Feminist Quote Bag

O'Donnell

 

"I don't like the phrase 'balancing work and family.'  The idea that there's some sort of balance leaves (people) feeling guilty.  I spend more time at work than at home with my three beautiful chldren and I'm not going to feel guilty about that ...
"I'm amazed male executives still say to me, "How are you going to do this job with three young kids at home?"  Men are never asked that question."


-- Norah O'Donnell, chief White House correspondent for CBS News.

Courtesy of USA Weekend.

From Cherie's Kitchen: E2 Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Here we are in September.  Back to school, back to work and back to the kitchen for hearty dishes we enjoy as the weather turns cooler and the leaves turn color.


Here is a dish that will persuade even the most ardent carnivore that vegan food can be tasty and satisfying, courtesy of "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn, a vegan version of the classic Shepherd's Pie.  And the best part is -- Nobody gets killed!  Here's my slightly modified version:

Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 Yukon Gold potatoes (or your favorite potatoes,) quartered
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 teaspoons dried, chopped rosemary
Cracked pepper to taste (optional)
16 oz. fresh or frozen green beans (or 1 15 oz. can, drained)
2 onions, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package soy meat crumbles (I like Morningstar Farms)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce ( I like Wizard's)
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Boil the potatoes until soft.  Drain and mash them with the soy milk and a teaspoon of the rosemary.  Add pepper if desired and set aside.

If using fresh or frozen green beans, steam them for about seven minutes, or until bright green and still firm.  If using canned beans (they work just fine,) drain and set aside.

Saute the onions on medium heat in a large nonstick skillet until translucent.  Add mushrooms, if desired, garlic and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to the onions.  Cook another few minutes.  If using mushrooms, cook about five minutes until they release their juices.

Add the meat crumbles, pepper and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.  Add a small amount of water as necessary to combine the ingredients.  The mixture should be moist, but not runny.

Spray a medium casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Place the vegetable/meat crumble mixture in the casserole dish.  Spread the green beans on top of the mixture.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the top.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove top and bake five minutes longer, or until potatoes begin to brown lightly.


Because this dish completely free of animal products -- even milk or eggs  that are allowed on a vegetarian diet -- it is considered vegan.

I had most of the ingredients stocked in my pantry, fridge and freezer and had to pick up only a few items.

I usually keep a couple of bags of Morningstar Farms Meal Starter soy crumbles in my freezer where they are available for soup, chili or spaghetti sauce.  These are easy enough to find in the frozen foods section of Meijer, Target or Kroger.

My first question was, "Why do I need vegan Worcestershire sauce?"  I was not aware that this popular flavoring contains Anchoives -- fish!  So, pitch any old Worcestershire sauce in your fridge and replace it with the Wizard's brand, available at Whole Foods Market for just a few dollars.

Bragg's Liquid Aminos is a substitute for high-sodium soy sauce.  In addition to its nutritional value, Bragg's contains only a small amount of naturally occurring sodium, with no additional salt added.  It's also available at Whole Foods Market for only a few dollars.  So, throw out any old soy sauce in your fridge, too.

The fall is a wonderful time to set goals.  Why not strive for one meatless meal a week?  With delicious food like this, you'll never miss the meat. More great recipes are available on the Engine 2 Diet  website.

And, best of all -- NOBODY GETS KILLED!

Film festival features flix with feminist flair

I've discovered a great source of economic intellectual enlightenment and entertainment:  The Detroit Film Theater located in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The theater wrapped up its summer season with the film "!Women Art Revolution," a new documentary by filmmaker/artist Lynn Hershman Leeson that explored the feminist art movement of the 1960s and '70s. 

This was definitely not a film to be found at a local cineplex, and neither are the films included in the DFT's fall schedule.

Two selections deal with women and gender themes:


"Mozart's Sister. " Who knew he had one?  That's exactly the point.  This is the "re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart".  She was an exceptional musician and composer whose talents were on par with those of her famous brother, Wolfgang.  Yet, she was a victim of the strictly enforced gender roles of her time.  Since this is a "re-imagined account," it would be interesting to do some research to see just how much artistic license is taken with this woman's story.

The film plays Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m; Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 7 at 9:45 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 8 at 9:45 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4:45 p.m.

Note:  French with English subtitles.  See the trailer here:



"A Woman Like That." This is a presentation of the Friends of Detroit Film Theater and the DIA European Paintings Council.  Filmmaker Ellen Weissbrod combines her own life experiences with the "her pursuit of the truths behind the legends about 17th century female painter Artemisia Gentileschi.  Gentileschi's painting "Judith with the Head of Holofernes" hangs in the DIA's gallery.  The DFT says, "The enduring power of her story is revealed through her singular works of art, and the filmmaker learns that it matters who gets to tell it."

The film has one showing on Saturday, October 2 at 1 p.m.  see the trailer here:


 
The Detroit Film Theater is located at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward, Detroit, Mich.  Secure lot parking is available for $5.

The great thing about the features is that they are not expensive.  Tickets are $7.50 and discounts are available for students and senior citizens.  Order tickets on line and see the DFT's full fall schedule at:  dia.org/dft.  Secure lot parking is available for $5.

Professor believes Diallo treated fairly, credits feminist scholars

Professor Kutz

"I think she was treated extremely fairly at the beginning. There's evidence that she was -- her complaint was taken as seriously as it could possibly be.
And I think that's a tribute both to the professionals in law enforcement, and I think also to a generation of particularly feminist legal scholars and activists who've made -- who've changed the way in which we understand the charge of rape." -- Professor Christopher Kutz, University of California, Berkeley

Sex crime charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn have been dropped, but a civil suit against him by his accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, a hotel housekeeper, remains a possibility

So, was Diallo treated fairly and taken seriously by law enforcement officials?  Law professor Christopher Kutz of the University of California at Berkeley thinks so.  On PBS' Newshour, Kutz credited feminist legal scholars and activists "who've changed the way in which we understand the charge of rape."


Later, Kutz added he believes that Strauss-Kahn was also treated fairly. "He got a chance to present his defense, at least indirectly," Kutz said.

In the same Newshour segment, PBS' Ray Suarez asked former federal prosecutor, Allison Leotta if "there (has) been a shift away from the old days, when a woman might have been under attack from the get-go and questioned as to why and wherefore in the encounter with a man, to almost the burden being on the other side now?"

Leotta said that there has been a shift away from the laws of the 1960s where rape charges could not be brought by the victim alone.  In those days, "There had to be corroboration from another eyewitness. Now, obviously, it's not the type of crime that takes place in crowded restaurants, so that alone took out a lot of the rape cases that might have been brought."

She continued, "At the same time, when victims come forward, they are trusted, they are believed, but the prosecutors must look and see where they're coming from. What are her reasons for getting into the case? Is she coming forward because something terrible happened to her, and she wants to tell the truth and bring justice, or is she coming forward for other reasons, to get money or revenge or any number of reasons? "

Watch the PBS segment on the Strauss-Kahn case here:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

And yet, feminist scholars and activists are still fighting to change how rape is defined at the federal level of criminal justice.

According to Ms. Magazine's Ms. Blog, "Since 1929, the FBI has defined “real” rape exclusively as “forcible” rape. Its definition is the only one that exists at the federal level, and it discounts most types of rape, including oral and anal rape; rape of men; rape with an object, finger or fist; and, for most police departments, rape of unconscious women, physically or mentally disabled women and those under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

Ms. Publisher Eleanor Smeal says it's time for a change because, "The FBI needs a modern definition of rape that reflects a popular understanding of the crime and doesn’t exclude the vast majority of rapes. Rape is rape. Period. Without an accurate definition we won’t have accurate statistics about rape, and without accurate statistics we will never have adequate funding for law enforcement to solve these crimes and stop violence against women."

Ms. Magazine, along with the Feminist Majority Foundation, launched the No More Excuses campaign in April demanding that the definition be changed to reflect modern realities.  Read more and join the campaign here.

Oakland County NOW president receives feminist award

Kimberly Beebe

Kimberly Beebe, president of the National Organization for Women, Oakland County Chapter will be honored on Friday, Aug. 26 for her contributions to the area's feminist community.

Beebe, a resident of Ferndale, will receive the Betty Friedan Award from the Wayne County chapter of NOW.

The chapter's past president Gerrie Barclay said, "Kim has reinvigorated the chapter, infused several extremely successful events with her enthusiasm, organizational skills and passion.  Kim has reached out to people and diverse groups in Oakland County and has included them in the rubric of the Oakland Chapter."

In 2010, Beebe was chosen as a feminist liaison by Natalie Mosher, 11th District Congressional candidate. She is also serving on the advisory commission of the Women's Commission for Oakland County.


Other award recipients include Gloria House, the Harriet Tubman Award; Gilda Jacobs, the Loretta Moore Award; and Rosemary Robinson, the Susan B. Anthony Award.

G. Asenath Andrews, principal of the Catherine Ferguson Academy and artist Mary Luevanos will also be honored.

The Awards will be given on August 26 at NOW’s celebration of Women’s Equality Day. All are invited to attend. The celebration begins at 5 pm and runs until 8 pm. It will feature a dinner al fresco along the Detroit River just a couple doors down from Manoogian Manor. The price is $35. Please RSVP waynecountynow@gmail.com.

This day in HERstory

In 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to approve the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which guaranteed women the right to vote.
Courtesy of the Detroit Free Press



National Women's Equality Day is Friday, August 26.  Learn more at the National Women's History Project's website. 

Take the NWHP's Equality Day Quiz here.

Feminist Quote Bag

From Us Magazine:


"I need glasses now when I read my scripts. I wear them -- but I'm happy to wear them, and happy I still get to read my scripts. So it's not been so bad. They scared me. They told me, 'Forget it.  At 30 it's over for you.' And that has not been the case."  
--Actress Selma Hayek, 44

Hayek

 

Silverman

"When you tell people you're 40 in Los Angeles, they act like you survived cancer."  

-- Comedian Sarah Silverman, 40



"I don't find the whole cougar

Cox

word offensive ... A cougar is someone who takes care of herself and goes out with younger guys.  She doesn't need a man to take care of her."
 -- Actress Courteney Cox, 47, star of the ABC series "Cougar Town."