Hang on Tight!

We have started a facebook page for those of you who are on facebook and would like to receive updates about Bad Ass Femmes on your facebook account. You can find the facebook badge to join on the right side of the blog a few scrolls down. Please feel free to join, make comments, and post information about your favorite bad ass women!

I also just recently created a twitter account specifically for updates from the Bad Ass Femmes blog. I am sure that some of my readers follow my personal account on twitter, but as many of you know I am sometimes a tad bit over the top sometimes so I wanted to create a twitter page specifically for the blog and not so much about my personal thoughts. Feel free to join the twitter page by clicking here.

I've been sporadically updating the blog over the past six months or so and I've decided that starting now I am going to make a commitment to update the blog on a consistent basis. I've had a life-long love affair with chasing after the stories of phenomenal and renegade women and now I'm ready to immerse myself in my passion. So sit tight and hang on for the ride because at times it might be a little wild! There might be times that I write about feminists or famous women, but other times I might write about whores, prostitutes, dominant women, sexuality or tell my (or your!) personal stories.

Thank you for joining me on my journey!

Bad Ass Finds: Frida Kahlo Christmas Ornaments

A couple of days ago I mentioned that I am going to blog about some special finds for that bad-ass-take-no-prisoners woman in your life or for yourself! Today online I was searching online and I found some cute Frida Kahlo ornaments to hang on the tree. It's almost Christmas time and so I don't know if they will come in time for Christmas (if I don't decide to speed order them), but what the heck-I've always been known for being unconventional so I'll hang them up all over my house until after the new year. Why not?

If you don't know who Frida Kahlo is, then I suggest that you need to get your rear end in gear and learn about what a fabulous woman she was!!

You can purchase Frida Kahlo ornaments at Cafepress by clicking here.



You Also Might Like:
Feminist ornaments
Sonia Sotomayor ornaments-our first Latina Supreme Court Justice
Strong Women ornaments
Femdom ornaments
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Two Ruthless Books That All Ambitious Women Should Read

Many women who enter the workforce and wish to attain influential positions are often ill prepared for the political power plays that encompass high-level positions. As women we have often been taught as children that we should "get along" with others and not be too overly assertive. While we most definitely do not need to act like men in order to achieve high levels of success in our careers, it would certainly behoove us to learn the tools and tricks of the trade when it comes to power, persuasion and influence. The following two books are excellent resources for women who wish to master the art of power:

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: Women are underpaid and under represented in the management workforce as well as in other high-power careers. When we do eventually attain a high-level position, we often face a workplace environment wrought with sexism, sexual harassment, and male privilege. Women aren't raised as to how to play the power games with the big boys, but this book will give you all the tools that you will need to take over your own empire. Many of the laws are completely ruthless, but it's important for women to sometimes utilize some of the rules as well as recognize when other people may be using the laws of power against them. The historical vignettes included in each chapter are indispensable to those who wish to learn more about the power plays of historical figures. This book is the best out there for people who need to learn more about office and work politics, as well as earning and maintaining powerful positions.

The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene: This excellent book is a perfect companion to The 48 Laws of Power and should be on every career woman's reading list. The book demystifies the art of persuasion and influence by outlining ten different types of persuasive or anti-persuasive personality archetypes. Many readers will refine their understanding as to which type of seductive personality they may have, or will discover what it may be about their personality that is anti-seductive. The book also summarizes eighteen personality types and explains the ways in which each personality type is most likely to be influenced by another person. In addition, the author details the phases of the seductive process and outlines how to strategically seduce, persuade and influence other people. Women who read this book will begin to immediately recognize various personality types in order to determine the tools and strategies that should be employed in order to persuade and influence others.

If you purchase these books, read them diligently, and perfect the techniques contained within each book, you will rule the world in no time at all.

Purchase the books:



Would you be interested in reading these books in an online reading group? I've read them over and over and I would love to read them and chat about them with other women. I'm certain that I can get my partner in crime, FeminaPrudentia, to run an online book discussion of the books with me. If you are interested, please let me know!

You Might Also Like:

The Corporate Dominatrix: Six Roles to Play to Get Your Way at Work

The 50th Law

Ambition Is Not a Dirty Word: A Woman's Guide to Earning Her Worth and Achieving Her Dreams

Read the original article written by yours truly on Associated Content.
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Bad Ass Finds: Sassy Calendars for Women (and the Men Who Can't Get Enough of Us)

It's that holiday time of the year where some of us are scrambling to find gifts for others because some of us waited until the last minute. I've decided that every day until Christmas that I am going to blog about special finds that I think would be really great for that bad-ass-take-no-prisoner woman in your life. Hell, or maybe you should just buy stuff for yourself. Why not-be unconventional and spoil yourself a little!


The first gift that I will of course be buying myself is "The Daily Bitch" 2010 calendar. The "includes your daily dose of recommended bitching" tagline caught my eye. The Amazon description says that it has sassy and witty comments that we wish we could all say. I have a suspicion that I am going to LOVE it! Click here to purchase "The Daily Bitch" on Amazon.










Or perhaps you or someone who you know has not yet unleashed their inner bad ass? In this case maybe the "Bad Girl's 2010 Calendar" would be a great pick. The calendar includes daily reflections and to-do lists and suggestions in order to "rage against the good-girl machine, every single day". LOVE IT! I definitely think that I am going to buy it for one of my timid friends who has been living vicariously through me for too long! Click here to purchase "The Daily Bitch" on Amazon.






I love Ann Taintor paintings and I bet this calendar is going to be a hoot. Ann Taintor has some really obnoxious and witty sayings on her drawings, yet it is done in such a subtle way. If you don't know who she is, you definitely need to find out. Her calendar is just one part of her larger empire of books, postcards, magnets, cups, and the list goes on and on. She is so feminist and sex-positive in a conservative 1950s sort of way. Click here to purchase the Ann Taintor 2010 Wall Calendar from Amazon.







Check out some other calendars with similar themes in the Bad Ass Femmes store!
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On My BookShelf: "The Robber Bride"

I've always had Margaret Atwood's "The Robber Bride" on my bookshelf but I've never got around to actually picking it up until just yesterday. I've only read a couple of chapters so far, but I was immediately sucked into the book when I read about a conniving femme fatale who steals all of her friends' husbands and lovers. The theme of it somewhat reminds me of Toni Morrison's book "Sula", where her friend steals her husband. I'm excited to see if the plot develops and if Atwood makes the character sympathetic or whether she is just a complete bitch. Check out the book for yourself by clicking here.

Am I Really A Feminist, or a Female Supremacist??

I've got such a complicated relationship with feminism that it often boggles my mind. I used to always consider myself a SuperFeminist, but over the past five years or so I've been of the persuasion that feminists are aiming too low.

You see, I don't believe that as women we should be striving for equality because deep down in my heart I don't think that we are equal to men. I think that we are better than men, and no one has seemed to convince me otherwise.

Over the years I have had my disputes with other feminists. I've often heard them say, "Women haven't even achieved equality, and yet here you are talking about superiority?" Or on other occasions I have been told by some feminists,"I don't think that one sex is superior than the other sex, because I believe in equality. Men can do some things better than I can do, and vice versa".

Yet I still believe deep down in my heart that women by nature are superior, even though many of us haven't realized our true potential. We're still better than men even though equality for women in many aspects hasn't surfaced and although society attempts to keep many of us down. Maybe a man is more skilled at doing something than a woman, but this doesn't mean that he is superior to her-it just means he is more skilled in a certain aspect.

I've always had this idea that women are exalted beings ever since I was a small child. Last year my aunt told me a story of something that I said when I was six years old. This is what she told me:

I was six years old and we were looking at a small dog shaking her body, while the dog hair was flying all over the place. I asked my aunt, "Tia, why does the dog lose her hair?" My aunt responded, "God makes them like that". So I started shaking my body all over the place and I told my cousin that we could also lose our hair by shaking. My aunt informed me that we couldn't lose hair by shaking. "Why not?" I asked her. My aunt tried to explain, "Because God didn't make us like that. It just doesn't happen". I replied to them all, "Well, can God's husband make us lose hair?"

So, ever since I was a little girl I have always viewed "God" as a woman, even though the mainstream notion of God is that he is male. I've always viewed nature as female. Femininity has always been divine and superior to me. Yet at the same time I recognize that many women have yet to have realized their true potential.

If the true place for women in the social structure is to achieve equality with men, then why are we such a threat to men? Would men really be that threatened if we were equal to them? Don't you suppose that deep down inside men know that we are not their equals, that we have the potential to be superior, and this is what really truly freaks them out?

Look Who Came Out on Top, Chump

I've long become accustomed to working with macho jackasses who try to talk down to me. Sometimes I want to slap them upside the head, but I have learned over the years that sometimes the less that I say, the more they will get out their own rope and hang themselves. So I just zip my lip and keep quiet.

Today was one of those delightful days.

There is this guy at my work institution who has been talking down to me for years. There is always a constant power struggle with any decision that I make and he always feels the need to try to criticize many of the things that I do at work. Many years ago it used to bother me, but now I just love to sit back and let him underestimate me.

And oh yes, he always underestimates me.

Today this guy organized a business lunch with someone "important" and throughout the entire meeting he talked nonstop about himself and all of his qualifications. He actually started talking on my behalf, answering questions for me, explaining what I do for my job, and on and on and on. I was getting so irritated and it almost occurred to me that I should shut him up, but I just decided that I really didn't care to put in any effort.

I sat there for almost two hours barely saying anything. Every once in a while, I asked the person who we were having lunch with a couple of questions about his business and services, but other than that I just pretty much sat there. Quiet, patient and calculated.

At the end of the lunch meeting, the "important" (for lack of a better term) person reached for the check and I grabbed it first. I said, "I'll get both of your lunches".

The important person said, "Well, I'm not accustomed to that. Usually I pay for the lunch. I have an expense account, and you know that I'm a pretty macho guy". Yes, I swear, he really said that.

I just wanted to subtly throw in a little something different into the mix.

Nonetheless I strutted over to the register and paid for both of the meals. We shook hands and parted goodbyes. After the important person left, the macho guy from work talked down to me the whole way back to the office about how I should have talked more to impress this man, blablabla. I literally had to listen to this macho idiot talk my ear of about his wonderful self and all of the great advice that I should learn from him all afternoon long.

Tonight I came home from work and the telephone rang and lo and behold it was the important person asking me if I wanted to do some consulting on the side for his business. I mentioned that I wasn't really that familiar with his area of specialization and he told me that he needed a fresh way of looking at things from an outside perspective. He didn't need to see my resume, he said, because the few questions that I had asked him at lunch were exactly what he was looking for.

What's the motto of the story? Just turn the cheek and laugh inside sometimes when they are are talking down to you, ladies, because with hard work, patience, and strategic thinking we will still come out on top. And always remember that a kick ass woman can still get her way even when she is quiet as a mouse.

Other than that there is no motto. Just gloating=)

Express Yourself, Don't Repress Yourself

Well, all I've got to say is that this song pretty much sums up my life story. It's my theme song. I'm never sorry about anything that I say, because I say what I think and what I really believe in. I'm usually bound to offend someone sooner or later, but I never regret anything I say.

Strong Women: Feminist Poems of the Week

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I rise.
(Maya Angelou)

I'm constantly looking and searching for feminist poets, feminist poems, or poems written by females that portray women in a strong, positive way. Here are some of my favorite poems written by women about women:

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou: You can never keep a strong woman down. This poem reminds me of my post that I wrote yesterday. They can try to hold us down, try to make us feel bad, try to silence our strong voices--and yet we will still keep moving forward.

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood: A poem of the mythical siren's song who seduces men into sinking their ships.

Please Fire Me by Deborah Garrison: A poem about those damn alpha males in the workplace. I bet this is exactly what some of those women on "Mad Men" think every day that they are at the office.

You can also find other poems in my previous post here.

What are some of your favorite poems about women?

The Twin Foes of Strong, Confident Women

There is an aspect of human social behavior that every strong and ambitious woman knows like the back of her hand. In fact, bad-ass strong women become so accustomed to this certain aspect of human social interaction that they can spot it in a person immediately. What might it be, you ask? Well, jealousy and envy, of course.

When I was about eight years old, my grandmother called me into her bedroom and told me, "Your enemies are going to be celos and envidia because you are going to be somebody, mi'ja". Jealousy and envy. I didn't quite understand what she was telling me at the time, but I've since had plenty of years to get to know my two mortal enemies well.

There has never been a time when I can't recall being subjected to jealousy and envy. Grown ups and loved ones have always explained away people's incomprehensible and asshole behavior as being caused by jealousy and envy. It's always perplexed me as to why people would be jealous or envious of another person, because I could really give a rat's behind about anything that other people are doing.

Jealousy and envy towards a woman in power causes people to do such crazy things. It's the reason why less competent co-workers talk down to us and speak to us in a tone that suggests that we are idiots. It's the motive behind the times that people leave strong women out of the loop, give them the wrong information, or withhold important information from them in a workplace setting. It's the fuel that starts the incessant rumors about women in power-how they got promoted, what kind of personal relationships they have, what their appearance looks like, and other petty bullshit.

And yet we keep rising. We're immune to all the hell and fury caused at the hand of jealousy and envy because we believe in ourselves. When people spread lies and rumors, try to block us and hold us back, and try to put us down it does not deter us from our path because we are strong, confident women who are unstoppable in our goals and ambitions. We've learned over the years the fine art of letting the things they do and say to try to hurt us slip right off of our thick-skinned backs.

They can never hold us down, no matter how hard they try.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!

I figured that I would post one of my favorite paintings by the biggest baddest Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. In this painting you can see Frida sleeping on her bed with a skeleton hovering over her. She was always obsessed with images of death, perhaps because of all the tragedies that she had in her life. She was a product of the Mexican revolution, she beat polio at a young age, survived a horrendous trolley accident when a pole went through her pelvis and vagina area and broke her pelvis and back, and many other devastating health issues throughout her life.

Here's the painting:



You can read more about Frida Kahlo in my beginning series about Frida Kahlo:
An Unconventional Woman of Her Time-Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo-Woman of Myth, Contradiction and Resilience

One of these days I'll get back to finishing my series. Happy Halloween!