(no subject)

* The house Republicans keep saying that they don't have time to vote to create jobs because their Abortion ban is more pressing. After all, making it so that hospitals can turn away women who are bleeding to death from miscarriage is waaaay more important than something that would actually help people. Pro-life my hairy ass. Looks pro-Death to be to demand miscarriage be a death sentence. Think of all the women they can kill out of the approximately 30 million women who miscarry in this country every year. Pro-cancer. Pro-letting women bleed to death in front of the ER for no apparent reason. Not a single one of them explained how this was intended to create jobs or help the economy. I mean, yes, I can see how it's good for the funeral industry, but that can't have much of an economic impact, certainly not enough of one to justify the death, disabling, and/or emotional damage this would cause every single year.

Currently, the only people who emergency rooms can legally refuse to treat when they are literally bleeding to death are trans folk, because we are not generally considered people in this country. This is reprehensible enough. the Republicans want to make it legal to deny more than half of the US population emergency care also on the basis of Gender. What would Jesus do? Let innocent people bleed to death according to Republicans. I keep seeing Christians claiming their right to discriminate trumps the right of other people to actually live.

* The Koch Brothers are planning to spend at least 200 million dollars or more just to defeat Obama. 92 Percent of Carl Roads American crossroads funds this year come from just three men. This is the role of Citizen's united in corrupting our political system

* It's looking like Herman Cain's 999 plan will nearly double taxes for the middle class, but it's a huge tax cut for the rich who are already paying significantly lower rates, so that's okay with Republicans.

* In New York, they are planning to use Wisconsin tactics to break up the protest. In Portland, they arrested some folks for blocking streets, but the Mayor has promised the bulk of the protesters on two squares where they don't block traffic will be left alone. In LA, this are staying calm, which is still blowing me away. there's permit issues being worked through in DC. There's been nastiness in Iowa, there have also been state reps in the protest. AFL/CIO and some other unions are providing strong support for the movement. It's spreading to smaller cities and some towns, but mostly in smaller duration protests, it sounds like. 54% of Americans approve of Occupy wall Street. 27% approve of the Tea Party.

* The virus ramped up on me today, to the point the coughing radically interfered with sleep. I accomplished nothing. I'm running out of time. To give you an idea how bad it is, medicinal tea tastes delicious.

* Hector actually threw a temper tantrum about me being sick and not wanting to follow him around the house when I know damned well his tummy's full of goosh with throwing the Welsh flag at me. His exaggerated harrumph face, flouncing, and the flag throwing just struck me as really funny. Not the response he was hoping for, poor thing.

* I've been dreaming of the sea again. It's one of the very few things i miss about the east coast: a sea I can swim in. Out here you need a wet suit and I've never had that kind of money. I miss sand it's safe to walk on that won't cut one's feet. Out here, it mostly rocky coastline, utterly beautiful, but not friendly to the feet. I miss giving myself to the waves and letting them spin me, trusting I'll wash up safe in the shallows. I miss the boardwalk and the rides and those waffle ice cream sandwiches, and real salt taffy, and even the fudgey wudgey ice cream men. Do they still have those? I dream over and over of an Ocean I'll likely never see again. The Pacific is so beautiful and so treacherous. The Atlantic looks furious, but cradles one in it's arms.

* There's been a change in my dream architecture again. The Drowned Library is finally dry, the books and shelves and furniture nearly all gone, except a few forgotten leftovers in the inner corner of the upper gallery. A few shattered books on battered shelves, some broken carts and study carrels to damaged to bother with. That library's been partially under water in my subconscious for decades.
It occurs to me I haven't seen the Carnivorous Cathedral in at least three years, maybe longer. The carnivorous cathedral is a rare moveable landmark that ranges within a particular territory of my dream geography, a rare unfixed object, which makes a prolonged abcense harder to spot. Not that I miss it, just that I'm now wondering what else is shifting.

* "Girls with Bad Attitudes:" http://slatebreakers.com/2011/10/13/use-your-gray-matter-girls-with-bad-attitudes/#more-489

* Lurkitty on a horrifying thing happening in Alabama: http://lurkitty.livejournal.com/487377.html

* RM found this horrifying thing: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html?_r=1

* This is as cool as that time I saw four college guys in matching suit a capella caroling Bach at Halloween: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/11396900981/certaintendencies-qwopisinthemailbox

* Gaia's just added two Halloween items clearly riffing on Repo: the Genetic Opera. Who wants to bet hardly anyone will recognition the blind opera singer and the stealing people's faces thing as from that?

* Fun fact that I think makes Anthony head even sexier: he played Frankfurter in a stage production of Rocky Horror. OMG!

* I wish I could unsee this. Yes, the caption makes it worse. You can't say you weren't warned: http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2011/10/13/seasons-greetings/

* Rachel Maddow did a lovely thing on Mr. Kameny and his place in US LGBT rights history: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#44884279

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

* Mr. O'Donnell explains why the 999 plan looks to be as damaging and dangerous to small and mid-sizzed businesses as it is to working and middle class humans: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44898026#44898026

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(no subject)

* The House Republicans keep saying that they don't have time to vote to create jobs because their Abortion ban is more pressing. After all, making it so that hospitals can turn away women who are bleeding to death from miscarriage is waaaay more important than something that would actually help people. Pro-life my hairy ass. Looks pro-Death to be to demand miscarriage be a death sentence. Think of all the women they can kill out of the approximately 30 million women who miscarry in this country every year. Pro-cancer. Pro-letting women bleed to death in front of the ER for no apparent reason. Not a single one of them explained how this was intended to create jobs or help the economy. I mean, yes, I can see how it's good for the funeral industry, but that can't have much of an economic impact, certainly not enough of one to justify the death, disabling, and/or emotional damage this would cause every single year.

Currently, the only people who emergency rooms can legally refuse to treat when they are literally bleeding to death are trans folk, because we are not generally considered people in this country. This is reprehensible enough. the Republicans want to make it legal to deny more than half of the US population emergency care also on the basis of Gender. What would Jesus do? Let innocent people bleed to death according to Republicans. I keep seeing Christians claiming their right to discriminate trumps the right of other people to actually live.

* The Koch Brothers are planning to spend at least 200 million dollars or more just to defeat Obama. 92 Percent of Carl Roads American crossroads funds this year come from just three men. This is the role of Citizen's united in corrupting our political system

* It's looking like Herman Cain's 999 plan will nearly double taxes for the middle class, but it's a huge tax cut for the rich who are already paying significantly lower rates, so that's okay with Republicans.

* In New York, they are planning to use Wisconsin tactics to break up the protest. In Portland, they arrested some folks for blocking streets, but the Mayor has promised the bulk of the protesters on two squares where they don't block traffic will be left alone. In LA, this are staying calm, which is still blowing me away. there's permit issues being worked through in DC. There's been nastiness in Iowa, there have also been state reps in the protest. AFL/CIO and some other unions are providing strong support for the movement. It's spreading to smaller cities and some towns, but mostly in smaller duration protests, it sounds like. 54% of Americans approve of Occupy wall Street. 27% approve of the Tea Party.

* The virus ramped up on me today, to the point the coughing radically interfered with sleep. I accomplished nothing. I'm running out of time. To give you an idea how bad it is, medicinal tea tastes delicious.

* Hector actually threw a temper tantrum about me being sick and not wanting to follow him around the house when I know damned well his tummy's full of goosh with throwing the Welsh flag at me. His exaggerated harrumph face, flouncing, and the flag throwing just struck me as really funny. Not the response he was hoping for, poor thing.

* I've been dreaming of the sea again. It's one of the very few things i miss about the east coast: a sea I can swim in. Out here you need a wet suit and I've never had that kind of money. I miss sand it's safe to walk on that won't cut one's feet. Out here, it mostly rocky coastline, utterly beautiful, but not friendly to the feet. I miss giving myself to the waves and letting them spin me, trusting I'll wash up safe in the shallows. I miss the boardwalk and the rides and those waffle ice cream sandwiches, and real salt taffy, and even the fudgey wudgey ice cream men. Do they still have those? I dream over and over of an Ocean I'll likely never see again. The Pacific is so beautiful and so treacherous. The Atlantic looks furious, but cradles one in it's arms.

* There's been a change in my dream architecture again. The Drowned Library is finally dry, the books and shelves and furniture nearly all gone, except a few forgotten leftovers in the inner corner of the upper gallery. A few shattered books on battered shelves, some broken carts and study carrels to damaged to bother with. That library's been partially under water in my subconscious for decades.
It occurs to me I haven't seen the Carnivorous Cathedral in at least three years, maybe longer. The carnivorous cathedral is a rare moveable landmark that ranges within a particular territory of my dream geography, a rare unfixed object, which makes a prolonged abcense harder to spot. Not that I miss it, just that I'm now wondering what else is shifting.

* "Girls with Bad Attitudes:" http://slatebreakers.com/2011/10/13/use-your-gray-matter-girls-with-bad-attitudes/#more-489

* Lurkitty on a horrifying thing happening in Alabama: http://lurkitty.livejournal.com/487377.html

* RM found this horrifying thing: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html?_r=1

* This is as cool as that time I saw four college guys in matching suit a capella caroling Bach at Halloween: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/11396900981/certaintendencies-qwopisinthemailbox

* Gaia's just added two Halloween items clearly riffing on Repo: the Genetic Opera. Who wants to bet hardly anyone will recognition the blind opera singer and the stealing people's faces thing as from that?

* Fun fact that I think makes Anthony Head even sexier: he played Frankfurter in a stage production of Rocky Horror. OMG!

* I wish I could unsee this. Yes, the caption makes it worse. You can't say you weren't warned: http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2011/10/13/seasons-greetings/

* Rachel Maddow did a lovely thing on Mr. Kameny and his place in US LGBT rights history: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#44884279

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

* Mr. O'Donnell explains why the 999 plan looks to be as damaging and dangerous to small and mid-sizzed businesses as it is to working and middle class humans: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44898026#44898026

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(no subject)

My Mother has been sent home to die. It can't wait for my lungs to clear, so they are summoning me anyway, despite the danger to my sister, since they do not expect her to last the week. Basically, one of her lungs is completely finished and the other is dying.

(no subject)

My Mother has been sent home to die. It can't wait for my lungs to clear, so they are summoning me anyway, despite the danger to my sister, since they do not expect her to last the week. Basically, one of her lungs is completely finished and the other is dying.

(no subject)

* Number of votes to limit women's rights since Republicans took over the House last Winter? 7. Number of votes to create jobs in that time=0. It's about jobs, my hairy ass.

* Yes, I saw the footage of occupy Milan. There's a lot of protests planned tomorrow here and abroad, too many to list. They backed down on using Wisconsin tactics to break up the NY protest, but doubled down on police brutality, including running someone over, more beat downs and arrests. The man they ran over was a lawyer's guild observer. Footage shows the police man parked on his legs while he writhes in pain. Despite his bloody face and having to go to the hospital, police are claiming he's faking it. He is under arrest, of course, and being denied access to his lawyer. Of course. After all, being an innocent observer is a much greater threat to public safety than a police officer running innocent observers over and refusing to move his bike while he is trapped. I look forward to the lawsuit. In other police assholery news, they arrested Bo Diddly's son for being in Bo Diddly Plaza in Gainsville.

* My being sick these last two weeks has likely doomed my chance to live somewhere better for cheaper. I am shipping out Sunday and am staying in Philly for the week, so there will be time for the funeral. When I realized how sick I was yesterday, I should have signed with the best place with stairs. Instead I wasted two days too sick to do much of anything and going to the doctor for antibiotics. Every step I take is like being stabbed repeatedly in the hips and legs. Hector "helpfully' took all the rest of the spoons with his crazy. Making and keeping food down is an heroic struggle. There is, of course, no one to help me find housing in the week I will have left when I get back, and likely I will be significantly sicker from the travel stress to my system on top of the pathogen, so the chance of me being able to spend 8 hours a day looking are less than zero. Fuck. According to the housing lady, I'm the only one having trouble finding a place to live. Where are all these places with no stairs that take people under 55 that she claims exist? I called every place on the friendly leaser list multiple times, and none of them have any accessible apartments. I'm not having any luck with the local slumlords.

Of course, It's not like I have the two-three thousand or so up front that I'll need for the move which mom was gong to cover, and once my Mother is gone, there will be no chance of family help. She was going to cover moving costs. I know damned well, once the funeral is done, my sister and I will be done with each other. If I miss this deadline, I trapped in this literally rotting black mold riddled hell hole for another four or five years, with significantly less chance of ever getting out. I suppose it was unrealistic to think that anything good could possibly happen to me on a housing/financial front.

My Mother is dieing and I already miss her, even though I've known this was coming for three years. This is nearly the last of my family. Uncle John is hanging on by a thread, and mostly too ill for much talking, even. There are really no words for what that feels like, to know from this point forward I will have no one. To no longer have her to talk to about books and media and life. I miss her so much already and she's not even gone yet. I do not even think I will have enough voice left to sing to her while she dies. (Last time, the only even vaguely lucid memories she had of her illness was me singing to her the old songs.) Two weeks ago, I was talking her through stuff to do with adjusting to her new place, a week ago she was trying to cheer me up over the housing search. Now she's nearly gone and the rest is silence.


* This made me weep. Yes, I wish the couples were more diverse, but I still I think people really need to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP61wDGAmXA&feature=player_embedded

(no subject)

* Number of votes to limit women's rights since Republicans took over the House last Winter? 7. Number of votes to create jobs in that time=0. It's about jobs, my hairy ass.

* Yes, I saw the footage of occupy Milan. There's a lot of protests planned tomorrow here and abroad, too many to list. They backed down on using Wisconsin tactics to break up the NY protest, but doubled down on police brutality, including running someone over, more beat downs and arrests. The man they ran over was a lawyer's guild observer. Footage shows the police man parked on his legs while he writhes in pain. Despite his bloody face and having to go to the hospital, police are claiming he's faking it. He is under arrest, of course, and being denied access to his lawyer. Of course. After all, being an innocent observer is a much greater threat to public safety than a police officer running innocent observers over and refusing to move his bike while he is trapped. I look forward to the lawsuit. In other police assholery news, they arrested Bo Diddly's son for being in Bo Diddly Plaza in Gainsville.

* My being sick these last two weeks has likely doomed my chance to live somewhere better for cheaper. I am shipping out Sunday and am staying in Philly for the week, so there will be time for the funeral. When I realized how sick I was yesterday, I should have signed with the best place with stairs. Instead I wasted two days too sick to do much of anything and going to the doctor for antibiotics. Every step I take is like being stabbed repeatedly in the hips and legs. Hector "helpfully' took all the rest of the spoons with his crazy. Making and keeping food down is an heroic struggle. There is, of course, no one to help me find housing in the week I will have left when I get back, and likely I will be significantly sicker from the travel stress to my system on top of the pathogen, so the chance of me being able to spend 8 hours a day looking are less than zero. Fuck. According to the housing lady, I'm the only one having trouble finding a place to live. Where are all these places with no stairs that take people under 55 that she claims exist? I called every place on the friendly leaser list multiple times, and none of them have any accessible apartments. I'm not having any luck with the local slumlords.

Of course, It's not like I have the two-three thousand or so up front that I'll need for the move which mom was gong to cover, and once my Mother is gone, there will be no chance of family help. She was going to cover moving costs. I know damned well, once the funeral is done, my sister and I will be done with each other. If I miss this deadline, I trapped in this literally rotting black mold riddled hell hole for another four or five years, with significantly less chance of ever getting out. I suppose it was unrealistic to think that anything good could possibly happen to me on a housing/financial front.

My Mother is dieing and I already miss her, even though I've known this was coming for three years. This is nearly the last of my family. Uncle John is hanging on by a thread, and mostly too ill for much talking, even. There are really no words for what that feels like, to know from this point forward I will have no one. To no longer have her to talk to about books and media and life. I miss her so much already and she's not even gone yet. I do not even think I will have enough voice left to sing to her while she dies. (Last time, the only even vaguely lucid memories she had of her illness was me singing to her the old songs.) Two weeks ago, I was talking her through stuff to do with adjusting to her new place, a week ago she was trying to cheer me up over the housing search. Now she's nearly gone and the rest is silence.

* This made me weep. Yes, I wish the couples were more diverse, but I still I think people really need to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP61wDGAmXA&feature=player_embedded

(no subject)

As always when I am traveling, I will have limited internet access. If it's urgent, PM or email. I'll try to catch up with live journal when I can, but there is no way to tell what conditions will be like on the ground in Philly.