Chilling.

Days Like These by Melissa4444 on Polyvore.com

I love Autumn. I love it's crisp, gentle breeze, skies overcast, leaves underfoot.
Today I just want to run away. Rug up, just a little, grab a Chai and a croissant and steal away to a cozy little bookstore. It's not a day for fluffy chick lit, I'd read something fabulous, inspiring. Sinking into an oversized chair, I'd sip my coffee and people watch, over the top of my book. Wonder about their lives, and loves.

Smile as I think of mine. Joel, sweet, caring, giving. My boys, cheeky, adorable, loving. I'd feel a pang, miss them for a moement. Then take a moment to breathe it all in, the coffee, the books, the air.

Sigh. Couldn't you just...steal away for a day?

Breaking the drought.

Yesterday's wretched weather here in Brisbane was incredible. Schools were closed (the first time I've ever seen one closed, doesn't happen here in Brisbane that often), roads were cut, people were stranded. I had my boys back home with me by 10am, knowing that the road between me and them was about to be underwater, I couldn't bear to have them away from me.

Our suburb, while being one of those that receieved the most rain, seemed to fare ok, and we were all safe. I hope that all of my fellow Brisbane Bloggers are all ok too.


Some pictures from the Courier Mail's website, showing how extensive the damage was.

This is a park!



Very close to where Joel's parents are.



Near my Dad's house.



I'm guessing not a great day to ride to work?



This is just 10 minutes from us, and is why so many schools in our area were closed. It broke it's banks before 9am, at Low Tide!


This is very close to my Sister In Law Tam. Was very worried about her, but she and little Madeline were fine.


Our church is about 100 m up this road!



Remember a few weeks ago, I blogged about a picnic we had at this dam? Well, this is it yesterday.



The good news: Yesterday, Premier Bligh declared the drought (the worst in Queensland in over 100 years) finally over. I swear, even though they were just words, and we knew they were coming, I teared up.

The bad news. The trough hasn't even hit us yet. The worst is yet to come.

Yeah Baby.

I've always liked Robert Gibbs. He seems humble, funny, kind of sweet.

But now, I might have a little crush on him.




I despise how rude people have become since the popularity of the mobile phone. I detest eating dinner with people who sit there texting people. I'd give mine up in a heartbeat if the thought of me breaking down or in an accident without one didn't freak Joel out so much.

Ok then.

Well. Duh.


As if I wouldn't.

Legacies.

Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back.
-- Mignon McLaughlin

I don't want her to be the bad guy. We have this huge thing between us. But there is more to us both than this issue. We are family and I don't want to let this become too big to fix.

I don't really have my family around. My mother is gone. My father, while back in my life, is a complicated issue worth several posts of their own. My brother and one of my sister's are not in my life at all. There is nothing there, with them, or wtih their eight children. There is little hope for redemption there. My other sister, whom I love and have blogged about before, has a very different life and set of friends, and we don't see each other as much as we'd both like. Perhaps we need to try harder, and something she said the other day has spurred me to put in that effort.

But in the meantime, Joel's family is mine. I love them all, though we have such huge differences in interests and opinions, methods and even ethos. I am surely the black sheep, the one at whom many eyes are rolled and smirks barely concealed, especially when I begin my rants. But they're also the ones who laugh at my jokes, come to me for advice, wrap their arms around me when I'm sick.

You see, we're linked, connected. If not by blood, if not by philosophy, by something strong. By a love for family. A love for our children. These people (and Melissa, very much applies here) adore my sons. They love my children deeply and unconditionally. And I love theirs. Our children are cousins and friends, and I don't want that to change.

I believe that a child cannot have too many people who love them. They cannot be bathed in too much love, too much praise, too many kisses. We are all of us working so hard to buid a strong unit, a heritage our children can be proud of. We are united in building a family all of these children will thrive in, nourishing them, creating happy childhood moments, memories for them all to carry together into their adult lives. Building friendships that they will cherish their entire lives. This is a legacy and a heritage I want very, very much for my children.

I don't want to tear a hole in the fabric of what we're creating. I don't apologise for my strong feelings on the issue we were arguing about. I don't even apologise for being disappointed in her views on it. But I don't want it to be this big. I don't want it define us. I want to be able to move on from it.

So. I'm not sure really of how to fix this. I can't apologise for my feelings. I can't pretend I'm not hurt. I am. But I don't want hers to be hurt either. And I know she's hurting. Badly. And for that I'm sorry.

I'm thankful for the support I've been shown on here. You girls, while I've not met many of you, mean a lot to me. You are where I can come to talk about things that matter to me. Your hearts are tender and you show me kindness and friendship that is more important than you can know.

The worse my panic attacks and agoraphobia become, the more I need you. And I need you a lot right now.

I don't want to go private on here. I like the new people that this blog has introduced me to. For now, I'm going to leave things as they are. The blog will stay open.

I've gotten emails from a few lurkers, people I didn't know were reading. Thank you for your lovely comments. Feel free to delurk and comment, let me know you're reading. It was a wonderful feeling, it felt like making new friends.

Private.

There is a chance this blog is going to have to go private. I never wanted this, but my words here are now being used against me.


If you want access, just ask. Honestly. I can think of only one or two people I'd say no to, and they know who they are. All else are welcome.

Either pop your email address into here, or email me at joelmelissam97@hotmail.com.


Thanks for being so sweet yesterday and today. I appreciate it. The fact is, while I was angry, now I just feel really sad. She is one of my closest friends, and someone I've loved dearly. I know we have our differences, that was inevitable, our backgrounds are so different.

But this is more than that. This has been emotional and spiteful and this isn't a small difference. I think I've learned she doesn't like the person I am. The things I care about. And I don't know if things can be taken back, once said.

Anyway. Like I said. This may go private. Let me know if you're interested.

I didn't ask you to.

I don't scream. That doesn't mean that I want you to touch me this way. I don't say the word "No". I don't know that I can. Not to you. That doesn't mean I want you to stroke me that way.
I don't run from the room. My mind is racing. Is this happening? Was that an accident? Did I imagine it? No, there it is again. Why won't my legs work? This doesn't mean it's ok for you to unbutton my top. It doesn't mean I want this.

I can't look at your face. I don't know why. In all of my years of going over this in my head, over and over again, I can't see your face. I can feel your breath on my skin. I can feel your stubble. I remember the room, the breeze, the darkness. But I can't look at your face.

That doesn't mean I'm not screaming inside. It doesn't mean I deserve this. I didnt' tell my parents right away. I was so terrified of the pain it would cause them - I knew they'd be distraught that a man they trusted with thier children would do this. I couldn't tell them right away. I was protecting them, not you. So don't you dare think I deserved it.

That doesn't mean I wanted it.
When I later found out you did this to my sisters, after I'd finally gotten away, I told my parents immediately. I didn't tell them about me.

That doesn't mean I wanted it. It doesn't mean I deserved it.

It was my own penance for not protecting them.

It doesn't mean I asked for it. It doesn't mean I had it coming. It doesn't mean you were allowed to do that to me.

I'm not ok. My sisters are not ok. None of the people you hurt this way are ok. Not a single one of us asked for it.

And now that someone I love has suggested that I might have, I hate that my stomach is churning and my hands are shaking. I feel dirty and humiliated and defensive. It's like you're getting another go at me all over again.

I did not ask for this. We do not ask for this. And how dare anyone say that we do?

I wasn't going to..

I can't not, you know?

The biggest story in Australian news media this week is the one about an 'incident' involving Matthew Johns, and a large group of his fellow players engaging in what has charitably been called 'group sex' with a 19 year old woman 7 years ago.

Johns, a 'darling' of Australian media, and particularly the Rugby League world, has been stood down from his position with Channel 9. He has lost his job as assistant coach with the Melbourne Storm. He has publicly commented on the matter. Unlike the other men in the room, all of whom I believe should be named.

If Australian Sport is ever to recover from this, reaction must be conisistent, swift and harsh. Behaviour such as this must be stamped out. I'm not talking about fines or brief suspension. This conduct ought to be a career ending offense. It ought to be a sponsorship ending offense.

Clearly, there is a problem with young men with too much time on thier hands (very few prominent footballers hold down jobs outside of their football careers), too much money and far too much alcohol. I believe that alcohol should be banned during the entire season (including any pre match tours etc). If players are going to demand the kinds of salaries they are, then they ought to be prepared to sacrifice a whole lot more for it.

But this is a bandaid. This problem doesn't just exist within Rugby League, or sports in general. This is clearly a problem that permeates many areas of society, and must, just must be addressed.

First off, I need to get this off my chest. This was NOT group sex. This was, to put it crassly, a gang bang. This was not an intimate, safe setting where power was shared and all were equal. This was a (possibly drunk?) girl assaulted by many huge, strong, drunk men.

There has long been an issue in Australian football, particularly Rugby League (my code of choice), with the behaviour of it's players. Drunken brawls, sexual misconduct, wholly inappropriate behaviour.

But it seems that the problem goes far deeper than had previously been acknowledged. This article from Rebecca Wilson sheds some light on the issue.

An combination of young men, alcohol, exhorbitant amounts of money and far too much time on their hands is dangerous. Add to that men who believe their own publicity and buy into thier 'god-like' status and it's frightening. But include the clear misogynistic view of women, and it becomes something else all together. Something criminal. Something reprehensible.

This case is the tip of the iceberg. There will be more. More people will tell their stories. More players will be shamed.

Sadly though, it seems many will get away with it.

Because unfortunately, while the world and feminism have made progress, important progress, much is yet to be made.

Most of my readers know me from Essential Baby, a parenting forum that many of my blogging friends and I frequent. Last night, I read a thread about the current scandal.

Some (an alarming number, in fact) of the opinions expressed there were really surprising to me.

Comments like these:

really shes just a dirty hoe like the rest that sleep with the footy players..

I may be opening up a can of worms here, but you know what, some of these women have to start taking responsibility for their actions too. I've seen women throw themselves at footy players and then they get into these bad situations and play all innocent. I'm not saying this is always the case, but all these accusations always seem to be so one-sided.

Im assuming the stupid girl was paid a lot for her story.....To me, this is her own guilt and humiliation she should work through. She made a stupid mistake (so did they) it seems ridiculous that she is talking about it now...

There are hundreds of young girls who throw themselves at football players week after week. Its quite sickening that these young women feel their own self worth is judged on who they can be seen with, but it happens. Given that some of these players are still teenagers - 18/19, and are suddenly thrust into the spotlight and have these terribly unrealistic demands of being "idols" to children, I am hardly suprised so many of them go off the rails and develop God like complexes. they are given free alcohol and drugs, have access to all the best nightclubs/pubs, are totally untouchable to normal people and have a long line of pretty girls willing to do whatever it takes to hang off them. They get caught up in that lifestyle and its very hard to come back to reality.

At 19, the woman he was with is old enough to consent (and did). She could have left at any time and even said no. She didn't and crying foul after the act doesn't make it rape.

She CHOOSE to put herself in the situation and did nothing to stop it. Yes I feel bad for her that she is now suffering for her actions but they are her issues. Why should all the media crap come out after 7 years, if it was such an issue at the time if should have been dealt with then, not now. Whats the bet that we will see a civil action soon.

As for channel 9 standing him down, what a crock. If every staff member that had an incident in their past was stood down channel 9 would have no one on tv, nor behind the cameras.

I have compassion and empathy but for the poor b*st*rd who has his face splashed across the media 7 years after the fact. I don't see her showing her face when coming clean.

Talk about double standards.

Lets see her on ACA answering stupid questions that she can't answer (oh but that's right she doesn't care if she hurts MJ and his family more) and see how good she looks afterwards.

Until we all see the police reports and hear from the other players involved, the truth is far from clear but again, lets burn MJ (and his wife for standing by the man she loves) at the stake because she regrets what happened

And as for thinking these incidents are normal, no it's not but it's not my business either. What someone else does in their bedroom is not my concern, and I can't see how it is anyone elses either after 7 years

This one's a doozy..

I suppose the lesbian mafia at the ABC are better placed to make judgement calls then the NZ judical system.

But I do know a couple of women who are VERY MUCH into sex, gorup sex, orgies, swinging, fetishes, the works. They would think nothing of sleeping with 12 rugby players in one night. There ARE some people who enjoy this kind of thing.

These comments are sadly representative of the way a large part of society feels about rape and sexual assault. That very often, it is the woman's fault and that not only is it up to her to 'prove' a crime was committed, but that she must first justify all of her actions.

The implication that a woman who is raped somehow asked for it. That because she agreed to have sex with one (or in this case, two) men, it is reasonable to assume that she was comfortable with having sex with 6 more. While not a single one of the spoke to her. While seveal of them masturbated whilst watching their friends have sex with her. While some took photos of her, and sent text messages, inviting more to 'have a go'.

What upset me most about those comments, was that each one of them was made by a woman. Each one of them, a mother. Most of them, with daughters.


A voice of reason:

But the point is that IT WAS NOT!! It was found that the word of one woman was insufficient against the TWELVE men in the room. The TWELVE men assaulting her.

For them to be put on trial you have to be able to prove BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. You have to be able to cut through the "she was asking for it" mentality. She has to be able to cope with their lawyers insinuating that she is the type of girl who loves that stuff, that it would have been a notch on her wall.

She would have had to have gone up against the NRL who have clearly in the past made a point of covering up these claims.

She would have had to have gone up against a public that adores these footy players. That says "boys will be boys" with a fond smile. That says that *any girl would love to get it off with MJ*. That says A WOMAN WHO GOES UPSTAIRS WITH TWO MEN IS CLEARLY UP FOR IT.


How the **** do you fight that? How the **** do you convince a jury that your word, your 19 year old unsure, I hate myself and why didn't I scream word is worth more than TWELVE MEN?

When there are people in here saying that because she doesn't have ligature marks and anal tears that clearly she had to be consenting. That if she really wanted to she could have just said no, and all these invading men with their d*cks out would have just said "OK love, have a good night" and then give her a cuddle and a cab home.

And when questioned about why this woman didn't cry out and stop it?

If you're a fighter, then I can see why it must just look bizarre, like even if you couldn't fight when you were in the situation, wouldn't you come out fighting once you were safe?

But victims of sexual assault often never find that safe place from where they can be angry at the person that assaulted them. Their self is so damaged that they assume that because it happened, especially if it was prolonged or particularly depraved that they must have somehow instigated it. Or encouraged it. Or given off some sort of signal that they weren't worth any more than it.

If you watched the 4corners report "Clare" was rife with this. "I was worth nothing", "I was nothing". Not only did they think that of her, she thought/thinks that of herself, because that is the only possible way to explain why it happened.

How are we ever, ever going to stop this cycle of violence against women, if not even women will stand up to it? How will we ever make progress against the treatment of women in 3rd world countries if women here, in the so-called 'developed world' won't even stand up for each other.

How is a young girl ever going to be brave enough to say "This happened to me" if she knows her mother is going to say "Well, what did you do to lead them on?" How will a boy grow up to be a decent man, treating women with respect if he doestn't understand what consent means, if he doesn't understand the difference between a pleasurable sexual experience and a degrading, disgusting one?

It's our job as parents to teach our children these lessons. It's up to us, as women to teach society. To demand better for ourselves, and for our daughters.

So, I start with me. If I smile at you and have a drink with you, I have not consented to have sex with you and a dozen of your 'mates'. If I kiss you I haven't consented to have sex with you.

It is not ok for you to look at me or treat me as a piece of meat. It is not ok for you to look at or treat my sisters, my nieces or any other woman as a piece of meat. We are worth more than that. And if you forget this, if you try to treat me as such, I will make you pay.

The things we can't tell..

A couple of weeks ago, I made a throwaway comment on Mary's blog about needing a separate, private blog we could all go to so we could vent or talk about what's weighing on our minds, without it being read by people we'd prefer not.

Turns out, I wasn't the only one. Quite a few people indicated they'd be interested. So Mary and I have started one up. We will administrate it together. It is open to anyone. All you have to do is email us at thingsicanttellyou@yahoo.com.au and one of us will cut and paste it into a blog entry.

Give as much or as little identifying information as you wish. We will never reveal more than you want us to, even to each other.

In a couple of minutes I'll try to put something up in the sidebar so it's easy to find, or you can favourite it.

The blog is called "The Things I can't tell you".

Go on. Tell me you're surprised this is happening in Texas.

Look, Texas has found another way to screw women. I found this story tonight via HuffPo and was so outraged, I literally was sick to my stomach.



From Huffington Post guest blogger Joe Cutbirth - Professor of Journalism - Columbia University.

Journalists occasionally shine light on a public policy that is so disgusting it literally stuns you - just takes your breath away and leaves you speechless.

Your first thought is they've made a mistake. Or this is ratings hype. It can't be true.

After the initial shock wears off, you realize it actually is happening - that it's the system - and it hurt real people today; and it will hurt others the same way tomorrow, and others the day after that, and others the day after that. And you just want to urp.

That happened today when I saw this clip on CNN (from Houston station KPRC) that showed the attorney general of Texas (my home state) is sending letters to women who have been raped threatening their credit will be ruined unless they pay for the part of the criminal investigation known as the rape kit.

(A rape kit is a set of items that specially trained medial staff use to gather and preserve evidence of a sexual assault. A woman can decline the process, which can take up to four hours, but going to an emergency room and undergoing this additional intrusion helps document the attack and gives law enforcement evidence it needs to investigate the crime and prosecute the rapist.) The cost, according to CNN/ KPRC, runs $1,200 to $1,800.

Has the state's attorney general lost his mind? Do these penny-pinching bureaucrats have no decency, no shame at all?

The U.S. Violence Against Women Act requires states to pay for "Jane Doe rape kits," also known as anonymous rape tests, if they want to receive funding for other programs.

But Gov. Rick Perry and his tea bagging followers like to demagogue their opposition to federal programs and make media events out of refusing the federal money that comes with them.

So why are we surprised when a spokesman for Attorney General Greg Abbott defends the letters, saying the state's Crime Victim's Compensation Fund, which collected nearly $100 million in 2007, would go broke if Abbott didn't follow strict criteria set by the legislature?

The stink from Austin keeps getting worse and worse.

How can a governor, a lieutenant governor or a House speaker allow state law to be interpreted this way? How can 150 state representatives and 31 state senators - Republicans and Democrats shown proof this is happening on their watch - sleep at night or look themselves in the mirror?

This is a gut-check issue for every person in public service.

Any lawmaker, mayor or police chief who has to think more than two seconds about the right thing to do here should simply resign. He or she is in the wrong business.

Emergency legislation that bans this practice should be introduced Monday morning in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate, and the governor should sign one of those bills into law the very next day. No woman in Texas or anywhere ever should have to bear that cost.

That can happen if the speaker of the Texas House, lieutenant governor and Gov. Rick Perry step-up and show some leadership.

Personally, I think municipalities or counties should pay the cost of criminal investigations in their jurisdictions, and that should include the cost of gathering evidence in a rape case.

And if there are so many rapes in a community that doing so will break the city or county budget, then it's time for another CNN story or stories on local television to expose that horror.

Women should never have to file an insurance claim in connection with a rape kit. A rape kit isn't treatment. It is part of a criminal investigation, and neither they nor their insurance carrier should in any way be forced to bear even temporary cost of this procedure.

The trouble with getting insurance involved is that many women fear follow-up contacts from insurers asking for additional information, and that would be tantamount to harassment. Then, there is the issue of insurance information being shared among health care providers and the invasion of privacy that is unique to this crime.

But the State Board of Insurance, the police unions, the Texas Municipal League and all the other interest groups with their teams of high-paid lobbyists can figure that out later.

This is an emergency, and it is a disgrace to the state of Texas. It should be rectified by the end of this week, and it can be -- if there is any leadership left in Austin.

* * * * *

Clarification: I have deleted a paragraph from the original post, and I want to be transparent about it. I originally wrote: "A lesser but still viable option would be to spread the cost of these medical procedures among health insurance companies doing business in the state by pooling an annual assessment based on emergency room admissions by doctor diagnosis."

After reading comments, one set in particular, I realized I wrote that in haste that stemmed from anger. (A lesson in the age of unedited posting.) The very mention of involving health insurance in this issue - even in the complicated ways lawmakers use fees and assessments to address workers compensation, unemployment and catastrophic acts of nature - signals to some that something other than a criminal act has been committed. That never was nor is my intent.

I saw that subtle inference when I noticed I had referred to rape kits as "medical procedures." Rape is a criminal act and nothing more, and taking a rape kit is not a medical procedure performed after an accident or when someone is ill. It is an evidence collecting activity for a criminal investigation.

My original statement - "municipalities or counties should pay the cost of criminal investigations in their jurisdictions, and that should include the cost of gathering evidence in a rape case" - stands. But after further reflection, it stands firmer and without qualification.

Not only do women have to endure the horror of being raped. Being subjected to violence and degredation, fear and pain. Not only does she then, against all of her instincts, take herself to the hosptital and subject herself to an invasive examination, in the hopes that this barstard can be caught.

But now she has to be confronted by the bill. Close to $2000?

Are you freaking kidding me?

How on earth can we convince women to stand up for themselves, stand against their attackers and push for justice, if we ar going to charge them.

And how dare we, how dare anyone, imply that this ought to come out of health insurance, as a trip to the GP or vaccination. As though this were just any medical procedure.

It is not a medical procedure. It is a criminal investigation. It is essential.

What is the world coming to? How on earth can we find so many ways to screw women?

Please, please tell me you can see this? Tell me you're sickened.

Razzled and Dazzled

I went to see Chicago last Friday night. Forgot to mention it, I think. I wasn't expecting to be all that enthralled by it, I'd never bothered to see the movie, despite my sisters raving about it.





I went, really, to see Caroline O'Connor. She's said to be the quintissential Velma, playing the role on Broadway and West End, as well as here at home.








I'd also heard Gina Riley was in it and really wanted to see what she could do away from Fountain Lakes.




I was prepared (in my desire to see Caroline) to overlook Craig McLaughlin, and desperately try to get Mona out of my head. I didn't expect to succeed in this endeavor though, and Joel took great delight in teasing me about that.


Caroline O'Connor is, at 48, wonderful. She has more energy than I've ever had in my life, and seems so comfortable in the role.



Craig McLachlin took just minutes to (mostly) erase any hint of Henry Ramsey from my mind, and I confess to not humming Mona at any stage of the evening. He was actually pretty great. The scene of the first press conference with Roxie is incredibly well done, and so funny!





Gina was great. I'm not sure she's yet entirely comfortable on stage, there were moments she seemed a little lost (mostly when people were dancing), but her voice shocked me. It can't be easy singing next to Caroline O'Connor but she did really well, particularly in one of the final pieces of the evening, "Class". Loved that!










I wasn't prepared for the talent that is Sharon Millerchip, as Roxie Hart. She was just amazing. She's beautiful and talented, her voice and dance easily matching her older, more experienced co star. A perfect mix of charm, coquette and deviousness. The big surprise is just how funny she made the show!





Throw in Damien Birmingham as an adorably sweet (though not terribly bright) Amos, a sexy crew, and a band that played their music right under my skin, leaving the adrenaline pumping and my feet tapping for days now, and it's such a fabulous show.












If you get a chance, go see it.

Candi

Also. If you have a moment today, please pop over to the blog of my friend Candi.

She lost her Mum on the same date as I did. Both of our mothers were just 43.

Candi, you're in my thoughts today. I hope that you and A, Willow and Dexie can have a peaceful day with happy thoughts of your Mum. I honestly believe that no mother could be more proud of a daughter than your would be of you.

Missing You.

It's been six years today since I said goodbye. I just miss you six years more. You'd be enchanted by Alexander, he's just your type of boy. Sam'd make you laugh.
Joel's as wonderful as ever, but you knew he would be.

Dad's getting there, I guess. He's miserable, truth be told. He's back in Brisbane, I see him a couple of times a week, he breaks my heart. I'm glad you're not here to see it. Though, lets be honest, Mum. If you were here, he wouldn't be like this.

We all miss you. Every one of us. I don't know that any of us had fully grasped just how deep the hole you'd leave in our hearts. You think you know. You think you're prepared. You've really got no freaking idea.

God you were brave. So freaking brave it blows my mind. I know your heart was broken. I know the thought of leaving left you almost unable to breathe, the grief so enormous. The dignity with which you died, with which you handled your 15 months of illness should not have surprised us. It is the same quiet dignity you lived your other 42 years.

I love you Mum. Sleep. We're all here. You're in our hearts, today and always.

I hate May.

Just sayin..

Two steps forward, one step back.

BBC news is this morning reporting that the 8 year old girl I mentioned here, has been released from the marriage to the nearly 50 year old friend of her father.

Apparently the 'husband' has given up on his insistence that the marriage was legal and valid, and the new judge appointed to the case has agreed to the annulment.

Thank Goodness.

It's something. Hopefully this will provide a little more needed impetus to start regulating (better yet) banning marriages of young girls.


However.
A muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia (where else?) seems to be struggling with how out of hand we women can get. Even those covered literally head to toe, with only their eyes showing.

Now, my disclaimer. While I hate the idea of a woman having to be covered from head to toe, I recognise that it is important to some. And that there are a lot of women who have absolutely no issue with being covered, and abiding by the strictest shia guidelines.

But this seems beyond ridiculous to me.

It's not enough to wear a hijab anymore.



It's not even enough to wear a niqab.





These leave room for women to seduce men with their eyes, encouraging the use of eye make up.

The solution?

A veil which exposes just one eye.



Excellent.