Posted by: bvganfematheist | May 23, 2013

Women in Secularism

I’m on holiday with my boy at the moment and having an excellent time. We’re getting time together that just isn’t possible in the reality of day to day obligations.

I have, however been keeping up with the goings on at CFI’s Women in Secularism conference via twitter. It was this conference last year and some of the fantastic talks that were posted afterward that got me thinking that the atheist/skeptic community really might have something to offer. I’d love to one day be in a position where I could afford to fly over to the US and be at one of these conferences in person. Hear all the talks in the flesh and meet some of the awesome people I have met and/or followed online.

I really hope all of this year’s talks will also be available somewhere as from all accounts it sounds like there were many excellent ones. The only down side it seems, was the opening address by the CEO of CFI, Ron Lindsay. When I first read the tweets I was hoping it was a misunderstanding. But once I read his talk and his follow up posts online it became clear that wasn’t the case. As somebody watching this unfold from the other side of the world I have to say that when the second post was directed solely at Rebecca Watson, despite exactly the same thing being said by countless others at the same time, it became clear. Ron, for whatever reason is more intent on placating the harassers and the sexists in the movement than helping things moving in any direction of equality and allowing minorities to have a voice.

Secular Woman, an organisation of which I am proud to be a member, published a response that was of the high standard I have come to expect in the short time they have been in existence. Read it here. I’m not sure I could say anything any better than that, so I’ll leave it there and get back to hanging with my boy.

~ B

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Posted in atheism, equality, feminism, Rebecca Watson, women | Tags: ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | May 16, 2013

How would you handle this?

So my workplace is highly sexist and I often have dilemmas about how far to stand up for issues and when it’s best to just quietly let things go. There was a very minor thing that happened yesterday and if anybody *actually* reads this (ha!) I would like some input as to how you might have handled the same situation.

It was the end of the day and we were about to head downstairs to our cars. One of the men in the office reached the stairs before I did by mere seconds. When I got to the stairs he stood aside and said ‘ladies first’. My reaction was instinctual and that was to look at him like he was strange (I am often told that my face is very expressive and people can usually tell exactly how I feel by my expression), shrugged and said ‘Why?’ and quickly walked down the stairs in front of him. I didn’t want it to end up a silly thing of ‘you first, no you’ etc and besides I wanted to get in my car and go get my boy :)

His reaction was one of genuine surprise and the only sound he uttered was ‘oh’. I’d like to think that he thought about it and realised there was no reason for a ‘lady’ (personally I prefer to think of myself as a woman than a lady but anyway) to necessarily always be first. Maybe he’ll just figure I’m a bit strange. After all I am vegan.

Anyway, as I said I didn’t really think about it and just reacted instinctively but could I have handled it better? Should I have said something more or different? What would you have done? I look forward to replies from anybody who may happen to read this :) Yes, I’m fully aware my readership can be mostly counted on one hand.

~ B

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Posted in equality, feminism, veganism, women | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | May 6, 2013

Episode 28: Beyond Same-Sex Marriage

Reblogged from progressivepodcastaustralia:

Click to visit the original post

Image from Ron Paul Delegates.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes here. You can also listen to this episode on Cyber Ears here or download it on MediaFire here (40MB).

We begin this episode by discussing same-sex marriage in Aotearoa (New Zealand), drawing on the article ‘NZ's Same-Sex Marriage Go-ahead Puts Our Leaders to Shame…

Read more… 250 more words

I really enjoyed this episode. As somebody who has been married before for all the wrong reasons, I honestly don't see the point in getting married. I'm not religious so it has no meaning there, and, as Nick and Katie discuss in this episode, what business is it of the government where any relationship I have is at?

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Posted by: bvganfematheist | April 30, 2013

How amusing :)

So my post from yesterday was liked by a couple of people who post exclusively about accounting. This amuses me. I do like being an accountant and all and will probably do it for the rest of my life in one way or another. But that’s work. My blog is more about all my passions outside of work.

Feminism, veganism, social justice, equality, health and fitness, etc. I’m hoping one day that I can even intertwine my interest and expertise in accounting and finance with my passions but for now they remain fairly separate parts of my life.

Incidentally, I will begin training again soon for this year’s Run 4 Refugees. The asylum seeker situation in Australia gets worse every day with complete lack of compassion from both side of government and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is a wonderful organisation that does so much to make a huge difference to many people’s lives with very limited resources. So if you can, please consider sponsoring me  :)

~ B

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Posted in ASRC, asylum seekers, Australia, equality, feminism, human rights, politics, running, veganism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | April 29, 2013

I’m back… Well, almost :)

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So I had one of my exams today. I have another one on Thursday but this was the one that was harder and challenging and that had been somewhat stressing me out. So Thursday’s more of a formality. But today’s went well I think. Well I’m confident I passed which is all I am after. I’ll be a CPA soon. After Thursday I can return to the real world again. Whatever that means.

It is somewhat interesting that my last post was about my friend who posted about condoning violence toward children as discipline. The thing is, I actually ‘unfriended’ this person for that exact reason just a couple of days ago. I spoke to her privately last time about the facts about these things and also the way they make me feel, ie extremely upset. So this time, after commenting on the post, I had a shower, went back, wrote another comment stating basically that I can’t deal with that in my feed as there is enough violence in the world already. Then I told her that I sincerely hoped that her and her family have a nice life. Hmmm…

Anyway, in my study hiatus I have been thinking about where I want to go with this blog. No doubt it will evolve somewhat organically over time, but I definitely plan to write a lot and really just whatever feels right at the time. I want to be a little more open as that feels right to me while still respecting the privacy of other people in my life.

I’ve been building a fairly extensive reading list while I’ve been busy studying, so one of the things I want to do with this blog is write down my thoughts on what I’m reading. I’m thinking I’ll start a post when I start a book and just update as thoughts come to mind.

I might blog every now and then about my workouts and fitness too as I’m enjoying this a lot of late and looking forward to working on it even more with all the spare time I’ll have now, ha! I’m not a writer, I’m an accountant. But even when I was a kid I used to like writing things down in a diary and I do enjoy writing. So when I feel like writing and like I have something to say, I’ll write.

Oh, and with the Federal election coming up in September, there’s no doubt I’ll have a thing or two to say about that on occasion.

It’s good to be back… Well, almost :)

~ B

PS – the picture is of my favourite Surly, if you want you can check out all her cool stuff here

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Posted in Australia, parenting, reading, running, violence | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | February 24, 2013

Discipline and boundaries

So I’m not blogging at the moment because I’m studying. A lot. I have 2 exams at the end of April/beginning of May and then I am done with formal study and will get back into all this. And some real life advocacy too. But I just had to get something out of my system so that I could focus on study today :)

A facebook friend posted today about physically disciplining children, like with a belt even. And that this is a *good* thing because children need boundaries. Now this really upset me. I get upset about anybody being the victim of violence but when an adult takes advantage of their much greater physical stature in this way in the guise of ‘discipline’ it frankly makes me ill. There are so many things I can say about why violence is never the answer but I need to make this short.

So for now I’ll just say one thing. I’m not claiming to be a parenting expert or to have all the answers and in many ways I know there is no ‘one right way’ to parent. But one thing I do know is that if you need to use physical violence to demonstrate boundaries to a child, then you really need to work on your communication skills.

~ B

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Posted in human rights, parenting, violence

Posted by: bvganfematheist | December 31, 2012

2013

The clock has just passed midnight here in Melbourne. We’re home now but did have a lovely evening out which has left me leaving 2012 feeling quite at peace with where I’m at in life, much like I have been for a lot of the year to be honest.

I like New Year’s. I make resolutions although I tend to call them more goals and plans than anything else. And yes I adjust them as necessary throughout the year and there isn’t necessarily something special about January 1st. But it sure seems as good a date as any to reset and review those goals.

2013 will be a big year. My interstate partner is moving here and will hopefully not have too much trouble finding a decent job not too far from home. While I’m not 100% sure exactly what I want to be when I grow up yet (ha!), I am six months from achieving a major milestone on that path. There is still some decent effort required in that period though. I also want to run again, either further, faster or both and raise even more money for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre than I did last year.

While there are many things that frustrate me, occasionally in day to day life, but mostly of the injustice of the world in general, I find that at this time of the year more than any other I feel optimistic. There are a heck of a lot of really good people out there. People with drive, compassion and heart. People who are determined to make things better. And now, as least as much as any other time, I need and do believe that they can and they will.

Happy New Year! May your 2013 be filled with love, laughter, compassion, empathy and happiness.

~ B

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Posted in ASRC, asylum seekers, running | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | December 30, 2012

My food’s not pretty….

… but it still tastes pretty good :)

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I tend to be hesitant to post some of my gastronomical adventures because, well, the food I cook tends not to look too pretty. But based on comments I get and the fact that it seems to get downed quite quickly, I think it’s fair to say I’m not the only one who thinks it tastes all right :)

At work they do a thing where everyone brings in a cake for their birthday. People around the office keep asking when my birthday is coming again or if I could find another excuse to bake some cupcakes. I gave them a bonus for World Vegan Day this year :) I take it that means they like them despite the fact they don’t exactly look like the lovely neat little cupcakes you find in the pictures.

The above are appelflappen, which is a Dutch New Year’s tradition. For New Year’s Eve we’re heading to a vegan pot luck, so I’ve made these to bring along. It’s basically sliced apple dipped in a pikelet type mixture (see recipe below) and cooked. They will be served with icing sugar.

I used to detest and dread cooking, but then I figured out two things. The first, courtesy of Dino from the Alternative Vegan, was that I didn’t need to follow a recipe perfectly. You can substitute, estimate and/or simply experiment in whatever way you feel like. This was a freeing concept, and is one of the reasons I quite enjoy Jamie Kilstein’s fucking cooking corner, which you can access if you sign up for the Citizen Radio mailing list. Jamie includes items like “a shitload of broccoli” in his recipes.

The other thing I figured out is that while pretty food might attract people initially, as long as the food tastes good, nobody *really* cares what it looks like. This was also freeing because I am not even a little bit artistic and I find making my food look pretty to be impossible. But damn it tastes good, and I’m looking forward to those appelflappen tomorrow night.

Recipe:

2 Tbsp flax seed
6 Tbsp water
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
some cinnamon (whatever you think seems about right, I tend to vary it)
2 cups soy milk
cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Mix the flax seed and water
Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and a bit of the soy milk
Mix well, gradually adding the soy milk until it is all combined
Dip the apple slices in the mixture and fry up, turning when they start to bubble
Add icing sugar and enjoy

 

 

 

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Posted in food, recipes, veganism | Tags: , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | December 16, 2012

Progressive Podcast Australia

It was just over a year ago that I posted on Facebook that I was keen to find podcasts that were about feminism, atheism or veganism from an Australian perspective. The silence was deafening. I’ve enjoyed various podcasts for years now as I am not one to sit still very often so podcasts enable me to obtain a bunch of information while continuing to do housework, run, walk, etc. There are still several podcasts from the US on my regular rotation as well as one from the UK, but there’s something about getting that perspective from home that I can really relate to. So I now have two favourite podcasts (yes I can have two favourites!) that are not only Australian, but just the kind of thing I was looking for. The first is Team Earthling, that I reviewed a few months back here, but will just quickly recommend once again as I believe they improve every episode and are really finding their feet these days. The other one I will review today and it is:

Progressive Podcast Australia

 

Nick and Katie are based in Perth and are animal rights activists as well as being involved in various other causes including Occupy, refugee rights and workers rights. Maybe you can see already why I think they’re pretty awesome? Nick has just handed in (I believe) his PhD thesis on the animal advocacy movement and teaches Sociology and Anthropology. Katie is a law student with a focus on stateless refugees, another issue that is close to my heart.

The podcast has been running for just over a year but recently the frequency of episodes has picked up which I really appreciate. They cover all sorts of topics from feminism to the environment to animal rights to political issues in Palestine and to the situation with asylum seekers and refugees in Australia. Their message is consistent, well researched and articulated and they also manage to present it in an entertaining format.

Some days it can be frustrating in a world surrounded by apathy and misunderstandings that people seem so unwilling to overcome. For me, listening to Nick and Katie is refreshing. To hear people (with Aussie accents!) that care and that understand the intersectionality of all the issues the world is facing today. And to always learn something. That’s what I like most from a podcast and I get all of it from Progressive Podcast Australia.

Check it out for yourself here.

~ B

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Posted in asylum seekers, atheism, Australia, equality, feminism, human rights, marriage equality, podcasts, politics, veganism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: bvganfematheist | December 16, 2012

Damn hoax emails and those who believe them…..

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As anybody who follows my blog would know, I am an advocate for asylum seekers. I am disgusted at our government and the way they treat people, who have every legal right to seek asylum, worse than criminals and seem to have no compassion whatsoever for them as human beings. Unfortunately they get away with this, and even have support from the majority of Australians, because of pure ignorance and lies that are perpetuated throughout the media and through various hoax emails. Apparently, it is not yet commonly understood that if something is forwarded in an email with an official sounding name in it somewhere that it is not necessarily true and above reproach. Of course when our own opposition leader, Tony Abbott insists on using the inaccurate term ‘illegal’ it certainly doesn’t help.

Today on Facebook, a family member posted one of those very hoax emails claiming that the Australian government gives refugees significantly higher payments than they do pensioners. Now personally, if I were to receive an email like that, I would question it and research whether it is true or not before considering forwarding it on. Apparently that is not necessarily the done thing. It is more appropriate to forward it, along with an attached rant about how unfair it all is that these awful people illegally come here and take all that money that rightfully belongs to the poor little old ladies. Of course they come across so much worse if they’re stealing from grandma.

As rights for asylum seekers is something I feel strongly about, over the past year or so I have posted several links to factual information about the lives that these people must endure. So when I saw this post from a family member, who I know has read many of my posts, I was actually quite upset. It’s one thing to know that people out there in the general populace believe these things, but when it’s somebody I know it is just that much more upsetting. As he had already had a few of the expected comments along the lines of needing to stop these people, etc, etc, for other Facebook friends I had to respond. I pointed out that the entire hoax was full of lies and posted several links that he and his friends could read if they were actually interested in facts. Unfortunately I suspect they aren’t.

Then I posted this on my own page:

If anybody else reading this actually still really believes that asylum seekers and refugees receive more money than pensioners in this country, please, please educate yourself on the facts. It is distressing that these lies continue to be perpetuated as they encourage racism and genuinely harm the people who have already been through so much and it frankly breaks my heart. Our government treats asylum seekers really badly and they are able to get away with it because of the ignorance and lies that continue to be spread and people just accept them on face value. Please don’t.

Here’s the basic info on the hoax:
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/refugee-payment-hoax.shtml

And if you actually care about facts (and you really, really should, so much harm is caused by lies in this world), here are a couple of other good links from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, a wonderful organisation that I donate to and intend to volunteer with when I have more time:http://www.asrc.org.au/media/documents/myth-busters-summary-Aug2012.pdfhttp://www.asrc.org.au/media/documents/welfare-entitlements.pdf

And in the mean time, I will continue to support the awesome work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in any way I can. I intend to Run4Refugees again in October next year and as I’m planning on taking on a full study load next semester, for now, the monthly donation I have set up will have to do. If you can see it in yourself to do the same, please do, they really are a fabulous organisation doing wonderful work with limited resources.
~ B

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Posted in ASRC, asylum seekers, Australia, human rights, Julia Gillard, politics, Tony Abbott | Tags: , , , , , , ,

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