Monday, May 18, 2015

Giggles The Pig Runs For Mayor Against 2 Convicted Felons

Politics in Flint, Michigan, got a whole lot dirtier with the announcement that Giggles the pig has put her curly tail into the ring as candidate for mayor against two convicted felons, including one who served nearly 20 years for murder.
"If she wins, they'll have to build her a little fence outside city hall," Giggles' owner and campaign manager, Michael Ewing, told The Huffington Post. "She really enjoys grass and there's a lot of grass out there. I think she could get used to it."
Ewing, a trial attorney, said his candidate has an impressive resume for a 9-month-old and, unlike some of her opponents, has a clean criminal record.
Candidate Wantwaz Davis, who made headlines in 2013 when he was elected to city council, served 19 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1991, according to The Flint Journal.
Eric Mays, also a city councilman running for mayor, reportedly pleaded guilty to felonious assault in 1987. In November 2013, Mays was charged with drunken driving, possession of marijuana, failure to report an accident, refusing to give fingerprints and no proof of insurance. During his 2014 trial, a jury found Mays guilty only of a single charge -- driving while impaired. Mays was sentenced to 72 days in jail and ordered to pay the city $10,800 in restitution.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Teen Rafika Alami Has The Yearbook Quote To End All Yearbook Quotes


That's the only way to describe high school student Rafika Alami's senior quote in her 2015 yearbook. The 17-year-old, who goes to Summit High School in California, had an undeniably epic sendoff for her graduating class, writing: "Only reason I wear this is to give you females a chance."

As Teen Vogue put it: "Rafika seems to be suggesting that she levels the dating playing field by shielding part of her beauty with the veil—otherwise other girls wouldn't stand a chance at getting any attention."
"I just thought it would be kind of funny if I put it as my senior quote," Alami explained to The Huffington Post in an email Friday. "I meant it in no way offensively, just humorously. The reactions have been great. Most of the comments consist of 'slay' or 'GOAT' (Greatest of All Time). A lot of girls are telling me that I've inspired them to be confident, which makes me feel great. I think it's important that girls feel more confident."
The teen continues to raise the bar. On Friday, she announced on Twitter that she was accepted to University of California, Riverside.
Go girl.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

NIMONA... WITH A FEMALE THOR!!!

'Nimona' Shifts Shape And Takes Names — In Sensible Armor, Of Course




THE BOOK

                                THE AUTHOR
Noelle Stevenson is making her mark in the world of comic books.
She's just 23 and already a writer and illustrator. She has co-authored a series for Boom! Studios, calledLumberjanes, and she has written for Marvel's new female Thor. But it's a tough world for women to be a part of, whether they're creators or fans.
Stevenson remembers the first time she went to a comic book store. She tells NPR's Audie Cornish that she was just 11 years old, "and there's that Princess Leia cutout, in the metal bikini, and she had a sign taped over her belly button, advertising the deals of the day ... you get a message from that, you know? You get a message very loud and clear, and no one was throwing rocks at me and saying, girls can't shop here, get out of here. You just kind of know when you're not supposed to be somewhere."
Stevenson eventually did find a welcoming place — Tumblr, where she began writing an original webcomic called Nimona. It caught fire, and is now being released as a book.

Interview Highlights

On inventing Nimona's look
I was kind of inspired by the fact that I never really wanted to cosplay as a lot of the female characters out there — cosplay is, you know, dressing up in the costume of a hero, or a comic character or a movie character. I wanted to dress as guys. And I felt that I wanted to do a costume that people who weren't interested in looking particularly buxom or sensual might want to dress as. You know, she's stocky, and she wears pink but is still very kind of butch ... I just wanted to see a character that I haven't necessarily seen before, especially as the protagonist.
On Nimona's relationship with the not-quite-villainous-enough Lord Blackheart
He was a bit of a disappointment to her. His rules are kind of getting in the way of him getting anything done. ... I've always been very interested in villains, you know, they're kind of flamboyantly over the top in the things that they do, and there's not a lot of ambiguity there. Thinking that we're too different, that villains are almost a different species than we are, that tricks us into a false sense of security, I think. I think almost anyone is capable of doing things that are evil, or hurtful or harmful.
On perspective and being a woman in comics
I am very interested in female characters, and bringing a new perspective to mediums where not necessarily that's been valued at all. Like a lot of young women, I went through an entire period where I hated female characters — I didn't want to read about them! I thought I was going to be the cool girl who was not like other girls. And that's so harmful — I want to break down all the stereotypes that say, this woman is this way, these are her flaws and that's why she'll never be as good ... I was doing that, and now I want to figure out why I think that way, and why a male character could be celebrated for negative traits while a [female character] is crucified for those same traits, and how that reflects back on real women, living their lives in the world day to day.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Wild Boar Falls Through Mall Ceiling


Wild Boar Falls Through Mall Ceiling In China, Hams It Up Inside Children's Store