Very Special Birthday, with additional news.

Yuen Biao is 53 today.
Shengri kuai le, Yuen Biao xinsheng. Nin tai hao le.
Have a link showcasing him, to celebrate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1JY4tWdD7o

In other news, Argentina has given same sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, which is very cheering.
And the Iranian government has arrested the wife and brother-in-law of Mohammed Mostafaei, the human rights' lawyer defending Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman facing death for alleged adultery. There's also an arrest warrant out for Mostafaei over his human rights activities and involvement with Ashtiani. Which isn't cheering at all.

Proposal for anonymity for defendants in rape cases dropped,

In the face of widespread protests, the government are dropping the proposal that defendants in rape trials are granted anonymity. From a female point of view, I'm relieved.
What we need now is more work on culture change, so that attitudes to rape change, and more press responsibility around the whole issue, so that the innocent, female and male are not subjected to needless abuse, exposure and humiliation.

More details here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10760239

Metrics and memeage

New words: 1100, which is very satisfyingly shaped, and completely accidental.
First new line: The tide was on its way in: the pawmarks could have been there for some time.
Finally, a body. The king of Ceredigion is dead and his wife is missing.

Writing meme day 7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?

It depends. Most frequently, I have Radio 4 on, which is talk radio, mainly for the company. (I'm surprisingly good at ignoring it.) If it is being intrusive, or annoying, I'll sometimes put on music. I find the latter needs to be either predominantly instrumental or in a language I don't speak, or I find it distracting (and even when I'm listening to Finnish folk, or Hindi film music, I still stop to replay tracks, which is bad for my writing rhythm). Music in English or French can be very off-putting, as I end up listening, singing along, hunting for things it reminds me of and so forth.
Having said which, I do have cue tracks and albums for particular characters. Gracielis' song has always been Alice Cooper, 'Poison', and, despite its subject matter, Valdarrien's is Kate Bush, 'This Woman's Work' (it's the lines 'I know you have a little life in you yet/I know you have a little strength left'). The cue song for my unpublished Gaheris series of novellas is 'The Weapon,' Rush. The very first images for what became Grass King are hooked in my head by the Enya track 'Teahouse Moon', though if Jehan and Aude have a theme, it's 'Wish You Were Here' -- not the Pink Floyd album, but the song by L. Teijo, which has been recorded by various people, though the version I have in mind is that by Blackmore's Night. Drowning Kings so far doesn't have a soundtrack. If it ever does, it's likely to be something by Malicorne or Gabriel Yacoub, I think, as they have the right feel.

Skirt of the day: gold silk wrap.