When women give life

and men so frequently take it

you need not wonder why

these spindly legged fawns

begin to fear so early on

that they could ever make it

as they prance through the treacherous forest

of young adulthood

under the watchful eyes

of these predators

who lie

in full length camouflage.

-Samuel Decker Thompson

The Early Education Rip Off In Australia

I have a daughter working in child care in Australia. She loves her job and is very good at what she does. However, she is paid a pittance for her skills in this space and the undervaluing of early education in Australia is a disgrace. Listening to Jessica Rudd from The Parenthood advocacy group speak at the National Press Club was enlightening and inspiring. Very little has shifted over many years in this space. The early education rip off in Australia continues. Ten years of Coalition federal governments did next to nothing for the nation in this important sector. Photo by Oleksandr P on Pexels.com

Child Care An Expensive Failure In Australia

The Libs and the Nat’s are all about private enterprise making profits at the expense of the national need, especially when it comes to the care sector. Proper restructuring and investment by government in the early education space is required. Australia is considered to be a wealthy nation by the raw numbers alone. However, much of this wealth is hoarded by private interests and the policies of the two main political parties are designed around this. Australia is lacking in affordable universal child care, proper aged care, and universal dental care as part of Medicare. Social housing is now a crisis black hole in Australia after decades of neoliberal policies, which neglected investment in the social infrastructure of the nation. Private Wealth Interests At The Expense Of Public Need The economic policies of the conservatively minded parties are all about individuals amassing wealth at the expense of the shared fiscal responsibilities of the nation. No capital gains tax on the family home, even if it is worth tens of millions of dollars. No death taxes. There is no redistribution of wealth measures to help promote a level playing field. The Coalition introduced regressive taxation measures, which are culminating with the stage 3 tax cuts. These further entrench divergence between those born into wealth and those not. The wealth divide in Australia jumped massively during the last decade via the economic policies of the Liberal party and National party governments. “Capital gains tax concessions for a main residence were worth $48bn in 2022-23 and rental deductions $24.4bn. In 2019-20 taxpayers reported total rental losses of $10.2bn, delivering them a $3.6bn negative gearing tax benefit.” - (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/01/albanese-rejects-changes-to-capital-gains-tax-on-the-family-home-full-stop-exclamation-mark) Peter Dutton spends his time in parliament aggressively attacking the Albanese government over emotive issues like race, refugees, and war in Gaza and Israel. The Opposition under Dutton refuses all bipartisan entreaties and says No to everything proposed by the government. You would think that after 10 years in government the Coalition would find some grace. Most of the economic policies which have put Australia where it is are from their time in office. It takes at least 18 months to several years for government policies to bear macroeconomic fruit. Toxic Masculinity LNP Politics Not Serving The Care Sector The toxic masculinity of the LNP in Australia – see Peter Dutton – is in large part to blame for the underinvestment in the care sector. This predominantly feminised workforce has been treated with indifference and disdain by Coalition governments. They consider them to be babysitters and women with free time on their hands to look after kids and oldies. The LNP do not have many women members in their ranks – they are underrepresented. Those that they have in parliament are working within a toxic masculine framework. The LNP see politics as a brutal arena where bullies and strongmen prevail. Dutton thinks he can bully Anthony Albanese out of office. Child Care Rip Off Merchants The early education rip off in Australia has private providers charging what they like. “Australia's consumer watchdog has lifted the lid on the burden of childcare costs, revealing families are paying some of the highest costs in the world for their children's education. An ACCC report found Aussie parents are paying nearly 80 per cent more than families overseas, with calls for education providers who are "ripping off" families with unreasonable price increases to be named and shamed. "Australian parents are actually paying 16 per cent of their income towards childcare compared to other countries where it is just nine per cent," mother-of-two and Working Mummas founder, Carina O'Brien told Today.” - (https://9now.nine.com.au/today/early-education-rip-off-consumer-report-finds-aussie-families-paying-80-per-cent-more-than-other-countries/c0569fbb-4d12-4436-80c5-78bcb5d4d7ba) It is time that the Albanese government grows some courage and gets its hands dirty when it comes to leading this country. ALP lite is no longer going to work in the current economic climate. Start paying early educators proper wages, so that the sector can attract and maintain quality staff. Intervene in rural areas by operating national early education centres where they are required. Use existing crown land, where schools are already located in regional areas. The private sector neoliberal approach does not work in too many instances, when it comes to the child care early education sector. “At The Parenthood, our vision is clear: every child, irrespective of background or location, deserves the chance to flourish through access to top-tier early childhood education. It’s not merely about education; it’s about building the bedrock of a just and prosperous society,” Ms Rudd said. ​ Addressing the political and economic landscape, in her speech Ms Rudd will acknowledge the government’s commitment to universal ECEC while also raising concerns about potential challenges and stressed the importance of staying true to this vision. ​ “Reforming early childhood education is legacy material. It’s a reform that will deliver immediate benefits for families on cost of living, but it is also a reform that will build our future capability. It’s an investment in the leaders of tomorrow,” she notes.  ​ “Australia should be the best place in the world to be a parent and raise a child. We are the country of Bluey, for goodness sake. We have mangoes and verandahs, the oldest continuing cultures in the world. We are resilient and diverse; vast and bold.”  ​ Highlighting last week’s report from the Productivity Commission, Ms Rudd will also speak on the flaws in the current activity test – which requires parents to work or study for at least 30 hours a week in order to get the Child Care Subsidy – and the urgent need for workforce reforms in the early childhood education sector. “ - (https://thesector.com.au/2023/11/29/parenthood-ceo-will-address-national-press-club-today-speaking-on-ecec-reform/) Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of Money Matters: Navigating Credit, Debt, and Financial Freedom.  ©MidasWord Read the full article

The Green Dragon Part Three

He didn’t know what to do. The princess would not be budged, and his knighthood had essentially depended on him being able to bring Beatrice, to her father. And in this foreign land he was nothing but an out of work squire with a horse. And so, after a while he was employed by the stable where he had previously been stabling his horse. They needed somebody to look after the horse and clean up after him. He was quite good at this, so he settled quickly. Sometimes he saw Beatrice around town doing errands. Looking at the town with new eyes, he realised why they’d been wary. Other knights and princesses had wandered this way before. But they liked Beatrice and the dragon well enough and came to accept that Richard also belonged after a fashion, all were outsiders. The armour that he’d spent so many energies sat in the corner of the room that he lived in.

Town gossip was quick and the news that there was another knight in town caused everyone to gawk at him. When Richard heard of the news, he realised that it was his old master. Sir Lewis picked him out of the crowd and demanded for him to have a drink with him.

As they sat down for beers at the tavern, Sir Lewis started immediately: Lewis roared at him, 

“What are you doing boy? You didn’t rescue the princess?” At that Richard shook his head, and Lewis continued.

“What was the point of knighting you if you couldn’t even rescue the princess? And now you are doing work not even a squire would do?”

Richard was taken aback with this outburst. He had been thinking a lot about the way that it had worked out in the long days of manual labour. And he asked Lewis why it had been him to take the princess?

Lewis’ round head almost exploded, and he turned red with a heady combination of alcohol and anger.

“No knight was stupid enough to take on the Green Dragon, but the King and I thought that you would be up to the challenge. I recommended it to you, and you couldn’t even do it. If you come back to the kingdom, you’ll never get work as a squire. You don’t show the appropriate gumption to listen to your king and your knight.”

Richard exploded in return. He’d listened and been deferential. This time was the regroup and consider, and almost then any chance that he felt that his feelings could be trusted were ripped away from him.

“You set me up to fail. If other knights couldn’t defeat the Green Dragon, why did you think that I would? I was a squire that had another year on my apprentice hood and sent me out with that in mind.”

Lewis slammed the rest of his drink into his mouth and walked out. Richard just sat there in disbelief and the barman who had never talked to Richard before this point looked at him and pursed his lips. The barman helpfully told Richard that it was probably a good time to leave as well. Richard was so steamed up from the encounter and the fact that he was the centre of attention that he complied. The brisk air outside on the quick walk home actually helped. And by the time that he made it home he never wanted to go back to the kingdom again. 

In some regards he had been given more information and he could see the silences in all his conversations. He also reconsidered if the princess had been used like him and if she had really been all that happy. If he was a pawn in the king's game to rescue Beatrice, then he realised she was treated like a pawn as well. If anything, she was more of a pawn, but he still felt helpless. Her actions were more understandable. Though empathy was activated, he was still worried about his future. He worked aimlessly, no plan. Watching the various people understand that he was around for longer helped him develop more substantive relationships.

Sometime later the green dragon in his human form was spotted walked around town and Richard was just sitting there. He walked to the stable and asked for Richard.

“You’re still here.” He leaned over the railing as sweat dripped off Richard’s face moving the soiled straw into a wheelbarrow.

“Yep”

“You’ve never talked to Beatrice since you’ve been here.”

“Yep.” I mean what could Richard say.

“Heard about your interaction with the other knight.”

“Yep.”

“It takes guts to stick around.”

At this point, Richard turned around and looked like he would walk out.

“I do not have anywhere to go. I have no knighthood; I don’t have a knight to vouch for me. I’m now without a home because my parents effectively sold me in a bid to keep their house after my father had a gambling debt. Beatrice was my ticket to something more. I was a pawn like she was.”

He sank into the remaining straw and just sat there in silence.

And the Green Dragon offered up a soft reply.

“Sounds like you were just as lost as Bea.” He paused and introduced himself. “My name is Landsbide, but you can call me Lan.”

In something that seemed to defy all rules of normalcy, Lan went through the door and was sitting there with Richard. Arm over shoulder and then all dams broke loose into sobbing. Richard tried to speak, to explain himself and Lan told him repeatedly that it wasn’t useful. And then they sat there in silence.

Finally Richard had sobered up and said without many sobs.

“I want to do great things and I want to change the world." A sob came out before he continued.

"But everything that I thought was right turned out to be the wrong way.”

Fresh sobs engulfed him,

“I don’t know what to do Lan”?

And with that Lan had a small smile and wrinkled his nose and reached out his hands and spoke

“How do you think people feel about dragons?”

Richard took his hands and held them.

Narcissist’s Karma, Healing and Moving On | Kristen Brown

if you feel insecure in your masculinity, you might like my book!

The Was of Jimmy McVonson

On the first date, what were some immediate red flags that made you not go on a second date? It's time to lighten the mood again with another random Yahoo!Life article. Buzzfeed presents "People Are Sharing Things Someone Did That Turned A First Date Into A Last Date, And I Definitely Understand" inspired by Reddit user u/Artistic_Pop_3323. The Last of the Nice Guys podcast now playing on your favorite podcasting app or listen here - https://last-of-the-nice-guys.castos.com/episodes/turning-a-first-date-into-the-last-last-of-the-nice-guys-podcast-episode-86 #FirstDate #FirstDatedosanddonts #dating #Buzzfeed #Reddit #redflags #seconddate #mailorderbride #marriage #datingfails #terribledates #catfishing #toxicmasculinity #toxicfemininity #unreasonableexpectations #littering #badhygiene #roadrage #datingwomenwithkids #alcoholism #datingmenwithkids #gettingoveranex #mamasboy #onenightstand (at Vibe_Revelation Studio(s)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpgUCmHJDc6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Феминизмот е интердисциплинарен пристап кон прашањата за еднаквост и еднаквост заснована на родот, родовото изразување, родовиот идентитет, полот и сексуалноста како што е разбрано преку социјалните теории и политичкиот активизам. Не можам да дефинирам што точно значи феминизам или што тоа значи да се биде жена. Знам само што значи моќност и уникатност. 

Целиот свој живот еднакво се залагам за еднакви права и можности и не познавам бариери него само рамноправност и заедништво. Живеејки во загадена хетеронормативна дискриминирачка средина, секогаш ме воодушевувале силни жени и non binary луѓе кои што ги следат сопствените визии и се борат во простор каде што доминирале мажи (без разлика дали е култура/уметност, банки, фабрики, училници, бизнис сектор, политика, продавници па дури и социјални мрежи). 

Силните жени и non binary луѓето секогаш ми давале прекрасно чувство посебно во музиката и биле поткрепа и сѐ уште се, во многу аспекти, дел од мојот живот. Затоа овој понеделник на неколку дена пред 8ми март ќе посветиме епизода на најважните настани во историјата поврзани со женските права и секако ќе уживаме во музиката на прекрасни жени и транс музичарки. 

Подобар свет е возможен и од нас зависи. 

Вклучете се на #celebratelifepodcast https://spoti.fi/2Jj1XZi

Smash the patriarchy!!!!  

Why do we celebrate children created outside of marriage with Chad, Pookie or Rico? Single Mother Stats are a disaster. Welcome to The Toxic Reality Show with host Gordon Nathaniel as we tackle Love, Life & Living. I invite to view our short video adventures in RED FLAGS!

Looks like Kevin Samuels & Andrew Tate were correct!

My Life is my Message

“My life is my message” – Mahatma Gandhi This is my first time seeing this quote. I love it because it fits-in perfectly with my beliefs. A lot of pressure is put on me, as a black male and young artist, to be SPECIFICALLY this and that for the sole purpose of influencing the communities (mainly male, black, Haitian, young adult, black artist) that I am a part of in a positive and progressive…

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Toxic masculinity affects not only heterosexual society, but the gay world has a lot to deconstruct. You just have to open any dating app to see profiles such as: masc 4 masc, not feminine, not camp, straight only etc.#ToxicMasculinity #lgbtqiart #photography #queergaze (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoHbYQAIe5T/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The Summer Farmer (The Stories of John Cheever)

Recently, I've started watching season 5 of Mad Men (Zuvi Zuvi Zoooo) and the DVD had a message from Canadian Whiskey, a company featured strongly on this show. The actor representing the whisky says that the whiskey brand is proud to sponsor Mad Men, a show about a time when "Men were Men". And wow, talk about missing the whole fucking point of the show.

Don Draper is a fiction, a fake, a persona put on by a poor broken man who ran as far away from his dirt farmer upbringing.

Speaking of which, we have Paul Hollis, the city man who wants to think that he's still a man by farming. He's more like the Roger Sterling of the Cheever stories, except Roger Sterling doesn't act on his insecurities by spending the summers farming.

By contrast, we have Kasiak, the Russian emigre who still believes in the Communist Revolution (but probably not Stalin since he's in America and not Russia) and as far as Paul is concerned, he's everything that Paul isn't. He's naturally into farming. He's dismissive of capitalism. He's just there with his other culture. And Paul decides to needle him every opportunity he gets,because Paul is that kind of jerk that cannot let someone just make him feel insecure without trying to do the same.

So the ending - rabbits die. Poisoned. Paul blames Kasiak and pushes him away in what could start a fight but Kasiak just takes it. And then it turns out that his wife accidentally poisoned the rabbits.

So there you go. America vs. Russia in upstate New York. With America killing its own while blaming Russia. Which could be a metaphor for McCarthyism if McCarthyism wasn't 5 years after the publication of the story.

But mostly, it's one guy trying to be the man. And making a fool of himself.

The Green Dragon Part Two

He entered the king's throne room, and he approached him. The herald announced him in a dramatic fashion, which was his cue to stagger into the room, with careful notice to show the dent in his armour. Here, he was far away from the truth of the matter, and he hoped that this wouldn’t end his adventuring career. He was fighting all the men that he had squired with for this opportunity.

“The dragon destroyed me, O King. I was unable to reason with him and he forced me out.”

The king said nothing. He waited a little longer until he added.

“I can still do it; I was almost able to defeat him. I just need another go. Your daughter, the princess, my betrothed, is still there in great distress. And I just need to go back and finish the job. She is starving and cold. You wouldn’t let your daughter be left there. I know that I can do it.” Here the knight raised his sword and held it there and it felt like invisible strings were playing.

He stooks once more at the tower, where the dragon and girl had bested him. In quiet moments along the ride, he would think about the way that the dragon and the princess had humiliated him and made him feel like he wasn’t good enough and at the first test of honour he’d failed but he also knew that he was going back, and he knew that he was ready this time. The dents were gone from the armour, pounded smooth and the scratches buffed out so that it looked almost as clean and bright as it had been except from a slight crumple. She had been correct in a way that he felt the shame rise. It has been a rapid rise from squire to Lewis to knight in his own right. And in his heart of hearts, he knew that he probably had maybe a year to go. And that maybe he hadn’t been ready for the responsibility of rescuing the princess. But then he remembered that he had to live up to expectations that had been placed upon him.

 Then he thought of his recent mentor in Lewis. He was happy to sit at home and drink and eat after many years of adventuring. He wasn’t hungry for achieving any goals, and he decided that he wouldn’t have that. Even if he did become a prince by marrying the princess, he was going to not let it destroy him and give in to a woman’s domesticity. She would bear his children and provide a safe harbour to return to at intermittent periods of his life as he would quest onwards and continue to prove to the king how valuable he was. And that knighting him wasn’t a bad idea.

. But eventually he was game to try the door that had last time been open for him. This time however there was a slight problem with his plans. The door was locked this, and a new course of action was needed. A face popped out of the window, the same window that he’d been had been ungratefully ejected from. It was the princess, and the knight gave a quick wave.

“You came back,” she shouted to the knight. And to the window she yelled presumably to the dragon that she wanted him to go down and tell the knight to leave her alone. And soon after the winged green dragon appeared and flapped his wings out of the window and landed in a large rumbling and a gust of wind as the wings flapped. The dragon then shifted back into a man.

“You’re back again. Beatrice doesn't want you here.”

 And with that, he looked at him.

“You took her away and now you are preventing her from going home.”

The dragon looked at him and tilted his head. In a soft voice he answered,

“I sheltered her when she made the decision to leave. It has become my responsibility to help her, and the door is always open for her to go and come back whenever she wants. She wants to stay here.” The emphasis on the word here.

The knight felt something rise in him. He had felt it before, he was uncomfortable. It was a stronger feeling, and he couldn’t dampen it like he had in the past. The last time that he’d experienced it was when he had been unexpectedly knighted when he felt unworthy but then his thoughts had rationalised his worth. But to feel that a magical being had emasculated and made him revisit his views. He had never hurt him, had not even drawn a weapon against him and somehow that had made the difference. He was prepared for a short and glorious fight, and this was turning out more complicated than he expected. Without thought he wandered down the path that led away from the tower and the green dragon stood there watching him walk away.

via @voicesof_theoppressed “I want to make sure that people understand that, behind this national conversation around transgender rights, there are real people who hurt when they're mocked, who hurt when they're discriminated against, and who just want to be treated with dignity and respect.” — Sarah McBride 🤳: @voicesof_theoppressed 🐥: @faithnaff . . . . #trans #transwomen #transrights #explore #misogynist #misogyny #toxicmasculinity #patriarchy #fuckthepatriarchy #transgender #transisbeautiful #blacktranswomen #blacktranslivesmatter #translivesmatter #explorepage #smashthepatriarchy #bigotry #transgirl #transwoman #transpride #transgirls #transrightsarehumanrights #transphobic #transpride #decolonizeyourmind #transgenderpride #endthestigma #lgbt #lgbtq https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl7Er4tOJx-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Toxic Masculinity Will Kill Us All

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,   Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” – Yeats(Created by author with Nightcafe AI image generator.) Per The Washington Post, “Not a single week in 2022 has passed without at least four mass shootings [in the US].” The article defines a mass shooting as 4 or more people being injured or killed. These facts need no other words to illustrate…

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