Timesuck Sunday: Big business and government in bed or everything is way way more shit than you think

Britain's answer to Noam Chomsky briefly highlights the links between DfID and large scale agribusiness. Always knew the 'development' in DfID needed sarcastic quote marks.  Full report here.

Naomi Wolfe on the FBI working hand in water cannon with corporations to crush Occupy.  Full report here.

Government bodies and big pharma (as predicted) go after the lovely Ben Goldacre post-Bad Pharma, rather than deal with the issues he addressed.

Timesuck Sunday: Fantasy and feminism

There have been a number of interesting articles about my favourite genre, fantasy, and the historically correct/incorrect-ness of misogyny and sexism therein.  As I have failed to read the last GoT novel, because I just can't take another rape/attempted rape/breast mutilation/murder I find these arguments challenge some of my base assumptions.

Here's what kicked it all off, author Scott Lynch zinging a bigoted commenter who complained about his 40-ish, black, mother-of-two, pirate protagonist.

Through that weird convergence of the interweb, Dan Wohl over at The Mary Sue has recently written about 'historical accuracy' as a justification for sexism in fantasy.

But while I must thank him for introducing me to 'privilege denying dude', I find his assertion that history was the history of men a little incorrect. Thankfully Tansy Roberts has unpicked this way better than I could: "History is actually a long series of centuries of men writing down what they thought was important and interesting, and FORGETTING TO WRITE ABOUT WOMEN."

To bring it all back around, Fox Meadows has this helpful PSA 'Your Default Narrative Settings Are Not Apolitical'.


Lastly, some older posts on the Song of Ice and Fire (GoT) series. I'm still mad conflicted, but we all know I'll read it anyway...

Tiger Beatdown's Sady not loving the Thrones.  She makes some good points, but she's a bit of a dick about it.

Spencer Ackerman putting 'dick' more politely.

Erik Cain thoughtfully disagreeing, with an actual argument and everything.

Timesuck Sunday: American politics will doom us all

In which lots of things that are extremely freaking obvious have to be pointed out over and again.  A Kentucky woman I met on the ferry to Manly Beach asked me why I cared what happened in their political sphere, because it doesn't affect me.  But that's wrong, it does affect us in the English speaking world, because their attitudes and opinions carry. Maybe they shouldn't, but they do.  So we best stay on top of the crazy lest it infect us while we're not looking:

The HPV vaccine does not make girls more promiscuous. Nobody's surprised.

State education is important if we want to improve things for the next generation. Nobody's surprised.

Another Republican says something stupid, offensive and completely effing wrong about abortion. Nobody's surprised.

Esquire show how Mitt Romney is an entitled, privileged asshole. Nobody's surprised.

Obama is funny and clever.  Nobody's surprised. I am, however, extremely surprised that this doesn't fly with far more American voters.

And in case you don't believe me, the New Yorker thinks so to: Is America crazy?

Timesuck Sunday: 6 irrational fears that actually aren't completely irrational after all

Falling through an escalator. Like a giant meat grinder. Oh god. Horrible, horrible.

Not minding the gap. 

Your plane falling from the sky. I really do seem to fear falling. This one most of all.

Law and love and a life are not compatible.

Being too busy to go to the doctor soon enough to be cured. The regret would be unbearable.

Waking to find a spider. On. My. Face. Actually too scared to even Google that one. Shudder.


So now I've totally freaked myself out, a bunny! There now. That's better...

Timesuck Sunday: Recommended reading for feminist boys

Researching my post on street harassment I dug up a lot of anger-inducing, but informative pieces on a variety of 'women's issues that are really men's problems' (new fav phrase).

Consider your consciences' raised:

Just wanting to read your book is apparently not acceptable on public transport if a man wants to chat.

The situation is so depressingly messed up, because harassment is so commonplace that women who don't experience it feel like they aren't even considered women.

A handy debunking of the common bullshit arguments surrounding legal consent.

An analysis of two empirical studies showing acquaintance rape is the biggest problem and that large numbers of such rapes are committed by repeat offenders. Why 'bros before hos' is a dangerous attitude to have.

Why we need to stop concern trolling victims and focus our attention on the people at fault. Hint: Not the victims.

Recommended reading for boys:

What we should teach all young men about sex and consent and generally being the kind of guy girls want to sleep with, as they head off to university

How to and what to bear in mind when approaching an unknown woman in public.

Street harassment from a decent man's perspective, plus a pledge to do something about it.

An incredibly comprehensive and easily comprehensible Rape Culture 101.


Just to cheer us all up:

homeless men rescue a 15 year old girl from a terrifying sexual offender.

'If you feel attacked by feminism, it's probably a counter-attack' Mixes For Friends' excellent downloadable mixtape.

Timesuck Sunday: Skaters, skinny oats and social inequality

Now I've hit the West Coast I am in love with every skater I see.  They are cool and beautiful and happy in their own skin.  Thanks to Ed Templeton's sexy photography you can admire them from wherever you are in the world.

Speaking of California, running here is giving my ego a battering. Everyone's so fit and tanned! So I'm taking this to heart. Even though I'm no longer overweight, I think this little voice lurks inside everyone who hasn't always been athletic: 'Hey, FatGirl'

Totally late on the internet bandwagon, but I've finally fallen for overnight oats in a jar. Some of the recipes around come out pretty high in calories, but Gina at Skinnytaste is to the rescue (again): Skinny Overnight Oats In A Jar

It's no secret how much I love alt-J. Their new video Is showing over on thefourohfive. Sexy beats with a sexy matador.

Being in the US during the Presidential race is somewhere between exciting and terrifying. People seem to have a lot of conviction, but without  anything to back it up.  The rich/poor divide is pretty stark too.  I've seen both more extreme wealth and far more drastic poverty in these American cities than ever on the streets of London. Perhaps policy makers should listen to this: TED: How Social Inequality Harms Societies

And read this: Rising Poverty and Social Inequality in America.

And in case you aren't outraged enough, here's a heartfelt article on behalf of 'the other 1%' about how being poor affects people.