A Week Behind

[gwydion]

* I'm going to section off coronavirus stuff in the aggregation between the dotted lines, so people who need to skip can skip without losing the other stuff.

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* "Coronavirus: China expert lambasts Italy’s ‘lax’ response to pandemic :" https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3076049/zero-home-grown-coronavirus-cases-reported-china-second-day

* "Coronavirus: Italy and Spain record highest single-day death tolls:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/behave-or-face-strict-coronavirus-lockdown-germans-told

* This is terrifying. "Italy, Pandemic’s New Epicenter, Has Lessons for the World:" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-center-lessons.html

* "Its Coronavirus Cases Dwindling, China Turns Focus Outward:" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/world/asia/coronavirus-china-aid.html

* "How to avoid touching your face so much:" https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200317-how-to-stop-touching-your-face

* "Charting The Growth Of Coronavirus Cases In The US Versus Trump's Statements About It - Digg:" https://digg.com/2020/trump-coronavirus-statements

* "Global health expert: Testing fundamental to beating COVID-19:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/covid-19-coronavirus-testing-far-behind-u-s-need-expert-says-81060933916

* "‘It Feels Like a War Zone’: Doctors and Nurses Plead for Masks on Social Media:" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/us/hospitals-coronavirus-ppe-shortage.html

* "In Plain and Simple Terms:" https://marahmarie.dreamwidth.org/518806.html

* "Doctor on coronavirus: Numbers are going to skyrocket:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/coronavirus-numbers-are-going-to-skyrocket-doctors-say-81075269976

* "How Millennials Are Talking To Their Boomer Relatives About The Coronavirus:" https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/coronavirus-parents-grandparents-boomers-millennials

* "Meet the Americans still going out and gathering in large groups:" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-groups/meet-the-americans-still-going-out-and-gathering-in-large-groups-idUSKBN2153QT

* "Sen. Klobuchar on 2020: Make early voting, mail-in votes the norm:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/voting-bill-expanding-early-mail-in-ballots-boosted-by-klobuchar-81077317951

* "Help the California food industry survive this crisis:" https://www.change.org/p/governor-gavin-newsom-support-the-california-food-industries-most-vulnerable-workers

* "Sen. Kamala Harris on coronavirus: Paid sick leave saves lives:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/coronavirus-bill-tackling-pandemic-discussed-by-sen-harris-81062981654

* "Why workers and small businesses need full coronavirus bailouts:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/coronavirus-bailout-bill-overlooks-workers-small-business-needs-81062981949

* "Sen. Booker on coronavirus bill: Number one concern is workers:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/coronavirus-economic-fallout-discussed-by-sen-cory-booker-81076805728

* Stuff I said to a friend about Cuomo's press conference, mildly edited: He's honestly giving the sort of speeches the president should be giving. I have my political differences with him here and there, but Really? He's stepping the fuck up. Also? Going full Italian on people not taking it seriously is magical. I was watching Cuomo lose his shit over people playing basketball. "There is no social distancing in basketball!" I also love his cranky countering of rumors. And he's doing FDR/Churchill style "we're going to over come this" stuff that 45 attacked a reporter for asking him to do.

* "Why workers and small businesses need full coronavirus bailouts:" https://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/coronavirus-bailout-bill-overlooks-workers-small-business-needs-81062981949

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* "Trans woman shot to death inside an ambulance as medics fought to save her life:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/21/trans-woman-killed-charlotte-north-carolina-ambulance-human-rights-campaign/

* "During the coronavirus pandemic, it’s more obvious than ever that gay and bi men should be able to donate blood:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/20/blood-donation-queer-gay-bisexual-men-coronavirus-pandemic-covid19-aids-nhs-red-cross/

* I've been working on clearing the stuff out from between the bed and the closet and dealing with the art situation, plus trying to get some stuff moved and cleaned in advance of the final push. Everything is chaos as I need to sort things before I can put them away properly and that's a whole Thing on it's own. I am tired, and I still have too boxes to clean. Sigh.

In other news, but 22 year old air filter has died. Right as allergy season is starting. &$%#!

* "12 Stay-At-Home Sweets:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2020/3/22/12-stay-at-home-sweets

* Useful household chemistry: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ETQN3UPUwAAqmZL?format=jpg&name=large

* In the season 2 Babylon 5 episode, Act of sacrifice, one can see the exact moment G'Kar starts to grow up. There is a terrible beauty to it.

* ToS: Season 2 Rewatch:

- 2.18: Immunity Syndrome. Spock announces a Vulcan vessel in distress "just died." They treat him like he's delusional even though Vulcans are low level psychic and the death toll would be large. Surprise, the whole system it was near is also dead. Maybe listen next time? Anyway they let him back on the bridge when they go to check out the ship.

There is a mysterious space anomaly that looks like a "hole in space." They are doing scans. A bunch of people on board fainted; Uhura nearly fainted. Spock ays he can't speculate. A cranky Kirk ends up asking Spock to list the things it's not, because he won't speculate. I start to wonder if this is subtle revenge for them being sort of dickish about the psychic episode, as he speculates just fine at the end of the sequence and indeed throughout the episode, at one point saying "I speculate." They arrive at maybe this thing killed all those people. No shit. Kirk gets dizzy. They "intersect" with it, there is a terrible noise, and the "stars are gone." Everyone's cranky and people keep passing out. Spock keeps enacting subtle revenge. The deeper they go in, the worse it gets. Everyone's taking "stimulents the who rest of the episode, to stay conscious.

Kirk insists on continuing against advise; bones points out they are literally all dying. They try to reverse, but lurch froward. It's draining the engines and they are getting drawn in. Spock suggests they try forward thrust. It slows them down, but doesn't stop them. Spock suggest something in the zone absorbs energy and maybe did this to the planet. Spock thinks the Vulcans couldn't believe it was killing them. The last thing they felt was astonishment.

They find what looks like a giant psychedelic fractal. It's living protoplasm covered in debris, presumably a graveyard of ships where the intrepid died. They decide to send a live person in as they need more than the mechanical probe apparently. Bones, Spock, and Kirk bicker about who should get to go. Kirk ends up sending Spock. The wish me luck scene with Spock/mccoy is the first tie this has looked like Bones low key flirting instead of indulging in racist bullying of Spock to me, so progress? Bones doesn't say "Good luck" until after spock is gone though.

Spock diverts power to his shields to the point he likely won't get back. The thing is reproducing, it turns out. Spock transmits the chromosomal data. They need to destroy it or it'll destroy the universe eventually. Spock calls them to try to tell them how to kill it, but the message is broken up. Spock: you should have wished me luck. Ouch. Bones just keeps believing he's not dead. Kirk has no energy left for that, but they work out that they are an antibodies. They cut thrust and shoot right in. They use and "antimatter probe" with a detonator.

Spock leaves a final statement. Kirk does basically the same thing, listing commendations including Spock for giving his life in performance of his duty. They spot Spock's vessel and try to tractor it. Spock tells them not to risk the ship for him. Bones snaps "Shut up Spock, we're rescuing you!" Scotty reports they have no power, but the explosion kicks them home. Yet another unique lifeform destroyed by the star ship enterprise! Um, go team? Bones is deliberately nasty to Spock, presumably to cancel out not being a dick for most of the episode.

Leonard Nimoy and Deforrest Kelly were particularly good in this episode and forcing Shatner to do a deliberately low energy performance actually improved his acting a great deal so he wasn't painful to watch for the whole middle of the episode.

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

* "Help the California food industry survive this crisis:" https://www.change.org/p/governor-gavin-newsom-support-the-california-food-industries-most-vulnerable-workers

* "100 Million Mask Challenge:" https://www.providence.org/lp/100m-masks

* "Coronavirus: Deaconess asks public to sew CDC-compliant face masks for staff:" https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/2020/03/18/coronavirus-deaconess-ask-public-provide-medical-face-masks/2865273001/

* Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey

* The Indivisble guide exists to help you organize effective resistance: https://indivisible.org/

* Here’s a list of vulnerable republican senators up for election this year:

Martha McSally - Arizona
Susan Collins - Maine
Cory Gardner - Colorado
Thom Tillis - North Carolina
Pat Roberts - Kansas
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler - Georgia
Joni Ernst - Iowa

Here’s a list of vulnerable democratic senators that NEED votes to keep their seats:

Doug Jones - Alabama
Gary Peters - Michigan

* Want to get rid of Mitch McConnell? Help Amy McGrath: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/am-website?refcode=website-nav

* Want to get rid of Lindsey Graham? Help Jaime Harrison: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_harrison_fr_q12019_jaime-a?refcode=MS_AD_D-DD_2019.03.08_X_GG_KW__X__eyJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6IkFkZCBEb25hdGlvbiBOb3ciLCJhdWRpZW5jZSI6IkphaW1lSGFycmlzb24ifQ&recurring=TRUE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn4a_583I5gIVC8RkCh0MowFeEAAYASAAEgIXZfD_BwE

* There's a decent chance of flipping this Senate seat blue. Want to help? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ads-mek-egsearch_dtd?refcode=ads-200108-gs-evergreensearch-dtd-natl-mix-8753679275-87807510469-410037583123-%2Bmark%20%2Bkelly%20%2Bdonate&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpKSR192K5wIVAsNkCh0EeAFSEAAYASAAEgLY7fD_BwE

* Want to support Christy Smith in the primary for Katie Hill's seat?: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dw_ca25

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can not protest in person, here are some other 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/

* Some RL friends of mine who were barely scraping by just lost one of the part time jobs they collectively hold and it's really fucking things up for them. These are good people, who do so much for others. Want to help? https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-gig-worker-get-through-the-winter/share

* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion

* If you are interested in helping, right now the Cat thing we need most is:
https://www.chewy.com/wellness-core-signature-selects/dp/147047

The dry food I was going to try is this one: https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-wilderness-flatland/dp/176663

* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/2108835.html