Because I can’t leave well enough alone, there will be some screwing around with the blog template for the next couple a days. I trust you will find much to complain about.
What is this?
You are reading I Blame The Patriarchy, the patriarchy-blaming blog that advances the radical feminist views of Twisty Faster, a gentleman farmer and spinster aunt eating dinner in Austin, Texas.
I Blame The Patriarchy is intended for advanced patriarchy-blamers. It is not a feminist primer. See Patriarchy-Blaming the Twisty Way for details.
"I couldn't get Twisty's point. It was so longwinded." -- The Blogosphere
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Oh, but I loved the template so much!
just make sure you put my adorable cross young woman with the up-do back on the right hand side. I miss her already.
No NO. It has to be bird-flipping Ro-Tel. You know, I always flip that way now. And I just love the look of confusion I get in response.
I liked the vortex pic, often how I feel when I find myself confounded by the patriarchy in ways that defy articulation.
At first glance I thought that graphic said something about radon irradication in the house of the blogoshpere. I need a vacation bad.
the regional paper hired a newbie to scope out tacquerias in the SF bay area. dunno, 85 in 10 weeks seems over-eager and yet insufficient. and the photos stink. but here you go:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/13/FDGL8L16681.DTL
el faro, mentioned only in passing, is the place i miss. and it serves “baby burritos” — something that can actually be eaten as one meal, instead of several. maybe not high-class, but there is something to be said for a fast, cheap, tasty meal that doesn’t involve hamburgers.
Kathy A I have never read so many beautiful sounding words which I have no clue what they mean, except the carne part ok I get that, let alone what they would taste like, and then, a drink with cinnamon. It’s like, like a_whole_different_country.
Oh my Goddess….El Faro, how I miss thee. I went to the one at the corner of Howard and New Montgomery, I think, or was it Mission and New Montgomery? I would get the vegie one…if I had one with meat, I would have to take a nap.
Lived in SF area from ‘77 to ‘93. I miss it….what a great city. The best. How much are one bedrooms in a fairly decent neighborhood these days?
I remember the cost of cocktails in the City depended on the ‘view.’ So today, stuck in the Midwest and I am told to pay $8.95 for some kind of martini….I ask, “But where’s the view?” And of course no one gets my joke or understands or cares for that matter…but fuck ‘em…I have a little laugh and remember my beautiful city by the bay. And now I am going to have a tear.
BTW, I just read that McDonald’s owns 51% of Chipotle….so now I don’t want to eat there…which is no big deal, cuz compared to El Faro, Chipotle sucks.
ooh! Excitement. Will the new blog-lift be puke-inducingly feminine? Or puke-inducingly masculine, or both, or tasteful (FOOOOOD!) what will it be, I love anticipation
slade, i couldn’t begin to guess the cost of apartments in the city now. parking alone gives me apoplexy. we live across the bay, north of berkeley, but in easy bart distance.
my el faro was on first near mission. excellent veggie burritos — and for those days one cannot face, the baby breakfast burrito. sigh.
well, damn. ann richards died. i didn’t know her at all, but the world is blessed for some of what she did.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/09/13/national/a194549D92.DTL
Yes, ditto to Buttercup: please don’t leave out the quizically cross woman.
Ya know, the taco thing was OK but sometimes it got a little queasy seeing food like that first thing in the morning.
(since you’re taking votes and all, Twisty)
I think I spelled quizzically wrong. Quizzically. Quizicaly. Now it doesn’t even seem like a real word anymore. Is it? Help, anyone?
“It’s like, like a_whole_different_country.” Pony
It is a whole different country and I love it with all my heart. However, my test entre is rellenos.
Ann Richards was an incredible woman. I will miss her sharp wit and clear vision. She was the first victim of the dirty political tactics of Smirky, Sneero and Roveheil. One of my favorite quotes: “Poor George. He can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”
I really enjoyed the original TypePad template, especially the masthead. It had whimsically ironic game-show feel, like we were watching Blame of Fortune or something.
Kathy a - where north of Berkeley do you live? I’m not a stalker, just a blamer way out in Pinole. I work in the city and my mouth is now watering for a fat burrito. Mmmm breakfast burritos!
Twisty, are you considering for your new masthead the pretty pink corseted taco that scared your readers a while back?
I must “protest” the random “quotation” thing you’ve got going on in your “facelift” sign. Patriarchy-blaming is one thing, but let us not mess with punctuation! Some things must remain sacred.
And I miss the taco in your masthead.
I knew Ann had been diagnosed with cancer last spring. What a woman! What wit…and a heart made of gold. She took risks.
I remember seeing her on C-Span at the ‘04 Democratic Convention giving a speech to delegates. She advised them upon their return to their home states to get every unmarried woman registered and to the polls to vote for Kerry. Of course, the male dems insisted (and still do) on vying for the angry white male vote. Dumbasses.
You know, I think we could hold a pretty good Bay Area Blame-con. There seem to be a lot of us blamers in these parts.
They blame the low income women for ruining the country because they are staying home with their children and not going out to work. They blame the middle income women for ruining the country because they go out to work and do not stay home to take care of their children.
Ann Richards
Blamer par excellence
“You know, I think we could hold a pretty good Bay Area Blame-con.” Vera
I’m in.
Bay Area Blame-con: Me too!
I know who I blame for this site. I sort of wonder if it works. But: ick.
Another Bay Area Blamer Against Not Having a Bay Area Blame-Con here, yo!
Holy shit, the new set-up has a duplicate-comment detector! Yow! And it’s legible on Internet Explorer! (And my big Mac won’t swallow Tiger so I’m fuckin stuck with IE.)
If I could find the pink-n-femmy sticky with my Twisty password on it I’d be a happy woman tonight, even though we apparently missed a Tennessee warbler in the cypresses at Nunes Ranch today. (Nunes Ranch is almost in a category with the Moon Glo Dairy. Ask me about that someday.) And I’ve been smelling fermenting cowshit so much I can’t get it out of my brain.
Nevertheless. I’m impressed.
I’m in for the Bay Area Blame Contingent! As one of the only two lesbians in Pinole (my wife being the other) I feel it is my suburban duty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find a big ass breakfast burrito.
accordianchick, i’m in happenin’ el cerrito, home of the plaza and 2 bart stations. pretty soon we’re getting a movie theater. cultcha, we got nothin’ but cultcha in my town.
The latest template switch from sans serif to serif font in posts–at least at this size–is tough on my 64-year-old eyes. (I do know how to make the browser display it at 125% but if you’re still undecided between the two fonts, my vote is for sans serif. Thanks.)
padded bras for 6 year olds. argh.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20380241-1243,00.html
hey, where’s the blame button?
Yo. Momentary delurkage to out myself as another bay area blamer. Berkeley yall.
Wanted
Proxy to attend Bay Area Blame Con. Must be prepared to eat empanadas with crema, drink beverages with cinnamon and submit report. No remuneration. What ”””’ ?!
I’ve been wondering about something. This is in the “Easy Persiflage” category. Does Twisty do any difficult persiflage?
Pony,
welcome to our home!
(any other Bay Area Blamers out there?)
In response to Kathy a’s link to the kiddie bras - Yeah, what is up with that? I was at Target the other day and saw a whole section devoted to girls’ (as in adolescent boobless girls) bras. They were like pre-training training bras. What the fuck is that about? Pretty soon they’re going to come out with a JonBenet line of fishnets and stilettos. And people wonder why there are so many freaky (as if there are any other kind) pedophiles out there.
Lurker D: Me too.
kathy a: Hey, you’ve got Down Home Music, which is all the culture one town needs. Plus, Dennis the Tree Demigod lives up your way. Which is why I know the following.
El Cerrito (which is named after a little hill that isn’t actually in El Cerrito but in Albany, the next town south) has another interesting feature: There are lots of houses there that look like perfectly ordinary whitebread-’Murkin houses from the front, but in back have shoji and cypress decking and rain chains and full-on Japanese decor, and serious Japanese gardens, koi ponds and all. It’s definitely double-take material, and one of those storytelling moments. Many Japanese-Americans moved from Berkeley (my neighborhood now, in fact) to El Cerrito as soon as they could after they were released from the WWII internment camps.
Also, for culture: You can buy poi in El Cerrito. Frozen, but nobody’s perfect.
Robin thanks. Once we get closer to the date, I’ll post an itinerary so you’ll know what to eat and what to waste my time on. Scuba would be fun.
Oh me too thanks Twisty for the sans serif. Now.
accordianchick Says:
September 15th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
In response to Kathy a’s link to the kiddie bras - Yeah, what is up with that? I was at Target the other day and saw a whole section devoted to girls’ (as in adolescent boobless girls) bras. They were like pre-training training bras. What the fuck is that about? Pretty soon they’re going to come out with a JonBenet line of fishnets and stilettos. And people wonder why there are so many freaky (as if there are any other kind) pedophiles out there.
It’s about training. Get ‘em all trained before they know any better and they won’t think anything’s amiss when they get older. It’s kind of like a patriarchal ‘herd ‘em up, move ‘em out’ philosophy.
Before you know it, there’ll be tailored bondage gear for new-born females readiliy available in the shops.
Ik.
Hey, we gots culcha in Pinole, too. We have us a real time thee-yater that has real live plays a coupla three times a year. It’s right across the street from Blackie’s Fried Chicken joint. Oh, hold on a minute. Blackie’s closed last year. Where does one go for good ol’ greazy fried chicken these days? (I’m not talkin’ KFC, either.)
true confessions: i like my little town, even if it isn’t a tourist destination, and even if we all did get excited when the plaza was rebuilt. with a trader joe’s! there is a hillside nature area running up and across the hills, an excellent recycling center [with free book exchange!], and the city’s 4th of july celebration is a great mix of international and old-fashioned.
ron, the japanese gardens are really lovely — quite a lot of homes have them in front, too. you also probably remember adachi nursery, which used to be up san pablo from down home music. i knew there were some artists around, but not about a tree demi-god.
We must now teach little girls to hate their bodies at six, to make them ashamed of themselves then, not wait until 12 or when we used to start it. How do we explain this to them, and why aren’t little boys going to be trained, trained out of all those pre-pubescent erections and wet dreams they’re going to humiliate the world with. No we’re going to be praising them.
I hate this fucking world.
You folks beat me to it with the training bras for kid girls. My blamer-in trainer, 20 year old daughter pointed it out to me.
Yes, get the girls trained. Now where boys once simply taunted girls for being physically inferior or ’smelly’, they can have the chance to act like grown men. They’ll know her by her little puffy protrusions and lacy underwear. Segregate the sexes by sexualizing them as soon as possible.
And what a comfort to know that at last Little Janie won’t be troubled with the traumatic transition from pre-pubescent tom girlness into a full blown sexualized teenager. Why, we can only imagine with joy that she will happily and quietly submit to the scratchy, tugging, slipping and sliding poofy thing that good girls wear, in fact must wear.
That mothers everywhere aren’t yanking them off the racks and burning them outside the stores says more that troubles me than the items themselves.
Hey! Does everyone know about the radio network set up by Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda? I just found out about it….for women, by women!
http://www.greenstoneradio.com/listenertest/
Greenstone Media…
Finally…
Yes, I read about it a few days ago but didn’t know you could stream it on the PC machine. I’m listening right now to The Radio Ritas. Gloria Fondallujah!
From Kathy a: “hey, where’s the blame button?”
I think that’s going to be the phrase I mutter to myself from now on, whenever I come across some real-life patriarchal idocy. People will think I’m crazy, but I’ll know that I’m actually the only one in the room that’s sane.
Thanks, Kathy a!
Anybody else here from The North Bay?
How about some Blame stickers? To whack on lilac lacy padded bralettes everywhere we find them
Ron Sullivan:
What nice El Cerrito trivia! I was born and raised in El Cerrito, and then moved to Hawaii, so the poi factoid was much appreciated also.
El Cerrito seems to exist way under the Bay Area radar somehow. Interesting town.
I love the idea of stickers? Maybe “who hates their daughter this much?” to place on bralettes everywhere!
BTW, not bay area but San Diego so I’ll drop a west coast shout out. I’m in for blame con
Hmm.
hi, robin! EC is under the radar, which is not a bad thing. and it is close enough to everything else, which is a good thing. i have a book about EC history, published in 1976 and passed down through the last 2 landowners to us. the historic photos are just wonderful — i’m a little nutty about old photos, but who among us cannot be moved by a photo of someplace we know, 50 or 80 or more years back?
the “modern times” parts of the 1976 book are depressing, though. city council is a buncha white guys trying to look cool with tweeds, wide collars and ties, and maybe some sideburns. there is no mention of japanese-americans in the city, or african-americans, or female-americans.
still looking for the blame button.
Size six bras…
Size 6 is bought for younger than 6. It’s definitely pre-school, toddler range.
I recently bought size 5 pijamas for a friend’s daughter who just turned 2. She wore them that night, they were a little big that was good for a growing girl.
Lacy bras for toddlers.
So long, target, you sick weirdos.
Everytime I go used to go into a certain WalMart, I would take every hoochie baby doll and Fredericks of Hollywood-like crap off the rack, placed right on a main aisle, directly across from boys’ wear for fucksake, put them in a cart, roll it over to men’s shoes or maybe the garden shop and leave them there.
I know, I know. It just made more work for some poor soul there but the hypocrisy so pissed me off. WalMart has the nerve to censor music and CD covers, sell their religio-fascist books and PR themselves as so cocking wholesome but put the prostitute wear front and center.
De-lurking to vote for a Blamecon in the Bay area. I’m in the south bay - Monterey.
And a comment - the sexualization of children seems to me to be another step in the general regression of sex in pop culture. I mean, look at the fashion models. No curves. Just skinny sticks. It’s disgusting.
It just occurred to me, I wonder if it is an attempt to make sex innocent. If it is an attempt by the culture to make sex ok because the objects of desire are innocent. They have no hidden agendas, no ability to manipulate.
Well, I’m into Jungian psychoanalysis.
Anyway, love the blog, read it every day. Best of luck, Twisty, and I hope you recover to full blaming soonest.
Love this, by Molly Ivans re Ann Richards:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091506P.shtml
The count for Bay Area Blame Con is now ten (I’m counting Pony in spirit).
Oh, hold on a minute. Blackie’s closed last year. Where does one go for good ol’ greazy fried chicken these days? (I’m not talkin’ KFC, either.)
Yeah, Blackies’ closing was a blow to the neighborhood.
Pinole Creek Cafe has some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten, but it’s kinda haute poulet stuff. Young birds, extremely hot oil, skilled and creative chef. But y’know, not picnic-style chicken like Blackies.
Actually, for about two years before Blackies closed it was but a mere shadow of its former self.
Accordianchick, have you checked out the new sashimi place in the old Albertsons’ plaza on Pinole Valley Road? Shockingly for our little town, it is open until the ungodly hour of ten pm. Food’s good overall, though the hamachi sashimi was uninspiring on our first visit.
I like El Cerrito myself, and the below-the-radar thing is part of it. And I buy stuff at the refurbed shopping plaza (not to be confused with that other monstrosity in Emeryville) including TJ’s, which I like for cheap Pelligrino orange and lemon sodas among other things. And Ross. Ross on Tuesdays becdause I’m so old I get the Old Farts’ Discount.
kathy a, you know about the Save The group that’s trying to stop another godamn housing development up on the hillside?
All this talk about Pinole, I was wondering when Chris would show up.
Why am I nattering on about all this OT stuff? Because the idea of size-six bras hurts my sore head too much. Hell, I think swimsuits with tops on little kids is obscene. I get royally pissed off when I see a preadolescent girl in hijab. (Around here? You bet.) What exactly is going on in whose alleged minds about that? All that on top of the pissed-off I get about prescribed clothes for women generally, including pre-occupied bras and climbing skirts.
And one of the major WTF moments in my life was the Great Training Bra Moment when I was, oh, 12 or so. I mean, think about the phrase “training bra.” It’s not like your boobs will stay up (or even on) if you use one for long enough. So yeah, what’s being “trained” here? Hey, it’s like size-ten hijab.
hot off the press, for your dining pleasure: bargain bites in the bay area!
http://www.sfgate.com/food/bargains/
chris and accordianchick, if you are down by albany on a weekend, there is a teensy little hole-in-the-wall called jodie’s, which serves fried chicken only on weekends — i’ve only had breakfast there, but heard the chicken is great. [KFC this is not.] it’s right off solano, just west of the bart tracks.
http://www.djovida.com/jodie/
no, i didn’t know, ron — where is there room for a housing development on the hill? hmm, better check into this. it’s bad enough with all the remodels turning 900 sq. ft. homes into mcmansions.
the bralette debacle reminded me of a couple years back, when i spotted thong underwear for the kindergarten set at macy’s. thongs! who the hell thinks this stuff up!? oh, yeah, they who must be blamed.
Jodie’s I have heard of. I will admit that when I get a hankering, I will go to Oakland to the Chicken and Waffles joint on Embarcadero at Broadway.
Chris,
Yes I have tried Happy Sashimi (it’s owned by the same guy who runs the Red Onion down the street.) I anxiously awaited its opening only to have to wait another month as I had a broken jaw (thanks to my oral surgeon who was attempting to remove my wisdom teeth.) It’s so-so. Horrible tempura. By the way, I’m one of Zeke’s may admirers. I’ve been in love wiht him since the first day I saw his picture. I’m so sorry about Harley, by the way. I cried on Friday when I read about him. Give Thistle and Zeke big hugs for me.
Hey, where the heck is Twisty? I sure hope she didn’t break another appendage. Twisty, where are thou?
Check to see if Bert’s got a guilty look.
You’re right. The tempura is bad at times. I’ve had a couple good tempuraed shrimp there as garnishes for ramen. But the broccoli: forget it.
I do recommend the ramen there. And sushiphiliac Becky says the ridiculously named Pinole Valley Maki is nice.
Thanks for the good thoughts about Harley. I miss him. Hugs have been delivered to the surviving boys.
Correction: that was supposed to read “I’m one of Zeke’s MANY admirers” as I’m certain he has fans every month, not just in May.” It’s late. I must give much loving to my dogs & kitty as every time they hear Zeke’s name they whimper with jealousy.
You guys have never heard of an Alberta roll, I suppose. It’s a sushi Canadianism you could do without.
Unlike poutine, of course. No one should have to do without poutine.
You guys have never heard of an Alberta roll, I suppose. It’s a sushi Canadianism you could do without.
Seaweed-wrapped pemmican with butter tarts?
Given enough poutine you could get all the six-year old boys into training bras.
By the way, I miss the numbered comments. It made it easier to go do some work and then return to the right spot on the comments list.
Oh yes, I liked the numbers on the comments for that reason also. I love Twisty and blame the patriarchal dis-ease for the sexualization of all females.
Seaweed-wrapped pemmican with butter tarts?
Nope. It’s basically a standard maki roll with teriyaki beef rather than fish. It’s not very good, and it appears to be little more than a marketing gimmick by the ranchers of Texas North.
I had a dream with Twisty in it last night. She was nicer to me than I expected to be. Also, she was in grad school and had a roommate. They were both really funny.
here is what ann richards’ granddaughter learned from her:
“This is your life. It is the only one you get. So no excuses, and no do-overs. If you make a mistake or fail at something you learn from it, you get over it and you move on. Your job is to be the very best person you can be and to never settle for anything less.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4196169.html
Twisty,
Lets go already. If my three year old asks to hear the “tool” song one more time I may lose it. Blame already!
This is the last place on the interwebs that I would have expected to be asked to submit.
Hey Twisty,
I hope you are feeling stronger. You know how we fret when we don’t hear from you for a few days, even if you’re flat on your back in a hospital bed. So, we’re starting to fret a little on this your fifth day of silence. OMG five days, fret, fret, fret.
I just registered to say blame on, bay area… san franciscan here and to answer the question, since partner & I are looking for a 1-bedroom (as opposed to our “junior one bedroom,” which means “fancy studio”) and we’ll be lucky to find something for 1300. And that’s in the crazy crackhead neighborhoods. I don’t know what a “nice” neighborhood price would be. I try to think of my rent as getting to watch COPS live every night, right outside my window…
I would also be really, really excited to start a sticker campaign. Just move quickly - those security cameras are everywhere. Assholes.
Twisty, whoever you are, you’re amazing! This is my favorite blog! And I can’t stand most blogs!
Come on Twisty….where’s our fearless #1 Blamer? We miss you!
Wow…$1300 and that’s low. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Damn.
I submit to nothing. Blame.
Twisty??? We hope you are well.
( l love Bewilderness’s comment about submitting.)
Welcome unholy uprising. That makes it 11. So, Bay Area Blamers, how would be go about getting together somewhere (I vote for The City) for tacos? I would love to meet you all.
Sure thing. Lard knows there are taco places in SF — I have absolutely no opinion about which is best. If it’s to be somewhere that’s easier to drive to than to BART to, I’ll drive anyone from the East Bay. (The Mission is easier to BART to, just for the record.)
Not this weekend cuz we’ll be in Sebastopol, and I have a commitment for one day (probably Sunday, but I’m not entirely in control of that) next weekend.
If this is getting OT for Twisty’s, feel free to come over chez Toad to dicker about arrangements. I’m not exactly hogging Faultline/MT bandwidth, AFAIK.
NO one asked me. NO one, which place I prefer to meet in. When.
I would like to see the ocean past my taco.
Nay, Nay, Pony. I absolutely did include you:
“The count for Bay Area Blame Con is now ten (I’m counting Pony in spirit).”
Would it be good enough to see The Bay past your taco? It’s a really big one.
Ron Sullivan, I’ll be over to Chez Toad ASAP. Right now I’m rushing to my glamorous temp job.