INSPIRED BY FRIDAY V.6

Happy Friday, fellow readers! How was your week? Mine was pretty great - I spent the first half preparing for a presentation that got cancelled, twice, due to a snowstorm that never happened. Gotta love winter, right? Anyway, on to this week's links!

More about the double-standards surrounding female characters - female protagonists especially.

The Olympics are over (I think?) but here's a really cool article in to the inner lives of figure skaters.

As someone who's read the first four books of Game of Thrones, this article sums up my feelings on the books and their 'strong female characters' pretty well. (now, let's be real here - I think it's great that females are being written about, and that a lot of people are enjoying this. But - BUT Martin does it in a REALLY creepy way).

In other news - here's a great book to read about medieval females that doesn't suck and isn't creepy as heck.  And here's an article with more great books like it. And links to more in the comments! (I plan on reading a lot of these)

Speaking of feminism, here's an article everyone should read on the history of silence and women in public speaking. 

This is pure gold.

After you've read the history of silencing women in public speaking, give this article a read, and shake your head.

I loved this article on the two-lane highway in rural america far too much.

After experiencing a terrifying encounter in an airport a few years ago, I wonder if I appear on any of these 'watch lists'...
"Enemies who are not found are created."

Oh look! 100 ways to stay creative. I just can't NOT read any of these lists that pass my way...