firehose

The creative team of Akira Himekawa has announced a return to "The Legend of Zelda" manga series following a seven-year absence.

Melissa Mayeux became so many things overnight -- a global symbol for women's sports, an ambassador for European baseball -- that it's easy to forget that, deep down, she's just a teenager.

Melissa Mayeux entered American consciousness suddenly on a Monday when MLB.com's Lindsay Berra reported that the French teen had become the first woman ever added to the MLB international registration list, making her eligible to be signed by an MLB team. Mayeux was caught off-guard, too -- not by the news, necessarily, but by the reaction.

She told France 24 that she expected maybe "an article would be written about it for the French baseball federation's website." Instead, it became a major news story, particularly in United States. Mayeux was overwhelmed by the response -- she saw SB Nation's roundtable on the importance of her eligibility -- and although she admits that she never set out to be a symbol for women, she's happy about the attention.

Baseball is still a niche sport in France and throughout Europe. Mayeux was fortunate to grow up in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, a Paris satellite that has one of the nicest baseball diamonds on the continent, thanks to an ambitious former mayor who knew little about the sport, except that it symbolized "the idea of the American dream."

That silly vanity project may have a greater influence than anyone could have predicted if Mayeux goes on to advance the narrative of women competing in men's sports and help grow baseball's foothold in Europe. Emphasis on if, because even Mayeux -- especially Mayeux -- is quick to note that she has long way to go before she should even entertain the thought of playing professional baseball with the boys.

But there's no question she's off to a great start. After taking part in an MLB-sponsored hitting camp in Germany, she'll represent France as a member of the under-18 national team at the European baseball championship in the Czech Republic. From there, she'll play on the senior French women's team at the European softball championship, then take part as one of just four French players at MLB's European Elite Camp in the Netherlands in August.

Mayeux is enjoying the ride. For now, she doesn't mind towing the large bandwagon behind her.

Mayeux found time to answer questions from SB Nation over email while she was in Germany. She discusses following MLB from afar, her love for Mo'ne Davis, her favorite player (Ouai Jeets!), the disgrace of the designated hitter and how she's managing the sudden expectations of millions of onlookers. Responses translated from French.

How did you become interested in baseball? Through your family? How did your family pick up baseball?

I became interested in baseball because my older brother, Dylan, became passionate about the sport when he was five while passing by a field where a game was being played. I went to his practices with the club team for the city of Montigny-Le-Bretonneux (initials MLB!) and, at the age of three-and-a-half, fought with my mother to let me out of the stroller and let me practice with him. The game teaches great values, and my family quickly became passionate about it.

Do you also play typically "French" sports? Why baseball over those?

I don't know if there is a typically "French" sport. Cycling? Maybe thèque, a distant ancestor to baseball. There is pretty much every sport imaginable in this country. But to have fun or at school, I don't really play other sports other than baseball and softball. I manage pretty well at soccer, but baseball opened my eyes from the beginning. I didn't really give much thought to other possibilities.

Is baseball viewed as a "boys" sports like it is in the United States?

In France, the rules are that between ages 12 and 15 girls must be steered towards softball. I think that separation goes back a long time, without any explanation or justification. I was lucky that the president of the Fédération Française de Baseball et Softball and my coaches noticed my potential, which gave me an exemption to play with the boys. Some were deeply opposed to those who just trying to let me pursue my dream. Little by little, the rules were eased back within our national federation, then at the European level. That said, baseball remains, essentially, a male sport.

Was it ever weird to be playing with boys, or has it always felt normal?

I have always liked and found it absolutely normal to play with and against boys. On the field, I'm no longer Melissa Mayeux: I become a baseball player like anyone else. Baseball runs in my veins. It's the only thing that matters to me.

A lot of people here have already written how cool it is what you're doing. Is the reaction similar in France? Are you aware that you're generating attention overseas?

In France, baseball is still under-developed compared to football, rugby, judo, handball or cycling. Even reading newspapers, some still say, "Wait, we also play baseball in France?", without knowing that the federation was created during the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris and even practiced in Paris since the end of the 19th century. That surprises many on this side of the Atlantic.

I know that it has generated a lot of debate in the United States, but I admit that it seems a little abstract. All I can say is that to be on the eligibility list is a step in the right direction. All the better if it can help this great sport and encourage people to play or help the federation or academy find sponsors for youth programs.

Do you think about being a symbol for women at all?

I'm hesitant to perceive myself as a symbol of anything. Not because of ego, but because I'm just a 16-year-old girl who is still going to high school and who is practicing a sport out of passion. I can easily understand some of the messages one might want to associate with my actions. I'm going forward because of my passion, and if I can help those who would like to take the same route, that would make me happy. I am aware that this could help change attitudes. And why not? I find that a lot of women are true warriors on the field, with minds of steel. Some women, like Eri Yoshida (the first female drafted by a Japanese professional team), who I met in Japan, or Justine Siegal (first woman to throw MLB batting practice and coach a men's pro baseball team), who held a conference in Paris two years ago, are clearly symbols for me.

What are you goals? Simply play at a high level? Play in the World Baseball Classic?

Ultimately, my goal was that someone lets me play baseball for as long as possible. Today, when I achieve one goal, I create a new one. That's how I function. I work hard each day at the baseball academy in Toulouse. I do the most that I can to keep getting better. It's not easy to balance this daily discipline with my school work, especially while boarding very far from my parents. Fortunately, I have very attentive coaches and great friends. Baseball here is like a big family. To wear the colors of Team France during the next World Baseball Classic qualifier with Eric Gagné as manager, to play in MLB, to join a minor league team, all that seems so far ... but it still makes me smile to think about it. If I could earn a scholarship at an American college or university after I finish high school, that would be awesome. When I stop playing, I would like it to be my personal decision and not because someone told me no.

Have you given thought to playing softball, or is it important to you to stick with baseball?

I am playing on the French softball team at the same time, and I enjoy that, too. We have a lot of fun. But all the same, I prefer the little ball.

You're actually the second female baseball player to cause a lot of attention in the United States recently. Have you heard of Mo'ne Davis?

I heard about Mo'ne Davis' performances through the news, and obviously I loved her story. I was really impressed, having been on the mound for so long. During that time, a lot of my friends told me "Look, you're not alone!" and that idea was comforting. I can't imagine one day getting that much media attention. I simply hope that a day will come that we no longer look at girls like extra-terrestrials.

Who is your favorite player? Favorite shortstop, past and present?

My favorite player is Derek Jeter. Well, it was. I'm having trouble with this answer since he retired. But if he has a little time now, I would love if he comes to France one day, to the Toulouse academy, to give us some advice. (Please, Captain!)

Who would you like to style your game after?

I'm not looking to imitate anyone. Each plays according to his style and his ability. I think the most important thing, is to be one's self. What matters to me is to be confident on the diamond.

Do you follow MLB? How?

I follow a lot of the news on social networks and the site of MLB. When I was younger, I could pass hours on the Internet watching and breaking down videos on hitting and game techniques. I also watch TV when games are being retransmitted. It's a real treat but it's difficult with the time difference, especially when there is only one channel that broadcasts in France.

How do you feel about the designated hitter in the AL?

I have been a pitcher and I would never let someone hit in my place. I think that answers the question.

How do you feel about players who like to have fun on the field, like Yasiel Puig, against how many people think baseball should "traditionally" be played?

I've had the chance to meet and play with or against players from a lot of different places, to be trained by a lot of different coaches, and to go experience baseball in Japan or Cuba. I sincerely think there isn't one right way to play baseball. Some make it a little more of a spectacle, add a little spice. Each culture appropriates the sport in its manner.

For now, we are sharing the influences of Americans, Canadians (a lot of Quebecois come to play in France), the Japanese (under the influence of Yoshio Yoshida -- manager of the French national team from 1989-1995) and Latin Americans. It's not simple but I'm convinced that if baseball continues to grow in France, we would be capable of developing our proper style of game, like we have, for example, with rugby.

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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Like over 75% of professors in America, I am an adjunct, or, in corporate-speak, “contingent” or “part-time” faculty. I have been teaching in the City University of New York (CUNY) system—in the English departments of both John Jay and Hunter Colleges—for a couple of years.

At the moment, with a few years within the CUNY system under my belt, I earn $73.53 per hour. Generally, adjuncts, unlike other faculty, are paid by the hour—and we are only paid for the hours spent in the classroom. We are not paid for class preparation, or grading papers, or email correspondence with students, or writing students letters of recommendation, or attending sometimes mandatory faculty seminars/meetings. We do not receive benefits, like health insurance. If we teach at more than one school, we are limited to teach a total of three courses a semester, which, at my current rate, means I’d earn approximately $13,200 before taxes each semester. Which is impossible, since CUNY has told me there are no courses available for the fall semester, because enrollment is down and the system, apparently, is strapped for cash. So I’ll actually be earning zero dollars.

 I have a PhD, just like Krugman—the difference is that he makes more in a year at CUNY than I’ll inevitably make my entire career within the system. But apparently, CUNY isn’t too strapped. The New York Times columnist and former Princeton University professor, who was hired by CUNY last year in the role of “distinguished scholar” at the Luxembourg Income Study Center at the CUNY Graduate Center, is up for a $28,594 a year raise and prestigious new title of Distinguished Professor this coming academic year. If the board of trustees approves the raise, itself more than I’d make teaching six courses a year, his annual salary would be $253,594.

Krugman’s responsibilities for earning that much money? CUNY Graduate Center media director Tanya Domi told Quartz that Krugman will have “a full work load” in the fall between assisting the Graduate Center’s inequality initiative, researching unspecified topics at the Luxembourg Income Study Center and participating in CUNY public programs. But according to the current Graduate Center’s catalogue for the fall semester, he is not slated to teach any courses in 2015. He is also not listed as available for dissertation supervision.

The CUNY Adjunct Project, in data collected and disseminated shortly before the first annual National Adjunct Walkout Day earlier this year on Feb. 25, reported that adjuncts “make up 59% of CUNY’s total faculty,” and are “only paid 29% to 38% of what full-time faculty are paid.” According to the project’s data, adjuncts are paid “an average salary of $3,275” per course, and are are given an average total of four courses a year, “earning $13,100 in total.” To put this figure another way: It would take over 19 years of teaching for an adjunct to make as much as Krugman does in one year.

Is it any wonder than that nationwide, a whopping 25% of adjuncts are on some type of public assistance? In order to live in New York City and teach, I had to take out a personal loan with my bank.

Krugman also earns substantially more than full-time CUNY professors, who, according, again, to the Adjunct Project, make on average $77,882 per academic year and teach up to seven courses a year, at four year institutions. They receive benefits.

To be fair, Krugman’s salary is not radically different from the average salaries of full-time professors at private institutions like Stanford ($224,300) or Columbia ($223,900). Granted, CUNY is a public institution with an endowment that is only a small fraction of the holdings of these institutions. Not to mention that Krugman carries far more gravitas than CUNY’s other recent “celebrity” hire, disgraced former CIA director general David Patraeus, who was paid $150,000 to teach a one-time three-hour course at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College in 2013.

If the American higher education system has become a collection of corporations, no wonder colleges and universities are hiring adjuncts: similar qualifications, a fraction of the cost. Puzzling is the fact, then, that students are in debt more than ever. If there are less full-time faculty than ever, shouldn’t students be paying less? Where is the money going?

 The fact that money is being siphoned off to pay people like Krugman speaks volumes about the value placed on education in America. Well, like all corporations, it’s going into the machine—into the administrator cogs that keep the machine running. Money is also being hemorrhaged to pay for university sports coaches’ salaries, like Nick Saban, Alabama’s football coach whose annual salary is $6.9 million.

But the fact that money is being siphoned off to pay people like Krugman, people are specifically hired to function as “brand ambassadors” rather than teachers, speaks volumes about the value placed on education and higher learning in America. Today, too many students, overwhelmed by their debt, view their college classroom experiences as a series of transactions, where they take out loans with the expectation of receiving As in return. For these students, little value is placed on actual learning, critical thinking, and writing.

These young people are not ignorant of what’s going on around them. In fact, students are keenly aware of the nation’s adjunct crisis, and what it signifies to them is that their colleges care less and less about their education. If they did, they’d treat all faculty as professors rather than as the hired help.

Krugman is not ethically at fault, of course. “[Krugman’s] value lies in his ability to raise the school’s profile—to attract other faculty members, to attract high-caliber graduate students, and, perhaps most importantly, to attract donors who share Krugman’s convictions concerning income inequality, or who at least find it useful to appear to share his convictions,” wrote Slate’s Reihan Salam last year. “Viewed through this lens, CUNY’s offer to Krugman looks like a bargain.”

But his hire as a “brand ambassador” is also a signifier of the cultural shift in America, and, arguably, an intellectual deterioration caused by the stranglehold corporate capitalism currently holds on America’s institutions of higher learning.

Follow Marcie on Twitter at @MarcieBianco. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

The iconic manga publisher is staging a return to comics -- but in some ways, Tokyopop has never really gone anywhere.

Is it Frida yet? Alex Garant

mattfractionblog:

My card.

Read 16 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Gillen may be stepping away from Marvel Comics superheroes for the moment, but he will continue his work on "Darth Vader" and his creator-owned projects.

It's almost Fourth of July and a lot of people are starting to freak out about what to do when the fireworks make their furry friends freak out.

“The Fourth of July weekend is always one of our busiest weekends of the year at DoveLewis,” says Dr. Sarah Tauber, a veterinarian at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital. “And this year, with the July 4 holiday falling during a period of unusually hot weather, our medical staff is preparing for an increase in heat-related pet emergencies as well as Fourth of July related hazards over the holiday weekend.”

Want to get some ideas for how to help your pets?

READ THEM AFTER THE JUMP

Loud noises can be very stressful for dogs and cats, and they can hurt themselves trying to get away from them. So here are some ways to help your pets make it through the festivities:

• Keep them inside. Vets at Portland's DoveLewis clinic say dogs sometimes jump over fences in an attempt to get away from fireworks and that they've treated dogs that have run right through glass doors out of fear. Ouch.
• I know it's hot, but close all the windows and turn on some white noise, like a fan, to muffle the staccato pops.
• Keep calm and carry on. If your animal is nervous and sees you're nervous too, it's likely to get more agitated.
• Buy a K-9 Calming Vest, ThunderShirt and Anxiety Wrap for dogs wrap them tightly to make poor Fido feel safer and more secure. If you don't want to shell out the cash, wrapping your pet in a think blanket or towel has a similar effect.
• Make sure your pet is wearing a tagged collar or is microchipped just in case they manage to get away.
• Some pets get so upset that vets prescribe drugs, like Valium or Xanax. If you don't want to go that route, try melatonin. It's a synthetically produced hormone that can calm dogs. The dosage, according to the folks at PETA, is 6 mg for 100+-lb. dogs; 3 mg for 50-lb. dogs; 1.5 mg for 30-lb. dogs; and 0.5 mg for 10-lb. dogs. PETA warns that very small percentage of dogs might get excited instead when given melatonin, so they recommend testing it out first.
• "If your cat hides on top of cupboards or under furniture, leave him alone and do not try to coax him out," recommends a website called YourCat. "This ‘bolthole’ is where he will feel most secure. It is important that your pet can access his favourite bolthole at all times." I quoted it directly because I wanted to write 'bolthole.' *snicker*

And now, since you're such a great pet parent for taking these precautions, please enjoy this video of a GoPro flying through a fireworks display:

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After directing the crap out of the Doctor Who S8 two-part finale, “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven,” Chicago-born director, Rachel Talalay will be returning in Season 9!

Talalay has directed feature films like Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and Tank Girl, and has directed television outside the Whoniverse, like Ally McBeal, The Dead Zone, and Supernatural. Now, she’s returning to Doctor Who to direct another two-part finale – episodes 11 and 12 of Season 9, written by showrunner, Steven Moffat. She joins writers Catherine Tregenna, who will be writing the season’s 6th episode, “The Woman Who Lived,” and Sarah Dollard, who’s writing the as-yet-untitled 10th episode to create a strong female presence behind the camera for Season 9.

With talented female writers and a talented female director, not to mention Clara having become an amazingly complex and nuanced companion, Season 9 of Doctor Who is shaping up to be pretty amazing! Who’s excited?

(via Nerdist)

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In many ways, Hollywood’s lack of diversity just comes down to “men hiring people that remind them of themselves,” ie other men.

Colin Trevorrow made the jump from indie pictures to Jurassic World via a near verbatim endorsement from Brad Bird (“there is this guy that reminds me of me!”), male creators often view male as default in their characters, and in a Deadline exclusive earlier this week, several veteran stuntwomen have revealed that the stunt industry is no exception.

The report highlighted stuntwomen’s historic exclusion from fraternal organizations like the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures and Stunts Unlimited, groups that refuse to admit women and perpetuate the gender divide by effectively acting as hiring halls. (Deadline reports that the gender bias of stunt coordinators is so strong, “it’s not unheard of” for them to “hire one of their buddies and put him in a wig and dress for the job” if the role in question is a female part.)

A veteran stuntwoman explained to Deadline that the stunt community’s male-as-default attitude even expands to non-gender-specific roles:

Almost all the groups try to hire within their own groups first. The men often hire their wives or girlfriends, many of whom are not even stuntwomen.

They mentor the younger guys in their groups and let them assist them. So it’s harder for women to learn the ropes. It hurts women who want to get into coordinating and running stunts.

It’s hard to get the guys to think that a few of those cops or soldiers could be women.

Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures hasn’t had a single female member in its 54-year history, but has allowed six women (including Lucille Ball and Julie Andrews) to have honorary member status. Stunts Unlimited has no current female members, but bills itself as “the ultimate goal for any stunt person coming to Hollywood” (any person, just not the female ones!).

Deadline writes that “The Black Stuntmen’s Association, which has fought for inclusion since the 1960s, is the only stuntman’s group whose website lists stuntwomen among its current members.” Of course, stuntwomen of color have a one-two punch of racism and sexism to contend with; last October Gotham came under fire for planning to film a white stuntwoman in blackface rather than find a black stuntwoman for the role.

Another anonymous stuntwoman explained,

I had a sponsor at Stunts Unlimited, but I got turned down. They didn’t tell me why, but I heard it’s because they believed that ‘women cause too much trouble.’

It’s separate but equal, except it’s not really equal. In my opinion, stunt groups look a lot like hiring halls. The main reason to join the stunt groups is to get work, and it is common knowledge in the stunt business that members generally hire, or suggest the hiring of other members belonging to their respective groups. This is problematic for woman since most of the work comes from groups that have no women members. Those guys just don’t get it. They don’t even see what the problem is.

The presence of stuntwomen specific groups might give some illusion of equality, but even members of the The Stuntwomen’s Association of Motion Pictures or the United Stuntwomen’s Association (which has five male members) feel the impact of the industry’s gender divide. Women are rarely hired as stunt coordinators, and therefore are unable to hire and promote their peers in the same way that male industry members can.

Dudes beget more dudes. Get it together, Hollywood.

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For the next week, not only can you buy great games featuring awesome women at a discount, but you can support the next generation of women in game development at the same time!

Humble Bundle, an online, donation-based charity game seller, has debuted the second round of its “Leading Ladies” game bundle! Customers can name their price for Trine 2: Complete Story, Lumino City, and Hack ‘n’ Slash, and decide how much of that sum will go to Humble Bundle, the games’ developers, and Girls Make Games game development camps for young women.

You’ll also get soundtracks with the games, gamers who donate more than the average will also get A City Sleeps and The Marvellous Miss Take, and those who give $12 more will get Gravity Ghost and Sunset, as well!

Now you’ll have something to do while everyone else is going outside over the 4th of July weekend. Happy gaming!

Girls Make Games is a series of international summer camps, workshops and game jams designed to inspire the next generation of designers, creators, and engineers. We are LearnDistrict, an educational company based in San Jose, CA. We are committed to providing students with access to knowledge through our games and programs like Girls Make Games workshops

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[UPDATED 7/3/15 10:14AM] Editor’s Note: I corrected the name of the Tumblr user who wanted to prod Green to react below. It was not whitegirlsaintshit, but astro1995 who made that particular comment. Apologies for the mistaken attribution. 

What should’ve been a molehill has turned into a mountain, and it really, really shouldn’t have. Because adults should know better.

About two weeks ago on Tumblr, a user named virjn (who doesn’t seem to have posts up anymore?) posted the following opinion of YA writer and Vlog Brother, John Green, and the way he handles his public persona:

i bet john green thinks people don’t like him because he’s a “dork” or a nerd or whatever

when in reality it’s because he’s a creep who panders to teenage girls so that he can amass some weird cult-like following. and it’s always girls who feel misunderstood, you know, and he goes out of his way to make them feel important and desirable. which is fucking? weird?

also he has a social media presence that is equivalent to that dad of a kid in your friend group who always volunteers to “supervise” the pool parties and scoots his lawn chair close to all the girls.

That was the post in its entirety. Now, as Huffington Post teen writer, Camryn Garrett points out, “Okay. Awesome. She said her piece, right? And nowhere in that chunk of words did she accuse John Green of sexual assault.” Now, I have no way of knowing the gender of the person who posted this (Garrett says “she,” probably assuming that since Green’s primary YA fanbase is female that the critic is, too), but they most certainly did not accuse John Green of sexual assault, or even likely to commit sexual assault. Just the opinion that he gives off Creeper Vibe.

Hell, I think John Malkovich is creepy. It’s completely irrational, and I know this. I know objectively that Malkovich is a talented, accomplished actor, and though I don’t know him, I’m sure he’s a perfectly fine, decent human being. That said—creepy. I can’t watch a film of his without shuddering a little. Much the way that some people have Resting Bitch Face (or alternately, Resting “This Wouldn’t Bother You If I Were a Guy” Face) and that’s just their face, some people just give off a creepy vibe. Often times, it has nothing to do with the person.

But John Green took to Tumblr himself a couple of days ago after someone tagged him in a reblog of the above statement, and got a bit lecture-y and defensive for no real reason:

You want me to defend myself against the implication that I sexually abuse children?

Okay. I do not sexually abuse children.

Throwing that kind of accusation around is sick and libelous and most importantly damages the discourse around the actual sexual abuse of children. When you use accusations of pedophilia as a way of insulting people whose work you don’t like, you trivialize abuse.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, home slice. No one has actually accused you of pedophilia. Granted, there were implied comparisons to pedophiles, that’s clear, but they were using the comparison to explain how they felt about you, which is very different than accusing you of a crime. Now, I’m sure it isn’t pleasant to hear stuff like that. At the same time, you’re throwing around some pretty unfounded accusations yourself by saying that this person is “trivializing abuse” by “throwing that kind of accusation.” They didn’t accuse you of anything.

What’s more, it was some other assclown on Tumblr (astro1995, who seems to have subsequently deleted the offending comment) who made sure to tag Green saying “lets get this enough notes so he has to address it and try to defend himself lmao.” Great, so you basically fell right into the hands of someone who’s purposely tagging you and laughing their ass off. You wanna be righteously angry about something? Be righteously angry at that person.

Speaking of righteous anger, Green goes on in his Tumblr post:

I’m tired of seeing the language of social justice–important language doing important work–misused as a way to dehumanize others and treat them hatefully.

So we all seek (and seek to share) the jolt that accompanies outrage and anger. As studies have shown, the complicated dopamine rush that comes with righteous indignation is very powerful, and I’m indulging it simply by responding to the outrageous accusation that my work is somehow evidence of sexual abuse.

But the outrage cycle is exhausting, and while there are wonderful examples of outrage fueling long-term, productive responses to injustice–We Need Diverse Books and the UPLIFT both come to mind–too often the Internet moves from jolt to jolt, from hatred to hatred, ever more convinced of our own righteousness and the world’s evil. And getting caught up in that is very painful.

I agree! At the same time, I don’t think that the “righteous indignation” cycle started with the original poster. I think it started with John Green. And it continued with other YA authors like Maureen Johnson, Sarah Dessen, and Chuck Wendig coming to Green’s “defense” and twisting this into a conversation about call-out culture and online abuse, which is not what this was.

I’d recommend reading Camryn Garrett’s Huffington Post essay that’s linked to above, as she provides some insightful words about what Green’s reaction means to a teenage girl.

What I’ll say is this: if you’re writing literature for teen girls, you should know not only how to dialogue with them better, but you should recognize that you’re the adult in the conversation. I’m not saying talk down to them—far from it. But I’m saying that as an adult, you (should) have more context and insight to work with. If a girl thinks you’re creepy because of how she perceives how you run your publicity, there are reasons for that. Girls and women are trained to be on alert at all times around men, particularly men in positions of authority—one of the awesome things about being part of a patriarchy. /sarcasm

A fan expressing feeling “creeped out” might have been a wonderful opportunity to be super-clear, and perhaps even to start a conversation about why a female teen reader might feel that way. Like “First off, you should know that my only reason for being so open with my fans is not to ‘amass a cult-like following,’ but because I genuinely care what happens to them, and I enjoy providing a vehicle through which they can communicate with each other, and with adults like me, about the things that affect their lives. But I think it’s important that you bring this up, because I understand why a young person, particularly a young girl, might be suspicious when they see an adult having this kind of following. So, let’s talk about it…”

Look, I’m not here to write your PR for you, Mr. Green. You’re a writer. You can do that yourself. What I’m suggesting is that before you get to the righteous indignation place, you remember that your fans are still developing the way they express themselves, both online and in the world, and that it’s possible to take them seriously while also remaining the adult in the relationship and not lowering yourself to their semi-accusatory level. Your platform puts you in a position of power that you can use for good. The pen is mightier than the sword. Wield it well.

(Image by Gage Skidmore on Flickr)

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Darren Pearson, a Los Angeles based light-art photographer who creates amazing light-paintings, has made a video showing how to light-paint a skeleton using long-exposure photography. The entire process takes around two minutes.

In the small town of Zao, there exists a village dedicated entirely to breeding, taking care of, and honoring the fox. The town contains more than 200 foxes of all ages, and has fox hotels, fox shrines and feeding platforms.

In Clallam County, Washington, a woman has died of complications from measles. This is the first US death from measles since 2003.

A Muslim woman is suing the Dearborn Heights, Michigan, police department for forcing her to remove her hijab in the presence of male officers while she was being booked for an unpaid parking ticket.

A Gresham bakery that refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple in January 2013 has been ordered to pay $135,00 in damages by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), according to a release issued Thursday. The decision follows the agency’s conclusion in February that the bakery, Sweet Cakes by Melissa, discriminated against the couple by refusing them service on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

“This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage. It is about a business’s refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal,” the agency said in their final order citing a 2007 Oregon law that prohibited private business owners form denying services or discriminating against potential customers.

“Within Oregon’s public accommodations law is the basic principle of human decency that every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, has the freedom to fully participate in society. The ability to enter public places, to shop, to dine, to move about unfettered by bigotry.”

The final order issued by the BOLI awards $75,000 in damages to Rachel Bowman-Cryer and $60,000 in damages to Laurel Bowman-Cryer for “emotional suffering stemming directly from unlawful discrimination.” The bakery’s owners, Melissa and Aaron Kline, may now  appeal the order with the Oregon Court of Appeal, the BOLI notes.
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OED Word of the Day: notaphily, n. The study or collection of banknotes

submitted by Parkwoodian [link] [62 comments]

We feel that showing kids you can aspire to any career, regardless of gender, is important. That’s why we’re always excited when we see LEGO sets depicting female minifigs in a variety of careers, especially STEM. Take a look at some items currently available in the LEGO store while perusing some of the new Ideas projects worthy of your votes!

Scientific American has alerted us to a few new LEGO sets you might be interested in.

A few items in their space port tag include these minifigs:

And there’s the McLaren Mercedes Pit Stop:

Maia Weinstock says LEGO’s Deep Sea Helicopter set is an homage to oceanographer Sylvia Earle. You can check out more in the Deep Sea Explorers section here.

While these are all AMAZING, Weinstock also notes that with the exception of a branded Doc McStuffins‘ Duplo set, “there are no women of color among the new STEM professionals.”

Ok, now onto the voting portion. You know folks can submit ideas to become real LEGO sets? Well there are some fantastic examples right now. For instance, the “Scientists in History” set created by Mibitat.

They write:

“Currently proposed are 8 scientist vignettes, of which 3 or 4 (voted for by you) could be included in the set:

• Charles Darwin is observing a monkey in a tree as he ponders his theory of evolution, struggling for acceptance from the people.
• Alan Turing, pioneering computer scientist,is in his lab working on a code-breaking computer.
• Mary Anning is down in Dorset trying to extract some fossils.
• Marie Curie is in her lab with her equipment as she experiments with radioactivity
• Thomas Edison is in his workshop with his incandescent lamp and gramophone
• Nikola Tesla is in his lab as he observes his Tesla coil behind the safety of a Faraday cage.
• Rosalind Franklin is using x-ray crystallography to observe the structure of DNA.
• Lise Meitner is experimenting with atoms in her lab as she comes up with her theory of nuclear fission.”

Then we’ve got Lovelace & Babbage:

They write:

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) is widely credited as the first computer scientist and Charles Babbage (1791-1871) is best remembered for originating the concept of a programmable computer. Together they collaborated on Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Whilst never fully built in their lifetime, Lovelace’s notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. Because of this, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer.

And, “Help Ada Junior with her maths homework in the miniature classroom, but just make sure the creepy bat doesn’t steal her beloved teddy bear.”

I die.

And finally, a real geologist has created a set showcasing her work! Circe Verba, research geologicst at the National Energy Technology Laboratory writes:

“I’m a female research geologist with a love of legos- this is a sample of my career. The scene here shows research geologists discovering minerals in a limestone rock formation and the characterization of the minerals in the laboratory.

• The entire project has 213 pieces total. 
• Field geology: A female and male geologist with a dog (there’s always the obligatory geology dog) exploring a crystal cave system complete with stratigraphic layers. Accessory pieces include:  compass/brunton, rock hammer, shovel, and a geology dog.
• Petrographic laboratory: Petrographic laboratory: Mineral analysis performed with a light
  microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) complete with
  an electron backscatter detector to distinguish phases and an energy dispersive
  X-ray spectrometer (EDS) to determine elemental composition using
  microanalysis software.”

Will you be voting for any of these?

(via Women in the World)

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It’s evident to many that Steven Universe, that kids’ cartoon about a young boy with many mothers, is one of the most progressive and subversive shows on television. As part of similar “children’s programming” like Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Gravity Falls, SU uses its titular character as a gateway to exploring themes like motherhood, PTSD, and love of all forms and functions, all in ways that aren’t condescending, preachy, or wildly underserving its target audience.

A large part of its success and appeal is due to the diversity, of all kinds, inherent in its team. Dubbed “Steven Crewniverse,” the artists and writers who work on the show come from all sorts of racial, ethnic, sex and gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of them bring their own voice and style into their work on the show; such is the case of former storyboarder Hellen Jo. Her route to the show, from creating autobiographical comics to working in one of the biggest animation networks around, and for a year on one of its most acclaimed and beloved shows no less, was a reflection of her own journey. Much of Hellen’s work centers on Asian American girlhood, grossness, and body horror — all themes that influenced her work on Steven, and give birth to vibrant, violent, and confrontational art outside of it.

We caught up with Hellen in Los Angeles, where she lives and is currently working on freelance and personal work, to discuss new models for sharing your art, consolidating personal/professional styles, and the impact of Steven Universe.

The Mary Sue: How did you get involved in comics and illustration? What were some of your influences growing up?

Hellen Jo: I’ve been drawing since preschool, copying whatever manga and manhwa my Korean relatives would give to me. In high school, I read terrible newspaper comics exclusively, as I had never seen a graphic novel or zine before, but once I moved to Berkeley for school, I was quickly exposed to all of the great alternative comics that inspired me: Love & Rockets (especially Xaime Hernandez’s “The Death of Speedy”), Dan Clowes’ Eightball, Charles Burns’ Black Hole, Julie Doucet’s My New York Diary and Dirty Plotte comics, Taiyo Matsumoto’s Black and White. I also started to read a lot of Japanese horror manga, including work by Suehiro Maruo and Junji Ito, which spurred my interest in body horror and gore.

TMS: So much of your work deals with Asian/Asian American women/girl identity. When did you land on that as the locus of your work, and why?

Jo: In the early 2000s, there weren’t very many comics that had Asian American female characters in their stories, and of those few, many came from a place of cute, pop, bubblegum shit. Now I see that those are all well and good, but at the time, I was pretty disappointed that you couldn’t find many gross, vulgar, rude, mean, dirty, apathetic, petulant shithead girls at the fore.

I was a young selfish person (now I’m an old selfish person), and I wanted to see MYSELF in a comic, so in an ultimate power move, I just started making comic zines about annoying, unpleasant but (hopefully) likeable layabouts that were clearly stand-ins for myself. Eventually that evolved into paintings and illustrations where I would try to lay out a narrative moment with many of these girls and women, which would convey all the frustration, boredom, and nihilism I felt throughout my youth and adolescence.

TMS: How do you see peoples’ perceptions of your work change between the print and digital mediums?

Jo: I work mostly in watercolor and brush pen, so whatever “digital work” of mine that exists is usually just a scanned version of those watercolor paintings, or inked comic pages, or scanned pencil drawings poorly colored in Photoshop. I don’t know if I can speak to how the viewers’ own perceptions of my work change, whether they see it in print or on a screen, but I feel like it is equally well-received.

TMS: How do digital sharing and feedback inform your work, in terms of identity and style?

Jo: The internet has definitely helped spread my work far and wide (I don’t have a Tumblr, but my shit gets re-tumbled like crazy), and I love that people beyond the small world of indie comics have come to see and recognize (and identify with!) my drawings.  Many times people will approach me at festivals with expressions of dawning recognition, and say, “I saw this on Tumblr! I’m glad I found you!” and all I can feel is grateful.

TMS: How did you go from producing physical comics into storyboarding for Steven Universe?

Jo: The creator of Regular Show found my old comic, Jin & Jam, and my boyfriend Calvin Wong’s comic Ramble On at San Diego Comic-Con years ago. He offered Calvin a storyboard test, then a job, for which he left behind a career in user interface design/programming. Eventually, Regular Show hired me to do storyboard revisions; at the time I had just dropped out of school a second time, and I was making a meager living doing intermittent freelance and private commissions.

It was quite a culture shock, to say the least. Eventually, I moved on to storyboards, and Rebecca Sugar asked me to do some revisions on the Steven Universe pilot (I cleaned up a lot of the drawings of hands!). Later I took a board test and joined the crew at the end of the first season, eventually boarding ten episodes with the most excellent artist Lamar Abrams.

TMS: When you began working on Steven Universe, were you conscientious of if people connected your personal work to your show work?

Jo: I don’t know if people do connect my personal work to my television work, because I myself have always viewed them as two distinct and separate things. For one thing, nothing I have ever worked on in television looks remotely like my personal drawings. For another, I view television as a job, a means to an end. I do have enthusiasm for my jobs, and of course, a storyboard artist’s voice is always a part of each episode, but honestly, my day jobs and my personal work occupy different spaces in my mind and in my soul.

And most importantly, the audiences of each medium are incomparable, at least in terms of numbers. I estimate that MAYBE three or four thousand people on God’s green earth have ever read my comics or seen my paintings and known my name, but every episode of Regular Show or Steven Universe will easily pull between 2 and 4 million viewers, most of whom are really not aware that anyone who has ever worked on that episode could possibly exist outside of it.

TMS: How have you seen people perceive your work on the show in particular? You definitely have certain signature elements on the episodes you work on. (ex. “Fusion Cuisine,” “Watermelon Steven,” “Future Vision”)

Jo: Haha oh lord, I have seen a small but vocal minority rip my episodes to shreds. They hate me for small, strange reasons, attribute whatever perceived incongruities or mistakes all to me alone, and they love to call me “The Asian,” which … I guess I am! It’s a pretty typical response to a cult show fiercely beloved and even more obstinately protected by its fans, but it was pretty hard to stomach for a while. However, I have seen many lovingly rendered fan art drawings based on specific jokes I wrote or moments I boarded, and it helps to remind me that it wasn’t all in vain!

TMS: How does the Steven Universe crew manage to push so many boundaries, especially when it comes to issues of racial diversity and sexuality?

Jo: Rebecca Sugar managed to create a show that addresses so many different issues of identity by carefully selecting an incredibly diverse crew of artists and writers and production staff to work on the show. A show is only as good as the people making it, and the best shows pull from a variety of voices.

TMS: Why do you think Steven Universe has become such a cornerstone for modern animation fans?

Jo: Steven Universe is the definition of an ensemble show. Each and every character is as distinct in design and appearance as they are in personality. No matter who watches the show, they will find a character that speaks to them, that they can relate to or identify with.

TMS: What are you up to next?

Jo: After I left Steven Universe, I went to FOX ADHD as a character designer on Ben Jones’ show, Stone Quackers, and I boarded and designed and painted on SQ spin-off, GOTHBALL. I’ve also done some storyboard and character work for a project in development at Cartoon Network (not my own).

Right now, I’m taking a television break to work on several projects: I just started translating the amazing graphic novel Uncomfortably, Happily by Yeon-Sik Hong, for Drawn & Quarterly, I am doing advisory work for next years Illustration Conference (ICON), and I’m working on some personal comics and illustration.

Lilian Min is a contributing editor at HelloGiggles and has written for The Atlantic, Nylon Magazine, BuzzFeed, and others. Read her other work here and tweet her here.

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Meet Makaia, he's one very special Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo. When he was only five weeks old, he lost his mum. He needed a nice warm pouch to grow big and strong in, so Adelaide Zoo tried something that had never been done before... a Yellow-foot Rock-wallaby was found to be his surrogate mum. Up until now this special breeding technique, known as 'cross-fostering', has only been done with closely related wallaby species.
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Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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Holy hand grenade icon

Wedding photographer Chase Richards of followell fotography demonstrated his absolute professionalism when he refused to let go of his camera, even as he slipped and fell into a puddle during the rainy wedding day of Will and Kristina Moore at McClain Lodge in Jackson, Mississippi. The resulting photo is a true testament to the concern that the wedding party had for their photographer.

…at their wedding I slipped in a puddle while shooting the wedding party, cut my finger open, and broke one of my lenses. Evidence of this can been seen on my Instagram. But! Here I am alive and well and able to bring you photos that document how great this day really was. It started off a little rainy, but everything ended up working out perfectly in the end. Kristina & Will are some of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met both with wonderful families. Thanks for letting me be a part of this guys, and next time we meet, I’ll make sure to have a life insurance policy!

photo by Chase Richards

via reddit, PetaPixel