Facebookistan: rapist Friends rape survivor from long ago

Warnng: FRANK discussion of survivor issues and circumstances related to a rape.

Creepy and full of rationalizations but in places surprisingly less creepy than one might think.

Emily McComs, editor of www.xojane.com  talks about her rapist asking to Friend her on Facebook.

http://www.onthemedia.org/2012/oct/26/?utm_source=local&utm_media=treatment&utm_campaign=daMost&utm_content=damostviewed



RantWoman is posting this here because of a story about 2/3 of the way through about a woman whose rapist Friended her on Facebook. Here is the link for the whole show, for background about the Facebok practies that made this encounter possible.

http://www.onthemedia.org/popup_player/#

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EidPrayer

RantWoman apologizes: she has no idea what would be a proper greeting for this occasion but RantWoman wants to offer something appropriate.

RantWoman has been on a mailing list for the Idriss Mosque since sometime after 9/11 and reproduces the email without further comment as an artifact of our day.


In the Name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful

Location:
McCaw Hall (At the Seattle Center) 321 Mercer Street Seattle, WA

Eid celebration
Friday, October 26, 2012, will be Eid Al Adha


The Program Schedule
9:00 AM: Takbeer
9:30 AM: Eid Prayer
9:40 AM: Eid Khutbah

Come early, bring a rug; security has been provided for everyone�s safety

SECURE VENUE,

The Seattle Police Department will be out in FULL-Force to secure McCaw Hall (At the Seattle Center) and surrounding areas for the protection of all the Muslim community.


Directions, Parking & Maps
http://www.mccawhall.com/plan-your-visit/getting-here


Parking Garage across the street on Mercer

McCaw Hall is located on Mercer Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues, on the north edge of the Seattle Center campus, approximately 2 miles north of the Downtown Seattle business district. The Hall�s street address is 321 Mercer Street.

Via Public Transportation
Buses Bus lines that have stops within a 3-block radius of the main McCaw Hall entrance: 3, 4, 16, 30 & 45 (express)

■Mercer/Warren stop (heading eastbound): 30 & 45 (express)
■Mercer/4th Ave stop (heading eastbound): 30 & 45 (express)
■5th Ave/Republican (heading northbound): 3, 4 & 16
■5th Ave/Mercer (heading southbound): 3, 4 & 16
For more information, please visit King County Metro.

Seattle Center Monorail
Seattle Center Monorail is the nation�s first full-scale commercial monorail system which provides a fun, quick and convenient link between downtown Seattle and Seattle Center.

The monorail departs approximately every 10 minutes from two stations:
■Seattle Center station, adjacent to the Space Needle
■Westlake Center Mall station, at Fifth Avenue and Pine StreetIf you chose to take public transportation, the following site will be offering you assistance in finding the appropriate information:

http://tripplanner.metrokc.gov/cgi-bin/itin_page.pl?resptype=U

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Excellent Service Dog Fundraiser--with bonus rant

First click here for a really powerful request from a parent trying not only to look out for her child's interests but also to get help about an appropriately trained service dog.




RantWoman enthusiastically endorses this plea for funds.
http://tapeflags.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-open-letter-from-my-friend-sarai.html


If you have not been fully inspired or your life still suffers a tirade deficit, may RantWoman offer a couple comparatively further remonstrances:
From another mom trying to figure out how to fund training for a dog who already provides many of the benefits of a dog with more training:

...it really pisses me off that disabled people have to either fork over massive amounts of money or go without, when it comes to service dogs. ... Why is it that our government can justify spending massive amounts of money to kill and disable people in other countries, but not to pay for the relatively small cost (for the government, but huge for most individuals who aren't independently wealthy) of a service dog??

Why should parents like Sarai and myself have to worry about our kids wandering off and getting hit by a car, failing in school, etc....just because we cannot afford the training for these dogs?

RantWoman's version from the perspective of a state budget in a state where there are a large number of known billionaires most of whom RantWoman suspects are tragically undertaxed:

The state budget version is why should parents have to bear all the risks just because our poor benighted rich people need some more tax breaks and a lot of people are afflicted by paralyzing phobias every time anyone breathes thoughts of fairer taxation?

Please note: the rants above are framed in terms of government. RantWoman would never discourage the private sector from taking more initiative as well.

Here's hoping Sarai in the post at the top gets her service dog funded and trained. Then she can move on to fun, fun, fun moments such as the ones captured here:

http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2011/04/service-dogs-simplicity-integrity-and.html


http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2011/07/service-animals.html

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No tracking drone strikes by iPhone?

http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17576-apple-rejects-phone-app-that-tracks-worldwide-drone-strikes-as-objectionable-content

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The Food is Blessed

I will not grumble about other people's prayer practices! I will not grumble about other people's prayer practices! I will not grumble about other people's prayer practices! I will not grumble about other people's prayer practices!


Wait! Who do people think this is? This RantWoman! OF COURSE RantWoman will grumble about other people's prayer practices.

Recently RantWoman was at an event involving representatives of many faith communities. Readers of this blog may be able to guess at the event but RantWoman means at least to TRY to move ahead with positive relations. RantWoman arrived not expecting to be offered a meal and was very grateful to be surprised on that score.

The surprise for which RantWoman was grateful: a wonderful meal of pasta, salad, rolls. NICE brewed coffee and dessert. The menu included CLOTH napkins, solid metal tableware, quality ceramic plates, cups--and saucers, lovely glass water glasses. RantWoman has the impression that there was catering involved or else a very evolved hospitality committee. The ONLY thing RantWoman might quibble about: this would probably not be such a nice meal if one has problems about both wheat and dairy; RantWoman for better or worse has problems about neither and came away very well nourished.

So WHAT is the problem?

This event involved representatives of many faith communities and especially many pastors and denominational staff. As one might expect in such a crowd, someone was asked to offer a blessing. The pastor who spoke explained that his husband is a buddhist, they have one son who is a Unitarian and another son who they wish were something. (sympathetic chuckles). At their household they gather and hold hands and the blessing that came to him for the evening is that the food is blessed by those gathered to eat it.

Okay, sure. Good company is a blessing. The earth is full of bounty for us to appreciate. But wait just a doggone minute! RantWoman of late has been feeling great pangs. RantWoman personally at present does not even sow or reap so much as a chive, let alone do the kind of backbreaking field or factory labor involved in getting the plenty to our tables. RantWoman is acutely conscious that the same imbalances in our food system that make obesity far too easy for RantWoman also mean many are hungry too high a percentage of the time.

And RantWoman does not even want to get started on immigration, the workers who harvest much of our food, their families here and there, wherever there is. Because of course, if RantWoman did get started, pokey evolution along some dimenstions would be inadequate and there would be need for lightning and thunderbolts and wings of fire exhortations, for God's sakes Gosh darn it to FIX OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. And in the meantime, bless the food and thebounty and all the people who have labored to bring it before us.

All RantWoman has to say, the ONLY thing keeping RantWoman from going all John Woolman on the situation: RantWoman is REALLY, REALLY glad that the program agenda those assembled are working on implicity and perhaps explicitly includes concern for immigrant rights!

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Healing Pain and the Power of Goodness

By way of blog as filing cabinet, the Western Friend edition of John calvi's address to the 2012 Annual Session of Pacific Yearly Meeting:

http://westernfriend.org/healing-pain-the-power-of-goodness/

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Blue Jesus Prayer for our nation (and everyone else?)

RantWoman received this offering from one of RantMom's church friends. Church Friend has many family reasons to need to be held in the Light; one might or might not need Blue Jesus to hold Church freind in the Light. RantWoman is unsure what message Blue Jesus has for her.

God Bless America, indeed! RantWoman is thinking of Weighty Russian Believer friend's thoughts about need both God Bless and God be Merciful (Gospid blagoslovi/ Gospodi pomilyi!)

Follow all the directions for maximum effect although RantWoman thinks she got as much as can be gotten without maximum effect.

Click on the link below.

If you have speakers, turn them on.

I do pray for our nation and its leaders to change their hearts - let us unite in prayer for our nation and our leaders.
When the screen fills up with words, the words tumble to the bottom and new words start up again at the top of the screen.

Listen, read and watch.
Click here >  The Lord's Prayer set to music with Blue Jesus

Pray for our nation
then click on F11 key to go full screen.


God Bless America--and everyone else!!!!

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