Fergus Noodle

topclassbitchfromthefuture:

rihannasavedmylife:

goatmusk:

i always feel inclined to reblog this because it is literally the best hair flip in the history of hair flips

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL A FLIP VOL.1

the 1000 volume straight to dvd collection

Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that would make California the first state in the nation to commit to raising the minimum wage from $8 an hour to $10 an hour by January 2016:

Raising wages for the poorest workers is a “wonderful thing,” Brown said at a bill-signing ceremony in Los Angeles.

“It’s my goal and it’s my moral responsibility to do what I can to make our society more harmonious, to make our social fabric tighter and closer and to work toward a solidarity that every day appears to become more distant,” he said.

This is a hugely important issue for women in California, particularly women of color, who are disproportionately employed in the service industry and other sectors that tend to pay minimum wage. Fast food workers, who have been striking nationwide in demand of higher wages, will certainly benefit from this increase in California, though it does not come close to meeting the $15 an hour wage that these workers have been demanding, or even reach the state’s living wage.

hello small feathered things i am a baby elephant it is nice to meet you may we shake noses?

produktsicht:

Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam is a crochet artist from Japan who makes gigantic crochet installations that act as both art and playgrounds. Toshiko’s installation art, once mistaken by children for a playground, suddenly found new life and she began working on many playgrounds in Japan. To learn more, visit Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam’s bio.

harikondabolu:

APU IS A WHITE GUY DOING AN IMPRESSION OF A WHITE GUY MAKING FUN OF MY FATHER.  According to the HuffPo article "Is It Time To Retire Apu?”, Hank Azaria saw my video about Mindy Kaling & South Asian representation from Totally Biased and that line affected him. (The internet is amazing!)

"A video circulating online got to him, featuring Kondabolu…The actor credits the monologue with stirring his first misgivings. “If the only representation of Jews in our culture was Robin Williams’ impression of a Yiddish guy [from “The Birdcage,” starring both Williams and Azaria], I guess I might be upset with that too,” Azaria says.”

This has opened up a nice dialogue. Much more than I ever expected and I appreciate the fact Hank Azaria was willing to talk about it. 

P.S. I LOVE THE SIMPSONS AND I ALWAYS WILL.

misandry-jones:

swdyw:

theunnaturalvvorld:

tapdancers:

this is real

no fucking way

Lmaooooooooooooo

*shaking and crying*

charlienight:

commanderbishoujo:

bogleech:

prokopetz:

johnlockinthetardiswithdestiel:

truthandglory:

assbanditkirk:

whoa canada

someone needs to turn down that sass level

Two things to know about Canada!

1. We are smart enough to know hot things should be hot.
2. We are sorry if you don’t

fun story about the reason they do that (at least in America)

once this lady spilled her McDonald’s coffee on herself and ended up getting like 3rd degree burns and since there was no warning on the cup she was able to claim she didn’t know it would be hot (or at least that hot) and won a lawsuit against McDonald’s for $1 million

That’s what the media smear campaign against her would have you believe, anyway. The truth of the matter is that the McDonald’s in question had previously been cited - on at least two separate occasions - for keeping their coffee so hot that it violated local occupational health and safety regulations. The lady didn’t win her lawsuit because American courts are stupid; she won it because the McDonald’s she bought that coffee from was actively and knowingly breaking the law with respect to the temperature of its coffee at the time of the incident.

(I mean, do you have any idea what a third-degree burn actually is? Third-degree burns involve “full thickness” tissue damage; we’re talking bone-deep, with possible destruction of tissue. Can you even imagine how hot that cup of coffee would have to have been to inflict that kind of damage in the few seconds it was in contact with her skin?)

Yeah I’m tired of people joking about either the “stupid” woman who didn’t know coffee was hot or the “greedy” woman making up bullshit to get money.

She was hideously injured by hideous irresponsibility, it was an absolutely legitimate lawsuit and the warning on the cups basically allows McDonalds to claim no responsibility even if it happens again. Every other company followed suit to cover their asses.

So they can still legally serve you something that could sear off the end of your tongue or permanently demolish the front of your gums and just give you a big fat middle finger in court. “The label SAID it would be HOT, STUPID.”

obligatory reblog for the great debunking of the usual ignorance spouted about this case

obligatory mention that the media smear campaign to twist teh facts on this case and get public opinion against the victim was deliberate and fueled by the right wing tort reform movement

it was seized upon to limit the rights of consumers to hold giant corporations accountable for wrongdoing

watch the documentary Hot Coffee, it lays out all of the facts and examines the response to this case and explains why everything you think you know about this case is bullshit, and explains why tort reform is bullshit in an entertaining and informative manner

The woman injured in Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants was 79 years old at the time of her injuries, and suffered third-degree burns to the pelvic region (including her thighs, buttocks, and groin), which in combination with lesser burns in the surrounding regions caused damage to an area totaling a whopping 22% of her body’s surface. These injuries that required two years of intensive medical care, including multiple skin grafts; during her hospitalization, Stella Liebeck lost around 20% of her starting body weight.

She was uninsured and sued McDonald’s Restaurants for the cost of her past and projected future medical care, an estimated $20,000. The corporation offered a settlement of $800, a number so obviously ridiculous that I’m not even going to dignify it with any further explanation.

The settlement number most often quoted is not the amount that the corporation actually paid; the jury in the first trial suggested a payment equal to a day or two of coffee revenues for McDonald’s, which at the time totaled more than $1 million per diem. The judge reduced the required payout to around $640,000 in both compensatory and punitive damages, and the case was later settled out of court for less than $600,000.

Keep in mind that at the time, McDonald’s already had over 700 cases of complaints about coffee-related burns on file, but continued to sell coffee heated to nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit (around 90 degrees Celsius) as a means of boosting sales (their selling point was that one could buy the coffee, drive to a second location such as work or home, and still have a piping hot beverage). This in spite of the fact that most restaurants serve coffee between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (60 to 71 degrees Celsius), and many coffee experts agree that such high temperatures are desirable only during the brewing process itself.

The Liebeck case was absolutely not an example of litigation-happy Americans expecting corporations to cover their asses for their own stupidity, but we seem determined to remember it that way. It’s an issue of liability, and the allowable lengths of capitalism, and even of the way in which our society is incredibly dangerous for and punitive towards the uninsured, but it was not and is not a frivolous suit. Please check your assumptions and do your research before you turn a burn victim’s suffering into an throwaway punchline.

A local Mount St Thomas man appeared in Wollongong Local Court on the 8th August 2013 and pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty against a male Mastiff crossbreed dog in his care. The man was convicted, fined and custody of the dog was awarded to RSPCA NSW.

On Monday 6 May 2013, an RSPCA Inspector was called to a property in Mount St Thomas in response to a complaint about a dog. Inspectors had attended the premises previously and left instructions with the owner regarding the body condition of the dog.

No one was home so Inspectors left a notification for the owner to contact the RSPCA.

On Monday 20 May 2013, Inspectors returned to the property and observed the dog’s condition to have deteriorated. He was immediately seized and taken for veterinary treatment.

Repeated attempts by both RSPCA Inspectors and NSW Police to contact the owner went unanswered.

In the first 14 days of RSPCA care the dog’s body weight increased by 8.5kgs.

The man pleaded GUILTY and was convicted on both charges, one failure to provide sufficient food and failure to provide veterinary treatment. He was ordered to pay $2,117.60 in professional fees and $6,000 in fines. Custody of the dog was awarded to RSPCA NSW.

Following expiration of the appeal period he will be available for adoption from the RSPCA Illawarra Shelter Unanderra.

triumph of a heart

Hurro! My name is Cleo the staffy cross corgi!

I've come to shelter looking for a new family, home and bed to rest my head. I've  loving hanging out with the other dogs here and I've made plenty of friends. I hope my new house has another doggy friend to play and explore the outdoors with.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am kind of like the Einstein of the dog world. I can figure out how to get any treat out of kongs, can sniff out and find any hidden toy and can learn any trick you can think of. I would love to keep learning with my family when I go home with them.

If you want not only a sweet face, but a smart face to greet you everyday, then come meet me at the RSPCA Sydney Shelter. The address is: 201 Rookwood Road, Yagoona, 2199, or call (02) 9770 7555.

Adoptions:

Monday to Tuesday: 9.30am to 3.00pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday to Sunday: 9.30am to 3.00pm
Closed on Public Holidays

View my Adopt-a-pet page here
_________________________________________________________________

At the RSPCA we know every animal has a story. Our job is to create a better story, a better life.

Your gift of whatever you can afford will give animals like Cleo a happier, safer 2013 - and beyond!

Donate now

mememaster:

tibets:

tibets:

what the fuck

does anyone know why this happens

Right eye takes information for the right face and left eye take information from the left face, and it’s combined into one warped face in your mind

theheftyhideaway:

eatmashimaro:

found a children’s book about butts today

A world of butts.

partygoatz:

theonion:

Department Of Agriculture Locates Perfect Goat

BREAKING NEWS

「チビにはまだ早……」
Maru:[It is impossib......]





「!!!」





「……。」




♪

the-absolute-funniest-posts:

wunderscheisse:

In recent years, biologists have recognized that birds engage in play. Juvenile Common Ravens are among the most playful of bird species. They have been observed to slide down snowbanks, apparently purely for fun. They even engage in games with other species, such as playing catch-me-if-you-can with wolves, otters and dogs.^[77] Common Ravens are known for spectacular aerobatic displays, such as flying in loops or interlocking talons with each other in flight.^[78][79]

They are also one of only a few wild animals who make their own toys. They have been observed breaking off twigs to play with socially.^[80]

this is so precious omg

“Why is the Nobel Prize in Literature almost always given to a novelist, never a scientist? Why should we prefer our literature to be about things that didn’t happen? Wouldn’t, say, Steven Pinker be a good candidate for the literature prize?”

-

Richard Dawkins in this interview [New York Times]

(via thenoobyorker)

Why should we prefer our food to be made out of things that aren’t computers. Isn’t it about time we began eating computers? Why can’t more dogs talk? And of the dogs that do talk, why are so many of them fictional? Shouldn’t, say, Steven Pinker’s dog begin talking? Throw off the yoke of superstition.

Furthermore, why can’t I have a car that has wheels that roll sideways? And why can’t Iron Man beat Goku? What if, say, Steven Pinker designed Tony Stark’s armor? What if I could fly? What if teeth were made of pineapples? Makes you think. 

(via century-of-clods)

Spring is in the air and I'm so happy. This is without a doubt my favourite time of year. I caught my first whiff of that quintessentially spring-like aroma of jasmine flowers while walking around Paddington on the weekend. The days have been unusually warm for this time of year, and are starting to get longer. Strawberries and blueberries are coming into season and I've been buying them by the punnet load.

Today I thought I'd bring back a favourite column of mine and share a great little recipe that would be perfect for a picnic, plus 12 other great ideas to make the most of blueberries while they're in season. Hope you'll give some of them a try this spring!

13 Ways with... Blueberries

Picture Credits: Donna Hay & Hungry Girl Porvida

1. A wonderfully unusual drink, this Fennel-infused vodka punch with blueberries with ouzo from Donna Hay is not only super pretty (I love the moody photography and those beautiful colours), but sounds like it could be delicious too. 

2. We all know that blueberries, maple syrup and ice cream atop pancakes or waffles are a match made in heaven, so why not combine those flavours in a drink? I absolutely love the sound of this Blueberry Maple Ice Cream Soda from Hungry Girl Porvida.


Picture Credits: A Crimson Kiss & What Katie Ate

3. Blueberries and herbs go really well together, so I can imagine this Blueberry Mojito from A Crimson Kiss would be delicious and super refreshing during the warmer months. And doesn't it look festive? Perfect for a celebration.

4. Another fabulous Mojito recipe is this one from one of my favourite blogs What Katie Ate that combines Watermelon, Strawberry, Vodka and Blueberries. I think this would be lovely to sip on during alfresco dinners with friends over summer.

Picture Credits: Martha Stewart & Call Me Cupcake

5. How cute are these Blueberry Dutch Pancakes from Martha Stewart? I've been way more into elaborate weekend breakfasts in the last few months, and this is one recipe I'll definitely be trying soon as an alternative to my new favourite ricotta pancakes. Yum!

6. I love this epic brunch post from Call Me Cupcake, that included this delicious sounding recipe for French Toast with Blueberries and Maple Syrup (and also waffles, pancakes and a smoothie too). If you're in need of some brunch-time inspiration, definitely check out this beautiful post!


Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes & Broma Bakery

7. Waffles are something I've actually never made, for the simple reason that I don't own a waffle maker. But as soon as I buy one, this will be the first recipe I make. Brown Butter Waffles with Blueberry Ice Cream. Um yes! And this recipe uses my favourite no-churn ice cream recipe which couldn't be easier.

8. Say it with me, Bourbon Blueberry Basil Donuts. A little bit of a tongue twister, but these are some of my favourite things, all rolled up into a donut courtesy of Broma Bakery. Yes please!


Picture Credits: Spicyicecream & A Beautiful Mess

9. Cobblers and fruit pies are some of my favourite desserts to make and to eat. So of course I had to try this Blueberry Cobbler with Lemon Curd Ice Cream (with a good glug of dark rum for good measure). Totally delicious, I'm definitely making it again this summer.

10. Pavlovas are a quintessentially Australian summer dessert, usually topped with tons of fresh berries. I love this twist by A Beautiful Mess - Pavlova with Blueberry Jam! The possibilities of jam combinations are almost endless too - rhubarb and berry jam pavlovas?


Picture Credits: Twigg Studios & Endless Simmer

11. Mojito obsessed? Perhaps. But Blueberry Mojitos in popsicle form from new-to-me blog Twigg Studio is very cool (pun totally intended). If you've been reading for a while, you know how much I love a boozy ice block!

12. I totally love the sound of these Blueberry Cabernet Cheesecake Poptails from Endless Simmer. A very grown up sounding flavour combination, but one that I think would work really well!



13. Lets talk about caramelised white chocolate for a second. It's magical stuff. I first had it in gelato form at Messina, and it was incredible. Then I forgot about it until Steph and Karen each made it and raved about how incredible it was. And if David Lebovitz raves about it, then it definitely becomes something I need to try for myself. And so we have it, this Caramelised White Chocolate Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce was inspired by Steph's recipe, but I changed it up to be a no-bake  cheesecake served in individual jars.

I was really pleased with how these came out and the flavours work really well together. It is quite a rich dessert, and tastes the best when you get a little of all three elements in the one spoonful. I think they would be cute for a spring picnic - just pop the lids on, and they're perfectly transportable.

Of course if you wanted a more traditional cheesecake, this would still be lovely with the biscuit base on the bottom, no-bake cheesecake mixture in the middle and the blueberry sauce poured on top to serve. Enjoy!



Caramelised White Chocolate Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce
Inspired by Raspberri Cupcakes
Serves 4

• 250g white chocolate (minimum 24-30% cocoa solids)
• Pinch sea salt
• 375g cream cheese
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Packet plain sweet biscuits (graham crackers, shortbread, gingersnaps etc)
• 25g butter, softened
• Fresh blueberries, to serve

Two weeks ago I took my boyfriend to see Lake Bell’s new film In A World, about a struggling female voice-over actress trying to make it in a male-dominated industry. Yesterday I dragged my little sister and my dad to see it. I’m considering taking my best friend to see it next weekend.

Why might I–an unemployed recent college graduate–agree to pay for an overpriced movie ticket to see the same film three times? Because it is not only an engaging and entertaining movie, but also a feminist film. Firstly, in an industry dominated by men, the movie is  written, directed, produced by and starred in all by the same woman. Lake Bell is my new shero. Refreshingly, there are no dramatic and unrealistic makeovers. Carol Solomon (played by Bell) looks like a normal person (never brushes her hair once, not very fashion savvy) for the entire movie. And people are still attracted to her. There is also a heart-warming solidarity demonstrated by the two sister characters, who  support each other through relationship woes, parental problems and more. They annoy each other, but they never back-stab each other.

“In a World” addresses the under-representation of women in the media and leaves us questioning how we women are socialized to represent ourselves to others. Carol says in one scene, ”Women should sound like women, not like baby dolls who end everything in a question.”And, not only does the film take on issues of gender, but issues of class. As Molly McCaffrey  points out at Bitch Flicks, “this movie shows a young person living at home with a parent and that she isn’t doing so because she’s a lazy, lost, unmotivated slacker.” You know, like almost 20% of adults today.

My only criticism of the film lies in a scene in which Carol (spoiler alert) has sex with another character. Her expression and body language seem to indicate that she is by no means comfortable with the situation, in fact, the whole thing looked pretty non-consensual. However, this is never addressed within the film. McCaffrey read the scene differently than I did:

“I was equally thrilled that Carol had casual sex with some random guy she met at a party and celebrated it. And that she didn’t end up regretting her actions or have something bad happen to her as a result. In this movie, sex was just part of life—no big deal—much like it is in real life.”

To those who have seen the movie: what did you think? Was that rape, or a woman enjoying herself some casual sex?

To those who haven’t seen it, check out the trailer below – the movie is in theaters now.

*Trigger warning*

Well, sorta.

Like Ann, I’ll admit that Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was a staple in my summer jamz rotation (at least until the new Katy Perry roared onto the scene). It’s not that I didn’t notice the super rapey lyrics, but I regularly enjoy pop culture that I could–and would–tear apart if I were writing a blog post instead of turning the volume up and the windows down. I don’t even feel guilty about it in the least. And I don’t actually agree that banning a song like “Blurred Lines” is the answer.

What I do believe in is deconstructing pop culture and being real about the ways it reflects, reinforces, and promotes dangerous cultural assumptions and message. And here’s an excellent–and very disturbing–post at Sociological Images that does just that.

Lyrics from the song are followed by images, culled from Project Unbreakable, of women and men holding signs with sentences that their rapist said to them before, during, or after the assault. It’s impossible to hear lines like, “I know you want it” as just context-free fun after seeing them echoed, again and again, by people who were likely fully aware of the line, crossed it anyway, and benefit greatly from a culture that insists it’s oh-so-blurry.

 

Head over to Sociological Images to see the breakdown of the rest of the song.

We’re celebrating the end of the year with our most popular posts from 2013, plus a few of our favorites tossed in.  Enjoy!

The philosopher Susan Sontag has written achingly about the way in which men are allowed to age and women are not.

The great advantage men have is that our culture allows two standards of male beauty: the boy and the man. The beauty of a boy resembles the beauty of a girl. In both sexes it is a fragile kind of beauty and flourishes naturally only in the early part of the life-cycle. Happily, men are able to accept themselves under another standard of good looks — heavier, rougher, more thickly built…

There is no equivalent of this second standard for women. The single standard of beauty for women dictates that they must go on having clear skin. Every wrinkle, every line, every gray hair, is a defeat.

Perhaps nowhere is this more plain than in the movies, where men’s love interests stay the same age as they get older, and @sphericalfruit sent in a fantastic example.  The four posters below are part of a new marketing plan for the forthcoming movie, The Counselor.

Notice anything?

What a stunning example of Sontag’s observation.  The men are not considered unattractive by virtue of the fact that you can tell they have skin.  The women, in contrast, have faces that are so smooth that they look inhuman; their images are halfway between photograph and cartoon.  Amazingly, this treatment of images of men and women is so ubiquitous that it now looks more or less normal to us.

Cross-posted at VitaminW.

Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

(View original at http://thesocietypages.org/socimages)

mcbrayers:

yet another unrealistic expectation for men

comedown:

i know i get my fashion advice from a stupid dickhead wearing a dumbass fucking crown. fuck you jughead

tokillamockinggirl:

the teachers at my high school do this to the graffiti in the bathrooms and i literally cant

liamdryden:

I wanna smell like the very best

Trigger Warning: Discussion and description of sexual violence

Rape happens. In a game, it can be shown tastefully–with a fully clothed victim, a flaccid aggressor, and the opportunity for the player to intervene. — PlayStation Universe

You’ve heard of gray rape. You know your rape rape, your legitimate rape. And now… tasteful rape?

A bizarre clarification from Rockstar Games that what looks like an attempted rape in Grand Theft Auto V is actually “naked cannibalism” has brought attention to a blog post on PlayStation Universe discussing said rape/zombietime. Let me tell you, it’s a weird read. The blog’s editor-in-chief opines about how saving a virtual woman from a virtual rape made him feel: “important, influential to the game’s playspace, and, to this woman, like a hero.”

With great empathy he acknowledges “the already overwhelming trauma this woman,” who is not real, “had suffered” by the time he swooped in with his Big Gun moves. He describes the pressing ethical call to follow in his avatar’s footsteps and recognize “the impact that each of us can have on another human life just by stopping to see what’s causing commotion,” because obviously most anti-violence work isn’t about sustained attack on the foundations of domination but, rather, about keeping your eyes open for any rape you stumble upon (preferably while stealing cars).

The best (read: worst) part comes at the end, though, when said EIC explains representations of sexual violence in video games are cool because they’re “tasteful.” What makes for a high-class rape? you may ask. Well, keep your clothes on, make sure your assailant can’t get it up, and give some guy looking to prove his masculinity and influence the chance to save you. Otherwise you’re basically just trash.I’m by no means categorically against representations of sexual violence in popular media. A cultural life that ignored the existence of domination would be false; recognition of the harms we do to each other makes for better art and creates a communal space to grapple with the violence and, ultimately, to resist. But consumers like the PlayStation Universe EIC aren’t interested in real violence, its real repercussions, and its real causes. They want the palatable version. They want just enough violence to feel good about themselves, but never enough to require recognition of off-screen harm. They congratulate themselves for thinking about rape for a minute, and in doing so, absolve themselves of the responsibility to do anything about it.

So, AXE is holding a contest to send people into space. Actually. You sign up, your friends vote for you, you move on to the global competition, and then BAM you are ON A SPACESHIP.

The company had just assumed that dudes and dudes only would flock to the opportunity: the website calls for a “few brave men.” But Malaysia’s presumptive winner is Roshini “Rose” Muniam, whose #Rose4Space campaign, coordinated by Jaymee Goh, has galvanized international support. The picture above shows just how unprepared AXE was for a lady winner, and feels like a big, awesome middle finger to the company’s gendered expectations. At the same time, the image highlights the absurdity of our objectifying, heteronormative methods for celebrating male achievement: the fact that we would easily accept a picture like this with a man in the middle forces us to confront our dedication to masculine heroes and feminine prizes.

Check out Muniam’s video pitch after the jump.