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- 22 days on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader - when being a lesbian gets you killed: help save Kiana Farouz
Last night I had the privilege — and I mean that in every sense — to attend the private 20th anniversary dinner for The International Women’s Media Foundation. We seldom hear how dangerous it is for women who work in media outside of Western countries: journalists, filmmakers, photographers. (Although I did reflect that I have not had a death threat or suggestion of violence to my person since I stopped writing for SFGate.) After going to an event for the organization that helps, encourages and rewards women who bravely risk their lives to create media, I’m astonished to read that the UK has denied filmmaker Kiana Firouz asylum.
Please take a minute to learn about what Firouz is going through, and help make some noise about this. She is a 27-year-old filmmaker, actress, and outspoken LGBT activist who is from Iran. Her country, if she is forced to return, will punish her for “acts of lesbianism” as seen in her most recent film. The punishment for this is “100 lashes.” If she is found guilty of “the unspeakable sin of homosexuality” — and as she is a lesbian, and as Iranian media has publicized her sexual orientation — the punishment is execution by public hanging.
I highly recommend that you read about what she’s going through right now, and about the documentary film “Cul de Sac” that she is in, profiling the conditions of lesbians in Iran. The film is based heavily on Firouz’s life story. I find it somewhat ironic that the film was produced in the UK, and that the UK has refused Firouz’s application for asylum. It can’t be better now that the UK has a new conservative government that is “tough on immigration.” The film premieres in London this weekend.
There is a petition for Firouz here. I have to ask, is this all we can do? Read more in the Coilhouse post Save The Life Of Kiana Firouz. Read about the film, and why they made it, in On Film, The Trials Of An Iranian Lesbian Activist. (thanks for the tip, unknownbinaries)
3 months on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader - Fun with Films
Shared by Morgaine
I love those Coraline cookies :-)
You may remember these cookies. I did them a few weeks ago when the Oscar nominees were announced and to kick off a series of movie award season recipes sponsored by Hyundai that have been featured for the last few weeks on the site. This one was in the main section and the others have been linked from a graphic in the sidebar. But I wanted to put the links to all of them here so you can get to them easily now that they’re done. So here goes…
Awards Night Sugar Cookies
Statues in sugar.
Movie Popcorn Brownies
Mini marshmallows make me smile. These were made with movies in mind, and before the actual nominees were announced.
Ribbits & Royalty
Okay, lollipop sticks usually mean cake pops around here, so click through if you want to see some frogs.
Coraline Cookies
Peanut butter button cookies. Cute as a …… okay I won’t say it… I won’t s-… button … I said it. And I also dipped them in chocolate… yum.
Upcake Decorating 101
Hmmm… what’s up with all the sprinkles?
Movie Marquis Cookies
Sugar pearls and frosting sheets help make these.
Lobster Toppers
Fun, but definitely not french.The above titles are links so you can take a look at the full projects if you like.
Now, all the movie award recipes are sponsored by Hyundai, but I thought I would sponsor a little giveaway myself for more film fun.
Okay, here’s how it’s gonna go. Below are five award categories for the Oscars that air Sunday, March 7th.
To play, just choose who you think will win from each category below and list your guesses in the comments section of this post.
You can copy the categories below and paste into your comment with your choices:
Best Picture:
Directing:
Best Actor:
Best Actress:
Animated Feature Film:On Saturday, March 6th – the day before the Oscars, I’ll pick one (1) person’s comment at random and post it here on the site.
Then on Sunday, while I’m watching the Oscars, I’ll keep score. For each of the above categories that person gets right, I’ll pony up a $50 gift card. Visa or Mastercard most likely.
5 correct = $250 gift card
4 correct = $200 gift card
3 correct = $150 gift card
2 correct = $100 gift card
1 correct = $50 gift card
0 correct = a virtual pat on the backSound fun? Good. Okay, let’s see how good you are at predicting. I’m officially scared.
Deadline to enter is Friday, March 5th at 8:00 pm ET. One entry per person please. Good luck!
6 months on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader - Is the iPad Launch Delayed Already?
Shared by Morgaine
Ah, delayed. What's new?
According to an Associated Press report, the launch of Apple's anticipated iPad may be delayed until April. The report cites a technology analyst's note of an "unspecified production problem" affecting Apple's Taiwan-based supplier. Here's more:
The report says that Apple will "likely limit the launch region to the U.S. and the number of units available to roughly 300,000 in the month of March, far lower than the company's initial estimate of 1 million units."
This all sounds a bit suspicious to me. Sure, this could be a technical problem, but the iPad's launch has been clouded by several different issues. First, there was the announcement that the iPad would begin shipping in "about 60 days," a formula Apple hasn't used before. I definitely expected the eventual announcement of a launch date, but even now, Apple's site says that WiFi models will ship in "late March" and 3G models in "early April." Plus, there's still the question of FCC authorization. Could that be causing the delay?
6 months on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader - Hot Pocket Poster: The Ingredients Made Tasteful
Justin Perricone put all the sordid ingredients of a ham & cheese hot picket into stunningly attractive poster form:
6 months on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader - If you should ask me …
If you should ask me where I’ve been all this time
I have to say ‘ things happen’
I have to dwell on stones darkening the earth,
on the river ruined in it’s own duration:
I know nothing save things the birds have lost,
the sea I left behind , or my sister crying.
Why this abundance of places? Why does day lock with day?
Why the dark night swilling around in our mouths?
And why the dead?
Should you ask me where I come from, I must talk
with broken things
with fairly painful utensils,
with great beasts turned to dust as often as not
and my afflicted heart.
These are not memories that have passed each other
nor the yellowing pigeon in our forgetting;
these are tearful faces
and fingers down our throats
and whatever among leaves may fall to the ground:
the dark of a day gone by
grown fat on our grieving blood.
Here are violets, and here swallows,
all things we love and which inform
sweet messages seriatim
through which time passes and sweetness passes.
We don’t get far, though, beyond these teeth:
Why waste time gnawing at the husks of silence?
I know not what to answer:
There are so many dead,
and so many dikes the red sun breached,
and so many heads battering hulls
and so many hands that have closed over kisses
and so many things that I want to forget.
Pablo Neruda
There’s No Forgetting[Reposted from Morgaine]
6 months on
Morgaine's shared items in Google Reader