The Pen and The Wind

The writings and musings of a windswept soul.
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I’m kind of… on vacation I guess? I’m visting a friend for a few days, and don’t have Tumblr time because I’m just having a great time (and I think it’d be rude). I’ll be back Monday or Tuesday though, so I’ll see you all then, and I wish you a happy weekend. 

I am sweaty, sleep deprived, and sitting in a bus station in Richmond for an hour and a half surrounded by weird and/or scary people. 

How are you all doing? 

I’m visiting a dear Tumblr friend of mine for  a few days. I’m actually pretty nervous, I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m not thrilled about spending 12 hours on a bus. But, I think the entire experience will be worth it, and I’m pretty excited. 

feministartdegree:

sophiaphilemon:

petrichoriousparalian:

daughterofmulan:

SheZow - a genderbending superhero!

SheZow is an Australian-Canadian kids show about a twelve-year-old boy named Guy, a regular kid who likes skateboarding, video games, and doing dangerous stunts. But one day he finds a magical ring that, when activated, gives him amazing superpowers - and transforms him into a girl. Her superpowers include super speed, super strength, supersonic scream, and a utility belt of awesome AND girly gadgets. Plus, the way he transforms into SheZow is by saying “You go, girl!”

One thing I love about the show is that although both Guy’s sister and his best friend know his identity and help him, Guy is afraid to reveal to his dad that he’s SheZow. However, the fear doesn’t come from the idea that his dad would hate Guy being a girl superhero, but because his dad is a cop who thinks that SheZow is a trouble-making vigilante who takes away from his job. The show essentially takes away any element that would shame Guy for displaying girlyness, making the gender swap both the forefront of the show and a complete non-issue for the characters.

Conservative groups like Focus on the Family take issue with SheZow, saying that it’s teaching “gender confusion” to kids and “promoting transgenderism. What they’re really saying is that they take issue with the idea that femininity actually being empowering. They’re saying that kids can never stretch the boundaries of gender and that power HAS to be equated with masculinity. Sure, boys should be empowered - but God forbid that they grow up associating power with femininity!

In terms of the supposed links the show makes to transgenderism, the show is definitely not intended to allegorically about transgender kids, but would there be something wrong with the idea of a boy finding that being a girl or adopting feminine attributes can give strength and clarity? A sense of purpose? How could that be bad! Any show that not only displays femininity as something powerful but also doesn’t shame people for expressing femininity is something a lot of kids of any gender could benefit from!

Here’s a link to the intro, which gives some exposition and explanation, and also sets the tone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3FBjKt7Co

SheZow will soon be coming to the US on The Hub channel, so if you can, check it out! Any show that pushes gender boundaries should get some support!

I am so freaking excited for this show

OH MY GOODNESS

A Voice For Men also took issue with SheZow- with exactly what I’m not sure on, because it’s a mess of an article, but I do know the title really sums up their inherent creepiness: “What’s under the mini-skirt of SheZow?“ Nothing like alluding to the genitalia of an underage cartoon child, dudes!

I heard about this show a few weeks ago, and I think it’s doing a good thing. There’s even an American network that’s picked it up and has started showing it. I think it’s definitely a step forward. (And for those curious, said network is called Hub, the same one that airs My Little Pony.) 

(via unicornebooks)

The expectations of the self and of others, 
A vexation that can ruin the mind,
In anxious fretting we wonder how we will be received,
And how well our illusions will keep,
We fear and wonder the response,
When we present ourselves not as an act,
But merely as ourselves,
When the curtain draws we know not how the audience will receive,
Our being and entirety,
All while our audience faces the same worries and fears,
For we are audience to them. 

The Elder Gods left one totem on Earth before retreating into their long and terrible slumber. A mark in the minds of the ancient humans, the idea of a structure that they would be compelled to build over and over again, a structure devoted to challenging and shattering the sanity of humanity, and make them give away their precious time and life essences to do so. They laughed gleefully at their most brilliant design, and gave it a name so innocent that none would suspect it’s sinister nature. They called it, the DMV.

B, C, D, R
penandwind penandwind Said:

B) My first thought is “Ooh, a message!” I know that when it comes to messages it’s usually fifty fifty of someone offering love or hate, so my response is mostly kind of neutral. 

C) I’ve never really thought my own views are superior to someone else’s. The only time I come close is when I encounter someone who is so rigid and dogmatic when it comes to their beliefs. But, that’s less me thinking my religious views are superior and more thinking they’re just stubborn and unenlightened as a person. 

D) Huh, this is tough. I think I wouldn’t give up emotion. To know everything without having emotion would be hollow, and meaningless. You could potentially benefit all humanity, but you would have no reason or incentive to do so, and would get nothing from it. 

R) Hmm… I don’t really have any kind of bigotry. I’ll admit I’m a little hard to trust men, but that’s for psychological purposes and I’m working on it. But no kind of bigotry, secret or otherwise. 

  • A. If you could get away with one murder in your lifetime without any legal, social, or emotional repercussions, would you kill someone?
  • B. What is your first thought when you receive a message on Tumblr, are you excited for the idea of someone from potentially the other side of the world wanting to talk to you or fearful that someone will criticize you?
  • C. Have you ever looked down on someone because you thought your religious views were superior?
  • D. Would you rather know everything the universe has to offer but in exchange lose all emotions or remain the way you are now?
  • E. If you could live and be healthy without sleeping or eating/drinking, which would you cut out of your life?
  • F. If you could take on the exact body and form of anyone else on Earth, who would it be?
  • G. Would you rather burn or freeze to death?
  • H. If it meant it would solve all world hunger, war, disease and bigotry, would you spend the rest of eternity in Hell?
  • I. Was the first crush in your life something you had or something someone had on you?
  • J. Could you live without having sex ever (again) in exchange for eternal youth?
  • K. Have you ever watched a full length pornographic movie?
  • L. The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
  • M. If you could have the ability to manipulate matter or energy, which would you choose?
  • N. What was the worst nightmare you ever had?
  • O. Would you rather spend one year with your one true love just to never see them again or the rest of your life with second best?
  • P. All the sequels/remakes/adaptations/rip-offs in movies nowadays, good or bad?
  • Q. Would you rather be dirt poor and emotionally fulfilled in life or be rich beyond imagination and emotionally dissatisfied for life?
  • R. Do you have any (secret) feelings of bigotry to any group of people?
  • S. Would you rather be the only person in the world that can read minds or have everyone else in the world be able to read minds except for your own?
  • T. If everyone in the world would automatically only know one language, which language would you choose?
  • U. If you were old enough and not in a situation where it would be inappropriate, would you sleep with one of your (past) school teachers/professors?
  • V. A world without religion, good, bad, neutral?
  • W. The men's rights movement, legitimate cause or laughable, and why?
  • X. You can eliminate one of your five senses to substantially strengthen the others, which one and would you do it?
  • Y. Do looks mean anything to you? Don't lie, could you fall in love with someone you thought was ugly?
  • Z. Can you understand the mindset and logic used by the opposite spiritual opinion? An atheist understanding the belief in a higher power and vice versa.

In the latest in a long series of blunders, my dad has misplaced my birth certificate. I happen to need that certificate today, so I get the thrill of tearing up the house to look for it. 

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Admittedly, I’m really nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before. But, I’m going through with it, and I’m sure it’ll end up being great. :) 

A bad little boy who needs to be punished,
Is the tied in the chair, 
Gimp to life and experimented on,
Things that push the boundaries of pleasure and pain,
Things that shouldn’t happen are preformed on him,
Gagged, he can’t tell life it’s going too far,
And all he wanted was just a little spanking,
But life always outdoes itself,
Especially when it comes to sadism and domination. 

So pretty late last night I wrote this. If you haven’t seen it, you should: 

http://penandwind.tumblr.com/post/52437194662/sun-and-storm

Also, I’m pretty tired, but in the mood to write something this evening. So while my tea is brewing, if you want to see anything in particular, let me know before I get caffeinated and start. 

What is weather but yin and yang,
Two warring sides of the earth’s mind,
Forever in conflict, yet with no hostility,
The sparring of rivals that keeps things in check,
And helps the Earth flourish and grow. 

Piercing light that is clear thought,
That heats and illuminates, allowing sight,
Allowing insight, observation, 
But is cut short and obscured,
By the torrid wind and churning cloud,
That is emotion, nourishing and pushing life,
Giving growth and life, reason and will to live,
And without both things all would wither and die,
Sun and Storm, rivals and caretakers,
Two sides of a cosmic brain,
Working as components of a body beyond our comprehension. 

How to tell your dieting plans are successful/going horribly wrong: 

*me thinking* I would literally murder someone for a cheesecake right now.