Being a 21st Century Woman

We have come far in the last 50 years regarding our technological advancements and acceptance of that which is different.  Unfortunately there's still much to be done.  The clown circus that is the Republican Party in the United States is proof of that.

Girls are still forced into arranged marriages with people much older than they are.  Young women are abused for the "crime" of attending school.  Women are turned down for jobs or promotions due to their gender and/or age.  Female comedians are heckled with sexual threats.  Female game developers are doxxed and receive death threats.

Why is this still happening in the 21st century?  Why do parents still have to tell their daughters to not walk in certain areas at night, keep their keys in their hands, watch their drinks, and keep everyone at arms' length?  Why do women still have to work twice as hard for less pay, fight to keep control of their own reproductive ability, and endure unnecessary scrutiny?

It's because of men who have been taught that women are mere objects they can use for their own benefit, who think they know best for everyone around them, who believe that women are incapable of anything other than looking pretty and making babies.

I place the blame squarely on patriarchal societies that force women into undeserved stereotypes, punish women for trying to assert themselves, and use nudity and sex as marketing tools.  (I'm still angry that my favourite bookstore was closed and replaced with a lingerie shop.  Boobs before books indeed.)

Are men so afraid that they'll lose their self-worth if they allow women to be their equals?  It must be so, if on the street the worst insult you can give to a guy is to call him a "pussy".

Something has to change.

If the Americans elect Hillary Clinton as their next President, perhaps something will change.  The U.S. is one of the most powerful countries on the planet and needs to set the example.

Lifestyle Disadvantages

Yesterday a Pakistani transgender activist known as Alesha died after being shot eight times.  The hospital to which she had been admitted effectively denied her appropriate care by shuttling her between male and female wards, and the doctors made light of the situation by offering their phone numbers to Alesha's friends and demanding sex.

How long will it be before people are treated as human beings instead of being ridiculed and discriminated against due to their looks, beliefs, choices, or identity?

At this rate, I probably won't see that happen in my lifetime.

I consider myself an "ally": I am straight/agnostic but I have friends who are gay, lesbian, transfan, Christian, Muslim, vegetarian... the list goes on.  I respect them for living their lives the way they see fit (even if I happen to disapprove of said lifestyle) as long as they don't try to impose it on me or use it as an excuse to hurt others.

Every time I hear news of someone being harrassed due to their skin colour or denied services because they don't speak French, it infuriates me.  We all deserve better.

The mess in the United States with a racist, misogynistic, hatemongering buffoon poised to become a political leader speaks volumes about how lacking the educational system is and how far we need to go to fix it.

This quagmire of non-inclusiveness is not what our forefathers fought and died for to protect.

Jingle Jangle

A recent article in our local newspaper noted that Bill Backer, the author of the 1971 Coca-Cola jingle "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" died earlier this month.  The groundbreaking "Hilltop" commercial was one of the first jingles that I remember seeing on TV and it certainly influenced my liking for the soft drink.

Nowadays I don't pay commercials much attention because I find them more of an annoyance.  Often they're bland or even stupid.  Not to mention they appear in greater numbers and frequency than they once did.  A show in an hour-long slot used to be timed at 49 to 52 minutes minus the commercials.  Now most shows clock in at 42 to 45 minutes.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were so many jingles that stuck in my mind because they were catchy or just plain brilliant.  Here are a few of my favourites.

6. The World Looks Mighty Good to Me (1977)

I am not a fan of the Tootsie Roll candy but this ad produced by Teletactics of New York City struck me as being cute and highly effective.

5. Fairground I'm So Excited (1991)

Several adverts for the Cadbury Crunchie candy bar were created by Aardman Animations, the wizards behind Wallace and Gromit.  This particular one was aired in the UK but there were at least two aired in North America.  Oddly, while the commercial didn't get me to like the candy bar, it put the Pointer Sisters among my favourite singers.

4. They're Playing My Song (1982)

This commercial actually helped inspire my love of baking.  The actor playing Robin Hood wasn't hard on the eyes either.  To this day I prefer to use Robin Hood flour when I can.

3. A New Toy Every Day (1982)

Most people I know played with this as a kid, or know the pain of stepping barefooted on a brick.

2. Tweet Tweet Twiddle Twiddle (1983)

There were two versions of the Nabisco Brands commercial for this popular candy but I preferred the first one.

1. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1971)

I enjoyed both the "Hilltop" version and the one where the chorus held candles in the shape of a Christmas tree.  The ad was considered one of the most expensive of its time to produce, but it paid off in a big way. As a teenager I taught myself how to play it on the piano.

Employment and Middle Age

This is the time of year when many companies are looking to fill their ranks for temporary or summer employment.  I'm seeing so many job ads that blatantly state "To be eligible for this position, you must be between 15 and 30 years of age" or "Applicants must be a current or recently graduated student".

My question is: What's so special about them?  It's hardly fair or ethical to offer jobs to a certain age range and exclude everyone else who might be qualified.  Even if it happens to be mowing the grass in a park, there are many who are willing to do that because they need the experience, the money, or both.

There's no denying that younger people do have higher stamina for manual labour, or their skills in a certain field are sharp if they've been studying it recently.  However in many cases they lack the wisdom to deal appropriately with the people around them.  Being in an actual workplace is not the same as playing a video game simulation.

I've been to multiple job interviews where the question "How is your knowledge of such-and-such" comes up.  My truthful answer is that my knowledge might be limited or rusty but I'm willing to learn in order to bring that knowledge up to snuff.  Unfortunately that's not the answer that recruiters are looking for; they want people who already know everything about said subject.  That way the company won't have to waste time training or wait until the person gets the appropriate education.

What it comes down to is the old "need the job to get experience but need experience to get the job".  Sometimes it doesn't matter what age the applicant is.

Uncivil Rights

Cross posted from author David Gerrold's feed with permission.

If I want to call Donald Trump an ass, a thin-skinned vulgarian, a pompous fraud, a phony -- I can provide evidence to justify this opinion.

And if I want to call his supporters idiots -- well, that's because there isn't a word denoting someone with a lower ability to process information.

Trump's supporters are the problem. They're the enablers. These are people who are so rooted in fear and anger that they will vote against their own best interests.

A Trump presidency will do so much damage to the nation, so much damage to the working class, to the middle class, that we could end up in an economic trough that would make the Great Depression look like a visit to Disneyland.

But when I say things like this -- the tone police drop in to talk to me about civility.

Are you kidding me?!

If you think correcting my tone and terminology is more important than defending the United States of America from an orange demagogue, YOU'RE THE PROBLEM.

Civility?

Donald Trump has insulted women, immigrants, Mexicans, Muslims, the disabled, transgender people, and even his own supporters.

This man waived his right to civility a long time ago. And the people who have supported him, who have enabled this half-vast demagoguery -- they are not without responsibility in the matter either.

The behavior of the Trump followers -- the violence that they have committed at rallies and on their own -- that too disqualifies them from any expectation of respect or civility from those they have declared the enemy.

If you want respect, you have to bring it -- and that's the one thing that has been singularly lacking from this blustering buffoonish fraud -- and even less so from the intellectually-disabled who have pushed him into prominence.