between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Life is interesting. I have broken open blood blisters on both my big toes, courtesy of a karate training session yesterday evening, and thanks to a climbing session tonight, my stiff-for-a-week shoulder has graduated from achey to Actually Fucking Sore and interfering with my range of motion.

In lieu of what passes for brains, have some links.

Cat Valente on The Future is Gender Distributed over at Charlie Stross' blog.

Brit Mandelo on more of Joanna Russ' nonfiction over at Tor.com: Reading Joanna Russ: Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans and Perverts.

Patrick Rothfuss shows an oddly specific attachment to virgin/whore dichotomies. More comments at James Nicoll's LJ.

Neil Gaiman versus antisemitism

Lavie Tidhar at the World SF Blog rounds up on some recent conversations in the genre blogosphere: Editorial: Season of Silly?

Orion appear to have released new editions of three of his David Audley books: The Labyrinth Makers, Other Paths to Glory, and Old Vengeful, out of print I don't know how many years.

I can vouch for the excellence of the first two, so I most heartily recommend them to you all.

Heard on the radio while at the gym this morning: Bertie Ahern promises to bring forward legislation for civil partnerships within the next twelve months.

Bertie, you're usually a wanker and a chancer, but if you carry through on this one, I might actually respect you just a little.