(no subject)

* Melissa Harris-Perry on the coded racist attacks on the President by Republicans:

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* Melissa Harris-Perry's delightfully sarcastic response to George Will:

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* Yes, I've heard the bullshit Republican attacks on the President for code switching. I guess I'm confused as to why this is a strange idea to so many white people. I mean, yes, I'm white, so my code switching isn't as extreme as it can be for some POC, but I've been code switching all my life. After all, I am the child of a Middle class mother and a working class father who grew up in a working class neighborhood, but had a scholarship to a Private school. Trust me, I talked differently at home than I did out in the neighborhood, and a whole other third way at school, complete with body language and costume switches to match. There was also a lot of code switching between my various sub cultures, academia, and teaching public school. It has always been obvious to me that I was code switching. We pretty much all do it. It is not sinister or strange. It's a matter of professional and occasionally real life survival. (Talk the wrong way in certain places and you will get your ass kicked. Trust me on this). It seems to me a failure of either fairness or introspection on the part of those launching the attacks, rather than some failure of the president himself.

* This week in voter suppression: College Edition:

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* Education and "The Matthew Effect:"

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* Levar Burton calls out Mitt Romney for his attack on children: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/levar-burton-calls-out-mittbot-for-pbs.html

“On behalf of America’s children, I can’t stay silent. I encourage you to join me in fighting this short-sighted and frankly mean-spirited attack on our children.”

* "Trans Sister Killed In Vancouver:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/trans-sister-killed-in-vancouver.html

* "Justice For Dee Dee! - Killer Sentenced:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/justice-for-dee-dee-killer-sentenced.html

* Today, I hit the other errands I missed yesterday. I also picked up some bettas and tetras, as I was downtown. I'm considering the community twenty full, assuming most of the fish in there now are still there next week. The two new bettas are a purple Cambodian (Niran 2) and a blue veil tail (Achilleus 4). I got crimson tetras this time for variety. At the hardware store, I picked up a new organizer so I can move all the little things like nails, hooks, washers, push pins, etc. out of the drawers so I can find them easier. I spent about an hour making that happen. I still need to 1. get the garden ready for winter. 2. clean my desk area. 3. Do the bedroom reorganization. 4 Do a bunch of fish maintenance stuff. I still feel like there's huge progress.

It is making me ridiculously happy to watch angry little fish flare at each other through the glass. I can see them from my work area. I really missed having a betta array. I know, I know two tanks is not an array, even if you count the elderly fish well past the betta lifespan, limping along in my bathroom. (He's 4-5 and spends most of his time sleeping.) My plan is when Priapus finally swims his last swim, to set up two tanks in there so I can watch angry little fish while I bathe, but I don't want to set up another fish in there right now.

* People kept talking up Breaking Bad, so I decided to give it a try. I'm working through Season one. It is as well written and acted as I was promised. I actually like the way they are handling the cancer, both from a various people in the extended family dealing with it in different ways and from an economics of rationed health care and crappy pay for teachers perspective. I also appreciate the bits of teaching and school culture are done. I can actually believe in Wilt as a teacher. He's got that still a pretty good teacher, but starting to burn out feel to him that everyone's seen if you spend enough time in the schools. The thing that is not so believable is how nice and new the school and classroom furnishings are. I know they shot it in a real school that was privately funded and so well stocked and furnished, but the average real world chemistry teacher is dealing with not enough desks, chairs, and gas valves, let alone decant glassware and chemical stores. A teacher needing two jobs to pay mortgage and having a crappy HMO? Completely believable. Enough equipment for the students to do experiments and there to be extra glassware and gas masks? Not so much, but it's a small caveat and I'm definitely finding it compelling.

* Seanan McGuire clarifies some things about her Rape Culture and her writing post: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/471605.html

* "Glee: Welcome to the land of the dead:" http://lettersfromtitan.com/2012/10/05/glee-welcome-to-the-land-of-the-dead/

* Wow, Chanel is going for ugly handmade Barbie outfits from the '60's and '70's this year. I was hard to look at the collection because it made me itchy all over just looking at those textures. I see Dior is going with a wonkus hemline theme and random colour blocking.

* Amazing wee pumpkin art: http://djinni.livejournal.com/451728.html

(no subject)

* Melissa Harris-Perry on the coded racist attacks on the President by Republicans:

( Embed: )

* Melissa Harris-Perry's delightfully sarcastic response to George Will:

( Embed: )

* Yes, I've heard the bullshit Republican attacks on the President for code switching. I guess I'm confused as to why this is a strange idea to so many white people. I mean, yes, I'm white, so my code switching isn't as extreme as it can be for some POC, but I've been code switching all my life. After all, I am the child of a Middle class mother and a working class father who grew up in a working class neighborhood, but had a scholarship to a Private school. Trust me, I talked differently at home than I did out in the neighborhood, and a whole other third way at school, complete with body language and costume switches to match. There was also a lot of code switching between my various sub cultures, academia, and teaching public school. It has always been obvious to me that I was code switching. We pretty much all do it. It is not sinister or strange. It's a matter of professional and occasionally real life survival. (Talk the wrong way in certain places and you will get your ass kicked. Trust me on this). It seems to me a failure of either fairness or introspection on the part of those launching the attacks, rather than some failure of the president himself.

* This week in voter suppression: College Edition:

( Embed: )

* Education and "The Matthew Effect:"

( Embed: )

* Levar Burton calls out Mitt Romney for his attack on children: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/levar-burton-calls-out-mittbot-for-pbs.html

“On behalf of America’s children, I can’t stay silent. I encourage you to join me in fighting this short-sighted and frankly mean-spirited attack on our children.”

* "Trans Sister Killed In Vancouver:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/trans-sister-killed-in-vancouver.html

* "Justice For Dee Dee! - Killer Sentenced:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/10/justice-for-dee-dee-killer-sentenced.html

* Today, I hit the other errands I missed yesterday. I also picked up some bettas and tetras, as I was downtown. I'm considering the community twenty full, assuming most of the fish in there now are still there next week. The two new bettas are a purple Cambodian (Niran 2) and a blue veil tail (Achilleus 4). I got crimson tetras this time for variety. At the hardware store, I picked up a new organizer so I can move all the little things like nails, hooks, washers, push pins, etc. out of the drawers so I can find them easier. I spent about an hour making that happen. I still need to 1. get the garden ready for winter. 2. clean my desk area. 3. Do the bedroom reorganization. 4 Do a bunch of fish maintenance stuff. I still feel like there's huge progress.

It is making me ridiculously happy to watch angry little fish flare at each other through the glass. I can see them from my work area. I really missed having a betta array. I know, I know two tanks is not an array, even if you count the elderly fish well past the betta lifespan, limping along in my bathroom. (He's 4-5 and spends most of his time sleeping.) My plan is when Priapus finally swims his last swim, to set up two tanks in there so I can watch angry little fish while I bathe, but I don't want to set up another fish in there right now.

* People kept talking up Breaking Bad, so I decided to give it a try. I'm working through Season one. It is as well written and acted as I was promised. I actually like the way they are handling the cancer, both from a various people in the extended family dealing with it in different ways and from an economics of rationed health care and crappy pay for teachers perspective. I also appreciate the bits of teaching and school culture are done. I can actually believe in Wilt as a teacher. He's got that still a pretty good teacher, but starting to burn out feel to him that everyone's seen if you spend enough time in the schools. The thing that is not so believable is how nice and new the school and classroom furnishings are. I know they shot it in a real school that was privately funded and so well stocked and furnished, but the average real world chemistry teacher is dealing with not enough desks, chairs, and gas valves, let alone decant glassware and chemical stores. A teacher needing two jobs to pay mortgage and having a crappy HMO? Completely believable. Enough equipment for the students to do experiments and there to be extra glassware and gas masks? Not so much, but it's a small caveat and I'm definitely finding it compelling.

* Seanan McGuire clarifies some things about her Rape Culture and her writing post: http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/471605.html

* "Glee: Welcome to the land of the dead:" http://lettersfromtitan.com/2012/10/05/glee-welcome-to-the-land-of-the-dead/

* Wow, Chanel is going for ugly handmade Barbie outfits from the '60's and '70's this year. I was hard to look at the collection because it made me itchy all over just looking at those textures. I see Dior is going with a wonkus hemline theme and random colour blocking.

* Amazing wee pumpkin art: http://djinni.livejournal.com/451728.html