Dr. Albert Rossi reflects on the statement, "We are what we eat," in a discussion about truth.

Focusing on a text by St. Hilary of Poitiers, Fr. Irenei explores the Saint’s conviction that the multitude of heresies and errors surrounding us in the world are not to be feared or to become a cause for despair, for through their very error the Truth of Christ is revealed all the more in the Church.

Fr. Thomas Zain, Vicar General of the Antiochian Archdiocese, tells us about a US tour of the Choir of St. Romanos the Melodist from Beirut. More information can be found at the web site of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick hosts a moving interview with Deacon Gabriel Abdel Nour of St. Demetrios Orthodox Church in Beirut (Achrafieh), Lebanon, sounding notes of both sorrow and hope in the midst of destruction from the recent explosions, economic desperation and pandemic.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dean Triantafilou and Stacey Mason of International Orthodox Christian Charities. Stacey Mason has worked in international relations for 15 years. Over the years, she has visited over 35 countries and has earned advanced degrees in international affairs. Stacey has served as Director of Operations for International Orthodox Christian Charities, or IOCC, for the last 5 years, where she is responsible for relief and development programs in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the US.   Constantine “Dean” Triantafilou has been leading IOCC for over two decades, where he brings a deep commitment to serving the Church and others.  Starting in the field, he has held several leadership roles within IOCC and served as a board member with international and domestic alliances, giving him a unique perspective on the organization and the humanitarian industry. As Executive Director and CEO, Dean guides IOCC’s strategic priorities and direction. 

Fr. Pat again addresses the "transcendentals," this time explaining how the Incarnation is the manifestation of truth, goodness, and beauty.

Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Sunday of the Paralytic.

Part of our communion with God is our connection to the saints; chief among them after the Theotokos are Peter and Paul.

Father Pat looks at the encounter with the Samaritan woman through the lens of Jesus' statement “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

England's review of their last-gasp defeat by Australia was "brutal" but exactly what the squad needed, says wing Ollie Sleightholme.

World number three Mark Allen says he will never change and will continue to be outspoken on snooker issues.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the International Championship second round after beating Mink Nutcharut 6-3.

Praying hard for a lump of concrete.

A number of people have asked if I would respond to the piece Julie Bindel wrote about The Sex Myth in the Grauniad. Clearly as she took the opportunity to let rip, so too must I?

Maybe, maybe not. Because the truth about Julie Bindel is that she is - shock, horror - actually decent company. You would totally have a drink with her as long as you stayed off the topics of sex work, trafficking, porn, trans issues, gay marriage and... well you get the idea. There are definitely people with whom my politics are more closely aligned whose company I have enjoyed a lot less.

But in the interest of "setting the record straight" (as if such a thing exists) here are my notes on the encounter:

- I approached Julie to ask if she wanted to interview me, in part because I figured she would write about the book anyway. Since I criticise her writing extensively in The Sex Myth it seemed fair to give her a face-to-face.

- She's prettier in person than in her photos. Not that that's relevant, or important, but she is.

- We met three times that week: once for lunch, once for the photos, and again on Sky news. The first words out of her mouth on the air at Sky were "As much as I hate to say this I agree with Brooke." I did a little mental air-punch at that one. (It was also approximately the first thing Claire Perry said when we were on the Today programme. File under: win.)

- The "offal", by the way, was calf's liver and very good it was too. Though I did wish I'd ordered the lamb sweetbreads special instead.

- The dessert was an Eccles cake with cheddar cheese ice cream. Hand on heart, I loved the ice cream. The Eccles cake was not nice. If you have occasion to go to The Gilbert Scott at St Pancras, ask them for a bowl of that ice cream.

- She thought my criticism of Swanee Hunt mentioning her father's political background a bit out of line. My reply to that is if Hunt's still trading on his name and his connections, then she has to expect that. Her extreme privilege (yes, even in supposedly classless America; yes, even when your work is deemed charitable) is a huge hurdle to overcome. Eye of the needle and all that jazz.

- Julie's a big fan of Viz, especially Eight Ace and Sid the Sexist. Who knew? Also she liked Fat Slags better when it was shorter whereas I prefer the longer ones.

- In principle we both agree that sex workers themselves should not be criminalised. After that our thoughts on sex work are mainly opposed. When I put it to her at lunch that the much-talked-about "Swedish model" and Icelandic approaches could never work in the UK, she agreed.

- Julie's piece was filed after we met for lunch on the 17th April, I believe before we had photos on the 20th. The final edits to the book were made on the 25th and approved on the 27th. First edition came off the presses May 1st. (Yes, we cut it fine.) This unfortunately means some of the things from her piece may not be the book.* I'm not sure if it is the writer's or the editor's responsibility to check reviews against the published copy, but someone should have done.

- We both think the Grauniad will cease to exist in printed form soon. Probably most people think that though, so no news there.

- She seemed concerned that I think feminists of her stripe/generation are against sex, and took pains to assure me plenty of sex was going down among the redfems in the 70s and 80s. I said "I bloody well hope so," because what would be the point of rejecting the model of virgin-to-wife-to-mother only to not get laid? However, in my experience, the lesbian-identified feminists when I was at uni in the very early 90s were not so free and easy with the sexual favours. Not that I'm bitter, mind. It wasn't a great place or time to be a woman who slept with both women and men.

- She think my husband looks like a model. As far as independent assessments of attractiveness go, that's about as airtight as they come.

- Her claim that I was 'roundly criticised' by Catherine Hakim for my educational background is a misrepresentation of Hakim's review; you can read it here. My education is in anthropology, maths, forensic science and epidemiology. I've also worked in chemoinformatics and child health research (mainly cancer). If anyone thinks that makes me unqualified to comment on academic research... with all due respect, check yo self.

- The last thing I said to her, when we were leaving Sky news: "Civilised is the new uncivilised."

So there it is. No particular desire or need to fetch a hatchet, because who benefits? (It might also help that I have professional experience of finding common ground with just about anyone for two hours as long as they're buying.) The Grauniad is a known quantity and the "pity" angle of her article frankly unbelievable... you don't bother tearing down someone if you feel actual pity for them. You might even wonder why I bothered. To which I say: lunch? On their dime? Admit it, you so would. And so I did.

It's a pity her piece was, in the end, so misleading. I was told it would be presented as a conversation; it's a rant. She accuses me of accusing her of taking money from the far right: evidence for this claim is undisputed, and considering the libel threats that Eaves For Women put on the book the day of its release,  thus delaying its actual release by weeks while lawyers hemmed and hawed, you would have thought she'd feel free to take it to court if I was actually wrong.

The nuisance suit was dropped very quickly, of course; its fantastical claims included that I had somehow "hacked" the Eaves mainframe... by reporting details of a paper they presented at an international conference, and posted online... well, I guess it got the job done, from their point of view. Ugly but effective.

Helen Lewis, as well, gave a very misleading review. She blasts me for praising a study from Keele University, missing the entire point of why it was praised: because even given the selective inclusion of only a certain kind of sex worker, the results are still positive - which sets it apart from other, negatively skewed, studies. Point well and truly missed. She seems like a smart girl, so I can only imagine she went in with a particular result in mind: namely, punishing me for not saying yes to an interview with her. Hey, I'd already booked Juile... one in-person assassination is enough for my well-being, thanks! Usually reviewers are expected to rise above such petty machinations. (That her review contained some exact wording found in the Eaves libel threat is, I am sure, a complete coincidence.)

But as I say, no hard feelings. They have a point of view that includes taking no prisoners. Apt, I suppose, for a style of feminism that considers the police to be adequate protectors of sex worker safety. Obviously it's a view I disagree with. I'm sure they're both perfectly lovely if you don't disagree with anything they say, ever. But the tenor of so-called debate in this country lately dictates that all differences must be fought to the last. A shame for fact finding, and missing the point of the book.
Right now you're probably thinking I should go to the cinema with Tanya Gold and discover maybe she's not as bad as all that? Hey now, let's not get crazy.

tl;dr - I was expecting a snarling nemesis, what I got was a lesbian Michael Winner... hugely offensive, yet surprisingly charming, bon viveur.

Believe it or not The Sex Myth is not only about columnists, or trafficking, or even feminism: those are only a small part. Most reviews have barely touched on any of the other chapters. It also discusses the medicalisation of female desire and the denial of women's appreciation for erotica, for example. It examines the criticisms of "sex addiction" as a disease. It champions under-reported sexualisation research that is more interested in representing real families than in reflecting a political agenda. It includes citations of all referenced material so you can read them and decide for yourself. My aim is not to force people and certainly not Julie Bindel to think the way I do: it's to open up the discussion in ways we simply are not doing around these topics. It's a call for less panic, not more.

Go get it. Read it. Make up your own mind.



* [Update:  Yes, I have checked this against the email record between me, my editor, and the Orion legal bods; and yes, I have run this blog past them and got the thumbs-up. Proceed to question it at your own risk.]

Aim/Purpose: The paper discusses various factors contributing to disagreements, such as differing experiences, perspectives, and historical narratives, leading to disagreements within families and societies. It explores how beliefs, values, and biases feed into disagreements, with confirmation bias affecting decision-making and the media. Cultural values also play a role, showcasing conflicts between meritocracy and inclusivity in ethical decision-making. Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory highlights differences in value priorities between Western and Eastern societies. The impact of Western values like rationalism, freedom, and tolerance, under threat from Marxist illiberalism on campuses, is dis-cussed. The text also delves into disinformation, emotions in warfare, and the use of fake information and images for propaganda purposes. The need for diligent reporting to avoid spreading disinformation is emphasized, given its potential to create misconceptions and harm diplomatic relations.

BEIRUT: The Israeli military carried out at least five airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, after Israel’s defence minister ruled out any ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel’s goals had been met.

Smoke rose over Beirut as blasts shook the capital around mid-morning. The explosions followed an Israeli military warning posted on social media identifying 12 sites in the southern suburbs and saying it would take action against them soon. It warned residents they were located near Hezbollah facilities.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the latest strikes. Residents have largely fled the southern suburbs since Israel began bombing the area in September.

In Israel, air raid sirens sounded in parts of the north, sending residents running for shelter, and the military said a number of “suspicious aerial targets” were launched from Lebanon. There were no reports of injuries.

Ignited by the Gaza war, the conflict at the Lebanese-Israeli border had been rumbling on for a year before Israel went on the offensive in September, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops into the south.

Israel has dealt heavy blows to Hezbollah over the last seven weeks, killing many of its top leaders including Hassan Nasrallah, flattening parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, and causing vast destruction in border villages in south Lebanon.

Meeting with Israel’s general staff for the first time, Israel’s newly appointed Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel achieves its goals.

“Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee Israel’s right to enforce and prevent terrorism on its own, and meet the goals of the war in Lebanon - disarming Hezbollah and its withdrawal beyond the Litani River and returning the residents of the north safely to their homes.”

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar had said earlier on Monday there had been “a certain progress” in ceasefire talks, whilst adding the war against Hezbollah was not yet over.

The main challenge facing any ceasefire deal would be enforcement, he said.

Hezbollah has said it is ready for a long war against Israel and has kept up rocket fire.

SOUTH OF THE LITANI

The Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire based on the full implementation of a U.N. Resolution that ended a war between the group and Israel in 2006.

The resolution calls for the area south of the Litani to be free of all weapons other than those of the Lebanese state. Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of violating the resolution.

Israel’s offensive has driven more than 1 million people from their homes in Lebanon in the last seven weeks. Since hostilities erupted a year ago, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,243 people and injured 14,134, the Lebanese health ministry said. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Hezbollah attacks have killed roughly 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon over the last year.

It is often said that China is the world’s foremost peddler of fake news and distorted truths. The recent incident in the Taiwan Strait exemplifies this assertion.

Israeli airstrikes hit a cafeteria and a home in Gaza, killing at least 14 people, medical officials said. In Lebanon, warplanes struck the capital Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday after the military ordered a number of houses there to evacuate.

Now back at home for the first time in nearly a month and with three games remaining, the chance for Maryland to salvage a disappointing season with a potential bowl appearance begins with Rutgers.

Britain's Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.

Efrem Graham sits down with Poet, Evangelist, & Apologist Preston Perry. He talks about his new book called How to tell the Truth. We have a Studio 5 First Look at the film Average Joe. Plus, we talk to the director of the new film White Bird.

Washington – Failures and mismanagement at the Chemical Safety Board have put public safety at risk, according to a joint staff report filed June 19 in conjunction with a hearing convened by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Washington – The Federal Aviation Administration is taking steps to help protect helicopter pilots and passengers in the event of an emergency landing or crash.

Existing customers are your most under-utilized marketing target.

Hamilton, NJ — Leaders and workers in the civil construction industry lack training and resources on addressing and promoting mental health, according to a recent report published by Dodge Data & Analytics.

Now you can wear your brutally honest love for architecture on your wrist with the B/1 watch by Toledano & Chan inspired by Marcel Breuer's NYC landmark.

After a bye week, the Ohio State Buckeyes are back in business. Ohio State took care of Oklahoma in a big matchup on the road. Now it's time for the Buckeyes to avoid a mishap against Rutgers on Homecoming.

We are in a dangerous place, the black and white areas defined by The Global Thinking Project…and the Fake News story.  We are in a dangerous place, where the term Fake News has been hijacked to censor out everything that does not follow the Global Thinking Project, which is basically a unilateral straight-.line-on-a-map dogma defining This Is How We All Think. The Internet was praised for bringing us a wide range of information in real time, enabling us to think for ourselves and choose our sources. I myself was one of the pioneers of Intervention Journalism, telling it as it is, as it really is, including my opinion sometimes, but outside the tidy little news package edited to follow the editorial line of the Mainstream Media, funded and financed and made viable by media companies which would not toss a cent to any publication deemed outside the little box. I would take great offence at being classified over the years as a vendor of Fake News, since I do a lot of reading and listening before starting to write and speak and only write when I am sure I know what I am speaking about.

On Monday, September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation with a speech to commemorate the Day of Reunification of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson Regions with Russia. When congratulating citizens of Russia on this "truly fateful event," he said that Russia had not abandoned "its brothers and sisters" in the Donbass region. The Russian Federation is the historical homeland of the Donbass, he said. Russia tried to achieve a peaceful resolution to the gravest conflict, but "the negotiations ended up with lies, forgery and deception on the part of Western elites that turned Ukraine into their colony, a military base aimed at Russia," the Russian leader added.

With small grants for students and faculty, peer support and a new activities calendar, the campus-wide initiative aims to put behavioral health at the center of university life

The title compound, [RuCl2(C25H22P2)2] or [RuCl2(dppm)2] (dppm = bis­(di­phenyl­phosphan­yl)methane, C25H22P2) crystallizes as two half-mol­ecules (completed by inversion symmetry) in space group Poverline{1} (Z = 2), with the RuII atoms occupying inversion centers at 0,0,0 and 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, respectively. The bidentate phosphane ligands occupy equatorial positions while the chlorido ligands complete the distorted octa­hedral coordination spheres at axial positions. The bite angles of the phosphane chelates are similar for the two mol­ecules [(P—Ru—P)avg. = 71.1°], while there are significant differences in the twisting of the methyl­ene backbone, with a distance of the methyl­ene C atom from the RuP4 plane of 0.659 (2) and 0.299 (3) Å, respectively, and also for the phenyl substituents for both mol­ecules due to variations in weak C—H⋯Cl inter­actions.

In the title complex, [Ru(C10H8N2)2(C6H6N2O)(H2O)](CF3SO3)2, the central RuII atom is sixfold coordinated by two bidentate 2,2'-bi­pyridine, an isonic­otinamide ligand, and a water mol­ecule in a distorted octa­hedral environment with tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate ions completing the outer coordination sphere of the complex. Hydrogen bonding involving the water mol­ecule and weak π–π stacking inter­actions between the pyridyl rings in adjacent mol­ecules contribute to the alignment of the complexes in columns parallel to the c axis.

The structure of the title compound, [RuCl2(C7H10N2)2(C2H6OS)2], has monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry. The Ru—N distances of the coordination compound are influenced by the trans chloride or di­methyl­sulfoxide-κS ligands. The mol­ecular structure exhibits disorder for two of the terminal methyl groups of a dimethyl sulfoxide ligand.

The title compound, [Ru(C19H13N5)2](PF6)2·3C4H10O, was obtained from the reaction of Ru(bimpy)Cl3 [bimpy is 2,6-bis­(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine] and bimpy in refluxing ethanol followed by recrystallization from diethyl ether/aceto­nitrile. At 125 K the complex has ortho­rhom­bic (Pca21) symmetry. It is remarkable that the structure is almost centrosymmetric. However, refinement in space group Pbcn leads to disorder and definitely worse results. It is of inter­est with respect to potential catalytic reduction of CO2. The structure displays N—H⋯O, N—H⋯F hydrogen bonding and significant π–π stacking and C—H⋯π stacking inter­actions.

The title compound, [RuGa2Cl6(C7H8)(CO)2] or [(CO)2(GaCl2)(η6-toluene)Ru]+[GaCl4]−, was isolated from the reaction of Ga2Cl4 with di­phenyl­silanediol in toluene, followed by the addition of Ru3(CO)12. The compound contains a ruthenium–gallium metal–metal bond with a length of 2.4575 (2) Å.

The title compound, [Ru(C12H14NO2)Cl(η6-C6H6)], exhibits a half-sandwich tripod stand structure and crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group P212121. The arene group is η6 π-coordinated to the Ru atom with a centroid-to-metal distance of 1.6590 (5) Å, with the (S)-2-(4-isopropyl-4,5-di­hydro­oxazol-2-yl)phenolate chelate ligand forming a bite angle of 86.88 (19)° through its N and phenolate O atoms. The pseudo-octa­hedral geometry assumed by the complex is completed by a chloride ligand. The coordination of the optically pure bidentate ligand induces metal centered chirality onto the complex with a Flack parameter of −0.056.

The title compound, [Ru(C12H14NO2)2(C12H8N2)]PF6 crystallizes in the tetra­gonal Sohnke space group P41212. The two bidentate chiral salicyloxazoline ligands and the phenanthroline co-ligand coordinate to the central RuIII atom through N,O and N,N atom pairs to form bite angles of 89.76 (15) and 79.0 (2)°, respectively. The octa­hedral coordination of the bidentate ligands leads to a propeller-like shape, which induces metal-centered chirality onto the complex, with a right-handed (Δ) absolute configuration [the Flack parameter value is −0.003 (14)]. Both the complex cation and the disordered PF6− counter-anion are located on twofold rotation axes. Apart from Coulombic forces, the crystal cohesion is ensured by non-classical C—H⋯O and C—H⋯F inter­actions.

The title compound, [RuCl2(C33H43N3O)], is an example of a new generation of N,N-dialkyl ruthenium catalysts with an N—Ru coordination bond as part of a six-membered chelate ring. The Ru atom has an Addison τ parameter of 0.244, which indicates a geometry inter­mediate between square-based pyramidal and trigonal–bipyramidal. The complex shows the usual trans arrangement of the two chlorides, with Ru—Cl bond lengths of 2.3515 (8) and 2.379 (7) Å, and a Cl—Ru—Cl angle of 158.02 (3)°. One of the chlorine atoms and the atoms of the 2-meth­oxy-N-methyl-N-[(2-methyl­phen­yl)meth­yl]ethane-1-amine group of the title complex display disorder over two positions in a 0.889 (2): 0.111 (2) ratio.

The back cover photo splash from Ruth Batchelor's album "Songs for Women's Liberation: Reviving a Dream"; Credit:

R. H. Greene | Off-Ramp®

I’ve been a member of the LA Film Critics Association since 1999. LAFCA is a good group - collegial and filled with real movie lovers. But it has a problem.

It's a professional organization, meaning a baseline for membership is you have to have a job, and film criticism is overwhelmingly white and male. 78 percent of the top critics listed on RottenTomatoes are male, and women write only 18 percent of the major reviews. So LAFCA is like the profession itself: overwhelmingly a platform for white men.

It's trying to diversify. It has been for years. But how do you do that when the pool you draw from has a huge institutional bias? According to film critic Claudia Puig, "Criticism has been a white male dominated field for very long. And it continues to be. And not just white males, but middle aged."

Claudia is the current LAFCA president - and a legendary critic, who wrote lead reviews for 14 years at USA Today, and now appears regularly on KPCC’s Film Week.

"Very few movies pass the Bechdel Test. Women are often just girlfriends, wives, mothers. They don't get to have a story arc of their own. But if you had more women reviewing these movies, they would point out certain things that people might not notice as potentially offensive. Because we have been harassed, or we have experienced any number of things. It's something I've grappled with through my entire career." - Claudia Puig

I'm on a committee with Claudia for the LA Film Critics. The concept is to mentor young writers - to generate diversity, from the ground up. One idea is to have a scholarship for aspiring female film critics. We thought it would be good to name it after a prominent woman from the group's past.

So I went to Myron Meisel, who joined LAFCA in 1979, just four years after it formed, and I asked him, "Is there a woman you can think of who played an especially prominent role in the history of the LA Film Critics Association?" "Oh!," Myron said. "Ruth Batchelor was the founder and driving force..." "Wait, what?" I asked. "LAFCA was founded by a woman?"

"We weren't shocked. You had Ruth, who was very much concerned with creating a Los Angeles equivalent to the New York Film Critics Association. Which she largely pulled together by force of will. While Ruth was the moving force, you really can't discount her ability to martial the enthusiastic support of Charles Champlin as a co-founder, and the imprimatur of the Los Angeles Times behind him. Ruth had an enviable ability to make everything she undertook seem inevitable." - Myron Meisel

It's poignant, isn't it? And a little creepy. A prestigious group commits to gender diversity, and somehow, it doesn't have the institutional memory to know that the pivotal figure in its history was a woman.

How could we forget Ruth? Batchelor was nothing if not memorable. Before she became a pundit, she was a successful pop songwriter in the style of Neil Sedaka, or Goffin and King. She wrote dozens of songs, recorded by everybody from Phil Spector to the Partridge Family. She wrote Elvis Presley numbers, including "Cotton Candy Land," which might be the most hated track in the Presley catalogue.

But Batchelor also wrote "Where Do You Come From?", which is beautiful.

Elvis Presley performing Ruth Batchelor's "Where do you come from?"

Where do you come from, Ruth?

It wasn't easy to find out.

Batchelor's New York Times obituary was full of false leads. It said she was a critic for National Public Radio. She wasn't, but when NPR searched their archives, they unearthed a lead: a Film Comment article from 1982, where Batchelor is described as "Ruth Batchelor of National Public Radio's 'As it Happens.'" "As It Happens" airs on Canada's CBC.

So I placed a call. And I waited.

Meanwhile, I found a blog post about Batchelor as a songwriter on an excellent site called "Zero to 180 - 3 Minute Magic." The title of the post was riveting: "First 'Women's Liberation LP.'"

It turns out in 1971, Ruth Batchelor self-produced and financed a concept album called "Songs for Women's Liberation: Reviving a Dream." 

Myron Meisel told me about Ruth's earthy sense of humor, and it's right there in the first write-up's, where her working title is "A Quarter for the Ladies Room." A Billboard article from August 1971 quotes Batchelor about the album: "Right now I have an album of dirty Women's Liberation poems recorded, and I'm trying to sell the master." Then she laughs. "The last record company I recorded for folded."

Batchelor shopped her record. There were no takers.

But Batchelor proved unstoppable. She created her own record company and called it Femme Records. Then she put out what the leftist journal Broadside called "the first feminist record album," all by herself. "Reviving a Dream" is forgotten, bordering on lost. It's never been available for streaming, or released on CD.

Batchelor's record is a pastiche of radio styles from her era. There's Joan Baez folk, two drawling country laments, even some call and response stuff Batchelor probably learned from Phil Spector and his girl groups.

Are Batchelor's songs any good? They're amazing. Amazing just because they exist.

She fits into the churning sea of anonymous faces so seamlessly it takes awhile to realize: She's Ruth Batchelor. The woman who founded the LA Film Critics. A group currently struggling with gender diversity.

LAFCA prez Claudia Puig agreed to an interview knowing it had to do with LAFCA, but not what it was about. I played her Batchelor's song "Drop the Mop." Batchelor intended it as an anthem, scored to a tempo of marching feet.

The listen was awkward - like force feeding a roommate your iTunes playlist. Claudia took notes the whole time, to occupy her critical mind, but I could see when it ended that she was moved.

 "Yeah, it's a really interesting song," Claudia said. "My reaction is sort of...ummm..."

Claudia hesitated, looking for words.

"And this was the origin of the group. Yeah. It really kind of... It is really interesting. I'd never heard of her. She was right there, fighting that fight." 

"And here, we were looking for an avatar," I said.

"Right. Right. It means something. This is a really important discovery that you made."

A piece of the portrait was missing - an essential one. It came courtesy of Kevin Robertson, a producer for "As It Happens" at the CBC. Batchelor had been the show's "Hollywood Correspondent" in the early 1980s. There was audio in the archives. Kevin provided me with five MP3s.

Batchelor's CBC brand was gender traditional. She was the tinseltown gadfly, a niche created by Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons in the 1930s. There was gossip about Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson. Richard Burton's widow. Marvin Hamlisch. TV's "Gomer Pyle."

It was kitsch heaven, so I wasn't disappointed. Not exactly. But it was still a bit like listening to Wonder Woman try to be ordinary, because hey, we all gotta eat.

Ruth Batchelor's "Mr. Principal"

The LA Film Critics get a cameo in Batchelor's Oscar season broadcast, when she mentions her LAFCA Awards vote. For awhile, I thought that would be the only audio connecting the "As It Happens" Ruth Batchelor to the feminist fireball she wanted to be.

Then Batchelor starts riffing on "Partners," a buddy cop farce about a straight cop who goes undercover as a gay man. The film had sparked protests from the gay community. Batchelor is unsympathetic, which is surprising in a civil rights pioneer. Her reasoning is devastating.

"You know if women got angry every time there was a movie against women," Batchelor says, "there wouldn't be any movies."

Batchelor died of cancer early - she was just 58. 25 years later, men still direct most mainstream movies - 93 percent as of 2015. They have 70 percent of the speaking parts, and play 88 percent of the leads.

While women get to be naked twice as often in American movies.

Men review almost all movies too. Maybe that's why Ruth Batchelor founded the LA Film Critics. Because she lived in that world. She covered it. Spoke to it. Fought hard against it.

And then left behind a hidden legacy.

"She is our avatar," Claudia says, as our interview time runs out. "It sort of makes me want to redouble our efforts to honor her spirit."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

International Day for the Right to Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims Today, on the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, we are sharing our interview with forensic anthropologist Mercedes Doretti, the Director of North and Central American Programs and Board Member of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), which she also co-founded. Doretti and her colleagues collect and analyze physical evidence of human rights abuses (which often includes identifying the remains of victims of grave human rights abuses and returning them to their families), and they regularly present their findings to tribunals and legal mechanisms around the world to secure justice for those whose rights to life and personal security have been violated.

Ola Krutrim is an AI startup, which has formed a series of strategic partnerships with global majors like Arm and Untether AI for the development of CPU and AI chips, platforms, and systems.

It's a constant buzz in consumers' ears: what they should eat, what they shouldn't. From butter to eggs to bread, it's hard to tell what is true.

It’s no secret that MEP contractors deliver massive value on every project out there. In 2019 alone, MEP contractors generated 46.3% ($70 billion) of total revenue delivered by the ENR Top 600 Specialty Contractors.

Inspired by traditional aguas frescas, Frutitas Agua Fresca, a brand of BlueTriton, introduced Frutitas, available in Mango Pineapple, Strawberry Citrus, and Coconut Lime flavors.

In an exclusive event celebrating the enduring legacy of Ruth and Skitch Henderson, United Nations Accredited NGO Hunt Hill Farm is set to nominate esteemed American composer Kim Scharnberg as Goodwill Ambassador.

The international online conference "Global Crisis. Time for the Truth" is a large-scale event organized by volunteers from 180 countries on the platform of the Creative Society international project.

Considering the enormous economic and national-security impact involved in the restriction of fossil fuel consumption, it is time to take a serious look at why this is being done!