usuallyhats | Two angrifying things (Reply)

This morning on the Today programme I heard Beryl Bainbridge talking about how if you borrow a book from a library and never give it back, that's not really stealing. I BEG TO DIFFER. She also went on about how libraries are too welcoming now and not intimidating enough (not her exact words, but that was the subtext). She said there used to be rows and rows of books that aren't there any more. Know why that is, Beryl? Because people like you STOLE THEM ALL. (Caveat: I was half asleep when this was on so may have misinterpreted; can't listen again as am at work, but the clip is here, at 7.22.)

File this one under "why we still need feminism": the ~~Lawn Tennis Association~~ All England Club has straight out said (I was going to type "admitted", but that would imply they felt a need to hide it) that they decide which court to schedule women's matches on based on how "conventionally attractive" the players are. There's some discussion of this here; I can't manage to say anything more coherent than "AHHH WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" I am also less than impressed that, going by the players mentioned in the linked article, "conventionally attractive" means Victoria Azarenka and Sorana Cristea (both white) but not Serena Williams (who is black). Not content with just being sexist, it looks like they're shooting for racist too.

Excuse me, I have to go and find a wall to bang my head against.