“Comic book heroine Batwoman is to make a comeback as a “lipstick lesbian” who moonlights as a crime fighter, a DC Comics spokesman has confirmed.” (BBC)

Amnesty to target net repression
“Internet users are being urged to stand up for online freedoms by backing a new campaign launched by human rights group Amnesty International.” (BBC)
“Just try logging on to the BBC News website from an internet cafe in China. You can’t. The same goes for websites for The New York Times, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and a host of others which could hardly be described as pornographic or “dangerous”.

In its quest to control the internet China has sought help from overseas. Some large, US-based computer software companies are believed to have sold Beijing the sophisticated software needed to run its filtering system. Companies like Google and Yahoo! have also been accused of co-operating in China’s internet censorship.” (BBC)
“Some 45 years after an Observer article launched Amnesty, The Observer and Amnesty International have teamed up again to campaign against a new threat to our freedom – internet repression.” (Observer)
Find out more at http://irrepressible.info.
You can add a badge to your site or email with content that is censored somewhere in the world:

This is the most surreal thing I’ve heard all week:
“Hackney Council has threatened to sue sportswear giant Nike for allegedly using their logo without permission.” (BBC)
From the Hackney Council website: “The logo, which appears on public buildings, council vans, staff uniforms and street signs across Hackney, has been used by Nike on t-shirts, vests, trainers and footballs designed to promote Nike’s grassroots football campaign for the World Cup.”
And you can see why I like Hackney: the Mayor said: “I also want assurances from Nike that all this kit has been ethically produced.”

Leaving aside the evils of super-casinos, this sounds interesting: “an exhibition in London’s Mark Jason Gallery next week, which will be using “mood influencing” aromas, and other casino-style “mind tricks” to see if art viewers can be turned into art buyers”. (BBC)

I’m in Brussels until Sunday night, and so far it’s been fabulous. Met Dreeny at the station, and we went to a private party at one of the bars in the gay area. There was a military theme, which meant that everyone was equipped with water pistols, and there was a free-form water pistol battle going on most of the night.
I haven’t done much sight-seeing yet but I’ve been so busy and stressed at work that time spent relaxing is just what I need. Dreeny has lots of cool parties and club nights lined up for us over the next few days.

And more in the ‘depressing environmental news’ section: “Fish stocks in international waters are being plundered to the point of extinction, a leading conservationist group has said.
Illegal fishing and bottom-trawling in deep waters are to blame, according to a report from WWF.
It says the current system of regional fishing regulation is failing to tackle the problem, with not enough being done to enforce quotas or replenish stocks.” (BBC)
Really depressing pictures of the seabed before and after trawling:

People sometimes ask why I don’t eat fish – this is why.