(no subject)

* This is the most cogent thing I've seen so far on the current conflict between Israel and Gaza:

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* Long Term Solitary is terrible for everyone involved:

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* I know I've written before about a lover I had in High School with serious untreated mental illness. There was no attempt whatsoever to get him help. He'd been initially funneled into the justice system for fighting back against his abuser, but it got worse from there. When I last saw him in 1990, he was dramatically worse to the point of being completely unable to function and likely to end up in adult jail in the near future due to erratic behavior connected to his illness. I have no way to tell what actually happened to him as his name is too common and his old neighborhood got flattened and gentrified. I have little doubt that he ended up nowhere good. Our society has decided that rather than early psychiatric intervention that would have been vastly cheaper and would have been dramatically more human and allowed him to be a productive part of society, we'd rather waste vastly more money into making folks like him lifelong prisoners in and out of jail. I think this is a fucked up choice. There are no throw away people, but we act like there are and get all self righteous about how w enjoy punishing people for being too ill to help themselves.

* Inmate Education:

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* Thanksgiving is Not that Simple.:

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* "Republican-Heavy Counties Eat Up Most Food-Stamp Growth:" http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-05/republican-heavy-counties-eat-up-most-food-stamp-growth

* "Pastor: Democrats want to ensure 'everybody is committing homosexual acts, and high on drugs'" *facepalm*: http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/11/pastor-democrats-want-to-ensure-everybody-is-committing-homosexual-acts-and-high-on-drugs/

* "120 Trans Ladies you need to know.:" http://queeraspie.tumblr.com/post/33113765484/september-masterpost-120-trans-ladies-you-need-to

* This body policing and douchebaggery in fandom needs to stop: http://neo-prodigy.livejournal.com/1100653.html

* Homids may have sailed to Crete: http://news.discovery.com/history/neanderthals-sailed-mediterranean-121115.html

* "Anthropologist finds large differences in gait of early human ancestors:" http://phys.org/news/2012-11-anthropologist-large-differences-gait-early.html

* "Scottish dig unearths '10,000-year-old home' at Echline:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-20376243

* "Ancient Amazons’ Massage Oil:" http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2012/11/amazon-massage-oil.html

* "Scythian skeletons tell of ancient cultural crossover:" http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/11/scythian-skeletons.html

* More on that Thracian Gold hoard with more lovely pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231461/A-golden-discovery-Bulgarian-archaelogists-discover-astonishing-artifacts-linked-Alexander-Great-vast-network-tombs.html

* On Herculaneum vs. Pompeii: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/arts/design/herculaneums-ruins-are-revived-by-philanthropy.html?_r=0

* "Bayeux tapestry isn't a tapestry and wasn't woven by nuns:" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9679761/Bayeux-tapestry-isnt-a-tapestry-and-wasnt-woven-by-nuns.html

* "Digging up scandalous nuns' past:" http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/10042611._/

* Bela Lugosi reads "The Tell Tale Heart:"

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* 72-year-old grandfather models women's clothes, becomes internet sensation:" http://shanghaiist.com/2012/11/16/72-year-old_grandfather_models_wome.php

(no subject)

* This is the most cogent thing I've seen so far on the current conflict between Israel and Gaza:

( Embed: )

* Long Term Solitary is terrible for everyone involved:

( Embed: )

* I know I've written before about a lover I had in High School with serious untreated mental illness. There was no attempt whatsoever to get him help. He'd been initially funneled into the justice system for fighting back against his abuser, but it got worse from there. When I last saw him in 1990, he was dramatically worse to the point of being completely unable to function and likely to end up in adult jail in the near future due to erratic behavior connected to his illness. I have no way to tell what actually happened to him as his name is too common and his old neighborhood got flattened and gentrified. I have little doubt that he ended up nowhere good. Our society has decided that rather than early psychiatric intervention that would have been vastly cheaper and would have been dramatically more human and allowed him to be a productive part of society, we'd rather waste vastly more money into making folks like him lifelong prisoners in and out of jail. I think this is a fucked up choice. There are no throw away people, but we act like there are and get all self righteous about how w enjoy punishing people for being too ill to help themselves.

* Inmate Education:

( Embed: )

* Thanksgiving is Not that Simple.:

( Embed: )

* "Republican-Heavy Counties Eat Up Most Food-Stamp Growth:" http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-05/republican-heavy-counties-eat-up-most-food-stamp-growth

* "Pastor: Democrats want to ensure 'everybody is committing homosexual acts, and high on drugs'" *facepalm*: http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/11/pastor-democrats-want-to-ensure-everybody-is-committing-homosexual-acts-and-high-on-drugs/

* "120 Trans Ladies you need to know.:" http://queeraspie.tumblr.com/post/33113765484/september-masterpost-120-trans-ladies-you-need-to

* This body policing and douchebaggery in fandom needs to stop: http://neo-prodigy.livejournal.com/1100653.html

* Homids may have sailed to Crete: http://news.discovery.com/history/neanderthals-sailed-mediterranean-121115.html

* "Anthropologist finds large differences in gait of early human ancestors:" http://phys.org/news/2012-11-anthropologist-large-differences-gait-early.html

* "Scottish dig unearths '10,000-year-old home' at Echline:" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-20376243

* "Ancient Amazons’ Massage Oil:" http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2012/11/amazon-massage-oil.html

* "Scythian skeletons tell of ancient cultural crossover:" http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/11/scythian-skeletons.html

* More on that Thracian Gold hoard with more lovely pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231461/A-golden-discovery-Bulgarian-archaelogists-discover-astonishing-artifacts-linked-Alexander-Great-vast-network-tombs.html

* On Herculaneum vs. Pompeii: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/arts/design/herculaneums-ruins-are-revived-by-philanthropy.html?_r=0

* "Bayeux tapestry isn't a tapestry and wasn't woven by nuns:" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9679761/Bayeux-tapestry-isnt-a-tapestry-and-wasnt-woven-by-nuns.html

* "Digging up scandalous nuns' past:" http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/10042611._/

* Bela Lugosi reads "The Tell Tale Heart:"

( Embed: )

* 72-year-old grandfather models women's clothes, becomes internet sensation:" http://shanghaiist.com/2012/11/16/72-year-old_grandfather_models_wome.php

(no subject)

* We are seven days in on the conflict in Gaza Strip. 105 people are dead. All the major powers including Russia and us are trying to deescalate the situation, encouraging Hamas to stop firing at Israel and for Israel not to do a ground invasion. Everyone, that is, except for US Republicans who want the war to get more violent, to spread to more countries and for the dieing to continue. *facepalm* Seriously, Republicans, stop fucking up our foreign policy! Shut up and let the grown ups handle it, because this isn't a game of Risk or a war reenactment. Real human beings are dieing right now.

* Republicans completely lost on foreign policy:

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* And then this happened. I'm tearing up, because it's not something I could have imagined.

( Picture: )

* You may have seen President Obama's speech that referenced the treatment of the Rohingyas. Here is a BBC report on what's happening to the Rohingyas in Burma/Myanmar, which will give you a good idea as to why it's urgent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20264719

* "Houston Remembering Our Own TDOR Event Tomorrow:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/11/houston-remembering-our-own-tdor-event.html

It infuriates me that the HRC is trying to co-opt the Transgender Day of remembrance. They have zero interest in representing our interests the other 364 days of the year and have a long history of refusing to have trans and POC in leadership positions in their organization.

Fuck the HRC.

I'm glad they are trying to take our day back in Houston and I hope that's going to happen elsewhere.

* "Virtual autopsy: discover how the ancient Egyptian Gebelein Man died:" http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2012/11/16/virtual-autopsy-discover-how-the-ancient-egyptian-gebelein-man-died/

* "Is the Harappan civilization 2000 years older?:" http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/11/2012/is-the-harappan-civilisation-2000-years-older

What this means is civilization in India could be as old as or possibly older than Sumerian Civilization. If it's proved it's going to rewrite the history books.

* Re Hostess. I never much liked them, having grown up in Tasty cake country, and being turned off by that whole made of entrails thing. I have zero sympathy for management on this one. They decided that workers should lose their benefits and take a giant pay cut not for the goo of the company, but because management was so greedy they wanted an 75-85% pay increase. That's right, they thought people who worked for a living should be denied a living wage and health care because the rich wanted to be richer. When the workers said no, the management through a tantrum and decided they'd rather kill the company than give back what they stole from their worker. This is a man made disaster caused entirely by greed and spite on the part of management. Fuck Hostess! I am very sorry for the workers who are being royally screwed and are losing their jobs because their company is run by these petty and short sited douchebags. I guess the scum really rises to the top at Hostess.

* One by one, the groceries stores have been remodeling to make room for new hard liquor sections. Most of them are putting them up front, where customers can't avoid walking past. Every time I go shopping, I look at the huge liquor displays and think of all the folks in recovery who must walk the gauntlet of dangerous temptation every time they stop in for innocuous groceries like eggs or orange juice. I get that it's good business, but it feels terribly cruel.

* This is a slightly more complex version of my IQ rant, including some things about the tyranny of expectations, and the way that can get abusive:

( Embed: )

* Attn greenwick: LOTR reenacted by My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic Cast:

( Embed: )

* It's Ebay time! Three days left!
( Embed: )

(no subject)

* We are seven days in on the conflict in Gaza Strip. 105 people are dead. All the major powers including Russia and us are trying to deescalate the situation, encouraging Hamas to stop firing at Israel and for Israel not to do a ground invasion. Everyone, that is, except for US Republicans who want the war to get more violent, to spread to more countries and for the dieing to continue. *facepalm* Seriously, Republicans, stop fucking up our foreign policy! Shut up and let the grown ups handle it, because this isn't a game of Risk or a war reenactment. Real human beings are dieing right now.

* Republicans completely lost on foreign policy:

( Embed: )

* And then this happened. I'm tearing up, because it's not something I could have imagined.

( Picture: )

* You may have seen President Obama's speech that referenced the treatment of the Rohingyas. Here is a BBC report on what's happening to the Rohingyas in Burma/Myanmar, which will give you a good idea as to why it's urgent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20264719

* "Houston Remembering Our Own TDOR Event Tomorrow:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/11/houston-remembering-our-own-tdor-event.html

It infuriates me that the HRC is trying to co-opt the Transgender Day of remembrance. They have zero interest in representing our interests the other 364 days of the year and have a long history of refusing to have trans and POC in leadership positions in their organization.

Fuck the HRC.

I'm glad they are trying to take our day back in Houston and I hope that's going to happen elsewhere.

* "Virtual autopsy: discover how the ancient Egyptian Gebelein Man died:" http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2012/11/16/virtual-autopsy-discover-how-the-ancient-egyptian-gebelein-man-died/

* "Is the Harappan civilization 2000 years older?:" http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/11/2012/is-the-harappan-civilisation-2000-years-older

What this means is civilization in India could be as old as or possibly older than Sumerian Civilization. If it's proved it's going to rewrite the history books.

* Re Hostess. I never much liked them, having grown up in Tasty cake country, and being turned off by that whole made of entrails thing. I have zero sympathy for management on this one. They decided that workers should lose their benefits and take a giant pay cut not for the goo of the company, but because management was so greedy they wanted an 75-85% pay increase. That's right, they thought people who worked for a living should be denied a living wage and health care because the rich wanted to be richer. When the workers said no, the management through a tantrum and decided they'd rather kill the company than give back what they stole from their worker. This is a man made disaster caused entirely by greed and spite on the part of management. Fuck Hostess! I am very sorry for the workers who are being royally screwed and are losing their jobs because their company is run by these petty and short sited douchebags. I guess the scum really rises to the top at Hostess.

* One by one, the groceries stores have been remodeling to make room for new hard liquor sections. Most of them are putting them up front, where customers can't avoid walking past. Every time I go shopping, I look at the huge liquor displays and think of all the folks in recovery who must walk the gauntlet of dangerous temptation every time they stop in for innocuous groceries like eggs or orange juice. I get that it's good business, but it feels terribly cruel.

* This is a slightly more complex version of my IQ rant, including some things about the tyranny of expectations, and the way that can get abusive:

( Embed: )

* Attn greenwick: LOTR reenacted by My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic Cast:

( Embed: )

* It's Ebay time! Three days left!
( Embed: )