Topics

I'm going to be doing a chapter-by chapter review and discussion on the book, to kick off, I have found a radio interview with the author to introduce the concept.

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2012/06/05/delusions-of-gender/

So, a while ago, Nigel turned me onto a series of Youtube videos, Tropes Vs Women, by Anita Sarkeesian who runs this blog http://femfreq.tumblr.com which started my reawakened interest in Feminism, along with the Feminism and Prostitution thread. (which incidentally is why I haven't been around here much, I've been soaking up information on Feminism in general, and sexism in pop culture.)


Recently Anita Sarkeesian started a Kickstarter to raise $6,000 on A Tropes Vs Women in Video Games project, and the video on Youtube was absolutely inundated with some real basement dwelling misogyny dudebros. the links to it are in the above blog link, and there have been articles on Kotaku.


Penny Arcade got some criticism over printing their Dickwolves T-shirt, and Courtney Stanton objected She got death threats, threats of rape and people phoning the police to try and prove she was raped. (a massive timeline of that is here- http://debacle.tumblr.com/post/3041940865/the-pratfall-of-penny-arcade-a-timeline.


The blog Fat, Ugly or Slutty was set up to document harassment of women who play online games. http://fatuglyorslutty.com/ 

So, i'm wondering how much of these attitudes professed online leak into RL? I mean we've trolled the living shit out of people,but I'm pretty sure most of the posters on PeeDee can recognise their own privilege as it stands with their own sex/race/sexuality and so on, but then again we don't tend to troll in racist or sexist ways, so... yea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZA_7FtttRY

I have just dug up this band and I think I am in musical love.

This song made me think of you, and your tales of Portland.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/texas-honor-student-thrown-jail-missing-school-article-1.1085027

holy fuckballs, I cannot believe a judge sends an over tired stressed out ABANDONED BY HER PARENTS high achiever (nonetheless), and supporting her brother at college...

:ragefroth:

I offer a hypothetical scenario. A group of people are in a social situation, and someone says something that is sexist, racist, homophobic yada yada. Imagine this group is a bunch of white guys, and it's a rape joke or similar mysogynistic bullshit, some flippant assed comment on a person of colour, or a non-hetero person.

So you're in the pub with your mates, having a generally good time, and someone pipes up with this crap. If you laugh out of discomfort, or shuffle on your seat and say nothing, YOU ARE TELLING THEM THAT THIS SHIT IS NORMAL, ACCEPTABLE. You are reinforcing the shitty status quo.  You may disagree with them, you may think it's a shitty thing to say, but if you don't OPEN YOUR FUCKING MOUTH AND CALL THEM ON IT, you are just as bad as they are. They may claim that they don't actually believe the shit they are saying, or "I was just being ironic" or some lame assed crap, but they need to be reminded that although they may not believe it, some wankers MIGHT. And by telling their shitty joke, laughing at it, or not rebuking someone, you are telling them that this shit is okay. It's a pretty dickish move. I think it is especially important to do this if you are a straight man, a white man or someone who isn't usually shat on by this behaviour, cos the wimmens, the POC and teh Gheys need allies in the War Against Bullshit.

Now, I realise that in some places, like work, that calling people out on their crap may not be the best thing to do on a personal level, especially if it doesn't relate directly to you/a colleague, and in a recession where your ass might get fired and another job might be not forthcoming. We all have to eat, pay bills, keep ourselves housed and clothed. It would be fucking awesome if we could speak up and not jeopardise our livelihoods, or personal safety, but if you are broke or in hospital or dead, you aren't much use to the practice of Calling People On Their Bullshit.

In a social situation, however the stakes aren't anywhere near as high.  All you have to lose is a douchenozzle, and we could all stand to have less of them in our lives. If you don't lose someone, and they start to, heaven forbid, THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK or start calling people on their crap, well, you have just done the world a solid. If you do this, I wont salute you, or buy you a drink (unless you did it with Style and Wit, then I'll buy you a drink for being a Glorious Faggot) cos you have merely been a decent biped, and by rights, this should be your default setting.

OR FUCKING KILL ME.

So, I have this rant about slacktivism on Facebook, and then email a local reporter about a tiny news story about a local pub I drink in, called the Hobbit, is being forced to re-brand by the copyright holders. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9585643.Southampton_pub_The_Hobbit_in_battle_with_Hollywood/r/?ref=rss is the original story. I am quoted, with attribution. I started the ball rolling with contacting the press on the group rather than people just using twitter, and some other people really got into it

Anyway godamned thing went NATIONAL. no, not Viral, actual real national news. and the line about "hobbits vs orcs" ends up, without my left wing quote, or attribution, in the Daily Fucking Mail. it's also in the MSN news for New Zealand, The Scotish Daily Record and the Sun.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114365/The-battle-Middle-Earth-Enterprises--British-pub-called-The-Hobbit-20-years-sued-Hollywood-giant-use-name.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

anyway my next step is to try make sure that the place does not go bankrupt, and do some kind of fundraising, and then pimping the fundraising all up in the press. I fear, however, that the other people involved are too hell bent on saving the actual name, rather than the pub itself.

So me and Payne are now living together, but we are sharing with 2 other guys. One of them is pretty cool, but the other one I don't know very well... I've known him since November, when Payne moved into the last place after escaping the Vegan Police. He made a generally good impression first off, just a little bit white middle class boy with intellectual superiority complex.

When my guarantor to move into their old house fell through, he was not exactly proactive in finding a new place to live... I did most of the work and actually found somewhere with my landlord from the last place I lived.. I know he isn't happy about the location or the size of our flat, but thems the breaks sometimes. I even put all the first months rent and deposit down on the ENTIRE PLACE, of which this guy has paid me back in full, but I haven't had any form of thanks or appreciation of my efforts, considering actually getting this place was a godamned miracle. It was only when we got down to this being a last chance that he begrudgingly agreed to take the option he was being given, and me and Payne could have just told both of the other guys, sorry, but Payne is going to move into mine until his debts are cleared and we have a deposit for a place for just us two. We really didn't want to fuck the cool guy over cos it would have meant him having to quit his horticulture course and move in with his mum.

Anyway flatmate number 2. He's from a nice part of town originally, and went to a pretty non-racially mixed school, and isn't consciously racist, but he does have a touch of xenophobia, mostly from not having much interaction, or positive experience with minorities.. I can kind of understand that, I don't really like it.

The way he talks about women BUGS THE SHIT OUT OF ME. He makes blanket statements like "they're all impossible/crazy" To be honest I find this fucking offensive, I tend to find blanket statements about ANYTHING pretty out of line. Anyway, i was enjoying a nice selection of red wines after having a friend of mine and Payne's over for dinner, and he came in and said something about Dr Who in the Jon Pertwee era when all the female assistants did was make tea, and some crack about how they were better times, and how they "knew their place" I'm pretty drunk at this point, having been at the wine for at least 2 hours, and I've bit my tongue at all previous comments, I say "Yea, I know my place, and it's not making you a fucking sammich, you can get your own damn sammich" or words to that effect. This was pretty much in light banter mode still. Then I get onto the topic of gender inequality despite the fact that women make up the majority of the population, pay inequality and the severe lack of women in powerful positions in society. I may have got a bit loud and ranty at this point, but that's what drunk + holding my tongue on several occasions leads to sometimes. He then trots out his counter argument to that, that men are primed to be "Alpha males" and seek power on a biological level, and that women who do exactly the same job as men are getting paid less cos they aren't doing it as well, or it's cos women have kids and don't get to the pay level of their male peers. and that statistics are all bullshit. and condescendingly tells me that " he was only joking." about the Dr Who shit. I get pissed off and rant about white male privilege, and he flounces to his room. The white male privilege thing puts otherwise pretty cool flatmate number one's back up, cos he hasn't had exactly an easy ride in life,, and they fuck off to the pub.

Me, Payne and Pete the dinner guest are left, and i'm still mad as hell. Pete is an old punk with a history degree who chimed in about it being a patriarchal society still and was generally backing me up to some extent. and poor Payne gets the rest of my rant about the fact if he thinks it's "edgy" -funny or "controversial"-funny to say that shit then I pretty much think I have to share my home with a spoilt little douchebag for the next 6 months at least.

I'm wound up as all hell, am having trouble sleeping and I really don't need to tear this guy a new asshole, even though I desperately want to. How do you put it to someone that if you don't know them very well, he's coming across as a bit of a douche?

I am in meltdown. I gave my landlord notice to quit and now my guarantor for the rent on the new place has JUST PULLED OUT. The move was supposed to be in 10 days, My only other option was to get my dad or someone to stump up £2000. My Dad can't do it, cos he loaned Payne the money for his motorbike. My savings are boned and I'm supposed to be doing research for a job interview tomorrow, my first in over 3 years. I really hope my landlord will take back my notice to quit. I am in tears and cannot focus on the wine, beer and whiskey research I NEED to do to nail this interview.

My dad and I will be meeting tonight to see if there is another option. it's all kinds of fucked up.

I just started jobhunting yesterday and have just got an interview on Thursday at a real ale gastro-pub.

I've never tended bar before, and need advice on wine/beer food pairings if any of you spags have experience with this, or know any good websites, to bone up on such things.

All help is super appreciated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16674296

She has decided to resign in order to focus on recovery.

OK, so after 2 years of being entirely state maintained, due to a psychotic episode, I have had pretty much all I can take of doing fuck all. It is starting to be a real bummer. I hate meeting new people and them asking "What do you do for a living?" I usually tell them I am unemployed rather than on sickness benefits.

I am about to start job-hunting again.   I am no longer on meds and haven't had symptoms in ages.

Psychosis and Schizophrenia are the most misunderstood and stigmatised of mental health issues, and I am wondering how much I should disclose to a prospective employer. I consider myself lucky as the shrink thought that it was a temporary thing, and that seems to have played out to be correct, and so therefore do not have the dread "schitzo" label.

I am quite happy to tell people I am not close to that I have had mental health issues, but due to the misunderstanding of the type of illness, I would rather them assume I have had something akin to depression.  Which, to be perfectly frank with y'all and myself, at this point, seems to be a problem. On most days I just sit in front of the 'puter and  don't even bother to get dressed.

Also I have a mild learning disability, (dyslexia) which in the past has had people tell me that "they wouldn't have hired me if they had known"

Discrimination on these grounds IS illegal, but a fucker to prove.

Anyway I am musing for some feedback from you fine, fine people, especially if you have a hand, or have had a part in employing and recruiting new people.

Is it better to be totally open, and risk not getting a job unless your new boss or interviewer is totally awesome?

OR

Is it better to be vague, and let them make their own assumptions?

OR

Lie by omission?

To fund their studies....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16157522

10 years ago it was only 3%.

Speaking of Xmas shopping and books, I got everyone on my list books.  Why?

Simple:

I got James Ellroy's LA Confidential for my dad, for a bargain £3, and for myself I got Snowball In Hell by Christopher Brookmyre, for £6, Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend In A Coma for £2 and Outlaw Journalist, The Life and Times Of Hunter S Thompson by William McKeen for £4. 4 books for £15. I really need to get rid of my old New Age/Occult books somehow. They clutter up my bookshelf and MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A MAHJIQUE TARD,  which will NOT do.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/09/rape-us-military?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9037&#start-of-comments

http://www.politicususa.com/en/proof-that-homophobia-is-associated-with-homosexual-arousal

Study has not been replicated yet, so is not fully proven.

http://www.collegehumor.com/facebook-history

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/woman-gets-jail-for-food-stamp-fraud-wall-street-fraudsters-get-bailouts-20111117?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

this is pretty disgusting. Also you yanks get no financial assistance for food with a drug conviction? That shit would never fly in Europe.

http://womenshealthfoundation.org/blog/?p=2336

The blog is SFW, but if you google image search, it is most definately NSFW

Watch the Arizona portion of this video. http://graphjam.memebase.com/2011/10/25/funny-graphs-ugh-is-that-soon/

Is your messiah's birthday. Please to be giving your tribute.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/10/11/340328/georgia-considers-replacing-firefighters-with-free-prison-laborers/

yea, i can see this going well.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/07/alabama-immigration-law-water-threat?CMP=twt_fd

Its a couple hours long but is a compelling breakdown of the economic downturn of late and the increasing inequality in society. http://vimeo.com/20355767

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15183070

I bet you guise could handle this curry

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/08/portable-sensor-detects-date-r.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

they havent tired it with roofies, but this looks like a pretty cool way to stop yourself getting spiked.

any of you spags have an account so I can follow you?

I am PixiePickle23

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13444770

aaaaand

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13436429

Rock and roll never dies, even when you do.

http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/#/explore/TopRated

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12678445

the mental image this gives me of a judge in full wig and gown tackling a man half his age made me

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12115013

post bewb pics.

have a good one.

me and badge are mid culinary argument about putting sweet fruit in salad, i especially would like to get LMNO and ECH opinion on this.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/23/poland.jewish/

I lol'd a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hDB2YbVDjg


watch it all. It showed at the cinema tonight and a certain scene made me and Payne laugh realy hard.

Where is your epic womp revenge?

I has a Payne and I am not afraid to use it.

I lost may sanity and one of my old mates died due to complications in surgery.

To top it off, i find out tonight that one of my old friends who tended bar at one of my favourite pubs died when a drunk driver hit his motorbike, on saturday about 2am. he was 28 or 29. I'm feeling lucky to have hit 30 at ALL.  i knew Wayne for like 10 years
. This time, at least,  I did not find out through fucking Facebook.

Also I lost my sanity and my social life.

Please, 2011, suck less than 2001 (which, actually, was epic suck and horrible). Pretty Please, cos I am officially sick of this shit.

Also i am drunk and have just spilled cheesy pasta snack on my fresh bed sheets.FML

Take one large aubergine. i got lucky getting one for 50p.

cut in half lengthways., then slice thinly as you can.

get pasta bake or other earthenware dish. do in layers with aubergine.

cover with passata from a jar or carton. then open can of chopped tomatoes, put that on top. Then take soem garlic cloves and chip in halves, stick in the gaps.

bake in oven for 45-60minutes, till the aubergine is soft. (about 200 Celcius)

Get a crumbly white cheese, i used Cheshire, but Caerphilly or Wendeslydale should also work. If you are american, this may be tricky. White stilton would also be awesome, or something italian that would work as a substitute (internet thinks Pecorino or Colby would work) , Slice cheese, then cut slices into smaller bits for to sprinkle on top

Grate breadcrumbs and mix with salt and pepper, sprinkle on top, then use Grano Padano or Parmesan to help make the gratin-y crust form nice and crispy.

bake for another half an hour. the garlic will be soft and baked, so no need to worry about getting a mouthful of it.

Can be served with chicken, for carnivores, and a little salad. Veggies can has just wioth salad and maybe some garlic bread.

I made this one up based loosly on something I had in a french resturaunt. it took a couple of goes to get right, but this is the one that worked., Pics to follow.

Winchester is next.  Then Newbury, Oxford, and a bunch of other places.

I AM 3 MONTHS CLEAN! 

WHARES MAH KEYRING BITCHES!

He can take offerings on my behalf, but I offer no guarantees being psychotic and all.

Prayers and requests go here.

I bought one yesterday and I'm having the girls over for food tommorrow. One is Vegitarian and instead of just roasting all the veg and making a risotto of epic veggie proportions with that included I wanted to do something nice to snack on with the eggplant/aubergine.

Spices wise I am limited. I have a bit of saffron, some chilli flakes, some cajun seasoning and some sambal. 

I had this crazy idea of dipping thin slices in egg with saffron and chili flakes and then frying, finishing them in my new  combi microwave grill oven by sprinkling some pumpkin seeds on the top whilst the egg is still not quite cooked, to add some crunchy to the proceedings.

Any other tips? I seriously went nuts at the supermarket so I cannot go and get anything else. Also my cupboard is full so nothing else will fit.

I also has courgette I can do similar to if needs be. 

Halp?

Also I am running half an hour early.

basically when I have really real net access and have found some interesting neurology research/talks imma post em here for easy access.

add moar if you want, or not.

I have found basic research to be personally helpful with the crazy thing in giving me bizarre ways to get my brain not to hear voices by using certain stimuli. other sp[ags may just find interesting neurology related stuffs and post..

My friend showed me this talk by a neuroscience lady, she goes a bit happy hippy but its basically the first hand experinece of someone having a stroke. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html


[Edited name of topic  for broader spectrum of research and related stuffs]

My step mum believes in psychics. When asked if I do...
Well if I DID then I wouldn't be undergoing bloody shrinks for psychosis!

Mutter mutter.

How do you tell 65 year old woman that her "psychic" would be diagnosed as psychotic?

River cobbler is a white fish that is inexpensive.

Take fillets of river cobbler, use half a lemon for each fillet marinade in the lemon and a pinch of saffron. Place the saffron between the fillets and leave for an hour covered. I serve it with a strong peppery salad and either some nice bread or new potatoes. Get the rest of your prep or cooking done.

Put oil in a pan, slice garlic. Lightly fry and add fish with marinade into pan on medium heat when all cooked and fish is about to fall apart serve with cooked marinade as sauce using bread or tatties to mop it up!

Yum!

I have been referred to a head doc as i started hearing voices and shit. 

I'm not having as much trouble with it now, seems stress related, and may be down to my epic half-lifelong consumption of weed.

aaanyway, de-toxing, staying at my dad's, and Payne has been keeping my chin up, bless him. :soppyfaec:

enough about a pix, how the fuck is PeeDee doing?

Ok for my upcoming 30th i am going to be having a bit of a double celebration, my becoming an old fucker and my marital emancipation from some American asshole.

i will be going down to see friends, and so on the 5th of Feb I was thinking we could throw in some meatup madness, do discordian silliness during the day, maybe definitely clubbing and party in the evening, and some point during the day i shall receive my Holy Orders from Payne.

Whose up for some south coast madness, Pixie style?

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4838562.Trapped_penis_cut_free_by_grinder/
Did no one tell him that steel does not make a good cock ring?

and also the poor fireman who cut him out... can you imagine having to hold an angle grinder so close to someone's cock?

This cheered me up a fuckton after yesterday.

Ask me to mek u a fantasy sammich.

also specify any dietary needs (veggie, vegans dont get decent sammiches, dont bother... allergies and the like.)

based on personality I shall mek u ur perfect sammich! i hope.