If you think that the nice guy ranting only happens on the internet, you’ve never had to deal with your thoroughly drunken friend shouting about how no girls would go out with a nice guy like him, even though he’s surrounded by single women he ignores because they aren’t attractive enough for him.

If you think guys getting pissy and escalating matters because you told people to stop making sex jokes is a feature of the internet, well, you’ve never asked anyone to stop making jokes that make you uncomfortable.

If you think that inappropriate comments and requests for sex are an internet thing, you’ve never tried to stop a coworker or boss from hitting on you repeatedly, or a head of security, or the guy at the convenience store across the street.

If you think that being shouted at and asked to show people your tits just because you present as a woman only happens in chat rooms and online games, you’ve never walked past a frat house, or, unfortunately, through the main thoroughfares of either university I’ve attended.

If you think unasked for commentary on a woman’s looks only happens because girls post pictures on internet forums (which probably means they’re asking for it), you’ve never been at a bus stop, or the city square, or a mall, or… well, anywhere, really.

If you think insecure men trying to drive women out of activism only happens in online male-dominated communities, you’ve never paid attention politics. Or Fox. Or CNN, sadly.

If you think the reaction to rape victims is bad on twitter, try sharing that experience in person. Or try even standing up for a rape victim. Count how many minutes until someone points out “but men can be falsely accused! The woman just changed her mind! You just can’t believe those drunk insert varying level of insulting reference to gender!”

—

It’s Not Just the Internet. It Never Has Been.

My rainy days are happy ones. But today was an exception. It was dark, cold. Sitting in a train, I was watching dead trees flit past, while the window pitter-pattered to the unforgiving rain. My eyes kept shifting focus between the water droplets and the trees. It seemed like the right thing to do. Ignoring the droplets would be cruel. Suddenly footsteps were approaching and I looked up. My best friend was standing in front of me wearing a camouflage shirt and denim shorts. I was taken aback for a second, expecting her to disappear. She shouldn’t be here. This isn’t about her. I didn’t want her here. I looked at her, pleading.

Don’t do this. You don’t need this. This isn’t yours to fight.

She looked back, defiant.

Well, that’s for me to decide.

She plopped her bag down and sat down next to me. She pulled out a submarine sandwich and started eating. I went back to my dead tree droplets. I suppose I should be happy that I had some moral support. Why else would she appear in my head, my nightmare, all of a sudden?

The train started slowing down. This was it. I had to get out of this train, walk down those stairs and face my fears. My worst nightmare. I looked at her, pointing at her sandwich.

You better wrap that up. We need to get off the train in a minute.

She looked at me, annoyed.

Fine. Don’t blame me if I get cranky.

I shook my head, smiling. Oh we didn’t want that. Not when we were at war. I picked up my bag and looked down the aisle. Not one soul. I thought I saw a shirt ruffle. Hallucination of course.

She opened the door, got down and looked around at me in shock. I hugged the coat closer to me, as a gust of wind hit us.

What! Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

She sighed and started walking towards the battleground. I got down, clutched my bag a little tighter and started walking towards me. What else could I do? My worst nightmare was, after all, me.

(Picture ource - secretcinema1: Charing Cross Road, London, 1937, Wolf Suschitzky)

(Source: dreammeup)

30th Mar 2013 | 1,051 notes

by Kubra Aslan

(Source: brain-food)

19th Mar 2013 | 153,655 notes

drowsyfantasy:

If you rape someone, it doesn’t matter that you’re only 16.

If you rape someone, it doesn’t matter that you cry like a child in court.

If you rape someone, it doesn’t matter that you had a promising future.

if you rape someone, it doesn’t matter that your life is destroyed.

If you rape someone, it should haunt you for the rest of your life.

You raped someone.

You deserve every ounce of justice we can place upon you in court of law.

(via monbonica)

19th Mar 2013 | 4,082 notes

If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody.

Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.

—Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations series finale. (via kayleyhyde)

(Source: travelchannel, via agentmaya)

25th Feb 2013 | 1 note

Death cab for cutie. They have some strange but incredible music. There’s a song called ‘I will possess your heart’. Some would call it stalker-ish and borderline creepy. But do have a listen. I heard it for the first time when I was in first year, college. And then I revisited it after 5 years, while sitting in a train.

Watch cold, leafless trees flit past you without a second thought as a rhythm starts playing in your head. It’s and 8minute-long song with a 6-minute instrumental piece. Just music, no words for six minutes. It builds up, little by little and after the 2nd minute it all becomes a blur. The trees don’t even seem like shapes anymore. A new type of psychedelia takes over. The kind where mind and music are one.

30th Jan 2013 | 831 notes

brain-food:

I’ve been waiting over a year for this short to finally get on youtube! La Luna has to one of my top favorite short animation films, its brilliant and filled with so much heart. It was directed and written by Enrico Casarosa and accompanied by musical composer, Michael Giacchino.