Automated Attack Monkeys, Scalpel Mines, & Acid

In between Doctors' appointments the last few days I managed to spend an hour or so on Skype to take part in the House of Comments podcast for this week. I tried very hard to be polite and not interrupt, even to the extent of not ribbing Emma about her obsession with bar charts on focus leaflets, so those of you hoping for Fireworks might well be disappointed.

Topics covered include Ian Duncan Smith's interesting approach to the use of statistics, the long ramifications of legislation in comparison to the short attention span of the Westminster Village, and European fish quotas.

I wasn't at my combative best, but I think I did OK.

You can listen or subscribe via RSS for android or PC, or via iTunes for Appley people.

Skyfall was pretty bloody awesome, aside from the last 90 seconds or so. It's certainly Craig's first Proper Bond Film, and I'd say it's the best Bond film since Goldeneye. The only bit I didn't like in an otherwise very enjoyable film was ( SPOILER! )

However, I have solved this by adding a thirty second coda to the end of the film in my head: ( I wish this was a spoiler )

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For a more incisive review, please see the fluffy elephant (you may recognise the content of the first comment).

The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists is one of those rare films that's better than the book. A thoroughly enjoyable romp, despite some dodgy gender politics, most of which I have forgiven because of the stonkingly good singalongable soundtrack (yes, I'm shallow).

Madagascar 3 was surprisingly enjoyable, but the soundtrack was nowhere near as good so the gender politics bothered me more ;)

Hotel Transylvania was pretty good, despite some REALLY dodgy gender politics AND the only gay character being a serial sexual assaulter (which the film was at pains to normalise - which kind of takes away from the positive of having a gay character in a kids' film. Paranorman did this a LOT better). Holly loved it so much that she wanted to be a vampire for Halloween, though (see yesterday's post).

Red Dwarf the new series has been pretty good. Not "OMG AWESOME!!!" but pretty good. I'd be pleased if they make another series.

Question Time I haven't actually watched this series at all, and my stress level are markedly lower. Still addicted to Any Questions on radio four, though.

Drabblecast is a podcast I would have unreservedly recommended right up until the most recent episode, which had some problematic content hitherto unknown to this listener, and I've been listening for a good 12 or 13 episodes now. The content is very varied but always interesting (even the problematic episode was interesting) and the host has a voice which doesn't grate on my ears, which is almost unknown in a ficion podcast.

Clarkesworld podcast is even better, IMHO. The host has a LOVELY voice, and gives insightful comment on the stories as well as reading them very well (aside from her pronunciation of some English placenames in the superlative "England Under The White Witch" episode).

University Challenge I have been pretty addicted to this series, but that's possibly because of the game James and I have taken to playing while watching it. It's possibly quite a cruel game. We try to spot the serial killer, and what their method of killing is. For example, the most recent episode had a poisoner, a Lecter-esque cannibal, and a very worrying alien wearing human skin...

* trigger warning for discussion of rape in the abstract *

I listened to this week's episode of the Pod Delusion last night. It contained a sardonic reference to the "meat is murder" trope - if meat is murder, then perhaps dairy produce is rape, and if you're vegetarian rather than vegan aren't you saying that rape is sometimes OK?

This is clearly a dig at the sort of people who think that meat is murder. I think it's a bit misplaced for all sorts of reasons*, but that's not what I want to talk about right now. What I want to talk about right now is my instant, unthinking flinch reaction when I heard the words rape is sometimes ok coming from the speaker. It felt like a physical punch to the gut, even though I know that this is not view that the person uttering the words espouses, and I know that he was just trying to make a hyperbolic point. I (totally involuntarily) imagined my rapist hearing that and thinking that it made everything OK.

It was clearly an irrational reaction on my part. I make no bones about that. Show me someone who claims to never have had an irrational reaction, and I'll show you a liar. But irrational as it was, it was real, and it hurt. How do I square this circle? Dismissing it as mere folly on my part feels wrong, and in some ways victim-blamey; equally kicking up a big stink about it also feels wrong. James O'Malley said something which hurt me, totally unintentionally, and making a big fuss about it will only compound and spread that hurt, and it's entirely probable that everyone involved will just feel attacked and become less likely to listen to each other. There's already been one person who has taken their bat and ball home over this, and I suspect that the imputations of trollery coming from Liz L on twitter today were referring to that rather than to me, but I'm not sure, it's entirely possible it could be me she's talking about... So already it's escalated past what the original hurt justified, and hurts are being compounded.

But then if I shut up about it, am I contributing to the issue? If I back down the face of all the But it was only a joke! And it wasn't even a rape joke really, it was a joke that happened to mention rape! etc. and the quite reasonable comments that if every episode was examined for things that might possibly cause offence to some people... Well, they'd never be able to mention Michael McIntyre again, for starters.

I don't want to censor anyone. I don't want to be the thought police. I don't want to stop people from saying whatever they like, whenever they like.

I just want people to be aware that when they say things, sometimes that can have unintended consequences, and that if people respond in a way you don't expect, that's maybe an opportunity to learn.

I thought Skeptics were supposed to like learning.


* for example, just because humans are different from other animals doesn't mean we are intrinsically better or more valuable. I profoundly disagreed with a lot of what the report said, and I say this as a meat eater.

I have signed up for pod_together, but only as a reader/podficcer, not as a writer (really don't have time for the writeyness at the mo). So, any of you who write stuff, and would like it read out in my dulcet tones, do feel free to go sign up:


Open for sign ups May 16 to May 27 on LJ and DW

And you can get it here.

Absolutely mammoth editing job this time, and it's still over an hour. We've taken into account some of your comments about the music. The sound quality is still not quite as good as I would like it, but it's getting better.

And of course, there's the audience participation discussion.... Thanks to all those of you who sent something in; we're not necessarily totally polite about you all, but... ;)

Do have a listen, please, and leave your comments on the episode post and such. Thankee!

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... follow this link and some of your questions will be answered.

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I went demob happy and had beer beer and more beer when I finished work because I'm not at work again until Wednesday next week! YAY! In other news, the pod delusuion with my piece about teenagers is up and available for download: click here to get it.

Byron's wound is healing good, and both doggies are taking their pills.

Night night.

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I have had a bad brain day today. This has meant I have listened to all of my podcasts and have none left and am thus craving new ones. Here is a list of what I currently listen to (starred ones I consider to be essential listening):

6 Music Recommends - BBC 6 Music
Analysis - BBC Radio 4
Best of Natural History Radio - BBC Radio 4
Beyond Belief - BBC Radio 4
Click On - BBC Radio 4
*Dirty Whoers - independently produced
*The Eleventh Hour Podcast - independently produced
*Dr Karl and the Naked Scientist - BBC Radio 5 live
Feedback - BBC Radio 4
File on 4 - BBC Radio 4
*Friday Night Comedy - BBC Radio 4
*Gardener's Question Time - BBC Radio 4
Gardening with Tim and Joe - BBC Radio Leeds
John Pienaar's Political Review - BBC Radio 5 Live
*Law in Action - BBC Radio 4
Material World - BBC Radio 4
*Newsjack - BBC Radio 7
Nights with Alice Cooper - some station in the US
Outriders - BBC Radio 5 live
Politics UK - BBC World Service
Science in Action - BBC World Service
Science Weekly - The Grauniad
Scotland's Funny Bits - BBC Radio Scotland
Test Match Special - BBC Radio 4
*The Pod Delusion - independently produced
*****The Wyrd Ways Rock Show - independently produced, and awesome, and you should all listen to it
Today in Parliament - BBC Radio 4
Tom Robinson Introducing - BBC 6 Music
*Weekly Political Review - BBC Radio 4

As you can see, I'm very heavy on the radio 4. A lot of the time, I hear one or other of these shows live (like Law in Action today) and don't need to listen to it on the podcast. I'd like to broaden what I listen to. I want more music stuff, more stuff with girls in, more fun and funny stuff. Rec me!

Stuff I don't want reccing:

- anything US-centric (sorry, USians, I do love you guys, but...)
- anything overly testosterone-laden
- music podcasts that don't actually have any music in them (like most of the 6 music ones)
- any more politics stuff - I think I have enough (oh yes, and the reason House of Comments isn't on there is because I still can't get the bloody thing to download to my phone)

Stuff I DO want reccing:

- stuff with Northern accents
- geekgirl stuff
- a girly rock show would be awesome
- stuff that has a sense of humour

Help me, oh f-list, you're my only hope!

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I have become something of a podcast addict. These are the five I cannot live without:

• BBC Friday Night Comedy Podcast - alternates between The News Quiz and The Now Show, both of which are awesome.


• The Pod Delusion - difficult to categorise, but always interesting. Has features on science and politics and other geeky things. Also has regular guest spots from Alex Foster, whose voice makes me do Vic Reeves thigh-rubbing.


• Dirty Whoers - the best Doctor Who podcast by a country mile. Slightly sweary, utterly irreverent, and now featuring Brian Blessed.


• BBC Gardener's Question Time - Bob Flowerdew is awesome. That is all.


• The Guardian Science Weekly - does exactly what it says on the tin.

OK, I finally succumbed. My phone has a podcast subscribing app, and because my sleep patterns are all to cock at the moment I'm missing a lot of my favourite radio4ness, so I am subscribing to podcasts. Are there any that you guys would recommend?

I already have: everything I want from BBC radio, House of Comments, Pod Delusion and Droppin' Science. What else is essential? Am particularly interested in feministy stuff and sci-fi, preferably UK-based.

ETA: oh yes, and I want PROPER urls, NOT bloody iTunes. I know most of you will realise that already, but just in case... ;)

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My March sponsor is Mark Reckons, one of the fellas behind House of Comments.

amazing_holly has comprehensively beaten me at Top Trumps several times this evening, which somewhat put a crimper on an otherwise quite good day. I did better than my dad on the climbing wall, and sorted out some stuff in the garden, and did various other productive things. However, I know what you're all waiting for....

Fresh Squeezings From the veins of the Internet

• The House of Comments Podcast is up. *shamefaced* I am incredibly rude and talk over everybody and my voice is awful and I am louder than everybody else and... and... and WAH! *ahem* Hopefully people will find it interesting. Cthulhu, but I am gobby. People I name-check: Charlotte Gore, Rob Fenwick, Jo Swinson, Helen Duffett, my lovely fiancé matgb, and myself, lots. Topics discussed include Labour's financial mismanagement, Twitter and social media, The Watford Playground Thing, and what MPs should be paid.


• Hannah Nicklin has a brilliant post on the future of politics which I urge you all to go and read.


• The ever-so-sexy Richard Reeves has been engaging in a bit of whataboutery and trying to make feminism all about the poor ickle mens. Is it just me, or would this whole thing go better if we all just realised that some people of all genders have difficulty with work-life balance, and those who actually have the choice to stay at home and look after the kids are bloody lucky, whatever their gender?


• Interesting new blogs time: University of Toronto Feminist Law Students. Not as niche as it sounds. Follow them on DW at u_of_t_feminist_law_feed


• SPACE PICTURES! NASA have some lovely new pictures from the Hubble space telescope. I have a shiny new desktop. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm space pictures!

And today's meme is for all you DWers to remember that you can now tag things followfriday, as you would on twitter, and it will come up in DW's public feed, if you want it to. Promote interesting things on Fridays!

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