Christopher Hitchens defending free speech. This is great and his passing was felt when all this chaos happened in France.
His stand for free speech is much closer to mine.
For me, if someone said he defends free speech but only if didn't offend someone, then this person is selling out free speech, and only support censorship.
"Popular media generally has a problem with representation. Fictional worlds are often designed by and for straight white males, and this can subtly affect how audiences view the real world. Comics are no exception, portraying muscular white males, or exaggerated expressions of the female form. But those traditions are being broken. One of the most exciting new characters breaking this mold is the new Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan. Kamala is a teenage Pakistani-American muslim girl, a far cry from the comic pantheon of Captain Americas and Supermans. So is Kamala a step in the right direction for media representation? Watch the episode and find out!"
If you're not reading Ms. Marvel drop everything and GO READ IT NOW! There are only two issues out so it is easy to catch up. Kamala is a die hard fan girl, and superhero fan. She writes fan fiction and is one of the most authentic portrayals of a teenage girls I've seen comic books in a long time.
Yep, what Jim Morrison says, only make that insanely stupid, horribly misguided, unbelievably naive, gullible, downright nasty, bloody thirsty and vicious. Here we have Shakers, Ticklers, Mutilators, Flagellants, Assassins, Thugs, and a host of other religion-obsessed whackos.
A few quotes from the book:
"Margaret then shouted: "It has been revealed to me that Elizabeth shall sacrifice herself," and she hit her sister on the head with a hammer. Then the remaining ten people in the room--including Margaret's other brothers and sisters--proceeded to beat Elizabeth with crowbars, hammers and wedges. "Don't worry,'' Margaret shouted, "I will raise her from the dead." (The Crucifixion of Margaret Peter)
"Surrounded by adoring women, he would call upon the "full spirit" to descend on them. They would sway and chant, clapping rhythmically, and as the excitement became hysterical, Joshua would cry: "Begone vile clothes," and start to fling his robes around the room. The women would do the same..." ( Franz Creffield, or Joshua the Second)
"In what seemed a peace gesture, Matthias went out to pick a big bowl of blackberries, a favourite dessert of Pierson's. Two others tried a few at dinner, but said they tasted bitter...On the fifth day of his illness, Pierson was found lying on his bedroom floor in a coma." (The Poisonous Prophet)
I don't recommend reading this book on a full stomach. It sickened me, terrified me, and made me shake my head in absolute disbelief.
It was also a hoot. I haven't laughed so much in years.
Well worth reading.
So, aside from the fact that the cicadas are screaming and the children are screaming and ALL THE THINGS ARE SCREAMING, please to enjoy: this book haul! =D
THE BOOKS:
United We Spy | Ally Carter
Six Months Later | Natalie D. Richards
The Dragon's Tooth | ND Wilson
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict | Laurie Viera Rigler
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict | Laurie Viera Rigler
The Trouble with Flirting | Claire LaZbenik
The Distance Between Us | Kacie West
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
Summer and Bird | Katherine Catmull
Also mentioned:
Laurie Viera Rigler's "Sex and the Austen Girl"
Sam @MerryGoDown and River @innocencewalker and their "Contemporary Summer Fling"
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