http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/13758

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/14320

http://www.asofterworld.com

So, any guesses? Eldritch horror from beyond space? Rare sea creature, lost since the age of the dinosaurs? Rats? Rats in the walls?

cleanskies

• 10:55 Gently touched my knuckles to the screen while listening to a youtube piece about a service I had occasion to need, once, and never again.
• 13:53 I linger over taking off new christmas woolly hat in cafe both for warm ears and to increase impact when it comes off to reveal blue hair.
• 14:46 Something keeps making swannee whistle noises in the office. No idea what but I'm thinking unattended mobile phones can meet with accidents.
• 18:55 Just ate while shepherds watched... pie. Like regular shepherd's pie, but with cranberry and parsnips. Mace and thyme for seasoning. Yum!

jinty

On the streets of Nebian, three of those silly santas-on-a-rope. One climbs onto a balcony full of rubbish; were they naughty not nice? #

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/13158

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/14318

jinty

Well, that sleeper train experiment went pretty well. Only one smelly fart, nice warm compartment, and enough quiet to sleep almost through. #

Amused at La Junquera (1st truck stop in Spain when coming from France): Tears of Christ wine, & tacky tourist sangria w plastic castanets. #

http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2009/12/on_yoko_ono

Bitch Magazine asked 20 artists, writers and activists for their reflections on Yoko Ono for their Art/See issue.

They've now posted the resulting feature on their website - it was definitely one of my favourites from that issue.

The responses are really interesting - Ono's Cut Piece in particular comes up a lot:

4. Offered Sacrifice

Back in the ’60s, I was peripherally involved in a Fluxus concert evening at the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York where Yoko did several pieces, [including] “Cut Piece.” People began lining up to cut little pieces of her skirt or sleeves or strands of hair as souvenirs, or artworks, if you prefer. Everybody was very respectful, [and] Yoko remained impassive, without any change of expression.

The atmosphere changed to dark and unpleasant when several young men who were obviously not members of the art community started taking off large parts of her skirt and sweater, disclosing her bra, and getting back on line after each of their cuts. They couldn’t stop laughing. I recall Carolee Schneemann going up to one of them and slapping him in the face, which didn’t faze him one bit. He was after Yoko—the offered sacrifice.

At the point where one of the grinning guys went towards her bra strap with the scissors, Yoko made a slight gesture towards the wings, and the curtain immediately closed on her before her breast could be revealed. The piece was over. Obviously, when you let the audience into the artwork, you can’t always predict the result.
—Eleanor Antin, performance artist, filmmaker, and installation artist

5. Visionary
“Cut Piece” was astonishing. It was an extremely dangerous piece, especially in the moment when it was done, because there was no sense of feminist presence or barriers. She could have been stabbed. Vile things were in the air then, so she was challenging those very dark impulses in this vulnerable position—and that was the indelible power of it.

Yoko is a determined visionary, and now she has a huge fortune to work with, and every possible international art connection would want to be associated with her. It’s a strange, anomalous personal history. She was ignored. She was marginalized. She was vilified. And she’s become golden.
—Carolee Schneemann, multidisciplinary artist

And an extra bonus: Yoko Ono and Le Tigre perform Sisters O Sisters:

Via Racialicious

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/14286

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/14290

jinty

#forgottentopack - R's laptop charger. Oh well. There is a spare battery, plenty of other media to enjoy, & mainly: we're off to France! #

At Paddington, waiting for a tube on the new Circle-that-is-not-a-circle Line; I look up at girders & smile, remembering James May on Lego. #

I see that WHSmith have a specialsection in their bookshop for woebegone abused waifs (mostly girls) looking out at the would-be reader. #

In the top bunk of our sleeping compartment on the train down to Perpignan - exciting! Even tho it means sharing with four total strangers. #

http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=516

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http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2009/12/round-up_4

We missed Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women's 30th birthday - definitely deserves more than a mention in this round-up, but for more reading see Gender Masala's post at IPS.

Also at IPS, an interesting news story about gendered language in Spain vs Italy, in terms of how government ministers are referred to.

Bitch posts that a programme to tackle homophobia in sport has been cut.

Echidne of the Snakes reposts her useful primer on statistics.

Sokari at Black Looks remembers Busi.

A guest blogger at Sociological Images has some fun with the "gender socialisation" stereotypes on the cover of a toy catalogue.

Mexico City legalised same-sex marriage; Melissa at Shakesville posts details, plus photos.

Henrietta Spink highlights how the lack of portability of care packages for disabled people in the UK can keep people trapped in their local authority area. Via Pickled Politics.

A case in Sweden where an unconscious woman was given a gynaecological exam by medical students without her consent is just the tip of the iceburg, reports the Local.

The trailer for The Runaways, a film about fantastic Joan Jett, is out. Via Jezebel:

The Toronto Women's Bookstore may have to close - Shameless says there are now only 21 women's bookshops worldwide.

Nerves Strengthened By Tea reviews Tanith Lee's revisionist fairy tales.

Annalee at io9 reviews Avatar, putting it in context of movies about white guilt.

This post about Rape Culture is a little old now, but worth revisiting.

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/13846

http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/14317