As a chronic migraine sufferer, I have two major triggers: strong chemical smells and flashing lights. Each time I encounter these triggers is like being shot at with rock salt. Am I hit every time? No, but it’s been enough times that I do my best to avoid the possibility of being shot. Over the years, I have figured out where I am most likely to face these triggers: for example regarding smells, insensitive coworkers who don’t take migraines seriously are a serious danger. …
Aside from that horrible pun, this is a fairly serious response to Pierce County’s use of CARE Act funds.
The Pierce County Council recently approved funds to be used to “reimburse” restaurants 50% for each meal served for a total of 10 days in November. [This is being pitched as saving customers 30%, when it’s really more than a 20% markup per meal on the taxpayer’s dime.] Per KIRO news, each restaurant will be eligible for up to $90,000, with a minimum of $5,000 guaranteed for participation. [1] The County Council has allocated $7.5 million in funds from the CARE…
Women, People of Color, immigrants, people with disabilities/ chronic conditions, and the LGBTQIA community are missing from a lot of local online celebrations of #labor’s #history, in large part due to the intertwining histories of misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia. Certain types of work are still not necessarily considered “real work,” which sidelines multiple populations in discussions of the labor movement. It wasn’t [and for many still isn’t] safe to be “out.” In Tacoma, one of the major free sources of photos for local historical projects is the Boland collection, Marvin Boland himself a member of the KKK. While newspapers…
The following essay has been adapted from a 2019 slideshow/ presentation. If you are interested in hosting the full or modified format of this presentation, please contact me at suzanneskaar@gmail.com.
“eventually several light-skinned men who could ‘pass’ were admitted, including Dr. Thomas W. Stringer of Mississippi, an African Methodist Episcopal minister and Reconstruction-era Mississippi state senator. [He] remained in the Knights long enough to learn their organization and their rituals […] then left to form what was officially named The Supreme Lodge of Knights of Pythias of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceanica.”[6]
“The Court’s motto ‘Fidelity, Harmony, and…
A ridiculous number of people connect being a “real woman” with being a mother and a wife. If you don’t want to have children, I stand behind your decision 100%. If you don’t want to be married, ditto. You are You regardless of your relationship to other people, desire and/ or ability to have children, assigned sex at birth, adherence to society inflicted gender roles, job title, etc.
However, in recent conversations, I’ve noticed the following point seems to get lost or overlooked: women who have kids (by birth or other circumstances) still have value and identities. Their offspring have…
It is harder and harder to ignore the connections between government officials and toxic corporate entities, nationally and locally. My adopted hometown, the City of Tacoma, has been home to multiple Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites. The Asarco Smelter was allowed to pollute the air, soil, and water for almost 100 years. With this legacy in mind, residents successfully fought back against a proposed methanol plant on the port. However, many are still fighting the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG/ fracked gas) storage facility, a particularly frustrating battle as construction began prior to all the necessary permits being obtained. Concerns have…
“The problem with having so much media that correlates being a genius with being an unlikeable asshole (ex. Rick and Morty) is that men start to think that because they’re unlikeable assholes, they Must Be smarter than everyone else[.]”
“Interesting that you assert only men are affected by this.”
“Let me give you some idea of what it’s like to read this post, as a man…”
“The problem with having so much media that correlates being wealthy and successful with being drunk belligerent golddiggers (ex. Real housewives) is that women think being obnoxious/loud backstabbers make them worthy of being wealthy.”
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