (I think on ICHC?). Coming off a week that hit the skids – sick children, sick husband, sick me, and a few glitches at work – I can really empathize with how hard it is for the babies to do, well, anything [...]

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Christine O’Donnell: The Sound of One Hand Clapping

And she knows where your other hand is, of course. I’m a little late to the snarkfest. I’ve been toying with – oh, playing with! – a post on how hard it must be for a politician like O’Donnell to glad-hand a crowd, knowing where their hands have been. I’ve been flashing back to the [...]

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Of Tofu, Pop-Tarts, and Boobs

Addressing a proposal in Australia to make baby formula a prescription-only product, Spilt Milk strikes the perfect balance between breastfeeding advocacy and respect for women’s individual situations, experiences, and autonomy. As a lactivist I obviously have a problem with the marketing of infant formula and any implication that it is as good as, or better [...]

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Nightmare Come True: Tornado Strikes My Town, Athens, Ohio

Longtime readers of Kittywampus may recall that there are just a few things that viscerally scare me: Wasps. The meth dealer in Pine-Aire Village (and the Cerberus hounds surrounding him). Tornadoes. Not being able to protect my children. Almost all of these things enter into the story from Thursday night, through I don’t believe any [...]

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True Biblical Marriage

Clarissa posted this on her blog a few days ago, and I just loved it. I don’t quite think I can use it in my religion and sexuality class (it’s a bit too flippant) but I may yet change my mind. In the meantime, enjoy some theologically accurate apostasy! Oh, wouldn’t NOM just love to [...]

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The Perils of 9/11 Commemoration

Seen on a roadside sign – y’know, one of those with moveable block letters? – next to a gas station in Athens, Ohio: Remember 9/11 Soft drinks 99¢ (Sorry no photo; I’m a Luddite regarding my cell phone.) Even my 10-year-old Bear understood how tacky this was.

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Why Mens Rea – “Guilty Mind” – Matters to Rape

In comments to my  post on “birth rape,” more than one person expressed surprise and shock that a feminist would say that intent matters in the definition of rape. This is a really complicated issue, and I’ve been reading about it on and off for nearly two years without fully understanding the nuances. I’m not [...]

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On “Birth Rape”

(TMI alert, especially for the medically squeamish, and trigger alert for medical violence.) The story of how I birthed my first child is a far cry from the dimly-lit, romantic scenarios pictured in hospital brochures and natural birth guides alike. The Bear got stuck before his head was even properly engaged. I was in Germany, [...]

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Anger and Bitterness (Not My Own)

My last post is a whole week ago, marking my kids’ back to school daze. Maybe I had to get back to school, too, before I could feel energized about blogging again? My classes started yesterday, and I think I’ve got a great crop of students this term. I’m not yet sure they’ve got a [...]

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Back to School: Every Day Is Caturday

(From ICHC, where every day is Caturday, a holy day of rest.) So yeah, that ought to be just how I feel. The kids started up a week ago. Except once the kids were in school, I got inspired to de-grungify the basement, one of several sites of permamess in my house. Seriously, the EPA [...]

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