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Apr. 12th, 2012 04:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* Fighting continues between Sudan and South Sudan. Y'all likely know how I feel about this. Remember, South Sudan was made in the hopes of stopping the genocide the Northerners were inflicting on the Southerners.
* Indonesia seems to have dodged the bullet yesterday. There was an 8.5 earthquake offshore, but luckily it was of the sort less likely to cause a tsunami, though the quake was big enough that they used the warning system to evacuate the costs. It oddly comforting that the government there put in a first rate system and installed signs to help people find safety in a panic. They've had drills before, but this was the first full scale test of the system. The footage I saw didn't look like a "panic" despite the headlines. It looked more like a sensible, orderly evacuation to me, and a prudent precaution given how deadly that tsunami was in 2004. I'm so glad no one was hurt.
For the record? I think the media going "Hur, hur, hur! Indonesia panicked," is an asshole move. They ought to be congratulating Indonesia on how well their new system and all drills worked and be happy for them because a horrible disaster didn't happen. It makes me want to smack heads. Mocking them is such a dick maneuver.
* They have arrested George Zimmerman on a charge of second degree murder amoung other lesser things. Finally. Anyway, second degree murder is the strongest charge she could bring as there is no evidence he left the house planning to kill Trayvon. Florida is one of the many states with a lesser included law, so the manslaughter charges we were all expecting, reckless endangerment, etc.. all fold into that carge and if the jury doesn't go for murder, they can sill find him guilty of the lesser charges. This is all we could reasonably hope for, and just generally a sign that they are really going to prosecute this case. BTW, Zimmerman's new lawyer looks a lot more like a grown up than the previous guys. I do think Zimmerman is entitled to a fair trial, just I think everyone should get one. Having a competent lawyer who isn't just in it for the fame is a good sign that that might happen. My hoping Zimmerman is forced to take responsibility for destroying an innocent young man and doing all that harm to his friends and family, doesn't change my belief that justice is better served by Zimmerman having a competent defense just as it's better served by a serious investigation and prosecution of the crime.
Contrary to FOX "news" claims, no one but a hand full of idiots at the new black Panther Party are calling for a lynching. Everyone else including the family was just calling for a proper investigation and arrest, and maybe repeal of the ALEC sponsored laws legalizing murder in twenty states.
* Speaking of ALEC, The Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, Coke, and Pepsi have joined the mass exodus of ALEC sponsors in the wake of exposes of all the unarmed people murdered thanks to the outrage over Trayvon Martin. It's not just one teenager, but husbands, fiances, and sons across all the states where ALEC has held sway on law makers. (It is usually men who are murdered under these particular laws.
* Congressman Allen West took a page out of Joeseph McCarthy's book, claiming "I believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party. It's called the Congressional Progressive Caucus." O.o He has a list of names. Just like Michelle Bachmann. I wonder if he's planning to reconstitute the committee on unAmerican Activities.
* Willard Romney was out claiming that President Obama is responsible for all the job loss in the January before his election. That happened to be the worst job loss month in the Great Recession. I'm filing his latest claims about the economic figures under time traveling Obama news. He also is distorting the truth when he leaves out that mostly men lost their jobs before President Obama's inauguration, and that women were more likely to lose there's in the later half. The argument that the President's attempts to save the economy somehow made it much worse than doubling down on the things that caused the crisis goes against all common sense and a couple hundred years of economic data, nor is it somehow proof of President Obama's misogyny.
* More creepy corrupt stuff going on to prevent Democracy being reestablished in Michigan: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#47024394
* Colbert on the War on Women. He's really capturing the Republican condescension here: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/412126/april-09-2012/stephen-colbert-s-lady-heroes---glen-grothman
* Hector's starting to protest me sleeping again. Sigh. I did get that which needed doing today done, so I'm calling today a win anyway.
* So I've been reading Tamora Peirce's Bekka Cooper Books. they take place a few hundred years before the Alana books in a version of Tortall were women are equal. There's LGBT folk in there (The trans character shows up in the second book). It seems idyllic right? Little mystery novels in a feminist sort of setting with one of Ms. Peirce's strong intelligent female leads having adventures. I'm on the third book Mastiff now. You can see the shadow starting to fall, the constriction of women's options, women's roles, women's careers. *shudder* It's utterly chilling and very well done as well as being pertinent to what's going on right now. As painful it is to watch, it's as important in it's way as watching the Protector of the small integrate the military school as part of the opposite process. I hope this reaches the girls and boys who need it. (I think it'd do the boys good to feel what it's like to have the walls closing in the way it often does for girls). I hope there are plenty of teachers and librarians quietly pointing students towards these books like I used to do with her other books.
* For the record, part of what I love about Tamora Peirce books is that they don't reinforce the one true love the first boy/girl friend you have as a teenager is going to be your one and only that is so common in YA fiction. (One of the series has a main character a woman of colour who loves another woman of colour. It's been several years and I now forget if she was lesbian or bi, anyway that's why I'm not being gender specific on partners here). Her characters have sexual agency, they use birth control, they do things like turning down marriage proposals even if they love whomever if they think it's a bad mistake. In the case of Mastiff, Bekka's complex and ambivalent relationship with her dead ex is realistic and instructive. I honestly think that the young women in Peirce books are good for real life young women to read about because both the things that go wrong and right give much more realistic and healthy models for negotiating relationships and life's messier choices than a lot of the things the culture feeds them. Dealing with what turn out to be bad decisions with a wry sense of humor is a life skill no one should be without really and in real life the world doesn't end with your first break up.
* This references Glee and specifically a dance move, but it's really about what it means to see someone like oneself on TV for the first time: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/20928527297/things-im-not-supposed-to-say-because-personal
* Was that Chad Coleman on Criminal Minds tonight? It's not listed in his credits and the full cast for the episode (The Company) wasn't up yet. Of not, I'd love to know who it was. BTW, it was nice to see Derek Morgan getting some more arc resolution. He tends to be rather underwritten, and they've been giving him more to do lately which is nice.
* A thing on Oudh and endangered agarwood: http://www.cafleurebon.com/the-mysterious-oud-wood-its-ancient-heritage-m-micallef-three-oud-perfume-draw/
* Indonesia seems to have dodged the bullet yesterday. There was an 8.5 earthquake offshore, but luckily it was of the sort less likely to cause a tsunami, though the quake was big enough that they used the warning system to evacuate the costs. It oddly comforting that the government there put in a first rate system and installed signs to help people find safety in a panic. They've had drills before, but this was the first full scale test of the system. The footage I saw didn't look like a "panic" despite the headlines. It looked more like a sensible, orderly evacuation to me, and a prudent precaution given how deadly that tsunami was in 2004. I'm so glad no one was hurt.
For the record? I think the media going "Hur, hur, hur! Indonesia panicked," is an asshole move. They ought to be congratulating Indonesia on how well their new system and all drills worked and be happy for them because a horrible disaster didn't happen. It makes me want to smack heads. Mocking them is such a dick maneuver.
* They have arrested George Zimmerman on a charge of second degree murder amoung other lesser things. Finally. Anyway, second degree murder is the strongest charge she could bring as there is no evidence he left the house planning to kill Trayvon. Florida is one of the many states with a lesser included law, so the manslaughter charges we were all expecting, reckless endangerment, etc.. all fold into that carge and if the jury doesn't go for murder, they can sill find him guilty of the lesser charges. This is all we could reasonably hope for, and just generally a sign that they are really going to prosecute this case. BTW, Zimmerman's new lawyer looks a lot more like a grown up than the previous guys. I do think Zimmerman is entitled to a fair trial, just I think everyone should get one. Having a competent lawyer who isn't just in it for the fame is a good sign that that might happen. My hoping Zimmerman is forced to take responsibility for destroying an innocent young man and doing all that harm to his friends and family, doesn't change my belief that justice is better served by Zimmerman having a competent defense just as it's better served by a serious investigation and prosecution of the crime.
Contrary to FOX "news" claims, no one but a hand full of idiots at the new black Panther Party are calling for a lynching. Everyone else including the family was just calling for a proper investigation and arrest, and maybe repeal of the ALEC sponsored laws legalizing murder in twenty states.
* Speaking of ALEC, The Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, Coke, and Pepsi have joined the mass exodus of ALEC sponsors in the wake of exposes of all the unarmed people murdered thanks to the outrage over Trayvon Martin. It's not just one teenager, but husbands, fiances, and sons across all the states where ALEC has held sway on law makers. (It is usually men who are murdered under these particular laws.
* Congressman Allen West took a page out of Joeseph McCarthy's book, claiming "I believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party. It's called the Congressional Progressive Caucus." O.o He has a list of names. Just like Michelle Bachmann. I wonder if he's planning to reconstitute the committee on unAmerican Activities.
* Willard Romney was out claiming that President Obama is responsible for all the job loss in the January before his election. That happened to be the worst job loss month in the Great Recession. I'm filing his latest claims about the economic figures under time traveling Obama news. He also is distorting the truth when he leaves out that mostly men lost their jobs before President Obama's inauguration, and that women were more likely to lose there's in the later half. The argument that the President's attempts to save the economy somehow made it much worse than doubling down on the things that caused the crisis goes against all common sense and a couple hundred years of economic data, nor is it somehow proof of President Obama's misogyny.
* More creepy corrupt stuff going on to prevent Democracy being reestablished in Michigan: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#47024394
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Colbert on the War on Women. He's really capturing the Republican condescension here: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/412126/april-09-2012/stephen-colbert-s-lady-heroes---glen-grothman
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* Hector's starting to protest me sleeping again. Sigh. I did get that which needed doing today done, so I'm calling today a win anyway.
* So I've been reading Tamora Peirce's Bekka Cooper Books. they take place a few hundred years before the Alana books in a version of Tortall were women are equal. There's LGBT folk in there (The trans character shows up in the second book). It seems idyllic right? Little mystery novels in a feminist sort of setting with one of Ms. Peirce's strong intelligent female leads having adventures. I'm on the third book Mastiff now. You can see the shadow starting to fall, the constriction of women's options, women's roles, women's careers. *shudder* It's utterly chilling and very well done as well as being pertinent to what's going on right now. As painful it is to watch, it's as important in it's way as watching the Protector of the small integrate the military school as part of the opposite process. I hope this reaches the girls and boys who need it. (I think it'd do the boys good to feel what it's like to have the walls closing in the way it often does for girls). I hope there are plenty of teachers and librarians quietly pointing students towards these books like I used to do with her other books.
* For the record, part of what I love about Tamora Peirce books is that they don't reinforce the one true love the first boy/girl friend you have as a teenager is going to be your one and only that is so common in YA fiction. (One of the series has a main character a woman of colour who loves another woman of colour. It's been several years and I now forget if she was lesbian or bi, anyway that's why I'm not being gender specific on partners here). Her characters have sexual agency, they use birth control, they do things like turning down marriage proposals even if they love whomever if they think it's a bad mistake. In the case of Mastiff, Bekka's complex and ambivalent relationship with her dead ex is realistic and instructive. I honestly think that the young women in Peirce books are good for real life young women to read about because both the things that go wrong and right give much more realistic and healthy models for negotiating relationships and life's messier choices than a lot of the things the culture feeds them. Dealing with what turn out to be bad decisions with a wry sense of humor is a life skill no one should be without really and in real life the world doesn't end with your first break up.
* This references Glee and specifically a dance move, but it's really about what it means to see someone like oneself on TV for the first time: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/20928527297/things-im-not-supposed-to-say-because-personal
* Was that Chad Coleman on Criminal Minds tonight? It's not listed in his credits and the full cast for the episode (The Company) wasn't up yet. Of not, I'd love to know who it was. BTW, it was nice to see Derek Morgan getting some more arc resolution. He tends to be rather underwritten, and they've been giving him more to do lately which is nice.
* A thing on Oudh and endangered agarwood: http://www.cafleurebon.com/the-mysterious-oud-wood-its-ancient-heritage-m-micallef-three-oud-perfume-draw/