(no subject)

* "Spain to impose direct rule as Catalonia leader refuses to back down:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/18/spain-direct-rule-catalonia-deadline-direct-rule

* This is not the one in Ireland that got lots of (deserved) press a few years ago but a similar outrage in Scotland. "Orphanage grave contains 'hundreds' of children:" http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41200949

* "Trump links UK crime rise to 'spread of Islamic terror':" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/20/trump-mistakenly-links-uk-rise-with-spread-of-islamic-terror

* "Putin calls on Americans to respect Trump:" http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/356351-putin-calls-on-americans-to-respect-trump

* "Expert sees risk of corruption in Trump foreign government deals:"

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* "Mattis says Niger ambush was ‘considered unlikely,’ pledges probe:" http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/niger-ambush-jim-mattis-investigation-243960

* "Search for answers on U.S. soldier deaths in Niger intensifies:"

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* "Trump calls lawmaker ‘wacky,' says she told ‘total lie’ about military call:" http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/trump-frederica-wilson-gold-star-families-243977

* "Partisan feud undercuts Trump-Russia probe, U.S. Democrats charge:" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-house/partisan-feud-undercuts-trump-russia-probe-u-s-democrats-charge-idUSKBN1CP2MN

* "John Kelly is not the "adult in the room":"

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* "Kelly's attack on Rep. Wilson based on lies, distortions:"

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* "Video proves John Kelly lied about Rep. Frederica Wilson:"

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* "Senate approves budget as GOP leaders reach deal to set up tax reform:" http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/house-senate-leaders-budget-deal-243971

This is going to be catastrophic. I know it’s not as flashy and obvious as health care policy, but please, if you have republican Congress Critters, complain in person, call, fax, text, etc..

Here are some options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

* "Danielle Brooks' Emotional Keynote At R29's Every Beautiful Body Symposium:" http://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/127848/danielle-brooks-lane-bryant-plus-size-model-confidence-quotes?utm_source=tumblr.com&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=h3&utm_campaign=watch_embed&utm_campaign=watch_end&utm_campaign=end

* "Sonoma Sheriff Battles With ICE Over Misinformation On California Wildfires:" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ice-sonoma-sheriff-california-wildfires-fake-news_us_59e92e76e4b05b4f1c3a477f

“I’d rather not fight with the federal government while trying to put out wildfires.”

* "102 female inmates are fighting on the front lines of the North Bay wildfires:" http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/inmates-firefighters-California-female-women-12287532.php

* "‘Beautiful Girls’ Scribe Scott Rosenberg On A Complicated Legacy With Harvey Weinstein:" http://deadline.com/2017/10/scott-rosenberg-harvey-weinstein-miramax-beautiful-girls-guilt-over-sexual-assault-allegations-1202189525/

* "Weak response leaves Puerto Rico backsliding one month post-storm:"

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* "Greater need but less help for Puerto Rico:"

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* "US refugee office denying girl access to abortion:"

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* "Court Blocks Immediate Abortion for Undocumented Teen:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/court-rule-after-trump-admin-blocks-undocumented-teen-s-abortion-n812791

* "Undocumented teen's case forces appeals court to weigh abortion access:" http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/20/undocumented-teen-abortion-appeals-court-243994

* I hope every single survivor and the families of the dead sue him. "Federal Judge Will Not Void Guilty Ruling On Arpaio, Despite Trump's Pardon:" http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/20/558978896/federal-judge-will-not-void-guilty-ruling-on-arpaio-despite-trumps-pardon

* "These Are The Three Richard Spencer Fans Arrested For Attempted Homicide In Gainesville:" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/attempted-homicide-richard-spencer-speech-gainesville-florida_us_59ea766ae4b0958c468228ff

* "3,200-Year-Old Stone Inscription Tells of Trojan Prince, Sea People:" https://www.livescience.com/60629-ancient-inscription-trojan-prince-sea-people.html

* The end of this one made me tear up a little. "Home hundreds of years old unearthed as Quinhagak readies cultural center:" https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2017/09/03/hidden-home-hundreds-of-years-old-unearthed-as-quinhagak-readies-cultural-center/

* "Ruined ‘Apartments’ May Hold Clues to Native American History:" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/science/chaco-native-american-archaeology.html

* "The traces of the Tudor palace at Greenwich are a truly remarkable find:" https://www.apollo-magazine.com/the-traces-of-the-tudor-palace-at-greenwich-are-a-truly-remarkable-find/

* Friday was an errand day. Among those errands is the most important one of all: Voting. Yes, I know it's an off year election, but early voting has started in some states including mine, and those glamorous local elections matter to your quality of life. They can mean the difference between clean water and danger. They can mean the difference between mental health and drug diversion vs. stop and frisk. They can determine whether your local schools teach science or not. They can determine if your schools are properly funded.

Please, please, vote on every ballot measure and every race. The internet exists and you can look candidates up in advance and see their positions and endorsements. It looks like in key Mid-Western stats, voter suppression gave us 45. If you vote in every election and every primary, you have a much better chance of finding out if you've been illegally disenfranchise ahead of the important mid-term next year, and thus will have time to fight to get your rights as citizens back.

We need to resist them in very way we can. Don't let them win because you don't show up.

* In other news, it's been chilly enough to wear my coat this week. My coat has buttons all over it's lapels, because I am a queer Goth from the '80's and we used to roll like that and I still do despite having given up high goth for more comfortable gothy clothes do to poverty and illness. In the last place I went, there was this bright eyed, I'm guessing Freshman or Sophomore from the university, delightful customer service person of African descent who was an utter delight. She looked at me, looked at my paper work, did a double take and clocked me again, and then the sweet young woman apologized profusely for the gendered honorific an asked for my pronouns. Usually, people who are not social acquaintances or health care providers take their best guess or work around pronouns and honorifics. My Policy is to let them as it is an exhausting conversation to have multiple times a day. This leads occasionally to situations where people with dueling genderings are eyeing each other and me for some sort of sign, which I take as proof of a successful bowl down the middle of the lane. I generally only intervene when some parent is harshly correcting a child as to my gender, at which point I side with the child, as they are usually guessing closer anyway, being more keen observers of subtle detail in these matters. Anyway, I provided her with "ze, zhir, zim" and assured her that no offense at all was taken and it was kind of her to take such care. She said, "It is important for me to practice getting this right." People like to shit on Millennials, but I loved my kids when I was teaching and feel a lot happier with my fate being in millennial hands than those of Boomers. This woman was significantly younger than the last batch I taught, but it is good to see that the principals continue on in the tail end Millennials.

* Thank you, Something Positive. It was creepy and distressing when Criminal Minds used a twisted version of my ex's murder because it was a sensation at the time, an I have often wondered about how the families of the dead feel about things like AHS using them for plot. http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp10112017.shtml

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

* Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

* This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/

* Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com

* Want Game of Thrones without the creepy? We need new players. We are very inclusive. "Game of Bones MUSH:" gobmush.wikidot.com