Dispatches From Ladyblogland

This week, we’ve got some writing-related news, including J.K. Rowling being lovely, and various other ladyblogging business. Shall we jump in?

In case you missed it in Hillary’s “This Week in Misogyny” post last week, Anna Paquin had to educate Larry King on what being bisexual actually means. Cue the applause for her, especially from all us not-straight ladies married to men — men who, by the way, might not actually be straight either. Did you consider that possibility, Larry King?

Malia Obama was able to go to Lollapalooza without incident, though of course with Secret Service. I mean, I guess this isn’t really “news,” but I just liked the story in a “she can do fun, normal things for a 16-year-old” sort of way.

LEGO did finally release their set of female scientists, and they’ve already sold out. (Warning: auto-play video)

Buzzfeed’s video for “What Men Are Really Saying When Catcalling Women” is really great:

So while you’re busy Unfucking Your Habitat, Winona Dimeo-Ediger at The Frisky has some suggested cocktails that pair with chores. And to pair with that, here’s Rosie Schaap’s ode to apertifs, How to Pre-Game Like a Grown Up. Pair with cooking for a dinner party?

In Writing News:

J.K. Rowling sent a letter written as Dumbledore to Texas teenager Cassidy Stay, a girl who was the sole survivor of her family being murdered. She quoted Harry Potter at the funeral, and I can’t even type that sentence without crying, so fair warning.

Autostraddle praises the new-ish tumblr, “I Believe You, It’s Not Your Fault,” for including stories applicable to LGBT teens.

On a related note, after seeing how many victim-blaming sexual assault ads are still floating around the UK, some people have taken it upon themselves to edit the messages.

The Toast is hiring an assistant editor, and “You do not have to live in New York. No one ever has to live in New York.” The application window may close soon though, due to the volume of applicants. [Ed. note: They are no longer accepting applications.]

Fiction writers, creative non-fiction writers, poets, and visual artists: Slink Chunk Press is looking for submissions:

Slink Chunk Press is a place for cool kids, in a land where cool means being tolerant and not a jerk to people in comments. And not at all ashamed to fan girl or fanboy. Fangirling and fanboying (fanpersoning? fanning?) over people’s work is HIGHLY encouraged at Slink Chunk Press. What we’re looking to do is to shake things up, to give fresh takes on the tropes that occur in a lot of magical realist, speculative and urban fantasy fictions.

And now a few Misc. Things:

If you live in Canada and see a robot on the side of the road, maybe pick up that little hitchhiker. SCIENCE!

And finally, Idris Elba is quite tickled that we were all concerned about the state of his pants. Is that ladyblogging business? Well, seeing as any lady I’ve ever talked to (who is into dudes to any degree) loves looking at that man, I’m just going to say yes. SCIENCE?

Sally will be back next week with her linky roundup, but thanks for reading along with me this time. Until the next!