(no subject)

* Approximately 8000 people fled Syria to Turkey Yesterday. O.o It sounds like there's been another wave of top level defections. Aide agencies in the countries surrounding Syria are already swapped. Inside Syria, approximately 2 million people desperately need humanitarian aide.

* I think it's a hint as to how bad things are in Burma that they are fleeing in droves to Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. Rohingyas are not considered citizens, so the government feels justified in slaughtering them.

* Re: General Patreus, assuming it's consensual sex with another adult I don't really care where he parked his penis. Apparently it was with his biographer who also tried to break into his email, which is an intelligence risk. Anyway, he's stepped down as head of the CIA. As always in these situations, I feel bad for Mrs. Patreus, as this sort of this is unpleasant enough when it plays out in private and it's exponentially unpleasant when it happens in the national press. I' ms usual, I'm unlikely to say much more except in the event of espionage charges or the like.

* Washington 372,623 votes to go: McKenna's conceded so we have the lesser evil by far as Governor. Yay! Charter Schools is yes by less than 1%. Heartbreaking. Pot and marriage Equality are solid enough to be safe.

* Heroes of Sandy: http://www.refinery29.com/hurricane-sandy-stories

* "How Victoria’s Secret Saved the National Guard During Hurricane Sandy:" http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/victorias-secret-sandy/

* LIPA has no plans to restore power to Long Island before Christmas. After all doing their job would take money and effort, just like using modern equipment and doing preventative maintenance would have taken money and effort which they also weren't willing to expend. People are begging for government take over.

* Doctor's Without Borders is heading for Sandy Disaster areas.

* Want to help Hurricane victims?
Charity Navigator helps evaluate charities and avoid Scams: http://www.charitynavigator.org/
CNN has a list of reputable pre-screened charities: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/impact.your.world/
Doctors Without Borders (One of my favorite Charities): https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/onetime.cfm?source=AZD120000S02&gclid=CLuq5_n6w7MCFYN_QgodU0YAxQ

* Sandy and the VA:

( Embed: )

* Yet more Republican voter fraud, this time an election official in Oregon: http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29390-department_of_justice_investigating_alleged_ballot_fraud_at_clackamas_county_elections.html

* Scary anti-science Republicans on the Science Committee:

( Embed: )

* "IRS Not Enforcing Rules on Churches and Politics:" http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/irs-enforcing-rules-churches-politics-17633236#.UJ4kxIayOSp

* "Before Salem, There Was the Not-So-Wicked Witch of the Hamptons:" http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Before-Salem-There-Was-the-Not-So-Wicked-Witch-of-the-Hamptons-175990771.html#ixzz2BoGq73sk

* The long history of selling and buying votes in the US: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2012/10/ohio_vote_scandal_the_county_where_buckeyes_sold_their_votes_to_the_highest.single.html

* "The Atlantic on Women and Men, From 1859 to Now:" http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/10/the-atlantic-on-women-and-men-from-1859-to-now/264155/#slide1

* "Noor Inayat Khan: The Indian princess who spied for Britain:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20240693

* "Tentacled snakes born at National Zoo:" http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/tentacled-snakes-born-national-zoo-223619788.html

* Today I met the new doctor. She walks with a cane, and seemed to take my AS seriously. She's never had a trans patient before but claims to have trans friends and has good 101 manners. (I'm willing to believe her on the friends as she was up to date on the lingo and knew what to ask and made smooth adjustments). I did a little 102 (Medical version) with her. She asked if it was okay to ask questions. I said better me than someone who might get upset. She's fixing my prescriptions back to where they were last Spring which should solve several ongoing inconveniences. She wants to take me off muscle relaxants in exchange for a new stronger non-narcotic. I said I'll give it a shot. (I have like a five year supply of muscle relaxants anyway). If this works better with fewer side effects bully for her. If it doesn't, I can wait her out. So new meds Monday. I even remembered to give a blood sample. I need to do a new set in a week or two, as I always do a battery in November.

Bonus points for the Doctor not even mentioning my weight. As those who know me RL can attest, the weight gain followed the whole barely able to move thanks to the AS and CF carrier syndrome stuff and as a result can't be causative. Yes, I haven't gone swimming since the move. Yes, I know I need to start swimming again, but it's a large commitment in time, spoons, and money. I haven't had spoons and money at the same time in fourteen months. It's on the list with the pile of new bureaucratic paperwork, and getting my birth certificate sorted out. I have no expectation of getting to it right away, and the bureaucracy needs to come first.

* I'm so far behind on livejournal, I'm giving up trying really read it and have taken to skimming. If you said anything in the last week and a half you think I should read, toss me a link. If you write anything in the next week you want me to read, toss me a link.

* Lenticular Clouds: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121104.html

(no subject)

* Approximately 8000 people fled Syria to Turkey Yesterday. O.o It sounds like there's been another wave of top level defections. Aide agencies in the countries surrounding Syria are already swapped. Inside Syria, approximately 2 million people desperately need humanitarian aide.

* I think it's a hint as to how bad things are in Burma that they are fleeing in droves to Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. Rohingyas are not considered citizens, so the government feels justified in slaughtering them.

* Re: General Patreus, assuming it's consensual sex with another adult I don't really care where he parked his penis. Apparently it was with his biographer who also tried to break into his email, which is an intelligence risk. Anyway, he's stepped down as head of the CIA. As always in these situations, I feel bad for Mrs. Patreus, as this sort of this is unpleasant enough when it plays out in private and it's exponentially unpleasant when it happens in the national press. I' ms usual, I'm unlikely to say much more except in the event of espionage charges or the like.

* Washington 372,623 votes to go: McKenna's conceded so we have the lesser evil by far as Governor. Yay! Charter Schools is yes by less than 1%. Heartbreaking. Pot and marriage Equality are solid enough to be safe.

* Heroes of Sandy: http://www.refinery29.com/hurricane-sandy-stories

* "How Victoria’s Secret Saved the National Guard During Hurricane Sandy:" http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/victorias-secret-sandy/

* LIPA has no plans to restore power to Long Island before Christmas. After all doing their job would take money and effort, just like using modern equipment and doing preventative maintenance would have taken money and effort which they also weren't willing to expend. People are begging for government take over.

* Doctor's Without Borders is heading for Sandy Disaster areas.

* Want to help Hurricane victims?
Charity Navigator helps evaluate charities and avoid Scams: http://www.charitynavigator.org/
CNN has a list of reputable pre-screened charities: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/impact.your.world/
Doctors Without Borders (One of my favorite Charities): https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/onetime.cfm?source=AZD120000S02&gclid=CLuq5_n6w7MCFYN_QgodU0YAxQ

* Sandy and the VA:

( Embed: )

* Yet more Republican voter fraud, this time an election official in Oregon: http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29390-department_of_justice_investigating_alleged_ballot_fraud_at_clackamas_county_elections.html

* Scary anti-science Republicans on the Science Committee:

( Embed: )

* "IRS Not Enforcing Rules on Churches and Politics:" http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/irs-enforcing-rules-churches-politics-17633236#.UJ4kxIayOSp

* "Before Salem, There Was the Not-So-Wicked Witch of the Hamptons:" http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Before-Salem-There-Was-the-Not-So-Wicked-Witch-of-the-Hamptons-175990771.html#ixzz2BoGq73sk

* The long history of selling and buying votes in the US: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2012/10/ohio_vote_scandal_the_county_where_buckeyes_sold_their_votes_to_the_highest.single.html

* "The Atlantic on Women and Men, From 1859 to Now:" http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/10/the-atlantic-on-women-and-men-from-1859-to-now/264155/#slide1

* "Noor Inayat Khan: The Indian princess who spied for Britain:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20240693

* "Tentacled snakes born at National Zoo:" http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/tentacled-snakes-born-national-zoo-223619788.html

* Today I met the new doctor. She walks with a cane, and seemed to take my AS seriously. She's never had a trans patient before but claims to have trans friends and has good 101 manners. (I'm willing to believe her on the friends as she was up to date on the lingo and knew what to ask and made smooth adjustments). I did a little 102 (Medical version) with her. She asked if it was okay to ask questions. I said better me than someone who might get upset. She's fixing my prescriptions back to where they were last Spring which should solve several ongoing inconveniences. She wants to take me off muscle relaxants in exchange for a new stronger non-narcotic. I said I'll give it a shot. (I have like a five year supply of muscle relaxants anyway). If this works better with fewer side effects bully for her. If it doesn't, I can wait her out. So new meds Monday. I even remembered to give a blood sample. I need to do a new set in a week or two, as I always do a battery in November.

Bonus points for the Doctor not even mentioning my weight. As those who know me RL can attest, the weight gain followed the whole barely able to move thanks to the AS and CF carrier syndrome stuff and as a result can't be causative. Yes, I haven't gone swimming since the move. Yes, I know I need to start swimming again, but it's a large commitment in time, spoons, and money. I haven't had spoons and money at the same time in fourteen months. It's on the list with the pile of new bureaucratic paperwork, and getting my birth certificate sorted out. I have no expectation of getting to it right away, and the bureaucracy needs to come first.

* I'm so far behind on livejournal, I'm giving up trying really read it and have taken to skimming. If you said anything in the last week and a half you think I should read, toss me a link. If you write anything in the next week you want me to read, toss me a link.

* Lenticular Clouds: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121104.html