(no subject)

* The Kurds have taken back the rubble of Kobani.

* Russian soldiers and weapons keep pouring over the border into eastern Ukraine. The Russian backed rebels are demanding that the ukrainian government unilaterally declare a cease fire before they will even think about talking about maybe slowing their attacks. Riiiiight. Russia insists that somehow them arming, sending soldiers into the Ukraine, and fomenting rebellion is somehow magically NATO's fault.

* Ebola vaccine trials are starting in Liberia. Liberia is down to five active cases and it is thought they are nearly done. Things are slowing down in Guinea and Sierra Leone, but they still need resources.

* There are now 102 measles cases in the US because people believe being smugly ignorance gives people the right to endanger or kill other people's children. Vaccinate your damned kids!

* Meanwhile, Chris Christie is doubling down on his anti-science stance. As you'll remember, he tried to quarantine a woman who didn't have ebola for no good reason except he did not believe the science on ebola sand now he ha come out in favor of "parental choice" on measles vaccines because he doesn't believe the science on that. After all Republicans believe medical decisions, like all public policy should never be based on facts, but ideology, mindless panic, and political partisanship.

* Rand Paul has also let loose with an anti-vaccination rant, presumably because he wants children to die, because I can think of no other reason someone would push anti-vax lies.

* "Genetic diversity of Sub-Saharan Africa revealed:" http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30318291

* "This is a paragraph about the financial crisis that everyone should read.:" https://twitter.com/cpeedell/status/550792647951257600

* "California's drought is the worst in 1,200 years, evidence suggests:" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141205124357.htm

* "Mo. Man Arrested After Telling Black Waitress He Wanted to Show Her Where He ‘Hung’ Her Grandpa:" http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2015/01/mo_man_arrested_after_telling_black_waitress_he_wanted_to_show_her_where.html?utm_content=bufferffe8c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

* "Black Future Month: Envisioning Where We Go From Here:" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/opal-tometi/black-future-month-examin_b_6589244.html

* "LGBT employees who feel unable to come out at work more likely to leave their jobs - and cost business millions :" http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/lgbt-employees-who-feel-unable-to-come-out-at-work-more-likely-to-leave-their-jobs--and-cost-business-millions-10016065.html

* "Houston Fox affiliate peddles transphobic attack on equal rights ordinance:" http://lgbtweekly.com/2015/01/31/houston-fox-affiliate-peddles-transphobic-attack-on-equal-rights-ordinance/

* "Gender-specific toilets flushed away at Regent’s Park:" http://www.cherwell.org/news/college/2015/01/31/genderspecific-toilets-flushed-away-at-regents-park

* "Your Opinion, or I Want This Said No One Ever:" http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/transgender-kids-are-not-confused-or-pretending-study-finds#.pywLnd5A2A

* "Bones of 4,500 year-old Siberian show he was suffering from cancer:" http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/12/2014/bones-of-4500-year-old-siberian-show-he-was-suffering-from-cancer

* "Ancient earthquake uncovered in China: Xinhua:" http://phys.org/news/2014-12-ancient-earthquake-uncovered-china-xinhua.html

* "Colored pottery camel unearthed from Tang Dynasty tomb:" http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2014-12/05/content_19031759.htm

* "Localized climate change contributed to ancient southwest depopulation:" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141204074309.htm

* Real historical Archery: http://karjack.tumblr.com/post/108988809146/secondlina-luffik-zlukaka-everything

* "King Richard III -- case closed after 529 years :" http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-12/uol-kri120114.php

* "A short history of arson:" http://phys.org/news/2014-12-short-history-arson.html

* "Photographer Documents Mississippi’s Old School Blues Musicians:" http://www.featureshoot.com/2015/01/photographer-documents-mississippis-last-remaining-blues-musicians/

* Help my friends adopt two cats: http://djinni.livejournal.com/516743.html

* Our Financial Situation continues Scary: http://www.gofundme.com/cuovws or Lethran@gmail.com

(no subject)

* ISIL has executed the two Japanese AID workers an the Jordanian pilot. There is debate as to whether the pilot was executed not long after he was captured and they were negotiating in bad faith or not. I find the argument that they killed him not long after capture compelling, but it's not proven. I am watching the political situation in Jordan; it remains to be seen how the public at large reacts as things are dicey just now.

* "Northern Ireland abortion laws case granted judicial review:" http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-31075128?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_news_ni&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=northern_ireland

* "How Did Obama Play In India? We Ask 4 Villagers To Weigh In:" http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/01/27/381924366/how-did-obama-play-in-india-we-ask-four-villagers-to-weigh-in?utm_source=tumblr.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=globalhealth&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150130

* Both Chris Christie and Rand Paul have walked back their anti-Vax stance, Rand claiming that the extended clip of his anti-Vaccination rant is a lie somehow and he didn't say any of the things the clip showed. Establishment Republicans are coming down against people murdering other peoples babies and children by exposing them to measles for no good reason.

* I am seeing people objecting to Hep B vaccines because "It is a sexually transmitted disease." Yes, you can get hep B from sex, but you can get it from all sorts of fluid transfer. It is recommended for all school district employees, for example, not because they are expected to be molesting children, but because children bleed. They get nose bleeds, they scrape knees etc.. Children also vomit, sometimes with no warning. Children need Hep B shots because they play in playgrounds and go to day care/school. Is your child likely to ever be anywhere another person might be ill or injured, like the while world for example? Then it is a good idea to get that kid vaccinated.

Vaccinate your damned kids!

* Let us never forget all the lesbians who stepped up like superheroes even though they got none of the glory to to do some of the worse work a person can do often for free. They get forgotten in so many official histories. "Survivors of 1980s AIDS crisis reveal what happened to them:" http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/survivors-1980s-aids-crisis-reveal-what-happened-them020215

* "Israeli cave offers clues about when humans mastered fire:" http://news.sciencemag.org/archaeology/2014/12/israeli-cave-offers-clues-about-when-humans-mastered-fire

* "Underwater excavation reveals lost Levantine village:" http://phys.org/news/2014-12-underwater-excavation-reveals-lost-levantine.html

* "Chicago museum lifts lid on Egyptian mummy coffin:" http://phys.org/news/2014-12-chicago-scientists-egyptian-mummy-coffin.html

* "Ancient Egyptian Coffin's Odd Art Hints at Brain Drain:" http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/ancient-egyptian-coffins-odd-art-hints-at-brain-drain-141212.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

* "‘Eat! Eat! Eat!’ Those notorious tapeworm diet pills:" http://thequackdoctor.com/index.php/eat-eat-eat-those-notorious-tapeworm-diet-pills/

* Seriously? "Fourth Grader In Texas Was Suspended For Threatening To Turn Another Student Invisible With His One Ring:" http://uproxx.com/movies/2015/02/texas-school-suspends-boy-with-one-ring-from-hobbit/

* "Cub Scouts' hike ends up at local nude beach:" http://www.10news.com/news/cub-scouts-hike-ends-up-at-local-nude-beach

* Tibicina and her gentlemen came up to visit. Tea and good conversation were had and they brought me prezzies! Glorious BPAL type prezzies!

* I finished the first season of House of Cards. On top of all the ways it is obviously brilliant, it happens to be sureal for me because of some personal history stuff.

1. I'm from Pennsylvania. My dad was from the other side of the bridge from Philly in new Jersey, a rough and tumble greaser kid who ended up in politics. He was that kind of bald and named Peter, though his personal life was absolutely exemplary. He was local though and fought tooth and nail for his people. He literally shipped chemo repeatedly when he was dying to nail a guy who embezzled from the local fire department, only winning a couple weeks before his death. He spent most of the last year of his life fighting a big developer who was always getting zoning variances so he could build firetrap houses that burned families. It was weird watching a through the looking version go through all that.

2. At my first college I dated a boy from Bethesda for a while. His father was a big deal in the Democratic Party, but no one you've likely heard of unless you were a Beltway Insider in the right eras. He was a back room kingmaker sort, very, very Congressman Underwood, only preferring the power to the position, if that makes sense. I got to watch and listen to him and is very clever wife discuss politics at dinner. It was dark as fuck. (Neither of his sons nor I were people and only existed in so far as we were props or audience for his ego as far as he was concerned). In his personal life, he was a monster. Congressman Underwood is a fictional character, but I'm glad he is adamantly child free in the show, because I've seen what a real life version did to his kids. I listen, crouched in the basement bathroom. My boy was a beautiful person and his life worked out, but given what he had to survive until he was old enough to leave.... yeah. Congressman Underwood definitely shouldn't have kids.

3. I knew a guy at my first college used to bar tend for congressional parties. He was also a rent boy. He never named names, but yes, DC really is exactly like you'd imagine behind closed doors, or at least it was in the late '80's.

4. Seriously, that looks and sounds so much like the D.C. I remember with only the obvious tech upgrades, that it was like traveling to my own past.

* Help my friends adopt two cats: http://djinni.livejournal.com/516743.html

* Our Financial Situation continues Scary: http://www.gofundme.com/cuovws or Lethran@gmail.com