Today also brings interesting links

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Foz Meadows deconstructs The Kickass Damsel:

Over and over again, we limit the competence of our female characters by placing them in perilous scenarios, not to test their skills, but to show how thoroughly they still need to be rescued; to make them vulnerable enough to fall in love, because if we wrote them as being emotionally well-adjusted and romantically inclined from the outset, they’d be deemed too feminine (whereas if we wrote them aromantically, they wouldn’t be seen as feminine enough).

India will shed few tears over the end of British aid:

The crucial issue is the contribution made to India's development – and this is really not about aid but trade and investment, where the news is not good. Minute dribbles of UK aid cannot hope to work PR magic in India when the UK government is seen trying to bully the Indian government into accepting completely unjustifiable intellectual property clauses that will increase essential drug prices in a trade agreement, or pushing the interests of its own companies in getting extra protection and compensation in the face of laws that protect Indian citizens who are adversely affected by the investments, or indulging in protectionist practices against Indian exports.

Amal El-Mohtar blogs World Fantasy.


Genevieve Valentine on Sagan Day.


The most beautiful set of cat pictures on the internet.