(no subject)

[gwydion]

************************************************************************************************

* "CDC suggests recovered COVID-19 patients have protection for 3 months:" https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-suggests-recovered-covid-patients-can-t-spread-virus-3-n1236782

* "Exponential growth bias: The numerical error behind Covid-19:" https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200812-exponential-growth-bias-the-numerical-error-behind-covid-19

* "New CDC guidance says Covid-19 rates in children are 'steadily increasing':" https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/15/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

* "Exclusive: U.S. to make coronavirus strain for possible human challenge trials:" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccine-challenge/exclusive-u-s-to-make-coronavirus-strain-for-possible-human-challenge-trials-idUSKCN25A1EL

* "CDC asks 4 states and a city to draft coronavirus vaccine distribution plans:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/14/cdc-asks-4-states-city-draft-coronavirus-distribution-plans/

* Beto O'Rourke calls Trump's pandemic response an 'historic mismanagement'":" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/beto-o-rourke-calls-trump-s-pandemic-response-an-historic-mismanagement-90097733647

* "Dr. Peter Hotez on the Federal COVID-19 Response and More:"

* "Fear, language barriers hinder immigrant contact-tracing:" https://apnews.com/67d8c0778472c9c06bb5b1a0622375c2

*********************************************************************************************************

* "A Border Town Is Now Isolated From Both the U.S. and Canada:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/point-roberts-us-canada-covid-19

* "'Do you regret all your lying?' White House reporter's question startles Trump:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/14/do-you-regret-all-your-lying-white-house-reporters-question-startles-trump

* "Trump plans to deliver RNC speech on White House lawn:" https://nypost.com/2020/08/13/trump-plans-to-deliver-rnc-speech-on-white-house-lawn/

* "Appeals court nixes Hillary Clinton deposition on emails:" https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/14/hillary-clinton-emails-deposition-overturned-395361

* "Michael Cohen book claims Trump colluded with Russia and will ‘never leave office peacefully’:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/michael-cohen-book-claims-trump-colluded-russia-will-never-leave-n1236693

* "Trump Probe Not Limited to Stormy Daniels Payment, Manhattan D.A. Says:" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-14/trump-n-y-probe-not-limited-to-stormy-daniels-payment-da-says?srnd=politics-vp&sref=MIBMEEoj

* "Not *not* updating on the FL eviction/mortgage moratorium for August:" https://marahmarie.dreamwidth.org/560764.html

* "‘This is our moment’ How Biden and Harris are bringing hope in the age of Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-this-is-our-moment-how-biden-and-harris-are-bringing-hope-in-the-age-of-trump-90103365511

* "Trump gives credence to false, racist Harris conspiracy:" https://apnews.com/841b2ae6f1b3bd7815a9a0b21c046e60

* "Zerlina: Let’s call ‘birtherism’ what it is—racism:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/zerlina-let-s-call-birtherism-what-it-is-racism-90101317825

* "Postal service warns nearly every state it may not be able to deliver ballots in time based on current election rules:" https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/usps-warn-states-mail-in-ballot-delivery/index.html

* "Internal USPS Documents Outline Plans to Hobble Mail Sorting:" https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkyv4k/internal-usps-documents-outline-plans-to-hobble-mail-sorting

* "New Postmaster Hasn't Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns:" https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902545891/amid-fears-about-mail-in-ballots-election-officials-havent-met-with-new-postmast

* "Exclusive: Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy's policy changes and potential ethics conflicts:" https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/postal-service-inspector-general-reviewing-dejoy/

* "Trump and first lady request mail-in ballots despite attacks:" https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/donald-trump-melania-florida-mail-in-ballot/

* This is an excellent summary of what's going on with links "I've never loved the post office more than I do now that it's being dismantled:" https://marahmarie.dreamwidth.org/560916.html

* "New Jersey will send ballots to all active registered voters for November election, governor says:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-jersey-will-send-ballots-to-all-active-registered-voters-for-november-election-governor-says/2020/08/14/d7c5fb7e-de36-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html

* "Widespread public outrage halts Post Office removal of mailboxes:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/widespread-public-outrage-halts-post-office-removal-of-mailboxes-90107461739

* "Outspoken worker brings national attention to Trump's postal service attack:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/outspoken-worker-calls-attention-to-trump-s-postal-service-attack-90107973861

* "'Constituent power' key to pushing Congress to protect Postal Service:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-constituent-power-key-to-making-congress-to-save-postal-service-90107461856

* "'Constituent power' key to pushing Congress to protect Postal Service:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/joy-gop-does-not-care-the-destruction-trump-s-attacks-on-the-usps-have-inflicted-on-people-90096197956

* "Postal Service Inspector General investigating recent policy changes by Trump’s Postmaster General:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/postal-service-inspector-general-investigating-recent-policy-changes-by-trump-s-postmaster-general-90095685798

* "Mich. Sec. of State explains ‘two-pronged strategy’ to fight election sabotage:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/mich-sec-of-state-explains-two-pronged-strategy-to-fight-election-sabotage-90100293746

* "Two trans women were marching for liberation. They were put in jail, misgendered and interrogated about their genitals:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/08/14/trans-women-dehumanising-treatment-miami-jail-officers-interrogate-genitals-miami-florida/

* "Rival protesters descend on Stone Mountain, Georgia, near country's largest Confederate monument:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stone-mountain-georgia-protests-confederate-monument-stone-mountain-park/

* "A man who was sentenced to life in prison for selling $30 of marijuana will be freed:" https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/man-freed-life-sentence-marijuana-trnd/index.html

* "Bigot admits to hurling ‘disgusting’ transphobic abuse at a trans woman who had the audacity to exist:" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/08/14/annabel-forbes-transphobic-trans-abuse-southend-essex-seafront-magistrates-court/

* "Doctors dismissed her, but she turned out to be right after years of needless suffering:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/doctors-dismissed-her-but-she-turned-out-to-be-right-after-years-of-needless-suffering/2018/09/14/b5364c64-9593-11e8-810c-5fa705927d54_story.html

* "A new study finds that giving kids deworming treatment still benefits them 20 years later:" https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/8/6/21354847/kremer-miguel-worms-deworming

* "Switzerland fights heroin with heroin:" https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/01/28/switzerland-fights-heroin-with-heroin/

* "What Scars Say About Sex and Stereotypes:" https://www.sapiens.org/culture/scarification/

* "Cedar Rapids and nearby Iowa communities, still in shambles days after destructive derecho, plead for help:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/08/14/cedar-rapids-iowa-derecho/

* "Getting to Know Dem - Kamala Harris:"

* "Trump Targets Showerhead Rules & Belarus Election Protests:"

* "Trump Admits to Sabotaging the Mail:"

* "Kamala Harris Fires Back & Sexist Punditry - Uncensored:"

* "We Must Stop Dogs From Voting In The 2020 Election:"

Watch on YouTube

* Saturday: The Antibiotic is working on my lungs and sinuses, but it's also making me very sick, as in spend all day throwing up sick. The problem is, I've burned through a lot of the supplies of things to eat when I'm that kind of sick since March and there are fundamental problems, like the people buying my food for me don't shop anywhere that they sell the two types of crackers can manage on days when it's this bad. Crackers were essential for stopping the cycle.

I burned the insurance autodraw money on things to eat when I'm throwing up. I know I shouldn't have, but I have nearly a week more of this and I can't keep meds down when I can't stop puking. I'd already paid everything but the car insurance, so there was no cushion.

Want to keep me from being overdrawn? Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion

UPDATE: I am overdrawn. Apparently that confusing message from my insurer a couple days ago meant they were taking a brand new forty dollar annual fee out Sunday instead of just the usual amount at the end of the month. I am completely fucked. Some kind person chipped in 15.00 Sunday, but when I checked this morning I was negative 36.00 and the fees are going to accumulate daily. I am fucked. Please help, because except that 15.00, nothing is coming in until the 5th or so of September.

(I’d still have been overdrawn if i hadn’t bought the crackers etc., but i thought I’d have ‘til almost the end of the month before the autodraw. I think they are still doing the autodraw.)

* Sunday. The crackers have stabilized things enough for me to eat things like cheese and crackers (cheese also bought on Saturday's mission). It's still bad though. I don't know how I can make it until next Friday.

I forgot to mention, this is the best tomato crop I've grown since I left the East Coast. Some alchemy of sun and water has balanced things just right. Before I got too sick, I'd harvested four from the oldest two plants. One of the special gift plants has what looks like a full sized green tomato, another is in the early stages. The third gift plant is budding. Growing season is long here, so I have hopes they will all produce before frost takes them like most of last year's crop. (The plants matured late last year. It was heart breaking.)

Livia has clearly figured out that I hide the kibbles until she eats enough of her meat. I can tell, because she'll eat a few mouthfuls then come check to see if I put the bowls out. When I haven't she goes back, eats a little more, rinse and repeat until I feel like she's eaten enough. Me to Livia: If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any cookies. How can you have any cookies if you don't eat yer meat?

In other cat news, Squirrel got home from work the other night to find Tavy asleep on the same spot on the sofa as when he left. He was interrogating him about it while petting him and I was like, "The Emperor has recently discovered he's a middle aged Terror and that long naps between rampages are excellent." Squirrel was like "Middle Aged? What is he, three?" Me: Livia is three; Tavy is five. Squirrel: O.o Me: really shows one the passing of time doesn't it? Him: *sad sound of late middled aged regret*

* NOTE: I was never an English major and am certainly not an Austen scholar, nor have I studied any of these in a school setting since P&P in HS in the '80's. I just like the books.

Some of you may know that Persuasion is my favorite Austen book. I fell in love with it the first time I read it, and I just love it more each time I reread it. This may seem odd, given how much I dislike Mansfield Park. After all, Persuasion has some of Austen's sharpest social criticism along similar lines as Pride and Prejudice, but has a gentle, understated heroine, more like Fanny from Mansfield. It would surprise no one that I adore Eliza Bennent, but I also love Catherine from Northanger and Elinor Dashwood from Sense an Sensibility (The writing is a bit sluggish in S&S, which means I don't reread it often, but the bones are good). My point is, that these are three different character types who I am perfectly capable of enjoying. I would argue that my beloved Anne is another atempt at some of the things she was trying to convey with Elinor and to a certain extent with Fanny, only written at the height of her skill at the end of her life.

I have always had trouble explaining why exactly I adore Persuasion the way I do. I mean, sure, it's overtly feminist in spots. (I'd argue all her writing is feminist, it's just a lot of it is less overt, than say, the exchange in which Anne points out at that all the books being cited are by men and thus biased). Anne is far from the first heroine trapped in and constantly punished by gendered expectation and manners in her society, but Persuasion really brings that to the fore. This isn't exactly it though.

Tonight I finally put my finger on it: It's a queer culture thing. Bear with me. I'm not claiming this is what Austen was intending. People have made arguments for queer subtext around certain of the men in Persuasion, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Anne and Wentworth. Yes, it's very clearly a straight relationship. I'm talking about a deeper resonance, and it's a struggle to put it into words.

Modern dating apps and social media and queer liberation and all the rest have made LGBTQIA+ dating easier, but it's a recent change and in some places it's still like it was. For a lot of the last millennium or so in European culture, courtship, seduction, etc., had to be underground. Subtle things conveyed in silences, in looks exchanged over innocuous sounding conversations with double meanings, in body language, in coded clothes and secret passwords. Outside of sex work, the way a lot of people connected was a careful, often slow business, involving feeling each other out and the suppression of more overt displays of interest while people tried to work out if the other person felt the ame. It's been pointed out that this is why the image of hands hesitantly touching and than grasping each other more firmly when the other person reciprocates is such a prominent image in queer cinema and now TV.

Touch is still so often dangerous. It can attract homophobic harassment and violence. Particularly for transfolk, though for queer folk in general there is always a chance that the person one reaches towards might beat or murder one.

Touch is dangerous, but it is so powerful. It is liberation, it is love.

So back to Anne, loving and desiring Wentworth so intently without any hope, being treated as sexless and a useful convenience by people who should value her. Back to Anne who is only really SEEN by the select few with the discernment to look. Most people only see the surfaces, and she is fundamentally at the mercy of those judgements from the undecerning for most of the novel. she has a fine appreciation of music, books, and poetry, that most people in her circle don't share.

Once Wentworth realizes he is interested in her, the courtship is done under everybody else's radar. They are at the mercy of other people's whims, of social constraints, of societal expectation. They snatch moments to exchange a few inadequate sentences and telling looks. They are in constant peril of never understanding each other becaue of gossip, because those snatched moments and cryptic messages are inadequate to convey what they feel. They are both deathly afraid of being rejected and irreparably hurt if they declare to the other one something of what the want too boldly first. What if they read the hints wrong? What if Wentworth believes all the gossip? What if Anne is reading him wrong in Bath? For how many centuries have queer couples danced this dance in one form or another. They are very straight, but this feels like a queer courtship. the dilemna is resolved because he overhears her in conversation with another character and reads the signals right. Finally. He declares his feelings clearly with his pen. Finally. When she's handed off to him casually in the street to take home and they finally, finally connect... Damn. It's earned, it's so earned, and it feels like magic.

I am nothing like Anne. My oldest continuous friend has referred to me in my heyday as Sexzilla, for fuck's sake. I did now and then play with subtlety because I could, but for the most part, I decided who I wanted and ethics and orientation permitting, I went hunting and generally caught who I aimed for. In my youth I didn't need much patience or finesse. I came from a place and culture and time where flirtation needed to do the heavy lifting of trading disease status and sexual interests, and I have likened it to contract bridge, though it also happened to be very sexy. there is no choice in waisting time with someone who wasn't serious about condoms and who didn't have enough overlap in taste to be worth the effort. Better to move on and find someone else. Now in the long twilight celibacy of my disability I have had to learn to bank my flames, but I was a bold thing once upon a time.

Anne still speaks to be on some fundamental level, some ancestral queer cultural resonance perhaps, or maybe it's a generational thing: the way plague shaped half of of us into people cautious of making that first move because the stakes were so high and the other half into risk takers trying to grab what joy we could before it all got snuffed out by bombs or virus. I was never an Anne, but we all have known some. Those pre-stonewall men I hung out with for a while still had a lot of those habits of carefulness, of slowly feeling things out, of flirtation that could be brushed off as no such thing if not reciprocated. They'd lived through more than one revolution, but you could see echoes of the terrible world before the year of my birth in their eyes, in their manners, in their references, in the way they flirted with me and each others. there was something similar in the late in life trans women I used to hang out with. It was so alien to the younger transfolk that the other Xer and I used to have to translate back and forth between the Boomers on one hand and Millenials on the other. Their cultures and frames of reference were so far apart it was like the divide between middle and modern English.

I have said often, I'm terribly glad we've moved on. I have always wanted something better for those coming behind us, but I come from a culture and a time and a place, and Anne has spoken to my heart from the first day i met her in the pages of Persuasion. I suspect she always will.

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

* Want to help people in Beirut? https://karolinadeaen.tumblr.com/post/625576504313741312

* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us

* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

* Master Post for how to help organizations fighting Police violence: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620861026680881152/oberynmartell-list-of-black-lives-matter-and

* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm?source=ADD200U0U00&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlepaid&utm_content=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz8D9kYu46QIVqh6tBh2WogxQEAAYASAAEgK4FfD_BwE

* "More on the Mashpee Wampanoag Reservation and Reaffirmation Act:" https://amaebi.dreamwidth.org/1769250.html

* "Covid 19 Support for Indigenous Communities:" https://bibliomancer7.tumblr.com/post/616704253038395392/covid-19-support-for-indigenous-communities

* "Navajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund:" http://www.nndoh.org/donate.html

* "NYSCI has a set of activities and resources up on their website:" https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/2999942.html

* "How to Help Librarians and Archivists From Your Living Room:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/archives-to-browse-from-home

* "Free Meals:" https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/free-meals

* "Learning Through Play: 101 Ways To Keep Young Minds Occupied At Home:" https://www.marksdailyapple.com/importance-of-play/

* Free lessons: https://www.mybluprint.com/

* CDC Foundation: https://www.cdcfoundation.org/give/ways-to-give

* "SUPPORT WORKERS IN CRISIS:" https://ofwemergencyfund.org/

* "Make to Give - Support Our Medical Personnel:" https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/

* "Snopes on COVID-19 Fact-Checking:" https://www.snopes.com/2020/03/20/snopes-on-covid-19-fact-checking/

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

* "Support Artists Impacted By the Covid-19 Pandemic:" https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/bandcamp-covid-19-fundraiser

* 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/mcgrath2020-dd-om-gsearch?utm_source=g&utm_medium=om&utm_campaign=dd&utm_content=om_g_dd_20190709_g-dd-namenat-search_namedon-nat_amosdn&refcode=om_g_dd_20190709_g-dd-namenat-search_namedon-nat_amosdn&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5IL1uLKa6gIVcz2tBh1njwpEEAAYASAAEgLCYvD_BwE

* 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 help Ritchie Torres beat a homophobe in New York? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dkendorsestorres?refcode=20200605fpdn1mid

* Want to help Doug Jones defend his seat against a Trumpist homophobe? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/stand-with-doug?refcode=gaa1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx8n4rdfT6gIVvxitBh0BfQmNEAAYASAAEgJSwfD_BwE

* Want to help Sara Gideon unseat Susan Collins? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/adopt-me-dem-susan-collins-seat

* 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

* "Keep Me Safe! Help me get a gate organized by Briel Moore:" https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-me-safe-help-me-get-a-gate?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet+expWdV

* 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

Comments

[amaebi]

Love your read of Peruasion.

[gwydion]

Thanks!

[marahmarie]

Also loved your read of Persuasion!

Thanks for the linkbacks and for raising awareness around the almost entirely senseless issues the USPS is having thanks to years of congressional R mismanagement and now the current administration trying to put it in the ground with Trump blatantly admitting as to why. I'm totally anti-anti-USPS at this point, like if it was 10 years ago I might start another blog just to cover/address/raise awareness around what's going on. It really gets me as it affects so many of us.

[gwydion]

Thanks!

The Post officethink scares the shit out of me. It's catastrophic.

[marahmarie]

Well, news out today says DeJoy double-pinky promises to halt all changes being made until after the election but a) I don't know what that encompasses or means, so will need to read up to get a better understanding and b) even if they were to literally roll back/undo all changes at least 'til then I don't trust them to actually not try to pull some or all of this crap again in the days or weeks leading up to Election Day, figuring as they might that no one will have time by then to get them to undo those changes in time to not screw up the Election.

[gwydion]

I saw. I won't trust it untiol the Postal Union reports everything is back the way it was.

[marahmarie]

Nancy Pelosi made a good point in saying the changes that "were" being made (though I don't even trust they've stopped making them) have to be permanently back-burnered, not just put off until after the election - and of course she's right.

[gwydion]

*nods emphatically*

[marahmarie]

I've read we all have some form of PTSD after four years of this regime's shenanigans and...yeah, sounds about right. I know I do. When my trust goes completely down the tank no matter what the issue is nor what's done or not done, promised or not promised, then yeah, I'm beyond any cope.

*smh*