F Word article - Silence does not equal consent

Inspired by the Jack Tweed and Anthony Davis rape case.

How can people not understand this?

This whole rape culture we live in makes me feel physically sick.  I want to discuss and add to the article, but I can't, beyond saying it makes me sick.  There's just so much fucked up stuff about the case, about people's views towards rape, about everything.  I recommend you read the article (and the comments) because people need to know that this shit happens, and they need to know that it's wrong*.

But if you're feeling fragile the article is likely to be triggering.  Hell, if you're feeling confident the article could be triggering.



*I'm not implying that any of my regular readers don't understand that rape is wrong, but I honestly think that the more these issues are brought to the forefront of people's minds, the better humanity will get in the future.  Rape needs to be discussed.

Urgent appeal (one last post, please read)

Ccrossposted from Deeplyflawedbuttrying, who is well worth reading as she's writing tons of stuff about the election.  And she's good.)

----------------------------------------------

Urgent abortion support appeal: help a teenage girl in Northern Ireland

Whether it’s a shortage of mange tout at the supermarket or a friend stranded abroad, we’ve all been affected by the cloud of ash from Iceland. But imagine if you had only a few weeks to navigate your way to England for a safe and legal abortion.
This week, we’ve heard from a number of women who were due to have travel to the UK this week for terminations, including a very young teen who is extremely close to the 24 week time limit for abortions in the UK. She had to miss her appointment earlier this week and is now coming next week by ferry and train – a roundtrip journey of more than 24 hours. Her mother solely supports her and her siblings with a part time job and now has to cover costs of £2,300 (procedure + money lost on cancelled flights + last minute ferry and train tickets).
Due to these extraordinary and extremely difficult circumstances, ASN has made a pledge to fund this young woman £500, much more than we usually commit to a single case. This is less than half of the costs she is facing. We would like to help more. If you would like to help cover more costs for her and women like her, please pledge to make a donation today.
You can do this by donating via PayPal (http://www.abortionsupport.org.uk/donate/), writing a cheque (email info@abortionsupport.org.uk for our postal address), or by making an online transfer (HSBC/Abortion Support Network/Sort Code: 40-11-18/Account Number: 64409302).
Please mark the donation “Iceland”.
Thank you in advance for any amount you can give – your donation will make a real difference to this family or to one of the other women who have had to re-purchase tickets to travel to England.

------------------------------------------

I realise I was whinging about my comics, but that stuff is really not important compared to the plight of Irish women needing abortions.  Please consider donating.

So there's an election coming...

I really should blog about it.  I have thoughts regarding how I decide who to vote for, recent news demonstrating the utter thuggishness of the BNP, and generic ideas about the comparative validity of each major party, but I haven't found the time to write anything up.

I've got some temp work which is data entry, and therefore very very boring.  Made worse by the fact I suspect the office staff are unrepentant Tory capitalists, and the addition of either KISS radio or local radio, forcing me to listen to misogynistic adverts, and the same 6 misogynistic pop songs all bloody day.  And the data entry consists of me copying and pasting info from one system to another, 8 hours a day.  I think I may explode with the frustration of it all*.  But, it pays the bills and I should probably look on it as character building.

I am also doing another BSL course, and have homework for that, which is basically practice.  This takes time and thinking, and I'm grateful that this Saturday's class has been cancelled, as one of the teachers is stuck abroad due to the volcanic ash.  Volcanic ash which is stopping my comics being shipped over.  Bastards.

I'm going to go to weekly free BSL conversation classes.  I need the practice.  Tonight I went to a gender studies reading group - I didn't say much, but it was very interesting, and reminded me that I should write up and blog the Queer Characters in Children's Lit talk I went to in march.

I am also doing job searches and applications, and have scheduled out when to do these over the next few weeks.

I have woefully neglected New Readers and only put up one review , thankfully James has done more.  I have scheduled evenings to write up more reviews.  I think I should update the facebook group.  All the recent posts here?  Written up and scheduled a few weeks ago, done really quickly in an afternoon.  And I've ignored all comments on both blogs.  No time or headspace to formulate coherent replies.

I am away this weekend to go to a local Centreparcs.  I am debating whether to take my laptop and work on job apps or not.  I'd like the complete break, but I also think I don't have time for a break.

Oh, and my Sign Choir is doiong a performance on 5th May.  I have weekly practices for that.

For someone who is effectively unemployed and didn't want any pressure I seem to have created a lot for myself.  Too much to do, too little time.  So, i'm signing off for another week or so.

Oh to play and win the lottery...


*Not in a breakdown way. I'm actually emotionally good.  I just hate the work.

Superheroine underwear

There's suddenly a whole lot of it about.  I wandered into Topshop a while back and found they had loads of stuff, including, for some reason, lots of body suits.  What have I missed that makes bodysuits popular or fashionable again?  Are we now progressing to 80s sports wear?  Was 80s dayglo not enough?  Anyway I digress.  Back on topic.

Marvel (pun so not intended) at all the underwear available:

So with all this cool stuff why was when I went in the shop most of it the available stuff was pink?  They had the Batgirl pants and bra (Babs hair is pink, not red, on the bra), the red WW pants and the pink infused WW bra, and all the Supergirl stuff was pink.  Because Kara is known for wearing pink.  Obviously.  One thing that is missing from the website is white boy shorts with a pink Kara picture on the back (a la the WW pants), and a pink S logo on the front.

If they'd had the yellow and red Supergirl pants or Supergirl body (good for dressing up I reckon) in I'd have (probably) bought them.  And if they'd had the bras in anything approaching a feasable size I'd have definitely bought one.  As it was I tried on the WW body..it's not a good look.

So, I think I'll be sticking with my mens' superhero underwear.  Most definitely not pink and witht he added advantage of not riding up your bumcrack.

Adorable little Dinah/Ollie strip

This is how I picture them teasing each other at home.

(Taken from the a GL comic.  A whole range of Hembeck strips ran at one point, all gently poking fun at DC's heroes.)

Hey, he said it, not us.

Well, there is this to take into consideration:

 And:

Kilowog gets the Socialist bug

Lovely cover, good 3 parter story and a great copy of the Soviet style posters:

The story was inspired from a trip the writers took to Russia (back in the 80s) and led them to think how they could do a GL story set in the Communist system.  And so the Rocket Reds were born.

Back to mocking Hal

When I say mocking does that infer that I shall be commenting upon and disparaging my subject?  Because I beleieve most of these scans speak for themselves.  The first one demonstrates how cold Hal is, and in the second one he demonstrates his unique fighting style.  Which isn't as swish as Guy's, I'll have you know.

Before we mock Hal some more, let's look in on Guy

Specifically, let's look at his rescue style:

Very smooth.  Get another villain on your side, punch a wall in, steal your 2nd chosen villain in a a haz eof green light, and, this is the important bit, completely ignore your 1st villain while he dives for, eats and leaves to scratch at the wall in bloody submission, a prison guard.
And say nothing throughout this incident.

Smooth, Guy, smooth.

Ok, this was during the first crisis, and he had just woken up from his coma and was therefore an absolute bastard.  However, I do enjoy the purity in both the comic story telling and the essence of all 3 characters as shown.

Red Robin #11

Or, the one in which I was getting the tie ins.  Because gee by gum, this were good!

Timmy is all elite ninja fighting type person, recognises Steph as becoming na elite ninja type person, then he's all bad ass thinky detective type person.   Dick!Batman questions him then trusts him, Steph makes a further short appearence and gets an excellent ex (?) girlfriend one liner. and Prudence calls Damian a filthy bastard midget.

And cos I'm not buying Batgirl I won't see how Timmy solves the situation.  Waaahhh!  Nevermore, I'm relying on you to give me a full breakdown!

Odd Green Lantern stories part 2

This appeared as a back up on in one of the old comics.  Not sure which one, but it amused me so I thought I would share:

Odd Green Lantern stories part 1

I love old comics.  The plots are really long winded and ridiculous.  Take this for instance:

Is that not a really convuluted way to defeat your enemies?  Are there not so many ways this plan can go wrong?

Well, yes it is are and yes thee are.  If your plan can be destroyed by Mr Hal *I'm confused by hippies* Jordan then you probably need a new one.

This doesn't help your reputation

They are an odd bunch, but Hal looks thoroughly flumoxed by these strange creatures, these hippies.

You'd think they'd have training in this sort of thing.

First Aid I mean.  Considering the amoung of casualties in any superhero/villain fight, surely all heroes would pick up some basic first aid training.  I guess Hal was asleep that day because this:

 

probably isn't the best way to treat someone who might have a broken back.  I'm sure you're not meant to move them.  Certainly, if you're gonna carry them in your arms I don't see why you'd imagine up a bed to strap them into.

Back to the Green Lanterns

There is so much smugness in this panel.  Hal reading about himself, his assumption that he 'has it', the fact he doesn't think they've caught his best side.  (and because I've been reading Sally's blog too long, my first thought was of course not, it's not his backside).

I think he was after something more like this:

(And aren't the colours on that panel just divine?)

Or maybe this:

Or would he prefer this:

(and does that mean his truth is in his nuts?)

Or would he prefer this:

Argh Hal, you are a smug twat.

(This week will be a GL week)

I kept meaning to blog this...

One of my friends is teaching English in Palestine at the moment and he has just started a blog commenting on life over there.  It's pretty interesting so I urge you to go check it out.

Over the Rainbow! Vote for Tegan!

Any folks watching Over the Rainbow?  It's a BBC programme to find the next girl to play Dorothy in the West End in London.  Anyway, ya'll should vote for Tegan Edwards.

This is an utterly biased request as I know her mum.  But, after having watched the first 2 shows from last week I do actually think she's is one of the best ones.  So, if she gets through on the wild card vote, vote for Tegan!

Please? She is rather good.

Blackest Night is over

Boo hoo.  Well I got #8, so be warned, thar be spoilers ahead. arr...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, this was all quite exciting.  Sinestro got chucked out of the White Corps.  All the resurrected heroes became White Lanterns and brought Black Hand back to life, then destroyed Nekron.  The Anti Monitor is alive again (that'll spell trouble), Maxwell Lord is alive again (and still mind controlling people, which will lead to even more trouble), Arthur and Mera got reunited (and I nearly cried but that's because I have the hangover blues today), and Kendra remembers all her past lives and fell into Carter's arms (won't that mean they are due to die again soon?).

Not everyone has been resurrected tho - Green Arrow, Ice and J'onn J'onzz are back, which is great.  Boomer isn't, which makes me sad.  I thought he was great as Kara's friend and his character had a lot of promise, especially when we look at what he went through in Blackest Night.  I would have really liked to see Gen (half of Firestorm) back but oh no she's still dead. Bah. 

I'm happy that Osiris is back but where are Black Adam and Isis?  And of course Ralph and Sue aren't there.  Not that I am too bothered about them but lots of people, in the DCU and in the fanbase, do care about them.  Also, where are Garth and Dolphin?  I love Dolphin and didn't feel that we got enough of her when she was around.

I wonder how much the dead ex Black Lanterns remember of their time as corpses?  Not much I bet, judging by their reactions (which was very nicely done).  I would like to find out but as I won't be buying Brightest Day, the rest of you comics bloggers will just have to keep me up to date.

I'd also like to know what happens to Black Hand.  He's been taken away by the Indigo tribe, chained up and looks sort of mind controlled, which doesn't seem very compassionate, but then again maybe this is their way of being compassionate to the rest of the universe.  They've never been particularly friendly or supportive of other Lanterns/heroes so these actions of kidnap don't surprise me.

I reread all of Blackest Night this evening, just the main series mind, and came to the conclusion that it reads much better with all the tie ins.  The main story is like a brief overview of the events, and while it isn't neccessary to know what's happening in each spin off mini, you will get a deeper enjoyment if you read the tie ins.  Without the tie ins it seems rushed and brief.  It's also very dependent on having a good knowledge of the DCU and it's history.

What else can I say about this?  The fold out splash page thing made me feel like I was fourteen and reading Smash Hits!.  There's been some great action figures come out of this event.  If I had the money and space I would be buying:

Black Lantern Wonder Woman
Black Lantern Hawkman
Black Lantern Hawkgirl
Black Lantern Aquaman
Black Lantern Martian Manhunter
Indigo Ray Palmer
Red Lantern Mera
White Lantern Wonder Woman?  Do you think they'll do one?
But, that would double my action figure collection so is probably a no no.  Oh well.

Gearing up for the election

And the tories haver come out with some quite hideous posters:

For those of you not familar with UK politics, the man in the pictur eif the leader of the opposition, one Gordon Brown, PM and leader of thre Labour party.

There are 2 things I despise here, one is negative campaigning, never been a fan of it.  The second is
the implication that the Tories would have done anything different.
In the 80s they sold off our nationalised industries
They caused massive unemployment (and rioting)
They always increase the gap between rich and poor
I highly doubt they'd have been able to handle the national debt differently
They always favour the rich with tax rates (because they are the rich) and penalise the poor (then leave no support systems in place for the poor)
They also want to do everything on the cheap, including sending soldiers to war
They highly dislike spending money on things like pensions (and actually Brown's government has introduced a new system whereby all companies must provide pensions for their staff, the Tories would never have done this).

The only thing a Tory government may not have done is let prisoners out early.  Tories would be more likely to leave them in gaol to rot in inhumane conditions.

Don't be fooled guys, Labour may not be perfect but the Tories wouldn't have done anything differently.  Labour has actually delivered good things, like the minimum wage, like repealing Section 28, like bringing in Civil Partnerships, like making the buying of sex illegal when the sex worker is beign controlled by someone else (regardless of whether the buyer knows this or not), like introducing devolution.  They have made far more noises about changing the electoral system than the Tories ever have (or will).

Labour aren't perfect but the Tories are worse.

Having said that, I'll probably vote Green.  Maybe.  My constituency is actually quite likely to get a Green MP in, I'm not sure if that would be good for the city or not.