I've seen Notre Dame so far...pretty cool. Parisians, besides my friend here, not so cool yet.

I'll try to spread a little cheer. I already held a door open for a ridiculous amount of time for someone that was walking up the steps behind me. I smiled and he smiled too and said merci. Yea!

oh my god... I'm dying over these "controversial" Miley Cyrus photos.... hahaa... I'm sorry but anyone that would consider these to be "child pornography photos" maybe needs to be shown what child porn photos actually are. Honestly. She's a cute young girl and there was absolutely NOTHING distasteful about the pictures. People need to have their heads examined. And now this poor girl is apologizing for them and saying she feels guilty... great America. Way to go. You've made another woman (girl, female - whatever label you choose to give her) feel ashamed about her body and expressing herself... congrats.

Here are some of the more fucked up comments I've read:

"It is great to see a teen girl presented to the world as a pedophile's dream!"

"I think it's completely inappropriate for a Annie, who has children of her own, to have even suggested taking a photo like this. Not to mention the magazine itself publishing a photo like this with a world full of pedophiles!!!!" hahaa... yes, pedophiles like me and you I suppose... since we are part of this fucked fantasy world she has created.

"She looks like a tramp, but her Dad dosen't have any class either..so what could you expect. They look more like boyfriend/girlfriend..horrible"

"Miley, nude, wearing heavy makeup and highly tossled hair, looks like a child prostitute that has just spent a night in bed with a John."

"The father/daughter photos are disgusting. And Miley's sexy photos are absolutely inappropriate...I don't understand Vanity Fair...promoting sexuality for little girls. Adults are suppose to be role-models. Her parent's are promoting and allowing it. It really makes me sick."



WOOOOOOOOOOOO... hahaaa... wackos. Seriously.

(Some) People of the wooorld!! I implore you! Get your heads out of your asses and think for a minute!!!! Now, considering those comments, you might think that Ms. Cyrus is running around the set naked, pausing every so often to jump on top of her father who is naked in a bathtub, right? Now, I would absolutely AGREE that this would be slightly inappropriate... however, the following photos are a good sampling of what happened during the shoot that day:






The unholy "incestuous" duo:







WHY IS HE OPENING HIS MOUTH!?!?!?!?! Is he going to rape her with laughter?!?!



OH NO! He's got another child in his horrible claws (his other daughter, age 8):





Hey..here's the lesson...

Austrian dude that locks his daughter in his basement for 24 years, rapes her continuously and fathers 7 children with her [link] : incest and frankly, quite disturbing.

15 year old girl who is discovering herself and having fun with innocent photographs while chilling with her dad and actually having a nice time: not incest. This is what a family is. It's called support and love. Obviously, I don't know much about these people but when you manage to raise a child that still has fun with you when she is 15 years old, you did something impressive there pops. I support that.


America: Making the most beautiful of things ugly, since 1607.



Speaking of scary people - just heard about this documentary 'Jesus Camp'. You can find previews of it on youtube. Um... really scary. I'm getting it now and I'm gonna watch it either tonight or tomorrow. As I don't want to have nightmares... I'm thinking tomorrow. Check it out. (I don't mean to offend anyone if you feel close to the people in this film... but I find it a bit extreme and frightening.) xx

I'm scared for the world.

(I don't support violence of any kind... but I take a liking to these women because at least they are doing something about the violence that was committed against themselves. I just liked the article, the idea, the courage... and I wanted to share. I think there are many women from many different cultures that could appreciate and learn something from these women.)

They may dress in candy-pink saris but their reputation is far from sweet.

These woman are the Pink Vigilantes, members of a group sworn to root out corruption in the police force and deliver ruthless summary justice to anyone believed guilty of domestic violence or sexual abuse.

The women, who operate in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, wear pink as a kind of makeshift uniform - and their ranks have swelled to several hundred strong.

They arm themselves with lathi - traditional sticks - which they have used to beat men who have abandoned or abused their wives and policemen who have refused to register claims of rape.

The group, which was formed two years ago, has even managed to unearth wrongdoing among politicians – despite the fact that its members are drawn from the lowest 'dalit' caste at the bottom of Indian society.

Along the way, the Gulabi Gang, as they call themselves, have been hit by a variety of criminal charges. But they remain unrepentant.

"Nobody comes to our help in these parts," says Sampat Pal Devi, the gang's fiery 47-year-old leader, who gives the other women lessons in fighting.

"The police and officials are corrupt and anti-poor. So sometimes we have to take the law into our own hands. At other times, we shame the wrongdoers.

"But we are not a gang in the usual sense of the term. We are a gang for justice. We wear pink because it is the colour of life."

The gang is based in Banda district, one of the poorest parts of Uttar Pradesh, and the women are slowly earning the grudging respect of local officials.

Over 20 per cent of the area's population are lower castes or 'untouchables', and women bear the brunt of poverty and discrimination in the district's caste-ridden, feudalistic and male-dominated society.

Almost all of the Pink Vigilantes live in mud-brick huts with no running water or electricity, and survive on less than 50 pence per day.

Aarti Devi, 25, says: "On my own I have no rights but together, as the Gulabi Gang, we have power.

"When I go to fetch water, the upper-caste people beat me, saying I shouldn't be drinking the same water as them. But because we're a gang, they're scared of us and will leave us alone.

"Six months ago, a woman was raped and we went to the police station. The officers initially refused to take the complaint, but together, we were able to force the police to take action.

"We dragged the police officer from the station and beat him with our sticks."

The group has attracted the support of an increasing number of men.

"My father is a member of the Gulabi Gang," says Aarti.

"We are not against men. We are for the rights of everybody and against people who don't believe in that."

Sampat, a mother of five who was married at nine, has become a local celebrity.

Intensely proud of her work, she says: "We have managed to stop women being raped and sent girls to school. Violence and rape against women is very common here, so we're trying to educate them so that they know their rights.

"In cases of domestic violence, we go and talk to the man and explain why it is wrong. If he refuses to listen, we get the woman out of the house, then beat him. If necessary, we do it in public to embarrass him.

"Men used to think the law didn't apply to them but we are forcing a huge change."

Last year, after receiving complaints that a government-run shop was not giving out the food it was supposed to hand out free to the poor, the gang kept watch on the owner.

One night, they saw two truckloads of grain on their way to the market, where the shop owner was planning to sell them and pocket the profits.

The Pink Vigilantes pressured the local administration to seize the grain and so they ensured that it was properly distributed.

I've just read something on CNN that I find very disturbing...

Is it true that people could spend $5,000 (and over) for a child's birthday party??? It's not an uncommon event?!? Really??

For most of my childhood birthdays, my parents invited my family and a few little friends and their folks to hang out in our backyard. They made the food - including the cake... and it was probably the best time I ever had. Got to play with my friends & cousins. It was fun. I WAS A KID! I didn't even give a shit about material things besides maybe a nice Barbie doll or something. How superficial do people want their kids to become?!

Here I'm reading about designer b-day cakes, astronauts, fondue restaurants, renting out FAO Schwartz... and there are actually crazy companies that are convincing people to do this so they can plan it for them. So I'm thinking it can't be that rare if people are forming companies to accommodate these parents.

So, have you heard of this? Have you done this? Did mom or dad do this for you?? I think it's a little too much... and of course, I think there are much more important things to do with all this money. It's always said but I don't think people really consider the meaning much - honestly, there are kids starving to death and then you have these obese, spoiled, obnoxious children stuffing their faces all day long and indulging in $10,000 birthday parties each year. It's too crazy.