JLou rebel

coming out of the woodwork.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:01:00 +0000

Rhea Belle apparel will be featured in the September issue of Women and Cancer Magazine. An editor admitted that they have never addressed the population of women who decide against reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. This article will be the first to not only introduce this innovative clothing line but the refreshing personal and social ideologies that gave birth to their design and brave existence.

photo: the Rhea Belle songbird capelet dress/tunic.

flight.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:32:00 +0000

caged bird, sing.

and

babies having babies.

"soul of my soul"

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:41:00 +0000

we should see other people.

between friends. and delicious honesty.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:05:00 +0000

(an email from a friend)
If you feel like it, would you add your comments to this one? I know it's a painful post to read:

Comparing Our Grief Credentials
http://www.assertivepatient.com/2009/04/comparing-our-grief-credentials.html

Thanks,
Jeanne

*

jeanne,
i can't bear to read anything painful. so i won't. i will keep in touch with friends but staying away from blogs that deal with cancer- i feel like it hi-jacked 9 years of my life. finally dealing with it ...
i hope you understand.

love you, jeanne!
jac

*

Jacqueline--thank you for letting me know. Please do keep in touch with me when you feel you can--our friendship is NOT about cancer. Not anymore.

Much love to you.
Jeanne

"Say My Name"

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:24:00 +0000

"A film by Nirit Peled

Sisters, mothers, businesswomen, music artists—in a hip hop and RnB industry world by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of SAY MY NAME speak candidly about class, race, and gender in pursuing their passions as female MCs. From hip hops birthplace in the Bronx to grime on Londons Eastside, emerging artists to world renowned stars like MC Lyte and Monie Love, these are women turning adversity into art."

freaks. friends. and rebels.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:18:00 +0000

ilo

a conversation between two kindred spirits...

Laurie
December 14 at 1:23pm
"It seems like it's a given that every woman who has had a mastectomy wants reconstruction. A given that you would put yourself through major, potentially dangerous surgery that is not guaranteed to provide the results you want. And then women are crushed when the surgery does not restore their breasts.
Me? I just want a decent bra. ;-)
love,
L.
p.s.: you are still my hero."

me (Jacqueline)
December 14 at 1:37pm
"i really don't know what i'd do without you. really.

i need to name the bra. all the words i/we have thought of have been used or the domain is taken. so i'm starting fresh. i have, in my head, a tone that id like to convey and think i should just make a list of adjectives and such. i'll keep you posted/share the list- but if anything pops into your mind- please do tell.

xo
jac."

me
December 14 at 1:41pm
"... i did have friend say once- who has never faced the experience...

"most women have reconstruction don't they? well, unless they're older, right?"

sigh."

Laurie
December 14 at 1:44pm
"Tomorrow, when the house is quiet, I will do some brainstorming.

And I find the whole reconstruction thing so frustrating. It seems that reconstruction is pretty much presented as just part of treatment for most women. Pisses me off."

me
December 14 at 1:56pm
"...it just seems like this bra needs to be out there- i mean OUT there. it will take a major launch and i want to do it myself- just not sure how.

yes, that concept of the recon being a part of the mastectomy experience also means that all the painful suffering and disappointment is "all a part of it" too.

i'm just overwhelmed and also a bit pissed off that this bra wasn't designed a long time ago and something we could pick up at target or victorias secret.

i'm planning a website just for the bra/launch. it will mean just forwading the word- maybe youtube, facebook, myspace, etc.

i've placed text on my blog to get things going..."

me
December 14 at 1:56pm
"talking to you helps SO much."

Laurie
December 15 at 2:55pm
"i like the text very much. and i know what you mean - if i even want a traditional mastectomy bra have to go out to some dusty corner of a suburban strip mall.
i do get my bras at target. they are sports bras and they come in all kinds of colours. they don't on the other hand, provide that much support...change needs to happen and i think that by being who we are, we help with that. if you weren't out there, I would feel like such a freak.
love,
L."

me
December 15 at 9:23pm
"it so funny you used the word "freak". i have always been reluctant to say it... although i think it a lot. especially when i get the feeling i'm on an island... one breasted and alone. ha!

and then i realize that i feel like a freak ONLY in the context of the oppressive "norms"- and the idea that reconstruction makes more social sense- but that's about it.

i'm SO lucky to have you in my world."

Laurie
December 19 at 12:58pm
"i feel the same way about you.

and i am on that one-breasted island with you!!!

much, much love-
L. xoxo"

Introducing Jen and Karen. a vision. and sensuality.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:22:00 +0000

view details of a studio visit. designs by Jennifer Hartley and Karen Zaitzeff. 03.01.09

from the designers...

Jen and Karen are a made to measure design pair who live and work in New York City. Lending their effortless aesthetic to a select circle for two years now. They have attracted a loyal ever-growing clientele who affectionately hound the low-key pair for any injection of their perverse elegant style they can get. Jen and Karen have for the first time opened up their fantastic world with a limited offering exclusively to Rhea Belle apparel.

Inspired by the grace and innovation of Rhea Belle founder/head designer Jacqueline Skaggs, Jen and Karen were honored when approached to pioneer a collaborative effort, which is to become a new facet of Jacqueline’s burgeoning vision. Having researched the idea of a reshaped female silhouette the pair were excited to explore where the sensuality of this futuristic woman lies. They were not surprised that what they found brought them back to one of their long running mantras. Sensuality has no standard. Proud of that and in very familiar territory the two embarked upon a design journey that produced the creations we now have as Jen and Karen for the Rebel, Rhea Belle apparel.

photographs by Gwendolyn C. Skaggs

coming soon...

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:57:00 +0000

designs created by 'Jen and Karen' exclusively for Rhea Belle apparel.

it's 2009.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:06:00 +0000

may i NOT think, or HAVE to think about cancer this year. after a few upcoming january test/mri's and a february mammo it will be my 5 year mark. we'll cross our fingers that i pass this mind blasting mythological barrier as a beautifully illusioned member of the glorified cancer free crowd for fucking EVER!

although i did hear that my lifeline splits. and i don't think it's always been that way. not sure what that means.

life is beautiful though. my 2009 horoscope could not be more perfection...

the new lieu.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:14:00 +0000

ilo

we'll start with words.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:36:00 +0000

coming out of the woodwork.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:49:00 +0000

an email that was sent to me:

"Jacqueline,

Given the market you're addressing with your clothing/jewelry, do you have any information or a resource for statistics on the number of women who have mastectomies who do/do not elect to have reconstruction? I have found incidence rates for breast cancer diagnosis & survivors online, but nothing that would come up with a number of women who are missing one or two breasts.

After corresponding with you the other day I've come up with a couple of additional ideas that might be of interest to women who do wear prostheses. I still don't see any major production (but you never know!), but am trying to get a feel for the market.

I credit seeing your site along with Breast Free's in helping me take a more creative look at how I deal with living life with one breast. I think it's pushed me beyond the "detachment" phase of grieving the loss."

MY RESPONSE:

As a matter of fact I did find some stats on "women who have mastectomies who do/do not elect to have reconstruction". It was a while back- over a year ago- and it was on the American Cancer Society's website. I tried to find the information again at another time and couldn't find it. I forget how I searched (what key words) to have found it the first time.

I'll try to find it again- I recall it was kind of vague and not exactly an accurate/educated "statistic"- but a generalization.

I originally gave up looking for this information because I decided it was useless to me anyway. I think I know the reasons it's not gathered more carefully.

Basically the "industry" doesn't want us to be comfortable NOT faking it. If more and more women decided to expose their new bodies and be comfortable with one or no breast- what would that do for "Nearly You" or "Amoena"- not to mention the pockets of plastic surgeons and medical institutions who get millions of $ a year for the reconstruction procedures that follow mastectomies. And NOT to mention that even though there may actually be thousands and thousands of women with similar bodies our society is an oppressive one- making women feel judged and less "woman". Sure it has to do with age to some degree but I have gotten letters from younger women who wanted to go with no reconstruction and they were talked into it by there doctors.

I decided to put my products out there regardless of the stats. Some people simply prefer to follow. Some prefer to lead. I knew that once my clothing and bra were available minds would be opened and women would start questioning traditional ideologies surrounding their bodies. It's not about making a buck for me- it's about integrity and a bit of common sense and leading a revolution... even IF the numbers are small.

turn.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +0000

take turns
turning point
the tide has turned
turning the corner
taking a turn for the best
taking a turn for the worse
turn the clock back
the tables have turned
turns out

(to be continued...)

reflections.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:31:00 +0000

for a new friend. my words on the surgery.

feed. back.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:20:00 +0000

the latest for Rhea Belle apparel...

"absolutely love this dress. who says winter requires shades of gray. lightning speed shipping and care taken with packaging! again, what a beautiful concept - loving our bodies in whatever shape they are in."

(MORE HERE! and YES, i'm bragging.)

dark ages.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:24:00 +0000

"For women who have opted not to undergo reconstruction after a mastectomy, it is vital to get a good breast form and find the right bra, according to personal development and image consultant Judy Fearn.
"This is really worth pursuing," she says. "Keep trying them on until you find the one that works for you. You'll be amazed at the difference it can make to your silhouette and the way you feel about yourself."

(more photos and about the photos.)

on being ageless.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:37:00 +0000

It is a great essay! But after reading "What would Susan do?" by Matthew Zachary I must note that we should give credit where credit is due. The "think before you pink" project began in 2002 by BREAST CANCER ACTION - one of the leading and growing breast cancer advocacy organizations in the country. Their politics, ideologies and mission transcends ageism and is not limited to a stereotyped 40+ crowd. It's quite bothersome when "young" people (supposedly under 40) stereotype the "non-young" (anyone over 40). GenerationX has ALL generations before them to thank for paving the way for their inventions and attitudes. The only difference between my diagnosis at 36 and my diagnosis at 40 was my age in years- I was the same person. My rebellious, socially inquisitive and ageless disposition will remain throughout my years and GenX will discover this truth themselves one day. After 40 we don't automatically buy into questionable mainstream rallies like the pink ribbon. Neither did my 70+ year old grandmother for that matter when she had breast cancer. Plenty of "young" women support Komen and pink ribbon product consumption (hardcore!- trust me I've talked to some of them). Attend a Susan G. Komen walk and you'll see what I mean. It's not an age/generation thing that makes someone uncomfortable with organizations like Komen or PINK marketing in general. It's a rising social/political conscience issue that's been addressed for years by many women with strong social and feminist views even before GenX when we weren't even so saturated with it. We must all be responsible reporters/writers and not buy into ageism like so many other facets of the media where YOUNG is better. It's the ideologies and politics of rebellious generations before us of all ages that actually gives rise to progress and unveils oppressive ideologies and presents these observations to the next generation. I mean, I'm 44 but my clothing line and website are informing younger women of non-traditional/mainstream choices they didn't think they had. Many of my garments have sold to 25-30 year olds with and without cancer. I'm going to be cool and progressive even at 90! In a world where we require permission by red-carpet celebrities or DOVE soap commercials to be proud of grey hair and wrinkles it's important for those of us, of all ages, with a sensitive social conscience to come together- to be ourselves and embrace our strong voices beyond the boundaries of the number of our living years.

Komen knows exactly what they are doing and their marketing has absolutely everything and nothing to do with age. That's the brilliance of Komen. They're simply a money machine. When many women wrote to Komen and complained about this ad a Komen representative responded by saying the ad was intended to reach a "younger" crowd by using an "image they could relate to". While social and feminist conscience women were enraged even by the response, the signs remained. I'd like to say that Komen is out of touch with the younger crowd but it seems they are not. If we are really out to change the flow of this river we must address the fundamental "wrongs" in these campaigns for "cure/research" and get young people on board with the offensive social/feminine/consumer assault that these campaigns provoke and not just calling "foul" to the superficial by-products of the regime (the pink ribbons and product consumption). And even more importantly we shouldn't ever separate the old from the youth in these battles - you need some of us on board- we're fighting the same battles and we're passionate. To say "We're on our own. And as I like to say, GenX cancer will only be fixed by GenX." is a bit of a stretch.

I personally think all women should read The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde in order to clearly understand how far we have not come in defining and owning our personal feminine ideologies and our bodies. The PINK thing transcends marketing/disease/body/consumer exploitation. It's simply oppressive and women in the fields of feminist studies, anthropology, socio-political and marketing have been writing about it for years already. Until people educate themselves on HOW we got to this point with disease marketing/exploiting/profiteering via product consumption and the landscape of advertising they will not understand what it will take to change it's course. The Susan G. Komen foundation is not a bad organization. All of the effort and contributiuons they make towards funding research and assiting the econimically challenged/medically under-served population with screening is commendable. For me, it is not only their no holds barred marketing and advertising that I find has much to be desired but their capitalistic conservative political practices are transparent as well. The foundation lobbied against a pro-consumer patient-rights bill in 1999, 2000, and 2001; the bill that the company sponsored is known as "the HMO Bill of Rights." Not to mention they clearly display absolutely no regard or interest in the causes of breast cancer. As the rising rock-star of money making/receiving organizations for the "cause" I wish they'd at least run a more progressive, socially sensitive, feminist sensitive show- stop exploiting our bodies, stop implying breast cancer is all about our breast and not our lives and stop making cancer out to be something we fight, kick and punch... or lose to. Treat us, the consuming public, like intelligent people. We have also only to blame all the companies who participate in "pink product" merchandising at the expense of those fighting breast cancer while pushing their products stamped with a ribbon. For every lid licked, every product labeled at the grocery with a pink ribbon and beyond simply lies a transparent opportunity to make a buck (with usually very little actually going to the "cause") through passive, empty empathy. Every October there's an open invitation to profit from of a disease- someone else's misfortune. The question is not "what would Susan do?"- it would be arrogant to even speculate or imply she would do anything differently than her sister.

Resources from Rebel1in8:

Patient No More: The Politics of Breast Cancer by Sharon Batt

Breast Cancer: Society Shapes an Epidemic by Anne S. Kasper

The Politics of Breast Cancer by Maureen Hogan Casamayou

The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America by Barron H. Lerner

A Darker Ribbon: A Twentieth-Century Story of Breast Cancer, Women, and Their Doctors by Ellen Leopold

Pink Ribbons, Inc by Samantha King

Unravel The Ribbon by Sarah Lochlann Jain

Pink Ribbon Madness.

Welcome to Cancer Land.

Crunch For the Cure.

Awareness and truths.

tis the season (october).

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:22:00 +0000

i'm a bit confused why those that support the big "pink ribbon" agenda always make those that DON'T -seem like haters. it's funny because that's EXACTLY how the marketing works- if you're not out walking, running and consuming for the cause and it's "victims" then you just don't care. god forbid we simply conserve our personal energy by NOT walking and avoid purchasing unnecessary pink products by NOT consuming and give to the charity DIRECTLY. it's all so passive. what happened to genuine compassion without a gift in return of something useless.

i don't hate the pink "campaign"- i loathe it. and not because it over-rides other diseases and causes of death. i loathe it because it is sexist and undermines fundamental feminist issues. it's an oppressive plight that uses bloated old-age feminine ideologies about our bodies and our place in the world to scare women into being "AWARE" at the expense of our integrity while practicing the sweet pleasures of capitalism. yeh, it's a mouth full. it is simply a "fear losing your breast because it has everything to do with who you are". it's a frightening day when some one says with a light, careless air in their voice- it's ok- it's breast cancer- it IS all about the breast, after all.

i've been diagnosed twice with a mastectomy the second time around with no re-construction. my grandmother had breast cancer and a bi-lateral mastectomy (no re-construction) in her 60's and died 20 years later with lung cancer. i move forward in her/our honor by NOT supporting breast cancer organizations that use the disease and women's bodies so carelessly and without a social or feminist conscience. any campaign that uses a headless woman's torso and talks about "save the breast" or "kick it" with vague misleading illusions to bring attention to it's CAUSE is NOT working in MY name or my grandmother's . in other words these organizations do NOT speak for me. we who march to a different drummer certainly are allowed to have and voice our keen socially/politically observant opinions - despite that they may go against the comfy zone of mainstream popularity. but we are far from being "haters".

my fabulous friend and patient advocate Jeanne Sather has some great suggestions on her blog. If you'd like to contribute to the "cause" in a more direct, compassionate way consider the question... "What DO You Want (Instead of a Pink Ribbon)?"

sometimes it doesn't cost a single cent to help the "cause". help low-income medically underserved women by making a simple phone call.

see the right column on this blog- i place some interesting information under "ON PINK".

in the same vain as my opinion "on pink" i design clothing for women who have had a mastectomy and choose NOT to impose society's politics and ideologies on their already traumatized bodies and do not have reconstruction or a wear the blob (aka the prosthesis). it is the very first clothing line to EMBRACE the single breasted or no breasted body... www.rheabelle.etsy.com

de-pink at Rebel1in8

please see "MY TOP RESOURCES" in the right column.

if you live in new york city...

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:23:00 +0000

i highly recommend the play "The Clean House" by Sarah Ruhl. it's currently at the Tisch theater until Sunday, October 5th. get your tickets in advance through smarttix. i don't witness much theater but this play is worth an evening out.

an excerpt:

Ana:
"People talk about cancer like it's this special thing you have a relationship with. And it becomes blood count, biopsy, chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow, blah blah blah blah blah. As long as I live I want to retain my own language.
Mientras tenga vida, quiero aferrarme mi propio idioma.
No extra hospital words. I don't want to have a relationship with a disease. I want to have a relationship with death. That's important. But to have a relationship with with a disease -- that's some kind of bourgeois invention. And I hate it."

it's a play about discovering/opening your heart for the perfect joke and love. and some stuff in between.

(some costume consultation provided by Rhea Belle apparel.)

what matters.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:03:00 +0000

it's the rebellions that matter.
despite the powers that be and what some may think.
fight the doubts, the resistance, the opposing grain.
that's what makes a rebellion... a rebellion.

imagine a long commercial
cutting in
on a setting sun.

that's what the days are like.

at the end of the day, though
i try to remember what matters.
my true guides are inside my heart
speaking through the gut
with swords protecting my spirit.
i just keep saying, because it is true

.
.
.
stay close to the believers
the passion getters
the joy seekers
the givers of kindness
and to hell with
those
whose
arrogance
prevents
them
from
sharing
or even
knowing
the
sounds
of
the
drumming
rain.

Truth be told.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:38:00 +0000

From the Los Angeles Times

Opinion
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
"Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger."

By Gloria Steinem

September 4, 2008

Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.

But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.

Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked aboutIraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.

So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.

So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.

Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.

Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.

And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.

This could be huge.

Gloria Steinem is an author, feminist organizer and co-founder of the Women's MediaCenter. She supported Hillary Clinton and is now supporting Barack Obama.

a new place to gather...

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:32:00 +0000

under THE SONGBIRD BRANCH.

Rhea Belle apparel... the beat goes on.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:39:00 +0000

i just received the following email today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I received the items I ordered, and I love them -- Now I'm wondering about another...
Thanks again -- Your clothes make me feel so good......
Mary"

a wordless narrative #2.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:35:00 +0000

a train ride.
towards friends, gregg and marisol.
rich blue skies.
sun kissed wood.
licks and jumping fur.
cool water in evening light.
a love story on a rippling sheet under stars and amidst crickets and birds. and a fire.
chocolate cake and beer. (yes together) after steak and garden greens.
sleep.
and then.
morning swimming. alone. floating. and summersaults.
taking it in.
a puppy named chica.
a smooth sweet flirty dog named chulo.
and elegant maya. 15 years old. sleeping. always. and dreaming of play and running and treats and all the hugs and kisses in foreverville where comfort and endless memories with her cool mama, marisol await her.
and gregg. i wrote a poem for him once. or twice. a friend for life. years ago he walked deep in the woods with me. he, a shovel in his hand. me, my dead cat's body in a back pack. we buried her together. he was the only one near that i trusted. he lost a shoe (a dress shoe at that) down a steep hill while climbing towards the best spot. we buried her on a hill near a stream. i planted poppies. we found his shoe.

and then a train ride back to brooklyn. to "meat".

enjoy the show.

unleashed.

rebel1in8@hotmail.com (jacqueline) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:10:00 +0000

the new designs have been unleashed. my description for this garment:

NEVER before has a mastectomy garment been offered that actually embraces the transformed body. This dress was designed solely with my body landscape in mind- a single right side mastectomy. The rich raspberry tie gently wraps the flat chocolate terrain- protecting, embracing and empowering it with style. Radical times call for radical measures. Thousands of women walk the sidewalks with post mastectomy bodies hiding them with prosthetics, frumpy over-sized garments and fear. I refused painful, potentially harmful reconstruction and the humility I find in the use of a prosthesis. I'd rather adorn my deserved body with beautiful garments and confidence and this piece is the first to be available for sale with such a brave bold statement.

If you haven't had surgery it's still going to be fabulous on you!!! Just fabulous. Wear it with glorious support for all the women with transformed bodies and spread empowerment. It will be available in other colors soon. But I'm in love with this combo! The wide tie can be made to embrace the left or right side. Please specify upon purchase.

"A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw
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is this "in your face"? you bet! do i care? what do you think? but i will not let 30+ years go by again and passively sit and wait for "time" to forgive my body politics. i wish Audre Lorde were still with us to perhaps witness a day free from oppressive ideologies and submissive practices based in fear.

i simply don't want to be "nearly me" or "nearly you"

Please pass the knowledge of Rhea Belle apparel around! or go shopping for yourself. it's really not about the sales. it's about unleashing the lovely sweet REBELLION!!!!! a rebellion created for ALL women- so if you ever need to make those hard pressed decisions regarding what to do with your body if diagnosed with breast cancer you'll have choices. choices based in your personal ideologies NOT fear of social rejection.

and i'm not the only one wondering "if thousands of women are having mastectomies a year... where are they? where are "the women like me"?

(i'm wearing this number this weekend. i'll post photos as i'm always getting comments like "let's see YOU in it". so ok. ok already.)