Editor of Ms. Magazine defended their decision to put Obama on the cover in today’s Democracy Now. This is the first time a man has appeared on the cover in 12 years. It’s clear that if you read the article, the image makes a lot more sense.

Here is a critic on the magazine’s website.

See this photoshopped image of Barack Obama ripping his clothes off like Superman to reveal a T-shirt that reads: “THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE”? That’s the cover of a special inaugural issue of Ms. Magazine, and it’s got some feminists upset. Ms. states the concept was born out of a meeting Feminist Majority Foundation chairwoman Peg Yorkin and Ms. had with Obama, in which the President-Elect purportedly told them: “I am a feminist.” According to Ms., Obama “ran on the strongest platform for women’s rights of any major party in American history.” Writing in the Daily Beast, Amy Siskind asserts the image is anti-feminist: “Who is looking out for the women of this country? Well, I will tell you who is not: Ms. magazine.” Feminist Law Professors say the image is a mockery: “[Is Ms.] symbolically looking to a male superhero to ‘rescue’ feminism? Very problematic imagery, in my view.” So, what do you think? Is Superobama the first feminist President, or is the idea of a guy feminist a joke?

PRESCOTT – Environmental groups are joining in a free rally and panel discussion Wednesday in Prescott for “Verde River Awareness Day.”

Organizers say it is an effort to step up their push for a comprehensive mitigation plan to avoid hurting the Verde River before Prescott-area municipalities build pipelines to the Big Chino aquifer.

“We thought this was a good time to restate the need for comprehensive mitigation and protection for the Verde River as the communities seem intent on moving forward with the pipeline,” said Michelle Harrington, rivers conservation manager for the Center for Biological Diversity. “We continue to ask for something without receiving any answer.”

Scientists generally agree that the Big Chino aquifer supplies at least 80 percent of the baseflow for the Upper Verde River.

“I guess we’ve come to the place where we need to try everything we can, because the municipalities aren’t listening,” Citizens Water Advocacy Group member Leslie Hoy said.

Other groups sponsoring the events are the Sierra Club and Arizona Wilderness Coalition.

Wednesday events begin with a rally on the Yavapai County courthouse plaza, from noon to 1 p.m. The first half of the rally features short speeches, followed by street theatre and music.

Then at 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Prescott College, Crossroads center, 220 Grove Ave., group leaderswill participate in a panel discussion called “Big Chino Pipeline vs. the
Verde River: Your Water, Your River, Your Future.”

I’ll be there. If you want a ride (and willing to chip in gas $), let me know.

I apologize for the sparse posts as of late. I’ve been working on a lot of new projects. I’m hoping many of them will translate to handsome compensations and widespread appreciation. Ah, the pretentiousness of underpaid and over schooled writers…

I just finished a fantastic question and answer style interview with cartoonist Stephanie McMillan. Z-Mag expressed an interest in publishing it. I’m still waiting to hear back after sending them my final copy.

I also just sent out a round of query letters in preparation for my upcoming interview with Katie Lee. I’m hoping The Sun is interested (the mag, not the newspaper), but more than anything, I’m stoked to spend an afternoon with such a remarkable woman. Here is an excerpt from my query:

I am both honored and delighted to have the chance to interview an icon of the American Southwest. Born in Tucson in 1919, Katie Lee navigated the rough waters of the Great Depression, two World Wars, and, among many other movements, women’s liberation, civil rights, and the first two waves of environmental enthusiasm. During the 1950’s, she found herself living two distinct lives: one as a successful Hollywood actress and folksinger, another as a woman of nature—a feisty river-runner, photographer, and impassioned writer. It was during this time that she sharpened her environmental ethos through a budding love affair with the erotic landscape of Glen Canyon and the mighty Colorado River.

During the years leading up to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, Katie wrote letters, signed petitions, wrote protest songs and, through many river trips, fell deeper in love with the river only to see her efforts fall on deaf ears. Construction on the “Damn dam,” as she calls it, started in 1953; her beloved canyon was drowned in 1963.

Nearly 90 years old, her relentless activism continues to this day. Her recent DVD, Love Song to Glen Canyon, illustrates the canyon before the dam. Her beautiful photography is meshed with folksongs inspired by her affection for this beautiful place, lost under the guise of progress. Terry Tempest Williams has described Katie Lee as “a joyful raconteur, a woman with grit, grace and humor.” My interview with her will center around her activism, her thoughts on the modern environmental movement, and her intimate relationship with Glen Canyon.

Freelance work, I’m finding, requires patience, learning to juggle many projects at once, and lots and lots of query letter writing. I also have a few smaller projects going that perked the interest of Earth First! Journal, and my gig in the travel writing business has yielded some free meals at restaurants I would never ever be able to afford otherwise. As a bike rider, I burn a lot of calories, especially in the winter. Getting paid to write about how much I enjoyed free food from fancy ass restaurants is probably one of the best things I’ve ever had going.

Other than that, I’ve been riding the shit out of my bike. Hiking as much as possible. And reading – a few recommendations: Steven Pinker’s new book – The Stuff of Thought and an oldie, Neil Everden’s The Natural Alien.

Defiance, Ohio recently came out with their first electric album. Judas! This Bike is a Pipe Bomb just came out with their first album with distortion. Turns out it was a great idea. And finally, we don’t have to look at George W. Bush’s shameful, weasel-eyed face anymore –a new president– proving that things are always changing. Sometimes this is bad. Sometimes this is good. And sometimes we’re not yet sure.

I’m still looking for a better paying day job. If any of you have any ideas, shoot ‘em my way.

I’m back. I’m writing. Stay tuned.

If you remember, this is the guy I who – after realizing that protesting outside the auction room was useless and disheartening – posed as a rich gas/oil guy and won 13 tracks of land costing $1.8 million. This was a last minute Bush administration deal for oil and gas companies that will likely not continue with the Obama Administration. So in the meantime, the land he won might not be sold out to those profitting off the destruction of the Earth.

What’s amazing to me is that he was able to do all this alone, in one afternoon, and not once was he called a terrorist. Now me might be facing jail-time, but finds the price worth it.

“I was sitting there in the auction room, thinking if I do this there’s a good chance I’ll go to prison for several years, and can I live with that?

“And I thought, yeah, I can live with that. I can live with that a lot easier than living with the guilt of seeing an opportunity to make a difference and not taking that chance.”

Here is the latest on the story – which I’m surprised isn’t getting more coverage.

Since the auction, internet fundraising has netted DeChristopher about $45,000: the cost he owes for the initial payments on the land. But he still doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him.

“I am in limbo,” he said. “I’m just waiting to hear from the U.S. attorney’s office about any possible charges and from the BLM about whether they’ll accept my payment on the land and actually allow me to purchase those leases.”