Wordless Wednesday: Biggest Hole In the Universe

This is the largest structure in the known universe - a hole that 1.8 billion light years across.

Why I'm Not a Feminist, Pt. 4: But If I Was...

There are several changes to the feminism movement:

1.  Change the name.

Or rather, I'd merge feminism with equalitarianism, because that would include everyone in the movement to social equality.

2. Stop the name-calling, insulting, and condemning of men.

There is a standard feminist saying that goes:  it takes one woman to do the work of two men at half the pay.  Many women chortle over this, laughing because of the insult to men, feeling superior by putting men in the inferior position.

Comprising about 50% of the population, men can be wonderfully supportive allies to women working towards social equality.  But only if feminists don't run all the men off with their insistence that all men are predators, pedophiles, rapists,...  Too much time and effort is wasted on putting men down, instead of trying to lift women up.  Not only is this unhealthy for men's mental health, it's also unhealthy for women's mental health.  This behavior is also counter-productive to achieving social equality, because it encourages conflict and aggressive posturing, not cooperation.

3.  Work on solutions for everyone, not just women.

I hear and read feminist as they rant that men should learn not to rape or abuse women or belittle women; and how women need to be protected since all women are victims.  This type of propaganda doesn't address a problem, doesn't pinpoint the origins of a problem, doesn't help men who have similar problems, and generally only causes strife.  Feminists need to stop with this overreaching blame and start discussions about what the real problems are, where these problem come from, and what we can do to fix the problems.

For  example, one of the big problems today is date rape.  A man and woman go out on a date, start to get physical, have intercourse.  In the morning after, the man thinks it was an incredible date.  The women wants to file rape charges.  What went wrong?

The current feminist answer is to blame men for wanting sex and never wanting to wait.  Or maybe saying that men don't respect women and don't respect the word 'no'.  Notice that all this blaming only puts men on the defensive, and doesn't sound like reality.

I think the problem begins in some unspoken social norms.  Society teaches men to be the aggressors, to be responsible for making the first move in all aspects of a relationship.  From the initial contact to determining if a woman is interested to planning the first date to initiating sex, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of men.  Society also teaches men that they must try to get sex as soon as possible.  To be honest, hormones also encourage men to reproduce with as many women as possible, but society reinforces this message.  In my opinion, the most damaging message to men is that they shouldn't just accept an answer of 'no' from a woman, that women secretly want men to push them for sex.

On the other hand, society teaches women that they are not allowed to enjoy sex and that they must say 'no' to sex even if they want to participate.  Society also teaches women that they need to dress sexy and alluring as a sign to men, a sign that the woman in question is ready for either a relationship or sex.   Finally, society urges women not to say 'no' if a man pushes for sex.  Yes, I know that this is a contradictory message; I never said that these messages were logical.  But women learn both that they must say 'no' and they are not allowed to say 'no' under differing circumstances. These messages cause internal stress and strife.

So here is what I believe is a typical date rape situation:

• Man asks woman out. 
• She agrees, dressing up as proscribed by society.
• Man sees hair and make-up, begins to believe they will have sex on a subconscious level.
• Date goes well.
• Begin to make out.
• Women says 'no' to sex.
• Man pushes for sex.
• Woman stops saying 'no'.
• Man assumes that means 'yes'.
• They have sex.

The big question here is did the woman really want to have sex.  She followed society's strictures, as did the man, but from the outside no one can tell if she actually wanted to have sex but said 'no'l the first time to fulfill the societal requirement to say 'no', or if she didn't want sex but tacitly agreed to fulfill the societal requirement to not say 'no'.  

I think the fix to this situation is two-fold.  First, both men and women need to clearly state whether or not they want sex.  I would go so far as to say that women and men need to discuss boundaries before anything happens beyond a few kisses.  Dan Savage once said that gay men have to discuss what will and won't happen in bed because they have no social norms to follow.  Maybe we need to remove the social norms so men and women must also negotiate.  

Second, women and men need the right to accept or reject an overture of sex.  We need to let everyone know that it's all right to like sex, but that no one has to say 'yes'.  Saying 'no' once doesn't make a person a prude; saying 'yes' once doesn't make a person a whore.  

You'll notice that I include men  and women in this discussion, because everyone needs to be responsible for their actions.  And because  date rape is neither a female or a male problem, the solution needs to include both genders.

We need to discuss domestic violence, sexual harassment, marriage, divorce, and the workplace in terms of equality for everyone.   Not in terms of benefits only to women or benefits only to men, but in terms of benefits to every one.

4. Stop treating all women as victims.

To be treated as a victim is to be treated as weak, helpless, and unable to handle yourself.  I am not a victim; neither is my mother or my daughter.  While life happens to everyone, women need to stop acting like and responding to life as victims, as too weak to defend ourselves.  Because we are strong; we are capable of handling life, getting through the tough times and enjoying the good times.  

I also believe that if a person spends a lot of time feeling like a victim, that person will inadvertently become a victim.  Similar to the way some people are their own worst enemy, people who are victims set up scenarios where they can be victimized.  We need to discourage this mindset, not continue it.

******************************************

Did I leave anything out?  What would you change about feminism?

Why I'm Not A Feminist, Pt. 3: The Power of Names

Today, I want to discuss with you the power of names and naming rights.  To understand the power of names, we first need to understand what a name is.  According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a name is:

1 a : a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing
   b: a word or symbol used in logic to designate an entity
2 a descriptive often disparaging epithet <called him names>
3 a : reputation <gave the town a bad name>
   b : an illustrious record : fame <made a name for himself in golf>
   c : a person or thing with a reputation
4 family, clan
5 appearance as opposed to reality <a friend in name only>
6 one referred to by a name <praise his holy name>

Such simple words for such a complex idea.  Names are more than simple words; names are how we interpret the world around us.  Helen Keller learns to speak when she understood the hand movements where the name of water.  In ancient times, the Egyptian god Ptah created things by naming them.  In science, naming rights reflect who either thought up an idea first or who implemented an idea first/the best.   Neil DeGrasse Tyson does a phenomenal job explaining how we interpret history through naming rights.




Fairy tales such as Rumpelstiltskin show how knowing a person's name gives you a power over them (or at least that's what we used to believe).  Today, people name their children to connect future generations with past generations (through the use of familial names), or to reflect a parent's wishes or dreams for their progeny (e.g. naming a child 'Lucifer' because you want him to be beautiful and able to think for himself), or to remember their culture heritage.  Studies show that men with feminine sounding names have more peer problems in school; that people with unusual names have a harder time getting hired.

What does this have to do with feminism?

The name 'feminism' is a word used in logic to designate an idea.  The word appears around 1851 with the meaning 'the quality of being female' or 'the state of being feminine'.  In the early 1900s, 'feminism' took on new meaning with the women's suffrage movement, now denoting a social theory or political movement that states we need to remove legal and social restrictions on women to allow them equality to men.

Over time, the word 'feminism' changed definitions as women's rights moved forward.   Women now have rights that at one point were reserved for men, such as the right to own property, the right to vote, the right to an education, the right to work, ...  Socially, women shed previous restrictions on clothing, mannerisms, sexual behaviors, reproductive rights, hairstyles, hair colors, ornamentation (e.g. jewelry, tattoos, piercings,...), career choices,... I think it's safe to say that the majority of legal and social restrictions have been removed.

This begs the question:  what does feminism mean today?

Some women claim that feminism still refers to gaining equality between the genders.  But we already for words for that - egalitarianism or equalitarianism.  These names sound like movements for equality, whereas 'feminism' sounds like a movement only for women.

Some women claim that feminism refers to a movement dedicated to protecting women from domestic violence or intimate personal violence (IPV), rape, and harassment.  But IPV, rape, and harassment are not female problems; these are crimes committed by woman and men against men and women.  The name 'feminism' not only sounds like a movement especially to help women in these situations, but also ignores or belittles the half where men are also victims.

Some women claim that feminism refers to a movement aimed to equalize wages and promotions
between the genders.  There are several problems with this definition.  First, this feminism assumes that women choose the workplace over the home, and that more money and titles are required for happiness or fulfillment.  It overlooks the happiness of either stay-at-home moms, or women who consciously choose to balance their careers needs with their family needs.  Personally, I do not believe that money is the end-all, be-all of life.

Second, we already have a term for people gaining promotions and raises due to their personal contributions - meritocracy.  Turning again to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, meritocracy means a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement.

Third, men and women are not equal in their natural talents.  For example, women tend to multi-task better than men; men have better hand-eye coordination that women.  Scientists use fMRIs to determine if someone has a male or female brain.  These differences mean that certain jobs will come more naturally to either women or men and will therefore lend themselves to the preferred gender better.  It's not a function of society, but of who we are.  In these cases, equality doesn't mean the same number of men and women; equality means the same opportunities presented to men and women.

Yet feminism seems to ignore these problem; the name suggests that women deserves more money and more promotions simply because they are women.

These definitions of feminism leads to another power of names - reputation.  Feminism gained a negative reputation along its history as more and more people see the movement as dedicated to obtaining special privileges for women.  The name itself leads to this reputation, since the focus of the word is "feminine" and not "equal".

Personally, I consider myself an equalitarian who believes in meritocracy.

The question now is - who are you?  And who are these feminists?  Do they really want equality?  Or do they want special privileges?

Wordless Wednesday: Family Reunion???

Why I'm Not A Feminist, Pt. 2: Rape

Third wave feminists rants and rails against rape, painting a picture of a world dominated by sexually-perverted men who rape women as a means to establish their power and control.   They claim that our society propagates a "rape culture" where it's okay for a man to do what he wants with a woman.  There are even some feminists who claim that #YesAllWomen have been raped.

Let's address their concerns one at a time.

The world is filled with men rape women as a means to establish their power and control.

This statement is false, an exaggeration that spreads fear and misinformation.  First, in 2010 only  1.1% of women reported being raped.  That is not a large number, definitely not dominating and definitely not something you need to worry about.  Secondly, in 2010 1.1% of men reported being raped. That's right - women raped men as much as men raped women. Rape is not a female problem; it's a societal problem. The biggest difference between men and women getting raped is that we as a society either ignore men as victims or make fun of them for "letting" themselves get raped. Women have rape crisis centers, rape hotlines, specific laws designed to assist female rape victims; our emergency rooms even have special procedures that they follow to document a rape while caring for the female victim as best as they can.

Our society propagates a "rape culture" where it's okay for a man to do what he wants with a woman.

I think an important question at this point is how do you define "rape culture".  According to Wikipedia:

Rape culture is a concept within feminist theory in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality.

Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, or refusing to acknowledge the harm of some forms of sexual violence.

Sadly, we do have a rape culture because feminists trivialize the rape of men, deny that men are raped, and refuse to acknowledge the harm done to men.

Does this mean we don't have a rape culture for women?  I think that society has changed over the past twenty years, acknowledging it is not okay for a man to rape a woman and that it is not a woman's fault.  But we haven't even gotten around to acknowledge that male rape is a problem.

#YesAllWomen have been raped.

No, not all women have been raped.  I am insulted to think that women out there are attempting to include me as a rape victim when I have never been raped.  That degrades the pain and suffering of women who have been assaulted, burying them in the masses with a casual "it happens to everyone".

Truthfully, the number of women being raped has declined over the years, partially due to social pressures and partially due to educating men and woman on how to handle sexual situations.  There have been several successful campaign to teach men communicate with women to avoid a rape scenario, commonly labeled teaching men not to rape.  I find that particular title offensive to men because of the underlying assumption that every man will rape unless you teach him not to.  But we don't have any teach women not to rape campaigns, and most feminist take offense if you even mention the idea.  Because to acknowledge the need for such a campaign also acknowledge that male rape is a problem, and they don't want to do that.  It makes rape a better feminist topic if men don't get raped.

This is reason two why I'm not a feminist.  I know that rape is a social problem, not a female or male problem.  And we need to treat it as such.

Why I'm Not A Feminist, Pt. 1: Domestic Violence

Third wave feminism - a term that encompasses the latest trend of feminism and its attendant "battles".  I find myself shaking my head at this movement, because I see woman spouting rhetoric about equality while in reality asking for special treatment.   It's not good enough that woman now have the right to own property, the right to vote, the right to choose her career, even the right to choose what to do when she's pregnant.  No, now society needs to treat every woman like a special snowflake.  Nowhere is this more apparent than Twitter.

The hash tag #YesAllWomen has made the rounds at Twitter, a multitude of third wave feminists haranguing readers with trite messages about domestic violence, rape, harassment, and wages.

The level of arrogance in these tweets astounds me.  There seems to be some base assumptions:

• that most men sexually harass or rape women
• that society encourages such behavior
• that men don't work or don't work hard enough to earn their income
• that all men are responsible for the behavior of those who commit violent acts

It's almost unconscionable, how all men are being portrayed as evil and all women as victims.  Someone actually have to make a hash tag #NotAllMen to combat the attitudes found within the #YesAllWomen tweets.

Today, I am ignoring all the ranting about rape, harassment, and wages.  I will cover those topics next week.  Today, though, I want to discuss domestic violence, otherwise known as intimate partner violence (IPV).

 If a woman becomes a victim of IPV, she has several options.  There are at least 2,000 shelters for her to turn to, found from a plethora of websites.  There are several hotlines for her to call to get the same information, as well as programs to help her obtain housing, legal advice, clothes, furniture, and whatever else she needs to get out of her abusive relationship and start over.  She can even show up at a fire station or police station, and receive help finding a shelter.

But if a man is a victim of IPV...  I want you to try something.  Go to Google and search for "find a women's shelter".  The search returned a list of women's shelters in my area, all of them for women who are victims of domestic violence.  

Now search for "find a men's shelter".  Go on, I'll wait.

This search brings up information about homeless shelters.  There is not a single hit for helping a man who has been abused.  Not one.

You might think that we don't need men's shelters, but according to the CDC, in 2011 more men were victims of IPV than women.  Yes, you read that correctly.  About 5,365,000 men were victims of IPV, while only 4,741,000 women were victims of IPV.

This is not a singular phenomena either.  Unless you define "domestic violence" as being violence against women (which some people do), then men make up anywhere between 40% and 55% of domestic violence victims in the United States alone.

But women have society backing them and protecting them.  Women have the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 that provides funding to investigate and prosecute violence against women.  Where is Violence Against Men Act?

Society doesn't even see violence against men as a problem sometimes.  Watch this video to see how people react differently when a man versus a woman gets publicly bullied.

You see, society tries to protect a woman from abuse, but laughs at a man who suffers from virtually the same abuse.

In terms of domestic violence, I am definitely not a feminist because this is not a women's issue.  It's not a men's issue.  It's a societal issue, and it's past time to treat men with the same respect that we treat women.

Wordless Wednesday: The Joker and His Trophies

Portrayed by Anthony Misiano.  You can buy a copy of this at Storeenvy.

Taxes, Taxes, Everywhere! But Not A Penny to Spend...

Tomorrow is the American Tax Day, a date when most Americans turn in their income tax forms with either relief (because they either owe little money or qualify for a refund) or dread (because they owe a LOT of money).  But it matters not how much you get back, the complexity of the forms and tax law creates a constant undercurrent of unease as questions whisper in the background:  Did I fill out the forms correctly?  What if the law changed?  What if I misunderstand and get audited?

The tax law is hard to understand and open to misinterpretation.  The IRS provides a tax guide for 2014, an almost 300 page publication that covers the basics of how to file taxes.  While I applaud the tax guide, I still think that taxes take too much time and effort for everyone, with loopholes galore for people with the time and money to find them.

The answer, I believe, is to redo the tax system and remove all the tax credits, deductions, and complicated law.  Instead, all employers should pay taxes for their employees with each paycheck.  Period.  No Tax Day of Reckoning.  No worry about filling out forms.  Nada.

The amount of tax to be paid needs to be based solely on income, with the amount owed determined by a set percentage for each level of money earned.  To explain this, let us first look at the following table.

Money Earned	Percentage of Tax Paid
$0 - Federal Poverty Line	0%
Federal Poverty Line - $50,000	10%
$50,000 - $100,000	15%
$100,000 - $200,000	20%
$200,000 - $300,000	25%
$300,000 - $400,000	30%
$400,000 - $500,000	35%
$500,000 - $600,000	40%
$600,000 - $700,000	45%
$700,000 and up	50%

Everyone pay the same percentage of tax over the same amount of money earned.  So no one pays tax on any money earned up to the Federal Poverty Line.  Then everyone pays 5% of whatever money earned between the Federal Poverty Line and $50,000, but still pays no tax on money earned that's below the Federal Poverty Line.

Let me give you a few examples.  For these cases, we'll assume the Federal Poverty Line is $20,000.

Example 1:

    Sue earns $30,000 as an administrative assistant.  Her tax bill would be:

$0 - $20,000	$0
$20,000 - $30,000	$1,000
Total Taxes Due	$1,000

Example 2:

    Everett earns $87,400 as a computer programmer.  His tax bill would be:

$0 - $20,000	$0
$20,000 - $50,000	$3,000
$50,000 - $87,400	$5,610
Total Taxes Due	$8,610

Example 3:

    Nancy earns $238,000 as a fashion designer.  Her tax bill would be:

$0 - $20,000	$0
$20,000 - $50,000	$3,000
$50,000 - $100,000	$7,500
$100,000 - $200,000	$20,000
$200,000 - $238,000	$9,500
Total Taxes Due	$40,000

Example 4:

    Sid earns $3,575,000 as a professional athlete.  His tax bill would be:

$0 - Federal Poverty Line	$0
Federal Poverty Line - $50,000	$3,000
$50,000 - $100,000	$7,500
$100,000 - $200,000	$20,000
$200,000 - $300,000	$25,000
$300,000 - $400,000	$30,000
$400,000 - $500,000	$35,000
$500,000 - $600,000	$40,000
$600,000 - $700,000	$45,000
$700,000 - $3,575,000	$1,437,500
Total Taxes Due	$1,643,000

In the end, those who make the most money pay the most money, with a cap of 50% taxes on even the most wealthy of individuals.  

Now I understand that the table of tax percentage is merely a stab in the right direction of a fair distribution of taxes.  But the idea behind it all - that everyone pays the same amount of tax for the same money earned - is an equitable division of tax burden.  No one who lives in poverty and makes less than the poverty line needs to pay taxes - they need to save money and get training to get a better job.  But someone who makes millions of dollar per year can easily afford to pay more.  Plus, this method of taxation reduces the amount the IRS needs to spend, lowering the federal budget.

Of course, we still need to simplify how businesses do taxes.  But if we can get the government to redo personal taxes, it would be a start.

Book Review: "The Unleashing" by Shelly Laurenston

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The Unleashing" begins a new series by Shelly Laurenston. Set in the same universe as "Hunting Season", this story follows Kera Watson from when she first awake as a Crow to when she finally gets the hang of her second life.

A little background for those who haven't read "Hunting Season". In this universe, the Norse gods, goddesses, and other divine entities are alive and kicking. These beings recruit humans to belong to the Clans and work for the Gods. Odin recruits pure-blood Norse women as Valkyries and pure-blood Norse men as Ravens, his current day warriors. One of the Norns (Norse fates), Skuld, offers murdered women of any heritage a chance for a second life, provided she pledges her loyalty to Skuld. Skuld is a derivative of the Old Norse verb skulla, which means "that which should become or needs to be". The women are known as the Crows, and they fly around collecting Norse artifacts that have fallen into human hands, killing evil people, and generally causing chaos and destruction.

Back to "The Unleashing"... this novel begins at the end of Kera Watson's life. You learn that she was interrupting a mugging and/or rape behind the coffee shop where she works when the assailant stabs her in the heart, leaving her for dead. A nearby Raven witnesses the murder and asks Skuld to intervene. Skuld does her thing and viola! Kera's second life begins.

I truly enjoyed watching Kera come to terms with her new reality, learning how to fly, learning how to land, but mostly learning how to deal with her sister Crows. Ms. Laurenston creates believable and likable characters, and I found myself rooting for various people throughout the story. There is an overarching story line, but I don't want to mention more than that.

I love Ms. Laurenston's writing style, because I get so involved in the story I lose track of time.

I hope those who like urban fantasies will give this book a chance.

View all my reviews

Book Review: "Boundary Crossed" by Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Witches and Vampires and Werewolves - oh, my!

(Okay, there are no actual werewolves in the story, but the number of vampires and witches makes up for it.)


Disclaimer: I received this book as part of the Kindle First program.  I've never read anything by Melissa F. Olson before, so picking this book felt like a bit of a gamble.  But the gamble paid off big time, because I read it in one sitting, in one day.

"Boundary Crossed" is a wonderful novel about a woman who wants to save her dead sister's daughter from vampires who want to kidnap her. Melissa F. Olson created a new world, one where vampires, witches, and werewolves live hidden among foundings, or regular humans. Most of the time, those of the Old World limit their interactions with humans. But some vampires suddenly take interest in a little 18 month old girl, and her aunt Lex takes an interest in the vampires.

As a reader, you go with Lex on a journey learning about the Old World people. I love how Ms. Olson carefully explains the world to the reader through Lex's eyes - never dumping information but also not withholding information. The characters we meet are believable, with understandable motives and emotions,
from the would-be kidnappers to the resident witches to Lex's family.

There is a bit of romance going on here. Lex meets a vampire named Quinn,
who works with Lex on tracking down the people behind the kidnapping. Ms. Olsen almost sets up a love triangle (groan) but nicely sidesteps it. I never got a feeling of extreme attraction between Lex and Quinn; instead they are learning about each other, becoming friends, and also experiencing chemistry.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes urban fantasy. I have high hopes for this series.

View all my reviews

Freaky Friday News: April 3, 2015

This week on Freaky Friday news, we have feature women who make a difference in their world.  It's not feminism per say; just good old fashioned human nature at work here.

Indian Woman Stands Up to Assailant Amidst Crowd of Apathy

Pradnya Mandhare (Picture: CEN/Metro)

A few weeks ago, 23-year-old Pradnya Mandhare waited for a bus after a morning of lectures and studying.  A drunk man started to grab at her while a crowd of people ignored him.  Pradnya tried to move, but the man followed her.  Determining that she was on her own, Pradnya  hit the man over the head with her bag.  He attempted to retaliate, but was too drunk to actually hit her.  But the drunk man didn't stop his groping.  So Pradnya grabbed her assailant by his hair and dragged him to the nearest police station.

When I first read this story, this is the point where I did a happy dance.  It takes time for a society and its attendant culture to change enough for a woman to feel empowered to handle her own safety.  And clearly Indian society is changing such that Pradnya felt comfortable bringing the man to the police.  Well, figuratively comfortable, since dragging a smelly, drunk man by his hair sounds uncomfortable in the literal sense.  

So here's to Pradnya - may your life be less interesting!  As for the people who watched what happened and did nothing - shame on you.  Maybe next time, you'll find the courage to do what is right.

Transgender Woman Elected Mayor of Town in India

Mandu Kinnar

When the citizens of Raigarh, an industrial city and "Cultural Capital of Chhattisgarh", voted this year for mayor, they skipped the candidate from prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).  Instead, they voted in independent candidate Mandu Bai Kinnar, a former member of the Untouchable caste and transgender woman.

I'm not certain what's more surprising, that a transgender person was elected, or a member of the Untouchables was elected.  Both seem to be long odds, but experts predict that Ms. Kinnar will be mayor for as long as she chooses.

Book Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of "Rock Hard" from Netgalley.

Nalini Singh nails it again with the second installment in her Rock Kiss series. "Rock Hard" stars Charlotte Baird, best friend of Molly from "Rock Addiction" and Gabriel Bishop, Charlotte's new boss and former professional rugby player. In fact, this story overlaps with "Rock Addiction" so you also get scenes with Molly that correlate events between the books.

On the surface, the novel involves Charlotte and Gabriel forming a close bond, becoming a couple, and hopefully living every after. But underneath the cover is a much more complex story.

Charlotte was a victim of a horrible crime, one that almost took her sanity and self-confidence. Now she battles everyday just to get out of bed and go to work.

Gabriel comes from a broken home with an abusive, alcoholic father who he never forgave.

This is a story about personal growth, about redemption and forgiveness, about learning to accept the past without tainting the future. I found myself cheering for Charlie and T-Rex (her nickname for Gabriel), watching them as they changed, hoping for their connection to turn into a friendship and then a romance.

I recommend "Rock Hard" to anyone who needs a bit of sunshine and redemption in their life.

View all my reviews

Wordless Wednesday: April Fool's Edition

New from Samsung -- A knife with cutting edge smart technology

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Officials at Cern confirmed the existence of The Force in a press release today.

“The Force is what gives a particle physicist his powers,” said CERN theorist Ben Kenobi of the University of Mos Eisley, Tatooine. “It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us; and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”

Wordless Wednesday: Smoking Fish???