From the Mailbag

Shaker Alex sends a heads-up: Equality Gainesville could use our help, whether through donations or awareness-raising, about their fight against a ballot measure to vote on a city council policy enacted to extend the city's anti-discrimination policy to transgender individuals.

Shaker Sweet Machine passes on this article with the note: "Even if you do your womanly duty and have kids, that's not enough to satisfy the mommy police." Sigh.

Shaker Sandy sends along this examination of editorial cartoonists' problems with illustrating President Obama's lips, despite the fact, as I've pointed out before, he doesn't have prominent lips in the first place. It's funny what gets exaggerated, depending on who's doing the drawing.

Shakers PizzaDiavola and Howard forward this link, at which we find a museum "selling reproductions of Venus with Apple and the Birth of Venus, with some artistic interpretation."

Shaker Mac sends on this horrible bit of victim-blaming, in which women attacked in a bar in India have been admonished to "recognize societal limits." As part of the inquiry, the families of the young women will be interviewed "to see whether their parents allowed them to go out to pubs every night at midnight."

Shaker Siobhan_the_Not_Very_Evil sends this inspiring article about Iraqi women fiercely wielding their teaspoons by running for elected office, despite the constant threat of harassment and violence.

Shaker Keori forwards this column by Natalie Dylan, explaining why she's selling her virginity.

Shaker Betsy-the-Muffin passes along this article in which a group that helps mothers with young children go into hiding engages in some fun fearmongering about Teh Feministz, culminating in the paragraph: "More than 120 children are abducted from Australia each year. In close to three-quarters of the cases the mother is the main suspect." You know, those crazy women, just leaving their entire lives and disappearing with their kids for no reason!

Shaker Ralfalfa sends possibly the best link ever: NAKED MOZ!

And Shaker Suzy is directing a new show in the Twin Cities, opening Feb. 6. Running February 6-22 at the Lowry Lab Theater in downtown St. Paul, DreamBoys is the sequel to the sold-out hit show Unexpected Songs and features five talented men singing Broadway songs made famous by the bawdy women of the boards. For more info, go here.