Here's a lovely tribute to Robin Williams that someone put together, using my song, His Friends Are More Than Fond Of Robin. It's so well done, I thought I'd share it. xo = from Carly Simon

" ... famously so green that her legendary “Look”—chin low, eyes glancing up in a come-hither but still better-than-you stare—was born out of a need to stop her head from trembling. "

Lauren Bacall was the ideal postwar star—as sexy as any pin-up, but she was a woman’s woman at heart, a reminder in the age after Rosie the Riveter that a great woman is exactly like a great man, only better. She looked better, she sounded better, she wore better clothes, she could flirt better, sing better, walk better than every man she ever shared the screen with, including her husband, and he knew it. Even decades later, the timeless pleasure of those Bogie and Bacall duets is in watching a pair whose delight in themselves was only eclipsed by their delight in each other.

<snip>

Bacall was a working mother in a time when most women were at home, and after Bogart’s death she was maybe the most visible single working mother in America. She was a sex bomb without a backlash, an actress whose career outlived her youth, and a movie star whose life seemed as happy as it was interesting. If it took a while to realize just how unusual Bacall really was, well, it was probably because she was too tough to criticize and too cool to ever break a sweat anyway.

Lauren Bacall never needed hosannas to know she was great. But today, I’ve got a glass, a hand, a cigarette, a flag, a proto-feminist rallying cry, and a salute to raise for her anyway. Even if they never ask, all great artists deserve a little thanks.

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 6, 2012
Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s Definition of Rape
Data Reported on Rape Will Better Reflect State Criminal Codes, Victim Experiences

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR) definition of rape, which will lead to a more comprehensive statistical reporting of rape nationwide. The new definition is more inclusive, better reflects state criminal codes and focuses on the various forms of sexual penetration understood to be rape. The new definition of rape is: “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” The definition is used by the FBI to collect information from local law enforcement agencies about reported rapes.

“Rape is a devastating crime and we can’t solve it unless we know the full extent of it,” said Vice President Biden, a leader in the effort to end violence against women for over 20 years and author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. “This long-awaited change to the definition of rape is a victory for women and men across the country whose suffering has gone unaccounted for over 80 years.”

“These long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence and reflect the Department of Justice’s commitment to standing with rape victims,” Attorney General Holder said. “This new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope and volume of these crimes.”

“The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Advisory Policy Board recently recommended the adoption of a revised definition of rape within the Summary Reporting System of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program,” said David Cuthbertson, FBI Assistant Director, CJIS Division. “This definitional change was recently approved by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. This change will give law enforcement the ability to report more complete rape offense data, as the new definition reflects the vast majority of state rape statutes. As we implement this change, the FBI is confident that the number of victims of this heinous crime will be more accurately reflected in national crime statistics.” >snip

This series will discuss rape play and associated topics that may be problematic for some. The intent of this series is not to upset but rather educate and empower.

Disclaimer:
Much of this is based on my opinion and my experience. There are a few areas where I have drawn from vanilla sources and I will cite those to differentiate between my opinion and more studied conclusions.

Within kink there are types of play that involve varying levels of negotiated and consensual resistance. Those types of play can be described by the umbrella term “Consensual Non-Consent”. That term is sometimes used to mean Rape Play but I challenge that rape play can be a form of consensual non-consent, but that there are other types of consensual non-consent which may not be rape play, for example interrogation scenes.

Rape play involves the bottom resisting the top’s assertion of control and sexual advances and the top taking that control. This is done within a pre-negotiated framework that enables both the top and the bottom to express their desires, limitations, and motivations. Nothing in that definition specified gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical ability because none of those attributes restrict participation in rape play. Rape play is about someone taking power and someone losing power, within a controlled and negotiated scene.>snip

In 1995 at age 61, William Utermohlen, an American artist living in London, received a devastating diagnosis. He had Alzheimer's. In response to his illness (or perhaps to spite it) he began to paint self-portraits. They became a way for him to try to understand his condition.

Until he was admitted to a nursing home in 2000, Utermohlen painted regular portraits of himself during those first years of his diagnosis. What we see is a man struggling to remain in touch with the world around him. Utermohlen passed away in 2007, but his self portraits have lived on as a way for us to understand the devastation of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is a terrible, confusing disease. It steals our loved ones away from us, even before they pass on. What William was able to achieve is both insightful and moving.