Online campaign gathers support for Myanmar's Suu Kyi

via edition.cnn.com

You can not be human and not fight for Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom. Maybe I'm setting the bar too high, based on the evidence of her imprisonment. But I refuse to believe that.

Posted via web from andragy's posterous

Sex Strike - thinking outside the box

from SMH

Thousands of Kenyan women vowed on Wednesday to begin a week-long sex strike to try to protest their country's bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year.

Leaders from Kenya's largest and oldest group dedicated to women's rights, the Women's Development Organisation, said they hope the boycott will persuade men to pressure the government to make peace.

Eleven women's groups are participating in the strike. The groups have also called on the wives of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to abstain. It was not clear how either wife responded to the request.

"We have looked at all issues which can bring people to talk and we have seen that sex is the answer," said Rukia Subow, chairman of the Women's Development Organisation.

"It does not know tribe, it does not have a (political) party and it happens in the lowest households."

Many men in Kenya are polygamous, as is allowed by law. Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua said he was unaware of the strike. The disputed election between Kibaki and then-challenger Odinga led to violence that killed more than 1000 people and left more than 600,000 homeless. The two were installed after a month of mediation, but infighting has threatened to break apart the fragile coalition.

Fight the Good Fight at Darley Developments

I'm putting the blogging into use. So much is getting knocked down around us and the battles to reduce the impact are so draining, unproductive and fragmented that I've decided on a course of community building action.

A blog space for all the local residents to complain about the crap developments and to find out who has fought what, where and how. DarleyDevelopments.blogspot.com

It's a small suburb. The same developer that did the really shoddy work down one end of the street is starting afresh up the other. The people behind us who shouldn't have let our place be surveyed by the development we're fighting, didn't realise it wasn't their surveyor cause they're having work done.

In Marrickville, it's customary to throw a party when your plans go to council, celebrating your family extension! There's a different flavour here. All the good big houses are getting bought, knocked down and turned into tiny ghettos by developers who DON'T LIVE HERE!

Are you deliberately barren?

This blog author, Another Outspoken Female, is one of my favourite woman warriors. I don't know who she is but she gets 4 SWORDS on my newly invented scale of awesomest women warriors!

Go to Deliberately Barren or email her at otherrants at gmail dot com.

clipped from deliberatelybarren.blogspot.com invitation to join deliberately barren I’ve hidden this blog away like a treasure to be explored on a rainy day. That day has now come (though there is more wind than rain) and I am opening deliberately barren to become a collaborative blog with any other women who are child-free, child-less, infertile or just didn’t quite get around to having children, to join in. The title is in honour of Australia’s first female deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, jibe from the enlightened Mr Heffernan – stating she was unfit for leadership because she was ”deliberately barren”. This forum is open to be read by all – men, women, parents, step-parents, bereaved parents – with contributions by women who fall into the category of barren whether through choice or circumstances, deliberately or not. There is the opportunity to celebrate, grieve, laugh, rant, raise awareness and much more. But most of all, it is time for us to come out of the shadows.

Stop Assassinating Sarah Palin's CHARACTER!

You can question her policies, her experience and her plans but leave her character OUT of it! I'd go so far as to say... Stop photoshopping stuffed bears into her pictures! even if I did laugh.

The same thing goes for Belinda Neal, Clover Moore, Meredith Burgmann, Verity Firth, Reba Meagher, Cheryl Kernot, Natasha Stott-Despoja, Carmen Lawrence, Julia Gillard, Hilary Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, Maggie Thatcher et alia.

Special mention to Germaine Greer who is always willing to stick her neck out. I don't hear women roar enough. See Other Rants (http://otherrants.blogspot.com/) by Another Outspoken Female

Some quick links I googled:
Amanda Vanstone I/V Pamela Boon 2002 the Age
Women, Politics and The Press in Australia by Cathy Jenkins
Long Way to the Lodge by Rebecca Weisner 2007 the Australian
ARPA Women in Politics by Shelly Savage 2005

AntiFeminists - should win Darwin Award!

I stumbled upon an australian/newzealand antifeminist site and was shocked, initially, to discover just how active and virulent it was.

I forwarded it to two younger female colleagues and have watched them poke it with sticks all through lunch... "can you believe this? oh NO! i've got to stop looking..."

You can imagine it. All the usual crap... and then some... and then something more scary. Congratulatory bull about how feminism has died. How the feminist rants of early years have disappeared because we just can't cut it any more. No one will listen to a feminist (if they still exist) because our stupidity has been so thoroughly shown up.

My younger colleagues are like... "dude, hello! i'm sitting here drafting policy for ministers, not sitting at home watching Oprah! What are YOU doing, dickface!"

I feel oddly comforted now, firstly having warned my so rational sisters that the war is not over and the enemy is closer than they imagined.

And secondly, that these anti-feminist idiots must surely be candidates for the Darwin Awards. They are breeding themselves out of our gene pool because no women would put up with them. I hope.

Headline - Neal accused of being nasty to Nelson

Why is it that male politicians are expected to be 'tough' but female politicians are not allowed to be 'nasty'?
Don't answer. It was a rhetorical question.
And frankly, GO BELINDA! I also think that all Liberal MPs give birth to demon spawn. It should go without saying, but I'm rather glad that someone did. An opinion surely seconded by the intrepid reporter, Dylan Welch.

I"m giving you TWO SWORDS for being out there. You may be demoted to ONE if I don't like the direction you're headed.

Neal accused of being nasty to Nelson: Dylan Welch
September 4, 2008 - 4:56PM
To view the entire article, click on: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/04/1220121407475.html

ANDRA IS A BLACK BELT

and at this rate the rest of the family is not far behind... those that aren't already ahead of me!

2 1/2 years of accelerated gradings whenever possible and a torn hamstring limiting my training these last few months. I certainly could have done better but i did pretty good.. especially the sparring!

Yes, I do feel proud of myself.

OK! I now give myself 2 SWORDS for sheer perseverance!

Black Belt approaches

One week and one day till black belt grading. Unfortunately I'm not looking as fierce as I'd hoped!

My hamstring tear took a good 3 months off my prep and I'm still sore. Long recovery! It appears that I am getting older. That is life.

Which is all the more reason to do this NOW! Fortunately all the grandmasters are at important meeting in Melb re future of TK in Aust... perhaps fall out of TK Aust sacking from AOC?

Anyway. One way that being a couch potato has helped me with black belt is finding some good patterns on You Tube to help me practise.

I kick arse with patterns!

Caroline Coppola : 2007 French jnr vicechamp

So good, so young! Just like me.

2006 World Championships : Women 51+

especially watch Australia's Bronwyn Butterworth take Silver Medal!

2006 World Poomsae Championship: Female (14-18)

2006 World Poomsae Championship: Female (19-30)

2006 World Poomsae Championship: Female (31-40)

2006 World Poomsae Championship: Female (41-50)

Carmela Hartnett - Australia - gets bronze

Azabela returns

This blog celebrates my youngest daughter's mythical creation "Azabel the Green Reaper", who sleeps with her sword. She screams and leaps as well. After years of wanting to be a woman warrior and of wanting a website or meeting place for other female fighters, I am finally taking action. Take notice.
Here is where I hope to revisit my collection of great women's science fiction and fantasy, epic adventure characters and women writers. I make no apology for straying wherever my interest leads me, from inspiring films and paintings to real life female fighters I train with like Holly Fernley, 5 times world champion kickboxer, and Eleni, the youngest female Tae Kwondo junior blackbelt in Australia (she's 6).
While I'm throwing down my metaphorical gauntlet, here goes for 2006:

• Blackbelt
• Sparring and my first ever tournament (or two)
• Loss of another 10 to 12 kilos
• Full splits (give or take a couple of inches)
• Cardio - 3 rounds of 2 minutes non stop kicking
• Friday Night Female Fight Club - training and socialising once a month with all the other women i'm running into.
• plus keeping my daughters going till they get their black belts - which is probably before mine
  

copied from earlier blog - january 2006

Woman Warrior will return!

I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines of my children's lives. I'm going to start Tae Kwondo... my 3rd or 4th martial art for the 3rd or 4th time. And this time I'm not going to stop until I get a black belt.

Boxing is all very well for getting rid of my frustrations but I want some pomp and circumstance!

Boxing is the only way to survive teenagers

Aside from the flood of endorphins released during your session, making you feel all calm and sweaty and floaty afterwards, you know you can belt them more effectively if you just can't cope anymore.