A lot of people (for example, O Filthy Grandeur) have reviewed the live-action movie Avatar: The Last Air-Bender, which is an adaptation of "Book One" of animated series Avatar: The Legend of Aang. For the many reasons of rubbishness and race-fail outlined by those others, I have opted not to spend any money on seeing the movie, but am re-watching the DVDs of the series instead.
Book 3 episode 17 of the series, predicts the movie. Only they called the movie team "The Ember Island Players", the name of the movie (play) is "The Boy In The Iceberg" and as near as I can figure, Shyamalan has been called "Pu Wan Tim". The heroes of the story go to see the play.
The play has: poor, one-dimensional characterisation; a very loose adherence to the storyline of the series; and very little to recommend it (and most of the characters hate their portrayal on stage).
Perhaps the best comment on the movie (judging by the reviews I've read) is given by the characters in the series as they go home after watching the play:
Zuko: "That... wasn't a good play."
Aang: "I'll say!"
Katara: "No kidding!"
Suki: "Horrible!"
Toph: "You said it!"
Sokka: "The effects were decent."
On the box-set DVD, there's a commentary track for this episode, with the co-creators and the actors for Toph and Sokka. They introduce it as being their version of a clips show, recapping the story to date. It was also their chance to (in their words) "make fun of ourselves before anyone else did".
The commentary ends with "I'm not sure, but I feel like the writers might have thrown this reference in for the M Night [Shyamalan] movie that's coming out" (when Sokka makes his remark). If they hadn't then commented, "Not that we don't think it's going to be awesome" - because then this would have served as a great hint for M Night NOT to mess things up...
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Thursday, 15 July 2010
This makes me happy
Via Yahoo, folk singer Jewel goes undercover to sing her own songs at a karaoke bar.
The whole thing seems so sweet to me, I love it.
The best bit for me, though, is the interview afterwards with one of the people at the bar, who's wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the Pope and the caption "Who is HE to tell US whom WE can't marry?"
I liked Jewel when her album first came out, and her music is just as beautiful today.
The whole thing seems so sweet to me, I love it.
The best bit for me, though, is the interview afterwards with one of the people at the bar, who's wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the Pope and the caption "Who is HE to tell US whom WE can't marry?"
I liked Jewel when her album first came out, and her music is just as beautiful today.
Good grief!
It appears that the Vatican has declared that ordaining women priests is an offence of equal severity with child sex abuse. Admittedly this only relates to Canon Law and not criminal law, but really, the same punishment for both?
On CommentisFree, Andrew Brown has some remarks about how the Vatican logic might have run on this one, which is all very well.
But for crying out loud, how much more out of touch with the rest of the world can the leaders of the Roman Catholic church get!?
On CommentisFree, Andrew Brown has some remarks about how the Vatican logic might have run on this one, which is all very well.
But for crying out loud, how much more out of touch with the rest of the world can the leaders of the Roman Catholic church get!?
Saturday, 10 July 2010
"Pervert!"
Quiet Riot Girl has launched a collaborative writing project with the aim of "us[ing] erotica, porn, theory, opinion and educational writing to explore the darker sides of our libidos, and to examine some of the complex issues that emerge from our sexualities."
So far, so fabulous, count me in! Sounds like my sort of deal!
The trouble is the name she's given it, which is "Games Perverts Play". Specifically the middle word.
I know that there are some kinky people who are absolutely okay with self-identifying as "perverts", but to be honest I wish they wouldn't. I certainly cannot feel okay with that term applied to myself, and I don't really feel comfortable with it being applied to people who are part of the same kinky groups as I am (even if they do it themselves). I have been tolerant, in general, and not objected when others have grouped me as "perverts like us", assuming that I'm hip and trendy like them, but it still bothered me deep down.
The basic derivation of the word (perversion/perverted/perverse) is from the Latin, meaning "wrongly turned". If I recall correctly, it was first used in the Middle Ages to refer to deviations from accepted Christian doctrine, such deviation being considered harmful to the soul of the deviant thinker.
I forget from my reading when exactly the term became predominantly associated with sexuality (it still has other uses, such as "perverting the course of justice") but the fundamental meaning remains associated with wrongness: my Chambers Dictionary (1993 edition) lists among the definitions of "perverse": "turned aside from right or truth", "wrong-headed", "deliberately wicked".
"Perversion" has definitions listed, "the act or process of perverting", "the condition of being perverted", "a turning from what is right or true", "a distortion", "a pathological deviation of sexual instinct". Pathological means "caused by disease" or, in loose terms, "compulsive".
A "pervert" is "someone whose sexual instinct is perverted". To be perverted is to be "corrupt", to be "turned from the right course", to be "turned from truth or virtue". (Note the sexual definition under "perversion" - "deviation" means literally "(turned) off the way"; to be perverted is to be "turned wrongly".)
From its etymological origins to its current use, "pervert" means, and has always meant, "wrong and wicked", or even, "sick".
Of course, what it means to say that someone's sexual instinct is "corrupt, turned from truth, virtue or 'the right course'" varies depending on one's perspective. There are still plenty of people who define homosexuality as perverted, that LGBTQ folks are "corrupt" and their sexuality is "turned from truth, virtue or the 'right course'". These are the people who want to see homosexuality eradicated, either by force or by persuasion - they want to "cure" homosexuals of their perversion by persuading them back onto the "right path". TrinityVA had a post some time ago now that described a similar approach trying to cure her of her sadist/Dominant sexuality.
In the modern press, "pervert" is reserved for "people whose sexuality we don't like": most obviously, paedophiles. While I am loath to make judgements about others' sexuality, I would certainly say that the sexual actions of those who commit sexual acts on children are corrupt, turned from truth or virtue, and I would go so far as to say "deliberately wicked" (from the definitions of "perverse"). So paedophiles are people I would describe as perverts.
But the modern press doesn't just use it for paedophiles: a search for "pervert" on Google News this afternoon returned recent stories about child rapists, yes, but also flashers, a 55yr old man who masturbated while trampolining naked at 5am, a rapist (incidentally - good to see that a sex worker got justice in that case!), and an underwear fetishist (who had broken into a woman's home to seek gratification on her underwear). Modifying the search it becomes apparent that to the press, kinky people they like (or haven't made up their minds about) are, well, "kinky" but if they don't like them then they are "perverts". It does also look as though there has been a trend towards not describing BDSM as "perverts" (in the UK, only one particular case in the last couple of years, the Sun outing someone in the intelligence services) and sticking with "kinky" instead. As BDSM and fetish have become more accepted, the use of the term "pervert" to describe practitioners has diminished, just as it did as homosexuality became more accepted.
"Pervert" is a hate term. It is the term for those whose sexuality is beyond the pale and unacceptable. That's how I have always experienced the term, and it's how the term has affected me in my journey to understand and own my sexuality.
It is a term that explicitly groups those labelled by it in the same category as child molesters, rapists, bestiality, flashers, and others who commit sexual assaults on people or animals who cannot/have not given their consent. (I'm not sure where the wanking trampolinist fits in with that, but anyway...)
Is my sexuality deviant? Well, in that it follows a different path from the majority, then yes. But is it turned wrongly? I would say, "absolutely not!" My sexuality is what is right for me. I am not turned away from virtue: my ethical convictions and my various virtues that I have are in fact an integral part of how I express my sexuality and in some ways even grow and develop through my involvement in BDSM. My sexuality is not "turned away from truth" - indeed, those who would label kinky folks "perverts" are the ones seeking to turn me away from being true! And in turn, that demonstrates that for me, my kinks are by definition the right course for me. I do no harm, I am not "deliberately wicked". My sexuality is dark and twisted, and as such has "complex issues" because it does not fit neatly into society, but it is not wrong.
I can't identify as "pervert" without undergoing a great deal of suffering, without feeling unloved and unlovable, without feeling unworthy of anything except destruction. I have been to that place before, and it was far darker than anything in my sexuality. It was, indeed, a perversion. I won't go back there. It took me too long to get to the point where I could feel confident that my sexuality is not wrong.
So, much as I regret it, I can't join in with "Games Perverts Play". I know I'm not the only kinky person to have real difficulty with the term either, but the decision has been made.
So far, so fabulous, count me in! Sounds like my sort of deal!
The trouble is the name she's given it, which is "Games Perverts Play". Specifically the middle word.
I know that there are some kinky people who are absolutely okay with self-identifying as "perverts", but to be honest I wish they wouldn't. I certainly cannot feel okay with that term applied to myself, and I don't really feel comfortable with it being applied to people who are part of the same kinky groups as I am (even if they do it themselves). I have been tolerant, in general, and not objected when others have grouped me as "perverts like us", assuming that I'm hip and trendy like them, but it still bothered me deep down.
The basic derivation of the word (perversion/perverted/perverse) is from the Latin, meaning "wrongly turned". If I recall correctly, it was first used in the Middle Ages to refer to deviations from accepted Christian doctrine, such deviation being considered harmful to the soul of the deviant thinker.
I forget from my reading when exactly the term became predominantly associated with sexuality (it still has other uses, such as "perverting the course of justice") but the fundamental meaning remains associated with wrongness: my Chambers Dictionary (1993 edition) lists among the definitions of "perverse": "turned aside from right or truth", "wrong-headed", "deliberately wicked".
"Perversion" has definitions listed, "the act or process of perverting", "the condition of being perverted", "a turning from what is right or true", "a distortion", "a pathological deviation of sexual instinct". Pathological means "caused by disease" or, in loose terms, "compulsive".
A "pervert" is "someone whose sexual instinct is perverted". To be perverted is to be "corrupt", to be "turned from the right course", to be "turned from truth or virtue". (Note the sexual definition under "perversion" - "deviation" means literally "(turned) off the way"; to be perverted is to be "turned wrongly".)
From its etymological origins to its current use, "pervert" means, and has always meant, "wrong and wicked", or even, "sick".
Of course, what it means to say that someone's sexual instinct is "corrupt, turned from truth, virtue or 'the right course'" varies depending on one's perspective. There are still plenty of people who define homosexuality as perverted, that LGBTQ folks are "corrupt" and their sexuality is "turned from truth, virtue or the 'right course'". These are the people who want to see homosexuality eradicated, either by force or by persuasion - they want to "cure" homosexuals of their perversion by persuading them back onto the "right path". TrinityVA had a post some time ago now that described a similar approach trying to cure her of her sadist/Dominant sexuality.
In the modern press, "pervert" is reserved for "people whose sexuality we don't like": most obviously, paedophiles. While I am loath to make judgements about others' sexuality, I would certainly say that the sexual actions of those who commit sexual acts on children are corrupt, turned from truth or virtue, and I would go so far as to say "deliberately wicked" (from the definitions of "perverse"). So paedophiles are people I would describe as perverts.
But the modern press doesn't just use it for paedophiles: a search for "pervert" on Google News this afternoon returned recent stories about child rapists, yes, but also flashers, a 55yr old man who masturbated while trampolining naked at 5am, a rapist (incidentally - good to see that a sex worker got justice in that case!), and an underwear fetishist (who had broken into a woman's home to seek gratification on her underwear). Modifying the search it becomes apparent that to the press, kinky people they like (or haven't made up their minds about) are, well, "kinky" but if they don't like them then they are "perverts". It does also look as though there has been a trend towards not describing BDSM as "perverts" (in the UK, only one particular case in the last couple of years, the Sun outing someone in the intelligence services) and sticking with "kinky" instead. As BDSM and fetish have become more accepted, the use of the term "pervert" to describe practitioners has diminished, just as it did as homosexuality became more accepted.
"Pervert" is a hate term. It is the term for those whose sexuality is beyond the pale and unacceptable. That's how I have always experienced the term, and it's how the term has affected me in my journey to understand and own my sexuality.
It is a term that explicitly groups those labelled by it in the same category as child molesters, rapists, bestiality, flashers, and others who commit sexual assaults on people or animals who cannot/have not given their consent. (I'm not sure where the wanking trampolinist fits in with that, but anyway...)
Is my sexuality deviant? Well, in that it follows a different path from the majority, then yes. But is it turned wrongly? I would say, "absolutely not!" My sexuality is what is right for me. I am not turned away from virtue: my ethical convictions and my various virtues that I have are in fact an integral part of how I express my sexuality and in some ways even grow and develop through my involvement in BDSM. My sexuality is not "turned away from truth" - indeed, those who would label kinky folks "perverts" are the ones seeking to turn me away from being true! And in turn, that demonstrates that for me, my kinks are by definition the right course for me. I do no harm, I am not "deliberately wicked". My sexuality is dark and twisted, and as such has "complex issues" because it does not fit neatly into society, but it is not wrong.
I can't identify as "pervert" without undergoing a great deal of suffering, without feeling unloved and unlovable, without feeling unworthy of anything except destruction. I have been to that place before, and it was far darker than anything in my sexuality. It was, indeed, a perversion. I won't go back there. It took me too long to get to the point where I could feel confident that my sexuality is not wrong.
So, much as I regret it, I can't join in with "Games Perverts Play". I know I'm not the only kinky person to have real difficulty with the term either, but the decision has been made.
Friday, 9 July 2010
Research into sex work - a context for 'helping skills'
Having all-but finished my counselling skills course (official title is "helping skills" because it doesn't even come close to qualifying me to work as a counsellor) I feel I have a bit more time to spend on blogging instead of writing coursework and such!
One piece for the coursework I want to share with you, my lovely readers, because it was inspired by the activism I follow online, specifically, sex workers' rights activism. One of the "learning outcomes" was to write about "a context for using helping skills and explain why it's appropriate." The context I chose was social science research into sex work. What I was really writing about was "how it should be done" and not how it actually is done at the moment! The idea for this came from a number of different sources - probably including Ren Ev, Audacia Ray, Bound Not Gagged, Harlot's Parlour and many other sex work activist blogs out there - I can't remember exactly who said what and when - I am sure I remember there being a video somewhere of someone talking about these issues at a conference somewhere, but the details escape me. Anyway, the point is, this was what immediately sprang to mind when I read the question, because of spending time immersed in these issues:
***
The context I have chosen as suitable for using helping skills is not actually a helping relationship as such. I have chosen social sciences research into sex workers. I have chosen this because of my feminist activism and my friendship with some campaigners for sex workers' rights. My comments and thoughts are based on previous conversations and public writings by these campaigners, some of whom are current or former sex workers.
I believe that, when researching the lives and experiences of sex workers, it is important to use helping skills, particularly those related to the core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Because sex workers are marginalised in society, they are often suspicious of researchers or people claiming to help. For this reason, the demonstration of genuineness (congruence) and empathy are essential to researchers hoping to interview or study the lives of sex workers. Finally, respect (unconditional positive regard) is important because society remains heavily judgemental of the women and men who work in sex-related industries. It is also important to be non-judgemental because one's own judgements may affect the findings and call into question the veracity of any results from the research.
For a researcher in social sciences seeking to study the lives and experiences of sex workers, and draw meaningful conclusions from them, it is important not to bring any preconceptions about sex workers to their research, but to be clear about seeing the point of view of their subjects. Reflection, paraphrasing and repetition will help in establishing this empathy. Similarly, it is important to be genuine about one's approach: research that it is done for a particular political purpose is usually harmful to the sex workers themselves, so being genuine about the reasons and attitudes behind the research project is essential. This is displayed in behaviour and body language as well as in verbal communications. These will also show the non-judgemental attitude of a genuine researcher. The ways that a researcher responds to revelations may also show whether she or he is working in a respect-based way or not.
Sex workers have many reasons to be suspicious of researchers or “helpers”. The use of helping skills in approaching and forming relationships with the women and men in sex work whom one wishes to study can help to overcome such suspicion and will make for more valuable research that will help not only the researcher but also the sex workers themselves.
***
The tutor commented that it was not an obvious choice, but that I explained well why I had made the choice. (It remains to be seen whether the external verifier will agree with the tutor's assessment.)
One piece for the coursework I want to share with you, my lovely readers, because it was inspired by the activism I follow online, specifically, sex workers' rights activism. One of the "learning outcomes" was to write about "a context for using helping skills and explain why it's appropriate." The context I chose was social science research into sex work. What I was really writing about was "how it should be done" and not how it actually is done at the moment! The idea for this came from a number of different sources - probably including Ren Ev, Audacia Ray, Bound Not Gagged, Harlot's Parlour and many other sex work activist blogs out there - I can't remember exactly who said what and when - I am sure I remember there being a video somewhere of someone talking about these issues at a conference somewhere, but the details escape me. Anyway, the point is, this was what immediately sprang to mind when I read the question, because of spending time immersed in these issues:
***
The context I have chosen as suitable for using helping skills is not actually a helping relationship as such. I have chosen social sciences research into sex workers. I have chosen this because of my feminist activism and my friendship with some campaigners for sex workers' rights. My comments and thoughts are based on previous conversations and public writings by these campaigners, some of whom are current or former sex workers.
I believe that, when researching the lives and experiences of sex workers, it is important to use helping skills, particularly those related to the core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Because sex workers are marginalised in society, they are often suspicious of researchers or people claiming to help. For this reason, the demonstration of genuineness (congruence) and empathy are essential to researchers hoping to interview or study the lives of sex workers. Finally, respect (unconditional positive regard) is important because society remains heavily judgemental of the women and men who work in sex-related industries. It is also important to be non-judgemental because one's own judgements may affect the findings and call into question the veracity of any results from the research.
For a researcher in social sciences seeking to study the lives and experiences of sex workers, and draw meaningful conclusions from them, it is important not to bring any preconceptions about sex workers to their research, but to be clear about seeing the point of view of their subjects. Reflection, paraphrasing and repetition will help in establishing this empathy. Similarly, it is important to be genuine about one's approach: research that it is done for a particular political purpose is usually harmful to the sex workers themselves, so being genuine about the reasons and attitudes behind the research project is essential. This is displayed in behaviour and body language as well as in verbal communications. These will also show the non-judgemental attitude of a genuine researcher. The ways that a researcher responds to revelations may also show whether she or he is working in a respect-based way or not.
Sex workers have many reasons to be suspicious of researchers or “helpers”. The use of helping skills in approaching and forming relationships with the women and men in sex work whom one wishes to study can help to overcome such suspicion and will make for more valuable research that will help not only the researcher but also the sex workers themselves.
***
The tutor commented that it was not an obvious choice, but that I explained well why I had made the choice. (It remains to be seen whether the external verifier will agree with the tutor's assessment.)
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Today I am 100000!
No, wait, I'm 1012!
No I'm not, I'm 200!
Or maybe I am 112?
Or 52...
Or 44.
Maybe I'm really 40.
I might be 35?
Whatever numbers you want to put on it, I have reached the anniversary of my entry into this world, "untimely ripp'd from my mother's womb" (although of course, in the modern age that's an operation that is eminently survivable for the mother, which it wasn't when Shakespeare was writing).
My thoughts are turned in that direction by the fact that I recently started reading "The Gift Relationship" by Richard Titmuss, which is about various ways of operating an economy in human blood for transfusion. Apparently, one of the operations made much easier and much more survivable by the discovery of safe human blood transfusion was the caesarian section. So that little snippet of information being fresh in my mind led to that association with it being my birthday (since I was in fact born by c-section).
And thinking about being born brings my mind to being young and children. Today was a very nice day on my travels back from Hastings where I'm doing my course. On the bus from the train station I was sat opposite two mothers with their little ones clutched close, and thus unavoidably overheard their comparison of birthing stories (one of them had had a c-section, so that was another reason why that was fresh in my mind today!) I reflected that just the fact of comparing such stories in such a public place seems as though it must be quite a shift from what was expected of women? I'm sure there are still plenty of folks out there who would complain about being "forced" to "endure" hearing such talk.
Before that, waiting at the train station in Hastings, I was sat munching a bag of chips (that's British English, not US English where "chips" are what we call "crisps" - but calling our chips "fries" doesn't do them justice, they are nothing like "fries"). On the next bench was sat a harassed-looking mother, and the cause of her harassment was plain to see. A highly active little girl whom I'll call R. R was trundling around the platform at speed and seemed determined to climb up to the top of the pillar supporting the awning. R's mum was desperate: "come here!" "You're going to fall and hurt yourself, and don't come crying to me when you do". And of course, the classic, "I'll call your father on the phone and he'll be cross with you when I tell him..."
I felt for them both. R, because she was just being what little kids are and wanting t express herself in that way. R's mum because that active kid must be a handful at the best of times, and doubtless causes all manner of worry and trouble (just like I and my siblings did when we were that age!)
Of course, I once again reflected on that universal threat by mothers: "you wait until I tell your father about this!" and how that is STILL the ultimate sanction in so many families. The male adult figure is the figure of Discipline, Authority and, indeed, Fear. That is the role of masculinity that is being taught even in something as simple as that scene I saw at the train station.
I wanted to encourage R in her endeavours - knowing from remembering back 20 or 30 years to when I used to do the same, that nothing ever comes of the effort, but knowing how validating it was anyway to try - but of course, it was not my place to undermine the mother's authority, so after a few words of encouragement I settled for advising R to do as her mum said. R, of course, did so briefly and then went back to terrorising pigeons, climbing pillars and trundling around the platform, to her mother's dismay. I guess I just hope that kid grows up to be a really active woman, too!
The course itself is nearly finished and hopefully that means I will have time and energy to spare to put into blogging properly again. There's a few pieces from my coursework that I think I want to tweak a little and then post on here (in one piece I explained why the "core conditions" of counselling relationships should also be central to the ways in which social scientists approach sex workers! I'm indebted to all the various sex workers' rights activists whose comments about such research I've heard or read online that gave me the means to write that piece...)
Looking forward to a new phase, new year of my life, new blogging, new qualiication and skills. Hopefully, new job too (I'm really hoping I'll get a job at a local public library that I applied for last night).
***
PS - first one to comment explaining all the numbers at the top gets a virtual huggle from me!
No I'm not, I'm 200!
Or maybe I am 112?
Or 52...
Or 44.
Maybe I'm really 40.
I might be 35?
Whatever numbers you want to put on it, I have reached the anniversary of my entry into this world, "untimely ripp'd from my mother's womb" (although of course, in the modern age that's an operation that is eminently survivable for the mother, which it wasn't when Shakespeare was writing).
My thoughts are turned in that direction by the fact that I recently started reading "The Gift Relationship" by Richard Titmuss, which is about various ways of operating an economy in human blood for transfusion. Apparently, one of the operations made much easier and much more survivable by the discovery of safe human blood transfusion was the caesarian section. So that little snippet of information being fresh in my mind led to that association with it being my birthday (since I was in fact born by c-section).
And thinking about being born brings my mind to being young and children. Today was a very nice day on my travels back from Hastings where I'm doing my course. On the bus from the train station I was sat opposite two mothers with their little ones clutched close, and thus unavoidably overheard their comparison of birthing stories (one of them had had a c-section, so that was another reason why that was fresh in my mind today!) I reflected that just the fact of comparing such stories in such a public place seems as though it must be quite a shift from what was expected of women? I'm sure there are still plenty of folks out there who would complain about being "forced" to "endure" hearing such talk.
Before that, waiting at the train station in Hastings, I was sat munching a bag of chips (that's British English, not US English where "chips" are what we call "crisps" - but calling our chips "fries" doesn't do them justice, they are nothing like "fries"). On the next bench was sat a harassed-looking mother, and the cause of her harassment was plain to see. A highly active little girl whom I'll call R. R was trundling around the platform at speed and seemed determined to climb up to the top of the pillar supporting the awning. R's mum was desperate: "come here!" "You're going to fall and hurt yourself, and don't come crying to me when you do". And of course, the classic, "I'll call your father on the phone and he'll be cross with you when I tell him..."
I felt for them both. R, because she was just being what little kids are and wanting t express herself in that way. R's mum because that active kid must be a handful at the best of times, and doubtless causes all manner of worry and trouble (just like I and my siblings did when we were that age!)
Of course, I once again reflected on that universal threat by mothers: "you wait until I tell your father about this!" and how that is STILL the ultimate sanction in so many families. The male adult figure is the figure of Discipline, Authority and, indeed, Fear. That is the role of masculinity that is being taught even in something as simple as that scene I saw at the train station.
I wanted to encourage R in her endeavours - knowing from remembering back 20 or 30 years to when I used to do the same, that nothing ever comes of the effort, but knowing how validating it was anyway to try - but of course, it was not my place to undermine the mother's authority, so after a few words of encouragement I settled for advising R to do as her mum said. R, of course, did so briefly and then went back to terrorising pigeons, climbing pillars and trundling around the platform, to her mother's dismay. I guess I just hope that kid grows up to be a really active woman, too!
The course itself is nearly finished and hopefully that means I will have time and energy to spare to put into blogging properly again. There's a few pieces from my coursework that I think I want to tweak a little and then post on here (in one piece I explained why the "core conditions" of counselling relationships should also be central to the ways in which social scientists approach sex workers! I'm indebted to all the various sex workers' rights activists whose comments about such research I've heard or read online that gave me the means to write that piece...)
Looking forward to a new phase, new year of my life, new blogging, new qualiication and skills. Hopefully, new job too (I'm really hoping I'll get a job at a local public library that I applied for last night).
***
PS - first one to comment explaining all the numbers at the top gets a virtual huggle from me!
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