What a difference a week makes...

So, a lot has happened in the past seven (technically, if you'll notice the time stamp) days.

1. Gang rape (or any kind) is not a joke, nor is it a compliment.
Earlier this week, an acquaintance of mine from MOG commented on one of my old profile pictures on Facebook. It was a picture of me in a "Hogwarts" uniform from July 2007, when Joseph and I attended the midnight release of Deathly Hallows. I'm wearing a knee-length plaid skirt, my knee-high socks were ones I borrowed from Dad, and my button-down shirt just has rolled-up sleeves. Mind you, I was playing a Slytherin, so my tie was purposely messily-knotted and I'm halfway scowling in the picture.

There's not much (if any) suggestiveness in the photo.

Well, anyway, the acquaintance made suggestive comments, followed by three other actual friends from MOG, which I didn't mind, because they were funny, and not really offensive. Joseph commented making sure they knew he was paying attention, but his comment wasn't really a telling-off of sorts, just an affirmation.

Then, Adam says, and I quote (and I'm going to post a screencap of the Facebook comments another day, too): "Quite simply, we ignore Joseph's existence, and set up a gangbang. All in favor?"

...

Quite simply, the term "gangbang" here, despite being offensive on its own, conjures images of gang rape. Not cool. My friend Charity intervened, as well as Joseph, and I myself--all three of us promptly went off on the crowd who'd followed after Adam's inappropriate comment (only two of the others; the third guy was either not involving himself [which is good, as he's engaged anyway, and is really harmless] or was just not even paying attention, either of which is fine with me). Two of the friends apologized--Adam, who started the line of offensive commenting, and Rachel--but Brian didn't, and refused to do so.

Moral of the story: guys, don't ever, ever think rape is a compliment (or the opposite thereof). Saying a woman is so attractive she's rapable (as Dr. Hultquist says, "It's a word if I choose it to be so"), or saying a woman is so unattractive that nobody would rape her is never, in a thousand years, okay.

2. I saw Jackson Browne at the Alabama Theatre.
Yes. Jackson Browne, singer of my childhood-memory songs such as "Your Bright Baby Blues," "The Pretender," "Running on Empty," "Doctor My Eyes," and every other song that shaped my childhood and teenage years. "The Pretender" is one of my mom and dad's songs (of their many). It was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I got to go before he retired (hopefully no time soon!). Thank you, again, Joseph. And boo to you, drunk guy behind us, who wouldn't shut up.

3. Why am I still up at 3:20 AM?
Oh yeah. I should probably sleep.

Oh, and...

Roll Tide.

I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end, it's the wink of an eye.
And when the morning light comes streaming in,
You'll get up and do it again.
-Jackson Browne, "The Pretender"