unfridged

• The universe is conspiring against me on this one. The Atlantic reports on a NASA experiment to raise jellyfish in space. “By mission’s close there were some 60,000 jellies orbiting Earth.” SPACE JELLIES. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME UNIVERSE.
• I hesitate to link this Think Progress piece about the women of A Song of Ice and Fire, because at some point I want to write something of my own about George R. R. Martin’s feminism. (Get excited.) So consider this a primer!
• I really resent the ubiquity of “slutty” Halloween costumes, not because dressing sexily is bad, but because the costumes tend to be so boring and uninspired (though I am obviously not a fan of the pressure women feel to wear revealing costumes either). That’s where Take Back Halloween comes in. These costumes are uh-mazing. There’s Ada Lovelace. Anne Bonny. Hatshepsut. Liliuokalani. Pele. Queen Mab. And so, so many more. Check out Baba Yaga’s chicken feet! Check them all out!
• Downton Abbey meets Sims 3 is a surprisingly entertaining mashup, especially when the characters insist on doing very improper things. Here’s the first part of an ongoing series. [New World Notes]
• Classic comics, superhero-fied. [Comic Book Resources]
• The Washington Post explores the racist history of filmography and the politics of filming black skin.
• Which Disney characters would you invite to your Halloween party? [Oh My Disney]
• One hundred men from Connecticut college were asked why vaginas are important to them, and their answers make for a really great video.

Top image: “Queen Mab and the Ruins,” James C. Christensen.