doodle

a new short story: ‘In the DNA’

i just wrote a piece of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit fanfiction, called ‘In the DNA’. It’s F/F, it features Olivia Benson and Melinda Warner. Right now it’s rated MA, but it has possibilities of going further, depending on how y’all like it.

You can find it here.

Let me know what you think, please. All feedback appreciated.

Julia Gillard screws gays … Again

This from the ABC:

“Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she will not allow Labor Party members to have a conscience vote on same-sex marriage.

“The Greens plan to introduce legislation to amend the Marriage Act to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

“The Greens are calling for a conscience vote on the issue, but Ms Gillard says that will not be necessary.

“”The Labor Party’s got a clear position about the Marriage Act,” she said.

“”So you should expect to see the Labor Party voting as a political party, voting in unison, if that position comes to Parliament.”

“Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the Prime Minister will face pressure from both inside and outside the Labor Party if she does not allow the conscience vote.

“It’s very clear that the community is much further ahead on this issue than either Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott,” she said.

“They’re going to have to start justifying their outdated view, their view to keep discrimination to a group within the community that is growing louder and stronger and bigger.”

Tags: community-and-society, gays-and-lesbians, government-and-politics, federal-government, political-parties, labor-party, law-crime-and-justice, laws, australia

hattie and nelly

doodles

And then …

… I’d be really brave, recognize the inevitable death of daily print newspapers and go 100% 24-7 online.

If I owned a local newspaper in a digital age

First, and it’s harsh but true – I’d cut loose the staff who don’t provide value for money. That includes the ones who find any reason to not take on responsibility, as well as the ones who work the bare minimum hours and never want to work the weekends or the weird shift every now and then. I’d put people in the places best suited to their skills. Not where the previous owner promised them a cushy spot so they can cruise to retirement. If a journalist isn’t interested in working online, then they’re not interested in the future of journalism and they’re not interested in being in the business beyond the next five years.

I wouldn’t waste time, money or resources on things like a glossy saturday magazine or an entertainment magazine. There is nothing in those that isn’t done better, bigger and with more chance of drawing advertisers in a million other publications. If the stories are local, run ‘em in the main part of the paper or online. It’ll work if done right. There are more useful places for those writers, layout artists and subs.

There are three things we can do better than any other publication in the country. First, local news — particularly courts, crime, council, politics — hyper local issues that no other paper either gives a rat’s ass about or has the resources to cover. Second, local sport. I can’t tell you how unbelievably neglected this area is. NOBODY is covering local sport — nobody else wants to or cares that there’s a market for it. Only we can do it. It will work for the paper and for the online product when we go behind the paywall. Will they pay for local sport news they can’t get anywhere else? Hell yes, they will. Third, online local news, weather and sport. Nobody else in the country cares enough about our local issues to provide the resources to to do online well. We have the lock on the market, IF WE DO IT RIGHT.

Double the sports staff. Double the online staff. Increase the general news staff by a third. Spend real money on an iPad/iPhone app developer to give the paper a mobile devices presence with real power and class. Do not do this half-arsed.

Spend real money on getting smartphones and tablets to the editorial staff. Spend real money and get the newsroom a wifi network.

Get advertising sales reps who understand online advertising revenue models, such as they are.

Double the number of police reporters. Double the number of video journalists and give them the right equipment to do the job in a timely manner.

Show real commitment to servicing the community in a way that no other media organization can do. Real. Commitment.

At least, that’s what I’d do if I owned a local newspaper in the digital age.

hot off the wires: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell ‘unconstitutional’

this is straight (if you’ll pardon the expression) off the wires:

AP: A federal judge in Southern California on Thursday declared the US military’s ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment rights of gay and lesbians.

US District Judge Virginia Phillips granted a request for an injunction halting the government’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gays in the military.

Phillips said the policy doesn’t help military readiness and instead has a “direct and deleterious effect” on the armed services.

The lawsuit was the biggest legal test of the law in recent years and came amid promises by President Barack Obama that he will work to repeal the policy.

Government lawyers argued Phillips lacked the authority to issue a nationwide injunction and the issue should be decided by Congress.

The injunction was sought by the Log Cabin Republicans, a 19,000-member group that includes current and former military members.

The US House voted in May to repeal the policy, and the Senate is expected to address the issue this summer.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or are discovered engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base.

Log Cabin Republicans said more than 13,500 service members have been fired since 1994.

Lawyer Dan Woods, who represents the group, contended in closing arguments of the non-jury trial that the policy violates gay military members’ rights to free speech, due process and open association.

He also argued that the policy damages the military by forcing it to reject talented people as the country struggles to find recruits in the midst of a war.

US Department of Justice lawyer Paul Freeborne argued that the policy debate is political and the issue should be decided by Congress rather than in court.

Six military officers who were discharged under the policy testified during the trial. A decorated Air Force officer testified that he was let go after his peers snooped through his personal email in Iraq.

Lawyers also submitted remarks by Obama stating “don’t ask, don’t tell” weakens national security.

so there.

film review: ‘salt’

phillip noyce is a class act, with a damn fine list of movies (and television) in his directing resume – the dismissal, dead calm (oh redheaded nicole kidman, where have you gone?), patriot games, the bone collector, rabbit-proof fence, the quiet american. impressive.

angelina jolie is a class act. sure, she’s had her wild and crazy moments, but when it comes to onscreen, she’s pretty hard to fault. does her own stunts, acts well, looks stunning. who could ask for anything more?

not me. if there’s anything hotter than angelina jolie in a man’s nato uniform, wielding a couple of guns and kicking serious ass, then i don’t know what it is.

but beyond all that, salt is sharp, fast, smart and good-looking. is it predictable – not altogether. and it telegraphs its destiny as a franchise pretty clumsily.

doesn’t stop it being a damn good ride, though.

here’s the trailer:

IN A WORD: unmissable.

film review: book of eli

why didn’t this film do better at the box office?

stellar cast — denzel washington, gary oldman, jennifer beals, frances de la tour, michael gambon, tom waits. nice, tight, stylistic action scenes. sharp, grim dystopian look. great production values, lovely details.

plot? weeeelll, it’s not the most original thing in the world. guy working across an apocalyptic world, protecting a sacred book, trying to get to where it’s safe. sound familiar? yeh, it’s pretty much your stock-standard dystopian scenario.

but it is very well done. washington is classic dour hero. and his fighting is almost gorgeous to watch.

beals is a nice touch. oldman is as exquisite as ever. gambon and de la tour’s cameo is fabulous.

look, this isn’t ever going to be a classic, but it is classy. and it has a nice couple of twists.

here’s the trailer:

IN A WORD: worth it.