Change Is A Sound

Caffeine withdrawal now classified as a mental disorder. Quick, Orwell to the rescue! (Also see how we came to depend on coffee so deeply.)

Not yet ready to be mentally ill, at least in that way? Might as well learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee.

(via explore-blog)

(Source: , via explore-blog)

The kid now has a favorite band, and the band in question is American Nightmare. She also expressed interest in punk and hardcore, which calls for a mix. And mixes? They’re something of a specialty around these parts.

One CD, one song per band (I wasn’t horrifically strict - that would have meant leaving out Minor Threat or Fugazi, and Pegboy or Naked Raygun) and it had to fit in 80 minutes while also touching on classics, some forgotten/overlooked/underappreciated stuff, showing the diversity of what can be considered hardcore (the punk songs here are more hardcore than not, and usually just reflect a regional approach to the form) as well as reflecting regional scene difference and appealing to an 11-year-old kid. In looking at it, it focuses a bit much on more recent (last 10-15 years) hardcore and punk but it flows great and sounds awesome and she’ll never be able to say “Gorilla who?”

Here’s the result:

1. American Nightmare - Love American
2. Fucked Up - Queen Of Hearts
3. Trial By Fire - One Last Gasp
4. Dag Nasty - Under Your Influence
5. 59 Times The Pain - Need No Alibi
6. Bombshell Rocks - Warpath
7. H2O - Everready
8. Good Riddance - Mother Superior
9. Propagandhi - … And We Thought That Nation-States Were A Bad Idea
10. Fuel - Remains To Be Seen
11. Refused - New Noise
12. Minor Threat - Out Of Step
13. 7 Seconds - Walk Together, Rock Together
14. Fastbreak - Good Dreams Or None At All
15. Fairweather - Young, Brash, Hopeful
16. Gorilla Biscuits - New Direction
17. Bad Religion - Modern Man
18. Black Train Jack - Time
19. In My Eyes - Making Sense
20. Avail - Scuffle Town
21. Grade - The Tension Between Stillness And Motion
22. The Explosion - Deliver Us
23. Pegboy - Field Of Darkness
24. Naked Raygun - Soldier’s Requiem
25. Reach The Sky - A Year And A Smile
26. Good Clean Fun - Positive Hardcore
27. Fugazi - Merchandise
28. Lifetime - Ostrichsized
29. Bane - Ali V. Frazier I

leaguerulesfrownupon:

Tony Daniel, writer of such classics [insert sarcasm font] Battle for the Cowl  is currently writing Action Comics. I will not comment on the quality of that book because it’s inconsequential, but lets just say it  ain’t on a my pull list. In his most recent issue he has Clark say to Jimmy that he’s been “friend zoned”. If you’re following me you don’t need to be told why the idea of friend zoning is sexist, but after seeing a post on here about how someone confronted him about it I went to see if he’d apologized. He had not. So I decided that I would add my voice to what I hope will be others. Let’s just say, he did not take kindly to it.

Now before I keep posting I want to make a point of where I was trying to say here. It’s something that Smooth did in his post but really Bomani Jones said once on Hoop Speak. No one has racism or sexism repellent. It’s something we all grow up with and it becomes a part of us. My goal here was to say that the thing he did was sexist, not that he was sexist. Spoiler alert, he did not take it that way

At this point I’m a little angry. I’m tired from my second day of boxing class, my arms are shaking, and this guy cannot be bothered to consider he may be wrong. But I tried to remain civil. I asked if he’d read the article the other girl sent.

When I tried to reply to him again, just to try and point him towards something that may cause him to in some way reflect on the matter. But when I tried I got this

I was blocked! I’m actually kinda happy about this because I’ve never been blocked before. And I mean I’m on NBA twitter so I’ve fought with people before plenty. I have never been blocked though. As my friend Giselle said, Achievement Unlocked. 

After this I mentioned it to Tris because I thought this was great. She decided to jump in. 

Heads up that for my own sake the tweets now go from earliest to latest.

And then there was this little stretch

So now we’re both blocked. We’re blocked buddies. I guess that’s like being the Bash Brothers for D2: Mighty Ducks? I’m going to pretend it is. Just wanted to throw this up on here because I thought it was funny. 

kellysue:

I’ve got three things I’ve got to get turned in today, two kids to get fed and dressed and a bag to pack and a flight to catch, so I can’t respond to this the way I’d like, but I’m putting it here so I don’t forget.  

I also need to let my temper subside a bit.  If I were to reply right now I’d resort to name-calling and insults and we all know there’s no ground to be gained there. 

Instead, when I’m not shaking anymore, I’ll recount my career trajectory AGAIN.  [Magazine writer/research assistant—>comic reviewer—>7 years /10K+ pages adapting manga into English—>anthology shorts—>co-writing gigs—>one-shots—>minis—->ongoings]  

Maybe I’ll get Alejandro Arbona to attest—AGAIN!—that I was blind-submitted for my first gig at Marvel.  I’ll offer that if you’re looking for Men to Credit for My Career, you should look first to Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Peter Rose, Steve Niles and Jamie Rich — all of whom were responsible for making introductions or getting me chances to submit my work well before Matt Fraction had any pull in the industry.  (I’ll also state in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t sleeping with any of those men, because I know, dear Anon, that is your next assumption.)  Or Brian Bendis, who had championed my work in a way I will never be able to adequately thank him for.  (Ditto Steve Wacker.)  

(Also not sleeping with Brian or Steve, just so we’re clear.)

Maybe I’ll ponder why it isn’t Fraction who’s considered to have benefited from nepotism.  After all, more than 10 years ago now, Matt Fraction was my plus one to Joe Quesada’s 40th birthday party and it was me who sent copies of Last of the Independents to Joe and Axel.  I mean, clearly, it was those gestures that got Fraction his career — certainly not the merit of his work, right? I mean, come on — those Hawkeye Eisner noms are part mine, right? 

(I can’t imagine how sick Fraction must be of hearing me tell that story. But I bet it’s not half as sick of it as I am.)

(The first person I met in the industry was Wil Rosado. Through him, the first editors I met were Andy Ball, who’s since moved on, and Joey Cavalieri. Just in case anybody wants to make a chart. This would be… maybe 4 years before I met Fraction, Gillen, Ellis, McKelvie et al on the WEF.) 

Okay, deep breath.  

Bendis is going to tell me that I shouldn’t acknowledge this, that I’m feeling trolls, but here’s the pickle: people deny that this happens.  We’re told that the insults to our dignity working women face are in our imagination, that it’s a thing of sexy Mad Men past.  It’s WOMEN who make this a thing, right?  (Hysterical, don’t you know.)  We’re to the point where I meet young women who won’t identify as feminists because the struggle is over and it’s only a thing if you make it one. 

Bullshit. 

It’s not a natural assumption to leap to the conclusion that I got my job because of my marriage.  It’s the product of deeply-ingrained sexist thinking.  I can name for you a half a dozen men who did, in fact, get their first big two gigs because of who they knew and their dignity and their qualifications have never been called into question.  I’m lucky if I go a week.  

I was recently directed to a post on a snake pit of a message board (what was I thinking, even going to look?) by a man I’d known as long as I’d known my husband, a man I’d met at the same time—a man who had felt free to ask professional favors of me on multiple occasions—who was lamenting how “easily” I’d gotten to where I was because of Fraction. When friends of mine pointed him to my CV, he half-apologized because he had no idea.  Apparently he thought Marvel—a publicly-owned company—was in the habit of handing out gigs to freelancer’s wives just for kicks.  Then he threw up the bit about it being a natural assumption. 

I would say simply ‘fuck that guy’ and chalk it up to his not being half as smart as he thinks he is, but here’s the thing: 

That guy has daughters.  

For them, and for my daughter and for your daughter, I am going to occasionally shine a light on these things… even though it both enrages and embarrasses me.  

I don’t know if it’s the right call, but I know that ‘ignore it and it’ll go away’ isn’t working. 

I need to figure out a way to contain my outrage enough to talk about it in a way that doesn’t attack, but invites dudes like Anon to rethink their ‘natural assumptions’ without setting myself up as an uppity bitch that they’re invested in proving wrong.  

I… I clearly don’t know how to do that right now.  But I’m going to figure it out.   

Later.

Right now, the kids need breakfast and my son has questions about the xenomorph that can’t wait another second.  

I’m out. 

autisticadvocacy:

ASAN is looking for autistic writers for our communications team! We need volunteers with strong writing, journalism, or editing skills who are comfortable writing in a variety of formats (short informational articles, longer writeups and interviews, tipsheets and factsheets, news blurbs, action…

Essential reading from Daniel Dennett, one of our greatest living philosophers. (via explore-blog)

(Source: , via explore-blog)

lemonsweetie:

Let me tell you a thing, about an amazing man named Patrick Stewart

I went to Comicpalooza this weekend and I was full of nervous energy as I was standing in line to ask Sir Patrick Stewart a question at his panel. I first had to thank him for a speech he had given at amnesty international about domestic violence towards women . I had only seen it a few months ago but I was still dealing with my own personal experience with a similar issue, and I didn’t know what to call it. After seeing Patrick talk so personally about it I finally was able to correctly call it abuse, in my case sexual abuse that was going to quickly turn into physical abuse as well. I didn’t feel guilty or disgusting anymore. I finally didn’t feel responsible for the abuse that was put upon me. I was finally able to start my healing process and to put that part of my life behind me.

After thanking him I asked him “Besides acting, what are you most proud of that you have done in you life (that you are willing to share with us)?”. Sir Patrick told us about how he couldn’t protect his mother from abuse in his household growing up and so in her name works with an organization called Refuge for safe houses for women and children to escape from abusive house holds. Sir Patrick Stewart learned only last year that his father had actually been suffering from PTSD after he returned from the military and was never properly treated. In his father’s name he works with an organization called Combat Stress to help those soldiers who are suffering from PTSD.

They were about to move onto the next question when Sir Patrick looked at me and asked me “My Dear, are you okay?” I said yes, and that I was finally able to move on from that part of my life. He then passionately said that it is never the woman’s fault in domestic violence, and how wrong to think that it ever is. That it is in the power of men to stop violence towards women. The moderator then asked “Do you want a hug?”

Sir Patrick didn’t even hesitate, he smiled, hopped off the stage and came over to embrace me in a hug. Which he held me there for a long while. He told me “You never have to go through that again, you’re safe now.” I couldn’t stop thanking him. His embrace was so warm and genuine. It was two people, two strangers, supporting and giving love. And when we pulled away he looked strait in my eyes, like he was promising that. He told me to take care. And I will.

Sir Patrick Stewart is an absolute roll model for men. He is an amazing man and was so kind and full of heart. I want to let everyone know to please find help if you are in a violent or abusive house hold or relationship. There are organizations and people ready to help. I had countless people after the panel thanking me for sharing the story and asking him those questions. Many said they went through similar things. You are not alone.

X

^ Here is the video of my question to Sir Patrick Stewart

Photos by Eugene Lee, Thank you

nick-edwards:

CAVE SHRINE - first episode (pages 1 and 2)

New webcomic updates every Thursday

arcaneimages:

I’d like to talk about Dragon*con one last time. As I’ve said before I will not ever attend this con because Ed Kramer who awaits trial for child molestation still receives money from Dragon*con. To me it’s so obvious. Children’s safety comes before anything else, including my need to attend a con, wear a costume or whatever.

Seems obvious but so many, too many so-called caring fans are not only still giving money to this con, but actively defending it. If you want your money to go to the defense of a child molester then I have nothing to say to you. I find it disgusting. Dragon*con and those who defend it are a scar on fandom that makes me ashamed to be a fan.

Believe me, I am sympathetic to the innocent victims of what Kramer did, not only the kids, but also fans and con organizers. But what’s done is done. It can’t be fixed and can’t be swept under the rug so it’s time for Dragon*Con to grow a pair, step up to the plate and do what’s right. New con. Same city. Done.

So you don’t think I’m just blathering off, I have been in a situation like this. A few years back I did several books for a major publisher. One day I turn on the news and bang, the artist had been arrested for distribution of child pornography. I didn’t bitch and whine about how it affected me. Instead we all agreed it was best for those books to go away. That’s what had to be done. For the kids who this animal violated. It’s not about me keeping a book in print and lining my pockets. It’s about doing the right thing.

So there’s that. I’m sorry a long running popular con has a pedophile in their ranks, but instead of continuing to victimize these kids (now men seeking justice) it’s time for everybody in fandom to show the world we aren’t a bunch of selfish nerds, but caring humans who love and respect others. Is that so much to ask for?

The way we spend our money is very powerful. Let’s use that power for good

Thanks for listening.

 -Steve

Convictions are not convenient. They are things that we believe in so strongly that we value them above things we enjoy, even things that put food on the table. They are the foundation of any ethical system, and critical to living a life without (or at least with minimal) cognitive dissonance.

Perhaps more to the point, convictions are the ideas that allow you to sleep at night and look in the mirror, knowing that whatever else you did that day, you did not betray yourself.

designislaw:

It has been a sad, sad several years to be a man who just wanted a box to hook up to his television and play games on the big screen. From derivative sequels, to bad peripherals, to exploitative downloadable content plans, to faulty online pass schemes, wanting to play games and be left alone…

This. Totally this.