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Mar. 29th, 2012 02:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* The thirteen year old witness who called 911 at the time of the shooting still maintains he saw Trayvon on the ground calling for help and the the yells were cut off by the shot. (His dog got off the leash so he didn't see the murder itself, though what he did see and hear backs up the murder theory and contradicts Zimmerman's claims). It's sounding like Homicide detective Chris Serino did believe the boy when he interviewed him. This is the same detective who's filing to arrest got over ruled.
* A surveillance video the night of the murder does not show injuries consistent with Zimmerman's story.
* The murder reenactment looks to make no sense at all, reinforcing the impression that he made up the self defense claim after the fact. Zimmerman's father is now claiming that Trayvon threatened to kill his son even though that isn't in the initial statement if it would have been if Trayvon had said it. None of these things fit the other witness statements, Zimmerman's initial statement, or the established facts (like Zimmerman's lack of severe injuries consistant with his claims and the state of the body).
* An African American congressman was ejected from a session today for wearing a hoodie.
* FOX "news" and other right wing sources are claiming that the President is responsible for this controversy, even though he was not in Florida at the time of the murder and it's cover up, nor involved in the murder in any way. I don't see the logic. He commented well after the fact. The people responsible for this controversy are the murderer and the DA who covered it up. This looks a lot like similar claims that Decocrats and the president in particular are somehow responsible for the birth control controversy and not Republicans on the state and federal level trying to pass laws denying women access.
* In case you are curious, the NRA wrote and paid for the Florida "Stand your Ground" law to pass, then used it as a template to get similar laws legalizing murder passed all over the country.
* It turns out forcing the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage to release a bunch of material in Maine uncovered that they planned to drive a wedge between the black and gay communities in a way that was very successful during the Prop 8 fight in particular: http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/brian-moulton-decries-racially-divisive-tactics-promoted-by-the-national-organization-for-marriage
* Re: The rogue pilot on that Las Vegas flight. It was lucky that there was a quick thinking co-pilot able to lure him out of the cocpit and then reset the codes fast enough, and that there were a bunch of security professionals on the way to a convention on the flight. I'm guessing something psychiatric or biological (some tumors can cause the symptoms described). I suppose drugs are possible, but I'm betting against, honestly. I do not think this sort of thing is really preventable unless he exhibited red flags in advance. I also think the chances of a break like this happening in the air are vanishingly rare. After all, it's never happened before in more than a century of manned flight.
I think it's way too soon to panic folks.
* re: Health care reform Supreme Court case. you know what would have saved all this trouble? Medicare for all instead of going with the Republican plan. Now there is risk of the whole thing being struck down, including protections against losing insurance for getting sick, not just the individual mandate.
* It's looking like there is a pattern of child abuse at yet another unregulated and uncertified Christian boarding school, this time in Montana. They systematically used choking as a discipline method and a male rape survivor has come forward. A rapist on staff who attacked two other children has gone to jail. The argument is that Religious schools should be immune from regulation and inspection because the abuse is a religious principle and therefore covered by the first amendment. After all if the free exercise of religion requires the abuse of children that's totally okay as free practice of religion trumps the children's right to be free of bodily harm and sexual assault.
* I think it is telling that no one at The Conservative Teen thought maybe having the magazine be all white people might be problematic.
* Texts found in a statue: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/buddha-goes-to-the-hospital-medical-scans-reveal-rare-documents-inside-17th-century-sculpture/2012/03/22/gIQADq96TS_story.html
* Cool 14th century seal found: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Silver-Lincolnshire-field-sparks-British-Museum/story-15534605-detail/story.html
* The diet of Nelson's sailors consistent with Tudor Era sailors: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-03-archaeologists-reconstruct-diet-nelson-navy.html
* Reexamining Victoria's crown: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=54289
* Sunken Cities: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/318530/20120323/sunken-city-atlantis-cities-mediterranean-world-around.htm
* Speculation about Religion and the Mayan Decline: http://news.yahoo.com/did-belief-gods-lead-mayan-demise-223407714.html
I'm rather skeptical as there are enough other reasons, but I can't rule it out as a factor. The thing is, highlands are always last to go under cultivation and first to be abandoned pretty much everywhere in the world and at any time since agriculture was invented. It doesn't take a belief in ghosts. Highlands tend to be rockier, have poorer soil, and require more complex methods that vary by local conditions (things like erosion abatement, irrigation, special tools, etc..). In a population decline, most people concentrate on the areas easiest to cultivate because it's less hassle. You can see this in Europe during the climate crisis/Barbarian invasion during the Roman decline and across Eurasia during the Pestilence decline from 1348-1400. You can see it in Middle east during and imediately after the mongol Invasion. You don't need a religious excuse. Like I said, this doesn't prove that religion might not have exacerbated it, but I'm not seeing conclusive proof here that it did.
* I apologize for splitting up the archeology/history news round up, but it took me a while to sort through.
* I successfully foraged and got meds, but I failed at my hyacinth bulb and asparagus seed quest. I got a decent deal on gladiola bulbs, though. Hector's still struggling, but he's gradually deescalating.
* I'm bummed out. I finally got my hands on the sequel to Happy Hour of the Damned only to discover the author using "tranny" with no acknowledgement that it's an unacceptable anti-trans slur. In general Road Trip of the Living Dead's just not that fun anyway. Bah. I suggest not bothering.
* For the record, sour cream is not a good flavour for ice cream. Just trust me on this one.
* Noe that I've thought about it, I'd be much more likely to see Lockout if they actually did send Snake Pleskin as Squirrel suggested.
* Less than 3 days. Two no bid:
BPAL 20 Imp: GC, LE, and Discontinued: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683580225
BPAL 2 Partial bottle Lot LE: INGANOK JEWELERS and IRON PHOENIX: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683581366
THE LADY OF LAKE RONKONKOMA 2010 (New York Comic-Con, LE): (Company says:. Balsamic, reedy water, sweetgrass, algae, loosestrife, and lady’s slipper.) To label top.: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683582818
LEATHER PHOENIX 2011 (LE, BPAL Anniversary): (Company says: matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black Leather accord.) To shoulder: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683587795
SHILL 2005 (LE, Carnival Noir): (Company says: Gloriously innocent and guileless: pure buttered popcorn!) Tested once: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683589969
* A surveillance video the night of the murder does not show injuries consistent with Zimmerman's story.
* The murder reenactment looks to make no sense at all, reinforcing the impression that he made up the self defense claim after the fact. Zimmerman's father is now claiming that Trayvon threatened to kill his son even though that isn't in the initial statement if it would have been if Trayvon had said it. None of these things fit the other witness statements, Zimmerman's initial statement, or the established facts (like Zimmerman's lack of severe injuries consistant with his claims and the state of the body).
* An African American congressman was ejected from a session today for wearing a hoodie.
* FOX "news" and other right wing sources are claiming that the President is responsible for this controversy, even though he was not in Florida at the time of the murder and it's cover up, nor involved in the murder in any way. I don't see the logic. He commented well after the fact. The people responsible for this controversy are the murderer and the DA who covered it up. This looks a lot like similar claims that Decocrats and the president in particular are somehow responsible for the birth control controversy and not Republicans on the state and federal level trying to pass laws denying women access.
* In case you are curious, the NRA wrote and paid for the Florida "Stand your Ground" law to pass, then used it as a template to get similar laws legalizing murder passed all over the country.
* It turns out forcing the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage to release a bunch of material in Maine uncovered that they planned to drive a wedge between the black and gay communities in a way that was very successful during the Prop 8 fight in particular: http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/brian-moulton-decries-racially-divisive-tactics-promoted-by-the-national-organization-for-marriage
* Re: The rogue pilot on that Las Vegas flight. It was lucky that there was a quick thinking co-pilot able to lure him out of the cocpit and then reset the codes fast enough, and that there were a bunch of security professionals on the way to a convention on the flight. I'm guessing something psychiatric or biological (some tumors can cause the symptoms described). I suppose drugs are possible, but I'm betting against, honestly. I do not think this sort of thing is really preventable unless he exhibited red flags in advance. I also think the chances of a break like this happening in the air are vanishingly rare. After all, it's never happened before in more than a century of manned flight.
I think it's way too soon to panic folks.
* re: Health care reform Supreme Court case. you know what would have saved all this trouble? Medicare for all instead of going with the Republican plan. Now there is risk of the whole thing being struck down, including protections against losing insurance for getting sick, not just the individual mandate.
* It's looking like there is a pattern of child abuse at yet another unregulated and uncertified Christian boarding school, this time in Montana. They systematically used choking as a discipline method and a male rape survivor has come forward. A rapist on staff who attacked two other children has gone to jail. The argument is that Religious schools should be immune from regulation and inspection because the abuse is a religious principle and therefore covered by the first amendment. After all if the free exercise of religion requires the abuse of children that's totally okay as free practice of religion trumps the children's right to be free of bodily harm and sexual assault.
* I think it is telling that no one at The Conservative Teen thought maybe having the magazine be all white people might be problematic.
* Texts found in a statue: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/buddha-goes-to-the-hospital-medical-scans-reveal-rare-documents-inside-17th-century-sculpture/2012/03/22/gIQADq96TS_story.html
* Cool 14th century seal found: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Silver-Lincolnshire-field-sparks-British-Museum/story-15534605-detail/story.html
* The diet of Nelson's sailors consistent with Tudor Era sailors: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-03-archaeologists-reconstruct-diet-nelson-navy.html
* Reexamining Victoria's crown: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=54289
* Sunken Cities: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/318530/20120323/sunken-city-atlantis-cities-mediterranean-world-around.htm
* Speculation about Religion and the Mayan Decline: http://news.yahoo.com/did-belief-gods-lead-mayan-demise-223407714.html
I'm rather skeptical as there are enough other reasons, but I can't rule it out as a factor. The thing is, highlands are always last to go under cultivation and first to be abandoned pretty much everywhere in the world and at any time since agriculture was invented. It doesn't take a belief in ghosts. Highlands tend to be rockier, have poorer soil, and require more complex methods that vary by local conditions (things like erosion abatement, irrigation, special tools, etc..). In a population decline, most people concentrate on the areas easiest to cultivate because it's less hassle. You can see this in Europe during the climate crisis/Barbarian invasion during the Roman decline and across Eurasia during the Pestilence decline from 1348-1400. You can see it in Middle east during and imediately after the mongol Invasion. You don't need a religious excuse. Like I said, this doesn't prove that religion might not have exacerbated it, but I'm not seeing conclusive proof here that it did.
* I apologize for splitting up the archeology/history news round up, but it took me a while to sort through.
* I successfully foraged and got meds, but I failed at my hyacinth bulb and asparagus seed quest. I got a decent deal on gladiola bulbs, though. Hector's still struggling, but he's gradually deescalating.
* I'm bummed out. I finally got my hands on the sequel to Happy Hour of the Damned only to discover the author using "tranny" with no acknowledgement that it's an unacceptable anti-trans slur. In general Road Trip of the Living Dead's just not that fun anyway. Bah. I suggest not bothering.
* For the record, sour cream is not a good flavour for ice cream. Just trust me on this one.
* Noe that I've thought about it, I'd be much more likely to see Lockout if they actually did send Snake Pleskin as Squirrel suggested.
* Less than 3 days. Two no bid:
BPAL 20 Imp: GC, LE, and Discontinued: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683580225
BPAL 2 Partial bottle Lot LE: INGANOK JEWELERS and IRON PHOENIX: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683581366
THE LADY OF LAKE RONKONKOMA 2010 (New York Comic-Con, LE): (Company says:. Balsamic, reedy water, sweetgrass, algae, loosestrife, and lady’s slipper.) To label top.: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683582818
LEATHER PHOENIX 2011 (LE, BPAL Anniversary): (Company says: matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black Leather accord.) To shoulder: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683587795
SHILL 2005 (LE, Carnival Noir): (Company says: Gloriously innocent and guileless: pure buttered popcorn!) Tested once: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300683589969