In which Origami Girl talks about more than Lego and fashion

I have been thinking about what to post for the last few days. Although I have some outfit photos in waiting, there has been so much crazy stuff going on in politics that I kind of want to comment. Alongside my fashion blogs I read a lot of feminist blogs (The Vagenda, Bad Reputation) and so I am well versed now on Todd Akin and 'legitimate rape' and George Galloway and rape as 'bad sexual etiquette', and the series of apalling laws being passed in Arizona over the last year. Plus I am also into games and gaming and read about a wonderful press conference in which a game company said they went for a male proganist because then they wouldnt have to deal with panty shots. Because apparantly girls wearing freaking trousers didn't occur to them, doesn't even exist in their world! I have spent days following all the Twitter conversations about Assange and come home every day with more developments on the situation to report. And just to make my opinion on that clear -he should follow due process and stand trial for rape like anyone else.

So there is all that going on. I wrote out a long more eloquent post about my current feelings about religion and the represenation of religion as well. Then I decided it just wasn't what this blog is currently about. By which I mean responding instantly to a source of frustration and ranting about it. I have tucked away my typed up rant because spending the effort writing it and then correcting my own grammar calmed me enough that it didn't need sharing with the internet. This is not filled with the same personal rage as that one (it was very much referring to a specific incident which I am trying to move on from).

I sometimes feel overwhelmed by how messed up things are at the moment. I blog about sexism in toys, in particular Lego, because I feel that that is my clear area of expertise. Assange is not and I would direct anyone interested to the excellent David Allen Green.

I don't really have any more to say on this topic, or anything wittier or more to the point than any good feminism magazine. Yet after hearing all this going on I remember that feminism is important. It is important to be educated. Read books. Learn about the world. Defend your opinions. Some people think feminism is over, has achieved its goals, but this is either arrogance or wishful thinking. These might not be wrongs like not voting, but controlling reporoductive rights and dismissing rape charges as 'bad sexual etiquette' are real problems and I can't just 'calm down' and ignore them. I will mention them on this blog if just for a moment because my interest in Lego and fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum. These things are really happening too and I really care.

Also Andy is really affecting my mood. He's practising the viola for an audition piece and, to play to his strengths, is doing emotional sad pieces. It's hard not to feel reflective and as though everything is poignant when there is live sombre music next to me.

Practising this piece amongst others if you want to hear something truly beautiful and sad: