Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Equality Now

This morning I got sucked into a broadsheet post about Joss Whedon's rant on Whedonesque about misogyny. It's worth reading.

If the story of Dua Khalil isn't enough to move you to action, visit equalitynow.org.


Human rights violations against women have historically been denied the attention and concern of international organizations, national governments, traditional human rights groups and the media. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of girls and women around the globe continue to endure debilitating and often fatal human rights abuses.

India: A 10-year-old girl is rescued by a flight attendant who notices her crying. Her father has sold her to the 60-year-old Saudi Arabian man sitting next to her for the equivalent of US$240.


Kenya: At a boarding school, 300 boys attack the girls' dormitory. Seventy-one girls are raped. Nineteen are trampled to death in the stampede to escape. The school's vice principal remarks, "The boys never meant any harm against the girls. They just wanted to rape."


Brazil: A man who confessed to stabbing his wife and her lover to death is for the second time acquitted of murder by an all-male jury. The acquittal is based on the argument that he acted in legitimate defense of his wronged honor.


Ireland: A 14-year-old girl, raped by the father of her best friend, learns she is pregnant. She is prohibited from travelling to England where abortion is legal. Only when she indicates she will commit suicide if forced to carry the pregnancy to term does the Supreme Court allow her to proceed.


United States: A 51-year-old woman is stabbed 19 times and killed by her former boyfriend as she waits inside a courthouse to extend an order of protection. Twice before he had been charged with harassment. Both times the charges were dropped.

These are only a few instances of abuses which occur every single day. Human rights violations against women must be documented, publicized--and stopped. We need Equality Now.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Free Ms. PAC-MAN

A little chunk of childhood is free on iTunes right now.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Cheetahs


I found this picture tonight that Victoria sent me last year of us at the Kenya Wildlife Service Animal Orphanage.

These guys licked our hands, purred, and rubbed up against us like big kitties. Earlier on that same trip last year, we saw two different cheetahs take down a bush buck and tear into it. That conflicted grin on my face is me thinking simultaneously, "Awww... can I take you home wif me? So cute@!#" and "OMG please don't eat me."

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Crocheted Pac-Man and Ghosts


I bought a heathkit terminal from a guy at the MIT Flea once-upon-a-time. His wife had made it a custom gingham cozy.

Creative Commons pattern (for Pac-Man etc, not the gingham cozy) available here.