Maximes 'n stuff

Paralympics trip report

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:32:00 -0400

On Saturday 1st September I spent the day at the Paralympics, and I had a FANTASTIC time.

I had a park ticket, which meant I could go into the cheap seats in four of the arenas (when seats were available). I got to see A LOT of sport and it was brilliant value for a £10 ticket. (Thank you again, Sara <3)

A note: I am not someone who would call herself a sport lover. I usually don’t bother watching sport on TV, with a few odd exceptions (snooker, the Olympics/Paralympics, gymnastics, ice skating…). So yesterday was the most sport - live or otherwise - I have *ever* seen in one day. I found it totally enthralling and was once again annoyed at how much attention is paid to football (which I find deathly dull), and how little to other sports - especially women’s sport.

We started off by walking around the ENORMOUS Olympic Park, which as a resident of East London was fascinating to me - it’s going to be a public resource once the games are over, after all. Many of the arenas are temporary, and are going to be shipped to Rio for 2016, which I found very heartening, and also I *love* the image of these huge stately arenas serenely making their way across the oceans to Brazil. We also joked that they were Ikea-style flatpack arenas, and pitied the poor person in Rio whose job it would be to reassemble them, with only an allen key and some incomprehensible pictograms to help them - “fit grommet 100,352 onto bolt AFR2511 and insert into slot 45pfp2111” - and so on. Maybe you had to be there…

We made our way into the basketball arena, and saw first of all Turkey v Italy men’s wheelchair basketball. I arbitrarily chose to support Turkey (I have a good Turkish friend) and was thrilled when they won 65-60. It was a very hard-fought game, and watching the flow of the play was just wonderful. We were lucky enough to see Team GB in action next - the British women against Brazil. Team GB won, which was great to see because of the crowd reaction. I think Brazil might have been the better team - they made better use of the court, to my untrained eye, but GB juuuust edged them out, helped immensely by point-scoring powerhouse Amy Conroy.

After a few solid hours in the basketball arena, we left to stretch our legs and see what else we could get in to watch. We had no luck getting in to the 7-a-side football in the Riverside Arena, but got into Eton Manor for the wheelchair tennis with no problem. It was mid-afternoon at this point, and sitting outside in the hazy sunshine and watching tennis was wonderful and relaxing. The first match we saw was men’s singles wheelchair tennis, France v Chile. The Chilean was hopelessly outmatched, and ended up being beaten in straight sets, but stayed pretty cheerful throughout. The British have a notorious soft spot for underdogs, so the reaction every time he got a point was immense. :)

After that match, we were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to watch another member of Team GB playing against Thailand in the women’s wheelchair tennis. Sadly, Whiley of GB was beaten 6-3 6-4, but she put up a great fight, with some long and thrilling rallies.

We left the Manor after that, and headed to the Copper Box to watch a goalball match. I’d never seen goalball before, but I would LOVE to see it again on TV or live. It’s played by visually impaired people, and, well, this site will tell you more: http://www.london2012.com/para… Like all the sports I most enjoy, it’s got a strongly tactical and psychological element along with athletic demands which I feel adds an extra dimension for those watching it. It’s intense, and I found my hands unconsciously forming fists as I *willed* the ball into the net.

The match we saw was Belgium v Iran in the men’s goalball competition, and we decided to support Iran because Belgium’s yellow knee-length socks were a crime against fashion. :) The Iranian no 2 player, Mostafa Shahbazi Yajlou, was compelling to watch - he was shamelessly playing up to the crowd, encouraging us to clap and cheer during breaks in play, and managed to save a penalty in pretty spectacular fashion. The crowd had to be silent while the game was on, and being among such a large number of people all pretty much holding their breath was spine-tingling. Sadly for us, Belgium won 8-6, and we left for a final session in the basketball arena.

We saw Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team take down Australia, then the Australian men defeat Spain (to the joy of their sizeable court-side supporters’ contingent). The Spanish put up a brave fight, and drew equal at one point, but were outmatched by the Aussies - their team nickname is the Rollers - who played a bit dirty, a bit rough, but got the job done.

At this point it was gone 10pm and I’d spent over 12 hours in the park, so it was time to go home.

The volunteers were all extremely cheerful - relentlessly so, one could say. The park itself seems beautiful and like it will become a useful and beloved community resource after the games. The corporate branding everywhere - including Atos (a nasty bunch they are too - see here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/soci…, TW for discussion of disablism and suicide) - was a little much, but it is what it is and I have more than said enough on that subject elsewhere.

I’m really glad I got to see so much sporting excellence. It was great fun, and I just wish that more niche sports were shown on TV all the time - not just once every four years.

The "Good [sic] Men [sic] Project" is terrible

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:27:00 -0400

The “Good Men Project” is a terrible, terrible site. It’s actively harmful at this point. (I recommend @GoodMenzProject as a perfectly judged satirical response.) I just couldn’t help writing to its managing editor (and editorial contact), Lisa Hickey, about a recent and especially awful article, about women with “small breasts”.

Dear Lisa,

I am writing to voice my concern that this article - “In Praise of Small-Breasted Women” - made it through your editorial process to appear on the site. It appears to go against everything that the GMP stands for.

The writer revels in objectifying women (“And yes, don’t worry, we snuck a good, long look at your body”) - as if this is “good man” behaviour; as if it’s OK to leer at women as long as you’re not one of those nasty déclassé Not Good Men builders or drunk wedding guests or frat boys.

More problematic lines:

“Maybe there’s something fearless and yet vulnerable about your petite frame that draws us.” - er, not all women with small breasts are “petite”? And describing “vulnerable” as an attractive trait is, I hope you’ll agree, creepy to the nth degree.

“Guys like me, like the fact that you’re used to having to win people over with your mind and personality, not what was peeking through your blouse.” - The whole ARTICLE is about what kind of breasts he finds attractive, so he is contradicting himself something fierce here.

“Maybe you’re just a bit lighter—at how you handle life. Maybe the thing you think you’re lacking has given you so much more. And you’re better able to move around the obstacles of life a lot quicker without it.” - now he presumes to speak for ”small-breasted women”, deciding on their behalf that they think they are “lacking”. Not cool at all, and not at all the behaviour that I would expect from a Good Man. I would expect a Good Man to listen, not to tell women how they feel about themselves.

“We’re not the ones throwing themselves at you at the frat party. Or your friend’s wedding, countless drinks in.” - beep beep rape culture alert! I am sure that men who are attracted to women with small breasts are just as capable of assaulting and attacking women as anyone else.

“Maybe we’re the ones quietly taking you in from five tables away. Listening to your voice. Your perspective. Your sense of humor. The witty way you referenced an F. Scott Fitzgerald line in the middle of ordering your drink.” - barf, this is total Nice Guy talk, right here. “I might be objectifying you and judging your attractiveness based overwhelmingly on whether you are pleasing to my Dudely Gaze, but I also think it’s cute that you think you’re clever! Who wants a pat on the head?” And I am fairly sure that literary taste and breast size aren’t actually correlated in any way whatsoever?

In fact, the dreadfulness of the article is apparent in its opening paragraph, where boobs are described in monetary terms (“invest”, “endowed”), and ‘cut off’ from the rest of a woman’s body - textbook objectification and dehumanisation if ever I saw it.

The article stinks. It is patronising, objectifying, and, in trying to speak for women, highly offensive. I am sure the author wrote it with the best of intentions. I hope I don’t have to spell out why his intention matters not a jot - not when the result is to speak for rather than to women, and when the article is based on the premise that all women can and should be sexualised regardless of their feelings on the matter. The author’s privilege is so staggeringly huge, it’s visible from the other side of the Atlantic. It’s probably visible from space.

Yours, disgustedly,

Jo

basvanoerle: Join the Cosmonewts! Buy the print...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:18:48 -0400

basvanoerle:

Join the Cosmonewts!

Buy the print here !

MOONBASE 2016

Photo

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:44:36 -0400

Photo

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:08:04 -0400

ilikethejavajive: Natural History Museum post-collapse of...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:28:37 -0400

ilikethejavajive:

Natural History Museum post-collapse of civilization?

Looks totally Skyrim-tastic. Like a Spriggan matron is going to pop out of hiding and start throwing bees at you.

How to buy merch without making me hate you - 13 handy tips!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:27:24 -0400

How to buy merch without making me hate you - 13 handy tips!:

I don’t think I’ve ever done any of the Bad Things Kim lists here, but it’s still good to be reminded!

This is for Nancy. Best song in the universe.

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:18:26 -0400

This is for Nancy. Best song in the universe.

Gig reports: Enslaved, Triptykon, Cannibal Corpse, Earth

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:54:00 -0400

Seeing Earth play chilled-out desert rock in a chapel last Sunday could not have been more of a contrast to the gig I saw the night before (Saturday 10th March) - well, all the groups used guitars and drums, but other than that. Saturday’s gig - Destroyers of the Faith, at the Forum in Kentish Town - was Enslaved, Triptykon, and Cannibal Corpse. Bit of an odd line-up, but there you go.

Enslaved were my favourite of the night, and not just because I got to meet them afterwards. They’ve been going for over 20 years, and - as with Earth - the band members’ communication on stage is organic and seems utterly natural. The camaraderie between (especially) Ivar and Grutle, who co-founded the band in 1991, brought a tear of joy to my eye. They clearly adore what they do - which is producing top-quality black metal/prog/experimental/IDK WTF music - and it’s infectious. I had a big grin on my face for the duration of their set. As many have noted, the cover of “Immigrant Song” was a highlight; they respected the song, but had their own take on it, and I thought the harsh vocals worked a treat. Would love to have a proper studio version showing up on an EP or something.

Triptykon is the continuation band of Tom G Warrior, formerly of Celtic Frost, and I think I’m right in saying that they played at least as much CF as they did music from their debut album Eparistera Daimones. Which… ok cool, but I really like ED, so in a relatively short set (45 minutes I think?) maybe a bit more of a focus on Triptykon stuff would have been good. In any case, they created a suitably crushing and doomy atmosphere - they’re very tight, and very good at what they do.

Cannibal Corpse: I’m not the biggest fan of brutal death metal, so I spent most of their set watching from the bar. The pit was manic; talk about a meat grinder. One kid was unceremoniously carried out of the pit by two blokes and dumped on the stairs leading to the floor, with a cut on his forehead. We rushed to his aid and helped him to his feet - at which point he started swearing and lashing out weakly at everyone around him. Ah, so that’s why the pit spat him out. Thankfully he didn’t try to re-enter the pit, but staggered off elsewhere. I love the self-cleaning mechanism in metal pits. Sure, they’re violent - but there are still unwritten rules, and it’s a consensual violence. If anyone breaks the rules enough, they’ll get ejected. Anyway. Back to CC: Corpsegrinder at least has a commanding and charismatic stage presence, and he windmills like no other. His neck muscles are terrifying - I mean, look at that neck. Some friends of friends met him at the kebab shop later, and said he was really friendly - I love hearing little stories like that.

In all, a pretty fab weekend. My next gig is Anaal Nathrakh on the 23rd, then I’m returning to the Forum on the 7th April to see Boltfest, which is the 25th anniversary benefit show for Brummie legends (not a word I throw around lightly) Bolt Thrower. I’ll be on the balcony upstairs, which, actually, is probably going to be a good thing, as the gig is sold out, and BT fans can get a little… enthusiastic. The pits will be, I predict, even messier than CC’s, and I am Too Old For That Shit, officially. Sitting upstairs with a pint and a good view - sounds great to me.

(via stax&cane)

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:02:18 -0400

(via stax&cane)

redlightpolitics: 14kgoldnyc: deliciouskaek: because...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:33:43 -0500

redlightpolitics:

14kgoldnyc:

deliciouskaek:

because ridiculous, that’s why.

OMG, the last one especially. But they’re all beautiful! Thank you, deliciouskaek, for this delicious offering to the gif gods :)

This is genius. For anyone who hasn’t seen the original, you MUST.

He’s just so dang HAPPY. Love it.

"Hangman" and rohypnol: The editor responds

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:15:00 -0500

This is a response to an email I sent last Friday, about an article which appeared in Felix, a newspaper for Imperial students. The Telegraph wrote up the incident, too, which was nice. So:

Dear [me],

First of all, thank you for taking the time to email about this.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally apologise to you for the offence caused by the article in question.

Having reviewed a lot of the comments that have been made directly to me and that have been appearing in online spaces such as Twitter, a lot of readers felt that the article incited sexual violence, trivialised rape and generally contributed to the idea of a rape culture. I would like to assure you that this was in no way our intention, and we all agree that a piece of content which does this is wholly unacceptable.

This incident has highlighted several major flaws in our quality control process, for which I take full responsibility. I have personally been working with our editors and contributors all weekend to put in place a new system that will ensure more stringent content guidelines are followed and that the consequences of every article we publish are considered fully. I am also ensuring that our writing team is fully educated on and sensitive to such topics.

I deeply regret my own personal failure in not having taken action to prevent this happening in the first place, and I hope you will take it as a given that after this incident the content that goes into the section will be radically rethought.

Yours sincerely,

[Felix editor]

As far as the response from the Felix editor goes… well, I find it fairly satisfactory. It’s good that the editor has taken “full responsibility” for the “major flaws” in the editorial process, which allowed the revolting original article to be published in the first place. It’s good - very good - to hear that a new system is being put in place; I’ll ask my friends at Imperial to keep me updated about how well it works in future. The part about not intending to offend with the original article is a little iffy, since, as we all know, intent is not magic. But OTOH it’s heartening that the editor has responded with apparent sincerity and a willingness to change, rather than a brush-off and a faux-pology. I don’t know. Am I being too optimistic here?

I’d still like the author of the “Hangman” piece to come forward. I’ve got some questions I’m dying to ask. Are you proud of this article? Would you include it in your portfolio, were you to look for a job in journalism? If not, why not? Would you be happy for a female relative of yours to read it? Would you like to read it to a close friend of mine who was drugged in a pub by persons unknown (thankfully, her boyfriend noticed how ill she was, and promptly called an ambulance)? Do you think the article reflects well on Imperial College, and its student body? If the answer to any of the previous questions was ‘yes’, why the hell was the article not put online, anyway?

I’m going to write back to the Felix editor and ask for a little more detail on the new procedures and the proposed “radical [rethink]” he mentions. But in all, I’m guardedly positive about how this has turned out.

Any small victory in the face of the foetid tide of lad humour washing around UK campuses and beyond (WARNING: Daily Mail link) is cause for cautious celebration. It’s a drop in the ocean, sure, but it’s a start.

Edit: This excellent article seems appropriate here.

grimkim: shanemichaelxvx: Oh...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:46:46 -0500

grimkim:

shanemichaelxvx:

Oh god..

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lookit that sad lil face :3

And while I’m at it: This poster from the Chartered...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:44:01 -0500

And while I’m at it: This poster from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, spotted in a London university, uses the oh-so-original route of showing a lady’s arse as a marketing ploy. NEW! EXCITING! BUMS! WORK IN PURCHASING! YOU TOO COULD SPEND YOUR DAY BUYING KNICKERS!!!

Sigh. Because using sex to sell, well, anything is sooooooooo revolutionary.

Fuckers.

CONTENT NOTE: Drug-assisted rape, extreme misogyny I am fucking...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:32:00 -0500

CONTENT NOTE: Drug-assisted rape, extreme misogyny

I am fucking disgusted by this. The magazine for Imperial College students, Felix, saw fit to print this revolting article in its “satire” column, Hangman. It’s not satire. It’s outright misogyny. (I can’t find the article on the Felix website, for some reason. Wonder why. UPDATE: the lovely mirrorsandstuff says Hangman stuff never goes online as it’s “too offensive”.)

As illustrations of what we mean when we talk about “rape culture” go, it’s pretty fucking perfect. Depressingly so, even.

How on earth the editors of Felix saw fit to print this, I will never know.

I have written to the press office at Imperial to ask them what they think of this. I’ll update if/when I get a response - and I’ll keep bugging them until I get a response.

In the wake of the UniLad fiasco, this is a nice reminder that rape culture is alive and well, and, sadly, thriving on university campuses across the UK.

Ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

Edited to add: I’m a student at a college of the University of London, albeit not Imperial. Although Imperial isn’t part of the UoL any more, I still share libraries and resources with the people who wrote this, who edited it, who OK’d it for publication. Does it make me feel safe to be around people like this? Does it fuck. Imperial, what are you going to do about this?

Edited again: Imperial’s press office have promised me a reply from the Felix editor. Here’s the email I wrote:

————————
Hi [press office person],

I saw the following photo of an article in Felix magazine, and I was hoping to get an official reaction from Imperial as to whether they consider this type of article to be acceptable.

http://twitpic.com/8hyt8h

The article - which its writers would no doubt defend as satire - is anything but. It contributes to a culture in which it is acceptable to make jokes about using drugs to rape people, as if this never happens in real life. I can only imagine how an Imperial student who had been assaulted in this way would feel when reading this article.

As a student at [another London uni], I am concerned that the appearance of this article helps to sustain and maintain an atmosphere which is not safe for people at risk of sexual assault and rape - primarily women, although it is important to note that men can be and are also attacked by rapists. I do not want to share buildings, resources and libraries with the people who wrote this article, who OK’d its publication, and who allowed it to be spread among the student body.

I find everything about the article despicable - from its assumption that the reader is male, to the implication that single men are willing rapists, to the utter callousness shown to people who have been forced to imbibe Rohypnol (wittingly or unwittingly) and who subsequently suffered a sexual assault or rape. The article equates rape with “get[ting] any”. This is disgusting. It’s normalising rape. I am really, really angry.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

[me]
————————

And the reply:

Dear [me],

Thank you for raising your concerns with us, which my colleague shared with me.

I have discussed this with the Editor of Felix, who I have cc’d in. He has told me he will investigate this matter fully and respond to you.

Kind regards

[Press officer]