I've just dropped a chocolate strawberry down my front.

Shamelessly stolen from raggedyman: There, I fixed it.

The fire alarm! The spoon! The zombie scouting post!

Comments in my last post reminded me of Tomato Nation and the ass breath entry in particular...

I know, this is getting boring. But the weather's stuffy and damp and giving me a headache, I still have a virus of DOOM on my PC, and I've had the day off and achieved almost nothing.

So I'm pleased to present some links to Very Worthy Rants, making Very Good Points about rape and sexual assault.

First is cereta's post, which started things off. There are some wonderful comments and some appalling ones. Personally, I think they're all worth reading because some people really do think like that.

ETA: This thread in particular has made me want to scream and throw things.


rachelmanija refers to that post, and adds some more Very Good Points. I'll add one that she didn't include (and I'll go & comment there in a minute): I genuinely used to believe, at a gut level (i.e. if you'd challenged me, I'd have realised I was wrong - but would have noticed my change in opinion and been horrified by it) that to say "No" you actually had to say "no".

khalinche explains what it's like to be female. Yes, it is that bad. Manchester was worse. I got so damned good at convincing people that I just wasn't there (whether on a bus, walking across Piccadilly Gardens during the daytime, shopping on a Saturday) just to minimise the level of abuse I'd get, that I'm finding it very, very difficult to break that habit now I'm living somewhere less awful.

coffeeandink refers back to the dreadful Let's Grope Women At Conventions project and comments on how easy it is not to believe people.

And nestra points out that you do know someone who's been raped. They just don't trust you well enough to have told you. Why would they, when your reaction - even for an instant - is to wonder what you'd been doing at the time, to have drawn a rapist's attention?


This is why I don't want people to stop making cracks in front of me about getting girls drunk so they'll get a shag. Yes, really. Because if you go away thinking "Jenny doesn't like jokes like that", you'll keep saying them in front of other people, and keep thinking they're funny. Because nobody the hell else will call you on them. Tell them in front of me, and I'll remind you that it's rape. And after a few times, it might sink in.


And, you know what else? I have THE RAGE that I feel lucky that I'm not a rape victim. It shouldn't be luck. It should be normal.

(Don't piss me off in the comments. I can go into details of just what I *have* put up with, and I really don't want to. And now it's thundering outside.)

From teru_bozu_ebi :) (Although featuring much, much less Godzilla.)

( Read more... )

Tunic dresses!

I can vouch for the quality of Claire's work. Worth every penny.

CAAAAAAT!

ETA: Wow, they took him offline quickly. His name is Toby (not Toby wan Kenobi, as my brain keep telling me. I have no idea what he'll end up actually being called) and is black on the top, white on the bottom, with hite from heels down. He's smaller than Jasper (for those who have met The Original Puddingcat) - but that isn't really difficult seeing as he isn't a Norwegian Forest or Maine Coon.

He has a renal condition (which is why he's been in the shelter for ages) but it's under control with tablets (the nurse says it's like pilling a whale...) & diet, and he's the most chilled out cat in the world (and will therefore almost certainly let Jasper remain Top Cat). He loved my shoes and handbag and coat.

I pick him up next Saturday :D


CAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!

( Wolverine )

Apparently (so the internet tells me) it's the Cambridge Reclaim the Night this Sunday. Is anyone else thinking of going?

First of May, First of May!

(Free download! Awesome lyrics! Go and see Skullcrusher Mountain as well!)

vom_marlowe is looking for 10 awesome manga artists. I've suggested a few (of course including the lovely pinkapplejam!) - can anyone else help?

I have a genre in my Media Player library called Bebop.

Aziraphale has possessed my PC.

ETA: Mind you, this is the same Media Player that describes W.A.S.P. as "Christian Rock". Perhaps I'm looking at the wrong being.

This lurgy appears to be viral. Possibly not flu, after all, but certainly energy-sapping and 'orrible.

I spent most of Christmas Day (and Christmas Eve, and Boxing Day) in bed, comatose. I did manage some turkey and sprouts (mmm, sprouts) and then went straight back to bed. I can just about (even now) cope with half an hour or so of concentration (for example, winning Scrabble) and then need Yet More Sleep.

Most disturbingly of all, I've been off tea.

Dad managed to prove that he's not always an arse (although I might have slept through evidence to the contrary) and decided that his screaming flying monkey was the best present he'd ever got.

Today I'm in the office, theoretically finishing the UK tax return but in actuality trying to concentrate and focus. So far, 2 out of 3 people have told me I look like death cooled down.

Both Yuletide and Scribblemoose are blocked from work. Bah, Humbug. Speaking of Yuletide, though, I got an adorable Antique Bakery fic and an equally adorable and Terribly Manly Fenndom one, too! Hurrah for gaily ejaculating soldiers! AND! Despite the author reveal not happening until 1 Jan, I've been recced! (Only once, but That's Not The Point.) Whee!

Ok; all that was far too exciting. I'm going to stare blankly at a spreadsheet again for a bit.

Am I right to be suspicious of this offer?

So my Plan was to paint most of my downstairs in a pale yellow (Crown's Pale Gold is nice) and then have the fireplace wall in dark reddish purple with the chimneybreast in a medium shade.

Mulberry Burst is lovely, but I don't want the whole wall that colour, or just the chimney, or just the bits either side of the chimney. There aren't any medium purples that don't turn out pink. Pale purples just look rubbish.

On the other hand, Proud Peacock and Teal Tension go with each other and are gorgeous. I need a room painted with them. But what about the blinds (olive green woodstain) and my sofa (dark blue & gold)?

Gah!

OMG MY ASSIGNMENT ROCKS!

I'm going to have to do some research, revise the cannon, but ohwhatahardship.

Now, ( Dear Yuletide Santa! )

I saw the near-total lack of requests in one of my favourite fandoms in Yuletide, and changed my signup.

I have no idea what I'll be asked to write, considering that two of my offers have only one requester for oodles of offerers, and another has only 3 requesters.

(Ther are still some WTF? moments, scrolling through the list. TWO PEOPLE want Def Leppard fic. TWO PEOPLE have requested Fenndom, and only one has offered it!)

Yes, I'm pleased that Obama won. I know very little about his policies, but I admire and respect his intellect, and he isn't Sarah Palin.

I'm less pleased that Proposition 8 was voted in.

But then I find sites like this and this, which show how things are changing.

Now, I still consider myself fiscally conservative - low tax, spend only on people who really need it - but I'm also aware that the US is in general further to the right than the UK when it comes to politics, so the growing blueness makes me smile. The "Too close to call" state of NC makes me smile more, because it was red in every one of those previous elections. Hurrah for the state of our head office (and the Cape Fear Schwartz Community College...)!

Yes, I'm unhappy that same sex marriages are once again illegal in California, but - as the blog post says - 10% in 8 years is a really good start. A journey of a thousand limes miles, etc, etc.

Via strangefrontier: Does my brain look small in this?

Linkhopping on from there: Nothing new; still enraging;

and /me Waits for the missing-the-point wails of "But I don't do that!"


In other news, I've just made two bank transfers totalling just over £132k. Ouch.