(no subject)
Jun. 26th, 2012 03:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* Landslides have destroyed three villages in Uganda. Last I checked they can't even begin to guess how many are actually dead or just missing, though they have confirmed 20 dead. The Red Cross is already on site and they are digging for survivors. For the Red Cross Uganda if you want to help: http://www.redcrossug.org/
* It looks like Syria also fired on a Turkish rescue plane. NATO has officially condemned Syria's aggression and says they support Turkey, but it is unclear what if anything is going to be done. Syria is now using artillery against civilian neighborhoods in Damascus as the genocide against the Sunni continues.
* Germany is claiming austerity measures in Greece aren’t harsh enough. This is likely because the main goal and highest priority of EU economic policy is to keep inflation artificially low in Germany. The real human misery and the crippling of the Greek economy for the next generation or two is a small price to pay for that. (Similarly, the real human misery and crippling of the economies of Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and possibly France.) Heaven fore fend people in Germany pay a slightly higher price for things when the people in Greece aren’t yet quite literally starving to death.
* It is now looking like the man made economic crisis in the West is dragging down India and possibly China. Sigh.
* BBC did a thing on North Korean Defectors trying to "rebrand" in the face of South Korean prejudice: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18584679
* Remember that huge fire in Colorado burning through beetle devastated forests? It's still spreading. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated as of this writing. Il_volpe can see the smoke from where he lives: http://il-volpe.livejournal.com/30796.html
It's hard to get my head around the scale of the fire.
* Hector's on day three of a manic episode. He won't shut up and eat, preferring to howl about how hungry he is; he won't sleep, preferring to howl about how sleepy he is. He won't leave me alone and won't stop trying to steal what I'm eating. I keep having to lift him off the keyboard. I really wish birmins came with a sleep function or at least a mute button. I'm already exhausted and frazzled. There are only so many hours of howling a day I can handle. It's like living with a car alarm. He is letting me sleep at least. The black cats got a short walk after I did some gardening yesterday, but the rain was back today. They are pretty sure this is my fault and are sulking and complaining about it.
* As I'm having to drain my savings to cover bills lately, I've also been replacing one thing that wears out a month. This month I replaced the set of sheets that had worn to tatters as I keep getting my leg caught in it. I now have matching black sheets and pillow cases. This is the first time all my pillows and sheets matched at the same time since Annapolis. The blankets don't match, alas. Anyway, I am in the habit of piling all the propping pillows and blankets up at the head of the bed when I get up to prevent cats mesting in them in awkward positions at bedtime. (I have this elaborate system to prop my limbs in ways that cause the least pain and to promote reasonable mobility when I get up.) Anyway, the sheet situation, while aesthetically pleasing, turns out to be rough on Hector, as with his poor eye sight he has trouble spotting black cats on the bed or differentiating between cats, pillows, and my navy blue backpack, poor beastie. The results are predictable.
* When I went out to pay bills in person today, I spotted something a little sad out on the Guide. There are usually a string of teenagers in silly outfits dancing about with signs to distract motorists. It's a crappy job, especially in the heat or rain, but it's a job teenagers can still get in this economy. They have started replacing the dancing teenagers with machines, the effect being rather like a disembodied sign dancing about. More efficient, I know, but still, it means those jobs are all going to be gone soon and a crappy minimum wage job is better than no job at all. Sigh.
* I stopped in to talk to my landlady about the bathtub drain, and she noticed my Robotic Scarab, and I think I may have enabled her. This is the second person this week I've pointed towards BPAL. *facepalm* She loved that it smelled good but "not like a perfume."
* I watched Pontypool last night, which is rather like what would happen if The Crazies and Lullaby had a Canadian baby. I need to play with it's language and root around in it's memes, but I think it needs a month at least of digesting before I can play with it productively.
* What does one do with goat's milk (besides making cheese)?
* I think I'm in love: http://www.etsy.com/listing/78068184/similar?ex=etsy_finds&ref=etsy_finds&filters=geekery+steampunk
* It looks like Syria also fired on a Turkish rescue plane. NATO has officially condemned Syria's aggression and says they support Turkey, but it is unclear what if anything is going to be done. Syria is now using artillery against civilian neighborhoods in Damascus as the genocide against the Sunni continues.
* Germany is claiming austerity measures in Greece aren’t harsh enough. This is likely because the main goal and highest priority of EU economic policy is to keep inflation artificially low in Germany. The real human misery and the crippling of the Greek economy for the next generation or two is a small price to pay for that. (Similarly, the real human misery and crippling of the economies of Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and possibly France.) Heaven fore fend people in Germany pay a slightly higher price for things when the people in Greece aren’t yet quite literally starving to death.
* It is now looking like the man made economic crisis in the West is dragging down India and possibly China. Sigh.
* BBC did a thing on North Korean Defectors trying to "rebrand" in the face of South Korean prejudice: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18584679
* Remember that huge fire in Colorado burning through beetle devastated forests? It's still spreading. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated as of this writing. Il_volpe can see the smoke from where he lives: http://il-volpe.livejournal.com/30796.html
It's hard to get my head around the scale of the fire.
* Hector's on day three of a manic episode. He won't shut up and eat, preferring to howl about how hungry he is; he won't sleep, preferring to howl about how sleepy he is. He won't leave me alone and won't stop trying to steal what I'm eating. I keep having to lift him off the keyboard. I really wish birmins came with a sleep function or at least a mute button. I'm already exhausted and frazzled. There are only so many hours of howling a day I can handle. It's like living with a car alarm. He is letting me sleep at least. The black cats got a short walk after I did some gardening yesterday, but the rain was back today. They are pretty sure this is my fault and are sulking and complaining about it.
* As I'm having to drain my savings to cover bills lately, I've also been replacing one thing that wears out a month. This month I replaced the set of sheets that had worn to tatters as I keep getting my leg caught in it. I now have matching black sheets and pillow cases. This is the first time all my pillows and sheets matched at the same time since Annapolis. The blankets don't match, alas. Anyway, I am in the habit of piling all the propping pillows and blankets up at the head of the bed when I get up to prevent cats mesting in them in awkward positions at bedtime. (I have this elaborate system to prop my limbs in ways that cause the least pain and to promote reasonable mobility when I get up.) Anyway, the sheet situation, while aesthetically pleasing, turns out to be rough on Hector, as with his poor eye sight he has trouble spotting black cats on the bed or differentiating between cats, pillows, and my navy blue backpack, poor beastie. The results are predictable.
* When I went out to pay bills in person today, I spotted something a little sad out on the Guide. There are usually a string of teenagers in silly outfits dancing about with signs to distract motorists. It's a crappy job, especially in the heat or rain, but it's a job teenagers can still get in this economy. They have started replacing the dancing teenagers with machines, the effect being rather like a disembodied sign dancing about. More efficient, I know, but still, it means those jobs are all going to be gone soon and a crappy minimum wage job is better than no job at all. Sigh.
* I stopped in to talk to my landlady about the bathtub drain, and she noticed my Robotic Scarab, and I think I may have enabled her. This is the second person this week I've pointed towards BPAL. *facepalm* She loved that it smelled good but "not like a perfume."
* I watched Pontypool last night, which is rather like what would happen if The Crazies and Lullaby had a Canadian baby. I need to play with it's language and root around in it's memes, but I think it needs a month at least of digesting before I can play with it productively.
* What does one do with goat's milk (besides making cheese)?
* I think I'm in love: http://www.etsy.com/listing/78068184/similar?ex=etsy_finds&ref=etsy_finds&filters=geekery+steampunk
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-27 01:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-27 04:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-27 04:50 am (UTC)But I keep stepping out onto my deck and staring at it, with far more amazement than horror. It's so huge, and strange, and weirdly beautiful.
Fortunately, people are taking the evacuation orders seriously and getting out in good time.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-29 12:24 am (UTC)Sometimes the most terrible and frightening things are also the most beautiful.
Thank you for keeping me updated on things. I like knowing you are okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-27 06:19 am (UTC)As for dancing signs, one of the benefits of having humans do it is they can be out where signs and adverts aren't allowed, so I'm sure some people will continue to employ them. The pay can actually be pretty good. I've seen sign dancer listings on Craigslist for $10 per hour.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-27 08:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-29 12:22 am (UTC)