Reblog this or you hate kittens!

One for the researchers: is the ease of reblogging on Tumblr facilitating the spreading of unfounded stories in the name of slacktivism?

I wonder, as tree_and_leaf casts doubt on the heartwarming banned books locker library story, and last week saw the return of the old "Australian government makes transgendered people go on sex offenders register to get hormone treatment" story that was debunked two years ago. 

On the other hand, the ease of reblogging on Tumblr also lets one see at a glance which of one's friends secretly think less of you for being religious*, which is convenient.

* Or at least, such is the logical conclusion to be drawn from their reblogging of tired old anti-Catholic jokes, devoid of any meaningful content beyond, "Christians! SO STUPID!"

"We let giant ferocious beasts lead our way."

This morning at the train station I was given a free recyclable shopping bag.  It is black with a pink high-heeled sparkly shoe on it, and is allegedly to raise awareness of breast cancer. 

Breast cancer: it exists.  Let's all take a moment to think about that.

Entirely unrelated except in that it made me discontent with the universe, I finished the first Sano Ichiro mystery by Laura Joh Rowland, and I was heartily disappointed.  A series about a samurai in Edo Japan who FIGHTS CRIME?  SIGN ME UP! 

I was kind of secretly hoping for something like the Benjamin January mysteries, with rich characters and setting that opens a window into a culture I don't know much about, while also being a jolly good whodunnit.  Unfortunately, this book was kind of badly written, with lots of simplistic telling not showing, and a lead character who is frankly too stupid to live.  And, to be honest, a lot of dead, imprisoned or demoted-from-courtesan-into-common-prostitute ladies. 

The worst bit is that I'll probably keep reading the books in those times when I have nothing better, just because the setting does seem well-researched and interesting.  BUT I WON'T BE HAPPY ABOUT IT.  Unless they improve, which would be pretty great, especially as this first one was Rowland's first published novel and she's written about a bazillion since then.