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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Yes means yes and no means no! Scantily-clad protesters join in 'Slut Walk' to end rape victim blaming

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Yes means yes and no means no.

And guys, just in case you were under any illusion that it was anything to the contrary, a bunch of scantily-clad women took to the streets of Dallas over the weekend to shout it from the rooftops.

More than one hundred protesters decked out in various stages of dress/undress marched through down town Dallas on Saturday chanting: 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, we understand that no means no.'

The women called their protest the 'Slut Walk', in aid of rape victims and victim blaming.

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Dallas Slut Walk: Hundreds marched to raise awareness for rape victims to tell people that they are not to blame, no matter what they wear

Dallas Slut Walk: Hundreds marched to raise awareness for rape victims to tell people that they are not to blame, no matter what they wear

Scantily clad: Girls were in various states of undress at the march to protest against a police constable who said women can avoid sexual harassment by not dressing like sluts

Scantily clad: Girls were in various states of undress at the march to protest against a police constable who said women can avoid sexual harassment by not dressing like sluts

It was inspired by a similar event in Toronto earlier this year, who held their first slut walk after police constable Michael Sanguinetti told York University law students during a safety seminar: 'Women can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like sluts.'

Though he later apologised, his insensitive words spawned the walk which is to turn into an annual event to tell people that anyone can be a victim of rape, despite what they wear or do.

Protestor Britt Shulte told 33tv.com: 'I want to end victim blaming. This is still a really prevailing concept and idea in our society that our apparel dictates the kind of treatment we receive and it dictates the respect that we receive.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380450/Scantily-clad-protesters-join-Slut-Walk-end-rape-victim-blaming.html#ixzz1QJMN1rEK

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SlutWalk Protests - Worldwide

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'Slutwalk' plan triggers debate on women in India

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By NIRMALA GEORGE, Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Plans by a group of women to hold a "SlutWalk" in New Delhi to protest sexual violence have triggered a debate on whether such marches are appropriate in India and can change mindsets about women's status in the conservative society.

Organizer Umang Sabarwal said Wednesday the march is aimed at shifting blame from victims to perpetrators of crimes against women.

Similar marches have been held in cities around the world. The protests, which originated in Toronto, Canada, were sparked by a police officer's remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts." They protest the notion that a woman's appearance can explain or excuse attacks.

Millions of women are working in most sectors of the booming Indian economy but social attitudes have been slow to change and women face a daily barrage of sexual harassment.

Sabarwal, a Delhi University student, said the objective of the walk is to get people thinking about how women's lives and actions are restricted by the threat of harassment.

"We want to focus on changing social attitudes toward women," she said. "Every time a woman is assaulted, people don't blame the perpetrator of the crime. Instead women get a lecture about what they're supposed to wear and where they can go or not go."

However, plans for the walk have also drawn criticism from many women who say the use of the term "slut walk" is derogatory.

"Naming the protest 'slut walk' degrades women even if it has shock value," said Shobha De, a best-selling fiction writer.

"It's a campaign driven by women in the West. It does not connect with women in the Indian context," De said Wednesday on the TimesNow television channel.

Others accuse the organizers of craving media attention.

"How is this walk going to help millions of women in India? They are doing this for sensational footage on television," said Shaina N.C., a Mumbai-based designer.

India, a rapidly modernizing country, has a high incidence of rapes and sexual attacks on women. A government-backed United Nations survey found that about 85 percent of women in New Delhi are afraid of being sexually harassed while outside their homes for work or study.

The march, scheduled for late July, has been renamed "Besharmi Morcha," which means "Shameless Protest" in Hindi.

"The idea is to reach out to a maximum number of people, and people in India are better versed in Hindi than English as opposed to other countries where the 'SlutWalk' has been a success," said Mishika Singh, a college student involved in the campaign.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Imran supports ‘Slutwalk- Athaart Besharmi Morcha’

 

Saturday, 25 June 2011 18:25 Soumil Shukla

Imran Khan is on a social activism spree. The actor, after filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against Maharashtra government’s rule to raise the permissible age of alcohol consumption from 18 to 25, has now lent his voice to the Delhi version of the radical women’s movement ‘Slutwalk’. It has been renamed as ‘Slutwalk- Athaart Besharmi Morcha’ in India and Imran Khan praised the movement and its leader Umang Sabharwal for raising the burning issue of women’s right to dignity, safety and freedom.

Image: Imran Khan

Imran has also vowed to connect with the youngsters through a special page on Facebook and plans to mobilise public opinion, especially the youth, to support his endeavour of opposing the new drinking age rule of Maharashtra government.

However, it is a curious fact that all the ‘socially conscious’ Bollywood actors find only such issues which are taken up and mostly affect the urban elites. Imran, why not start a drive to eradicate the farmers indebtedness in the Vidarbha region in Maharashtra? Such an endeavour would serve a larger number of youth than merely filing PILs against a rule which, as everybody knows, will be broken anyway!

http://www.filmitadka.in/201106251102/gossip/imran-supports-slutwalk-athaart-besharmi-morcha.html

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SlutWalk News - India

Pooja_slut walk

Image by rmbawaa via Flickr

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws25062011This.asp

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jrxRb5RmaOkCp2eEp6OUqXQ-Vgjg?docId=85692cdb32024cfdac327e1a7ed258eb

http://www.filmitadka.in/201106251102/gossip/imran-supports-slutwalk-athaart-besharmi-morcha.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/06/22/indian-women-divided-over-slut-walk/

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/delhi-to-host-first-slut-walk-in-india/1/142286.html
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SlutWalk

Slut Walk Boston

Image by rmbawaa via Flickr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk

Here are some links and resources found on WIKIPEDIA regarding slutwalk.

The SlutWalk protest marches began on April 3, 2011 in Toronto, Canada and have since become an international movement of rallies across the world.[1] They are a protest against the belief that any aspect of a woman's appearance might explain or excuse rape.[2] The rallies began in response to remarks made by Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto Police officer, who suggested that in order not to be victimized, "women should avoid dressing like sluts."[3][4] The protest take the form of a march, by mainly young women, where some dress in ordinary clothing, and others dress provocatively; there are also speaker meetings and workshops.[5] Such protests have not been universally accepted as appropriate; for example some objectors have remarked that this approach is an example of women defining their sexuality in male terms.[6]

READ MORE AT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk
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No 'SlutWalk' for Delhi, it's 'Besharmi Morcha'

 

Ruchira SinghRuchira Singh , ibnlive.com
Updated Jun 18, 2011 at 09:19pm IST

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http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-slutwalk-for-delhi-its-besharmi-morcha/160583-19.html

New Delhi: Organisers of India's first 'SlutWalk' have rebranded the event. The name has now been changed to 'Besharmi Morcha' which means 'Shameless Protest'.

The organisers feel that not all people in the national capital will understand the meaning of the word 'slut'. And more importantly may misinterpret the usage of the word for the protest. The organisers have finally settled down for 'Besharmi Morcha'.

Mishika Singh, one of the co-organisers told IBNLive, "The idea is to reach out to maximum number of people, and people in India are better versed with Hindi than English as opposed to other countries/cites where the 'SlutWalk' has been a success."

No 'SlutWalk' for Delhi, it's 'Besharmi Morcha'

The dress code apparently is being questioned, as the common notion is that women have to be dressed in short skirts and hot pants to participate. Hence, aiming for maximum participation in support of the issue the so-called sensible dressing will be the order of the day.

"SlutWalks," which are now a global phenomenon to protest against sexual violence has seen women dressed in skimpy clothes in other parts of the world.

The first "Slut Walk" was held in Toronto this year after a police officer caused outrage by stating during a speech to university students that women should avoid "dressing like sluts" in order not to be victimised.

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Monday, June 13, 2011

Samsung to end 14 year Nokia smartphone reign: Nomura

Image representing Samsung Electronics as depi...

Image via CrunchBase

HELSINKI: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will become the world's largest smartphone maker this quarter, overtaking struggling Nokia Oyj which has lead the market since 1996, Nomura said on Monday.
In the next quarter Nomura also sees also Apple Inc overtaking Nokia, pushing the Finnish company to No. 3 in the rankings.
"Nokia looks set to relinquish its smartphone crown to Samsung and Apple," Nomura analysts said in a research note. "Further emphasising the shift in power to Asia is our forecast for HTC to almost match Nokia during 2012."
Research firms Gartner and Canalys both said they saw Nokia - which created the smartphone market with its 1996 launch of the Communicator model - losing smartphone volume leadership later this year.
"If Nokia's new phones are not well received in the third quarter and (with) the Galaxy S2 ramping up, Samsung might overtake them and become the smartphone leader in Q3," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.
Nokia has lost initiative in the smartphone market to Apple's iPhone and Google Inc's Android devices, and at the lower end to more nimble Asian rivals.
Overall, Nokia still makes more cellphones than Samsung due to its strong position in basic cellphones and its wider distribution network in emerging countries.
The company is switching to Microsoft Corp's software from its own Symbian platform as part of an overhaul of its phone business set out in February by new Chief Executive Stephen Elop.
On May 31 Nokia abandoned hope of meeting key targets just weeks after setting them, raising questions over whether its new boss can deliver on the turnaround he promised.
Shares in Nokia were 0.6 per cent firmer at 4.33 euros by 0934 GMT, in line with a slightly stronger technology sector.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/samsung-to-end-14-year-nokia-smartphone-reign-nomura/articleshow/8835538.cms
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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Daredevil tight-rope walker crosses 100ft-high rocky ravine

Just don't look down! Daredevil tight-rope walker crosses 100ft-high rocky ravine without ANY safety equipment

One gust of wind could lead to almost certain death.

But daredevil tight-rope walker Andy Lewis, 24, appears perfectly relaxed as he crosses a 45ft long wire suspended over a 100ft ravine with no safety equipment.

At one point he even leaps into the air to strike a pose before landing inch perfectly back on the bright orange line.

Reaching new heights: Andy Lewis, 24, risks his life as he inches his way along the narrow tight-rope 100ft above a rocky ravine in California

Reaching new heights: Andy Lewis, 24, risks his life as he inches his way along the narrow tight-rope 100ft above a rocky ravine in California

Not satisfied that his deadly wire act was risky enough - the 6' 2'' daredevil decided to up the stakes by balancing on a part of the body not designed for - the tips of his ankles.

Venturing over an area called the Flat Sands in California, Mr Lewis, was literally at the top of his game.

In one hair raising picture, Andy looks to be praying for salvation as the unforgiving desert loomed ominously below him.

'The line is called ''the Mexican Caulk gun'' I never walked it with or without a leash before,' said Andy from San Francisco, who regularly risks his life in the extreme sport dubbed 'slacklining'.

'If I had lost balance I would either catch the line or die.  

'Risking your life for no other reason than to just be able to have the consequence of death on your brain - this is the sport of free solo. 

Relaxed: Mr Lewis has perfected the extreme sport, dubbed 'slacklining'

Relaxed: Mr Lewis has perfected the extreme sport, dubbed slacklining

Relaxed: Mr Lewis has has become so confident with the extreme sport, dubbed slacklining,  that he is able to jump into the air and strike a comical pose for the camera without losing his balance

'It melts everything else away inside your brain.The more I walk free solo, the more I am free.'

The shaggy haired slackliner was introduced to the sport after graduating from high school in 2004. Since this time Andy has honed his skills and decided to become a full-time slackliner in 2008.

Breathtaking: Mr Lewis would plummet to the hard rocks below if he fell and missed the line

Breathtaking: Mr Lewis would plummet to the hard rocks below if he fell and missed the line

He explained how he is able to balance on his ankles from such a terrifying height without plummeting to his death.

'It is just plain painful to balance on the tops of your ankles,' said Andy.

'The sheer strength it takes to build up the ability to balance on your ankles takes a long time.  

'Once you get it though, you have it but in terms of things you can do on a slackline, and the things I have done free solo - I am only scratching the surface of the possibilities.'

Andy is now so dedicated to his art that he lives for it totally - and has even tattooed his arm with the word "slacklife" in commemoration to his beloved high wire sport.

Andy's skill and dedication means that he brims with confidence when he life is literally hangs in the balance.

'Just because I loose my balance, doesn't mean I won't catch the line,' he said.

'It would take a whole hell of a lot for me to miss the line when I have to. 

'When I am free soloing, usually I am so confidant with my abilities on the slackline. I just stroll across - it doesn't even look hard.  

'That is the problem with slacklining, the better you get at it, the easier it looks. 

'That is why I think a lot of people don't get how hard and scary the sport really is.

'The true challenge is masked by years of preparation and trained talent.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393453/Slackliner-Andy-Lewis-crosses-100ft-rocky-ravine-safety-equipment.html#ixzz1O7dVQhFj

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Actor Raj Kiran found in mental asylum in US

 

 

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CNN-IBN
Updated Jun 01, 2011 at 10:10pm IST

Mumbai: Actor Raj Kiran, who had been missing for years, was located in a mental asylum in the US. Raj Kiran’s family has reportedly not been in touch with him for the last 10 years.

Kiran is known for his films like 'Karz' and 'Arth'. On a recent trip to the US, actor Rishi Kapoor found about his whereabouts through his brother Govind Mehtani.

About a month back, actor Deepti Naval had tried to locate Raj Kiran on Facebook, saying he had been last seen driving a cab in New York. Reports say that he has been suffering from acute depression.

CNN-IBN spoke to Mahesh Bhatt who directed Raj Kiran in much acclaimed film ‘Arth’.

“This was not a bolt from the blue for me. I had expected this to happen. These breakdowns occur. The same thing happened with Parveen Babi and then eventually she died a tragic death,” said Mahesh Bhatt.

Mahesh Bhatt said that he last saw Kiran in an ashram in India where he was being treated. He was suffering from mental affliction.

Raj Kiran's friends from the industry are now planning to get in touch with him and bring him back to the place he belongs, the movies.

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