Meet Mary Katherine Goddard

She printed the Declaration and was the first female postmaster in the colonies in 1775 in Baltimore.

Taylor Swift 1, Kanye West 0

You go, girl.  She stood her ground with conviction and class at the 2016 Grammys.

The Women Warriors of the Kurdish Peshmerga

They are as eager to fight ISIS as their male counterparts. I did not know this:

The Kurdish Peshmerga’s battle against Islamic extremists is drawing hundreds of female volunteers and persecuted minorities, many of whom are being trained by a unit in Dohuk. 

“It’s my duty to defend my country,” said Sashida Sadiq, a police commander from Dohuk. The 27-year old was one of 20 women selected for military service among the 2,800 people who tried to enlist in Dohuk.  

Although Sadiq’s role is primarily administrative and logistic, she is prepared to fight the Islamic State (IS/formerly ISIS) and many are proud of her service. Sadiq is single but maintained that even if she had a husband and children “I would fight. The situation is too bad.” 

“I’m not afraid of fighting IS,” she said. “My being a women makes no difference. The Peshmerga will be stronger than IS once we get better weapons. I am eager to use those against them.”  

In Sulaimania, the Peshmerga has five female reservist battalions, and many of the soldiers are married with children. They have been called to serve since the battle against IS began in June.  

In addition, female fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) have joined the war effort and make up 30 to 40 percent of the militias’ fighters.

Subversive LOLs

Smile and laugh on, you gorgeous women of Turkey!

Amelia Earhart 2.0

Another Amelia Earhart is attempting to fly around the world.

Friday Fun Video: Salut Salon and Vivaldi

Golden Eagles Are A Girl's Best Friend

Diamonds, schmiamonds!

Forgotten History: Ice Delivery in 1918

From a fascinating collection of colorized vintage photos comes this great image. Caption: "'Girls deliver ice. Heavy work that formerly belonged to men only is being done by girls. The girls are delivering ice on a route and their work requires brawn as well as the patriotic ambition to help.' September 16, 1918. Original black and white photo by American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918, colorized by Dana Keller."

Frozen.

We Came To Dance: Boston Bomb Survivor Takes The Floor

YOU GO, GIRL.

Awesomeness: Guns N' Roses On a Ghuzeng

Sci Fi Novelist Sarah Hoyt on 9/11

Read her blog post!

Quirky Asia Files: Ceremonial First Pitch, South Korean Style

Ki Bo-bae is an Olympic archer.  So, really, what did you expect when you asked her to throw the first pitch, right?

My all-time favorite, though, has got to be this one.  She's a rhythmic gymnast, people!

Japan: Railway Employee Versus Unruly Passenger

You go, girl.

Friday Fun Video: Vivaldi on Electric Guitar

Touché!

Awesome: "IRS Asks for Reading List, Tea Party Group Sends Constitution."

A Woman of Consequence

A historian looks at the legacy of the Iron Lady.  Oh, and she was right about the euro too.  How about this for our quote of the day:

The reaction to Margaret Thatcher’s death is painfully predictable. 

The right is honoring her service in standing up to socialism and communism at home and abroad, while the left is vilifying her for standing up to socialism and communism at home and abroad.

As someone else said, Maggie Thatcher p*ssed off all the right people, and I think that is a honorable epitaph indeed.  Anyway, look at this, this, this, and this:

Pants in Paris!

Congrats, women of Paris, you can now wear trousers without getting arrested!

Lara Logan on Al Qaeda & the Taliban in Afghanistan

CBS chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan has something to say.  You may remember that she was assaulted in Cairo when she was covering the Tahrir Square unrest.  By the way, that charming accent is South African.  Note: she's not technically giving a report as much as sharing her perspective and opinion, though some people seem to have a problem with that.

 

RELATED: Richard Engel in Egypt.  See too Dignified Rant's post "Is Afghanistan Doomed?"

Apparently I'm a Cold, Calculating, Unsympathetic ... Guy

This article about "the cold, calculating libertarian mind" made me laugh, especially since it also claims that libertarianism appeals more to guys than girls ... and almost every libertarian I know is a girl, and we're all (if I do say myself) decent warmhearted folks.  Oh, and when Alessandra got wind of this piece, she messaged me with "you cold libertarian biatch!"  LOL!

Anyway, this seems to sum us up pretty well:

These are people who often call themselves economically conservative but socially liberal. They like free societies as well as free markets, and they want the government to get out of the bedroom as well as the boardroom. They don't see why, in order to get a small-government president, they have to vote for somebody who is keen on military spending and religion; or to get a tolerant and compassionate society they have to vote for a large and intrusive state.

I personally don't object to military spending in the way that some others do (I've read too much history - unilaterally disarming is a greeeeeeat way to invite people to assault you), but the rest of that block quote applies.

Public Service Announcement: If You're Not Reading Sarah Hoyt, You Should Be

Her many sci fi books aside, Hoyt's blog is fascinating stuff.  Her latest post is here.