(no subject)

* I was worried they might be downplaying Nelson Mandela's illness to prevent panic, but they sent him home by morning US time, so it sounds like he really will be okay. It's a huge relief.

* The President is telling the truth when he says any candidate who claims that if they are elected the price of gas will drop to a speciic low price. Yes, policy can have some effect on the price, more in the long term than the short, but realistically, prices are a function of a huge number of international factors as well as domestic things it's hard to control, like the tendency of Americans to use air-conditioners and take car trips in summer, and turning up the heat during a blizzard. The things a President and Congress can do, like set tighter fuel economy on new cars, alternative energy policy, etc., can help in the long term, but it's not going to counter short term issues, like Iran threatening to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and the response of the Futures market to the International tension, or the Financial Crisis in Italy and Greece and how it effects fuel sourcing and consumption in Europe. Of course Newt is lying about how he can magically drop gas prices, just as Bachmann was lying, and nearly every politician I can member talking about fuel prices all the way back to when I was a toddler and first aware of the energy crisis. I'm betting it goes back further than that, it's just my personal lived political memory does really reach further than the gas lines in 1973. This magic lowering of gas price lie is such a political given, it might as well be wall paper. The President is not a God who can point a finger and make it so, but I expect to be hearing this lie as long as I'm alive anyway. It's Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, so hard to get worked up over one way or another.

* Melissa Harris-Perry talks about how Child Left Behind hurts children: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46523712/#46531034

( Embed: )

* "Women's Rights and their Bodies." Word: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46523712/#46531474

( Embed: )

The discussion that follows it about how the housing crisis effects the children made homeless because

* "'Little Horny Man': Rock Carving of Giant Phallus Discovered:" http://www.livescience.com/18602-horny-man-rock-carving-giant-phallus.html

* Uncovering a drowned city in China: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2012-02/23/c_131426806.htm

* "Are We Raising a Generation of Helpless Kids?:" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Mickey-goodman/are-we-raising-a-generati_b_1249706.html

* "Precious past: why the ancient assets of Greece and Egypt must be saved:" http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/feb/20/ancient-assets-greece-egypt-eurozone

* I've been experimenting with post organization again. Please bear with me.

* By bed time last night, I was still generally crappy, but only sporadically dizzy, and my head's clearer. I'm more functional today, though still a bit ick.

* Akata Witch is every bit as fascinating and fast a read as Slatebreakers promised.

* ( Walking Dead: )

* I need I mention that death threats to an author because Amazon started shipping early when they weren't supposed to is not okay. Neither are threats of sexual assault and generalized misogyny: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/425907.html?style=mine#cutid1

* Cake toppers: http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2012/2/26/sunday-sweets-youre-the-top.html

* O.o: http://biomekanic.livejournal.com/502659.html

(no subject)

* I was worried they might be downplaying Nelson Mandela's illness to prevent panic, but they sent him home by morning US time, so it sounds like he really will be okay. It's a huge relief.

* The President is telling the truth when he says any candidate who claims that if they are elected the price of gas will drop to a speciic low price. Yes, policy can have some effect on the price, more in the long term than the short, but realistically, prices are a function of a huge number of international factors as well as domestic things it's hard to control, like the tendency of Americans to use air-conditioners and take car trips in summer, and turning up the heat during a blizzard. The things a President and Congress can do, like set tighter fuel economy on new cars, alternative energy policy, etc., can help in the long term, but it's not going to counter short term issues, like Iran threatening to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and the response of the Futures market to the International tension, or the Financial Crisis in Italy and Greece and how it effects fuel sourcing and consumption in Europe. Of course Newt is lying about how he can magically drop gas prices, just as Bachmann was lying, and nearly every politician I can member talking about fuel prices all the way back to when I was a toddler and first aware of the energy crisis. I'm betting it goes back further than that, it's just my personal lived political memory does really reach further than the gas lines in 1973. This magic lowering of gas price lie is such a political given, it might as well be wall paper. The President is not a God who can point a finger and make it so, but I expect to be hearing this lie as long as I'm alive anyway. It's Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, so hard to get worked up over one way or another.

* Melissa Harris-Perry talks about how Child Left Behind hurts children: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46523712/#46531034

( Embed: )

* "Women's Rights and their Bodies." Word: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/46523712/#46531474

( Embed: )

The discussion that follows it about how the housing crisis effects the children made homeless because

* "'Little Horny Man': Rock Carving of Giant Phallus Discovered:" http://www.livescience.com/18602-horny-man-rock-carving-giant-phallus.html

* Uncovering a drowned city in China: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2012-02/23/c_131426806.htm

* "Are We Raising a Generation of Helpless Kids?:" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Mickey-goodman/are-we-raising-a-generati_b_1249706.html

* "Precious past: why the ancient assets of Greece and Egypt must be saved:" http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/feb/20/ancient-assets-greece-egypt-eurozone

* I've been experimenting with post organization again. Please bear with me.

* By bed time last night, I was still generally crappy, but only sporadically dizzy, and my head's clearer. I'm more functional today, though still a bit ick.

* Akata Witch is every bit as fascinating and fast a read as Slatebreakers promised.

* ( Walking Dead: )

* I need I mention that death threats to an author because Amazon started shipping early when they weren't supposed to is not okay. Neither are threats of sexual assault and generalized misogyny: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/425907.html?style=mine#cutid1

* Cake toppers: http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2012/2/26/sunday-sweets-youre-the-top.html

* O.o: http://biomekanic.livejournal.com/502659.html

(no subject)

* Virginia's forced vaginal probe bill has been put off until next year along with their ban all abortion and the pill bill. A Superpac, mostly run by women ex-lawmakers is organizing to defeat anyone pushing/voting for these bills. Alabama's forced vaginal probe bill is being rewritten. The guy who wrote the explicit requirement for internal probing is now claiming that's not what he meant. They still plan to require unnecessary forced ultrasounds against the will of the woman and her Doctor, but are now planning to give women the choice of how they want to be violated by government order. Pennsylvania is still planning to do forced probing outright with the woman forced to watch her own violation. Charming. Not.

* Rick santorum is attacking the President for saying wanting everyone to have a chance to get some higher education, be it University, community college, apprenticeship, or vocational training. Rick "frothy residue" santorum is claiming that this means the president is a snob and did a long rant against any one but the rich getting education past college. Chris Christie (!?!) came out in defense of the President, pointing out that Rick santorum is attacking the American Dream. Mitt Romney is siding with santorum, claiming that people not getting education is the road to freedom and opportunity. I'm confused as to how the President encouraging people who to become a teacher, a plumber, a mechanic, or an electrician to get the training to do so makes him a snob and anti-freedom, but the republican front runners claim it's so.

* Rick "man on dog" santorum wants you to know the separation of church and state "makes me want to throw up," and that it's "antithetical" to the vision of our country. Oddly, santorum makes me want to throw up.

* Remember that illegal NYPD spying program of innocent citizens of Middle eastern decent across state lines? Apparently they were misappropriating fund for drug trafficking interdiction to follow college students around and surveil grocery stores whee no specific wrong doing was suspected and the like. Too bad if it violates several constitutional amendments, violated jurisdiction, stole money from other programs illegally, and targeted no actual criminals, Mayor Bloomberg is chanting 9/11 like a Guiliani parrot, so we should totally be okay with large scale corruption and illegality by NYPD and the harassment of a whole bunch of law abiding citizens based entirely on their ethnicity.

* It looks like the UK is going to keep pursuing charges against Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp and the Sun over bribery of police officers.

* Construction outside my window today, with extra yelling. I was already going to be short on sleep because of Doctor and errands, so extra points for doubling the difficulty for getting things done. Also, the neighbors are still using our parking spot if they catch it free. Squirrel came home after a long, exhausting shift, to find our spot stolen again. I am suspecting an overnight booty call, as I heard laughing on the stairs of the right sort, though I suppose it could be a third floor party guest staying past dawn. My money's on the booty call. I am seriously considering asking for the number for getting them towed. I didn't car when the car was stolen, but that spot is part of our rent, damn it. The Manager even responded to our last complaint with a complex reminder of parking rules and threats to tow, so it's not like they weren't warned. I'm much better today, safe to drive, but still off colour, and, as it turns out, too queasy to eat much of the delicious dinner I made. My nose is back enough to decide I don't like "Gathering Mushrooms" after all as it contains either Devil's Claw or Death Cap (I've forgotten which is which) or possibly both. Sigh. I am slowly whipping my room back into shape, one or two small tasks at a time. This means the common areas are falling a bit behind, of course.

* It looks like I'm getting a set of inoculations in two weeks if I'm not sick. Apparently, folks with lung issues ought to get pneumacoccal and mengicoccal vaccinations. I'm throwing in Hep A, as I got B shots, but not A when I was teaching. I mention this as some of you are thirty or over and have various health stuff that may make the first two vaccinations a good idea. honestly the Hep shots are a good idea just generally, given how they can be passed. If you haven't had a tetnus shot in over a decade, best to get one too.

* More Wire babble here: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1222583.html#t2370999

I'm only just starting season 5, so please don't tell me the future.

(no subject)

* Virginia's forced vaginal probe bill has been put off until next year along with their ban all abortion and the pill bill. A Superpac, mostly run by women ex-lawmakers is organizing to defeat anyone pushing/voting for these bills. Alabama's forced vaginal probe bill is being rewritten. The guy who wrote the explicit requirement for internal probing is now claiming that's not what he meant. They still plan to require unnecessary forced ultrasounds against the will of the woman and her Doctor, but are now planning to give women the choice of how they want to be violated by government order. Pennsylvania is still planning to do forced probing outright with the woman forced to watch her own violation. Charming. Not.

* Rick santorum is attacking the President for saying wanting everyone to have a chance to get some higher education, be it University, community college, apprenticeship, or vocational training. Rick "frothy residue" santorum is claiming that this means the president is a snob and did a long rant against any one but the rich getting education past college. Chris Christie (!?!) came out in defense of the President, pointing out that Rick santorum is attacking the American Dream. Mitt Romney is siding with santorum, claiming that people not getting education is the road to freedom and opportunity. I'm confused as to how the President encouraging people who to become a teacher, a plumber, a mechanic, or an electrician to get the training to do so makes him a snob and anti-freedom, but the republican front runners claim it's so.

* Rick "man on dog" santorum wants you to know the separation of church and state "makes me want to throw up," and that it's "antithetical" to the vision of our country. Oddly, santorum makes me want to throw up.

* Remember that illegal NYPD spying program of innocent citizens of Middle eastern decent across state lines? Apparently they were misappropriating fund for drug trafficking interdiction to follow college students around and surveil grocery stores whee no specific wrong doing was suspected and the like. Too bad if it violates several constitutional amendments, violated jurisdiction, stole money from other programs illegally, and targeted no actual criminals, Mayor Bloomberg is chanting 9/11 like a Guiliani parrot, so we should totally be okay with large scale corruption and illegality by NYPD and the harassment of a whole bunch of law abiding citizens based entirely on their ethnicity.

* It looks like the UK is going to keep pursuing charges against Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp and the Sun over bribery of police officers.

* Construction outside my window today, with extra yelling. I was already going to be short on sleep because of Doctor and errands, so extra points for doubling the difficulty for getting things done. Also, the neighbors are still using our parking spot if they catch it free. Squirrel came home after a long, exhausting shift, to find our spot stolen again. I am suspecting an overnight booty call, as I heard laughing on the stairs of the right sort, though I suppose it could be a third floor party guest staying past dawn. My money's on the booty call. I am seriously considering asking for the number for getting them towed. I didn't car when the car was stolen, but that spot is part of our rent, damn it. The Manager even responded to our last complaint with a complex reminder of parking rules and threats to tow, so it's not like they weren't warned. I'm much better today, safe to drive, but still off colour, and, as it turns out, too queasy to eat much of the delicious dinner I made. My nose is back enough to decide I don't like "Gathering Mushrooms" after all as it contains either Devil's Claw or Death Cap (I've forgotten which is which) or possibly both. Sigh. I am slowly whipping my room back into shape, one or two small tasks at a time. This means the common areas are falling a bit behind, of course.

* It looks like I'm getting a set of inoculations in two weeks if I'm not sick. Apparently, folks with lung issues ought to get pneumacoccal and mengicoccal vaccinations. I'm throwing in Hep A, as I got B shots, but not A when I was teaching. I mention this as some of you are thirty or over and have various health stuff that may make the first two vaccinations a good idea. honestly the Hep shots are a good idea just generally, given how they can be passed. If you haven't had a tetnus shot in over a decade, best to get one too.

* More Wire babble here: http://gwyd.livejournal.com/1222583.html#t2370999

I'm only just starting season 5, so please don't tell me the future.