tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207005652011-10-03T11:24:57.626+01:00la somnambulela somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.comBlogger451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-85754138116778208342007-04-23T14:51:00.000+01:002007-04-23T16:11:47.098+01:00Why women?Today's newspapers have all commented on a report by ActionAid. This report ("Who Pays? How British supermarkets are keeping women workers in poverty") looks fantastic and well worth a read. Just wanted to quickly tag it up - I'm going to try and get through it in the next couple of days and report back but there are loads of good summaries in the 'papers. I've been trying to give up my la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-27472853140413862722007-04-08T18:23:00.000+01:002007-04-08T18:26:11.435+01:00UpdateHello to anyone out there who still occasionally checks this. Sorry for the lack of updates - in August last year I moved to Bristol and began the Legal Practice Course there. I have been really busy with the course and really poor with money so I can't afford the internet in my flat and have had no time to update at uni. However my final term begins in a week and the workload has eased off a bitla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1155664409320991062006-08-15T18:48:00.000+01:002006-08-15T18:53:29.360+01:00MemeI've enjoyed reading everyone else's and have been tagged by Laura at I'm not a feminist, but and Michelle at LonerGrrrl so here's my contribution to the book meme (tried to go with my gut feeling and not think or analyse my choices too much...)One book that changed your life?The entire Patricia Cornwell Kay Scarpetta series – I wrote a dissertation on them for my degree and got a first.One book la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1155645618802710812006-08-15T13:39:00.000+01:002006-08-15T13:40:18.826+01:00Body image(s)Working lots of overtime recently so haven’t been able to blog much (excuses excuses). However I was interested to read the article discussing thinness in the Observer Women magazine last weekend. Siberian Fall posted about this article at Mind the Gap and asks has feminism failed to make an impact on eating disorders and obsessional thinness?Identifying as a feminist has had a hugely liberating la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1154427198352675222006-08-01T11:12:00.000+01:002006-08-01T11:13:18.363+01:00Some mixed and inconclusive thoughts about the pill...I love the NHS for many reasons, one of them being the fact that it has given me the pill for free since I was 17. When I was younger they also gave me a lot of party bags full of condoms as well. You just can’t fault this amazing service.However I do have a problem with the pill. My experience is one of constant compromise. I began on Dianette because it is a treatment for acne as well as a la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1154344775299816562006-07-31T12:18:00.000+01:002006-07-31T12:19:35.310+01:00TOTP RIPI’ve grieved the end of Smash Hits!, wept as Simon left Popworld, and now have to cope with the end of Top of the Pops. Not really a feminist issue as such but nevertheless TOTP was pretty important in my childhood. I was a massive Madonna fan when I was tiny and watched it every Thursday, dancing along to the routines, and it was watching Alisha’s Attic on that very programme which inspired my la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1153475654586527532006-07-21T10:30:00.000+01:002006-07-21T10:54:14.600+01:00Big Bro updateI haven’t written much about BB lately, mainly because I have had a pretty love/hate relationship with it this time around. However hats off to Aisleyne (and Pete) for upholding a woman’s right to own her own body. And as I’m feeling in such a good mood, hats off to the producers as well for not editing it out!For those of you angelic enough to resist the horrible temptation that is Big Brother, la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1153466332469035932006-07-21T08:16:00.000+01:002006-07-21T08:18:58.613+01:00Results day...And I passed! In fact I passed my Graduate Diploma in Law with a commendation! So the rest of the day (apart from when I am at work) will be spent celebrating, because a law degree in a year is the hardest thing I have ever ever had to do and it's over woooooooo!!la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1153249162917479612006-07-18T19:56:00.000+01:002006-07-18T19:59:22.933+01:00To ban or not to ban...The papers reported today that a Dutch court has refused to ban the Brotherly Love, Freedom and Diversity Party (PNVD). Anti-paedophile campaigners brought the case in an attempt to prevent the party (which supports the legalisation of child and animal pornography and would allow violent porn to be shown on television) from running in the next general election. However the court refused to ban la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1153170421872565502006-07-17T22:06:00.000+01:002006-07-17T22:07:01.890+01:00WakestockI’ve spent the last few days at Wakestock in Pwllheli sunning myself on the beach in the morning and listening to music in the evenings which was rather nice. There were a few problems with camping at the site but on the whole I’d recommend Wakestock to anyone who is fed up with the big festivals (although don’t camp on site - it’s expensive and your stuff will get wrecked and stolen!)However I la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1152606367844404932006-07-11T09:23:00.000+01:002006-07-11T09:26:07.856+01:00Brief updateFlat hunting in Bristol has put the brakes on me finishing the several posts I've got going but just a note to say the first issue of Subtext magazine is now available to order online :)la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1151740938195315732006-07-01T09:00:00.000+01:002006-07-01T09:02:18.210+01:00Dwa zywiec ProszeOne of the real pleasures of reading blogs is spotting the memes that pop up – reading different perspectives on the same issue, or discovering that others are thinking about the issue you have been contemplating. Spotted Elephant has recently blogged about her plan to learn Spanish because “we should be encouraging Americans to learn more than one language.” This is a problem that also persists la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1151324622311269302006-06-26T13:23:00.000+01:002006-06-26T13:23:42.323+01:00Phew!Exams over (results pending…) and I can get on with doing things that I love. I have already been on holiday for ten days to Poland. A lot of people have expressed surprise at the choice of location but I have to say it was amazing. Warsaw is so underrated – the city was beautiful and the sense of history is really powerful, but probably more about that when I get my photos sorted.I arrived back la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1148930708154775182006-05-29T20:21:00.000+01:002006-05-29T20:25:08.166+01:00Public service announcementApologies for the lack of posts - I feel I should concentrate on these exams that I have paid so much money for the privilege of taking so will be back in a couple of weeks when it's all over :) ( half a day revising the sexual offences act and various other sticky issues have inspired some posts for when I return...in particular I fail to understand why rape is classified as a sexual crime and la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1148503144904259172006-05-24T21:37:00.000+01:002006-05-24T21:39:04.916+01:00TouchingThis post is, I suppose, influenced by Big Brother (although not by the hideous debacle of bullying and prejudice currently surrounding Shebhaz). BB follows a pattern and this year, as with every year, one of the young men has expressed his discomfort at being touched by a fellow male housemate who is gay. This year it was Glyn but it is an issue that invariably arises in every series.Overtones la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1148287328279039892006-05-22T09:39:00.000+01:002006-05-22T09:42:08.290+01:00"What's wrong with porn?"Thanks to Jamie for the tip off - documentary "What's wrong with porn?" tonight at 9pm on radio1. I may tune in if I've got through this pile of revision by then - otherwise the website lets you listen again. la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1148282598241070512006-05-22T07:53:00.000+01:002006-05-22T08:23:18.306+01:00Where does the male gaze end?An article in The Observer Magazine caught my attention yesterday. It is a brief interview with Corinne Bailey Rae, a musician who I have generally avoided purely because she seems to be this year’s Gay Dad*. There is some discussion about Christina Aguilera and the Pussycat Dolls and she is then quoted as saying:“I think it is both an interesting and a sad thing that some women don’t understand la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1148043986394521342006-05-19T14:05:00.000+01:002006-05-19T14:06:26.406+01:00He's watching you...Channel 4 briefly earned some brownie points yesterday as Jez disclaimed any interest in pornographic magazines saying they are degrading to women – who says Hollyoaks doesn’t support the feminist cause!However the channel soon let itself down with the latest influx of Big Brother contestants, and in particular Mikey who introduced himself as hating feminists. He doesn’t understand why they la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1147795452216943622006-05-16T17:02:00.000+01:002006-05-16T17:04:12.236+01:00It's just a jokeI’m generally quite an outspoken person. My first degree was in literature and I am now studying law, both of which appeal to me because I love expressing my opinions, learning about other people’s thoughts, and generally having a good old fashioned debate. However I find that I am very reluctant to comment if those around me make uninformed or offensive comments about women. I know why this is, la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1147624838895021012006-05-14T17:39:00.000+01:002006-05-14T17:40:38.906+01:00"The Accidental"I am slowly managing to work my way through the Orange Prize shortlist. I finished “The Accidental” by Ali Smith last week but revision and the like has got in the way of me giving it any kind of post-read thought.It is a truly beautiful novel. I am a big fan of the modernists and this captures the stylistic experimentation that they epitomise. The characters are a mother, step father, son and la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1147455391866532262006-05-12T18:35:00.000+01:002006-05-12T18:36:31.876+01:00Links and suchI'm in the process of updating my blogroll to cover the sites I love to look at every day. If anyone is unhappy with being linked, or I've got your name wrong please let me know.la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1146769803497527362006-05-04T20:09:00.000+01:002006-05-04T20:10:56.226+01:00Over the hill with a bun in the oven?All over the news today is the story of Dr Patricia Rashbrook. The 63 year old who is seven months pregnant following IVF treatment has sparked the increasingly familiar controversy over how old is too old to conceive by IVF.I have found myself in a quandary and not really sure what to think about it all. The arguments for an upper age limit to fertility treatment are obvious and often repeated. la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1146604033781987132006-05-02T22:06:00.000+01:002006-05-02T22:07:13.796+01:00Bits and piecesSaturday or Sunday morning I woke up and for about five minutes watched what seemed to be the television equivalent of a gentlemen’s club. T4 had televised parts of Friday night’s Carling 24 – a series of gigs across London. All fairly mainstream bands, unsurprisingly, and all of the musicians were male. Actually I have to clarify that. There may be the odd female drummer or bassist in one or twola somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1146331252223376292006-04-29T18:19:00.000+01:002006-04-29T18:20:52.266+01:00The shortlist for the Orange Prize for Fiction was announced this week. It is an international award for the best English language novel written by a woman and one which has introduced me to some fantastic current women’s writing in the past. The shortlist this year features:“The History of Love” Nicole Krauss“Beyond Black” Hilary Mantel“The Accidental” Ali Smith“On Beauty” Zadie Smith“Everyman’sla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1146167705728505282006-04-27T20:52:00.000+01:002006-04-27T20:55:05.743+01:00Hats off......to everyone protesting against conviction rates for rape tomorow at Southwark Crown Court. Wish I could be there, hope it gets the coverage it deserves...And a new post will be forthcoming when I've got on top of this damned revision.la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1145549091558923722006-04-20T17:04:00.000+01:002006-04-20T17:04:51.570+01:00Political correctness gone mad?It’s taken me a while to come around to this, but Tiger Woods’ comment last week got me thinking (in case you didn’t hear about this, when his game went badly he referred to himself as ‘a spaz’). There is some interesting discussion about this at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/ including a vote on the worst disability related words (http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/yourspace/worstwords/). Some have tried to la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1145377896361111272006-04-18T17:29:00.000+01:002006-04-18T17:31:36.380+01:00Blog to raise awareness about sexual violenceSome topics seem too big to blog about, particularly when I haven’t any personal experience of them. But lelyons comment “I would be happy to see anything that isn’t silence” has given me the push to participate. After all it’s true - silence is a real problem. I have been lucky enough never to have experienced sexual violence, but it is something that I have been aware of for as long as I can la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1144703954789602032006-04-10T22:18:00.000+01:002006-04-10T22:19:14.860+01:00Thin thinner thinnestSo JK Rowling thinks stick thin models are "empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones" does she? Underneath all that misdirection she has got a point - it is after all fundamentally important that young girls grow up to be “independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny” and to understand that self worth will never come from achieving the ‘right’ kind of body. la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1144272916189586502006-04-05T22:33:00.000+01:002006-04-05T22:35:16.203+01:00Justice and EqualityIn a meeting with my essay supervisor today we discussed the role of language within the legal profession. I had told him that I get real pleasure from writing, and it was the law I had struggled with when getting this essay together not the expression. He agreed that familiarity and confidence with language is fundamental for a lawyer, and told me that he liked to think of himself as a wordsmithla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1144090763107535462006-04-03T19:57:00.000+01:002006-04-03T19:59:23.126+01:00Eh?Slander of Women Act 1891 (1891 c 51) 1 Amendment of lawWords spoken and published . . . which impute unchastity or adultery to any woman or girl shall not require special damage to render them actionable.Provided always, that in any action for words spoken and made actionable by this Act, a plaintiff shall not recover more costs than damages, unless the judge shall certify that there was la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1144007323416303712006-04-02T20:46:00.000+01:002006-04-02T20:48:43.430+01:00Feminism and bloggingThe horrors of Internet and copyright law persist but the week was brightened a little when I read Kira Cochrane’s article in G2 about feminist bloggers. It mentioned many of the fantastic blogs that greatly deserve the recognition given to them. It also addressed the often mentioned issues surrounding the privileged, predominantly white nature of the blogosphere. My own privilege is something I la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1142360764206916232006-03-14T18:25:00.000Z2006-03-14T18:26:04.216ZSweet FAStill stuck in the depths of essay misery I have resorted to listening to radio one to make the day go faster. It made me smile to hear about Minnie Crutwell who has enlisted Tessa Jowell’s help in petitioning the Football Association about rules that ban mixed sex teams after the age of 12. I remember the same issue filling me and my friends with fury at first and middle school and in fact we la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1141761836426408972006-03-07T20:02:00.000Z2006-03-07T20:03:56.463ZDrunken consent ...I have been writing an essay on copyright protection on the internet which has filled me with a passionate hatred of the place and following on from that a reluctance to blog. However the news today was so interesting that I just couldn’t resist.I woke up to much discussion of the rape law on radio 4 this morning. In November a High Court ruling received extensive media attention as the headlinesla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1140541259761225132006-02-21T16:58:00.000Z2006-02-21T17:00:59.776ZHere we go again ..."If there is something that somebody could take that might alter the consequences of what they do, they may be as a result of that more likely to engage in at-risk behaviour" … sound familiar? Definitely reminiscent of the ‘arguments’ against the morning after pill but this time Dr Stammers of the Christian Medical Fellowship is arguing against the HIV treatment Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1140464439059893792006-02-20T19:39:00.000Z2006-02-20T19:40:39.076ZStalking ...Exams are over, which should give me a bit of spare time but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to have happened. Coursework, prep for classes etc etc. I’m a volunteer with Victim Support so I’ve also used my free week to do some work with them. There was an interesting piece on Woman’s Hour last week discussing the effects of and law relating to stalking. Stalking isn’t a legal term – la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1139864994902406992006-02-13T21:08:00.000Z2006-02-13T21:09:54.916ZMen are back …As I’ve been revising for the last couple of weeks I have watched a lot more TV than usual (although I’m sure that isn’t the way it should work). I’ve found many of the adverts appearing at the moment truly shocking. I know a lot has been said about the Yorkie campaign, which has been around for a while now, where the selling point of the chocolate is that it’s ‘not for girls’. la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1139685881549115772006-02-11T19:23:00.000Z2006-02-11T19:27:35.176ZEquitable presumptions...I am currently revising for my midsessional tests for this term. I'm doing a graduate diploma in law which consists primarily of learning by rote with little time or scope for creativity or opinion [it's definitely a means to an end rather than a course to take for fun]. However today I've been reading a little about equitable presumptions when people make voluntary la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1139437337000206492006-02-08T22:14:00.000Z2006-02-08T22:22:17.020ZSun goddess ...Leaked news of Princess Kiko's pregnancy seems to have halted the battle in Japan about whether the law should be changed to allow a female heir to inherit the throne. I don't know much about Japanese history and culture, but I'm still amazed that this society that often seems so modern is clinging so tightly to archaic and discriminatory traditions. Anyway visit here for the storyla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1139346980075170672006-02-07T20:50:00.000Z2006-02-07T21:16:20.106ZOnce upon a time...Have just finished Robert McKinley's 'Spindle's End' which was truly fantastic. It's a rewriting of Sleeping Beauty focussing upon the life of Rose, brought up by another family and with no knowledge of either the blessings or curse placed upon her by 21 fairy godmothers at her christening. Set in a medieval fantasy world it was initially uncomfortable to read, as the sentencesla somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1138571148736756492006-01-29T21:43:00.000Z2006-01-29T21:45:48.750ZAbortion laws ...The Observer today featured a contentious article, based on MORI statistics, suggesting that women are demanding tougher adoption laws - see the link above for the article, and more interestingly http://rhetoric.journalspace.com/ for a view on the reality of the situation from someone who has had access to the statistical information the article is based on. la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1138545627657936322006-01-29T14:07:00.000Z2006-01-29T14:42:48.083ZJack, I swear ...Despite the hype I'm not sure I was expecting much from this film, perhaps because as a love story it probably isn't the kind of film I would usually go and see. However, my prejudices were proved wrong, and I was mesmerised within the first few minutes. The first scene sets the tone for the rest of the film - it is subtle and silent. Dialogue is sparse throughout, which is more la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1138034348947062272006-01-23T16:07:00.000Z2006-01-23T16:39:08.976ZIn the High Court today Sue Axon lost her legal battle to ensure that girls under 16 would not be able to have an abortion without their parents first being informed. She pursued the case from a very personal position, as she has daughters of her own, and regrets undergoing an abortion in her youth. Other arguments for this include the point that parental consent is required for other surgical la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1137331232565791172006-01-15T13:20:00.000Z2006-01-15T13:20:32.620ZMind the Gap!Mind the Gap!la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1137101892195808222006-01-12T21:09:00.000Z2006-01-12T21:38:18.316Z"Heather is a remarkable woman" says the narrator of channel four's 'Ten Years Younger'. Reality life improvement shows often have a sinister element to them, a sense that in the first fifteen minutes of the programme the subject is being beaten down, ritually humiliated, in order that they will unquestioningly accept the advice of the minor television deity who claims to hold the key to their la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20700565.post-1136750777419965272006-01-08T19:49:00.000Z2006-01-08T20:31:36.250ZBeing the new year everywhere seems full of sensible and not so sensible advice on improving life, health, fitness and more. Although almost inevitably doomed to failure the media is permeated with this optimism. An interesting consideration of alternative therapies and treatments is presented in 'The Various Haunts of Men', Susan Hill's debut crime fiction novel. It is typical of the modern la somnambulehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207386261665146096noreply@blogger.com0