Tiny Desk Concert: The Milk Carton Kids: Frankly, I'd recommend not watching the video, because it's sort of embarrassing/ distracting (maybe I'm just weird about performance) ((in fact, I know I am)), but take a listen to the first song ("Michigan") - be warned, it's a HEARTBREAKER....

Image: source.

The Wedding: "Will and Erwynn met at church and fell in love. But they had a big problem—“don’t ask, don’t tell.” The unlikely story of the first gay military union."

Until I started CrossFit about 6 months ago, I didn't get weight lifting. At all. So, what I'm saying is, I'll understand if you don't get choked up watching this video of the Clean Ladder from this past weekends CrossFit Games. It was a pretty incredible event to watch, though. (Akinwale foreverrrr!)

SO proud of my amazing friend and her part in fighting unjust barriers to voting: Texas' voter ID law goes before federal court today: "Said Natasha Korgaonkar, LDF assistant counsel, 'Our clients expose the discriminatory nature of Texas' photo ID measure, and the true costs and burdens of obtaining the underlying documents necessary to secure Texas' so-called 'free' photo id. Our experience teaches us that a student's ability to pay a fee should not determine whether they can vote.'"

“I stood willingly and gladly in the characters of everything - other people, trees, clouds. And this is what I learned, that the world's otherness is antidote to confusion - that standing within this otherness - the beauty and the mystery of the world, out in the fields or deep inside books - can re-dignify the worst-stung heart.” - Mary Oliver

Heard someone cover this last night, what a great song! Oh, Dolly: Dolly Parton, "Touch Your Woman."

From WNYC and PRX [audio] Go For It: Life Lessons From Girl Boxers: "This year women will enter the Olympic boxing ring for the first time. Hosted by actor Rosie Perez and producer Marianne McCune, "Go for It" explores why women fight and why we expect them not to." 

(Man, I'm getting so sporty.) StoryCorps 275: They Got Game: "This episode of the podcast features two stories. First, José Rodriguez tells his former coach Charles Zelinsky how he got involved in the Special Olympics. Next, Leon Kogut talks with his son, Marat Kogut, an NBA referee." Image: source.

Hilarious: A Conversation With My 12 Year Old Self: 20th Anniversary Edition

Well said: “Poverty is not simply having no money — it is isolation, vulnerability, humiliation and mistrust. It is not being able to differentiate between employers and exploiters and abusers. It is contempt for the simplistic illusion of meritocracy — the idea that what we get is what we work for. It is knowing that your mother, with her arthritic joints and her maddening insomnia and her post-traumatic stress disordered heart, goes to work until two in the morning waiting tables for less than minimum wage, or pushes a janitor’s cart and cleans the shit-filled toilets of polished professionals. It is entering a room full of people and seeing not only individual people, but violent systems and stark divisions. It is the violence of untreated mental illness exacerbated by the fact that reality, from some vantage points, really does resemble a psychotic nightmare. It is the violence of abuse and assault which is ignored or minimized by police officers, social services, and courts of law. Poverty is conflict. And for poor kids lucky enough to have the chance to “move up,” it is the conflict between remaining oppressed or collaborating with the oppressor.” - Megan Lee (source)

"Our culture teaches us about shame—it dictates what is acceptable and what is not. We weren’t born craving perfect bodies. We weren’t born afraid to tell our stories. We weren’t born with a fear of getting too old to feel valuable. We weren’t born with a Pottery Barn catalog in one hand and heartbreaking debt in the other. Shame comes from outside of us—from the messages and expectations of our culture. What comes from the inside of us is a very human need to belong, to relate." - "I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame" by Brene Brown

Sometimes when I'm feeling less than 100% kick ass, I realize that it's because I haven't watched any Beth Ditto recently. Hell yeah.

A good post about what can go wrong with "fitspiration" (other than it's already obnoxious name). I do have a "fitspo"-ish board on Pinterest but it's important to me to only pin images of women actually using their bodies (instead of just standing in front of a mirror), and I try to provide some diversity of images. That said, I still fall prey to what the blog's author warns of, namely, beginning to think that "healthy" looks a certain way. 

Awesome interview, amazing person: Holley Mangold - Weightlifting's Rock Star

Image: source.

A young woman I consider a friend and hero, profiled in the local news: A sense of place: Ashland woman, herself 'illegal,' works for rights of immigrants

What's Wrong With Fat Shaming? Word: "It doesn’t work, though -- shame is not a catalyst for change; it is a paralytic. Anyone who has ever carried extreme personal shame knows this. Shame doesn’t make you stronger, nor does it help you to grow, or to be healthy, or to be sane. It keeps you in one place, very, very still."

“We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.” - Charles Bukowski

Loved this! www.calm.com. Excellent, simple, effective.

The NYTimes covers the CrossFit tradition of Memorial Day Murph.

Really sad and troubling: NPR: Life Over 50 Can Include An Eating Disorder

Why Women Should Tell Everyone Their Salaries: "I'm a huge advocate of women talking about money -- and their salaries specifically -- loudly and publicly as a means of fighting the gender wage gap."

Image: source.

In Praise of Leisure: "The irony, however, is that now that we have at last achieved abundance, the habits bred into us by capitalism have left us incapable of enjoying it properly."

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.” - Anne Lamott

A wonderful friend of mine is raising money & awareness in response to the devastation in West Africa: "Today is the Sahel Day of Action and we are trying to raise awareness about the food crisis in this region of West Africa as we watch injustice play out silently on a grand scale. Over 18 million people in the Sahel, which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, are facing choices we will never have to make. Do they plant seeds for the next harvest, or eat them for dinner? Do they sell essential farming tools to pay for food, or do they go hungry? Oxfam is on the ground in some of the worst-affected areas--supplying seeds and tools, rehabilitating wells and helping farmers and herders provide food and veterinary care to their livestock. You can help! This can take many forms -- a tweet, a Facebook post, a donation, or a conversation with your neighbor, co-worker, or mail carrier."

Image: source.

I'm into public transportation, I'm into books & public acts of reading, I'm into this: "The Underground New York Public Library is a visual library featuring the Reading-Riders of the NYC subways."

How Psychiatry Mistreats People of Color: "There’s a deep mistrust between communities of color and the mental health field."

Gay Marriage’s Jewish Pioneer: The activist called Faygele ben Miriam started Washington state’s battle over marriage more than 40 years ago.

Wonderful. "Now I think about you and me and our troubles . . . and I see that in the larger scale of things, our own personal difficulties and hurts do not matter, not in and of themselves. They matter only to the degree that they help us connect with others. " (full text here, in response to the second letter writer)

An op-ed in the NYTimes urges Obama to push harder for the DREAM Act: A Start on the Dream: "President Obama has been an overachiever on immigration enforcement, far outpacing his predecessor, George W. Bush, in swiftly racking up a million deportations. But on the other crucial part of reform — getting undocumented immigrants right with the law — Mr. Obama talks a lot but has done far too little."

Some cool looking new pamphlets from Haymarket Press: Be Realistic: Demand the Impossible by Mike Davis, Detroit Woolworth's Strike of 1937: The Story Behind the First Successful All Women Sit-Down Strike by Dana Frank, and Lessons for Our Struggle by Frances Fox Piven

Image: source.

PHOTOS: The Stunning Geography of Incarceration

Ugh, yes, this headline has been all over and was driving me crazy. So glad Fit & Feminist has a response: Endurance sports are risky and other sensationalist health headlines.

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” - Frederick Douglass

Love this! Tired of Mowing Your Lawn? Try Foodscaping It Instead: "Interest in food gardening increased during the economic downturn and has stayed pretty steady. Now some people are even turning to landscaping professionals to swap their lawns for something green and edible."

Income inequality, as seen from space

Image: source.

NPR's Summer Books 2012 page is up!

From NY Magazine: S/He: "Parents of transgender children are faced with a difficult decision, and it’s one they have to make sooner than they ever imagined."

Slathering on Sunscreen, Early and Often: "This is a plea to all children and teenagers, their parents and teachers, and the doctors who treat them: Please take sun exposure more seriously." Someone close to me is currently battling skin cancer. I admit that prior to her diagnosis, I was one of the many people who didn't take skin cancer as seriously as I should've. I have fairly tan skin and rarely get burned so I didn't think I was at risk. And I thought that if I did get some irregular mark, I would, I don't know, just have it removed? Folks, the reality of skin cancer, melanoma especially, is much more serious. It can mean multiple, invasive, inpatient surgeries that can take weeks or months to fully recovery from (and cost thousands of dollars). It can mean daily visits to the hospital to get biological treatment, during which time you may be too tired to work or care for your kids. Please wear SPF, keep an eye on your skin, and take any chances or concerns seriously.

"In November of 1958, John Steinbeck — the renowned author of, most notably, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men — received a letter from his eldest son, Thom, who was attending boarding school. In it, the teenager spoke of Susan, a young girl with whom he believed he had fallen in love. Steinbeck replied the same day."

Great idea: Melanoma Research Foundation Partners with Ironman to Raise Melanoma Awareness among Athletes: "It’s the ultimate irony. Athletes at the top of the physical conditioning can also be setting themselves up for a health crisis they never saw coming. That’s why the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) today announced a new partnership with Ironman® to promote awareness about melanoma prevention and fund new research to help generate the next treatment breakthrough."

A recap video of the 2012 CrossFit Regionals, awesome stuff, can't wait for the Games (someday I will see them in person!).

From Yes & Yes, Let's Stop Pretending It's Always Easy

Image: source.

Thought this was interesting: Home Invasion! How Old Is Too Old for Roommates? "With apartments scarce, even settled, married couples are opening up their homes to strange bedfellows." I actually currently live with a married couple (we are all in our early 30's), in a house they own, and it's been great. All roommate situations have their complications, but living with a couple hasn't proven any more challenging than other arrangements. Sometimes I wonder if I will still be renting and having roommates when I'm in my 40's, and feel shame about that, but then I wonder, why? If it works for everyone, and creates makeshift communities/families while being financially responsible - what's the problem (other than, perhaps, an American fixation on everyone owning their own home)?

"Ordinary happiness depends on happenstance. Joy is that extraordinary happiness that is independent of what happens to us. Good luck can make us happy, but it cannot give us lasting joy. The root of joy is gratefulness. We tend to misunderstand the link between joy and gratefulness. We notice that joyful people are grateful and suppose that they are grateful for their joy. But the reverse is true: their joy springs from gratefulness. If one has all the good luck in the world, but takes it for granted, it will not give one joy. Yet even bad luck will give joy to those who manage to be grateful for it. We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful." - from Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer by Brother David Steindl-Rast

An immigrants rights organization in Oregon, Causa, has released a new report on Latinos and their contributions to the state: “Latino Contributions to Oregon: Strengthening Our State Economy”, examines the role Latinos play in advancing the economy of Oregon and the well being of our communities through their contributions as workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. For example, the report found that 1 in 5 native-born children in Oregon have at least one immigrant parent, and that Oregon had one of the top rates of growth for Latino-owned business creation in the country.

More excellence from Tiger Beatdown: Retribution or Change? The Progressive Support for the Prison-Industrial Complex. I have similar thoughts every time people are pushing for hate crimes legislation...really complicated.

Image: United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama today. Said the president, ”Dolores was very gracious when I told her I had stolen her slogan, Si, se puede. Yes, we can. Knowing her, I’m pleased that she let me off easy— because Dolores does not play.”

“…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.” - Pema Chödrön

To avoid counting civilian deaths, Obama re-defined "militant" to mean "all military-age males in a strike zone" (Salon). Wow.

Image: source.

From Sports Illustrated, The Transgender Athlete: "Playing fields have long been segregated on the basis of sex. But what happens to the athletes whose physiology doesn't match their gender identity? Against whom do they compete? What obstacles do they face? And how are they being treated by sports' governing bodies?" (h/t Fit & Feminist)

Pen & Ink: tattoos and the stories behind them

From The Atlantic, What a Walkable City Should Look Like.

Virtual Therapy Helps Residents Of A Violent City: "Residents of Ciudad Juárez, home of the highest murder rate in Mexico, now have some relief from the violence through a virtual reality therapy program similar to the one used to treat Iraq war soliders who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder." (Ciudad Juarez is where my clients have to go process if they are Mexicans married to US Citizens and looking to become legal residents in the U.S. It's incredibly dangerous and even going there for a few weeks or months is daunting for those processing and their families) (h/t Big Think) And more here about the terrible current state of the "drug war," and the out of control violence in Mexico.

Check out Lex's Kickstarter project, Kokeshi Doll Tsunami!

Listening to City and Colour "The Girl"

Law & Order & Food. I'm in.

Image: source.

How misdemeanors can have major consequences.

20th anniversary of the Vows column in the NYTimes. I remember my dad clipping it and mailing it to me each week when I was a kid (I think due to his appreciation of the journalistic challenge of presenting a short story about two real people (and the entertainment of the status symbol-laden blurbs), and not a desire to instill an interest in marriage in me, but I could be wrong. Dad?).

Days in the life of Rich Froning. Not a great video (some of the laziest face blurring I've ever seen, for starters...), but it's always interesting to see how incredible athletes live and train.

A Look At How Congress Has Dealt With Immigration Over The Last 25 Years

Yeah, get on it. 10 Feminist Poets You Should Know

I need to work on this: Whole9: Are you recovering, or are you just resting?

Elena’s Story - Why Immigrant Women Deserve Protection From Domestic Violence.

A must read: On Self-Defense & Women of Color

Image: Paper Paintings by Geoff Mcfetridge. Some wonderful pieces there.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan Richman!

Registration for the 2012 Oregon Summer Crossfit Games is open and I'm really torn. It's my first chance to compete publicly (the next would be the winter games), and I think it would be a real (mental and physical) challenge for me. But I'm pretty low on funds, and its $85 to register, plus splitting gas and a room with someone for the night in Bend (it's late August). It would be great to compete (so scary to do this stuff in front of a crowd), and also really great to be there to cheer on everyone else - I love what a supportive community CrossFit is, it makes such a difference. We will see, I guess...Maybe if I save enough money by bike commuting, I can make it work! (I recently realized I spend $5-10 a day on gas during the week. Outrageous....)

From Bitch: No Respect Paid: The New York Times' Anti-Trans Coverage (And Why There's Hope for the Future)

 “We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.” - Wendell Berry, The Long-Legged House

Habitat for Humanity Tries Big-Scale Approach to Housing in Oregon

In 2011, NYPD Made More Stops Of Young Black Men Than The Total Number Of Young Black Men In New York. Yep.

Image: source.

Jon Hamm Gives Advice To Teenage Girls (VIDEO)

Today's CrossFit fix: Katie Hogan is a beast!

The awesome Chrissie Wellington takes a break, and remains as impressive as ever: NYTimes: Seeking a Life Beyond the Ironman Triathlon. It's especially nice to see a pro athlete acknowledge the toll that training and competing take, and to say it's ok (even important!) to focus on something else for a while.

'Wired To Run': Runner's High May Have Been Evolutionary Advantage

 Uh, what? Some fat posi talk from Cosmo? (Australian Cosmo, but still). “Aren't You Worried About Your Health?"

NPR: Jolie Holland: Tiny Desk Concert

New development in OR: Mexican IDs in Oregon: "Governor John Kitzhaber announced on May 1 that Oregon law enforcement will begin accepting IDs issued by the Mexican government during traffic stops and other situations where ID is required."

Image: Congrats Laura Jane, and thank you for your bravery: Tom Gabel of Against Me! Comes Out as Transgender

“Because anti-trans discrimination is steeped in traditional sexism, it is not simply enough for trans activists to challenge binary gender norms (i.e. oppositional sexism) - we must also challenge the idea that femininity is inferior to masculinity and that femaleness is inferior to maleness. In other words, by necessity, trans activism must be at its core a feminist movement.” - Julia Serano | Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity (2007)

Stud & Amy Ray! <3

From the (excellent) LA Review of Books: I Gotta Be Able To Counterattack: Rap and the Los Angeles Riots by Jeff Chang

 Yes, we're queer: LGBTQ youth speak out

Image: total killjoy. Want it.

Classic: Liz Phair - Fuck & Run (Live 1995) 

Yep: Undocumented Immigrants Paid $11.2 Billion In Taxes While GE Paid Nothing

Dean Spade interviewed by PrettyQueer in the hours immediately after the announcement that CeCe McDonald’s trial had ended with a plea agreement.

From the NYTimes: The Winner of Our Contest on the Ethics of Eating Meat

"We give it up and just look directly with compassion and humor at who we are. Then loneliness is no threat and heartache, no punishment." - Pema Chödrön

Another good reminder that language about "real women" hurts more than it helps.

Very interesting: The Criminalization of Bad Mothers.

Image: source. Happy May Day!

Love it: Rejected and controversial New Yorker cover art.

Some great points: the antidote to consumerism isn’t minimalism, it’s art. "Our current problem didn’t arise because we put too much value on stuff. It arose because we don’t value stuff enough."

I'm lucky enough to know some of the DREAMers who organized and are taking part in this action. To me, they are heroes. "Watch live today as Undocumented Youth "Come out of the Shadows" and risk arrest in front of the Immigration Office in downtown Portland, OR. TODAY AT 4:30pm PST/ 7:30PM EST"