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Deep Pencil - the musings of Morgan Bell

 
If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it did it really make a sound? If i post a blog and nobody reads it was there really any point? You have entered the random thinking space of Morgan Bell . . . These are my musings . . . things about my life written off the top of my head . . . written in an informal disjointed style almost completely devoid of punctuation, this is where i flesh out writing ideas, discuss my life, and generally be self indulgent . . . it is also the bargain bin for articles which do not fit in with the film or arts themes of my other blogs . . . so have a wander around my mind, have a laugh, have a think, be nice, and humour me!

Secret Womens Business - Deep Pencil

The (not so) Great Gatsby

May 28th 2013 10:31
I saw The Great Gatsby at an Event Cinemas "Chicks At The Flicks" advanced screening.

I was hoping it was going to be worse than Luhrmann's last offering Australia, which was bordering on so bad it's good, but instead got a mediocre piece of badly framed repetitive exposition. I walked away commenting that it makes me angry that Luhrmann collects a group of today's top young actors, capable of amazing depth and nuance, and the ability to emote complex ideas with a glance, and wastes their time and talents by directing them into garbage "high school play" performances.

Also a terrible depiction of women as ugly, vile, and selfish. They all looked garish and mannish, and behaved in an insensitive manner. There wasn't one positive female character in the whole film. No inner or outer beauty.

Maybe I will do a proper review. But those are my thoughts for the moment.



Gatsby woman








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Shifting Responsibility Back To The Perpetrator

October 12th 2009 13:25
Do you want a breath of fresh air from all the "blame the victim" rhetoric surrounding sexual assault of late (or of always)?

Have a read of this list. It has been doing the rounds of the Feminist blog sites. Original author unknown. If you are the mastermind who put this list together please let me know in comments, I would love to give credit where credit's due.

Sexual Assault Prevention Tips Guaranteed to Work!

1. Don’t put drugs in people’s drinks in order to control their behavior.

2. When you see someone walking by themselves, leave them alone!

3. If you pull over to help someone with car problems, remember not to assault them!

4. NEVER open an unlocked door or window uninvited.

5. If you are in an elevator and someone else gets in, DON’T ASSAULT THEM!

6. Remember, people go to laundry to do their laundry, do not attempt to molest someone who is alone in a laundry room.

7. USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM! If you are not able to stop yourself from assaulting people, ask a friend to stay with you while you are in public.

8. Always be honest with people! Don’t pretend to be a caring friend in order to gain the trust of someone you want to assault. Consider telling them you plan to assault them. If you don’t communicate your intentions, the other person may take that as a sign that you do not plan to rape them.

9. Don’t forget: you can’t have sex with someone unless they are awake!

10. Carry a whistle! If you are worried you might assault someone “on accident” you can hand it to the person you are with, so they can blow it if you do.

And, ALWAYS REMEMBER: if you didn’t ask permission and then respect the answer the first time, you are commiting a crime — no matter how “into it” others appear to be.


whistle



Why is a list like this important?

Because every time a footballer, performer, or hollywood director is in the news for raping a woman (or girl, or even sometimes a boy) someone inevitably tries to turn the tables and say "yeah but she was promiscuous" or "what was she doing there in the first place". Someone will bring up her character, or her clothes, or her lifestyle, or her race, or her sexual history.

None of that matters.

The people that are really in a position to stop the incidence of sexual assault are the perpetrators. They need to be accountable. They need to change their ways. And we need to stop making excuses for them.

Teach your sons and daughters about consent, respect, and personal space. When a public figure is charged with rape dont say "she must have been a slut", say "he was wrong to do that, it is unacceptable, offensive, anti-social, illegal, immoral, traumatic and harmful behaviour".

Blow the whistle on the perpetrators, its the best form of self defense.





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Ainsley Hayes on Sexuality and Feminism

August 3rd 2009 16:47
Ainsley Hayes was a fictional character on The West Wing played by Emily Procter.

In the third season (3-13, episode #57 "Night Five") Ainsley explains that she believes her female sexuality enhances her power rather than diminishing it.

Emily Procter as Ainsley Hayes on The West Wing


In preparing for the upcoming U.N. address, Sam (played by Rob Lowe) sends for Ainsley Hayes fairly late that night. She comes in dressed up for a social function she'd been pulled out of.

Sam: "Hayes, you could make a good dog break his leash," Then as she turns to go, "Whoa, I didn't even see that thing from the back."

The comments were heard by a temporary worker named Celia, who tells Sam that his comments demeaned Ainsley. Sam tries to talk to apologise to Ainsley.

Ainsley: "If I felt demeaned I'd be one of the very first people to know it,"

Celia: "I'm surprised you're willing to let your sexuality diminish your power."

Ainsley: "If someone says something that offends you, tell them, but all women don't have to think alike . . . I like when the guys tease me. It's an inadvertent show of respect; I'm part of the team, and I don't mind it when it gets sexual. And you know what, I like sex. . . . I don't think whatever sexuality I have diminishes my power. I think it enhances it."

Celia: "And what kind of feminism do you call that?"

Ainsley: "My kind."

Celia: ". . . Isn't the point that Sam wouldn't have been able to find another way to be chummy with a woman that wasn't sexually appealing?"

Ainsley: "He would be able to, but that isn't the point. The point is that sexual revolution tends to get in the way of actual revolution. Nonsense issues distract attention away from real ones: pay equity, child care, honest-to-God sexual harassment and in this case a speech in front of the U.N. General Assembly,"

Written by Aaron Sorkin, 2002





I was reminded of this fine little piece of television writing when I recently witnessed a YouTube catfight over Feminism. What started as a discussion over pay equity quickly degenerated into how women present themselves physically, and whether women should "cover up" if they want respect.

In the end it all boils down to choice.

Some women like to present themselves in traditional female dress. Sugar and spice and all things nice. Frills and makeup and perfume. That is their choice.

Some women prefer to blend in with their male colleagues. Wear a shirt and tie. Loose fitting slacks and flat shoes. That is their choice.

It should not alter the way others treat them. Maybe thats idealism?

Will you be taken seriously if you wear a low cut top? Many women find that if they dress in a way that reveals cleavage others are distracted. Some choose not to do it. Others embrace the distraction as a tactic.

I dont think one is right and one is wrong. There is no dress code for Feminism. What you wear is irrelevant. Its about respecting the choices of others, even if it is not what you would do.

And its about having a system where if you are offended by the sexual remarks of a colleague, you have avenues through which to resolve your complaint.


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Come back to my room . . .

June 23rd 2009 02:58
I have been inspired by Natalina to take a few snaps of random things from my room.

To see Natalina's house CLICKHERE.

I moved in with friends somewhere around the murky borderlands of southern Newcastle and the upper Central Coast (yeah i still call it Sydney, but I think anywhere 90 minutes by car away from Oxford St can be classified as the city) and my friends are in the process of renovating.

Hence I am still living out of a packed bag and my car, with the bulk of my belongings stored in boxes in the garage.

However I can still show you my day to day stuff.

I cannot take credit for any decor or colour schemes in the background, but I am responsible for the mountains of clutter in my guest quarters.



These are my everyday shoes. I got them from Rivers for $30 on sale. They remind me of something a genie would wear. Last time I got a pedicure the lady that served me was from China and she remarked that they were very similar to the colourful styles that are popular in China.

Next to the shoes is my heat-pack for my back. Its filled with wheat and you microwave it for a couple of minutes and apply it to the area in pain to sooth it. An ex-housemate gave it to me when I lived in the city of Newcastle some years ago.



This is the most recent pair of shoes I've bought. They are the first pair of high heeled shoes I have worn in over two years. They make me look 7 foot tall.

My housemate HATES them . . . which is a big part of the reason I bought them, I just wanted to see his face because I knew he would consider them to be ugly. When I saw them I thought "he will hate them", but I liked the colour and the the general idea of a slit-front bootie, and I knew it would go down a treat at the local gay bar. Are they the boots Gwenyth Paltrow wore in that film? No they are $40 from Target



Here is two items I cannot live without. My mobile phone and my hair straightener. I bought both of them before I left Sydney. The phone has gone to shit, everything on it is broken, and because it is a Nokia it has absolutely no battery life. It will randomly switch itself of mid conversation. It really needs replacing.

The GHD will probably outlive me. I wish GHD made mobile phones.

bag


This is my Guess handbag. It is huge. I have spilled many drinks over and in that bag. It has a leopard-print lining. I want to keep that bag forever, but sadly, due to my mistreatment, it is wearing in places.

keys


These are my keys. There's a bottle opener, a keyring from where I had my labret pierced saying "Let Me Put It In For You", a crab in a little red bottle from Vanuatu, a diamante "M" (both gifts from a friend), and the green key is quite special to me as it opens the front door of a friends house who gave me an open invite to stay at a time when I was homesick for Newcastle.



Clockwise from left we have my handbag, a few DVDs including Broken Flowers, Dangerous Liaisons, Torch Song Trilogy, and a Jackie Chan box-set, some of my books (the ones that arent in storage), my pink make-up bag, medications, notebooks, and perfumes.

A friend of mine works for Perfume Connection so I have acquired many fragrances on the cheap. I also used to be an Avon lady so I have a couple of Avon perfumes that I love.

I have quite few books on writing (see HERE and HERE) and a selection of fiction I have discussed in a post before (see HERE). A few others include a Rupert Everett autobiography, books by Isaac Asimov and Erica Jong, plus Alice In Wonderland, The Devil Wears Prada, Prozac Nation, Valley Of The Dolls, The Orchid Thief, and He Died With A Felafel In His Hand.

So that ends the tour of my room. Thanks for joining me.






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The Science of the Female Orgasm

May 31st 2009 20:19
Evolutionary Biologists have been studying the science of the female orgasm.

In the news recently we have heard studies claiming that wealthy men are more likely to give women orgasms, and women with higher emotional intelligence have a greater frequency of orgasm, but how much is due to our genes?

female orgasm


According to the first genetic study of the female orgasm, up to 45% of the variation in women’s ability to have them could be down to genes.

Biologically it is unclear why women have orgasms. Researchers speculate that female orgasms are an evolutionary accident. Like male nipples, they persist simply because there is no good reason to get rid of them.

Biologists are unable to answer why so many women should be unable to have orgasms during penetrative sex, but able to have them by masturbation. Brain scanning has shown that women who orgasm switch off mentally and emotionally during the orgasm. There also appears to be anatomical differences between women who experience G-spot orgasms and women who don't.

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is very common, with 43% of women in the US having some sort of problem with their sex lives. There is now a spinal cord implant called the Orgasmatron, which stimulates the user when switched on via a remote control. Who said The Stepford Wives was a story of pure science fiction?

female G-spot
In 2008 an Italian research team confirmed the location of the female G-spot







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I am so proud of Magda

February 24th 2009 06:40
I never buy trashy mags.

Growing up, my parents owned a sub-newsagent corner store so I could flick through every issue of every magazine without ever needing to outlay any cash. Over a decade of thumbing through New Idea, Who Magazine, and the Women's Weekly taught me that you spend much more time turning the pages than you do reading the articles. They are usually just paparazzi snaps, royal gossip, and a ludicrous amount of advertisements aimed at homemakers. I don't consider them to be good value for money


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The Depression Gene

November 6th 2008 08:29
There is now a DNA test that can detect the double gene for depression. If you have the gene you will be prone to severe depression during stressful times.

The link between genes and behaviour is being closely studied in Dunedin, New Zealand


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Yawn

October 26th 2008 08:48
What is a yawn?

Sometimes when im having a yawn i contemplate what a strange thing a yawn really is


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Movember - grow a mo for mens health

October 23rd 2008 03:43
MOVEMBER
(The month formerly known as November)
"a moustache growing charity event

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my eyeball hurts!

October 7th 2008 10:01
my right eye (my good eye) has been really sore and bloodshot for over ten days now so i had to go to an eyeball specialist (ophthalmologist) who said i have IRITIS and gave me steroid eydrops and an eye-dialating potion!

the GP tried some antibiotic eyedrops but to no avail . . . i cant be around light without being in excruciating pain (photophobia), and there is an extraordinary amount of pressure built up in and around the eye


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Modern Day Extinctions

September 12th 2008 04:21
Fossils indicate that 95% of all species that have ever existed have now vanished.

Up until recently there was a steady rate of extinction of one species per year over the last 3.5 billion years


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Urophobia: the irrational fear of Urine

September 9th 2008 12:45
sometimes people get a little too obsessed with urine, they start talking about their disgust for urine at every opportunity to the point where it takes over their lives . . . im not taking the piss, this really can happen!

photo by Janine White (jgoldpac on Flickr) flickr.com/photos/janine-white/29393197/

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orange juice and toothpaste . . . bad combination!

July 29th 2008 07:52
have you ever wondered why orange juice tastes so awful if you drink it too soon after brushing your teeth?

many people bush their teeth in the morning before sitting down to breakfast and get a very unpleasant taste when they take a sip of their orange juice . . . these early morning brushers get a nasty shock and may commonly screw their faces up in disgust and say "YUCK


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Ahmed Mustafa - the boy with no arms or legs on The Footy Show

July 24th 2008 17:32
Ahmed Mustafa (16) appeared on the AFL Footy Show tonight. Ahmed is a young man who is vice-captain of the Kilmore footy team and scholarship student at Assumption College in Victoria.

Ahmed came to Australia in 2001 when a lady named Moira Kelly adopted him from an Iraqi orphanage. For the first nine years of his life he could not walk due to severe deformities in his limbs that resulted from his parents being exposed to chemical weapons used in warfare - possibly radiation from depleted uranium


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